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Whitney Houston Biopic Gets a Studio, After We Told You Exclusively About the Project Last November

Roger Friedman
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Whitney Houston Biopic Gets a Studio, After We Told You Exclusively About the Project Last November

I told you on November 19, 2019 that Anthony McCarten was writing the screenplay for the Whitney Houston biopic. Exclusively.

I told you in April that the movie was a ‘go’ with Clive Davis executive producing. And Stella Meghie directing. Anyone remember that?

Deadline.com is trying to take credit. No.

Now today comes the official word that the movie will come from Sony’s Tri-Star division. It’s set for Christmas 2022. Casting is a long way off. My guess is there will be an unknown playing Whitney. It’s unclear how much editorial control Whitney’s estate– meaning her sister in law, Pat Houston– will exert. Will it be a just big kiss? Or will it tell the truth about how Whitney’s brothers hooked her on drugs?

Will the movie also perpetuate the story from the estate’s documentary that Whitney and one brother were molested by their cousin, Dee Dee Warwick? Dee Dee’s sister, Dionne, will be furious if so. (No one knows if this is true, so, they have to be careful.)

And who will play Clive Davis? When Clive first signed Whitney he was around 50. I think they should get Stanley Tucci, but no one asked me. And Kevin Costner? (Logan Marshall Green, call your agent.)

Titles? You know they want to call it “I Will Always Love You.” Dolly Parton would be thrilled because she’ll get more money for the license if they name the movie after her song. And who will the musical director be? I’m sure David Foster is all over it.  (He probably wants to play himself!)

 

Reality Hits: Radio City Music Hall Cancels Christmas Spectacular 1st Time Since 1933, Bad Omen for Movies, Theater

Roger Friedman
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Reality Hits: Radio City Music Hall Cancels Christmas Spectacular 1st Time Since 1933, Bad Omen for Movies, Theater

Reality has set in: Radio City Music Hall has cancelled the Christmas Spectacular for the first time since 1933.

I give them credit for acknowledging the inevitable instead of saying it might happen or could be virtual. No. It simply can’t happen. They can’t have 5,000 people jam into the world’s most famous theater during this pandemic.

And this should tell us what’s going to happen with movie theaters. If Radio City isn’t opening, neither are they. “Tenet” is not going to play in New York over Labor Day weekend. Until there’s a vaccine, there will be no Broadway or any other live theater. Not this fall, and not this winter.

New York– and most cities– are going to be very different this holiday season. It’s time to face facts.  This means a stunning amount of unemployment– not just for the Rockettes, but for the entire production.

“We regret that the 2020 production of the Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes … has been canceled due to continued uncertainty associated with the COVID-19 pandemic,” said a Tuesday statement from MSG Entertainment.

“We are disappointed for everyone involved with the show, as well as for the many fans who make the Christmas Spectacular a cherished part of their holiday tradition.”

 

Justin Bieber Goes All in On Christian Worship, Posting Long Jesus Message to Instagram Followers

Roger Friedman
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Justin Bieber Goes All in On Christian Worship, Posting Long Jesus Message to Instagram Followers

Justin Bieber was famous in his teens and early 20s for starting fights with neighbors, pouring buckets of water on unsuspecting fans, and causing general mayhem. He ran into some big legal problems because of it.

He has since turned to religion. He’s famous for his devotion to Hillsong church and their celebrity pastors. So far his music hasn’t reflected the transition, but maybe it will coming up. Yesterday he posted his first all out Christian message to his Instagram followers.

