Friday, December 19, 2025
Donate
Home Blog Page 1863

Jon Bon Jovi Tweets Message of Encouragement to Detroit

Roger Friedman
-
0
Jon Bon Jovi Tweets Message of Encouragement to Detroit

Jon Bon Jovi, always a mensch, just tweeted this message to the people of beleaguered, bankrupt Detroit:

Detroit has always been special to me.  It began in 1983 when the Doubleday radio station in Detroit was playing an unsigned John Bongiovi with RUNAWAY.

My first trip to town included a trip to Hitsville U.S.A. and a Rockabilly show by Robert Gordon.  Blame the coffee but now my mind is whirling with so many memories of the great meals in Greektown and this silly game called WHIRLYBALL played late at night after shows, dinner and way too much wine.  I can clearly remember the Detroit Grand Prix in 1985 and the countless shows at Joe Louis, The Palace, and our first time at Comerica Park.  One of the highlights of our career in Michigan was on Thanksgiving when the Lions played the Patriots and we were asked to perform IT’S MY LIFE at halftime.

There is a lot to be thankful for.  Detroit does still love Bon Jovi… and the feeling is mutual.  Thanks for your friendship but also your patience throughout the years.  See you again. -JBJ

Denzel’s Broadway “Raisin” Gets Rumored Cast Members

Roger Friedman
-
0
Denzel’s Broadway “Raisin” Gets Rumored Cast Members

EXCLUSIVE Not announced yet– Denzel Washington is said to be coming to Broadway next spring in a revival of “A Raisin in the Sun.” He’ll play Lorraine Hansberry’s famously haunted hero, Walter Younger. Kenny Leon is directing, Scott Rudin is producing. This reunites the team from Rudin’s very successful revival of “Fences” with Washington.

Now I’m told that two actresses are lined up to join Denzel on stage– Sophie Okenedo and Anika Noni Rose. They are splendid choices to play either Walter Younger’s wife or sister. That would leave just someone to play Walter’s mother. Phylicia Rashad did last go round when Sean Puffy Combs played Walter on Broadway. This is tricky because Denzel is a lot older than most actors who play Younger. He’s 57. So even if he’s trying to get away with 50 on stage, his mother will have to have some years on him.

(The word from Rudin’s people is no casting has been decided on– so this is just strong conjecture at this point.)

Here’s a funny idea, but remember I said this: Cicely Tyson. She’ll be rested from her “Trip to Bountiful” and ready for another Tony Award. She’ll be 89 or 90 by then. Why not? And if anyone can pull this all together, it’s Scott Rudin.

PS If Denzel doesn’t work out for some reason, how about Anthony Mackie? He’s the right age, and he’d be my choice in a second. Plus, Rudin knows his work well.

Sad News: MIchael Moore Files for Divorce from Wife of 21 Years

Roger Friedman
-
34
Sad News: MIchael Moore Files for Divorce from Wife of 21 Years

This is sad and a bit of a shock: Documentary filmmaker Michael Moore has filed for divorce from wife Kathleen Glynn. The story appears in Michigan’s MLive. The Moores have been married since 1991 but have been together much longer than that. They are said to have a net worth of around $50 million. All of Moore’s hit movies– from Roger and Me to Sicko– have been made during the marriage. Glynn was a producer on several of the films and worked with Moore for at least 20 years. The couple otherwise has no children.

It’s never easy to report on a divorce when you know the couple have had a real life together. Both Moore and Glynn were born in Flint, Michigan where they reside. The couple hosts the Traverse City Film Festival, which begins this year on July 30th and certainly won’t be easy under these conditions. When I saw them last December at the Motion Picture Academy Governor’s Ball in Los Angeles, they were planning for the festival and everything seemed just fine.

According to MLive, Moore filed for divorce in June after signing the papers on May 7th. Glynn has not filed an answer yet. He’s already hired a powerful Michigan lawyer.

Kevin Spacey Tweets Congrats to All His Fellow Emmy Nominees

Roger Friedman
-
0
Kevin Spacey Tweets Congrats to All His Fellow Emmy Nominees

Kevin Spacey has just Tweeted congrats to all his fellow Emmy Award nominees: Jon Hamm, Bryan Cranston. Jeff Daniels, Damien Lewis, and Hugh Bonneville. Two time Oscar winner is nominated for his Netflix series “House of Cards.” Spacey plays shady characters in all his roles that you kind of think there must be something else going on here. You just know he’s planning something…No, seriously, it’s very gracious.

