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Oscars: Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, James Corden Join the Race with “Into the Woods”

Roger Friedman
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Oscars: Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, James Corden Join the Race with “Into the Woods”

I was going to call this article “Meryl Streep to Get 500th Oscar Nomination” for “Into the Woods.” What is it really? 10, 20, 30? But she’s so damn good as The Witch in Rob Marshall’s movie adaptation of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s musical that you really have to wonder: What the heck is going on? She’s sung before on film, but not like this. As The Witch she gets some show stoppers, and she handles them with more than her usual panache. She glows.

I felt kind of sorry for the other actresses, each of whom is so good in the “Woods”: Christine Baranski, Tracy Ullmann, Anna Kendrick, Lucy Punch and the horribly underused Tammy Blanchard. They are no slouches believe me.

Every film like has its revelations. In this case, they are Emily Blunt and James Corden as the Baker’s Wife, and the Baker himself. While Meryl will go into supporting for the Oscars, Blunt heads straight into Best Actress with Julianne Moore, Reese Witherspoon, Gugu Mbatha Raw, and maybe Amy Adams. Emily Blunt has never sung in a movie, didn’t know a bit of “Into the Woods” before she got it, and yet, she just shines as the Baker’s put upon but feeling her oats spouse. As even Emily said at the Q&A last night, Joanna Gleason was the superb original on Broadway. Last year we saw Amy Adams kill the part in Central Park. But Blunt, to put it bluntly, really cooks in the role.

James Corden– what can I say? I have no idea why he wants to host a nightly late night talk show here. He’s won a Tony, he was great in “Begin Again” and as Paul Potts. Now he’s the surprise male lead in “Into the Woods.” He and Emily Blunt work wonderfully together. The studio has him as a lead performer for Oscar consideration, but they should reconsider and move him to Supporting. Lead is too full now with about 10 candidates. In supporting, Corden should fit right in with the likes of Ethan Hawke, Mark Ruffalo, Edward Norton, Matthew Goode, JK Simmons, and so on.

Kudos also to Billy Magnussen and Chris Pine for hilariously good work, as well as a cameo from Johnny Depp, and the kid actors who hold their own — Daniel Huttlestone especially.

Rob Marshall’s “Chicago” winning Best Picture in 2002 was no accident. He knows his stuff. There was a lot to love about the way he made “Nine,” even if the show was unsympathetic and hard to translate. “Into the Woods” should be a big family hit, an adult, and a possible Oscar nominee itself. It’s the smartest and most entertaining film of this holiday season. You’ll also come out singing.

Box Office: Mockingjay Makes $55Mil Fri Night, But Lionsgate Stock Dips on Sequel Fatigue

Roger Friedman
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Box Office: Mockingjay Makes $55Mil Fri Night, But Lionsgate Stock Dips on Sequel Fatigue

“Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1” has made $55 million since Thursday night. Sounds like a lot of money, right? It is! It’s the biggest opening of 2014 for a feature film. And yet, it’s way off the pace of last year’s “Hunger Games” film. “Catching Fire”made $70 million  on its opening night. And the year, the first “Hunger Games” had an opening night of $67 million.

What does this mean? It’s interesting to see how this one franchise can affect a small company. Liongate stock really dipped on Friday once the news got out that “Mockingjay” was not going to exceed “Catching Fire” but actually do much less well. The stock dropped almost $3 a share before recovering slightly. But not so much. It was an overall 5.03% drop. When the totals come in tomorrow for “Mockingjay,” and they’re substantially lower than last year, the result may be a bigger Monday drop.

But what can you do? Lionsgate panicked. They had a quickie premiere in Los Angeles. In New York, it was a small stealth event. They kept the press away. For all I know “Mockingjay” is a good movie. It has a 67% on Rotten Tomatoes. There is nothing worse than when a studio panics. You can smell the fear everywhere. I could not get one human being to call me back from Lionsgate last week. Their silence spoke volumes.

Now $55 million is great, everyone would like that for their own movies. We’ll see what actually happens tonight and tomorrow. The opening weekend for “Catching Fire” was $158 million. Predictions for “Mockingjay” are $125-$130 million. Too bad there isn’t another “Twilight” movie coming for Lionsgate. But they will prevail a year from now. The final “Hunger Games” is sure to score an arrow right on target.