How will the non-religious or non-Christians feel about a new proselytizing Bieber? And will this new very public devotion be reflected in his stage show next year? Stay tuned…

Bieber wrote:

“Jesus is the answer to our shame, guilt, condemnation, jealousy, bitterness, unforgiveness, selfishness the list goes on.. Jesus came to bring healing! I don’t know what idea of Jesus you have but Jesus came to save us. He came to sacrifice himself on the cross so that you and I could have a way out. Jesus took the punishment of our wrongs so that we can walk with God with no insecurities or shame. So we can walk in the FULLNESS OF ALL THAT GOD HAS FOR US!! God has a full extraordinary life for you. Do you trust God enough to let go of some things? (greed, bitterness, unforgiveness etc) give it to God he welcomes us with open arms and he isn’t surprised by our mess. My hope is in a person and his name is Jesus”

UPDATE: Katy Perry Defends Ellen DeGeneres: “We all have witnessed the light & continual fight for equality that she has brought”

Roger Friedman
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UPDATE: Katy Perry Defends Ellen DeGeneres: “We all have witnessed the light & continual fight for equality that she has brought”

Pop star Katy Perry is the first actual star to defend Ellen DeGeneres or send words of encouragement. On Twitter Katy wrote:

“I know I can’t speak for anyone else’s experience besides my own but I want to acknowledge that I have only ever had positive takeaways from my time with Ellen & on the @theellenshow
. I think we all have witnessed the light & continual fight for equality that she has brought to the world through her platform for decades. Sending you love & a hug, friend”

The reaction is mixed. Some fans are happy she spoke up. Others are reminding Katy that her experiences were good because she’s a big star.

“Not everyone is you Katy,” reads one comment. Another, named Bruce Boyer, said: “We did some work at Warner Bro’s and the Execs refered to her as Hell-en.”

DeGeneres is back at work with her staff for a new season of “Ellen” that begins September 9th. But it’s clear her brand and the show have been severely damaged. And that’s reflected in headlines in The Washington Post and other publications that are replicating all over the place. It’s unclear if DeGeneres can make it to September 9th, more than a month away, without saying or doing something more decisive to staunch the bleeding.

Katy Perry, I’m sure, means well. But she has a new album coming on August 14th and may just want to stay on the good side of a TV talk show host who is central to her marketing.

Polo Player Nacho Figueras and Justin Bieber’s Manager Are Only “Celebs” to Speak up for Ellen DeGeneres, But No Stars

Roger Friedman
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Polo Player Nacho Figueras and Justin Bieber’s Manager Are Only “Celebs” to Speak up for Ellen DeGeneres, But No Stars

Where are all the stars?

So far Ellen DeGeneres has had two (three counting Dakota Johnson) celebrity star critics, never mind dozens of former and current employees.

But where are the defenders? So far there are two: polo player Nacho Figueras and Justin Bieber manager, Scooter Braun. The latter knows where his bread is buttered. Bieber is a frequent guest on “Ellen,” and Braun knows he can promote his other acts on her show. Bieber himself has said nothing.

Figueras, I’m not sure what he is celebrity wise. But he did post a big defense of Ellen on his Instagram page. He wrote:

“I have been patiently waiting for someone with more authority than me to speak up about what a great human being @theellenshow is. I have been very lucky to be on that show many times and I can tell you that it is a very well run machine, everyone was super nice, not just to me but to each other and anyone involved. I have seen Ellen act not just in her show but in public appearances in theaters where she is nice to absolutely everyone, the guy serving the coffee, the person in the elevator, the security guy and the owner of the venue.
Everyone loves her because that is who she is. She makes the world a better place for millions of people everyday and we cannot hit her because something may have not been perfect. No one is perfect, and we cannot control everything.
So I stand for you my friend and I challenge all the amazing people that know you and call you a friend to say who you are. The world has become a very dangerous place because it seems that we cannot make anything right. If I am going to be criticized for defending someone that I think deserves to be defended then so be it.
We are all so scared to say what we really think and it seems that we are only relevant if we say whatever the trending social media topic is.
So… We love Ellen right?
@jenniferaniston @jlo @michelleobama @pink @seanhayes @ladygaga @oprah @katyperry @justintimberlake and whoever else should be on this list which is really long.”

So…we love Ellen, right? So far none of those people have spoken up for the talk show host. But more and more former producers are dishing on various websites, and so far none it has been pretty. But if “Ellen” continues this season, I guess we’ll see a lot of Nacho.

