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Disney-Fox Braces For Box Office Disaster with $200 Mil-Plus X Men Movie “Dark Phoenix,” As Negative Reviews Pour In

Roger Friedman
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Disney-Fox Braces For Box Office Disaster with $200 Mil-Plus X Men Movie “Dark Phoenix,” As Negative Reviews Pour In

Disney is not used to failure with Marvel movies. Their “Avengers: Endgame” is on track to become the biggest movie of all time.

But after the new merger with Fox, Disney is about to release what may be Marvel’s final X Men movie, “Dark Phoenix” to terrible reviews. They are bracing for major disappointment. The budget is said to be well over $200 million after massive re-shoots.

“Dark Phoenix” was originally slated for release last November, but was pulled, according to reports, to change its ending.

The failure of “Dark Phoenix” will be hard also on its star, Sophie Turner, known to all as Sansa Stark from “Game of Thrones.” She has only known wild success. On top of that, Turner is getting married in two weeks in the South of France to pop star Joe Jonas.

But “Dark Phoenix” — which also stars James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, and Jennifer Lawrence — has a meager 18 rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

One reviewer in Seattle wrote: “Phoenix” is a joyless addition to the long-running “X-Men” franchise – 12 movies over 18 years – and one is left with the impression that the series has been too long at the fair.”

The worst part of the reviews is that bloggers, who usually love every comic book movie, are contributing the most negative essays.

It’s likely, according to sources and reports, that Disney will re-boot “X Men” now that they have 12 movies in the can. The X’s are supposed to join the Marvel Universe, meaning joining up with the remaining Avengers and Spider Man in future movies, all re-cast.

click here for all today’s headlines

Stay tuned…

 

Hollywood’s A-List– Leo, Jennifer, Quincy, Jamie Foxx– Show Up for “The Black Godfather,” Clarence Avant

Leah Sydney
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Hollywood’s A-List– Leo, Jennifer, Quincy, Jamie Foxx– Show Up for “The Black Godfather,” Clarence Avant

A-list Hollywood showed up in droves Monday night for a screening of “The Black Godfather,” a new documentary about music man Clarence Avant.  What a group: Norman and Lynn Lear, Quincy Jones, Sean Combs, Jamie Foxx, Jimmy Kimmel, Leonardo DiCaprio, Laura Dern, Queen Latifah, Vince Vaughn, Diane Warren, Jennifer Aniston, Pharrell Williams, Ava DuVernay, Chadwick Boseman, former Atlanta mayor Andrew Young, Courteney Cox, Holly Robinson-Peete, and more.

Reginald Hudlin directed, and Nicole Avant, Clarence’s talented daughter, produced. The famed Democratic fundraiser is also married to Netflix chief Ted Sarandos, so that’s where you’ll find “The Black Godfather” beginning this weekend.

Legendary music executive and producer Clarence Avant’s tentacles reach far and wide, mainly with music but in sports and politics as well.  The premiere —  held at Paramount Studios — showed Avant’s colorful, complicated life in all its star-studded glory.  The idea to honor this legend and his influential life over the last 60 years was Nicole’s brainchild.

Ted introduced the film and after acknowledging he was married to the film’s producer he quipped, “Truth be told, this is a film that was getting made, this is a story that had to be told.  What was I supposed to do?  Let it go to HBO or something?  That was not going to happen.”  Ted went on to say, “It should not be surprising that Nicole produced a great film, Nicole produces greatness every day.”

The film’s director, Reginald Hudlin, explained that “this is a movie made out of love. Because Clarence, despite the fact that he’ll curse you out very quickly, is all about love.  The amazing group of people who testify on his behalf were all happy to do because they love Clarence.”

And what a stellar bunch they are. In the film you’ll find Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Hank Aaron, Andrew Young, David Geffen, Senator Kamala Harris, Jamie Foxx, Irving Azoff, Sir Lucian Grainge, Cicely Tyson, Suzanne De Passe, Dolores Robinson, Diane Warren, Clive Davis and more. Clarence guided and helped the careers of Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds and L.A Reid, execs such as Sony/ATV Chairman/CEO Jon Platt.  He discovered the great Bill Withers (“Lean on Me”) and so many more and stood up to powerful forces that tried to diminish those very black artists.

Stories that are woven in are fun and some poignant. Clarence’s now defunct label, Sussex, was named by combining Success and Sex! Clarence’s mantra is all about the numbers as well as connecting people.  The film talks about his misses, nearly losing his house as well as his myriad successes.  His son, entertainment executive Alex Avant talks eloquently about what a singular figure his father is. His eloquent, lovely classy wife Jacqueline is wise and funny.

