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Billy Joel says no thanks to a long ago ex manager
Someone named Irving Mazur says he’s making a movie about Billy’s early years without permission
Billy’s spokesperson Claire Mercuri says: “Since 2021, the parties involved have been officially notified that they do not possess Billy Joel’s life rights and will not be able to secure the music rights required for this project. Billy Joel has not authorized or supported this project in any capacity, and any attempt to move forward without it would be both legally and professionally misguided.”
Got that? Bald faced exploitation. Not happening Irv! You thought you were a big shot, didn’t ya?
Ok, so I’ve never seen “The Mandalorian” TV series. After “The Last Jedi,” I was 40 years into “Star Wars” and that seemed like enough. Really: I never understood “Baby Yoda” or other references.
If you’re like me, I have good news. You need to know nothing about the series, which ran for three years, in order to enjoy “The Mandalorian and Grogu.” Director Jon Favreau and his writers have set up such an amiable, easy to get premise that you don’t even need to know whether this story takes place during the trajectory of the 10 (counting “Rogue Nation”) original films.
Pedro Pascal, who seems to be in everything, continues his role as Din Djarin, aka The Mandalorian. He’s a bounty hunter and adventurer not unlike Han Solo although he wears a helmet most of the time. His sidekick is Grogu, who seems real but is animatronic. They reminded me of other human-non human space buddies like Ryland Grace and Rocky from “Project Hail Marty,” or even Han Solo and Chewbacca.
Din is a man of integrity, but he has a price, so Sigourney Weaver, who plays the leader of the galactic rebels, hires him for a job that could get him killed and everyone else blown up. At this point, I’m pretty cynical, so you now everything will work out ok and that there will be two sequels. So sit back, and relax.
I think people forget that “Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones” were all based on serials that played in theaters before TV was a thing. There was no endgame or higher purpose. Like “Flash Gordon.” They were just fun romps, diversions from reality. I felt like “The Mandalorian” movie was like that, a relief from the news. it’s totally captivating.
I guess this is also maybe the first “Star Wars” movie without John Williams as composer. But Ludwig Göransson has done a superb job with the score. It’s not just that it will get Oscar attention, but the music hums with life and character not unlike something we’d get from Williams. It illuminates the movie in all the right places and drives the story forward. It’s also full of catchy hooks that I kept looking forward to.
There are a lot of “Star Wars” Easter eggs to keep the fan boys and girls happy. The main antagonist is Rotta the Hutt, son of the late, lamented Jobba the Hutt. (Jeremy Allen White, not sounding like “The Bear,” is his voice.) Indeed, we get to meet a few members of the Hutt family, and they are not an attractive gang. Still, we know so much about Jobba at this point, it’s totally fun the meet the relatives. They would never have been invited to the Skywalkers for dinner.
Grogu is a mini-Yoda, I guess from whatever species that constitutes. He’s cute as a button, even though he never speaks. But like Yoda, he’s totally ingratiating. Because he doesn’t speak, he’s not terribly philosophical, but — even if you don’t know him from the series — he supplies ballast and humor to Din’s dour personality.
And yet, for me. Grogu was almost the scene stealer but was usurped by someone else. The voice of legendary director Martin Scorsese is used for a snappy four-armed CGI kiosk operator who knows what’s going on across the universe. Din pumps him for information and “Hugo” (named for a Scorsese movie) is a slick operator with all the answers. I hope Scorsese got a merchandise royalty.
I’ve read some carping on line that “The Mandalorian and Grogu” — which sounds to me like “Wayland Flowers and Madame” — is “just fan service” or a long episode of the series. Again, so what? To those of us who knew nothing going in, this is a real movie and nothing less. Pedro Pascal, as he was in “Fantastic Four” and other projects, is a sympathetic guide through an eccentric world that you can only find in movies. He and Grogu are quickly established in a warm relationship. You never get tired of learning more about them.
One or two more of these? Yes, probably. I do hope that The Mandalorian gets a romance — there are no women in this movie. But there will never be great drama. This is called ‘fun.’
Legendary music mogul Clive Davis already has his likeness hanging at the Smithsonian Museum’s National Portrait Gallery, painted by no less than David Hockney.
