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Last night’s January 6th hearings did just fine ratings-wise. Around 17 million people watched on the three broadcast networks and CNN and MSNBC. Fox News showed reruns of Felix the Cat and Fox TV aired the Yule log. PBS– which I watched and had excellent coverage with Judy Woodruff, as usual– wasn’t counted.
Seriously, Fox can’t air the proceedings anywhere because all the testimony contradicts the shite they serve their viewers on a regular basis. God forbid a Fox News viewer was told truth: that Donald Trump didn’t care if his vice president, Mike Pence, was harmed on January 6th. Or anyone else including California Republican congressman Kevin McCarthy.
Trump should be in prison now. Most of his family should be too. The two brave souls who testified last night–Sarah Matthews and Matthew Pottinger — demonstrated intelligence and forbearing. They are Americans first, Republicans second. They were each very impressive.
So were the Congresspeople who interviewed them, Adam Kinzinger and Elaine Luria. Kinzinger is a Republican, he’s absolutely terrific and will definitely run for President one day. Each of these people deserves a Medal of Honor, as does Liz Cheney and everyone who runs that committee. Each session is so beautifully assembled and executed, it’s a well oiled machine.
Of course the highlights of the evening were previously unseen highlights of Trump refusing to say the election was over, and unable to speak simple words off a Teleprompter. He couldn’t say “Yesterday.” And then there was Josh Hawley, a professional tool and assh*le, running like a ninny to get out of the Capitol. What a POS.
The Toronto Film Festival is planning a huge number of great world premieres.
Their newest announcement is Steven Spielberg’s “The Fabelmans.” This is a BIG get for TIFF. This is also Spielberg’s first ever appearance at TIFF.
Inspired by his childhood, Spielberg’s movie stars Michelle Williams, Paul Dano Seth Rogen, Gabriel LaBelle, the great Jeannie Berlin, Julia Butters, Keeley Karsten, and Judd Hirsch, with appearances by David Lynch and Robin Bartlett.
The screenplay for the Universal release is by Spielberg collaborator, award winning screenwriter and playwright Tony Kushner. Universal will release “The Fabelmans” November 23rd for Oscar consideration.
TIFF’s other exciting world premieres include Viola Davis in “The Woman King” and Harry Styles in “My Policeman.” There’s also Sanaa Lathan’s directorial feature film debut, “On the Come Up” and Nicholas Stoller’s “Bros.” TIFF is kicking ass with these announcements as we wait for their full schedule. Cameron Bailey is on fire!
Now we know what Grammy winner Jon Batiste did on his summer break from band leading Stephen Colbert’s talk show.
Batiste announced at the start of the summer he’d be back on Colbert after Labor Day. Seriously, his absence has a lot to do with his wife’s illness.
But one thing Batiste has done is create a new single with Oscar winner Diane Warren and singing group Pentatonix. It’s called “Sweet.” The song, written by Warren, is included in her terrific album “The Cave Sessions, Vol. 1” from last winter, but now it’s being released as a single. Warren flew into New York in late June to film a video with Batiste. In the meantime, they’ve made a lyric video.
“Sweet” is an earwig, meaning it’s a very catchy number. Once you hear it a couple of times, it’s going to be stuck in your head! (PS Unlike Beyonce’s songs, it’s all new and not sampled from anything.)
Lyric video below followed by an outtake of the coming live video from Warren’s Instagram:
Surprise! We have two new Billie Eilish songs with brother Finneas. They are “The 30th” and the excellent “TV.”
As I ascertained in the Oscars press room, Billie is happy now and she’s singing more forcefully. She has a rich voice that still hasn’t been quite heard.
These two tracks are called “Guitar Songs.” They’re likely the building blocks for a new album.
“TV” references Roe v. Wade, and is also funny regarding “Survivor.” It’s one of the siblings’ best songs and comes just as we are looking for a song of the summer.
“FINNEAS and I really wanted these to be yours as soon as possible. So here they are!!” Shared Eilish in a statement. “Performing ‘TV’ on tour was such a highlight for us too, so we took the audio from the first night we played it in Manchester and put it in the song. I get shivers every time I hear it. Hope you love the songs and thank you for letting us share our music with you.”
Shonka Dureh is not a household name. But she steals a scene in Baz Luhrmann’s summer hit, “Elvis,” playing Big Mama Thornton. She sings Elvis’s first hit, “Hound Dog,” which inspires the singer to cover it.
Now comes a report that Dureh, 44, has been found dead in her Nashville apartment. According to a report from the Tennessean, Dureh was discovered by her two young children. They say so far police do not suspect foul play.
The difference between Beyonce other soul divas of the past is that they all sang original songs. Bey is the great remaker of old, forgotten songs.
There are 16 songs on the new album, “Renaissance,” which is released Thursday night. Most of the songs have 14 or 15 writers credited. Not one is written by Beyonce herself but her name is on them contractually to get the song publishing royalties.
