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National Board of Review: How Best Pic “Most Violent Year” May Have Had Insider’s Advantage

Roger Friedman
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National Board of Review: How Best Pic “Most Violent Year” May Have Had Insider’s Advantage

The National Board of Review will give its Best Picture award tonight to JC Chandor’s Sidney Lumet-like thriller “A Most Violent Year,” a movie that won’t be nominated for the Oscar. The movie’s stars also won NBR awards this year– very good actors whom we like a lot– Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain– but they also probably won’t be nominated. The movie’s buzz is limited to this fan group that pays high fees to mingle with stars.

The NBR is rife with problems, as I’ve noted in the past. But there’s one that stands out: a member of their inner circle and Board of Directors is also the co-president of a film company that’s been winning NBR prizes for the last few years. That’s David Laub, who runs Oscilloscope Laboratories, and is a protege of Annie Schulhof, head of the NBR.

Tonight, the NBR gives Oscilloscope 2 of the 5 mentions for Best Documentary with “Art and Craft” and “The Kill Team.” And that’s just the latest for Oscilloscope, which has done inordinately well at the NBR for a very new and tiny company. In 2013, Oscilloscope picked up a Best Documentary nod for “After Tiller.” They also picked up  a top 10 indie listing for “Mother of George.” In 2012, their cited documentary was “Only the Young.” In 2011, Tilda Swinton won Best Actress for an Oscilloscope movie called “We Need to Talk About Kevin,” which also made the top 10 list.

In 2012, one of Laub’s pals who ran Oscilloscope with him, David Fenkel, left to start another small distributor, A24 Films. Tonight, A24 picks up Best Picture with JC Chandor’s “A Most Violent Year,” a tie for Best Actor in “AMVY” with Oscar Isaac, and Best Supporting Actress with Jessica Chastain. Two other A24 Films– “Obvious Child” and “Locke”– made the NBR top 10 list of independent films. Last year they hit the list with “The Spectacular Now.”

Laub came to the NBR through Wesleyan University’s Jeanine Basinger. She runs the Wesleyan Film Archives, including the archives of Clint Eastwood. NBR gives Wesleyan $15,000 a year of its members’ money (NBR members pay huge annual dues, that’s their only qualification) so Basinger can administer those archives. And just about every year, if he has a movie or doesn’t, NBR gives Clint Eastwood an award.

In fairness, it may not be Laub doing any direct lobbying. Schulhof, already an expert in that area, could be the culprit. One NBR insider told me: “I don’t think Laub is pushing for A24 films to win NBR awards and  as Oscilloscope co-President he can’t vote for the films they distribute. I’ve never heard Laub “pushing” A24 films. That’s not David Laub. If any one was pushing the film, it would Annie.”

But to include all these A24 Films, the National Board of Review (er, fans) made some very public snubs. They excluded “Selma,” a likely big Oscar movie, and “Citizenfour,” already the winner of many awards including last night’s New York Film Critics Circle.

 

 

NY Film Critix Award Brings Out the Stars: Bill Murray, Jon Stewart, Marion Cotillard Light Up the Night

Paula Schwartz
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NY Film Critix Award Brings Out the Stars: Bill Murray, Jon Stewart, Marion Cotillard Light Up the Night

“Not working is awful. At least if you’re a painter you can paint. But you can’t walk around the room acting. It’s obscene and embarrassing.” That’s what “Mr. Turner” star Timothy Spall said last night as he picked up his Best Actor Award from the New York Film Critics Circle. The annual dinner, at Tao in the Meatpacking District, was full of stars and bon mots and none of the craziness of last year from the peanut gallery.

A very well groomed and quieted Bill Murray sat through the whole dinner and ceremony, Jon Stewart made a surprise appearance, Marion Cotillard provided some real Hollywood glamour, and there were surprise speeches from folks like Kyra Sedgwick, Rose McGowan, John Lithgow, Bob Balaban and so on.

