The “60 Minutes” piece tonight on “Star Wars” should whet any appetites that aren’t already in overdrive. But this extra piece from their website is just great.
Box Office: Ron Howard’s Disastrous “In the Heart of the Sea” Ends Warner Bros.’ Miserable Year
I do not say this happily: Warner Bros. has had a very bad year. Last night Ron Howard’s “In the Heart of the Sea” made $3.5 million in its opening. They’re looking at a $10 million weekend for a $150 million-plus movie about the men who fought “Moby Dick.” And that’s just the end of a sad story in 2015.
Of Warner’s 25 releases in 2015, only two have made over $100 million– “San Andreas” ($155 million) and “Mad Max: Fury Road” ($153 million). Two others are bright spots– “Creed,” which has already made $72 million, and “The Intern,” a comedy with Robert DeNiro and Anne Hathaway that reaped $75 million. “Get Hard,” a comedy no adult saw on purpose, with Will Ferrell, scored $90 mil in the US and $10 mil abroad.
Otherwise, really nothing worked. From “The Man from UNCLE” to Sandra Bullock in “Our Brand is Crisis” to a Zac Efron comedy called “We Are Your Friends” that made $3.6 million, it was all dross.
Some films did better internationally, like the Wachowskis’ incomprehensible “Jupiter Ascending,” Hugh Jackman in “Pan,” or Will Smith in “Focus.” Lack of understanding English- but the need to see movie stars or special effects– helped in those situations. Johnny Depp in “Black Mass” was the big hope, but it fell short.
All these things are cyclical. Warner Bros. has had great years, and they will again. Ron Howard has two Oscars– for “Apollo 13” and “A Beautiful Mind,” not to mention great hits in “Cocoon,” “Frost/Nixon,” “The Da Vinci Code,” “Splash,” and so on. Rent his racing movie, “Rush.” It’s wonderful.
“In the Heart of the Sea,” has a solid cast but lacks a big movie star. A similar movie, “A Perfect Storm,” starred George Clooney, for example. Chris Hemsworth and Tom Holland weren’t enough, especially without any women.
And so we move on. All eyes now are on “Batman v. Superman” coming March 25th 2016. It can’t come fast enough. And next November, the J.K. Rowling movie “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.” Fast forward!
Shawn Mendes, Demi Lovato, Nick Jonas, The Weeknd Light Up Z100 Jingle Ball
My annual trip to the Z100 Jingle Ball is like an anthropological expedition. The number 1 radio station in the country, Z100, and Clear Channel aka I Heart Radio present the top pop acts of the year to 16,000 screaming teenage girls and the adults who bring them to Madison Square Garden. The shrieking is so high pitched you expect dogs to come running from all over Manhattan.
The five hour show was a comprehensive survey of the good, the bad, and the ugly of what kids are listening to on what used to be called Top 40. What you learn mostly in 2015 is that there are no instrumentals and hardly anyone plays an instrument with any proficiency; the singing is mostly loud; the songs are monotonous and sound largely the same; and it doesn’t matter.
But let’s be positive: Demi Lovato turns out to be quite the singer, a real rock belter on a par with Heart or Linda Ronstadt. If only her material were better. Nick Jonas and his brother Joe, separately, are more interesting that anyone knew and more talented. Nick in particular has a solid band and a real penchant for blue eyed funk, with a wicked falsetto. The Weeknd is more than “I Can’t Feel My Face,” has a haircut styled by Al Sharpton, and is the real thing. (I’d like to see him in his own show, smaller venue.)
There were some driftier moments. I’m a Selena Gomez fan, but she seemed wide of the mark tonight. Fifth Harmony was just loud. 5 Seconds of Summer could be a great pop rock band if they could focus, and get rid of a song that borrows from Duran Duran’s “Hungry Like the Wolf.”
Shawn Mendes, who’s 17 and has been performing for a year, was the star of the night. He plays acoustic guitar, and sings by himself. He presents clean cut and a little boring, but once he starts playing and singing, watch out. This is a talent who must be cultivated carefully. He sang three songs solo, then was joined by a band and Fifth Harmony’s Camila Cabello for “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” their hit. Mendes was the only other artist besides Charlie Puth who actually played an instrument, and played it well.
And then there’s Charlie Puth. Someone should sign him now to play Neil Sedaka on film or stage. He’s Sedaka, Billy Joel, Michael Feinstein, Robert Morse, and Gavin DeGraw all rolled into one. He also strongly resembles Charlie Walk, the famed record exec at Republic Records. He makes it seem like he just stopped by, and has better things to do, but his parents asked him to play a few songs.
Hailee Steinfeld is an actress. She turned 19 on stage, she announced. She’s had a hit single this year, but she’s really like Shelley Fabares. I don’t quite see it. Hailee has to get back to acting. But I admire her True Grit (she was in that movie).
