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Exclusive: Hear the Reason Oscar Isaac Will Star in Coen Bros.’ New Film

Roger Friedman
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1
Exclusive: Hear the Reason Oscar Isaac Will Star in Coen Bros.’ New Film

Note: If you came here looking for “Never Had” from the movie “10 Years” it’s been moved to a new post on this site– stay tuned–and check recent headlines. The song is now available with the album on iTunes.

Exclusive: Oscar Isaac, hot as a pistol, sings his own song “Never Had” in our audio player. It’s from the movie, “Ten Year,” which debuted in Toronto, Isaac, who more unfortunately appears in Madonna’s “W.E.,” is an accomplished musician. In the Coen Brothers film, “Inside Llewyn Davis,” he’ll play a folk singer from the 60s. Once you’ve heard “Never Had,” or Oscar’s other songs, you’ll see why he got this new plum role. A star is born, kids. Watch the movie “Balibo” to see him in action, in the meantime. PS Oscar looks enough like Cat Stevens to play him in a musical or biopic. Just sayin’…

“The Artist” Wins Hamptons Audience Award; “Oranges” Wins Hearts

Roger Friedman
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1
“The Artist” Wins Hamptons Audience Award; “Oranges” Wins Hearts

“The Artist” won the the Hamptons International Film Festival’s Audience Award on Sunday night. The silent, black and white film has already been the talk of Cannes, has picked up a prize in Chicago, and was the audience award winner at the Toronto Film Festival. As well. Jean DuJardin won Best Actor in Cannes. It doesn’t open until November 23rd, but “The Artist” is picking up steam as the best movie Harvey Weinstein‘s bought outright in a while. While there’s plenty of Oscar talk, “The Artist” remains an underdog this far out from the early prizes in December and actual nominations in January.

Big movies, with lots of dialogue, from “War Horse” to “J. Edgar” to “Moneyball,” “Drive,” “The Iron Lady,” “Ides of March,” “Midnight in Paris,” “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close,” “Hugo,” “My Week with Marilyn,” and “Young Adult” have all kinds of leverage on inside tracks. But “The Artist” does seem to win over audiences wherever it plays…

…Plenty of films from other festivals played in the Hamptons, but Jim Loach’s “Oranges and Sunshine” made its debut there for Cohen Media. The newish company, founded by “Frozen River” producer and real estate magnate Charles Cohen, has already had a Best Foreign Film Oscar nominee earlier this year with “Outside the Law.” There’s more to come shortly, including the current “Chasing Madoff” documentary and the French feature “My Afternoons with Marguerite.”

“Oranges and Sunshine” opens next Friday and then fans out across the country. Past Oscar nominee Emily Watson plays real life British social worked Margaret Humphreys, who stumbled upon one of England’s great scandals a few years ago. She discovered that over 10,000 hildren had been illegally deported from the UK to Australia between 1947 and 1970. It was part of a government cover up that was aided by the monks of the Christian Brothers sect of the Catholic Church. Many of the children were left with the Brothers by parents who couldn’t take care of them, were tortured and abused, and then sent to Australia on ships. The children, none of whom were adopted, ended up living at a school outside of Perth called Bin Doon.

Humphreys, who came to the Hamptons Film Festival with her husband (a social worker who also went into the project full time), changed her life’s work. She’s spent the last 25 years reuniting families around the world. It’s an extraordinary story.

Humphreys found many of the parents had migrated to America over time, so there’s a U.S. tie in too as mothers and children meet for the first time. The title of the film comes from how the orphanages and church leaders pitched sunny, warm Australia to the British kids– as a place with “oranges and sunshine”–compared to rainy, cold Britain.

This is Jim Loach‘s first feature film after a successful career directing TV in London. He has the provenance, though: his father is acclaimed British filmmaker Ken Loach. He told me over the weekend that he’d waited to direct his first feature. He wanted to find the right material. When a friend told him Humphreys’ story, he knew he had it. “Lord of the Rings” actors Hugo Weaving and David Wenham co-star with Watson, who gives a beautifully restrained, moving performance.

