Of human bondage: Here’s the new trailer for “50 Shades of Grey.” Universal is handcuffed to a Feb 2015 opening. Beyonce sings “Haunted.” Since she also sings “Crazy for Love” in the first trailer, it’s safe to assume she’s all over the soundtrack. Yowza!
Beatles Family Semi-Reunion as Stella McCartney Tribute Brings Paul, Yoko, and George Harrison’s Son Dhani Performs
It was a wild New York night at Alice Tully Hall for Lincoln Center’s second annual Corporate Fund gala: designer Stella McCartney was honored with a Q&A by Jerry Seinfeld that she never could have expected, followed by a swanky dinner with vegetarian menu and lots and lots of stars. It was also a weirdly warm Beatles semi-reunion that had Yoko Ono getting hugs and kisses from Paul and Nancy McCartney, Olivia Harrison and her son Dhani, as well as Stella.
And then a surprise of Dhani Harrison, son of George and Olivia, performing “Love of My Life,” an Everly Brothers song (Stella’s favorite) as well as rocking “Live and Let Die” with his band, for an audience that included a five months pregnant Liv Tyler, plus Woody Harrelson, Lorne Michaels, Seth Meyers, a very pregnant Alicia Keys, actor Luke Evans, famed artist Jeff Koons, as well as Paul’s in-laws John and Jodie Eastman, rock jewelry designer Loree Rodkin, Helena Christensen, and a hilarious Chelsea Handler, who emceed the evening until she had to leave to take a plane to Australia.
Handler exited the show as irreverently as she could by making a joke about Paul McCartney’s infamously unpopular second wife: “I would say a break a leg but I don’t want to insult Heather Mills.”
Legendary (and rocking, believe me) Harpers Bazaar editor in chief Glenda Bailey and Hearst president Steve Swartz (who’s president of the Fund) put together this amazing group of people.
Meantime, the sublimely funny Jerry Seinfeld– assigned to interview Stella on stage for about a half hour– brought the silly. Seinfeld asked Stella a series of non sequitur questions including “What do you wear when you feel bad?” and “Why do most people look disgusting?” McCartney was up to the challenge though and gave him as good as he got. When Jerry asked her “Why do people come to my shows at Caesar’s Palace wearing tank tops, flip flops and shorts?” Stella volleyed back: “Because they’re your shows!”
Finally Jerry observed that Stella does not use leather or fur in her clothing. He said. “I eat only leather and fur.”
Video tributes were shown from Quincy Jones, Bono, Gwen Stefani, Chrissie Hynde, Kate Winslet–and of all people a bright and brisk sounding 90 year old Doris Day who praised Stella for her work in animal rights. That was quite a coup!
Dhani Harrison summed up the tone for the whole night. On stage he said he there “to honor my big sister.” Afterwards he told, “Stella has looked out for me my whole life.” You know, just the idea that Paul McCartney’s daughter has done that for George Harrison’s son– the two Beatles met when they were 15, in 1957–makes you believe in the magic of the Beatles. Aw shucks!
The evening, which looks like it will become an annual tradition, was put together by Harper’s Bazaar rocking editor in chief Glenda Bailey and Hearst mags’ Steve Swartz. I think even they were surprised how well it worked out!
Jon Bon Jovi on Richie Sambora’s Exit from the Band: “It’s Not a Life Sentence”
Jon Bon Jovi and his wife Dorothea certainly must have a painting of themselves aging in attic. Just past 50, this couple looks like a million bucks. They’re also among the nicest people anywhere. I ran into them last night at the after party for Jon Stewart’s important debut film, “Rosewater,” at the Stone Rose restaurant in the Time Warner Center. Was it a hot party? I also ran into the great actress Debra Winger, who never goes to anything. On an off topic, we joked– as we often do– about her sparse resume. She’s very picky about her roles. “But I’m reading things now!” she insisted.
Meanwhile, Jon Bon Jovi: it’s ridiculous that his group isn’t in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. But there’s obviously some antipathy between him and Jann Wenner, the Hall’s puppeteer, after being passed over some time. Bon Jovi represents exactly what Rock and Roll was about before corporate titans took it over: ambitious local kids turn a garage band into international powerhouse with a fervent following. But the deficiencies of the Rock Hall are too numerous to repeat here.
