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Critics Choice Documentary Nominations Include 31 for Netflix: “Crip Camp,” Gunda,” and “Mr. Soul” Lead the Pack

Roger Friedman
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Critics Choice Documentary Nominations Include 31 for Netflix: “Crip Camp,” Gunda,” and “Mr. Soul” Lead the Pack

Nominations for the annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards are out. Netflix yielded a shocking 31 nominations. The leading candidates are “Crip Camp,” “Gunda,” and “Mr. Soul.” The awards will be announced virtually next month on November 16th, and I’ll have the livestream here hopefully. Of these terrific nominees, I’m particularly interested in “Time,” on Amazon.

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Athlete A (Netflix)
Belushi (Showtime)
Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution (Netflix)
Dick Johnson is Dead (Netflix)
Feels Good Man (Wavelength Productions/PBS Independent Lens)
The Fight (Magnolia Pictures/Topic Studios)
The Go-Go’s (Showtime)
Gunda (Neon)
Mr. SOUL! (Shoes in the Bed Productions)
My Octopus Teacher (Netflix)
The Painter and the Thief (Neon)
A Secret Love (Netflix)
The Social Dilemma (Netflix)
Time (Amazon Studios)

BEST DIRECTOR
Garrett Bradley, Time (Amazon Studios)
Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk, Athlete A (Netflix)
Kirsten Johnson, Dick Johnson is Dead (Netflix)
Victor Kossakovsky, Gunda (Neon)
James Lebrecht and Nicole Newnham, Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution (Netflix)
Dawn Porter, John Lewis: Good Trouble (Magnolia Pictures)
Benjamin Ree, The Painter and the Thief (Neon)

BEST FIRST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Robert S. Bader, Ali & Cavett: The Tale of the Tapes (HBO)
Chris Bolan, A Secret Love (Netflix)
Melissa Haizlip, Mr. SOUL! (Shoes in the Bed Productions)
Arthur Jones, Feels Good Man (Wavelength Productions/PBS Independent Lens)
Elizabeth Leiter and Kim Woodard, Jane Goodall: The Hope (National Geographic)
Elizabeth Lo, Stray (Magnolia Pictures)
Sasha Joseph Neulinger, Rewind (Grizzly Creek Films/PBS Independent Lens)

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw, The Truffle Hunters (Sony Pictures Classics)
Roger Horrocks, My Octopus Teacher (Netflix)
Kirsten Johnson, Dick Johnson is Dead (Netflix)
Victor Kossakovsky and Egil Håskjold Larsen, Gunda (Neon)
Scott Ressler, Neil Gelinas and Stefan Wiesen, The Last Ice (National Geographic)
Gianfranco Rosi, Notturno (Stemal Entertainment)
Ruben Woodin Dechamps, The Reason I Jump (Kino Lorber)

BEST EDITING
Don Bernier, Athlete A (Netflix)
Eli Despres, Greg Finton and Kim Roberts, The Fight (Magnolia Pictures/Topic Studios)
Lindy Jankura and Alex Keipper, Totally Under Control (Neon)
Helen Kearns, Assassins (Greenwich Entertainment)
Victor Kossakovsky and Ainara Vera, Gunda (Neon)
Eileen Meyer and Andrew Gersh, Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution (Netflix)
Charlotte Munch Bengtsen, The Truffle Hunters (Sony Pictures Classics)

BEST SCORE
Ari Balouzian and Ryan Hope, Feels Good Man (Wavelength Productions/PBS Independent Lens)
Marco Beltrami, Brandon Roberts and Buck Sanders, The Way I See It (Focus Features)
Tyler Durham, Sven Faulconer and Xander Rodzinski, The Last Ice (National Geographic)
Peter Nashel and Brian Deming, Totally Under Control (Neon)
Daniel Pemberton, Rising Phoenix (Netflix)
Jeff Tweedy, Long Gone Summer (ESPN)
Jeff Tweedy, Spencer Tweedy and Sammy Tweedy, Showbiz Kids (HBO)

BEST NARRATION
David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet (Netflix)
David Attenborough, Narrator
David Attenborough, Writer
Dick Johnson is Dead (Netflix)
Kirsten Johnson, Narrator
Kirsten Johnson, Writer
Fireball: Visitors From Darker Worlds (Apple)
Werner Herzog, Narrator
Werner Herzog, Writer
Mr. SOUL! (Shoes in the Bed Productions)
Blair Underwood, Narrator
Ellis Haizlip, Writer
My Octopus Teacher (Netflix)
Craig Foster, Narrator
Craig Foster, Writer
Time (Amazon Studios)
Fox Rich, Narrator
Fox Rich, Writer
Totally Under Control (Neon)
Alex Gibney, Narrator
Alex Gibney, Writer

