Van Halen–getting ready for its February 7th album launch and January 10th concert tour ticket debut for their first tour since 1821–has just announced an event in New York on January 5th. They’ve chosen Greenwich Village’s Cafe Wha? for their announcement. The group includes Eddie van Halen, brother Alex, son Wolfgang, and the legendary (for many reasons) David Lee Roth. Roth doesn’t get along with Wolfgang, the whole lot of them are at odds, but that’s the story of most rock bands. They’ve recorded their first new album with Roth since Reagan was president. And it comes out on February 7th on Interscope Records. The band will likely appear on the Grammys on Sunday, February 12th.
Gayle King, Oprah’s BFF, Ready to take on the Morning
In this week’s issue of Parade–and at www.parade.com–yours truly has written the cover story about Gayle King, broadcaster, journalist, mother,and Oprah’s BFF. King and Charlie Rose take over the newly reconstituted “CBS This Morning” beginning a week from today, January 9th. Producer Chris Licht, who came from “Morning Joe” on MSNBC, is taking the reins. It was his idea to couple King and Rose. For Gayle it was not an easy decision. Even though she’s staying with Oprah’s O Magazine, she’s leaving her OWN network at a troubled time. Still, King says Oprah pushed her to go for the opportunity. There was no tension, just support. Gayle tells me Oprah will not be her first guest. “That’s a little cheesy, isn’t it?” she asks. She wants an independent identity. I think she has one already. I know Gayle quite separately from Oprah. I knew her as a broadcaster from Connecticut. In New York, where we both live, Gayle is a welcome presence at nighttime events. She loves music as much as I, and has eclectic taster that runs from Jay Z to Carrie Underwood to Sting. I can’t wait for her to put her imprint on the CBS show, and give Charlie Rose a daily alarm.
Justin Bieber’s Beatle Chords, Lady Gaga’s Ping Pong Paddle Mask
Dick Clark‘s kinda sad Rockin’ New Years Eve with Ryan Seacrest was an Interscope special on Saturday night. From Times Square: Lady Gaga was interviewed by Seacrest while wearing some kind of silky white Versace gown and a Ping Pong paddle mask. When she returned to sing her medley, she was in a whole different get up: all black with a hood and black party mask. The hood lifted up. It looked like Gaga, who can sing, actually sang, since she did not do much dancing. (It’s nearly impossible to sing and simultaneously perform the calisthenics known as dancing these days.) Good for her.
Justin Bieber was not so lucky. His rendition of “Let it Be” certainly seemed performed to a track, even though there was a band on stage. IParticularly unconvincing was Bieber supposedly playing a piano while he warbled. The cameras made sure not to show much of his fingers on the keys, and when they did, he was barely touching them. He also slouches at the piano in a way that would make pounding out that song very hard. Ask Paul McCartney, who wrote it, and leans in, spine straight, as he guides the other musicians.
If you notice from the video (see video player) there’s an actual keyboard player doing the real work in the upper left hand corner at 3:54. He’s in silhouette, wearing a hat and glasses. The man is really moving in time to the music as he plays “Let it Be.” Bieber is inert. The pop stars who do play piano in their live shows (Billy Joel, Elton John, Carole King, Alicia Keys, McCartney, even Jamie Foxx) are a little more emphatic about not just playing occasional chords.
I do not get the Bieber attraction. His voice is average, if not actually whiny. He does nothing original. He seems to be getting smaller. And he is clearly not a musician. Most of Bieber’s YouTube videos show him playing the same little instrumental ditty over and over–dedicated to his Grandma.
The saving grace was a surprise cameo by Carlos Santana, actually playing live guitar for all of one minute. I hope he was paid a lot of money for that.
Angelina Jolie Bosnia Film: Wesley Clark Says “Absolutely Truthful”
Our LA reporter LEAH SYDNEY taking note in December: With the kudos of a Golden Globe Nomination, Angelina Jolie’s moving new film, “In the Land of Blood and Honey,” the movie also got a thumbs up from General Wesley Clark, a retired General who also ran for President in 2004. At the premiere in Hollywood The General told us, “I was there during that war, and this film was hard to watch but totally truthful. Extremely realistic and terribly moving.” The General then had a chat with Angelina.
