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Grammy Award Lifetime Achievement Awards to Sly Stone, Nina Simone, Charley Pride, Velvet Underground

Roger Friedman
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Grammy Award Lifetime Achievement Awards to Sly Stone, Nina Simone, Charley Pride, Velvet Underground

The Grammy Awards for Lifetime Achievement: gospel singer Shirley Caesar, jazz performer Ahmad Jamal, Charley Pride (one of only a few African American superstars in country music), Jimmie Rodgers (lauded as the Father of Country Music), soul singer Nina Simone, Sly Stone and rock band The Velvet Underground.  If Sly shows up and is in decent shape, that should be quite a ceremony!

Plus the great Mo Ostin, who made Warner Bros. records a powerhouse in the 70s and 80s, and Philadelphia International hit songwriter Thom Bell, are among the Trustee Honors winners along with Ralph Peer (who recorded the first country records, by The Carter Family and Rodgers, in the famed 1927 Bristol Sessions). Alan Dower Blumlein is the Technical GRAMMY Award recipient, and his biggest achievement is the invention of the stereo in 1931.

Mo Ostin is responsible for careers from Bonnie Raitt to Prince to Neil Young, Fleetwood Mac, the list goes on and on. Thom Bell — often with the late Linda Creed– wrote some of the most enduring songs of all time including most of the hits for the Stylistics and the Spinners.

Here’s a list of Bell’s credits:

  • 1968: “La-La (Means I Love You)” – The Delfonics
  • 1970: “Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time)” – The Delfonics
  • 1971: “Hey Love” – The Delfonics
  • 1971: “Stop, Look, Listen (To Your Heart)” – The Stylistics
  • 1971: “You Are Everything” – The Stylistics
  • 1972: “People Make the World Go Round” – The Stylistics
  • 1972: “I’m Stone in Love with You” – The Stylistics
  • 1972: “I’ll Be Around” – The Spinners
  • 1972: “Could It Be I’m Falling in Love” – The Spinners
  • 1973: “I’m Doing Fine Now” – New York City
  • 1973: “One of a Kind (Love Affair)” – The Spinners
  • 1973: “Ghetto Child” – The Spinners
  • 1973: “Break Up to Make Up” – The Stylistics
  • 1974: “You Make Me Feel Brand New” – The Stylistics
  • 1974: “Mighty Love (Part I)” – The Spinners
  • 1974: “Then Came You” – The Spinners (with Dionne Warwick)
  • 1975: “They Just Can’t Stop It the (Games People Play)” – The Spinners
  • 1976: “The Rubberband Man” – The Spinners
  • 1979: “Are You Ready for Love” – Elton John (with the Spinners)
  • 1979: “Mama Can’t Buy You Love” – Elton John
  • 1981: “Silly” – Deniece Williams
  • 1982: “It’s Gonna Take a Miracle” – Deniece Williams
  • 1990: “I Don’t Have the Heart” – James Ingram

The other big news is that Debra Lee, head of BET, will be honored by NARAS and Clive Davis at the annual pre-Grammy gala on February 11th. Neil Portnow — great choices, he’s working overtime this year!

Alan Thicke Memorial Brings Together Liberal Leonardo diCaprio and Right Winger Kirk Cameron

Roger Friedman
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Alan Thicke Memorial Brings Together Liberal Leonardo diCaprio and Right Winger Kirk Cameron

You can only imagine what’s going through Leonardo DiCaprio’s head (take a look at him in this photo) at Alan Thicke’s memorial. Leo, an avowed liberal, backer of Hillary Clinton, is literally staring holes through the back of the head of crazy right winger Kirk Cameron. They were each on the show “Growing Pains” along with Joanna Kerns back in the 1980s.

Thicke’s daughter in law, Dolly, posted this picture and few others on her Facebook page. Dolly wrote:

“Tonight’s memorial for Alan was just about perfect. So much family and so many historic friends came out to remember our beloved father-figure. Speaking for Alan so beautifully was (I’m realizing now) an all-star cast. We heard from our own Robin Thicke who brought up all dear dad’s best friends, Bob Saget, Bill Maher, Alex Trebec who I had no idea had such old deep ties to our family, the entire cast of Growing Pains including Leo and Kirk Cameron who I had the pleasure of meeting for the first time, along with his wife who became an instant friend. The real star of the evening was Joanna Konjevod who came all the way to Santa Barbara with us to help watch our baby girl during the memorial for Brennan and I.”

But oh to be a fly on the wall. Did Leo and Kirk even speak? (I doubt it.) Kirk Cameron put the cray on crazy a long time ago. But what a picture! I hope Bob Saget, who was also a guest, posts some comments soon. Or Bill Maher. Please, guys.