Listed among the song titles on her new album, “Renaissance” is a track called “America Has a Problem.” That’s the name of a 1990 trap hit by Andrell Rogers aka Kilo Ali. His original record cited “Cocaine” as America’s problem. We don’t know yet what Beyonce will target as the problem– racism, violence, poverty, hunger, guns. She has a lot to choose from.
“America Has a Problem” would be the second single remade from the early 90s on Beyonce’s new album. The first one is the current single, “Break My Soul,” which was borrowed from a 1990 disco hit. And this follows a pattern since Beyonce went solo from Destiny’s Child years ago. Her first solo single was “Crazy In Love” which came from the Chi-Lites‘ “Are You My Woman?”
Beyonce’s legacy is going to be a lot of sampled records and nothing original. Very strange. All the song credits are below indicating lots of samples from artists like Donna Summer, James Brown, and Nile Rodgers. PS Rogers’s lawyer, representing him another case, says she can’t answer any questions about the licensing of the sample.
1. I’m That Girl Beyoncé, Terius “The-Dream” Gesteelde-Diamant, Kelman Ducan, MIKE DEAN, Tommy Wright III & Andrea Yvette Summers
2. Cozy Beyoncé, Nija Charles, Honey Redmond, Christopher Lawrence Penny, Luke Francis Matthew Solomon, MIKE DEAN, Dave Giles II, Terius “The-Dream” Gesteelde-Diamant & Curtis Alan Jones
3. Alien Superstar Beyoncé, Honey Redmond, Christopher Lawrence Penny, Luke Francis Matthew Solomon, MIKE DEAN, Denisia “Blu June” Andrews, Brittany “@Chi_Coney” Coney, S. Carter, David Debrandon Brown, Dave Hamelin, Timothy Lee Mckenzie, Danielle Balbuena, Rami Yacoub, Lev
4. Cuff It Beyoncé, Nile Rodgers, Denisia “Blu June” Andrews, Raphael Saadiq, Brittany “@Chi_Coney” Coney, Morten Ristorp, Terius “The-Dream” Gesteelde-Diamant, Mary Christine Brockert & Allen Henry McGrier
5. Energy Beyoncé, Skrillex, Tyshane Thompson, BEAM, Almando Cresso, Jordan Douglas, Tizita Makuria, Denisia “Blu June” Andrews, Brittany “@Chi_Coney” Coney, Terius “The-Dream” Gesteelde-Diamant, Mary Christine Brockert, Allen Henry McGrier, Pharrell Williams, Chad
6. Break My Soul Beyoncé, Terius “The-Dream” Gesteelde-Diamant, Christopher A. Stewart, S. Carter, Allen George, Fred McFarlane, Adam Pigott & Freddie Ross
7. Church Girl Beyoncé, Terius “The-Dream” Gesteelde-Diamant, Ernest “No I.D.” Wilson, Elbernita Clark Terrell, Jimi Stephen Payton, Dion Lamont Norman, Derrick Robert Ordogne, James Brown, Orville Erwin Hall, Phillip Glen Price, Ralph MacDonald & William Salter
8. Plastic Off the Sofa Beyoncé, Sabrina Claudio, Sydney Bennett & Nick Green
9. Virgo’s Groove Beyoncé, Leven Kali, Solomon Fafenson Cole, Daniel Memmi, Dustin Bowie, Darius Dixson, Jocelyn Donald, Jesse Wilson, Denisia “Blu June” Andrews & Brittany “@Chi_Coney” Coney
10. Move Beyoncé, Richard Isong, Ariowa Irosogie, Denisia “Blu June” Andrews, Brittany “@Chi_Coney” Coney, Temilade Openiyi & Ronald Banful
11. Heated Beyoncé, Aubrey Drake Graham, Matthew Samuels, Jahaan Sweet, Rupert Thomas Jr., Sean Seaton, Denisia “Blu June” Andrews, Brittany “@Chi_Coney” Coney & Ricky Lawson
13. All Up in Your Mind Beyoncé, Jabbar Stevens, MIKE DEAN, Cherdericka Nichols, Michael Tucker, Alexander Guy Cook, Jameil Aossey & Larry Griffin, Jr.
14. America Has a Problem Beyoncé, Terius “The-Dream” Gesteelde-Diamant, MIKE DEAN, S. Carter, Andrell D Rogers & Tino Santron Mcintosh
15. Pure/Honey Beyoncé, Michael Tucker, Raphael Saadiq, Darius Dixson, Michael Pollack, Denisia “Blu June” Andrews, Terius “The-Dream” Gesteelde-Diamant, Brittany “@Chi_Coney” Coney, Moi Renee, Eric Snead, Jerel Black, VEJAI MARCEL ALSTON, Michael D. Cox, Andrew Richard
16. Summer Renaissance Beyoncé, Leven Kali, Denisia “Blu June” Andrews, MIKE DEAN, Brittany “@Chi_Coney” Coney, Terius “The-Dream” Gesteelde-Diamant, Atia Boggs, Lavar Coppin, Saliou Diagne, Ricky Lawson, Donna Summer, Giorgio Moroder & Peter Bellotte
Yes, it’s been 30 years since Martin Scorsese’s beloved “Goodfellas” became an instant classic. And now it’s been a few weeks since the death of Ray Liotta, who played Henry Hill so memorably in the film.
