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Rolling Stones May Get Their “Hot Rocks” Re-Heated

Roger Friedman
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Rolling Stones May Get Their “Hot Rocks” Re-Heated

The Rolling Stones are on a roll. As they discuss cranking up for a US tour next year, the Stones may also be going further into their catalog for remixes and re-releases.

In this last year, the Stones have had success with reissues of “Exile on Main Street” and “Get Yer Ya Ya’s Out.” Both sets of releases were met with enthusiastic sales and reviews.

Now I’m told more is to come. Next up could be whole new versions of the Stones’ best selling hit collection, “Hot Rocks.” That collection includes “Brown Sugar” and “Wild Horses,” songs that went on to become hits on the group’s famous “Sticky Fingers” album. But ABKCO Records has “Hot Rocks,” not “Sticky Fingers.” The album is part of the Stones’ “second catalog” beginning in 1971. Everything before that belongs to ABKCO.

The ABKCO re-releases could also include “Let it Bleed,” “Their Satanic Majesties Request,” and “Beggars Banquet.”

Meantime, we await Keith Richards‘s imminent autobiography. It should give new meaning to all the albums.

John Lennon History Getting Reworked, Says May Pang

Roger Friedman
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John Lennon History Getting Reworked, Says May Pang

May Pang was John Lennon‘s girlfriend during what’s knows as his “Lost Weekend”–18 months from 1973 through 1974. She’s since become a popular and motherly figure on the New York rock circuit, as well as a real mom.

At the New York Film Festival premiere last night of “LennonNYC” for PBS American Masters, Pang was once again in the same theater as Yoko Ono. In 1973, Ono sent Lennon to live with May, and they became lovers. Ono didn’t like Lennon’s attachment to her former aide, and then demanded he come home after “The Lost Weekend.”

Pang watched “LennonNYC” philosophically. Although Ono didn’t have editorial control, the film’s director — Michael Epstein–conceded that Lennon’s widow “was there” while he made the film.

The result is the most minimized version of John and May’s relationship. Several times during the film screening at Alice Tully Hall, Pang said, loudly enough, “These are all lies.”

She told me later: “Yoko sent Paul [McCartney] to California to come get John and bring him home. Paul didn’t know me, and Yoko had described me very badly. But when Paul and Linda [McCartney] arrived, we all hit it off. Paul and John recorded together for the last time. It’s a bootleg now. Paul never told John that Yoko had sent him. Afterwards, John told me, Paul doesn’t get it. I’m with you now.

Because of this Pang is rewriting the book she published several years ago, to set history right. “They made it seem like I never saw John again after he went back with Yoko. It’s not true, and there’s lots of evidence.”

Ono has already changed a lot of Lennon’s past. As I wrote years ago (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,106198,00.html) Ono edited herself into Lennon’s videos and changed background vocals on songs.

Pang will be in New York on October 9th–Lennon’s 70th birthday–for the big free outdoor screening of “LennonNYC” at Central Park Summerstage for 5000 people. Ono will be in Iceland.

Also at last night’s after party at Robert restaurant high above 2 Columbus Circle, and very moved by it all: the very cool new Film Society chief Rose Kuo,  Steve van Zandt with wife Maureen, doc maker Barbara Kopple, famed Lennon photographer Bob Gruen, Keith Richards manager Jane Rose, IndieWire reviewer Todd McCarthy, famed author Patricia Bosworth, New York Daily News publisher Mort Zuckerman, Denise Rich (who gave a pre-screening dinner at her Fifth Avenue triplex) and legendary record mogul Clive Davis.

Facebook Movie: Sean Parker WAS NOT There, Reps Insist

Roger Friedman
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Facebook Movie: Sean Parker WAS NOT There, Reps Insist

Sean Parker was not at the premiere Friday night of “The Social Network.”

That’s NOT in capital letters. His lawyer and his rep each informed me, with the urgency of their living rooms being on fire, that Parker was “at home” and “with his parents” spending a “quiet night.”

Yes, Sean Parker who started Napster, was bounced from it, expurged from another web start up, and then depicted in “The Social Network” as a cocaine cowboy (a 2005 arrest, no filed charges) who rambunctiously sleeps with all the pretty assistants and gets thrown out of daily contact at Facebook by Mark Zuckerberg.

Was he home knitting? I asked the lawyer and the rep. Making cookies for the elderly? Giving $100 million to a burnt out inner city?

Ha ha. But you see, dear reader, I live on s small street. Sean Parker is renting a house in the middle of the street. All day yesterday there was a lot of coming and going from said house. Indeed, the parents–who are from Virginia–might not have appreciated yesterday’s local rarity. Apparently an older woman — maybe 80–hanged herself in her apartment right across the street from Parker’s rented house. There were police cans and an unmarked car and a good deal of commotion on our very quiet block.

That was Saturday afternoon. On Friday night, around 1:30am, really Saturday morning, as I parked on the street across from Sean’s driveway and in front of the suicide home, Parker’s garage door suddenly opened. A Lincoln town car backed out. No one was in it. It sped away. This confirms that Sean Parker was not at “The Social Network” premiere. He was in his house, with his parents.