But it was the night of “Boyhood,” which won Best Feature, Best Director (Richard Linklater), Best Supporting Actress (Patricia Arquette) and even a shout out from the lovely Ms. Cotillard from the podium. Ethan Hawke, one of the stars of the movie, presented to Linklater and got in a funny swipe at critics, since that was what the dinner was all about. He said, “Manohla Dargis [in LA Weekly, 1998] once wrote about me, “Richard Linklater seems to achieve the impossible: He makes Ethan Hawke bearable.”

The annual dinner is usually a chance for some actor to recall a nasty review from the legendary Rex Reed, who was not in attendance. Wallace Shawn, the famed actor and director, told me the last time he’d been at a NYFCC dinner “it ended with violence” and had something to do with John Simon, the notoriously combative critic for New York Magazine. Ah, those were the days.

Patricia Arquette, who’s on her victory lap leading up to the Oscars for Boyhood, was very mysterious about the movie and her character. After having played the character for the 12 years of shooting the film, Arquette said there was “one thing” that didn’t add up in her head. “Every year when we came back, it was on my mind,” she said. “But I won’t tell you what it was.” She recalled her famous grandfather, Cliff Arquette, Charley Weaver from “the Hollywood Squares” game show, in her speech.

notes from the red carpet:

Damien Chazelle, the director of “Whiplash,” said that his next film, which he will begin shooting in the fall, again stars Miles Teller, this time as a jazz pianist. He said it was going to be a “full fledged musical in the style of “The Bandwagon,” “Singing in the Rain,” and “The Umbrellas of Cherbourg.” “A love story musical about two artists in LA so the tone will be very different but similar kind of theme as ‘Whiplash.’ How do you balance life and art?”

“Whiplash” star JK Simmons, who won Best Supporting Actor is tipped for an Oscar nomination (if not win):  “It’s really been notable the offers that have been coming my way and how early in the process they’re coming my way. I’m attached to a film, a big budget film, that doesn’t even start until late July and usually I’m the guy they hire a week before the cameras rolls.”

Christopher Miller and Phil Lord, the writers-directors of “The Lego Movie,” which the New York Critics named best animated film, said  they’re not used to this kind of love from critics for their “22 Jump Street” movies starring Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum. “People have a little bias against comedy,” Miller told me. “They might be biased against wiener jokes also,” Lord added. The next Hill-Tatum caper is in the works despite the critics they told me. “There’s some crazy ideas out there for the next 23 Jump Street,” Lord told. “Our friend Rodney (Rothman) is working on the script. We’re having fun thinking of it. But it’s early days.”

Ellar Coltrane, 19, the real life kid from “Boyhood” who may or may not decide to be an actor going forward wishes reporters would stop asking him a particular question on the red carpet. “I get asked about a girls a lot and that makes me uncomfortable. Thanks for not asking.”

Linklater, who’s always charming and talkative with the press, told me he’s still “processing” all the award nominations and prizes “Boyhood” has racked up. As for the format, a film made over 12 years in yearly increments, “ I had to kind of create the form to tell this story. That was the only way to articulate these ideas about growing up and parenting and life at the time and that was the movie that was in my head.”

Linklater says he hasn’t ruled out continuing the film past where it stops– a “Boyhood 2.0” that would follow Coltrane, “The 20’s are interesting. Certainly you could. I’ve done it with other films. As they get older it just gets deeper and richer so who the hell knows. It’s a little soon to think about that.”

Timothy Spall, who got the top acting prize, arrived the earliest of any of the celebrities so he could do the red carpet. Then he dashed out to do a Q&A to promote “Turner.” He arrived in time for the reception. He’s a lot attractive and now a lot slimmer than he was in Mike Leigh’s “Turner.” He plays the title character, J.M. W. Turner, for which he also received the best actor prize at Cannes. In contrast to his beautiful landscape paintings, Turner was uncouth, practically feral; he often grabbed women and grunted instead of speaking. When I told Spall he was much more attractive than his movie roles he replied, “That’s just as well because Turner was a bit of a gargoyle.’’

