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Round Up: RIP CBS’s Ray Brady, Armie Hammer Loses a Job, “Sopranos” Prequel Moves, SAG Awards Stagger to April 4th

Roger Friedman
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Round Up: RIP CBS’s Ray Brady, Armie Hammer Loses a Job, “Sopranos” Prequel Moves, SAG Awards Stagger to April 4th

All movies of any value are leaving the first half of 2021. While we wait for James Bond “No Time to Die” to set itself up, here’s the latest:

David Chase’s “The Many Saints of Newark,” prequel to “The Sopranos,” is not opening in March. Warner Bros. has moved it to September 24th. March? Fuhgeddaboutit!

Alessando Nivola and Vera Farmiga lead this cast in a very anticipated film. September 12th would suggest Toronto or Telluride Film Festivals will be involved– if they happen at all. This date is flexible if this freakin’ pandemic isn’t in hand by then.

More immediately: the SAG Awards will play NBC on April 4th. They lost March 14th to the  Grammy Awards, who bigfooted them by taking the date without warning after canceling January 31st.

Armie Hammer is out of the Jennifer Lopez movie, “Shotgun Wedding.” He was going to play her fiancee. They should have called it “Cougar Wedding.” Armie is in trouble because of social media posts, and his response to them hasn’t been handled well. Now he seems to be planting nutty stuff in the Daily Mail on purpose. He said in a statement: “I’m not responding to these bullshit claims but in light of the vicious and spurious online attacks against me, I cannot in good conscience now leave my children for 4 months to shoot a film in the Dominican Republic. Lionsgate is supporting me in this and I’m grateful to them for that.”

He should be getting PR help. But you know, Armie is independently wealthy, so he doesn’t care. I wish he would take this more seriously and get it all straightened out. He is not a cannibal, or a drug addict.

Armie is still signed to play producer Al Ruddy in the miniseries about the making of “The Godfather” for Paramount Television. It’s called “The Offer” because no one could refuse it, not even Armie Hammer, even if he is a cannibal!

RIP Ray Brady, 94, long time CBS News business correspondent. He was a pro, his reporting was top notch and his delivery was excellent. I counted on Ray Brady to tell it like it was. Brady spent 28 years with CBS News, starting in 1972 when he joined CBS Radio. He retired in 2000 after 23 years as a correspondent for “CBS Evening News.”

Paula Salvatore has run Capitol Recording Studios forever. She’s been there about 30 years but looks 30 some how (no surgery either). Anyway, she’s the best. Everyone comes to her in LA to make their records, starting with Paul McCartney. Tommy Lipuma loved her. Every year she handles the pre-records for the Oscars, among her many resume highlights. Now word is Capitol is closing down her department. Paula will be in huge demand as word gets out. And rightly so.

 

Kennedy Center Finally Honors Dick van Dyke, Age 95, Plus Joan Baez, 80, Debbie Allen, Garth Brooks, Midori

Roger Friedman
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Kennedy Center Finally Honors Dick van Dyke, Age 95, Plus Joan Baez, 80, Debbie Allen, Garth Brooks, Midori

The Kennedy Center Honors finally got around to Dick van Dyke today. He’s 95, and they’re lucky he’s lasted this long. It’s kind of cruel how long they made him wait. But at least now, it’s done.

The great folk singer and performer Joan Baez, who’s just turned 80, is also in this new batch of inductees. She should have gotten in a long time ago, too.

The other three inductees this time around are Garth Brooks, violinist Midori, and actress choreographer Debbie Allen, all deserving and very good choices.

The Kennedy Center usually announces the inductees in the early summer, inducts them the first week of December and the show airs just before New Year’s.

But with the pandemic, there is no show, and no big ceremony. This time around the ceremony will be virtual and air in June, after May sweeps, on CBS.

Frankly, Bob Dylan had better induct Joan Baez. He can set aside his eccentricities for two minutes.

The June show will be the first under President Joe Biden. If there were no pandemic, it would also be the first year since Obama that the inductees went to the White House. But maybe if the pandemic eases, the Kennedy Center will return to its regular schedule, have another show in December and invite two years’ worth of honorees.

Still not in: Betty White, who turns 99 this week. Jane Fonda, who most definitely should be in already. The Rolling Stones, with whom the Kennedy Center can’t seem to make an arrangement, and Denzel Washington.

