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Daytime Drama: CBS, Michael Muhney Drop Hints About Actor’s Return to “Young and Restless”

Roger Friedman
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Daytime Drama: CBS, Michael Muhney Drop Hints About Actor’s Return to “Young and Restless”

One of the strangest real life chapters from CBS’s “Young and the Restless” may be taking a new twist.

Both CBS and actor Michael Muhney have each dropped major hints that the controversial may be returning to the soap after a two year absence.

Muhney was the popular portrayer of bad guy Adam Newman until there some kind of blow-out on the set of “Y&R.” Muhney was abruptly dismissed. CBS leaked a rumor to TMZ that Muhney had been complained about regarding a possible groping incident involving a young actress on the show. No one commented officially, but Muhney left and was replaced by Justin Hartley. No charges were filed, and life went on.

But Hartley left the show a few weeks ago to join NBC’s prime time hit “This Is Us.”  The character of Adam was blown up in a house explosion. But on soaps, unless the actor actually perishes in real life, characters can always be revived.

But now the first and most intriguing clue: Two days ago, CBS Soaps in Depth, the network’s house organ, ran a feature on Muhney returning to his home town to see the Chicago Cubs in the World Series. The title of the article is “The Young and the Restless’s Michael Muhney Shares His Trip to Chicago…”

The magazine presumably would not be running such an article unless CBS was okay with it. They wouldn’t be featuring an actor with whom they had legal disagreements. Also Muhney’s show status is referred to in the present tense. Another clue: Muhney hasn’t been mentioned at all in the CBS soap mag since August 2014– when he left the show– until a few months ago. In recent weeks, his name has started turning up regularly.

Then, of course, Muhney has also just Tweeted: “If you believe in something wonderful, cheer for it long enough, put out good vibes, if you have patience…it can really happen. #Heaven”.  He could mean the Cubs winning the World Series, but you decide.

Muhney’s return to the show may also coincide with the departure of actress Hunter King, whom CBS has promoted to the prime time show “Life in Pieces.” King was recently dropped from her contract status on “Y&R” from regular to recurring.

So is Muhney on his way back? It does seem like it. The fans will love it. Maybe time has healed whatever wounds there were. Or maybe just the ouster of much loathed former executive producer Jill Farren Phelps has also paved the way. In what remains of the soap opera world, this is big, big stuff. I almost never write about that world because it is so damn weird. The actors never speak to press because they’re afraid of being blacklisted. And soaps are considered an alternative universe anyway in show biz. It’s best to go watch the hilarious movie “Soapdish” to understand it all!

“Doctor Strange” Set for $80Mil-Plus Weekend, Already Has $132Mil Foreign, Will Obliterate “Hacksaw”

Roger Friedman
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“Doctor Strange” Set for $80Mil-Plus Weekend, Already Has $132Mil Foreign, Will Obliterate “Hacksaw”

The box office is in for a depth charge this weekend. “Doctor Strange” picked up $9.4 million on Thursday night and is headed to an $80 mil plus weekend.

Benedict Cumberbatch is about to become YUGE, as Donald Trump might say. “Doctor Strange” looks like it will be the biggest opening for Marvel introducing a new character to movies, maybe ever.

And the reviews bear it out. “Doctor Strange” is up around 90% on Rotten Tomatoes. Internationally, “Doctor Strange” already has $130 million in the bank. That huge $165 million budget will be met. Sighs of relief everywhere.

That’s doesn’t spell good news for Mel Gibson’s “Hacksaw Ridge.” Marvel is going to pulverize the violent, bloody, war film that wound up getting a middling review in the New York Times.

On the precipice this weekend is Tom Cruise in “Jack Reacher: Never Go Back.” Apparently no one’s going back, and the movie has only made $43 million in the US. Half of that goes to Cruise, and other half goes to theaters. So hmmm…that’s a problem.

 

More Media Backwash: Rolling Stone Loses Huge Libel Suit with UVA, HBO Cancels Bill Simmons After 4 Months

Roger Friedman
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More Media Backwash: Rolling Stone Loses Huge Libel Suit with UVA, HBO Cancels Bill Simmons After 4 Months

Another bad day in media.

Rolling Stone has lost its libel suit case brought by the University of Virginia. This was the case of the made up rape story. UVA wanted $7.5 million when they filed, but the total could be much, much more when the jury deliberates for damages. We’ve just seen the whole arc of the Gawker case, in which a jury awarded Hulk Hogan $140 million.

