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Oscar Gold: “Zero Dark Thirty” Director Kathryn Bigelow on Cover of Time

Roger Friedman
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Oscar Gold: “Zero Dark Thirty” Director Kathryn Bigelow on Cover of Time

This is like hitting Oscar gold with one sweep: “Zero Dark Thirty” director Kathryn Bigelow has made the cover of Time. Pretty cool. No personal stuff, just all about the film and little of her history. (So still no mention of what the status is of her relationship with screenwriter Mark Boal. Oh well, this isn’t People, after all!) Old friend Willem Dafoe tells writer Jessica Winter:

“Kathryn then is the same Kathryn now,” Dafoe says. “She’s attracted to something instinctively, and then she researches it, and her research becomes an adventure. In the late ’70s there was a lot of interest in rockabilly and appreciation of ’50s outlaw culture, so she would go to clubs to scout people for their look and style, and worry about coaxing a performance out of them later. She was so interested in the slang and the idiom and the ritual of that world, which wasn’t really of her own experience. And she’s still interested in learning the language and rituals of hidden worlds. Just look at her titles–Hurt Locker, Zero Dark Thirty. It’s like coded language and she’s cracking the code.” (Zero Dark Thirty’s title is a tweak of “oh-dark-thirty,” a military term for half past midnight.)

It’s over at www.time.com

New Coen Brothers’ Film “Inside Llewyn Davis” With Oscar Isaac, John Goodman (Trailer)

Roger Friedman
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“Inside Llewyn Davis” is the new Coen Brothers’ movie. It has no distributor yet, although their last few films have been with Focus/Universal. The film takes place circa 1960 in Greenwich Village, the folk scene. Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, and John Goodman star. If this film isn’t great, I will be very disappointed. But I do think it already that Barton Fink feeling to it. Trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lajRQtj3gs

 

Scientology Sued Over Never-Opened ‘Money Pit’ $100 Million Building in Florida

Roger Friedman
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Scientology Sued Over Never-Opened ‘Money Pit’ $100 Million Building in Florida

In the end Scientology will be taken down over money. Interesting, huh? A wealthy couple from Irvine, California are suing the Church of Scientology and its leader David Miscavige for fraud. Long time members of the cult, Luis and Rocio Garcia filed in federal court in Tampa, Florida. They say they’ve invested in something Scientology calls the “Super Power Building” in Clearwater, Florida that was begun in 1998 and has never opened. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Power_Building

The Garcias have found a high powered Tampa attorney, Theodore Babbitt, who’s already held a press conference down there and started up a P.R. machine.

The story– with a video you should watch– appears in today’s Tampa Tribune. http://www.tampabay.com/news/scientology/couples-lawsuit-accuses-church-of-scientology-of-fraud-deception/1271893

Scientology, of course, denies all the accusations. But the lawsuit comes at a propitious moment, as Lawrence Wright’s book, “Going Clear,” is a bestseller and sheds new light on the religious cult that has been accused of all kinds of things from fraud to brainwashing to torture. All of the last year has been a bad time for Scientology. Paul Thomas Anderson’s movie “The Master” depicted a fictitious version of the cult’s founder, L. Ron Hubbard and his Cause– a cult that walked and talked like Scientology.

The group was hurt earlier last year when Tom Cruise’s wife, actress Katie Holmes, managed to “escape” from their marriage to New York. Holmes managed to get the quickest Hollywood divorce ever– it took two weeks and Cruise signed on the dotted line. But during those two weeks, Scientology was blamed for the break up. Ex Scientologists came out of the woodwork. Cruise, it’s thought, acquiesced quickly rather than expose the group to more investigation.

Another book, due shortly, is from Miscavige’s niece, Jenna Miscavige Hill, who publicly left the organization and has since been very vocal about its inner workings.

This week, Kim Masters, one of my favorite colleagues in the Hollywood press, wrote a great piece about her own experiences dealing with Scientology. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/tom-cruise-scientology-why-media-414256.

I’ve had my own encounters with this scary group– that’s for another time. For now, the Garcias, they say, are just the beginning as Babbitt courageously takes on more cases down in Tampa.