View this post on Instagram

I have been patiently waiting for someone with more authority than me to speak up about what a great human being @theellenshow is. I have been very lucky to be on that show many times and I can tell you that it is a very well run machine, everyone was super nice, not just to me but to each other and anyone involved. I have seen Ellen act not just in her show but in public appearances in theaters where she is nice to absolutely everyone, the guy serving the coffee, the person in the elevator, the security guy and the owner of the venue. Everyone loves her because that is who she is. She makes the world a better place for millions of people everyday and we cannot hit her because something may have not been perfect. No one is perfect, and we cannot control everything. So I stand for you my friend and I challenge all the amazing people that know you and call you a friend to say who you are. The world has become a very dangerous place because it seems that we cannot make anything right. If I am going to be criticized for defending someone that I think deserves to be defended then so be it. We are all so scared to say what we really think and it seems that we are only relevant if we say whatever the trending social media topic is. So… We love Ellen right? @jenniferaniston @jlo @michelleobama @pink @seanhayes @ladygaga @oprah @katyperry @justintimberlake and whoever else should be on this list which is really long.

A post shared by Ignacio Figueras (@nachofigueras) on

Golden Globes Tarnished by Lawsuit from Rejected Norwegian Journalist Who Claims Conspiracy to Keep Her Out

Roger Friedman
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Golden Globes Tarnished by Lawsuit from Rejected Norwegian Journalist Who Claims Conspiracy to Keep Her Out

The Hollywood Foreign Press is being sued by a real, professional Norwegian journalist who claims the group that runs the Golden Globes has done everything to keep her out.

And by everything, she means blackmail, bribery, conspiracy. It’s basically ant-trust lawsuit.

The HFPA have been accused of a lot of things over the years.I’ve certainly written about them a lot. I know there’s an old guard faction and a newer group that disapproves of the way things used to be run. Change take time.

But Kjsersti (like Kirstie in English) Flaa has been so jostled by the old guard, which she says did everything to resist her, that she’s filed a complaint full of gory details of alleged backstage politicking. For movie reviewers, these guys are tough, I’ll tell ya.

Flaa names the HFPA as an entity as well as individual members who she says saw her as a threat to their position and income– particularly members from Scandinavian countries who thought she’d start selling articles in their countries as well as Norway. Flaa claims those writers made her sign agreements saying she would do no such thing if she became a member. Yikes.

I’ve actually formed some relationships with HFPA members, but I can’t name them for fear they’ll be blackballed or worse. NBC, which carries the Golden Globes, seems not to care what happens internally with the HFPA as long as the stars show up and the ratings are good. This new Globes show is supposed to be hosted by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler on February 28th, 2021. But who knows if that can happen with the pandemic?

In the meantime, here’s the link to Flaa’s complaint.

Keep in mind that the HFPA is a big, tax free business that is listed as a 501 c(3). In 2018 they listed their net assets as $47 million– mostly from licensing the Globes to NBC and Dick Clark Productions. Salaries for top staff in 2018 came to $2.9 million, up from $2.2 million in 2017. Every year they give $2 million away to meet their tax free status as a philanthropy. So the stakes are high here if Flaa can really make a case and move forward against them.

The HFPA responds:
“While the HFPA has not yet been served with this complaint, it seems consistent with Ms. Flaa’s ongoing attempts to shake down the HFPA, demanding that the HFPA pay her off and immediately admit her prior to the conclusion of the usual annual election process applied to every other HFPA applicant. The HFPA has refused to pay ransom, telling Ms. Flaa that membership was not gained through intimidation. Ms. Flaa and her attorney are now asking a court to order her into the organization and pay her.”

