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UPDATE Levon Helm Studios “The Barn” Sees Cancellations from Star Performers as Artists Support Amy Helms Over Board That Pushed Her Out

Roger Friedman
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UPDATE Levon Helm Studios “The Barn” Sees Cancellations from Star Performers as Artists Support Amy Helms Over Board That Pushed Her Out

The board of Levon Helms Studios in Woodstock, which operates The Barn, is getting the cold shoulder from performers.

Since Levon’s daughter, Amy, was pushed out of the venue by Brian Parillo and his partner, Michael Skurnick, most of the acts scheduled to perform this summer have cancelled their shows.

I told you this would happen.

The late, famed drummer and singer songwriter for The Band started The Barn in 2004 as legacy for his singer songwriter daughter.

But in May, Amy was pushed out by interlopers who secured support from her stepmother. Last week Amy announced that she was out, and her jam sessions — the Midnight Rambles — were suspended.

Parillo responded on Instagram saying “LHS is not a birthright. It is Levon Helm’s legacy.”

Well, it actually is a birthright. Parillo and Skurnick won’t be able to get anyone worth buying a ticket for to play The Barn without a Helm at the helm.

The latest to cancel is Rachael and Vilray, of Lake Shore Dive fame, who were set to be there in December. (See their post below.)

More currently, acts for next week have all cancelled. And Lola Kirke is out for August 8th. Lola’s dad is Bad Company drummer Simon Kirke, so that sends a message to the music world that The Barn is off limits until Amy Helm can regain control.

UPDATE: Late Rock Legend Levon Helm’s Daughter, Amy, Ousted from Dad’s Studio/Club — New President Claims Ownership “Is not a birthright”

Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina: World Cup Tickets Selling for $70K a Pair on StubHub for Sunday’s Blow Out Finale with Spain, And Madonna-Bieber Show

Roger Friedman
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Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina: World Cup Tickets Selling for $70K a Pair on StubHub for Sunday’s Blow Out Finale with Spain, And Madonna-Bieber Show

Still thinking about going to Sunday’s World Cup game?

You’re in luck. Stub Hub as a few seats left.

The best ones are selling for around $35,000 apiece. They’re dead center on the field, so you won’t miss any action. They do not include a helicopter ride in and out of the stadium but I’m sure that be can be arranged.

If you don’t need to sit that close, there are several offers in the just-under $10,000 category.

All in all, pretty reasonable considering there will be a crazy half time show with Madonna, Justin Bieber, and Tom Cruise among the featured celebrities. And Donald Trump will be there to present the World Cup, openly admire the athletes’ looks, and accept another Peace Prize from FIFA. 

Box Office: Pow! “The Odyssey” Starts with Triumphant $17.6 in Previews, with Shows Playing Around the Clock for Nolan’s Masterpiece

Roger Friedman
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Box Office: Pow! “The Odyssey” Starts with Triumphant $17.6 in Previews, with Shows Playing Around the Clock for Nolan’s Masterpiece

Odysseus is coming home!

Yesterday, Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey,” a three hour masterpiece, arrived in spectacular fashion.

Previews brought in $17.6 million as theaters showed the movie around the clock, and audiences checked in even at 3am and 7am.

On social media, about 99% of the reaction from regular theatergoers was gushing with raves. And rightly so. “The Odyssey,” based on Homer’s 3,000 year old tales, is magnificently made cinema with Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, John Leguizamo, and Samantha Morton heading up an all star cast that also includes Charlize Theron and many more.

On Rotten Tomatoes, the critics score this morning “The Odyssey” stands at 96% fresh, with a ranking of 97 on the audience meter.

In some locations, you can’t even get a ticket to the movie, especially if you want to see it in IMAX.

But you don’t have to see it in IMAX. A big screen will suffice, at least the firs time you see it — because this is a movie that demands a couple of viewings.

So we’re off to the races! “The Odyssey” should have no trouble clearing $100 million this weekend, and maybe more like $125 million.

Also, this is the Best Picture of 2027, kids. No matter what good films come next, nothing can top this achievement. Look for Best Actor (Damon), Supporting Actress (Hathaway, Morton), Supporting Actor (John Leguizamo,Tom Holland) and more!

Trump Election Blather: Even Fox News’ Sean Hannity Cut Away from Ridiculous Claims After Less Than 30 Minutes, So Did CBS News, NewsNation

Roger Friedman
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Trump Election Blather: Even Fox News’ Sean Hannity Cut Away from Ridiculous Claims After Less Than 30 Minutes, So Did CBS News, NewsNation

Donald Trump’s speech tonight was not a success.

Both ABC and NBC refused to air it in the first place.

