Robert Earl's big-deal movie premieres at Planet Hollywood Resort Casino continue to slide into Z-List territory. Last night's big whoop-de-doo was Repo! The Genetic Opera. The heavy hitters on the red carpet were as follows: Criss Angel, who'd show up for the opening of a soda can (plus his Hefbot); Benji Madden; Alexa Vega; Crystle Stewart (Miss USA -- product placement!), "ohGr" from Skinny Puppy -- which I presume is a band of some ilk -- and the all-too-inevitable Paris F. Hilton. At least she and some of the others could plead the extenuating circumstance of actually having appeared in the film.

"Repo!" star Alexa Vega at Thursday night's Planet Hollywood premiere. Photo: © Erik Kabik/RETNA.

This Planet Ho "tradition" began, if memory serves, with Rocky Balboa and has been on a downhill slide ever since. Heck, Earl couldn't even get Old Reliable (aka Sylvester Stallone) to show up for this one. He needs to either book a better class of movies for these shindigs or put the "star-studded galas" out to pasture.

Clayton retires. Or was he nudged? Nevada Gaming Control Board member Mark Clayton won't seek a second term, saying, "I felt it was best to let this governor select his own board member." Since Gov. Jim Gibbons has been pretty territorial about NGCB appointments, I wouldn't be at all surprised if the Gibber took time out from his heavy text-messaging schedule to let Clayton know that he shouldn't get his hopes of a second term up. (Midnight Jim doesn't have much chance of a second term of his own right now, but that's a whole 'nother stew.)

Actually, Clayton may be the only NGCB member currently holding a valid appointment. Gibbons had himself sworn in at midnight on Jan. 1, 2007 (hence his sobriquet), even though his Congressional term didn't end until Jan. 3, when Rep. Dean Heller was sworn in as his successor. Here's the relevant lingo from the Nevada constitution (dug up for us by CityLife Editor and constitutional scholar Steve Sebelius):

Sec: 12.  Person holding federal office ineligible for office of governor. No person shall, while holding any office under the United States Government hold the office of Governor, except as herein expressly provided.

Which means that unless Gibbons formally resigned his congressional seat prior to taking the oath of office (for the first of three times), any actions he performed between 1/1-1/3/07, including the appointment of NGCB member Randall Sayre and the reappointment of NGCB Chairman Dennis Neilander are invalid. Null. Void. Ixnay. Game over. And if that's the case, every action the Control Board has subsequently taken could be challenged in court and most likely thrown out.

That's one big-ass can of worms. Anybody wanna open it?