Martin Scorsese’s “Silence” Has a 96 on RottenTomatoes But It’s Not Getting Oscar Action– Yet

Roger Friedman
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Martin Scorsese’s “Silence” Has a 96 on RottenTomatoes But It’s Not Getting Oscar Action– Yet

Good news for Paramount: Martin Scorsese’s “Silence,” which opens on Friday, has a 96 rating on Rotten Tomatoes. There are 27 positive reviews and only one negative one. (Imagine being the one guy who doesn’t get this amazing movie!)

But I keep getting these Oscar prediction updates from places like GoldDerby.com. These sites have turned the Oscars into a kind of 24/7 game. They are often way off the mark and not in touch with the Academy. On these sites, so far “Silence” has not emerged in any form. The leaders of the guessing game are “Manchester by the Sea,” “La La Land,” and “Moonlight.” All of this is based on critics’ awards from across the country.

“Silence” was screened too late for those groups, and too late for the Golden Globes and Critics Choice. So Paramount and Scorsese are rolling the dice for the Oscars. With the right campaigns, they should do very very well. I have to put “Silence” at the top of my list for 2016, followed by those other three already mentioned, plus “Lion,” “Fences,” “Arrival,” “20th Century Women,” “Hell or High Water,” and “Sully.”

Andrew Garfield gives a far better performance– more nuanced, better written, much deeper– in “Silence” than he does in “Hacksaw Ridge.” I hope Academy voters really watch him in “Silence.” Of course, it’s hard to beat Casey Affleck or Denzel Washington this year, but at least let’s get Garfield’s better work in there.

Also watch for Liam Neeson as a supporting actor nod in “Silence.” Mahershala Ali is already the front runner in Supporting Actor for “Moonlight.” He’s certainly my choice. But I’d like to see Neeson, as well as Dev Patel (Lion), Jeff Bridges (Hell or High Water), and Lucas Hedges (Manchester). Also not to be forgotten: Mykelti Williamson and Stephen Henderson from “Fences.” Brilliant work.

Calling All Casting Agents: “Big Bang Theory” Spinoff Hunt is On for an 8 to 11 Year Old Sheldon

Roger Friedman
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Calling All Casting Agents: “Big Bang Theory” Spinoff Hunt is On for an 8 to 11 Year Old Sheldon

Looks like it’s happening– The Big Bang Theory is getting a retro flashback spin off series about Sheldon as lad in East Texas.

The call goes out this morning for an 8 to 11 year old to play young Sheldon Cooper, aka Jim Parsons. “Socially awkward. A once in a generation genius. He lives in East Texas, although he has chosen to have no accent. “Short tempered,
outspoken. Confident in his intelligence to the point of arrogance. He doesn’t make friends easily or at all. He struggles to read social cues and adhere to social protocols.”

Hmmm….Well, turns out Jim Parsons is getting an Executive Producer credit from Chuck Lorre and CBS. This means if the show goes– and a pilot will be shot for next fall– Parsons will become a rich, rich man, richer than he is now thanks to Sheldon.

Presumably “The Sheldon Project”– written by Steve Molaro– will be about something else besides a small boy. Like say, his unusual parents, friends, and relatives. Young Sheldon won’t have Penny and Leonard and his adult pals, so to make it work they’ve got come up with a new community. That’s not so easy. This would be like if producers tried to create Rose’s Norwegian family from “Golden Girls.” Sometimes these things are best left to the imagination.

Stay tuned….

#RIP: Glamorous Zsa Zsa Gabor, 99, Lives to Her Mother’s Age, Misses 100 By Two Months

Roger Friedman
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#RIP: Glamorous Zsa Zsa Gabor, 99, Lives to Her Mother’s Age, Misses 100 By Two Months

zsa-zsa-gabor
Long before the Kardashians, there were the Gabors– mama Jolie, daughters Zsa Zsa, Eva, and Magda. They are all gone now. Zsa Zsa has died at age 99, just two months short of her 100th birthday. She tied her mother, Jolie, who also lived to 99.

But Zsa Zsa has been gone for years, confined to her bed in her once stately mansion. Her one child, Francesca Hilton, died at age 68. Zsa Zsa’s sole heir is her husband, “Prince” Frederic von Anhalt. I run into him once a year at awards-events (not the actual awards shows). It’s been his duty to care for Zsa Zsa and make sure she was alright despite many illnesses and hospitalizations. They made it through 30 years.

