Monday, December 22, 2025
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AFI Picks Top Movies of the Year Including “King’s Speech” and “Social Network”

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Are these the Oscar nominees?

The American Film Institute has chosen its top 10 films, plus 2 special selections. “The King’s Speech” and “Waiting for Superman” got Special Awards because the former is considered a British film and the latter is a documentary. They are now solidly in the Oscar game.

The 10 American features are “Black Swan,” “127 Hours,” “The Fighter,” “Inception,” “Winter’s Bone,” “The Town,” “Toy Story 3,” “The Social Network,” “The Kids Are All Right,” and “True Grit.”

This really sets it all up, I think. When the Academy Awards do their nominations, one of the American 10 will have to drop out to make room for “The King’s Speech.” I can’t say which one now because they’re all so good. But I do think “The Town” and “True Grit” are the weakest in the bunch.

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Film Critics are issuing their votes this afternoon. “The Social Network” won Best Picture, but not Best Director. That went to Oliver Assayas for “Carlos,” a pretty bad movie. Colin Firth won Best Actor, Kim Hye-ja won Best Actress for a movie most people haven’t seen called “Mother.” Jacki Weaver (yay!) won Best Supporting Actress for “Animal Kingdom” and Niels Arestrup won Best Supporting Actor for another movie few have seen called “A Prophet.” The runner up was Geoffrey Rush for “The King’s Speech.” The LA Film Critics are weird, so they had to give the award to Niels and Kim Hye-ja and Assayas just to be contrary.

The Boston Film Critics, meantime, voted for “The Social Network” for Best Picture, Director and Actor. More amusing: they chose Christian Bale from “The Fighter” and Juliette Lewis from “Conviction” for Best Supporting Actor and Actress. Those movies are set in Boston, and the characters played by these actors have severe–or sev-eah–Boston accents. F—-‘ A, as they’d say in Beantown!

“The Tourist” Box Office Take Just About Covers Johnny Depp’s Salary

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“The Tourist” fulfilled its destiny as a bomb this weekend. The movie took in $17 million, just about covering Johnny Depp‘s salary.

Now it has to cover Angelina Jolie‘s payday, plus the other $100 million it took to make the film in exotic locations, plus promotion and prints.

These things happen, of course. But with two huge movie stars, “The Tourist” is a particularly sensitive flop. It means that really neither Johnny nor Angie can “open” a film. And together they’ve done even worse.

Now the goal for Sony/Columbia is to open the film in Europe and beyond and make all their money.

The studio also has to open James L. Brooks‘s “How Do You Know?” with Reese Witherspoon, Jack Nicholson and Paul Rudd this coming Friday. They’ve followed the same disastrous pattern as with “The Tourist”: hide it, keep it away from the press, and spring it on the world. I’m not sure if this will work. How do I know? Just a gut feeling that they haven’t marketed it as a “smart” comedy.

Meantime while several Oscar buzzed movies are doing well out of the gate in limited release– “King’s Speech,” “Black Swan,” “The Fighter”–I am concerned about Danny Boyle’s “127 Hours.” It’s having trouble getting a foothold. See this movie, dear readers. It’s great. You’re missing something special!

Derek Jeter: Whatever Happened to His November 5th Wedding?

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Nice news this morning for Yankee fans. One of our faves, superstar outfielder Nick Swisher, got married yesterday to actress Joanna Garcia in Palm Beach, Florida. A-Rod brought Cameron Diaz. We’d know more but the guests had to sign confidentiality agreements. (As you do!)

But wait: whatever happened to Derek Jeter‘s wedding to Minka Kelly? It was all set for November 5th in a castle on Long Island. Remember? The New York Post ran a huge story on it last January.

Here’s the link to a head line that read: “Derek Jeter, Minka Kelly Set to Become Mr., Mrs ‘November”

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/jeter_set_to_foCaoQUphlPP0uQRsMuv0H

This is what the Post said, so definitively: “After getting a tip about the upcoming nuptials, The Post confirmed the date by spotting a curious entry in the official calendar at the ritzy reception palace Oheka Castle in Huntington, LI, for the first Friday in November that read simply “JETER wedding.” Page Six broke the story of their secret engagement in August.”

I’m so glad I didn’t send that Oster blender from Bed, Bath and Beyond! I know Melky Cabrera feels the same way.

Paul McCartney Saves “SNL” With Record Four Songs

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I’m going to go out on a limb here. I don’t think any other act has had four songs on “Saturday Night Live.”

Paul McCartney just closed the show with “Get Back.” Before that, in order, he performed “Jet,” “Band on the Run,” and a medley of “A Day in the Life” with John Lennon’s “Give Peace a Chance.”

We can assume the last bit was a tribute to Lennon, who was murdered 30 years ago this week.

McCartney also participated in a digital short that was aired during the show.

