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JR, French Photographer and Artivist, Brought “Paper & Glue” to MoMA Introduced by Bradley Cooper

Regina Weinreich
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JR, French Photographer and Artivist, Brought “Paper & Glue” to MoMA Introduced by Bradley Cooper

JR is back. Well, he never went away. Many people met him in the Oscar nominated Agnes Varda film, “Faces and Places.” The French photographer and (is word here) artivist’s collaboration with the famed filmmaker was infectious. His virus, a matchless enthusiasm for the creation of art, is impossible to describe: his energy is a force. Burroughs/Gysin had their “Third Mind, Ouevres Croissees” in French, a roadmap to artistic creation through collaboration. JR inherits their spirit along with Varda’s.

JR’s new documentary is called “Paper and Glue,” and it premiered this week at the Museum of Modern Art, sponsored by MSNBC. Movie star Bradley Cooper, his pal, introduced the nomadic JR to a heavy crowd that included famed filmmaker Barbara Kopple. Cooper, a bona fide movie star in awe, seemed happy to just to be in JR’s posse, a growing populace of fans and volunteers helping to build his outrageous installations.

In “Paper and Glue,” JR takes us to several locales: the US/Mexican wall, a California prison, the banlieu of Paris, favela of Rio, places we would never think to want to see. Infusing them with his je ne sais quoi, voila, they become the only places that matter, sites with superstars among the disenfranchised, the movie’s inscription from Varda: “If we opened people up, we’d find landscape.”

At the Southern Border we go to the Wall—yes, that Wall—someone even jokes about who is going to pay for it. JR erected a structure to paste a giant-sized photo of a small Mexican boy, waiting for the authorities to shut him down. Instead, they arrived and shared tacos. That’s just what you want to do with the irresistible JR. “Kevin,” a prison inmate sporting a swastika tattoo on his cheek, calls collect and JR picks up wherever he is. He sends Kevin a signed copy of Art Spiegelman’s “Maus.” Now, the prison system provides a tattoo removing system.

After the screening. the crowd, including Kopple but sans Cooper made their way to media magnet restaurant Michael’s, for a private celebration, as the restaurant is back in a big way. Even without Cooper JR, always hidden behind sunglasses, had an army of admirers. I asked, where do you stay in Rio? The favela looked so grim. He made a moon bedroom, literally, it looks like a giant bananagrams, in the Brazil sky. “The moon belongs to everyone,” he pointed out.

“Paper & Glue” is playing in theaters now.

 

 

 

Friday Box Office: “Clifford” Unleashed, “Eternals” Eyes $100 Mil, “Belfast” Jumps Out to Good Start

Roger Friedman
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Friday Box Office: “Clifford” Unleashed, “Eternals” Eyes $100 Mil, “Belfast” Jumps Out to Good Start

Maybe things are looking up at the box office.

On Friday, a lot was happening.

Marvel’s “Eternals,” which I like to call “The Eternals” like “The Bronx,” came within a nose of $100 million. The big crossing will happen tonight. Even with mixed reviews, “The Eternals,” like the Bronx, has its charms and attracted big crowds.

Tomorrow will be its ninth day of release. Meanwhile, “Dune” goes into its 23rd day still not at $90 million. In a way, Denis Villeneuve’s epic gets more Oscar cred for not breaking records. It’s an art film, not a blockbuster, which should help “Dune” on the awards circuit.

Elsewhere, “Clifford the Big Red Dog” is barking up the right tree for Paramount. Clifford has made $9.8 million since its opening on Wednesday and should finish tomorrow with $20 million — while also being available on streaming. Remember, “Clifford” was supposed to play the Toronto Film Festival and open in September. Then Paramount pulled it from the schedule. An executive regime change followed, Brian Robbins took Jim Gianopolous’s job, and “Clifford” was back with a new date.

More importantly, “Belfast” opened on Friday in 580 theaters and took in $680,000. That’s an excellent start for a non Marvel movie headed to many awards and accolades. Word of mouth should be great, and when awards nominations start coming in two weeks, “Belfast” will pop.

