We’re getting closer to the announcement of what’s going to happen in the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. We already know two things: Wes Anderson is opening the festival with “Moonrise Kingdom” and Woody Allen is not going with the newly named “To Rome with Love.” But here are some thoughts from various sources. They do say “Rust & Bone” with Marion Cotillard is in. So, too, is David Cronenberg’s “Cosmopolis” with Robert Pattinson of “Twilight” fame. High on everyone’s list is Walter Salles’s film of Jack Kerouac’s “On the Road.” Another name mentioned is popular Cannes filmmaker Michael Haneke, with “Amour” starring Isabelle Huppert. Then there’s the matter of Terrence Malick. He has two movies in post-production, one with Ben Affleck and Jessica Chastain (among others) which was thought to have been finished before “Tree of Life” was released. Any more ideas? Let me know at roger@showbiz411.com
Philip Seymour Hoffman Rocks Broadway’s New “Death of a Salesman”
The greatest American play? Quite possibly Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman,” set in 1949 and revived last night on Broadway in a production that is outstanding. Mike Nichols directed and reinvented Miller’s classic, with Philip Seymour Hoffman as Willy Loman, Andrew Garfield (the new movie Spider Man) as Biff, Linda Emonds as Willy’s wife Linda, and Finn Wittrock as Happy. This is a historic production, quite possibly the best ever (and there have been many great ones starring Dustin Hoffman, Brian Dennehy, Lee J. Cobb, George C. Scott). Thursday night’s star studded opening was the second time I’ve seen this production, and it’s only gotten more devastating, deep, emotional, and overwhelming. Philip Seymour Hoffman is our generation’s Jason Robards. He is perfection as Willy Loman in all aspects–from Willy’s wrestling with his past (the father and brother who left him) to his denial about more current events, and his increasing mental in capacities. PSH has an Oscar for “Capote” but this is his Tony Award. He cannot be missed.
The whole cast is spot on. Considering it’s a play about fathers and sons, I was particularly moved by Andrew Garfield’s father’s reaction to seeing his son as the angry ne’er do well, Biff. At the party following the opening night at Bryant Park Grill, Mr. Garfield and Andrew just kept hugging and crying. The cast is extremely worn out emotionally after each performance. Even last night Mike Nichols, who’s sat through every preview to give “notes,” told me he was overwhelmed. Arthur Miller’s famous actress sister, Joan Copeland, t0ld me it was the best production she’d seen since the original. Martin Short told me that Tom Hanks had seen it a few days ago and declared it “the best thing he’s ever seen, period.” Columbia Pictures’ Amy Pascal came to congratulate her upcoming Spider Man.
Scott Rudin produced this extravaganza, and it made for quite a glittering night. In the audience were Nichols and Diane Sawyer, Paul Simon, Barbara Walters (who came with David Geffen), Julianna Margulies, Julianne Moore and Bart Freundlich, Catherine Keener, Amy Ryan, Spike Lee, Anjelica Huston, Meryl Streep and Don Gummer, and Garfield’s actress gf Emma Stone, Julia Roberts, plus “Saturday Night Live” star Bill Hader, who said he almost fainted when Nichols complimented his “SNL” work. It was kind of funny at one point seeing Streep, Gummer, Nichols, Sawyer and Huston all dining together. That’s superstardom. Nichols also welcomed his bff and genius comedy partner Elaine May, who came with husband (or boyfriend–no one is sure) legendary director Stanley Donen and bff Marlo Thomas. Where was Phil Donahue? “Playing golf in Florida.” That seemed ok. More A list guests: Bernadette Peters, Jeffrey Wright, Bobby Cannavale, Carol Kane, Rosie Perez, Anna Deveare Smith. What a way to kick off the new Broadway Tony season!
Don’t be misled by the New York Times review, which I think is completely off the mark. PSH and Garfield are stunning. Emonds and Witttock are exceptional. All the supporting players are top notch. Nichols has given “Death” a new life, illuminating its intricacies and sophisticated architecture. There isn’t a false note played. Rudin will now have the top grossing musical (“Book of Mormon”) and play on Broadway at the same time.
