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UPDATE Al Pacino-Judith Light Tennessee Williams Play Will Start in Los Angeles

Roger Friedman
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UPDATE Al Pacino-Judith Light Tennessee Williams Play Will Start in Los Angeles

EXCLUSIVE UPDATE Last week I told you (actually for the second time) that Al Pacino and Judith Light would star on Broadway in “When God Looked Away” about playwright Tennessee Williams.

The play–written by Dotson Rader– workshopped in Los Angeles last week for potential investors and other insiders. By all accounts it went very well. Everyone was convinced that “When God Looked Away” would come to Broadway ASAP.

Not so fast. Now I’m told the play there’s a better chance a Broadway run will be preceded by a run in Los Angeles– hence the location of the workshop.

A source tells me: “Al had such a bad time with reviews in David Mamet’s China Doll last year, he wanted to do a soft opening far from Broadway first.”

Makes sense, I pointed out, but lately reviewers and snarkers report right back from first previews wherever they are, very different than the old days when there was an official opening night. But “When God Looked Away” sounds like it will be Pacino’s comeback in a big way.

Exclusive: James Franco Will Direct Another Movie, “High School Affair,” Despite A Series of Flops

Roger Friedman
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Exclusive: James Franco Will Direct Another Movie, “High School Affair,” Despite A Series of Flops

I guess give James Franco an E for effort or a P for persistence. Despite making a series of movies as a director or producer that have all been flops, he’s going to direct again.

I’m told Franco is casting for a film called “High School Lover,” which he will co-direct with Jerell Rosales. It’s about a young girl who has an affair with an older man. He will play the girl’s father. The girl will be played by Paula Singer.

The bizarre part of this is that as a director Franco has not been a success. He has four movies listed with boxofficemojo.com. Their total box office take is $105,438. And that excludes some that simply never registered as releases including his adaption of William Faulkner’s “The Sound and the Fury.” There is no record that film was ever released or earned any money.

There are also a bunch of films that he was responsible for producing or instigating, all flops including “Palo Alto,” “Maladies,” and “The Adderall Diaries.” He appeared as an actor in a Wim Wenders movie that made eight thousand dollars, and a film called “Yosemite” based on his own short stories that took in just over thirteen thousand dollars.

Still, Franco — nominated for an Oscar in “127 Hours,” has some things to look forward to–an HBO series with Maggie Gyllenhaal called “The Deuce,” and a big studio feature called “Why Him?” with Bryan Cranston that sounds like the 4th installment of “Meet the Parents.”

But “High School Lover” already could join that long list of indie projects no one will see, and upon which good money may be lost. No one says no to stars when they want to make their own movies. It’s impressive that the money is always there.

Christie Brinkley Checked Out Billy Joel’s MSG Show Last Week Hoping to Meet New Baby

Roger Friedman
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Christie Brinkley Checked Out Billy Joel’s MSG Show Last Week Hoping to Meet New Baby

Christie Brinkley and Billy Joel remain great friends many years, children and lovers after their divorce.

Last night I ran into Christie at the Blue Parrot restaurant in East Hampton with her son Jack and a friend. I wondered if she’d been in touch with Billy, father of her daughter Alexa, lately?

“I actually went backstage the other night at Madison Square Garden hoping to meet his new baby daughter, Della Rose” Christie told me. “He’d been wanting me to see her and I was dying to meet her. But she wasn’t feeling well, so it will have be next time.”

Brinkley– who is somehow looking younger than ever at 62–and if it’s plastic surgery we all should get it–is keeping busier than ever this summer. She’s launching a line of vegan Prosecco called Bellissima–made in Italy– next month, with three flavors. Her son Jack is acting, and daughter Sailor is modeling. Eldest kid Alexa Ray is busy writing music and looking forward to new gigs.

And that whole thing with John Mellencamp? Their break up was geographically motivated. “He didn’t like the Hamptons,” she said, “and I couldn’t live in Indiana.” But she added: “Going with him on tour in the heartland I was incredibly impressed with all the art and culture going on in small towns–and they love him!”

Exclusive: Oliver Stone’s “Snowden” Screens for NY Media Elite Pre-Toronto

Roger Friedman
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Exclusive: Oliver Stone’s “Snowden” Screens for NY Media Elite Pre-Toronto

Oliver Stone’s controversial new movie “Snowden” got a pre-Toronto Film Festival screening last night in East Hampton for New York media elite and others (like me). The occasion was that Stone was out east for a respite before his Toronto gala on September 9th, the official world premiere.

