Wednesday, December 10, 2025
Donate
Home Blog Page 14

Mariska Hargitay Gives Emotional Speech After Winning at Critics Choice Doc Awards, Scorsese Project Takes 2 Awards

Roger Friedman
-
0
Mariska Hargitay Gives Emotional Speech After Winning at Critics Choice Doc Awards, Scorsese Project Takes 2 Awards

Mariska Hargitay broke down in tears twice last night during her speech at the Critics Choice Documentary Awards.

Her beautiful and surprising film about her late mother Jayne Mansfield, called “My Mom Jayne,” won Best First Documentary. The film as a labor of love, and anyone who’s seen it knows its impact.

Mariska, tough as nails on “Law Order SVU,” was verklempt, to say the least.

As usual the CCA Doc Awards, held at the Edison Ballroom, were so good it streamed on YouTube (see at the bottom). It’s an intimate, fun night because the films are literally hand-made, their creators are authentic and genuine. Kudos to Joey Berlin, Christopher Campbell, and co.

The big winner of the night was Netflix’s “The Perfect Neighbor,” which is streaming now and should be an Oscar contender. “Being Led Zeppelin” won Best Music Doc, tying with “Sly Stone.”

The other winners are below.

Host for the night was a very funny Asif Mandvi. Presenters included Christine Baranski, Michael Chernus, Maria Cuomo Cole, Mariska Hargitay, Peter Hermann, Reginald Hudlin, Brian d’Arcy James, Hilarie Burton Morgan, the legendary Sheila Nevins, Soledad O’Brien, Raoul Peck, Dawn Porter, Questlove, Ben Stiller, and Rebecca Wisocky.

Legendary documentarian Ken Burns received the Critics Choice Impact Award, presented by acclaimed actor Christine Baranski. The prestigious award recognizes documentarians whose work has illuminated our shared story, made complex issues accessible to broad audiences, and sparked meaningful dialogue that inspires reflection and action. Ken Burns exemplifies this impact through a career that has brought the American experience vividly to life and deepened the nation’s understanding of itself.

Visionary filmmakers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady were the recipients of the CCA’s Pennebaker Award (formerly the Critics Choice Lifetime Achievement Award) presented by Pennebaker’s widow and collaborator, Chris Hegedus. Named in tribute to trailblazing documentarian D A Pennebaker, the award celebrates filmmakers whose careers have made a profound and lasting contribution to the art of documentary storytelling.

It was a big night for legendary late playwright Arthur Miller. His talented director daughter, Rebecca Miller, won two prizes for “Mr. Scorsese,” airing on Apple Plus TV. Then Arthur himself was seen on screen being interviewed about writing “A View from the Bridge.” The Miller family rocks!

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
The Perfect Neighbor (Netflix)

BEST DIRECTOR
Geeta Gandbhir – The Perfect Neighbor (Netflix)

BEST FIRST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay (HBO Max)

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Toby Strong, Doug Anderson (Underwater Photography) – Ocean with David Attenborough (National Geographic)

BEST EDITING
Viridiana Lieberman – The Perfect Neighbor (Netflix)

BEST SCORE
Alexei Aigui – Orwell: 2+2=5 (Neon)

BEST NARRATION
Orwell: 2+2=5 (Neon)
Written by George Orwell, Adapted by Raoul Peck
Performed by Damian Lewis

BEST ARCHIVAL DOCUMENTARY
The Perfect Neighbor (Netflix)

BEST HISTORICAL DOCUMENTARY (TIE)
The American Revolution (PBS)
Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time (National Geographic)

BEST BIOGRAPHICAL DOCUMENTARY
Mr. Scorsese (Apple TV)

BEST MUSIC DOCUMENTARY (TIE)
Becoming Led Zeppelin (Sony Pictures Classics)
Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius) (Hulu, Onyx Collective)

BEST POLITICAL DOCUMENTARY
The Alabama Solution (HBO Max)

BEST SCIENCE/NATURE DOCUMENTARY
Ocean with David Attenborough (National Geographic)

BEST SPORTS DOCUMENTARY
America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (Netflix)

BEST TRUE CRIME DOCUMENTARY
The Perfect Neighbor (Netflix)

BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY
Saving Superman (Switchboard)

BEST LIMITED DOCUMENTARY SERIES
Mr. Scorsese (Apple TV)

BEST ONGOING DOCUMENTARY SERIES
30 for 30 (ESPN Films)

Nikki Glaser’s “SNL” Monologue Is Hilarious, Inappropriate, and Perfect and Right out of a Comedy Club: Grow Up (Watch Video)

Roger Friedman
-
0
Nikki Glaser’s “SNL” Monologue Is Hilarious, Inappropriate, and Perfect and Right out of a Comedy Club: Grow Up (Watch Video)

Come on, we need a break.

