Exclusive: Paul Haggis, director of Best Picture “Crash,” will sell his brilliant new film in Cannes next week. Haggis is just putting the finishing touches on “Third Person,” an extraordinary omnibus film with a great cast that includes Liam Neeson, Adrien Brody, James Franco, Mila Kunis, Kim Basinger, and Maria Bello. The film is set in three cities–cutting back and forth among New York, Paris, and Rome. And each story is about three people. But there are also significant twists in the story that will make audiences sit straight up in their seats. Neeson has never been better, and could easily get some awards action from this film. Franco and Kunis– who tangled on a lighter level in “Oz: The Great and Powerful”– have one of the most intense scenes in recent memory. Haggis is just about to score “Third Person.” He will make a three day trip to Cannes he told me, from May 17 to 20, to meet potential foreign distributors. Right now in New York, the main players are already viewing “Third Person.” Haggis would love to see the film released before the end of the year.
Review: “Star Trek Into Darkness” Makes Zachary Quinto (Spock) an Action Star
This is not your grandfather’s “Star Trek.” The new J.J. Abrams movie, “Into the Darkness,” opens next Wednesday. All I can say is: hold on. It’s great. Stunning, really. Abrams has made a far better movie than he did the original reboot. Shot in 3D. “Darkness” is a non stop wild ride, and still recalls the old “Star Trek” TV series faithfully as well the original movies. Leonard Nimoy makes a cameo appearance as the original Mr. Spock. But the new Spock, Zachary Quinto, is a revelation. Quinto becomes a full fledged action star with this episode.
At last night’s party following the New York mini premiere, I asked Zachary if he’d had to work out a lot. “I did,” he said, “and it was worth it.” The only problem is, he never gets to eat anything fun.
Quinto, Chris Pine (Kirk), and Benedict Cumberbatch all came in for the New York premiere. We are not allowed to reveal Cumberbatch’s character’s real identity yet– maybe after the first weekend. Suffice to say, the British theater actor and star of “Sherlock Holmes” said a parody of a song was sung a lot on set about his character. What were the lyrics? “I’d tell you but I’d have to kill you,” he joked.
Pine is turning into the next big studio picture hero. His next film is “Jack Ryan,” a new installment in the “Hunt for Red October” series.
Quinto comes to Broadway in late summer in “The Glass Menagerie,” with Tony winner Cherry Jones. Jones was there last night. “I’m not a Trekkie,” she said. “I’m a Star Trek baby.”
Singer Peter Cincotti came to last night’s premiere. He was blown away. But guess what? “I’ve never seen any Star Trek,” he said–the TV show or any of the movies. He loved it. We sent him back to watch everything.
SPOILER ALERT: Sharp eyed fans will notice a non human but much beloved character at one point. It’s one of the many nods to the original show. Abrams gives “Star Trek” a very Spielbergian feel– there are several nods to “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” But he’s also invigorated the movie in the same way he revived “Mission Impossible.” He’s achieved a delicate balance of blending the old with something new.
The question is, where will they from here? These “Star Trek” movies are prequels to the TV series. In this chapter, Klingons are introduced, and so is the five year mission to explore new worlds. Abrams and co. have left the door open for all kinds of adventures– and many more characters from the show’s history.
If you’re a “Star Trek” fan, you are going to love this movie.
PS Another starship is called the USS Bradbury. I’m assuming it’s a tip of the hat to legendary writer Ray Bradbury. I thought it could have been called the Roddenberry.
Randy Jackson Exiting “American Idol,” Mariah Announcement Next
Randy Jackson, as you know by now, is leaving “American Idol.” He lasted an amazing 12 seasons. Believe me, he will be missed. But the writing was on the wall, the ratings are in the toilet. Randy brought Mariah Carey into “Idol.” She should be outta there by Monday at the latest. Keith Urban can return to his successful recording career. Nicki Minaj can go back to doing whatever she does.
Tonight, Mariah will perform on “Idol.” And then she’ll launch her new album and single, a tour no doubt.
