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Francis Ford Coppola’s “Megalopolis” has stunned the audience at Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto.
According to my spy, the movie met with tepid applause and no standing ovation.
During the film, as in Cannes, an actor appeared on stage and spoke to Adam Driver on the screen.
Nevertheless, my spy says the movie is beautifully made. “It’s a monumental work of art. And very tragic the way [Coppola] lost his way.”
Also: “It is the most disjointed and unbelievably mad thing I’ve ever seen. Like Coppola was on a massive LSD trip.”
My spy praised actors Jon Voight, Giancarlo Esposito, and Dustin Hoffman. But he said at one point in the movie, Voight’s character asks his wife if she “likes his boner.”
The spy says: “It could be a brilliant work of art, the only thing I can compare it to is a Salvador Dali painting come to life. It’s stunning for its insanity.”
“Megalopolis” opens September 27th after six months of bad publicity. Adam Driver stars with the aforementioned actors. Coppola put $100 million of his own money in it, couldn’t get a studio to buy it, so he’s four walling it with Lions Gate and hoping for the best.
I was not able to stay in Toronto for the screening, although I will see it as soon as possible.
Last thoughts: “It’s sad because he may have had something great, but the story and his editing are f***ked.”
There was a time when the leading Hollywood actresses complained they had no good roles in movies.
Times have changed. This year, the Best Actress categories for all the awards shows are clogged with Big Names.
Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore, Tilda Swinton, Amy Adams, Angelina Jolie, Saoirse Ronan, Danielle Deadwyler, Selena Gomez, Jennifer Lopez, Pamela Anderson, Zoe Saldana and Karla Sofia Gascon are already lined up for possible inclusion.
Some of them may have to go the Supporting Actress route to get in on the action. And that’s tough since Moore and Swinton are equal in “The Room Next Door,” for example. They are each likely to land in Lead.
Lopez may be better off in Supporting, although even there she’ll have a lot of competition. And not all the movies have been seen yet. Pus, there may be a groundswell for June Squibb, who was so wonderful in “Thelma.” The 94 year old actress deserves to be included in the conversation.
There are also some total newcomers like Mikey Madison, who’s an overnight sensation in Sean Baker’s wonderful “Anora” as a hilarious, determined sex worker.
John Mulaney is coming to Broadway in December in a new comedy. “All In: Comedy About love by Simon Rich” will have a rotating cast of all stars performing with Mulaney including Fred Armisen, Chloe Fineman, Renee Elise Goldsberry, and Richard Kind.
Wow!
Alex Timbers is directing and Lorne Michaels is producing.
Yes, Lorne Michaels is producing a Broadway show in the middle of the 50th anniversary celebration of “Saturday Night Live.”
Crazy.
Who is Simon Rich? He’s the son of former NY Times theater critic Frank Rich. He was on the “SNL” staff for four years.
“All In: Comedy About Love by Simon Rich” is described as a series of hilarious stories about dating, heartbreak, marriage and that sort of thing, adapted from the short stories of Simon Rich, and performed by a rotating cast of some of the funniest people on the planet. Sometimes they will play pirates, sometimes they will play dogs, and there’s one where we make them talk in British accents. But even though the show’s kind of all over the place, it’s meant to tell one simple story: that the most important part of life is who we share it with. We hope everybody will relate to it, even if it was their date’s idea to come and they are starting out from a place of quiet resentment.
The great rocker and person, Patti Scialfa, has revealed why she stopped touring with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.
In “Road Diary,” Thom Zimny’s new documentary about the band, Scialfa talked about a 2018 diagnosis of multiple myleloma, a very serious blood cancer.
Fans of Scialfa and the band knew there was some issue, but Scialfa said she was staying home to be with her new grandchildren.
As it turns out, when she and Bruce were on Broadway in their hit show, she got this news from doctors.
“This affects my immune system, so I have to be careful what I choose to do and where I choose to go,” Patti says in the film.
“Every once in a while, I come to a show or two and I can sing a few songs onstage, and that’s been a treat,” she says. “That’s the new normal for me right now, and I’m OK with that.”
The revelation explains Scialfa’s absences in many instances especially in the last couple of years.