The pearl-clutchers are freaking out about this monologue. Get a grip. It’s for adults.

Sting Gets a Cold: Reschedules Two Shows in Florida, Hoping to Make Surprise Appearance This Week in New York

Roger Friedman
-
0
Sting Gets a Cold: Reschedules Two Shows in Florida, Hoping to Make Surprise Appearance This Week in New York

Listen, Sting never cancels a show.

But two in Florida — tomorrow and Tuesday — had to be rescheduled because he says he’s under the weather.

The shows in Tampa and Jacksonville are sold out — and I mean sold out — like every Sting show. They’ve been moved to next May.

Meantime, Sting is making a brief appearance later this week in New York. He’s announced the return of his Broadway musical, “The Last Ship,”  for performances in Paris, the Netherlands, and Australia starting in January.

Sting stars in the show, which received a Tony nomination for Best Score. The songs are some of his very best (I find myself humming the title track all the time). He’s also got an expanded edition of his own “Last Ship” album coming December 5th with new songs including “Island of Souls (2025)”, “Shipyard (featuring Joe Caffrey, Brian Johnson, and Jo Lawry)”, “Ship of State (featuring Renée Fleming)”, “If You Ever See Me Talking to a Sailor (featuring Frances McNamee)”, and “O’Brien’s Hymn.”

Also PS I love this song, not from “The Last Ship”:

Richard Kind Star Studded Tribute: Jeff Ross, Lawrence O’Donnell, Jeff Garlin, Sharon Lawrence, Robert Wuhl, Chris Noth

Roger Friedman
-
0
Richard Kind Star Studded Tribute: Jeff Ross, Lawrence O’Donnell, Jeff Garlin, Sharon Lawrence, Robert Wuhl, Chris Noth

Last night in Times Square, at literally the strangest venue ever (called Circo), the very important Creative Coalition threw a star studded, very hilarious and heartfelt tribute to the great actor Richard Kind.

You had to be there. I’m glad I was!

The very funny Jeff Ross, hot off his six week run on Broadway, hosted the evening — w roast and a toast — produced by TCC’s Robin Bronk and actor Tim Daly.

Richard — who has a resume longer than a CVS receipt, as Ross quipped — sat on stage on a hard leather sofa while an A list one by one took the mic.

They included MS-Now’s erudite Lawrence O’Donnell, Jeff Garlin from “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” Robert Wuhl, Steven Webber, Sharon Lawrence, Yolanda Ross, and even the actor who played Lester, the dead doorman from “Only Murders.” The much missed Chris Noth was in the audience with our old pal, Charlie Kipps. So was Caroline Hirsch, the former owner of Caroline’s Comedy Club, who included the night in New York Comedy Week.

Some of the jokes worked, some didn’t. It was like a night at the old Friars Club as it were on “Fernwood Tonight.” Kind was the star of his own roast, injecting his unique brand of humor into each tribute. At the end of the night Richard spoke passionately about the Creative Coalition (see below) which has been a huge help to the National Endowment for the Arts retaining some budget during this insane administration.

I did not tell the best story about Richard, which I will try now: Almost three years ago — April 1, 2023 — I arrived at Madison Square Garden to see Bruce Springsteen launch his tour. The place was pandemonium, of course, all sold out. There’s a big scaffolding over the entrance, and construction everywhere.

I’d given a kidney to get into this show. As I walk up Seventh Avenue, just under the scaffolding, there’s a familiar face. It’s Richard Kind, just standing there as Bruce fans in huge crowds walk around and over him. I narrowed my eyes, “Richard?” He looks at me in his Richard Kind way, as if we’ve been chatting for an hour, and says, “Do you have an extra ticket?”

Do I have an extra ticket? There are seas of people rushing past us. A lot of them are shouting, “Yo! Richard Kind!” as they make their way inside. “You don’t have a ticket? Look at this,” I respond. He says, in his trademark blinking deadpan way. “I figured I’d run into someone I know with an extra ticket.”

“That’s a big bet,” I replied, considering everyone around us was in a blind hurry to see Bruce. Meantime, fans are coming up, shaking his hand and taking selfies — and escaping into the Garden.

It was a surreal moment. But what could I do? I couldn’t leave him out there. So we whooshed him into the huge security area, through the metal detectors, and over to Will Call, where I was picking up my tickets. We got the window, where I give my name, and then present Richard to the fellow behind the glass.

Suddenly, there’s a crowd of lovely MSG workers gathering around us and in the box office. They love him. He’s working it, answering everyone’s questions about every show or movie he’s been in. I say to my box office guy, “These are my tickets” — which are on the floor, but quite a ways back –“there must be something near there, no,?” Richard interjects, “I’ll pay!”

