Friday, December 19, 2025
Donate
Home Blog Page 1018

Anthony Mackie Gets Serious for “The Banker,” But the New Captain America Says of His Shield: “It doesn’t fit in the overhead bin!”

Roger Friedman
-
0
Anthony Mackie Gets Serious for “The Banker,” But the New Captain America Says of His Shield: “It doesn’t fit in the overhead bin!”

Last night we caught up with Anthony Mackie at the New York screening of “The Banker.”

Remember this George Nolfi movie was supposed to be released last fall by the new AppleTV+ or whatever it’s called. It’s a feature film– a really terrific one– co-starring Samuel L. Jackson and Nia Long. But there was a tempest in a teapot about one of the producers, so Apple pulled the movie back. Anyway, who cares? The movie is here.

No one from Apple showed up at last night at the swanky iPic Theater in South Street Seaport, but Mackie did after showing the film with Jackson on Monday night at the National Civil Rights museum in Memphis.

“The Banker” tells the real story of Bernard Garrett (Mackie) and Joe Morris (Jackson) circa 1960 outfoxed the real estate and banking worlds by making a fortune first in Los Angeles in the former realm, then went to Texas and bought two banks. They were black men, and had no rights, of course, in that embarrassing time in our history. So they used a white guy named Matt Steiner, played by Nicholas Hoult, to be their front man. Nia Long plays Mackie’s wife.

For a while, Garrett and Morris pull off the deception, with Steiner’s help. But then things unravel. Linda Garrett, Bernard’s second wife, is raising a ruckus in the press because timelines and characters have been tweaked to make the movie work dramatically. But it doesn’t matter, and don’t let her or the other static about this movie affect its purpose: “The Banker” tells an important story about how blacks were and are treated when they try to find financial parity in this country.

ANYWAY: Anthony Mackie is one of our premier actors, black or white. He is the new Captain America for Marvel, filming the six episode “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” with Sebastian Stan for Disney Plus. They’re doing six episodes to start, shooting in Prague right now. I asked Anthony about Captain America’s famous red, white, and, blue shield. How many of them are there? And does he have one to carry around? He laughed. “There are nine,” he said. “And no, I don’t get keep one! Can you imagine traveling with that thing all the time? I’d be, I can’t get in this in the overhead bin!”

“The Banker” plays for two weeks beginning Friday, in theaters. Then it goes to Apple TV. Go see it in a theater. And we’ll keep it in mind next fall, for movie awards.

 

Sunday Cable: “Walking Dead” Sheds 350,000 Viewers Week After Negan’s Unpleasant Sex Scene, Demo Drops by 200,000

Roger Friedman
-
0
Sunday Cable: “Walking Dead” Sheds 350,000 Viewers Week After Negan’s Unpleasant Sex Scene, Demo Drops by 200,000

No one liked Negan having sex with a zombie-masked Alpha last week on “The Walking Dead.”

The ratings for this past Sunday really dropped. Gone were over 350,000 fans. They just didn’t want to watch Negan and Alpha sharing a post-coital cigarette.

Week before total viewers were 3,518,000. This week, it was down 3,159,000.

In the key demo, things look bad, too. It was 1.2 million week before. Just 1 mil this week.

So no chance of those crazy kids becoming a super couple and raising the ratings for the poor “Walking Dead.” This show used to have 17 million fans. I don’t know where they’ve gone, but they’re outta here.

“Walking Dead” still rules cable on Sunday night, but does it matter? Not really. Counting in broadcast TV, they were the 12th highest rated show of the night.

 

Career Wreckage: Chris Matthews Pushed Out of MSNBC After 20 Years, Timothy Hutton Denies 1983 Rape of 14 Year Old

Roger Friedman
-
0
Career Wreckage: Chris Matthews Pushed Out of MSNBC After 20 Years, Timothy Hutton Denies 1983 Rape of 14 Year Old

Let’s see what new careers were wrecked this evening.

