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“12 Years a Slave” Wins Indie Spirit Awards, Which are Now Junior Oscars

Roger Friedman
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“12 Years a Slave” Wins Indie Spirit Awards, Which are Now Junior Oscars

Good news and bad news: Steve McQueen won Best Picture and Director for “12 Years a Slave” at–not the Oscars, but the Independent Spirit Awards. Four actors won as well: Cate Blanchett, Matthew McConaughey, Lupita Nyongo and Jared Leto– for the Spirits, not the Oscars. But there’s a good chance all of these people will win Oscars on Sunday. And that begs the question: what’s the difference?

Not much anymore. There is now so much overlap from the Spirits and the Oscars that it’s undermining each awards show. The Oscars are the big time. They should be for the major movies, and the art films that cross over to the main spotlight.

The Spirit Awards used to be for the real indies, small art house films, films from smaller distributors, and not from the majors. But today we had a film backed by Fox win almost everything. It’s a little crazy. You can say the “Dallas Buyers Club” or “Blue Jasmine” had small budgets, but they were released by corporations with huge resources.

So do watch the Spirit Awards tonight on IFC. They’re like the non dress rehearsal for the Oscars. The Spirit Award winners should have been “Fruitvale Station” and director Ryan Coogler, Oscar Isaac from “Inside Llewyn Davis,” Brie Larson for “Short Term 12,” and supporting actors from other independent movies.

Because they weren’t, the feeling in the tent in Santa Monica was flat. There’s no longer a sense of kids who’ve gotten away with something. It was very much a case of the adults running the show. If there’s an indie film community, there was no sense of it at today’s show. And that’s very sad. Film Independent had better do something to get back to their stated purpose.

Great speeches today from Coogler, who did Best First Feature, and Jared Leto, who has become a surprisingly astute breath of fresh air this season.

The following is a complete list of the winners:

Best Feature: 12 Years a Slave (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Producers: Dede Gardner, Anthony Katagas, Jeremy Kleiner, Steve McQueen, Arnon Milchan, Brad Pitt, Bill Pohlad

Best Director: Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Best Screenplay: John Ridley, 12 Years a Slave (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Best First Feature: Fruitvale Station (The Weinstein Company)
Director: Ryan Coogler, Producers: Nina Yang Bongiovi, Forest Whitaker

Best First Screenplay: Bob Nelson, Nebraska (Paramount Pictures)

John Cassavetes Award (For best feature made under $500,000):

This is Martin Bonner (Monterey Media inc)

Writer/Director: Chad Hartigan, Producer: Cherie Saulter

Best Supporting Female: Lupita Nyong’o, 12 Years a Slave (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Best Supporting Male: Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club (Focus Features)

Best Female Lead: Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine (Sony Pictures Classics)

Best Male Lead: Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club, (Focus Features)

Robert Altman Award: Mud (Roadside Attractions / Lionsgate)
Director: Jeff Nichols, Casting Director: Francine Maisler, Ensemble Cast: Joe Don Baker, Jacob Lofland, Matthew McConaughey, Ray McKinnon, Sarah Paulson, Michael Shannon, Sam Shepard, Tye Sheridan, Paul Sparks, Bonnie Sturdivant, Reese Witherspoon

Best Cinematography: Sean Bobbitt, 12 Years a Slave (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Best Editing: Nat Sanders, Short Term 12 (Cinedigm)

Best International Film: Blue is the Warmest Color (France- IFC Films)

Director: Abdellatif Kechiche

Best Documentary: 20 Feet From Stardom (Radius-TWC)

Director/Producer: Morgan Neville, Producers: Gil Friesen, Caitrin Rogers

Uh Oh: Terrence Malick’s “Lawless” — with Gosling, Mara, Fassbender–Was “Mostly Improvised”

Roger Friedman
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In Terrence Malick’s last movie, “To the Wonder,” Ben Affleck said not a word. The  movie made 12 cents and is best used as a sleep aid. Now I’m told that one of his two next films, which are somewhere near completion, is completely improvised. “Lawless,” which will need a new title since we just had a movie called “Lawless,” stars a bunch of big names.

Ryan Gosling, Rooney Mara, Michael Fassbender are three of them. It’s about — we’ll see if it’s about anything– love triangles. Gosling, Mara, and Berenice Marlohe comprise one of those triangles. Marlohe told me last night at Armani’s cocktail party for Martin Scorsese that she has no idea what the plot is since she only got 20 pages of script. This should be fun.

