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Exclusive: New “Rocky” Movie Gonna Fly in January with Michael B. Jordan as Apollo Creed’s Son

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EXCLUSIVE That new “Rocky” movie from “Fruitvale Station” director Ryan Coogler is a go for a January 2015 shoot. I can tell you that the main character played by Michael B. Jordan will be called “Adonis Creed” and the movie itself is called “Creed.” It’s about Apollo Creed’s son going for a title, with Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa playing his coach.

Coogler, of course, wrote and directed Jordan to acclaim in the tremendous “Fruitvale.” He suggested this idea to Stallone and producer Irwin Winkler, and they went for it. Somewhere, Jordan must be eating a lot of eggs and running up and down steps in a hoodie.

“Creed” will be shot (at least exteriors) in Philadelphia, naturally. Some of the characters include Adonis’s deaf half-sister, age 10, as well as a potential lady friend for Adonis who is a doctor of Indian descent; a guy named Joe who co-owns Mickey’s gym with Rocky; a former boxer named Pete, and a “Mickey-like” guy named Marcel, who’s Latino and assists with Adonis’s training. This part is for Luis Guzman, he should call his agent now.

No word yet on music, but it’s Philly, so there’s a lot of soul in that town. Maybe they’ll get the O’Jays to be old friends of Rocky!

with corrections

 

 

Neil Young’s Pono Music Library Website is Up and Semi-Functional

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Neil Young’s Pono Music library website is up and semi-functional (www.ponomusic.com). The site offers quite a few albums that feature 30 second samples from lots of artists including Young, Bob Dylan, Elton John and many classic rock acts. Also featured is Prince’s new album, which sounds great in the short samples.

So far none of the music can actually be purchased. And the Pono player itself, the central product, is not available. On the site there’s an offer of a certificate signed by Young that’s supposed to arrive by Christmas. Meantime the Pono Kickstarter page still says all this stuff will be ready to go in October 2014. Maybe they should revise this since we now halfway through October 2014.

I’m rooting for Pono. I love new gadgets. And the iPod is so awful (so is Beats) that anything that can broaden and deepen music’s sound on portable players is welcome. Just listen to those two new Prince albums on a real stereo (Rogue pre amp, Conrad Johnson amp, Creek CD player, Sequerra speakers) and the sound is revelatory. Same for Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga.

Any, Neil was on Howard Stern this morning presumably talking Pono and his new album.

New “X Men” Movie: Apocalypse Real Title May Be “Akkaba”

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Fan boys (and girls) are no doubt thrilled that another “X Men” movie is gearing up for shooting in Montreal. So far, various sites have supposed that the title is “X Men: Apocalypse.” But a new casting call indicates the the title as “X Men: Akkaba.” And that could mean trouble for Wolverine and friends.

According to my (albeit limited) research, Akkaba refers to the Clan of Akkaba, a group of mutant villains who would be the X Men’s worst nightmare. Apocalypse is their leader (I think). They got their start in Marvel version of world history, Egypt 3000 BC.

“X Men: Akkaba” also seems like it will be looking for a new, younger demographic as they search for three 18 year old actors to play 16. Their names are Ava, Dylan, and Sabrina.

Here’s a video I found on YouTube describing some of this history. Look, I will tell you now I know nothing about the intricacies of X Men. So kindly – and I do mean kindly– please send in explanations. I’ll be happy to post them if they’re thoughtful and well expressed.

Anjelica Huston Memoir “Watch Me”: Jack Nicholson, Ryan O’Neal, Roman Polanski Shockers

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One of the smartest and nicest people descended from Hollywood royalty is Anjelica Huston. The Oscar winning daughter of famed director John Huston, granddaughter of legendary Walter Huston, gives Hollywood a good name.

But what a wild ride she’s had! November 11th brings part 2 of her memoir, this one called “Watch Me.” Everything you always wanted to know is here, from her nearly 40 year on and off romance and friendship with Jack Nicholson, to her tumultuous live in stay with Ryan O’Neal.

There’s also the whole episode of Roman Polanski’s rape arrest in 1977. Did you know that Huston was handcuffed and arrested with Polanski because she was staying in Nicholson’s house at the time? On a search warrant, LAPD found a little bit of marijuana and a gram of coke. But Huston hadn’t seen anything directly between Polanski and the 13 year old girl (revealed in her own book as Samantha Geimer). She was released.