Madonna Keeps It Classy With New Song–Listen Here to “I F—ed Up”
Oh, Madonna. She’s quite the lyricist. Her new song is called “I F—ed Up.” You can listen to it and most of her new album, called “MDNA” on her You Tube channel and on Facebook. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkgEJPSWRZY&feature=player_embedded#!. The album comes out a week from Tuesday, and it’s the usual hodgepodge of throwaway dance songs and a couple of ballads that have been Auto-tuned within an inch of their lives. Madonna is almost 54 and she sings, basically, about nothing. There’s no one to compare her to, really; she is unto herself. You can’t compare her to the great female singer songwriters like Carly, Carole, and Joni. She’s not a great singer like Judy Collins, Phoebe Snow, or Gladys Knight. She’s not an icon like Janis Joplin, Grace Slick, or Aretha Franklin. She’s certainly no Streisand or Diana Ross. She can’t sing like Lady Gaga or Adele or even Linda Ronstadt. But she’s Madonna. She’s a living spectacle. And the PR machine is revving up for a launch at the end of this week. And listen, it’s not about album sales. It’s about tour tickets. The album is just a souvenir. It’s a new, much different world.
Great new music? Try the new Bonnie Raitt or Roberta Flack. Or for more contemporary sounds, Leslie Feist or Julia Fordham’s reissue of her “Baby Love” CD. http://juliafordham.com/
Woody Allen Gets Told by Jay McInerney: “F— Him”
Jay McInerney, one of the greatest literary poseurs in history, doesn’t have much use for Woody Allen. On his self important blog, McInerney has this to say about “Midnight in Paris”: “This past month, in an effort to feel less isolated from the world I watched not only the Super Bowl but also the Oscars, and I was appalled, though not necessarily surprised, that “Midnight in Paris” won best screenplay. Let me just cite one example of it’s cartoonish view of the great American Modernists: Fitzgerald has Jay Gatsby use the expression “old sport” as a way of pointing out that he’s kind of a clueless parvenu. When Woody Allen puts that phrase in Fitzgerald’s mouth he would seem to be suggesting the same about the author of The Great Gatsby. I don’t think that’s what he intends to do but if he does—f+++ him.”
McInerney, of course, wrote one hit novel, published during the early part of the Reagan Administration, called “Bright Lights, Big City” which essentially chronicled cocaine snorting. Since then, he’s authored about a half dozen terrible novels that didn’t sell and weren’t particularly admired. He’s a wine reviewer. In the same blog, he also writes about the hardships of living in Bridgehampton for January and February, in the mansion he shares with heiress wife Anne Hearst. It’s not to be believed. When he couldn’t take the torture of it anymore, he flew to Chicago to eat at Charlie Trotter’s, before it closed.
“They said it couldn’t be done—well, a few friends and blood relatives expressed skepticism about my intention to spend two monastic months writing in Bridgehampton. But until the last day of February I hadn’t once moved more than a few miles from my desk. Last Wednesday I finished off Chapter 21 before heading in to the city for Nicole and Kim’s anniversary dinner at Indochine*, which was a thorough re-immersion into the Manhattan high life. I then flew to Chicago to eat (twice) at Charlie Trotter’s before this great chef retires. Also eating one night at Ria, chef Danny Grant’s place, which recently got two stars from Michelin. And I even managed to eat at least one Chicago-style dog.”
McInerney may be less in touch with reality than Mitt Romney. I’m sure his next blog will be about the two of them enjoying a vintage Montrachet. In the meantime, one can only hope that Allen will mock McInerney’s criticism of “Midnight in Paris” in an upcoming film. McInerney may best be remembered in later years for the Allen comment and for having known Rielle Hunter, John Edwards’ babymama, in the 1980s.
http://jaymcinerney.com/blog/137/they-said-it-couldn-t-be-done
*Nicole and Kim–I think I figured this out — designer Nicole Miller and er husband Kim Taipale. McInerney is too cool to give last names. Thanks to Patrick McMulla
n’s photo page for that info. These other photos depict the type of brutality McInerney experienced during his solitude.
Jerry Lewis Flashback: “Dean Martin Was the Least Appreciated Performer in Show Business”
I’ve rescued this story from the rubble of my four months with Forbes.com. It appeared this past March 2012.
Jerry Lewis turned 86 yesterday and got quite a nice birthday party from the Friars Club. Richard Belzer interviewed him last night at the 92nd St. Y, Lewis did a lengthy and hilarious Q&A with the audience, and then Paul Shaffer played “Happy Birthday” to him on the piano with an audience singalong. Veteran comic and actor Jerry Stiller came and sat third row center and even asked a question: “Did you and Dean rehearse your act?”– and he seriously wanted an answer. Jerry joked a lot of his answers, and got lots of applause from an audience that included Robert Klein, David Steinberg, and writer-actor Robert Smigel (“Triumph the Comic Insult Dog”). The audience was full of showbiz people including producer Bonnie Timmermann, Rita Cosby, and director-producer Antonio Campos.