As it happens, there is one seat to the right of mine because no one wants it. “I’ll take it!” he says, the transaction is performed, and in we went. Turns out, we are seated below a huge VIP section that includes people like Paul McCartney. They have a much better view. But when they see Richard — including Michael J. Fox — they start waving and clapping. He’s doing bows and salutes as if this was always meant to be, and I’m sitting there like a fire hydrant. Other celebrities are passing us on the aisle, guided to their much better floor seats, and they’re all stopping to shake hands with Richard Kind.

Only in New York, kids. Only in New York!

Please donate in Richard’s honor at www.thecreativecoalition.org.

PS Robert Wuhl is doing his first ever Comic Con in Chicago soon for his famous HBO show, “Arliss.” Go there and give him some love. Here’s the link.

Jeff Ross’s Broadway show, Take a Banana for the Ride, is coming to Netflix soon. It deserves an Emmy, Golden Globe, Critics Choice — everything.

Also, a young comic named Adam Freedland took the stage and bombed with jokes about Jeffrey Epstein, Mamdani, and Israel. He’s very popular among young people, he says. I’ll bet. As he noted, this crowd was like a nursing home.

Box Office: “Predator” Scorches with $40 Mil Weekend, Springsteen Fans “Deliver” $2.2 Mil, “Nuremberg” Trial No Objections, “Bugonia” Bugging

Roger Friedman
-
0
Box Office: “Predator” Scorches with $40 Mil Weekend, Springsteen Fans “Deliver” $2.2 Mil, “Nuremberg” Trial No Objections, “Bugonia” Bugging

Weekend box office:

“Predator: Badlands” sold a lot of popcorn and soda this weekend.

Elle Fanning and a bunch of monsters brought $40 million to the box office and a needed hit for Disney/20th. I guess this means many sequels.

The “Predator” success pulled along the studio’s slow starter movie, “Deliver Me from Nowhere.” Bruce Springsteen fans finally woke up and realized they needed to see this part of their hero’s legacy. Let’s say there was a Rising!

“Deliver Me” delivered $2.2 million which is a big deal considering everyone — including me — thought this film was dead. The renewed interest could help Oscar chances for the Jeremy’s — Allen White and Strong.

Consider that the week to week fall off was much less than last weekend, too. 42% vs. 58%. Disney also dropped the number of theaters by 1,260, making “Deliver Me” a little more narrowed. Lesson learned: they went too wide at the beginning. This movie was Born to Walk, albeit at a healthy pace! Total now higher than expected last week at $20.4 million.

No one had objections to Russell Crowe and Rami Malek in “Nuremberg,” which got a nice $4 million opening. Now Sony Pictures Classics just has to wait a month for some awards announcements, which they may get.

Emma (Emily) Stone’s “Bugonia” bugged out, too, and is now up to $12.3 million. Will it be like the Stone predecessor, “Poor Things”? Unclear, but right now audiences are curious about the bald and the bold.

Jennifer Lawrence’s “Die My Love” — with MUBI looking to repeat “The Substance” and Demi Moore — opened to a healthy $2.8 million.

Trump Raves That “Democrats are Cracking Like Dogs on The Shutdown” — Declares “REPUBLICANS MUST BLOW UP THE FILIBUSTER!”

Roger Friedman
-
0
Trump Raves That “Democrats are Cracking Like Dogs on The Shutdown” — Declares “REPUBLICANS MUST BLOW UP THE FILIBUSTER!”

How demented is Donald Trump?

He thinks dogs are cracking, or can be cracked. In a social media post this afternoon he wrote:

“The Democrats are cracking like dogs on the Shutdown”

I suppose the Democrats could be cracking like…nuts, or egg shells. But not dogs. Dogs would be barking, or snarling at Trump. Or maybe even ripping his flesh with their bare teeth because their SNAP benefit aren’t buying them Purina.

Trump also says “Whether we make a Deal or not, THE REPUBLICANS MUST “BLOW UP” THE FILIBUSTER”

Blow it up? In what way? Senate Majority Leader John Thune has told Trump he doesn’t have enough votes to end the filibuster, and it won’t happen. Does Trump have some illegal plan in mind?

And he wrote this while “playing” golf.

Box Office: “Predator: Badlands” $15.6 Mil Friday Has Elle Fanning the Flames, Springsteen Hanging On, Paramount Has No “Regrets”

Roger Friedman
-
0
Box Office: “Predator: Badlands” $15.6 Mil Friday Has Elle Fanning the Flames, Springsteen Hanging On, Paramount Has No “Regrets”

“Predator: Badlands” is not a movie you or I will see, but plenty of people have seen it over the last two days.

Thursday previews and Friday shows add up to a $15.6 mil opening day. A very healthy $30 mil weekend is expected. This is from Disney/20th which wishes it had the same luck with their Bruce Springsteen movie.

