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Venice Film Festival Jury Includes Last 2 Oscar Winning Directors, Bong Joon Ho and Chloe Zhao, Plus Cynthia Erivo

Roger Friedman
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Venice Film Festival Jury Includes Last 2 Oscar Winning Directors, Bong Joon Ho and Chloe Zhao, Plus Cynthia Erivo

The Venice Film Festival doesn’t begin until September 2nd– many weeks away– but they’re ramping up with big announcements.

The jury will consist of the last two Oscar winning directors — Chloe Zhao of “Nomadland:” and Bong Joon Ho, who made “Parasite.”

The other jurors announced include Tony winning and Oscar nominated actress Cynthia Erivo, Belgian/French actress Virginie Efira, Italian director Saverio Costanzo, Canadian actress and producer Sarah Gadon, and Romanian directorAlexander Nanau.

They are an eclectic group, to say the least. There are no American actors. Their choices will be very interesting.

The opening night film, called “Parallel Mothers,” reunites director Pedro Almodovar with one of his stars, Penelope Cruz. If for some reason you’ve never seen “Volver,” watch it immediately. It’s one of the great films of all time.

 

 

Kanye West Called George W. Bush Racist on TV in 2005, Names New Song for His “No Child Left Behind” Program

Roger Friedman
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Kanye West Called George W. Bush Racist on TV in 2005, Names New Song for His “No Child Left Behind” Program

We’re coming up on 16th anniversary for Kanye West and George W. Bush. Kanye called then President Bush a racist on national television on the Hurricane Katrina telethon September 2, 2005. He blurted out on live TV, “George Bush doesn’t care about Black people.”

It was the first time realized collectively that Kanye had no control over his mouth.

Flash forward to last night. Kanye released a snippet of a new song called “No Child Left Behind. It’s from his “Donda” album, coming Thursday night with a listening party in Atlanta. The song, with the refrain “He’s done miracles on me,” set against a church organ indicates a religious theme in keeping with Kanye’s last couple of Christian themed albums. Ut’s used in a commercial for a decidedly unreligious product, Beats headphones by Dr. Dre, for Apple.

But the title is most interesting. Reports failed to note that “No Child Left Behind” was the name of a famous Bush administration program from 2001, designed to help poor and needy kids. It was ambitious but is also considered a historical failure.

Meantime, in the clip below, you can see Bush years later telling Matt Lauer of the Today show how much Kanye’s declaration hurt him. “It was disgusting,” Bush said.

In the time since, Kanye has become a Trump thumping Republican. And Trump became the enemy of the Bushes. So this new reference back to Bush by Kanye should signal that trouble is coming with “Donda.”

“Jeopardy!” Fell Back To Its All Time Low with Dr. Sanjah Gupta’s Second Week as Guest Host

Roger Friedman
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“Jeopardy!” Fell Back To Its All Time Low with Dr. Sanjah Gupta’s Second Week as Guest Host

Well, people are on vacation. Or something.

But Dr. Sanjay Gupta did not have the right prescription to cure “Jeopardy”‘s ratings woes during his second week of guest hosting.

“Jeopardy” fell 4% back to its all time low of 4.7 million for the week ending July 11th. This tied the all time low set by Savannah Guthrie.

Last week, George Stephanopolous took over. This week, his “GMA” co-host Robin Roberts is at the podium. Next week, we finally see if Levar Burton has the right stuff.

This week the categories seem very odd and niche, and certainly aimed at a younger demo. On Monday there was a whole category devoted to podcasts– the companies that make them, the hosts. Very arcane. I don’t mind saying, I lost that whole column. Maybe this is why ratings are down, I don’t know.

In other news of syndicated ratings, Ellen DeGeneres fell back to her all time low of 800,000 viewers. Drew Barrymore dropped 20% to 400,000 fans per day.

Kanye West Listening Party at Atlanta Stadium Isn’t Selling, Tickets for “Donda” At All Prices

Roger Friedman
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Kanye West Listening Party at Atlanta Stadium Isn’t Selling, Tickets for “Donda” At All Prices

Slavery is a choice, Kanye West says, and so is buying tickets for his album listening session this Thursday in Atlanta.

The Mercedes Benz stadium event for the album “Donda” isn’t selling very well. There are tickets available at every price. If you really want to get in there, $150 seems to be the price point although some poor shnooks are re-selling seats for $900. They may be disappointed.

Kanye seems to be dropping “Donda” on Thursday night. The big question is, after a short surge of interest, will anyone care? He’s wrecked his career by stumping for Trump, mouthing off crazy statements, and so on. The only people who will benefit from a new album will be the ones who wrote the songs he sampled. If they get paid.

48 hours to go…get with it, Atlanta!

