Monday, December 22, 2025
Donate
Home Blog Page 2178

Harry Potter and the Deathly Premiere: “Is this the Ninth Movie or What?”

Roger Friedman
-
2
Harry Potter and the Deathly Premiere: “Is this the Ninth Movie or What?”

Ah yes: the premiere for “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part One.”

Rude security, nasty publicists. Cast and director kept far from people who are even at the premiere. Warner’s even hired off duty NYPD to help them in the theater. This, my friends, was a first.

Security team using night goggles in Alice Tully Hall to see if invited guests–like Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker, maybe?– are illegally recording the movie for pirating.

Hollywood comes to New York. Better to see exiting Warner’s chief Alan Horn, who’s done a great job and will be missed when he steps aside.

Few actual celebs at the premiere other than the Brodericks, who brought 8 year old son James. And Rob Thomas of matchbox twenty with beautiful wife Marisol.

From the movie: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson. And Ralph Fiennes.

The Warners people seated all the Time Warner magazine people they could find, even editors-in-chief, in Siberia. Near the ‘regular’ press peeps, like yours truly.

Of course, celebs were spread thin as pate last night around Manhattan with a dozen different big events. “Harry Potter” was obviously not a priority.

The movie itself: very very dark, long, and kind of discombobulated. “Harry Potter” fans will love it, of course. Does it make sense? Who knows? Lots of great special effects.  Great snakes, if you’re into that. Great big ones. Also, Daniel Radcliffe, fresh from a year naked in “Equus,” takes his shirt off a couple of times. There’s some odd, icky pseudo sexual references. The movie has an overall creepy quality.

I must confess, I am no “Harry Potter” expert. But did Dobby the elf always look and sound so much like Gollum from “Lord of the Rings”? He sure does now. Wow.

Best line of the night: Matthew Broderick said: “I wish they’d start with ‘Previously on Harry Potter’ just to catch us up.”

Second best line, from another guest: “Is this the ninth one or what?” No, it was the seventh. One more to go.

Beatles Record Label, EMI, Calls for a 10AM Company Meeting–In Time for I Tunes Announcement

Roger Friedman
-
1
Beatles Record Label, EMI, Calls for a 10AM Company Meeting–In Time for I Tunes Announcement

EMI, the Beatles’ beleaguered record label, has called for a company wide meeting Tuesday morning at 10am Eastern Time.

That’s the same time that Steve Jobs will take a stage–in California, at 7am–to announce that Apple has finally secured the Beatles catalog for ITunes and downloading.

What they said would never happen is about to occur. Maybe hell has frozen over.

The long tug of war between the Beatles and EMI regarding downloading would be ended then, as well. In the background of this game, it was EMI unwilling to bow to the Beatles on pricing that made downloading an obstacle.

But so much has changed in the last week. EMI is in a free fall, with Terra Firma losing their case with Citigroup. The latter triumphed, and Terra Firma is now in peril of having to sell EMI to Warner Music, let Citigroup take them over, or somehow raise the money to soldier on. It’s doubtful that the Beatles would have just allowed themselves to become a free floating pawn in the game. It’s possible that the downloading issue, long on the table, finally came in to play.

There were signs all day. Apple worded its sign on the ITunes front page with two Paul McCartney song titles: “Another Day” and “Tomorrow.”

Apple also is making the announcement at 7am PST, so that London press can be accomodated before deadlines at 3pm. It wouldn’t be too much of a surprise to see Paul, Ringo, Olivia Harrison and Yoko Ono on the stage with Steve Jobs.

Will it be a big deal after all this? Yes. Even though Beatles CDs are ubiquitous, and songs have been uploaded into MP3 players and IPods for years, the portability and immediacy of being able to download songs will really be huge. It can only be hoped by purists that albums like “Abbey Road” and “Sergeant Pepper” will be available as albums only. But sadly, that’s unlikely.

Mel Gibson Jokes, Etc At Clint Eastwood Museum of Tolerance Dinner

Roger Friedman
-
4
Mel Gibson Jokes, Etc At Clint Eastwood Museum of Tolerance Dinner

A Clint Eastwood tribute at the Museum of Tolerance in Beverly Hills? Leah Sydney reports from LA for us: You know there’s going to be a Mel Gibson joke.

It came early in the evening from master of ceremonies George Lopez. “Tonight we’re honoring a true Hollywood Icon Clint Eastwood-the roles he has chosen as an actor, the loner trying to do right,  the underdog. As a director he’s chosen films about personal struggles, freedom and dignity.  So it is fitting that you are being honored tonight.  By the way I was a little disappointed that the construction on the Mel Gibson wing has stopped.”