Chris Matthews is out at MSNBC. Tonight was his last “Hardball” after 20 years. He says he’s retiring, at age 74. But clearly MSNBC showed him the door once reporter Laura Bassett named him as the guy who she claims sexually harassed her years ago. Bassett wrote an op-ed in “GQ” stating that Matthews “has a pattern of making comments about women’s appearances in demeaning ways” and that Matthews asked “Why haven’t I fallen in love with you yet?” just before a televised discussion about sexual-assault allegations against President Donald Trump.

But that’s not all:

Matthews was forced to apologize recently after comparing Bernie Sanders’ win in the Nevada caucuses to the Nazis taking over France in World War II. On Friday, Matthews mistook Jaime Harrison, a Democrat running for Senate in South Carolina, with Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C. Both men are black.

So that’s it. Chris Matthews whole career will be remembered by these last incidents, not anything good he did or accomplished. Another person who worked but past his expiration date is destroyed. Maybe this is why people over the age of 70 shouldn’t be president.

Then there’s actor Timothy Hutton, famous for winning an Oscar in 1981 for Supporting Actor in “Ordinary People.” Hutton, once married to Debra Winger, has worked steadily. But in 1983 a young woman now says that he raped her. Sera Johnston was 14. Hutton would have been 23 and hot as a pistol after the Oscar win.

Buzz Feed broke the story, and it’s terrible. Hutton denies it. But Fox TV, always judicious, immediately canceled his current TV series before too much could be figured out. You’re guilty and dead first these days, cancelled. That’s it. Hutton, who’s 60, will have to live with this cloud over his head forever. In 10 years, if he’s lucky, he’ll get summer stock theater work.

These guys can join Matt Lauer, Charlie Rose, et al in purgatory. Or maybe it’s just hell.

(I wonder if the Academy will kick out Hutton, too, if it’s determined he’s guilty. It’s going to look very empty at the next membership meeting.)

One weird PS: Actor Real Andrews is mentioned in the Buzz Feed story. He once dated Johnston. When Buzz Feed persisted, his lawyer sent a statement. By coincidence, today Andrews was killed off on “General Hospital.” Talk about Mercury in retrograde!

Here’s Hutton’s denial:

“Today, BuzzFeed chose to publish Ms. Johnston’s false story. BuzzFeed knew the truth because they were provided with documented evidence,” Hutton says of the report by the online publication’s former reporters Kate Aurthur and Adam B. Vary, who now write for Variety.

“What’s really going on here is that Ms. Johnston’s extortion attempts failed,” Hutton added. “She then decided to follow through on her threat to go to the press with her false story. When I became aware of this, I went to the FBI, signed a sworn statement, and filed a criminal complaint against Ms. Johnston for extortion.”

“I will not stop fighting to expose this story for what it is – a failed extortion attempt based on something that never happened,” concluded Hutton.

Woody Allen Will Set the Record Straight in Surprise Autobiography Coming April 7th, Called “Apropos of Nothing”

Roger Friedman
-
0
Woody Allen Will Set the Record Straight in Surprise Autobiography Coming April 7th, Called “Apropos of Nothing”

Surprise! The rumored Woody Allen autobiography is here.

The 400 page “Apropos of Nothing” will be released by Grand Central Books on April 7th.  There had been rumblings for a while that such a book existed.

Unusually, the book is pretty much being dropped instantly. In other words, it’s too late for one of Woody’s kooky enemies to stop it from hitting book stores and e-stores.

It’s likely that Woody will set the record straight on the never ending mishegos surrounding his separation from Mia Farrow, his marriage to Mia’s adopted daughter, Soon Yi Previn, and their own family. Woody will hopefully address the scandal around the accusation that he molested adopted daughter Dylan. Look for the Farrows to kick up a storm.

More to come…

PS I took the cover off of amazon. A little surprised it’s not in the same typeface as Woody’s movies. Similar, but not right.