Deep down Clarence is humble; not a braggart or self-promoter.  His desire to use his divine savvy to further those he cares about and to make sure they are being dealt with “in a fair and just way,” clearly has been the motivating force behind his storied career.

The film ends with Clarence matter of fact explaining, “I’ve lived a good life.  If I wake up tomorrow as Warren Buffett, I’d have a better life.”

Do not miss this.  Like the man himself, “The Black Godfather” is one of a kind.

The film streams this Friday and is in limited theatrical release as well.

PS Soap opera fans may notice that Brad Bell, EP of “The Bold and the Beautiful,” on CBS, named a whole family for the Avants. That’s almost as good as a gold record!

Some of Clarence Avant’s hits on Sussex Records:

 

Woody Allen Will Shoot New Movie This Summer in Spain with 2 Time Oscar Winner Christoph Waltz and Actress Gina Gershon

Roger Friedman
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Woody Allen Will Shoot New Movie This Summer in Spain with 2 Time Oscar Winner Christoph Waltz and Actress Gina Gershon

Woody Allen is ready to go with a new movie.

He will shoot an untitled comedy in Spain this summer starring two time Oscar winner Christoph Waltz and a favorite actress of ours, Gina Gershon. Others in the film include Louis Garrel (The Dreamers), Sergi López (Pan’s Labyrinth), Elena Anaya (The Skin I Live In), and Wallace Shawn (Manhattan) .

The film is going under “WASP 2019” which means Woody Allen Summer Project 2019.

Woody currently has “A Rainy Day in New York” ready to be released in the US. It already has French and Italian release dates. He’s suing Amazon Studios because they haven’t released it, and have tied him up.

Nevertheless, Woody plows on. This isn’t the first movie he’s shot in Spain. That was “Vicki Cristina Barcelona,” which was a huge hit and won Penelope Cruz an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.

In this film, Waltz and Gershon play a couple who go to the San Sebastian Film Festival and get caught up in the celebrity and romance. They each have affairs, but it all resolves with laughs, amicably.

Review: Ron Howard’s “Pavarotti” Hits All the Right Notes Capturing the Out-sized Life of a Man with Giant Appetites

Leah Sydney
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Review: Ron Howard’s “Pavarotti” Hits All the Right Notes Capturing the Out-sized Life of a Man with Giant Appetites

Ron Howard’s “Pavarotti” is a cinematic gem which captures the larger than life tenor and those who loved him.  Opera is secondary in this complex and compelling saga. The drama of Pavarotti, the unique Italian passion and the storied culture, all lend itself to Howard’s talent of telling a story of this off the charts appealing larger than life character, making the film more than a documentary.

Howard illustrates how this over the top, charismatic genius copes with his own massive life.  Interviews with his family with friends including Bono, as well as highlighting the famous, chic people in his world including Princess Diana all woven in with his notable charitable foundation.  The film’s narration, scoring and cinematography are spectacular.  There is also footage that has not been shown before.

Howard does not gloss over his subject, the darker parts of Pavarotti’s outsized life, his womanizing, and family melodrama are all talked about– as well as his second marriage to a much younger Nicoletta Mantovani, which caused estrangement from his first wife and three daughters. Truly captivating, I would have happily watched hours and more on this man who was Pavarotti and whose talent we will likely never see again.  With his Pavarotti, Ron Howard expertly weaves his storytelling skills in a pitch perfect way by telling the provocative story of how Pavarotti’s operatic shining soul continues to light up the world.

The Great Johnnie Planco, Agent and Manager, Gentleman and, Yes, Scholar, Beloved in Hollywood, on Broadway, Dies at Age 68

Roger Friedman
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The Great Johnnie Planco, Agent and Manager, Gentleman and, Yes, Scholar, Beloved in Hollywood, on Broadway, Dies at Age 68

The public did not know Johnnie Planco. I am late to report that the great agent and manager, a wise man whom I knew for so long and depended on as friend in showbiz, has died at age 68. This is just terrible.

Johnnie was an agent forever at William Morris. When the company merged with Endeavor, he and pal Gene Parseghian, another gentleman and scholar, “ankled” the agency and set up shop as Parseghian Planco. Gene died two years ago, from cancer. This pair was unlike almost everyone in Hollywood. They were loved.