Zsa Zsa was married nine times, most famously to Conrad Hilton. Here is the list of her husbands:

  • Burhan Asaf Belge (1937–1941; divorced)
  • Conrad Hilton (April 10, 1942 – 1947; divorced)
  • George Sanders (April 2, 1949 – April 2, 1954; divorced)
  • Herbert Hutner (November 5, 1962 – March 3, 1966; divorced)
  • Joshua S. Cosden, Jr. (March 9, 1966 – October 18, 1967; divorced)
  • Jack Ryan (January 21, 1975 – August 24, 1976; divorced)
  • Michael O’Hara (August 27, 1976 – 1983; divorced)
  • Felipe de Alba (April 13, 1983 – April 14, 1983; annulled)
  • Frédéric Prinz von Anhalt (August 14, 1986 – December 18, 2016; her death)

She was famous for being famous, that’s true. In the 60s, her sister Eva actually became famous for the kitschy TV show “Green Acres.” Eva and Zsa Zsa were also regulars on “The Merv Griffin Show” and other talk shows. Remember, in those days there were fewer venues, no cable or internet. The Gabors were popular for being silly and beautiful, for being smarter than they looked, and never failing to entertain an audience with their jet set lifestyle. They were also classy. Sex tape? Horrors! They kept it clean, at least in public, and that’s what gave them longevity.

What a life! Rest in peace, Zsa Zsa. There will never be another you.

Here’s Zsa Zsa in 1953 on “What’s My Line,” well after her marriage to Hilton. She comes in around 18:00

 Here’s Eva with Eddie Albert (a great actor if you’re too young to know) from 1966 on “What’s My Line.” Ffwd to 20:00

Michael Jackson Would Be Proud: Daughter Paris Reconnects with Macaulay Culkin, Son Prince Thanks Michael for “Values and Lessons”

Roger Friedman
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Michael Jackson Would Be Proud: Daughter Paris Reconnects with Macaulay Culkin, Son Prince Thanks Michael for “Values and Lessons”

Paris-Michael_K._Jackson_(@parisjackson)_•_Instagram_photos_and_videos_-_2016-12-18_14.22.00Michael Jackson must be smiling in Heaven. Daughter Paris has obviously kept up with Michael’s pal Macaulay Culkin. She put a photo on Instagram during her current visit to New York. She’s painting Macaulay’s toes.

Meanwhile, brother Prince is doing charity work while going to college. He gave a great interview to the E! channel. He also posted to Instagram a lovely note thanking Michael: “To my dad, no one will eer know the values and lessons you’ve taught me in life.”

Nice kids, they’ve risen above the tragedy of losing their dad so young. They’re Michael’s greatest legacy.

Prince_Jackson_on_Instagram_“To_my_dad_no_one_will_ever_know_the_values_and_lessons_you_ve_taught_me_in_life.”_-_2016-12-18_14.30.16

Box Office Bonanza: “Rogue One” Kicks Off with $155 Mil US, Will Smith Worst Opening Weekend Ever

Roger Friedman
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Box Office Bonanza: “Rogue One” Kicks Off with $155 Mil US, Will Smith Worst Opening Weekend Ever

Neither rain nor sleet nor snow kept “Star Wars” fans from “Rogue One” this weekend.

US total: $155 million.

International total: $290 million.

“Rogue One” is the 12 biggest debut of all time. And the 2nd biggest December opening of all time.

Meantime, Will Smith did have his worst opening ever with $7 million. “Collateral Beauty” couldn’t even get a loan from the audience.

Doing well among Oscar faves: “La La Land,” “Manchester.” Struggling: “Lion,” “Jackie.” “Lion” needs a wider release, an ad campaign and a PR blitz. Great movie but needs support. “Jackie” — surprised that it’s not doing better.

“Moonlight” is also stalling out. I think it’s a limited audience for an excellent movie. They will still get Best Picture, and Supporting Actor and Actress noms. I pray that A24 puts some muscle into “20th Century Women” and Annette Bening. This should be her year. I love Mike Mills’ movie!

Record Producer David Foster Turns Down Trump to Play at Inauguration And His Website is Knocked Offline

Roger Friedman
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Record Producer David Foster Turns Down Trump to Play at Inauguration And His Website is Knocked Offline

David Foster is not playing at the Trump Inauguration. Despite a Page Six story that he would do it, Foster issued a statement yesterday that it’s not true. The statement is ‘un-presidented.’

“I was invited to participate and I politely declined,” Foster said in a statement. “I have no idea where this story came from. Neither me nor my manager was ever contacted by Page Six or any other media outlet.”