 

with reporting from Roger Friedman

photo of Bill Murray c2015 Paula Schwartz

 

UPDATE: Sting’s Musical “The Last Ship” Will Close Despite Best Efforts to Keep it Going

Roger Friedman
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UPDATE: Sting’s Musical “The Last Ship” Will Close Despite Best Efforts to Keep it Going

EXCLUSIVE Sad to report that “The Last Ship” will close on January 24th, when Sting makes his last performance. Valiant efforts were made to keep the show alive, but it was not to be. Even with the box office increasing over the last two weeks, it just wasn’t enough. Hopefully, various voting groups like the Tonys, Outer Critics, and Drama Desk will consider “The Last Ship” for Best Score and Fred Applegate as Best Supporting Actor in a Musical. Sources say producer Jeffrey Seller made the announcement at the end of tonight’s show to cast and crew. If you can, get over to see “The Last Ship” before it sails away. It was a strong show with a beautiful score and a tremendously talented cast.

“The Last Ship” is one many casualties this Broadway season. The revival of “Sideshow” didn’t last, either. In short order, a lot of others, including the hit revival of “Pippin” and the Tony winner “Once” will be gone.

Broadway is not for the faint of heart, or shallow of pockets. Sting and “The Last Ship” were neither. Sting was completely committed to the show, and invested all of his time and energy. He even waived his songwriting royalty. He was at the show every single night from rehearsals to previews and through the opening. When the box office didn’t take off, Sting joined the show to promote ticket sales. This worked, to some extent. But not being able to hit the million dollar mark in any week was a death knell.

For example: “Motown: the Musical” is closing after almost 18 months. The show is doing very well, but not well enough. Producers will take it to London, scale it back so it costs much less to produce, then bring a cheaper version to Broadway. Maybe they’ll have 3 Tops instead of 4, the Jackson 4 instead of 5, and so on.

 

Kennedy Center Under New Management: This Week’s Lincoln Awards Presented by Recently Convicted Fraudster

Roger Friedman
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Kennedy Center Under New Management: This Week’s Lincoln Awards Presented by Recently Convicted Fraudster

America is a great country. One minute you’re paying $100 million to the US for racketeering. The next you’re sponsoring awards for vets at the Kennedy Center.

On Wednesday, the new Kennedy Center, under the direction of David Rubenstein, is hosting the Lincoln Awards. They’re brand new. And they’re using Bruce Springsteen as a lure. All the other honorees are deserving people, not celebrities. The show is being taped with lots of guest stars including Aloe Blacc, Arturo Sandoval, Gavin DeGraw,  Harvey Keitel, Jerry Lewis, Rhiannon Giddens, and comedian Rob Riggle among others. It’s supposed air on March 4th, if Rubenstein can make a deal with a network or syndicator.

And who’s underwriting this thing? One Leonard Wilf, real estate magnate and co-owner and vice chairman of the Minnesota Vikings. Mr. Wilf and his cousins, Zygi and Mark, settled a 21 year old case in State Supreme Court in New Jersey only 16 months ago in September 2013. They were ordered to pay over $100 million to people they defrauded two decades ago– and kept up their defense for that long. (The Wilfs are appealing the judgment.)

Judge Deanne Wilson– of State Superior Court in Morristown NJ — ruled in August 2013 that the Wilfs blatantly cheated their partners, Josef Halpern of Brooklyn and Ada Reichmann of Toronto, out of more than 20 years of revenues from two apartment complexes in New Jersey.

Judge Wilson really despised the Wilfs, too. She cited their “bad faith and evil motive.” She declared in court that the trio “robbed their partners.” She added: “I do not believe I have seen one single financial statement [from the Wilfs] that is true and accurate.”

On the Wilfs’ website, www.skylinedevelopers.com, there are no bios on the About Us page. Just blank spaces underneath the names. President Lincoln would be so proud.

Sting’s Hard Work Pays Off: “The Last Ship” Has Its Biggest Week, Nears $1 Mil in Sales

Roger Friedman
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Sting’s Hard Work Pays Off: “The Last Ship” Has Its Biggest Week, Nears $1 Mil in Sales

Hard work and persistence pay off. That’s true for Sting, who jumped into his show “The Last Ship” on Broadway, to save it back on December 9th. And the reward is sweet: last week, “The Last Ship” sailed to $953,165 at the box office. The show had its biggest week yet, and highest capacity crowd.  Plus, the average ticket price was a robust $106. So there.

