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Nora Ephron Left Clues About Dying In Her Final Book

Roger Friedman
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5
Nora Ephron Left Clues About Dying In Her Final Book

Nora Ephron left clues that she was sick or that something was wrong. No one was smart enough to notice them. In her most recent book, “I Remember Nothing,” she ends the collection of essays with two lists: What I Won’t Miss, and What I Will Miss. After the lists come the acknowledgments, which ends with “and course, my doctors.” And so this says it all, and no one thought it was peculiar. And now it means so much more. There were two reviews of this book in the New York Times in November 2010, and in neither one did the reviewer wonder why someone would leave these lists, or thank her doctors. I guess we know why now. It starts on page 132:

http://www.showbiz411.com/2012/06/27/exclusive-carly-simon-on-nora-ephron-she-would-get-inside-the-head-of-the-character

http://www.showbiz411.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=21609&action=edit

What I Won’t Miss

Dry skin

Bad dinners like the one we went to last night

E-mail

Technology in general

My closet

Washing my hair

Bras

Funerals

Illness everywhere

Polls that show that 32 percent of the American people believe in creationism

Polls

Fox

The collapse of the dollar

Joe Lieberman

Clarence Thomas

Bar mitzvahs

Mammograms

Dead flowers

The sound of the vacuum cleaner

Bills

E-mail. I know I already said it, but I want to emphasize it.

Small print

Panels on Women in Film

Taking off makeup every night

What I Will Miss

My kids

Nick

Spring

Fall

Waffles

The concept of waffles

Bacon

A walk in the park

The idea of a walk in the park

The park

Shakespeare in the Park

The bed

Reading in bed

Fireworks

Laughs

The view out the window

Twinkle lights

Butter

Dinner at home just the two of us

Dinner with friends

Dinner with friends in cities where none of us lives

Paris

Next year in Istanbul

Pride and Prejudice

The Christmas tree

Thanksgiving dinner

One for the table

The dogwood

Taking a bath

Coming over the bridge to Manhattan

Pie

Nora Ephron Has Died At Age 71

Roger Friedman
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0
Nora Ephron Has Died At Age 71

Nora Ephron has died at age 71 from myeloid leukemia. Here’s the New York Times obituary: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/27/movies/nora-ephron-essayist-screenwriter-and-director-dies-at-71.html?_r=1&hp

New York has lost some amazing women in the last few years: Nora, Wendy Wasserstein, Elaine Kaufman, Charla Krupp, Claudia Cohen.

Earlier:

It’s going to come as a total shock to just about everyone but Nora Ephron is apparently gravely ill in a New York hospital. She is not expected to last the night. Ephron is one of the most popular figures ever in New York, a great writer, humorist, mother, wife, sister. I think of “Heartburn” and those recipes, and start laughing aloud. Or lines from “You’ve Got Mail.” Her family is with her. We send our prayers. It’s terrible. I’m told she’s suffering from a rare form of leukemia. Life is not fair. More to come…

PS Liz Smith wrote on her wowowow.com column that Nora had died. Liz and Nora are the closest of pals. Liz evidently received some hysterical jump-the-gun info. Nora’s illness is a shock to everyone–no one knew. So Liz’s heart was in the right place, of course. She is so upset about her friend. Nora worked with everyone in Hollywood and has many, many real friends who are going to be bereft as the news spreads tonight. She wrote “When Harry Met Sally.” She directed “Sleepless in Seattle,” “You’ve Got Mail,” “Michael,” and so many others. Her “Love, Loss, and What I Wore” was a spectacular hit off Broadway. From Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson, and Meg Ryan to Rob Reiner, Rosie O’Donnell, John Travolta, and on and on. Nora leaves her loving husband, Nick Pileggi, and her two sons.

