I told you last week EXCLUSIVELY that Mary J. Blige had recorded the new theme song for “The View.” The song is called “World’s Gone Crazy,” and it’s written by the great Diane Warren.
Here it is:
Sugar Ray Leonard, 60, Stops the Show at Robert DeNiro Movie Premiere “Hands of Stone”
EXCLUSIVE It was a thrill meeting Sugar Ray Leonard, who at 60 still looks terrific, at Monday’s premiere of “Hands of Stone.” This is the movie about boxer Roberto Duran, starring Edgar Ramirez as Duran, Robert DeNiro as his trainer Ray Arcel and the singing star Usher as Sugar Ray. The movie’s title comes from the boxer’s nickname.
Sugar Ray pulled up his shirt to show me his impressive abs and I took a photograph.
The legendary boxer said when he first heard Usher was going to play him he thought it was a joke. “And then he called me and said, ‘Help me out!’ I was a fan of Usher since he was a kid,” he said. “He had that movement, that music in his head, and for me that’s my thing too, the flow… I tried to emulate Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Robinson, Elvis Presley and Bruce Lee.”
Although the movie is about Duran, the movie’s anchor is the rivalry between the boxers and their famous three fights. The first fight, June 1980, Duran won on a close decision. In the rematch, only five months later, Duran shocked boxing fans when he quit in the eighth round – the famous “no mas” moment, a remark the boxer later claimed he never made.
I asked Sugar Ray what went on in his head when Duran just waved his hands and quit their famous fight in 1980.
“That moment will never go away, it’s locked in my head forever. I didn’t know. I thought it was a trick. I didn’t believe what was happening. I couldn’t understand, like the press of the world, didn’t know what was going on that day. I couldn’t tell you. We’re friends now.” He whispered to, “ I used to hate that son of a bitch!”
On the red carpet, Usher pulled out his iPhone to show a photograph of Sugar Ray in boxing trunks in his prime, an image that inspired him.
What did he learn about himself playing the role I asked?
“I can actually develop a second layer of act. I know about the sixth act, but I developed an eighth act with this role.”
I showed Usher the photograph of Sugar Ray I just took on the red carpet. “Amazing, and at 60! Isn’t that crazy? At 60 that man is still looking like that! Black don’t crack!” Usher said. laughing, before going into the theater.
Beyoncé and Jay Z were also in the house at the New York premiere at the SVA Theater, followed by a glamorous party. Ramirez mixed and mingled with everyone. Other guests included DeNiro’s wife Grace, and cast member Ruben Blades.
Earlier in the evening on the red carpet I spoke to director Jonathan Jakubowicz, a Venezuelan Jew, who told me that growing up in Venezuela the Panamian Duran was a hero. (Arcel was Jewish, and Jakubowicz sprinkles the movie with his Yiddishisms.)
“I really wanted to tell that story when I started reading about him, his relationship with Ray Arcel was so unique. Duran is the son of an American marine who abandoned him and his dreams of avenging Americans, yet an American is the one who turns him into a world champ. Also, his rivalry with Sugar Ray is the biggest in the history of the sport and the enigma of ‘no mas’ is the biggest in the history of boxing… I think we finally answered the enigma.”
Jakubowicz told me his next project will also star Ramirez and De Niro. “We had so much fun working together and we want to do it again. It’s based on a true story about an intelligence officer that uncovered the biggest counterfeiting operation in history.”
Photo of Sugar Ray c2016 Showbiz411 by Paula Schwartz
Frank Ocean’s “Blonde” Album Is Number 1 on iTunes, But a Mess in All Other Respects
Frank Ocean released two albums last week– first a visual album called “Endless.” What was that? Who knew? Then on top of it he released “Blonde” which may or not be spelled with an ‘e’ at the end.
“Blonde” went right to number 1 on iTunes, where it sits now. But otherwise, “Blonde” is part of a big mess.
Apparently, “Endless” was created to fulfill Ocean’s contract with Universal Music Group.
Thus freed, Ocean has released “Blonde” on his own Boys Don’t Cry label. That’s easy to do, since “Blonde” is only digital. There is no hard CD. If anyone wants a CD, they’ll have to make it themselves, since Boys Don’t Cry is virtual at the moment.
This is either wrecking the record business or revolutionizing it. But what’s happening in real time is that no tracks from “Blonde” can be purchased separately. It’s all “album only.” So there are no songs from “Blonde” on the iTunes singles chart. That’s because there are no singles. “Blonde” is kind of a mood piece. You can’t really separate out the tracks. It’s all or nothing.
The tracks have no choruses or hooks, either. So they’re not radio friendly. Hence, no radio play. I like “Blonde” but I think if I heard it on the radio in my car, I’d fall asleep. That wouldn’t be good.
Meanwhile, hitsdailydouble says UMG’s Lucian Grainge is laying down the law with Universal artists about all digital drops that bypass the actual record business. Why did it take so long, I wonder? The business is already in a free fall. Now “artists” are just putting out music with no editing, marketing, sales or distribution. The result — look at Kanye’s Pablo debacle– is a big mess. Want to see the business really works? Look at Taylor Swift or Adele for successes. Or even Drake.
People are fighting over what Ocean’s album is– is it good, for example? It’s interesting. It’s not really a full album. It’s noodling and doodling. But I guess no one can tell him that. No one’s brave enough to.
No one listened 20 years ago and they were warned about hip hop sampling old music and not creating anything new for a generation. Now the music you hear in commercials all comes from the original songs. A whole generation of music is missing– it can’t be used, and no one’s really nostalgic for hit. Puff Daddy’s biggest hit was a rework of The Police’s “Every Breath You Take.” Trust me, as cool as “Blonde” seems this week, it will be forgotten.
For a coherent R&B recording for 2016, try instead Maxwell’s “blackSUMMER’snight 2016.” You’ll see the difference.
Timberlake “Trolls” Soundtrack Features Duet with Gwen Stefani, and Anna Kendrick with Another Cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s “Sounds of Silence”
All summer long, Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t Fight the Feeling” has been number 1 and ubiquitous on the dance floor. The song comes from the “Trolls” soundtrack, which will release this fall.
Now Timberlake has released the track listing for the “Trolls” CD, and we see a lot of things. First of all, co-star Anna Kendrick is really singing a lot. Anna covers Simon & Garfunkel’s “Sounds of Silence” (which was already revived once this year on the charts by The Disturbed), plus she joins Justin on four tracks. Timberlake has no other solo tracks, but he joins in with the others and has a duet with Gwen Stefani called “What U Workin With?” Also, there’s a remake of Earth Wind and Fire’s “September” with the group plus Justin and Anna. Also it seems like Ariana Grande covers “They Don’t Know,” a hit for Tracey Ullman years ago and for Kirsty McColl. Zooey Deschnanel supplies a song called “Hello,” which hopefully is not an Adele cover.
Almost ready… #DreamWorksTrolls #Soundtrack. Presale coming soon. Stay tuned… pic.twitter.com/YAATMOLT5y
— Justin Timberlake (@jtimberlake) August 22, 2016
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
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
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
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
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
Oscar 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.
The 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.