You do remember as “Avengers Endgame” concluded, Chris Evans handed Anthony Mackie Captain America’s red white and blue shield.
And now we see that Mackie aka Sam Wilson aka the Falcon has the shield is ready to use it as more than a breakfast tray. It’s all in the teaser for “Falcon and the Winter Soldier” coming to Disney Plus for six episodes beginning March 19th. Bucky Barnes is back in the person of Sebastian Stan.
Can’t wait for the Mack Attack!
EXCLUSIVE
After Monday’s explosive expose in the LA Times about the Golden Globes, you’d think the Hollywood trade papers would have followed with their own investigations.
The LA Times story blew apart the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for problems with finances, taxes, and race. Since then, Black actors finally realized there are no minority members of the HFPA, and they angry. Sterling K. Brown, Ava Duvernay and others are all asking questions.
But the Hollywood trades are going light light light on all of this. They’re doing the bare minimum required, regurgitating the LA Times story, letting them take the blame, and not rocking the boat.
In today’s Hollywood Reporter, the lone column on this subject points out there are “nice people” at the HFPA including the former president, and the now dead president. (As Taika Waititi might put it, not all Germans were Nazis.)
Why are the trades going so light? Because they are owned by the same corporate entity that owns Dick Clark Productions, producer of the Globes and financial partner. Millions are at stake. Originally DCP and the Hollywood Reporter were co-owned by Guggenheim Partners, spun off into a company called MRC. Then last year Penske Media, which owns Variety and Deadline, bought MRC. And now they’re all one happy company.
That leaves The Wrap, which I’ve never had much love for. I can tell you exclusively why they’re going light on the Globes and their machinations. According to the HFPA Form 990 tax filing for 2019, they donated $5,000 to the new 501 c3 charity set up by The Wrap’s Sharon Waxman. It’s called Wrap Women Foundation. I kid you not. Formed in 2018, the Wrap Women Foundation has one tax filing, for 2018. They claimed $62,472 in net assets. They gave nothing away. Zero. But in the process, they accepted $5,000 from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
(Guess who the officers are for The Wrap Women Foundation? Sharon Waxman is president. Claude Memmi is Head of Operations. They are married to each other. According to his LinkedIn page, Memmi is also head of HR at The Wrap. He’s also International Sales Director for Waxman Industries which he describes as “a manufacturer and trader of plumbing and bathroom products. We sell components to Europe’s largest manufacturers and retailers including The Porcelanosa Gruppo in Spain; Ronal in France; Artwegger in Austria; Hueppe in Germany; Opella in England; Mofem in Hungary.”)
Here’s the baloney from the Wrap Women Foundation Form 990: “What IS the organization’s primary exempt purpose? WRAPWOMEN FOUNDATION IS A CHARITABLE FOUNDATION ASSOCIATED WITH THE WRAP NEWS, INC, THE LEADING DIGITAL NEWS ORGANIZATION COVERING THE BUSINESS OF ENTERTAINMENT AND MEDIA WITH HIGH-PROFILE NEWSBREAKS WRAPWOMEN FOUNDATION IS A LEADING FORCE IN CREATING A MORE EQUITABLE WORLD FOR WOMEN IN ENTERTAINMENT, MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY CREATED IN THE WAKE OF THE #METOO MOVEMENT, THE FOUNDATION PROVIDES A PLATFORM TO COMBAT SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND PROMOTE GENDER EQUITY THROUGH MEDIA AND LIVE EVENTS THAT SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE FOUNDATION”
Really. Should The Wrap being accepting donations from an organization it’s supposedly covering objectively? Especially since the other trades are already in financial entanglements with the Globes?
So we’re not going to get much reporting on the HFPA or Globes from The Wrap. And the others, The Hollywood Reporter and Variety, are also going to let the LA Times and other “outsiders” do the dirty work.
Only in Hollywood kids, only in Hollywood.
The Golden Globes are on tomorrow night. I won’t miss them, and neither will you.
But the Globes are no predictor of the Oscars. When the Hollywood Foreign Press zigs, the Academy zags.
