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Michael Douglas Chokes Up at “Candelabra” Press Conference

Roger Friedman — Tue, 21 May 2013 15:41:12 +0000

There was a lot of joking around today at the Cannes press conference for “Behind the Candelabra.” Michael Douglas, Matt Damon, and Steven Soderbergh, plus producer Jerry Weintraub and screenwriter Richard LaGravenese were a lively bunch. It was clear they were happy with the overhwhelming positive reaction to their movie about Liberace and his lover, Scott Thorson. But there was a moment that stopped the frivolity.p That’s when Douglas started speaking about how he became involved in the project. Recalling hos Soderbergh had first mentioned Liberace to him when they were making “Traffic” years ago, Dougals suddenly choked up and had to check himself. “I’m sorry,” he said, “this was right when I was getting sick,” he said of his successful battle with throat cancer. “And these guys waited for me.” Douglas has not had an easy time of it. He’s been sick, his actress wife Catherine Zeta Jones has courageously dealt with being bi polar, his eldest son is in prison until 2018 on drug charges. But Michael Douglas is a survivor. Not only could he win a Best [...]

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Paris Hilton Recording Second Album, Will DJ This Summer

Roger Friedman — Mon, 20 May 2013 02:22:43 +0000

I don’t often run into Paris Hilton,but when I do there’s always something interesting going on. Around 1 am Monday, Paris and her entourage rolled into the lobby of the famed Hotel du Cap in Cap d’Antibes where a big spontaneous party had been raging for at least an hour and a half. Among the randomly gathered guests were Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel, Naomi Watts, Kristen Dunst and Garrett Hedlund, “Inside Llewyn Davis” director Joel Coen and star Oscar Isaac, supermodel Karolina Kurklova wtih husband Archie Drury, Robin Thicke and Paula Patton and so on. The bar was so jammed that the hotel’s front gate guards feared over crowing, we heard, and wouldn’t let in Casey Affleck. Oscar was celebrating his arrival as a movie star and the birthday of his long time manager Jason Spire. There were plenty more revelers, all drinking cocktails that averaged fifty bucks a pop. But it had had been a long day in Cannes, the first in a while with no rain or severe wind, just clear sunny skies and blue seas. Over [...]

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“World War Z” Will Get Month-Early Screening on Tuesday

Roger Friedman — Sun, 19 May 2013 05:57:40 +0000

Exclusive: Marc Forster’s “World War Z,” which cost well over $200 million and stars Brad Pitt, doesn’t open until June 21st. But on Tuesday in New York and Los Angeles there will be a couple of early tastemaker screenings. They’re designed to “test the water” with friends and celebrity fans of Forster and Pitt. These are hot hot tickets. The whole “WWZ” debacle is chronicled very nicely in the current Vanity Fair. In Cannes, news of the screenings are making people look for Star Trek type tele-porters so we can beam back to the States for two hours. If anyone knows where they are located on the Cote d’Azur, please let me know. At the same time I can tell you exclusively that Forster is not waiting around for his next assignment. He’s forming a production entity with Keanu Reeves and producer Cassian Elwes to make a bunch of movies. They should announce it imminently. Forster must get back to quality film making– he directed Finding Neverland and Monster’s Ball. Enough with the zombies!

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Joel and Ethan Coen: First Real Cannes Hit with “Llewyn Davis”

Roger Friedman — Sat, 18 May 2013 19:54:58 +0000

It took from Wednesday til tonight but we’ve finally seen the first great movie of Cannes. Joel and Ethan Coen’s Inside Llewyn Davis is just wonderful, a quirky massively likeable ode to folk music in Greenwich Village 1961. Oscar Isaac has a breakout role as the title character and may wind up with an Oscar (let the puns begin) nomination. Llewyn is the quintessential loser musician who’s so talented but will never catch a break himself. He’s so self involved he can’t get out of his own way and yet he’s incredibly sympathetic. The supporting cast: Justin Timberlake and Carey Mulligan are his married pals, a folk duo named Jim and Jean. Mulligan is a no brainer–she’s good here as always. Timberlake is extremely endearing and funny in his limited role. John Goodman and Garrett Hedlund have extended cameos that may unintentionally send up On the Road–which Hedlund starred in last year. Great to see Robin Bartlett, too, and Max Casella. There are als one or two scene stealing orange tabby cats. The music–curated by T Bone Burnett– is perfect, [...]

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Eric Burdon of The Animals Celebrates 50 Years with NY Show

Jim Bessman — Sat, 18 May 2013 16:07:21 +0000

Say what you will about how great the Rolling Stones are or aren’t as they continue to roll on their 50 & Counting tour, but don’t forget they’re not alone among ancient British Invasion acts out there. Indeed, Eric Burdon, who performed this week at a special invite-only birthday celebration at the John Varvatos store in the former CBGB’s showed at least as much life as Mick and the lads–not to mention the ghosts of all the punk rock acts entombed in the Varvatos location that once was the historic club. Burdon, who just turned 72, is back in full force following full recovery from the back surgery that sidelined him last year, holding back his acclaimed new album ‘Til Your River Runs Dry until January—coinciding with the 50th anniversary of Burdon’s own historic band The Animals. The album also returns Burdon to the ABKCO, home of both the early Stones and Animals catalogs; Burdon considers it one of his most personal albums ever, containing songs that reflect his unwaveringly progressive commitments politically, socially and especially environmentally. His hour-long career [...]

