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Bill Clinton Adding His Name to James Patterson Book Brand: Will “Co-Write” New Novel

Roger Friedman
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Bill Clinton Adding His Name to James Patterson Book Brand: Will “Co-Write” New Novel

Bill Clinton is adding his name to the James Patterson book brand. The two, er, people, will headline a novel called “The President is Missing” for RandomDoubledayKnopfWhatever in 2018.

Someone will write the book, one of Patterson’s many laboring scribes. He and Clinton will give the writer information, the writer will craft the book, and his or her name will appear in small print somewhere

I do remember in the 90s when Patterson, who worked in advertising, published “Along Came a Spider.” A publicist called me up and asked me to write a piece on him. Who knew that he’d turn this into an industry a la Tom Clancy. Just brilliant. According to Wikipedia, Patterson has published over 140 books since 1976. There are 22 Alex Cross books alone! He’s never missed a year. How crazy is that? James Patterson is the Ray Kroc of mystery writers.

And Bill Clinton? What better way to keep his name out there? I guess he couldn’t convince JK Rowling to write “Harry Potter and the President’s Magic Wand.” According to the press release, Clinton will add things “only a president could know.” Dry cleaning tips?

Rosie O’Donnell’s Plea to British Tabloid Writer About Daughter Chelsea: “My request is that you not pay her”

Roger Friedman
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Rosie O’Donnell’s Plea to British Tabloid Writer About Daughter Chelsea: “My request is that you not pay her”

Rosie O’Donnell is a devoted mother with a desperate situation. Her adopted daughter Chelsea has not been in touch with her in a long time. Chelsea, however, has learned that she can make money selling made up stories to the tabloids and to TV. It’s heartbreaking. Now Rosie is addressing Daily Mail writer Louise Boyle on her website. Boyle sent Rosie a list of crazy accusations from Chelsea for verification.

Rosie has responded to Boyle, citing Chelsea’s mental illness, her addiction to heroin at birth, and her “self hatred.” Rosie writes: “she is very sick
she is not capable of truth or reason.” I do hope Boyle takes this to heart. Rosie is one of the kindest and most decent people I’ve ever known. It’s hard enough to deal with children, especially when they’re in trouble. But to deal with it publicly, and have a media organization fueling the problem– that’s just beyond.

Here’s what Rosie posted:

dear louise

May 1, 2017

chelsea is mentally ill
has been in and out of hospitals most of her life
born addicted to heroin –
she has had a tough road

as for her comments –
i assume u r paying her –
which is why she is selling these tales to you
unfounded – untrue – and desperate

do what you like louise –
as this is the job u have

but know
she is very sick
she is not capable of truth or reason

she has not been in touch with anyone
since her husband tried to extort 9000 dollars from this family
the day after the lesion in her frontal lobe was detected

she then did an inside edition interview for money
and disappeared

and now has a story for u

as a mother – my request is that u not pay her
and leave her alone
as her self hatred grows
after each sold lie

it is comforting to know
she is still alive

so thank you for that part

if u use any of this e mail in ur story
i request it is in its entirety

rosie

Pop: Harry Styles Over Substance–In New Video He Can Fly and Walk on Water

Roger Friedman
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Pop: Harry Styles Over Substance–In New Video He Can Fly and Walk on Water

Please write me at showbiz411@gmail.com if you can tell me what this video for “Sign of the Times” is about. Is this a sign of the times? Harry can fly and walk on water. Not travel footage.

Pamela Anderson’s Charitable Foundation, Funded by Professional Gambling: She’s President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Director

Roger Friedman
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Pamela Anderson’s Charitable Foundation, Funded by Professional Gambling: She’s President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Director

A couple of years ago I wrote about “Baywatch” star Pamela Anderson’s charitable foundation, which was dubious at best.

Now, because she issued her Julian Assange defense from the Foundation. I’ve taken a new look at the latest tax filing– for the year 2014. There’s no public filing since then.