Johnnie (and Gene) had only the best clients, the highest quality, from Judi Dench to Daniel Day Lewis. Johnnie’s long time client and close pal was Peter O’Toole, and he had a million great stories about hanging out with him. Even though they say Johnnie was 68, it was like he was 98, because he started so young, knew every star, they all loved him. Oh my god, Lauren Bacall LOVED him. He was like a son to her. He doted on her and she adored him. We had lots of fun together, all of us.

The love of Johnnie’s life was his wife Lois, who was once a casting director and is now a very successful realtor. Their daughter, Sara, is wonderful, a popular movie publicist. He is also survived by his son, Alfred. But I am telling you, Johnnie Planco is survived by Hollywood, Broadway, TV, New York. I will miss him so on opening nights, with his pony tail (oh that pony tail!) and his eye patch (a more recent thing, from another terrible infection that he beat, with aplomb).

Life sure ain’t fair!

Miley Cyrus Tries to Gross-Sex it Up for New Album, But It’s Not Working: “She is Coming” Opened with Just 15K Sold Including Streaming, Singles Are Duds

Roger Friedman
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Miley Cyrus Tries to Gross-Sex it Up for New Album, But It’s Not Working: “She is Coming” Opened with Just 15K Sold Including Streaming, Singles Are Duds

Miley Cyrus has done everything she can to sex it up for “She is Coming,” the double entendre named EP she released on Friday.

It was a bad move to stimulate sales, or penetrate a market that wasn’t happening for her. The below video, which she Tweeted, says it all. She wants to be a Bad Girl.

But so far, Miley is striking out. “She is Coming” hasn’t been able to higher than number 2 on iTunes. And the singles have been duds. “Mother’s Daughter” is number 21 and “The Most” is 87. They’re not happening.

In its first 24 hours, according to BuzzAngle, “She is Coming” sold only 8,400 copies, a total of 15,700 including streaming of the album and singles.

I told you on Friday, the EP has a song that encourages taking ecstasy. It’s called “D.R.E.A.M.” which stands for Drugs Rule Everything Around Me.”

Either Miley is bipolar, or this six song EP is some weird way to look for an audience that isn’t there.

Cyrus has one of the great voices, country or pop, but she needs guidance. She think she still needs to shed the “Hannah Montana” persona. She doesn’t. She should be concentrating on a Linda Ronstadt-type career. She can just be a great artist. But this other stuff is gross, frankly. It’s not doing her any favors. She’s squandering her voice and our time.

R&B Legend Curtis Mayfield: Celebrating What Would Have Been The 77th Birthday of the Man Behind So Many Hits

Roger Friedman
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R&B Legend Curtis Mayfield: Celebrating What Would Have Been The 77th Birthday of the Man Behind So Many Hits

It’s actually even sadder now that I realize when Curtis Mayfield died at the end of 1999 he was only 57 years old. OMG. The great singer-composer-producer was a genius who still has not been adequately recognized. He would have turned 77 today.

Mayfield was paralyzed in August 1990 after a light tower fell on him during an outdoor concert in Brooklyn. His death was attributed to type 2 diabetes, but he suffered for nine years after that accident. And he actually produced one album in 1996 called “New World Order.”

But the huge legacy Curtis leaves are his songs with the Impressions, producing Impression Jerry Butler, hits with Major Lance, and then his own solo hits, producing Aretha Franklin.

Those songs include the immortal “People Get Ready,” “It’s Alright,” “Move on Up,” “Freddie’s Dead,” “Superfly,” and the songs from “Sparkle” like “Givin’ Him Something He Can Feel.”

Do yourself a favor– get a Curtis Mayfield greatest hits. There’s nothing better. Get Major Lance’s “Monkey Time” and “Um Um Um Um.”

Just recently, Mayfield’s family reissued four of his CDs as “Keep On Keeping On,” Curtis’s solo albums from 1970-74. The albums are all remastered, sound better than ever. Once you’ve heard the eight minute, thirty four second version of “Move on Up” you will never listen to current music again.

Here’s a shout out to Curtis’s widow and mother of his kids, the wonderful Altheida Mayfield, who’s kept his torch burning.

Honorary Oscars Going to David Lynch, Lina Wertmuller, Wes Studi, Geena Davis, Academy Makes Safe Choices, Ignores Long Line of Waiting Veterans

Roger Friedman
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Honorary Oscars Going to David Lynch, Lina Wertmuller, Wes Studi, Geena Davis, Academy Makes Safe Choices, Ignores Long Line of Waiting Veterans

Well, the Academy governors have chosen their Lifetime Achievement recipients for this year, or next year, however you look at it.

