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Billboard Music Awards Lowest Rated Show Thursday Night Despite Taylor Swift’s 10 Wins

Roger Friedman
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Billboard Music Awards Lowest Rated Show Thursday Night Despite Taylor Swift’s 10 Wins

Yes, Taylor Swift won 10 Billboard Music Awards on Thursday night.

But no one watched, not even Swifties, as Taylor sent a pre-taped message.

Actually, the whole show was taped, “canned,” as it were, with nothing live, no audience, and winners who knew in advance their fates.

Total viewers were just 1.26 million, making the BBMAs the lowest rated show of the night on broadcast TV. (Other than two shows on the non existent CW network.)

It’s not clear why Billboard and dick clark productions even bothered to put this together. It wasn’t good for anyone except Swift, who would have sold a bucket load of albums anyway. By the time the show aired, the week’s album count was over.

Maybe it’s time to retire this awards show.

“Yellowstone” Season or Series Ends Tonight With Expectations of a Big Death, Cliffhanger

Roger Friedman
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“Yellowstone” Season or Series Ends Tonight With Expectations of a Big Death, Cliffhanger

As I told you exclusively last Sunday and Monday, “Yellowstone” will go on after tonight.

Originally billed as series ender, the show itself announced that tonight’s episode was a “season finale.”

Others came chiming in later in the week, not giving us credit. But we told you there were “negotiations” to keep “Yellowstone” going with characters Beth and Rip picking up season 6.

So tonight will tie up some loose ends and may feature a big death for Jamie Dutton, played so well by Wes Bentley. Jamie was instrumental in his father’s death (Kevin Costner as John Dutton). It seems unlikely Jamie will escape a tragic end.

The uncertainty about “Yellowstone” is definitely a factor in the hundreds of layoffs this year at Paramount Global. Another 350 staffers are expected to be pink slipped before December 31st. It’s an ugly time.

Ratings for tonight’s episode should be through the roof. And will they introduce a new antagonist for the Duttons? Or will we have to wait for a sixth season — which won’t come for another year at least.

Box Office: “Kraven” $11 Mil Weekend, Low Numbers Disappointing But Not as Bad as Last Year

Roger Friedman
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Box Office: “Kraven” $11 Mil Weekend, Low Numbers Disappointing But Not as Bad as Last Year

It’s a little startling to look at this weekend’s box office numbers.

But they’re a heck of a lot better than last year at this time.

Last year, the only hit was “Wonka,” with a $39 million weekend. No other movie made more than $5 million that weekend.

This year, “Moana 2,” “Wicked,” “Kraven the Body Hunter,” and “Gladiator II” are all above $5 million. “Moana 2” made $26.7 million, followed by “Wicked” at $22.5 million.

So things could be worse!

The smaller films like “Anora” and “A Real Pain” are still making money. Even “Conclave” — which could be the Best Picture of 2024 — is still attracting an audience despite being on VOD.

And still astounding the numbers crunchers: the revival of “Interstellar,” which raked in $8.4 million this weekend. Out of this world!

TV: “Blue Bloods” Ends with Modest Episode As if One Day We’ll See a Reboot Like Tom Selleck Wants

Roger Friedman
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TV: “Blue Bloods” Ends with Modest Episode As if One Day We’ll See a Reboot Like Tom Selleck Wants

“Blue Bloods” wrapped up 14 seasons on CBS last night.

The episode was modest, with no fanfare. No two hour episode, no flashbacks, no big weepy moments.

Mostly last night’s story was about a cop killer who also shoots the mayor. Tom Selleck — aka Frank Reagan — and clan are the only ones who can dig up the culprits and bring them to justice. All the main characters get a little spotlight.

It’s only toward the end of the episode that personal stuff comes in. Donnie Wahlberg’s Danny finally asks Maria (the under appreciated Marisa Ramirez) out for pizza. They’ve been flirting for like 8 years. Bridget Moynihan proposes to her ex husband (Peter Hermann).

Quick cut to a final and short dinner at the Reagans’ dining room table. Jamie and Eddie announce they’re pregnant. They’ve also been married for much of the run. No one discusses the fact that Selleck and Len Cariou, who plays his father, are only a few years apart. No one asks Cariou about winning the Tony Award for “Sweeney Todd.”

And it’s over.

