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I already told you that the Beatles will have an announcement Wednesday morning at 9am Eastern.
The first part of it does seem to be about “Rubber Soul” getting an anniversary bo set. Since I wrote that, sleuths around the world dug up listings on amazon.com in various countries, only to see the pages taken down.
But now the Beatles are indicating something else is going on — possibly a restored version of the film, “Help!” and maybe a remixed soundtrack. The group’s website has posted a video with the title, “Help is on the way.”
The whole package seems to be dropping on October 2nd. We’ll have more details in the morning.
Atlantic Records — new home of Miley Cyrus — is having problems with another star.
Charli XCX dropped an excellent new album last Friday called “Music. Fashion. Film.” After her “Brat” album, which was phenom, the new one should have been a huge hit.
But “MFF” is projected to have a first week similar to “Brat,” with around 75,000 copies sold. Around 50,000 will be physical sales, the rest from steaming.
That’s not a good sign.
So far, “MFF” has bigger problems, too: no singles. None of the tracks has popped out on radio or streaming. None of the songs are on the Spotify top 50, or on the iTunes chart. I find this a little surprising. There are several good choices. One of them, called “Card Declined,” could be a winner with the right video and marketing. But nothing’s happening. You can feel the inertia.
So what’s the problem here? Miley Cyrus had better pay close attention now that she’s made this big switch over from Columbia.
PS In the end, “Brat” sold 3.5 million copies worldwide. “MFF” is not going to get close to that number.
“60 Minutes” is adding a bunch of new faces to replace the veteran correspondents they fired. Like Scott Pelley, Sharyn Alfonsi, and Cecilia Vega.
This is the work of loathed show EP Bari Weiss, who also fired the show’s executive producer Tanya Simon and replaced her with Nick Bilton. Also gone is Anderson Cooper.
Now comes a group we’ll have to used to, or not. They include the New York Times’ Ross Douthat, journalist Sebastian Junger, best known for writing “The Perfect Storm,” plus Gianna Toboni from HBO and Vice News, and Brit Trevor Phillips.
Do they have the gravitas and experience of the departed four? No. Will they be under a microscope? Most definitely. Most of this doesn’t make sense, but we’re not surprised. We’ll just have to depend on the remaining veterans Lesley Stahl, Bill Whitaker, and Jon Wertheim to make it work. Plus, it looks like Norah O’Donnell is now officially added to the team.
One good thing: no mention of Joe Rogan doing commentary. That was a scary thought!
LOL. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association — these are the people who used to run the Golden Globes, and ran them into the ground. They were bought up by Penske Media, which owns Variety, the Hollywood Reporter, and so on. The HFPA ran quite a con game for decades, plus they had no Black members.
Penske eventually got rid of them, and replaced them with actual journalists. The old HFPA members are out in the cold, with no more perks or trips to international film festivals, or publicists bowing and scraping while the members took pictures with movie stars. Naturally, they’re upset. So they’re suing Penske alleging they were swindled. Good luck with that.
PS I keep hearing about the new GG’s swiping members from the Critics Choice Association and other groups lately. Don’t worry, they haven’t asked me.
Here’s the press release:
LOS ANGELES, July 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Kasowitz LLP filed a federal lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Central District of California on behalf of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (“HFPA”) against Jay Penske, Penske Media Corporation, the Golden Globe Foundation, and Gregory Goeckner arising out of the defendants’ alleged orchestration of a corrupt scheme to fraudulently acquire the Golden Globe Awards, dismantle the 80-year-old organization that created them, and establish monopolistic control over Hollywood trade publications, entertainment awards, and For Your Consideration (“FYC”) advertising markets.
As alleged in the complaint, beginning in or around 2021, Penske and billionaire associate Todd Boehly used the major Hollywood trade publications that they control to instigate a boycott of the HFPA with the goal of devaluing the organization and rendering it vulnerable to acquisition. Boehly then infiltrated the HFPA as interim CEO while simultaneously serving as the buyer seeking to purchase the Golden Globes through his company Eldridge Industries LLC. Shortly after the deal’s signing, Penske emerged and assumed complete control of the Golden Globes.