Famously, McCartney and Lennon once almost went down to the “Saturday Night Live” studios in the late 1970s. They might have performed together. Instead, the story has become a legend. McCartney has appeared on “SNL” just one other time, in February 1993, with Alec Baldwin as host. He did three songs that night: “Hey Jude,” “Biker Like An Icon,” and “Get Out of My Way.”

The reason for Saturday night’s appearance: to plug the newly issued gorgeous box set of “Band on the Run, all remastered with lots of extras; and the Beatles finally being available for digital download on ITunes. Coincidentally, tonight’s performances are on ITunes as well.

Now McCartney heads to the famous Apollo Theater for a historic show on Monday night, courtesy of Sirius XM Satellite Radio. Sirius is also launching a Paul pop  up station with all his hits.

McCartney and his band sang and played LIVE tonight. You kids may not know what that’s like. There was no lip synching or track or ornamentation. It was refreshingly real, compared to the packaged product you are used to hearing on TV now.

As for “SNL”: after several good seasons, this year it is mostly unwatchable. Last night was no exception. It’s not just the writing. The new cast members are lifeless. Where the heck is Darrell Hammond when you need him? And what’s happened to Andy Samberg? That 1993 cast by the way included Chris Rock, Mike Myers, Phil Hartman, David Spade, Rob Schneider, Kevin Nealon, Ellen Cleghorne, Tim Meadows, and Julia Sweeney.

PS Paul Rudd did the best he could.

Johnny Depp, Angelina Jolie Tourist Won’t Make $20 Mil First Weekend

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“The Tourist”–roundly dissed by reviewers and hidden from the press right until the last possible minute–is a bust.

The Angelina Jolie-Johnny Depp star vehicle will likely take in less than $18 million for its first weekend. The numbers from from boxofficemojo.com

The Friday take was $6.1 million. Expect a little more from Saturday night and a lot less on Sunday.

Sony/Columbia made the decision to hide the film, obviously knowing it had a turkey. They didn’t show it to reviewers until Wednesday, giving everyone little time to put together clever bon mots. And the press was locked out of the New York premiere, as well, triggering a lot of articles. Not inviting the press to a premiere is like painting a giant target on a film. It’s always better just to invite everyone and make the best of it.

“The Tourist” cost at least $100 million, counting a press junket for easily persuaded in Paris. But Sony won’t get hurt too badly. It’s Graham King‘s GK Films that will take a hit, although sources says it’s probably pre sold internationally enough to cushion the blow.

Movies like “The Tourist” and “Knight and Day” play best overseas in foreign countries where language and coherence don’t make much of a difference. They’re happy enough to see Hollywood stars parade around against beautiful backdrops. And “The Tourist” may be a huge hit internationally, raking in three times as much as it does in the U.S.

Elaine Kaufman Gets An A List Send Off from Friends

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I think it was when Mick Jones from Foreigner and his ex-wife (and maybe next wife) Ann Dexter Jones came into the Frank Campbell Funeral Home on Friday that we got the picture.

Everybody has come back to Elaine’s. They’ve arrived with such a vengeance that the waiters have run out of the popular sesame seed flat breads that usually pop out of the bread baskets.

Our dear Elaine died peacefully last Friday, December 3rd, right after noon. She timed her exit beautifully; it was early enough to make all the newspaper deadlines.

Over two nights at Campbell’s, followed by jam packed dinners at Elaine’s, the tributes have flooded in. On Friday night, it was truly a blast from the past as Gay Talese interviewed Jackie Rogers for a New Yorker piece he’s writing, while Keith Hernandez chatted with Pete Hamill. Carl Bernstein did a turn around the room. Everyone admired the gorgeous pictures taken over the years by Jessica Burstein. Later Gay’s famous editor wife, Nan Talese, arrived, as well as Hannah Pakula (writer, and widow of Oscar winning director Alan Pakula), and Kathryn Altman, widow of famed director Robert Altman.

The fans and friends have been coming all week.

On Thursday night, the restaurant was so jammed that the side room, dubbed Siberia, was completely full. People were waiting for chairs to open up or arrive from mysterious places. Long time New York gossipeuse Flo Anthony reminisced about spending Christmases with Elaine, and Anthony’s mother. Nikki Haskell arrived, and so did a huge arrangement of flowers from Police Commissioner Ray Kelly. Lesley Gore made an appearance at dinner–it’s her party, and she’ll cry and if she wants to. So did Q104FM famed deejays Carol Miller and Jim Kerr, plus legendary actor Ben Gazzara, and media types like George Rush and Joanna Molloy, Frank DiGiacomo, Bill Schultz (NY Times), Dave Zinczenko. Pete Bonaventure, author David Fisher, novelists Carol Higgins Clark and Mary Higgins Clark, James Lipton, and director James Toback.

On Thursday night, Elaine’s manager Diane Becker, New York Times night Metro editor Peter Khoury and I each spoke. Peter asked the crowd to give the Elaine’s staff a standing ovation.There was a rare appearance by “Suzy” aka Aileen Mehle, who is thriving in her mid 80s.