To pull this off, Sting had to jump into a secondary role in the show, and perform it 8 times a week. He hasn’t missed one show yet, and will stick it out through January 24th. At that point, he has to leave to get ready for a big pre-sold tour with Paul Simon. Of course, when “The Last Ship” was coming together, the rock star never thought this is what he’d be doing over Christmas and New Year’s.

It hasn’t hurt that the CD for “The Last Ship” is number 1 on Billboard among Broadway shows. USA Today gave the show a boost when it named it Best Musical of the Year. They weren’t wrong. “The Last Ship” is unique in that it’s totally original, also. It isn’t based on a previous film or show, or anything that existed. All the music is new, too. Even the songs Sting brought in from his vast catalog were completely reworked. And they are gorgeous, hummable songs you don’t forget.

What will happen when Sting leaves? The excellent Jimmy Nail will return to the show as Jackie White, and audiences should keep coming. Word of mouth should help. I’ve never seen so many satisfied customers Tweet out thanks for a Broadway musical. But it’s all about Sting’s dedication and his work ethic. Maybe this week the show will hit $1 million. That would be the sweetest reward of all !

Producers Guild Renews Oscar Chances for Foxcatcher, Cites Sniper, Imitation, Boyhood etc

Roger Friedman
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Producers Guild Renews Oscar Chances for Foxcatcher, Cites Sniper, Imitation, Boyhood etc
 The Producers Guild just announced its nominees in movies and long form TV. No “Selma”–big surprise. What’s up with that? But “Foxcatcher” is revived a bit here. “Unbroken” is also missing. The game continues!

The Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures:

 

Ø  American Sniper (Warner Bros. Pictures)

Producers: Bradley Cooper, p.g.a., Clint Eastwood, p.g.a., Andrew Lazar, p.g.a., Robert Lorenz, p.g.a., Peter Morgan, p.g.a.

Ø  Birdman (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Producers: Alejandro G. Iñárritu, John Lesher, James W. Skotchdopole

Ø  Boyhood (IFC Films)

Producers: Richard Linklater, p.g.a., Cathleen Sutherland, p.g.a.

Ø  Foxcatcher (Sony Pictures Classics)

Producers:  Megan Ellison, p.g.a., Jon Kilik, p.g.a., Bennett Miller, p.g.a.

Ø  Gone Girl (20th Century Fox)

Producer: Ceán Chaffin, p.g.a.

Ø  The Grand Budapest Hotel (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Producers: Wes Anderson & Scott Rudin, Jeremy Dawson, Steven Rales

Ø  The Imitation Game (The Weinstein Company)

Producers: Nora Grossman, p.g.a., Ido Ostrowsky, p.g.a., Teddy Schwarzman, p.g.a.

Ø  Nightcrawler (Open Road Films)

Producers: Jennifer Fox, Tony Gilroy

Ø  The Theory of Everything (Focus Features)

Producers: Tim Bevan & Eric Fellner, Lisa Bruce, Anthony McCarten

Ø  Whiplash (Sony Pictures Classics)

Producers: Jason Blum, Helen Estabrook, David Lancaster

The Award for Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures:

 

Ø  Big Hero 6 (Walt Disney Animation Studios)

Producer: Roy Conli, p.g.a.

Ø  The Book of Life (20th Century Fox)

Producers: Brad Booker, p.g.a., Guillermo del Toro, p.g.a.

Ø  The Boxtrolls (Focus Features)

Producers: David Bleiman Ichioka, p.g.a., Travis Knight, p.g.a.

 

Ø  How To Train Your Dragon 2 (20th Century Fox)

Producer: Bonnie Arnold, p.g.a.

Ø  The LEGO Movie (Warner Bros. Pictures)

Producer: Dan Lin

 

The television nominees are:

The David L. Wolper Award for Outstanding Producer of Long-Form Television:

The Long-Form Television category encompasses both movies of the week and mini-series.

