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Waiting for Superman: Another Doc for the Oscars

Roger Friedman
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Waiting for Superman: Another Doc for the Oscars

It’s a hot year for documentaries. I don’t envy the Oscar doc committee when they’ve already got “A Film Unfinished,” “The Tillman Story,” and now “Waiting for Superman” at the top of a long, long list.

S”uperman” — which we first saw last January in Sundance–opened last night with a swanky premiere at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall and then a buffet dinner at the ’21’ Club. Director Davis Guggenheim was introduced by New York City schools chancellor Joel Klein, and George Stephanopolous, who was battling a bad, bad cold. (His wife. good-natured Alexandra Wentworth, hung on for the rest of the evening and sent George home.)

Quite a night for heavy hitters from education and media, too. Tea Leoni was spotted in the audience. Matthew Modine was front and center. Writer-directors Jim Taylor (“Sideways”) and wife Tamara Jenkins (“The Savages”) showed off pictures of their eight month old daughter Mia. Well known doc makers Chris Hegedus and Alex Gibney chatted away at dinner with cinematographer Ellen Kuras and casting director Amanda Mackey.

Guggenheim, you could say, put on a big ‘shue’–his wife Elizabeth Shue was in attendance, along with her brother Andrew.

:Waiting for Superman” opens Friday and is not to be missed. Guggenheim already had experience studying first year teachers in 1999. In this pro-teacher (but certainly anti-teachers unions) saga, he manages to get close into what ails the public school system in America. Along the way he befriends five families, and trails them as they apply to let their kids–around age 7—for admission to charter schools. You’ll see how much luck has to do with anything. And Guggenheim’s talent is in choosing the right families. His subjects will affect everyone deeply.

Guggenheim’s team has gotten Bill Gates, the Ford Foundation and a bunch of other major foundations and groups involved with this film. http://www.waitingforsuperman.com/

And PS John Legend wrote a song for the closing credits. Add to that to your Oscar ballot, too.

Jodie Foster Is Wrong About Defending Mel Gibson

Roger Friedman
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Jodie Foster Is Wrong About Defending Mel Gibson

Jodie Foster is wrong about Mel Gibson. Sorry.

In the new More magazine, Foster defends Mel Gibson, who happens to star in her as yet unreleased and unscheduled film, “The Beaver.”

Jodie says: “When you love a friend, you don’t abandon them when they are struggling. Of course, Mel is an undeniably gifted actor and director, and The Beaver is one of his most powerful and moving performances. But more importantly, he is and has been a true and loyal friend. I hope I can help him get through this dark moment.”

Now let’s review this ‘dark moment’. It started in 2006 when Mel was arrested for drunk driving and leveled anti-Semitic remarks to his arresting officer. He told Officer James Mee: “F—ng Jews…the Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world.” He addressed a female cop as “sugar tits.”

At the same time, Mel’s father was revealed as a Holocaust denier and a contributor to neo Nazi publications. Mel refused to criticize him. Instead, he built a church in Malibu for Catholics who don’t believe in the Pope and decry what’s known as Vatican II. They blame the Jews for the death of Jesus. And so on.

This was all after making “The Passion of the Christ,” in which Jews were depicted as money grubbers with hooked noses who wanted Jesus dead.

Now this year has been taken up with Mel’s problems concerning the mother his illegitimate child, Oksana Grigorieva. We’ve all heard the tapes. Not only does Mel use the “n” word, he also uses language toward women that I would think made Jodie Foster’s hair stand up straight. There are allegations of domestic abuse. Did Oksana push his buttons? Sure. Did he respond in the worst ways imaginable? Yes.

Jodie, this is what he said to Oksana: “If you raped by a pack n—-ers, it will be your fault.” This is inexcusable, for anyone, no matter how angry they are. If he’d said that to you, you would have called the police.

Foster won her Oscar for “The Accused,” about a woman who is gang raped on a pool table. She should know better than to continue to defend this man. Whether on feminist grounds or just plain humanist, Gibson is a pig. It doesn’t matter whether or not he’s good in the ridiculously titled, “The Beaver.” Her mistake was making a movie with him in the first place. She shouldn’t be compounding the mistake by defending him. Sorry, Jodie. On this one, you are dead wrong.

American Idol Hires Two Paula’s as New Judges

Roger Friedman
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American Idol Hires Two Paula’s as New Judges

Well, the word has been issued. Randy Jackson will be joined on “American Idol” this season by Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez.

In fact, they’ve hired the equivalent of two Paula’s.

