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Republicans Paying Top Dollar for Convention Entertainment–Even if They’re Democrats

Roger Friedman
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Republicans Paying Top Dollar for Convention Entertainment–Even if They’re Democrats

The hunt is on for entertainers to perform at the Republican Convention in Tampa and the Democratic Convention in Charlotte. So far, insiders tell me Republicans are paying top dollar to anyone who’ll come down there. Some may actually be liberal leaning acts, but are taking the money from private party givers instead of from official Republican Party organizers.

So far the Republicans will have the Midnight Rider himself, Greg Allman, of the Allman Brothers- said to be getting upwards of $100,000 for one show– as well as Journey, Kid Rock, Big Head Todd, Blues Traveler, Robert Earl Keen, Drive by Truckers, and Better Than Ezra. The Democrats have so far only secured The Roots and will.i.am from the Black Eyed Peas. But certainly more names will be added soon.

Greg Allman and the Allman Brothers Band previously supported fellow Georgian Jimmy Carter for president. See this clip from Conan: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvtP3rbr5ps

Meantime, check out these sponsorship packages being offered to corporate entities from the Republicans for their events:

Katie-Tom Settlement? The Smart Thing for Tom Cruise

Roger Friedman
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Katie-Tom Settlement? The Smart Thing for Tom Cruise

Two things Tom Cruise doesn’t need right now: the stigma of having taken a little girl away from her mother. Amd having all his Scientology secrets spread out over the internet. If Cruise and his lawyers are capitulating, and settling, quickly with Katie Holmes, then it’s total victory for the Holmes family. I wrote this on July 2nd and I’ll say it again: Scientology has taken a beating in the last ten days. Much more investigation and public speculation could really damage them. David Miscavige has no doubt told Cruise to settle this matter and bring it to an end.

Holmes has been seen going to her New York lawyer’s office twice in two days. There’s no indication that Cruise has sent anyone here. What Cruise doesn’t want is a New York court date next week. Holmes’s father was brilliant if it was his idea to do everything here. You can’t get away with anything in New York because of the tabloid press. We’ve already seen Los Angeles “press” taking Tom’s side. The spin out there has begun. In New York, kids, we don’t play that game.

Tom Cruise should be happy to get supervised visitation and pay Katie to keep quiet, and let Suri live the life he’s let her grow accustomed to. He’d be smart to hook up with someone who’s already in the group, like Erika Christensen or Juliette Lewis. This foray into the real world has just been a huge mistake for him and for Scientology.

SNL’s Seth Meyers in Lead to Succeed Regis Philbin

Roger Friedman
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SNL’s Seth Meyers in Lead to Succeed Regis Philbin

This is a re-run of my exclusive story from Wednesday night. Please credit. (That means you, Perez Hilton.) http://www.showbiz411.com/2012/07/05/snls-seth-meyers-in-lead-to-co-host-with-kelly-ripa-choices-narrowed-to-final-three

EXCLUSIVE: Who’s going to sit next to Kelly Ripa come this September? That’s when Disney TV, ABC, and Michael Gellman have to make a decision name a successor to Regis Philbin. I am told that three names are in the finals, with one the probable winner. The names are Seth Meyers from “Saturday Night Live,” former football great Michael Strahan, and singer Josh Groban. Yes, all these names startled me, too. But then I looked at the July co-host schedule. Strahan just finished a few dates with Kelly.

But on Monday, July 9th, Meyers starts a five day stint. It’s the first Monday to Friday stint for any co-host since Neil Patrick Harris from Novem ber 28-December 2 last year. (And NPH is still unavailable, thanks to “How I Met Your Mother” on CBS.) I’m told that if Meyers gets the job, and it seems likely, he’ll still do the news on “Saturday Night Live.” He may have to resign as head writer of the show, however, given the “Live” schedule. Meyers has been a popular co-host for Kelly, having sat in the chair in April and then again in May for multiple appearances. (He was also on a few times before that.)

It also seems key that Meyers is doing a full week in the middle of July sweeps. This is a big test.

Ripa’s preference for pal Anderson Cooper is well known, but unlikely since Cooper already has two shows — one on CNN and one in syndication. Others who’d like the gig have not been asked back as many times as Meyers. Strahan has been a strong contender, but in the end, I’m told, it’s Meyers who has the widest appeal, background and strengths.

No one’s asked me, and when I heard about Meyers I admit I was surprised. But the guy is very smart, and talented, and quick on his feet. Also, he’s been on “Saturday Night Live” forever, but can’t stay there for the rest of his life. He hasn’t developed a movie career or any outside career, really. So what to do next? He needs a talk show. Everything at night is taken. “Live with Kelly and Seth” may actually be a very smart move. Meyers would be a welcome addition to the show on a permanent basis–no matter how much we miss Regis!

Justin Bieber “Believe” CD Fails–Has No Hit Single to Propel It

Roger Friedman
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Justin Bieber “Believe” CD Fails–Has No Hit Single to Propel It

Justin Bieber’s marketing people–who are very smart and really nice guys–must be scratching their heads. Bieber’s “Believe” album sales is dropping like a watermelon from the top floor of the Empire State Building. It failed to make Billboard magazine’s top 10 list of albums sold in the first six months of 2012.