 

New York Film Festival Picks Steve McQueen’s Brit TV Series for “Opening Night,” Will Use Queens, Brooklyn Drive-ins

Roger Friedman
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0
New York Film Festival Picks Steve McQueen’s Brit TV Series for “Opening Night,” Will Use Queens, Brooklyn Drive-ins

The New York Film Festival is moving ahead with their plans, but they’re not going to be in the Lincoln Center area.

Because of the pandemic, the Film Society will be using the Queens Drive-In at Flushing Meadows Corona Park and the Brooklyn Drive-In at The Brooklyn Army Terminal. Very plucky, but we’ll see how that turns out.

The opening night film is Steve McQueen’s “Lovers Rock,” which has no stars but sounds cool. It was really made for British TV as a five-parter, and will be shown on Amazon Prime this fall.

Starting with a movie made for TV, no matter how good it is, is a concession by the Film Society that this year it’s hard to get big movies. The films all the fests want are coming later in the fall or early winter because of the new schedule, so studios can’t show their hands quite yet.

The whole McQueen project is called “Small Axe.” The other films are titled “Mangrove,” “Alex Wheatle,” “Education” and “Red, White and Blue.” It’s unclear if they will be eligible for Oscars or Emmys. “Mangrove” and “Red, White and Blue” will also show in the festival.

The series is an interesting choice for a New York Film Festival, since it is very very British.

The rest of the Main Slate will be announced later this month, as will ways of seeing the films. We have to support the Festival– they are struggling because of the pandemic. They can’t show films in theaters, and they didn’t even have their Chaplin Awards honoring Spike Lee this past spring. Indeed, all the film fests– Toronto, Telluride, New York, Hamptons– need support until they can resume normal functions. Let’s hope that’s soon!

 

 

 

Telluride Film Festival Titles Include Frank Marshall’s Bee Gees Doc Plus Awards to Anthony Hopkins, Kate Winslet, Chloé Zhao

Roger Friedman
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Telluride Film Festival Titles Include Frank Marshall’s Bee Gees Doc Plus Awards to Anthony Hopkins, Kate Winslet, Chloé Zhao

The Telluride Film Festival has released a terrific list even if they’re not actually having the festival. I’m really looking forward to Frank Marshall’s Bee Gees doc. What follows each title are ways to see the films.

THE SHOW

AFTER LOVE (dir. Aleem Khan, UK, 89 min)

ALL IN: THE FIGHT FOR DEMOCRACY (dir. Liz Garbus, Lisa Cortés, USA, 102 min)

How to watch: In select theaters Sept. 9, available to stream on Amazon Prime Video Sept. 18

THE ALPINIST (dir. Peter Mortimer, Nick Rosen, USA, 92 min)

How to watch: Follow @redbulldocs for screening updates

AMMONITE (dir. Francis Lee, UK, 117 min)

How to watch: Toronto International Film Festival (Sept. 10-19)

ANDREY TARKOVSKY. A CINEMA PRAYER (dir. Andrey A. Tarkovsky, Italy-Russian Federation-Sweden, 97 min)

APPLES (dir. Christos Nikou, Greece-Poland-Slovenia, 90 min)

How to watch: Venice Film Festival (Sept. 2-12)

THE AUTOMAT (dir. Lisa Hurwitz, USA, 79 min)

How to watch: follow at Facebook.com/THEAUTOMATthemovie for screening updates

THE BEE GEES: HOW CAN YOU MEND A BROKEN HEART (dir. Frank Marshall, USA, 111 min)

CHARLATAN (dir. Agnieszka Holland, Czech Republic-Ireland-Poland-Slovakia, 118 min)

How to watch: screening at the now in-progress Transilvania International Film Festival

CONCRETE COWBOY (dir. Ricky Staub, USA, 111 min)

How to watch: Toronto International Film Festival (Sept. 10-19)

DEAR MR. BRODY (dir. Keith Maitland, USA, 97 min)

THE DUKE (dir. Roger Michell, UK, 96 min)

How to watch: Venice Film Festival (Sept. 2-12), theatrical release Spring 2021

THE FATHER (dir. Florian Zeller, UK-France, 97 min)