The funniest thing about the Pamela Anderson Foundation. The one time pin up turned political activist and girlfriend of an international hacker holds all the positions in the charity. She’s actually listed on the 2014 Form 990 tax filing as President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Director. That’s called multi-tasking! It’s also highly unusual. She could have had Tommy Lee, Kid Rock or David Hasselhoff fill at least one of those offices! Instead, she does it all herself. 

In 2013, Anderson’s Foundation gave away a total of $180,000 to four different groups. Where did she get the money? She herself only put $14,000 into the Foundation. The bulk of the money came from Richard Salomon, to whom she was briefly (and subsequently) married from 2014-2015. Salomon’s income, according to Wikipedia, is derived from online gambling and winnings from poker. He contributed $237,500. Another $5,000 came from professional Las Vegas poker player Bobby Baldwin.

The other major contributor to the Pamela Anderson Foundation was the late Sam Simon, creator of “The Simpsons.” He put in $100,000. The two shared an interest in animal rights. According to press reports, Anderson was subsequently barred from Simon’s funeral by his family for accepting and not returning an $800,000 ring before he died. (There’s a lot of weird stuff at the heart of “The Simpsons”– including that Nancy Cartwright, who voices Bart, is a huge Scientologist.)

Anderson’s donations went to Cool Earth Action USA (Brooklyn)–$100,000; Game Changers Film LLC — $50,000; Sustainable Markets Foundation– $25,000; and the International Leonard Peltier Defense Fund– $5,000. (Cool Earth Action USA has not filed any tax return with GuideStar since its inception in 2014 despite Anderson’s large donation.)

 

 

“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” Scores $145 Mil US, Tops Original Opening Weekend

Roger Friedman
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“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” Scores $145 Mil US, Tops Original Opening Weekend

Not a shock: “Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2” had a huge opening weekend. Chris Pratt and friends took in $145 mil, which added to the international box office brings worldwide to $427 million.

In the US the weekend numbers beat “Vol. 1” by $50 million. The sequel may very well out gross the original. Marvel is happy, Disney is happy, Chris Pratt is happy. So is director James Gunn. Volume 3 is on its way. (So are 4 and 5, I’d guess.)

The rest of the box office was bleh, with Tom Hanks’s “The Circle” completely dying, and “How to Be a Latin Lover” hanging in there despite bad reviews.

Only 12 movies (including “GOTG2”) made over a million dollars over the weekend.

Interest in Julian Assange was minimal. Laura Poitras’s “Risk” made just $75,179 on 34 screens. But maybe new little studio Neon just wants it out there, hoping for awards consideration in the fall. They didn’t really promote it beyond that Lincoln Center screening.

“Baywatch” Star Pamela Anderson Attacks Director of Boyfriend Julian Assange’s Documentary: “This portrayal is a juvenile betrayal”

Roger Friedman
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“Baywatch” Star Pamela Anderson Attacks Director of Boyfriend Julian Assange’s Documentary: “This portrayal is a juvenile betrayal”

pam and julian“Baywatch” star, anti fur activist, and Hollywood faux intellectual Pamela Anderson is mad at Oscar winning filmmaker Laura Poitras. Poitras has just released her new documentary, “Risk,” about international troublemaker Julian Assange, who’s been living for the last 5 years in the Ecuadorian embassy in London rather than face arrest over releasing zillions of classified government and business files under the WikiLeaks rubric.

Anderson has become an unlikely BFF and possible girlfriend with benefits of Assange. She’s been seen coming and going from the embassy, giving the Ecuadorians a rare peak into tabloid life. She does not appear in “Risk,” and maybe she’s upset that Poitras didn’t even mention her. (I know I was disappointed.) Anderson is to Assange somehow as Dennis Rodman is to Kim Jong Un, but with different benefits.

Anderson has now made her feelings about the film clear, posting this message to Instagram (italics added):

Laura,
To a man who is uncharged,
detained,
and has given humanity so much,
not to mention your own access-
and you return the favour
like this?
It is shameful
You re-edited the documentary
to deal with your own personal romantic issues with an ex lover – is this ethical?
This portrayal is a juvenile betrayal.