And what about “Tick Tick Boom”? Netflix has it in a couple of theaters including the Paris in New York but not much else. This is a mistake. “Tick Tick Boom” needs a depth charge. It’s a beautiful film and Andrew Garfield’s totally winning performance must be seen. He and Will Smith are now in a competition for Best Actor, along with Benedict Cumberbatch.

NBC Sets February 24, 2022 for Return of “Law & Order” Classic to Plug Thursday Hole

Roger Friedman
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NBC Sets February 24, 2022 for Return of “Law & Order” Classic to Plug Thursday Hole

And so, it’s here.

The OG “Law & Order” will return to the air after 12 years away on February 24, 2022. This will be the 21st season for the show which launched in 1990 and ran until 2010.

No word yet on the cast but Jeffrey Donovan, of “Burn Notice” fame, is said to be involved.

The reason for the “L&O” return is because a series spin off called “For the Defense” never made it to air or even to shooting a pilot. Ordered by NBC after Dick Wolf lobbied to have a whole night of “Law & Order” shows, “For the Defense” was never developed. At the last minute the network had to suck it up, admit it, and look to plug a hole on Thursdays before “SVU” and “Organized Crime.”

The original idea was to have “Manifest” on Thursdays. But NBC cancelled the popular show, sacrificing it for Wolf. This cause a big brouhaha, and now “Manifest” has two new seasons booked at Netflix.

“For the Defense” was never going to work. It meant that the police would be wrong in every episode, as the defense won. Whoops! That’s not the “Law & Order” formula. You’re supposed to have both sides. So, as I wrote when all this was going on, why not just go back to the original show?

Wolf and co. had meantime better take a look at Chris Meloni’s “Organized Crime.” They’ve dropped below 3 million viewers in overnights. The show is impossible to watch or enjoy. And constantly tying it to “SVU” is only hurting that show, which had another excellent episode this week.

“Organized Crime” is too violent, too plot driven, and not giving the fans what they want in developing characters. This week, Meloni’s Elliot Stabler shaved off his facial hair. That was one step forward. But there is much to do. Why not bring over some “SVU” vets to help out, like Tamara Tunie? Make the show less about Stabler’s feud with Wheatley. Tell some stories.  How about getting Paul Sorvino involved, Dick Wolf?

Not a Bon “Voyage”: ABBA’s First New Album in 39 Years Shmeared by New R&B Sensation Summer Walker

Roger Friedman
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Not a Bon “Voyage”: ABBA’s First New Album in 39 Years Shmeared by New R&B Sensation Summer Walker

ABBA has met their Waterloo.

“Voyage,” the group’s first new album since 1982, failed to cross the 80,000 mark in its first week of sales.

Instead, it wasn’t a very Bon “Voyage” as the album sold just over 79,000 copies according to hitsdailydouble.com.

Considering the money that was spent to launch this album, a minimum of double that amount would have been acceptable.

But double that amount was exactly what rising R&B sensation Summer Walker did with her breakout album. “Still Over It” sold 177,470 copies. Not bad! Walker also sold around 18,000 copies of her prior album, “Over It.”

Ed Sheeran’s “Equals” album dropped 59 % in its second week, selling just 50,000 copies despite his appearance on “Saturday Night Live.”

Taylor Swift fans, in anticipation of her “Red (Taylor’s Version)” release today, snapped up 50,000 copies of her “Folklore” and “Evermore” albums, and “Lover” (all of which she owns), and the old “Red” album.

 

 

(Listen) Here’s the Spotify Link to the Spectacular “Tick Tick Boom!” Soundtrack

Roger Friedman
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(Listen) Here’s the Spotify Link to the Spectacular “Tick Tick Boom!” Soundtrack

Lin Manuel Miranda’s “Tick Tick Boom!” is in some theaters today and on Netflix in two weeks. In the meantime, the soundtrack is spectacular featuring Andrew Garfield and the incredibly talented cast. This will be a Best Picture nominee, and Garfield is headed to the top 5 Best Actor candidates. Academy voters are going to love and embrace this movie.