As further alleged in the complaint, Penske’s acquisition of the Golden Globes is a central component of a broad anticompetitive trust wherein he owns and/or controls at least half a dozen major awards shows (including the Golden Globes, the Billboard Music Awards, the American Music Awards, the Streamy Awards, the Latin American Music Awards, and the Academy of Country Music Awards), almost all of the major Hollywood trade publications that sell the advertising packages for award contestants (including The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, Deadline, Rolling Stone, Billboard, Vibe, and IndieWire), the company that controls the market for predicting winners for those awards shows (Gold Derby Media), the data company that measures statistics for award eligibility (Luminate), and even film and television production companies that compete for those awards (including A24 and Media Rights Capital). By acquiring the Golden Globes, Penske and Boehly not only solidified a vertical and horizontal monopoly on the awards market, but also effectively positioned themselves to control and exclude members of the domestic and foreign press, and ultimately control the entertainment news disseminated to the general public, while maintaining a monopoly over streams of advertising revenue in that market. In short, through this alleged anticompetitive trust, Penske-owned trade publications promote Penske-owned contenders for Penske-owned awards predicted by a Penske-owned website.
Penske has also allegedly used his monopolization to turn the Golden Globes into a pay-to-play racket, requiring expensive FYC advertising purchases from his own trade publications as a prerequisite for awards consideration while excluding HFPA members and chilling competition by retaliating against journalists who dare to speak out against the anticompetitive conduct.
The lawsuit also alleges that defendant Gregory Goeckner—the HFPA’s former General Counsel who became CEO of the Golden Globe Foundation, the successor to the HFPA’s charitable arm—conspired with Penske and Boehly to fraudulently induce the transfer of approximately $4 million from the HFPA to the Foundation in an effort to starve the HFPA of funds and force the organization to dissolve before the defendants’ conduct could be brought to light.
The complaint alleges 20 causes of action including violations of federal and state antitrust laws, unfair trade practices, unfair competition, unjust enrichment, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, and legal malpractice. The HFPA seeks damages exceeding $150 million, treble damages, rescission of allegedly unlawful agreements, injunctive relief prohibiting the defendants from continuing their anticompetitive practices, and disgorgement of ill-gotten gains.
Kasowitz partner Daniel A. Saunders, counsel to the HFPA, stated, “The defendants’ alleged anticompetitive conduct and brazen attempts to destroy the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, all to consolidate even greater monopolistic control in Hollywood and freeze out competing foreign journalists, has caused great harm to the 83-year-old organization and to the integrity of the awards market and related markets in the entertainment industry. We look forward to proving the defendants’ liability in court, obtaining treble damages for the HFPA, and securing injunctive relief to prohibit the defendants from causing further harm to consumers and competitors.”
The Kasowitz team representing the HFPA includes partners Daniel A. Saunders and Robert W. Bosslet and associates Dwayne A. Amos and Kristine B. Abrenica.
I’m starting to think Olivia Wilde and Pedro Pascal are in every movie this year.
They are definitely the stars of “Behemoth,” directed by Tony Gilroy, the man who gave us “Michael Clayton” and “The Bourne Legacy.” He’s also written a dozen hits including two more “Bourne” movies plus “Beirut” and “Rogue One.” (His brother is Dan Gilroy, his sister-in-law is Renee Russo.)
“Behemoth” has been chosen for a worldwide premiere at the New York Film Festival as Centerpiece film. That’s a big deal. This means “Behemoth” is not going to Venice, Telluride, or Toronto! The NYFF is rockin’ this year!
The film also has an interesting supporting cast including the most welcome return of Jobeth Williams, plus Eva Victor, Alexa Swinton, Kaya Ralls, Erik Griffin, Margarita Levieva, with Hank Azaria and Will Arnett.
“Behemoth” is Disney-Fox Searchlight’s Oscar entry this year, and with that group of filmmakers, it sounds pretty promising.
And yes, this is definitely Olivia Wilde’s third movie of the year including her excellent “The Invite,” and “I Want Your Sex.” What a comeback for her after “Don’t Worry Darling” crashed and burned four years ago. Not surprised, though. She comes from a family of famous American and British intellectuals, all hardcore successes as journalists and filmmakers. That’s for another column! But the genes are top grade!
Emily Wilson, translator of “The Odyssey,” doesn’t like Chris Nolan’s movie.
She wrote in a scathing review: “I would be ashamed to have written any part of this script.”
Well, who cares? Can she even write a screenplay? I doubt it. And Homer wrote the book. She just translated it!