Readers will be more interested in how Anjelica learned that long time love Nicholson was having a baby with young Rebecca Broussard. (He had two kids with her, now each in their 20s.) The saga of her violent break up with O’Neal is heart-stopping.

The book should be called “Read Me.” Already pre-orders are churning. More on “Watch Me” and this brilliant lady in days to come…

 

Hamptons Fest Serves Up Oscar Buzz with “Wild,” “Birdman,” “Still Alice”

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The Hamptons Film Festival is over and is the big one in New York from the Film Society of Lincoln Center. And how did things shake out? We got to see three big movies –“Wild,” “Birdman,” and “Still Alice,” not to mention real showings for “Foxcatcher,” “The Imitation Game,” “Whiplash,” and “St. Vincent.” Here’s how things shook out.

“Birdman” directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, is a dark comedy, very dark, really a tragedy with some comic moments. Sometimes it soars. At other times this grand life lesson drags with preposterous notions. You have to accept it as a fable. Michael Keaton is exceptional, and is a solid Oscar nominee for Best Actor. He’s playing himself, sort of, as a big movie star whose main credits are a superhero (Keaton was original Batman). Amy Ryan, Edward Norton, Naomi Watts and Andrea Riseborough are a solid supporting cast. When “Birdman” flies, your heart goes with it. A Best Picture nominee? Unsure.

In “Wild,” Reese Witherspoon gets her take on “127 Hours” and “Into the Wild.” She curses, has promiscuous sex, and doesn’t wash her hair. Women love this movie. Jean Marc Vallee, who made “The Dallas Buyers Club,” affects a nice character study but I’m not sure where it all leads. I preferred “Tracks” with Mia Whatsername and Adam Driver. Laura Dern steals her scenes as Reese’s mother. (Come on really, is Laura Dern old enough for this?) As Cheryl Strayed, Reese takes on a 1,000 mile hike up the Pacific Coast that you know will include making friends, avoiding rape, and finding herself etc.  Even though the story takes place in the summer of 2005, most of the music is from Simon & Garfunkel circa 1970.

“Still Alice” will definitely bring Julianne Moore another Oscar nomination. Will she win the big prize this time? Maybe so. This 90 minute drama is also a character study based on the novel of the same name. Julianne’s over achieving, ambitious 50 year old Columbia University professor of linguistics gets early on set Alzheimer’s. It comes on like a freight train, too. Luckily she has Alec Baldwin as her understanding husband and three beautiful kids (Kristen Stewart, Kate Bosworth, Hunter Parrish). Moore is just jaw dropping, never maudlin, dead on perfect. Wash Westmoreland is the co-director with his partner Richard Glatzer. Glatzer has ALS and directed the movie from a wheelchair with an iPad and his index finger. What did you do last winter?

Meantime, those four other films– holdovers from other fests– “Imitation Game,” “Whiplash,” “Foxcatcher,” “St. Vincent”– were the popular kids at school. They all have Oscar pedigrees with Bill Murray kicking ass as Vincent. In the end, the Best Picture race may pit “Foxcatcher” vs. “Imitation Game.” Stay tuned…

Robert Downey Jr. in “The Judge” Proves to be a Hard Sell at Box Office

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“The Judge” has been convicted. David Dobkin’s likeable big studio feature starring Robert Downey Jr and Robert Duvall has proven to be a hard sell at the box office. The movie did a very disappointing $13.3 million over the weekend, and finished 5th over all.

Warner Bros. tried everything with “The Judge” including opening night at the Toronto Film Festival. On Friday, the studio threw the film a swanky lunch at the historic 21 Club. Surprise guests including Sting and Trudie Styler, as well as Robert Downey senior, who has snow white hair now. (I remember the “Putney Swope” director from years ago.) It was great to see all of them.

There was even a moderated panel set up during dessert with Dan Abrams asking questions of Duvall, Downey Jr. and Dan’s dad, famed First Amendment lawyer Floyd Abrams. Guests included Dennis Christopher, the beloved star of the classic “Breaking Away”; New York actors Bob Dishy and Rutanya Alda, and famed defense attorney Gerry Lefcourt, as well as Pace Gallery art superstars Arne and Millie Glimcher.