Scialfa is one of the all time best guitarists in rock, a blistering musician who has been often overshadowed by Bruce and the other E Streeters. She has millions of fans around the world who are pulling for her. At least now we know where she’s been.
The Country Music Awards announced their nominees this morning and not among them is Beyonce who had one of the biggest hits in country music this year.
Let’s call it: this is pure racism.
Even worse is the CMA embracing Morgan Wallen, who was accused of racism when he was caught on tape for using the N word.
This is the height of temerity for the CMAs and the worst look possible for ABC and Disney.
Beyonce’s breakthrough bestselling album “Cowboy Carter” has sold a stunning 1.2 million copies. The single, “Texas Hold ‘Em,” sold 2.5 million copies. The whole project was lavished with praise by critics. “Texas Hold ‘Em” is one of the best singles of the year in country, pop, or R&B.
CMA nominees should protest the awards given what’s happened. ABC should demand changes immediately. Beyonce wouldn’t show up now, but the look of this is disgraceful.
Melania Trump, current holder of the title Most Ridiculous Person in the World, is publishing a memoir on October 8th.
It’s called “Me, Melania, I Don’t Care About You.” It comes from Skyhorse Publishing, winner of the Bennett Surf Award for fewest words between covers.
Today Melania released a new Twitter video for the book which indicates the book is just campaign propaganda. She says the 2020 election created a lot of problems including “the price of gasoline.”
“Melania” will be listed under historical fiction.
We still don’t know who wrote this thing, but October 8th should really be declared a national holiday. This is the comic relief we need so badly.
Subjects not included: Stormy Daniels, E. Jean Carroll, 34 felony convictions, how Melania plagiarized Michelle Obama, the Be Best campaign, or fraternizing with the Secret Service.
PS I know you’re not supposed to belittle accents, but the voice sounds like it was done by Natasha from Rocky and Bullwinkle. Now I want the audio book!
PS Melania, since you don’t drive and have never, er, pumped gas, let me tell you: I’m paying $3.69 per gallon for the 89 grade, same as I did 10 years ago.
A couple of years ago it took everyone a few minutes to realize that Edward Berger’s “All Quiet on the Western Front” was actually the Best Picture of the year.
Now Berger arrives with “Conclave,” based on a novel by British author Robert Harris. The story concerns a 72 hour lockdown at the Vatican as the Pope dies and a new one is selected. This is filmmaking at its best, and will only be more admired and praised as the season proceeds.
Ralph Fiennes stars as the Cardinal who leads the selection committee and must vet all the potential replacements including priests played by John Lithgow and Stanley Tucci working as usual at the top of their respective games. There’s also a lovely star turn by Isabella Rossellini, whose observant nun is a linchpin in the plot.
Fiennes — nominated twice in his career for Oscars — may finally be ready to accept his statue. His work is so subtle, and he wears the role of Cardinal Lawrence with magnificent depth as he goes on his investigations with empathy and grace. It’s not unlike the work of Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce a few years ago in “The Two Popes.”
Of course, some of the priests vying for Pope have secrets, and Lawrence will uncover them. But one secret — bigger than the one in “The Crying Game” — must be preserved just so you can hear the audience gasp when it’s revealed and processed. Never tell anyone this spoiler.
Berger shows a real mastery of his craft with screenwriter Peter Straughan and cinematographer Stéphane Fontaine. “Conclave” starts very quietly as a reverent, hushed story. And then it builds to several well produced shocks. But the filmmakers never embellish or turn the story into melodrama. Berger keeps it all taut, and the film clocks in at a very economic two hours.
“Conclave” is the most satisfying film I’ve seen in Toronto so far other than Pedro Almodovar’s stunning “The Room Next Door.” Bravo! “Conclave” opens only in theaters from Focus Features on November 1st.
“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” certainly picked up steam on Friday.
After $41 million from Thursday previews and Friday showings, the weekend came in at $110 million according to Warner Bros.
It was a slow start, but I guess Saturday was family day.
