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Aretha Franklin Wows Seth Meyers “Late Late Show” After Kennedy Center Triumph

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Aretha Franklin is on a roll. Over the weekend she stole the whole Kennedy Center honors from all the inductees, performing Carole King and Gerry Goffin’s “You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman.”

King and Goffin wrote the 1968 hit at the urging of Atlantic Records producer Jerry Wexler. He came up with the title and gave it to the hit songwriters. That’s why he got a songwriting credit and some royalties.

Aretha told me last night at Seth Meyers’ show: “Jerry Wexler bought me that song almost 50 years ago. And it still stands up!” She ain’t kidding.

Last night the Queen of Soul took the stage on The Late Late Show with Seth Meyers, and blew away the audience with her version of “I Will Survive.”

Afterwards, Ms. Franklin took posse to Gallagher’s Steak House. She needed to replenish after all that exercise!

Tonight, Aretha makes a rare appearance at the opening of “The Color Purple” on Broadway. She’s eyeing Jennifer Hudson to play her in a biopic.

photo c2015 Showbiz411 All rights reserved

Adele Sales Slowing Down? On Track for 500K This Week Ending Today

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Today is the last day of the sales week in the record biz. Adele is at 319,617 copies of “25” with 80% of the total counted by hitsdailydouble.

Will she hit 5 million by midnight? So far Adele is over 4 million and counting. There was some expectation she would sell 750 K this week. But at this point, that’s a lot. There has to be a cooling off week and this is probably it.

Next week, on Monday the 14th, NBC airs her Radio City Special. That should push sales back through the roof for the remaining two weeks of 2015. “25” may still hit 7 million copies depending on reaction to the special. I haven’t seen it yet, but Lorne Michaels produced it. From what we saw live in Radio City, this should be a huge ratings getter.

Meantime. Ms Adkins holds the #1 position on the iTunes albums and singles charts. On amazon she holds down 1, 4, 7, and 19 on the physical CD and vinyl chart. The LP, selling at $22.99, is number 4 on the overall amazon chart! I just hope it’s mastered better than the CD I bought from Target, which was full of distortion.

Exclusive: Official Marvin Gaye Biopic from “Compton” Director F. Gary Gray

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Marvin Gaye is finally getting the big screen treatment. And this time it’s official. I hear that
“Straight Outta Compton” director F. Gary Gray has made a deal with longtime Motown impresaria and award winning producer Suzanne dePasse as well as Motown founder Berry Gordy. Gaye’s family is said to be involved as well. 

There have been past attempts to make a Marvin Gaye film.  But without music rights it was impossible. Julien Temple was going to direct “Sexual Healing” with Jesse L. Martin but it beer happened.

Gordy and dePasse’s involvement bodes well for the project.  More to come…P.S.no title yet but my choice would be How Sweet it Is. 

SAG Nominees: Beasts, Big Short, Spotlight, Straight outta Compton, Trumbo, Snub Tarantino, Honor 8 Year Old

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You always knew Andrea from “Beverly Hills 90210” would be introducing the SAG Awards. Art becomes life.

SAG just snubbed Quentin Tarantino’s “The Hateful Eight,” passed over Jennifer Lawrence in “Joy” and gave little joy to a lot of people who we thought they’d nominate this morning. These are the weirdest nominations I have ever seen.

Big surprises: a TV Nod for Nicole Kidman in “Grace of Monaco.” This was released as a movie, then retracted sort of, released on Lifetime. (I agree that Kidman was excellent in a bad movie.) A movie nom for Sarah Silverman’s dramatic role in “I Smile Back.” Shocks.

Big endorsement for “Trumbo” and Bryan Cranston. Big. A nomination for Helen Mirren in “Woman in Gold.”

But snubs: no acting prizes for “Spotlight” other than ensemble. No Keaton or Ruffalo. But Rachel McAdams got in for Supporting Actress. I think the supporting thing for all the men in “Spotlight” confuses everyone.

A nomination for an 8 year old, Jacob Tremblay, from “Room.”

Best Ensemble (Motion Picture)
“Beasts of No Nation”
“The Big Short”
“Spotlight”
“Straight Outta Compton”
“Trumbo”

Best Actor (Motion Picture)
Bryan Cranston, “Trumbo”
Johnny Depp, “Black Mass”
Leonardo DiCaprio, “The Revenant”
Michael Fassbender, “Steve Jobs
Eddie Redmayne, “The Danish Girl”

Best Actress (Motion Picture)
Cate Blanchett, “Carol”
Brie Larson, “Room”
Helen Mirren, “Woman in Gold”
Saoirse Ronan, “Brooklyn”
Sarah Silverman, “I Smile Back”

Best Supporting Actor (Motion Picture)
Christian Bale, “The Big Short”
Idris Elba, “Beasts of No Nation”
Mark Rylance, “Bridge of Spies”
Michael Shannon, “99 Homes”
Jacob Tremblay, “Room”

