Adele’s “30” album has been a big hit but sales are starting to wane. So pants suited singer has released a new video for her second single, “Oh My God.” This single follows the monster hit, “Easy On Me.” The video is very artful, directed by Sam Brown, beautiful cinematography by Roman Vasyanov. This week “30” is projected to sell 45,000 copies, but this video may perk it up.
Fox News Hands Cecily Strong a Season of “SNL” Material, Adds Judge Jeanine Pirro to “The Five”
Fox News has done a tremendous favor to “Saturday Night Live” and Cecily Strong.
The right wing conservative network has added wacko Judge Jeanine Pirro to its 5pm show called “The Five.”
Judge Jeanine, as she calls herself, is a sad replacement for Judge Andrew Napolitano, who used to be the legal analyst for Fox.
On “SNL,” Strong has made a three course meal out of impersonating Pirro in dozens of segments. She’s been Emmy nominated several times and is wildly popular for the gag.
Pirro is easy to mock. At times on her weekend late evening Fox News she has appeared to be more than tipsy. She says outrageous things, and has been a full supporter of Donald Trump. In the process of becoming a celebrity, she’s also become a social pariah in New York.
Pirro will be added to a panel that includes insufferable lout Jesse Watters (who will soon be getting his own insufferable show at 7 pm), Dana Perino, and Greg Gutfeld. Harold Ford Jr., Geraldo Rivera, and Jessica Tarlov will rotate in the “liberal” chair.
“SNL” may now be tempted to start a whole “Five” parody sketch featuring Strong and other players. “The Five” is a place where ideas go to die.
I hope Cecily sends Fox a big bouquet of snakes this weekend!
SAG Awards: Respect! First Time Since 1999 Two Actresses Nominated for Playing Same Person (Aretha Franklin)
My dear friend Aretha Franklin must be smiling from heaven.
For the first time since 1999, two actresses have received SAG nominations for playing the same character.
One was on TV, the other in movies.
Jennifer Hudson’s remarkable performance as Aretha in the movie “Respect” garnered her a Best Actress nomination for film.
Cynthia Erivo’s equally stunning turn as Aretha in the TV mini series “Genius” brought her a nomination for Best Actress as well.
In 1999, Cate Blanchett was nominated for playing Queen Elizabeth I in “Elizabeth,” the movie. It was a towering performance.
In that same year, Dame Judi Dench was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in “Shakespeare in Love,” the movie, also playing Queen Elizabeth I. Dench went on to win the Oscar as well.
Hudson and Erivo are old associates. They starred together in the revival of the musical “The Color Purple” on Broadway a few seasons ago. They were each nominated for Tony Awards. Erivo won.
Two great ladies, great performances, very much deserving of accolades. But it all comes back to Aretha, a posthumous Pulitzer Prize winner, multiple Grammy winner, and legend who we miss every day.
A tip of the hat to Wilson Morales for pointing this out!
UPDATED: SAG Awards Shock SNUB Spielberg’s “West Side Story” for Best Ensemble, Love Gaga and “Gucci,” Send Back “Pizza”
UPDATE
Huge snub for Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story.” The film didn’t receive a Best Ensemble nomination and Rachel Zegler didn’t make Best Actress. The only nomination was for Ariana DeBose in Best Supporting Actress.
This is HUGE loss for Disney which has mishandled this movie from the start. But now they are really in trouble.
Also, SAG rejected “Licorice Pizza” for everything. Shocking.
The other big name missing Kristin Stewart as Princess Diana in “Spencer.” Instead, Jennifer Hudson was nominated for “Respect.” Great news for JHud.
But SAG loved “House of Gucci.” Shocking, too since it’s not a good movie.
Full list coming below.
At 10am the SAG Awards nominees will be announced. They will not include a category of Actors Who Survived Losing Their Health Insurance Thanks to Raised Minimum Earnings. Those will be handed out in an ER during a separate ceremony. (Sorry, but several people I know have had that issue.)
Anyway, SAG is sometimes a predictor of the Oscars because their membership is the largest part of the Academy voters. However, last year’s Oscar winner, “Nomadland,” wasn’t a Best Ensemble nominee because it was mostly about Frances McDormand in a van. This year, all the big films qualify, more or less.