Sue Mengers, Hollywood Super Agent and Hostess, Was Truly “A-List”

Roger Friedman
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1
Sue Mengers, Hollywood Super Agent and Hostess, Was Truly “A-List”

You’ll read a lot about Sue Mengers today. In the 1960s and 70s she was a force to be reckoned with in Hollywood. A super agent before there were any, Mengers guided the careers of Barbra Streisand and so many A list names. In Julia Phillips‘ infamous memoir, “You’ll Never Eat Lunch in this Town Again,” Mengers figures largely in the failure of Phillips to make Erica Jong‘s “Fear of Flying” into a movie with Goldie Hawn. But Mengers also figures largely in a lot of movies that were made, like Peter Bogdanovich‘s classics “Paper Moon” and “What’s Up Doc?” as well as the remake of “A Star is Born” with Streisand and Kris Kristofferson, among others.

Mengers’ clients included Cher, Michael Caine, Ali McGraw, Gene Hackman, Faye Dunaway, Bob Fosse, Peter Bogdanovich, Tatum O’Neal, Ryan O’Neal, Candice Bergen, Ann-Margret, Burt Reynolds and Cybill Shepherd. If there was a big deal or movie made with A list stars in the 1970s, Sue Mengers was at the center of it. Mengers was also incredibly loyal, perhaps wrongly, to corrupt movie exec David Begelman. Ironically Begelman’s whistleblower, actor Cliff Robertson, also died this year.

The great New York columnist, Aileen Mehle, aka “Suzy,” described Mengers thusly from the New York premiere of Steven Spielberg‘s “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” produced by Julia Phillips in November 1977, at the end of a long list of heavy hitters: “…and Sue Mengers, the top Hollywood agent,  a flying object who was identified a long time ago.”

In Rachel Abramowitz’s 2002 book, “Is That A Gun in Your Pocket?” about powerful women in Hollywood, Mengers–who’s maybe the only Hollywood agent ever interviewed by Mike Wallace for “60 Minutes” (1975)–spoke candidly about her then mythic status. By the mid 70s, she was known as not only the top agent, but Hollywood’s premier hostess. Streisand, Beatty, Nicholson, Hoffman were her regular guests. “Our house became like a restaurant,” she said. “The celebrities hadn’t come because they wanted to see me. They wanted to see each other. I was never the star at my own parties. I was the catalyst to bring creative people together.”

Paul Leka, Hit Producer, Co-Wrote “Na Na Na Hey Hey Hey Goodbye”

Roger Friedman
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2
Paul Leka, Hit Producer, Co-Wrote “Na Na Na Hey Hey Hey Goodbye”

Paul Leka, who co-wrote the ubiquitous chant of a hit single, “Na Na Na Hey Hey Hey Goodbye,” passed away on October 12th according to web reports. Leka also wrote “Green Tambourine,” one of the seminal singles of the late 1960s, for his group, The Lemon Pipers.

“Na Na Na” was a hit for Steam, Leka’s group at the time. But it was a chorus that was supposed to be a throwaway B side which he’d written years earlier with another member of the group. They added it to a song written in the studio and it went on to become a massive hit. It’s now a regular chant at sports events.

Leka, from Bridgeport, Connecticut, also produced several hits including Harry Chapin‘s “Cat’s in the Cradle” and “Theme from Summer of ’42” by Peter Nero. He also produced the first two REO Speedwagon albums from his Bridgeport studio. Leka also produced records by Gloria Gaynor, Angela Clemmons, and Lesley Gore.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIAzQ6M2Bow

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaG2Acg8n60

“Artist” Star Jean DuJardin Learns English, Contemplates a Hollywood Career

Roger Friedman
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“Artist” Star Jean DuJardin Learns English, Contemplates a Hollywood Career

Jean DuJardin–you’ve never heard of him, but he will be nominated for an Oscar in “The Artist,” which played the New York Film Festival Friday night. “The Artist” was a hit in Cannes, and wins over anyone who sees it for its freshness, cleverness, and exuberance. It’s a black and white, silent film with three American actors–John Goodman, James Cromwell, and Penelope Ann Miller. But its real stars are French–Jean DuJardin, a French leading man who is 39; and beautiful Berenice Bejo, who is also the wife of director Michel Hazanavicus. Start learning these names, because they are going to figure in our lives pretty quickly. “The Artist” is a tour de force. It will be the must-see film of the season simply because no one’s ever seen anything like it before.

