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Gwyneth Paltrow Reinvents Herself: From Oscar Ice Queen to Rock Star

Roger Friedman
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Gwyneth Paltrow Reinvents Herself: From Oscar Ice Queen to Rock Star

A lot of actors and celebrities get stuck in public roles and wish they could reinvent themselves. Some have done it, but it’s a rarity.

No one could have expected Gwyneth Paltrow, 1999 Best Actress winner of the Academy Award for “Shakespeare in Love,” to pull something like this off. Known for that movie, for marrying Coldplay’s Chris Martin, and being a fashion icon, Paltrow had drifted as an actress. So many disappointing films followed “Shakespeare,” from “Bounce” to “Possession” and “A Year at the Top.”

It did seem like Paltrow’s acting career was on the verge of tanking. Granted, she was in both “Iron Man” movies. But for an actress who was supposed to be the second coming of Meryl Streep, something had gone wrong.

But then, bingo! Paltrow had sung very well with Huey Lewis in a film directed by her late father, Bruce Paltrow, called “Duet.” She and Lewis even had a hit covering Smokey Robinson’s “Cruising.”

A few years ago, at a benefit for Paul Newman‘s Blue Light Theater Group, Gwyneth sang with powerhouse Phoebe Snow and bowled over the audience. She obviously knew something we didn’t.

Now, as she promotes her new movie, “Country Strong,” Paltrow is suddenly hot stuff for the first time in 12 years. Covering CeeLo Green‘s “Forget You” on the hit TV show  “Glee,” Paltrow became an overnight sensation.  She really can sing– she’s got a sultry R&B voice and a good sense of humor. Then this week she rapped hilariously (again) with Jimmy Fallon on his show, where she’s become  a video parody rock star. Now she’s set for “Saturday Night Live,” on which she and Green will likely do a duet on “Forget You” (known more infamously as “F– You” as Green’s hit). Their performance will be an event.

All of this may not do much for “Country Strong.” It’s not an Oscar film, and the audience knows it’s been dumped into the cold clutches of January also-rans. But for Paltrow, it’s a surprising new career. And bravo to her! It took a lot of courage to reassess and reinvent. Paltrow’s success should give her peers confidence to try it themselves.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1_B9FCZJMA

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

People’s Choice Awards: America’s Dirty Little Secret

Roger Friedman
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People’s Choice Awards: America’s Dirty Little Secret

The People’s Choice Awards: they are America’s dirty little secret. Are they real? Does someone actually vote for them? Does it matter? Who are these people?

Really: you know the whole thing is a set up between publicists and studios. This is a world in which “Grown Ups” wins Best Comedy. “Twilight: Eclipse” is Best Drama. The horrific Kardashians are not only fawned over in the audience but then win some award. It’s cynicism on overload. These are the dregs of the dregs.

Why yes, Jennifer Aniston, Johnny Depp, and Adam Sandler all show up.  They have movies to plug.  What a shock! The three stars of “Twilight” are all sitting together in the front row ready to accept their award. Robert Pattinson also showed off the free phone he got in his gift bag. Well, there has to be some incentive to whore oneself out at this thing. The gift suites must have been amazing!

Queen Latifah looked nice, and I’m sure she gets a nice piece of change for the annual work. “People’s Choice” is produced by Mark Burnett, who gives us “Survivor.” The shows have a lot in common. Where is the award for Best Fast Food? Favorite mall?

I did feel bad that Warner Bros. allowed “Inception” into the mix with those other godawful movies like “Iron Man 2” and “Twilight.”  But what can you do? Anyway, it’s cold out, the garbage is piled high on the sidewalk, and five days after New Years Hollywood reminds us what it’s really all about.

Natalie Portman: Will Bad Movies Released Now Hurt Her Best Actress Chances?

Roger Friedman
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Natalie Portman: Will Bad Movies Released Now Hurt Her Best Actress Chances?

The Best Actress race is starting to take on its own personality.