BEST ARCHIVAL DOCUMENTARY
Ali & Cavett: The Tale of the Tapes (HBO)
Belushi (Showtime)
Class Action Park (HBO MAX)
Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution (Netflix)
MLK/FBI (Field of Vision/IFC Films)
Mr. SOUL! (Shoes in the Bed Productions)
Spaceship Earth (Neon)

BEST HISTORICAL/BIOGRAPHICAL DOCUMENTARY
Belushi (Showtime)
Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution (Netflix)
Howard (Disney+)
John Lewis: Good Trouble (Magnolia Pictures)
Mr. SOUL! (Shoes in the Bed Production)
Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado (Netflix)
Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind (HBO)

BEST MUSIC DOCUMENTARY
Beastie Boys Story (Apple)
Crock of Gold: A Few Rounds with Shane MacGowan (Magnolia Pictures)
The Go-Go’s (Showtime)
Laurel Canyon (Epix)
Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band (Magnolia Pictures)
Other Music (Factory 25)
Zappa (Magnolia Pictures)

BEST POLITICAL DOCUMENTARY
All In: The Fight for Democracy (Amazon Studios)
Boys State (Apple)
John Lewis: Good Trouble (Magnolia Pictures)
MLK/FBI (Field of Vision/IFC Films)
The Social Dilemma (Netflix)
Totally Under Control (Neon)
The Way I See It (Focus Features)

BEST SCIENCE/NATURE DOCUMENTARY
Coded Bias (7th Empire Media/PBS Independent Lens)
Fantastic Fungi (Moving Art)
Gunda (Neon)
I Am Greta (Hulu)
The Last Ice (National Geographic)
My Octopus Teacher (Netflix)
Spaceship Earth (Neon)

BEST SPORTS DOCUMENTARY
Ali & Cavett: The Tale of the Tapes (HBO)
Athlete A (Netflix)
Be Water (ESPN)
A Most Beautiful Thing (50 Eggs Films)
Red Penguins (Universal Pictures)
Rising Phoenix (Netflix)
You Cannot Kill David Arquette (Super LTD)

BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY
Blackfeet Boxing: Not Invisible (ESPN)
(Directors: Kristen Lappas and Tom Rinaldi. Producers: Craig Lazarus, José Morales, Lindsay Rovegno, Victor Vitarelli and Ben Webber)
The Claudia Kishi Club (Netflix)
(Director and Producer: Sue Ding)
Crescendo! (Quibi)
(Director: Alex Mallis. Producers: Matt O’Neill and Perri Peltz)
Elevator Pitch (Field of Vision)
(Director and Producer: Martyna Starosta)
Hunger Ward (Spin Film/Vulcan Productions/RYOT Films)
(Director and Producer: Skye Fitzgerald. Producer: Michael Scheuerman)
Into the Fire (National Geographic)
(Director: Orlando von Einsiedel. Producers: Mark Bauch, Harri Grace and Dan Lin)
My Father the Mover (MTV Documentary Films)
(Director: Julia Jansch. Producer: Mandilakhe Yengo)
The Rifleman (Field of Vision)
(Director: Sierra Pettengill. Producer: Arielle de Saint Phalle)
The Speed Cubers (Netflix)
(Director and Producer: Sue Kim. Producers: Evan Krauss and Chris Romano)
St. Louis Superman (MTV Documentary Films)
(Directors and Producers: Sami Khan and Smriti Mundhra. Producer: Poh Si Teng)

MOST COMPELLING LIVING SUBJECTS OF A DOCUMENTARY (HONOR)
Dr. Rick Bright – Totally Under Control (Neon)
Steven Garza – Boys State (Apple)
The Go-Go’s – The Go-Go’s (Showtime)
Judith Heumann – Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution (Netflix)
Dick Johnson – Dick Johnson is Dead (Netflix)
Maggie Nichols, Rachael Denhollander, Jamie Dantzscher – Athlete A (Netflix)
Fox Rich – Time (Amazon)
Pete Souza – The Way I See It (Focus Features)
Taylor Swift – Miss Americana (Netflix)
Greta Thunberg – I Am Greta (Hulu)

Tea Party of All Time: Hillary Clinton and Cher Are Throwing Down This Thursday Afternoon in Virtual Fundraiser

Roger Friedman
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Tea Party of All Time: Hillary Clinton and Cher Are Throwing Down This Thursday Afternoon in Virtual Fundraiser

Talk about must-see TV.

