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James Franco’s Big Weekend; Paul Weller Jams Up the Apollo

Roger Friedman
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James Franco’s Big Weekend; Paul Weller Jams Up the Apollo

James Franco had a big big weekend. His movie, Danny Boyle’s “127 Hours,” sold out all its shows in a limited run in New York and Los Angeles. When it goes wide, “127 Hours” is headed for huge box office. It’s deserved. Franco–who spent the weekend shooting his movie about Hart Crane–with his mom, Betsy, playing Crane’s mom just the way she played Franco’s mom on “General Hospital.”

Many people I spoke to over the weekend were still voicing resistance at seeing the movie because Franco as Aron Ralston cuts his arm off. My joke is, most actors would cut off their right arms to have these reviews and this first weekend box office! Look: Ralston is alive and well, and thriving. The arm cutting constitutes about five minutes toward the end of the film. It’s not so bad, and nothing we haven’t seen–or worse–in lots of much more violent films. Boyle has made a great and entertaining film. Franco is off-the-charts good.

My prediction: in the end, the Oscar race is really going to be between “The King’s Speech” and “127 Hours” with some strong jockeying from “The Social Network.” Everything else from all the Oscar bloggers/blabbers is just filler…

…Paul Weller made his name with The Jam, a rebellious punk group rooted in R&B, in the late 1970s. Then Weller ditched The Jam and went heavy into soul with The Style Council. That’s two careers. Career #3 has been as a solo act for about 10 years. He’s also had three wives, so maybe there’s some correlation. Anyway, I’ve always enjoyed his work.

Weller did a show on Saturday night at the famed Apollo Theater to promote his new “Wake Up the Nation” CD. Some of it was grand; some of it was perplexing. The long guitar solos eschewed by punk rockers like Weller are now interminably thrown into some of his songs. Numbers like “Wake Up the Nation” and “No Tears to Cry” were punchy and perfect. His reworked version of Marvin Gaye’s “How Sweet it Is to Be Loved By You” is slow and smoldering.

A couple of old hits like “Start,” “Pretty Green,” and “Shout to the Top” were most welcome. Weller should draw more from his popular catalog. And am I wrong, or does an odd new song called “Trees” actually sample Paul McCartney’s “Helen Wheels”? Weird.

Paul Weller photo c2010 Ann Lawlor for Showbiz411 despite the overzealous security at the Apollo on Saturday night.

Diane Keaton on HBO “Tilda” Series: “It’s the Mean Diane Keaton”

Roger Friedman
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Diane Keaton on HBO “Tilda” Series: “It’s the Mean Diane Keaton”

Diane Keaton, who can do no wrong in my book, is going ahead with the troubled “Tilda” series for HBO.

This is the series “inspired by” the contentious and willful Hollywood gossip blogger Nikki Finke.

Diane Keaton? We loved her as Annie Hall, Louise Bryant, as Kay in “The Godfather” movies and Erica in “Something’s Gotta Give.” Diane Keaton plays nice, and ditzy.

“This is the mean Diane Keaton,” she told me last night at the premiere of “Morning Glory.”

Can she do it, really? “I can do it,” she said, grinning from ear to ear. “You better believe it.”

Tilda is the bad witch, someone who wrecks people’s lives, and has no conscience. Diane Keaton is ready for it.

As for her spunky and lovable turn as Colleen, the long time anchor of a little seen morning show in New York, Keaton didn’t want to take the credit. “It’s all Roger Michell,” she said.

Wait til you see her in a sumo wrestler’s outfit.

Harrison Ford: No Indy 5 Plans As of Now; Basking in “Glory”

Roger Friedman
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Harrison Ford: No Indy 5 Plans As of Now; Basking in “Glory”

Harrison Ford — at last night’s premiere of “Morning Glory”– tells me there are no plans yet for an “Indiana Jones 5.” He says no one’s shown him a script or told him about anything in the way of a movie being made.

What’s he doing after this? “Fixing up my new house in Los Angeles,” said the perpetual carpenter.

In the meantime: Ford is really great in “Morning Glory,” Roger Michell‘s sophisticated comedy that turns out to be less a chick flick and more just a really good movie. Ford comes off as a modern Spencer Tracy. Keaton is loose and funny. There are no heavy issues in “Morning Glory” but it does raise a few questions that I have about the state of news today.