What’s really causing the problem is no hit single. “Boyfriend” sort of peaked before the album hit, and nothing has taken its place. The single sold 2.6 million copies digitally, perhaps satisfying the Bieber fans and maybe taking away from album sales.

The top 10 (see below, thanks to hitsdailydouble.com) is plain to see. Radio has fixed itself on the top songs of the summer. (Just below this list is OneDirection’s “You Don’t Know You’re Beautiful.”) Bieber is absent. He doesn’t have a distinctive voice, so he needs a classic pop song. It doesn’t seem to be there this time. Here is the top 10 with sales figures for this week. And look at this guy Gotye (real name: Wally deBacker). He’s so hot he had a death rumor last week. That’s what Bieber needs. Hey, it worked for Paul McCartney.

1. Carly Rae Jepsen, “Call Me Maybe” – 251k
2. Katy Perry, “Wide Awake” – 207k
3. Maroon 5 f/Wiz Khalifa, “Payphone” – 186k
4. Gotye f/Kimbra “Somebody That I Used to Know” – 156k
5. Ellie Goulding, “Lights” – 152k
6. Owl City & Carly Rae Jepsen, “Good Time” – 140kWhistle
7. David Guetta f/Sia, “Titanium” – 125k
8. Flo Rida, “Whistle” – 113k
9. Rihanna, “Where Have You Been” – 110k
10. Usher, “Scream” – 102k

Brian Oxman Disbarred, Former Michael Jackson Lawyer–Sort of

Roger Friedman
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Brian Oxman Disbarred, Former Michael Jackson Lawyer–Sort of

Brian Oxman, the attorney who always held himself out as the lawyer and spokesman for Michael Jackson and his family, has finally been disbarred by the California Bar Assocation. Oxman has been disciplined several times over the yeas by the California Bar, but this time it’s for good.

He’s out and so is his wife, who also practiced law. The wife, Maureen Jaroscak, has been suspended for 18 months.

The deciding judge writes: “We recommend Oxman be disbarred to protect the public, the courts, and the legal profession.”

Oxman was like a court jester in the Jackson family sagas. Randy Jackson, Michael’s brother, insisted that Oxman be part of Michael’s defense team in his 2005 child molestation trial. After many screw ups, and falling asleep in court several times, lead attorney Tom Mesereau fired him.

Nevertheless, media outlets kept using Oxman as an authority on Jackson. They wouldn’t accept the fact that just because a person wants to be on TV, they know nothing.

Mesereau, a brilliant attorney who was saddled with Oxman, must be thrilled. He only thought of him as a jackass who couldn’t keep his mouth shut.

The disbarment didn’t come from the Jackson case. Rather, it was from what the Bar decision described as mismanagement of client funds, failure to properly represent a woman in her divorce and other infractions.

The disbarment is already on the Cal Bar site, and is effective July 27, 2012.

 

The Dark Knight Rises and Leaks–Details

Roger Friedman
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For some reason Warner Bros. has released a lot of info about Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight Rises” onto the web. Here’s the summary of the plot followed by a link to production notes that offer many spoilers. The 164 minute epic end to Nolan’s trilogy opens on July 20th — and should be the biggest film of the year:

Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ “The Dark Knight Rises” is the epic conclusion to filmmaker Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy.

It has been eight years since Batman vanished into the night, turning, in that instant, from hero to fugitive. Assuming the blame for the death of D.A. Harvey Dent, the Dark Knight sacrificed everything for what he and Commissioner Gordon both hoped was the greater good. For a time the lie worked, as criminal activity in Gotham City was crushed under the weight of the anti-crime Dent Act.

But everything will change with the arrival of a cunning cat burglar with a mysterious agenda. Far more dangerous, however, is the emergence of Bane, a masked terrorist whose ruthless plans for Gotham drive Bruce out of his self-imposed exile. But even if he dons the cape and cowl again, Batman may be no match for Bane.”

http://www.thedarkknightrises.com/downloads/TDKR_productionNotes.pdf

 

 

 

Brad Pitt’s Mom Doesn’t Like Obama or Gays

Roger Friedman
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Brad Pitt’s Mom Doesn’t Like Obama or Gays

Brad Pitt’s mom and Angelina Jolie’s dad have more in common than we knew. Jane Pitt has written an incendiary letter to her local newspaper in Springfield, Missouri. A Christian, she is advocating that other Christians get over Mitt Romney being a Mormon and vote for him. She doesn’t like President Obama and doesn’t approve of gay marriage.

If Pitt and Jolie and marry this summer, Jane can sit with Jon Voight, who’s become a very vocal conservative. I have more sympathy now for Brad Pitt than ever before. Yikes. He and Angie are the political polar opposites of their parents. Thanksgiving dinner must be a blast. And to think, this is the woman the tabloids kept saying was so close to Jennifer Aniston. They should also introduce Jane to Mel Gibson’s dad.