Inauguration Update: Bon Jovi, Demi Lovato, Justin Timberlake Set for Tom Hanks-Hosted TV Special, Springsteen a Possibility

Roger Friedman
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Inauguration Update: Bon Jovi, Demi Lovato, Justin Timberlake Set for Tom Hanks-Hosted TV Special, Springsteen a Possibility

UPDATE

Jon Bon Jovi, Demi Lovato, Justin Timberlake will headline a TV special for the Biden-Harris inauguration on January 20th, hosted by Tom Hanks. Bruce Springsteen may join in.

It would be great if Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band could play the Lincoln Memorial, just as Bruce did in January 2009 for Barack Obama. That concert, called “We Are One,” featured Bruce, and dozens more artists live outside for huge crowds. Additionally, Sting and Stevie Wonder performed on ABC while the Obama’s took their first dance.

This 90-minute program, called “Celebrating America,” will also feature remarks from the President-elect and the Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and will celebrate “American heroes” like front line workers, teachers and health care workers, among others.
“Our first priority is safety — so while many of us will be watching safely from our homes, we are creating real moments of connection that highlight a new inclusive American era of leadership that works for and represents all Americans,” said an organizer.

 

Bill Cosby’s Wife, Camille, Condemns Capitol Rioters as Mentally Ill: “Is America a democracy? Not yet, nor has it ever been…maybe soon”

Roger Friedman
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Bill Cosby’s Wife, Camille, Condemns Capitol Rioters as Mentally Ill: “Is America a democracy? Not yet, nor has it ever been…maybe soon”

I received a statement today from Camille Cosby, wife of Bill Cosby, about the Capitol rioters from last week.

Mrs. Cosby refers in her statement to a 1999 op-ed piece in the New York Times by the esteemed Dr. Alvin F. Poussaint, that racism is a mental illness. I agree with Dr. Poussaint, a long time associate and friend of Mrs. Cosby’s currently incarcerated husband. I am giving the link here to his essay.

Mrs. Cosby takes Dr. Poussaint’s essay a little further. I’ve sent the respected educator an email asking him what he thinks of her interpretation. I’ll add it here with an update if he responds.

Here’s Mrs. Cosby’s statement. I’ve split it into sections just to make it easier to read on this page:
Hatred is a hellish emotion. In recent years, hatred has been spewed by well known, public, demonic people…and condoned, sensationalized and disseminated by varied forms of irresponsible, greedy media. Racism is in the forefront of multiple types of hatred. Racism has been and is steeped in the foundation of America’s generational histories; ever since white people’s original settlements in this country.

Openly, specific white people committed brutal and murderous seizures of the homelands of indigenous people; savagely enslaved millions of Africans; and, afterwards, legalized numerous years of apartheid within our nation’s medical, financial, corporate, law enforcement, judicial, governmental and educational institutions…all of which are still hugely, racially problematic.

Evidently, those particular white people delusively and dementedly felt and believed that their male and female whiteness gave them lifelong entitlements and supremacy. Dr. Alvin F. Poussaint’s profound and timeless article, “They Hate. They Kill. Are They Insane?”, was originally printed as an opinion piece in the New York Times on August 26, 1999.

Dr. Poussaint was not then supported by his peers in the profession of psychiatry; probably because legions of psychiatrists have professional and personal histories of racism….but, each and every word in the article should resonate to clear-minded readers, in light of the recent in-your -face acts of racism that are sadly and grossly very familiar in the USA. The convergence of crazed mobs of white people, hell-bent on destructions and murders in African-American communities, have been all too common occurrences in this country.

This is a country that has not cleaned up its act pertaining to racial hatred. That should be a primary mandate amongst diverse white people and they should not look to people of color to resolve that ongoing, sociological filth of injustice. Is America a democracy? Not yet, nor has it ever been…maybe soon.  

New James Bond Movie On the Move Again to Fall Release, Affects Aretha Franklin Biopic “Respect”

Roger Friedman
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New James Bond Movie On the Move Again to Fall Release, Affects Aretha Franklin Biopic “Respect”

Poor Barbara Broccoli. I could say she’s ‘steamed.’ But she’s too nice to make puns on her name.

Nevertheless, the beleaguered producer of the James Bond movie franchise is about to see the latest installment moved again.

“No Time to Die,” directed by Cary Fukunaga, I’ve confirmed independently is on its way from its April opening to November. Again. Is this deja vu all over again? Yes. Remember, “No Time to Die” was supposed to open in April 2020, then moved to November 2020, then to April 2021.

