Hanging with their Buddies

Eli Roth is never at a loss for words, and he wasn't during an appearance this week at the Cannes Film Festival. The Newton native, who's in the south of France promoting Quentin Tarantino's new WWII film "Inglourious Basterds," said he was excited to be in the movie, which costars Brad Pitt and fellow Newton homey B.J. Novak, among others. "I'm Jewish, and to me this was kosher porn, something that I fantasized about since I was a child," he said.

What became of former WHDH-TV (Channel 7) weekend anchor Brandon Rudat after the station decided not to renew his contract? Rudat's running all over Los Angeles as a general assignment reporter at a CW affiliate. In just the past month, he's covered a burglary at Lindsay Lohan's pad, the kidnapping of a 3-year-old boy who was later found wandering the streets of Mexico, and the brush fires in Santa Barbara. "The news out here is very much reporter driven, meaning we have to bring stories to work every day and work our sources," said Rudat (inset), who's 29. "In Boston, many times we would rip from the paper and follow the headlines." A native Californian, Rudat says he likes the West Coast vibe. "I don't have to wear a tie every day. . . . It's not stiff, but it's not tabloid at all," he said. "Also, it's nice to have friends and family tune in."

Terri Stanley has found a home for "Style Boston," a new lifestyle show she's been shopping to local TV execs. Stanley, a former editor of Boston Common magazine, signed this week with NECN, which will air "Style Boston" on Wednesday evenings starting in early September. Stanley said yesterday that the show will focus on all things smart, chic, sophisticated, and fun in Boston and New England. "It's about whatever you're doing when you're not working," said Stanley, who'll host the show. Contributors are likely to include jewelry designer Tonya Chen Mezrich, wife of author Ben Mezrich.

Melissa Leo, who was nominated for an Oscar for her role in "Frozen River," may be joining the cast of "The Fighter." Variety reports that Leo is in talks to star opposite Christian Bale and Mark Wahlberg in the film about Lowell-bred boxer "Irish" Micky Ward (Wahlberg) and his brother Dick Eklund (Bale). In the movie being directed by David O. Russell, Leo would play the brawlers' mother. Filming's set to start in Lowell this summer.

Sox catcher Jason Varitek is back on the market. The captain's divorce from Karen Varitek, whom he married in 1996, was finalized this week in Georgia. Most of the details of the divorce are sealed, but we do know that Varitek has joint custody of the couple's three daughters, ages 3, 7, and 9. (By order of the court, 'Tek's parenting time is 40 percent annually, and his ex has the girls for the rest.) The 37-year-old switch-hitter, whose monthly income is $416,666, has agreed to "equitably divide all marital assets" and to cover 100 percent of his children's healthcare costs through 2010. (After that, mom, whose monthly income is listed in court documents as $0, will pay 50 percent.) There's no mention of alimony, but the bearded backstop will pony up $9,000 per month in child support until May 2011, when the amount will be reduced to $4,500. Varitek, who's been with the Sox since 1997, signed a one-year, $5 million contract with the team before the season. (There's $5 million club option, or a $3 million player option, for next year.) The divorce decree, signed Tuesday by Judge Melodie Snell Connor, stipulates that the couple can't interfere in each other's lives and shall behave "as if never married to each other."

Before they all scatter for the summer, the Bruins are doing some constituent service. P.J. Axelsson dropped by the Dolbeare Elementary School in Wakefield yesterday to thank students for collecting 1,424 pairs of pajamas for PJ's Pajama Drive. (The effort, in its second year, donated more than 12,000 pjs to the Quincy-based nonprofit Cradles to Crayons.) Asked by a student to name his favorite hockey player, Axelsson named Wayne Gretzky. Without missing a beat, number 11 quipped, "Your parents probably know who he is."

Keep your eyes peeled this summer on the Food Network for Robert and Peter DePesa (above, left to right). We're told the owners of Focaccia in Wilmington have landed a spot on "Chefs vs. City," a new show pitting culinary kings Chris Cosentino and Aaron Sanchez against local chefs across the country. The DePesa brothers auditioned after getting a call from Boston Casting, and fared well in several ration-related assignments.