And this year is a little more unusual than most. Oscar ballots are just going out as the Globes make their choices. In normal years, the Academy has already finished voting the nominations. But this year, there’s a little breathing room in between. And that won’t be good for Globes winners.
In the main movie categories, I’m reading that Carey Mulligan might win Best Actress/Drama for “Promising Young Woman.” That almost assures Frances McDormand the Oscar for “Nomadland.” And rightly so. Much as I love Carey Mulligan, “PYW” is not a good movie. Her performance is terrific, but the material is far below “Nomadland.”
There’s also talk that “The Trial of the Chicago 7” will win Best Drama. Again, that should cinch “Nomadland” as Best Picture at the Oscars. You’re starting to get the routine, now, right?
Best Actor? Anthony Hopkins should win the Oscar for “The Father,”a movie that probably scared the older members of the HFPA by hitting a little too close to home. Will they go for Chadwick Boseman in a posthumous award? Eh, not really their style. Riz Ahmed? Heavy metal drumming also not their thing. I don’t know why, but I feel like Gary Oldman in “Mank” could be their choice.
Supporting Actor? Doesn’t Sacha Baron Cohen have this locked up for “Chicago 7”? Come on. He also has “Borat 2″ lined for Best Comedy. Could Cohen take three statues and also get Best Actor in a Comedy for ‘Borat 2”? LOL. I’d like to see that.
Best Actress in a Comedy/Musical? Michelle Pfeiffer would be my choice, for “French Exit.” But the HFPA likes newcomers. If the “Borat” train is running well, Maria Bakalova is a cinch here as Tutar.
Supporting actress? I’d say Amanda Seyfried for “Mank” will appeal to the Globes. That way, the road is cleared for Olivia Colman or even possibly Glenn Close at the Oscars. My choice is still Valerie Mahaffey for “French Exit,” but maybe she’ll win the Spirit Award.
And all the Globes scandals of this year? They will be forgotten tomorrow around noon if the ratings are halfway decent. The HFPA will not be making any changes. And that’s life in the Big City kids, Grow up!
PS I will be live Tweeting and blogging those Globes beginning at 7pm Sunday night.
Remember Morgan Wallen’s N word scandal? Not really?
No one who buys country music seems to remember it either. That was so four weeks ago!
Wallen was “suspended” by his record label, and terminated by his talent agency, music licensing company, and the Country Music Awards.
That was some tough suspension. Since then, Wallen has sold boatloads of records via streaming and downloading.
This week his double album, called “Dangerous: The Double Album” for country fans who couldn’t figure that headscratcher out. went over the 1 million sales mark to 1.1 million.
The album is STILL number on iTunes with 172,000 copies of CDs and downloads.
And all this despite TMZ catching him using the N word on tape. His fans didn’t care. I’m surprised Donald Trump doesn’t have him as an opening act at CPAC or biPap or whatever it’s called tomorrow.
Yee hah!
A Black Superman? Unthinkable? Think again.
Producer JJ Abrams has hired famed writer Ta-Nehisi Coates to write a Superman screenplay for him at Warner Bros. Coates certainly isn’t hired to write the same old thing. The award winning journalist and essayist is going to bring in a first draft that we suspect will a very different look at Krypton and Superman’s origins.
The question is, if this project picks up steam, who plays Superman? Some say John Boeyga, now of “Small Axe” and “Star Wars” fame. He’d be a fine choice.
But something tells me that Michael B. Jordan has been showing off photos of his fit physique on Instagram and in the tabloids for a reason. He’s ready for a cape and a latex bodysuit. And wouldn’t it make sense? Most of the movie Supermen came from soap operas. That’s where Chris Reeve was discovered. Jordan started his career on “All My Children.”
No, Idris Elba is too old, I’m afraid, to go flying around. But Jordan was killed off of “Black Panther,” so presumably he won’t be back at that franchise (you never know). And there will be a long line of candidates no doubt, ready to play Lois Lane, Perry White, Jimmy Olsen, and Lex Luthor.
And yes it’s about time.
Good news: “The Conners” won Wednesday night with the highest rated broadcast show. The former “Roseanne” sitcom pulled in 3.789 million viewers.