Or is it? They played this episode not like a series finale, but a “to be continued…” If the show returns — as Tom Selleck has begged, pleaded, and demanded — the segue would be seamless. They should have called the episode “Never Can Say Goodbye.” See you on Netflix.

Tomorrow we get the not-series ending of “Yellowstone.” I told you a week ago the show would go on. Then on Wednesday came the story vultures pretending like it was their exclusive. “Yellowstone” will come back with a new antagonist to ruffle Beth’s feathers. The show will be called “Yellowstone” because the brand is branded into our brains.

Box Office: “Kraven the Hunter” Hunts $4.7 Mil Including Previews for $10 Mil Weekend

Roger Friedman
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Box Office: “Kraven the Hunter” Hunts $4.7 Mil Including Previews for $10 Mil Weekend

We’re heading to a record low holiday, here on December 14th.

The only new release is “Kraven the Hunter” — which could be the title of the Donald Trump biopic one day.

Total take for Thurs-Fri is just $4.7 million, which means the weekend is looking at $10 mil. Uh oh. Not so craven. A little lazy.

The big holiday hits are still booming away for families with “Moana 2” and “Wicked” drawing crowds probably for a second or even third time.

The new indie-ish film is “September 5,” highly recommended. This is the story of how ABC Sports handled the 1972 Munich massacre during that year’s Summer Olympics. It’s a taut 90 minutes that will keep you on the edge of your seat. You could see it in the middle of “Wicked” and still return for Elphaba’s big speech!

Also to be seen in theaters while available: “A Real Pain,” “Conclave,” and the re-release of “Interstellar,” which yesterday earned $990,000.

Blonde on Blonde: Timothee Chalamet Readies for Sequel to “A Complete Unknown” at Screening

Roger Friedman
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Blonde on Blonde: Timothee Chalamet Readies for Sequel to “A Complete Unknown” at Screening

Yesterday in Los Angeles, Timothee Chalamet sported his usual dark tresses.

Today in New York, at a screening for James Mangold’s “A Complete Unknown,” Timmy went blonde. With bangs.

Perhaps he misunderstood the title of Bob Dylan’s landmark 1966 album, “Blonde on Blonde.” That album came next after the movie about Dylan ended in 1965. Dylan himself did not go blonde. But maybe Chalamet is thinking about a sequel. “A Complete Unknown” could turn into “The Crown.”

At least Chalamet wasn’t wearing a Leopard Skin Pill Box Hat!

Tomorrow night there’s another screening of the Mangold movie. Watch for Chalamet to turn up with a banjo for the “Nashville Skyline” chapter of Dylan’s life!

RFK Jr Snubbed By Siblings Who Didn’t Invite Him to Gala for Father’s Human Rights Foundation

Roger Friedman
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RFK Jr Snubbed By Siblings Who Didn’t Invite Him to Gala for Father’s Human Rights Foundation

How much do Robert Kennedy Jr’s siblings loathe him?

On Wednesday they held their annual fundraising dinner aka the Ripple of Hope Gala for the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Foundation. Junior was not invited.

Even though their mother died only recently, the Kennedys did not welcome the conspiracy theorist and Trump endorser to the event. Maybe they heard he’s planning to bring back polio and other illnesses by getting rid of vaccines.

Kerry Kennedy was there, along with sisters Kathleen Kennedy Townsend and Rory Kennedy as well as nephew Joseph Kennedy III. Alec Baldwin and Lin Manuel Miranda were among the celebrity guests. Performers included Aloe Blacc and Miranda’s “Freestyle Love Supreme.”

The Kennedys dislike RFK Jr so much that on November 22nd they posted a notice on their Twitter account disavowing him. It read “We are not affiliated with Robert Kennedy Jr.”

Before Junior lost his mind he was included in the Human Rights campaign. I was there one year when he was having a clandestine affair with a celebrity who performed in the evening’s readings. Three years later, his wife, Mary Richardson Kennedy, committed suicide when she discovered Kennedy’s sex diaries detailing his dalliances.

Taylor Swift Wins 10 Billboard Music Awards, Sends Video Acceptance Speech Like Everyone Else

Roger Friedman
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Taylor Swift Wins 10 Billboard Music Awards, Sends Video Acceptance Speech Like Everyone Else

Why even bother showing up at some of these awards shows?