A lot of stars turned out for Scorsese including Robert DeNiro with wife Grace Hightower; Samuel L. Jackson, and Glenn Close. Scorsese was first to leave, which DeNiro didn’t realize right away. Finally it dawned on him, amusingly, that he was letting strangers chat him up after the honoree was gone. But the party was cool, the people were beautiful, and Armani has the nicest store on Rodeo Drive. It was all good!

No headlines, but Samuel L. Jackson said he will be front and center when wife LaTanya Richardson opens on Broadway with Denzel Washington for “A Raisin in the Sun.” “I said I’d come to the first preview,” Sam told me, “and she said, No no  no! But I’ll be there opening night.” Then he heads to Europe for the next “Avengers” movie.

Elsewhere last night: “12 Years a Slave” director was guest of honor at the annual British consulate party branded the GREAT British Film reception. Lots of Brits crowded into a tented backyard. But it wasn’t raining! Yet. Among the guests: Helen Mirren, Jacqueline Bisset, Sally Hawkins, and 20 of the 26 British nominees for the Academy Awards caught up with each other over canapes. I was happy to see the great Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, aka Mr. Eko from “Lost.” He stars in a new TV series called “Odyssey” which we will see soon, and he’s in “Pompeii” and just wrapped “Annie.” Adewale told me he had to go to boot camp for “Pompeii” for three weeks four hours a day of training. He skipped the canapes!

American Hustle: Former Lead Singer Doesn’t Want to Do Steely Dan’s Dirty Work No More

Roger Friedman
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American Hustle: Former Lead Singer Doesn’t Want to Do Steely Dan’s Dirty Work No More

Thanks to a story in The Hollywood Reporter by Matt Belloni, we may be able to solve a little mystery.

Some time ago I asked the folks connected to David O. Russell’s “American Hustle” why they didn’t include Steely Dan’s track “Dirty Work” on their soundtrack. The song comes on near the beginning of the film and frames the story beautifully. If it had been on the accompanying CD, “Dirty Work” would have found a new audience. The track was included in Steely Dan’s 1972 debut album “Can’t Buy a Thrill.”

The answer I got: Steely Dan refused to sign off on it. They wouldn’t let the song be part of the “American Hustle” soundtrack. Everyone else signed off on the CD full of ’70s songs, except for Steely Dan’s Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. I did immediately think that it had something to do with the lead vocalist.

David Palmer sang lead on “Dirty Work” and is all over ‘Thrill.” But he left Steely Dan in 1973 when they released their second album. A couple of years later he turned up on Carole King’s album “Wrap Around Joy.” He co-wrote the two hits, “Jazzman” and “Nightingale.”

Now Belloni reports in THR that Palmer is suing Steely Dan over digital royalties concerning “Dirty Work” and those other tracks. SoundExchange, which collects and distributes digital royalties from firms like Spotify, Pandora, and SiriusXM, wants to pay Palmer separately under his original Steely Dan agreement as a featured vocalist. The band doesn’t want to pay him.

I notice on DogstarRadio.com which monitors SiriusXM playlists that once “American Hustle” kicked into high gear at the box office “Dirty Work” started getting four or five spins a day. If that happened on Pandora and iTunes Radio, as well as digital downloads from Steely Dan albums on iTunes and Amazon, Palmer has an interesting case. Imagine how much better the song would have done had it been included on the “Hustle” album.

PS Everyone else on the “Hustle” album signed off on the soundtrack, from Elton John and Paul McCartney to America, ELO, the Bee Gees and Donna Summer. If I were Palmer, I’d be pissed.

Philip Seymour Hoffman’s Tragic End: Cocaine, Heroin, Rx Pills

Roger Friedman
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Philip Seymour Hoffman’s Tragic End: Cocaine, Heroin, Rx Pills

It’s sad to say that Philip Seymour Hoffman’s death was a blockbuster. The NYC Coroner has determined Hoffman had cocaine, heroin, and pills in his system. The needle hanging out of his arm was just one piece of the terrible puzzle that did him in. For some reason, just heroin sounded reasonable for an addict. But Hoffman was obviously on a major binge. What makes no sense is why he was alone, or buying drugs on the Lower East Side, taking money out of an ATM for druf dealers– and no one was with him. An Oscar winning actor shooting a major film franchise– and no one was monitoring his activities. His condition could not have been a surprise. There are more questions here than answers. Tragic.