Here’s the link to the stream on Spotify:

Taylor Swift Tells Jimmy Fallon She’ll Play 10 Minute Version of “All Too Well” on “SNL”

Roger Friedman
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Taylor Swift Tells Jimmy Fallon She’ll Play 10 Minute Version of “All Too Well” on “SNL”

Taylor Swift is the guest music act on “SNL” tomorrow night. She appeared on Jimmy Fallon’s and Seth Meyers’ talk shows last night, both on NBC and produced by Lorne Michaels. She told one of them, I think Jimmy (I was half asleep) that she’d play a three part song on “SNL” tomorrow night. That means the 10 minute version of “All Too Well” from her just released “Red (Taylor’s Version)” album.

“Red (Taylor’s Version)” is number 1 right now everywhere, and so are different iterations of it. This is the re-recorded version of “Red,” from 2012, with lots of extras, outtakes and unreleased versions of songs. It’s Swift’s revenge on Scooter Braun and Scott Borchetta for selling her masters for $300 million to a financial firm. She’s spent the whole year re-recording her catalog.

“All Too Well” turns out to be Taylor’s masterpiece. I didn’t know it at all, but now I do. And it’s pretty good. Billy Joel just called Swift the Beatles of her generation. He may be right.

Watch this version of “All Too Well” go right up to number 1 on iTunes tomorrow night. Even Adele will buy a copy!

(watch trailer) “Sex and the City: And Just Like That” Drops December 9th on HBO Max

Roger Friedman
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(watch trailer) “Sex and the City: And Just Like That” Drops December 9th on HBO Max

Circle Thursday, December 9th for the first two episodes of “Sex and the City: And Just Like That,” on HBO Max.

Eight more episodes will follow on subsequent Thursdays.

This is the updated “Sex and the City” without Kim Cattrall but with Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon, and Kristen Davis plus a raft of guest stars and new characters. It’s all about those wild girls in their 50s.

In the trailer, you’ll see a nice pic of Willie Garson as Stanford Blanch, the ladies’ gay friend. In real life, Garson very sadly died last month after battling pancreatic cancer. There’s a memorial service for him tomorrow in Los Angeles. I’ve heard that Elvis Costello, who’s in town for a show, will perform. They were great pals.

Bruce Willis “Stars” In “Apex Predator,” Another “D” Movie Straight to Video Three Weeks After Last One

Roger Friedman
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Bruce Willis “Stars” In “Apex Predator,” Another “D” Movie Straight to Video Three Weeks After Last One

Bruce Willis is second billed to “Desperate Housewives” and “Yellowstone” actor Neil McDonough in another D movie that’s gone straight to video. “Apex Predator” looks as bad and forgettable as it could be. Willis is barely in it, and hardly speaks, which is the way all of his releases work these days. You’d never know that he was once a movie star.

(Funny side note: they can’t decide if the movie is called “Apex” or “Apex Predator.” I think they added “Predator” when they realized no one who would watch it would know what “Apex” meant.)

It was only three weeks ago that another one of these horror films was released to video, that one with Patrick Muldoon. As usual, this one is executive produced by Stephen J. Eads with a long list of investors billed as “producers” including infamously bad actor Johnny Messner.

First, “Apex Predator” will play on AMC’s little known streaming service, then be available on DVD for anyone who still uses a player. In foreign speaking countries, clueless customers will watch it and think this is “Die Hard 73.”

What’s happened with Willis is cruel. You can’t imagine that if he were in possession of his faculties he would agree to see his career legacy destroyed. Someone in his family must be able to talk to him and explain what’s going on. This borders on senior abuse.

Review: Lin Manuel Miranda and Andrew Garfield Strike Oscar Gold with “Tick…Tick…Boom,” Story of “Rent” Writer Jonathan Larson

Roger Friedman
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Review: Lin Manuel Miranda and Andrew Garfield Strike Oscar Gold with “Tick…Tick…Boom,” Story of “Rent” Writer Jonathan Larson

Dealing with Netflix is no walk in the park, so I’m almost a little surprised that Lin Manuel Miranda’s “tick tick Boom” is opening tomorrow in some theaters, maybe the Paris in New York, who knows? Then next Friday it appears on the platform.

