Saturday, December 20, 2025
Donate
Home Blog Page 2096

Alec Baldwin May Skip Emmy Awards for Tony Bennett Tribute

Roger Friedman
-
1

(Exclusive) Alec Baldwin may be skipping the Emmy Awards again this year. Last year he was a no show, and didn’t win anyway–Jim Parsons from “The Big Bang Theory” took home a statue. Now sources tell me that Alec will likely choose to be at the big gala for Tony Bennett on September 18th at the Metropolitan Opera House instead of attending the Emmy show in Los Angeles.

I can’t blame him–the timing is terrible. And the Bennett night is a once in a lifetime event. Bennett is releasing his “Duets II” album, and many of his collaborators from Aretha Franklin to Lady Gaga to Michael Buble are rumored to be joining the show and the big dinner that accompanies the event. Baldwin won back to back Emmy Awards in 2008 and 2009. But this may be his last season on “30 Rock” anyway if his announcements prove true.

As it is, the Emmys should be giving Steve Carell his Best Actor award this year after seven seasons of great performances on “The Office.”

James Franco’s “Broken Tower” to Toronto, Plus “Idaho” Projects

Roger Friedman
-
0

I’ve confirmed that James Franco’s film, “The Broken Tower,” has been officially sold to Focus Features and will be shown at the Toronto Film Festival. But that’s not all for Franco, who has just now–not earlier–agreed to appear again on “General Hospital” this fall.

But there’s more: Franco will also bring two other projects to the Toronto Film Festival next month: a 1 hour film called “Idaho” which Franco shot on 8mm and based on van Sant’s “very early” draft of “My Own Private Idaho,” which is one of Franco’s favorite films. The Oscar nominee is also bringing his “My Own Private River” project to Toronto, which he showed in Los Angeles during Oscar week. That’s also concerning “My Own Private Idaho.”

Meantime, Franco’s Sal Mineo film, called “Sal,” concerning the last day of the legendary actor’s life, will play in the Venice Film Festival.

“The Broken Tower” stars Franco as poet Hart Crane and features a shocking moment of rather graphic oral sex performed by Crane. Mom Betsy Franco, an accomplished children’s book author, plays Crane’s mother. Franco’s brother Dave is also featured. The movie is very indie, brave, and well done. Made for no money, it looks great.

Franco plays both the indie world and studio biz very well. His “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” did over $19 mil on Friday night, got great reviews, and looks like a winner. His indie film about Sal Mineo, called “Sal,” will go to Venice and Toronto for screenings. It was shot in nine days.

Franco may next direct his adaptation of Faulkner’s “As I Lay Dying.”  He’s currently shooting “Oz, the Great and Powerful” in Detroit for the next few months. The “General Hospital” gig will be done over a couple of days and used throughout the next storyline.

“The King’s Speech” Headed to Broadway in Fall 2012

Roger Friedman
-
2

I told you first, and quite a while ago, that “The King’s Speech” would head to Broadway after its run as a film. Then it won the Oscar. Now I’m told that David Seidler’s Oscar winning movie–he wrote the screenplay after he wrote it as a play–will come to Broadway in the fall of 2012. The producers had wanted it sooner, and I always thought that was too soon. Now the word is that casting has begun and that the play will have an out of town opening in the UK in the beginning of 2012. Guilford’s Yvonne Arnaud Theater will host a three to five week engagement in January. All things being equal, “The King’s Speech” will move to London’s West End in March. The Broadway move comes in the fall. Casting director Gabrielle Dawes has been hired to find actors to play King George VI and Lionel Logue, as well as the rest. Who will step into Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush’s shoes? I’ll bet a lot of name actors will be thrilled to try their hands at this story and make it their own. For the Broadway version, big names will be needed.

Kevin Bacon: Six Degrees of Consistent Acting Success

Roger Friedman
-
0

Kevin Bacon, Gerard Butler and Leonardo DiCaprio were among the stars who helped the embattled Hollywood Foreign Press Association hand out their annual charitable donations yesterday in Beverly Hills.

The HFPA is currently battling two lawsuits–one from their former publicist and another one with Dick Clark Productions and NBC. But that didn’t stop them giving away a portion of their $8 million NBC license fee to good causes. Our Leah Sydney was there (cocktails only) before the HFPA installed a new slate of officers (including an 80 year old president who has served before). Then they presented $1.5 million to a variety of arts groups.

Leah caught up with one of our favorite actors, Kevin Bacon, who was joined by a mix of movie and TV people that also included Lea Michele from “Glee” and Mark Wahlberg, Elisabeth Moss,  Jessica Chastain, Hugh Dancy, Taylor Lautner, Elizabeth Olsen, Jim Sturgess, Shohreh Aghdashloo, and Gabriel Macht. There was no sign of Ricky Gervais, or mention of his return as host of the next Golden Globes TV show.

But back to Kevin: ”I just did a picture with Billy Bob Thornton directing — he’s in it –called “Jayne Mansfield’s Car.”  We shot it in Atlanta, it’s a great script that kind of just poured out of Billy’s heart. It’s funny , touching and most of all outrageous. It takes place in 1969 and I’m the ne’er-do well hippie son.”