I am very proud of how we forever changed television and the music industry. It’s been a life changing opportunity #idol
— Randy Jackson (@YO_RANDYJACKSON) May 9, 2013
“Idol” will have to retool completely. It could be that Ryan Seacrest will leave, too. He, like Randy, Mariah and Keith, has plenty of projects on his plate. Will “Idol” ever regain its popularity? Not likely. The show does bring in more “eyes” every week than any other program. But it’s also stale. The producers will have a short time to make changes because the audition season will be upon them quickly.
Tomorrow will also bring to an end the weekly deathwatch for ratings. It was no fun seeing the numbers decline every week. But every show runs its course. “American Idol” had a great long run. It also produced a ton of actual stars from Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood to Jennifer Hudson, Fantasia, Daughtry, Phillip Phillips, Clay Aiken, and so on.
Review: Marshall Crenshaw Uncorked at City Winery
It was clearly a special show last night at City Winery, as before Marshall Crenshaw took the stage, they unveiled one of their special signature artist wine brands to honor him, namely Marshall Crenshaw Cabernet Sauvignon.
Following suit, The ‘Shaw was in vintage form, with spectacular backing by instrumental superstars Andy York on guitar, Graham Maby on bass and Rich Pagano on drums—pound-for-pound, the best band in this or any town last night. They even made Ted Nugent more than palatable, opening, shockingly but wondrously, with Nugent’s one-hit wonder band the Amboy Dukes psychedelic 1968 hit “Journey To The Center Of The Mind.”
Crenshaw then found his own stride with “Stranger And Stranger,” the A-side titletrack of his brand new three-song EP—the second in his admittedly “unconventional” means of continuing his recording career via regular EP digital/vinyl releases.
“I’ve been making records for eons and eons and eons,” he explained after his post-show merch signings. “I can’t help it! I can’t allow myself to stop, for some reason, and this is a fresh way of doing it at this late point in time.”
Crenshaw also sang the first EP I Don’t See You Laughing Now’s A-side titletrack—additional evidence that his knack for tunefully concise pop tunesmithing remains intact. And in keeping with his “hard and fast rule” of doing at least one Buddy Holly song per show, Crenshaw, who played Holly in the 1987 Ritchie Valens biopic La Bamba, turned in a perfect “Crying, Waiting, Hoping,” distinguishing his version from Holly’s by his backup’s slamming rhythm.
As for his backups, he gave each a song choice. York, who plays with everyone but is best known for his long stint with John Mellencamp, showed he could sing lead, too, on “Walk Hard,” Crenshaw’s Grammy-nominated titletrack for the film comedy Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. Maby, who’s also played with everyone and remains best known for his long stint with Joe Jackson, led the group on toy piano for The Move’s “No Time,” covered by Crenshaw on the I Don’t See You Laughing Now EP. Pagano, who powers the Fab Faux and was behind the recent B.B. King supershows with Johnny Rivers and Lulu, submitted “Right On Time” from Crenshaw’s 2009 album Jaggedland.
Crenshaw dusted off “Calling Out For Love (At Crying Time),” from his Don Dixon-produced 1987 album Mary Jean & 9 Others, and closed with his big hits “You’re My Favorite Waste Of Time,” “Someday, Someway” (flavored by York’s electric sitar) and “Cynical Girl.” Spotted standing up at the end was New York indie rock star couple Mary Lee Kortes, whose band Mary Lee’s Corvette also features York and who was glowing from a newly signed BMG Chrysalis music publishing deal, and Eric “Roscoe” Ambel, beaming over the release of his old band The Del-Lords’ first album in 23 years, Elvis Club, which he produced.
Overnight Ratings Surprise : “American Idol” Narrowly Beats “The Voice”
Here’s a surprise: “American Idol” beat “The Voice” last night in a head to head ratings war. “Idol” scored a 2.8 to “The Voice”‘s 2.7 in the key demo. (“Idol got a 2.5 in the demo from 8 to 9pm during the hour it shared with “The Voice.”) But more importantly, “Idol” drew 2 million more total viewers– 10.8 to 8.7 million. All the crazy publicity for “Idol” may have added to the audience. Plus the main contestants– Candice Glover and Angie Miller–were top notch last night. The big slide for “The Voice” in audience is really shocking, though. Their demo numbers are almost half of what the were a couple of weeks ago. Is the audience that fickle? Or is it just that “The Voice” competitors aren’t compelling? “The Voice” was actually in fourth place overall for the night, beaten by “Survivor,” “CSI,” “Modern Family,” and “Criminal Minds.” Success turns on a dime in Hollywood.