He added: “This is an amazing organization. Latinos have a Museum of Tolerance in Arizona.  Nobody goes.  You have to jump a wall to get in.”

Everyone was in on the act, from Rabbi Marvin Hier to Arnold Schwarzenegger to Eli Wallach. (Clint’s lovely wife Dina, pictured with her husband.) It was all to kick off the Museum’s first film festival, called MOTIFF.

Rabbi Hier told the intimate VIP crowd.  “The clergy loves Clint Eastwood for righting those who have been wronged and forgotten and for confronting the purveyors of darkness with his unique of  his own Miranda rights, “Go Ahead, Make My Day.”

Eli Wallach–who’s almost 95 and had just received his Lifetime Achievement award from the Academy the night before-  handed Clint a birthday card..which he opened up –and the theme of the Good Bad and The Ugly played. Wallach then later told the story that:

“I spent a night once in bed with Clint Eastwood.  I know it sounds strange, but when we were filming it-we went to Spain. The hotels were full, so we stayed in Clint’s friends apartment.  There was one room, so Clint asked, Which side do you want to sleep on?  Me , being an old radical, said “I’ll take the left side.”

Arnold Schwarzenegger said: “I love this guy.  Ever since I was in Austria as a kid watching his movies.  I know He doesn’t like to admit that he’s a few years older than I am .  But he was an inspiration to me to come here to America.  To be an actor and a leading man who would be in action movies.  I would not have done The Terminator if he had not paved the way for great action movies. If he wouldn’t have    ‘Make My Day’ and all those kind of lines. It made me follow with ‘I’ll Be Back’ and those kind of lines. He’s an extraordinary director and actor.  Between the two of us we have five Oscars. They’re all his..but who’s counting? This guy is just a legend and bigger than life.”

Then Clint Eastwood spoke:

“On the way down here, somebody cut us [Clint and his wife Dina] off in traffic. He pulled around in front and he gave me the finger.  So I  rolled down my window  and started to yell.  My wife said Clint, you’re getting a Tolerance Award.”

After the laughter died down, Clint continued:

“Hey, his cat might have died in the morning.  I realized, whenever you have an argument in traffic or something, you never know if someone is coming from a funeral or something. It’s food for thought. You don’t have all the facts ever.

“I want to thank Eli,  but Eli, the bed was not that narrow.

Revisiting all those film clips is a great novelty for me. I’m 80 now, I wouldn’t normally admit that except that Eli is here.  That makes me feel young.  He’s saying Oh to be 80 again and I’m saying oh to be 70 again.  It’s all relative.  “

Spider Man: First Look Pics, and Two Song Titles from U2

Roger Friedman
-
1
Spider Man: First Look Pics, and Two Song Titles from U2

Vogue magazine has pictures from Julie Taymor’s $55 million Broadway extravaganza, “Spider Man: Turn off the Dark.”

Also the Vogue article has two song titles from U2 for the show: “Boy Falls from the Sky” and “Rise ‘Bove.”

The pictures are cool: this is not an old fashioned “Spider Man” by any means. See the rest at vogue.com

Daniel Radcliffe’s “Succeed” Co-Star, Paul Simon’s Move

Roger Friedman
-
0
Daniel Radcliffe’s “Succeed” Co-Star, Paul Simon’s Move

http://www.showbiz411.com/tag/rose-hemingway

Big announcement today: Rose Hemingway will play Rosemary in the “How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying.” This is the musical revival starring Daniel Radcliffe, better known to all of us as Harry Potter. I told you this, though, on April 26th. When I met Rose last spring her last name was Sezniak, but she was planning on a summer wedding to a young man who is not related to Ernest Hemingway. I just noticed that Broadway World.com picked up that scoop four days later without bothering to credit this column. I guess they were trying to succeed in business without really trying…

Anyway, the good news is that “How to Succeed” has announced the rest of its cast, including the great Tammy Blanchard and John Laroquette…

The Times reported the Rose Hemingway story today, too, not noticing the above link in its research. But that’s ok. On Friday, the Times “reported” that Paul Simon was moving his entire catalog from Warner Music back to Sony. Uh huh. I reported that on June 1st. If the Times writer had done a little more checking he’d know the new Paul Simon album is titled “So Beautiful or So What.” They’d have known that if they’d read this column on November 1st. Simon announced the title in the previous week’s New York Times Book Review.

http://www.showbiz411.com/2010/06/01/paul-simon-may-record-with-bob-dylan-taking-catalog-back-to-sony

Michael Jackson: “Secret” Work Tapes Will Prove It’s His Voice on Tracks (“Hold My Hand” Now Available)

Roger Friedman
-
39
Michael Jackson: “Secret” Work Tapes Will Prove It’s His Voice on Tracks (“Hold My Hand” Now Available)

As Michael Jackson‘s new single, “Hold My Hand,” goes “live” tonight (www.michaeljackson.com) , I can tell you a bit more about his new album.