The SAG Awards will be given out on February 27 in Los Angeles to anyone brave enough to show up or if the ‘Cron has subsided.
The nominations are being released in a weird way, on the SAG Awards Instagram page.
FULL LIST
Theatrical Motion Pictures
Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
Belfast
CODA
Don’t Look Up
House of Gucci
King Richard
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Javier Bardem
Benedict Cumberbatch
Andrew Garfield
Will Smith
Denzel Washington
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
Jessica Chastain
Olivia Colman
Lada Gaga
Jennifer Hudson
Nicole Kidman
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
Ben Affleck
Bradley Cooper
Troy Kotsur
Jared Leto
Kodi Smit-McPhee
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
Caitriona Balfe
Cate Blanchett
Ariana DeBose
Kirsten Dunst
Ruth Negga
Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
Black Widow
Dune
The Matrix Resurrections
No Time to Die
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Television
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
The Handmaid’s Tale
Morning Show
Squid Game
Succession
Yellowstone
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
The Great
Hacks
The Kominsky Method
Only Murders in the Building
Ted Lasso
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
Brian Cox
Billy Crudup
Kieren Culkin
Lee Jung-jae
Jeremy Strong
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
Jennifer Aniston
Jung Ho-Yeon
Elisabeth Moss
Sarah Snook
Reese Withersoon
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
Michael Douglas
Brett Goldstein
Steve Martin
Martin Short
Jason Sudeikis
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
Elle Fanning
Sandra Oh
Jean Smart
Juno Temple
Hannah Waddingham
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series
Murry Bartlett
Oscar Isaac
Michael Keaton
Ewan McGregor
Evan Peters
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series
Jennifer Coolidge
Cynthia Erivo
Margaret Qualley
Jean Smart
Kate Winslet
Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series
Cobra Kai
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
Loki
Mare of Easttown
Squid Game
Review: And Just Like That, “Sex and the City” Has Become a Grim, Humorless Soap Opera
If I remember correctly, there were a lot of laughs in “Sex and the City.” There outrageous moments and lots of fun. I know a lot of it came from Samantha’s sex adventures, but even Carrie’s dry wit, Charlotte’s dizzy mistakes, Miranda’s earnestness made you feel good by the end of an episode.
Not so with this new series. Episode 7 comes on Thursday, I’ve just watched it and I feel sad. Isn’t it bad enough we’re in a pandemic, there are constant reports of death, supermarket shelves are empty and it’s freezing? Couldn’t “Sex and the City” take our minds off that?
Apparently not. For some reason, the show chose to become grounded in a grim reality. I mean, they all have money, that’s not the problem. But they are all so unhappy. No one laughs. Nothing’s done on the fly. There’s nothing subversive. It’s all sit and no com.
This week, Carrie goes on a date. Mr. Big is dead six weeks in our time, three months maybe in Carrie’s life. Her realtor is still hanging around, unclear why. Mario Cantone’s Anthony, once used for spice, is now filling Samantha’s role. Miranda is having graphic sex with Che, Carrie’s podcast “boss,” a lesbian comic. Charlotte is treading water, playing tennis, and going to charity auctions.
Back to Carrie’s date: Jon Tenney, the actor once married to Teri Hatcher, plays a teacher she meets online. I didn’t recognize Tenney at all and when I saw him in the credits, I did a double take. He looks completely different. It’s not a bad thing, but anyone who remembers him even from recent TV work will be surprised. Now he looks like the guy Ellen married on “thirtysomething.”
The episode begins with Carly Simon singing “Spring is Here” from her “Torch” album in full. I loved hearing her voice. That album is a classic.
“And Just Like That” streams on HBO Max, starting Thursday sometime in the morning.
PS I know Willie Garson died, and they sent Stanford to Japan. But he isn’t even mentioned in passing. And now, neither is Samantha. Also, lunch at Serendipity is auctioned at the gala, and no one seems to want it. Very weird. Serendipity is all we have that stands between us and chaos.
Soap Stuff: Robert Newman, Veteran Star of “Guiding Light,” Joining “The Young and the Restless”
CBS is ponying up for an Emmy nominated actor for “The Young and the Restless.”
Robert Newman, who played Josh Lewis on CBS’s “Guiding Light” for about 30 years, is joining “Y&R” soon. He’ll take over the character named Ashland Locke (yes, in soaps, a person could be named Ashland), a business rival for the indefatigable Victor Newman (Eric Braeden).