Anderson claims Poitras “re-edited the documentary to deal with you own personal romantic issues with an ex lover.”  That’s a reference to Poitras’s stunning admission in the film’s voice over that she had a “brief relationship” with Assange’s incredibly erratic self exiled lackey, hacker Jacob Appelbaum. Appelbaum, like Assange, has been accused of sexual misconduct. Despite being removed from WikiLeaks, Appelbaum still accompanied Poitras to Cannes in May 2016 to help promote “Risk” and defend Assange.

Anderson, meanwhile, may not be having such an easy time with Assange. On Twitter she has recently posted a link to a HuffingtonPost article titled: “Why Sex With A Malignant Narcissist Is A Dangerous Power Play.”

On the website for her dubious Pamela Anderson Foundation, the one time star of great D movie “Barb Wire” further explains her position in a long Haiku, or free form essay. (Not to nitpick, Pam, but it’s “its gravitas,” not “it’s”):

I’d rather
dampen any romance rumours –
Lessen it’s gravitas –
I’m already at
a disadvantage – (perception)

It’s a distraction.
when so much is at stake.

I know I can be quite effective in this debate.

As a victim of sexual assault
I have authority to speak
on the matter.

Not as Julian’s ‘romantic interest’
but as someone with experience
and perspective –

and seeing –

the injustice of people
turning a serious political struggle
into a discussion
on male privilege.

I don’t think Wikileaks is sexist,
I think it is intellectually elitist.

And,
I have to say it a lot of this
‘feminist’ discussion is intellectually retarded.

“Risk”
the documentary is problematic –

If you take away the sexist angle and reframe it as power dynamics,
Let’s examine Laura’s relative role to the organisations and her subjects. Her wealth.
Her oscar.
Julian’s role relative to others in the organisation in terms of freedom and exposure to political persecution.
The narrow lens Laura has picked has been to please a narrow constituency.

Oh,
the trappings.

Sad –

The wrong Wikileaks and Assange will suffer from the flaws,
the avantgardiste acceptance of a penetration of their intimacy none of their adversaries accept,
will be nothing in the long term compared to the destructions inflicted by secrecy and it’s upholding by the powerful.
As a man making history,
Julian has accepted to confront himself to the judgment of others.
He has done it in accordance to his principles and will remain faithful to them, however painful and unfair it might be.
There will be a time in which Ms Poitras will realize how much wrong she has inflicted,
and how biased her approach has been to this asymmetric access to an intimacy others,
including Snowden,
have refused to expose in faith.
Her exploitation of this access and the judgmental lines that she ended drawing from it are both logic and sad for her.
Instead of realizing her chance,
trying to understand, she started judging those who had had the courage to expose themselves.
In spite of courage and humanity, bitterness and willingness to conform herself.
Fear.
Fear of the judgment of others.
Of what would have been said if she hadn’t distinguished herself. Maintained,
over solidarity and values,
her singularity.
Existed in the eyes of the other. Betrayal.
To survive at all costs.
Including dignity,
truthfulness, and the lives of others. Good luck Laura.
Good luck in your loneliness.
It is an epidemic
Even more so
In your opportunistic institution

You let us down..
.
Pamela

Kanye West’s Social Media Accounts Vanish– I Told You on Tuesday He’d Been MIA for Months

Roger Friedman
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0
Kanye West’s Social Media Accounts Vanish– I Told You on Tuesday He’d Been MIA for Months

I told you on Tuesday that Kanye West was MIA, missing from social media for months after being a constant presence.

And now, all his accounts are gone. Poof! All deactivated.

Kanye is thought to have had a nervous breakdown of some kind last winter following his wife’s Paris robbery. He walked off stage and didn’t return. He was seen in a family Christmas photo but has otherwise been silent.

Despite making babies and fashion shows and concerts, Kanye has been in a weird downward spiral since his mother’s sudden and unfortunate death in November 2007. He simply became more and more erratic and out of control. Social media is where a lot of this took place, with Kanye Tweeting hundreds of times in short periods of time.

I wrote on Monday that it was very curious he wasn’t coming to the MetBall, one of his favorite haunts. That on top of his social media silence added up to something not kosher.

Let’s hope he’s getting good help, and will come back even stronger.

