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Mad Men Dedicates Show to Mike Nichols, Offers Teaser Spoilers for Next Three Episodes (With Titles)

Roger Friedman
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Mad Men Dedicates Show to Mike Nichols, Offers Teaser Spoilers for Next Three Episodes (With Titles)

“Mad Men” is playing it pretty close to the vest with any spoilers or info about the last six episodes. Watching the coming attractions is kind of an inside joke at this point. But here are the tidbits that have surfaced about the next three episodes. The fun part is trying to figure out if they mean anything at all. It will also be interesting to see if the show sticks to a timeline of spring-summer 1970 as we know they just finished April 20, 1970. Look at these: do Peggy and Pete not agree on finding their child? Does Roger make Don go to my bar mitzvah? (June 13, 1970, don’t think they were invited.) Wait and see. More to come…

Meantime, how very classy that they dedicated the show last night to the memory of Mike Nichols.

Episode #7.9– New Business
Don receives unwanted advice from Roger; Peggy and Stan do not agree on an account’s personnel.

Episode #7.10–The Forecast

Roger pawns off a project on Don; Joan goes on a business trip; Peggy and Pete cannot agree.

Episode #7.11–Time & Life

Don comes up with a big idea; Roger asks Joan to help him fix a clerical error.

“Mad Men” Returns, Jumps from Summer 1969 to Spring 1970: Don Dreams of Mortality

Roger Friedman
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“Mad Men” Returns, Jumps from Summer 1969 to Spring 1970: Don Dreams of Mortality

“Mad Men” returned tonight and jumped from the summer of 1969 to April 1970. How do we know? Don listens to Richard Nixon withdraw 150,000 troops from Southeast Asia on April 20th. During the episode titled “Severance” it seems like it might still be 1969, because Peggy Lee is singing “Is That All There Is?” and Joan is talking about L’Eggs stockings taking over the market. But the men’s hair styles have changed, and they all look like Sergeant Pepper. All except Don.

Oh, yes, Don: while all fashions change, Don remains the same. It’s on purpose. He doesn’t adapt at all to changing times. The world just whooshes around him. And while he’s certainly accepted the sexual revolution, that’s it. Life marches on around Don. And he dreams of his mortality. He has a dream about Rachel Katz (Maggie Siff) an old lover, only to discover subsequently that she’s died from leukemia. He sees a waitress in a diner who looks like her, and they have sex. Her name is “Di,” short for Diana. Oh my. Very David Lynch.

The other plots of “Severance” involve Ken Cosgrove, who is fired but gets revenge. He doesn’t need “Severance” and now he’s going to make the lives at Sterling Cooper very difficult. Peggy gets the other story; she tries to have a good time. She and Joan also disagree about the miserable way they’re treated by the men at McCann Erickson.

Mortality surrounds Don, and adds fuel to the fire that he’ll die in the end. Matthew Weiner likes playing with the audience, so who really knows? Meantime, the ads on AMC were pretty interesting: they took an ad for Showtime’s “Happyish” on a competing cable network. Weird.

Is that all there is, my friend?

David Lynch Pulls Plug on “Twin Peaks” Reboot, Says Showtime is Too Cheap

Roger Friedman
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David Lynch Pulls Plug on “Twin Peaks” Reboot, Says Showtime is Too Cheap

There will be no “Twin Peaks” revival this fall. David Lynch says he’s pulled the plug because he can’t reach a deal with Showtime. I know some people will be disappointed. I feel bad for the actors who planned on returning to their roles; it was good work. But the Laura Palmer mystery took up all the energy in “Twin Peaks” back in 1989. Once it was over, so was the show. Let’s remember it fondly and move on to new material. A revival would never have matched expectations. Fire, walk with me.

Showtime’s statement: “We were saddened to read David Lynch’s statement today since we believed we were working towards solutions with David and his reps on the few remaining deal points. SHOWTIME also loves the world of Twin Peaks and we continue to hold out hope that we can bring it back in all its glory with both of its extraordinary creators, David Lynch and Mark Frost, at its helm.”
 