The award destroyed Gawker well before a settlement brought the amount down to $31 million– which is still a massive amount of money. Rolling Stone and Wenner Media are now in peril. Earlier this year, Jann Wenner sold 49% of the company to Chinese investors in preparation for this. But Wenner’s nearly 50 year run and his legacy are now at stake because of this crazy episode in which the magazine and its editors were duped. It’s quite awful for everyone.

At the same time, HBO has cancelled Bill Simmons’ sports show after four months. Simmons left ESPN and joined HBO hoping his huge social media following would translate into big ratings. They wanted to make a sports version of John Oliver or Bill Maher’s shows. It just didn’t happen.

Simmons says: “One of the many reasons I joined HBO was to see if we could create a show built around smart conversations for sports fans and pop culture junkies. We loved making that show, but unfortunately it never resonated with audiences like we hoped. And that’s on me. But I love being a part of HBO’s family and look forward to innovating with them on other ambitious programming ideas over these next several years – both for the network and for digital. With that said, I want to thank the dedicated staff that worked so diligently with me behind the scenes to make this show every week – we hired so many great and talented people and I loved having them in my life. It’s difficult for me to imagine not working with them anymore.’

Simmons will stay with HBO and be deployed in other ways.

For the kind of show HBO wanted, you should catch Michael Kay on the YES Network. He’s managed to mix sports and pop culture, and his show is excellent.

Neil Young Gives Up the Pono Ghost, Puts His Music Back on Spotify, Other Outlets, High End Website Now “Under Construction”

Roger Friedman
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Neil Young Gives Up the Pono Ghost, Puts His Music Back on Spotify, Other Outlets, High End Website Now “Under Construction”

Don’t dream, it’s over.

Neil Young has given up the Pono ghost. He’s put all his music back on all streaming services. And he’s released a new single, the title track from his new album “Peace Trail.”

Neil has back his own high end digital player, Pono, and a music service named for it, for the last couple of years. In 2015 he took all of his catalog and put it just on Pono. But as with Jay Z’s Tidal, Pono was an experiment that failed. No one listened. High end streaming and downloading is for a select few, and too much trouble. Plus the Pono player looked like a bar of Toblerone chocolate.

But the Pono Music Store in closed. On the website they say they are “under construction.” But Pono is a dream deferred.

Here’s Neil’s new song, which we can all hear. It’s really good. It sounds a little like Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing in the Dark.” You can’t beat that!

With Neil putting his own catalog back on other services, Pono seems doomed to be a Trivial Pursuit question. But it was a valiant effort.

And frankly, since we’re on this subject, Neil faced two problems. First of all, you can download high end music from hdtracks.com, a terrific service. Second, Astell and Kern makes a great line of high end players. Their AKJr is well priced, easy to use, and a lot of fun. The sound is impeccable, and it’s the size of a credit card. You can eat a Toblerone bar at the same time you’re listening and not worry about it melting in your pocket!

Listen to Stevie Wonder and Ariana Grande’s Hot Single “Faith” from the Movie “Sing”

Roger Friedman
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Listen to Stevie Wonder and Ariana Grande’s Hot Single “Faith” from the Movie “Sing”

Stevie Wonder and Ariana Grande’s “Faith” is a highlight from the coming Universal film “Sing.” What a great song! Now I have faith there’s still good music out there! Now, if only Stevie would get his new album together and put it out! I know he’s got a bunch of songs. “Faith” is a “Happy”-like single written by Ryan Tedder and Benny Bianco. They made it sound like a Stevie hit from the 60s, a la “Fingertips Pt 2.” This is the first time Stevie’s put a song on a soundtrack in 25 years, by the way.

Sharon Jones, “OJ Simpson,” “Weiner,” “13th,” Famed Doc Makers Pennebaker and Hegedus Win First Critics Choice Awards

Roger Friedman
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Sharon Jones, “OJ Simpson,” “Weiner,” “13th,” Famed Doc Makers Pennebaker and Hegedus Win First Critics Choice Awards

DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus were presented with the first ever Lifetime Achievement Award from the Critics Choice/Broadcast Critics last night in Brooklyn at a moving ceremony that also may have shaped this year’s Oscar race for documentaries.

