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Reality Bites: Telluride Film Festival Cancels Annual Gathering for 1st Time Ever, Will Other Festivals Follow?

Roger Friedman
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Reality Bites: Telluride Film Festival Cancels Annual Gathering for 1st Time Ever, Will Other Festivals Follow?

The Telluride Film Festival has thrown in the towel, sorry to say. They’ve cancelled the 2020 edition for the first time ever since their founding in 1974.

The town’s school board wouldn’t let them use their buildings. The town didn’t want it, either. And plus, no one was going to go there, through two airports each way, mingle in crowds with masks and so on. Until there’s a vaccine this won’t be happening.

Will the other festivals follow this decision? Toronto? Sundance (that one looks doubtful). The New York Film Festival? I think this year is a scratch. Plus, with release dates moving toward December and January, studios are not going to show their films this early.

Maybe we can all learn Latin, or how to build a computer. It’s frustrating, I know. And the Telluride economy will miss the moolah.

Here’s the statement:

After months of intense due diligence around physically holding an event, we’ve come to the heartbreaking but unanimous conclusion to cancel this year’s Labor Day celebration of film in Telluride.

While there will be those who might say they’re not surprised by it, that this was inevitable, we beg to differ. It didn’t have to be this way. Until the past week or so, we had a very good plan to put on the SHOW safely. But with a seemingly unending number of new cases of Covid-19 and the national chaos around it, even the best strategy is threatened by this out of control environment. No matter how much many of us wear our masks and observe social distancing protocols, the pandemic has worsened rather than improved and the health and safety of you – our passholders, filmmakers, the people of Telluride and its surrounding areas – cannot be compromised.

As you may know, we have been working cooperatively with our fellow fall film festival partners to champion global cinema and its artists. We hope that many of you will seek out and discover the titles we’ve selected for this year’s program at the New York Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, or Venice Film Festival, or when they’re made available on a wider basis. We will announce soon what we have carefully programmed in the hopes that you will experience as we did, the best in film this year. There are some incredible, powerful, and beautiful gems and we’re excited to extol their virtues when the time is right. Follow these titles, support them. We intend to champion them outside of the festival as best we can.

For those who have supported us and believe in what we are trying to do, our gratitude is enormous. Thank you. We will need you in the coming months in many ways. Let’s light candles now to conjure a better 2021 and Labor Day weekend in Telluride, together, under the stars in the mountains doing what many of us love the most. The way we prefer to experience cinema will return. Let’s make it so.

We wish you good health, peace and may we collectively move forward to a better world.

We understand that film festivals and their long-term health are not top of mind today. A safe vaccine, vital medical interventions for those sick and properly enforced health regulations are. However, we do ask that you take this moment to consider a world where gathering around a shared love of culture is no longer possible and what that means for the psychological condition of the world. If the prospect prompts a sense of despair, please advocate and champion the return of our gatherings that provide vital nourishment and oxygen to humanity’s soul, at the appropriate time, of course!

We will follow up with information and options regarding passes in a separate email.

Watch Here: Michael Jackson’s Kids Collaborate on Paris’s New 9 Minute Soundflowers Extended Video

Roger Friedman
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Watch Here: Michael Jackson’s Kids Collaborate on Paris’s New 9 Minute Soundflowers Extended Video

Paris Jackson and Gabriel Glenn’s Soundflowers are struggling to get sales. So far, few are paying for their new EP (482 copies sold via streaming in three weeks).

But the good news is that they have a new extended video, produced by Paris’s brother, Prince Jackson for his King’s Son Productions. They’ve done a great job, too.

Michael Jackson fans are telling me on Twitter that they’re not supporting Paris because they think she doesn’t like them. I don’t think that’s true, but she should think about that if she wants to build a fan base. She needs them.

Oscar, Tony, Emmy Winner Viola Davis Finally Gets the Cover of Vanity Fair, with First Ever Black Photographer

Roger Friedman
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Oscar, Tony, Emmy Winner Viola Davis Finally Gets the Cover of Vanity Fair, with First Ever Black Photographer

The magnificent Viola Davis finally got the cover of Vanity Fair. She’s won two Tony Awards, the Emmy, Oscar, a Golden Globe, and BAFTA plus like 90 other awards (like 90, for real).  It’s about frickin’ time. It would have been nicer on the September issue, and a cover photo where you could see her face, but we’ll take it!

The cover was shot by Dario Calmese, and he’s the first ever black photographer to shoot a Vanity Fair cover. Change comes slowly at Vanity Fair. Radhika Jones has been the editor in chief for how long now? But we’ll take it!