Now I’m hearing the exciting news that “Wiseguy,” the original book that formed the basis of the “Goodfellas” story is getting its own film. Sources say director Barry Levinson would reunite with his oft-collaborator Robert DeNiro possibly reprising his role as Jimmy Conway (or who knows? maybe someone else). The screenplay is from Nicholas Pileggi, who wrote the book.
“Wiseguy” was an even fuller account of the life of Henry Hill than just the Lufthansa robbery covered in “Goodfellas.” A young actor would have to be cast as Hill, with other roles to be cast including Tommy DeSimone aka “Two Gun Tommy,” described as “a young aspiring gangster with psychopathic tendencies” who was Hill’s partner in crime in his early days.
The prospective studio for all this would be Warner Bros. where it could be among the first projects from Mike DeLuca and Pam Abdy. Producer would be Winkler Films, which made “Raging Bull.”
There’s a lot of head-scratching today about the new Kennedy Center Honors. It’s not like the chosen honorees don’t deserve their accolades. But the people who were overdue for the award are from a long list.
The most egregious miss? Superstar composer Burt Bacharach. Bacharach and Hal David are one of the most important teams in music history. David has passed away, sadly. But Burt is 94. How much longer is he supposed to wait?
Hits? The list is beyond measure. From all his songs with Dionne Warwick, to the Carpenters, and ultimately “That’s What Friends Are For” with former wife and hit songwriter Carole Bayer Sager.
But those other songs–the Academy Award winning “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head,” not to mention songs like “I Say a Little Prayer,” “Walk on by,” “Always Something there to Remind Me,” “Close to You.” Bacharach has an incredible catalog and career including a landmark album with Elvis Costello and an appearance in an “Austin Powers” movie.
Rewarding Bacharach would have covered a lot of bases, too, because it’s not just pop music and movies but also Broadway. “Promises, Promises,” still beloved, came from Bacharach and David.
So what happened? Burt probably didn’t campaign, and no one involved with the Kennedy Center is smart enough to include him. What a shame. Instead we get Amy Grant.
Ken Auletta’s book on Harvey Weinstein, some 20 years in the making, is a total bust.
Published a week ago Tuesday, “Hollywood Ending” has sold just 1,500 copies according to NPD Book Scan.
The book has fallen below number 3,000 on amazon.
No one wanted to read it.
It’s so strange because Auletta is a star journalist and a great writer. But he got nothing of interest on Weinstein. “Hollywood Ending” is just a revisit of facts already known from Weinstein’s trial and from accounts in the New York Times and the New Yorker. There were no scoops.
Media books are tough sells anyway, like inside baseball that the public doesn’t care about unless there’s a wider story being told. Reporters who wrote about Weinstein between 1990 and 2017, when the mogul’s world came crashing down, know hundreds of stories that haven’t been published, concerning the making of movies and the stars in them.
Auletta never got to those stories. He got bogged down in minutiae. I’ll bet Harvey is disappointed. But also relieved. Nothing in the book can do him any more damage or cause more trouble than he’s already in.
The weirdness of the Kennedy Center continues under David Rubenstein.
He wants the show to be the Grammys, and hes getting his way.
Gladys Knight deserves the honor, U2 probably does, too. But Amy Grant? And George Clooney?
No disrespect to George Clooney, but really? There are a dozen other actors who are older and more accomplished who deserve the honor, have longer and better resumes. I appreciate Clooney’s social activism and his handful of really good performances, but it’s a decade too early I think for this accolade.
Amy Grant? She hasn’t had a hit that I know of in 30 years. But her appeal is to the Christian country audience. Rubenstein knows how to pander. He thinks he’ll get TV ratings. And maybe Vince Gill can perform in his wife’s tribute. But really: she had one number 1 hit in 1991. Ridiculous.
Back to Gladys: it’s about time. So many hits, such a great life. She is adored.
U2: Also lots of hits, plus Bono has worked tirelessly for world causes, and made a difference. Plus, for some reason, the Rolling Stones don’t want this award. And the Kennedy Center is running out of rock groups they can get away with inducting.
Tania Leon: the Cuban born composer covers classical music and POC representation. Plus a performance of her music would be thrilling if done right.
Who got snubbed, so to speak? Francis Ford Coppola, it’s the 50th anniversary of “The Godfather.” Hello? Liza Minnelli? Judy Collins? Jane Fonda? What about Alan Alda?
And then there’s whole issue of Denzel Washington, who should have been in a long time ago. He only has two Oscars and two Tony Awards.
Oh yes, speaking of Tony Awards: Broadway isn’t represented here at all. No Tommy Tune or Bernadette Peters. That’s pretty rude of CBS which hosts the Tony Awards.
And so we paddle on in the post- George Stevens Jr. era.