Cosby Complaint–“Law & Order” Actress Writes: “I was instructed to NEVER tell anyone what we did together”

Roger Friedman
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Cosby Complaint–“Law & Order” Actress Writes: “I was instructed to NEVER tell anyone what we did together”

Michelle Hurd is a terrific actress who’s appeared as a series regular on “Law & Order SVU,” “90210,” “Gossip Girl,” among other shows. She posted this on Facebook last night. I hesitated to re-post it without her permission, but the story has traveled now. It’s brave of her, like all the other women, to tell the story at all.

Here’s the post:

 

LOOK, I wasn’t going to say anything, but I can’t believe some of the things i’ve been reading, SO here is MY personal experience:
I did stand-in work on The Cosby show back in the day and YES, Bill Cosby was VERY inappropriate with me. It started innocently, lunch in his dressing room, daily, then onto weird acting exercises were he would move his hands up and down my body, (can’t believe I fell for that) I was instructed to NEVER tell anyone what we did together, (he said other actors would become jealous) and then fortunately, I dodged the ultimate bullet with him when he asked me to come to his house, take a shower so we could blow dry my hair and see what it looked like straightened. At that point my own red flags went off and I told him,
“No, I’ll just come to work tomorrow with my hair straightened”.
I then started to take notice and found another actress, a stand-in as well, and we started talking….. A LOT …. turns out he was doing the same thing to her, almost by the numbers, BUT, she did go to his house and because I will not name her, and it is her story to tell, all I’ll say is she awoke, after being drugged, vomited, and then Cosby told her there’s a cab waiting for you outside.

I have ABSOLUTELY no reason to lie or make up this up!
Anyone that knows me, knows that!

Now you have a first hand account of my experience with Mr. Cosby.

Off you go…

 

check out today’s headlines including coming reviews of American Sniper and Into the Woods, two big holiday movies

 

Box Office: Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 1 Lags 33% Behind Catching Fire from Last Year

Roger Friedman
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Box Office: Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 1 Lags 33% Behind Catching Fire from Last Year

UPDATE FRIDAY MORNING NOV 21st: Overnight “Mockingjay Part 1” earned $17 million– 33% off of last year’s Thursday night opening for “Catching Fire.”  Not a good sign. And the teens around me are not clamoring to go tonight, as they did last year.

EARLIER: Are people — I mean, teens– tired of “The Hunger Games”? The new soundtrack to “Mockingjay Part 1” is curated by hot teen singer Lorde. Yet it’s listed atnumber 92 on amazon.com. On iTunes, “Mockingjay” is at number 14, even with the Lorde imprimatur. Hitsdailydouble..com is predicting sales of only 20-25,000 for its debut week. The last “Hunger Games” CD sold 55,000 copies– and that was just a year ago– in its first week.

FYI: The first “Hunger Games” CD sold 180,000 copies in its first week back in March 2012, and entered the charts at number 1.

Meantime, the movie itself is not catching fire with reviewers. On Fandango, “Mockingjay Part 1” rates an average of a 67 among reviewers. This may be a better indication than Rotten Tomatoes, where often negative reviews don’t correlate with “Fresh” or “Rotten” status. The consensus so far is that “Mockingjay” is well made but dull. It’s the first part of a book that most fans of the series agree doesn’t kick in until the end.

Of course no one doubts “Mockingjay Part 1” will have a big first weekend. But after that, it may not be so easy. Meantime, it’s interesting that Lions Gate had a premiere only in L.A., and just a stealth screening in New York at the very down-market AMC theater in Times Square. A good movie gets trumpeted with a Ziegfeld red carpet or something up at AMC Lincoln Square.

Robin Thicke Will Join in $45 Charity Concert During Grammy Week to Get Back in Good Graces

Roger Friedman
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Robin Thicke Will Join in $45 Charity Concert During Grammy Week to Get Back in Good Graces

How the mighty have fallen! Robin Thicke will participate in a one night only show during Grammy Week to get back in everyone’s good graces.

Thicke will join Willie Nelson, Cyndi Lauper, Aloe Blacc, Bryan Adams and Melissa Etheridge for “Lean on Me Me: A Celebration of Music and Philanthropy” to benefit the Grammy Foundation on Thursday, February 5th in Los Angeles. The tickets are just $45 in advance only, online or at the Wilshire Ebell Theater. Special guest rock star Neil Portnow, head of NARAS, is the opening act, on stand up microphone (although he could play lead guitar if we asked).