But theaters in New York and Los Angeles are closed, the pandemic is raging everywhere, and Billie Eilish– who recorded the title track– is a year or two older by now.

Why not stream it? MGM tried that, and offered it to the big guns, but no one wanted to pay $600 million for the rights.

Anyway, we want to see “No Time to Die” on big screens. No TVs. We can wait. Once the vaccine takes old under Biden, the theater business will come roaring back after Labor Day.

Meantime, MGM is for sale. They have no money. And this affects the Aretha Franklin biopic, “Respect,” set now for an August release. MGM has no money to promote it and launch an Oscar campaign. Warner Media should really step in now and buy the film from them. Most of Aretha’s classic catalog in the movie is on their Atlantic Records. Warner’s should just swoop and take this over, and let Jennifer Hudson get her 2022 Oscar. Please.

 

Anna Wintour’s Winter of Discontent: Insults Kamala Harris as Vogue Steers Clear of Models, Attempts Seriousness

Roger Friedman
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Anna Wintour’s Winter of Discontent: Insults Kamala Harris as Vogue Steers Clear of Models, Attempts Seriousness

Anna Wintour is having a bad winter.

She’s insulted Vice President elect Kamala Harris by using a cover photo on Vogue that the VP’s staff didn’t approve. And, of course, they hate the one she chose.

This is for February Vogue, following January Vogue with Oscar winning actress and notorious sourpuss Frances McDormand on the cover. We love McDormand existentially, but for Vogue? Maybe the New Republic, or the Atlantic. (Is the New Republic still in business?)

Harris is presented in casual clothes with sneakers on. She’s giving her million dollar smile, so that helps. But couldn’t Wintour and her minions have come up with a clever way to make her look great and on a budget?

You see AOC was on the cover of Vanity Fair wearing very expensive, albeit borrowed, clothes. And readers went wild accusing her of abandoning her working class persona. Harris certainly wouldn’t want the same blow back. But how about some lighting? How about some effort?

Of course, Harris is Black, which isn’t Wintour’s forte in the first place. So she’s really getting creamed PR wise for blowing this project. And this, after Anna was appointed or anointed head of all Conde Nast editorial. This is like being named captain of the Titanic after they hit the iceberg.

And McDormand, then Harris– this isn’t Anna’s Vogue. This is Edward Enninful’s Vogue. The editor of British Vogue can pull off these intellectual race-crossing covers. Wintour cannot. She seems to have dropped celebrities and models in favor of Being Smart like Enninful, only to make a mess of it.

On top of all this, it’s February 1st. May 1st — the time of the Met Ball– is around the corner. Either plan it or abandon it. There’s just no way it’s going to happen until at least the fall, if ever. So Wintour really has her hands full. Enninful.

 

Anna Rose King, Filmmaker, Daughter of Late Syndication Exec Roger King, Dies at 35 from Lung Cancer

Roger Friedman
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Anna Rose King, Filmmaker, Daughter of Late Syndication Exec Roger King, Dies at 35 from Lung Cancer

Three years ago this past October I was invited to a small private screening for a movie called “Good Enough,” directed by Anna Rose King. She was the daughter of Roger King, the late syndication titan who put Oprah on the map. I thought, this has to be terrible but I’ll go, it’s near my house.

“Good Enough” was wonderful, as it turned out, and so was Anna Rose King. Not cashing in on her father, she was a self-starter with lots of great ideas. And she was just lovely– funny, open, articulate. Smart. Beautiful. I thought, she could be s a star. Anna Rose made a very good movie, one that I thought should have been at Sundance and released properly. We spent the evening talking about all this, and then, life went on.

Tonight I’ve learned that Anna Rose, 35, has died of lung cancer. What??? She was married and had a 4 year old daughter.

I did lose track of her but often wondered what had happened after that screening. She must have been diagnosed not long after that night. She had a few other directing credits, and last year she was selected as a 2020 Sundance Institute FilmTwo Fellow for her screenplay about a New York woman who seeks to cure her cancer by participating in an experimental treatment in Houston.

This is heartbreaking for her family and friends, and her admirers, of which I count myself as one. What a shame. So far, 2021 isn’t much better than 2020.

Read my original piece here. I took this photo, we set it up after the screening.

PS I don’t know if “Good Enough” is on iTunes, but if it is, take a look. You won’t be disappointed.