Hillary Clinton– the actual 45th President of the United States– is throwing down with Cher, yes Cher. It’s a fundraiser for Hillary’s PAC, it’s live on the internet, and it may tip over the grid. Talk about a tea party. Yikes.

Will they release a single? I hope so!

The show begins at 4:30pm, and minimum donation is 10 bucks.

Here’s the link.

Lesley Stahl “60 Minutes” Interview with Argumentative, Fleeing Trump Scores Whopping 15.5 Mil Viewers

Roger Friedman
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Lesley Stahl “60 Minutes” Interview with Argumentative, Fleeing Trump Scores Whopping 15.5 Mil Viewers

CBS and “60 Minutes” can thank Donald Trump for one of its biggest ratings ever.

Last night’s show, in which Trump made a fool of himself, scored an average of 15.5 million people. In the first half hour, when Lesley Stahl took Trump down and he fled the studio, the numbers were over 16 million.

In the second half hour, when Norah O’Donnell interviewed a more reasonable and statesman like Joe Biden, things calmed down to just 14.5 million.

For “60 Minutes,” which always wins Sunday night and averages 9 million viewers, the Trump clown show was its most watched episode in a long time, years even. The number was even higher than NFL Football an hour later on NBC.

This was the highest rated “60 Minutes” episode since Stormy Daniels scored 22 million viewers in March 2018. And that was a record breaker for an episode going back to 2008.

Trump himself fired up the audience to these numbers by immediately complaining to the world about Stahl and releasing his own tape of the interview, against his agreement with CBS News. He thought that would kill the ratings if his base could see him being “mistreated” by Stahl. But it just ginned up interest more, as everyone wanted to see Trump’s irrational behavior on a TV set. If this was the way he handled “60 Minutes,” what did he do in negotiations with North Korea, Russia, or China?

And why, during the Stahl interview, does he raise a glass of water to drink with two albeit tiny hands? That’s the act of a small child, a very elderly person or one who is infirm.

 

 

Merry Christmas from Hollywood Pariah Mel Gibson: New Movie Poster Shows Angry Santa Looming Over Rifle Bearing Assassin

Roger Friedman
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Merry Christmas from Hollywood Pariah Mel Gibson: New Movie Poster Shows Angry Santa Looming Over Rifle Bearing Assassin

Well, this is the kind of Christmas movie poster we can all get into. Mel Gibson, dressed as angry Santa, looming over an assassin holding an automatic rifle.

Welcome to “Fatman,” Mel’s latest D movie. Description: “To save his declining business, Chris Cringle (Mel Gibson), also known as Santa Claus, is forced into a partnership with the U.S. military. Making matters worse, Chris gets locked into a deadly battle of wits against a highly skilled assassin (Walton Goggins), hired by a precocious 12-year-old after receiving a lump of coal in his stocking. ‘Tis the season for Fatman to get even, in the action-comedy that keeps on giving.”

Ho ho ho. Gibson is Hollywood’s pariah. And this movie, more than the others he’s tried in the 14 years since his fall from grace, really says, “I don’t give a f–k.”

The movie, according to a press release, is opening in Los Angeles, Cleveland, Denver, Berkley, Austin, Phoenix, And Houston on November 13th. That’s right. “Berkley.” I’m sure it will be embraced there accordingly.

 

American Music Awards Announce Nominees After Billboard Music Awards’ Spectacular Ratings Failure

Roger Friedman
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American Music Awards Announce Nominees After Billboard Music Awards’ Spectacular Ratings Failure

Why not give it a second try?

After the spectacular ratings failure of the Billboard Music Awards, now come the American Music Awards nominees.

The Billboard Music Awards, broadcast earlier this month on NBC, and also produced by Dick Clark Productions, which is owned by the same company as Variety, the Hollywood Reporter, and Billboard, dropped 55% in the ratings (62% in the key demo) from their last show in May 2019.

The AMAs will be seen on ABC on November 22nd. As with last year, the AMAs are leaning heavily toward anyone who’s not Taylor Swift, because she will be holding out for the Grammys in January 2021. However, last year, the Grammys screwed Taylor. So this should be interesting. The Billboard Music Awards, having a similar problem with having to downplay Swift, went strong with Post Malone, and it killed them. To me it looks like the AMAs will go for The Weeknd as their big winner.