 

Ø  American Horror Story: Freak Show (FX)

Producers: Brad Buecker, Dante Di Loreto, Brad Falchuk, Joseph Incaprera, Alexis Martin Woodall, Tim Minear, Ryan Murphy, Jennifer Salt, James Wong

Ø  Fargo (FX)

Producers: Adam Bernstein, John Cameron, Ethan Coen, Joel Coen, Michael Frislev, Noah Hawley, Warren Littlefield, Chad Oakes, Kim Todd

 

Ø  The Normal Heart (HBO)

Producers: Jason Blum, Dante Di Loreto, Scott Ferguson, Dede Gardner, Alexis Martin Woodall, Ryan Murphy, Brad Pitt, Mark Ruffalo

Ø  The Roosevelts: An Intimate History (PBS)

Producers:  To Be Determined

 

Ø  Sherlock (PBS)

Producers: Mark Gatiss, Steven Moffat, Beryl Vertue, Sue Vertue

 

In late 2014, the Producers Guild of America announced the Documentary Theatrical Motion Picture, Television Series and Non-Fiction Television Nominations. The following list now includes complete producer credits.

The Award for Outstanding Producer of Documentary Theatrical Motion Pictures:

 

Ø  The Green Prince (Music Box Films)

Producers: John Battsek, Simon Chinn, Nadav Schirman

 

Ø  Life Itself (Magnolia Pictures)

Producers: Garrett Basch, Steve James, Zak Piper

 

Ø  Merchants of Doubt (Sony Pictures Classics)

Producers: Robert Kenner, Melissa Robledo

 

Ø  Particle Fever (Abramorama/BOND 360)

Producers: David E. Kaplan, Mark A. Levinson, Andrea Miller, Carla Solomon

 

Ø  Virunga (Netflix)

Producers: Joanna Natasegara, Orlando von Einsiedel

The Norman Felton Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama:

Ø  Breaking Bad (AMC)

Producers: Melissa Bernstein, Sam Catlin, Bryan Cranston, Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould, Mark Johnson, Stewart Lyons, Michelle MacLaren, George Mastras, Diane Mercer, Thomas Schnauz, Moira Walley-Beckett

 

Ø  Downton Abbey (PBS)

Producers: Julian Fellowes, Nigel Marchant, Gareth Neame, Liz Trubridge

 

Ø  Game Of Thrones (HBO)

Producers: David Benioff, Bernadette Caulfield, Frank Doelger, Chris Newman, Greg Spence, Carolyn Strauss, D.B. Weiss

 

Ø  House Of Cards (Netflix)

Producers: Dana Brunetti, Joshua Donen, David Fincher, David Manson, Iain Paterson, Eric Roth, Kevin Spacey, Beau Willimon

 

Ø  True Detective (HBO)

Producers: Richard Brown, Carol Cuddy, Steve Golin, Woody Harrelson, Cary Joji Fukunaga, Matthew McConaughey, Nic Pizzolatto, Scott Stephens

The Danny Thomas Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Comedy:

Ø  The Big Bang Theory (CBS)

Producers: Faye Oshima Belyeu, Chuck Lorre, Steve Molaro, Bill Prady

Ø  Louie (FX)

Producers: Pamela Adlon, Dave Becky, M. Blair Breard, Louis C.K., Vernon Chatman, Adam Escott, Steven Wright

Ø  Modern Family (ABC)

Producers: Paul Corrigan, Megan Ganz, Abraham Higginbotham, Ben Karlin, Elaine Ko, Steven Levitan, Christopher Lloyd, Jeff Morton, Dan O’Shannon, Jeffrey Richman, Chris Smirnoff, Brad Walsh, Bill Wrubel, Sally Young, Danny Zuker

Ø  Orange Is The New Black (Netflix)

Producers: Mark A. Burley, Sara Hess, Jenji Kohan, Gary Lennon, Neri Tannenbaum, Michael Trim, Lisa I. Vinnecour

Ø  Veep (HBO)

Producers: Chris Addison, Simon Blackwell, Christopher Godsick, Armando Iannucci, Stephanie Laing, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Frank Rich, Tony Roche

The Award for Outstanding Producer of Non-Fiction Television:

Ø  30 For 30 (ESPN)

Producers: Andy Billman, John Dahl, Erin Leyden, Connor Schell, Bill Simmons

Ø  American Masters (PBS)