Rachel McAdams carries the film, and gets top billing over Ford and Diane Keaton, believe it or not. And she’s good, too. McAdams has excellent comedic timing.

“Morning Glory” is a frothy, fun, lightweight comedy, reminiscent of James L. Brooks’s work in “Broadcast News” and “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.” The film played like gangbusters last night at the Ziegfeld.

Later the whole gang convened for a loose, fun party at the Central Park Boathouse. I ran into pop singer Natasha Bedingfield, whose song “Strip Me” closes the film. It’s the title track from her new album of the same name, coming December 7th on Epic Records. I met Natasha’s cool sister, Nicola, the alt-rock daughter in the musical family. They told me brother Daniel Bedingfield‘s next album is coming soon, too. Remember Daniel’s song, “If You’re Not the One”? It’s a classic.

Lots of fun cameos in “Morning Glory”: Elaine Kaufman of her famed Elaine’s restaurant, Morley Safer, Chris Matthews, and Miles O’Brien among them.

Also: terrific casting — Patti D’Arbanville plays McAdams’s mom, Elizabeth Keifer (late of “Guiding Light”) is Jeff Goldblum’s wife, Ty Burrell of “Modern Family” is a loutish anchor man.

The rat tat tat screenplay is by Aline Brosh McKenna, who gave us “The Devil Wears Prada” and has two films shooting this winter–Cameron Crowe‘s “We  Bought A Zoo” and “The Ivy Chronicles” with Sarah Jessica Parker.

Other guests at the premiere: George Stephanopolous and Ali Wentworth; Harry Smith, Dave Price and a gang from the CBS Early Show; actor John Pankow, who’s also in the film; music exec John Titta and his bw (beautiful wife) Lana; artist Chip Kidd, famous for book jackets, who did the movie poster; producer JJ Abrams, etc.

More on “Morning Glory” to come…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYeiyp3x8pQ

Michael Jackson Sings About Himself on New Single, “Breaking News”

Roger Friedman
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Michael Jackson Sings About Himself on New Single, “Breaking News”

http://breakingnews.michaeljackson.com/

Here’s the new Michael Jackson single, “Breaking News,” written by Michael Jackson (lyrics only), Eddie Cascio and James Porte (aka Bobby Ewing). Yes, it’s Michael singing about himself. It’s a song they wrote in the Cascio home studio together in August 2007. Eddie’s brother, Frank, was Michael’s long time friend, confidante, and protege. It was his work with Bobby Ewing that brought Michael into the studio.

“Who is that boogeyman you’re thinking of?”– the song is tailored for Michael, and addresses all the gossip that was leveled at him, the accusations, etc.

“Why is it strange that I would fall in love?” Michael sings. Is he referring to Lisa Marie Presley, Debbie Rowe, or someone else? Anyway, the production by Teddy Riley, is terrific, giving Michael a modern sound and horns. And, yes, that’s him singing. There is only one Michael Jackson.

TMZ, Jackson Secret Vault Back off their “New” Song

Roger Friedman
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5
TMZ, Jackson Secret Vault Back off their “New” Song

Well, well.

TMZ and jacksonsecretvault.com have backed off their claim of a “new” Michael Jackson song on their respective websites.

Howard Mann, who owns jacksonsecretvault, has put an admonition on the clip of “Destiny Remix” now called “Opis None” saying that the song is not a “gift from Katherine Jackson to the fans.” She didn’t even know about it.

This is all because I revealed the huge embarrassment of what they’d done on Saturday morning. Of course, TMZ–for whom I’ve got a bridge to sell and free VIP elevator passes for the Statue of Liberty–wouldn’t ever report what really happened here. And they’re laying it all on Mann. They don’t concede that they never checked the facts.

Okay.

And so: on to the real album of unreleased songs, “Michael,” on December 14th.

PS The Hollywood Reporter’s new “kick ass” music section is still reporting that “Opis None” is new. Wake up!

Michael Jackson: New Single Tonight, Second Single Next Week (Version Here)

Roger Friedman
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5
Michael Jackson: New Single Tonight, Second Single Next Week (Version Here)

Michael Jackson‘s first new single, “Breaking News,” should hit his Sony website tonight at midnight. That’s, of course, www.michaeljackson.com.

I am told that Sony will likely release another single, “Hold My Hand,” featuring Akon, next Sunday, in the same way.

The track has been available for some time on YouTube. But it’s likely that the newer version will have more of Michael’s singing mixed in front instead of as background.