They narrowly beat “The Goldbergs” which precedes them by an hour on ABC.
But this isn’t saying much. “The Conners” used to have 3 million more fans when it ran on Tuesdays at 8pm. Wednesdays at 9 hasn’t been easy.
“The Conners” also benefited from NBC’s “Chicago” shows all being reruns last night. Usually, they would win.
Over on cable, Rachel Maddow once beat Sean Hannity at 9pm, MSNBC is kicking FoxNews’s ass. As it should be. Maddow had 3.4 million vs Hannity’s 2.8 million. The Fox audience has left. Maybe they’re in rehab!
The Fox ratings disaster is now affecting Tucker Carlson. His ratings are dropping incrementally. On Wednesday he was down to 3 million. If MSNBC moved Chris Hayes out and put Joy Reid in at 8, they could beat him. They should reverse their shows.
Despite the scandals surrounding the Golden Globes, there are plenty of highlights. Jane Fonda and Norman Lear are receiving Lifetime Achievement Awards, for movies and television, respectively, and philanthropy and activism. They are remarkable people.
Fonda and Lear were interviewed together on Zoom for the Globes. I’m hoping to get the full video. But in the meantime, here are some quotes.
The Globes are on Sunday at 7pm on NBC.
On being selected as the Cecil b. deMille and Carol Burnett recipients:
Fonda: “I burst into tears. It was so unexpected. And it’s such a great honor. And it made me so happy that I burst into tears. I’m so grateful to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.”
Lear: “I burst into an image – If I was ever sandwiched between Jane Fonda and Carol Burnett. I can’t tell you how much I love that image and how proud I am to be in the middle of those two.”
On Norman knowing Carol Burnett, her having a special place in his heart, and now receiving her namesake Award:
Lear: “Oh my god. Yes. For all the years before I got really started. There was The Carol Burnett Show for a number of years. And nobody ever made me laugh harder. You know, Jane you may remember – I’ve said it so much all my life that I couldn’t believe anything more than that – laughter adds time to your life.”
On Norman living in Peter Fonda’s home:
Lear: “I bought a home from the Actor Paul Heinreid. And we were starting to raise our older children. We have six children, the three older children were raised in a home I bought from Paul Heinreid. I lived in that home for a little while. He was a major star at the time. I lived at home for a little while and I had to, I had to change a fuse once and I went down to the fuse box. And for the first time I saw these names I saw Mr. Fonda’s dressing room, Mrs. Fonda, there’s Fonda Fonda Fonda. And I couldn’t get over it – that all the years Henry lived in that home and never changed those fuse boxes. The name Fonda, he wished to honor.”
Fonda: “And I remember when, when I visited you when you lived in that house. And we went down to the basement and we looked at my mother’s writing on those fuse boxes. It meant the world to me.”
Lear: “I lived in it for 30 years and never ever considered changing it.”
On Norman extending a hand to Jane:
Fonda: “I’ll tell you something that I remember really well. At the height of my being controversial, and I wasn’t getting hired very much. You invited me to be on stage with John Wayne, for the launch of People for the American Way. And that meant the world to me, because that wasn’t happening to me very often then and you went out of your way to send me a signal that I was still acceptable in the Hollywood crowd.”
Lear: “I’ll never forget that, and I can see you – Honest to God, this is true – I can see you on that stage right now. I see you standing there. There is a photographic image that I’ve seen a number of times through the years.”
On Fire Drill Fridays:
Fonda: “Fire Drill Fridays! Norman came, Norman and his wife Lyn, came to my Fire Drill Friday rally, the first one that we had in Los Angeles after we left Washington, D.C. And he spoke, and then he marched with us to the offices of Matador Oil Company. He was ready to risk arrest. He’s a brave man. That meant the world to all of us.”
Lear: “I was kind of disappointed that I didn’t get arrested! I have yet to get arrested.”
Fonda: “Stick with me kid.”