“Mad Men” Returns Tonight But AMC Almost Blew It After the 4th Season

Roger Friedman
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“Mad Men” Returns Tonight But AMC Almost Blew It After the 4th Season

“Mad Men” comes back tonight for its final 7 episodes. But the show almost ended completely back in the winter of 2011. After the fourth season ended, the show was renewed by AMC, but they had no agreement with series creator Matt Weiner.

The ordeal dragged on from mid January through April 1, 2011. “Mad Men” missed its start date for a 5th season. The result was an almost 18 month break between seasons. Lower ratings ensued despite the show being better than ever.

But AMC was to networks what the old American Motors Corporation was to automobiles. You’ll note, they are not around anymore. AMC was just lucky: HBO passed on “Mad Men,” and they were the default place to go. “Breaking Bad” broke out behind “Mad Men,” and AMC got its watered down sequel “Better Call Saul.” “Walking Dead” is their last shot, and if they’re not careful, well…

AMC put fans, Weiner, and the “Mad Men” cast and crew through an unnecessary wait in 2011. And it was weird. Weiner didn’t hear from them for months. They had the hottest show on TV and didn’t really care. Since that time, most of the AMC team that brought their three hit shows to the air are said to be gone.

The 2011 break delivered “Mad Men” its fourth Emmy in a row that fall for Best Drama. But “Mad Men” has never earned a single acting Emmy. Jon Hamm has been nominated over and over but never won. John Slattery has been screwed over 7 times. Elisabeth Moss and Christina Hendricks, ditto. It doesn’t seem possible. But overall the show has a record for being the Susan Lucci of Drama shows. AMC has never been able to pull off a win for any actor.

Not a lot happens on tonight’s show– I’ll write about it when it ends. It’s more about time and tempo than plot. Don is getting his divorce from Megan and running into old girlfriends (Maggie Siff). Peggy’s trying to get her life together. At Sterling Cooper, Ken is getting the last laugh. Fans will love it. But it leaves just six episodes to wrap up the show. We’ll see if AMC can give it the same organic send off “Breaking Bad” had.

Tonight’s song is Peggy Lee’s “Is That All There Is?”

“Furious 7” Scores 9th Biggest Opening Weekend Ever with $143.6 Million

Roger Friedman
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“Furious 7” Scores 9th Biggest Opening Weekend Ever with $143.6 Million

It was a fast and furious weekend for the late Paul Walker, Vin Diesel and friends. They scored $143.6 million for “Fast and Furious 7” and landed with the 9th biggest opening weekend ever. They also screeched into a worldwide finish too with a total of $384,023,000 internationally. Nothing else came close, including all 6 of the previous installments. Universal Pictures is having a booming 2015 so far because “Fifty Shades of Grey” was the fast and furious of lite bondage films. They should do a mashup where they tie someone to a speeding car. (Just kidding!)

In other news: Fidel Castro appeared in public yesterday for the first time in a year.

SNL Sends Up Scientology in Hilarious Video, with Bobby Moynihan as L Ron Hubbard

Roger Friedman
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SNL Sends Up Scientology in Hilarious Video, with Bobby Moynihan as L Ron Hubbard

“Saturday Night Live” sent up Scientology as “Diametics” with a hilarious video last night. Bobby Moynihan played L. Ron Hubbard looking crazy as ever. The premise was a “We Are the World” type song in which members of a group called Neurotology were labeled “missing” or “in the hole.” As soon as the video is up on the SNL site I’ll embed it here. Good work!
Here’s a teaser:

Joni Mitchell: 10 Really Great Recordings You May Not Know So Well

Roger Friedman
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Joni Mitchell: 10 Really Great Recordings You May Not Know So Well

We’re sending Joni Mitchell prayers, good wishes and great vibes so she recovers quickly and comes home from the hospital with a clean bill of health. In the meantime, here are 10 of Joni’s songs you might not know so well, But should:

 

 
1. Edith and the Kingpin

2. If

3. Dreamland

4. Jericho

5. Raised on Robbery

6.Blonde in the Bleachers

7.Amelia

8. Night in the City

9.Morning Morgantown

10. God Must Be A Boogie Man

Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton Eats Birthday Cake Every Day, So Does His Wife

Roger Friedman
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Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton Eats Birthday Cake Every Day, So Does His Wife

Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) is a rising star in the Republican party despite the fact that his parents are Democrats. Also, he went to Harvard and Harvard Law.

But get this: he’s a sugar addict. He tells the New York Times Magazine that he eats birthday cake every day. Every single freakin’ day. So does his wife. He runs to keep off the weight.

From the Q&A:
You have been described as having very little appetite for frivolity. Do you have any guilty pleasures? I run a lot every morning.

That sounds neither guilty nor pleasurable. But I do it so I can indulge in the guilty pleasure of eating birthday cake.

Every day? Most days, with ice cream. Early on, when my wife and I were dating, we went to the grocery store, and I told her that sometimes I just buy birthday cakes, and I eat them. And she said: “Really? I do, too.”

Even if it’s not somebody’s birthday? Yes. She went to the grocery store yesterday and picked up a white birthday cake.

Dustin Hoffman’s “Boychoir” Quietly Dumped: Hollywood Is No Country for Old Men

Roger Friedman
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Dustin Hoffman’s “Boychoir” Quietly Dumped: Hollywood Is No Country for Old Men

Hollywood is certainly no country for old men. Al Pacino can tell you. The Oscar and Tony winner, a legend, has seen one good film, “The Humbling,” turned to pulp by its distributor instead of getting a real release. His current film, “Danny Collins,” is getting a slightly better launch, but just slightly. So far “Danny Collins” is only available in a few places.

Now comes “Boychoir.” Double Oscar winner Dustin Hoffman stars in what should have been a big holiday release. The movie debuted in Toronto, and someone should have sent it out for Christmas release. Instead “Boychoir” has quietly died. This weekend it’s playing in an off run theater in Greenwich Village and a couple of houses in Montreal.

In other words, “Boychoir” is DOA. It may also be VOD. And soon DVR. Maybe HBO. Who knows?

It’s not like “Boychoir” was bad or unwatchable. Quite the contrary. It’s a little like “Mr. Holland’s Opus” and “Dead Poet Society,” two movies that if they were released in 2015 might have the same fate. It’s directed by Oscar winner François Girard (“The Red Violin”). A smart marketing campaign could have really caught on. But I’m afraid that effort was not made. It’s too bad. “Boychoir” was a good family film, and something for adults. But there were no car crashes, no special effects and no good cursing or sexual violence.

Too bad.

Death Sells: Final “Fast and Furious” With Paul Walker Has Incredible $67.3 Mil Friday Night

Roger Friedman
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Death Sells: Final “Fast and Furious” With Paul Walker Has Incredible $67.3 Mil Friday Night

UPDATE: The Friday night box office was much bigger than anyone expected– $67.3 million. The three day weekend could be $150 million. Stay Tuned…

EARLIER: Death sells. “Fast and Furious 7,” Paul Walker’s final film and last appearance in the series, is going to have a record weekend. “FF7” should do well over $100 million– maybe as much as $125 million. That’s considerably more than “FF6” did in 2013, when it made $97 million Fri to Sun of Memorial Day weekend, and a total of $117 million for the four days. It’s also more than any “FF” movie has made.

The promotion is epic, as they say now adays. Vin Diesel even named his new baby after Walker. All the actors have been thoroughly deposed about Walker and his death– a tragedy certainly, and played now like it’s the loss of Marlon Brando and Lawrence Olivier. Walker was by all accounts a fun guy, good friend, and parent. But great actor? There won’t be an honorary Oscar coming anytime soon.

Since Walker’s death in November 2013, his family sued Porsche, saying the Carrera driven by Roger Rodas with Walker as a passenger was at fault. But Porsche says the whole thing was Rodas’s fault. After an investigation they determined that the tires were 9 years old and that the car had been altered beyond their specifications.

Still, “FF7” has been getting good reviews for its genre. It will be a suitable ending for Walker and the series. And the money that comes in will make everyone feel better.

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