(Video after jump)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i64brIV7UWM

This should push interest in the “Michael” album, due on December 14th. So far, advance orders put it at number 34 on amazon.com. But I’ll bet once the single is streaming on the website, pre-sales will put the album higher on the amazon.com chart.

As for that fake new single that jacksonsecretvault.com is featuring on TMZ–the “Destiny” remix called “Opis None”–I think it does show what I said from the very beginning: there aren’t that many unreleased Jackson tracks. I said this right after Michael died. If the Cascio tracks hadn’t been recorded in 2007 and discovered–by this column exclusively, last spring–-there would be many fewer, in fact.

It looks like Akon wrote “Hold My Hand” with Claude Kelly, who wrote the songs for the new Cher-Christina Aguilera movie, “Burlesque.” And there’s an irony since Michael already is holding hands with the Beatles in their catalog with “I Want to Hold Your Hand.” I like the song, it’s catchy. It reminds me a little of Whitney Houston/Wyclef Jean’s “My Love Is Your Love.”

TMZ Gets Royally Snookered By Michael Jackson’s Family: “New” Song is Remix of Old Song!

Roger Friedman
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24
TMZ Gets Royally Snookered By Michael Jackson’s Family: “New” Song is Remix of Old Song!

TMZ has gotten snookered by Michael Jackson‘s mother, Katherine, via her JacksonSecretVault website.

They’ve posted what they claim is a “new” unreleased Michael Jackson song that they called “Opis None.” But it’s just a remix of a 1978 recording by the Jacksons, their single, “Destiny,” from the album of the same name.

You can hear the lyrics remixed into the track, particularly the word “confusion” from the first line of the song.

“Destiny” is credited on BMI’s website to Michael and his brothers Jermaine, Marlon, Tito, and Jackie.

The original recording of “Destiny” is owned by Sony, not by Katherine Jackson.

TMZ is so eager to go along with the Jackson family’s insistence that the new songs from the “Michael” album to be released December 14th are fake, that they’ve bought this nonsense hook, line and sinker.

Howard Mann, their source on this, bought that warehouse full of Jackson memorabilia, then went into business with Katherine Jackson. What Mann doesn’t realize is that the 300 tracks he found in the warehouse are remixes and outtakes, and video versions, of existing music.

By the way, “Opis” should be spelled “Opus.” Whoever wrote it on the tape that Mann found couldn’t spell, obviously.

Pathetic, all of it!

http://tinyurl.com/32mfqf2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTRJd0yviF8&feature=fvw

One Soap Left to Live in NYC; Getting Creative with Speakers

Roger Friedman
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5
One Soap Left to Live in NYC; Getting Creative with Speakers

“One Life to Live” is the last soap left in New York City thanks to the idiots at Procter & Gamble and CBS (and NBC, I guess, for canceling “Another World” in 1999). OLTL has become like an ice floe onto which a bunch of actors from canceled “Guiding Light” and “As the World Turns” have all clambered to safety. The show may have to expand to 2 hours soon to accommodate all the talented people who’ve been left high and dry. I turned it on the other day and still there is Robert S. Woods, who’s played Bo Buchanan since Woodrow Wilson was president. Woods is still delivering his daily, understated, great performance. I don’t know he does it, but there he is, along with Erika Slezak, Jerry ver Dorn, and Robin Strasser soldiering on. God bless them all…And give that man a freakin’ Emmy Award, please…

…Need speakers for your computer? I did this week when my Altec Lansing’s finally died. So I bought–yes bought--from Creative Labs their Inspire Wireless S2 system for 100 bucks. Two little speakers and a subwoofer come in a small box. They are, like all Creative products, sublime. I immediately played the “Band on the Run” anniversary album I downloaded from www.hdtracks.com. HDTracks, founded by Norman Chesky, offers mountains of music in the best possible quality sound. Their tracks must be played on your computer using the free-to-download and totally legal MediaMonkey. (It takes two seconds.) You then own gorgeous digital versions of your favorite music. Creative has bigger speakers for computers, etc on their website (www.creative.com). For big old fashioned stereo systems, I still go for Dick Sequerra’s Met 7.7’s. www.sequerra.com. This is how music is supposed to be listened to!

Jill Clayburgh, Twice Nominated for Best Actress, Dies at Age 66

Roger Friedman
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Jill Clayburgh, Twice Nominated for Best Actress, Dies at Age 66

Jill Clayburgh, who really transcended the culture and made an everlasting impression in the 1978 movie “An Unmarried Woman,” died today at age 66.