On what Jane respects about Norman:
Fonda: “Norman is the greatest genius. He was the first of this and he did it the most geniusly – I’m thinking of All in the Family – to put social problems, social divisions on major mass culture. So that people began to question their racism, their xenophobia, their misogyny, while they were laughing. See, Norman understands. The great thing about laughter is your guard is down. And when your guard is down, new ideas can come through to you because you know, you’re not prepared. And so he allowed people to receive new and more progressive ideas while they were laughing. There’s no greater gift – artists who can do that.”
On Norman continuing to work:
Lear: “There’s no reason for it except appetite. You know, I’ve had as good a time in this business as anybody has ever had in any business ever I think in the history of humanity. And I love it. There is no greater spiritual experience than watching 200 people laugh when they come out of their seats and roll forward in a big laugh, belly laugh. And I love it. It’s enhanced my life. Every minute of it.”
Fonda: “I know why you’ve lived so long. You know, I’ve written a book about age. And I’ve interviewed at least a dozen people over 100. And they all have one thing in common: humor.”
On a favorite Golden Globes moment:
Lear: “The year we had lobster rolls.”
Fonda: “I had retired from the entertainment business – I had no intention of coming back. My son, the actor Troy Garrity was nominated for a Golden Globe for his role in Soldier’s Girl, and he invited me to be his plus one, his escort. And walking the red carpet with my son when he was the one that was being nominated – he lost to Al Pacino, he should have won – but I mean, losing to Al Pacino isn’t so bad. That was the most fun that I ever had.”
Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr were the leaders of the 5th Dimension, the very underrated R&B pop group that stormed the charts from the mid 60s to the mid 70s. All of the group including Ron Townson, Florence Larue, and Lamonte McLemore had extraordinary voices that blended together in perfection for songs like “Aquarius,” “Up, Up, and Away.”
McCoo and Davis went on to have a big hit apart from the group called “You Don’t Have to Be a Star (to be in My Show).”
Now the couple, married 51 years, are releasing an album of Lennon and McCartney covers called “Blackbird: Lennon-McCartney Icons.”
Today comes their rendition of Paul McCartney’s “Blackbird,” It’s a solo from Marilyn, and of course, it’s a knockout performance. (On the album Billy has some solos that will blow you away, too.)
Marilyn never got the recognition of a Dionne Warwick or Whitney Houston, but she always deserved it. She’s as good, a singer’s singer, whose voice has aged like a fine wine.
They say in a release: “Why Blackbird? Why now? It is a reflection of the truth we are living today. We chose this date to release Blackbird in honor of the last week of Black History Month. When a blackbird leaves our mother’s nest, one day, it will not return. In 2021, mothers throughout our country live in the fear that our blackbirds may prematurely not be able to return
to the nest of home, because of bigotry and violence… Blackbird, is dedicated to the life and humanity of every blackbird, whether living now or lost in battle.”
Wait til you hear this whole album! But right now, here’s “Blackbird.”
and then there’s this, just as a Friday gift:
The other big reveal in this incredible interview with James Corden and Prince Harry: Harry is “more comfortable” with “The Crown” than stories made up about him in the press.
When Corden asks who Harry would choose to play him, he answers, “Damian Lewis,” the actor from “Billions” and “Homeland.”
Corden agrees and says he should play Prince William. Harry is not so sure.
James Corden filmed an extraordinary video with Prince Harry that aired last night on his talk show. Kudos to Corden and producer Ben Winston. Amazing. Just watch this.
They ride on an open air tour bus and Harry admits he’s never been on one. He tells Corden that he will never walk away from his family in the UK but had to leave London and the press because “it was destroying my mental health.”
The whole piece is so candid, relaxed, and funny it’s mind blowing. Harry says he likes “The Crown” and is more comfortable watching than reading the stories made up about him in the press.
Harry and Corden also tackle a military obstacle course for real. Harry turns out to be super fit. Corden doesn’t do too badly, all things considered.
Their whole conversation, including Harry revealing that Queen Elizabeth sent them a waffle maker for Christmas, is brilliant. And Prince Philip “my grandfather” knows how to use Zoom but ends conversations just by closing the computer.
This is as good as Corden and Winston’s Paul McCartney special. An Emmy winner for sure.
PS Don’t miss the part where they visit the mansion from “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.” Harry raps the theme song and uses the bathroom. Genius.