Creature feature

A scene from the upcoming dark comedy "War, Inc." in which pop tart Hilary Duff handles a live scorpion has been scorching its way across the Internet, and the film's director, Joshua Seftel, couldn't be more amused. "It was shown when [the movie's co-writer/star] John Cusack was on Jimmy Kimmel's show, and then it was just out in the world," said Seftel, a Tufts alum who spends a couple of weeks each month working at WGBH for "Nova" and other projects. "You can't plan these things." It's been a nice boost for "War, Inc." which premieres at the Tribeca Film Festival April 28. The film - about a US company hired to run a Middle Eastern country - also stars Ben Kingsley, Marisa Tomei, and Cusack's sister Joan. "It's really been a charmed experience for me," said Seftel of making the film. As for Duff, who seems to shed her nice-girl image in this role, Seftel said: "It was even more brave for her to tackle this role than that scorpion."

High-powered reception

Former Channel 5 personality Janet Langhart and her husband, former US defense secretary Bill Cohen, hosted a reception last night at the Taj Boston. Afterward, the power couple and a cadre of friends, including Emerson president Jacqueline Liebergott and defense attorney F. Lee Bailey, went to Emerson's Semel Theater to see a staged reading of Langhart's one-act play, "Anne and Emmett." The play imagines a conversation between Anne Frank and Emmett Till, two teenage victims of bigotry and intolerance.

Rating the pitch

New Dunkin' Donuts pitchman Jonathan Papelbon was a good sport yesterday as his discerning teammate Dustin Pedroia and manager Terry Francona critiqued the closer's new TV commercial. By flacking for Dunkin' Donuts, Papelbon is following in the footsteps of Curt Schilling, GM Theo Epstein, former outfielder Johnny Damon, and Pats players Tom Brady, Tedy Bruschi, and Richard Seymour. So what did Pedroia and Tito think of Paps' performance? "You can't be that good of an actor if they don't even let you speak," said Pedroia. Attended by a few hundred lucky fans, yesterday's event at Fenway was part of Dunkin' Donuts' new "Red Sox Win, You Win" promotion.

Hitting the right notes

Is it just us or does it seem like John Legend's always in Boston? The singer, who made the girls go ga-ga at last summer's Hot Stove, Cool Music show, was back in town headlining One Family Inc.'s annual "Mothers of Inspiration" fete at the Fairmont Copley Plaza last night. Legend, whose first job out of college was at Boston Consulting Group, is a New Yorker now, but he still has a tie to the area. What is it? Well, Pats QB Tom Brady told Sports Illustrated last year that Legend's music puts him in the mood. "I met Tom a few times and he told me that he used my music with the ladies and it worked," the singer told us yesterday. "So maybe him and Gisele - well, I hope she likes my music."

Party on

As parties go, Artists for Humanity's annual shindig is a good one. Called the "Greatest Party on Earth," Saturday's soiree at the EpiCenter in the Fort Point Arts District will not only feature fine food and entertainment, but an august guest list, including restaurateur Michela Larson and chefs Barbara Lynch and Jasper White, who'll show off his oyster-shucking skills. We're told philanthropist Bob Beal will attend, as will director Steve Carr and actress Brie Hill Arbaugh. Tickets to the event, which benefits Artists for Humanity, are available at afhboston.com.

Now you see them, now you don't. Actors Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson, who're both filming movies in Boston at the moment, popped up in London yesterday at the UK premiere of their film "Fool's Gold." (Hudson's shooting "Bride Wars" in the Hub while McConaughey is co-starring with Jennifer Garner in "The Ghosts of Girlfriends Past.") . . . Leonardo DiCaprio had lunch with his dad, George, at Union Oyster House yesterday. The actor, who's in town filming Martin Scorsese's latest, "Ashecliffe," became a fan of Joe Milano's eatery while shooting "The Departed." Father and son each had a half-dozen oysters and a lobster roll. . . . Sox hurler Clay Buchholz, Pats linebacker Eric Alexander, and ESPN's Chris Berman were at The Greatest Bar the other night.

The Broadway musical "Rent" is set to close on Sept. 7, and no one's sadder about that than Sandra Budiansky. A 33-year-old grad student at Simmons, Budiansky has seen the show more than 100 times. "I'm just a passionate person, I guess," said Budiansky. You can say that again. In a recent letter to Entertainment Weekly, Budiansky, who lives in Hudson, said she and her fellow "Rentheads" are already counting down to the first revival. Asked about the show's appeal, Sandy told us it's simple: "It's the first show that had characters that looked like my friends and sounded like my friends." Budiansky couldn't get tickets to the final show, but that's OK. She'll be eight months pregnant.

Massport's aviation director Edward Freni unveiled the designs from the six teams chosen as finalists for the Logan Airport 9/11 memorial at a somber but well-attended event Tuesday night at Terminal E. (The six models will be on display in the international terminal until next month.) In his remarks, Freni said that because two of the four planes that were "commandeered to commit an act of terror" left from Logan and were filled with people from the Boston area, the local community had a special obligation to create an appropriate memorial.

Craigie Street Bistrot's chef/owner Tony Maws gets a little recognition in the new edition of Food & Wine when the magazine's editors picked their list of the "10 Best Restaurants for Carnivores." The Cambridge eatery is the only restaurant from the United States to make the list. Others include El Pobre Luis in Buenos Aires and Gill's Diner in Melbourne.

Meredith Goldstein of the Globe staff contributed. Names can be reached at names@globe.com or at 617-929-8253.