Bon Jovi told me he’s getting over a serious depression after losing his bid (with partners) to buy the Buffalo Bills football team. “I devoted two years to that project,” he said with a shrug of shoulders. “But I’m coming out of it now.” I did ask Jon what the story was with lead guitarist Richie Sambora. He left Bon Jovi’s Because We Can tour in April 2013 and never looked back. Again, Jon seems a little perplexed: “He quit. He’s gone. No hard feelings. Being in a band isn’t a life sentence.” Fans will always hope that somehow all of this will work itself out. And it might: Bon Jovi, as a band, is 10 years younger than most of the legacy groups playing right now. And, to quote a song, who says you can’t go home?
As for Stewart, he’s taken some knocks as a first time director. But “Rosewater” is an important film with a strong core performance by Gael Garcia Bernal as Iranian-Canadian journalist Maziar Bahari. He was taken hostage in Iran and held– and brutalized– for 118 days. The reason he was taken was because of a comedy sketch on Stewart’s “The Daily Show” in which it was joked that Bahari was a spy. Upon his release Bahari wrote a book, and now Stewart– maybe out of a sense of guilt, and certainly one of responsibility–has made the movie. This Friday, “Rosewater” is a must see release.
And hey–I asked Jon Stewart about Bon Jovi coming to his premiere: “It’s the New Jersey connection,” he joked. “We have to stick together!”
Andy Warhol: 11 Paintings Sell for $200 Mil at Christie’s Record $852 Mil Auction
What a night in the art world! No recession on West 49th St. as Christie’s auction house had a record night with $852 million in sales. Eleven of the painting s were by Andy Warhol. They went for a total of $200 million including one, Triple Elvis [Ferus Type], 1963, that went for $81,925,000. Another, Four Marlons, 1966, came in at $69,605,000.
I was actually there in the auction room and I can tell you the place crackled with electricity. The bidding for all paintings was pretty ferocious. In the crowd I spotted some regulars– like art dealer Larry Gagosian– and some unusual faces like actor Ethan Suplee. He was busing making notes and placing phone calls on his cell phone. But Suplee said that even though he collects art, “I’m not planning on buying anything tonight.”
Clearly though plenty of people were ready to part with fortunes. Here are the record sales for the night:
11 WORLD AUCTION RECORDS FOR ARTISTS
$69,605,000
Cy Twombly (1928-2011), Untitled, oil based house paint and wax crayon on canvas, Executed in 1970
$30,405,000
Ed Ruscha (b. 1937), Smash, oil on canvas, Painted in 1963
$22,565,000
Martin Kippenberger (1953-1997), Untitled, oil on canvas Painted in 1988
$18,085,000
Peter Doig (b. 1959), Pine House (Rooms for Rent), oil on canvas, Painted in 1994
$8,901,000
Arshile Gorky (1904-1948), Child’s Companions, oil and graphite on canvas, painted in 1945
$7,445,000
Georg Baselitz (b. 1938), Der Brückechor (The Brücke Chorus), oil on canvas, Painted in 1983
$7,109,000
Yayoi Kusama (b. 1929), White No. 28, oil on canvas, Painted in 1960
$6,773,000
Cindy Sherman (B. 1954), Untitled Film Stills, 21 gelatin silver prints, 1977/1978/1979/1980
$5,765,000
Mark Tansey (b. 1949), Land Fall, oil on canvas, Painted in 2007
$3,413,000
Sturtevant (1926-2014), Lichtenstein, Frighten Girl, oil and graphite on canvas, painted in 1966
$785,000
Seth Price (b. 1973), Vintage Bomber, vacuum formed high-impact polystyrene, Executed in 2006
Oscars: Selma, American Sniper Add David Oyelowo, Bradley Cooper to Crowded Best Actor List
Th already crowded best actor race just got more crowded with the L.A. AFI premieres of “Selma” and “American Sniper.” David Oyelowo and Bradley Cooper, respectively, have leaped into the fray, joining Cumberbatch, Redmayne, Keaton, Murray, Oscar Isaac and possibly Al Pacino as front runners.
This will be tricky as there are only five spots and literally any of those guys should be or could be the winner. Pacino has Oscars, so he’s all set as for winning. It’s Bill Murray and Michael Keaton who are the sentimental favorites because they’ve never won (Murray at least has been nominated). Benedict Cumberbatch and Eddie Redmayne are the young Brits, sort of Olivier and O’Toole. They’re each going to accumulate a half dozen nominations in their careers.
Of the new names, Cooper at least has two prior nominations and a popularity factor. Also Cooper is opening in “The Elephant Man” on Broadway. That gives him even more heft. (Whoever planned that was a genius.) Oyelowo, also British, is one of the strongest up and comers ever. Also, he’s playing Dr. Martin Luther King. So Oyelowo comes in very very strong.