Last night Taylor Swift won 10 Billboard Music Awards. “Won” is a flexible term, but anyway…

Taylor sent in a video acceptance speech but so did everyone else. Everything on the show was canned. The audience was cast so it looked like there people spontaneously enjoying themselves.

This is the new world for at least the B list awards shows where the winners are not only known in advance but arranged for by record companies, managers, and publicists. I like the idea that all pretense is gone, and these are just assembled commercials. It’s very Trump era cynicism.

Swift, meantime, somehow sold another 200,000 copies of her “Tortured Poets Department” album this week. It’s heading toward 7 million total. SoundScan is now accepting QR sales report from Mars.

Time Magazine Names Donald Trump as Person of the Year 86 Years After Choosing Hitler

Roger Friedman
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Time Magazine Names Donald Trump as Person of the Year 86 Years After Choosing Hitler

Time magazine is still in business, long after its importance has ebbed.

Today, Time had the audacity to name Donald Trump their Person of the Year. This despite 34 felony convictions, stunning other court losses that involved hundreds of millions in judgements. He was found guilty of sexual abuse and the judge labeled him a rapist. He tried to overturn the 2020 election. He’s belittling, vulgar, coarse, and unread. He’s planning mass deportations, internment camps, and a full ban on abortion.

But Time thinks all of that is important enough to make him Person of the Year. I do hope all the celebrities who walk the red carpet for the Time 100 remember this next spring. By then, all of these things should be in motion, with Trump causing great strife and misery for a huge part of the American population.

It’s not like Time’s Man of the Year covers weren’t always in question. In 1938 the designee was Adolf Hitler. They described him as “the newsmaker who most influenced world events for better or worse,” pretty much the same rationale they’ve made now.

It’s a long ‘time’ since Time mattered anyway, so we won’t get too upset. But as Trump and his unelected co-conspirators like Elon Musk attack ‘mainstream media,’ you see the Marc Benoiff-owned magazine fighting to stay in the game. With this endorsement, they’ve made themselves irrelevant. This is just plain old sucking up.

I won’t link to this insulting turn of events.

Critics Choice Noms: “Gladiator” Snubbed as Universal’s “Conclave” Becomes “Wicked” Main Competitor

Roger Friedman
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Critics Choice Noms: “Gladiator” Snubbed as Universal’s “Conclave” Becomes “Wicked” Main Competitor

Edward Berger’s “Conclave” and Jon M . Chu’s “Wicked” are now the chief competitors for Best Picture at the Critics Choice Awards (Jan 12th on the E Channel).

Both movies are from Universal Pictures, so they’re happy no matter what happens.

The biggest disappointment of the season: Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator II.” Only Denzel Washington was nominated for Best Supporting Actor.

The next biggest winner is “Anora,” Sean Baker’s splashy comedy from Neon Pictures.

A lot of films had terrific performances but failed to yield nominations. It’s a big studio year after all. One surprising omission: Nicole Kidman’s incendiary performance in “Babygirl.” It seems like that spot went to Demi Moore in “The Substance.”

FILM NOMINATIONS FOR THE 30TH ANNUAL CRITICS CHOICE AWARDS

BEST PICTURE

A Complete Unknown

Anora

The Brutalist

Conclave

Dune: Part Two

Emilia Pérez

Nickel Boys

Sing Sing

The Substance

Wicked


BEST ACTOR

Adrien Brody – The Brutalist

Timothée Chalamet – A Complete Unknown

Daniel Craig – Queer

Colman Domingo – Sing Sing

Ralph Fiennes – Conclave

Hugh Grant – Heretic

BEST ACTRESS

Cynthia Erivo – Wicked

Karla Sofía Gascón – Emilia Pérez

Marianne Jean-Baptiste – Hard Truths

Angelina Jolie – Maria

Mikey Madison – Anora

Demi Moore – The Substance

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Yura Borisov – Anora

Kieran Culkin – A Real Pain

Clarence Maclin – Sing Sing

Edward Norton – A Complete Unknown

Guy Pearce – The Brutalist

Denzel Washington – Gladiator II

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Danielle Deadwyler – The Piano Lesson

Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor – Nickel Boys

Ariana Grande – Wicked

Margaret Qualley – The Substance

Isabella Rossellini – Conclave

Zoe Saldaña – Emilia Pérez

BEST YOUNG ACTOR / ACTRESS

Alyla Browne – Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

Elliott Heffernan – Blitz

Maisy Stella – My Old Ass

Izaac Wang – Didi

Alisha Weir – Abigail

Zoe Ziegler – Janet Planet


BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE

Anora

Conclave

Emilia Pérez

Saturday Night

Sing Sing

Wicked


BEST DIRECTOR

Jacques Audiard – Emilia Pérez

Sean Baker – Anora

Edward Berger – Conclave

Brady Corbet – The Brutalist

Jon M. Chu – Wicked

Coralie Fargeat – The Substance

RaMell Ross – Nickel Boys

Denis Villeneuve – Dune: Part Two


BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Sean Baker – Anora

Moritz Binder, Tim Fehlbaum, Alex David – September 5

Brady Corbet, Mona Fastvold – The Brutalist

Jesse Eisenberg – A Real Pain

Coralie Fargeat – The Substance

Justin Kuritzkes – Challengers

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Jacques Audiard – Emilia Pérez

Winnie Holzman, Dana Fox – Wicked

Greg Kwedar, Clint Bentley – Sing Sing

RaMell Ross & Joslyn Barnes – Nickel Boys

Peter Straughan – Conclave

Denis Villeneuve, Jon Spaihts – Dune: Part Two


BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Jarin Blaschke – Nosferatu  

Alice Brooks – Wicked

Lol Crawley – The Brutalist  

Stéphane Fontaine – Conclave  

Greig Fraser – Dune: Part Two  

Jomo Fray – Nickel Boys  


BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

Judy Becker, Patricia Cuccia – The Brutalist

Nathan Crowley, Lee Sandales – Wicked

Suzie Davies – Conclave

Craig Lathrop – Nosferatu  

Arthur Max, Jille Azis, Elli Griff – Gladiator II  

Patrice Vermette, Shane Vieau – Dune: Part Two  


BEST EDITING

Sean Baker – Anora

Marco Costa – Challengers

Nick Emerson – Conclave  

David Jancso – The Brutalist  

Joe Walker – Dune: Part Two

Hansjörg Weißbrich – September 5


BEST COSTUME DESIGN

Lisy Christl – Conclave  

Linda Muir – Nosferatu  

Massimo Cantini Parrini – Maria  

Paul Tazewell – Wicked  

Jacqueline West – Dune: Part Two  

Janty Yates, Dave Crossman – Gladiator II  

BEST HAIR AND MAKEUP

Christine Blundell, Lesa Warrener, Neal Scanlan – Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Hair and Makeup Team – Dune: Part Two

Hair and Makeup Team – The Substance  

Frances Hannon, Sarah Nuth, Laura Blount – Wicked  

Traci Loader, Suzanne Stokes-Munton, David White – Nosferatu  

Mike Marino, Sarah Graalman, Aaron Saucier – A Different Man  

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Mark Bakowski, Pietro Ponti, Nikki Penny, Neil Corbould – Gladiator II  

Pablo Helman, Jonathan Fawkner, Paul Corbould, David Shirk – Wicked  

Paul Lambert, Stephen James, Rhys Salcombe, Gerd Nefzer – Dune: Part Two

Luke Millar, David Clayton, Keith Herft, Peter Stubbs – Better Man  

Visual Effects Team – The Substance  

Erik Winquist, Stephen Unterfranz, Paul Story, Rodney Burke – Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

Flow

Inside Out 2

Memoir of a Snail

Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl

The Wild Robot


BEST COMEDY

A Real Pain

Deadpool & Wolverine

Hit Man

My Old Ass

Saturday Night

Thelma

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

All We Imagine as Light

Emilia Pérez

Flow

I’m Still Here

Kneecap

The Seed of the Sacred Fig

BEST SONG

“Beautiful That Way” – The Last Showgirl – Miley Cyrus

“Compress / Repress” – Challengers – Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross

“El Mal” – Emilia Pérez – Zoe Saldaña, Karla Sofía Gascón, Camille

“Harper and Will Go West” – Will & Harper – Kristen Wiig

“Kiss the Sky” – The Wild Robot – Maren Morris

“Mi Camino” – Emilia Pérez – Selena Gomez

BEST SCORE

Volker Bertelmann – Conclave

Daniel Blumberg – The Brutalist

Kris Bowers – The Wild Robot

Clément Ducol & Camille – Emilia Pérez

Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross – Challengers

Hans Zimmer – Dune: Part Two

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