For one thing, Natalie Portman may be in the same position Eddie Murphy found himself in a few years ago. Murphy, considered hot for Best Supporting Actor in  “Dreamgirls,” is thought to have undone himself by releasing “Norbit” A hideous comedy, the movie kicked Murphy back several notches. Winning the Golden Globe didn’t help either. Alan Arkin won the Oscar instead for “Little Miss Sunshine.” Murphy and his entourage got up and and walked out the Oscars in the middle of the show.

Portman, so hot herself right now in “Black Swan,” has some unfortunate releases coming up as awards season unfolds. “No Strings Attached” seems to be the coarse version of “Love and Other Drugs.” Foul language and situations, juvenile behavior–Portman is wasted in a “friends with benefits” relationship with Ashton Kutcher. Oy. The Ashton Kutcher library is really getting great. Circle January 21st for this disaster.

Then there’s Portman’s straight to video “The Other Woman.” This is a little bit of everything–“Stepmom” meets “An Unmarried Woman.” Natalie breaks up a marriage, has to deal with a stepson, gets pregnant with the new husband, and then the new child dies. She and the stepkid bond. Yikes. It’s hard to say which of these two films is “Norbit” and which is “Pluto Nash.” And get this: “The Other Woman” is already on Time Warner’s video on demand.

“The Other Woman” is also Lisa Kudrow‘s 99th bad movie with Don Roos. He made one good movie, “The Opposite of Sex.” The rest have been terrible. Kudrow should have been the biggest TV star of the 2000s. She could be Mary Tyler Moore and Lucille Ball all rolled into one. She just needs a great sitcom built around her in which the other characters like her. Is it that hard to do?

Golden Globers: “Somewhere” Was Nowhere; Weinsteins Bulk Up; Writers Guild Awards Skips Some Biggies

Roger Friedman
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Golden Globers: “Somewhere” Was Nowhere; Weinsteins Bulk Up; Writers Guild Awards Skips Some Biggies

Remember when I told you about the seven members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association who had credited roles in Sofia Coppola‘s “Somewhere”? Now I’m told that the seven members recused themselves from voting on the movie when ballot time came around. “And Sofia Coppola knew that would happen,” says a source. “Somewhere” got no Globe nominations in the end. I’m not sure if this means that a)Coppola didn’t care about the Globes or b)the HFPA members thought it was more important to be in a movie than to vote on it later. Either way, they all made their own decisions here…

...THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY has bought a 25% stake in Starz Media, announced around 4pm. It’s a good strategic measure since Starz cable channels will provide outlets for the Weinsteins’ movies like “King’s Speech” and “Blue Valentine.” And Starz has Anchor Bay Films, a small division that could provide some product for TWC. Anchor Bay’s “Solitary Man” might have been a bigger deal at TWC.

…Meanwhile, TWC’s “King’s Speech” did not get a WRITERS GUILD nomination for David Seidler because he didn’t belong to the guild when he wrote the movie. The WGA feels if it only gives nominations and awards to its members then writers will think twice about not belonging to the group. “Blue Valentine” also was ineligible, and so was “Toy Story 3,” “Another Year,” “The Ghost Writer,” “Made in Dagenham,” and “Biuitiful.”

Does it matter? Not really. The usual suspects made the WGA lists from “The Social Network” and “Black Swan” to “True Grit,” “Inception,” and “The Kids Are All Right.” The WGA ceremony is always right in the middle of the Grammy weekend, so it gets less attention. And in the end, the Oscars will nominate the missing films’ screenplays anyway. While “The Social Network” is easily the best adapted screenplay of the year, “The King’s Speech” is the best original one. The latter is so good that it’s going to go on and become a Broadway play–something I reported exclusively and first weeks and weeks ago.

Gerry Rafferty: Clowns to the Left of Him, Jokers to the Right

Roger Friedman
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Gerry Rafferty: Clowns to the Left of Him, Jokers to the Right

Gerry Rafferty, the man behind the hits “Baker Street” and “Stuck in the Middle with You.” has died at age 63.

Rafferty died of liver failure brought on by a long battle with alcoholism.