Candice Glover:
Angie Miller:
“Gatsby” Scores Low 43% from Critics, But NY Times Likes It
Baz Luhrmann’s “The Great Gatsby” hits theaters tomorrow with some issues. On Rotten Tomatoes, the website for critics and bloggers, the movie has a low 43% rating. That’s low for the week, the year, for a movie that’s not going to be an action hit. A lot of the folks there slammed it, including USA Today. On a positive note, The New York Times’ Tony Scott liked it. And I agree with him. I’ve seen it twice.
Luhrmann’s movie is wild, but even in that there’s incredibly beauty and neat touches. When we first meet Gatsby at a party in his house, George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” plays to a crescendo. It’s a grand moment. And in the end, the Gatsby story remains a sad and chilling one. Luhrmann never shirks the material. Scott is correct that “Gatsby” is not so sacrosanct that it can’t be played with. And Luhrmann has done a fine job.
But that 43 % with more to come tomorrow, isn’t good. This kind of film depends on reviews. So expect a slow start at the box office but, I think, good word of mouth that will build it over the Memorial Day weekend.
Flashhback Scoop: Mariah Carey Gets a New Manager, But All Good with Randy Jackson
I told you last weekend that Mariah Carey was no longer managed by her longtime pal Randy Jackson. Now all of a sudden that story got traction on MTV.com (which credited us–thank you). Just to explain: Randy came in to manage Mariah as she went through the process of negotiating with “American Idol.” He’s also been helping to get her new album together. There is no problem or friction between them.She didn’t dump him or oust him. Good grief.
As Mariah prepares to release the album, go on tour, etc it would be impossible for Jackson really “to manage” all of that. Randy and Mariah go back to at least her “Charmbracelet” album, which he captained. That album was a comeback after the “Glitter” debacle.” The two are very close friends. It’s unlikely Carey will return to “Idol” next season, but don’t count out Randy. (The Wrap insists he’s leaving.) Randy represents continuity at “Idol.” He could still be a mentor if not a judge.
PS Mariah has a full time manager, anyway. Louise McNally is always there as second managers are brought in.
Neil Patrick Harris To Host Tony Awards For Fourth Time
Neil Patrick Harris will host the Tony Awards for the fourth time. The show airs on CBS on June 9th with lots of drama in many races. Harris is also the star of CBS’s “How I Married Your Mother” which has been on the air so long now it should be called “How I Married Your Grandmother.” Anyway, he’s back since Bette Midler did not heed the call of her fans. Midler is likely a no show at the Tonys since she wasn’t nominated for her box office hit “I’ll Eat You Last.” But the Tonys will have plenty of stars and maybe even a “Bosom Buddies” reunion with Tom Hanks and Peter Scolari from “Lucky Guy” and Holland Taylor from “Ann.” Sigourney Weaver will probably participate to honor her nominated colleagues from “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike.” But it’s the musicals that will be the draw: “Kinky Boots,” “Matilda,” “Pippin,” and “Cinderella” are big draws at the box office, and exciting shows period.
Christine Baranski’s Husband, Famous to Some, Rejoining “All My Children” After 20 Plus Years
We all love Christine Baranski. You love her on “The Good Wife” and from “Cybill” as Marianne and from the movies “Mamma Mia” and “Reversal of Fortune” as the scheming lover to Claus on Bulow (played by Jeremy Irons). What you may not know is Baranski will be married 30 years this fall to actor Matthew Cowles. Never heard of him? He’s infamous in soap opera lure. He played the evil Billy Clyde Tuggle, a sort of Southern pimp and mischief maker on “All My Children” in the late 70s on and off through around 1990. Billy Clyde is an icon of “AMC” history.