 

 

 

 

 

Box Office: Bad News and Good News for Ryan Reynolds on a Rocky Weekend

Roger Friedman
-
0
Box Office: Bad News and Good News for Ryan Reynolds on a Rocky Weekend

Brace yourselves, here comes a weekend at the box office that will be like a 10 car pile up. For Ryan Reynolds, it’s bad news and good news. His “RIPD” is so bad that Universal kept it from critics until the very last minute. It’s going to be skewered and already has been in several Friday papers. On the other hand, animated “Turbo” has good reviews, and it’s very very hot. Parents who’ve already seen “Despicable 2” twice with their kids will head to “Turbo” for air conditioning and relief.

The irony of “RIPD” is that it’s directed by Robert Schwentke, who directed the first “Red.” Now he’s got a turkey in “RIPD” and “Red 2” doesn’t look that much better. “RIPD” will go down as another $200 Million disaster for the summer.

The rest of the weekend is a toss up. “Red 2” is sort of the least of all evils. “Only God Forgives” is violent and loud, sort of “Drive” without the buzz. “Girl Most Likely” is down to 16 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, but it’s a comedy among a lot of action. So it could work on a minor level.

The betting money is on “The Conjuring,” which should play well off “Turbo” as the adult choice. A well reviewed horror film can’t miss on a hot hot hot weekend.

So far, “Turbo” has the edge with a Wednesday release. It’s already number 1. But don’t forget there are still a few films out there, like “World War Z,” “Pacific Rim,” and — in the comedy category– “The Way Way Back.”

Trailer: Nelson Mandela “Long Walk to Freedom”

Roger Friedman
-
0
Trailer: Nelson Mandela “Long Walk to Freedom”

The movie “Long Walk to Freedom” has been long in the making. Ever since Miramax released “Cry the Beloved Country” and Nelson Mandela came to the US via Harvey Weinstein, this was the movie that was to be made. Now as Mandela starts his 96th birthday, here’s the trailer for the film starring Idris Elba and Noemie Harris. The Weinstein Company will release it this fall, and it looks great.

Music Biz Malaise: Sales Down Overall, Except for Justin Timberlake

Roger Friedman
-
0
Music Biz Malaise: Sales Down Overall, Except for Justin Timberlake

Billboard just released its mid year numbers on music sales. Things aren’t so great unless you’re Justin Timberlake. Basically, everything is down, down down. First of all, physical CD sales are down 14.2 percent. Everything’s doing digital. But overall album sales are down 4.6 percent. Total sales of vinyl albums– LPs– are up 33>5 percent. But don’t get excited. They sold a total of 2.9 million copies. Digital total sales of albums are 60.8 million, up 6.3 percent. All together. sales for the first six months of 2013 are down 10 million from last– and that’s including perceived big hits like Timberlake, Macklemore & Lewsis and Bruno Mars.

Timberlake is the big story. He’s sold 2.55 million copies of the “20/20 Experience.” He’s followed, at almost at half that rate, by M&L, Bruno Mars, Imagine Dragons, Pink., Rihanna, Taylor Swift, Mumford and Sons, Blake Shelton, Florida Georgia Line.

The other big story is streaming, which is way up and may account for the slowdown in actual sales. You get the album on your Spotify or Pandora subscription, so why buy it? Streaming is up 24%. And personally, I get it. I rely on Spotify on all my devices. I was a teenager in 1973.

Here’s the difference between music from the summer of 1973 and 2013. You will not be hearing most of this stuff in 10 years. You will be hearing the music from 1973.

And guess who’s nowhere on these lists? Justin Bieber. For all his publicity, he produces music no one buys or listens to. He gets a little spike with a release, but nothing that lasts. So if this music on these lists is disposable, what does that make his ghastly warblings?