Bob Dylan’s “Shadow Kingdom” Streaming Show is a HIT, Will Stay Up Longer on Live Nation Service

Roger Friedman
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Bob Dylan’s “Shadow Kingdom” Streaming Show is a HIT, Will Stay Up Longer on Live Nation Service

If you haven’t seen Bob Dylan’s “Shadow Kingdom” yet, you are really missing something great.

It’s been such a hit on Veeps.com that they’ve decided to keep the streaming concert up a few more days, through July 25th.

Veeps.com is a streaming service developed by Benji and Joel Madden, the 41-year-old twins who front Good Charlotte. One of them is married to Nicole Richie and the other one is Cameron Diaz. They and and their partners sold Veeps last January to Live Nation. Michael Rapino saw a good thing, that’s for sure.

Originally the Dylan video was supposed to be up for 48 hours. But I guess a lot of people want to see it, or keep re-watching it. It’s the perfect venue for older artists like Dylan. Veeps gives artists a way to monetize their live performances via video. If “Shadow Kingdom” is any evidence, other artists are going to start using it.

 

Watch Trailer: Matt Damon and Ben Affleck Get All Medieval on Adam Driver in New Ridley Scott Film

Roger Friedman
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Watch Trailer: Matt Damon and Ben Affleck Get All Medieval on Adam Driver in New Ridley Scott Film

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck get all medieval on Adam Driver in Rrdley Scott’s new swashbuckler, “The Last Duel.”

The trailer looks like “Gladiator” meets “Game of Thrones.”

For Damon, this is his reunion with Ridley Scott after their great collaboration on “The Martian.”

Alternate title: “Bad Will Hunting.”

Coming October 15th from 20th Century formerly Fox now Disney Studios.

“Dear Evan Hansen” Will Open Partially In Person Toronto Film Festival That Includes “Clifford the Big Red Dog”

Roger Friedman
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“Dear Evan Hansen” Will Open Partially In Person Toronto Film Festival That Includes “Clifford the Big Red Dog”

TIFF 2021 is on, and partially in person thanks to relaxed border restrictions announced by Canada yesterday. The film version of “Dear Evan Hansen” will open the festival and there are plenty of exciting features. What they don’t have yet are the Cannes winner, “Titane,” or Wes Anderson’s “The French Dispatch,” and few others they may add over the next month. They did include a children’s movie, the live action “Clifford the Big Red Dog,” which looks like it might be an ironic horror film. (Just kidding! We love Clifford!)

 

GALA PRESENTATIONS 2021
*previously announced

*Belfast Kenneth Branagh | United Kingdom
World Premiere

Clifford the Big Red Dog Walt Becker | USA/United Kingdom/Canada
World Premiere

Opening Night Film.
Dear Evan Hansen Stephen Chbosky | USA
World Premiere

The Electrical Life of Louis Wain Will Sharpe | United Kingdom
Canadian Premiere

The Eyes of Tammy Faye Michael Showalter | USA
World Premiere

*Jagged Alison Klayman | USA
World Premiere

*Last Night in Soho Edgar Wright | United Kingdom
North American Premiere

*The Mad Women’s Ball (Le Bal des folles) Mélanie Laurent | France
World Premiere

*Night Raiders Danis Goulet | Canada/New Zealand
North American Premiere

.Closing Night Film.
One Second Zhang Yimou | China
North American Premiere

The Survivor Barry Levinson | USA/Canada/Hungary
World Premiere

SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS 2021
*previously announced

Ali & Ava Clio Barnard | United Kingdom
North American Premiere

All My Puny Sorrows Michael McGowan | Canada
World Premiere

*Benediction Terence Davies | United Kingdom
World Premiere

Bergman Island Mia Hansen-Løve | France
International Premiere

*Charlotte Eric Warin, Tahir Rana | Canada/France/Belgium
World Premiere

*Dionne Warwick: Don’t Make Me Over Dave Wooley, David Heilbroner | USA
World Premiere

Drive My Car Ryusuke Hamaguchi | Japan
North American Premiere

Encounter Michael Pearce | United Kingdom/USA
International Premiere

*The Guilty Antoine Fuqua | USA
World Premiere

I’m Your Man Maria Schrader | Germany
North American Premiere

Inexorable Fabrice du Welz | Belgium/France
International Premiere

*Lakewood Phillip Noyce | Canada
World Premiere

The Middle Man Bent Hamer | Norway/Canada/Germany/Denmark
World Premiere

Official Competition (Competencia Oficial) Mariano Cohn, Gastón Duprat | Spain/Argentina
North American Premiere

Paris, 13th District (Les Olympiades) Jacques Audiard | France
North American Premiere

*Petite Maman Céline Sciamma | France
Canadian Premiere

*The Starling Theodore Melfi | USA
World Premiere

The Story of My Wife Ildikó Enyedi | Hungary/Germany/Italy/France
North American Premiere

Three Floors (Tre Piani) Nanni Moretti | Italy/France
North American Premiere

Violet Justine Bateman | USA
International Premiere *already acquired by Relativity/Rogue, yes this is Justin Bateman from “Family Ties,” sister of actor-director Jason Bateman. Has a lot of huzz!