Now Clive returns to the Smithsonian — this time to the National Museum of African American History and Culture — on June 1st.
Clive will show his sensational film, “Do You Remember?” which was mixed by Mark Ronson and documents his incredible number of hits that he brought to life.
Afterwards, there will be a Q&A with Grammy chief Harvey Mason, Jr., who’s coming in from Los Angeles. Harvey is a musician and a movie producer, and the son of a great musician, Harvey Sr.
The talk will be about Clive’s incredible history with Black music. When he first got to Columbia Records, he was instrumental in the careers of Miles Davis, Santana, Sly and the Family Stone and many other artists.
But in the early 70s, he brought in Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff from Philadelphia Intentional Records, and they became his Motown. From Teddy Pendergrass with Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, to the O’Jays, Billy Paul, The Three Degrees, Dee Dee Sharp, MFSB, Patti Labelle, and of course the great Lou Rawls, Philly Intil dominated the charts.
After Clive started Arista Records, his devotion to R&B was unmatched. His monster hits came from Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, Alicia Keys, Dionne Warwick, Luther Vandross, Gladys Knight Jennifer Hudson, TLC, Toni Braxton, Monica, Usher, Deborah Cox, Fantasia, Ray Parker Jr., and OutKast.
This will be a historic night!
Thw event will be held in the Oprah Winfrey Theater. Doors open at 6:30 PM.
Space is limited. Advanced registration is required. For inquiries, please contact NMAAHCPubPgms@si.edu.
After weeks of irrational overnight posts by its owner, Donald Trump’s Truth Social is in the sewer.
Today, TrumpMedia, the stock that supports Truth Social, fell to an all time low price of $8.27.
That’s the lowest it’s ever been.
And this was a day when the Dow Jones was UP by almost 160 points.
The price of Trump Media doesn’t really matter anymore. Trump has already ripped off the small investors, and delivered proceeds to his pals. For most of Trump Media’s investors, this was more a matter of showing fealty to the bulbous orange clown than getting a decent return.
What goes on, on Truth Social? Trump spends hours day and night attacking his perceived rivals, spewing hate, and personal venom. He does take time out to make completely off the wall statements about foreign relations. You can only imagine officials in other countries passing this shit around every day, with LOL written on top.
You may recall that I broke the story of Jacob Elordi being chosen for the Cannes Film Festival jury.
That news became an open question. Then Elordi — who has an Oscar nomination and is on TV right now in “Euphoria” — had to withdraw from service.
The very tall actor and possible next James Bond claimed he had a foot injury and would be unable to travel to the Cote d’Azur.
Well, that’s one good way to get out of jury duty! Try it the next time you’re summoned.
So how has Jacob’s recovery gone so far?
Luckily, we have TMZ to document the healing. The tabloid news site has got pictures of Elordi on vacation with girlfriend Kendall Jenner (Kardashian), plus Kylie Jenner and Oscar nominee Timothee Chalamet.
TMZ also has a picture of the foursome in a car. Jacob is driving, so we can surmise his ailment was on his left foot. Or, he’s up for a reboot of “My Left Foot.”
As James Brown might say, Stay on the good foot!
If you’re going to back out of Cannes, maybe it’s better to lay low until it’s over. Next thing you know, we’ll see Elordi playing soccer!
One more quote, from the late Logan Roy: These are not serious people.
And PS, it does seem like these guys don’t get it about the Jenner sisters. Many think that poor Timothee’s Oscar campaign went kaput because of all this socializing. Will the James Bond team want another iteration of that debacle on her their hands?
When Blythe Danner hit the acting world years ago could she have imagined a family dynasty?
Danner gave birth (with late great husband Bruce Paltrow) to Gwyneth Paltrow, who won an Oscar for “Shakespeare in Love” in 1999 and went on to become a Marvel staple.
Now Gwyneth’s 22 year old daughter, Apple, with Chris Martin, is heading into the biz.
Apple Martin — who probably had no problem getting a SAG card as the only ‘Apple’ — wiii make her film debut in Nancy Meyers’ new rom com.