UPDATE: Bieber Believers Fall Short of 400K, But Makes His Best Week Ever

Roger Friedman
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0
UPDATE: Bieber Believers Fall Short of 400K, But Makes His Best Week Ever

Justin Bieber’s “Believe” album is a good news, bad news story. He had his best first week ever with a little over 373,000 units sold of the new CD. So that’s great, especially if you’re 18. On the other hand, after all that publicity, “Believe” was originally tipped at 410-420,000. So the total falls somewhat short of the expectation. “Believe” is also selling in at least one digital form for $4.99 on amazon.com. The main physical product, a deluxe edition, sells for $15.99 on amazon.com and is number 13 on the charts. With touring this fall and more singles, “Believe” will still make a lot of money for Bieber and his determined management team. But what comes next is the question. It’s the reason Justin Timberlake got out of music, I think. Aging teen idol is not a good look for anyone. Just ask David Cassidy. So the Beeb will have to figure out what to do with millions of dollars, not much education, and no particular purpose. Well, we should all have those problems! Swimming pools, Ferraris, and Magnums of Champagne aren’t so bad either!

Exclusive: Regis-Kathie Lee Reunion On NBC Is A Real Possibility

Roger Friedman
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0
Exclusive: Regis-Kathie Lee Reunion On NBC Is A Real Possibility

Regis Philbin and Kathie Lee Gifford back together on morning TV? It’s not as far fetched as you think. Last week, Regis filled in for Hoda Kotb and co-hosted the 10am hour of “Today.” It was a brilliant reunion of Philbin and Gifford’s glory years on their live ABC/Disney show. Now it seems that Hoda is the likely candidate to replace Ann Curry at “Today,” leaving Kathie Lee in need of a co-host. Regis has been off the air since November, is reportedly itching to do something, and is very comfortable with Kathie Lee.

Plus, as a source says, “NBC would love the publicity. And they’ll probably give him any deal he wants–three or four days a week, lots of vacation.” I’m told this is really happening. “And it’s not like ABC can be mad. Regis and Kathie Lee won’t be competing with Kelly Ripa at 9am. It’s an hour later.”

David Hinckley writes today in the New York Daily News that this is all a bad idea, but I disagree. Even if it’s for a year or two, and even if Regis is only on three days a week, the p.r. value is great, the shows will be very entertaining, and it will be a victory lap. Hoda, who’s from real news, gets “Today.” Ann Curry gets $10 million and a chance to do hard news again. Win win. Everyone’s happy. Bring it on!

Rielle Hunter’s Book Dies on Amazon, Affair with John Edwards is Over

Roger Friedman
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1
Rielle Hunter’s Book Dies on Amazon, Affair with John Edwards is Over

It’s a bad day for professional homewrecker and babymama Rielle Hunter. Her appearances on ABC have had the opposite effect on sales of her book, “What Really Happened.” No one cares. The book has fallen to number 223 on amazon.com. Usually after media promotions, books go up on amazon. Hunter’s book is so icky that it’s gone down.

Her appearance this morning on “Good Morning America” with George Stephanopolous was a disaster, too. She admitted that her relationship with Edwards ended last week. She has no plans for the future. Well, prior to meeting and bedding Edwards, she had no career. So she’s back to square one, except she’s got a baby and presumably some kind of financial arrangement with Edwards. It’s too bad “24” is off the air. But maybe Hunter could have some luck back in Hollywood on “Homeland.”

Now that the book is a dud, her options will be reduced to reality TV: “Celebrity Apprentice,” “Dancing with the Stars,” or, of course, “Wife Swap.” If she’s lucky, Jay McInerney will write a bad novel about her. Anyway, I do think the Rielle Hunter story is over. John Edwards may think that distancing himself from her will somehow help him, but he is over, too. The great tragedy is that Elizabeth Edwards’ children have no mother, and that she was tortured before her painful death. One day Cate Edwards will write a book, and that’s the one everyone will read for the real story of what went on here.