 

 

SAG Ballots Due Back Tomorrow: Best Ensemble Winner Could Determine Oscar

Roger Friedman
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SAG Ballots Due Back Tomorrow: Best Ensemble Winner Could Determine Oscar

The Screen Actors Guild Awards ballots are due back by 3pm Eastern time/12noon Pacific on Friday (tomorrow). The show airs on Sunday night. Believe it or not, the SAG Awards can be the best indicators of the Oscar winners. In recent years, Best Ensemble Winners “The King’s Speech.,” “No Country for Old Men,” and “Slumdog Millionaire” went on to win Best Picture at the Oscars. But at SAG, “The Hurt Locker” lost to “Inglorious Basterds,” “The Artist” lost to “The Help.”

That’s right: “The Help” and Viola Davis won at SAG last year. Then “The Artist” and Meryl Streep went on to win Oscars. Sometime in the two weeks after SAG, “The Help” lost steam.

This year, I got lucky and called the Best Ensemble nominees early on. http://www.showbiz411.com/2012/12/08/oscar-redux-zero-dark-thirty-is-turning-into-social-network-of-2012. 

They are: “Argo,” “Silver Linings Playbook,” “Les Miserables,” “Lincoln,” and “Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.”

Which of these will win SAG? “Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” won’t– it’s not nominated for the Oscar and has no momentum. Too bad. But I guess the actors were all in the UK or busy and not much has gone into an effort.

There’s talk that “Argo” — based on its Golden Globe and Critics Choice wins– could do the trick. I don’t think so. You don’t think of those people together. Rather, they are each little pods working toward a goal. “Argo” might still win the Oscar just to give Ben Affleck some compensation for being snubbed in the Best Director category. But here, no. I do think the ending of “Argo” should win an award, however.

“Les Miz” has turned into the Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway, and everyone else. Again, it’s different groups of characters — many ensembles working toward a whole. Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter, for example, are their own ensemble. So are the freedom fighters led by Eddie Redmayne. But it’s not one group all together, and that may quash it at SAG. I am still humming “One Day More” however, which is very annoying.

“Lincoln” — a strong choice, frankly. The only deterrent might be that Daniel Day Lewis is the clear leader of the show as Honest Abe. I loved all the one level down supporting players, the various representatives and senators who came and went through Tommy Lee Jones’s office, and the gang of influencers like James Spader and Jackie Earle Haley. And every time I see the film I watch Gloria Reuben and wonder what her character is thinking. I’ve made up a whole backstory for her.

“Silver Linings Playbook”— is my choice for this award, if only that director David O. Russell, following the original novel, turns the Solitano family into the equivalent of a football team. There’s some kind of great synchronicity between how that family (and their friends) operate, and how a football team — the thing with which the family is obsessed–become mutual metaphors. The family’s betting on the team, and we’re betting on the family. And then you have the whole football team idea transferring itself to the dance contest.

Stay tuned…

Whitney Houston’s Mother, Cissy, Publishes Book But Claims to Know Nothing

Roger Friedman
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Whitney Houston’s Mother, Cissy, Publishes Book But Claims to Know Nothing

I’m just going by a story in People magazine this evening. Cissy Houston, the singer, mother of Whitney, has written a book (“Remembering Whitney”) that’s going to be published two weeks before the first anniversary of her daughter’s death. For years this woman saw her daughter doing drugs. And both of her sons had drug problems. Her cousin, Dee Dee Warwick, sister of Dionne, a fine singer and a beautiful person, had substance abuse problems, suffered for years and died a tragic death much too early.

All of this was around Cissy Houston for decades. And now she says she didn’t know what was going on and couldn’t do anything about it. This seems a little far-fetched. On top of that, in People, Cissy says she doesn’t know if Whitney had a romantic relationship with Robyn Crawford, and that she didn’t like having Robyn around. This also suggests that Cissy was an ostrich of the first order. Crawford was probably the last good influence on Whitney until she was “replaced” by Bobby Brown as a confidante and soul mate.

If the rest of Cissy Houston’s book, due on January 29th, is this clueless, then truly these words have more impact than ever: “Houston, we have a problem.” It does seem that, as in the case with Michael Jackson, the family became so financially reliant on the superstar that they simply stopped questioning anything for fear of being shut out. And the result was a death on February 11, 2012 that still remains shocking.