Warner Bros. is having a tough year after 2013-2014 was such a hit with “Gravity” and critics’ darling “Her.” Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Inherent Vice” is another hard sell, and Shawn Levy’s “This is Where I Leave You” left most people cold. But “The Hobbit” finale should be gigantic. And superheroes are always around the corner. I don’t mean Superman or Batman, but Clint Eastwood and Bradley Cooper with “American Sniper.” So get ready.

American Music Awards Nominate Grammy Left Overs, B Listers

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The nominees for the American Music Awards are really awful, as usual. They’re also a collection of songs and artists who either aren’t eligible for the Grammys, or know in advance they won’t be asked to perform on the Grammy broadcast in February 2015. The AMAs are taking advantage of Pharrell’s “Happy” and John Legend’s “All of Me” having been released during the 2013 Grammy year. In fact, except for Sam Smith, most of this stuff feels like it happened a long time ago. This is all done via publicists, record companies and managers agreeing to be involved, or not. The show is on ABC November 23rd, hashtage #zzzz.

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Iggy Azalea
Beyoncé
Luke Bryan
Eminem
Imagine Dragons
John Legend
Lorde
One Direction
Katy Perry
Pharrell Williams

NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR PRESENTED BY KOHL’S
5 Seconds of Summer
Iggy Azalea
Bastille
Sam Smith
Meghan Trainor

SINGLE OF THE YEAR
Iggy Azalea Featuring Charli XCX “Fancy”
John Legend “All of Me”
MAGIC! “Rude”
Katy Perry Featuring Juicy J “Dark Horse”
Pharrell Williams “Happy”

FAVORITE MALE ARTIST – POP/ROCK
John Legend
Sam Smith
Pharrell Williams

FAVORITE FEMALE ARTIST – POP/ROCK
Iggy Azalea
Lorde
Katy Perry

FAVORITE BAND, DUO OR GROUP – POP/ROCK

Imagine Dragons
One Direction
OneRepublic

FAVORITE ALBUM – POP/ROCK
Lorde “Pure Heroine”
One Direction “Midnight Memories”
Katy Perry “Prism”

FAVORITE MALE ARTIST – COUNTRY

Jason Aldean
Luke Bryan
Blake Shelton

FAVORITE FEMALE ARTIST – COUNTRY
Miranda Lambert
Kacey Musgraves
Carrie Underwood

FAVORITE BAND, DUO OR GROUP – COUNTRY

Eli Young Band
Florida Georgia Line
Lady Antebellum

FAVORITE ALBUM – COUNTRY

Garth Brooks “Blame It On My Roots: Five Decades of Influences”
Eric Church “The Outsiders”
Brantley Gilbert “Just As I Am”

FAVORITE ARTIST – RAP/HIP-HOP

Iggy Azalea
Drake
Eminem

FAVORITE ALBUM – RAP/HIP-HOP

Iggy Azalea “The New Classic”
Drake “Nothing Was The Same”
Eminem “The Marshall Mathers LP 2”

FAVORITE MALE ARTIST – SOUL/R&B
Chris Brown
John Legend
Pharrell Williams

FAVORITE FEMALE ARTIST – SOUL/R&B
Jhene Aiko
Beyoncé
Mary J. Blige

FAVORITE ALBUM – SOUL/R&B
Beyoncé “Beyoncé”
John Legend “Love in the Future”
Pharrell Williams “G I R L”

FAVORITE ARTIST – ALTERNATIVE ROCK

Bastille
Imagine Dragons
Lorde

FAVORITE ARTIST – ADULT CONTEMPORARY

Sara Bareilles
OneRepublic
Katy Perry

FAVORITE ARTIST – LATIN

Marc Anthony
Enrique Iglesias
Romeo Santos

FAVORITE ARTIST – CONTEMPORARY INSPIRATIONAL

Casting Crowns
Hillsong United
Newsboys

FAVORITE ARTIST – ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC (EDM)

Avicii
Calvin Harris
Zedd

TOP SOUNDTRACK
Frozen
The Fault In Our Stars
Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Mix, Vol. 1

Exclusive: Neil deGrasse Tyson Will Host Live TV Show from NY Planetarium

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I don’t know a lot about Neil deGrasse Tyson, but I was addicted to his show “Cosmos.” Now I can tell you that Tyson, a heavyweight in science, is going to host a talk show live from the Hayden Planetarium in New York. That is, live to tape. It’s a TV version of his already hit radio show called “Star Talk,” and it will be aired on National Geographic’s cable channel.