Among the people I ran into were Joy Behar, Katie Couric, Bob Balaban (and wife Lynn on crutches), Christie Brinkley– who brought her burgeoning actor son Jack, Sony Pictures Classics’ Michael Barker (it’s not his film, but he wanted to see it), Washington Post columnist Richard Cohen and Patricia Duff, and so on.

Stone is absolutely one of my favorite film directors, from “Salvador” to “Savages,” so I was certainly curious about “Snowden,”which stars Joseph Gordon Levitt and Shailene Woodley with nice supporting work from Rhys Ifans and Scott Eastwood among others. Melissa Leo plays doc maker Laura Poitras, Zachary Quinto is Glenn Greenwald. Tom Wilkinson, Joely Richardson, and Nicolas Cage are also prominently featured.

No reviews til September 9th but I do think “Snowden” will cause an uproar in good ways– there will be lots of discussion. Stone had 8 or 9 meetings with the spy, hero or traitor (pick any) in Russia, he says. The director also brought along NSA whistleblower Bill Binney, who is really interesting and had a lot to say about Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. (He doesn’t like any of them.)

I really enjoyed “Snowden” because it’s a real movie. No one wore a cape, there was no gunplay or violence, everyone kept their clothes on, and the subject matter had to do with our lives and our future. Hard to believe. Also, there’s a chance I learned how to solve a Rubik’s cube. It’s all good!

Box Office: “Ben Hur” Remake Tanks with $11.4 Million, “War Dogs” Doesn’t Do Much Better

Roger Friedman
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Box Office: “Ben Hur” Remake Tanks with $11.4 Million, “War Dogs” Doesn’t Do Much Better

Weekend box office: as predicted “Ben Hur” tanked. The total was $11.4 million, less than the lowest prediction. That’s a washout for Paramount. “Ben Hur” cost about $150 million. Maybe there will be foreign ticket sales. One can only hope.

“War Dogs” came in with a very sour $14.3 million.

“Suicide Squad” was number 1 again. “Sausage Party” was a very un Kosher $15.3 million, up to total $65 mil.

Summer 2016 cannot end fast enough for the studios.

Keep refreshing…

Jack Nicholson Makes Rare Appearance at Music Fundraiser in the Hamptons for Legendary Apollo Theater

Roger Friedman
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Jack Nicholson Makes Rare Appearance at Music Fundraiser in the Hamptons for Legendary Apollo Theater

jack nicholsonOscar winner Jack Nicholson, a true Hollywood star, made a rare appearance last night in the Hamptons at at music fundraiser for the legendary Apollo Theater. Nicholson, who is seen pretty much only at LA Lakers games and annually in the Hamptons, stays with art dealer Larry Gagosian in his East Hampton compound.

Lionel Richie, Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton, Pharrell Williams, Usher, Ciara and Jon Bon Jovi performed for a small room of people at The Creeks, who paid $10,000 a ticket to help the Apollo, Harlem’s booming beacon of culture. Usher is in town anyway for Monday night’s premiere of “Hands of Stone.” Bon Jovi lives in the Hamptons. Revlon sponsored the event.

Guests included the people who come every year, including Christie Brinkley, Lorraine Bracco, Don Johnson, Colin Powell, and Jennifer Lopez, who did not sing despite the presence of a live band. The dinner raised $5 million even though not a single performer had anything to do with the Apollo’s legacy as the home of R&B and soul music.

lawrence scottThe Apollo event was one of many yesterday including the annual Artists and Writers Softball Game– which featured beloved NY Yankee manager Joe Torre; Michael Bolton’s annual charity dinner produced by Lawrence Scott; and AVENUE Magazine’s dinner on the Beach at Baker House.

Superstition – not at #ApolloInTheHamptons #CampPerelman #RonaldPerelman @bonjovi

A video posted by Jason Binn (@jasonbinn) on

Lou Pearlman– Disgusting, Greedy Creator of Backstreet Boys, NSync, Dead at 62

Roger Friedman
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Lou Pearlman– Disgusting, Greedy Creator of Backstreet Boys, NSync, Dead at 62

One of the most awful people in the world has died in jail. Lou Pearlman, 62, the disgusting, greedy creator of the the boy bands Backstreet Boys, O Town and ‘NSync, is dead.