On Friday night, “Father Pete” Colapietro raised a glass to Elaine, asked for and got a standing ovation, and sang to her as well.

Back in 1996, Elaine told the New York Times: ”If I was ever to convert to Catholicism, it would be because of Father Pete.”

And so it goes: the Thursday night crowd didn’t leave until 4am, the Friday night gang is still there. At least, as Elaine would have demanded, everyone at dinner and no one got nothing for free.

PS Just a few names of regulars who don’t always get mentioned: Josh Gaspero, Fred Rappoport, Judy Gordon, Lauren DePalo, Robert Tucker, Catherine Saxton, Ash Bennington, Beverly Camhe, Linda Stasi and Sid Davidoff, Kenny Moran (in from East Hampton), Al Rosenstein, Monie Begley, Charlie Kipps, Bobby Zarem (stuck in Savannah), Danny Zarem (out of commission right now), and even Lonnie Youngblood, the R&B great whom Elaine always has for New Year’s Eve. So many people, lots of friends, sorry if I forgot a name or two!

Elaine: eight sold out nights in a row. Amazing.

Michael Jackson Wrote Song on New Album for… Hanson!

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Yes, it ’tis true.

Try and recall 1999. Hanson was the ruling pop group, sort of three Biebers, if you will.

Michael Jackson was writing songs slowly for the album that became “Invincible.”

Now I’m told by a source who knows such things that Jackson wrote a song for Hanson. He simply never gave it to them. And the demo went into a drawer.

“I Like The Way You Love Me” turns up for real, for the first time, on the “Michael” album coming out on Tuesday. A prior version had floated around among Jackson fans, but the new one was produced and remixed for the new album.

Michael, according to my source, had the idea for Hanson. He wrote the song but never got around to sending it to them, I am told. Maybe they can record it now.

Here’s the existing version, until the new one is released:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_vUldQMIp4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_vUldQMIp4

Jimmy Fallon Gets to Sing with Paul McCartney

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Last night, Jimmy Fallon got to sing with another Beatle. He had Ringo Starr on this summer, and now Paul McCartney.

Since McCartney is going to be on “Saturday Night Live” this weekend, he couldn’t do a regular performance. So Jimmy brilliantly thought up a funny bit: he and McCartney would sing “Yesterday” with its original “Scrambled Eggs” lyrics. Only, there were no lyrics — just those words — so Fallon and team came up with hilarious verses.

Jimmy’s on a roll–his New York magazine cover was great, and the Bruce Springsteen and Neil Young duet was also genius

Congrats Jimmy–well done!

http://tinyurl.com/2a8svaz

Mel Gibson Stops Mass Services at his $60 Mil Private Church

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This is rich: Mel Gibson has ceased having Mass and other services at his private church in Agoura Hills, California (adjacent to Malibu).

Every year, as this column has exclusively reported,  Mel plops $10 million into his tax exempt AP Reilly Foundation. The money is supposed to be for running the church, which is not recognized by any archdiocese. Holy Family is for Mel’s religion. it has about 70 member families. It also can’t cost more than $500,000 a year. What’s all that money for, one wonders?

According to Federal Tax Filings, AP Reilly now has assets of $59.1 million. Remember, on the famous tapes, he told babymama Oksana he was broke? Not exactly.

Anyway, one of Mel’s parishioners decided to sell him out. They took a picture of him and illegitimate daughter Lucia at the church. The picture is all over the place, on the web etc.

So, just like Jesus, Mel has been sold out by a follower. His punishment? No more Mass or other regular services according to TMZ.com.

Here’s the question, then: when is a church not a church? If they’re not going to have their religious services, does Holy Family still qualify for non profit tax exemptions? That may be an answer only God can give us.

Howard Stern Gets Sirius; MUSE Awards Honor NY Super Ladies

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Howard Stern–surprise! (not)–is staying at Sirius XM Radio. He’s signed a five year deal. It wasn’t possible he was going back to regular radio. Sirius has thrived with him, and he’s thrived with them. So it’s a win-win. Now Howard will be heard on mobile devices, too. His last contract was for $500 million. Sirius, meantime, has grown massively to 20 million subscribers since it merged with XM. It’s must have in the car because–especially in New York–radio is so incredibly awful….

…Our pal Cindi Berger, who runs powerhouse PR firm PMK-BNC, was honored yesterday with a MUSE Award from New York Women in Film and Television. The other honorees were Vanessa Williams, Pat Kaufman–who runs the New York State film office, Abbe Raven of A&E Television. Marsha Hunt, who’s 93, received a lifetime humanitarian award. (She’s not the Marsha Hunt from the Mick Jagger days–whatever happened to her?) Cindi started as the receptionist at PMK in the days of Lois Smith and Pat Kingsley and worked her way up with integrity and determination. She also is famous for handling all the divas, from Barbara Walters to Mariah Carey and Rosie O’Donnell. They all love her! And Pat Kaufman is the pixie from North Carolina who gets things done. She’s the reason so many films shoot in New York state and not in Canada. Congrats to them all!