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Henry Cavill Leaves Netflix’s “The Witcher” for Superman, Greener Pastures, Replaced by Liam Hemsworth

Roger Friedman
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Henry Cavill Leaves Netflix’s “The Witcher” for Superman, Greener Pastures, Replaced by Liam Hemsworth

The Witcher Hour is over for Henry Cavill.

After three seasons, Cavill is returning to movies as Superman. He’s also booked a couple of other films.

The new Geralt of Rivia will be Liam Hemsworth starting with Season 4. Netflix made the announcement today.

“My journey as Geralt of Rivia has been filled with both monsters and adventures, and alas, I will be laying down my medallion and my swords for Season 4,” said Cavill in a statement.

“As with the greatest of literary characters, I pass the torch with reverence for the time spent embodying Geralt and enthusiasm to see Liam’s take on this most fascinating and nuanced of men,” continued Cavill, “Liam, good sir, this character has such a wonderful depth to him, enjoy diving in and seeing what you can find.”

Cavill is too much of a gentleman to say it, but I’m sure he’s relieved to get back on the big screen. Hemsworth can use “The Witcher” as Cavill did, as a launching pad to films.

Patti Smith “N” Word Song Removed From Streaming, Forgotten John Lennon-Yoko Ono Title Likely Next

Roger Friedman
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Patti Smith “N” Word Song Removed From Streaming, Forgotten John Lennon-Yoko Ono Title Likely Next

From time to time in the old days rock and roll artists tried to reinvent the “N” word. It just never worked.

Now reports are that Patti Smith’s Rock and Roll “N” has been removed from all streaming services. It’s still on her album, 1978’s “Easter,” and can be bought for download. But it can’t be heard just by pressing a button on a subscription service.

Since that’s happened, without explanation (and maybe none needed), the next removal is fairly obvious. “Woman is the “N” Word of the World” was Yoko Ono’s protest song, sung by John Lennon on his 1972 album, “Sometime in New York City.” The song meant well as a protest for women’s rights, but it never felt right. (Even as a teenager, it made me very uncomfortable and I never listened to it. I’d have to skip it on the album.)

At the time of the Lennon-Ono song’s release, there was an uproar, of course. Lennon tried to appease critics and even did interviews at the time with Jet and Ebony magazines with Black activist Dick Gregory. As time went by, of course, the song sort of drifted into disuse, all of Lennon’s other remarkable work superseded it, and that was it. It was never played on the radio and isn’t to this day.

But now it’s time to expunge it. No one anywhere will miss it. And I am not providing a link. All songs with this word should be removed from streaming, frankly, no matter who they’re from.

Kanye West Doubles Down on Antisemitic Talk in Parking Lot Press Conference, Has “Mediation” with Adidas

Roger Friedman
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Kanye West Doubles Down on Antisemitic Talk in Parking Lot Press Conference, Has “Mediation” with Adidas

Kanye West somehow organized a parking lot press conference with paparazzi last night. It’s playing on tiktok and you can see most of it below. He says that he was in “mediation” with Adidas yesterday after they dropped him. This means lawyers have now stepped in.

Kanye acts like Adidas is cool with him now. They are not. Also, he doesn’t apologize for anything. He says he thought what he was saying wasn’t antisemitic. Then he reads a list of media companies, indicating they are all run by Jews.

This staged video backfires on him. If this is what he thinks is his “walk back” on statements, he can just forget it.

@buzzipper.tv #kanyewest interview with paparazzi part 1 ✅ Follow for more #buzzipper #ye #kanyewestquotes #kanye2024 ♬ som original – BUZZIPPER

Review: “Armageddon Time” Stars Anne Hathaway, Jeremy Strong, Anthony Hopkins in Provocative Coming of Age Story

Leah Sydney
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Review: “Armageddon Time” Stars Anne Hathaway, Jeremy Strong, Anthony Hopkins in Provocative Coming of Age Story

James Gray introduced “Armageddon Time “at the DGA recently by saying “if you hate it throw rotten vegetables, if you like it, clap.”  Gray heard the clapping at the film’s conclusion, he heard it at Cannes and he will continue to hear it enthusiastically through awards season. 

“Armageddon Time’ is a poignant, layered and sincere to the core autobiographical story of his growing up in Queens, NY in the 1980’s: imperfect parents, adoring grandparents, at a time when the world seems to be turning upside down.  The rise of Ronald Reagan demoralizes the family, they are terrified of an apocalypse i.e.: an Armageddon.