We then asked Angelina if the heaviness of the scenes ever go to her.
Angelina: “It was a kind and gentle set. Both sides came together, especially during the heavy scenes. My cast and crew were just amazing.”
Andrea Bocelli launched his new foundation with a performance at the Beverly Hilton. With David Foster at the piano, Heather Headley sang ‘I can’t Falling in Love With You’ and Michael Bolton also sang. Andrea sang his classics, ‘Ava Maria,’ ‘ Amazing Grace,’ ‘More’ and ‘New York, New York.’
Chaka Khan told us: “This is special for me. I love him as a singer, there’s a sensitive and beautiful human being. He is living out his calling of helping others. Hopefully we’ll sing something together.”
Chaka had a nonstop greeting line of well wishers. How does she feel about that?
Chaka: “I love everybody, nothing wrong with love. That’s what the world needs now to quote my pal Dionne [Warwick].”
We asked what’s coming up?
Chaka: ”I’m working on a duet CD of all the duets I’ve done for the 40 years I’ve been in the business. Everybody from Miles Davis, to all of them, they’re on there. I’ve sung with almost every guy in the business! It should be out by the summer. “
Quincy Jones got the inaugural Humanitarian award presented by Bocelli. ”Andrea and I met in 2004. I love him from the bottom of my soul.”
Quincy told me he just ran into President Obama and Hillary Clinton. “I last saw Obama a couple of weeks ago with Hillary in Bali when they were there for convention. I went up to surprise him. He said to me, “what the hell are you doing here? Amazing…”
Also at the event: Harvey Weinstein, Haim and Cheryl Saban, Natalie Cole, and Taylor Hackford. The evening benefited educational outreach for The Grammy Museum and MIT research.
And L.A. kept spinning in December with…
Barbra Streisand presenting the Dream Foundation Founder’s Humanitarian Award in Santa Barbara to her dear friend Donna Karan calling her, “the most scattered, disorganized human being you’ll ever meet.”
Helen Mirren recited David Mamet poetry and Tim Robbins sang at his Actor’s Gang Studio in Culver City at a benefit for ‘Get Lit,’ which provides poetry/literature programs in arts deprived inner city Los Angeles schools. James Franco also sent a special pre-recorded message.
Iconic hair stylist Jose Eber welcomed guests into his brand new flagship salon in Beverly Hills. Betty Buckley admired the space, which was formerly owned by Christie’s Auction House. Jose’s good pal, the late Elizabeth Taylor, inspired the rich purple and luxurious décor. “Dancing With the Stars” Kym Johnson also browsed the latest red carpet jewelry from Jacob & Co and Palladium jewelry.
Carmen Electra chatting with beautyundercover.com’s Susan Campos and Holly Baril at their event benefiting P.S. Arts in Beverly Hills.
Kristin Chenoweth wowed the Divine Design crowd at the Beverly Hilton with two songs, “What Would Dolly Do?” and “Boy” from her new album “Some Lessons Learned,” as well as, “ It Had to Be You” at the 20th annual Divine Design Gala. The event honored “The Help’s” Viola Davis, Chef Thomas Keller and Costume Designer Patricia Fields.
Guitarist/Songwriter Aaron McLlain who has played with Marc Anthony, Beto Quevas and Air Supply among others, jamming at the hip Hollywood club The Mint.
IFC’s Dan Pasternack chatting with Sarah Silverman at the ‘Comedy Bang, Bang Benefit’ at the Montalban Theater in Hollywood.
Eyewear Designer Sheila Vance with Jewelry Designer Loree Rodkin chatting with VIP’s at Sheila’s private showroom at Sama in West Hollywood.
Rapper 50 Cent Tweets: “I Need a Record Deal”
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Rapper 50 Cent–Curtis James Jackson– is an extremely successful entrepreneur at this point. But now he is looking for a record label deal. In the last couple of years, “Fiddy.” as he’s sub-nicknamed, has made a big career of being smart about investments and the internet. He’s got a line of headphones that just came out and is doing well. He was shrewd with Vitamin Water.