“The Odyssey” Box office is now at $304 million, in just 12 days. The whole world is learning about Homer, and lots of people are reading her expensive volume. It’s the number 4 book on amazon.
Wilson should be thanking Nolan and Universal, and sending them Edible Arrangements or Fortnum and Mason baskets.
Instead, Wilson turns out to be a sour prune. Are we surprised? Not really. Emily, get with the program!
Well, it’s only Tuesday, which means $400 million isn’t far away. Curious fans can read another version — the one by Daniel Mendelsohn is considered better anyway.
More good news from the box office: the filmed version of the hit Broadway musical, “Hadestown,” has been an enormous success in just a few days. The movie has made more than $5 million quickly — the Broadway version, still running, would be lucky to earn that in a month! More shows should follow suit. Hello, Barry Diller. “Death of a Salesman” needs this treatment.
A countdown clock has gone up on the Beatles’ website.
Tomorrow morning at 9am will come the announcement of the last anniversary box set from the Beatles canon.
“Rubber Soul” — released in December 1965 — was the 9th American Beatles album but just fifth in the UK. It was the beginning of the group’s turn toward their adult, megawatt classic period, followed by “Revolver,” “Sgt Pepper,” “The White Album,” “Abbey Road,” and “Let it Be.”
The album features such classics as “Drive My Car,” “Nowhere Man,” “Michelle,” “You Won’t See Me,” and best of all, “In My Life,” a song so advanced and lyrically sophisticated for someone of John Lennon’s age (25?) that it’s jaw dropping.
Rubber Soul (Super Deluxe Edition) será lançado no dia 2 de Outubro! Nas informações da Amazon Bélgica, a versão CD custa 160,52 euros e vem com 4 CDs e a versão LP custa 303,07 euros com 6 discos pic.twitter.com/NZBrR4daX5
A 2009 remaster is still perfectly good, but you knew technology will make us feel like the group is singing in our living rooms. It will be loud, and super fans will fight over the mixes. But, again, the 2009 version doesn’t go away.
All the other Beatles albums have had anniversary box sets, and for the layman they’re terrific. Each one has a CD we couldn’t get before, whether it’s the Esher recordings from “The White Album” or Glyn Johns’ mix of “Let it Be.” So we can expect demos, outtakes, takeout menus, and such from the “Rubber Soul” era.
Are we excited? Always. Last year the big event was the refreshed Anthology box, which applied new technology, a sound facelift so to speak, plus a 4th volume. Experts and enthusiasts will say there’s a lot more Apple can release, lots of stuff we’ve never heard as far as demos etc, but I think this may be ‘it.”
Should be released in October, the usual time for Beatles’ reissues, just in time for Christmas.
I had an epiphany tonight watching the latest “Spider Man” movie: they’re going to outlast me no matter how long I live.
“Spider Man: Brand New Day” is now the 9th live action installment of the series. That doesn’t count two “Spider-Verse” films, which would make this one the 11th.
So wouldn’t you know it? Just when you’d think it would be time to wrap it up, producer Amy Pascal delivers the best in her series of four Tom Holland-led “Spider Man” movies, an adult take on teenage themes, a coming of age story for cartoon characters.
For reference, the first Tobey Maguire film was in 2002, basically a quarter century ago. The elder George Bush was in the last year of his presidency — this was before Bill Clinton! The stars of this film were just 6 years old.
By now, the “Spider Man” movies have taken on the traits of the afternoon serials of the late 30s and early 40s, like “Flash Gordon.” There is no endpoint. And if there is, it just starts all over again. Nothing is really going to happen of any consequence, don’t you worry, you will still be entertained.
Tom Holland, aka Peter Parker, is now an agreeable 30 years old, in great shape (as they show off as much as possible), and not going anywhere. Even Holland appearing in the much more serious undertaking of “The Odyssey” won’t stop him from making at least one more “Spider Man” in his series. Spoiler alert: “Brand New Day” is not the end.
The good news is that “Brand New Day” is an unusually good super hero film, a solid action adventure with stunning set pieces, lots of carefully crafted explosions and fires, and derring-do fights between good and evil. Obviously, the good guys win, but it’s the getting there that director Destin Daniel Cretton and writers Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers have made so much fun. “Brand New Day” is like going back to a restaurant you really loved, and feeling the same way again.