Now we get a better idea that Ava Duvernay’s “13th,” from Netflix has become a big contender. So have Jack Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg‘s “Weiner” and the newly released “Eagle Huntress.” Ron Howard’s Beatles documentary was a cinch– Apple Records’ Jeff Jones came in from London to accept an award.

Pennebaker, 91, the filmmaker of “Don’t Look Back” and “The War Room,” among others spoke movingly about his 40 year relationship and marriage to Hegedus, his co-filmmaker. “She came to see me for a job and I made sure she never left,” he said. Their most recent film is “Unlocking the Cage,” a potential Oscar nominee this year. Pennebaker’s career stretches back to 1958. Hegedus won the 2001 Award from the Directors Guild for her “Startup.com.”

The amazing Sharon Jones won Best Song for Barbara Kopple’s wonderful movie about her called “I’m Still Here.” The Renaissance R&B dynamo is taking some downtime before exploding again on the tour circuit. Check out her music on YouTube and Spotify. It will blow your mind!

WINNERS OF THE INAUGURAL CRITICS’ CHOICE DOCUMENTARY AWARDS

 

Best Documentary (Theatrical Feature) – O.J.: Made in America

Best Director (Theatrical Feature) – Ezra Edelman – O.J.: Made in America

 Best Documentary (TV/Streaming) – 13th

Best Director (TV/Streaming) – Ava DuVernay – 13th

Best First Documentary (Theatrical Feature) – Jack Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg – Weiner
Best First Documentary (TV/Streaming) – (TIE) – Jacob Bernstein and Nick Hooker – Everything Is Copy – Nora Ephron: Scripted and Unscripted and Deborah Esquenazi – Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four
Best Political Documentary – 13th

 Best Sports Documentary – O.J.: Made in America

Best Music Documentary – The Beatles: Eight Days a Week – The Touring Years

Best Song in a Documentary – “I’m Still Here” – Miss Sharon Jones – Written by Sharon Jones – Performed by Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings
Best Limited Documentary Series – O.J.: Made in America

Best Ongoing Documentary Series – 30 for 30

Most Innovative Documentary – The Tower

Soaring “Eagle Huntress,” Opens This Week, Nominated for Critics Choice Doc Awards

Leah Sydney
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Soaring “Eagle Huntress,” Opens This Week, Nominated for Critics Choice Doc Awards

Director Otto Bell got way showbiz lucky when he reached out to Morgan Spurlock– director of the famed “Super Size Me”– for his Sony Picture Classics passion project, “The Eagle Huntress.” The extraordinary documentary follows a 13 year old Mongolian girl named Aisholpan, who trains to become the first female in twelve generations of her Kazakh family to become an eagle hunter. She bucks the tradition of the father handing it down to his son. 

Otto told me at the recent LA premiere that without Spurlock, none of the accolades he’s getting for his film — it has a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes —  would be happening.  He explains, “I made this film and used all my life savings and borrowed from the bank.  I got two-thirds all the way through.  But before she became a full eagle hunter, which involved winter shooting, I knew was it going to be difficult.  So I got in touch with Morgan.  I was totally out of money, I put together the first ten minutes, sent it to him, and he called me that day and told me he never saw anything like it and how could he help me.  I owe him an incredible amount.  I plugged into the Morgan machine, which included CAA.  They connected me with Daisy Ridley. She saw it and wanted to narrate it.  Her narration is like hand holding for the audience and lifts the film in every way.”  

You, too, will be lifted by “Huntress.”  This endearing film is heroic, gorgeous to look at, poignant and inspirational. “Huntress” is nominated for the Best First Documentary Feature in the upcoming Critics Choice Documentary Awards taking today on Thursday November 10th at the BRIC in Brooklyn.  Morgan Spurlock won’t be going again his new pal Otto.  Spurlock’s own new lauded documentary,  “Rats,” is nominated for Best Documentary Feature and he is nominated for Best Director, both for TV/Streaming.  Kudos to them both. “The Eagle Huntress” opens in limited release this week.

Exclusive: Michael Jackson TV Movie Coming from Emmy Winning Motown Veteran Who Knew King of Pop Well

Roger Friedman
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Exclusive: Michael Jackson TV Movie Coming from Emmy Winning Motown Veteran Who Knew King of Pop Well

EXCLUSIVE A Michael Jackson movie that will show him as a doting parent in the final years of his life is coming to TV. And the good news is, the producer is someone who knew Jackson well from the beginning of his career, and still reveres him.