Lewis was brilliant, revelatory, and emotional–especially with a former MDA kid, now adult, who lives with Cerebral Palsy. When one audience member asked about Jerry getting fired from the MDA telethon, the comic was philosophical. (I’ll have more on that on Monday.) On the subject of former partner Dean Martin, Lewis said: “Dean Martin was without question the least appreciated performer in show business…For ten years my partner read reviews where his name wasn’t mentioned. And he dealt with it with such dignity and class…I called him Paul, his real name…I said, we have a magical combination. He said, I’m ok, Jerry. He was a great gentle man about it.”
PS Belzer put together a stunning film of birthday greeting clips from everyone connected to “Law and Order” as well as Steve Martin, Robin Williams, Billy Crystal and Joe Piscopo, who was in the audience and also does a very cool Lewis imitation.
Mad Men: Some More Clues, Jon Hamm Directs Episode 3
“Mad Men” is coming. There are no spoilers, no official clues. For the Los Angeles premiere, people are being sworn on their deceased relatives’ graves not to say a word about what they’re shown. No one knows if there’s a New York premiere or even screening DVDs. I think it’s great. But you know, we are able to divine a few things. First of all, star Jon Hamm directs episode 3 called “Tea Party.” Episode 1 and 2 are a two parter on opening night, March 25th, called “A Little Kiss.” Hmmm…A little kiss between divorced Don and Betty Draper? Could be. You never know. The second week comes “Tea Leaves.” Episode 4, in the third week, is called “Mystery Date.” No director is listed. “Signal 30″ is the title of Episode 5, which I’ve written about on Showbiz411 at http://www.showbiz411.com/2012/01/11/first-mad-men-clue-some-kind-of-accident-in-episode-5 . The production has been very scarce with details, but one: Pete and Trudy Campbell have had their baby since we last saw them, and it’s a girl named Tammy. (So Trudy.) A pair of twins have been hired to the play the baby. How long this season before Trudy discovers Pete already has a child, with Peggy? And: that “little kiss”– I will still bet good money that Don marries Megan and that ex wife Betty is a season long interference. Gotta have friction in the drama, kids.
Exclusive: 92 Year Old Pete Seeger’s New Video Could Make Him Oldest Star on Charts
Just below in our video player, watch Pete Seeger sing Bob Dylan’s “Forever Young.” Seeger is 92 years young. If the single is downloaded enough times, it could hit the charts and make him the oldest star ever with a hit single. Martin Lewis co-produced this with Mark Hudson for Amnesty International’s “Chimes of Freedom” album. We got an early link to it. Bruce Springsteen loves Seeger of course. In his remarks last night at SXSW, Bruce gave Seeger (and Sam Moore and a few others) big shout outs.
Meryl Streep Will Show Off Her Singing to Sting and Friends
You don’t get to hear Meryl Streep sing very often, but she’s done it a bit on stage and in movies like “Silkwood” and “A Prairie Home Companion.” Come April 3rd we’re going to hear her really warble live at Carnegie Hall. Streep, now a three time Oscar winner (yay), will join Trudie Styler and Sting’s biennial Rainforest Foundation concert. She’s just been announced on a list of performers including old timers to the RF as Elton John and James Taylor. New to the show this year will be opera star Bryn Terfel, who sang “Roxanne” at Sting’s 60th birthday show last October, plus Jennifer Hudson, Bruno Mars and Roseanne Cash, as well as Vince Gill.
The theme of the night is “Songs from the Silver Screen” so maybe Meryl will sing “As Time Goes By” or “When You Wish Upon a Star.” With all hope, no one will sing “My Heart Goes On” from “Titanic” or the Phil Collins song from that Disney movie.Sting, you know, has contributed several songs to movies, so he has a lot to choose from.
Trudie Styler is quite wise and had this idea a while ago, so you know it’s going to be good. What always come from the Rainforest show is a sense of family and camaraderie, and the feeling that three decades of helping maintain the Rainforests indigenous population and educate people about them has done a lot of good. You can read more about this at www.rainforestfund.org
PS Sting is still on tour somewhere–Paris, London, then Johannesburg on his “Back to Bass” tour, sold out all over the world. Trudie is producing movies under the moniker Maven Pictures. Her first one with partner Celine Rattray is “Imogene” starring Kristin Wiig.