Not announced: Kanye West will present Best Medication, in a pre-taped ceremony from a Walgreens built in a dormant volcano.

PS The AMAs made a big mistake not including “Dance Monkey,” a massive novelty hit that would have gotten rattings big time. Also, where is John Legend? This may be the first show he’s been excluded from in 2020.

 

THE “2020 AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS” NOMINEES:
ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Justin Bieber
Post Malone
Roddy Ricch
Taylor Swift
The Weeknd

NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Lewis Capaldi
Doja Cat
DaBaby
Lil Baby
Roddy Ricch
Megan Thee Stallion

COLLABORATION OF THE YEAR
Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion “WAP”
DaBaby ft. Roddy Ricch “Rockstar”
Dan + Shay with Justin Bieber “10,000 Hours”
Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande “Rain On Me”
Megan Thee Stallion ft. Beyoncé “Savage Remix”

FAVORITE SOCIAL ARTIST
BTS
Billie Eilish
EXO
Ariana Grande
NCT 127

FAVORITE MUSIC VIDEO
Doja Cat “Say So”
Future ft. Drake “Life Is Good”
Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande “Rain On Me”
Taylor Swift “cardigan”
The Weeknd “Blinding Lights”

FAVORITE MALE ARTIST – POP/ROCK
Justin Bieber
Post Malone
The Weeknd

FAVORITE FEMALE ARTIST – POP/ROCK
Dua Lipa
Lady Gaga
Taylor Swift

FAVORITE DUO OR GROUP – POP/ROCK
BTS
Jonas Brothers
Maroon 5

FAVORITE ALBUM – POP/ROCK
Harry Styles “Fine Line”
Taylor Swift “folklore”
The Weeknd “After Hours”

FAVORITE SONG –  POP/ROCK
Lewis Capaldi “Someone You Loved”
Dua Lipa “Don’t Start Now”
Post Malone “Circles”
Roddy Ricch “The Box”
The Weeknd “Blinding Lights”

FAVORITE MALE ARTIST – COUNTRY
Kane Brown
Luke Combs
Morgan Wallen

FAVORITE FEMALE ARTIST – COUNTRY
Gabby Barrett
Miranda Lambert
Maren Morris

FAVORITE DUO OR GROUP – COUNTRY
Dan + Shay
Florida Georgia Line
Old Dominion

FAVORITE ALBUM – COUNTRY
Luke Combs “What You See Is What You Get”
Blake Shelton “Fully Loaded: God’s Country”
Morgan Wallen “If I Know Me”

FAVORITE SONG – COUNTRY
Dan + Shay with Justin Bieber “10,000 Hours”
Maren Morris “The Bones”
Blake Shelton (Duet with Gwen Stefani) “Nobody But You”

FAVORITE MALE ARTIST – RAP/HIP-HOP
DaBaby
Juice WRLD
Roddy Ricch

FAVORITE FEMALE ARTIST – RAP/HIP-HOP
Cardi B
Nicki Minaj
Megan Thee Stallion

FAVORITE ALBUM – RAP/HIP-HOP
Lil Baby “My Turn”
Lil Uzi Vert “Eternal Atake”
Roddy Ricch “Please Excuse Me For Being Antisocial”

FAVORITE SONG – RAP/HIP-HOP
Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion “WAP”
DaBaby ft. Roddy Ricch “Rockstar”
Roddy Ricch “The Box”

FAVORITE MALE ARTIST – SOUL/R&B
Chris Brown
John Legend
The Weeknd

FAVORITE FEMALE ARTIST – SOUL/R&B
Jhene Aiko
Doja Cat
Summer Walker

FAVORITE ALBUM – SOUL/R&B
Doja Cat “Hot Pink”
Summer Walker “Over It”
The Weeknd “After Hours”

FAVORITE SONG – SOUL/R&B
Chris Brown ft. Drake “No Guidance”
Summer Walker “Playing Games”
The Weeknd “Heartless”

FAVORITE MALE ARTIST – LATIN
Bad Bunny
J Balvin
Ozuna

FAVORITE FEMALE ARTIST – LATIN
Becky G
KAROL G
Rosalía

FAVORITE ALBUM – LATIN
Anuel AA ”Emmanuel”
Bad Bunny “Las que no iban a salir”
Bad Bunny “YHLQMDLG”

FAVORITE SONG – LATIN
Bad Bunny “Vete”
Black Eyed Peas X J Balvin “RITMO (Bad Boys For Life)”
KAROL G & Nicki Minaj “Tusa”