I guess Sean is still with Facebook because his lawyer added, “No one associated with the Company attended the premiere or its after party, including Sean Parker.”

“Wall Street 2”: Money Sleeps at the Box Office for $7Mil Friday

Roger Friedman
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“Wall Street 2”: Money Sleeps at the Box Office for $7Mil Friday

“Wall Street 2” aka “Money Never Sleeps” took a nap at the box office Friday night and brought in a drowsy $7 million.

Nikki Finke’s Deadline Yesterday estimated it at $8 million, which is a slumbering million dollars more than the accurate boxofficemojo.com.

“WS2” will finish the weekend snooze with between $21 and $23 million total, not exactly a nightmare but no dream either.

So it seems that neither Michael Douglas‘s illness nor the promise of seeing Shia LaBeouf in a suit did a lot for audiences.

It’s too bad because “Wall Street 2” is a very good film, with fine performances from Douglas and especially Frank Langella in a supporting role.

Among Oliver Stone‘s films it will be ranked well and high.

But reviews have been mixed, and, in the case of the New York Post, actually negative. The two-and-half star review from Fox’s sister newspaper surely watered down enthusiasm locally. When the Post wants to promote a film they go all out with front page banners, etc. In this case, they buried a relative.

Maybe on Sunday more adults will hit the theaters for “Wall Street 2.” I sure hope so. People should see this well crafted film.

PS “The Town,” a great movie, finished second Friday night with $5,035,000, a small fall off from the prior weekend. “The Town” is a solid hit.

Facebook Movie Premiere: Timberlake Indicates No New NSync Album

Roger Friedman
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Facebook Movie Premiere: Timberlake Indicates No New NSync Album

The New York Film Festival premiere of “The Social Network” might have gotten a little confusing on Friday night. At Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall and then at the Harvard Club you could see the blond blue eyed statue of an actor Armie Hammer, who plays Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, and then you could see Josh Pence, who plays the body of a Winklevoss. But across the room there were the real Winklevosses, and their mother, Carol.

Somewhere in the room was also Sean Parker, the creator of Napster and the guy who appears in “The Social Network” to have caused a lot of trouble. And there was also Justin Timberlake, who plays Parker in the film.

But no sign of Mark Zuckerberg, who Jesse Eisenberg plays better than Zuckerberg himself. Zuckerberg was on TV Friday from Chicago in what he hopes was a masterful bit of p.r.: he gave the city of Newark, where he has no ties and made no explanations, $100 million for its school system. He looked bright, fresh, and young, called the movie “fiction,” and palled around on stage with New Jersey’s Soprano-looking governor Chris Christie and Newark’s mayor, Cory Booker.

Why did he choose Newark, Oprah asked? Zuckerberg is from New York and lives in California.It’s hard to know if he’s even been to Newark ever. Why not the South Bronx? Detroit? The still-ravaged Gulf? Parts of Mississippi that are still existing in the 1940s. Why? “Because of these guys,” Zuckerberg answered blankly. Christie gave his best Bobby Baccala stare for the cameras. There’s no word about who’s going to administer and watch that money. Zuckerberg is going to get a lot of new ‘friends’ on Facebook.

But back to the premiere. Timberlake told me: “You can’t believe how many people have stories about knowing Sean Parker.” Will he do another album? “Oh…..” He just made a noise, no commitment. What about NSync? He actually recoiled when I said it. Recoiled, physically. NSync, my friends is over.

Eisenberg and Andrew Garfield just looked overwhelmed at the after party. Well, 1100 guests and well wishers will do that to you. They are still young and new at all this.

At the premiere, I sat beside Sir Howard Stringer of Sony, who is one of my favorite people. “Have you seen the reviews of our new cameras?” he asked. “The Alpha 55? The micro three fourths?” Yes, I have: they are amazing. I love gadget talk. Scott Rudin sat in front of me, happy to accept kudos for the film, with Columbia Pictures chief Amy Pascal. They are all going to the Oscars with “The Social Network.” And beaming like school kids who’ve just heard the tinkling bell of an ice cream truck.

This Weekend: Woody Allen, “Howl,” Ben Affleck, Facebook, and Good Teachers!

Roger Friedman
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This Weekend: Woody Allen, “Howl,” Ben Affleck, Facebook, and Good Teachers!

Moviegoers, this is the weekend you’ve been waiting for. Especially if you’ve been “Waiting for Superman”!

Davis Guggenheim‘s documentary is an extraordinary look into what’s wrong (and right) with the public school system. It will be a strong contended for the Oscar short list, so don’t miss it.

Woody Allen‘s “You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger” is a film full of hope about love and middle age. Gemma Jones is famous in the UK, sort of the next Judi Dench for America. Her performance is award worthy. It’s balanced by a crazy, funny performance by up-and-comer Lucy Punch. Check out also our Lucy Punch exclusive video at www.youtube.com/showbiz411.