Michael Douglas May Be Heading to “Last Vegas”
Michael Douglas–looking better than ever–may be ready for his comeback. In addition to his planned biopic of “Liberace,” the Oscar winning Hollywood is wanted by producer director Jon Turteltaub for “Last Vegas.” Turteltaub told our LEAH SYDNEY recently: “Fingers crossed my next movie is called “Last Vegas,” to hopefully shoot in the fall. It’s a very funny coming of age story of four men in their seventies. One guy is getting married for the first time and he brings his three buddies together for a crazy bachelor party. It’s a hilarious script by Dan Fogelman. If all goes well I’ll be standing with Michael Douglas. But if I tell you who my dream cast is, and I don’t get them, then the guys I do get will be mad at me. That’s why you never tell your wife about the girl you went to the prom with. Even worse, never tell your wife about the girl you wanted to go to the prom with but didn’t.”
I like Jon Turteltaub. His 1996 film with “Phenomenon” with John Travolta and Kyra Sedgwick was a little gem.
Leah met up with him at a charity event called the Venice Family Clinic, supported for a long time by Warner Bros. chairman Barry Meyer and his wife Wendy. Their Silver Circle Gala raises funds for their mission of providing health care to people in need.
“Philanthropy has always been very important in Hollywood,” Meyer told Leah. “Especially at Warner brothers, we feel strongly about it. It’s not something you have a choice really, you’re supposed to do it. It’s a responsibility we have for people at our company as well as in our community.”
Is Meyer looking forward to the new year of Warner Brother movies? ”I’m excited about everything we do. I’m Warner Brothers true blue down to my core.”
Also at the event: writer-director Tom Shadyac, who’s had a lot of hits with Jim Carrey and his own hit documentary called “I Am.”
“I’m writing a book that’s coming out in the fall,,” Shadyac said. “And I’m working on three films that I’m either producing or directing. And I’m going to be hosting a talk show soon based on the conversation that I started in the documentary ‘I Am.”
And you thought James Franco was busy….
Rolling Stones: Get Carnegie Tribute with Marianne Faithfull and Ronnie Spector
None of the Rolling Stones showed up, but the 50 year old greatest rock and roll band in history got a sweet tribute last night at Carnegie Hall. Produced by Michael Dorf, the show presented the group’s greatest hits album, “Hot Rocks,” from 1971, in order, with different guest performers taking on each song. “Hot Rocks” was a double album released by Allen Klein on ABKCO as the Stones left him in ’71 for Ahmet Ertegun and Atlantic Records.But it stands to this day as the best example of the Stones at their peak. It even includes two songs that started the Atlantic phase–“Brown Sugar” and “Wild Horses”–which the Stones had recorded while still under contract to Klein.
As usual with these things, some worked, some didn’t. Some were good surprises, some weren’t. I still remember when the late Phoebe Snow simply rattled the house and stole the entire show when Dorf did a tribute to Elton John and Bernie Taupin. By the time Phoebe finished “Empty Garden,” the audience was levitating.
At this show, I had my own preferences. Marianne Faithfull was featured, singing “As Tears Go By” and “Sister Morphine.” She’s timeless. The Stones wrote the first song for her in 1964, and she had a hit with it. She co-wrote the latter with Jagger. They were famously lovers, It’s all in Keith’s amazing memoir. Also on the bill, coming up second and just hitting a home run, was the immortal Ronnie Spector on “Time Is On My Side.” She could have done the whole show, frankly.
Featured throughout were some big names: Jackson Browne, Rickie Lee Jones, Rosanne Cash, Marc Cohn, and John Sebastian on harmonica. They were all just fine; Cash was especially good. The New York Dolls’ David Johansen, aka Buster Poindexter, sort of the punk Mick Jagger, made “Get off My Cloud” swing with some vibrancy. Taj Mahal turned “Honky Tonk Woman” into a New Orleans blues. He said, “The thing about the Rolling Stones songs is you can deconstruct them back to their blues and country roots.” Amen.
Some standouts: Glen Hansard, of “Once” fame, took on “Under My Thumb” with just himself on guitar and a bass player. He said. “Imagine what headspace they were in when they wrote this. It must be a Keith song.”
Actress Juliette Lewis was not so lucky trying to preen around and Move Like Jagger on “Satisfaction.” But I liked the Carolina Chocolate Drops, The Mountain Goats, Jovanotti with members of TV on the Radio. Art Garfunkel took off his toupee to sing “Ruby Tuesday,” and Steve Earle was pungent on “Mother’s Little Helper.” Angelique Kidjo continued to defy logic–she should be a superstar.Why isn’t she? Her “Street Fighting Man” was a tour de force.
No celebs in the audience to speak of. I ran into Keith’s longtime manager Jane Rose, who said she liked the show but thought Keith “might find it difficult” to listen to all those different interpretations. The Stones celebrate their 50th anniversary next January. Soon we’ll have news of celebration-related items. Until then, this will have to do.