Newman was nominated for a Daytime Emmy twice on “Guiding Light.” He won Best Short Film Actor in 2014 from the LA Indie Film Fest in a movie called “Deadline,” although I don’t think he’s short. It was the film.
“The Young and the Restless” has been in a kind of torpor lately. Maybe Newman will give them a shot in the arm.
The Oscars Are Officially Happening March 27th, at the Dolby Theater, with A HOST, and Glenn Weiss Directing
The Oscars are happening, officially. And there will be a host, as announced this morning by ABC.
Award winning director Glenn Weiss will be at the helm on March 27th. The show returns to the Dolby Theater at Hollywood and Highland.
Omicron be damned! Full speed ahead. I don’t care if we have to wear hazmat suits! Of course everyone will have to be vaxxed and masked.
Will Packer is producer. Now who is the host? Please, Academy, get a host. Get Jimmy Kimmel. Include all the songs. Do a tribute to Marvel and have all the super heroes on stage. Have all three Spider Men appear throughout the show. Don’t have the evening end with “Drive My Car” getting Best Picture.
Anyway, we’re back!
Sunday Ratings: “Dexter” Finale Kills “Euphoria” Debut In Rare Showtime Victory Over HBO
It’s rare that Showtime outdraws HBO in head to head competition. In fact, it may never have happened before.
But Sunday night the Showtime series finale of “Dexter: New Blood” was an actual hit. The Michael C. Hall bloodbath brought in 814K viewers in its first viewing. The Showtime people must have opened bottles of something. The show was was a killer, as Dexter might say. Unfortunately, he will not be returning, except maybe as a ghost. (Maybe he can join CBS’s “Ghosts.” Now, THAT I would watch!)
Over on HBO Prime, the Season 2 premiere of “Euphoria” was murdered by “Dexter.” Just 254,000 fans returned for the new season on HBO Prime at 9pm. But HBO says the total is 2.4 million including HBO Max and all platforms. They say it set a record on HBO Max.
As for the HBO Prime number, the only one that’s verified: Euphoria” star Zendaya is in the record-breaking “Spider Man” movie playing right now and is poised to be a Big Star. But the teen hedonism of “Euphoria” may not play as well during the pandemic. We’ll see.
HBO needn’t worry. They just swamped the Golden Globes with wins for “Mare of Easttown,” “Succession” and “Hacks.” And “The Gilded Age” is coming, which is going to be an enormous hit.
Round Up: Spider Man Eyes $700 Mil, RIP Maria Ewing, Seinfeld Gets A-Rod for a Neighbor, Publicists Get Applause
Here are a few things rambling around today:
BOFFO “Spider Man: No Way Home” will finish in 4th place on the all time box office list. The Marvel-Sony movie is at $670 million, and will chip away to the $700 million mark over the next ten days. That’s as far as it will get on the all time list, but hey, not bad…
CONDOLENCES to actress and “Passing” director Rebecca Hall. Her mom, famed opera singer Maria Ewing, died yesterday in Detroit at age 71. Ewing performed in 90 operas at the Met and was known all over the world. She was married to Rebecca’s legendary director dad, Peter Hall, in the 1980s. Ewing was a beautiful woman and also half African American, a story that had been told many times but was featured on Henry Louis Gates Jr.’s latest episode of “Finding Your Roots.” Ewing’s story prompted Rebecca to direct “Passing,” based on a 1939 book. No cause of death has been given…
JERRY SEINFELD is a notorious Mets fan (he comes from Long Island). So it’s unclear how he’ll feel when former New York Yankee Alex Rodriguez comes looking for a cup of sugar. But A Rod is Seinfeld’s new neighbor in the very very upscale swanky Beresford Apartments on Central Park West. According to reports, A Rod paid $9.9 million for his spread (so it must be small) and “begged” the co-op board to let him in. A Rod cheated at baseball, doped, had a year’s suspension, and was very unpopular on the Yankees. But he’s proven crime pays, which is the American way, after all.
