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Ellen DeGeneres In Free Fall as Celebrity Pile On Begins: “Back to the Future” Star Lea Thompson Says Negative Treatment Stories are “True”

Roger Friedman
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Ellen DeGeneres In Free Fall as Celebrity Pile On Begins: “Back to the Future” Star Lea Thompson Says Negative Treatment Stories are “True”

The title of this episode is “Everybody Hates Ellen.”

“Back to the Future” star Lea Thompson backed actor Brad Garrett on Twitter in his sentiments expressed about Ellen DeGeneres yesterday.

Responding to a People magazine tweet about Garrett criticizing Ellen for treating her guests badly, Thompson wrote “True story, it is.”

That makes two major Hollywood celebs who’ve come clean on their experiences with the Ellen show. Will this kick open the floodgates? Once at the top of the ratings heap, “Ellen” is now struggling as staff and ex-staff have exposed the “toxic” situation backstage.

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In the process, executive producer Ed Glavin is gone. The two remaining top producers are under fire as well. The show is under and internal investigation. Buzz Feed has spoken to over 50 staffers who’ve spoken of sexual and other kinds of harassment.

But for actors who are the bread and butter of “Ellen” guests to start speaking up, that’s trouble. If Telepictures, the company that produces “Ellen,” pulls the plug– or allows DeGeneres to end the show on her own– the financial ramifications are huge. And it’s not so easy to start a new show with a new host. Most syndicated shows fail in their first season. It took a while for “Ellen” to catch on. And for her to leave in disgrace would pretty much wreck her “brand.” DeGeneres’s popular “Game of Game Shows” on NBC would likely be affected negatively as well.

Garrett, a big and popular star of “Everyone Loves Raymond,” had Tweeted: “Sorry but it comes from the top ⁦@TheEllenShow Know more than one who were treated horribly by her.⁩ Common knowledge.” That was in response to Variety Tweet about DeGeneres’s public “apology” in which she took no responsibility for the overwhelming negative accusations and anecdotes. Thompson then responded (see below).

Garrett and Thompson are respected in TV circles, and that’s what hurts. If the guests who aren’t Justin Bieber or Jennifer Aniston– who Ellen sucks up to like crazy at least on camera–won’t return to her set, “Ellen” is over.

 


Ellen-Jennifer photo c2020 Norah Lawlor

James Murdoch Going Legit, Ankles Dad Rupert’s News Corp to Try and Pursue an Honest Life Far from the Right Wing

Roger Friedman
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James Murdoch Going Legit, Ankles Dad Rupert’s News Corp to Try and Pursue an Honest Life Far from the Right Wing

James Murdoch has quit News Corp, resigned his board seat, and exited his dad, Rupert’s, fabled company of right wing nut case “journalism.”

As I’ve said before, James is like Michael Corleone in The Godfather Part 2. He wants go legit and leave behind his family’s history.

James tries in his resignation letter to disavow News Corp. and Fox News and all the terrible things they’ve done and perpetuated– as if he was forced at gunpoint to help create the hacking scandal in the British press. He will soon be recording a remix of “It Wasn’t Me” with Shaggy.

“My resignation is due to disagreements over certain editorial content published by the Company’s news outlets and certain other strategic decisions.”

Ah yes. But James has a reported $2 billion made from News Corp and that editorial content. He’s started a family fund called Lupa, meaning wolf. He’s invested in things like the Tribeca Film Festival where he can hobnob with Robert De Niro, who hates his father. James is buying other properties in the “real” or mainstream entertainment world. He wants to be accepted by those people after a lifetime of his father’s destruction. How else could he do it? He must publicly sever ties.

Not so fast.

He’s still a Murdoch despite his public relations campaign to seem distanced from the family.  He and his have given over a million dollars, it’s reported, to elect Joe Biden. James wants to be applauded when he walks into The Four Seasons, attends premieres, Broadway first nights, and so on. He doesn’t want random people coming up and yelling at him at the Tribeca Film Festival, or Art Basel which he also just invested in. So he’s out of News Corp. and counting on the gullibility of his new friends.

But who won’t forget? All the celebrities whose phones were hacked by News of the World, the now defunct Murdoch tabloid. Not will the family of Milly Dowler, the murdered schoolgirl whose phone was hacked by Murdoch employees so they could get scoops.