The untitled film is Meyers’ first since 2015, so it’s a big deal. Penélope Cruz, Kieran Culkin, Erin Doherty, Jude Law, and Owen Wilson were already announced as the main cast. Today they’re joined by Apple, Tony Hale, and Beverly D’Angelo. The movie will be released in December 2027.
Apple has already gotten to the core of a career with a top talent agency — CAA — and manager, Cade Hudson. She’s proven that the Apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
What about paying dues and all that? That’s very pre-Nepo. As dad Chris Martin would say, Viva la vida! With those genes. why wait?
PS Gwyneth was already in movies in her late teens. This should come as no surprise.
Also: just wait til the young actress gets a project on Apple TV!
You can check what stores have it in stock easily, without having to line up in the middle of the night.
This kills the collectors market. Right now there are a lot of posts on ebay and elsewhere selling the Pop for thousands of dollars.
But that will be over by the end of the day. Swatch has plenty of these trinkets in stock.
What turned this marketing plan into an international melee? This was worse than the crazy demand for “Marty Supreme” jackets a few months ago.
Swatch was deliberately dense about giving information in advance. They purposely let the situation grow out of control to get their name back in the news, even if it meant losing sales over the weekend. Whoever devised this mischief should get a marketing award!
Anyway, the Royal Pop is not worth $400 even if Audemars name is stamped on it. I’d say wait a few months and pick it up for 100 bucks.
BTW, on Canal Street in New York they’re already got the knock off for 15 bucks. Sold!
Why does the black and white one look like an Oreo?
Harry Styles has so far managed to walk a fine line politically.
But the British pop star crossed that line tonight in Amsterdam at one of his shows.
When a fan yelled, “Viva, viva Palestina!” Styles responded, “Correct!”
This puts a new spin on Styles, who’s taking a stand here against Israel. How will his Jewish fans feel? Or the people who helped make him a star?
There’s going to be a lot of back pedaling tomorrow morning, especially since Harry is counting on his 30 shows at Madison Square Garden this fall to wild successes. “Viva Viva Palestina” is not the rallying cry here, no matter what anyone thinks.
Stay tuned…
Harry Styles responds to fan yelling “Viva Palestina” at his concert in Amsterdam:
A couple of nights ago at Madison Square Garden, former NJ governor Chris Christie had a bad time.
It looked from video like Bruce Springsteen, on a big swing around the crowded stadium, snubbed him. (see at bottom)
Everyone thought so, at least, and the word spread quickly. Must have been a political thing, right?
But you know Bruce would not do that, even to Trump. He’s too much of a gentleman. And, of course, they do share a love of New Jersey.
Christie showed up again last night, which surprised everyone. And now the man behind Bridgegate got his wish — a backstage visit and a photo, now posted to social media.
Christie is certainly a music fan. In 2015, he sat in front of me for the Adele concert at Radio City Music Hall. He was very nice, but that was a long time ago, before all this Trump debacle began. It was after the Bridge incident, but I didn’t snub him, either.
Dennis Locorriere aka Dr Hook of the famed medicine Show, has died of kidney disease at age 76, a couple of weeks short of his birthday. He was married three times.
Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show were the kind of pop act that could survive in the 1970s with catchy singles. They didn’t win Grammy Awards and they weren’t hip. But they were the sort of group where you’d ask, Who sings that? And be surprised at the answer.
Dr. Hook had several hits starting with “Sylvia’s Mother,” one of a few songs circa 1973 where the narrator is at the sad end of a telephone call. “Sylvia’s mother said Thank you for calling.” It was a story, back when songs with them were appreciated. It probably helped that the group sing and play instruments.
Dr. Hook was also self-referential. That’s what made “The Cover of the Rolling Stone” take off. There was actually a time when acts wanted to be on that cover. Eventually, they made it.
Other hits included “When You’re in Love with a Beautiful Woman” and “Only Sixteen” (don’t worry, the narrator was, too).
RIP Dennis Locorriere of Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show. Way back when I interviewed him for the "Where Are They Now?" section of @RollingStone and he was funny and candid about their moment in the pop sun. pic.twitter.com/cKPtVtpfrl