Give Beyonce a Break: Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir Also Had Recorded Help for Inauguration

Roger Friedman
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Give Beyonce a Break: Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir Also Had Recorded Help for Inauguration

Beyonce is getting dragged over the coals for singing with a guide track at the Inaugural swearing in. But listen, kids, she was not lip synching. The pre-tapes are done by all live shows just in case something goes wrong. Today I spoke with the pastor from the Brooklyn Tabernacle and guess what?

The choir–300 strong– had help during their number from their CD. “It’s impossible to get 300 voices blended in the wind and cold like that,” says Pastor Jim about his amazing group. “They sang live, but they had some help from a track.”

Who didn’t have a pre-record? Pastor Jim’s wonderful soloist, Alicia Olatuja. Also, James Taylor and Kelly Clarkson. But “The Star Spangled Banner” is notoriously tough, and Beyonce wasn’t wrong to have a guide track. You can hear her singing live at the beginning of the song, too. Alicia, by the way, comes from St. Louis, home of great singers like the late Fontella Bass.

Pastor Jim says, “She’s been getting calls from the media all the time since Monday.”

Meanwhile, local Brooklynites and New Yorkers of all kinds are invited to come over at 3pm this Sunday to hear Alicia and the whole Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir perform “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” live, with no recordings, and indoors where it’s nice and warm. The Tabernacle is very easy to find, just over the Brooklyn Bridge or Manhattan Bridge, on Smith Street in Flatbush.

Prince Wakes Up from 20 Year Coma, Writes Fun New Song (Video)

Roger Friedman
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Prince Wakes Up from 20 Year Coma, Writes Fun New Song (Video)

Prince is back. He has a fun new pop song, a hit, called “Screwdriver.” The video is on our home page video player. “I’m your driver, you’re my screw.” If he had a label, it would be a hit. Maybe it’s on iTunes. Anyway, it’s the first good song from Prince since “The Most Beautiful Girl in the World.” It’s possible you weren’t alive then. Welcome back, Prince. By the way, Prince has a website. It’s called http://20pr1nc3.com/ in case you wondered.

Screwdriver:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=9a6WwT9LNJw&noredirect=1

“Mad Men”: Star Jon Hamm Directing Second Episode, After Two Hour Premiere

Roger Friedman
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“Mad Men”: Star Jon Hamm Directing Second Episode, After Two Hour Premiere

“Mad Men” returns to the air on April 7th with a two hour premiere. It’s not a moment too soon. And the good news is, Jon Hamm directs the second episode (or the third, depending on how you look at it) on April 14th. John Slattery, who deserved an Emmy for Best Supporting Actor last season, also directs two episodes coming up. What do we know? Not much except that two hour opener is set at least partially in Hawaii, where Don and Megan go on a vacation. Megan remains Mrs. Don Draper at least for now. Season 6 is the second to last for “Mad Men” which will conclude, it seems, at the end of the 60s, which is just perfect. Then Jon Hamm goes off to become a movie star. How many episodes for January Jones this season after almost nothing last go round? Also unknown. Will Pete and Peggy ever see their child? Will there be a plot for the whole season this time? And if it’s 1967 when we return, will someone be listening to “Sgt. Pepper”? Questions!

 

Sundance: Dakota Fanning Film Slammed, Others Ripped by Critics But Bought for Big Bucks

Roger Friedman
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Sundance 2013: Sad to say, I am watching from the sidelines this year as scheduling stuck me on the East Coast. But what a wild time they’re having out in Park City! Poorly reviewed films with big stars are going for a lot of money to distributors desperate for content. Highly- anticipated or hyped films with big stars are tumbling once they get to the reviewers.

This morning, bad news for “Very Good Girls,” the first film directed by screenwriter Naomi Foner, who’s also the mother of the Gyllenhaals and mother in law of Peter Sarsgaard. Both Variety and The Hollywood Reporter slammed the Dakota Fanning-Elizabeth Olsen outing. Variety predicted a straight to video sale. What a shame. Still, the way things are going, the film’s star power may outweigh the critics when distributors come knocking. Content is king in 2013.

Elsewhere, sex is selling even if it’s not getting good reviews. Relativity paid $4 million and promised to put up $25 million to promote and release Joseph Gordon Levitt’s “Don Jon’s Addiction.” JGL directed and wrote it, and Scarlett Johansson co-stars. Julianne Moore got the only good reviews. Todd McCarthy in The Hollywood Reporter hated it like I’ve rarely seen (maybe since I reviewed “Towelhead” a few years ago). JGL, very buff, plays a goomba from Jersey who sits in front of his computer and masturbates to porn. There are — apparently– close ups of used tissues. A musical, it’s not. This is supposed to be the rougher version of “Shame” from last year. Did we want that? We’ll see.