What to do? Who knows? I wish the actress category had so many quandaries!
Stevie Wonder, Meryl Streep, Murdered “Mississippi Burning” Civil Rights Workers Among those to Get Presidential Medal of Freedom
Lots of deserving well known celebrities are getting the Presidential Medal of Freedom including Meryl Streep, Stevie Wonder, Stephen Sondheim and Tom Brokaw. But I’m most impressed by the posthumous awards, 50 years later, to the murdered civil rights workers James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner. Their deaths are three of darkest stains in American history. The awards are even more meaningful as we observe the 50th anniversary of the civil rights movement and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s march on Selma.
Here is the list, released yesterday by the White House, from their website
Alvin Ailey (posthumous)
Ailey was a choreographer, dancer, and the founder of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, which is renowned for its inspiring performances in 71 countries on 6 continents since 1958. Ailey’s work was groundbreaking in its exploration of the African American experience and the enrichment of the modern dance tradition, including his beloved American masterpiece Revelations. The Ailey organization, based in New York City, carries on his pioneering legacy with performances, training, educational, and community programs for people of all backgrounds.
Isabel Allende
Isabel Allende is a highly acclaimed author of 21 books that have sold 65 million copies in 35 languages. She has been recognized with numerous awards internationally. She received the prestigious National Literary Award in Chile, her country of origin, and is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
Tom Brokaw
Tom Brokaw is one of America’s most trusted and respected journalists. Mr. Brokaw served as anchor of NBC Nightly News from 1982 to 2004, and is currently a Special Correspondent for NBC News. For decades, Mr. Brokaw has reached millions of Americans in living rooms across the country to provide depth and analysis to historic moments as they unfold, from the fall of the Berlin Wall to the terrorist attacks of 9-11. His reporting has been recognized by the Edward R. Murrow Lifetime Achievement Award, two Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Awards, eleven Emmys, and two Peabody awards. Mr. Brokaw previously served as anchor of NBC’s Today, and following the death of his close friend Tim Russert, Mr. Brokaw took over Meet the Press during the 2008 campaign season. He has written five books including The Greatest Generation, a title that gave name to those who served in World War II at home and abroad.
James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner (posthumous)
James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner were civil rights activists and participants in “Freedom Summer,” an historic voter registration drive in 1964. As African Americans were systematically being blocked from voter rolls, Mr. Chaney, Mr. Goodman, and Mr. Schwerner joined hundreds of others working to register black voters in Mississippi. They were murdered at the outset of Freedom Summer. Their deaths shocked the nation and their efforts helped to inspire many of the landmark civil rights advancements that followed.
Mildred Dresselhaus
Mildred Dresselhaus is one of the most prominent physicists, materials scientists, and electrical engineers of her generation. A professor of physics and electrical engineering at MIT, she is best known for deepening our understanding of condensed matter systems and the atomic properties of carbon, which has contributed to major advances in electronics and materials research.
John Dingell
John Dingell is a lifelong public servant, the longest serving Member of Congress in American history, and one of the most influential legislators in history. Having represented Michigan in the House of Representatives since 1955, Mr. Dingell has fought for landmark pieces of legislation over the past six decades, from civil rights legislation in the 1960s, to legislation protecting our environment in the 1970s, to his persistent, determined fight for health care throughout his career, from Medicare to the Affordable Care Act. Mr. Dingell also served in the U.S. Army during World War II.
Ethel Kennedy
Ethel Kennedy has dedicated her life to advancing the cause of social justice, human rights, environmental protection, and poverty reduction by creating countless ripples of hope to effect change around the world. Over 45 years ago, she founded the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights, which is dedicated to realizing her husband’s dream of a more just and peaceful world. Ethel Kennedy was most recently honored for her longtime advocacy of environmental causes in neglected areas of Washington, D.C. with the dedication of the “Ethel Kennedy Bridge” over the Anacostia River.
Suzan Harjo
Suzan Harjo is a writer, curator, and activist who has advocated for improving the lives of Native peoples throughout her career. As a member of the Carter Administration and as current president of the Morning Star Institute, she has been a key figure in many important Indian legislative battles, including the passage of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act and the American Indian Religious Freedom Act. Dr. Harjo is Cheyenne and Hodulgee Muscogee, and a citizen of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes.
Abner Mikva
Abner Mikva is a dedicated public servant who has served with distinction in all three branches of government. He was a five-term Congressman from Illinois, Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and White House Counsel for President Bill Clinton. He has also served as a law professor at Northwestern University, the University of Chicago, and the University of Illinois.
