Monday, December 15, 2025
Donate
Home Blog Page 14

Adele Will Make Acting Debut in Supporting Role in High Pitched Film About 18th Century Italian Castrati Seeking Revenge

Roger Friedman
-
0
Adele Will Make Acting Debut in Supporting Role in High Pitched Film About 18th Century Italian Castrati Seeking Revenge

Get out your hankies.

Tom Ford, the designer, is directing his third film. Adele will have a supporting role and there are a dozen famous names including Nicholas Hoult and Aaron Taylor Johnson.

Ford is adapting Anne Rice’s 1982 novel called “Cry to Heaven.” No vampires are involved. “Cry to Heaven” takes place in 17th century Venice and it’s about opera. To cite Wikipedia: “it follows the paths of two unlikely collaborators: a Venetian noble and a maestro castrato from Calabria, both trying to succeed in the world of the opera.”

A young boy who is an opera star named Guido is castrated at age 6, but loses his voice at 18 anyway. Meantime, another boy is castrated and becomes a big star. The two eventually become student and teacher. There’s a lot of very high high note singing.

Who does Adele play? Maybe a singing teacher, opera star, or a mother. But the main roles are Hoult and Taylor Johnson, with other supporting turns from Ciarán Hinds, George MacKay, Mark Strong, Colin Firth, Paul Bettany, Owen Cooper, and Thaniwe Newton.

It’s an interesting choice for Ford, who had a great success with the restrained “A Single Man” — which starred Firth and Hoult — and followed it up with the wilder “Nocturnal Animals” in 2016.

The only time I can remember a castrati boy featured in a film was Merchant-Ivory’s excellent “A Soldier’s Daughter Never Cries.” I have a clear memory of a very young Anthony Roth Costanzo singing at the high pitched premiere party. He was nominated for a Spirit Award. He’s now General Director & President of Opera Philadelphia. According to his bio, he also operatically launched the purple M&M in a national commercial.

Adele will not be able to cuss in this film, but obviously she’ll sing and it will be a big deal. The movie is set for a year from now, which will mark five years since her last album. Love Adele, but Mariah Carey would have had the better range.

Stay tuned…

Watch Jimmy Kimmel’s Tearful Eulogy for Cleto Escobedo III aka “Junior,” Just 59 — And Cleto’s First Appearance on Show

Roger Friedman
-
0
Watch Jimmy Kimmel’s Tearful Eulogy for Cleto Escobedo III aka “Junior,” Just 59 — And Cleto’s First Appearance on Show

Jimmy Kimmel’s monologue last night was for his bandleader and childhood best friend, Cleto Escobedo III.

Cleto, of the Cletones, died yesterday morning at age 59. Kimmel didn’t give a cause of death, but at the end of the monologue he thanks long lists of doctors, nurses, and aides. We’ve all been there. Condolences to Jimmy and all the families involved.

Maybe the worst part of the story is that Cleto’s dad, Cleto II, and his mother outlive the musician. They were in the audience last night. Cleto’s dad plays saxophone in the band. All of this tells you the degree of love and loyalty Kimmel has and had. It’s a very tearful story.

Kimmel will be off the rest of the week. This also explains where he was last Thursday when he abruptly shut down the show. The next day was a rerun anyway, giving all of them the weekend to prepare for the inevitable.

It’s worth watching the whole video to hear of this deep friendship, and Cleto’s accomplishments. PS Everyone called him “Junior” even though he was the 3rd of the Escobedo men with that name.

May his memory be a blessing.

JFK Grandson Jack Schlossberg Announcing Congress Run Weds AM: Can He Go From Eccentric Social Media Star to Politician?

Roger Friedman
-
0
JFK Grandson Jack Schlossberg Announcing Congress Run Weds AM: Can He Go From Eccentric Social Media Star to Politician?

Here comes Jack Schlossberg.

On Wednesday morning he’s announcing his candidacy for Congress. He wants Jerry Nadler’s seat in the 12th District, which is Manhattan.

Jack has been an eccentric social media star for a couple of years now. He’s made news by being completely off the wall until just recently.

But Jack is the grandson of President John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. He’s the son of Caroline Kennedy, and the last chance for the Kennedy dynasty to recover from the craziness of recent events — including his cousin, Robert Kennedy Jr.

Will Jack be taken seriously? Will he edit his social media to get rid of some embarrassing posts? And what about serious security issues for a Kennedy etc? How is this all that going to work?

Lots to consider here but I think he can do it, and I hope he succeeds.

See Jack’s recent posts below:

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

A post shared by Jack Schlossberg (@jackuno)

 

 

 

 

 

Cheryl Hines Book Sales Non Existent After First Day as Former “Curb” Actress Rejected Over Kennedy Support by Readers and Fans

Roger Friedman
-
0
Cheryl Hines Book Sales Non Existent After First Day as Former “Curb” Actress Rejected Over Kennedy Support by Readers and Fans

It’s all over for Cheryl Hines. All enthusiasm for her has been curbed.