Viola’s first Tony nomination was in 1996, for August Wilson’s “Seven Guitars.” She won in 2001 for Wilson’s “King Hedley II.” She won again for Wilson’s “Fences” in 2010. But it took until 2002 for her film career to launch with searing, memorable performances in Denzel Washington’s “Antwone Fisher” and Todd Haynes’ “Far from Heaven.” I was so knocked out by each of those that I featured her in an Oscar magazine I edited for Tina Brown’s late lamented Talk.

Sonce then I’ve gotten to know Viola and her husband Julius Tennon. I had the honor of sitting with them a couple of years ago at the Critics Choice Awards. They have their own production company, and it’s booming. Recently a video went around of Viola demanding equal pay not to men who haven’t won all those awards, but women, like her pal Meryl Streep. She was completely right!

“Viola is one of the great actors of all time,” says Denzel Washington in the cover story. “She’s been recognized later than some. But some people get the opportunity early, and they’re done by Tuesday.”

Six seasons on “How to Get Away with Murder” made her rich and earned her a lot of awards on the small screen. I, personally, never understood a word of what was going on. Now that the show is done, Viola Davis is going to SOAR. All she needs is the material. More gold statues, more speaking out!

Viola, we love you!

PS This should have been the cover. What’s wrong with Vanity Fair? Why can’t they get it right? PS It’s been pointed out to me that VF couldn’t even get a black writer for the piece. What the heck is that about?

 

Tamera Mowry Leaving Talk Show “The Real,” Last Remaining Original Host Exits Amid Backstage Politics

Roger Friedman
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Tamera Mowry Leaving Talk Show “The Real,” Last Remaining Original Host Exits Amid Backstage Politics

Tamera Mowry is leaving syndicated talk show, “The Real,” after six seasons. The official word is that she’s going to spend more time with her family. But “The Real” has been in backstage turmoil for a long time, mostly over the lack of black producers and writers. It’s a black-oriented talk show, but the executive producer, Rachel Miskowiec, is white. That should tell us everything.

Ironically, Tamera may be getting out at a good time. With a new focus on diversity, Hollywood may have more to offer her as an actress. She’s very talented and could easily turn up in a good sitcom or drama if doors are open now.

She wrote on Instagram: “For seven years, my home and heart has been at The Real. The friendships that I’ve made there will last a lifetime, and the people that I’ve had the blessing to interview have changed my life for the better. I’m so proud of what all the ladies and I have accomplished there, including two well-deserved NAACP Image Awards and a Daytime Emmy.”

“However, all good things must come to an end,” she continued, “and it’s with a bittersweet smile that I announce that I am moving on from The Real. To my fellow hosts, I love you, I will miss you, and I will always be there for you. Thank you for teaching me, supporting me, and loving all of me. Sisters forever. I’ll be rooting for you, as I look forward to spending more time with my family, pursuing amazing new opportunities, and embarking on the next chapter of my life.”

“Dancing with the Stars” Needs a New Partner: Longtime Host Tom Bergeron Told Goodbye By ABC, Along with CoHost Erin Andrews

Roger Friedman
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“Dancing with the Stars” Needs a New Partner: Longtime Host Tom Bergeron Told Goodbye By ABC, Along with CoHost Erin Andrews

Is he too old? Too well known? Did he want a raise? Whatever it is, Tom Bergeron is out as host of “Dancing with the Stars” on ABC.

Bergeron had been with the show for 15 years. ABC doesn’t want him anymore. He has too much experience.

Also out is Erin Andrews, Bergeron’s co-host. She will be replaced by anyone younger or cheaper or a YouTube star.

Tom Bergeron is a throwback to the old game show hosts who could do anything. He hosted “America’s Funniest Home Videos” for 25 years. He hosted “Hollywood Squares” for six years. He’s that likeable, ubiquitous TV personality that seems to be on every show, and you’re always happy he’s there.

Believe it or not, he’s 65 years old, but so peppy that you’d never guess it. What does the network want? You know what they want: David Muir. They can have him.

Wait til the Beckhams Meet the Parents: Nicola Peltz’s Aunt Inherited $65 Mil from Doris Duke in Infamous Adoption

Roger Friedman
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Wait til the Beckhams Meet the Parents: Nicola Peltz’s Aunt Inherited $65 Mil from Doris Duke in Infamous Adoption

I’d love to be a fly on the wall when David and Victoria Beckham meet their son’s fiancee’s family.