Only Goodman was absent last night at the film festival screening. And in the audience there was everyone from Jessica Lange to Barry Levinson, Eddie Redmayne, Benjamin Walker, Joel Grey, producer Michael Shamberg, and Julian Schnabel. Famed actor Charles Keating came to support Cromwell; they’ve been friends since the age of 20 when they worked at the Cleveland Playhouse. Many of the stars repaired to a private dinner at the swanky Fifth Avenue home of Susan and John Gutfreund, who served very American (and delicious) macaroni and cheese, and red velvet cake.

DuJardin is about to hit big, so he’s studying his English. He knows less English than Roberto Benigni did in 1998, but he’s learning fast. His wife, the famed French actress Alexandra Lamy, was with him too — it was her birthday. These two French couples looked they’ve stepped out of Vogue. They are certain to win over American film audiences quickly.

And even though Lamy was within earshot, I did ask Jean which actresses he’d like to work with in America. His answer? He looked around, and the said in a low French growl, “It’s a supermarket, no?” His English is getting better.

“The Artist” opens on November 23rd, and I predict it will cause a sensation. Set in 1927 Hollywood, the film unfolds at the end of the silent movie era. DuJardin’s George Valentin is the biggest star of the era, but he’s afraid talkies will kill his career. Enter Peppy Miller (Bejo, a potential Best Supporting Actress nominee), the first star of the new era. They are star-crossed stars who travel am ebullient but sometimes tricky journey. The movie was shot in Art Deco locales in Los Angeles. And it features cameos by a lot of well known character actors including Missi Pyle, Joel Murray, Beth Grant, and Malcolm McDowell. There’s also a stunning score that is sure to win many awards–it’s almost like a character in the movie.

Here are DuJardin and Lamy from their French hit TV show: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJdqBFT-G1I&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SF4sRgdjG14

Solyndra: New Scandal? Mike Tyson’s Bankruptcy Enemies Team Up Together Again

Roger Friedman
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1
Solyndra: New Scandal? Mike Tyson’s Bankruptcy Enemies Team Up Together Again

Is this a conflict of interest? Solyndra, the solar panel company in the middle of a huge national scandal involving the Obama administration, ousted their CEO today according to reports in the Wall Street Journal and other sources. Now the company has asked that Hollywood’s persistent and controversial bankruptcy trustee, R. Todd Neilson, take over the restructuring of the company.

Only one thing: Neilson and Richard Pachulski, a Los Angeles-Century City bankruptcy attorney who’s earned substantial fees already on Solyndra, are regular teammates in high profile cases. They are also linked by the controversial Private Bank of California. Neilson is the chairman of the board. Richard Pachulski is a director. Among the many cases they’ve worked on together and earned millions from is superstar boxer Mike Tyson’s bankruptcy case.

Pachulski’s law firm, Pachulski, Stang Ziehl and Jones, as been earning big fees from the Solyndra matter for some time according to AM Law Journal. They reported: “…bankruptcy boutique Pachulski Stang Ziehl & Jones is advising Solyndra on its Chapter 11 proceedings through name partner [Richard] Pachulski ($950), partners Debra Grassgreen ($795), Bruce Grohsgal ($705), and Joshua Fried ($650), and of counsel Shirley Cho ($650). Court records show that Solyndra paid $400,000 to Pachulski Stang in the year prior to its bankruptcy filing.” The numbers in parentheses are what the lawyers earn per hour.

That’s not all: at least one other director of the Private Bank of California, A. Stuart Rubin, is Pachulski’s partner in a separate real estate company.