Once a kind of hip actress because of her association with Larry David, Hines has wrecked any possibility of respect.

Her book, “Unscripted,” was published today and apparently had no advance sales and no current ones either.

It’s sitting at number 12,208 on the Amazon list of books as of 8pm. “Unscripted” had a whole day to show some traction after a month long publicity campaign.

But no one wanted it.

Hines has done nothing but rationalize her insane support of husband Robert Kennedy Jr, now unbelievably, Health Secretary of the United States. She’s stood up for his conspiracy theories, his positions on vaccines, and his “digital” affair with a journalist.

Only women would have bought this book anyway, and they are obviously ignoring it and her.

Was it worth it, Cheryl?

Over the weekend she appeared on stage at a crazy gathering for anti-vax nutcases and underscored her position. That pretty much cemented her shoes.

“Unscripted” is published by Skyhorse, which is pretty much of a vanity press. She probably paid them to publish it. Look for “Unscripted” on the remainder table by Christmas if not sooner.

 

 

“Running Man” Starring Glen Powell, Directed by Edgar Wright, Opens to Disappointing Reviews: Will They Matter?

Roger Friedman
-
0
“Running Man” Starring Glen Powell, Directed by Edgar Wright, Opens to Disappointing Reviews: Will They Matter?

I had high hopes for Edgar Wright’s revived “Running Man.”

After all, Wright is a top director and Glen Powell is the biggest new mainstream star in a long time.

But 71 reviews just got unleashed onto Rotten Tomatoes, and they aren’t encouraging.

Right now the score is 62%, right on the border of ‘rotten.’ It’s possible that number can be worked up to 70% but it’s certainly not what was hoped for.

Wright, whose “Baby Driver” is one of my favorite films, has never had a rating this low. He usually hits in the 90s. What could have gone wrong?

Powell has only been going up and up since Richard Linklater’s “Everybody Wants Some” in 2016. The lone exception was his romcom with Sydney Sweeney, “Anyone But You.” That one got a 53% from critics and turned into a box office hit.

Can Powell’s infectious grin get him out of this mess? Do the reviews matter? I guess we’ll find out on Thursday night when “Running Man” opens in previews.

Broadway Box Office Boffo: Up to Highest Level Since Late June with $40 Million Take, Maybe the Canadians Came Back After All!

Roger Friedman
-
0
Broadway Box Office Boffo: Up to Highest Level Since Late June with $40 Million Take, Maybe the Canadians Came Back After All!

Boffo Broadway last week at the box office!

Total was $40.7 million, up more than $7 million from last week. Not bad.

“Hamilton” with Leslie Odom Jr continues to lead the way with almost $3.9 million. Everyone wants to be in the room where the award musical happens! This is good news. The more people who see “Hamilton” may actually explain to them how the government has gone wrong.

Many shows are booming. “Just in Time” continues to fill Circle in the Square. Doesn’t Jonathan Groff get tired? Evidently, not. “Just in Time” should be a gold mine not only for him and the producers but all the songwriters who made Bobby Darin’s hits.

All the “Wicked” talk about the new movie has sent the musical up to almost $2.3 million.

What needs help? Not “Art” with its all star cast. But the little plays: “Liberation” and “Little Bear Ridge Road.” Not everything be sung about, you know!

New shows this week: “The Queen of Versailles” opened to mixed reviews Sunday night. Next up is “Chess,” on Sunday.

Jon Stewart, Jim Gaffigan, Comics Star at Veterans Event, Trump Lackey Howard Lutnick Tries to Redeem Himself with $250K Donation

Roger Friedman
-
0
Jon Stewart, Jim Gaffigan, Comics Star at Veterans Event, Trump Lackey Howard Lutnick Tries to Redeem Himself with $250K Donation

It wouldn’t be Veterans Day without Bob and Lee Woodruff’s Stand Up for Heroes.

Nor would it be the launch of Caroline Hirsch and Andrew Fox’s NY Comedy Week.

The annual event, this year, at David Geffen Hall aka the NY Philharmonic, had a star studded cast of comics.

Jon Stewart, Jim Gaffigan, Alex Edelman, Mike Birbiglia, and Tom Papa were among the jokesters.

Tony winners Leslie Odom Jr., Lea Michelle, and Idina Menzel sang their hearts out. Odom was in the room where it happened — his day off from appearing on Broadway in “Hamilton.”

The audience went wild. (A little disappointment this year: no Bruce Springsteen telling “dirty” jokes.)

During a “raise your paddle” donation moment, Trump lackey and Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick gave $250,000 to the cause. Does it make him a better person? Not really. He’s let Trump run amok in private business. But if it helps wounded veterans, he gets some points.

Jon Stewart on aging: “You know what I don’t look good in anymore? Pictures.”

The Woodruff Foundation was founded by ABC correspondent Bob and wife Lee after he recovered from a roadside bomb attack in Ira in 2006. He suffered traumatic brain injury and a 36 day coma, but came back stronger than ever. Now he and Lee do everything they can for soldiers harmed in any situation. They’re amazing people, and so are the soldiers and their families!