In his early days Rafferty worked with British actor/comedian Billy Connolly. “Stuck in the Middle” was a hit with his group, Stealer’s Wheel.  “Baker Street.” with its haunting melody and horn lines, was the radio hit of 1977-78. You could have taken it and Al Stewart‘s “Year of the Cat” and made a great movie. Indeed, “Stuck in the Middle” was featured memorably in “Reservoir Dogs.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPxs212oAyU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DohRa9lsx0Q

Wayne Barrett, Tom Robbins Leave Village Voice (It’s Still Being Published, Who Knew?)

Roger Friedman
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Wayne Barrett, Tom Robbins Leave Village Voice (It’s Still Being Published, Who Knew?)

Wayne Barrett has been let go from the Village Voice. He’s been writing his weekly column, Runnin’ Scared, since 1978. He wrote pieces for the weekly newspaper for five years before that. Now he’s been axed “due to budget cuts.”

Tom Robbins, who’s been there almost as long, is leaving, too. There’s some dispute about whether he’s left in protest of Barrett’s dismissal or, as the Voice’s editor is now saying, he wanted to be with his friend. (What? Hello?)

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2011/01/wayne_barrett_t_2.php

Anyway, I’m surprised the Village Voice is still being published. Who knew? It hasn’t mattered in years. Like so many things from New York’s vital past, the Voice is as dead as CBGB, the Bottom Line, and Lundy’s. You’re more likely to hail a Checker Cab than read the Voice for anything, really.

The current owners, whoever they are, have long since abandoned the Voice’s journalistic history. The old guys are all gone now, including Nat Hentoff, who meant so much to music fans especially.

Barrett, who’s 65, will go on to the Nation Institute and publishing more books. Robbins will likely do something similar.

I took a look at the Voice website today. Barrett’s farewell column has a special link on the front page. But over at the Runnin’ Scared column, which is now a blog, he’s about 10th down on the list. Someone named Jen Doll (what a name!) is busy writing about Newark Mayor Cory Booker’s weight loss, and someone else wrote about dead birds. I guess this is part of the new meaningless blog filling that goes on everywhere 24/7 now, but really how sad…

Pepsi Beats Coke for X Factor Contract

Roger Friedman
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Pepsi Beats Coke for X Factor Contract

The official soda for Simon Cowell’s new “X Factor”? Why, it’s Pepsi, which beat out rival Coca Cola for the honor of blasting its commercials after every segment of the talent fest next fall.

The press release from Syco, Freemantle and Fox reads: “The comprehensive sponsorship of THE X FACTOR by Pepsi includes an extensive, multi-platform off-air marketing partnership; weekly in-show integrations and placements; and an immersive content experience online. Pepsi will be the exclusive beverage sponsor of THE X FACTOR both on and off-air.”

Sounds like the Morgan Spurlock documentary I wrote it below. Funny. Imagine all the product placements!

This just means that Pepsi spent more on this than Coke. Will it change the dynamic? Will Coke suddenly fall to number 2? Pepsi is the Avis of sodas, always trying harder. Maybe this will do it. But it seems to me that “X Factor” lost a chance to be associated with a great theme like “I’d like to teach the world to sing.” Maybe Coke will go with “American Idol.”

Producers Guild Names Top 10: Are these The Oscar Nominees?

Roger Friedman
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Producers Guild Names Top 10: Are these The Oscar Nominees?

The Producers Guild of America named its top 10 movies of the year this morning, including “Toy Story 3” but leaving out “Winter’s Bone” and “Blue Valentine.” Is this the final list for the Oscars? Maybe and maybe not.

Here they are:

127 Hours, Black Swan, Inception, The Fighter, The Kids Are All Right. The King’s Speech, The Social Network, The Town, Toy Story 3. and  True Grit

And they break down by studio: Paramount 2, Warner’s 2, Fox Searchlight 2, and one apiece for The Weinstein Company, Sony, Disney, and Universal/Focus.

But is this the final list? Last year, the PGA put “Star Trek” on its list. In the end, the sci fi reboot didn’t make the Oscar final 10. It was replaced by the Coen Brothers’ “A Serious Man.” So the PGA list is not carved in stone. With ten days left until ballots are in, there’s still time for some last minute jockeying. “Blue Valentine” is new, and got great reviews. So which one of the PGA top 10 is vulnerable? I always said, two Boston movies may be too much. “The Town,” which is older, may be the one to go. You never know.