How to watch: Toronto International Film Festival (Sept. 10-19)

FIREBALL: VISITORS FROM DARKER WORLDS (dir. Werner Herzog, Clive Oppenheimer, UK-USA, 97 min)

How to watch: Toronto International Film Festival (Sept. 10-19), Stream on Apple+ (date TBD)

IBRAHIM (dir. Samir Guesmi, France, 84 min)

How to watch: French release Dec. 9

MAINSTREAM (dir. Gia Coppola, USA, 94 min)

How to watch: Venice Film Festival (Sept. 2-12)

MANDIBULES (dir. Quentin Dupieux, France, 77 min)

How to watch: Venice Film Festival (Sept. 2-12), French release Dec. 2

MLK/FBI (dir. Sam Pollard, USA, 104 min)

How to watch: Toronto International Film Festival (Sept. 10-19)

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BOY IN THE WORLD (dir. Kristina Lindström, Kristian Petri, Sweden, 93 min)

NEVER GONNA SNOW AGAIN (dir. Małgorzata Szumowska, co-dir. Michał Englert, Poland-Germany, 113 min)

How to watch: Venice Film Festival (Sept. 2-12)

NOMADLAND (dir. Chloé Zhao, USA, 108 min)

How to watch: Venice Film Festival (Sept. 2-12), Toronto International Film Festival (Sept. 10-19), Telluride From Los Angeles Drive-In Screening (Sept. 11), New York Film Festival (Sept. 25-Oct. 11), theatrical release Fall 2020

NOTTURNO (dir. Gianfranco Rosi, Italy-France-Germany, 100 min)

How to watch: Venice Film Festival (Sept. 2-12), Toronto International Film Festival (Sept. 10-19)

PRAY AWAY (dir. Kristine Stolakis, USA, 101 min)

THERE IS NO EVIL (dir. Mohammad Rasoulof, Germany-Iran, 152 min)

How to watch: theatrical and virtual release at www.KinoMarquee.com by end of 2020

TO THE MOON (dir. Tadhg O’Sullivan, Ireland, 76 min)

How to watch: Venice Days Film Festival (Sept. 2-12)

TORN (dir. Max Lowe, USA, 92 min)

THE TRUFFLE HUNTERS (dir. Michael Dweck, Gregory Kershaw, Italy-USA-Greece, 84 min)

TRUMAN & TENNESSEE: AN INTIMATE CONVERSATION (dir. Lisa Immordino Vreeland, USA, 86 min)

THE WAY I SEE IT (dir. Dawn Porter, USA, 100 min)

“Despite everything, 2020 has turned out to be another incredibly strong year for film,” said Huntsinger. “We were able to consider everything we’d hoped to. We love this program and the way it reflects this fascinating moment in domestic and international cinema, as well as life.”

SILVER MEDALLION AWARDS

The honorees chosen for the 2020 Silver Medallion Awards, which recognize artists’ significant contributions to the world of cinema, are Academy Award-winning actor Sir Anthony Hopkins (THE FATHER), Academy Award-winning actress Kate Winslet (AMMONITE), and critically acclaimed director, screenwriter and producer Chloé Zhao(NOMADLAND).

Telluride Film Festival’s shorts program includes a long shorts program; Student Prints, curated by Academy Award nominated writer, director, producer Gregory Nava; Calling Cards; and Great Expectations, both curated by Academy Award-winning writer, director, producer Barry Jenkins.

