Saturday, December 20, 2025
Donate
Home Blog Page 235

Sean Penn Drops Ukraine Documentary “Superpower” on YouTube for Free Today, for One Year

Roger Friedman
-
0
Sean Penn Drops Ukraine Documentary “Superpower” on YouTube for Free Today, for One Year

Sean Penn has dropped his Ukraine documentary onto YouTube for free, for one year.

The doc, called “Superpower,” had previously been available on Paramount Plus.

“Superpower” is described as a heart-wrenching glimpse into a country fighting for its freedom, featuring a series of intimate interviews done by Penn with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and others from seven trips over nearly a two-year period.

“Rarely do you get to be an eyewitness to history as (Sean) Penn did with President Zelensky in his bunker as Russian bombs exploded over Kyiv,” says Susan Zirinsky, President of See it Now Studios. “The film is so powerful and immersive because of Penn’s journey meeting families who have lost everything, bombed out apartments, schools and to the front lines where soldiers were putting their lives on the line. Penn understands that the world had changed.”

“To make this film available for free has been my dream from the beginning and I’m incredibly grateful to so many colleagues for their will and grace to make this happen,” Sean Penn said. “Ukraine’s fight for democracy is our fight too.”

Here it is, and it’s worth taking the time to watch it.

SCOTUS Rules on Trump Immunity: Read the Historic Decision Here “The law simply does not apply to him”

Roger Friedman
-
0
SCOTUS Rules on Trump Immunity: Read the Historic Decision Here “The law simply does not apply to him”

https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/23pdf/23-939_e2pg.pdf

The ruling boils down to immunity in official acts vs. unofficial acts. The Supreme Court has basically made it impossible to have a trial for Trump before the 2024 election.

Trump, by appointing so many justices to the court, has probably skated on the issue of immunity. It’s a sham.

from the dissenting opinion:

Under the majority’s immunity regime, by contrast, the
President can commit crimes in the course of his job even
under circumstances in which no one thinks he has any excuse; the law simply does not apply to him. Unlike a de-
fendant who invokes an affirmative defense and relies on a
legal determination that there was a good reason for his
otherwise unlawful conduct, a former President invoking
immunity relies on the premise that he can do whatever he
wants, however he wants, so long as he uses his “ ‘official
power’ ” in doing so. Ante, at 19. In the former paradigm,
the President remains subject to law; in the latter, he is
above it.

Will Smith Slaps Back to 2016 Kendrick Lamar With BET Performance of New Rap Song (Watch)

Roger Friedman
-
0
Will Smith Slaps Back to 2016 Kendrick Lamar With BET Performance of New Rap Song (Watch)

Will Smith says “You Can Make It” even if you commit an act of violence on live TV and get booted by the Motion Picture Academy. He performed a new rap song on the BET Awards last night as part of his comeback campaign.

“You Can Make It” reminded me of Kendrick Lamar’s incendiary 2016 Grammy performance, which was much fresher and new at the time and even now. Everything about Will’s performance said “2016.” Maybe it a slap back to a more innocent time. (It also looked a little like used Kanye.)

With “Bad Boys Ride or Die” a hit, Will definitely feels like his punishment is over, and that he’s been vindicated. Whether or not that’s real, remains to be seen.

Box Office: “Inside Out 2” $57 Million Weekend, “Quiet Place” Noisy at $53 Million, Will Smith Hangs in There

Roger Friedman
-
0
Box Office: “Inside Out 2” $57 Million Weekend, “Quiet Place” Noisy at $53 Million, Will Smith Hangs in There

Weekend box officeL

We’ve already discussed “Horizon” in other stories. It was a fizzle at $11 million.

But the box office is booming, otherwise. “Inside Out 2” made $57 million this weekend, and is aiming toward $500 million domestically.

“A Quiet Place Day One” was the new entry and it scared up a lot of business. (Any more cliches?) A total of $53 million makes it a smash, with Lupita Nyong’o, an Oscar winner, a STAR. This means we’ll be seeing more “A Quiet Place” movies, and that seems to be a good thing.