Brooklyn Beckham, who’s 21, has announced he’s marrying Nicola Peltz, 25. She’s the daughter of billionaire Nelson Peltz. For the Beckhams, this marriage is like sinking the best goal ever.

Nicola has an eclectic family, worthy of a Robert Altman movie a la “A Wedding.” On the plus side, there’s the money. And Nicola’s first cousin on her father’s side is the great New York broadcaster and filmmaker Perri Peltz, whose father was Nelson’s older brother.

But on Nicola’s mother’s side, things get more interesting. Nicola’s mother, Claudia, has a sister we haven’t forgotten about. Charlene Gail Heffner goes by the name Chandi Duke Heffner. A Hare Krishna, sort of, Chandi went to Hawaii in the late 1980s and inveigled herself into the life of another billionaire, Doris Duke, the richest woman in the world. The incredibly eccentric Duke —  who used to throw lawn birthday parties for her llamas complete with cake and funny hats —  adopted adult Chandi, after being convinced she was the reincarnation of her dead baby.

Once Chandi was adopted she took over Duke’s life. Doris bought her a sprawling horse farm worth then– 30 years ago– over a million bucks. When Doris died, there was a well publicized estate fight between Chandi and Doris’s ex butler, Bernard Lafferty. Chandi sued Duke’s estate and wound up inheriting $65 million. (We covered the story in Fame magazine in 1990, and New York magazine did it again in 1993.)

Chandi lives on the horse farm now and operates a very modest charity called the CDH Foundation, with total assets of $ 2 million. This gives her the air of philanthropy. Last year she gave $40,000 to help people in India, $45,000 to Bronx Veterans Medical Research, and $2000 to the Hawaii Saddle Club. That’s not much considering what she’s worth. According to financial accounts she’s posted on her website, she has about $700,000 parked in CDH to help India. If I were Victoria Beckham, I wouldn’t count on a big wedding present.

Here’s a description of Chandi (seen in the picture here on the right, with Duke and Imelda Marcos) from her website. This should be some rehearsal dinner!

With a love for all living things, Ms. Heffner maintains a U.S. ranch that takes in rescued horses, birds, donkeys, pigs, and many other animals. She has also been involved in equestrian sports and was the owner of the horse Authentic, whose rider took home the Gold Medal in show jumping for Team USA at the 2004 Athens Olympics. Although polo and horse jumping are her favorite equestrian activities, Chandi Heffner currently spends the majority of her time overseeing CDHIF USA and CDHIFI.

If anyone has news on Chandi from the far reaches of Hawaii, drop us a line at showbiz411@gmail.com

 

 

Movie Release August Schedule for “Tenet,” “Mulan” Will Be Scuttled as Gov. Newsom Closes California Theaters

Roger Friedman
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Movie Release August Schedule for “Tenet,” “Mulan” Will Be Scuttled as Gov. Newsom Closes California Theaters

California Governor Gavin Newsom has pretty much finished off the summer movie season. He just closed all theaters in the state.

That should be the end of Warner Bros’s “Tenet” and Disney’s “Mulan,” among other films, opening before Labor Day.

Both films have been moved several times. For Warner’s, which has struggled with getting the Christopher Nolan movie out, this will be a tremendous frustration. But it would be impossible to open movies this summer without open theaters in New York, California, or Florida.

“Tenet” was set to open on August 12th. But now the studio should really aim for the end of the year. The 10th anniversary release of Nolan’s “Inception” set for July 31st doesn’t look very likely either.

“Mulan” has been moved many times by Disney, which now will likely release it on DisneyPlus after the huge success of “Hamilton.”

With Newsom’s latest decision, all movie releases for theaters are now up in the air. But keeping people healthy is more important.

The Governor is rolling back most of the situations in California as COVID continues to spike. Nearly every county is affected. All indoor dining is ceased. All bars are closed, indoor and outdoor.

 

Focus Features Buys Oscar Winner Paul Schrader’s “The Card Counter” Starring Oscar Isaac, After Film is Finished Post-COVID Break

Roger Friedman
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Focus Features Buys Oscar Winner Paul Schrader’s “The Card Counter” Starring Oscar Isaac, After Film is Finished Post-COVID Break

Focus Features has bought Oscar winner Paul Schrader’s “The Card Counter.” The film stars Oscar Isaac, Tiffany Haddish, Tye Sheridan, and Willem Dafoe. Martin Scorsese, Paul’s long time friend and collaborator, is executive producer.