Patsy Takemoto Mink (posthumous)
Patsy Takemoto Mink was a Congresswoman from Hawai’i, serving a total of 12 terms. She was born and raised on Maui, became the first Japanese American female attorney in Hawai’i, and served in the Hawai’i territorial and state legislatures beginning in 1956. In 1964, she became the first woman of color elected to Congress. She is best known for co-authoring and championing Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.
Edward Roybal (posthumous)
Edward R. Roybal was the first Mexican-American to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from California in nearly a century. In 1976, he founded the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, creating a national forum for Latino issues and opening doors for a new generation of Latino leaders.
Charles Sifford
Charles Sifford was a professional golfer who helped to desegregate the Professional Golfers’ Association, despite harassment and death threats. He started his life on the links as a caddy, and though he was formally excluded from the PGA for much of his career because of the color of his skin, he won six National Negro Opens. In 1960, he won his challenge over the PGA’s “Caucasian only” membership policy. He went on to win official PGA events and the PGA Seniors’ Championship. He was inducted in the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2004 and received an honorary doctor of laws degree from the University of St. Andrews in 2006.
Robert Solow
Robert Solow is one of the most widely respected economists of the past sixty years. His research in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s transformed the field, laying the groundwork for much of modern economics. He continues to influence policy makers, demonstrating how smart investments, especially in new technology, can build broad-based prosperity, and he continues to actively participate in contemporary debates about inequality and economic growth. He is a Nobel laureate, winning the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 1987.
Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Sondheim is one of the country’s most influential theater composers and lyricists. His work has helped define American theater with shows such as Company, Sweeney Todd, Sunday in the Park with George, and Into the Woods. Mr. Sondheim has won eight Grammy Awards, eight Tony Awards, an Academy Award, and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
Meryl Streep
Meryl Streep is one of the most widely known and acclaimed actors in history. Ms. Streep has captured our imaginations with her unparalleled ability to portray a wide range of roles and attract an audience that has only grown over time, portraying characters who embody the full range of the human experience. She holds the record for most Academy Award nominations of any actor in history.
Marlo Thomas
Marlo Thomas is an award-winning actress, producer, best-selling author and social activist. Whether championing equality for girls and women, giving voice to the less fortunate, breaking barriers by portraying one of television’s first single working women on That Girl, or teaching children to be “Free to Be You and Me,” Thomas inspires us all to dream bigger and reach higher. Thomas serves as National Outreach Director for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, a pediatric treatment and research facility focused on pediatric cancer and children’s catastrophic diseases. The hospital was founded by her father, Danny Thomas, in 1962.
Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder is one of the world’s most gifted singer-songwriters. Mr. Wonder has created a sound entirely his own, mixing rhythm and blues with genres ranging from rock and roll to reggae, and demonstrating his mastery of a range of instruments, styles, and themes. He is also a Kennedy Center Honoree, a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and winner of 25 Grammys and an Academy Award.
Taylor Swift Sells Another 400K Albums– Without Her there is No Record Business
Taylor Swift sold another 400,000 albums last week. Her “1989” was number 1 again. The number 2 album– a collection of recent radio hits– sold 60,000 copies. Bette Midler finished third with 40K. The albums from 2 through 10 sold a total of 300,000. That’s 100,000 less than Swift. The rest of the top 50 was a total bust. But it did have familiar names: Neil Young, Paul McCartney, Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan, Bob Seger and the Doobie Brothers. None of it sold much or was played on the radio. What the list lacks, except for Columbia’s Hozier, is a breakthrough act or acts of quality that catalyze the audience or this generation. The record business is basically out of business when the 50th best selling album moves only 7,000 copies. Spotify is fun. But if the music or the acts meant anything, Spotify wouldn’t matter. The emotional connection to the music is gone.
Here’s my single of the week, by Chris Koza (thanks to Jonathan Clarke at q104.3 for playing this on Sunday night);
Hard Times: Pop Star Usher Gives Free Download with Cereal, NY Knicks Sell Discount Tickets
Hard times indeed: pop and R&B star Usher is having just as much trouble as everyone else in the music biz. He’s resorted to giving away a free download of a new song through a cereal box. If you buy a box of Honey Nut Cheerios you get a download code for a freebie on his song called “Clueless.” Now, it’s not just any box of Honey Nut Cheerios– they have to be at Walmart.