It’s unlikely that if Thicke hadn’t self destructed his whole career that he’d do this show or be in town. He used to be “Robin Thicke.” But now here he is. We’ll see how contrite he is after blowing up his marriage, allegedly ripping off Marvin Gaye, and then releasing the lowest selling album of the year after having the biggest hit of the prior year.

Luckily the other artists are all still hugely popular and really nice people.

The show may already be sold out, by the time you read this. Me, I already bought my tickets. It’s for charity! The Grammy Foundation is the other side of MusiCares, which will have its own swanky evening two night later honoring Bob Dylan down at the LA Convention Center. Those tickets are not $45. But well worth it.

 

Billy Joel Books 18th Monthly Concert at Madison Square Garden for June 2015

Roger Friedman
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Billy Joel Books 18th Monthly Concert at Madison Square Garden for June 2015

If he plays it, you will come. Billy Joel has booked his 18th monthly concert in a row at Madison Square Garden– for June 2015. It will be his 64th lifetime show there, tying Elton John’s record. That means in July 2015, Billy will break the record of all time number of shows at the famed venue. I guess then he moves in with Jim Dolan and his family. It’s quite a feat! The great singer songwriter performer hasn’t released a new album since 1993. But his catalog of hits is huge. And obviously, a lot of people are enjoying singing along to “Piano Man.” Bravo, Billy!

Bill Cosby: Carla Ferrigno, Wife of The Hulk Lou Ferrigno, Says She Was Assaulted

Roger Friedman
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Bill Cosby: Carla Ferrigno, Wife of The Hulk Lou Ferrigno, Says She Was Assaulted

Carla Ferrigno– by coincidence, I know her. She’s a lovely woman. She called into KFI in Los Angeles yesterday with a story about Bill Cosby assaulting her in 1967. What’s so interesting is that Carla says Camille Cosby has been complicit in Bill’s relationships with these women. Carla, of course, is married for 35 years to Lou Ferrigno, aka The Incredible Hulk. They are two of the nicest people in the world.

 

EXCLUSIVE Al Pacino: “Mike Nichols Was the Best Director I Ever Worked With”

Roger Friedman
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EXCLUSIVE Al Pacino: “Mike Nichols Was the Best Director I Ever Worked With”

The whole world of showbiz is reeling from the death of Mike Nichols. Simply, he was beloved. A lot of his actors and friends are still adjusting to the news. At lunch today at the 21 Club for his new movie “The Humbling,”

Al Pacino told me: “Mike Nichols was the best director I ever worked with.” Pacino was really shattered by this morning’s news. Nichols directed him to several awards including an Emmy for their HBO  adaptation of “Angels in America.”

Pacino explained: “I’m really devastated by this. He was my friend, I loved him. I’m just trying to compute it.” He paused. “I’ve never met anyone as civilized. That was the epitome of what you wanted in a human being. He was the best director I ever worked with. It wasn’t necessarily the end result. Just the feeling he gave actors when they were around on set. It was the highest form of acting, being around him….There are people who when they go, you really feel it. Like Joe Papp, Sidney Lumet, Lee Strasberg, Marlon [Brando]. When they’re gone, there’s this emptiness. And it’s palpable.”

Pacino, by the way, is very much in the Oscar race this year for his phenomenal performance in Barry Levinson’s “The Humbling.” Millennium is releasing the comedy with Pacino, Greta Gerwig, and Nina Arianda in Los Angeles for one week in mid December to qualify for the Academy Awards. The movie’s full release is mid January. I am hopeful that Bill Lee, Avi Lerner, and Mark Gill of Millennium do a December week in New York too. It’s Pacino’s best work in years. The film itself is terrific. Levinson is an Oscar winning director. Pacino is a double Oscar winner. Nina Arianda has a Tony Award. “The Humbling” may be the dark horse of this Oscar season!

I was enlisted to interview Pacino and Levinson today at the ’21’ lunch and it was a lot of fun. I asked if either had met Philip Roth, the famed author of “The Humbling.” Pacino said they were introduced. Roth’s reaction? “He said, I know who you are.” Al recalled. Roth didn’t mention liking “The Godfather” or any of Pacino’s classic films. “It ended there,” Pacino said, getting a big laugh from the crowd that included Regis and Joy Philbin, James Toback, Lawrence O’Donnell, Rosanna Scotto, Dan Hedaya, and Alan Alda.