CONGRATS to all the nominees for the ICG Publicists Award. The awards are given out on March 25th in Los Angeles at a luncheon at the Beverly Hilton, God willing. All these people worked hard on movie and TV campaigns and deserve a round of applause. They are:
LES MASON AWARDÂ FORÂ CAREER ACHIEVEMENT IN PUBLICITY
Jackie Bazan – Agency, BazanPR
Kira Feola – Awards Publicist, Walt Disney Studios
Gabriela Gutentag – Unit Publicist
Sheryl Main – Unit Publicist
Leonard Morpurgo – Independent Publicist
David Waldman – EVP Domestic Publicist, Paramount Pictures
PUBLICIST OF THE YEAR AWARD
Michelle Alt – Studio Domestic Publicist, Paramount Pictures
Hayley Morrow – Studio International Publicist, Paramount Pictures
Annalee Paulo-Hensley – Agency Publicist, 42West
John Pisani – Unit Publicist
Claire Raskind – Unit Publicist
Marshall Weinbaum – Studio Global Publicist, Walt Disney Studios
Hayley Morrow – Studio International Publicist, Paramount Pictures
Annalee Paulo-Hensley – Agency Publicist, 42West
John Pisani – Unit Publicist
Claire Raskind – Unit Publicist
Marshall Weinbaum – Studio Global Publicist, Walt Disney Studios
EXCELLENCE IN UNIT STILL PHOTOGRAPHY AWARD – MOTION PICTURES
Chiabella JamesÂ
Matthew Kennedy
David Lee
Daniel McFadden
Hopper Stone
EXCELLENCE IN UNIT STILL PHOTOGRAPHY AWARD – TELEVISION
Justin Lubin
Atsushi NishijimaÂ
JoJo Whilden
Nicole Wilder
Chuck Zlotnick
Atsushi NishijimaÂ
JoJo Whilden
Nicole Wilder
Chuck Zlotnick
PRESS AWARD
Kyle Buchanan – The New York Times
Tim Leong – Entertainment Weekly
Nekesa Mumbi Moody – The Hollywood Reporter
Andy Reyes – Entertainment Tonight
Adam Weissler – Extra TV
Tim Leong – Entertainment Weekly
Nekesa Mumbi Moody – The Hollywood Reporter
Andy Reyes – Entertainment Tonight
Adam Weissler – Extra TV
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA AWARD
Vera Anderson – Cine Premiere (Mexico)
Yong Chavez – ABS-CBN News (Philippines)
Helen Hoehne – ProSieben/RTL/TV Movie (Germany)
Dean McCarthy – Hit.com.au (Australia)
Raquel Laguna Pardo – Europa Press (Spain)
CNN Announces Paul Newman Doc Directed by Ethan Hawke, Scooped Here Back on December 1st
I told you exclusively about Ethan Hawke directing a documentary series about Paul Newman BACK ON DECEMBER 1st.
Now CNN has formally announced “The Last Movie Stars,” with Martin Scorsese executive producing., As I told you, it’s a six part series. CNN gives no date for the launch, but it will be timed to coincide with the publication of Newman’s memoir that Newman commissioned from friend and screenwriter Stewart Stern.
This part that follows comes from a press release which, oddly, doesn’t really mention the book, to be published by Knopf in the fall, or Robert Redford. Or Newman’s late business partner, the writer A. E. Hotchner. Very curious. Anyway, I think Ethan will do a great job with this.
from the press release:
At Newman’s request, Stern interviewed Elia Kazan, Sidney Lumet, Karl Malden, Sidney Pollack, Gore Vidal, Jacqueline Witte, Joanne Woodward, and others for a planned memoir.  Newman was also interviewed by Stern.  They discussed his youth, his first marriage, his romance and life with Woodward, his personal demons, and the gut-wrenching loss of his son, Scott.
In addition to archival interviews with Woodward and Newman, Hawke enlisted actors Karen Allen, George Clooney, Oscar Isaac, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Zoe Kazan, Laura Linney, Sam Rockwell, and others to voice segments of the original transcribed interviews for The Last Movie Stars.  Hawke also interviewed several of Newman’s daughters for insights into their parents.  In Hawke’s contemporary interviews with Sally Field, Melanie Griffith, and Martin Scorsese, they discuss what made Woodward’s and Newman’s singular careers, and relationship, so inspiring.  The result, delivered in six chapters of varied lengths, is a thoughtful, revealing film of lives well and fully lived.