Boston, movie-making capital?

Boston will never be a Hollywood back lot, but tax incentives aimed at bringing more movie and TV deals to the Bay State may be helping. At a party Monday to celebrate the new law, people in high places were predicting the Hub could soon become a hot property with moviemakers. Not only is Ben Affleck's big-screen version of Dennis Lehane's ''Gone, Baby, Gone" set to film here, but Ken Kwapis, director of ''The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants," is looking to lens ''License to Wed" in the area. The movie, about a marriage counselor who puts a couple through hell, will star Robin Williams. And an indie film with lovely Lucy Liu is also a possibility. But the news isn't all good. In part because the state still lacks an official film office, producers of a Nicole Kidman flick tentatively titled ''Nicole Goes to the Country" have chosen to film in New York instead of Boston. Hobnobbing at Monday's party at Umbria were legislators Sal DiMasi, Cynthia Creem, Jim Timilty, and Tom O'Brien; Oscar-winning actor Chris Cooper and his wife, Marianne Leone Cooper; director Sam Weisman; ''Queer Eye" creator Michael Williams; Mark Drago of the state's Sports and Entertainment Commission; and ''Stiffs" moviemakers Roger Marino and Frank and Joe Ciota.

Star endorses ex-mobster’s memoir

John ''Red" Shea served 12 years in federal prison on drug charges he racked up while working for James ''Whitey" Bulger. Now, he's written a memoir, ''Rat Bastards: The Life and Times of South Boston's Most Honorable Irish Mobster," with an introduction by none other than Mark Wahlberg. ''While [in prison], [Shea] became a sort of 'gangster priest,' counseling men ten and twenty years his senior to stay strong and not to rat on their friends," Wahlberg writes. ''Red believes in doing the right thing, no matter the consequences; his code of honor is unshakable." The ''Four Brothers" star so admires the ex-con that he optioned the film rights to the book, which traces Shea's life from the mean streets in Southie to his release from the federal pen.

Siegel is up, Roth is down

Where did Howard Stern's listeners go when the King of all Media skipped to Sirius? Up the radio dial to Matt Siegel's morning show. By a wide margin, according to the latest Arbitrend numbers, Siegel is whuppin' David Lee Roth, who replaced Stern on WBCN. On his Kiss-108 show, Siegel beat the former Van Halen frontman in every important demographic. Among adults ages 25 to 54, Siegel was first with a 9.2 share, up from a 6.4 in the fall. The 'BCN morning slot with Roth dropped to 12th in the market with a 3.1 share. For adults 18 to 34 -- a demographic owned by Stern -- Siegel was also tops with a 14.9 share compared to Roth's 6.1 share.

Turns out Delonte West can dish on and off the court. In the latest ESPN the Magazine, the future Celtics star cracks wise about his teammates. He calls rookie Gerald Green a fashion disaster, laughing at his ''corduroy slacks and usher's jacket," and jabs Al Jefferson for his immodesty. ''Ask him, he'll say he's among the top 5 best-looking guys in the NBA. . . . Everyone needs to dream." But the unkindest cut is reserved for Raef LaFrentz, whom West calls cheap despite his hefty $9 million salary. ''He saves every dime. He doesn't give handouts like the other vets."

Come Sunday, actor David Morse and former Miss USA Susie Castillo will be at competing Oscar parties in Boston. But this week, the pair walked the same red carpet at the New York premiere of Morse's new movie, ''16 Blocks." Castillo, who grew up in Methuen, will be at Boston's official ''Oscar Night America" party at the State Room, while Morse, a Beverly native, will hold forth at the Mass. Film Bureau's bash at the Museum of Science.

It was all about the stem cells when Tim Russert, James Carville, Peggy Noonan, E.J. Dionne, and Ed Gillespie talked religion and politics at Boston College the other night.

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