“The Card Counter” is a bit of a miracle story. Schrader was down in Mississippi shooting in a casino when the pandemic started. He was just days away from finishing and everything had to stop. What followed was a terrible period of uncertainty for him since no one knew when lockdowns would be lifted. When I spoke to Paul a couple of months ago, he was feeling very bleak.

But last week Schrader reported on Facebook that he’d returned to Mississippi was finally wrapping up. Now Focus has bought the movie. It’s a happy ending!

Paul says in the press release: “The folks at Focus are the best at what they do. Over the years I’ve been jealous of directors in the Focus fold. Now happily I am one.”

“At a time when many of us are left wondering whether it’s our circumstances that corrupt souls or if it’s corrupt souls that create the circumstances, no one can say for sure, but has anyone explored this more in film than Paul Schrader?” commented Focus chairman Peter Kujawski.  “All of us at Focus can’t wait to hear and see what Paul has to say now more than ever before, and we’re very proud to help him bring this story to the world.”

Paul Schrader has a big fan club among cineastes and critics. He’s the real deal, not just from the Scorsese movies but go watch “First Reformed.” It’s just mind blowing. I can’t wait to see “The Card Counter.” Bravo!

Clive Davis Says Whitney Houston BioPic is Moving Forward with Financing Closed and Anthony McCarten Screenplay Done

Roger Friedman
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Clive Davis Says Whitney Houston BioPic is Moving Forward with Financing Closed and Anthony McCarten Screenplay Done

I told you back on November 26, 2019 exclusively that Anthony McCarten was writing the screenplay for the official Whitney Houston biopic.

On Saturday night, Whitney’s close friend, mentor, and advisor, as well as record producer Clive Davis commented on the Richard Weitz Quarantunes Zoom show the screenplay was done, and financing was in place for the film. Clive will executive produce.

Today on SiriusXM’s Clay Cane Show, Davis reiterated the Whitney news. He said: “I have just closed the deal with Anthony McCarten, who was the writer of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ and ‘The Two Popes’…this is the full Biopic of Whitney Houston, where, yes, we will graphically and honestly tell the story of her fight and battle against drug addiction, but we will also show why she was loved by millions. We will also show a musical genius and we will also show insights as to her dreams for herself. So that has just been closed. We break the financing for Whitney’s Biopic, and we’re really literally this week out to the studios for distribution.”

Clive also talked about his history with black music and how he managed to get R&B records “broken” on Top 40 radio without waiting to cross over from black radio. This is true, but he really did this when he brought Philadelphia International into Columbia Records in the early 70s. He also broke Earth Wind & Fire as a pop act. Don’t forget, “Shining Star” and “That’s the Way of the World” came straight to WABC back in those days.

He told Clay: “African American artists, black artists had to prove themselves in and with R&B stations before they ever had a shot at going in Top 40. Now, the reason that that’s relevant, is that the big money to these artists came with a quote pop record. And, I didn’t like that sort of racial approach that if you were African American, you could not go to a Top 40 first..I believe music is universal and I’ve felt very sympathetic to those African American orders that were only limited to R&B because they didn’t make great money..”

Clive gives some props to Sean Puffy Combs, but it was Clive at Arista who really used his successful Columbia formula that put hip hop on top 40, just the way he’d done for all those Philly artists– The O’Jays, Teddy Pendergrass, etc. We have so much of “classic soul” from the 70s because of Clive Davis. He likes to say songs are “great copyrights.” But they’re really just great records that have been as Clive would say ‘the soundtrack of our lives.’

 

Listen (Watch) to Chrissie Hynde’s Gorgeous 7 Minute Take on Bob Dylan’s “Don’t Fall Apart On Me Tonight”

Roger Friedman
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Listen (Watch) to Chrissie Hynde’s Gorgeous 7 Minute Take on Bob Dylan’s “Don’t Fall Apart On Me Tonight”

While we wait for a new Pretenders album this Friday. Chrissie Hynde and guitarist James Walbourne have released their 7th song in their “Dylan Lockdown” series on YouTube. “Don’t Fall Apart on Me Tonight” is the closing masterpiece on Bob Dylan’s “Infidels” album. Chrissie has a way of making her records flow. This is a beautiful take. I do hope one day all these Lockdown performances are put in a collection of their own.

Meanwhile, no one– at BMG, at the Pretenders management– can supply information on Friday’s release of “Hate for Sale.” I’ve sent all the emails I can. No one involved with it seems to care one way or another. So we’ll just wait til Friday and see if it pops up on Spotify. This is the new NEW. And you wonder why music sales are so low. Don’t get me wrong. The album could be the talk of the town. Or just a mystery achievement.

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