The Washington Post has uncovered audio from an open mic between Donald Trump and Billy Bush of “Access Hollywood.” It’s real. Trump is lewd and coarse, bragging in graphic terms how he pursued a woman– maybe named Nancy. “I tried to f— her,” he says. “I moved her on like a bitch– and she was married.” So was Trump, by the way. “When you’re a star you can grab them by the pussy,” he observes.
And you were going to vote to make this man President of the United States?
You know, I loved Mike Mills’ 2005 debut, “Thumbsucker.” It’s a must- rent if you haven’t seen it. Then a couple of years ago he directed Christopher Plummer to an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in “Beginners.”
Now Mills brings us his original screenplay, directing “20th Century Women” and most definitely bringing Annette Bening to the top 5 performances by women this year. She may finally get her Oscar after waiting and being snubbed in “Being Julia,” “American Beauty,” “The American President,” and “The Grifters.” At least.
Bening plays Dorothea, raised in the Depression and now raising a teenage boy in 1979 Santa Barbara as single mother. Mills has created a unique character for Bening, who plays the part without makeup or even a hair comb. Dorothea is a 55 year old woman (about Bening’s age) wrestling with monumental social changes as her son comes of age. Sensing her deficiencies, she appoints two deputies– Greta Gerwig’s Abbie and Elle Fanning’s Julie– to help her. They are then three women in different orbits, all bringing Jamie (Lucas Jade Zumann) into some kind of manhood.
“20th Century Women” joins “Manchester by the Sea” as another completely original, outstanding story not adapted from anything. Like Kenny Lonergan, Mills is a real writer, with a terrific ear. He’s empathetic and just melancholy enough to pull off a beautiful ensemble piece that should earn him a Best Picture nomination and many other citations for excellence. The humor is sly and there are plenty of organic laughs. Mills is exploring a lot of things in retrospect here, especially the women’s movement. A lot of things that seemed like New Age in 1979 are taken for granted now.
All the actors, including Billy Crudup as a kind of lost post-hippie who lives in Dorothea’s rambling house, shine. They’re aided by voice over narration detailing backstories of each character as if they were part of a novel. This works wonders because the most layered information about each character, the better.
But in the end, it’s Bening’s movie. Her Dorothea wise, winning and funny. Women should flock to this film, single mothers especially. “20th Century Women” rings true on every level.
Scientology scored some big points today at NewsCorp and 21st Century Fox. Maybe they’re all joining the cult now that Roger Ailes is gone.
The Post has a feature today titled “Scientology Made Michael Pena a Better Actor.” It’s a statement, and it’s not question. The article comes from The Guardian UK, one of the worst of the worst British “publications.” I hope the author of the piece, Jessica Sager, was remunerated nicely for her PR.
Fox News, the Post’s sister conspirator, picked up the story and now it’s on Yahoo News.
Sager writes: Peña says he dismisses any gossip about the controversial religion. “I don’t read that stuff,” he sniffed.
He’s dumber than I thought. For starters, Pena, trying the book and the documentary “Going Clear,” then read Leah Remini’s book. After that you’ve only got to Google “Scientology- cult- complaints-lawsuits” to get going. Or ask fellow showbiz types Paul Haggis, Remini, Jason Beghe, and so on why they left. Or ask Jenna Miscavige, the niece of your exalted leader.
As for the Post, Fox News, the Guardian, and most importantly Sager– shame on you.
Mal Young, the new executive producer of CBS’s “The Young and the Restless,” is cleaning house. He’s fixing the mistakes made by Jill Farren Phelps, the worse EP in soap history (she presided over the deaths of several soaps and almost “General Hospital.”)
Now actor Steve Burton, who came with Phelps from “GH,” is leaving the show after four years. He Tweeted that he’s leaving at the end of December. His huge salary and perks will go with him. The end of the Phelps era is here.
Young has really spruced up the show in a short time. He’s ousted the horrid head writer, replaced him with a show vet, and brought back a lot of the actors/characters the fans wanted to see for some time. “Y&R” is still a soap opera, don’t be fooled. But slowly it’s starting to sound and feel like it might be directed to adults with a college education.