Producers: Susan Lacy, Julie Sacks, Junko Tsunashima

Ø  Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown (CNN)

Producers:  Anthony Bourdain, Christopher Collins, Lydia Tenaglia, Sandra Zweig

Ø  COSMOS: A SpaceTime Odyssey (FOX/NatGeo)
Producers: Brannon Braga, Mitchell Cannold, Jason Clark, Ann Druyan, Livia Hanich, Steve Holtzman, Seth MacFarlane

 

Ø  Shark Tank (ABC)

Producers: Becky Blitz, Mark Burnett, Bill Gaudsmith, Phil Gurin, Yun Lingner, Clay Newbill, Jim Roush, Laura Roush, Max Swedlow

 

The Award for Outstanding Producer of Competition Television:

 

Ø  The Amazing Race (CBS)

Producers: Jerry Bruckheimer, Elise Doganieri, Jonathan Littman, Bertram van Munster, Mark Vertullo

Ø  Dancing With The Stars (ABC)

Producers: Ashley Edens Shaffer, Conrad Green, Joe Sungkur

Ø  Project Runway (Lifetime)

Producers: Jane Cha Cutler, Desiree Gruber, Tim Gunn, Heidi Klum, Jonathan Murray, Sara Rea, Teri Weideman

Ø  Top Chef (Bravo)

Producers: Doneen Arquines, Daniel Cutforth, Casey Kriley, Jane Lipsitz, Hillary Olsen, Erica Ross, Tara Siener, Shealan Spencer

Ø  The Voice (NBC)

Producers: Stijn Bakkers, Mark Burnett, John De Mol, Chad Hines, Lee Metzger, Audrey Morrissey, Jim Roush, Kyra Thompson, Mike Yurchuk, Amanda Zucker

The Award for Outstanding Producer of Live Entertainment & Talk Television:

Ø  The Colbert Report (Comedy Central)

Producers: Meredith Bennett, Tanya Michnevich Bracco, Stephen Colbert, Richard Dahm, Paul Dinello, Barry Julien, Matt Lappin, Emily Lazar, Tom Purcell, Jon Stewart

Ø  Jimmy Kimmel Live (ABC)

Producers: David Craig, Ken Crosby, Doug DeLuca, Gary Greenberg, Erin Irwin, Jimmy Kimmel, Jill Leiderman, Molly McNearney, Tony Romero, Jason Schrift, Jennifer Sharron, Seth Weidner, Josh Weintraub

 

Ø  Last Week Tonight With John Oliver (HBO)

Producers: Tim Carvell, John Oliver, Liz Stanton

Ø  Real Time With Bill Maher (HBO)

Producers: Scott Carter, Sheila Griffiths, Marc Gurvitz, Dean Johnsen, Bill Maher, Billy Martin, Matt Wood

Ø  The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (NBC)

Producers: Rob Crabbe, Jamie Granet Bederman, Katie Hockmeyer, Jim Juvonen, Josh Lieb, Brian McDonald, Lorne Michaels, Gavin Purcell

The following programs were previously announced in late 2014. They were not vetted for producer eligibility this year, but winners in these categories will be announced at the official ceremony on January 24th:

The Award for Outstanding Sports Program:

 

Ø  24/7 (HBO)

 

Ø  Hard Knocks: Training Camp With The Atlanta Falcons (HBO)

 

Ø  Hard Knocks: Training Camp With The Cincinnati Bengals (HBO)

 

Ø  Inside: U.S. Soccer’s March To Brazil (ESPN)

 

Ø  Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel (HBO)

 

The Award for Outstanding Children’s Program:

 

Ø  Dora The Explorer (Nickelodeon)

 

Ø  Sesame Street (PBS)

 

Ø  Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Nickelodeon)

 

Ø  Toy Story OF TERROR! (ABC)

 

Ø  Wynton Marsalis: A YoungArts Masterclass (HBO)

 

The Award for Outstanding Digital Series:

Ø  30 For 30 Shorts (http://espn.go.com/30for30/shorts)

 

Ø  Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee (http://www.crackle.com/c/comedians-in-cars-getting-coffee)

Ø  COSMOS: A National Geographic Deeper Dive (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkiFfAEB5M8)

 

Ø  Epic Rap Battles Of History (http://youtube.com/erb)

 

Ø  Video Game High School Season 3 (https://www.youtube.com/user/freddiew)

To cover the 2015 Producers Guild Awards, a completed press credential application MUST be received no later than Monday, January 12, 2015 for consideration. To request a Producers Guild Awards credential application, please email KristiAnna Collura at KristiAnna.Collura@42West.Net.