James Franco Attempted Hijack; Morgan Spurlock’s Advertising Doc Going to Sundance

Roger Friedman
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1
James Franco Attempted Hijack; Morgan Spurlock’s Advertising Doc Going to Sundance

I told you exclusively back in July that Morgan Spurlock was making a documentary about the advertising world.

http://www.showbiz411.com/2010/07/12/spurlocks-secret-doc-elo-in-nyc-sting-symphonizes

Now his “The Greatest Movie Ever Sold” is going to Sundance. It’s all paid for, he says, by big companies. And it’s all about how they engineer product placements, etc. Following “Super Size Me” and “Where in the World is Osama bin Laden?” this non fiction essay should be a hoot and a half. Don’t you love sitting through studio films and counting the ads?

FRANCO STORY HIJACKED...Thanks to Entertainment Weekly. So desperate for hits and attention, they actually tried to hijack our James Franco story yesterday. No credit, not a word. The funniest thing was one of those blogs picking up EW’s hijack, and then somewhow transposing Cormac McCarthy into “McCartney.” Yes, Faulkner was a big influence on the Beatles…I was going to get really nasty about another lame blog post somewhere on the internet that tried to question the item about Franco directing “Blood Meridian.” Then I realized the blog was so insignificant that it didn’t have readers. They were just trying to get attention. So, forget it. And thanks to everyone who picked up the story with attribution…

But why is that some wannabe movie bloggers want to go out of their way to cause trouble and start fights? I call them The Pajama Gang. They sit at home in their pj’s, writing for six people, hoping that someone will take them seriously…

…The musical version of “Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown” closed on Broadway on Sunday, a few weeks early. The show was in an incomprehensible mess despite big stars Patti Lupone, Brian Stokes Mitchell, and Laura Benanti. Sheri Renee Scott was miscast, and the director, Bartlett Sher, never rethought the movie as a musical. All the scenes were out of order, and the scenes introducing the show didn’t come up until mid second act. What a disaster! And all that gazpacho, wasted! Dios mio!

Exclusive: James Franco Planning to Direct Faulkner, Cormac McCarthy Classics

Roger Friedman
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Exclusive: James Franco Planning to Direct Faulkner, Cormac McCarthy Classics

Actor James Franco–headed to an Oscar nomination for “127 Hours” and getting ready to co-host the Academy Awards in February–is planning two big directing efforts.

Franco is in talks to direct William Faulkner‘s literary classic, “As I Lay Dying,” from his own screenplay.

Franco and manager Miles Levy have been in discussion for time with the Faulkner estate. They’ve also got a commitment from Fox Searchlight to bring the project to fruition.

Unlike at least a half dozen other films that have been “announced” for Franco in the last few weeks, the actor tells me this is the one he’s most attached to. He’s hopeful of getting it off the ground next spring.

“As I Lay Dying” isn’t the only writer-director project Franco’s involved in. He tells me he’s also in the process of making a deal with Scott Rudin to write and direct Cormac McCarthy‘s “Blood Meridian” in 2012. Franco and Rudin are also partnered in next fall’s Broadway production of “Sweet Bird of Youth” with Nicole Kidman.

Cormac McCarthy is a little like the modern day Faulkner, although he’s had much more luck in Hollywood. So far his “All the Pretty Horses,” “The Road,” and “No Country for Old Men” have all made it to the big screen.

And yes, this is all while Franco attends classes at Yale University and the Rhode Island School of Design.

He also just completed directing a small, indie film about the famed poet Hart Crane called “The Broken Tower.” But “As I Lay Dying”–which others, including Sean Penn, have wanted to make for a long time–will be his big studio debut.

If all that isn’t enough, Franco is bringing his art project film connected to the ’80s sitcom, “Three’s Company,” to the Sundance Film Festival’s New Frontiers section later this month.

He’s also moving talent agencies, following his longtime agent, Kami Putnam-Heist, to CAA. “I’m being loyal to my agent,” Franco says, which is a rare thing in Hollywood.

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