As for Burton, he’s the actor who brought James Franco disastrously — through Phelps– onto “General Hospital.” They shared a manager, Miles Levy. I’m told Burton lives in Nashville and Phelps had given him a nice deal where he could fly back and forth to LA. The new bosses didn’t go for that, apparently. How will they write out his character? On a soap, mass amnesia is not an unknown malady.
Sarah Jessica Parker is going to edit four novels a year for the Hogarth Press. This was announced yesterday by The New York Times, so it must be true. The Hollywood Reporter, loathe to pick up a phone or Google anything it can just aggregate, ran a big story on it as if it was their own.
The Times reports: “Hogarth, the publishing house founded in 1917 by Virginia and Leonard Woolf, is mounting SJP for Hogarth, where, as editorial director, Parker will help to find, edit and publish three or four new novels a year.”
Yeah, but you know what? That Hogarth Press has not been in business since 1946. Started in 1917 by Virginia Woolf and her husband Leonard (you know them from “The Hours”) the company sputtered out in ’46 although the name survived until 1969. And then it was over, completely.
So what is this Hogarth Press? Why, it’s an imprint of Penguin Random House. Penguin and Random House used to be different companies until they were forced into a shotgun marriage three years ago. They have a UK imprint called Chatto & Windus, and that imprint begat a Hogarth 2.0 in 2012. The Woolfs are long gone and have nothing to do with it, obviously. (She died in 1941, look it up.)
The Times doesn’t mention Penguin Random House or any of this. They do leave the impression that “Hogarth Press” has been a fine old institution lo these many decades. Hah! I thought it said Hogwarts Press, and it might as well have. I really like Sarah Jessica Parker, but she won’t be going to lunch with Mrs. Dalloway any time soon.
The Rolling Stones are releasing a new studio album, possibly their 700th, on December. “Blue and Lonesome” is an album of blues covers, with Eric Clapton featured on two tracks. (He just happened to be next store at the same studio!) Interscope is releasing the album in various formats.
I kid about ‘700’ but really the first single sounds great. Will this sell? Yeah, first week, to aficionados. But it’s fun, it’s real music. The Stones were always serious about blues. And it was easier than writing 12 new songs that everyone would ignore and wouldn’t get played on the radio anyway.
Maybe this will pave the way for some club dates (yeah!) and a Grammys performance. Things to look forward to! PS Produced by Don Was with the Glimmer Twins (Mick and Keith).
PS Original Stone Bill Wyman — now ex-officio– turns 80 on October 24th. Really.
The Rolling Stones ‘Blue & Lonesome’ full tracklisting
1. Just Your Fool
(Original written and recorded in 1960 by Little Walter)
2. Commit A Crime
(Original written and recorded in 1966 by Howlin’ Wolf – Chester Burnett)
3. Blue And Lonesome
(Original written and recorded in 1959 by Little Walter)
4. All Of Your Love
(Original written and recorded in 1967 by Magic Sam – Samuel Maghett)
5. I Gotta Go
(Original written and recorded in 1955 by Little Walter)
6. *Everybody Knows About My Good Thing (with Clapton)
(Original recorded in 1971 by Little Johnny Taylor, composed by Miles Grayson & Lermon Horton)
7. Ride ‘Em On Down
(Original written and recorded in 1955 by Eddie Taylor)
8. Hate To See You Go
(Original written and recorded in 1955 by Little Walter)
9. **Hoo Doo Blues
(Original recorded in 1958 by Lightnin’ Slim, composed by Otis Hicks & Jerry West)
10. Little Rain
(Original recorded in 1957 by Jimmy Reed, composed by Ewart.G.Abner Jr. and Jimmy Reed)
11. Just Like I Treat You
(Original written by Willie Dixon and recorded by Howlin’ Wolf in December 1961)
12. *I Can’t Quit You Baby (with Clapton)
(Original written by Willie Dixon and recorded by Otis Rush in 1956)
Lady Gaga’s new song “Million Reasons” is an excellent anthem and a single that should resonate on the charts. She really had a bad time with Taylor Kinney, since this seems like the second song in a row about breaking their engagement. All that stuff ’bout hell and a woman scorned…Gaga’s back on track.
