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Michael Jackson Absolved: Second Accusation of Molestation is Dismissed By Court in Final Ruling

Roger Friedman
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Michael Jackson Absolved: Second Accusation of Molestation is Dismissed By Court in Final Ruling

“Leaving Neverland,” the documentary in which two men accused Michael Jackson of child molestation, has been repudiated in court.

The Los Angeles Superior Court this morning ruled against Wade Robson in CASE NO. BC508502 in claims against corporations owned by Michael Jackson and/or the Estate of Michael Jackson and dismissed his case again. The Michael Jackson Estate is represented by the late Howard Weitzman and Jonathan Steinsapir of Kinsella Weitzman Iser Kump LLP. Statement from Mr. Steinsapir:

“As of today, a summary judgment AGAINST Wade Robson has been granted three different times by two different judges of the Superior Court.

“Wade Robson has spent the last 8 years pursuing frivolous claims in different lawsuits against Michael Jackson’s estate and companies associated with it. Robson has taken nearly three dozen depositions and inspected and presented hundreds of thousands of documents trying to prove his claims, yet a Judge has once again ruled that Robson’s claims have no merit whatsoever, that no trial is necessary and that his latest case is dismissed,” said Jonathan Steinsapir, attorney for the Estate of Michael Jackson.

Previously, the case brought by James Safechuck against the Jackson estate was thrown out.

Robson and Safechuck not only sued Jackson but participated in the HBO documentary directed by Dan Reed in which they alleged molestation years after Jackson died. Oprah Winfrey bought their story hook, line, and sinker, and conducted interviews with them allowing the men to allege accusations without any solid evidence. Now the court has ruled against them. It’s over.

Oscars: All About Ann Roth, Now the Oldest Oscar Winner at Age 89, and The Fashion of the Academy Awards

Regina Weinreich
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Oscars: All About Ann Roth, Now the Oldest Oscar Winner at Age 89, and The Fashion of the Academy Awards

One could suspect from the way the Oscars were put together at LA’s Union Station, this was an unusual year. How do you dress for well, the imperative to simply show up? Some women took the Hollywood glam route: Amanda Seyfried’s red ball gown seemed from every camera angle to fill the room. Ditto for Angela Bassett’s pouf shoulders. Cleavage was a thing. And others rocked in covered up understatement: Olivia Coleman in demure Dior, Glenn Close dazzled in Armani Prive, even when she was wiggling her butt. The “Nomadland” women from multi-awarded Chloe Zhao to Frances McDormand whose wolf howl was the most musical note of the evening wore dour. Even the real-life nomads, like Swanky, so endearing and colorful in this desert toned movie, made up and coiffed, looked more dressed up.

But, had she attended, what would Ann Roth have said or worn collecting her umpteenth Oscar for costume design? A second-time winner at 89, like Anthony Hopkins at 83, she sat this one out. In 2012, Roth was honored for her work at the Hamptons International Film Festival. Here’s what I learned about her illustrious decades-long career:

Never ever confuse Ann Roth’s work with fashion. From the ensembles put together for Nathan Lane in “The Birdcage,” to the flimsy house dresses worn by Sally Field in “Places in the Heart,” to the spandex, crotch and derriere defining bell-bottoms worn by Pierce Brosnan, Stellan Skarsgard and Colin Firth in “Mamma Mia!,” these are costumes. “Oh, please!” she gasps if you suggest otherwise.

She did attend: Roth, smartly clad with cardigan draped over her shoulders, became straight-man to one of the most entertaining tributes ever, featuring anecdotes galore about Roth’s work, her attention to detail, her invented backstory for each character that defied the imagination of actors playing them. All this, so that the players could feel the parts, bringing award worthy performances.

As the late, beloved Mike Nichols put it, she collaborates on many aspects aside from costuming. She was responsible for Jane Fonda’s Klute haircut, that then became all the rage. For Nicole Kidman as Virginia Woolf in The Hours, Roth found a key to her look at a London cobbler’s shop when she was having a pair of shoes made. The craftsman said he had heard Woolf read on the radio as a boy and thought her sound had to do with her nose. Roth then suggested the infamous, transformative shnozz Kidman sported as the author of “Mrs. Dalloway.” Fonda and Kidman won the Best Actress Oscars for these roles.

But the 93rd Academy Awards eschewed the nonsense, and like the pandemic itself, made us all step up to what is necessary. While the academy honored the talent, featuring more inclusivity and diversity, the major change was women got more attention than ever. Accepting her Best Actress award, Frances McDormand noted her work is her sword. Or, as my daughter Jane observed about “Nomadland” director Chloe Zhao, she’s no B.S.

Steven Spielberg Unveils Trailer for “West Side Story” Featuring Original Cast Member Rita Moreno Singing “Somewhere”

Roger Friedman
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Steven Spielberg Unveils Trailer for “West Side Story” Featuring Original Cast Member Rita Moreno Singing “Somewhere”

Just by coincidence, Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story” is coming from Disney, and they hosted the Oscars on ABC, their company.