“Scream” Reboot Producers Announce Courteney Cox Joining David Arquette, Neve Campbell Will Be Next

Roger Friedman
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“Scream” Reboot Producers Announce Courteney Cox Joining David Arquette, Neve Campbell Will Be Next

Surprise! Courteney Cox has joined the “Scream” reboot. David Arquette was already announced. LOL. Neve Campbell will be next. I’m sure the deals were all done a long time ago.

“Ready or Not” directors Matthew Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett are helming the reboot from a script by James Vanderbilt (“Murder Mystery,” “Zodiac,” “The Amazing Spider-Man”) and Guy Busick (“Ready or Not”).

Original writer Kevin Williamson and Chad Villella are executive producing with Project X Entertainment’s Vanderbilt, Paul Neinstein and William Sherak are producers. Bettinelli-Olpin, Gillett and Villella run the production company, Radio Silence. They said in a statement, “We can’t imagine ‘Scream’ without the iconic Gale Weathers and are so incredibly thrilled and humbled to have the opportunity to work with Courteney. We’re absolute mega fans of her work and we’re so excited to join her in the next chapter of the ‘Scream’ saga!”

The first “Scream” was launched in 1996 under Dimension/Miramax. It started a franchise that underwrote a lot of Oscar nominated movies over the years. The four “Scream” movies made a total of $608 million in worldwide box office with sequels released in 1997, 2000 and 2011.

Look for the new producers to cast a lot of hot, current kids as “Scream” needs a lot of red herrings and dead bodies so the three main characters can make it out alive. With the new diversity, I’d look for folks like RuPaul, Tiffany Haddish, and Kevin Hart. And I hope they hire Amber Ruffin to do something! But please, no Kardashians. None. Not even as a joke. Or Kanye. Please.

 

Kanye West Doubles Down on Talk of Not Aborting 1st Child But Says “I am quite alright”

Roger Friedman
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Kanye West Doubles Down on Talk of Not Aborting 1st Child But Says “I am quite alright”

Kanye West has ramped up his manic tweets about personal things he will certainly regret when his children can read them.

 earlier today he Tweeted: “I cried at the thought of aborting my first born and everyone was so concerned about me… I’m concerned for the world that feels you shouldn’t cry about this subject.”

West had announced at a rally in South Carolina almost two weeks ago that he and wife Kim Kardashian had considered aborting their first child, North. He burst in tears and sobbed as he said it. (Note: They’ve had three more children since then.)

He followed that Tweet with this one: “There is a tactic of 4 D’s Distract Discredit
Dismiss
To Destroy I am quite alright Take a second and think about what is being projected here”

More recently, he reposted a story critical of famed abortion maverick Margaret Sanger, followed by this observation: “Over 22,500,000 black babies have been aborted over the past 50 years.”

He’s on a tear, we’ll see where it goes from here.

UPDATE Taylor Swift’s “Folklore” Sells Far Less Than Her “Lover” Album with 585K, Total 823K Including Streaming

Roger Friedman
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UPDATE Taylor Swift’s “Folklore” Sells Far Less Than Her “Lover” Album with 585K, Total 823K Including Streaming

UPDATE: “Folklore,” says hitsdailydouble.com and Buzz Angle, sold 585K downloads and streams, a total of 823,000 including streaming of singles. The hard total of 585K is 100,000 less than “Lover,” and this is because there were no CDs. I’m still skeptical since “Folklore” slowed down considerably during the week. But it’s the biggest debut of 2020, a gruesome year for music sales.

 

EARLIER It came out of nowhere and took off like a rocket. But a Russian rocket.

Taylor Swift’s “Folklore” took everyone by surprise when it was released a week ago. The album got outstanding reviews, and the Swifties went into action. Early says caused our friends at hitsdailydouble to speculate on 750,000 in first week sales including streaming.

Alas, “Folklore” has turned into a Grimm fairy tale. As of end of day Wednesday, sales were just 400,000 including streaming. About half of that was actual paid downloads.

By comparison, Swift’s last album, “Lover,” scored 866,800 in total sales for its debut week in August 2019. Of those, 678K were CDs and paid downloads.