All other PGA and PGA Awards media inquiries should be directed to Annalee Paulo at Annalee.Paulo@42West.Net or Erika Gutierrez at Erika.Gutierrez@42west.net.

About the Producers Guild of America (PGA)

The Producers Guild of America is the non-profit trade group that represents, protects and promotes the interests of all members of the producing team in film, television and new media. The Producers Guild has more than 6,700 members who work together to protect and improve their careers, the industry and community by providing members with employment opportunities, seeking to expand health benefits, promoting fair and impartial standards for the awarding of producing credits, as well as other education and advocacy efforts such as encouraging sustainable production practices.  For more information and the latest updates, please visit Producers Guild of America websites and follow on social media:

Websites: www.producersguild.org, www.pgagreen.org, www.pgadiversity.org

Twitter: @ProducersGuild

Facebook: www.facebook.com/pga

Youtube: www.youtube.com/producersguild

Instagram: www.instagram.com/producersguild

Hashtag: #pgaawards

 

# # #

 

Media Contacts:

Annalee Paulo (42West)

(310) 477-4442

Annalee.Paulo@42west.net

 

Erika Gutierrez (42West)

(310) 477-4442

Erika.Gutierrez@42west.net

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Leonardo DiCaprio Parties With Brother of Pal Who’s Still Locked up in Fed Halfway House

Roger Friedman
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Leonardo DiCaprio Parties With Brother of Pal Who’s Still Locked up in Fed Halfway House

UPDATED WITH CORRECTIONS: A little thing like prison shouldn’t come between best pals. So the New York Post reports that among Leonardo DiCaprio’s entourage on the glamorous island of St. Bart’s is one young Joe Nahmad, age 25. If the last name sounds familiar, it’s because Joe’s older brother, Hillel “Helly” Nahmad, 36, is Leo’s BFF and corporate sponsor. Helly couldn’t make the trip to St. Bart’s because he’s not allowed to leave the U.S. Indeed, he’s serving out a federal prison sentence at a halfway house in the Bronx according to the Federal Prison Locator.

Helly, son of infamous international art dealer David Nahmad, was convicted last May for operating an illegal gambling business.  Nahmad eventually pleaded to one count of participating in a gambling operation after the government dropped other charges like racketeering and money laundering.

Helly went into jail on July 1st to serve a year and a day. But he was moved to a lower-security Bronx halfway house on November 19th. His punishment, after all, has been extremely light. According to reports he forfeited $6.4 million and gave up interest in a Raoul Dufy painting, and paid a mere $30,000 in fines. And that was in addition to admitting he ran the gambling business.  Helly’s release date is May 14th, but at this rate he could be out sooner.

But Leo can’t wait for Helly to be released. His Nahmad fueled adventures must continue unabated. The Nahmads– who still run their Madison Avenue Carlyle Hotel gallery as if nothing has happened–are fabulously wealthy, well beyond DiCaprio’s imagination. One recent estimate was $3 billion. According to some reports they are hoarding thousands of major art pieces, including many Picassos, waiting for the right time to sell. They may very well have something to do with another story today: that Picasso’s granddaughter, Marina, long a thorn in the side of the family, is selling off $290 million worth of her collection.

Downton Abbey Fans Will Love Lord Grantham As Eccentric Father in Wonderful “Paddington”

Roger Friedman
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Downton Abbey Fans Will Love Lord Grantham As Eccentric Father in Wonderful “Paddington”

If you thought Hugh Bonneville has a hard time as Robert, Earl of Grantham in “Downton Abbey,” just wait: he’s hilarious as the eccentric Mr. Brown, head of the Brown family, in the wonderful new movie called “Paddington.” Yes, it’s based on the Paddington Bear books, and the movie is already a hit in the UK. It opens here on January 16th. I’m not sure why it didn’t get an Oscar qualifying run.