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Exclusive: Christoph Waltz on Cannes Gunman: “I Had a Good Bodyguard”

Roger Friedman — Fri, 17 May 2013 23:04:17 +0000

EXCLUSIVE: Two time Oscar winner had the shock of his life tonight in Cannes. While he and fellow juror Daniel Auteil were being interviewed live on talk show “Grand Journal,” an audience member shot a gun twice into the air–but kind of in the direction of Auteil. The gunman was wrestled to the ground quickly but not before shouting “I have a grenade.” No one was hurt and Waltz joined other diners immediately after at the Hotel duCap’s Eden Roc restaurant for an annual A list dinner hosted by publisher and filmmaker Charles Finch. Waltz spoke to me exclusively at the dinner. He didn’t seem much fazed by what had happened, and hadn’t told anyone at dinner until I asked him. Maybe he was in shock. He recounted the events for me coolly. “I had a very good bodyguard who moved fast and got me out of there,” he said. Auteil did too. The gunman was apprehended. “He was shooting blanks,” Waltz said. “We thought maybe it was a joke or something to do with Occupy Cannes. I think he [...]

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Cannes $1 Mil Jewel Heist in Real Life While Jewel Heist Movie Premieres

Roger Friedman — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:01:34 +0000

Only in Cannes: while Sofia Coppola’s movie “The Bling Ring” about teenage jewel thieves was premiering at the Palais, thieves stole $1 million worth of jewelry from Chopard at a local hotel. Yes, this is a movie. But no it’s real life. The jewels belonged to Chopard and were intended for movie stars to wear on the red carpet. The heist was from a business hotel, the Novotel, which is not on the Croisette but up in “real Cannes” in the city’s business center. While the thieves– who may be connected to the hotel from the inside–were busy sawing a whole safe from the hotel room, a Cannes Film Festival audience was watching Coppola’s film about teen girls and one boy who looted the Beverly Hills homes of D list stars like Paris Hilton and Audrina Patridge. How utterly strange. And at the same time, Chopard went on like nothing happened. Indeed, $1 million of jewelry is nothing in this town this week. Today, Chopard hosted a lunch to kick off its new campaign for “green” red carpets and making [...]

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Cannes: Emma Watson of “Harry Potter” Fame Makes “Bling Ring” Shine

Roger Friedman — Thu, 16 May 2013 15:45:39 +0000

It’s nice to see the trio of kid stars from Harry Potter succeeding as young adults, Now it’s Emma Watson’s turn– Hermione, that is. She’s listed as part of the ensemble in Sofia Coppola’s “The Bling Ring,” which premiered here in Cannes on Thursday morning. And while all the cast members are quite good, Watson just pops out. She’s a star in the making, that’s for sure. “The Bling Ring” is based on a true story– a bunch of spoiled middle class suburban Los Angeles teenagers broke into the home of C list celebrities–reality stars– and stole about $3 million in cash and other items including clothing and jewelry. Nancy Jo Sales wrote about in Vanity Fair, and now it’s a big screen movie. This might be a throwaway film if it weren’t for Coppola’s exacting eye, and her precision in capturing a brain dead culture. This is Southern California at its worst. The parents are clueless and into cult like religions and faux spirituality. The kids aspire to nothing more than owning brand name items, becoming famous, having to [...]

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Cannes: Spielberg Happy There’s “No Campaigning” Like Oscars

Roger Friedman — Wed, 15 May 2013 15:06:48 +0000

At the Cannes jury press conference today, Steven Spielberg let it be known he’s happy about one thing here. No campaigning. Spielberg just came through a brutal Oscar campaign for “Lincoln” and lost. “I think the great thing is that there’s no campaigning,” Spielberg said. “We’re going to be caucus-ing and deliberating and meeting. As you know, awards season in America is like a political cycle. We had the campaign for president of the United States of America. And the campaign for the Academy Award. There’s no campaigning here and that is like a breath of fresh air for me.”

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Cannes Opening Will Toast Spielberg, Color Purple

Roger Friedman — Wed, 15 May 2013 14:44:40 +0000

It’s going to be quite the opening night for the 2013 Cannes Film Festival. Lana dek Rey was reportedly going to sing, but instead there will be a tribute to “The Color Purple” for Steven Spielberg. She will be part of a big presentation with French actress Audrey Tatou, as well as a mini tribute to Steven Spielberg and the presentation of his jury including Nicole Kidman, Ang Lee, and Christoph Waltz. At the afternoon press conference for the jury, Ang Lee– who won the Oscar in February for Best Director–said of head juror Spielberg: “I worship him. He’s my hero.” It was heartfelt. Spielberg blushed. “I worship ‘Life of Pi’,” he said. “So I worship Ang Lee.” Nicole Kidman said she did not get any advice from hubby Keith Urban about being a judge– he’s finishing a rocky year as a jurist on “American Idol.” Kidman did say Urban would be joining her here as soon as “Idol” is over. He sorely needs a vacation, that’s for sure. Waltz likened negotiating with the other jurors to a type of [...]

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