What a historic night for music at the annual Little Kids Rock gala at Capitale. The group honored songwriter-performer Kenny Loggins and Motown legend Smokey Robinson. Legendary Soul Man Sam Moore– mentioned in Bruce Springsteen’s new book four times as an “inspiration”– sang with Kenny, performed a Jackie Wilson song in honor of fellow Detroiter Smokey. Audience members included Marc “Walking in Memphis” Cohn. A Paul Simon-signed Fender guitar was auctioned off for thousands of bucks. Tracy Morgan made a tearful appearance also on behalf of Smokey.
By the way, the house band was led by former Letterman/SNL guitarist Will Lee. And among the featured players was New York Yankee legend Bernie Williams! Bernieeeee!!
Loggins– looking younger than springtime–performed “Danny’s Song,” which Anne Murray covered back in the 70s and revived his career with Jim Messina as a top 40 duo. When it came time to perform “Footloose,” the title track from the 1984 hit movie, he told a little story. He was looking for inspiration himself, and based the song on the Mitch Ryder classic “Devil in the Blue Dress.” He laughed and said, “Don’t sue me” as he launched into the original song, then segued into his own. The songs are similar but I don’t think he has to worry about it.
What Loggins obviously did not know is that “Devil” was co-written by Smokey’s longtime Motown collaborator William “Mickey” Stevenson. Small world since Smokey was sitting right there.
Loggins later joined Sam Moore for the Sam & Dave classic “I Thank You” after Sam brought down the house with “Soul Man” 
and Jackie Wilson’s “To Be Loved.” The audience went wild, as Sam turns 81 next week and sounds better than ever.
Smokey lentertained the crowd with “I Second That Emotion,” a gorgeous version of the Gershwins’ “Our Love is Here to Stay” and his own “Being with You.” He finished with one of his great self-penned Motown hits– “Get Ready”– backed up all the kids from the charity. Quite a night. Smokey pleaded during his acceptance speech for more music education in schools, which was met with applause throughout the cavernous Capitale.
All photos c2016 Showbiz411
It’s history making time.
Solange Knowles has the number 1 album in the US on iTunes. She’s also headed to number 1 for the week, period, on all charts with her “A Seat at the Table.”
Solange’s older sister, Beyonce, has the number 4 album with “Lemonade.” Beyonce’s numbers are bigger by far, but this week, she’s following her little sister.
That’s the first time sisters have had number 1 albums in the same year, been in the top 5 at the same time, or ever had albums on the chart at the same time.
There aren’t too many cases of singing sisters, anyway. There’s Liza Minnelli and Lorna Luft, I guess. The Andrews Sisters. Dionne and the late Dee Dee Warwick. Freda and Sherrie Payne. Aretha Franklin and late sisters Carolyn and Erma. The Scissors Sisters (just kidding).
Ann and Nancy Wilson work together, as Heart. That doesn’t count.
Solange has issued albums before, but none was very successful. She wanted a seat at the table and got it. She made lemonade from lemons considering she’s probably best known for fighting with Jay Z in an elevator.
“A Seat at the Table” has no physical CD yet. It’s available as a download, and for streaming. Luckily, Solange did not put her album on brother in law Jay Z’s Tidal service exclusively.
And get this: Solange wrote all 21 tracks by herself. She’s the sole credit. No teams of writers. Just her. Impressed? You should be., I know I am.
British songwriter Rod Temperton is dead at age 66 from “aggressive cancer.” It was a brief illness apparently.
Temperton wrote Michael Jackson’s hits “Rock with You,” “Off the Wall” and “Thriller” as well as “The Lady in My Life.” He also wrote the huge Patti Austin-James Ingram song “Baby, Come to Me” and George Benson’s “Give Me the Night.”
Temperton also gave the group Heatwave their two big hits– “Always and Forever” and “Boogie Nights.”
He worked with Quincy Jones as a producer-writer, and wrote hits for D0nna Summer, the Brothers Johnson, Herbie Hancock, and Michael McDonald.
Condolences to his family. What a shame.
The original #CHICOrganization. Our very 1st our was w Rod Temperton's #RIP band #Heatwave. They were amazing!
— Nile Rodgers (@nilerodgers) October 5, 2016
Thank u 4 your superlative songwriting @RodTemperton. U will always Live in Me. Rest in power. https://t.co/uVcYuBzCcG
— Chaka Khan (@ChakaKhan) October 5, 2016