Ironically “Beetlejuice 2” has just an 82 audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes. CInemascore is a B plus. For a breakthrough hit, that’s not so high. But still they’re coming to see Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder and friends revisit the Tim Burton hit from the late 1980s.
Curiously, almost all the top 10 markets were from LA and South Florida. New York had one theater in the top 10, Manhattan’s Lincoln Square at number 7.
Warner’s in encouraging people– especially kids — to dress up in their favorite “Beetlejuice” characters. I definitely want one of their popcorn buckets, although I’m not sure why. I have two from “Deadpool” rolling around in my car trunk as it is!
Failing Truth Social media platform — the stock price is at its lowest — is getting more aggressive this weekend.
Donald Trump’s peeps– which means Devin Nunes — are turning up the heat on two fronts: religious zealotry and Trump’s promise to prosecute anyone he thinks stood in his way should be elected.
Trump — who has no religion and never attends church — posted an actual birthday card today to Jesus’s mother, Mary. Catholics recognise September 8th as Mary’s birthday. His message on the card: “Happy Birthday. Mary!” If his niece, Mary Trump, who hates him, were clever, she’d swap out Mary’s picture for her own.
Truth Social is otherwise full of religious themed messages depicting Trump as God.
Even worse, Trump posted a few messages declaring that the 2020 election was stolen, of course. He says this will happen again this year and if it does — and he overcomes it — he will seek retribution for those involved — meaning Democrats.
Every Democrat down to the last one must vote against Trump, particularly in the swing states. Our lives depend on it.
First of all, it may be the best of the two movies at Toronto made by a member of the Coppola family. “Showgirl” is directed by Francis Ford Coppola’s granddaughter, Gia.
Second, the star is Pamela Anderson of “Baywatch” and Tommy Lee fame. No one ever accused Pam Anderson of being an actress. Her resume is littered with junk. Her films aren’t D rated. Think of “Barb Wire.” Anderson is a supermarket tabloid celebrity. A couple of years ago she married Barbra Streisand’s long ago ex, Jon Peters, for just a few days.
Third, Jamie Lee Curtis is featured in this movie. For most her career, Curtis appeared in “Halloween” movies. She sold probiotic yogurt on TV. Her best movies were “Trading Places” and “True Lies.” Then she actually received an Oscar for a headscratcher of a movie, “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” She followed that with an episode of “The Bear” in which she was so good she will win an Emmy on September 15th.
So throw this all in the Cuisinart and what do you get? A gem of a film that has come to Toronto with no distributor. It boggles the mind but Anderson can not only act, she evinces an intelligence and sensitivity no one could have bet on.
She plays Shelley, a 57 year old Las Vegas showgirl who’s been performing a rundown nudie show at the Razzle Dazzle for decades. Now it’s been closed down. Shelley has no prospects. She has a teenage daughter she didn’t raise, the result of a one time encounter with her boss (a very touching Dave Bautista) who’s never acknowledged the kid. (That’s Billie Lourd, sensational.)
Shelley is not stupid but she is idealistic. She loves old Hollywood and old Vegas, and has kept going on the fumes of that glamour. She’s far more articulate than her friends, family or the audience understands. Shelley is deep, not cheap. She’s also gorgeous, which Coppola plays down as much she can, stripping away the makeup when Shelley’s offstage.
If someone had said last week, Pamela Anderson could get an Oscar nomination, you’d have laughed until you cried. But now we know it’s possible. Even if this is just a once in a lifetime moment, it’s a matter of chemistry or lightning striking at the right time, or a twist in the cosmos. But there you are.
And then there’s Jamie Lee Curtis. She plays an over the hill cocktail waitress at another restaurant. When Curtis appears for the first time, her make up is well conceived you don’t recognize her. Her face is leathered by too much booze, sun and time. Her wig is its own character. As sort of a cousin to her drunk, manic mother on “The Bear,” her Annette pretty much steals the movie. When she performs a solo dance to “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” it’s hard to imagine audiences not cheering.
Well, this is the year for surprise best work from older actresses who never got respect in Hollywood. Jennifer Lopez shocked everyone in “Unstoppable” this week. Demi Moore has been getting raves for her horror film, “The Substance.” And now Anderson and Cooper.