RIP The Great Sally Kirkland, 84, Oscar Nominated Actress, Hollywood Mainstay and Former Girlfriend of Bob Dylan

Roger Friedman
-
0
RIP The Great Sally Kirkland, 84, Oscar Nominated Actress, Hollywood Mainstay and Former Girlfriend of Bob Dylan

Sally Kirkland should have written a book.

Beloved and kooky, Kirkland reportedly died overnight at age 84 in Palm Springs, California. She was in hospice for dementia after a fall.

Sally was one of a kind. She’d been in Hollywood for decades when she nabbed a part in a 1987 indie movie called “Anna.” She knew she was good, and that there was no studio money, so she conducted her own warrior Oscar campaign and got a much deserved nomination.

“At the Oscars, there were all these movie stars emerging from their limos, and then there was me. I felt like Cinderella. The greatest part was the feeling to be in the same Oscar category of these women that I was a huge fan of — Meryl, Glenn, Holly Hunter and Cher, who I used to rollerskate with in the ’70s,” she told the Huffington Post in 2012.

Google her and find interviews in many venues. She was a longtime girlfriend of Bob Dylan — she admits to “stalking” him. She loved Robert De Niro, Harvey Keitel, Barry Primus and that crowd. They loved her, too, and supported her during the “Anna” campaign.

Sally’s mother was also named Sally Kirkland. She was fashion editor of Vogue and then Life Magazine for years. They lived on the Upper East Side in apartment next to my great uncle Walter, a charming curmudgeon. He told me, “Little Sally left her bicycle in front of our door and I’d trip over it every morning. I was always asking her mother to move it.”

She never stopped working. Sally Kirkland has 270 credits on the imdb. Of those 32 are producer credits. She was incredibly smart and knew how tough it was in Hollywood for a woman. But she had an unflagging optimism and faith in herself. She was a survivor, and will be missed terribly by everyone who knew her.

Viva Sally Kirkland!

Louis CK Publishes a Novel Today Called “Ingram,” And From the Looks of It He’s Read a Lot of Faulkner and Steinbeck

Roger Friedman
-
0
Louis CK Publishes a Novel Today Called “Ingram,” And From the Looks of It He’s Read a Lot of Faulkner and Steinbeck

Do you want to give Louis CK twenty five bucks?

If you do you can read his novel, called “Ingram,” which is about neither Luther Ingram, Dan Ingram, or Ingram book distributors.

“Ingram” is a serious first novel by someone who’s read Faulkner and Steinbeck. I don’t say that negatively because only I read the first free chapter on amazon. Who knows? “Ingram” may win a book award.

I’m just telling you it exists. The publisher says it’s “picaresque.” Louis says in a promo email this morning: “Ingram is a novel. It’s fiction. It’s about a boy who runs into a lot of trouble. And about who he is and how he gets through it. It’s about the people that he meets and the world the way he sees it. I wrote it. And now it’s yours.”

Louis CK — canceled several years ago after graphic reports of misbehavior — made one of the worst movies I’ve ever seen, not released, called “I Love You Daddy.” The good news, “Ingram” doesn’t seem so terrible. That’s my quote.

Attention BenBella books: send me a pdf at showbiz411@gmail.com and I’ll read it.

Music: Aimee Mann Continues Her Deep Dive into The Carpenters with a Sweet and Bitter Take on “Rainy Days and Mondays”

Roger Friedman
-
0
Music: Aimee Mann Continues Her Deep Dive into The Carpenters with a Sweet and Bitter Take on “Rainy Days and Mondays”

Aimee Mann started her career 40 years ago a little New Wave with “Voices Carry.” Her band, til Tuesday, had three excellent albums culminating in the delicious “Everything’s Different Now.”

Then Mann pursued a non-major label indie path, producing more than a dozen indie albums of carefully crafted, beautifully produced songs each of which really feels like a box of sumptuous chocolates. They’re hard on the outside, gooey inside, and unforgettable.

You might know her from the soundtrack of Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Magnolia.” Aimee got an Oscar nomination for a song about resignation and anger called “Save Me.” It’s one of the few perfect soundtracks to an equal achievement of a film.

She’s also had a range of side things, often reviving material from the 70s. I cherish her cover of Badfinger’s “Baby Blue,” for example. But anything she does, with her buttery, melodic voice, is welcome.

This week she covers Paul Williams’ song made a hit by the Carpenters. “Rainy Day and Mondays” is Aimee’s second bite of this apple. Her first was “Yesterday Once More.” She could really just sing the whole catalog and I’d be all for it. Karen Carpenter — one of the great voices of all time — made the song seem wistful. Mann gives it a little bitterness, which is about right these days.

PS On Aimee’s social media you can find her precisely winsome cartoons. Another side gig that’s worked out.

This track is from an HBO show called “The Chair Company.” I have no idea what that is, but sit and listen:

1...131415...2,321Page 14 of 2,321

Hollywood to the Hudson

Company

Trending

Categories

© Showbiz411.com