LONG SHORTS

THE LETTER ROOM (dir. Elvira Lind, USA, 32 min)

How to watch: coming soon to topic.com

LINDA AND THE MOCKINGBIRDS (dir. James Keach, USA, 40 min)

How to watch: visit https://www.lindaandthemockingbirds.com for film updates

PAWS IN PRISON (dir. Bill Guttentag, USA, 31 min)

THE TOXIC PIGS OF FUKUSHIMA (dir. Otto Bell, Japan-USA, 35 min)

How to watch: Rhode Island International Film Festival (Aug. 4-9), Docs Without Borders Film Festival

WHEN WE WERE BULLIES (dir. Jay Rosenblatt, USA, 36 min)

How to watch: visit https://www.jayrosenblattfilms.com for film updates

STUDENT PRINTS

BORDER (dir. Shu Zhu, Ino Yang Popper, AFI, USA, 4 min)

How to watch: stream at https://www.inoyangpopper.com/work/border

FOREVER (dir. Mitch McGlocklin, USC, USA, 7 min)

How to watch: visit www.mitch.cool for film updates

METAMORPHOSIS (dir. Xi Wang, USC, USA, 4 min)

How to watch: visit https://www.jakexwang.com/metamorphosis for film updates

PEEPS (dir. Sophie Somerville, Victorian College of the Arts, Australia, 17 min)

How to watch: screen at sophiesomerville.com/peeps

SILENTO (dir. Esteban García Vernaza, Columbia University, Colombia, 11 min)

How to watch: will screen online at the Vancouver Latin American Film Festival (Aug. 27-Sept. 6)

SOMETHING TO BELIEVE IN (dir. Fany de la Chica, Columbia University, Spain, 13 min)

How to watch: screen at https://vimeo.com/302953733/271561fba8

UNDER THE HEAVENS (SEIVA BRUTA) (dir. Gustavo Milan, NYU, Brazil, 17 min)

How to watch: Rhode Island International Film Festival (Aug. 4-9), RIIFF virtual screening at http://www.film-festival.org (Aug. 4-16), screen at www.nanuchafilms.com

VIKTOR ON THE MOON (dir. Christian Arhoff, National Film School of Denmark, Denmark, 28 min)

“The Student Prints program is always exciting and surprising, discovering the fresh new voices in cinema today,” said Academy Award-nominated writer, director, producer Gregory Nava. “This year’s program features diverse filmmakers from around the globe. From the heartbreaking story of a Venezuelan refugee, to a surreal trip by Australian schoolgirls at a shopping mall, to the harrowing story of two young indigenous sisters escaping violence in Colombia, to a delightful comedy of a chubby, shy, nerd seeking some kind of human connection in modern-day Denmark, these films are dramatic, humorous, poignant and moving, showing that the future of cinema is in good hands.”

GREAT EXPECTATIONS

DA YIE (dir. Anthony Nti, Belgium-Ghana, 20 min)

How to watch: Brussels Short Film Festival (Sept. 2-12), Off-Courts Trouville (Sept. 4-12), DC Shorts Film Festival (Sept. 10-23), Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia (Sept. 16-27), screen online https://vimeo.com/ondemand/dayieshortfilm

GRAMERCY (dir. Jamil McGinnis, Pat Heywood, USA, 23 min)

How to watch: will screen online at the Locarno Film Festival (Aug. 9-15)

UNFORGIVABLE (dir. Marlén Viñayo, El Salvador, 36 min)

How to watch: DMZ Docs (Sept. 17-24)

CALLING CARDS

BENJAMIN, BENNY, BEN (dir. Paul Shkordoff, Canada, 7 min)

BITTU (dir. Karishma Dev Dube, India-USA, 17 min)

How to watch: Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia (Sept. 16-27), visit https://www.facebook.com/bittushortfilm/ for film updates

COMMUNITY GARDENS (dir. Vytautas Katkus, Lithuania, 15 min)

How to watch: La Guarimba Film Festival (Aug. 7-12), Minikino Film Week (Sept. 4-12), visit https://www.lightsonfilm.com/communitygardens.html for film updates

DAVID (dir. Zachary Woods, USA, 11 min)

I, JULIA (dir. Arvin Kananian, Sweden, 14 min)

LEAVE OF ABSENCE (dir. Anton Sazonov, Russian Federation, 12 min)