 

Broadway: Virus Fear or Cold Weather Cause “Book of Mormon,” “Jagged Little Pill” to Fall Below $900,000, “Mockingbird” 50% Down

Roger Friedman
-
0
Broadway: Virus Fear or Cold Weather Cause “Book of Mormon,” “Jagged Little Pill” to Fall Below $900,000, “Mockingbird” 50% Down

Is it virus panic or lack of interest?

Former Broadway blockbuster “The Book of Mormon” is in distress. Last week the receipts came in just under $900,000. The Eugene O’Neill Theater was only 75% full. This was “Mormon”‘s worst showing since last July 14th.

Lately, producer Scott Rudin has put “Mormon” on many discount sites as the winter has turned out to be harsh and cold. The once great box office champ, always sold out, commanded huge ticket prices. But over a decade in, and with touring companies all over, “Mormon” in New York seems like it’s finally in decline. And fast.

Rudin is also battling uphill with “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Even though he just pulled off a great PR Stunt at Madison Square Garden, Rudin can see that box office is off by almost 50% since November 3, 2019. Last week, “Mockingbird” was down to $1.1 million. That’s the lowest it’s been since at least June, if not ever. Ed Harris leaving soon, with Greg Kinnear coming in to play Atticus Finch. I wonder if anyone’s explained to Kinnear what’s happening.

Also having trouble: “Jagged Little Pill,” based on Alanis Morissette’s record album from 1996. “JLP” also came in around $896,000. The Broadhurst Theater is 68% attended, which is no way for a new musical to perform. “Pill” is hoping the Tonys and other awards will come its rescue, but that’s still in the distance. First, it has to get through March.

 


Numbers and chart courtesy of the Broadway League

Recording Academy Terminates Deborah Dugan After “Administrative Leave” Following Her “unwarranted and damaging media campaign” to Destroy the Grammys

Roger Friedman
-
0
Recording Academy Terminates Deborah Dugan After “Administrative Leave” Following Her “unwarranted and damaging media campaign” to Destroy the Grammys

The Grammys have terminated ousted CEO Deborah Dugan following her being placed “administrative leave” this winter.

Here’s the memo from Harvey Mason, Jr:

Dear Members:

As you know, Deborah Dugan has been on a paid administrative leave of absence since January 16, 2020.  We are writing to let you know that, earlier today, the Board of Trustees voted to terminate Ms. Dugan’s employment as President/CEO of the Recording Academy.

This decision of the Board, with full support of the Executive Committee, was based on:

  • Two exhaustive, costly independent investigations relating to Ms. Dugan and the allegations made against her and by her. These investigations were carried out by experienced individuals with no prior relationship to the Academy, interviewed a combined total of 37 witnesses, and reviewed numerous relevant documents and emails. The investigators were not given any directives about what specifically to investigate or what conclusions, if any, they were expected to reach, and they were not limited by the Academy in terms of what witnesses they could interview or files or documents they could review.  Each investigator had free rein to fully investigate all of the allegations that were made against Ms. Dugan and by Ms. Dugan against the Recording Academy.
  • The unwarranted and damaging media campaign that she launched in an attempt, without justification, to derail the GRAMMY Awards show, including her false allegations that the system was—in her words—“rigged” and that the Academy was “corrupt.”
  • Ms. Dugan’s consistent management deficiencies and failures, and other factors.

All of this led the elected leaders of the Academy to conclude that it was in the best interests of the Academy to move on.

This is not what we wanted or what we expected when we hired Ms. Dugan last year.  At the time, we placed our trust in her and believed she would effectively lead the organization.  Unfortunately, that is not what happened.  Though she made some valuable contributions, Ms. Dugan failed to perform her job duties as promised and expected.

Although we did participate in some settlement discussions at Ms. Dugan’s request after she stated that it was her desire to leave the Academy and be bought out of her employment contract, we were ultimately compelled to dismiss Ms. Dugan as our President/CEO.  Not removing Ms. Dugan from the organization at this time would have caused us to compromise our values.  We could not reward her with a lucrative settlement and thereby set a precedent that behavior like hers has no consequence.  Our members and employees, and the entire music industry, deserve better than that.

