English lesson

In LA to open a new restaurant with "Desperate Housewives" actress Eva Longoria, Olives chef Todd English was a guest on Jimmy Kimmel's talk show the other night. English, whose latest venture is called Beso, whipped up some artichoke guacamole, drunken shrimp, and fresh-fruit cocktails. He and Kimmel then sampled the tasty treats with Guillermo Rodriguez, the parking-lot security guard who's Kimmel's part-time sidekick and correspondent.

Director Eli Roth doesn't turn 36 until next month, but the Newton native is already over the hill, at least according to Lindsay Lohan. Roth ran into the 21-year-old actress in LA the other day, and wrote about the amusing encounter on his MySpace page. "I was having drinks with a friend at the Beverly Hills Hotel and Lindsay Lohan walked by our booth with a girlfriend, checking us out," says the "Hostel" director. "She then went out to the bathroom, turned around, came back and walked by us again, and mumbled to her friend 'too old' and kept walking." Roth wasn't offended. "She's absolutely correct, but it was still pretty [expletive] hilarious, especially since we were in the Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel, where the average age is 97." We couldn't help rubbing it in, so we sent a teasing e-mail to Roth yesterday. His reply? "The irony is that the friend I was with is producing five different movies. We could have given [Lohan] a job! Don't be in such a hurry!"

We're told that British-born movie producer Jeremy Thomas, whose credits include several Bernardo Bertolucci films, will be in town next month to receive the 2008 Coolidge Award. Thomas produced Bertolucci's 1988 Academy Award-winning film "The Last Emperor," as well as "Stealing Beauty" and "The Sheltering Sky." While it's unlikely the legendary director will come for the award presentation April 17, organizers are optimistic that some of Thomas's other colleagues will. He's currently executive producing "The Palermo Shooting" with German director Wim Wenders. Past recipients of the Coolidge Award include Chinese director Zhang Yimou, cinematographer Vittorio Storaro, actress Meryl Streep, and, last year, Martin Scorsese's longtime film editor Thelma Schoonmaker.

A flack for the Metropolitan Opera used a bit of old-fashioned language to explain James Levine's absence last night. The maestro, who missed four months of work with a shoulder injury in 2006, was "indisposed" and had to be replaced by Joseph Colaneri. According to our dictionary, Levine was either ill or disinclined to perform. We're betting on the former.

Boston-based theater producer Spring Sirkin is back on Broadway as part of the team behind the new musical "Passing Strange," a semi-autobiographical show by the LA musician and performer who calls himself Stew. Producing director of Boston's 31-year-old Chamber Theatre Productions, Sirkin was a producer on last year's Broadway run of "A Moon for the Misbegotten" starring Kevin Spacey. Sirkin caught up with cast members Daniel Breaker, Colman Domingo, and De'Adre Aziza after a recent performance at the Belasco Theatre.

Steve Carell was on "Live With Regis and Kelly" yesterday to promote his new animated flick, "Horton Hears a Who!" which opens tomorrow. But the actor also took the opportunity to correct some misinformation that's been popping up on the Internet. "One was that I was . . . on a high school dance team in Canada," said Carell, who hails from Acton. With the writers' strike over, the star of "The Office" is back on the set. He also stars in "Get Smart," due in June.

With Avalon closed for renovations, the folks at Urban Improv needed a new location for "Banned in Boston." The spoofy annual variety show will be held April 26 in MIT's Kresge Auditorium. They've also added a few new names to the cast of local celebs including: MIT prez Dr. Susan Hockfield, Harvard prez Drew Gilpin Faust, and scientist Eric Lander, best known for his work mapping the human genome. The event raises money to combat youth violence.

Emerson grad and Hollywood hotshot Alex Tse has a dose of tough love for those hoping to break into showbiz. "If you want to enter this world, you have to be willing to suffer for it," Tse told students yesterday during a stop at his alma mater. The scribe behind the upcoming film "Watchmen," Tse is now at work on a script for Michael Mann's "Frankie Machine," slated to star Robert De Niro. "Who wouldn't want to be in this business? It's exciting and inspiring. But it isn't easy."

Sox pitcher and budding political operative Curt Schilling yesterday congratulated John McCain on winning the Republican presidential nomination. Writing on his blog, 38pitches .com, Big Schill said the Arizona senator will get his vote in November. Later, responding to our e-mail, the rehabbing right-hander said he may even hit the campaign trail. "If [McCain] asks and the schedule permits, I'd do whatever," he said. Schilling also took a shot at Gloria Steinem for suggesting that the candidate's war record is irrelevant. "It sure as hell gives me insight into [McCain's] character," he said. Does he worry about alienating fans who disagree with his politics? "I could care less what people think I should and should not keep to myself," Schilling groused. "I have every right to speak my mind as anyone else." If Curt can't pitch again, maybe he can be a talking head on FOX.

Names can be reached at names@globe.com or at 617-929-8253.

Correction: Because of a reporting error, the opening date for the movie "Horton Hears a Who!" was misstated. The movie opens March 14.