Foster is also not dating Christie Brinkley. They live on separate coasts and have many ex spouses between them. They’re just friends and had a nice time this week when Foster was in New York, a friend tells me.

But back to the inauguration. So far Trump has 16 year old Jackie Evancho singing the national anthem. Maybe Andrea Bocelli will sing, but he’s not even American. Otherwise, he’s only got access to Ted Nugent and Scott Baio. Even Kanye West turned him down. I told you weeks ago no one would want to play at this inauguration. It’s a bad look for any performer and could resonate negatively with their other business.

Ironically, the whole matter has crashed Foster’s website. It can’t be accessed.

Trump is now warring with the very clever Graydon Carter and Vanity Fair. It’s the best and most publicity Vanity Fair has received in a year. The funny thing is, the story about the Trump restaurant wasn’t even in the printed magazine. It’s online!

No one I’ve ever known has eaten in the Trump Grille in Trump Tower. It’s unheard of. The place is for tourists or foreign businessmen, I guess. But everyone has eaten in or wanted to in Graydon Carter’s three restaurants– the MonkeyBar, the Waverly Inn, and the Beatrice Inn. They are still hot spots with plenty of celebrities. But Trump Grill? Until Vanity Fair wrote about it, no one knew it existed.

Kate McKinnon’s Hillary Clinton Lampoons Andrew Lincoln’s Famous Sign Scene from “Love Actually”

Roger Friedman
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Kate McKinnon’s Hillary Clinton Lampoons Andrew Lincoln’s Famous Sign Scene from “Love Actually”

Kate McKinnon’s Hillary Clinton made a late appearance on “SNL” last night. She lampooned Andrew Lincoln’s sign scene from “Love Actually,” which actually was a descendant of DA Pennebaker’s signs from “Don’t Look Back.” Lincoln, of course, is now the star of “The Walking Dead.” Was there a subliminal message here that we are the Walking Dead because of the election?

SNL

 

Love Actually:
and yes, that’s the same guy from “The Walking Dead” long before he was a zombie

Bad News for Studio Films with Big Stars like Cruise, Hanks, Pitt, Pratt: Reviews Stink, Audiences Missing

Roger Friedman
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Bad News for Studio Films with Big Stars like Cruise, Hanks, Pitt, Pratt: Reviews Stink, Audiences Missing

It’s a great season for small movie companies and independent minded movies, that’s for sure. From “La La Land” to “Manchester by the Sea” to “Lion,” “Moonlight,” and so on, awards and nominations are piling up. It’s not just The Weinstein Company either, but A24, Open Road, Amazon, and so on are names appearing in logos before they great movies start.

But for studios and big movie stars, it’s mostly bad bad news, bad reviews, and small box office returns. Already we’ve seen Tom Hanks go down in flames in “Inferno.” Tom Cruise’s fans didn’t go back to “Jack Reacher.” Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard have divided few opinions in the messy “Allied.” This weekend, half a dozen name actors led by Will Smith are sinking under their own weight in “Collateral Beauty.”

And there’s more to come: Ben Affleck’s “Live by Night” will be DOA soon enough. Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence and golden boy Chris Pratt are about to go splat in the futuristic “Passengers.” Cotillard, who won an Oscar and should only be in the best films, will squander more good will with Michael Fassbender in “Assassins’ Creed.” (Which of her fans wants to see a movie with the word ‘assassins’ in the title?)

Here’s a thought: last night, Nicole Kidman in the lovely “Lion” and her ex, Tom Cruise, in the unbearable “Jack Reacher 2” made just about the same amount of money. “Lion” was in 16 theaters, “Jack Reacher” was in 233. One is on the way up, the other on the way down. Small movie, big movie.

Steve Gaydos, the very smart executive editor of Variety, Tweeted today: “They’re shooting deals, not scripts.”

That’s about the size of it. Three decades of “packaging” by agents has left the film business in peril. Even the stars (well, most of them) don’t understand what’s been done to them. Few, like Nicole Kidman, get it. She takes a lot of indie films and fights for good roles. But over the currency of movie stars has been diminished by flop after flop. “Allied” has made just $37 million. “Jack Reacher” $58 million. “Inferno” $34 million. “Collateral Beauty” will be lucky to hit any of those numbers.

I’ll tell you what: it’s a drag for those of us who write about Hollywood. We want stars. We want successes. But we also want, like the audience, the thrill of a great movie. It’s getting harder and harder to find. So go see “Silence” and “20th Century Women” when they come out this week. Catch up with “Paterson” and “Captain Fantastic” and “Jackie” and “Loving.” We’ve got to appreciate what we do have!

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