Justin Bieber’s “Pastor” Runs NYC Branch of Controversial Aussie Cult “Church” Whose Founder Confessed to Molestation of a 7 Year Old Boy

Roger Friedman
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Justin Bieber’s “Pastor” Runs NYC Branch of Controversial Aussie Cult “Church” Whose Founder Confessed to Molestation of a 7 Year Old Boy

You cannot make this up. Justin Bieber, not exactly the brightest bulb in any lamp, is a follower of a sketchy Virginia man who calls himself a pastor and runs a church every Sunday at the Manhattan Center on West 34th St. Carl Lentz portrays himself as the Punk Pastor, and says he’s Pentacostal. His latest iteration is called Hillsong NYC church. But what his American, Canadian followers– and Bieber– may not know is Hillsong NYC is a branch of Hillsong Australia. That organization is considered by many in that country to be a cult.

Hillsong’s founder, Frank Houston, had to resign in 2000 after confessing to having molesting a 7 year old boy in 1969. He was never prosecuted, and the case haunts Hillsong and the Houstons, and now Lentz to this day. Even though Frank Houston is now dead. the story isn’t over. A recent hearing in Australia revealed that Frank’s son Brian, who now runs Hillsong. trivialized the incident and let his father continue to preach as part of their church, albeit surreptitiously. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11339319 He is also accused of trying to bribe the victim.

Bieber’s pastor, Carl Lentz, only became involved with Hillsong four years ago. In the video above, he explains how he hooked up with the Houstons– that’s Frank Houston’s grandson Joel with Lentz in the video, looking like Jay from “Silent Bob and Jay.” These two are supposed to be religious leaders; they are Justin Bieber’s spiritual guides. Joel has been running Hillsong NYC with Lentz since 2010.

Before he hooked up with the Houstons, Lentz operated Cal Lentz Ministries out of Washington state. The IRS recently revoked the 501 c 3 status of that outfit after Carl Lentz Ministries failed to file tax returns for three years. Lentz runs Hillsong in New York as a straight ahead business with no tax free standing. He’s registered Hillsong out of his father’s law office in Virginia, but hasn’t filed any paperwork. There is no transparency at all.

The connection between Lentz and the Houstons, and the history of Houston’s father, finally came to a boiling point in October in New York at a Madison Square Garden  conference of Hillsong followers. Not only was Frank Houston’s molestation case examined, but also multiple scandals about finances at Hillsong and the cult’s attitude toward homosexuality. Brian Houston’s sidestepping has caused a lot of controversy among the followers.

I spoke to Carl Lentz’s father, Stephen Lentz, an attorney in Virginia Beach. He couldn’t have been nicer. Mr. Lentz explained that churches don’t have to file Form 990s, so nothing is amiss. He said he knew nothing about Hillsong Australia, and very graciously invited me to the Manhattan Center. Entrance to the services, which run all day long every Sunday, he says, is free. You donate what you want. But the Manhattan Center isn’t free. They charge $17,000 a day for the Grand Ballroom where the Hillsong services take place. Someone is paying for that, most likely Hillsong Australia.

Watch this video about Hillsong Australia:

Mike Nichols Dies at 83, the Great– Brilliant– Director of Plays and Movies

Roger Friedman
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Mike Nichols Dies at 83, the Great– Brilliant– Director of Plays and Movies

UPDATE: just a little update…Mike was just about to shoot “Master Class” with Meryl Streep for HBO…and I can tell you exclusively that he and Diane had visited Steve Martin in San Diego at his musical with Edie Brickell called “Bright Star.” Steve wanted Mike to produce the show on Broadway. Mike would probably have been executive producer, putting his name above the title to entice ticket buyers…

Mike Nichols has died at age 83. I almost don’t know how to categorize him– brilliant director, comedian, person? He’s been such a big part of our lives for so long, and has given us so much in the way of smart entertainment. Director of The Graduate and The Birdcage on film, to begin with. Director of The Real Thing and Death of a Salesman on Broadway. Angels in America on TV for HBO. Husband of Diane Sawyer. Hilarious comedic partner of Elaine May. His health has been in question for the last several years. But there he was just a couple of weeks ago in the audience on opening night at the revival of The Real Thing. He was so enthusiastic and generous at intermission about the new cast and the new director. “They’ve really got it, don’t you think?” he said.

Mike won 9 Tony Awards, 1 Oscar and 1 Emmy, by the way.

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