How to watch: visit antonsazonov.com for film updates

THE LOST ASTRONAUT (dir. Ben Proudfoot, USA, 13 min)

How to watch: screen at https://www.nytimes.com/video/opinion/100000006865864/almost-famous-the-lost-astronaut.html

“Despite the fog of madness that’s pervaded the lives of everyone inhabiting this spinning rock we call home, this year’s Filmmakers of Tomorrow program is proof positive that both life and The Show will indeed go on,” said Academy Award-winning writer, director, producer Barry Jenkins. “Spanning numerous continents and forms and stylings, the group of shorts submitted to this year’s festival was just as fine as ever and, to my delight, incredibly representative of the madness swirling in this most radical of times. As we move forward from the ashes of upheaval with a renewed focus on the shared experiences that unite us, this fantastic group of shorts illustrates that the ‘empathy machine of cinema’ is alive and well.”

Song of the Summer: Harry Styles’ “Watermelon Sugar,” Released in December 2019, Finally Hits Number 1 on iTunes

Roger Friedman
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0
Song of the Summer: Harry Styles’ “Watermelon Sugar,” Released in December 2019, Finally Hits Number 1 on iTunes

Congrats to Harry Styles! He’s got the official song of the summer. “Watermelon Sugar.”

Percolating for months, “Watermelon Sugar” has finally hit number 1 on iTunes. The single was released December 13, 2019 after debuting on his “Fine Line” album. The album is number 14 after spending a few weeks in the top 5 this summer.

“Sugar” is the second hit on the album after “Adore You,” which has hung in there even though it didn’t get to the top.

This is when you crown the Song of the Summer. It’s been there for months, it’s finally cresting, it’s everywhere, and people are saying, “You know, I like that song. Pass the iced tea.” Or margarita.

Harry wrote the song with Mitch Rowland, Tyler Johnson, and Thomas Tull. They took their inspiration from Richard Brautigan’s post-apocalyptic novel, “In Watermelon Sugar.” These guys have really studied 1969 closely.

So how did this happen? I mean, besides the hard work of the Sony-Columbia radio people who stuck with the idea of making Harry a superstar? Was it just the association of summer, watermelon, and so on? Maybe.

But also, “Watermelon Sugar” is a throw back to 1969 pure pop, like the Archies’ “Sugar Sugar.” It’s short and concise and ever so catchy.

And get this: the video has 75 million plays on YouTube.


 

 

Happy Birthday Tony Bennett, 94 Years Young Today: Thank You for Flying Us to the Moon

Roger Friedman
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0
Happy Birthday Tony Bennett, 94 Years Young Today: Thank You for Flying Us to the Moon

Can it really be four years since Tony Bennett’s 90th birthday dinner at the Rainbow Room? No one who was there has gotten over it!

Today we wish Tony a happy 94th! You can see from his Twitter feed he’s been painting and cooking, and enjoying his quarantine. You know that if things were normal, Tony would be on the road this week, singing his heart out.

I’m looking forward to next year at Radio City, where Mr. Bennett will undoubtedly knock us over for his 95th turn around the planet.

One of my fond memories of Tony and his wife Susan was from a post Emmy Awards party — he’d just won some Emmys, of course — at Disney Hall in Los Angeles. There was a big buffet, and lots of tables. But there were Tony and Susan, eating off paper plates sitting on a visitor’s bench, while thousands of regular people had been catered to. No preening or fawning for Tony Bennett. When I asked if they needed help, Tony just waved at me. “We’re good!”

One of the great things about the last three decades is the rediscovery and revival of Tony’s career. I guess it’s true that nice guys finish last. And we never want him to finish. He survived the Beatles, and 70s rock and disco, rap, punk, New Wave, modern technology. He embraced new artists like Amy Winehouse and Lady Gaga with fervor.

And still there’s nothing like just listening to Tony’s buttery rich voice on its own, no duets, just him, flying us to the moon.

Happy Birthday, Tony! And thanks for all the gifts you’ve given us!

 

 

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