Today, 50 Cent has put an entire album called “The Big 10” out for free download on his Facebook page. But he’s also tweeting up a storm tonight. On Twitter, @50 Cent, the rapper and occasional movie actor has sent out these messages: “Music was so much fun for me now the people and politics involved disgust me. I’m putting out a song tonight FT EM at 12:00 PM happy new year.”
50 Cent has been on Dr. Dre’s Aftermath Records, which is distributed by Universal’s Interscopt. But now he’s trying to get in touch with Interscope’s Jimmy Iovine about a deal. Maybe he’s getting away from Dr. Dre. It’s unclear.
“I got 3,500,000 views in 3 day on hands up. Ok I need a record deal jimmy iovine, call me early tomorrow or I’m putting out another mix tape.” And: “I’m not doing any press for this album. I worked really hard on it my music speaks for it self. I may put out another mix tape for fun.”–which he’s done–and “My next album is great its shame the hardest people to work with were suppose to be on the same team with me.” He concludes, at least for this minute in Twitter time: “Anybody want to sign me I’m a young hungry artist and I work harder then everybody in hiphop call me tomorrow.”
NY Times Movie Crix Pix Diss “Artist,” Woody Allen, Good Movies
Here’s a way to end the year or start a new one on a strange note. The New York Times film critics have announced their desired Oscar choices–and snubbed “The Artist,” Woody Allen’s “Midnight in Paris,” and “Moneyball.” Instead, Tony Scott picked “Bridesmaids,” a gross out movie that has no place at the Academy Awards, and the confounding, incoherent “Tree of Life.” (Talk about the Emperor’s New Clothes.) Among Stephen Holden’s choices are the middling and ultimately not very effective “Margin Call,” and Jason Reitman’s off putting “Young Adult.” Manohla Dargis, of course, has the strangest choices, going for sleep inducements. “Poetry”? “Mysteries of Lisbon”? A Chinese movie about a woman with Alzheimers, and the Portugese version of “Babel.” Those wacky Times reviewers! I say ignore them, and get to “The Artist” ASAP, wherever you are.
A.O. Scott
Bridesmaids
The Descendants
The Tree of Life
War Horse
Warrior
Manohla Dargis
A Dangerous Method
Hugo
Melancholia
Mysteries of Lisbon
Poetry
Stephen Holden
A Dangerous Method
The Descendants
Margin Call
The Tree of Life
Young Adult
Joseph Abboud: Men’s Fashion Advice Given While Everyone Eats
Here’s the thing about my meeting men’s fashion guru Joseph Abboud. While we discussed the vents in suits, two or three button coats, and his work with Hickey Freeman, we also ate. We ate very well, indeed. having met by chance at Leslie Lampert’s famous foodie heaven in Mt. Kisco, New York called Cafe of Love. This is the hard core hot spot dining destination in upper Westchester Country for anyone who wants four star meals at reasonable prices. (www.cafeof loveny.com)
And while Leslie served her chick pea popcorn drenched in truffle oil to my hosts, writer Jill Brooke and her husband Gary Goldstein, Joseph Abboud told me a lot of interesting things. Mind you, this wasn’t even an interview but a by chance meeting. He ordered the mussels. And told us all about Hickey Freeman and Hart Shaffner Marx. They’re owned by the same corporation, they are American with long backgrounds. The former is outfitting Mitt Romney. The latter has Barack Obama. Joseph Abboud, who sold his company years ago, along with his name, is now guiding all of them.
So what: Abboud says three button jackets are not dead. There’s a new version of it, the buttons are lower, it’s ok. This was a relief. Also, side vents are still in fashion, but non vent jackets may come back sooner than we think. Also, good news. Abboud has two daughters, finishing high school and going into college. Will they follow in his footsteps? “I want them to do whatever they want to do,” he says.
What else, I asked, as the succulent seared foie gras was succeeded by bouillabaisse? And we also tried the meatballs, which apparently have become quite famous. The chef hails from Danny Meyers’ famed Union Square Cafe.