Casting notices have gone out for a Lifetime movie based on the book by Jackson’s bodyguards, Bill Whitfield and  Javon Beard. “Remember The Time: Protecting Michael Jackson In His Final Days,” was published in 2014 and was pretty much on track about Jackson’s life after he returned from his self imposed exile abroad in 2006.

The most interesting thing about the casting notice is that the producer of the film is former Motown chief Suzanne DePasse, who worked for Berry Gordy from the late 60s until the company was sold. DePasse literally knows everything about Motown. She was there when the Jackson 5 was discovered, and has maintained excellent relations with the Jackson family and all the Motown acts over the last four decades. She has two Emmy Awards, and three other nominations– including nods for two highly regarded mini-series about the Temptations and the Jacksons’ rise to fame. The Jackson legacy should be in good hands with DePasse, that’s for certain. (By coincidence, I just caught that Temps movie on cable last week, and it really holds up!)

I’m obviously curious about the movie, and Jackson fans will be, too. (DePasse’s office didn’t return phone calls yesterday.) But the bodyguards’ book is a good resource for the last couple of years of Jackson’s life as it shows his struggles to find a new place to live after leaving Neverland, dealing with his mounting financial crisis, and parenting his three young children. There’s no doubt that Jackson was an excellent father– just look at those kids seven years after his death. They’re thriving. He was doing something right without a doubt.

So stay tuned. “Remember The Time” sounds like it might be the first step in rehabilitating Jackson’s legacy via film. Jackson’s estate should be happy about that.

 

Warren Beatty, Annette Bening and Friends Watch Cubs Beat Indians in Hotel Bar After A List Gala

Roger Friedman
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Warren Beatty, Annette Bening and Friends Watch Cubs Beat Indians in Hotel Bar After A List Gala

What a night for Warren Beatty and Annette Bening! First they were feted at the annual Museum of the Moving Image gala on Park Avenue. Then they took a bunch of friends including directors Barry Levinson and James Toback across the street to the Regency Hotel bar to watch the Cubs win the World Series.

The Museum dinner was full of A listers not only including Levinson and Toback, but stars of Beatty’s new movie “Rules Don’t Apply” including Matthew Broderick (with Sarah Jessica Parker), Alden Ehrenreich, Lily Collins and Candice Bergen.

Heartfelt testimonials were also offered by Mandy Patinkin, Oliver Platt, Barry Diller, Paul Schneider and the legendary Oscar winner Lee Grant. Beatty’s other guests included director Elaine May and her famous actress daughter Jeannie Berlin (who’s going to win a lot of awards for HBO’s “The Night Of”).

Sony Pictures Classics chief Michael Barker, who helps helm the Museum (a great resource based in Queens) gave his own heartfelt toast to Beatty, as did the star’s wife, Annette Bening.

Other guests included director/writer Richard LaGravanese, Gina Gershon, David Rasche, and Paul Sorvino, who’s starred in several Beatty movies including, memorably, “Reds.”

Patinkin, who appeared in “Dick Tracy,” recalled Beatty hiring him over the phone. “He said, Stephen Sondheim is writing a song for you. I said, Okay. Then he said, You may have to sing it with Madonna. I said, Okay, again.” Patinkin was just happy to have work. He couldn’t believe what Beatty did for him.

And that was the tone of the night, one of the best Museum of the Moving Image dinners ever–Beatty is loved, and he’s glowing in return. He talked about his four kids — he calls them “four little Eastern European countries”– and it’s clear he and Bening have found rare Hollywood bliss.

More from the dinner later today– and PS it was Bening who said, when the dinner was over, “We’re missing the World Series!” That’s when a little “Bugsy” reunion coalesced and suddenly the sports fans hanging out in the Regency bar had a bunch of Oscar winners and nominees cheering for the Cubs in their midst!

(Watch) How Donald Trump, Who Wants to be President, Called Jon Stewart a “P—y” on Twitter

Roger Friedman
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(Watch) How Donald Trump, Who Wants to be President, Called Jon Stewart a “P—y” on Twitter

We learned last night that Jon Stewart was harassed by Donald J. Trump on Twitter three years ago.

Stewart told the story during the Stand Up for Heroes event. He recalled Trump calling him a “oussy” on Twitter after picking a fight for no reason. Trump, Stewart says, was obsessed with him having dropped his real last name, Leibowitz, for his stage name.

First, the Tweet:

and then here’s Stewart’s telling of the story last night

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