Paul Graff (Banks Repeta) is a sixth grader in P.S 173.  His always overwhelmed Mom PTA President Esther (Anne Hathaway) and his often angry but trying to the right thing Dad, Irving (Jeremy Strong), is a boiler repairman.  The primary relationship in Paul’s life is that with his grandfather, Aaron, (Anthony Hopkins) who emigrated here from the UK to escape persecution.  His Grandpa sees in Paul the talent and singularity in him that no one else does. Grandpa is the only person that Paul will listen to.  Young Paul thinks in gargantuan ways, he wants to be a famous artist, but he’s struggling in school as he feels it’s beneath him.  He’s a stubborn wise-ass which gets him into constant trouble with the cranky teacher Mr. Turkeltaub (Andrew Polk.)   There he meets his comrade in arms, Johnny (beautifully played by Jaylin Webb) a Black kid from a troubled home.  Johnny is funny, and charming but has too much going against him which he sadly knows will probably define his life, although his dream is working for NASA. 

Coddled Paul gets transferred to another school, which his older brother who can’t be bothered with him, attends.  The real life odious Fred Trump (played scarily by John Diehl) was a trustee; his daughter Judge Maryanne Trump (played by an equally scary Jessica Chastain) makes a brief appearance.  Paul dreams up a plan to attain both his and Johnny’s dreams.  The plan goes awry.  The scene where it does is heartbreaking.

The entire cast is pitch perfect.  Hopkins is the gentle heart of the film, luminous in his love for his grandson, importing as much wisdom as he can in the time he has left. Tovah Feldshuh as Grandma Mickey is equally as wonderful. The quirky rambunctiousness of the family is appealing relatable. The film talks about privilege, class, racism and the American dream in a heartbreaking way. There is much joy and comic flare too. Morality and the blurry lines between abuse and love, the small moments in a child’s life, is what makes this film extraordinary in what it says in the quieter moments.   “Armageddon Time” is a provocative, heartfelt coming-of-age story with a top-notch cast.  A sensational film worthy of the slew of awards coming its way. 

Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett Has Already Received $425K for New Book, But 565 Publishing Insiders Sign Petition to Stop Her

Roger Friedman
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Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett Has Already Received $425K for New Book, But 565 Publishing Insiders Sign Petition to Stop Her

Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett has already been paid $425,000 for a book by RandomHousePenguinetc against a $2 million advance. But now 565 publishing insiders — mostly women — have signed a petition to stop the book from being published. The book has no title and no publishing date.

But Barrett is a lightning rod because she is one of the Supreme Court justices who helped overturn Roe v. Wade. And that has painted a target on her back.

Many of the signees work for the Random House group, which makes the petition more interesting.

They write:

“As members of the writing, publishing, and broader literary community of the United States, we care deeply about freedom of speech. We also believe it is imperative that publishers uphold their dedication to freedom of speech with a duty of care.

We recognize that harm is done to a democracy not only in the form of censorship, but also in the form of assault on inalienable human rights. As such, we are calling on Penguin Random House to recognize its own history and corporate responsibility commitments by reevaluating its decision to move forward with publishing Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s forthcoming book.”

You can read the rest of their text, called “We Dissent,” here. You can also see who signed the petition, which is open for more signatures.

Do I agree with these people? I admire their passion, but no, the book should be published, just like any other book. If you don’t want to buy it, or read it, then don’t. This calls more attention to it, otherwise. And no one ever heard of this book until now. Plus, when the deal was announced, that’s when this would have been effective. She’s not going to return it.

Diane Sawyer Interviews Matthew Perry, and Now I Feel I Know Less About Him than Before

Roger Friedman
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Diane Sawyer Interviews Matthew Perry, and Now I Feel I Know Less About Him than Before

Maybe you’ve just watched Diane Sawyer interview “Friends” star Matthew Perry on ABC. I feel now that it’s over I know less about him than I did before.

Forget about Sawyer’s insincerity. After her Whitney Houston interviews years ago, I always had trouble with her methods.

Now she faces Perry, who says he was living in 55 Vicodin a day. spent $9 million a year on rehab. and now seems like he’s had a stroke. is speech has been affected. He looks terrible. This isn’t a criticism of him. You know he’s struggled but you’re not sure why he’s putting himself through a book tour and this whole routine of making revelations, minor and major, unless to get attention. Why does he need so much attention? Sawyer doesn’t care.

Sawyer wonder why he’s had 25 years of addiction. Did he ever discover any reasons for his illness, or was it simply chemical? There is no explanation, and she’s not going to get one. She’s not interested. She just wants to know how bad it was, that’s it. She looks at him with pitying eyes, the way she looked at Whitney Houston when she said she thought crack was whack. Sawyer never asked Houston what was at the root of her pain.

I thought it was interesting, too, that they never mention his stepfather is Dateline NBC’s Keith Morrison, the guy who narrates those real life murder mysteries. They show an old picture of him, but no name. Is it because he’s on NBC? Very weird.

Maybe Perry’s book explains more. It’s going to be published on Tuesday after an onslaught of gossip items — he made out with Valerie Bertinelli, he dated Julia Roberts, etc. But from Sawyer we’ve learned relatively little. I just hope when all this book publicity is over, Matthew Perry feels better, and continues to.