“Nomadland” Sweeps Gotham Awards with Best Feature, Audience Award on Its Way to the Oscars

Roger Friedman
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“Nomadland” Sweeps Gotham Awards with Best Feature, Audience Award on Its Way to the Oscars

“Nomadland” directed by Chloe Zhao swept the Gotham Awards tonight, winning Best Feature and the Audience Award.

The only award Nomadland lost was Best Actress. In an upset, Nicole Beharie won Best Actress for “Miss Juneteenth.”

The late Chadwick Boseman lost Best Actor to Riz Ahmed, for “The Sound of Metal.” They will each likely get Oscar nominations.

Presented virtually in a very clever way, the Gothams ran two hours and fifteen minutes and were full of fun, surprise winners, and lots of taken aback speakers. It wasn’t as good as being there live, but they did alright.

The Gothams are usually presented on the Monday after Thanksgiving, so they were late. The juries decide the awards in early fall, so many films weren’t available to them yet. But that’s ok this year.  “Nomadland” is exceptional, and on its way to the Oscar win for Best Picture.

There were tributes to Viola Davis, Ryan Murphy, and an Ensemble Award to Aaron Sorkin’s excellent “Trial of the Chicago 7.”

Best foreign film went to “Identifying Features.”

There were two ties: for screenplay, and for documentary. The screenplay awards went to “Forty Year Old Version” and “14.”

The documentary winners were “Time,” produced by the Obamas for Netflix, and “A Thousand Cuts.”

Compete official list coming….

 

 

Nicole Kidman In, Cate Blanchett Out as Lucille Ball in “I Love Lucy” Movie Written and Directed by Aaron Sorkin

Roger Friedman
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Nicole Kidman In, Cate Blanchett Out as Lucille Ball in “I Love Lucy” Movie Written and Directed by Aaron Sorkin

Can we handle the truth? We may never know why Nicole Kidman is in and Cate Blanchett is out as Lucille Ball in Aaron Sorkin’s movie about “I Love Lucy.”

Deadline reports that Sorkin will direct Kidman and Javier Bardem as Lucy and Desi Arnaz as they shoot an episode of “I Love Lucy” in a film for Amazon Studios.

“Being the Ricardos” is set for a spring production.

The news is a little startling because Blanchett was all signed up for the project three years ago. Lucy’s actress daughter, Lucie Arnaz, was thrilled and gave her blessing. Just last year, in December 2019, Arnaz told “Good Morning America” how excited she was about Blanchett.

“The first person they mentioned they wanted to inquire about playing [my mother] said, ‘Oh my God. Yes.’ And that was Cate Blanchett,” she said.

“She totally gets where my mother was coming from, and she’s going to be magnificent in this,” Arnaz said of Blanchett.

This last minute change is strange, too, because both of these Oscar winning Australian actresses are represented by CAA, Creative Artists Agency, and are at top of the heap in getting roles they want.

Cate would have been great, Nicole will be great. The main thing is Sorkin has got to show Lucille Ball as a gifted comedian who was also a shrewd businesswoman in a tempestuous marriage.

Arnaz told “GMA” that after seeing this movie, she wanted audiences to say: ‘I understand Desi. I understand Lucy I understand why they fell in love. I understand why they couldn’t stay married. And I understand why that show worked the way it did.’

Now Sorkin and co. have to find Fred and Ethel Mertz, which could be the scene stealing roles. Michael Chiklis must be emailing Sorkin every ten minutes– he’d be a great Fred. For Ethel, I’d cast Marielle Heller in a heartbeat. But no one asked me!

(Watch) Lana del Rey Drops Title Track from Forthcoming Album, “Chemtrails Over the Country Club”

Roger Friedman
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(Watch) Lana del Rey Drops Title Track from Forthcoming Album, “Chemtrails Over the Country Club”

See? Things aren’t so bad! Lana del Rey dropped the title track to her new album, “Chemtrails over the Country Club” today.

The album is coming March 19th and includes “Let Me Love You Like a Woman,” which should be a freakin’ hit already!

Here’s the tracklist:
1. White Dress
2. Chemtrails Over The Country Club
3. Tulsa Jesus Freak
4. Let Me Love You Like A Woman
5. Wild At Heart
6. Dark But Just A Game
7. Not All Who Wander Are Lost
8. Yosemite
9. Breaking Up Slowly
10. Dance Till We Die
11. For Free

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