CBS News, which he thinks is in his pocket, showed about 20 minutes of Trump’s outright lies and blathering about 2020 election results.

Then CBS Evening News patsy Tony Dokoupil came back on screen with Major Garrett. They ran a fact check and concluded that Trump was not telling the truth.

Over on Fox News, Trump’s bff Sean Hannity also bailed after less than 30 minutes. Fox News cut to Iran stories and the Canadian fires. Even Hannity couldn’t listen to Trump’s bizarre ranting.

Meanwhile, CNN and MS NOW cut in after five minutes and didn’t go back.

Even News Nation dumped the speech.

Even the most right-wing, conservative pundits knew that Trump was trying to lay the groundwork to disrupt the November mid terms.

Over at Rupert Murdoch’s New York Post, news of the speech was pushed down the page.

Maybe this act of insanity was just one too much. Will MAGA wake up? Stay tuned…

Famed “Rocky” Producer Irwin Winkler Gives a Thumbs Up to “I Play Rocky” Movie, Which He Didn’t Produce And Has No Participation In (Exclusive)

Roger Friedman
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Famed “Rocky” Producer Irwin Winkler Gives a Thumbs Up to “I Play Rocky” Movie, Which He Didn’t Produce And Has No Participation In (Exclusive)

All of a sudden there’s a lot of interest in a movie no one was taking seriously.

That’s Peter Farrelly’s “I Play Rocky,” the story of how the Oscar winning movie, “Rocky,” was made back in 1975.

Anthony Ippolito, a dead ringer for a young Sylvester Stallone, plays the actor who wrote the screenplay and starred in the film. It was the beginning of an enduring franchise that covered six or seven movies, as well as the trio of “Creed” films.

Farrelly’s movie, “Green Book,” won Best Picture a few years ago. He even won an Oscar for co-writing the screenplay. And that was after making a bunch of hit comedies like “Dumb and Dumber.”

Irwin Winkler bought the rights to “Rocky” before Day 1, and still owns the rights. He even produced the “Creed” movies. So you’d think he was involved in “I Play Rocky” as another chapter in the Rocky-verse.

“No,” he told me today, laughing. “I have nothing to do with it. I’m a character in the movie, but we all are because we’re all public people. An actor plays me” — PJ Byrne — “but that’s it.”

Winkler did tell me he’s seen “I Play Rocky.” And? “It’s very good. I really liked it. They did a great job.”

He says Amazon MGM will re-release the original “Rocky” for its 50th anniversary in November, in concert with the new movie. So he’s excited about that. “But I wasn’t going to produce this one. They came with the idea, and we said, Do it.”

And Sylvester Stallone? “I don’t think he gets anything for it, either,” Winkler. “But I heard he really liked it, too.”

Could lightning strike twice for “Rocky” 50 years after its release? Maybe. Farrelly certainly knows what works. And so far the trailer looks very promising.

PS Winkler, who’s 95 and not retired, will be at the premiere.

Trump’s Latest Grift: Selling Wall Street a High Priced Subscription to Get His Truth Social Posts Early — About FREE Public Policy — And Pocketing Proceeds

Roger Friedman
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Trump’s Latest Grift: Selling Wall Street a High Priced Subscription to Get His Truth Social Posts Early — About FREE Public Policy — And Pocketing Proceeds

On Truth Social, which he owns, Donald Trump posts a lot most days.

In the middle of the night, on weekends when he’s alone (Melania and Barron are elsewhere), Trump rails against foreign leaders, makes proclamations about cutting off countries, or bombing them.

Of course that should all be public knowledge delivered at the same time and available for free.

But now Truth Social is going to start selling their garbage in high priced subscriptions to Wall Street. Trump’s rich cronies will get his announcements before we do, for a price.

And the money goes to Trump.

It’s just another grift and exploitation of the White House and his position as president.

CNN, terrified of its potential new owners, reported it as if it were matter of fact. If Biden or Obama had done something like this, there would be speeches on the floor of Congress.

Meantime, Trump’s TelePrompter operator has reportedly made $100.000 from bets on Kalshi about what his boss will say in speeches. Gabriel Perez knew what Trump would say before he delivered the speeches, then put money on it on Kalshi. He’s been suspended, but Trump is no doubt proud of Perez for his smarts. Criminal behavior is something Trump rewards whole heartedly. Perez is probably up for a government appointment now!

It just never ends, the piggy behavior of Mr. Lard On. And his fans? They love it!