Neilson’s involvement in the Private Bank of California as well as numerous celebrity bankruptcies, has been questionable for some time. His own firm, LECG, went belly up in its own financial scandal this year. Neilson decamped to a company started by a former LECG partner, giving itself the proper sounding name of Berkeley Research Group.

Meanwhile, other members of the board of the Private Bank of California include two partners from the same big deal Hollywood law firm: Gary Stiffelman and Melanie Cook.

And we wonder why #occupywallstreet is growing.

Elvis Costello, Pete Townsend, Cat Stevens Up for Songwriters Hall of Fame

Roger Friedman
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Elvis Costello, Pete Townsend, Cat Stevens Up for Songwriters Hall of Fame

Here are the nominees for induction into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame. It’s a great list. But choices will be made by the voters. My choices include Elvis Costello, Cat Stevens and Don Covay, among others.

Non-Performer Songwriters

Don Covay – * Sookie, Sookie * Mercy, Mercy * Tonight’s The Night * Chain Of Fools

* Seesaw

Jerry Fuller -* Travelin’ Man * Young World * Young Girl * Lady Willpower * Show And Tell

Graham Gouldman – * Bus Stop * I’m Not In Love * For Your Love * The Things We Do For Love * No Milk Today

Tony Hatch – * Downtown * Don’t Sleep In The Subway * I Know A Place * My Love

* Sign Of The Times

Sandy Linzer/Denny Randell – * A Lover’s Concerto * Workin’ My Way Back To You * Let ‘s Hang On To What We’ve Got * Native New Yorker * Opus 17 (Don’t Worry ’bout Me)

Tony Macaulay – * Baby Now That I’ve Found You * Build Me Up Buttercup * Don’t Give Up On Us * Last Night I Couldn’t Get To Sleep At All * Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)

Chips Moman – * Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song * At The Dark End Of The Street * Do Right Woman, Do Right Man * Lukenbach, Texas * Wurlitzer Prize

Artie Resnick/Kenny Young – * Under The Boardwalk * I’ve Got Sand In My Shoes * One Kiss For Old Time’s Sake * Good Lovin’ * Just A Little Bit Better

Don Schlitz – * The Gambler * Forever And Ever, Amen * When You Say Nothing At All

* He Thinks He’ll keep Her * On The Other Hand

P.F. Sloan/Steve Barri – * Secret Agent Man * Eve Of Destruction * Where Were You When I Needed You * You Baby (Nobody but You) * Can I Get to Know You Better

Jim Steinman – * I’d Do Anything For Love But I Won’t Do That * Making Love Out Of Nothing At All * Paradise By The Dashboard Light * Total Eclipse Of The Heart * Two Out Of Three Ain’t Bad

Paul Vance/Lee Pockriss – * Catch A Falling Star * Dommage Dommage * Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini * Playground In My Mind * She Lets Her Hair Down (Early In The Morning)

Performer/Songwriters

Elvis Costello – * Accidents Will Happen * Alison * Veronica * Pump It Up * Watching The Detectives

Dion DiMucci – * Born To Cry * Donna The Prima Donna * King Of The New York Streets

* Love Came To Me * Runaround Sue

Deborah Harry/Chris Stein (Blondie) – *Dreaming * Heart Of Glass * In The Flesh

* Rapture * One Way Or Another

Yusuf Islam (formerly Cat Stevens) – * Moonshadow * Morning Has Broken * Peace Train

* The First Cut Is The Deepest * Wild World

Annie Lennox/Dave Stewart – * Here Comes The Rain Again, * Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) * Would I Lie To You * Missionary Man * Sisters Are Doin’ It For Themselves

Gordon Lightfoot – * Carefree Highway * Early Morning Rain * If You Could Read My Mind * Sundown * Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald

George Michael – * Careless Whisper * Faith * Father Figure * I Want Your Sex * Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go

Steve Miller -* Abracadabra * Fly Like An Eagle * Living In The USA * Take The Money And Run * The Joker

Lou Reed – * Dirty Boulevard * Heroin * Rock & Roll * Sweet Jane * Walk On The Wild Side