There had been some concern that no outtakes existed of the tracks Jackson recorded with Eddie Cascio. Michael’s nephews have gone into overdrive trying to discredit the tracks. They’ve claimed it’s not their uncle’s voice on the recordings.

But now sources tell me that there were “work tapes” made during the Cascio sessions. These aren’t outtakes of the songs, but tapes running in the studio while Michael discussed what was going on with Eddie Cascio and other members of the Cascio family. Jackson’s own kids even make cameo appearances on the tapes. At some point, the work tapes will be released, although it’s unclear by whom. The main thing is, there’s plenty of evidence of Michael Jackson working with Eddie Cascio.

Still, it’s nice to know that the tapes prove once and for all what was going on in the Cascios’ home studio in the summer of 2007. It’s truly, without a doubt, Michael Jackson on the recordings.

There are three Cascio tracks on the new album. “Breaking News,” of course, has already been heard. Last Friday, “Keep Your Head Up” was leaked to the internet. Some people heard it, but Sony’s legal team moved quickly to have it removed. It’s a great record. The third Cascio track, “Monster,” with 50 Cent, remains a mystery, although I’ve heard good things about it.

Desperate Housewives Is Still On the Air (Who Knew?)

Roger Friedman
-
7
Desperate Housewives Is Still On the Air (Who Knew?)

The Patriots were so far ahead of the Steelers Sunday that I was able to switch over to ABC a couple of times.

Guess what? Both “Desperate Housewives” and “Brothers & Sisters” are still on the air. Who knew?

“DH” is simply awful and interminable. Granted, it was never very good. I watched a bit of the 2005 spring season when I was stuck in Santa Maria, California covering Michael Jackson‘s trial. Back then, it was a novelty. But the creators blew the big mystery of why the narrating character, Mary Alice, killed herself. It was incredibly convoluted. They killed off their best male character, Rex, played by Steven Culp. You knew they had no idea what they were doing.

I did watch when Dana Delany and Kyle Maclachlan were on; she was terrific. But the rest of it is nonsensical. Granted, I wandered in last night without a playbook. But nothing much has happened, silliness reigns. Felicity Huffman, an Oscar nominee, has been given drivel. Last night Teri Hatcher, a beautiful woman, was concerned about a baby crying. Nicollette Sheridan is gone. Bree is sleeping with David from “Beverly Hills 90210.” Yikes. Cancel this thing. Let it be done.

“Brothers & Sisters” started out as a pretty good soap opera about a wealthy family with a business and a lot of secrets. It is also, now, drivel. Or more drivelish. Sally Field can do no wrong, so she makes everything seem all right. You can’t touch Rachel Griffiths, and Matthew Rhys is very talented. But last night’s show, like the week before, was not about the business. Holly (Patricia Wettig) is AWOL. So was Ron Rifkin. With both of these series, the writing is very limited. They’ve never found the groove of “Knots Landing,” the supreme nighttime soap. They have no overarching plot, or story. And by now, who cares? And, more importantly, the Patriots are as annoying as the Red Sox.

Quincy Jones Is Back, Kids: DeNiro, Clive Davis Pay Respects

Roger Friedman
-
0
Quincy Jones Is Back, Kids: DeNiro, Clive Davis Pay Respects

Oh Friday night at SL Nightclub, a mirrored bunker under Abe & Arthur’s shiny, glamorous restaurant. This used to be Lotus nightclub. It’s very hip on West 14th St.

Where else would you find Quincy Jones on a Friday night, getting a little salute for his new album, “Soul Bossa Nostra”? He’s 77, man, and he’s younger, cooler and more with it than just about anyone.

John Legend was already seated beside Q when we arrived, and there were about twenty young females jockeying for position–to be near Q. I asked him last winter what his age cut off for dating was, and the legendary musician and man about town replied: “I’m 77, and the two numbers cannot add up to more than 100.”

Amen.

Suddenly, Grace Hightower and her husband, Robert DeNiro, come in through a side door. Hightower, who is lovely and has a killer voice, hightails it over to Q. DeNiro hangs back, orders a martini with extra vermouth and lemon rind from a waiter. “Lemon rind,” DeNiro reminds him. The guy looks like he’s going to have a brain hemorrhage trying to remember all the particulars of this drink. When he returns with it, he asks DeNiro if it’s right. The actor takes a sip, doesn’t look so happy. “It’s all right,” he says. He winds up leaving half of it behind.