Now it seems Billy Clyde is returning to Pine Valley. Cowles is said to be rejoining the show in its new online incarnation. It’s hard to say who knows him after all this time. Cowles’ main scenes, if I remember correctly, were with the late Ruth Warrick, who played Phoebe Tyler. This was before the internet existed, or cell phones, or iPods.
What you may not also know is that Cowles is quite unlike Billy Clyde. Father of two beautiful adult daughters with Baranski, Cowles is descended from the famed Cowles Publishing family. He’s from Connecticut. And as much as Baranski is seen on the town often with her daughters, Cowles likes to stay at home. He’s not cut out for Manhattan nightlife, Baranski has always said. Billy Clyde, however, only wanted to be known and seen. “AMC” airs every day on hulu.com.
Cannes Exclusive: In New Doc, Alec Baldwin Told By Foreign Film Distributors “You’re a TV Actor”
EXCLUSIVE: Good news. Last year at Cannes, filmmaker James Toback and actor Alec Baldwin roamed around with a film crew. They were making a documentary called “Seduced and Abandoned.” On May 20th, the extremely engaging and entertaining “S&A” will unspool in Cannes to some fanfare. How did it turn out? Rather well, I’d say. The doc, which uses mostly classical music to underscore its sweep of Cannes, tells a couple of stories — and very pungently. Toback has made an honest, engrossing film.
To wit: Toback and Baldwin were being straight with everyone when they said they were making a documentary. But they also told foreign buyers in Cannes they were trying to raise money for a film starring Baldwin and Neve Campbell as hot lovers in Iraq. Toback would direct. They wanted $25 million. Of course, the film was fictitious. At one point Baldwin wonders aloud why Iraq has no Film Commission. It’s hilarious because no one around him gets the joke.
In the course of making “Seduced and Abandoned,” the pair interview a lot of A listers. Rarely interviewed directors Roman Polanski and Bernardo Bertolucci are absolutely fascinating in their recollections of how their careers began, and what Cannes was like in the old days. Many Hollywood luminaries are deposed including Ron Meyer and Jeffrey Katzenberg.
But the most interesting of all the actors who float in and out is Ryan Gosling. He is so completely charming and disarming that he’ll get new drooling fans from this movie. Jessica Chastain is also extremely literate on the subject of filmmaking.
The meat of the film, though, is the chasing of possible financiers for the Baldwin-Campbell Iraq love story. We meet Avi Lerner and several less savory characters. Toback even asks Denise Rich for the money. Everyone turns them down. Some say such a movie might get a $4-$5 million budget. Baldwin and Campbell, they all say, are simply not bankable.
“Why not get Jessica Chastain?” someone asks. So Toback starts telling potential investors that Chastain could play the lead, and Campbell could be the wife of Baldwin. “I don’t want to throw her under the bus,” he says of Neve, and yet he does. Even though there is no bus. But only he and Baldwin know that.
One financier tells Toback, with Alec not in the room: “He’s a TV actor.” Ouch! This, after Baldwin announces at the start of the doc that he’s revving up his film career again. But he’s approved this, which takes guts. Baldwin is nothing if not clear headed about the business after 30 years in it.
One crazy scene brings the pair and crew to the Antibes estate of Johnny Pigozzi, the Italian auto heir who owes his life and fortune to his late father. He readily admits it. (I don’t think Pigozzi knows what “work” is.) He nearly does a spit take when Toback asks him for the money.
“Seduced and Abandoned” is going to be hot stuff for anyone interested in the movie business, Hollywood, or cinema. Toback and Baldwin have an excellent rapport, and their enthusiasm and intellectual curiosity are contagious. You do get to see enough of the nuttiness of Cannes, and lots of smart, interesting people including esteemed critic Todd McCarthy. There’s no lack of background glamor from the Croisette.
You also get a very Tobackian take on things. As in some other films of his, there’s a constant question of religion and God, believe it or not. A lot of the people are asked if they know what happens whey they die, what it will be like, etc. This lends some gravitas to a discussion of things that are otherwise less weighty. It’s very smart of Toback.
If you’re in Cannes, circle the 20th. “S&A” premieres the same night as James Franco’s “As I Lay Dying.” Should be quite the night on red carpets and on screens!