Bob Seger – * Like A Rock * Night Moves * Rock & Roll Never Forgets * Still The Same

* We’ve Got Tonight

Pete Townshend – * I Can See For Miles * Magic Bus * My Generation * See Me, Touch Me, Feel Me * Won’t Get Fooled Again

Tom Waits -* Ol’ 55 * Jersey Girl * (Looking For) The Heart Of Saturday Night * Innocent When You Dream * Downtown Train

Russell Simmons Offers to Pay for Occupy Wall Street Cleanup, Says He’ll Go to Jail

Roger Friedman
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Russell Simmons Offers to Pay for Occupy Wall Street Cleanup, Says He’ll Go to Jail

Russell Simmons, music entrepreneur, philanthropist, and social activist, puts his money where his mouth is. He’s offered to clean up Zuccotti Park himself rather than see he #Occupywallstreet people get thrown out. Simmons is serious. On Twitter, as #UncleRush, Simmons says he will go to jail if he has to. He’ll be in the park at 7am. Frankly, the clean up of Zuccotti Park sounds like Mayor Bloomberg’s worst idea since concrete turning lanes and the paving over of Times Square. Third terms are really a bad idea, really. And this one is spiraling out of control.

Russell Simmons

@UncleRUSH

Russell Simmons
UncleRUSHRussell Simmons
#SuperRich. Chap 3 RT @DjjoelSMuzyk: #Peace, in search of meditation Books. Any recommendation RUSSELL?
Russell Simmons
UncleRUSHRussell Simmons
@michaelskolnik: “Nonviolence is a weapon of the strong.” ~Gandhi #OccupyWallStreet #fb
Russell Simmons
UncleRUSHRussell Simmons
Arjuna told krishna that he dnt wanna fight krishna told him do his dharma “get your bitch ass on front … http://m.tmi.me/h7anE
Russell Simmons
UncleRUSHRussell Simmons
Dear mike I have long supported u and u have been good mayor, don’t take me to jail tomorrow I’m not 22 I don’t wanna go :-) but I will
Russell Simmons
UncleRUSHRussell Simmons
Clean up is fine, if u clean section a and don’t allow the sleeping bags and set up back to section a ur gonna take us all to jail
Russell Simmons
UncleRUSHRussell Simmons
.. @ #occupywallstreet now. Kids preparing to go to jail. Ill be back to hang w/ them tomorrow
Russell Simmons
UncleRUSHRussell Simmons
Meet me at Zuccotti Park tmw at 7AM. There is NO way the brave, patriotic yng ppl are being kicked out. http://bit.ly/oPxWkO #OWS
Russell Simmons
UncleRUSHRussell Simmons
I have been there 15 times. And I will be there tomorrow #occupywallstreet 7am
Russell Simmons
UncleRUSHRussell Simmons
love that Jay-Z and Kelly hung out >> http://bit.ly/rkccvj
Michael Skolnik
michaelskolnikMichael Skolnik

by UncleRUSH
“Nonviolence is a weapon of the strong.” ~Gandhi #OccupyWallStreet
Russell Simmons
UncleRUSHRussell Simmons
Dear @MikeBloomberg — I will pay for clean-up of Zuccotti Park to avoid confrontation. I don’t wanna go to jail but I will be there ready!
Russell Simmons
UncleRUSHRussell Simmons

@
@joeishistory. The law says the young people can stay. I love the mayor, my advice? dont make this to get violent. #occupywallstreet
Russell Simmons
UncleRUSHRussell Simmons

@
@joeishistory. The law says the young people can stay. I love the mayor, my advice? dont make this to get violent.
Russell Simmons
UncleRUSHRussell Simmons

@
@joeishistory. The law says the young people can stay. I love the mayor, my advice dont allow this to get violent.
Russell Simmons
UncleRUSHRussell Simmons

