A little twisted

Philip Kaufman, the movie director, was in the Washington Square on Wednesday, having lunch with his son, Peter. He explained why his new movie, "Twisted," is no longer called "Blackout," as it was during its three-month shoot here last year. ... "It seems Harvey Weinstein owns the rights to the title 'Blackout,'" said Kaufman. ... I didn't think one could copyright a title. So how did Weinstein, the co-founder of Miramax, lay claim to "Blackout?" ... Kaufman said a movie title may by protected these days if it's going to be used as the name of another film. I wonder: Does Harvey Weinstein just buy up these titles at random? ...

"The title change to 'Twisted' works out for us," Kaufman said. "It's a better name than 'Blackout,' and now that I'm headed to New York to promote the movie, I won't have to answer questions about why I am doing a film about a power outage." ... While in New York, Kaufman will drop in on Doug Wright, who wrote "Quills," the Kaufman film about the Marquis de Sade. Wright has a play on Broadway, "I Am My Own Wife." ... Kaufman will also be seeing Ashley Judd, the star of "Twisted." ... Ashley is getting rave reviews for her portrayal of Cat in "Cat On A Hot Tin Roof," at Broadway's Music Box Theatre. ...

"Twisted" also stars Samuel L. Jackson and Andy Garcia. ... Geoff Callan, who is Mayor Gavin Newsom's brother-in-law, plays a detective in the cop flick. ... Oh, Ashley Judd plays a police officer who is a suspect in a string of killings where all of the victims are her ex-boyfriends. ... Yes, it's a fantasy. ...

A little more real: Jayne Kelly, the splashy S.F. divorce attorney, will wed John Gzikowski on Valentine's Day. What's a little unusual about this event is the groom -- a "powerful" Hell's Angel -- is serving 25 to life for murder at Ironwood State Prison, near the Arizona border. One of Gzilowski's former residences was Death Row at San Quentin. ... "John has already served 26 years," Jayne said yesterday. "Now that he told the parole board he'll agree to quit the Hell's Angels to be with me, I think his chances for release are good." ... Jayne should know. She's also his lawyer. ...

"I'm telling you that Frank McCourt, Mike's brother -- the guy who wrote 'Angela's Ashes' -- is the new owner of the Dodgers!" a customer doggedly insisted to Balboa barman Marty Lindstrom. "You can think that if you want, but I think it's another Frank McCourt," sighed Marty. ... Of course, Marty is right. ... The new owner of the Dodgers is a Boston real estate developer. ... Over at the Washington Square, Mike McCourt snickered at the thought of his brother buying a ball club. "Mum would've been so proud," Mike whispered. "She always wanted a baseball team in the family." ... By the way, Willie McCovey and Franklin Mieuli popped in the restaurant for lunch yesterday. ...

In other mistaken identities, Gerald Nachman -- Jerry to his friends -- is still putting to rest rumors that he died. It was in fact Jerry Nachman, the editor-in-chief of MSNBC, who died. Not the retired Chronicle critic who wrote "Seriously Funny," his book about '60s satirists. ... My pal and mentor, the late Jerry Nachman, was also the editor of the New York Post. "That only muddled matters more," Gerald Nachman writes in a piece about this misapprehension. "I had once worked myself at the New York Post in the mid-'60s." ... Oh, THAT Jerry Nachman. ...

Herb Caen used to tell me about a running gag he had in his column decades ago. "There was a barber in the Sunset named Joe Stalin," Herb told me. This engendered all sorts of "No, not that Joe Stalin -- THAT Joe Stalin!" jokes. ... Yeah, I know. The running gags -- like the Days of Wine and Roses -- have laughed and run away. ...

Speaking of good tunes, sultry jazz singer Lisa Baney returns to the Cafe de la Presse, 469 Bush St. at Grant Avenue, tomorrow night, Saturday, Feb. 7, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ...Lisa will be backed by the cool and gregarious guitarist Dave McNab ... Near the Chinatown Gate and near the Chinese New Year Parade, the evening will have an exotic glow -- and Lisa will be wearing one of her scintillating sartorial creations, perhaps in Mandarin red. ... She has a way of looking as good as she sounds. ...

Ranjan Dey's pilot episode of his PBS series "My India! With Ranjan Dey," will be screened at his wonderful New Delhi Restaurant 160 Ellis at Cyril Magnin this Tuesday, Feb. 10. ... KQED's Norm Howard, was startled to see that Anna's Danish Cookies, on 18th Street, is suddenly closed. "It's been here as long as I have," says Norm. "And that's a long time." ... Too bad the bakery's gone bust. A box of cookies might have made a nice gift for that happy nuptial couple, the Gzilowskis. ... And with that, I have run out of running gags for the week. ...