“tick tick Boom” is based on Jonathan Larson’s musical that he wrote before “Rent,” but altered to reflect the subsequent success of “Rent” and the tragic untimely death of Larson at age 35 the night before that landmark musical opened. Got that? And factor in that Miranda is the genius behind “Hamilton,” that he directed this adaptation but not the movie of his own musical, “In the Heights,” that bombed in June.

Anyway, at this late hour I can tell you that I loved this movie. It was a relief. I feel that Andrew Garfield, playing Larson, will be an Oscar nominee for Best Actor and could very well win. He has a Tony Award for a Broadway drama, the revival of “Angels in America.” Did we know he could sing? Or dance? We did not. If you go to a select theater tomorrow, Friday, you will see his talents on display. It’s a remarkable performance, and one I wish I’d known about a few weeks ago. But, hey.

Broadway fans, and there are plenty of them, will be head over heels in love with this movie. In one number, Miranda features some of the Great Light Way’s biggest stars, from Bernadette Peters and Brian Stokes Mitchell to Joel Grey, Bebe Neuwirth, and Chita Rivera. It’s a lot of fun, a real treat.

Beyond the Easter eggs, Miranda has made a compelling film of the story of Larson’s life, with a terrific supporting cast that includes Robin de Jesus, Alexandra Shipp, Vanessa Hudgens, Joshua Honey, a neat couple of moments with Judith Light, a cool exchange between Bradley Whitford as Stephen Sondheim and Richard Kind (as a fictitious composer), and so on.

Also kudos to production designer Alex DiGerlando, who rebuilt my beloved Moondance Diner from lower Sixth Avenue so well I wondered if it was still there and I’d just forgotten it. (It was replaced by an ugly modern building of no character or importance.)

But “tick tick BOOM” is really, in the end, all about Garfield, who’s so good and surprising and disarming that he gets mucho applause and appreciation. Larson is not someone anyone outside of the theater community ever knew, unfortunately, so it’s not like there’s a built in expectation. Garfield and Miranda built this character into a three dimensional person whom you will care about a lot. The work is equal to or better than almost anything we have this season. When audiences realize that this guy will never get to enjoy the fruits of his enormous labors, there will be a lot of Kleenexes being passed around.

Home Hit: Kevin Costner’s Red State Comfort Food “Yellowstone” Was the Most Watched Anything Last Week

Roger Friedman
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Home Hit: Kevin Costner’s Red State Comfort Food “Yellowstone” Was the Most Watched Anything Last Week

Every week there’s a new chart from Digital Entertainment Group of the movies most watched at home, rented on DVD or digital.

This week, “Free Guy” starring Ryan Reynolds, which I watched on a plane this weekend and was very enjoyable, was number 1.

Number 3 was M. Night Shyamalan’s “Old.” Beats me why, I thought it was terrible.

More importantly, number 2 was “Yellowstone, Season 4.” Number 11 is “Yellowstone Season 1.” Number 19 is Season 3.

“Yellowstone” is a TV series, and it’s the only in the top 20. In three spots.

“Yellowstone” is a rare phenom these days. As everyone reported recently, the Season 4 premiere o the Paramount Channel broke records for a cable show with well over 9 million people tuning in. “Yellowstone” did better than almost all broadcast network shows. It performed like “The Walking Dead” in its early, popular seasons.

What does this all mean? First of all, Kevin Costner, thirty years after “Dances with Wolves,” still has his finger on the pulse of the mainstream. He was a Reagan Republican back then, and something he’s doing now is tapping into that again. Of course, this time he’s doing it in partnership with another master storyteller, Taylor Sheridan.

Water cooler shows are hard to come by. But “Yellowstone” has tapped into something out there, and it’s worth paying attention. Is it the soap opera? The Western angle? Are these MAGA people? And if they are, what does that say about the electorate sitting at home. “Yellowstone” is set in Montana and shot in Utah. Not in Beverly Hills or Manhattan or any place urban or Blue. This is something to take notice of if you’re the Democratic party looking at mid term elections.

Stay tuned…

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