What “Idol” didn’t do was bring on a replacement for Simon Cowell. They don’t have anyone ready to be acerbic and biting, and insulting. That’s what viewers tuned in to see.

They are having Jimmy Iovine from Interscope Records as some kind of consultant. But again, I don’t think Jimmy is going to replace Simon. But Interscope’s parent, Universal Music Group, now has the recording rights to all “Idol” contestants. So Iovine’s going to be there scouting for product.

Tyler is a big question mark. Has anyone told him “Idol” is live? Something tells me this is going to be like a great movie, “My Favorite Year.” Peter O’Toole played the week’s guest star on a Sid Caesar type show. No one knew if he would make it. Tyler has countless visits to rehab, and more drug trouble than ten rock stars combined.

On top of that, even though Tyler can be wickedly funny, will he insult and be hard on contestants? I don’t think so. He’ll risk alienating his Aerosmith fans.

Ditto Jennifer Lopez. She’ll be playing Paula, the un-singing singer. Again, she’ll be there to be encouraging. I doubt she’ll be nasty to whatever fans she has left in the pop world. Noted: Lopez is also signed now to Universal Music.

Madonna Desperately Avoiding Susan

Roger Friedman
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Madonna Desperately Avoiding Susan

Madonna‘s made a lot of films. Most of them are stinkers.

But the one film in which she was charming and not yet completely full of herself was Susan Seidelman‘s “Desperately Seeking Susan.”

The 1985 hit co-starred Rosanna Arquette and Aidan Quinn. Madonna was only about two years into her career, and still a novelty. From there, her film career was a wild ride downhill.

You’d think she’d appreciate that. But tomorrow night, when the Film Society of Lincoln Center honors the film and Seidelman on their 25th anniversary. Everyone’s coming, except for one: Madonna.

“She told them she was too busy,” says a source. And yet, our Madge was industriously shooting her warmly anticipated (haha) “W.E.” right up through last Friday right here in New York. She was photographed in a gym suit on Saturday attending fake Yom Kippur services at the Kabbalah Center. Certainly she has time to give a little respect to Seidelman. Maybe she’ll show up and surprise everyone! (Doubtful.)

Anyway, it’s going to be a great night. http://filmlinc.com/wrt/onsale/dss.html

WHAT’S UP DOC? Circle October 6th at the Paley Center in New York (on West 52nd St. between 5th and 6th). The most famous documentary filmmakers of our time are being honored with a retrospective. DA Pennebaker, Al Maysles, Bob Drew and Ricky Leacock. It’s the 50th anniversary of the birth of cinema verite and the film they all made together called “Primary” about the 1960 Democratic competition between John Kennedy and Hubert Humphrey. You can buy tickets at http://www.paleycenter.org/paleydocfest2010-primary

BLOG THEFT ALERT: Deadline Yesterday picked up our story about the new Kevin Kline-Larry Kasdan movie, “Darling Companion.” No credit though. Gee, Mr. Penske, how long will this go on? We’re going to start charging soon! (Guess your writers are busy “working on the Penske file”!)

THEY LOVE US, THEY HATE US: Twentieth Century Fox didn’t want us at the premiere of “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps.” You should have heard the back and forth on that one. “No press, and that means you.” So guess who’s quote was used–without permission–in the Sunday New York Times ad for “Wall Street”? That’s right. Fox featured just a few big quotes. And right in the center of the page, there’s ours — not from this column, but from the New York Daily News review I filed from Cannes. Too funny.

John Lennon Family Gives Peace a Chance

Roger Friedman
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John Lennon Family Gives Peace a Chance

There is more or less peace in the extended family of John Lennon.

This week, Yoko Ono and her son Sean took pictures with and looked cozy with John Lennon’s first wife, Cynthia, and her son, Julian. The pictures were taken at a photo exhibit here in New York.

What gives? According to my sources, no money has changed hands. Julian Lennon has not suddenly gotten a big payout from the Lennon estate thanks to Yoko. But Julian has been trying to have a relationship with half brother Sean. So he’s making the effort, sources say. “Cynthia is just going along with it.”

Also at the exhibit but not seen in the photos: May Pang, Lennon’s former lover and Ono’s former assistant. Pang brought her daughter to the exhibit. She and Ono, who don’t speak, came face to face immediately. Ono just kept moving. Pang is very friendly with Cynthia, however.

Last night at the official premiere of “Nowhere Boy,” Sam Taylor-Wood‘s wonderful film about Lennon’s early days, Pang and Ono again crossed paths. The two women didn’t sit near each other in the Tribeca BMCC Theater, although Pang watched as Ono jumped on stage before the film began and before Taylor-Wood could finish introducing her cast. On the plus side, Ono was heard saying that John would have loved the movie. I agree.