2013 YTD Top Ten Selling Albums

TITLE/ARTIST
UNITS SOLD
1
JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE / 20/20 EXPERIENCE
2,037,000
2
BRUNO MARS / UNORTHODOX JUKEBOX
985,000
3
MUMFORD & SONS / BABEL
884,000
4
BLAKE SHELTON / BASED ON A TRUE STORY
703,000
5
IMAGINE DRAGONS / NIGHT VISIONS
692,000
6
P!NK / TRUTH ABOUT LOVE
674,000
7
MACKLEMORE&RYAN LEWIS / THE HEIST
653,000
8
LUMINEERS / LUMINEERS
649,000
9
TAYLOR SWIFT / RED
616,000
10.
DAFT PUNK / RANDOM ACCESS MEMORIES
614,000

“Jersey Boys” Film Will Star Its Tony Award Winner John Lloyd Young

Roger Friedman
-
0
“Jersey Boys” Film Will Star Its Tony Award Winner John Lloyd Young

John Lloyd Young, currently appearing in “Jersey Boys”as Frankie Valli, will play the role in the big screen movie to be directed by Clint Eastwood. I’ve confirmed with Young’s manager Dona Miller that the deal is being done but hasn’t been completed yet. Young’s other efforts to branch out didn’t go as well, possibly because he had the wrong people guiding him. But Young is back with a bang right now. He just played the Carlyle Hotel, and has a new album out on iTunes. Miller said that “Jersey Boys” movie producer Graham King has seen Young perform in the show seven times. And Clint Eastwood saw him about six weeks ago, cinching the deal. Fans of Young’s and the show will be very happy to hear this news. I just hope there’s some way Clint can work in cameos by Valli and songwriter Bob Gaudio.

PS John Lloyd Young wraps up his current stint in “Jersey Boys” on July 28th.

Bombshell: Leah Remini’s Sister Says The Whole Family Left Scientology

Roger Friedman
-
0
Bombshell: Leah Remini’s Sister Says The Whole Family Left Scientology

Actress Leah Remini left Scientology this month and we worried she’d be “disconnected” from her family– banned from seeing them again. But her sister Nicole tells Tony Ortega they’ve all left– Remini’s husband, mother and sisters. All gone. You can read the whole story at www.tonyortega.org. If the mother has left that’s of real significance. Vicki Marshall had gone to the top of the  Scientology hierarchy.

The highlights of this interview are rather amazing: Leah actually threatened to call the police about David Miscavige’s long-missing wife, Shelley. She also said that if Tom Cruise tried to take Suri away from Katie Holmes, all hell would break loose.

Nicole tells Ortega that around 2004-2005, Tom Cruise emerged as a defacto leader of the group. She once encountered him working out in the main room of the Celebrity Centre as if he owned the place. “I went into Celebrity Centre one time and Tom Cruise was doing jumping jacks and stretching, right where everyone was walking. Like he owned the place. Hello, there are other people here,” she told Ortega.

After the Cruise-Holmes wedding, Remini was sent to Florida for a type of punishment and debriefing. She was also charged $300,000 by Scientology for new classes. The interview with Nicole is simply startling because here it all is, all laid out. If anyone had any questions about what’s going in this cult– and it’s clearly a cult– now you can read about it in the simplest terms.

Nicole tells Ortega that her sister will weather the storm. “Leah is a righter of wrongs. These things are not right. If things were going the way they should be going, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. And that’s all her motivation was, to get things right.”

 

True Blood: Some Shows, Some Actors Just Emmy-Proof

Roger Friedman
-
0
True Blood: Some Shows, Some Actors Just Emmy-Proof

I must admit I do not understand the Emmys. They are a mystery. Here’s today’s mysteries: no writing nominations for Matt Weiner for “Mad Men.” None. The show is nominated for Best Drama, and Jon Hamm, Christina Hendricks, Elizabeth Moss, Robert Morse, and Harry Hamlin got acting nods. But are the Emmys kidding? No John Slattery? Come on. That’s unacceptable. And no writing? I’d rather listen to the music of Matt Weiner’s dialogue than most of the stuff that was nominated. Two nods for “Breaking Bad”? Ridiculous.

Once again, “True Blood” doesn’t even exist for the Emmys. It’s like it’s not on the air. Same thing used to happen for “The Wire.” Both HBO, which had 108 nominations.

“The Office” was the best written comedy of the year. Also beautifully acted. They got nothing except a writing nod for the finale. A major oversight.

Jon Cryer was named Best Actor last year. This year, not even a nomination? And Alec Baldwin is still getting nominated for playing himself in a Capital One commercial?

Ditto for Juliana Margulies. Where did the love go? Not only for her but for the show “The Good Wife”?

Tell me what you think are the biggest Emmy snubs.

1...1,8621,8631,864...2,323Page 1,863 of 2,323

Hollywood to the Hudson

Company

Trending

Categories

© Showbiz411.com