Meantime, the New York Knicks, who’ve two games and lost six so far this season, have put deep discounted tickets for several upcoming home games on Goldstar.com. The site sells tickets to lots of sports events, but these are priced low to fill empty seats in the upper regions of Madison Square Garden. Youll be sitting with the pigeons, but at least you’ll be in the house. The Knicks play a team called the Brooklyn Nets on December 2nd.
Oscars: Today in LA “Selma” and “American Sniper”– The Big Question Marks– Will Be Screened
Today in Los Angeles at the AFI Fest, the two remaining films of the Oscar season will be screened. “Selma,” by Ava Duvernay, and Clint Eastwood’s “American Sniper” will be unveiled. No one knows anything about them. Are they good? Are they good enough? They are definitely needed in what I really think is a soft year for serious Best Picture contenders. “Selma,” especially, because of its social history, is needed to be an Important Film. Plus, without it, there may be no black nominees. The sad part of this is that black nominees can only come from “black” movies. But that’s another story.
“American Sniper” is very timely given new revelations and books by NAVY Seals. Bradley Cooper plays Chris Kyle, a much awarded Seal whose tragic end came in in the US, not on tour. Sienna Miller plays his wife. Given Eastwood’s track record with this kind of film (go watch “Letters from Iwo Jima”–it’s stunning), “Sniper” could be his crowning achievement. I sure hope it is.
If these two come into play today as Best Picture contenders, then I think they list would also include: Boyhood, Foxcatcher, Imitation Game, Theory of Everything, Grand Budapest Hotel, Whiplash, St. Vincent, and Birdman. Spoilers could be The Humbling (if released), and Into the Woods.
So we shall see. Stay tuned…
Hollywood Film Awards: Twelve People Chose this Friday’s Winners, And the Recipients Know the Outcome
UPDATE: First a correction: Dick Clark Prods. doesn’t own the People’s Choice Awards. And second: Dick Clark Productions is now owned by the same company as the Hollywood Reporter. I look forward to their coverage of DCP events.
EARLIER: This Friday, we get a new awards show on TV. It’s the Hollywood Film Awards, brainchild of former Hollywood Film Festival creator Carlos Abreu. Last year he sold the festival and made a deal for the awards with Dick Clark Productions. That company produces what you might call the ‘lesser’ awards of the season– the Golden Globes, the American Music Awards, the People’s Choice Awards. They aren’t exactly Oscars, Emmys or Grammys, but they’re useful for bringing in ad money and movie stars to the networks.
How many people decide who get the Hollywood Film Awards? Twelve. 12. A dozen. Their names are kept secret but I am assured none of them come from movie studios. Still, everyone knows everyone in the film world. It’s hard to be objective, to say the least.
The Hollywood Awards, an insider tells me, are supposed to be along the lines of the Kennedy Center Honors. They are really tributes. Nine of the “below the line” tech awards have already been announced. All the other honorees know who they are already. The audience is in the dark, but the players are not.
So who are the honorees? The announced stars who will appear follow. I’ve bolded the ones in current, Oscar- buzzed films. Steve Carell, Johnny Depp, Laura Dern, Angelina Jolie, Jared Leto, Jennifer Lopez, Mike Myers, Robert Pattinson, Eddie Redmayne, Chris Rock, Hilary Swank, Amy Adams, Gerard Butler, Benedict Cumberbatch, Robert Downey Jr., Robert Duvall, Jonah Hill, Keira Knightley, Michael Keaton, Julianne Moore, Jack O’Connell, Chris Pratt, Kristen Stewart, Channing Tatum, Jean-Marc Vallée, Reese Witherspoon and Shailene Woodley.
The categories are as follows. You can sort of figure it out. Angelina Jolie will get the director award. Breakout actor will be O’Connell, star of her movie. Maybe Redmayne and Cumberbatch will tie for Best Actor, Reese and Amy Adams will tie for Best Actress. Mike Myers will get Doc award for “Supermensch.” It will just be a big party on a Friday night, and why not? As a friend of mine says, it could be worse.
o Hollywood Career Achievement Award
o Hollywood Film Award
o Hollywood Director Award
o Hollywood Actor Award
o Hollywood Actress Award
o Hollywood Supporting Actor Award
o Hollywood Supporting Actress Award
o Hollywood Ensemble Award
o Hollywood Breakout Performance Actress Award
o Hollywood Breakout Performance Actor Award
o Hollywood Breakthrough Director Award
o New Hollywood Award
o Hollywood Screenwriter Award
o Hollywood Song Award
o Hollywood Animation Award
o Hollywood Blockbuster Award
o Hollywood Documentary Award
o Hollywood Comedy Film Award