Best Supporting Actress (Motion Picture)
Rooney Mara, “Carol”
Rachel McAdams, “Spotlight”
Helen Mirren, “Trumbo”
Alicia Vikander, “The Danish Girl”

Best Ensemble (Drama Series)
“Downton Abbey”
“Game of Thrones”
“Homeland”
“House of Cards”
“Mad Men”

Best Ensemble (Comedy Series)
“The Big Bang Theory”
“Key & Peele”
“Modern Family”
“Orange Is the New Black”
“Transparent”
“Veep”

Best Actor (Drama Series)
Peter Dinklage, “Game of Thrones”
Jon Hamm, “Mad Men”
Rami Malek, “Mr. Robot”
Bob Odenkirk, “Better Call Saul”
Kevin Spacey, “House of Cards”

Best Actress (Drama Series)
Claire Danes, “Homeland”
Viola Davis, “How to Get Away with Murder”
Julianna Marguiles, “The Good Wife”
Maggie Smith, “Downton Abbey”
Robin Wright, “House of Cards”

Best Actor (Comedy Series)
Ty Burrell, “Modern Family”
Louis C.K., “Louie”
William H. Macy, “Shameless”
Jim Parsons, “The Big Bang Theory
Jeffrey Tambor, “Transparent”

Best Actress (Comedy Series)
Uzo Aduba, “Orange Is the New Black”
Edie Falco, “Nurse Jackie”
Ellie Kemper, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “Veep”
Amy Poehler, “Parks and Recreation”

Best Actor (Miniseries/TV Movie)
Idris Elba, “Luther”
Ben Kingsley, “Tut”
Ray Liotta, “Texas Rising”
Bill Murray, “A Very Murray Christmas”
Mark Rylance, “Wolf Hall”

Best Actress (Miniseries/TV Movie)
Nicole Kidman, “Grace of Monaco”
Queen Latifah, “Bessie”
Christina Ricci, “The Lizzie Borden Chronicles”
Susan Sarandon, “The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe”
Kristen Wiig, “The Spoils Before Dying”

Best Stunt Ensemble (Motion Picture)
“Everest”
“Furious 7”
“Jurassic World”
“Mad Max: Fury Road”
“Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation”

Stunt Ensemble (Comedy or Drama Series)
“The Blacklist”
“Game of Thrones”
“Homeland”
“Marvel’s Daredevil”
“The Walking Dead”

Comedy Ensemble: Big Bang Theory, Key and Peele, Modern Family, Orange is the New Black, Transparent, Veep

Drama Ensemble: Downton, Game of Thrones, Honeland, House of Cards, Mad Men

Chrsitian Bale, Idris Elba, Mark Rylance, Michael Shannon, Jacob Tremblay

Best Actress: Cate, Brie, Helen Mirren, Saorise Ronan, Sarah Silverman

Best Actor: Bryan Cranston, Depp, Leo, Michael Fassbender, Eddie Redmayne

Tina Fey and Amy Poehler Not Hosting Golden Globes, But They’ll Likely Be There Anyway with “Sisters”

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No, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler won’t be hosting the Golden Globes this year. But with any luck they will be there anyway, with “Sisters.” Their comedy written by Paula Pell and directed by Jason Moore premiered last night at the Ziegfeld, with a swellish party at the Museum of Modern Art.

Raunchy, hilarious, “Sisters” is a cousin of Amy Schumer’s “Trainwreck” and should be in the running for Best Comedy both at the Globes and the Critics Choice Awards. The movie should get an award just for opening on the same day as “Star Wars.” But Universal is convinced women will flock to “Sisters,” as well as people– ahem– my age, or over 30, who don’t need to see “Star Wars” right away.

I think they’re right.

Amy and Tina are like the Abbott and Costello, Hope and Cosby, Martin and Lewis of the modern era. They just work together beautifully. Pell wrote for “SNL” for 20 years, waiting for her turn to script a feature film. The movie also features Bobby Moynihan, Rachel Dratch, Maya Rudolph, Chris Parnell, Kate McKinnon all “SNL” people in various roles large and small.

At the party some other pals showed up like Seth Meyers and Fred Armisen, with actress Natasha Lyonne.

“Sisters” has other heavy hitters including two time Oscar winner Dianne Wiest and James Brolin as Fey and Poehler’s sexed up parents, and John Leguizamo as a sleazy friend from high school. Ike Barinholtz makes a strong impression as a love interest for Poehler.

“Sisters” is a great movie about nothing really. Yes, there’s a plot involving the sale of the family home and the parents’ urging the sisters to grow up. But it’s really all a pretense to stage an extended party, an “Animal House” for adults.

There is no heavy point. It’s just fun, and it works because the writing is snappy and sophisticated (even when it’s really raunchy). The women are having a ball, and no one is talking down to the audience. “Sisters” is terrific counter-programming for the leaden march of Oscar films. I’d see it in between “Carol” and “The Revenant” and maybe once more again after that.

Broadway: NY Times Critic Jumps the Gun, Raves About “Color Purple” Two Days Early

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Whoops. We don’t have to wait til Thursday night to see what Ben Brantley thinks about the “revival” of “The Color Purple” on Broadway.

