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

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

“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

Roger Friedman
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American Music Awards Nominate Grammy Left Overs, B Listers

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

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

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

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

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

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

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:

Edward Snowden Doc Premieres: Shocking inside look at how he did it

Roger Friedman
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Edward Snowden Doc Premieres: Shocking inside look at how he did it

Citizen Four is the shocking doc about Edward Snowden made by Glenn Greenwald and Laura Poitras. Just screened tonight was the two hour film which will be released by the Weinstein Company this month. It doesn’t paint the Obama administration in a very good light as Snowden explains how the government has violated privacy rights on a massive scale.
Also the filmmakers clearly indicate that all roads lead to POTUS, a fairly serious accusation. There may be serious repercussions.

Then there’s the Hollywoodization of Snowden. The detail of how and why Snowden went about this is pretty surprising considering how the 29 year old former NSA employee says he wants his own privacy and not to be a celebrity. It’s instructive to see his evolution from eyeglass wearing nerd to contact lenses and moussed up hair sporting hero of his own thriller. It’s all very Tom Cruise. Even the beautiful girlfriend sets up housekeeping with him in Moscow. Nevertheless as the details of the NSA’s programs are revealed Snowden says, “This isn’t science fiction. It’s really happening.”

Roger Friedman
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0

http://www.showbiz411.com/?p=44106&preview=true

Roger Friedman
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0

http://www.showbiz411.com/?p=44106&preview=true

U2: Apple Says 26 Million Downloaded Free Album, But Only 70K Estimated Will Pay For It

Roger Friedman
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U2: Apple Says 26 Million Downloaded Free Album, But Only 70K Estimated Will Pay For It

Reality bites, doesn’t it?

Billboard reports Apple saying 26 million people downloaded U2’s free album “Songs of Innocence.” That’s nice. By Billboard’s estimate, however, only 70,000 will buy the physical CD when it drops on October 13th.

That’s about right. Which is why U2 opted for the iTunes giveaway rather than deal with the charts and public numbers. It doesn’t matter how many people took the “purchased” button and allowed “Songs of Innocence” into their machines. The real question is, who will pay for music at all? How many people are there to buy an album by a group of men over 50? And the answer is: 70,000. If you’re lucky.

Typical sales right now for almost every artist is far less than 70,000 in the first week. Dozens of acts have experienced shock this year with opening weeks of 25,000. That goes for current and young acts like Jennifer Hudson and Maroon 5. The latter group got a bump last week thanks to “Saturday Night Live.” But their “V” album has not been a wild success.

Meantime, the U2 album has a creepy, creepy cover. They should have stuck with no cover. Criminy.

U2 cover songs of innocence

UPDATE: Amanda Bynes Takes Back Accusations, Says a Micro Chip in Her Brain Made Her Do It

Roger Friedman
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0
UPDATE: Amanda Bynes Takes Back Accusations, Says a Micro Chip in Her Brain Made Her Do It

SECOND UPDATE: Amanda Bynes takes it all back. She says a micro chip in her brain made her say these things. Someone had better get power of attorney quick and lock this poor girl up. She is sick. Really, terrible.

 

UPDATE: Bynes now claims she’s getting a restraining order against her dad.

She wrote on Twitter just now: “I cannot hear the sound of His incestually [sic] charged voice ever again and I’m just being honest. He called me ugly as a child and then asked me if I wanted to have sex with him and i did not know how to respond and I said no and then My dad fondled himself in front of me so many times that i started recording him on my phone in hopes of catching him. saying or doing something inappropriate around me so I could get him arrested & put in jail for the rest of his perverted life My mom knows that my father’s literally and physically incestual {sic] towards his own daughter and the fact that she never called the police on him embarrasses me to no end”

EARLIER: I’ve never written about child star Amanda Bynes because she’s clearly mentally ill and needs help. But this morning she hit Twitter with a sledge hammer, sending out messages that beg for parental interaction and a conservatorship. She was doing well last spring, but obviously something has snapped. Very sad, almost more about the way she feels about her looks than the “N” word, which she has now used in a coarse and vulgar message. But she’s not in her right mind. Read the Tweets with caution:

 

 

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