The movie is so funny, smart, and perfectly toned for kids as well as adults– it may well be the box office sleeper of the winter. It could easily have stolen audiences over Christmas as “Paddington” is about four hundred percent better than “Annie,” the only other movie suitable for kids recently. Bonneville and Sally Hawkins are simply charming and blissfully ignorant as they welcome the Bear into their home.

You’ve probably seen the trailer in which Paddington tries to teach Mr. Brown how to say his name in Bear language. It’s priceless, and consistent with all the other loony stuff involved. The whole point of “Paddington” is that no one ever stops and declares  that being a bear makes him different or less than humans. There are no judgments.

There are plenty of extended cameos, however. including Nicole Kidman’s scene stealing work as a mad scientist who wants to stuff Paddington. She’s just great, sort of channeling her character from “To Die For.” If only “Bewitched” hadn’t been such a mess of a movie– Kidman is funny.

Ben Whishaw is the voice of Paddington; he famously replaced Colin Firth, who was said to sound too old. Whishaw is a big star in the UK, known primarily here from “Skyfall.” But hold on, because this will cement him with kids. For adults, Hawkins, Bonneville, Kidman, Jim Broadbent, Julie Walters, Imelda Staunton and Peter Capaldi will do the trick. And what  fun for the very talented Bonneville to break out of “Abbey” for a change.

Downton Abbey Returns: Isis Escapes Peril (This Time), Violet Admits to Reading Jane Austen

Roger Friedman
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Downton Abbey Returns: Isis Escapes Peril (This Time), Violet Admits to Reading Jane Austen

The return of “Downton Abbey” to American television is a wondrous thing. I won’t give too much away because it hasn’t aired all over the country, and it may take a few days for everyone to catch up.

Suffice to say that Isis the dog escapes peril, at least for now, after rumors of his end have been all over the internet. The golden lab is safe with Lord Grantham. The biggest non spoiler revelation is that Violet, the Dowager Countess, is a fan of “Pride and Prejudice.” She makes reference to “Mrs. Bennett” at one one point in this season premiere. Mary also makes reference to Lady Cunard, who was just as she describes her– American and too modern.

There are a couple of guest stars in this episode: The great Harriet Walter returns as Lady Shackleton. And Anna Chancellor appears as frisky Lady Anstruther, who may imperil Jimmy’s job as footman.

“Downton Abbey” is the best written television show, without a doubt. I do hope Julian Fellowes wins a Golden Globe next week. It’s not just that Daisy refers to herself as  having a head “full of kippers.” It’s also that that the story fits together in all its little pieces like a perfect jigsaw puzzle. Without giving anything away, follow Edith’s entire story through the episode, from something she’s told at the start to the way the whole thing ends. Fellowes is on fire.

By the way, Maggie Smith fires off many bon mots tonight, but it’s Carson who has the most important line: “Not everyone needs to know everything,” he tells Mrs. Hughes.

Michael Jackson’s Kids Actually Seem Pretty Good from their Pictures

Roger Friedman
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Michael Jackson’s Kids Actually Seem Pretty Good from their Pictures

Wouldn’t it be great if Michael Jackson’s kids were in some scandals? Unfortunately, they’re not. They actually seem like they’re doing pretty well by the looks of things. Prince Jackson has been posting pictures to his Twitter account, mostly of snakes he keeps in his room. At one point, he jokes that his room is starting to look like “Jurassic Park.” Prince is 17, almost 18, and his photos are all marked by the same thing: he’s smiling. Widely. For a teenager, that’s a lot. Good for him.

Debbie Rowe recently posted two photos to Facebook, presumably that she’s taken or has been given. Prince and Paris’s mother posted one photo of Prince and Paris, and another of Blanket, also smiling, with a pet snake. Paris is smiling, too. It seems like everyone is relatively happy. Too bad for the tabloids! It’s nice to see that Debbie and all the kids are getting along so well. That’s what everyone wants for them, I’m sure.

paris and prince jacksonblanket jackson with snake

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