Next up for Kevin is: “’RIPD’. I play the bad guy opposite Ryan Reynolds Jeff Bridges. It’s an action comedy with monsters.”

Bacon can currently be seen in “Friends with Benefits,” supporting Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis. (Bacon should be starring in films, for god’s sake.) Anyway, as I’ve said before, the Screen Actors Guild should honor him with their Lifetime Achievement Award this year for over 25 years of outstanding performances. Bacon is the real deal. There are only a few guys in his age group–Matthew Modine, included–who’ve excelled with consistency whether in lead or supporting roles.

Oscar Heist: Brett Ratner Asked to Produce Academy Awards Show

Roger Friedman
-
0

This is the best news of the week: Brett Ratner has been asked to produce the Oscar show this year with Don Mischer. Every year a guest producer is brought in to bring extra excitement to the show. Ratner is a showman, and knows how to get an audience. He’s made the “Rush Hour” movies and “X Men: Last Stand”–the latter remains the biggest hi in that franchise. He’s also got one of my favorite films, “Family Man,” on his resume. Ratner’s “Tower Heist” looks to be a huge hit this Christmas, too. What’s interesting too is that Ratner tells me the Academy asked him–it wasn’t like he requested the job. And more intriguing, too, because the new head of the Academy is Dawn Hudson, the brilliant former chief of Film Independent–and the Indie Spirit Awards. So it’s not like she chose Don Roos to produce the Oscars. Good for Hudson. Now the question remains: can Brett get Eddie Murphy and Ben Stiller to co-host? Or Chris Tucker and Mariah Carey? Suddenly, Oscar gets hot, hot, hot.

PS Don’t be surprised if Ratner, an accomplished photographer, winds up shooting all the nominees for the show and publicity.

Tony Bennett: Lady Gaga Is A Tramp; Danny Aiello Wants “Gotti”

Roger Friedman
-
1

Legendary singer Tony Bennett may be appearing on TV in September, but before that he appears on September 18th at the Metropolitan Opera House to celebrate his 85th birthday. There’s talk now of Aretha Franklin joining him there, along with special guests. One of them may indeed by Lady Gaga. The egg encased high heeled entertainment spectacle recorded a duet with Tony this past weekend– of “The Lady Is a Tramp.” Clever! Bennett is said to be heartbroken about his other duet-ess, Amy Winehouse, with whom he recorded “Body and Soul.” Amy is a big part of the documentary that accompanies the “Duets II” album. Bennett, who’d had drug problems in the 1970s, sat and talked with Winehouse at length, counseled her and was confident he’d made a good connection with her, I am told. The pair made plans for some appearances together as well….

…Danny Aiello, another good guy, is around a lot lately. He’s starring off Broadway in “The Shoemaker,” set in New York’s Hell’s Kitchen as an Italian Jewish shoemaker. One of his co-stars is Lucy DeVito, daughter of Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman.

Leah Sydney caught up Danny at the premiere. Danny said, “I love  theater. The first acting job  I ever did was a play called Lampost Reunion at the age of 36. When I was 40 I did my first movie, “Bang The Drum Slowly,” with Robert De Niro  .  My feet as an actor began on stage and that I’m most proud of.  This play allows me the opportunity to use emotions that I haven’t used in years,which you can’t use on screen because they are too big and wild.”

What’s the status of ‘Capone’?

“Capone is the next one coming.  It’s a one man show-it’s a musical-written by Robert Mitchell.  We haven’t set it yet as if where it’s going to go. We’re thinking first Chicago then New York.”

What about the upcoming Gotti film?
“i have no idea.  Gangster pictures are a dime a dozen. I’ve played in lot of them and I’m not too enamoured by them. I know Barry Levinson is directing it now. John Travolta had suggested to them that I play Paul Castellano.  But so far I haven’t heard anything or seen any script.”

 

Rockers Kings of Leon Follow(ill) Kinks, Oasis Into Fraternal Rock History

Roger Friedman
-
0

Jared Followill, one of the many Followill brothers in hot rock group Kings of Leon, found out that the tour he’s on was cancelled today in the gym. That’s right–he Tweeted that “They told me the news about the tour in the gym today. This is how I felt. http://t.co/0rc8zjr.” Kings of Leon now join The Kinks (the Davies brothers) and Oasis (warring Gallaghers), and even Creedence Clearwater Revival (the fun Fogertys), in the pantheon of rock groups composed of brothers who can’t along with each other.The Partridge Family never fought like this!

A few nights ago, Jared’s brother Caleb Followill walked off the stage in Dallas during a set and stopped the show. He blamed the heat and never returned. Brother Nathan tweeted: “Not so good morning 4 me today. Ashamed & embarrassed by last nights fiasco. Can’t apologize enough, utterly gutted. A million I’m sorry’s.” Nathan had been tweeting about the Dallas heat for a bit leading up to the show, too. As for Caleb, he hasn’t Tweeted since May. His Twitter self-description reads: “Family band frontman with with four albums down, an inconsistent hair-do and a bad attitude.” Kings of Leon’s big hit is called “Use Somebody,” and they could: a shrink.