Joseph Abboud, whose name is in lots of my jackets and pants, is from the Boston area. He recently bought a big spread up there near his home town of Roslindale. “The older you get, the more you want to go home,” he said. I agreed, and although Mt. Kisco is lovely and the surroundings were bucolic, I got back in the car and hurried to Manhattan before Leslie Lampert could hit me with one more dessert. My Joseph Abboud suits are going to be very tight this week.
PS Thank goodness for GPS. How do people live without numbered streets? That’s what I want to know!
The Best Movies of 2011, And A Few Others
Here are my picks, and there are more than 10.
1. The Artist–No surprise here. From the moment we saw it in Cannes, it was clear that Michel Hazanavicius had made a unique, refreshing piece of art. A silent film? Black and white? Who wants to see that? And yet, some people who’ve seen it were convinced they heard talking. Ha ha. That’s because Hazanavicius’s characters and the story are so well drawn that the audience is never bored, only completely entertained. The fun, too, is in picking out all the other cinema references. And the more times you see it, you realize that Berenice Bejo, James Cromwell, and John Goodman are as important to the piece as Jean DuJardin and Uggie.
2. Moneyball–The best movie from the Toronto Film Festival, where there was a lot of competition from George Clooney, Ryan Gosling, et al. But Bennett Miller has given Brad Pitt the greatest gift–he’s let him be a character actor in a lead role. I do believe this is Pitt’s Sandra Bullock year. As Billy Beane, he’s able to be the hero and the underdog. He IS this movie and you can’t take your eyes off of him. He carries the whole film, and not because of his looks. Miller, meantime, has made a lasting baseball movie that captures the poetry and agony of the sport.
3. Midnight in Paris-Woody Allen, much written about. A luscious, pleasing dessert.
4. War Horse- Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of the Michael Moopongo children’s book is every bit as good as the stunning theater presentation with puppets. Spielberg gets knocked a lot. He makes all this stuff look easy. After all, he also has “Tin Tin”– and in different medium. Drat. Well, Spielberg has succeeded. It’s very annoying. And “Lincoln” will be great next year. But for now “War Horse” remains a stunning achievement.
5. The Ides of March/The Descendants— two movies bound together by George Clooney. What a year for him! He directed and co-starred in the first, starred in the second. “Ides” disappointed some because it seemed tame. But Clooney got a lot of great performances from an all star cast. Not just Ryan Gosling, but Paul Giamatti and Philip Seymour Hoffman in the same film. It’s like watching Batman and Superman work together. As for The Descendants–it’s an exceptional drama, on a par with “Kramer vs. Kramer,” “Shoot the Moon,” and “Ordinary People.” Judy Greer, Shailene Woodley and Beau Bridges make it even more impressive.
6. Beginners/Martha Marcy May Marlene–The two best entries from last year’s Sundance Film Festival gave hope to the independent film world. Mike Mills’ sweet story of his father has produced accolades for Christopher Plummer, now the lead candidate for Best Supporting Actor. And Sean Durkin’s rough tale of a girl trapped in a cult turned Elizabeth Olsen into a surprise budding star. Now, if only the upcoming Sundance can give us more or better, we’ll be lucky(and equally surprised).
7. Hugo – Martin Scorsese’s passion for film history and film preservation gave us this innovative–and popular–3D tale about a boy and a famous filmmaker. Those flying papers really make it. And so do (much too small) cameos from Emily Mortimer and Sacha Baron Cohen.
8. The Help— Not a great book, but a damn good movie. So many terrific performances–Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Jessica Chastain, Bryce Dallas Howard, Emma Stone. There are criticisms that it’s the white girl’s take on the stories of the help, but you know what? At least it was told. Maybe there will be more elaborations from African American writers. But for the time being, “The Help” is well made and well told.
9. A Dangerous Method/Shame– This was the breakout year for Michael Fassbender, who also appeared in X Men: First Class. David Cronenberg’s “Method” is a small movie, but it’s also a gem. Fassbender, Viggo Mortenson, and Keira Knightley are excellent. “Shame” is a another story altogether. Steve McQueen II is an auteur who is an acquired taste. “Shame” is brutal, boring, fascinating, and frustrating. Sex has never seemed so dull. At least we know Fassbender gets to the gym. But I don’t think anyone ever wants to see it again.
10. Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol— Okay, I really liked this big commercial studio film. Tom Cruise is fine, but the additions of Jeremy Renner, Paula Patton, and Simon Pegg really made Cruise so much more tolerable. And Brad Bird’s direction is superb. “Ghost Protocol” is fun and even though it’s preposterous–it’s okay. It was nice to see commercial product placements too. Who thought that would ever happen?
11. Movies that didn’t quite work, but had some great performances too: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Rooney Mara), J. Edgar (Leonardo DiCaprio and Armie Hammer), Drive (Ryan Gosling and Albert Brooks), The Tree of Life (Brad Pitt and Jessica Chastain), Win Win (Paul Giamatti), My Week with Marilyn (Michelle Williams and Kenneth Branagh), The Iron Lady (Meryl Streep and Jim Broadbent), Exremely Close and etc (Max von Sydow) and –yes!– The Devil’s Double, a cool film that was dropped by Lions Gate like a hot potato, with a terrific turn from Dominic Cooper.
Elaine’s Famous Eatery Immortalized on Cover of New Mystery
Stuart Woods always starts novels in Elaine’s, and very often Elaine Kaufman is a character in the books. But now that Elaine has departed this Earth for bigger hostess duties, and the buildings that housed the place have been off for nearly $9 million (make way, Dunkin Donuts or Picasso Nails, or both), Woods has a dilemma. His answer can be seen on the cover of his new one, “Unnatural Acts.” The new cover is seen to the left. This new Stone Barrington mystery will be published by Putnam on April 24, 2012. Meantime, some regulars of Elaine’s are helping put together an Elaine Kaufman Foundation, already registered as a 501 c3 charity. Details are forthcoming. In Kaufman’s will, she specified that her estate set up a foundation for childhood literacy. But this group is independent of that. Kaufman was famous for nurturing writers, letting them run up huge bar and food tabs, and then ripping them up.
Top Oscar Contenders–The Artist, Midnight in Paris–Long for Each Other’s Worlds
Isn’t it interesting that the top Oscar contenders–“The Artist” and “Midnight in Paris”–want what the other has? “The Artist” is made by French filmmakers who long for Hollywood’s yesteryear and made the film in Los Angeles. They don’t send it up. They love it, and breathe it. The movie is so flawless in its execution by Michel Hazanavicius that you fell all of them–the act0rs and the characters–have stepped into the world of silent film in Hollywood in the late 1920s.
And then there’s the Woody Allen film, made by Hollywood people in Paris. They long for Paris in the 20s so much that Owen Wilson‘s Gil simply slips back in time to Paris at roughly the time Jean DuJardin’s George Valentin is making his movie in Hollywood. Indeed, if Valentin had gone home to Paris during a break from filming his silent movies, he might have run into Gil, Hemingway, the Fitzgeralds, Picasso and his mistress Adrianna.
Of course, the kicker in “Midnight in Paris”–and why Woody Allen’s movie is so insightful–is that everyone yearns for a better time in the past. Gil wills himself into Paris of the 1920s. But Adrianna, who lives in the 1920s, only wants to be part of Paris’s Belle Epoque in the late 1890s. When she and Gil arrive there, Gaugin, Degas, and Toulouse Lautrec grumble about how unimaginative their era is to them. And then the best laugh of the season–and I hope one that is used as a clip for one of the awards shows–the modern day detective hired by Gil’s father in law to be, wandering by accident into the Louvre, disturbing Napoleon and Marie Antoinette and Louis the 16th having dinner. “Sorry, I took a wrong turn,” he says. It’s the best punch line of 2011.
A lot of the films of 2011 are about longing for the past. “Tree of Life” is about the 1950s in Texas (and the formation of the universe in mind numbing detail). “War Horse” is set in World War I. “Hugo” also comes from the earlier part of the 20th century. It’s probably a coincidence, but inadvertently it does say something about needing an escape from the present. How nice to see a bunch of films in which no one can flip open a cell phone, or discover the answer to a question by consulting a handheld device. The Academy responds to these films just as much as the audience. I think last year it had a lot to do with “The King’s Speech” being so warmly received, while “The Social Network” failed to resonate with Oscar voters. There’s something to be said for embracing a moment in time.