In the art house world, “Bikeriders” is done at $13 million, it will not go past $20 million. I wish it had been better. It could have been a contendah!

“Kinds of Kindness” made $1.5 million over the weekend, making $2 million total. But it’s three hours, it’s apparently quite strange, and won’t have legs. But it might be worth going to see it if you’re a cineaste.

Still playing: Will Smith’s “Bad Boys Ride or Die” is up to $165 million. Smith has survived his Chris Rock slap scandal at the box office, at least at the Bad Boys box office. It remains to be seen if his Oscars ban will be shortened, or if he’ll have success with non franchise movies.

Costner’s “Horizon” A Box Office Bomb, Plays to Red States — and Badly

Roger Friedman
-
0
Costner’s “Horizon” A Box Office Bomb, Plays to Red States — and Badly

The top grossing theater for Kevin Costner’s “Horizon” was in St. George, Utah. Number 2 was in San Antonio, Texas. Third highest was in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Not a single theater was in the northeast, or on the East Coast. There was only one in California, and no one’s ever heard of it. That was the Reading Cal Oaks in Murietta, a small town far from Los Angeles, near Temecula.

“Horizon” is a movie no one wanted or asked for, and no one is going to see in theaters. With an $11 million opening four day weekend, its theatrical release going forward is in doubt.

Costner announced the making of a 12 hour, four part series of movies while his TV hit, “Yellowstone,” was booming. He thought he could leverage the “Yellowstone” audience and even leave the show at its height.

But he was wrong. Fans of the show got the message. The show’s ending had to be re-written so there could be a sequel without him. Costner went ahead and made 6 hours of “Horizon” in the meantime. “Yellowstone” fans weren’t interested. They were just angry that the story they’d embraced had been forced to a conclusion.

Now Warner Bros. will have to make a decision to move the “Horizon” project to streaming or cable, or both. A part 2 in theaters seems unlikely at this point. If no one went to part 1, and it had bad reviews, no one will go to part 2 in the heavy August summer. They know it’s coming to MAX eventually anyway.

Costner put up $38 million of his own money to make the “Horizon” series. It was a gamble, and looks like he lost, at least for now. Usually in a situation like this, a movie star would make a lucrative TV deal to star in a series. But wait — Costner already did that. Now what?

Box Office: “Inside Out 2” $57 Million Weekend, “Quiet Place” Noisy at $53 Million, Will Smith Hangs in There

’70s Feud: Singer Songwriter Stephen Bishop Goes “On and On” About “Twilight Zone” Director John Landis, Says “Nothing But Mean Spirited”

Roger Friedman
-
0
’70s Feud: Singer Songwriter Stephen Bishop Goes “On and On” About “Twilight Zone” Director John Landis, Says “Nothing But Mean Spirited”

70s songwriter Stephen Bishop (“On and On”) has finally had to it with “Twilight Zone” director John Landis.

Bishop posted to Twitter an unprovoked screed against Landis, saying the director turned mean after his “Twilight Zone” tragedy and became “crappy.”

Landis, who also directed “The Blues Brothers” and Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” experienced a tragic scandal in 1982 when actor Vic Morrow (the father of Jennifer Jason Leigh) was accidentally decapitated during the filming of “The Twilight Zone.” It’s one of the worst movie production disasters in history, and one that Landis has never been able to escape.

Bishop had a lot of hits in the mid to late 70s, continued into the 80s with movie songs, and is generally considered a nice guy.

But he suddenly writes:

“John Landis. We were the best of friends once upon a time. We met in 1971, before his fame. I had cameos in Animal House, Blues Brothers, Twilight Zone The Movie, and Michael Jackson’s iconic Thriller Music Video. I probably have known and worked with him personally longer than anyone else on this Twitter thread. I’ll always be grateful to him for putting me in his films. We were great friends for many years. However, after Twilight Zone, he changed into a person I didn’t recognize. One day shortly after in the mid-1980s, I called his home phone. It had been disconnected. I called him at his office. He said, “From now on, call me at the office, Steve.” From then on when I would call him at the office, his secretary would answer and take my messages. He never returned any of my calls. I felt like I wasn’t a big enough star for
him anymore. He was getting rid of all his old friends. I have seen John at past Animal House reunions over the years, most recently a few years ago, and have remained cordial, but he has been nothing but mean-spirited to me for no reason, he’s childish. Sad, he was a great director, I miss the old John, fame got to him.