Pearlman was serving time for a 2008 conviction for running a Ponzi scheme that bilked investors out of $300 million. He was also alleged to have participated in unsavory acts against underage performers. He denied it. He was sued by almost all his acts in federal court for a variety of malfeasance.

Sleazy and sweaty, Pearlman had a stroke in jail in 2010. US Weekly says he then lost 75 pounds. Apparently that wasn’t enough.

Pearlman’s whole sordid history can be read here. I’m not putting up his picture because I can’t look at him.

(Video) Frank Ocean Drops a Second Album in 2 Days, Featuring New Single “Nikes”

Roger Friedman
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(Video) Frank Ocean Drops a Second Album in 2 Days, Featuring New Single “Nikes”

Didn’t I just write a story about Frank Ocean releasing a visual album (or whatever) called “Endless”? Yes, I did.

Now, I guess around 7pm Eastern, Ocean dropped a second album– a real album– called “Blonde,” formerly known as “Boys Don’t Cry.” Why not? Just whatever, drop it the day after albums are released with no actual notice. If I were in marketing at this record companies I’d be living on Xanax.

Anyway, it’s on iTunes and AppleMusic exclusively, so what the—. When it’s on Amazon or Spotify, I’ll hear the whole thing.
Here’s the first single “Nikes” with a nod to Trayvon Martin. You’ll be playing it a few times over.

1. “Nikes”
2. “Ivy”
3. “Pink + White”
4. “Be Yourself”
5. “Solo”
6. “Skyline To”
7. “Self Control”
8. “Good Guy”
9. “Nights”
10. “Solo (Reprise)”
11. “Pretty Sweet”
12. “Facebook Story”
13. “Close To You”
14. “White Ferrari”
15. “Seigfried”
16. “Godspeed”
17. “Future Free”

Hillary Clinton Hollywood Fundraiser Replaces Scandal Plagued Leonardo DiCaprio with Justin Timberlake

Roger Friedman
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Hillary Clinton Hollywood Fundraiser Replaces Scandal Plagued Leonardo DiCaprio with Justin Timberlake

Leonardo DiCaprio‘s charity scandals and problems with lawsuits over “Wolf of Wall Street” have come back to bite him. Hillary Clinton’s campaign has replaced him as host of a Hollywood fundraiser on Tuesday with Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel.

Despite winning the Oscar this year, DiCaprio is mired in scandals regarding his own charity, the Leonardo Di Caprio Foundation, and lawsuits and arrests concerning the funding “The Wolf of Wall Street.” The latter stretches all the way to Malyasia, where suspicious murders have been tied to missing funds that were used to finance the hit movie.

Clinton’s campaign says DiCaprio had to bow out because he’s finishing a documentary called “The Turning Point” for a premiere at the Toronto Film Festival. But that’s a rather lame excuse since the movie is being made by Fisher Stevens and Martin Scorsese’s documentary team, is mostly done and isn’t even playing in Toronto for three weeks. It’s hoped that it’s not the snoozer that “The 11th Hour”– DiCaprio’s last spiel on climate change– was. DiCaprio could easily have hosted a Tuesday lunch in Los Angeles for dignitaries. It’s not like he flies commercial. He’s well known at this point for using private plans like they’re taxis.

Clinton doesn’t need the tsuris of DiCaprio’s bad publicity right now. Timberlake and Biel are squeaky clean, lovely, and he can always sing a little. Maybe he’ll sing “Bye Bye Bye” to Donald Trump!

 

Box Office: “Ben Hur” Remake in 4th Place on Friday, Aiming at Disastrous $12 Mil Weekend

Roger Friedman
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Box Office: “Ben Hur” Remake in 4th Place on Friday, Aiming at Disastrous $12 Mil Weekend

“Ben Hur”– urgh, I don’t want to keep beating these dead horses. Friday box office was dismal, with the remake coming in 4th and posting $4.3 million. Will it actually clear $12 million by Sunday night? Who knows? The damage is done.

“War Dogs” had a little more pep in its step Friday night, but not much. The total for Thursday-Friday was $5,530,000– but that included $1.2 million on Thursday. So, really, $4.3 mil on Friday night is very bad indeed. I just don’t understand this film and how it was created. It’s a Scorsese knock off. It’s like when you’re in the Louvre, and you think you’re seeing a Rembrandt, but then the tag sales “from the school of Rembrandt.”

All the fanboys and girls ‘hate’ “Suicide Squad,” but it’s rockin’ along at number 1, about to cross the $500 mil mark. Not bad.

 

 

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