@
@joeishistory. The law says the young people can stay. I love the mayor but he shouldn’t allow this to get violent.
Russell Simmons
UncleRUSHRussell Simmons
Damn looks like they are gonna start a war out of this non violent movement. This could set off lots of chaos.
Global Grind
GlobalGrindGlobal Grind

by UncleRUSH
NEW MUSIC! @Drake ft. @NickiMinaj “Make Me Proud” >> http://bit.ly/r3ZYbM
Michael Skolnik
michaelskolnikMichael Skolnik

by UncleRUSH
Working on plan with @UncleRUSH to pay for clean-up of Zuccotti Park to avoid confrontation tmw at #OccupyWallStreet
Russell Simmons
UncleRUSHRussell Simmons
Dear @MikeBloomberg — I will pay for clean-up of Zuccotti Park to avoid confrontation. http://bit.ly/oPxWkO PLS RT #OWS
Russell Simmons
UncleRUSHRussell Simmons
RT @roadie4life: “@UncleRUSH: “Do not fight the darkness. Let the light in and the darkness will disappear” – Maharishi”

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Samuel L. Jackson and Angela Bassett Return to Broadway After 20 Years (or More) Away

Roger Friedman
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0
Samuel L. Jackson and Angela Bassett Return to Broadway After 20 Years (or More) Away

What a night on Broadway: “The Mountaintop” opened, with incendiary performances from Samuel L. Jackson respectively as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Angela Bassett as a maid (or it seems) in Memphis’s Lorraine Motel on the eve of Dr. King’s assassination. It’s been 20 years since Jackson was on Broadway (“The Piano Lesson”), 23 for Bassett (“Joe Turner’s Come and Gone”).

The audience was filled with big names, more than I’ve seen turn out at once for a Broadway play opening.

Everyone from Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz (and Alicia’s great mom, Terria Joseph) to sports giants like Magic Johnson and Julius Erving to Harry Belafonte to Cicely Tyson, Ruby Dee (who gets a shout out in the play), Anthony Mackie, Liz Smith, Iris Love, sisters Phylicia Rashad and Debbie Allen, Ahmad Rashad (ex of Phylicia), Mary Alice, Sam Rockwell, Star Jones, Gayle King, Dick Cavett, producer Marty Bregman and bw Cornelia, Jimmy and Margo Nederlander, the Shuberts’ Phil Smith, producer Judy Gordon, writer Joan Juliet Buck, actor Billy Magnussen, and the stars’ spouses–LaTanya Richardson and Courtney B. Vance.

Lead producer Jean Doumanian should be proud bringing “The Mountaintop” to Broadway–it’s a terrific new play by a young black playwright named Katori Hall. Broadway is desperate for new blood; this is it. And Hall’s play, while not perfect, is certainly strong with a great plot twist and a knock out ending directed by Kenny Leon.

Bassett’s character is totally invented from fiction, and so she has greater latitude something original and wild. She is amazing, and must be seen. Jackson has the harder task–he’s playing one of the great icons of history, politics, and culture. Long a film favorite, Jackson pulls off his first stage work in years aplomb. He also has MLK’s hairline. “Look,” he showed me at the after party, “It’s a wig. I am bald under here.” He lifted his signature Kangol cap. Might he have played MLK with a Kangol? “I thought about it,” he said with a laugh.

Damien Echols to Publish Memoir, May Be A Hobbit

Roger Friedman
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7
Damien Echols to Publish Memoir, May Be A Hobbit

Well, I should have written this two days ago when I knew it. But no one at Penguin called me back. Anyway, they’ve signed Damien Echols of the “West Memphis Three” to write a memoir which will be published in September 2012. Echols told me about it at the premiere of “Paradise Lost 3” the other night but the Penguin people kept the story on ice. Oh well. Echols and his wife Laurie Davis are now in New Zealand, as I reported before, with director Peter Jackson. There’s talk that Jackson is giving Echols a small role in “The Hobbit” while the couple is there. Why not? After 17 years in jail for a crime he didn’t commit, Echols can have anything he wants. Echols has self published another book you can find on amazon.com from a few years ago. Comedian actress Margaret Cho was responsible for that one. Echols is not the only member of the West Memphis Three. There’s a fund to help the other guys, and they need it.  You can find it at http://www.wm3.org/

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