Jane Pitt wrote in the Springfield News-Leader:

“I have given much thought to Richard Stoecker’s letter (“Vote for Mormon against beliefs,” June 15). I am also a Christian and differ with the Mormon religion. But I think any Christian should spend much time in prayer before refusing to vote for a family man with high morals, business experience, who is against abortion, and shares Christian conviction concerning homosexuality just because he is a Mormon. Any Christian who does not vote or writes in a name is casting a vote for Romney’s opponent, Barack Hussein Obama — a man who sat in Jeremiah Wright’s church for years, did not hold a public ceremony to mark the National Day of Prayer, and is a liberal who supports the killing of unborn babies and same-sex marriage. I hope all Christians give their vote prayerful consideration because voting is a sacred privilege and a serious responsibility.”

“Amazing Spider Man” Doing Ok, But Not As Well as 3 Predecessors

Roger Friedman
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“Amazing Spider Man” Doing Ok, But Not As Well as 3 Predecessors

I know this a buzzkill, but “The Amazing Spider Man” is not doing as well as its three predecessors from director Sam Raimi. The new movie has made a very nice $58.3 million in two and a half days. Sony is predicting a $120-$130 million take for the six day “weekend” ending on Sunday. (It started on Tuesday, the day before July 4.) But here are the numbers for the other “Spider Man” movies for their first six days: Spider Man 3 opened May 4, 2007: $176,161,954;
Spider Man 2 opened July 1,  $192,085,360; Spider Man: opened May 3, 2002: $144,156,124. Those numbers should be of some concern. The new Spider Man has a much higher ticket price because of 3D and/or IMAX. So the new movie’s actual number of attendees is lower, they’re just paying more. “Spider Man 2” was the real standout in that group, critically and financially. The reboot “Amazing” is well worth seeing and a lot of fun with great acting and terrific 3D and CGI. It’s a tribute to late producer Laura Ziskin and her legendary screenwriter husband, Alvin Sargent, who worked on this one, too. But the numbers look a little shaky. Maybe they’ll pick up over the weekend. It’s very hot out and cool in theaters. Plus, the competition is minimal.

Katie & Tom: No Emergency Filing, But TMZ Takes Tom’s Side Big Time

Roger Friedman
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Katie & Tom: No Emergency Filing, But TMZ Takes Tom’s Side Big Time

An email has just gone out from Jonathan Wolfe, one of Katie Holmes’s attorneys. He writes: “The reports about an emergent filing last Friday are incorrect.  Other than her action for divorce, the only pending application filed by Ms. Holmes remains her request for an anonymous caption.” Apparently, Hollywoodlife.com, a tabloid site, claimed a scoop that Holmes had secured a July 17th court date in New York for emergency custody. But it’s not true, like so many of the tabloid stories about Cruise and Holmes over the last week or so.

In more news on this subject: TMZ has chosen sides. They’ve gone with the Tom Cruise spin. Just today, they’ve taken an aggressive pro-Cruise position, claiming that Katie is using Suri as a weapon in the divorce. They’ve also decided that the divorce is not about Scientology, after all, and that Katie was very happy with the so called religion.

This is hilarious beyond description. But is is also why Holmes chose to file in New York, and got New York lawyers. I just hope these non-Hollywood lawyers are really prepared for what Cruise and his team are capable of in the spin-and-win department. They’ve already co-opted TMZ, which is major. They have already locked down Nikki Finke’s Deadline Hollywood. Next up will be the syndicated TV shows. Watch the spin. It’s going to get ugly.

Regis Hosts Macy’s Fireworks, Wyclef Rocks the Pier Uptown

Roger Friedman
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Regis Hosts Macy’s Fireworks, Wyclef Rocks the Pier Uptown

This picture of Regis Philbin at the end of the Macys fireworks special on NBC–this was during a break, taken by me–isn’t completely in focus. But I liked it because Regis was a sport all night, chatting with everyone, making sure all these “regular” people felt comfortable. He also posed with a lot of service men, various military and Navy guys, and about a dozen “Uncle Sams” standing on red white and blue stilts for hours on end. Not too many celebs in the VIP area: just Marcus Sameuelsson, Francine LeFrak and Rick Friedberg, and then Mayor Bloomberg traipsed in with a huge entourage. Patron Tequila was being given out free. There was no water anywhere. Someone told us that Macy’s in New York is going to have a $500 million overhaul. It needs it. The main floor looks like Sodom after Gommorah came by for dinner. Regis is missed on TV, that’s for sure…

…Meanwhile Wyclef Jean put on some show over at Pier 92. The place was packed. No one minded. There was lots of dancing in the heat. Clef played all his hits and gave a shout out to Lauryn Hill, his one time fellow Fugee. He did some freestylin’ political rap, and there were quite a few Haitians digging the scene. Later, Lil Jon came on –separate show– and the place got very rowdy. Someone cut up pillows, sending wet, hot smelly goose down feathers everywhere all over the place. A fight almost broke out by the stage, but Lil Jon spoke directly to the participants from the stage and shut it down. Freedom! This what the revolutionaries fought for! I hope they’re happy now…

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