Oscar Parties: Gwyneth Gives Her Blessing, Stallone Approves of Fallon, Fonda Supports Dern

Roger Friedman
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Oscar Parties: Gwyneth Gives Her Blessing, Stallone Approves of Fallon, Fonda Supports Dern

The whirlwind of Oscar parties is on, even if the weather is not cooperating with Hollywood’s elite…At Vanity Fair’s party for Annie Leibovitz, Sylvester Stallone told me he was thrilled with Jimmy Fallon and Paul Rudd’s shpeil about “Rocky” a few  nights ago. Stallone missed the show, but he said friends starting calling him when they heard Fallon and Rudd going through all the “Rocky” films. Then Rudd told a story about how Stallone had taught his nine year old son to throw a punch. “It’s true!” Stallone told me, and showed me what he did. “I’ve got to on Jimmy’s show,” he said. “Tell him I approve”…

…At the LoveGold party, Oscar nominee Lupita Nyongo absolutely glowed as she tried on zillion dollar earrings and inspected a collection of well guarded jewels. Lupita brought her mom, and you could see where she gets her looks. Coming to us from Kenya via Yale, Lupita has turned into quite the star since “12 Years a Slave” debuted last fall. I asked when she was making the harrowing movie if she thought it would all end up like this– gold jewelry, red carpets, designer gowns….The answer: “Nooooo….” She really shook her in amazement…

…Gwyneth Paltrow was the first guest last night at Gagosian’s Beverly Hills gallery for sister in law Taryn Simon’s new photography show called “Birds of the West Indies.” Simon is married Gwyneth’s brother Jake Paltrow, who introduced their charming baby daughter to an overwhelming number of guests. Gwyneth didn’t stick around, but the Paltrows’ mom, actress Blythe Danner, beamed with pride all night. Some other guests included Oscar nominee Jared Leto, director John Waters, famed musician Robbie Robertson and 15 year old beyond her years actress Elle Fanning…

…Peter Fonda stopped by Paramount Pictures’ swell event for “Nebraska” and “The Wolf of Wall Street” last night at Spago restaurant. Martin Scorsese, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Jonah Hill were all there, as were “Nebraska” nominees Bruce Dern and June Squibb. Fonda told me he once talked to “Nebraska” director Alexander Payne about playing the role of Woody, which of course went to Dern. Joked Fonda: “I told Alex I couldn’t do it because I was too young and too pretty.” Fonda said: “Bruce did an amazing job. I’ve known him a long time. I hope he wins.”

Jonah Hill, by the way, just narrowly missed his almost in-law at the party. Frances Fisher, the actress mother of Francesca Eastwood, was accepting kudos on her new TV called “Resurrection.” Hill’s brother Jordan Feldstein and Eastwood have just annulled their spontaneous Las Vegas nuptials, much to everyone’s approval…

 

“American Idol” Ratings Collapse Post-Olympics: Ominous Forecast

Roger Friedman
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“American Idol” Ratings Collapse Post-Olympics: Ominous Forecast

Yesterday I told you that American Idol’s first post-Olympics show indicated fans didn’t come back. Last night’s ratings were much much worse. The key demo number was 2.3 and the total viewers fell to 9.81. The Fox show was ranked 4th for the night. It was beaten by the whole CBS schedule.  The ABC night came close to beating it too with “Scandal” and “Grey’s Anatomy” pulling even more viewers away. Fox can’t be happy. Even though Harry Connick Jr., Jennifer Lopez, and Keith Urban had a visit last night from their leader, Rupert Murdoch, it may not have been a show of support. Murdoch may have merely stopped by to measure the studio or read the lease.

 

TV: Should Matt LeBlanc Play Oscar to Matthew Perry’s Felix in New Odd Couple?

Roger Friedman
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TV: Should Matt LeBlanc Play Oscar to Matthew Perry’s Felix in New Odd Couple?

The search is on for someone to play Oscar Madison in the new TV version of “The Odd Couple.” Matthew Perry is signed to take fussy Felix Unger already. Perry has already played a sort of Tony Randall type character in the movie “Down by Love” with a Rock Hudson-esque Ewan McGregor and a Doris Day-ish Renee Zellweger.

But if Perry is Felix, shouldn’t Matt LeBlanc be messy, clueless Oscar Madison? The answer is yes. The pair were already playing those characters sharing an apartment on “Friends.” This seems to be a no-brainer.

LeBlanc is signed to Showtime’s “Episodes,” for which he’s been nominated for several awards.

But guess what? Showtime and CBS– the new network taking over “The Odd Couple” (it ran on ABC from 1970-75)– are owned by Viacom. It wouldn’t be hard to make that work out.

A casting call has gone out for Oscar, as well as his assistant (played on TV by Penny Marshall), and the famous Pigeon sisters. In the original “Odd Couple,” the sisters were Brits and kind of daffy, not bimbos. Think Jane a younger Jane Leeves. Or actually, think Lucy Punch, who would be more than perfect.

The fear of course is that the new show will be blanded out in the same way new versions of great movies (think “The Heartbreak Kid”) that lose all their class and ethnic distinctions. “The Odd Couple” worked because it was distinctively New York. It was also excessively sympathetic. Even the characters fought, they liked each other enormously.

Let’s hope the new producers of “The Odd Couple”– Garry Marshall is not involved– don’t screw this up.

Oscars: Barry Diller Cancels Famous Annual Lunch Because of Torrential Rain Threat

Roger Friedman
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Oscars: Barry Diller Cancels Famous Annual Lunch Because of Torrential Rain Threat

Word is breaking that Barry Diller and Diane von Furstenberg have cancelled their annual pre Oscar lunch this Saturday.  Los Angeles is about to have terrifying rain storms, and the Dillers won’t dally or dither if 200 guests have to wind up in their living room. The lunch is an outdoor event. It attracts a real old Hollywood crowd in honor of Vanity Fair’s Graydon Carter.

Now there’s some legitimate fear that  the Independent Spirit Awards may be in trouble. If the rain persists from Friday into Saturday, the Spirit Awards could be interrupted. They’re held in a huge tent on the beach. The whole enterprise hinges on good weather. Keep checking on that…

Carter, meantime, had the best Oscar kick off party I’ve been to in a long time last night at the Chateau Marmont in honor of photographer Annie Leibovitz. Among the guests were Sylvester Stallone, wife Jennifer and one of their daughters, plus Quincy Jones, Naomie Harris, Patricia Clarkson, Linda Perry and Sara Gilbert, Michael Richards, Udo Kier, plus Carter and Leibovitz and many others. Everyone was hoping to see Courtney Love, who’s been staying at the Chateau.

Leibovitz has just published an extraordinary new book of her photographs from Taschen. The 476 page monument called SUMO costs $2,500 and only 10,000 copies have  been printed. A $5,000 edition is ultra ultra. Expensive? Yes, but I guarantee that it will sell out quickly from New York’s Upper East Side to Beverly Hills to Chicago, Dallas, and San Francisco. Hugely oversized, the coffee table book is bigger than most extra large coffee tables.  In typical Taschen style, it was printed and assembled in four locations. The pictures are sumptuous, iconic, and historic.

During the party, one nice young woman came up to Leibovitz and asked if they could take a picture together on her cell phone. She asked yours truly to take the photo. But the ever amazing Leibovitz went one better. She took a selfie of the two of them together.  Imagine this: this woman now has a picture taken by Annie Leibovitz in her phone! I hope she immediately printed it out this morning. That’s an actual collectible!

American Idol: Permanently Wounded in Ratings by The Olympics?

Roger Friedman
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American Idol: Permanently Wounded in Ratings by The Olympics?

There were as many losers as winners during the Olympics this month. But the real loser may have been “American Idol.” Back on February 5th, “Idol” had hopeful if much diminished ratings before the Olympics started. They had a 3.9 share in the key demo and over 13 million viewers.

But then the games started and the ratings slid. The thinking was they’d come back once the skiiers, skaters, and snowboarders left Sochi. Alas, last night’s “Idol” ratings were dismal: a 2.6 rating and just over 10 million viewers. Three million total viewers, including a million between 18 and 49, may not be coming back.

Of course, “Idol” is now acknowledged by Fox to be a different kind of show. Fox execs said it was “winding down.” But a permanent drop off after the Olympics may cause real worry for fans. Let’s see if tonight’s show can gin up some more enthusiasm. Fox killed off “X Factor” quickly rather than perform triage. They may decide to do the same thing here.

Exclusive: Candice Bergen Joins Warren Beatty’s “Howard Hughes” Movie

Roger Friedman
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Exclusive: Candice Bergen Joins Warren Beatty’s “Howard Hughes” Movie

EXCLUSIVE: I told you first back on February 16th that Warren Beatty’s “Howard Hughes” movie was in per-production. Since then have come some unofficial word that Lily Collins, Matthew Broderick and Annette Bening might be in the film, too.

But I can tell you definitively that Beatty has cast multiple Emmy Award winning actress Candice Bergen to play the Hughes character’s secretary. This is great because Bergen is wonderful in everything she does, especially when wry comedy is involved. Let’s hope we see some of that in her character.

Before “Murphy Brown” and all the Emmys, Bergen had a very strong movie career from “Carnal Knowledge” to “Rich and Famous.” In 1980 she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in “Starting Over” (a great performance). Since “Murphy Brown,” Bergen proved a worthy opponent to William Shatner in “Boston Legal.” She has also appeared in “Sex and the City” and “House.” She even appeared on Broadway in “The Best Man.”

PS In New York, where she has lived pretty much forever, everyone loves beautiful Candice. Bravo to her!

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