More fun: Clive Davis arrives, also through the side door, with Nikki Haskell and friends. Clive is Q’s age, it’s 10pm, and he’s just come from dinner at Cipriani. The two take pictures together. They are the last of the real music men. Right now Clive has Rod Stewart, Santana, and Jamie Foxx on the charts. Quincy has Mary J Blige, Jennifer Hudson, and Akon on his album. These men are dangerous.

Now come the second wave: Anthony Mackie, who’s in the “24 Hour Plays” tonight, was the award winning co-star of “Half Nelson” and “The Hurt Locker” arrives with indefatigable manager Jason Spire. Mackie’s classically trained, Denzel 2.0. Quincy hugs him. Mackie tells us about the bar he’s opening in Crown Heights, Brooklyn this winter called No Bar. He’s building it himself. No kidding. Even the tables. He shows us pictures. Gorgeous.

Gayle King comes by, looking hot, discussing today’s (Monday’s) “Color Purple” reunion on Oprah with Quincy, who did the music way back in 1985. Says Gayle of her recent camping trip with Oprah: “I will never do that again.” I tell her: tents is a homonym for tense. Don’t forget that.

More from Q later this week. In the meantime, he’s got the album and a beautiful coffee table book out all about his music called “Q on Producing.” You can get it on amazon,’natch.

All pictures c2010 Ann Lawlor for Showbiz411

Memories: Streisand AND Redford (For First Time) on Oprah

Roger Friedman
-
4
Memories: Streisand AND Redford (For First Time) on Oprah

I told you the other day that Barbra Streisand sings “The Way We Were” on Tuesday’s Oprah show.

But here’s the big surprise: Robert Redford makes his first ever appearance on Oprah’s show as well.

Talk about a home run! Oprah has really been hitting them out of the park lately. Between the Jackson segment and this Monday’s “Color Purple” reunion, Oprah’s sweeps numbers are going to be amazing.

I don’t know why Redford has never been on “Oprah” before. It’s a great forum for his environmental issues.

A spy from the Chicago set reports: “There was gorgeous footage from the film as Miss S performed and after she finished the song, a teary eyed Oprah came from the front row and went to hug Barbra and lo and behold, the man who has never done Oprah’s show and has NEVER done an interview with his one-time co-star Streisand,  Robert Redford came out onto the stage to a rousing applause and standing ovation. He gave Oprah a kiss and gave Barbra a bigger kiss. Talk about memorable television moments, this show will top the history books!”

Redford sat and talked with Oprah and Barbra about the famous 1973 classic which was directed by the late and very great Sydney Pollack. Among the films Redford and Pollack also made were “Out of Africa” and “The Electric Horseman.”

PS Who wrote “The Way We Were?” Arthur Laurents, now 92, and still staging “West Side Story” and “Gypsy” on Broadway in recent years. His uncredited polishers: Francis Ford Coppola, the great screen doctor David Rayfiel (who worked with Pollack on everything he touched), and the late, also great Dalton Trumbo.

And the funny thing is, I see Oprah’s bff Gayle King all the time, and she never tells me a word about this stuff.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7ohTZm6RaA

Oscar 2010 Update: Best Actor, Best Actress

Roger Friedman
-
10
Oscar 2010 Update: Best Actor, Best Actress

So many Oscar blogs, and everyone has their own axe to grind!

Here’s where things stand now among films that have been seen, for Best Actor and Best Actress.

Best Actor:

Colin Firth (“The King’s Speech”), James Franco (“127 Hours”), Ryan Gosling (“Blue Valentine”), Robert Duvall (“Get Low”), Mark Wahlberg (“The Fighter”), Jesse Eisenberg (“The Social Network”), Leonardo DiCaprio (“Shutter Island”– or — “Inception”), Michael Douglas (“Solitary Man”), Javier Bardem (“Biutiful”), Kevin Spacey (“Casino Jack”)

Best Actress:

Annette Bening (“The Kids Are Alright”), Nicole Kidman (“Rabbit Hole”), Natalie Portman (“Black Swan”), Julianne Moore (“The Kids Are Alright”), Michelle Williams (“Blue Valentine”), Patricia Clarkson (“Cairo Time”), Hilary Swank (“Conviction”), Jennifer Lawrence (“Winter’s Bone”), Sally Hawkins (“Made in Dagenham”), Halle Berry (“Frankie and Alice”)

More names on Monday. And this list doesn’t reflect the still unseen Coen brothers remake of “True Grit,” or James L. Brooks’s “How Do You Know,” Andrew Jarecki’s “All Good Things.”

1...2,1772,1782,179...2,325Page 2,178 of 2,325

Hollywood to the Hudson

Company

Trending

Categories

© Showbiz411.com