Clayburgh was married to playwright David Rabe. Among her children is actress Lily Rabe, currently on Broadway with Al Pacino in “The Merchant of Venice.” Earlier this week, Lily Rabe took a break from the play, right before its opening, saying she had a family emergency. This was it.

What a terrible shame. Clayburgh was a lovely person and a tremendously talented actress. Ironically, she’d once played another actress who died too soon of cancer, and another Jill, Jill Ireland, wife of Charles Bronson, in a TV movie.

Most audiences now know Clayburgh from TV appearances, like the short lived series “Dirty Sexy Money.”

But Clayburgh had a hot run in movies from around 1976 to 1982 that included Paul Mazursky‘s great film, “An Unmarried Woman,” as well as starring with Burt Reynolds and Candice Bergen in “Starting Over,” in “Silver Streak,” with Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder, and “It’s My Turn” with Michael Douglas and Charles Grodin. Clayburgh played the ultimate emerging woman of the 70s: brainy and sexy. She was both in every part she played. Long before Sandra Day O’Connor made it to the Supreme Court, Clayburgh played the first female Supreme Court justice in “First Monday in October.” And she was valium addicted Barbara Gordon in the memoir, “I’m Dancing as Fast As I Can.”

She had back to back Oscar nominations in 1979 and 1980, respectively for “An Unmarried Woman” and “Starting Over.”

PS Clayburgh, Rabe and Pacino were lifelong friends. Clayburgh and Pacino appeared together in an episode of a 60s TV show, “NYPD.” Pacino starred in Rabe’s plays, including  “Streamers” and “The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel.”

This is a big loss for her family, friends, and the movie and theater world. Jill Clayburgh will be missed.

Exclusive: Spider Man on Broadway Creator Julie Taymor Speaks to Showbiz411

Roger Friedman
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3
Exclusive: Spider Man on Broadway Creator Julie Taymor Speaks to Showbiz411

Julie Taymor is partially amused and semi outraged by the coverage of “Spider Man: Turn off the Dark.”

So what if it’s been postponed for two weeks? Even Norton Herrick, the main money guy behind the $55 million musical, told me this morning he’s fine with it.

When shows are postponed, it’s because the book, music, and lyrics don’t work, or an actor is having problems. Not so with “Spider Man.”

“There are no changes coming to the actual show,” Taymor told me. “All the changes have to do with technical things. The flying, of course. But also all the wires, and the changes between scenes. We may need a little bit of an underscore to cover a move, or a small transition that needs to be smoothed. These are the things that you would work out on the road. We’re doing them here.”

Taymor is not naive, but she’s surprised by the venom being spewed toward the show. “This is a time of terrible unemployment. We have around 200 people involved in this, being paid every week. Do we really want to see them lose their jobs? It’s unbelievable.”

“Spider Man” is a complex show. Taymor points out that she’s putting on a musical and a circus–and something that will have influences of Cirque du Soleil. “What they do for $200 million, we’re doing for $55 million.” She has a chief coordinator from Cirque du Soleil working on “Spider Man,” too.

“This is an ambitious production,” Taymor conceded. “But I have enthusiastic, talented supporters here who want to be here. It’s not like I’m one person doing this. I can’t force intelligent, experienced people to do something they don’t want to do.”

She’s of course not happy to be insulted in the pages of the New York Post as a wacky chick. I’ve known Taymor and her Oscar winning composer husband Elliot Goldenthal a long time. They are serious artists who are up to any challenge. It’s belittling and stupid of the Post to describe her that way, frankly.

“It’s not valid to start tearing down people,” Taymor said.

For the record, “Spider Man” has about 15-16 full songs from Bono and The Edge. The first act alone has 16-17 acts. “We’ve seen the whole show except the finale,” Taymor said. “And that’s because we’re waiting for a piece from the set to arrive. With the flying, it’s all about wire management.  And that’s all coming together.”

“Spider Man” should run around two hours, forty minutes. And Herrick told me that he’s satisfied with the box office advance. “I have several shows and movies running, and all anyone asks me is can they have tickets to Spider Man,” he laughed.

So hold on. We’ll be hearing more from all these people shortly. “And we love 1-1-11,” Taymor said. “We could have opened earlier, but the holidays were in the way. This is the perfect date.”

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