Paula Patton Gets a Co-Star for “Baggage Claim”

Roger Friedman
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0
Paula Patton Gets a Co-Star for “Baggage Claim”

Paula Patton — she’s beautiful and talented, married to singer Robin Thicke. She co-starred in “Precious” and “Mission Impossible 4.” Now she’s going to star in a romantic comedy for Fox Searchlight called “Baggage Claim.” And I can tell you her co-star will be one of my favorite people, Derek Luke, who got his start in “Antwone Fisher.” Since then, Derek has played everything and everyone from Puff Daddy in “Notorious” to Jordin Sparks’s love interest in the upcoming “Sparkle” remake. He’s an overnight sensation for ten years. But “Baggage Claim,” written and directed by David Talbert, from his novel of the same name, should put Derek over the top. It’s great news for many reasons. Talbert will be making his feature film debut as a director, too. Smart African American comedies are starting to take root, with new directors. Spike Lee, Tyler Perry, Kasi Lemmons and John Singleton can be proud that it’s all happening, at last. They were the pioneers.

James Cameron Will Film Three “Avatar” Sequels At the Same Time

Roger Friedman
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8
James Cameron Will Film Three “Avatar” Sequels At the Same Time

Sigourney Weaver confirmed tonight that James Cameron is shooting “Avatar” 2, 3, and 4 all at the same time, all with her, and starting this fall. But first…

Are you ready for the Clintons as a political soap opera? Sigourney Weaver is playing it pretty close to Hillary and Ciaran Hinds is a damn good Bill Clinton in USA Network’s “Political Animals.” The studio threw a fine all star premiere in New York last night at the Morgan Library, showing off Greg Berlanti’s new dramedy. Frankly, like most of the USA Networks shows, this could play on NBC in prime time. A real movie star, Sigourney Weaver, plays  Elaine Barrish, ex First Lady of a philandering Democratic president who becomes Secretary of State.

Sound familiar? Ellen Burstyn gets the fun role of being Sigourney’s loose lipped, hilarious and always a little tipsy mother. The couple also has two kids–James Wolk plays the “good” son, who’s marrying a bulimic Asian American. Sebastian Stan is the coke snorting gay son. It’s a soap opera, but it’s deliciously done, extremely well written and produced. This is a six episode limited run beginning July 15th, but “Political Animals” will more than likely find a permanent place on the USA schedule very quickly. Sigourney is phenomenal.

When “Political Animals” finishes shooting, see if you can follow Weaver’s schedule: she goes right into a new Christopher Durang play for a short run at Lincoln Center. Then she films “Avatar” 2, 3, and 4 with James Cameron. That’s right: they’re making three sequels to the blue 3D phenom all at the same time. Weaver says she has no idea how long it will take, or how it’s going to work. “I just show up,” she said. If “Political Animals” is renewed, USA will have to wait until all that’s over. And it’s not like Weaver is the only busy person in her household: husband director Jim Simpson is debuting a new play by A. R. Gurney at the Flea Theater this fall.

Also great, by the way, in “Political Animals”: Carla Gugino as a crusading Washington reporter, Dan Futterman as her editor/boyfriend. Also a shout out to Clifton Davis, who played a network correspondent at the start of Episode 1. You do know that Clifton Davis wrote the great Jackson 5 song, “Never Can Say Goodbye.”

 

 

Justin Bieber “Believe” CD Numbers Lower Than Expected–Amazon Selling it for $4.99

Roger Friedman
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14
Justin Bieber “Believe” CD Numbers Lower Than Expected–Amazon Selling it for $4.99

UPDATE Tuesday afternoon, 4:20pm EDT: http://www.showbiz411.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=21570&action=edit&message=1