And so, last night the trailer for “West Side Story” was shown for the first time. Rita Moreno, Oscar winner from the original 1961 movie, is heard singing “Somewhere (There’s a Place for Us)” as we get a first look at the cast and the setting. And the verdict? It looks great. We want it to be great, so that’s nice. The movie looks like real “West Side Story” as opposed to the horrible version currently not playing on Broadway. Save your money for this one.

As for Disney, the movie is carrying the 20th Century Fox logo maybe for the last time.

Watch Anthony Hopkins Accept His Oscar, Pay Tribute to Chadwick Boseman: “At 83 Years of Age I Did Not Expect To Get This Award”

Roger Friedman
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Watch Anthony Hopkins Accept His Oscar, Pay Tribute to Chadwick Boseman: “At 83 Years of Age I Did Not Expect To Get This Award”

Sir Anthony Hopkins didn’t expect to win the Oscar for his landmark work in “The Father.” He went on a trip to his homeland of Wales instead. Like all of us, he thought Chadwick Boseman would win the Oscar for Best Actor. Hopkins paid tribute to him this morning on Instagram. It’s Hopkins’ second Oscar. His first was for the 1991 “Silence of the Lambs.” He was 53 then, and had labored for decades under the shadow a more famous Welsh actor, Richard Burton. But Hopkins has exceeded Burton, giving memorable performances in so many films like “Remains of the Day,” “Howard’s End,” “Shadowlands,” and so on. Bravo!

As for Boseman, it seems as though many Academy voters got cold feet in the last couple of weeks. A feeling that the vote would be “wasted” was heard a lot, even though everyone admired his work in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” He and Viola Davis won the Screen Actors Guild Award for that film, and I thought that would repeat at the Oscars. So that theory is out the window.

Watch Elton John & Dua Lipa Perform “Bennie & the Jets” at Oscar Party That Raised $3 Million

Roger Friedman
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Watch Elton John & Dua Lipa Perform “Bennie & the Jets” at Oscar Party That Raised $3 Million

Great news from Elton John. His pre-Oscar party was an enormous hit, raising $3 million in one for his Elton John AIDS Foundation. Dua Lipa performed, Neil Patrick Harris hosted, and there appearances by very special guests including Lady Gaga, Cynthia Erivo and the cast of It’s a Sin, among others.

For the first time, EJAF supporters worldwide were invited to attend the famed Oscar party by joining a 60-minute pre-show special produced by Fulwell 73 at Rosewood London. The one-of-a-kind Pre-Party was powered by Cisco Webex to securely bring the event to audiences.

Guests at the Pre-Party received a warm welcome from Sir Elton John and David Furnish, as well as special appearances from the likes of Olly Alexander, Nathaniel Curtis, Omari Douglas, Cynthia Erivo, Callum Scott Howells, Elizabeth Hurley, David Williams, Lydia West, and others. Neil Patrick Harris brought humor to the show and Dua Lipa lit up the virtual Pre-Party with performances of her chart-topping hits including, “Levitating,” “Pretty Please,” “Hallucinate” and “Don’t Start Now.” Guests were also treated to an extra-special duet with Sir Elton John and Dua Lipa performing “Bennie and the Jets” and “Love Again.” Following the Pre-Party, the live Oscars telecast portion of the evening was hosted by Emmy® Award-winning actor Eric McCormack and featured a performance by country singer MacKenzie Porter for donors and supporters.

‘We haven’t missed a year yet and we certainly weren’t going to miss our 29th annual Oscar Party to benefit my Foundation – even if it meant going virtual,’ Elton says. “It was so much fun to perform with the gorgeous Dua Lipa and open up our Party to supporters all over the world. I’m so grateful to Neil for hosting, everyone who attended and all my friends who participated so that we could continue this legendary event to raise vital funds to end the AIDS epidemic.”

Told Ya! Anthony Hopkins Won Best Actor After All But Didn’t Show — He Was in Wales on Holiday

Roger Friedman
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Told Ya! Anthony Hopkins Won Best Actor After All But Didn’t Show — He Was in Wales on Holiday

I told you this morning Anthony Hopkins wasn’t coming to the Oscars,

He won anyway.

But as I reported this morning he was in Wales, where he’s been on holiday. This morning he visited his father’s grave.

He’s been blissfully oblivious to the Oscars.

Everyone thought Chadwick Boseman would win posthumously for “Ma Rainey.” But in the, Hopkins’ tour de force performance was too much to overcome. Boseman will always be remembered in this highest regard.

The Oscar producers assumed Boseman would win, and changed the order of the show. They made Best Actor last , hoping to get a huge standing ovation for the late actor. But it backfired. And the final award had no winner present.

Next year, back to the old order, please.

Oscar Prognosticators Were Wrong About Most Everything: SAG Winners Lose, Stalwarts Win, Show was Refreshing

Roger Friedman
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Oscar Prognosticators Were Wrong About Most Everything: SAG Winners Lose, Stalwarts Win, Show was Refreshing

All the Oscar prognosticators were wrong. Frances McDormand and Anthony Hopkins won Best Actress, old stalwarts who already had Oscars.