Trump is making a speech tonight, but ABC and NBC aren’t carrying it. CNN, MS NOW, and Fox News will, undoubtedly. CBS, the new Trump house organ? We’ll wait and see…

“SNL” Starts Annual Cast Clean Out Before New Season: 7 Year Vet Chloe Fineman Saying Goodbye — “It does feel like the right time”

Roger Friedman
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“SNL” Starts Annual Cast Clean Out Before New Season: 7 Year Vet Chloe Fineman Saying Goodbye — “It does feel like the right time”

Lorne Michaels is starting his annual cast clean out before season 52 of “Saturday Night Live.”

Leaving the cast is Chloe Fineman after seven seasons.

Fineman was a durable player but never really had a breakout character. She was kind of overshadowed first by Sarah Sherman, and then Ashley Padilla.

Still, we’ll no doubt see her on a sitcom soon. She’s very talented.

Fineman writes on Instagram: “It’s cliche to say this but working at SNL has been the greatest privilege of my life. I still can’t really believe I got to be a part of it. I fell in love with the place the second I walked through the door. Lorne (if you’re reading this on your burner account) I want you to know that I am forever in your debt.”

Who’s next? Hard to say what Michaels has in mind. The show continues to thrive with average of over 4 million viewers a week depending on the guest host and musical guest. Most of last year’s cast should return.

Adam Driver, Miles Teller, Scarlett Johansson Will Open New York Film Festival with James Gray’s Cannes Hit, “Paper Tiger”

Roger Friedman
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Adam Driver, Miles Teller, Scarlett Johansson Will Open New York Film Festival with James Gray’s Cannes Hit, “Paper Tiger”

The New York Film Festival will really be a New York film festival!

Opening night is set for James Gray’s “Paper Tiger,” a big hit at Cannes this spring.

Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver reunite from “Marriage Story.” Miles Teller joins them.

“Paper Tiger” is described as a tense thriller set in Brooklyn and Queens in 1986. It is not about those three getting stuck on the BQE at rush hour, however.

“I’m immensely grateful to be welcomed back to this remarkable festival,” Gray says in a statement. “This deeply personal film is rooted in New York City; from my upbringing to life-changing family experiences. To be here, at the heart of art and cinema, with our cast and crew—many of whom are New Yorkers—is a privilege. Thank you to the entire New York Film Festival team. It is an honor.”

Neon will open “Paper Tiger” in October with a thirty foot tiger made from confetti hoisted onto Alice Tully Hall.

PS Last year’s New York Film Festival was a killer, so you should buy a ticket package ASAP.

Stop The Presses! Venice Film Festival Opening Night: Rupert Murdoch OG Story “Ink” Directed by Danny Boyle, About How the UK Sun Became a Hit

Roger Friedman
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Stop The Presses! Venice Film Festival Opening Night: Rupert Murdoch OG Story “Ink” Directed by Danny Boyle, About How the UK Sun Became a Hit

The opening night of the Venice Film Festival should get a lot of tabloid attention.

The movie is “Ink,” based on the stage play by James Graham. It’s set in 1969 and it’s all about how Rupert Murdoch turned The Sun into the best selling newspaper in the UK.

Oscar winner Danny Boyle is the director.

Jack O’Connell, Claire Foy, and Guy Pearce are the stars.

It’s an unusual choice for Venice because “Ink” is very British and UK centric. There’s no American component, which leaves us thinking Venice may have the same trouble as Cannes did in May.

Are US studios holding back on Venice? We’re waiting to see how the fall festival circuit plays out. We already know that Tom Cruise in “Digger” will not be part of the mix, although it could turn up as the surprise screening for the New York Film Festival.

So far, “Ink,” has no American distributor. It would be ironic if Disney Searchlight picked it up, since that used to be a Murdoch company.

to be continued…

Pop Great Lana del Rey Says She’s Dropping Two Albums Soon, One Called “Stove” and the Other a Companion Record — Will Finish in a Month

Roger Friedman
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Pop Great Lana del Rey Says She’s Dropping Two Albums Soon, One Called “Stove” and the Other a Companion Record — Will Finish in a Month

What did you do this summer?

Pop great Lana del Rey already finished one album, called “Stove.”

Now she says she’s completing a companion album, which will come out at the same time.

They’ll be ready to sent to the vinyl manufacturer “in about a month,” so maybe we’ll see them in the fall.

She writes: “Stove is so lovely and intact as it was intended to be-a classic album if I may say, a lot of of which we’ve toured and you’ve heard – but not all of it. Thank you to everybody involved. And as the years went by, came a beautiful, secondary album… ”

Her fans are waiting. Lana (real name Lizzy Grant) is going to the survivor of all this pop stuff 20 years from now. There will be a huge Renaissance and re-evaluation a la Joni Mitchell, trust me.

Carly Simon’s Not Saying Whether She’s Going to Pal Taylor Swift’s Wedding: After All, She’s Kept the Secret of “You’re So Vain” for Five Decades

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