Justin Bieber’s “Believe” will be the highest first week sales of the year so far when it’s all counted. But it will also be at least 50,000 copies fewer than originally predicted. Right now, “Believe” is looking like it sold 370,000 copies–or less. This is way off the 420,00 copies hoped for. But Bieber’s TV special was a bust. And then his numbers on amazon.com significantly trailed off over the weekend. Amazon is now selling a downloadable version of the album for $4.99– a bad sign, as Madonna herself could tell us. The fact is, Bieber is not moving CDs digitally or physically in big numbers a week after “Believe” was made available. The amount of publicity he’s engendered simply is not resulting in sales, or even airplay. Given that this is particularly fruitful moment for Top 40 and pop–with “Someone I Used to Know,” “Call Me Maybe.” “What Makes You Beautiful,” and “Payphone” all full of good melodies and hooks–Bieber is not a factor. So hold on–because for once, substance may triumph over hype. And that will be a rude awakening.

Christie Brinkley Settles Case with Ex: Statement

Roger Friedman
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1
Christie Brinkley Settles Case with Ex: Statement

Christie’s exclusive statement:

“Once and for all, this is my last word on the subject. Let it be known, that I “moved on” from my marriage to Peter Cook the moment a police offer tapped me on the shoulder and informed me that “my husband had been cheating on me in a two year affair with  his 17 year-old-daughter.” Since that moment, it has been an odyssey of frustration as I have navigated the court system with one goal to find peace and protection for my family from the various forms of abuse at the hands of a narcissist.

I had a prenup, a confidentiality agreement, and a “civility clause” that all cost a lot of money, but were for all intents and  purposes  ignored and useless against the extended character assassination and extortion attempts I have endured.  While extortion for money he was not owed was Peter Cook’s shameless goal in this last round, I was seeking respite from narcissist abuse by fighting for the right to enforce the “No Contact Rule” which is imperative for persons, mostly women, dealing with a person diagnosed with Narcissistic Personality Disorder.

In a late night settlement, I finally won the right to establish boundaries with provisions such as an intermediary to deal with email bullying, verbal and emotional abuse.  I am hopeful the steps taken will now protect my Constitutional right to quiet enjoyment and peace and serve as a template for the courts to help others avoid the lengthy trials and tribulations that cost taxpayers money, and at a cost to families that CAN be calculated in dollars. But its the emotional toll which can only be measured in tears that must be considered by the courts and media alike.”

Michael Jackson: Epic Botching of Great Unreleased Single from “Bad” Album

Roger Friedman
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1
Michael Jackson: Epic Botching of Great Unreleased Single from “Bad” Album

Today is the third anniversary of the death of Michael Jackson. (Also the the third anniversary of Farrah Fawcett’s passing, FYI.) Epic Records cannot get Michael’s posthumous recordings out properly. Way back I told you that Michael’s longtime engineer Bruce Swedien had one extra track from “Bad”–the same one the late Frank DiLeo remembered as being outstanding. It was called “Don’t Be Messin’ Around.” I wrote about it here: http://www.showbiz411.com/2009/07/02/20090702book-michael-jackson-in-the-studio-bruce-swedie.

So it turns out that three weeks ago, on June 5th, Epic released “Don’t Be Messin’ Around” as the B side of the reissued “I Can’t Stop Loving You,” the original single from the “Bad” album.I spoke to Bruce a few minutes ago. He says the track is NOT a demo, it’s the finished track. “Michael didn’t make demos. He played piano on that track. That’s the record.” Sony did not consult Swedien about the track. They did send Spike Lee down to interview him for a video they’re doing on the “Bad’ 25th anniversary release set for…September. But for now, no publicity.

What??? After all the fighting about the Cascio tracks from the “Michael” album, here was the one track everyone agreed was really Michael, was really from classic sessions, and could have been trumpeted into a big deal. Not only has there been ZERO publicity, but also you can only buy the single at Wal-Mart, and only physically. Not digitally. In 2012.  I can’t imagine why Sony/Epic/Legacy and the Michael  Jackson estate was unable to do this right. It’s like everything else with Michael Jackson’s post-death recordings. And to think Sony said it made a deal for $200 million. They’re not going to earn it back this way!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmcxpD9Y2sE

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