“Folklore” skipped the CD stage, which obviously hurt its sales. Swifties like to own the physical product. They’ve been streaming individual tracks like crazy. But not the album. About 200,000 or more in sales were lost without the CDs. Big mistake.

At this rate, Swift lost two thirds of her potential total for “Folklore.” Still, it’s a big first week, and if the Universal radio people work the singles, maybe the album sales will grow “legs.” Even better, if Taylor does some TV, that should help.

PS in the UK, “Folklore” did 37,000 in first week sales according to Official Charts. “Lover” did 53,000. A caveat: Swift is a very American act. She’s not that big in Britain to begin with.

Final numbers from the US will be in soon. Keep refreshing…

 

 

Kellyanne Conway Karma Attack: Daughter Claudia Asks on Twitter If “Your Administration” Not Complicit in Herman Cain Death

Roger Friedman
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Kellyanne Conway Karma Attack: Daughter Claudia Asks on Twitter If “Your Administration” Not Complicit in Herman Cain Death

UPDATE Claudia is now responding directly to her mother’s Tweets, refuting and questioning them. The same as we do. Except Kellyanne is seeing these.

It won’t be long before Claudia Conway, 15, loses phone privileges and is yanked off of Social Media.

She just responded to her own mother, Kellyanne Conway, with a question that should light mom — and dad’s — ire.

Kellyanne, Trump mouthpiece, Tweeted: “Herman Cain led a remarkable life and will be missed. He loved his family, the country and the Lord. He triumphed in business, beat cancer and was a voice for freedom. God bless you and yours, Herman.”

This was in reference to the death this week of 74 year old Cain, who went to Trump’s Tulsa rally as his guest, didn’t wear a mask, and consequently died of COVID 19.

Daughter Claudia countered: “yes it is sad but wasn’t your administration complicit in his death ?? yikes”

That’s a burn. It’s funny. But.

Much as I loathe Kellyanne, I think enough’s enough. Yes, Kellyanne is getting what we used to call her just desserts. But you don’t need your 15 year old mouthing off against you in public. Claudia’s gone too far with this one.

Claudia didn’t take kindly to criticism from another Tweeter.

Great British Director Alan Parker Dies At 76, Gave Us “Fame,” “The Commitments,” “Midnight Express,” “Mississippi Burning” and More

Roger Friedman
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Great British Director Alan Parker Dies At 76, Gave Us “Fame,” “The Commitments,” “Midnight Express,” “Mississippi Burning” and More

You’ll realize what an impression the great British film director Alan Parker made on the culture when I tell you just that he made “Fame,” a buoyant musical hit that gave birth to many top 40 hits and a hit TV series. It put the High School for Music Art Performing Arts on the map and famous all over the world. (Now it’s known as LaGuardia.)

Parker has died at age 76 from a reported long illness. But his legacy lives on with “Midnight Express,” “The Commitments,” “Mississippi Burning” (for which Frances McDormand won her first Oscar), “Bugsy Malone,” and the fine film version of William Wharton’s seminal novel, “Birdy.”

He also directed Madonna in “Evita,” but he’s forgiven. Antonio Banderas, however, was wonderful. Another ambitious project that didn’t quite work was the film version of “Angela’s Ashes,” the great memoir by Frank McCourt. Still worth watching, however.

A kind of lost gem of performances with a Bo Goldman script was “Shoot the Moon,” starring Diane Keaton and Albert Finney in a disintegrating marriage story that predates “Marriage Story” by many generations. It was far more raw and ahead of its time.

Alan Parker was nominated for two Oscars and three Golden Globes. He hadn’t made a film since 2003, so he’d fallen out of the vernacular. But he’s at the very top of all directors lists, and his work will live on. Condolences to his family.

 

 

 

Beyonce’s “Black is King” Has Stunning Visuals and a Strange Dedication Only to Her Son, Not His Twin Sister Rumi or Blue Ivy

Roger Friedman
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Beyonce’s “Black is King” Has Stunning Visuals and a Strange Dedication Only to Her Son, Not His Twin Sister Rumi or Blue Ivy

Beyonce has made a stunning visual album with “Black is King,” now showing on the DisneyPlus channel. She’s taken the songs she and her team wrote for “The Lion King: The Gift” and filmed beautiful videos to go along with them. It’s like a great Vogue fashion show set to music. I’d like to see the producers take the still shots and make a coffee table book for Christmas. It would sell out in a minute.