Sony Pictures Classics picked by “Kill Your Darlings” in which “Harry Potter” star Daniel Radcliffe–who already was naked in “The Elephant Man” on Broadway–now has a lot of gay sex, very graphically. (All that Quidditch with brooms obviously has had some kind of effect.) Drum roll. The p.r. for “Kill Your Darlings” keeps sending out a message that the story of this movie is unknown. Bull. Lucien Carr’s murder of David Kammerer is pretty well known among those who know anything about Kerouac, Burroughs, et al and the Beat Generation. But it’s a hook. Will “Kill” take off and be a hit? What will they say at Hogwarts? SPC also went big time for “Austenland.”

There do seem to be some promising films coming out of Sundance:

Fox Searchlight is gambling $10 million on Steve Carell in “The Way, Way Back” being this year’s “Little Miss Sunshine.”

The Weinstein Company picked up at least three films through its Radius branch, including a music documentary about back up singers that I really really want to see called “Twenty Feet from Stardom.” They also paid $3 million for “Lovelace” about “Deep Throat” star Linda Lovelace, starring Amanda Seyfried of “Les Miz” fame right now. The main Weinstein Company also put up $4 million for the highly praised “Fruitvale,” which sounds like it might be something for their Oscar campaign next fall–although don’t forget, “August: Osage County” with Meryl Streep is already their big 2014 entry for gold.

Adele Will Perform at Oscars (As We Said Some Time Ago)

Roger Friedman
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Adele Will Perform at Oscars (As We Said Some Time Ago)

I do hate to say I told you so (no I don’t hate it at all) but Adele will perform “Skyfall” on the Oscars. I told you she would just appear and wave on the Globes, which she did. This will be her first performance of “Skyfall” anywhere, and you know she’s going to win the Oscar for Best Song. This column was first to confirm Adele as the singer of the “Skyfall” song, and then I exclusively gave you the lyrics and a review of the song before it was released.

http://www.showbiz411.com/2013/01/04/oscars-will-salute-james-bonds-50th-anniversary-paging-sean-connery

http://www.showbiz411.com/2013/01/11/adele-will-perform-at-oscars-not-at-golden-globes

http://www.showbiz411.com/2013/01/02/adele-must-choose-between-oscars-and-golden-globes-for-skyfall-appearance

http://www.showbiz411.com/2012/12/17/adele-could-win-first-best-song-ever-for-a-james-bond-theme

http://www.showbiz411.com/2012/09/25/exclusive-adele-james-bond-skyfall-song-is-classic-007

PS Adele will pre-record “Skyfall” with the Oscar orchestra. The backing track will be available to her and the producers in case something goes wrong. This is ALWAYS done for live TV shows, as it was done for Beyonce at the Inauguration. If something goes wrong, the TV producers have the option of using the pre-recorded track. This is not lipsynching. Just FYI.

From the Academy: – Multi-platinum selling singer-songwriter Adele will perform the Oscar®-nominated theme song from the latest James Bond movie at the 85th Academy Awards®, the show’s producers announced today.  “Skyfall,” from the film of the same name, was announced as a nominee for Original Song at the Academy’s Nominations Announcement on January 10.   The song, written by Adele and Paul Epworth, is the first Bond theme ever to debut in Billboard’s Top 10 and the first to be nominated for an Oscar since “For Your Eyes Only” in 1981.

Adele’s exclusive Oscar show performance will be the first time she will have performed “Skyfall” anywhere live and will also mark her first U.S. television performance since the Grammys® last year.

“It’s an honour to be nominated and terrifyingly wonderful to be singing in front of people who have captured my imagination over and over again,” said Adele. “It’s something I’ve never experienced and probably only ever will once!”

“We have enormous respect for Adele’s unique artistry as a songwriter and a singer,” said Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, the producers of this year’s Academy Awards show.  “She is currently one of the most successful recording artists in the world, and we believe that her performance of ‘Skyfall’ will be an exciting Oscar moment for audiences watching at the Dolby Theatre™ and on television screens around the world.”

 

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