Ono skipped the party later at the Gibson Guitar building on West 54th St. But Pang was there, along with Courtney Love, Michael Stipe, and the cast including Aaron Johnson (he plays Lennon in the film; in real life, the 20 year old just fathered 43 year old Taylor-Wood’s new baby), as well as Kristin Scott Thomas, who plays Lennon’s aunt Mimi, Ann Marie Duff (who’s amazing as Lennon’s mother, Julia) and Josh Bolt, as best boyhood friend Pete Shotton.

The funniest scene of the night: Scottish comedian Billy Connolly got all the members of the The Quarrymen–the reunited group of 70 year olds who were Paul McCartney’s group preceding the Beatles–to sign a CD booklet. The Q’s played a few songs on the movie theatre stage following the screening, including a kickin’ version of Eddie Cochran’s “20 Flight Rock.”

“Now if one them dies, this booklet will be worth more,” Connolly quipped. “Hello Ebay! One of them does have a limp.”

photos c2010 Showbiz411/Ann Lawlor

Chaz Bono: Everyone Wants His Movie (Not Just Oprah)

Roger Friedman
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Chaz Bono: Everyone Wants His Movie (Not Just Oprah)

Chaz Bono‘s documentary about his life changes– from female to male, etc–is a hot commodity.

I told you this morning that Rosie O’Donnell was producing the film for Oprah’s OWN Channel. It turns out it’s a lot more complicated than that.

Rosie, in fact, saw a “sizzle” reel of the film and went nuts for it. In her deal at OWN, she is able to select docs for the channel and host them–sort of like Alistair Cooke used to do for “Masterpiece Theater.” She can do wraparounds, etc.

When Rosie saw the footage from Chaz’s movie, she immediately wanted it.

I’m curious to see what other documentaries Rosie curates for OWN. She will wind up being a great tastemaker for the channel. Chaz Bono should be delighted she’s sought after by the top women in daytime TV.

But I’m told the deal isn’t done, and that OWN and Rosie and Oprah have not yet nailed it down. The Chaz story could still wind up somewhere else.  It’s O’Donnell’s enthusiasm for it that’s driving the activity.

D’Onofrio, Erbe Back to “Law & Order: CI”: We Told You 2 Weeks Ago

Roger Friedman
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D’Onofrio, Erbe Back to “Law & Order: CI”: We Told You 2 Weeks Ago

The official news is out that “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” is coming back to USA Network with its original stars.

Yes, I told you on September 5th in this very column that Vincent D’Onofrio and Kathryn Erbe were on their way back. It’s too funny to read it in what I now call “Deadline Yesterday.”

The show went back into production a week ago.

Anyway, so it is, as the stars were booted from the show a season ago and replaced with Jeff Goldblum. But Goldblum did one season on his own and abruptly quit. The world of Dick Wolf has never been an easy one, that’s for sure. But it’s good to have two “L&O” shows still operating in New York.

The loser in all this is Eric Bogosian, whose character was killed off preemptively. It’s not known if anyone else from that original cast will return. A source tells me, “They kind of want to start over.”

Paul McCartney’s Son Releases First Album

Roger Friedman
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Paul McCartney’s Son Releases First Album

He’s always been a bit of a mystery while his sister Stella has been in the headlines a lot. (She’s a famous designer, you know.)

But today James McCartney, Paul and Linda’s son, releases his first album.

It’s actually an EP of five tracks that you can buy on amazon.com for $4.99. It’s called “Available Light.”

The tracks include a cover of Neil Young‘s “Old Man,” plus original songs “Angel,” “Denial,” “Glisten,” and “My Friend.” They were produced by Paul and the great David Kahne at Abbey Road Studios. But the sound is not so Paul-like. James’s voice is a little higher, and his multi-layered guitars have a feel of Matthew Sweet.

James has inherited his father’s musical gifts and more: he plays several instruments including bass guitar, mandolin, and piano.

It’s not easy doing this sort of thing; in fact, it’s down right brave. Children of rock stars, no matter how talented, are always compared to the parents. James is 33, and has obviously waited until he was comfortable with his identity. Other late blooming rock kids include Harper Simon, Paul’s son, who’s released a couple of very good albums; and Sting’s son, Joe Sumner, who fronts the popular group Fiction Plane. Both Julian Lennon and Sean Lennon have made attempts at careers. Julian, of course, had a couple of solid hits in the 80s.