You may recall the last “Spider Man” movie was a salute to the multi-verse, with the two preceding Peter Parkers and lots of old enemies all folding in on each other. It was a huge hit, but dizzying, and the end of the road for such complex gimmicks. Where else could you go?
“Brand New Day” is a lot more straightforward, episodic by nature as if you were watching an entire season of a TV show in two hours. . Picking up from the end of the last movie, Peter’s been living and working as Spider Man but girlfriend MJ (Zendaya) and best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon) don’t remember him. Peter pines for their ld relationships, so he must figure out a way to reveal himself. At the same time, he’s battling a bunch of villains with the help of his begrudging friend Frank Castle aka The Punisher (an outstanding Jon Bernthal). Also noteworthy is Liza Colon-Zayas (welcome anywhere, any time) as a motherly police detective.
Of course, Peter comes into contact with an array of Marvel somebodies including scene stealer Florence Pugh as witty Yelena Belova (a Black Widow), David Banner aka The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Marisa Tomei as the now-deceased Aunt May (in newly made flashbacks), and so on. Sadie Sink, of “Stranger Things” fame, comes from another Marvel world, and diehard fans will know who is she right away. Sink is especially good at two things: looking distraught, and running in slow motion.
Newly married couple Holland and Zendaya still have all their chemistry, although they’re starting to age slightly. They’re no longer in high school or college. That’s okay. If their next film is their last in this series, and they’re each under 35, no one will mind. But going beyond that, things might get tricky.
Writers McKenna and Sommers are basically giving us the middle part of a second trilogy, so not too mach can actually happen. There’s a lot of time to stop and examine Spider Man’s mechanics, like his web-shooting ability. There’s a lot of deepening of the characters we already know, which makes “Brand New Day” seem more like a movie than a reel. The writers pull it off with a light touch and a lot of humor, relying on the glibness of Holland and Zendaya and their natural playfulness. It all works.
Some of my favorite things: Ned having a Spider Man tracker that plays the cartoon’s old TV theme song. Also, Marisa Tomei still in the game, with Peter never forgetting his roots. On the other hand, there is no explanation for how Peter lives financially but owns a lot of complicated technology. That’s just called suspension of disbelief.
Kudos to the casting director, Sarah Finn, for finding a huge number of very talented unknowns to play a variety of tiny roles. You can tell she had a ball. All the below-the-line production work is top notch, too. Particularly worth admiring is the dazzling production design, which shows off Peter’s daredevil swings around towns like dizzying real life Tik Tok videos.
“Brand New Day” will be a huge hit, there’s no doubt. Sony is saved once again by the wall crawler, which is ironic since the company ousted executive Amy Pascal years ago, only for her to come back bigger and stronger than ever. And — without giving too much away — this chapter up future Marvel stories in a clean and undistracted way. Did we ever think in 2002 that this stuff would have such a long life? No. But there could be worse things.
PS It is time for Zendaya to make a real movie, with a great director, as a lead character. She’s a movie star with only supporting roles. She can do it with the right story. And please, no cannibalism.
Nancy Guthrie disappeared from her home in Tuscon on February 1, 2026.
That was six months ago, and there has been silence since then.
The cruelty to her family in unmatched. If Nancy is dead — as presumed by now — why not just let the Guthries know where she is? What kind of monsters are these people?
Almost six months later, the case is unsolved. Savannah has posted a new video. See below. This is just horrendous.
Miley Cyrus had the biggest hit of her career with “Flowers.”
The single and its album came from Columbia Records, where Miley has been since moving over from cousin RCA Records a few years ago.
But then she insisted on sinking her money and time into a very poor album called “Something Beautiful.” The project was a huge dud.
So now Miley is jumping to Atlantic Records, which just lost Ed Sheeran to Interscope/UMG.
Are we just moving around the deck chairs on the Titanic? Miley is leaving Columbia just as they’re having a lot of success. Right now, Atlantic is weighed down by Lizzo’s huge flop. Atlantic — once a powerhouse — is not having a big run right now. But maybe the money was too good to pass up..
Alas, Miley did not consult me.
No word on whether Mark Ronson is involved with the new record, of any of the people who worked on “Endless Summer Vacation.” The issue may be that Miley has been doing this her entire life and isn’t great at taking advice or consultation. Her mother is apparently still calling the shots. Let’s hope she can a hit again, but she’ll never top “Flowers.” That was once-in-a lifetime.