They include two directors, David Lynch and Lina Wertmuller, who have unarguably changed cinema and have been huge influences. You can’t argue with those choices. If you just counted “Blue Velvet” and “Seven Beauties,” respectively, they deserve it.

They chose Geena Davis, who has an Oscar and hasn’t worked so much in years, for the Humanitarian Award. I’m sure that’s lovely but really, if that’s what they were looking for, Sean Penn has been on the ground in Haiti for years. Why not him? But welcome to 2019: Geena Davis, according to the press release, is the founder of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, which I’ve never heard of. So there’s that. (And PS, the Institute has no 501 c3, it’s listed as a project of Mount St. Mary’s University with no public records or transparency.)

Frankly, with “Rocketman” out, and Elton John having scored a number of movies, the rock star could have gotten the award for his Elton John AIDS Foundation. Now, that would have been a smart choice.

The other choice is Native American actor Wes Studi, whose career began in 1988. He has no Oscars and has never been nominated for one, but he’s been a leader for Native Americans in movies. He’s been a role model and a trail blazer. That’s all great, but I would have gone with Graham Greene, whose career is longer, has an Oscar nomination, and a more comprehensive CV.

The governors passed over Robert Evans, a Hollywood fixture, who I guess many thought would get the honor this year. Another disappointment was Catherine Deneuve, the great French actress who absolutely deserves the award. This group of honorees doesn’t include an African American. I guess Studi is supposed to cover all minorities.

The Governors Awards will be given October 27th in Hollywood, a month or more earlier than usual because of the early Oscars date next year, February 9th.

Elton John’s “Rocketman” Pulls Catalog onto iTunes Top 100: Even Non Hit “Madman Across the Water” is at Number 86

Roger Friedman
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Elton John’s “Rocketman” Pulls Catalog onto iTunes Top 100: Even Non Hit “Madman Across the Water” is at Number 86

When Elton John released “Madman Across the Water” in the early 1970s, it was not a big hit. Neither were its singles, “Levon” or “Tiny Dancer.” My favorite song from the November 1971 album was “Holiday Inn.” Alvin Tostig and so on took time to grow. It wasn’t until “Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only the Piano Player” was released in 1973 with “Crocodile Rock” that Elton teetered on superstardom.

But now with the “Rocketman” movie featuring “Tiny Dancer” is a hit, “Madman” is back on the charts. It’s number 86 on iTunes. And “Madman” isn’t the only Elton catalog album selling well. “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” is in the on the charts, as are a live album, as well as the “Diamonds” greatest hit album and the “Rocketman” soundtrack.

Maybe next we’ll see curious Elton shoppers take a look at “Tumbleweed Connection” from 1971 and “Honky Chateau” from 1971. All told, Sir Elton and Bernie Taupin’s output from 1970-74 is astounding. From “Your Song” until “Crocodile Rock” they had hits, but they were singles, not home runs. After the Croc, it was all gold all the time. “Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy” was the first album ever to enter the charts at number 1.

PS If you’re a new fan of “Tiny Dancer,” check out the movie “Almost Famous” directed by Cameron Crowe for the glorious singalong on the tour bus.

“Godzilla” $49 Mil Is No Monster Compared to “Godzilla” in 2014, “Rocketman” Soars On Its Own Terms, Don’t Compare it to “Bohemian Rhapsody”

Roger Friedman
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“Godzilla” $49 Mil Is No Monster Compared to “Godzilla” in 2014, “Rocketman” Soars On Its Own Terms, Don’t Compare it to “Bohemian Rhapsody”

The box office is good, but you have to take it in perspective.

The new “Godzilla” made a whopping $49 million this weekend. But keep in mind the last “Godzilla,” in 2014, had a $93 million opening. That’s like way way off, almost 50% off. So this year’s “Godzilla” news is nice, but it’s no monster.

“Rocketman” is not going to be “Bohemian Rhapsody” financially even though it has better reviews and is a much superior movie. “BR” was a phenom. Don’t compare them! “Rocketman” is a hit with $23-$25 million opening weekend. If we make the mistake of saying it’s no “BR” this really great movie will be hurt. “Rocketman” soars on its own terms!

Also, the soundtrack is top 10 and so is Elton’s greatest hits boxed set.

“Booksmart” has outgrossed “Poms,” which is something, I guess, with a little over $14 million so far. “The Hustle” has made it to $33 million purely on Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson’s good will. After stealing “Oceans 8,” and bringing people in to this thing, Hathaway deserves some better material.

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