So bully for James McCartney. The tracks are good. Let’s hear more, I say!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3plcauHZ5Q&feature=related

Photo courtesy www.jamesmccartney.com taken by his sister, Mary

Rosie O’Donnell Producing Chaz Bono Film for Oprah Network

Roger Friedman
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Rosie O’Donnell Producing Chaz Bono Film for Oprah Network

Rosie O’Donnell is a busy woman these days.

As she gets ready for her return to daytime TV next fall with a talk show on Oprah’s OWN Network, Rosie is also wearing another hat. She’s got a deal to produce one documentary per month for OWN. She’s not just sitting around. The first one is about Chaz Bono, the son/former daughter of Cher and Sonny Bono.

I”ve seen some of the footage,” Rosie told me last night at the annual fundraiser for her Rosie’s Broadway Kids. “It’s amazing.”

What’s also amazing is that last night we saw the first graduating class from Rosie’s Broadway Kids–which is considering a name change to Rosie’s Theater Kids, she says, “because too many people we were just for kids who were already on Broadway.”

Not so at all. Rosie’s Kids are amateurs, drawn from schools all over the city. They convene on West 45th St. at the Maravel Center, which Rosie built, and where they get top notch theater instruction. Last night, Cyndi Lauper cried as the entire school population opened the night with a brilliant medley of her hits. It was a stunning presentation. Later, when she came on to perform her hits, Cyndi quipped: “I hope do these as well.” Don’t worry: she did, and then some.

For the last couple of years, Rosie’s Broadway Kids had skipped the big hotel ballroom fundraiser and did smaller events. “But things are better, we think,” Rosie told the huge crowd in the Marriott Marquis ballroom. All told, the night raised over a million dollars. The live auction alone brought in around $250,000.

(It was a nice counterpoint to the other big party in town, where “Greed Is Good” was being celebrated by the “Wall Street 2” crowd at Cipriani on 42nd St. “It costs $50,000 just to walk in the door,” said one guest about the banquet hall’s costs, and who marveled at how much money was being spent, yet again, to launch the Oliver Stone film. Over $2 million alone was blown in Cannes last May for the same purpose.)

In the room: Suze Orman, Fran Drescher, and Tyne Daly.

On stage Rosie let slip that she’s returning to the next season of Larry David‘s “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”

“Larry and I have a terrible fight after a woman gives each of us her number,” Rosie revealed. It sounds like a great episode.

Rosie’s son Parker, who’s just started high school and is a great kid, was there. Also present were Rosie’s girlfriend Tracy Anders, who is extremely pleasant, and Anders’ eldest adopted daughter. (Anders has six kids, she told me, ranging from 6 to 18.)

Rosie told Cyndi after the show that her daughter, Chelsea, age 13, had recently dyed her hair purple. Lauper, wearing a sort of fire engine red wig in a style best described as Helena Bonham Carter from a Tim Burton movie, laughed. “I think she did it in tribute to you,” Rosie said to her friend.

Girls, you know, just want to have fun.

Pictures copyright c2010 Showbiz411/Ann Lawlor

Paul Reiser, Musician: TV Comic Joins Famed Singer in Song for Soldiers

Roger Friedman
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Paul Reiser, Musician: TV Comic Joins Famed Singer in Song for Soldiers

Paul Reiser is best known for “Mad About You.” The talented writer-actor-comedian never told us something important though: he’s a musician.

And now Reiser has hooked up with one of the best female singers in popdom, Julia Fordham, in an unusual collaboration. They’ve made an album together and a new song, “UnSung Heroes,” that’s dedicated to the US soldiers in Afghanistan. (Video after the jump.)

The video for “UnSung Heroes” premieres right here.

Fordham, of course, is the much admired British vocalist who’s made a name for herself with hits like “Happy Ever After” and “Porcelain.” Her most recent albums have won Fordham acclaim as a singer whose range is unparalleled.

Reiser tells me that he was just driving along and heard her remarkable voice on the radio. “I pulled right over.” The two met a couple of years ago and started writing songs together. Paul Reiser a musician? Yes indeed. But he hadn’t really encouraged that part of his career other than

 writing the theme song for “Mad About You.”

Now the pair has ten songs and an album called  “Unusual Suspects” that will be out November 9th.

The idea for “UnSung Heroes,” Paul says, came from stories he and Fordham heard about returning soldiers.

“It was the last song we wrote for the album. For the video, we even got approved images from the Defense Department. A recent live performance of it for the Wounded Warriors Project on September 11th, he said, was “humbling.”

Check out Julia’s website for more info: www.juliafordham.com
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