There’s no doubt that watching this film you’ll want to revisit “The Gift” album. Suddenly the songs make sense, with imagery of Africa relating black history. I would say every young black person, or any color, will revel in the details and rhythms.Also Beyonce is shot beautifully by about seven different directors and choreographers. The mix on Disney Plus really serves her voice well, too. There’s no clutter, just richness.

When you go to the end of this feast for the eyes, there’s an odd dedication. It’s to Beyonce and Jay Z’s three year old son, Sir Carter. (Yes, that’s his name.) Sir, however, is a twin. His sister is Rumi. They have a famous older sister, Blue Ivy, who appears in the movie. Yet the two girls do not merit a dedication. Rumi, particularly, seems slighted. Do these girls not count? The dedication is like a big snub to the little girl. Imagine explaining to a three year old, “You’ll be next time.” Oucherooni! Those girls are going to be in therapy for some time to come.

The dedication aside, “Black is King” has an important message delivered with a lot of artfulness. Expensive? I’d say so. The costumes, make up and lighting may have set a new record for a “music video.” The choreography is fluid. All of it is inspired by Julie Taymor’s work on “The Lion King,” it’s a genuine compliment to Taymor that she is the grandmother of this project, credited or not.

PS Don’t miss “Brown Skin Girl,” with many celebrity cameos including a knockout Lupita Nyong’o.

And yes, the main photo here is of Blue Ivy.

(Watch) Beyonce Releases Music Video Called “Already” But Her “Black is King” Is Slow to Appear on DisneyPlus

Roger Friedman
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(Watch) Beyonce Releases Music Video Called “Already” But Her “Black is King” Is Slow to Appear on DisneyPlus

It’s 12:48am on Friday July 31st. No sign of Beyonce’s 85 minute “visual album” called Black is King, on DisneyPlus.

But she has released a video called “Already.” Enough, already! Where’s the album? Here’s the video:

Amazon Studios Bolsters Its Failing Movie Company with Regina King’s Directing Debut “One Night in Miami”

Roger Friedman
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Amazon Studios Bolsters Its Failing Movie Company with Regina King’s Directing Debut “One Night in Miami”

Amazon Studios is flailing. They haven’t been able to turn their well intentioned releases into hits. In the process, talented people like Ted Hope and Bob Berney have left the building.

So now what? They’ve just bought Oscar and Emmy winner Regina King’s directorial debut, called “One Night in Miami.” The film stars Kingsley Ben-Adir as Malcolm X, Eli Goree as Cassius Clay, Aldis Hodge Jim Brown, and Hamilton star Leslie Odom Jr as Sam Cooke. Producers are Jess Wu Calder and Keith Calder of Snoot Entertainment (Blindspotting, Anomalisa) and Jody Klein of ABKCO (The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus), King and Powers are executive producers.

The story: “Set on the night of February 25, 1964, the story follows a young Cassius Clay (before he became Muhammad Ali) as he emerges from the Miami Beach Convention Center the new World Heavyweight Boxing Champion. Against all odds, he defeated Sonny Liston and shocked the sports world. While crowds of people swarm Miami Beach to celebrate the match, Clay – unable to stay on the island because of Jim Crow-era segregation laws – instead spends the night at the Hampton House Motel in one of Miami’s historically black neighborhoods celebrating with three of his closest friends: activist Malcolm X, singer Sam Cooke and football star Jim Brown. The next morning, the four men emerge determined to define a new world for themselves and their people.”

Amazon Studios will point toward Oscars and other awards with a winter release. In theaters? Well, this year they don’t have to worry about that. The special rules for 2021 mean they can just put it on Amazon Prime and hope for the best. I wish them luck. All the people involved in this are top notch, and the story is famous in the black community. If we can’t get some black nominees from this film, then something is really wrong.

I look forward to the Peggy Siegal virtual Oscar lunch.

PS I look forward to that soundtrack with Sam Cooke music, from Jody Klein’s ABKCO. They always do a great job!

 

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