The stars are Elle Fanning, who’s also in a quality film, “Sentimental Value.” She’s paying the bills with “Predator.” Her co-star is one Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi,, who is trying to get his name permitted by Scrabble. He may still change it to Bernie Schwartz!

“Deliver Me from Nowhere” is at $18.3 mil as of last night, so it might make $20 million. It seems like there are people still coming, which is great news because the film deserves an audience.

Meanwhile Paramount has no regrets about “Regretting You.” A slow starter, this romcom did $2.2 million last night, and is up to $33.7 million. Starring the eminently likable Allison Williams, and the ubiquitous Dave Franco as the adults. Hot teens Mason Thames and McKenna Grace are the young lures.

Last night I finally caught up with Richard Linklater’s “Nouvelle Vogue” on Netflix. I gather it had a qualifying run in theaters, which I hope means something. Sensational movie, terrific screenplay, and dynamite acting. Zoey Deutsch is spectacular and should be in the running for something! Love the French actors. So clever.

Linklater deserves a special award for having this and “Blue Moon,” two of the best movies this year.

Hilary Duff, aka Lizzie McGuire, Sees Comeback Single Go Up the Charts By Going Down in Sexually Graphic New Pop Song

Roger Friedman
-
0
Hilary Duff, aka Lizzie McGuire, Sees Comeback Single Go Up the Charts By Going Down in Sexually Graphic New Pop Song

Congrats, Hilary Duff!

She’s got the number 2 record on the iTunes singles chart.

Quite the comeback.

She’s the first singer to go up the charts by going down. Her new song, “Mature,” has a chirpy verse about cunnilingus that has licked the challenge of getting a hit.

“Mature” comes from the new Atlantic Records, the legendary label that once hosted Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, and Led Zeppelin.

Can’t wait for the rest of this album. And PS You’ll never look at a Basquiat painting the same way again!

“Lizzie McGuire” Star Hilary Duff, 38, Mother of 4, Sings About Graphic Sex Act in Comeback Single

Michael Jackson? He’s Sold 1.3 Million Albums This Year, More than A Third Were “Thriller,” Now Back in the Top 10

Roger Friedman
-
0
Michael Jackson? He’s Sold 1.3 Million Albums This Year, More than A Third Were “Thriller,” Now Back in the Top 10

Now that the Michael Jackson movie has been set for next April, get ready for an avalanche of Michael marketing.

So far, this year, Michael has sold 1.3 million albums including streaming.

Of those, half a million are from “Thriller,” still the best selling album of all time.

That should give you an idea of how big “Thriller” remains.

On amazon.com, the “Thriller” LP is number 5. It’s priced to sell at $15.99. Most vinyl records these days cost around thirty bucks.

No amount of scandal seems to touch Jackson’s sales, particularly “Thriller.”

Even though Broadway is down in the last week, “MJ The Musical” still took in $1.1 million. The show keeps on chugging, will do well during the holidays, and certainly get a boost from the movie.

Next up: “Thriller” is back in the Billboard Top 10 as of today.

What if Michael had lived? Would he have made more music? Overcome his eccentric persona? Allowed his advisors to make all the moves that have led to this success?

We’ll never know.

Kanye West Selling Cheap, Fast Fashion — Jackets, Slides, Dresses — for $20, $40, $100 — On Website

Roger Friedman
-
0
Kanye West Selling Cheap, Fast Fashion — Jackets, Slides, Dresses — for $20, $40, $100 — On Website

Kanye West is trying to make a comeback.

An avowed follower of Hitler, and an antisemite, yesterday Kanye posted a video in which he met with a “rabbi” to seek absolution. The “rabbi” is an ex con and a cult leader in Kabbalah.

Kanye’s bitcoin is still for sale, having lost most of its value after day 1. This week the coin reached a low point, down from its initial $1 billion valuation to around $384K — if anyone wanted it. So far, only Kanye and some insiders have made money from it.

He’s also getting back into fashion. On his Yeezy.com website, West is offering very cheap fast fashion made of nylon and so on. EVerything is “faux.” Prices range from $20 to $100 for dresses, slippers, sweatshirts, and jackets. Where it’s being made is probably China, or Mars where Elon Musk has a factory.

“Ugly” is a given, although it’s hard to tell on the website. ‘Small’ is also important. Nothing comes in extra large, and there’s no way of knowing how big ‘large’ is.

In unsurprising news, Kanye also received no Grammy nominations today. He will never actually receive any again, although hope springs eternal for his social media followers. Even with the “rabbi” helping, no Grammys are on the way.

Why anyone would buy this stuff when you could do better quality and price wise at Uniqlo or H&M, I do not know.

1...131415...2,319Page 14 of 2,319

Hollywood to the Hudson

Company

Trending

Categories

© Showbiz411.com