“The band is not breaking up,” reassures at least one brother.

Movie and Recording Legend Doris Day Releasing New Album at Age 89

Roger Friedman
-
4

Doris Day-isn’t just saying “que sera sera”–whatever will be, will be. She is releasing a new album at age 89. Like Betty White, she’s as vital as ever.

I bring this up right now because next week the Motion Picture Academy is going to meet and choose its next lifetime achievement award honorees. Doris is the most notorious hold out in movie history. In the past, anyone who’s tried to honor her or interview her has been rebuffed.

But it turns out that Day has been giving some interviews to the BBC for this album of unreleased material. The reason is that the recordings were made by her late son, Terry Melcher. There are four unreleased tracks co-written by Melcher with Beach Boy Bruce Johnston, as well as a cover of Billy Preston‘s “You Are So Beautiful.” (Whoever wrote the copy lists this as a Joe Cocker song, but he just recorded it. Billy wrote it.) The album, called “My Heart,” hits stores from Sony Music in September.

I do think the Academy should just go for it and give Miss Day a special Oscar. She doesn’t like to travel too far from her Carmel, California home. But my guess is, once it’s announced, she could be persuaded to spend a few days at the Beverly Hills Hotel. For the record, she has one Oscar nomination– for “Pillow Talk” in 1960. But for so many other films, from Alfred Hitchcock‘s “The Man Who Knew Too Much” to “Love Me Or Leave Me,” Doris deserves her own gold statue.

The Academy should also not worry about being turned down by Miss Day. They didn’t worry about Jean Luc Godard, and he screwed ’em anyway. I doubt Doris Day will follow that route.

Michael Jackson Perfume Coming from His Estate; Father’s Schemes Shut Down

Roger Friedman
-
5

There will be a Michael Jackson line of perfumes, but it won’t be coming from Michael’s father, Joseph. I can tell you exclusively that the Michael Jackson estate is in negotiations right now to market its own brands through a conventional big time cosmetics company. The perfume has been created, the bottles are being deisgned, and a name is being decided upon. It will not be called “Thriller,” says a source who’s working on the project.

But it’s not a bad idea. Neither are “Bad,” “Dangerous,” “Invincible” or “Off the Wall” (the latter could be body spray!). What’s NOT happening: a line of perfumes from Michael’s father, Joe Jackson.

Indeed, the estate is spending extra time shutting Jackson senior down as he makes pronouncements about new businesses he’s dreaming up to exploit his late son’s likeness. Recently, Jackson proclaimed on his website that he and a German firm–UD Group International–a firm with ties to Michael’s one time manager Dieter Wiesner–had somehow gotten the rights in that country to Michael’s name. However, the Jackson estate insists this isn’t true, and that they are contacting their German lawyers to set matters straight.

On the website, Joe Jackson can be seen hocking his own line of “champagne,” and carrying on about his new ventures. He tried to launch his own perfume line during the Cannes Film Festival, but that’s been scotched. He also told this reporter about his plans for Neverland style hotels. “That will not be happening,” said an estate source. “We think Joe knows all these things are pipe dreams. He just likes to do the traveling and get the attention,” said my source.

Meanwhile, the Estate is looking forward to opening night in Montreal on October 2nd, when Cirque du Soleil unveils its Michael Jackson show. Tickets are on sale in several cities. After Montreal, the show heads to Las Vegas. What’s happening here is really interesting: in death, Michael Jackson is now becoming a big, big business, bigger than he could have envisioned.

Bebe Buell’s Rocking New Album: Hit Singles and a Good Diet

Roger Friedman
-
0

Bebe Buell--she’s Liv Tyler‘s mom, a best selling author (“Rebel Heart”), a rocker extraordinaire. former Ford model and Playboy Playmate star. Now Bebe is getting ready to release a smashing new album on Niji Entertainment next month, distributed by Red.

I got a chance to hear some tracks this weekend from “Hard Love” and I can tell you, they are sensational. Not only that. Bebe has dropped over 30 pounds sticking to Jenny Craig. (Hey Jenny Craig–isn’t it time for a rock and roll division? Where are the hip spokesmodels, JC?) All those Any Time bars have really worked!

Last year, Wendy Dio, widow of rocker Ronnie James Dio, heard Bebe perform live and decided she needed a career infusion. Now Wendy is managing Bebe, and “Hard Love” is a winner. Bebe’s rocker hubby Jim Walls wrote and produced the album with Bebe and Stevie DeAcutis. They’ve made a couple of very clever cover versions of old songs, like the Gang of Four‘s “I Love A Man in A Uniform” and the Vibrators’ “Baby Baby“–a Bebe concert favorite. In short order Wendy and her team will be sending tracks to rock radio with a lot of support.

Radio programmers at college stations: get ready. This is serious, cool, fun rock. And the production — from Bebe’s voice to insistent drums from Guns N Roses player Frank Ferrer to Walls’s jangling guitars–is outstanding.

Bebe photo courtesy of Bob Gruen all rights reserved.

1...2,0952,0962,097...2,324Page 2,096 of 2,324

Hollywood to the Hudson

Company

Trending

Categories

© Showbiz411.com