Guardians of the Galaxy 2 Will Make Millions This Weekend Despite Bad Reviews and General Bewilderment

Roger Friedman
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0
Guardians of the Galaxy 2 Will Make Millions This Weekend Despite Bad Reviews and General Bewilderment

I have not seen “Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2” although I really like the first one. Word on this one has been pretty bad. A friend who’s worked in film for years told me yesterday that he’d seen it and didn’t understand it. “I had to Google the first movie during this one to remind me what’s going on,” he said.

GOTG2 has an 83 on Rotten Tomatoes. But is that really 83? Among the 45 top reviewers, 15 didn’t like it. So that’s really 67.

But that’s the complication of Rotten Tomatoes. A lot of so-called reviewers will give “Fresh” designations to things they don’t like. A number of “GOTG2” reviewers used the word “bloat” or “bloated” in their positive reviews. Victoria Alexander of FilmsinReview.com wrote: “The best sequel in years. Though I didn’t understand the plot or the dialogue.” She assigned a Fresh standing, however.

Richard Roeper, of the Chicago Sun Times, also assigned a Fresh to GOTG2. But he wrote negatively: “Like many a sequel to a slam-bang, much-liked mega-hit, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 isn’t quite as much fun, not quite as clever, not quite as fresh as the original – but it still packs a bright and shiny and sweet punch.”

I don’t consider that a good review.

Nevertheless, GOTG2 will make its main money this weekend, looking at a $120-$130 million box office. Tonight– Friday– will be huge as it will include $17 million that came in last night.

One Direction, Two Stories: Niall Horan’s “Slow Hands” Zooms to Number 1 While Harry Styles’ Singles Struggle

Roger Friedman
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One Direction, Two Stories: Niall Horan’s “Slow Hands” Zooms to Number 1 While Harry Styles’ Singles Struggle

This morning the number 1 song on iTunes is by One Direction’s Niall Horan. “Slow Hands” is a catchy, bluesy shuffle. I mean, really catchy and well produced. Horan is the real singer songwriter from One Direction. When I attended my one One Direction show a couple of years ago, it was clear that Horan– strumming his guitar like a troubador– was the central musical talent in the group.

Niall’s success this morning is a counterpoint to Harry Styles’ troubles. Styles has lots of charisma and is one of the nicest chaps you could meet. The girls love him, too. But my sense is that he’s lost musically. His new “Sweet Creature,” dropped in the middle of the week, is just awful. And it’s his second flop in a row. “Sweet Creature” is number 17 on iTunes. Not doing a lot better is “Sign of the Times” at 15.

The latter single is barely getting fan attention. Today “Sign of the Times” drops to 27 from 19 on the Hits-Buzz Angle Song Revenue chart. No one liked it. “Sign” made $65,703 through yesterday for the last week. It’s over.

Someone asked me, “What did Harry Styles ever do to you?” I laughed. Nothing. He’s a nice guy! But he’s been saddled with bad songs, bad records. They’re not lighting a fire. My guess is Harry Styles debuts later this year in Chris Nolan’s “Dunkirk,” he’s really good, and takes off as an actor. Surprise! So far, his music doesn’t indicate big things.

Meanwhile, Horan’s single– and the one that preceded it, “This Town”– are really well written and well made, full of hooks, and hits out of the box. Now I’m curious to hear his album.

 

Goldie Hawn on Actor Children Kate and Oliver Hudson: “The fear was that they would be fearful that they couldn’t top us and that’s a heavy thing, their mom and dad, they’re big movie stars.”