Fetty Wap was, unsurprisingly, a bust. R City impressed by playing hits they’d written for others. I don’t get Calvin Harris and Zedd, two djs, but the kids loved them. Tove Lo, a female singer, was fine. Conrad Sewell was a mystery.
One last thing: these performers need songs or need to learn how to write them. Demi Lovato is wasting her time on crap. She needs real guidance and she could jump out of the pack. I thought she’d be some twerpie Disney cast off. But damn, I’d love to hear her sing Jefferson Airplane’s “Somebody to Love” or Heart’s “Crazy for You.” Bonnie Raitt should kidnap her and take her to a studio.
PS Z100’s Elvis Duran has lost a ton of weight and looks a million bucks.
George Lucas’s Wife, CBS Contributor Mellody Hobson, Broke Tradition At this Year’s Kennedy Center Honors
When the Kennedy Center Honors airs later this month on CBS, we’ll see a break with tradition. Usually, the honorees are seated in a box in the Kennedy Center near the President, with their families. But the honorees don’t speak or perform, and neither does anyone from their family.
But in the case of “Star Wars” creator George Lucas that practice was changed this year. I’m told that Lucas’s wife, investment guru Mellody Hobson, who’s a financial news contributor to the CBS Morning News, gave a toast to her husband from the box. According to onlookers, the always impressive Hobson makes a moving speech about Lucas as a parent and father.
“That has never been done or allowed before,” said one observer. “It was very unusual. But of course, Mellody is known to the people at CBS.”
No other family member of inductees like Carole King, Rita Moreno, Cicely Tyson or conductor Seiji Ozawa were invited to speak. The rest of Lucas’s tribute portion is orchestral selections from his movies.
Among the performers for King were Aretha Franklin, James Taylor (“Up on the Roof”) and Sara Bareilles.
The show is said to be “much slicker” and very different this year with new producers after the unceremonious ouster last year of founding producer George Stevens Jr. after 37 successful years.
Music: Adele Hits 5 Million Copies of “25,” Coldplay Caves to Spotify (Hurting Jay Z’s Tidal)
Adele did cross the 5 million mark this week with “25.” According to hitsdailydouble.com, she sold 660,000 copies this past week. The number was actually 690,000 including streaming.
Elsewhere in the music biz, Coldplay finally caved to Spotify. Their new album, “A Head Full of Dreams,” is finally available on the streaming service. It had already been on Apple Music, Tidal, and Google Play.
Giving in to Spotify is a big deal. Those other services are simply not as big. And Coldplay is losing the war with Adele on the charts. To stay relevant, they must be on Spotify. I’m playing it now on the premium service as I type this. Good album!
But giving in to Spotify also means Tidal, Jay Z’s service, is doomed. And Rihanna’s people will have to take a hard look at this turn of events. They can’t put her “Anti” album on Tidal alone and expect to have an impact. Tough deal for Jay Z. Chris Martin was one of his original “owners.”
Remember, I broke the story of how Jay Z organized a bunch of pop stars to launch Tidal. It was a pipe dream. It’s been a hard knock life ever since then.
As for Adele, the march toward 7 million copies by December 31st is on. The question now is, when will Adele accede to Spotify?
Adele’s “Hello” Knocked off Number 1 Perch by “Voice” Contestant Singing Queen Song
Hello!
Adele’s number 1 song for almost three weeks has been knocked off its perch at number on iTunes.
The new number 1? A cover of Queen’s “Somebody to Love” by Jordan Smith, a contestant on “The Voice.”
I guess it had to happen eventually.
Adele’s “25” album is still number 1. But over at hitsdailydouble, the album sales may have slowed this week. Look for an update to see if “25” sold more than 400,000 copies this week.
Here’s previously unknown Jordan Smith. He does a great imitation of Freddie Mercury.
Broadway: “Color Purple” Scores a Huge Hit Opening with Jennifer Hudson and Overnight Star Cynthia Erivo
“The Color Purple” played on Broadway from 2005 to 2008 and no one really liked it. Good actors appeared in it, including Fantasia, and it didn’t matter. It was just all wrong, even with Oprah Winfrey as executive producer.
Now the musical based on Alice Walker’s beloved novel is back, but it’s completely different. Re-imagine by John Doyle, this “Color Purple” should be considered a new musical and not a revival. Last night at the much smaller Jacobs Theater (the first version was in the huge Broadway Theatre), “Color Purple” scored as an astonishing hit, bringing the audience to its feet before the show even ended.
Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson, looking for less responsibility and some fun, plays secondary character Shug Avery and she is a delight. Her Shug slithers sexily across the stage, and sings like an angel. Hudson will pick up a Tony next June for featured actress in a musical, I’m sure.
The “star” of this show, however, is overnight sensation Cynthia Erivo. She’s 27, and British. She came with this production from London. She has no idea how her world was changed Thursday night. She wakes up this morning as the toast of the town. Hudson, who’s been there, can be of some guidance. (At 34, Jennifer is the “elder.” Hah!)