PS: I remember a time in the 1970’s when I watched John throw dog poop from his backyard over the fence of his neighbors all the time. So yeah, he’s always been crappy I guess.”

I sort of like the idea that once you’re in your 70s, all bets are off. It’s like Festivus, time to air your grievances.

By the way, totally apart from this, Landis’s director son, Max, is one of the most reviled guys in Hollywood, accused of all kinds of sexual malfeasance and misogyny. He said in a subsequent essay that he’d had a lot of therapy over “The Twilight Zone” incident. I’d post a link to it on Medium.com but he wants to pay for it.

All of this side it’s a shame about Jon Landis. He’s made some wonderful movies. He certainly didn’t intend for Morrow to die. What a mess.

Review: “Mrs. Doubtfire” Musical Takes Off on National Tour to San Fran After Hit Run in Los Angeles

Leah Sydney
-
0
Review: “Mrs. Doubtfire” Musical Takes Off on National Tour to San Fran After Hit Run in Los Angeles

The 1993 hit movie, “Mrs. Doubtfire,” starring the late brilliant Robin Williams, was a beloved family film — directed by Chris Columbus and co-starring Sally Field and Pierce Brosnan — that etched its way into our collective hearts.  Now the musical comedy stage version is finishing a run at the Pantages Theater in Hollywood before its head out on national tour to San Francisco and other big cities. 

The play tells the story of a divorced dad of three, the fun-loving Dad but irresponsible husband, Daniel Hillard, and the wacky lengths he goes to be with his children.  He invents the larger than life no nonsense and mega quirky nanny,  Mrs. Doubtfire, so he can spend time with his kids.  

Rob McClure originated the role on Broadway for which he was rightly nominated for a Tony Award.  Now on national tour, the show is a must see.  McClure’s real life wife, Maggie Lakis, plays Miranda Hillard, his hardworking frustrated wife. Determined to get to see his kids, the court only gave him limited visitation, Hillard devises schemes layered upon more schemes; we all know how it ends.  Stepping into Williams shoes is no easy task, but McClure is up to it and goes beyond.

McClure’s a theatrical gift;  his performance is filled with heart, showy slapstick and spot on comedic appeal.  The cast across the board is just terrific, with a special shout out to Giselle Gutierrez as the oldest daughter Lydia.  Her voice, range and performance for someone so young; she is certainly making her theatrical mark. 

Kudos to the Nederlander Organization and the Pantages.  Their ‘Broadway In Hollywood’ has been a rousing success with packed houses.  With shows coming up that include Peter Pan, Company, Hamilton, Kimberly Akimbo, Back To The Future: The Musical, Wicked, Harry Potter And The Cursed Child. A Beautiful Noise, Some Like It Hot, Shucked” and more, Angelenos can indeed experience first rate Broadway productions in the heart of Hollywood. Thankfully “Mrs. Doubtfire” is saying her signature ‘hellooooo’  to grateful audiences on this national tour and she couldn’t be more welcome!

Michael J. Fox Skips Hamptons Biden Fundraiser to Play Guitar with Coldplay in Glastonbury

Roger Friedman
-
0
Michael J. Fox Skips Hamptons Biden Fundraiser to Play Guitar with Coldplay in Glastonbury

Lots of celebs in the Hamptons today for a Biden-Harris fundraiser.

The hosts were Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick, and Michael J. Fox and Tracy Pollan. Howard Stern was among the guests.

But one of the host couples was absent. That was Fox and Pollard.

It’s not like they’re not supporting Joe Biden — they are — but Fox had some pressing business overseas.

Seems that the “Back to the Future” star took the stage at the Glastonbury Music Festival to play guitar with Coldplay.

Which event would you choose?