The Board’s decision to dismiss Ms. Dugan closes one chapter in the Recording Academy’s history.  It also begins a new one.  In the coming days, we will initiate a search for a new President/CEO who will leverage the Academy’s diverse membership and rich history and help us transform it to better serve our members today and into the future.  As we structure this new search, we will look carefully to see where the last one led us astray and make any necessary changes going forward.

It is not uncommon for organizations and leaders to part ways after a short period. It usually happens without rancor. Unfortunately, in this case, Ms. Dugan sought to damage our reputation on her way out, and it is likely we will see more attempts to disparage the Academy in the coming weeks. We regret that, as members of the Academy, you have had to endure so much recent negativity.

From this point forward, our focus will be on moving forward with the transformation agenda we initiated prior to hiring Ms. Dugan, and on working to improve the Academy.  Much of this work has been happening but much of it is yet to come. We realize that we are not perfect, but we want you to know that our attention and energy will remain squarely on you and on the positive changes we are making together.  We will not be distracted from that.  We will use this moment to reflect on where we can be better, and pledge to realize a future in which our organization is known for its diversity, transparency, creativity, mutual respect, and overall excellence.

Thank you for your support and continued service and commitment to the Recording Academy.

-The Executive Committee of the Recording Academy

James Lipton, of “Actors Studio” Fame, Dies at 93 After a Long, Stellar Life: Novelist, Screenwriter, Impresario

Roger Friedman
-
0
James Lipton, of “Actors Studio” Fame, Dies at 93 After a Long, Stellar Life: Novelist, Screenwriter, Impresario

James Lipton has died at age 93. He had a battle with bladder cancer that followed a long, stellar life of great triumphs. He was the host and producer of “Inside The Actors Studio” TV show so famously that Will Ferrell captured him in an infamous sketch on “Saturday Night Live.” Jim was also in his life an actor, writer, novelist and friend to many. He leaves his wonderful and devoted wife, Kedakai.

A lot of people don’t know this, but Jim wrote for soap operas in the 1960s and 70s. For years, he wrote “The Doctors,” as well as “Another World,” “Guiding Light,” “Capitol,” and “The Best of Everything.” Among his prime time teleplays was work on “Copacabana,” based on the Barry Manilow song.

He started “Inside the Actors Studio” in 1994 and it last 23 seasons. His first subject was Alec Baldwin, and from then on it was star after star, with Paul Newman, Sally Field, Sidney Lumet, Lee Grant, and every star of any value sitting down with Lipton for an unbridled conversation in front of a live audience at the New School Auditorium.

A raconteur, Jim also wrote a novel called “Mirrors,” which was published in 1981. It was about a young ballet student who comes to New York and learns about the world of showbiz and fame. The novel was influenced a lot by “Fame” and “A Chorus Line.” I reviewed it back in the day, and we often discussed it.

In recent years, I’d see Jim and Kedakai at various events, it was always a pleasure to receive their Christmas card. Jim really loved show business, and he found a way to make a great living in it by never staying in one lane. He was a man of many talents. Luckily, a lot of his legacy is on film, for better or worse. He loved all those actors.

 

Madonna Calls Herself On Instagram “a broken doll held together with tape and glue,” Asia Argento Isn’t Sympathetic

Roger Friedman
-
0
Madonna Calls Herself On Instagram “a broken doll held together with tape and glue,” Asia Argento Isn’t Sympathetic

Madonna starts the week in Paris still not done with her injury and cancellation plagued Madame X tour. She fell during Saturday night’s show, and cancelled the Sunday show. She’s supposed to return to the stage there on Tuesday. And then she has to get through six more shows. The tour ends on March 11th in Paris. Will Madonna make it to the end? Given the 14 shows she’s cancelled since this whole started last September, it’s doubtful.