In the audience last night: Clive Davis, Valerie Simpson, R&B superstar Freddie Jackson, Gayle King, Tommy Tune, Bill Condon (who directed Hudson to an Oscar in “Dreamgirls”), Neil Patrick Harris, Tamron Hall, Ellen Burstyn, Patina Miller, Margaret Avery (who played Shug in the Spielberg movie), Gloria Steinem, Harvey Fierstein, the great Uzo Aduba and Taylor Schilling (supporting their “Orange is the New Black” castmate Danielle Brooks, so great as Sofia), Kate Mulgrew, and Gabby Sidibe.
During the curtain calls, Alice Walker came out on stage to join Marsha Norman (who wrote the script from Walker’s book) and songwriter Ally Willis (who won the night for most eccentric look). The audience cheered for Walker as if she were a rock star.
Director John Doyle is much awarded and highly regarded for paring big shows down, restoring them to the their true personalities, finding the heart and soul that’s sometimes been lost. This is what he did with “The Color Purple.” He told me after the show that he purposely went back to the original novel. The result is more of a play with music than a show stopping musical.
The real tragedies of Celie and Nettie’s lives are vivid now. The glamour of Shug, the transformation of the heartless “Mister” (or Albert) to some kind of enlightenment, the real wisdom of Sofia– are now grounded for the first time since the movie.
MIA last night– Whoopi Goldberg, who starred in the film, and Oprah, who is still a producer. Who was there: Candy Spelling, a big producer on this show, and a favorite on the Broadway scene these days. She brought along son Randy, former actor, now a life coach and author. He looks just like his late dad, Aaron Spelling.
JHud brought her life partner David Otunga, their six year old son David Jr., and David’s nephew. All the men were decked out in matching cobalt blue jackets. Jennifer was stunning in a gorgeous gown. She’s in the show until May. It’s not long enough. Write “The Color Purple” in now as Best Revival of a Musical. Or “miraculous” revival of a musical.
Ice Cube Decries Hip Hop of Today: “It started its downward spiral in 1993”
Ice Cube– O’Shea Jackson (now senior) — was a pioneer in hip hop. He’s a producer of “Straight Outta Compton,” a movie I believe must be nominated for Best Picture by the Academy Awards. (Globes missed this one.)
SAG has nominated the film for Best Ensemble, so there was a lunchtime celebration on Wednesday at the Chevalier restaurant on West 53rd St. Ice Cube, his actor son O’Shea Jr., and “Compton” director F. Gary Gray were all present, as were a few celebs like Cuba Gooding Jr. and Gayle King, among others.
I asked Ice Cube what he thought of hip hop today. He answered first, with a laugh: “It’s airight.” And that got a laugh. But then he said more seriously:
“To me hip hop started its downward spiral around 1993. To me it’s all about escapism rap now. Cars, and jewelry and women. That’s the topic. It used to be the topic was about how to make the world a better place, and how to understand the world around us. Now it’s just all about fantasy, clubs and cars, excess. It has no substance.”
Who does he like?
“I love the Roots still. Kendrick (Lamar) is dope. J Cole. They have a point of view other than saying We’re going to party tonight.”
Willie Geist, moderating a panel (and doing a pretty good rap imitation himself) cut in: “Tell us the truth. Who sucks the most?”
Gray, by the way, told me one of his secrets of making that unique ensemble cast come together: before they shot the movie, he had them record a version of the “Straight outta Compton” album. The whole cast. And some days he– Gray– didn’t bother showing up, so the cast formed ties to each other in their “frustration” with him. Interesting directors’ trick– and it worked beautifully.
Golden Globes Movie Noms: Carol, Mad Max, Revenant, Room, Spotlight, Snub Tarantino, Depp, Tina and Amy, Spielberg, Compton
The Golden Globes snubbed Tina Fey and Amy Poelher’s “Sisters” even though the pair have hosted their show the last few years. They also snubbed Johnny Depp and Quentin Tarantino. “The Hateful Eight” scored a screenplay nod and one for best supporting actress for Jennifer Jason Leigh, but not Best Picture, Director or any of the male actors. That’s a disappointment.
20th Century Fox was the big winner. All three of their Oscar films– The Martian, Joy, and The Revenant scored Best Picture nominations. Stacey Snider is running that place, and it shows. She’s really brilliant.
The HFPA didn’t have much use for Steven Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies or F Gary Gray’s Straight outta Compton. They didn’t really like Brooklyn either.
Drama nominations: Carol, Mad Max, Revenant, Room and Spotlight.
Full list coming. And yes there is weird stuff. And almost nothing for broadcast networks or cable. A lot for Amazon and streaming services in TV categories…
Best Motion Picture, Drama
Carol
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Revenant
Room
Spotlight
Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama

Bryan Cranston, Trumbo

Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant

Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs

Eddie Redmayne, The Danish Girl

Will Smith, Concussion
Best Director – Motion Picture
Todd Haynes, Carol
Alejandro Iñárritu, The Revenant
Tom McCarthy, Spotlight
George Miller, Mad Max
Ridley Scott, The Martian
Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama
Cate Blanchett, Carol
Brie Larson, Room
Rooney Mara, Carol
Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn
Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl
Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Jane Fonda, Youth
Jennifer Jason Leigh, The Hateful Eight
Helen Mirren, Trumbo
Alicia Vikander, Ex Machina
Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs
Best TV Series, Comedy
Casual
Mozart in the Jungle
Orange Is the New Black
Silicon Valley
Transparent
Veep
Best TV Movie or Limited-Series
American Crime
American Horror Story: Hotel
Fargo
Flesh and Bone
Wolf Hall
Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
Emma Donoghue, Room
Tom McCarthy, Josh Singer, Spotlight
Charles Randolph, Adam McKay, The Big Short
Aaron Sorkin, Steve Jobs
Quentin Tarantino, The Hateful Eight
Best Animated Feature Film
Anomalisa

The Good Dinosaur

Inside Out

The Peanuts Movie
Shaun the Sheep Movie
Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Limited-Series, or TV Movie
Uzo Aduba, Orange is the New Black
Joanne Froggatt, Downton Abbey
Regina King, American Crime
Judith Light, Transparent
Maura Tierney, The Affair
Best Actress in a TV Series, Comedy
Rachel Bloom, Crazy Ex Girlfriend
Jamie Lee Curtis, Scream Queens
Julia Louis Dreyfus, Veep
Gina Rodriguez, Jane the Virgin
Lilly Tomlin, Grace & Frankie
Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Limited-Series or TV Movie
Alan Cumming, The Good Wife
Damian Lewis, Wolf Hall
Ben Mendelson, Bloodline
Tobias Menzies, Outlander
Christian Slater, Mr. Robot
Best Original Song – Motion Picture
“Love Me Like You Do” 50 Shades of Grey
“One Kind of Love” Love and Mercy
“See You Again” Furious 7
“Simple Song No. 3” Youth
“Writing’s on the Wall” Spectre
Golden Globes: TV Actress Nod to Lady Gaga, Best Screenplay to Room, Spotlight, Steve Jobs, Big Short, Hateful 8
Here’s the first group of Golden Globes nominations this morning. Keep refreshing…
Best Actor in a Limited-Series or TV Movie
includes Idris Elba, Oscar Isaac, David Oyelowo, Mark Rylance, Patrick Wilson
· Best Original Score – Motion Picture
· Best Foreign Language Film
· Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Limited-Series, or TV Movie
Uzo Aduba. Joanne Froggett, Regina King, Maura Tierney
· Best TV Series, Comedy
Casual, Mozert in the Jungle, Orange is the New black, Silicon Valley, Transparent, Veep
· Best Animated Feature Film
Anamaolisa, Peanuts, Inside Out
· Best Actress in a Limited-Series or TV Movie
Lady Gaga, Queen Latifah, Felicity Huffman, Sarah Hay, Kirsten Dunst
· Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Limited-Series or TV Movie
Allen Cumming, Damien Lewis, Ben Mendelson, Tobias Menze, Christian Slater
· Best Original Song – Motion Picture
Love Me Like You Do, One Kind of Love, See You Again, Simple Song Number 3, Writings on the Wall
· Best TV Movie or Limited-Series
American Crime, American Hotel, Fargo, Flesh and Bone, Wolf Hall
· Best Actress in a TV Series, Comedy
Rachel Bloom, Jamie Lee Curtis, Julia Louis Dreyfus, Lily Tomlin,
· Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
Room, Spotlight, Big Short, Aaron Sorkin, Quentin Tarantino