Fox, a long time Parkinson’s advocate, has guest-starred with Coldplay in the past. This time he arrived on stage in a wheelchair. But that didn’t stop him from wailing away with Coldplay on a couple of numbers. How cool is that?

Fox showed off his guitar prowess in the 80s in “Back to the Future.” He’s played with Joan Jett and Bruce Springsteen. He’s inveterate music fan, showing up last year at Springsteen shows. The music obviously drives him.

Michael J. Fox is beyond an inspiration for anyone dealing with neuromuscular diseases. Nothing stops him, and nothing will. Rock on, Michael!

Box Office: Costner Sinks Below “Horizon” with $3.3 Mil Friday, “A Quiet Place” Makes Noise, “Bikeriders” on Kickstand

Roger Friedman
-
0
Box Office: Costner Sinks Below “Horizon” with $3.3 Mil Friday, “A Quiet Place” Makes Noise, “Bikeriders” on Kickstand

Friday: Kevin Costner’s “Horizon: American Saga” grossed $3.3 million on Friday for a $4.1 million opening. The Civil War adventure should reap about $11 or $12 million this weekend, which doesn’t bode well for the $55 million opus. A three hour movie can only be shown a few times a day, which was the same problem “Dances with Wolves” faced back in 1990. The difference is, “Wolves” was sympathetic to the Native Americans and had terrific reviews.

John Krasinski’s third “A Quiet Place” movie made a lot of noise last night at the box office.

The “Day One” prequel turned in $16 million for a total of $22.5 million opening day.

The Michael Sarnoski directed film should have an easy $50 million weekend. It’s a deft, beautiful acted and written, unexpected and scary film. Nicely done!

Meanwhile, “The Bikeriders” — which has already banked $13 million — fell 78% from last Friday. The Jeff Nichols film did have a great Tuesday this week. I guess Austin Butler’s fans timed their gathering. Check out Tom Hardy’s performance. It’s worth it.

RIP Martin Mull, 80, Comic and Musical Genius, Started on “Mary Hartman”

Roger Friedman
-
0
RIP Martin Mull, 80, Comic and Musical Genius, Started on “Mary Hartman”

I am sorry to hear Martin Mull has passed away at age 80, too soon! He was a comic genius from a generation of humorists and musicians we will never see again.

Of course, I first saw him on “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman” in 1975 as Garth Gimble. Garth was an odious domestic abuser, and the audience really wanted him killed off. That’s how snarky Martin Mull was, that Garth was impaled on a Christmas tree. It was appropriately hilarious.

Mull was so good that they brought him back as Barth Gimble host of the local talk show, “Fernwood 2Night.” The legendary Fred Willard played Jerry Hubbard, his Ed McMahon, and the pair was magic. Barth and Jerry eventually left Fernwood and had another talk show called “American 2 Night.” They were such sublime satirists they were spun off into their own talk show separate from “Mary Hartman.” If you were addicted to this stuff, as I was, there was nothing better.

Martin Mull was like Steve Martin in that he played the guitar (Steve had his banjo) and recorded wildly popular comedy albums and toured as a sit down comic. He decorated his stage with used “fabulous furniture from Goodwill. I think I listened to his album, “I’m Everyone I Ever Loved,” a thousand times. When Mull finally appeared in a movie — “FM” — it was very exciting. We felt like he made it, and deserved it. Fred Willard and I used to talk about Martin Mull all the time. He was a legend.

In later years, Martin turned up on TV shows like “Roseanne,” but I always felt like his wings were clipped. He wasn’t subversive anymore, he just doing the Hollywood thing. But the affection for his heyday never ended. Whenever he turned up in a “regular” show, I thought he was winking at his old fans like it was inside joke. When he finally was in “Veep,” where he was nominated for an Emmy Award, it felt like vindication.

“Genius, great sadness,” writes Steve Martin on Twitter. He posted the video below, “Normal,” from 1974. RIP Martin Mull.

1...234235236...2,324Page 235 of 2,324

Hollywood to the Hudson

Company

Trending

Categories

© Showbiz411.com