And there’s more: Ben Affleck‘s “The Town” is just terrific. Check out especially Jeremy Renner and Jon Hamm. “The Social Network” is the movie of the weekend. Jesse Eisenberg and Andrew Garfield are “overnight sensations.” Justin Timberlake is delicious fun. “Howl” is a B movie  with an A performance by James Franco. But the rest of the cast is also exceptional, from Jon Hamm (again) to Mary Louise Parker, Jeff Daniels, Alessandro Nivola, and David Strathairn.

James Franco Reveals All: Our Exclusive Video Interview

Roger Friedman
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James Franco Reveals All: Our Exclusive Video Interview

James Franco got great reviews today for his work in “Howl.” It’s just the beginning of his assault on the American public. Next comes Danny Boyle’s “127 Hours,” which will catapult him into the new Oscar face. For “Howl,” Franco will get Indie Spirit recognition, which means he’s going to be doing a lot of interviews soon. Here’s an exclusive I did with him the other night. Franco talks about his “D” in acting class at NYU. his “Saturday Night Live” documentary, and a summer job he had to Lockheed Aircraft. A nice, smart, self-effacing, articulate guy from a more or less normal home. Tom Hanks, your successor is here.

Conan O’Brien Gets the Last Laugh as Jeff Zucker Is Fired

Roger Friedman
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Conan O’Brien Gets the Last Laugh as Jeff Zucker Is Fired

Conan O’Brien must be having a good chuckle right now. Jeff Zucker, the man who engineered his ouster and the chaos surrounding it, was essentially terminated today by NBC and its new owner, Comcast.

Aucker has much conceded to the New York Times this morning that Comcast’s Steve Burke fired him two weeks ago.

The whole O’Brien-Jay Leno catastrophe is laid at the feet of Zucker. Instead of just canceling “The Jay Leno Show,” Zucker put him back at 11:30pm, forced out O’Brien, and caused one of the greatest pr disasters in TV history.

There are other media changes today. Jon Klein, head of CNN, is also out. The network has been gutted and destroyed during his six year run. Eliot Spitzer, who had to resign in disgrace as governor of New York after spending thousands of dollars on hookers, was rewarded by Klein with a new talk show. That’s Klein’s legacy. That, and forcing out Larry King for a Brit, Piers Morgan. The incoming head of CNN, Ken Jautz, will have to figure all of this out now.

Over at the New York Daily News, Orla Healey is out as features editor. She follows editor in chief Martin Dunn, who was either sacked or forced out a couple of months ago.

“Wall Street 2”: Gored by NY Post, Loved By Daily News: Go Figure

Roger Friedman
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5
“Wall Street 2”: Gored by NY Post, Loved By Daily News: Go Figure

In the end, no one can hurt you more than your family.

Rupert Murdoch’s finding that out this morning. His company has spent millions already preparing the public for Oliver Stone‘s “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps.” The $100 million plus film was moved from April until today for release to get Oscar buzz. Fox spent millions more promoting it at Cannes.

The results: the film has a decent 58% rating at Rottentomatoes.com. My own quote was used in Fox’s ad and they don’t even like me.

But the review from the New York Post, Murdoch’s in house newspaper? A lousy two and a half stars. “Stone is childlike in the simplicity of his view that anyone on Wall Street can take down an enemy simply by planting a false rumor on a message board, with no consequences. Financial savants will find the movie way too facile, and yet there is too much jabber about CDOs and moral hazard for the average viewer.”

Yikes!

However: over at the NY Daily News, which hates Murdoch and is the cross town rival tabloid: five stars. Five. Cinco.

And the New York Times, also, a rave review. Murdoch is trying to kill them with the Wall Street Journal.

It’s a tough business, that show business.

PS It’s a really great movie. Go see it, and “Howl” this weekend.

Richard Dreyfuss, Other Stars Plan Rally to Save Motion Picture Home Hospital

Roger Friedman
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1
Richard Dreyfuss, Other Stars Plan Rally to Save Motion Picture Home Hospital

I just got word that a bunch of stars have finally lined up for a performance/rally to save the Motion Picture Home Hospital in Woodland Hills, California.

Oscar winner Richard Dreyfuss, plus loads of popular stars like Shirley Jones, Renee Taylor and Joe Bologna, Oscar winner George Chakiris, and dozens more including Kathryn Joosten (Mrs. McClusky) from “Desperate Housewives” and the casts of “The Young and the Restless” and “The Bold and the Beautiful” have set October 5th in Los Angeles for “1 Voice” at the Renberg Theatre in Hollywood. You can call 1- 800-838-3006 for tickets.

The show is being produced by Saving the Lives of Our Own and the Neo Theater Ensemble. http://savingthelivesofourown.org/

It’s hard to believe this mess with the Motion Picture Fund is still going on, that they’re still trying to remove patients and shut down the facility. Meantime, the MPTV continues to throw all star fundraisers on the nights before the Emmys and the Oscars, raising millions. I did think it was funny that Nikki Finke, who’s vociferously denounced the plan, recently wrote a love letter to former Variety staffer Madelyn Hammond. No judgments–everyone likes Madelyn–but she’s the one who plans those parties every year. Blogger Nikki must not have realized that.

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