Here’s the Official Music Video for Rihanna’s “Lift Me Up” from “Wakanda Forever”

Roger Friedman
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Here’s the Official Music Video for Rihanna’s “Lift Me Up” from “Wakanda Forever”

Rihanna enters the Oscar race for Best Song from “Wakanda Forever.” The song is called “Lift Me Up” and now we have the official video.

Last night, “Wakanda Forever” premiered in L.A. and was shown to a a lot of press. Reviews are embargoed but some info has leaked out. Apparently, Angela Bassett isn’t in it as much as we thought. Michael B. Jordan, whose character died in the first movie, is back somehow. T’Challa gets a funeral for an unspecified illness. Sounds good!

“Black Panther” made $700 million at the US box office, and millions more from DVD sales, etc. Can “Wakanda” repeat that success? It’s unlikely, but it’s sure to be a big release.

UPDATED Thursday Night TV Ratings Chaos as New Hilary Swank Drama Closing In On Chris Meloni “Organized Crime” in Total Viewers

Roger Friedman
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UPDATED Thursday Night TV Ratings Chaos as New Hilary Swank Drama Closing In On Chris Meloni “Organized Crime” in Total Viewers

Things are getting worse for Chris Meloni’s “Law & Order: Organized Crime.”

Initial overnight numbers suggest that two time Oscar winner Hilary Swank’s “Alaska Daily” on ABC edged out “OC” in total viewers last night. “Alaska” had 3.09 million to “OC”‘s 3.06.

UPDATED NUMBERS show that “OC” beat “Alaska Daily” but not by much: 3.1 million vs. 2.8 million. “Alaska” is strong and growing, giving “OC” some nipping at its heels.

In the key demo, the Meloni show still beat “Alaska” but that number may be lagging behind thanks to Meloni’s lead in of “SVU.” That NBC show at 9pm and “Law & Order” classic at 8pn are strong with over 4 million total viewers each.

“Alaska Daily” is still finding itself but Swank is absolutely terrific. I can see this drama catching on big time, especially as “Organized Crime” remains a challenge insofar as struggling to discover its essence.

Remember Kanye West’s $200 Stem Player? He Doesn’t Appear to Own the Trademark

Roger Friedman
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Remember Kanye West’s $200 Stem Player? He Doesn’t Appear to Own the Trademark

You may recall that Kanye West’s last album, “Donda 2,” wasn’t released in a traditional way. Instead of a CD or a stream or a download it came on a $200 gadget called the Stem Player.

The Stem Player, which looks like a large hard plastic Valium, lights up. It also makes it possible to play with the elements of the music contained on it, changing he emphasis of vocals or beats. It was the brainchild of London’s Kano Computing, owned by a young guy from America named Alex Klein.

Now that Kanye’s businesses have gone sideways, it seemed like a good time to check in on the Stem Player and see who owns it. Well, it turns out Kano Computing applied for the trademark in the UK and here. Kanye did not. It does seem as though Kanye’s connection to the Stem Player was tenuous at best. Kano owns the player. Kanye just owns the music on it in the “Donda 2” edition.

Back on October 16th, when Kanye’s problems were escalating, Klein posted some odd images to social media. One was of the famous Delacroix painting called “Liberty Leading the People,” which shows the French revolution of 1830. Attached to that picture is a video of three little boys pitching what looks like Stem Players (maybe they’re just SuperBalls) as if they were bowling.

Was Klein declaring some kind of independence?

Klein also posted a message from Kanye’s lawyers asking for a way to contact Kano’s lawyers. There was paperwork that needed to be completed.

Kano, meantime, is proceeding with groundbreaking computer inventions. It’s unclear how many Stem Players they sold, if anyone made any money, or if they’ll ever be seen again. One thing’s clear, no one else issued an album on a Stem Player.

PS Klein is half-Jewish and may not be amused with Kanye’s anti-Semitic declarations.

Showtime Throws in the Towel on “City on a Hill” As Cabler Heads for the Hills

Roger Friedman
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Showtime Throws in the Towel on “City on a Hill” As Cabler Heads for the Hills

Showtime is heading for the hills.

The also ran cabler has cancelled Kevin Bacon’s “City on a Hill.” They never did anything to promote it, and the series in its third season averaged only 200,000 viewers a week.

With another unpromoted, unloved series, “Billions,” coming to an end, Showtime is basically a desert now. The only series they have left that anyone knows about is “Yellowjackets.” Season 2 will start next year, presumably.

Showtime says the “City on Hill” decision was made a long time ago. But the rumor is the cabler will be merged with the Paramount Network and/or Paramount Plus. The whole network is a mystery. They do nothing to try and get awards for their shows. Every time they have some quality in hand, they look the other way. Just think– they had Kevin Bacon — no Emmy love. Paul Giamatti, Damian Lewis — same thing. Crazy.

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