The Academy added thousands of multi cultural people and still came up with conventional but deserving and talented winners.

Carey Mulligan did not win, despite a lot of hype.

Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman, who won the SAG Awards, lost. So much for the theory that SAG predicts the Oscars.

McDormand, looking unhappy and unkempt, still won the night by howling like a wolf when “Nomadland” won Best Picture.

Glenn Close lost for the umpteenth time, but stole the show in a scripted bit that was hilarious. She’s a gem.

The show was a little different than past Oscar broadcasts but I liked it. It was unadorned and familial. The setting of Union Station was intimate and just right. Next year, though, they should include the Best Songs.

But the show was refreshing and hit the right tone during the pandemic. Kudos to the producers.

 

 

Oscars Winners: “Nomadland” Best Picture, Frances McDormand Wins Third Oscar, Best Actor Anthony Hopkins, Best Director Chloe Zhao, Daniel Kaluuya, Youn Yuh-jung, “Soul”

Roger Friedman
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Oscars Winners: “Nomadland” Best Picture, Frances McDormand Wins Third Oscar, Best Actor Anthony Hopkins, Best Director Chloe Zhao, Daniel Kaluuya, Youn Yuh-jung, “Soul”

UPDATE: Nomadland wins Best Picture. Producers give Best Picture before best actor and actress for the first time in modern memory. Frances McDormand speaks as a producer and howls like a wolf.

Chloe Zhao has won the Oscar for directing “Nomadland.” She’s the first Asian female to win the award. It’s groundbreaking. History.

Daniel Kaluuya has won Best Supporting Actor for “Judas and the Black Messiah.”

“Sound of Metal” Best Sound

“Promising Young Woman” Best Original Screenplay
“The Father” Best Adapted Screenplay
“Two Distant Strangers” Live Action Short
Animated Short: If Anything Happens, I Love You
Animated Feature: “Soul”
Documentary Short: “Colette”
Documentary Feature: “My Octopus Teacher”
Visual Effects: “Tenet”
Best Supporting Actress: Youn Yuh-jung
Production Design: “Mank”
Cinematography: “Mank”
Film Editing: “Sound of Editing”
Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award: Tyler Perry
Original Score: “Soul”
Original Song: HER MUSIC from “Judas”
Best Picture: “Nomadland”
Actress in a Leading Role: Frances McDormand
Actor in a Leading Role: Anthony Hopkins

keep refreshing…

Anthony Hopkins Not at the Oscars, But Quoting Dylan Thomas at His Father’s Wales Graveside

Roger Friedman
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Anthony Hopkins Not at the Oscars, But Quoting Dylan Thomas at His Father’s Wales Graveside

Where is Oscar nominee Anthony Hopkins? Getting ready for the Oscars? No. He posted a Tweet from his father’s graveside in Wales. He’s quoting Dylan Thomas. And getting an Oscar for that as well as “The Father.” Beautiful.

Tonight’s Oscars Are About Great Movies, Not Box Office: It Was the Same in 1980 and Always Has Been

Roger Friedman
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Tonight’s Oscars Are About Great Movies, Not Box Office: It Was the Same in 1980 and Always Has Been

I’m seeing articles lamenting that the Best Picture nominees for tonight’s Oscars weren’t popular or didn’t have big box office numbers.

The Oscars are not a popularity contest. They’re about awarding craftsmanship. The movies chosen in every Oscar year are meant to last, and grow, as pieces of art, kids. Commercial art, maybe, yes. But it’s not about how many seats they filled, or how often they were streamed.

And it’s been like that always. I’ve chosen 1980, a wonderful year for film, an an example.

The Best Picture nominees were “Kramer vs. Kramer,” “Apocalypse Now,” “Norma Rae,” “Breaking Away,” and “All That Jazz.”

The winner was “Kramer,” which made $11.6 million on its release and didn’t ultimately hit $106 million until well after Oscar nominations and the win.

Runner up was “Apocalypse Now,” which ultimately earned $89 million, didn’t break $100 million and lost money. It became a classic over four decades.

The remaining three were not widely seen at the time and didn’t make much money. The lovely “Breaking Away” earned $16.8 million. “Norma Rae” was about $23 million. “All that Jazz” did a little better with $37.8 million.

All of them, despite low numbers in 1980, are still seen today and highly regarded and even kind of loved.

That is the case for every year. Sometimes you get a big box office hit in the mix. More than often you don’t.

Keep that in mind. This year’s films, in an odd pandemic year, were really terrific. “Nomadland,” “Minari,” “Chicago 7,” “Ma Rainey,” “The Father,” “Promising Young Woman,” “Judas and the Black Messiah,” “Billie Holiday,” — there isn’t a clunker in the group. Even “Mank” will remain watchable, and maybe more so as time goes by. Did they set box office records? No. But they added to the human condition. And that’s what this is all about.

PS There will be a rush to post the ratings tomorrow morning, wait and see — headlines about lowest rated Oscars ever. Let’s concede that point now, and just enjoy the show.

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