The Worst Person In The World (Verdens Verste Menneske) Joachim Trier | Norway/France/Sweden/Denmark
North American Premiere

TV’s “Manifest” May Have a Destiny At NBC After All: Insiders Say Network May Rethink Cancellation

Roger Friedman
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0
TV’s “Manifest” May Have a Destiny At NBC After All: Insiders Say Network May Rethink Cancellation

EXCLUSIVE

NBC’s “Manifest” may have a better destiny than previously thought.

The show’s fans have been in abject misery since it was cancelled by the network in favor of “Law & Order: For the Defense.”

But as we all know, “For the Defense” simply didn’t happen. There is no show. In an odd and surprising move for a television network in 2021, “For the Defense” was withdrawn due to lack of it ever being developed. (That’s another story.)

Now I’m told by insiders that the “Manifest” crew was told not to strike the sets. A cancelled show would have already been tossed in the garbage can. But not “Manifest.” Everything is said to be on hold.

NBC needs to get “Manifest” back and they know it. It was the number 1 show on Netflix and on all of streaming a month ago. It has a hardcore fan base that wants to know what happened to the people on that plane. Frankly, it’s a lot like “Lost,” which is a good thing.

Also, NBC is in big trouble with “For the Defense” evaporated. There’s only so much “SVU” and “Organized Crime” that can be made and shown to fill Thursdays. The idea of bringing “Blacklist” to Thursdays is a temporary remedy at best. (“Blacklist” is a show famous not being watched by anyone.)

So hold on, “Manifest” fans. Creator Jeff Rake may know something is in the works. On July 14th he Tweeted: “I’m not giving up. Keep the faith.” Yesterday he repeated that by ending a Tweet with: “And keep the faith. You are being heard. How could you not be?”

Crazier things have happened.

What Year Is It? Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin, Jackson 5, Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell Rule iTunes Top 100

Roger Friedman
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What Year Is It? Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin, Jackson 5, Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell Rule iTunes Top 100

What year is it? 1968?

In the top five right now and for the last couple of days on iTunes: “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, and “Sittin on the Dock of the Bay,” by Otis Redding. Each of them is a key anthem of the classic soul era.

They are wedged in between hits by Olivia Rodrigo and Ed Sheeran.

Those Golden Oldies aren’t the only ones holding spots on the iTunes charts. Singles by the Jackson 5, Aretha Franklin, the Righteous Brothers, Gloria Gaynor, the Commodores, and the Gap Band are all in the mix in the top 100. So is James Brown’s “I Got You.”

Even more strangely comes “Somebody’s Watching Me,” by Rockwell (really Michael Jackson singing lead), Puff Daddy and Faith Evans’ Police remake with “I’ll Be Missing You,” and two different cover versions of “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” Mariah Carey’s 20 year old hit, “We Belong Together” is with them.

If that wasn’t weird enough, Dave Grohl and the Foo Fighters have made an album of Bee Gees covers that’s in the top 5 albums. Two of the songs are on the iTunes top 100.

Add to that the presence in two spots of Biz Markie’s hip hop classic, “Just a Friend.” He passed away this week at age 57.

So we are definitely in a nostalgic mood this summer. Funny that it’s 50 years since a summer of great originality and innovation. We are on the downside of originality, that’s for sure.

Ain’t No Mountain High Enough was written by Nik Ashford and Valerie Simpson. Otis Redding wrote “Dock of the Bay.”

 

Prince Harry to Publish “Literary” Memoir in Effort to Further Annoy Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles

Roger Friedman
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Prince Harry to Publish “Literary” Memoir in Effort to Further Annoy Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles

Prince Harry — I have a theory now that he’s trying to drive his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, into retirement or worse by embarrassing and annoying her so much that she’ll step down.

Harry — who has no last name — will publish a memoir with Random House in 2022. If it’s really bad, and Queen Elizabeth is still in charge, she will concede the throne to Charles, who’s been waiting his whole life for something to do.

Harry says he’s not writing the book as a prince but as the man he’s become. That’s a man who gone from sympathetic to villainous in a short time as he racks up paydays at Netflix, Apple, and now Random House. It’s unclear after the Oprah interviews, etc what’s left to say, unless he’s going to admit that Charles isn’t his father.

The book is being written by J.R. Moehringer. Advance is unknown, but if he got less than a million bucks, everyone would be surprised.

PS Already a selection of Oprah’s book club!

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