In her latest Instagram post she calls herself “a broken doll held together with tape and glue.” Here’s a sick-funny PS: actress Asia Argento responded on Instagram with this message to Madonna: “So sorry I will be in Paris anyway (my ticket’s for the 3rd) love you and send you strength. Bless you, you powerful human alien goddess” Argento — who accused Harvey Weinstein of rape and miscellaneous sexual improprieties– has been laying low since the suicide of boyfriend Anthony Bourdain and the scandals that followed. Does she mean she doesn’t care that Madonna’s in pain, she’s coming anyway on the 3rd, so get it together? Argento, who was caught making out with an Italian boyfriend by the tabloids right before Bourdain took his life, isn’t a sympathetic person.

“Here I Am——Flesh and Blood If only knees didn’t twist and cartilage didn’t tear and nothing hurt and tears never fell out of our eyes………But alas they do and Thank God for this important reminder that we are human. I Fell 2 nights ago on stage when a chair was literally pulled out from underneath me by mistake and I landed on the floor on my tail bone. I made it thru the show last night but just barely because I hate disappointing. However today even I can see that this broken doll held together with tape and glue, needs to stay in bed and rest for a few days so she can finish the tour with a smile on her face and in one piece. ❌ Thank You for your understanding Paris! #madamextheatre”

View this post on Instagram

Here I Am——Flesh and Blood If only knees didn’t twist and cartilage didn’t tear and nothing hurt and tears never fell out of our eyes………But alas they do and Thank God for this important reminder that we are human. I Fell 2 nights ago on stage when a chair was literally pulled out from underneath me by mistake and I landed on the floor on my tail bone. I made it thru the show last night but just barely because I hate disappointing. However today even I can see that this broken doll held together with tape and glue, needs to stay in bed and rest for a few days so she can finish the tour with a smile on her face and in one piece. ❌ Thank You for your understanding Paris! #madamextheatre

A post shared by Madonna (@madonna) on

Box Office Update: “Invisible Man” Was Seen! Horror Film Takes $29 Mil Weekend, “Parasite” Crosses $50 Mil

Roger Friedman
-
0
Box Office Update: “Invisible Man” Was Seen! Horror Film Takes $29 Mil Weekend, “Parasite” Crosses $50 Mil

Peggy Olson has really made a name for herself since leaving Sterling Cooper Draper!

Elisabeth Moss graduated from “Mad Men” to “The Handmaid’s Tale” on television and got a lot of awards and buzz. But now she has the number 1 movie of the weekend with “The Invisible Man.”

The horror film from Universal Pictures had a $29 million opening weekend, while scooping up another $20 million internationally. Peggy can afford to move out of her leaky apartment at last. Good for her!

There has to be a sequel, no? In the next one, Moss is invisible (like the original) and wrecks havoc. Then in the last part of the trilogy, everyone is invisible!

Elsewhere at the box office: “Parasite” has crossed the $50 million line. The Oscar winner for Best Picture is the most successful foreign film, international film, subtitled film, whatever you want to call it. For Neon Pictures, it’s a capper on a great season. I’m hearing “Parasite” is so happy, it’s thinking of changing its name back to its Korean name, “Gisaengchung”!

Remembering Nick Apollo Forte, aka Lou Canova, from One of Woody Allen’s Best Movies, “Broadway Danny Rose”

Roger Friedman
-
0
Remembering Nick Apollo Forte, aka Lou Canova, from One of Woody Allen’s Best Movies, “Broadway Danny Rose”

Earlier this week, Nick Apollo Forte passed away at age 81. A great lounge singer, particularly on cruises, Nick appeared in just one movie. He memorably played lounge singer Lou Canova in one of Woody Allen’s classic comedies, “Broadway Danny Rose.” Watch the clip below. He sang two of his own songs, “Agita,” and “Mio Bambino.” If there had been social media back then, Nick would have skyrocketed. He explains what happened here in this 2012 interview.

Nick died in Waterbury, Connecticut, surrounded by family. PS I wonder what happened to all of Danny Rose’s other “clients” from that movie? They were wonderful. Also, look for Milton Berle in the clip.

1...1,0171,0181,019...2,324Page 1,018 of 2,324

Hollywood to the Hudson

Company

Trending

Categories

© Showbiz411.com