FAVORITE ARTIST – ALTERNATIVE ROCK
Billie Eilish
Tame Impala
twenty one pilots

FAVORITE ARTIST – ADULT CONTEMPORARY
Lewis Capaldi
Jonas Brothers
Maroon 5

FAVORITE ARTIST – CONTEMPORARY INSPIRATIONAL
Lauren Daigle
for KING & COUNTRY
Kanye West

FAVORITE ARTIST – ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC (EDM)
Kygo
Lady Gaga
Marshmello

FAVORITE SOUNDTRACK
Birds of Prey: The Album
Frozen II
Trolls: World Tour

 

Donald Trump Tweets That Despite 220,000 Deaths, and 1,000 a Day, “Topic Will Change” on November 4th

Roger Friedman
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Donald Trump Tweets That Despite 220,000 Deaths, and 1,000 a Day, “Topic Will Change” on November 4th

This morning, Donald Trump’s tweeting away. He claims that despite 220,000 deaths, and a continuing tally of 1,000 deaths a day, on November 4th “the topic will change.”

I have personally lost several friends to COVID. My city is in suspended animation and businesses are destroyed because of COVID. The mounting losses now are in the Midwest and red states, where Trump support lies. Can the voters there look at a Tweet like this and possibly agree that the “topic will change” on November 4th?

Fox News President and 4 Anchors Exposed to COVID-19 on Private Plane, Told to Quarantine

Roger Friedman
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Fox News President and 4 Anchors Exposed to COVID-19 on Private Plane, Told to Quarantine

From The New York Times, buried as usual on their website, just now:

Fox News preisdent Jay Wallace and four Fox News anchors have been to quarantine after being exposed to COVID-19 on a private plane.

The Fox News personalities are Bret Baier, the chief political anchor; Martha MacCallum, the anchor of Fox’s 7 p.m. show, “The Story”; and Dana Perino and Juan Williams, two hosts of “The Five.”

According to the Times:

“The infected person was on a charter flight to New York from Nashville with a group of network executives, personalities and other staff members who attended the presidential debate on Thursday, according to the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal network matters.

Everyone on board the plane has been told to get tested and quarantine. It was unclear whether more than one person had tested positive.”

Jeremy Peters filed the story. I’m sure he’s thrilled with the Times’s presentation of this story. Almost no Times headlines match the stories, you have to find them repurposed on Twitter to know what’s going on.

We still don’t whose plane they were on, or who was the infected person aboard.

Messages from Two “Borat” Characters, Jeanise Jones and Macy Chanel, The Good and Bad Side of the Film

Roger Friedman
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Messages from Two “Borat” Characters, Jeanise Jones and Macy Chanel, The Good and Bad Side of the Film

Here’s an update on two of the real people who were conscripted by Sacha Baron Cohen to be in “Borat 2.”

Jeanise Jones, the professional baby sitter who becomes the heart and soul of the movie, posted this message to Facebook today:

“Thank you to all who have reached out to me from here in OKC to around the entire world! Yes it was me in the Borat movie. I was recruited to be in a “Documentary”. At ABSOLUTELY NO time did I know this was a satirical comedy movie and that I was being “setup” so to speak. It’s all good I just did what my Mother Ozell Smith (RIP) taught me to do from as far back as I remember.
Again, thank you to all and to God be the glory for it all.”
Borat leaves his “daughter” with Jeanise, along with a ball and chain and a dog bowl, for hours. Jeanise rises to the occasion, doing everything to help Tutar and liberate her from her father. She is wise and wonderful. She’s also a real person, so all the attention may be scary. You can tell from her picture that she’s cool. I’m hopeful she will contact me at showbiz411@gmail.com.

On the flip side is Macy Chanel, a self styled “influencer” on Instagram, whose photo collection of selfies doesn’t leave much to imagination. I wrote to her the day before the movie hit Amazon, and this is how she replied:

“Thank you for your request.  I have received a significant amount of inquiries from the media around Borat. I am willing to provide an exclusive to the publication who: Provides a final cut of any scene(s) from the movie in advance of the release date and After reviewing the footage, preview of questions for the interview.Please let me know if you still have an interest.”

Macy has taken like a duck to water with the movie’s release. I’m sure she’s hoping to become a Real Housewife of Beverly Hills. In the movie she gives Tutar advice about how to attract very old rich men. Macy posted the clip of her encounter with Tutar.

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