Tyson is already director of the Planetarium and a research associate in astrophysics at the Museum of Natural History in New York. Harvard educated, Tyson is the successor to Carl Sagan in the discovery and analysis of the universe, and galaxies beyond us.

I love him on TV, but Tyson told at Stuart Match Suna’s annual Founders Party for the Hamptons Film Festival that being a media star “devalues” among his science snob colleagues. Nonsense! He’s probably done more for science and space and the understanding of both than anyone since Sagan. Bravo!

 

Exclusive: Call Him “Ed”: Snowden Used PC, Not Mac, for His NSA Takedown

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Here’s a little more about the documentary “CitizenFour,” about Edward Snowden and his takedown of the NSA. Laura Poitras and Glenn Greenwald’s documentary goes right to the top of the Oscar shortlist for docs. It’s absolutely revelatory, and so damning of the government that I do think people will be stunned. You think you know Snowden’s story but we don’t. There’s a real explanation here of how he did what he did, and what he he really found.

One thing that surprised me: he used a black PC that looks like either a Lenovo or IBM laptop. He didn’t use an Apple product from the looks of things. What a surprise considering how PC’s are constantly put down by Apple’s cult like enthusiasts. Greenwald never asks him about his choice of gadgets, so we don’t know why he thought Lenovo-IBM was better than MacBook.

During his interviews with Greenwald in Hong Kong, Snowden has one book out that he seems to be reading. That’s “Homeland” by Cory Doctorow (not related to E.L. Doctorow, btw). The novel was released in February 2013. It includes essays by computer experts Jacob Applebaum (famed hacker) and the late Aaron Swartz.

News orgs may call him “Edward,” but Snowden now prefers “Ed.”

Toward the end of the film, Greenwald visits Snowden in a Moscow hotel. He writes several communications on a pad, which Snowden eventually shows to the camera. One page such a bunch of arrows pointing to each other, culminating in the word POTUS. Greenwald rips up all the papers into small pieces until just the word POTUS is seen by itself in close up.

It’s clear that the filmmakers, who are certainly working with Snowden, are pointing the finger at President Obama. Obama supporters may find this part of the movie the most surprising, because it’s usually films and books made by conservatives that attack Obama.

One thing that becomes abundantly clear: Snowden was not just some low level guy who snitched and ran. His description of his clearance at the NSA– “higher clearance than most”– is actually described as “Top Secret.” Considering how he got there– through Booz Allen Hamilton as a consultant– it does seem like Snowden worked the system like a pro. He is no wide eyed naif.

The best part of “CitizenFour,” I think, is watching the real time experience of Snowden’s information being published by Greenwald. He calls home to find that the NSA is slowly realizing he’s their mole. His girlfriend says his rent check hasn’t been cashed. She also says that their street is now “filled with construction trucks” which he infers is the FBI or CIA setting up shop on his block to find him. He says about his bosses and co-workers, “They’re going to have a heart attack.”

 

Happy 79th Birthday to the Original Legendary Soul Man, Sam Moore

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There is only one star left from the shout-outs of Arthur Conley’s “Sweet Soul Music.” That’s the original legendary Soul Man, Sam Moore, of Sam & Dave fame, who celebrates his 79th birthday today.

Also one of the historic acts of Ahmet Ertegun and Jerry Wexler’s Atlantic Records, Moore–whose voice has never sounded better and is very much in demand– was named one of Rolling Stone’s top singers of all time a couple of years ago. His classic hits include “Soul Man,” “Hold On I’m Coming,” and “When Something is Wrong with My Baby.” As a performer, Sam has testified on Capitol Hill and has been a strong supporter of the Performance Rights Act to get singers radio royalties.

Sam’s last album was “Original Sensational” in 2006 featuring Sting, Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, and many others. It was produced by Randy Jackson. He’s starting to put together songs and musicians for a new album in 2015 to celebrate his 80th birthday. Sam is also in demand in his adopted hometown of Scottsdale, Arizona, where he will likely turn up doing a couple of private shows at the Super Bowl this coming February.

A couple of weeks ago when I was visiting the Letterman show, their star band player Felicia Collins told me: “I love it when Sam sings with us. He’s the only one who sings in the right key!”

Sam’s current single is a tribute to the late country star George Jones, sung with Nashville bluegrass group Nu Blu: