Yup. Kimmel-Marvel-Disney-ABC synergy brings us the “Guardians of the Galaxy” trailer. The music is “Hooked on a Feeling” the ooga-chakka version, from 1974 by Blue Swede. I liked B.J. Thomas’s original 1969 version better. This one was supposed to be funny. Or something. Whatever happened to Blue Swede? O the Ides of March? Or Vanity Fare? Or…
Jimmy Fallon Gets it Right for a Second Night in a Row: Seinfeld, Kristen Wiig, Lady Gaga Shine
I can’t wait for Jimmy Fallon’s barbershop quartet number to hit You Tube so I can post it here. On the second installment of his “Tonight Show” Fallon hit a home run with that sketch, a very good monologue, and guests Jerry Seinfeld, Kristen Wiig, and Lady Gaga.
I don’t think anyone’s ever seen a new show appear and be instantly relaxed, professional, engaging, and charming so fast. I guess five years of “Late Night” prepared everyone involved, especially Fallon. Night 1 was very good. Night 2 was a hundred times better. It makes you wonder what’s next.
Fallon led a barbershop quartet singing a raunchy R Kelly song. It was genius.
Then Jerry Seinfeld appeared as the show’s first stand up comic. Not only did Seinfeld kill, but he and Fallon had a great couch talk. Fallon imitated Seinfeld, which Jerry clearly loved. And Jay Leno was name checked in a very respectful off the cuff way. What a smart idea: it makes the TV viewer feel comfortable about liking the new Tonight show. I hope Leno can appreciate that.
Kristen Wiig did a hilarious bit coming out as Harry Stiles from the boy band One Direction. She didn’t even attempt an English accent, which made it funnier. And she and Fallon sang a garbled “What Makes You Beautiful.” Fallon’s willingness to jump in and sing or play an instrument is what’s going to make this show stand out every single night. Great bit.
Also, Questlove and another member of the Roots did a straight reading from “The Bachelor.” This is a throwback to Steve Allen reading lyrics of pop songs with a straight face. It works every time!
In this context, Lady Gaga seemed absolutely reasonable. Dressed in white against a white with billowing smoke she performed “Art Pop,” the title track of her latest (and maybe not greatest) album. The song is catchy, and she delivered. What’s more, you could tell the whole performance was LIVE.
Fallon and Seinfeld especially had that harken back to Steve Allen feel, even a little Letterman (whom we still love). And Seinfeld’s routine actually made me laugh out loud. He is sharp, sharp, sharp. I liked him calling the wooden set a “rich kid’s chess set.”
Night 2: A plus. Can’t wait for tomorrow night!
Here’s an older barbershop number:
Lindsay Lohan Documentary Series Gets Launch Date from Oprah’s OWN
We’re about to see a lot of Lindsay Lohan. Oprah Winfrey’s OWN Network is launching an 8 part documentary series on Lindsay beginning Sunday March 9th. I told you about this last summer. Lindsay gets out of rehab, moves into a New York hotel, and starts searching for an apartment. She has a new assistant and a life coach. She also has that family to deal with. Maybe we’ll find out who pays for all this stuff like the hotel. And maybe Mr. Pink will be featured. I hope someone asks Lindsay about the luxury apartment she destroyed in West Hollywood a few years ago. This should be fun!
Jimmy Fallon Gets 11.3 Mil Viewers– Most Since Leno’s First Finale in 2009
Jimmy Fallon’s ratings last night were pretty good– 11.3 million viewers. That’s less than Jay Leno’s finale last week (14 million) but otherwise the most since Jay’s first finale in 2009 (11.9 million). It’s also 4 million more people than Fallon’s own “Late Night” finale ten days ago.
What does this tell us? Not much. Starting tonight, Jimmy will be getting regular numbers more along the lines of two-to-four million people a night. He’s ahead of Letterman and Kimmel. And his show is airing at midnight until the Olympics are over. It will take a couple of weeks after that to see how he fares at 11:35pm.
Meantime, his guests this week should help. Michelle Obama is on Thursday, and I’ve heard she’s going to sing! Friday brings Justin Timberlake, which should draw a huge rating.
Can one watch both Letterman and Fallon? Yes, why not? Support late night comedy in New York.
Now we wait for Seth Meyers next Monday, with Fred Armisen’s band.
But this is interesting. Fallon was most popular in these cities, in declining order: Denver, St. Louis, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Chicago, Detroit, New York, Philadelphia, Seattle-Tacoma, Houston and Orlando-Daytona Beach.
Stronger in the mid west? Hmmmm….
Charlie Sheen Tweets Robert DeNiro: “My Porn Star Fiancee Is Your Biggest Fan”
Charlie Sheen sent a nice Tweet to Oscar winner Robert DeNiro this afternoon. Seems he bought the photo booth that was used in “Last Vegas.” Now he wants the former Taxi Driver and Raging Bull to stop by– because his fiancee, Brett Rossi, is DeNiro’s biggest fan! Charlie, Bob will be right over! Really, you can’t make this up. Some people have a lot of time on their hands.
Dear
Mr. DeNiro;
my AWESOME
fiancé
is your
biggest fan.
(as she should be!)
I recently
purchased the
photo booth from
“Last Vegas”!
we’d both be beyond
honored if you’d
come by the house
and take a photo
with us in this
amazing contraption!!
Grazza in
advance!!
xox
c&s
ps – Mr Gekko
and The Morgan
are welcome too!
Oh!
and of course
“Dave”!
Jimmy Fallon’s All Star Parade: Mariah, Gaga, Lohan, Colbert, Kim K, DeNiro, Rudy, Tyson, Sarah Jessica, Joan Rivers, More (See Video)
Episode 1 of the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon: A plus. U2 not only played on the roof of 30 Rock, but they also performed their Oscar nominated “Ordinary Love” acoustic, unplugged on Jimmy’s couch.
There was also a parade of celebrities who delivered $100 bills to Jimmy. The joke was it was a payoff on a bet that he’d never host the Tonight Show. One by the one they marched out, starting with Robert DeNiro and including Joan Rivers, Mariah Carey, Lady Gaga, Seth Rogen, Lindsay Lohan, Kim Kardashian, Tracey Morgan, Tina Fey, Rudy Giuliani, Mike Tyson, Joe Namath, Sarah Jessica Parker– who had her money in a designer shoe, and Stephen Colbert.
It was Colbert who yelled, “Welcome to 11:30, bitch!” He poured $100 in change onto Fallon’s lap. But he also poured it into a space in Fallon’s shirt collar. It was all very real. When the show over, Jimmy was still shaking coins out of his clothes. A shiny new penny fell out of his pants leg backstage while he talked to guests after the show.
“My lucky penny!” he said. “I knew it was trouble when he went for the shirt,” Fallon said, laughing. “I’ll be finding change all night!”
The guests were a surprise to everyone in the audience. We were asked not to divulge names or Tweet about any of it. And we stuck to it.
U2 sang live on both songs, by the way. On the roof, they had to re-do “Invisible” after a technical glitch. I’ve been on that roof. It’s very narrow, cold, and windy. They were troupers.
Production sources say the acoustic performance may become a signature of the show. Music acts will really have to bring the real deal to the Tonight Show. No lip synching or other fudging.
Watching the finished version just now on the east coast, I’m still impressed about how smoothly it all went. Jimmy Fallon, sixth host ever of The Tonight Show, is on his way.
EXCLUSIVE Backstage at Jimmy Fallon’s First Night: U2 and Will Smith Guest, Sigourney Weaver in the Audience
EXCLUSIVE: Monday, 9:30 pm– I’m just back from the historic first night of “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.” Sadly, I’m not allowed to give any specifics from the show, other than these: yes, Will Smith and U2 are the guests. U2 does perform, twice, and each performance is unique for reasons that will become apparent when you see the show. Will Smith is very funny. He’s in a taped piece with Jimmy that you don’t want to miss, and he’s on the couch. Will also stays when U2 arrives. They had to extend the couch.
The best line of the night is uttered by a surprise guest. I can’t say who he/she is. But the line is: “Welcome to 11:30, bitch!” You don’t want to miss the parade of unannounced guests. But when you see them, imagine them all lined up backstage, waiting to go on. Hilarious.
In the audience: Jimmy’s parents, as well as actress Sigourney Weaver, her husband and daughter, plus Sigourney’s guests, playwright A. R. “Pete” Gurney and his wife. Also in the audience, Bill Harbach, who produced Steve Allen’s “Tonight Show” for five years before becoming a famous producer on his own. Harbach is 94 years young! He worked with everyone, won four Emmy Awards, and has a fascinating Wikipedia entry. Read it.
Sigourney Weaver, beautiful, great to see. Why was she there? Her father, the late Sylvester “Pat” Weaver, created both the Tonight and Today shows for NBC in the 1950s. No one did a name check on her during the show. But she loved it, and approved of Jimmy and the triumphant return to New York.
Also around, backstage: Universal Pictures chief Ron Meyer, NBC chief Robert Greenblatt, former Paramount honcho Tom Freston, and writer-director Judd Apatow, who was actually there to help Fallon’s announcer, Steve Higgins, celebrate his first night on the show. Jimmy’s wife, Nancy, was also in attendance. Their baby daughter, Winnie Rose, stayed through the show and then headed home with a nanny.
Executive producer Lorne Michaels accepted congrats backstage from everyone, as did Jimmy. This was the first night of what should be a 20 year run, all things being equal. Fallon is already set up for this; he only ended his “Late Night” show 10 days ago on a high note. Fallon makes an easy transition as host of the Tonight show.
Besides being witty and fast, and extremely funny, he is gracious and elegant in comportment. Add this to his musical talents, acting– sketch comedy, etc. He’s Steve Allen and Jack Paar rolled into one, with enough Carson, Leno and O’Brien in him to be accessible.
I’ll do an update just before midnight…
Broadway: Carole King Breaks Record, “Bronx Bombers” is a Solid Triple
Broadway is buzzing in the middle of winter, believe it or not. The Carole King-Gery Goffin-Barry Mann-Cynthia Weil musical “Beautiful” broke a house record last week at the Stephen Sondheim Theater. The show made just over $900,000 last week, beating previous record holder “Anything Goes” by about twenty-thou. Everyone loves the songs, and Doug McGrath has artfully woven them into a story. Carole still refuses to see the show, but when the royalty checks come in she may sing a different tune. Sales of “Tapestry” have increased, too. It’s number 1 on amazon.com ‘s Adult Contemporary chart. For newcomers to King, I actually prefer her “Music” and “Rhymes and Reasons” albums…
…If you’re a fan of the New York Yankees, a new play called “The Bronx Bombers” is must see right now ASAP. You will laugh and cry. It’s not a perfect play, but it’s a great idea executed well. I’d say it’s a solid triple.
Peter Scolari absolutely shines as Yogi Berra, and leads a terrific cast who portray Carmen Berra, Mickey Mantle, Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Thurman Munson, Billy White, Reggie Jackson, Elston Howard, Joe DiMaggio, and Derek Jeter.
The story travels through time, but it unites all these players at a dinner party every Yankee fan will think he’s seen in a dream. Physically, Dan Lauria might have been a better Yogi. But Scolari nails him in many ways and holds the show together. “Bronx Bombers’ is a spring training treat…
…I paid full price over the weekend, and took friends back to see “Pippin.” Andrea Martin’s acrobatics have been replaced by Annie Potts. (Tovah Feldshuh was there in between.) I’m happy to report that the revived musical is just as good as it was a year ago. Matthew James Thomas and Patina Miller are having a lot of fun as Pippin and the narrator, respectively. The whole cast is nimble, athletic, talented. You can’t beat Stephen Schwartz’s songs. “Time” is so catchy the audience sings along. “Magic to Do” and “Corner of the Sky” are unforgettably hummable. Everyone in the show is sexy, too. This is the must-recommend show for people who ask, What should I see?
The new season begins in earnest this Thursday with the musical version of “The Bridges of Madison County.”
“Endless Love” Author Scott Spencer Predicted Last Year that Movie Would Fail
I just caught up with a piece written by “Endless Love” author Scott Spencer in an issue last fall of The Paris Review.
Spencer noted then that he had nothing to do with this remake of the 1981 movie based on his 1979 novel. He signed away the movie and remake rights back then.
The movie is a critical flop and pretty much of a financial one, too, this time around. Again. Just as it was in 1981. The people who’ve endeavored to make movies out of Spencer’s great novel– at least I think– have never bothered to read it.
Of the reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, 62 out of 72 were negative. Why even bother making this movie?
Spencer wrote in The Paris Review about reading the script: “Chicago is now somewhere in Georgia; my Jewish lovesick arsonist protagonist is now a gentile with flying fists; his communist father is now an aw-shucks guy who works on cars, and, like most working class people in movies, is ashamed of his position in life; the communist mother has vanished—you can’t even hear the empty hangers chiming in her vacated closet. The inaugurating action of the novel—David setting his girlfriend’s house ablaze—is now the climax of the movie, though in the upcoming version David has nothing to do with the fire. However, he does appear to die in it. (Don’t worry, he doesn’t.)”
What Spencer concluded: “What none of these folks seem to get is that Endless Love was meant to be a knife to the reader’s heart, not the writer’s. As that old elegant Italian filmmaker was giving me fair warning, it turned out the knives were being sharpened for him, and—unfortunately—for several of his principal actors. And now a second generation is blundering into their own Valentine’s Day massacre. As the late Leonard Michaels said, I would have saved them if I could.”
On Facebook the other day, Spencer posted:
“Endless Love movie getting slaughtered by most of the critics. As some of you know, I do not own the movie rights to my novel and had nothing to do with this new movie version. And while I do believe it will serve the film makers right to be publicly chastised, I can’t help but feel a little sorry for them –and sorry for my novel, too, of course, which will once again have to live down another failed scam.”
Why didn’t the producers seek him out? Why was there no effort made to make the novel into a faithful film? I don’t get it.
Tom Brokaw Plugs Angelina Jolie Movie in Commercial Posing as Feature During Olympics
I’m confused. How about you? NBC News veteran Tom Brokaw narrated a commercial tonight on the Olympics. It was for an NBC Universal feature film. It seemed like a feature by Brokaw on Olympian Louie Zamperini. But it carried the NBC Universal logo, not NBC News. And midday through it turned into a commercial for Angelina Jolie’s “Unbroken,” a Universal movie due this year. Maybe Brokaw did commercials on air when he was on the Today show. But narrating a commercial for a movie? Is this what we’re calling ‘native advertising’– when the ads are indiscernible from the editorial? Brokaw never seemed the type. Who paid him? What are we to make of this? That he’s endorsing the movie? (No one’s even seen it.) Very strange stuff here. What next? Brian Williams touting “Despicable Me 3”?