Paula Schwartz
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Goldie Hawn on Actor Children Kate and Oliver Hudson: “The fear was that they would be fearful that they couldn’t top us and that’s a heavy thing, their mom and dad, they’re big movie stars.”
After a private screening Monday afternoon of their new comedy “Snatched,”  Goldie Hawn, 71, and Amy Schumer, 31, turned up to participate in a raucous conversation with a theater full of excited fans and mommy bloggers. The comic actresses play a mother-daughter duo in the comedy, which opens Mother’s day weekend. (Director Jonathan Levine and producer Paul Feig joined them at the event.)
Denise Albert and Melissa Musen Gerstein, co-creators of a multi-media mom-centric brand and event company known as the Moms, hosted the screening and following panel.
In “Snatched,” Amy Schumer plays a self-centered woman who is dumped by her rocker boyfriend right before they were set to take off on an exotic holiday. After all her friends turn her down, she persuades her ultra-cautious mother to take her boyfriend’s place on the non-refundable vacation. Comic hijinks ensue, including entanglements with oddballs and kidnapper.
Following are highlights from the 30-minute conversation:
Amy on meeting Hawn: I met Goldie on a plane and I just stared at her the way we would all do if we were on a plane with Goldie Hawn. And then when I got off (the plane) to go into the airport I went up to Goldie at the airport and said, “Hi, I’m Amy.”… I said I wanted her to play my mom in this movie and she was very sweet, but she definitely didn’t know who I was.
Goldie: We worked really hard to get this (movie) going… We wanted it to happen and eventually it did.
Goldie on whether she ever planned to return to the film industry after a 14-year absence:
You don’t really have a plan in this industry… Did I decide to return? No. What  I was feeling was kind of an itch to go back to doing films.There was the time for my children and I loved every second of it and still do by the way. But I was getting that itch and thinking what would it be like, I wonder if I (went back to making films)? And I said this to a couple of friends of mine, “I wonder if I’ll every do another movie to make people laugh again?”… It (this movie) came right at that time.
Amy on whether they have a mother-daughter relationship: I think we feel very connected to each, and I’ve loved Goldie my whole live like most of the people in this room. So you just pray that she would care about me too, and we connected early on and fell in love.
Goldie: And we have the same heritage….When you see someone you feel you’ve know your whole life, that’s the way it is. And a lot of it has to do with the fact that we’re both kind of Eastern European. We have similar backgrounds and that kind of thing.
Amy on her character in the film: I feel like I play who I was as a teenager, selfish and so entitled… I really wanted to make this movie as a love letter to my mom to say I’m sorry and also I love you.
Goldie on how children and Social Media: (In preparation for the Met Ball Monday evening, her daughter Kate Hudson posted images of her self wearing a pillow on her head:  Kate posted a picture of herself…. It’s so deeply funny we just laughed over it…Oliver has posted…Has anyone followed Oliver Hudson? I suggest you do.… He went over the grid and he’s deeply funny… and Wyatt is off making a movie, so the kids are just doing great.
Goldie: The fear was that they (her children) would be fearful that they couldn’t top us and that’s a heavy thing, their mom and dad, they’re big movie stars. How do you survive being that child?
Goldie: A big part of our lesson (to her children) was to get resilient… You want to go into the business then get resilient. You’re going to get shot down… You’re not going to get jobs… The key is that if you don’t have it get out… Don’t spend your life doing it so find out what else you love.
Amy: I was raised delusion-ally confident… My parents said you’re amazing, you’re the most beautiful, and I bought it. And it was too late when I realized they were lying to me.
Amy on not being pregnant: That’s right, my uterus is currently empty… I work very hard to not be a mom.
Amy on wanting to be a mother: I’m 35. I’m sick of thinking of myself. It’s like, enough Amy, who cares?… Yeah, (I want to be a mom).
Goldie on laughter getting you through hard times: We do laugh, and our family does and it’s kind of the way we survive … If you can’t laugh over things that are hard then you’re just going to live in sadness… This is how we are… We sit shiva. This is the kind of thing we do when our parents or grandparents pass, we laugh. We laugh together… You live for fun and you laugh for fun.
The director on whether the actresses did improv: Everybody had the opportunity to improvise… It was never dogmatic that they had to stick to the script and a lot of the more subtle nuanced moments came out of improv.
Goldie: In one scene the direction was simply, “Just freak out.” That was my direction and that’s what I did.
The event ended with Amy and Goldie dancing. Denise Albert just finished a year and a half of treatment for breast cancer and she’s started a “dance for the breast cancer challenge.” At the end of the event, both actresses got up, laughed and showed off their best moves.
Photo c2017 Showbiz411 by Paula Schwartz
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