This is what he wrote today in his round up of the best of 2015:

“A makeover made in heaven. The director John Doyle has slimmed down, toned up and retailored a show that seemed leaden and garish in its original Broadway incarnation 10 years ago. This musical version of Alice Walker’s celebrated novel now blazes as a triumph of elemental, emotional storytelling, with the bonus of a star-making performance from Cynthia Erivo and blissful support from Jennifer Hudson and Danielle Brooks.”

Everything should be so easy. Pop the champagne corks. The opening night– this Thursday–is going to be one wild celebration.

Happy Birthday December 9th: Tons of Stars Including Kirk Douglas, Now 99

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I never look at those birthday things, but one of the celebrity bulletins had this list– and I have to say, this is a pretty cool group all for one day. Joan Armatrading– wherever you are, we salute you!

Kirk Douglas is 99 years young. Holy moly. Kina hora! Mazel tov, Kirk!  Dina Merrill is 90. The most elegant ever. Judi Dench! Felicity! Michael Nouri, what a feeling!

Birthdays: Joan Armatrading [1950], Beau Bridges [1941], Dick Butkus [1942], Dame Judi Dench [1934], Kirk Douglas [1916], Michael Dorn [1952], Jakob Dylan [1969], Simon Helberg [1980], Buck Henry [1930], Felicity Huffman [1962], John Malkovich [1953], Dina Merrill [1925], Dominic Monaghan [1976], Michael Nouri [1945], Donny Osmond [1957]. [Dick Van Patten, 1928-2015.]

Joan:

Kirk:

Dina at 16:12

Tarantino Premieres “Hateful Eight” in Hollywood: “Come on, bitches, are you ready?”

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Quentin Tarantino’s “The Hateful Eight,” from the Weinstein Company, had its much-anticipated premiere last night at the famed Cinerama Dome in Hollywood. Quentin was a cross between a Southern Preacher and Boxing Announcer as he implored the audience, “Is everyone at the Dome ready to fill this audience with hate? Come on bitches, are you ready?

Before that though Bob Weinstein addressed the crowd: ”From the beginning Quentin explained that he wanted to shoot in 70mm, since he wanted to distribute the film as a roadshow experience much like they did in the 1950’s and 60s. Quentin told me that we didn’t have to do it, but I told him, ‘Fuck yeah Quentin. You better believe I’m in on this mission.”

Quentin talked about the Weinstein brothers. (Harvey was sitting in the back row in the orchestra watching intensely and laughing at Quentin’s antics.)“You guys are such softies, you all don’t know what pushovers they really are.” He continued, “We talked about this in my backyard by the pool and the deal was done.”

Tarantino went on to introduce the cast in his booming boxer announcer voice, including Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Bruce Dern, Tim Roth, Channing Tatum (Magic Mike himself, Quentin quipped,) Michael Madsen, Walton Goggins, (who is a standout) and Jennifer Jason Leigh.

Other Quentinites in the audience were Christoph Waltz, who told me that he’s ready to do another film with Tarantino, ‘when he asks me too,” Jaime Foxx, who told me that he thought that Tarantino, “crushed it with this film. Brilliant.”

The film is long, three hours with an intermission, which was quite the scene. Eli Roth, Waltz and Harvey Weinstein huddled in a corner, Goldie Hawn and Kurt chatted with Dr. Oz of all people, and VIPS were running to the concession to get free candy. Producer Stacey Sher and Harvey were admonishing people to go in so they wouldn’t miss the beginning of the second part. “The Hateful Eight,” which will be released on Dec. 25th in the 70 mm format and will go wide on Jan. 8th with a digital format.

John Lennon 1940-1980, Murdered 35 Years Ago Tonight

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The worst. May Mark David Chapman rot in jail. War is over, but his sentence will never be too much.

So many great songs. Choose one in the poll on the home page.

Live, this Easter: Jesus Walks in New Orleans, and Only On Fox

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This Easter, only on Fox: I hear the network of “The Simpsons” and “Empire” is going to stage their own live “Jesus Christ Superstar” type show in the streets of New Orleans. It’s called “The Passion,” and Dick Clark Productions is putting it together.

The two hour musical extravaganza will be a live (yes, LIVE) restaging of the Last Supper set to modern rock songs. It will air on Palm Sunday, produced by Adam Anders, whose credits include “Glee” and “American Horror Story” as music supervisor. The idea for this spectacle comes from Eye2Eye Media in the Netherlands.

I’m told that hundreds of New Orleans extras will take part in a processional walking a huge illuminated cross from the Superdome to a park on the river. What’s not clear is if they go through with the crucifixion and resurrection, or if it stops there and turns into Mardi Gras. Knowing Fox, it could be the Cruci-Fiction.

Robert Deaton, who produces and directs a lot of Country Music Association TV specials, is directing this along with David Grifhorst, the Dutch producer of game shows and singing competitions.

What songs will they use? God only knows.