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Independent Spirit Awards Not So Independent, Fall in Line with the Oscars, Move 2021 Ceremony to Day Before Academy Awards

Roger Friedman
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Independent Spirit Awards Not So Independent, Fall in Line with the Oscars, Move 2021 Ceremony to Day Before Academy Awards

The Independent Spirit Awards aren’t so independent, of anything.

The Film Independent awards group has moved its 2021 ceremony to April 24th, the day before the Oscars. The Spirit Awards can’t exist without the Oscars, so what were they going to do? Have their show in February?

The Spirit Awards are an odd animal. They’re supposed to celebrate independent cinema, but they mostly march in lockstep with the Academy Awards. Almost no one watches the telecast on the IFC channel. The last two years averaged around 100,000 viewers.

Well, now that we’ve gotten over that hump, who’s next? SAG Awards, DGA, WGA, PGA, all of them will move to April. And the Golden Globes will have to take March 20th.

PS Do you know which movie won the Independent Spirit Award this past winter? Answer: it was “The Farewell,” a little gem you cannot not love.

Paris Jackson Taking the Leap, Releasing First EP of Music with Her Band, The Soundflowers, Next Week

Roger Friedman
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Paris Jackson Taking the Leap, Releasing First EP of Music with Her Band, The Soundflowers, Next Week

Paris Jackson is tough, I give her that. She’s not afraid of anything.

Next week, Michael Jackson’s daughter is releasing her first EP with what she describes as her band, The Soundflowers. The band is mostly composed of her and her boyfriend, Gabriel Glenn.

What Paris is attempting here isn’t easy. Her father was the most famous music personality in the world, certainly of his generation. In these situations often the problem is that the child of the rock star sounds so similar to the parent there’s no place to go. The result is it rarely works out.

In Paris’s case, she sounds nothing at all like Michael. Her music is kind of a Monterey Pop era folk rock, strummed on acoustic guitars. There’s no funk. No one will be singing “shamone” between the lines.

The Soundflowers may not be groundbreaking, but there’s nothing wrong with some pleasant pop sung by nice people. We could do a lot worse.

So circle June 23rd.

 

Oscars 2021: Disney’s (formerly Fox) Searchlight is Ready with Two Excellent Candidates: “David Copperfield” and “The French Dispatch”

Roger Friedman
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Oscars 2021: Disney’s (formerly Fox) Searchlight is Ready with Two Excellent Candidates: “David Copperfield” and “The French Dispatch”

So much talk the last couple of days about the Oscars. When are they? How will this all happen? and so on.

One studio clearly ready is Fox Searchlight (they are now Disney’s Searchlight, which I object to). They’ve got two excellent candidates for Best Picture. The first is Armando Iannucci’s “The Personal History of David Copperfield” starring Dev Patel as Charles Dickens’ famous character. The film was supposed to be released in March, but will now launch on August 14th.

I can’t say enough about “David Copperfield” except that it’s magic. It’s hilariously told and beautifully made. At the Toronto Film Festival last fall I laughed til my sides split, and that isn’t easy. There are many wonderful supporting performances, by Hugh Laurie, Tilda Swinton, and Ben Whishaw especially. The accents are strong, so I hope Fox Searchlight includes captioning. The audience will appreciate it. If they’re going to this kind of movie in the first place, they can read!

The other big Fox Searchlight film is Wes Anderson’s “The French Dispatch.” I told you months ago that Anderson’s film would open Cannes. But there was no Cannes! Even so, “The French Dispatch” was included on the festival’s ultimate list. There’s an all-star cast including Tilda Swinton  again, Timothee Chalamet, Elisabeth Moss and many from Anderson’s repertory group like Bill Murray and Frances McDormand. Anticipation is high for this one. Opening date is February 16th.

And it’s not like we don’t have a couple of candidates already for Oscar attention. Spike Lee’s “Da 5 Bloods” is most certainly on the list, from Netflix. And Delroy Lindo pretty much guaranteed that his name will be in the mix for Best Actor. His performance is wild, incendiary, memorable. Jonathan Major and Clarke Peters are also in the mix for Best Supporting Actor. And let’s not forget Marisa Tomei in “The King of Staten Island.” Just tuck that away for now. Tomei’s lovely, nuanced turn as Pete Davidson’s mother is going to be cited a lot whenever we get to awards.

So here we go!

So Much for the Emmy Awards: They’ll Be Virtual, Governor’s Ball Cancelled, Academy Donates $1 Mil to Actor’s Fund

Roger Friedman
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So Much for the Emmy Awards: They’ll Be Virtual, Governor’s Ball Cancelled, Academy Donates $1 Mil to Actor’s Fund

There will be no big parties for the Emmy Awards this September.

The Television Academy announced this morning that the Creative Arts Emmys — which precede the big Emmys by a week– will be held virtually, somehow, over three nights beginning September 12th.

The actual Emmys, set for September 20th, will likely also be virtual. The Academy is not going to stuff 12,000 people into the Microsoft Theatre at LA Live.

The Academy also cancelled the Governor’s Ball that follows the Emmys. Instead they’re contributing $1 million to the Actors Fund.

We knew the parties were over when HBO cancelled its big soiree at the Pacific Design Center. This is too bad because I’d planned on stalking Issa Rae. I love her show. So she’s breathing a sigh of relief!

From the press release: “This has been an incredibly challenging time for our industry; and though we are now making plans to get back to work, we know there are many still suffering from the work stoppage caused by the coronavirus,” said Television Academy Chairman and CEO Frank Scherma. “As we strive to do the right thing for our community with these changes to our annual events, the Television Academy is also pleased to support those still in need with a $1 million donation to The Actors Fund COVID-19 Relief Fund.”
Scherma said that the gift will add to a pipeline of support for those in the entertainment industry who are struggling to meet basic needs due to layoffs, employment furloughs and other impacts of the pandemic. “As the industry reemerges, we will continue to support our more than 24,000 members and our community through this donation and our Academy’s programs and resources,” he said.

 

UPDATE Oscars Move to April 25, 2021, Golden Globes May Move Too, Eligibility Window Extended to February 28th

Roger Friedman
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UPDATE Oscars Move to April 25, 2021, Golden Globes May Move Too, Eligibility Window Extended to February 28th
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Billie Eilish’s “No Time to Die” Was a Dud: Is There to Time to Record a New James Bond Theme?

Roger Friedman
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Billie Eilish’s “No Time to Die” Was a Dud: Is There to Time to Record a New James Bond Theme?

Is there time to record a new James Bond theme song?

Billie Eilish’s “No Time to Die” was a bust this winter when it was released in February. Total real sales were 52,000 downloads, although there were ten times as many sales from streaming. The disparity is jarring.

On Spotify, of her top 10 streamed songs, Eilish’s James Bond song is 10th. Her most streamed song is “Bad  Guy” with 1.4 billion. “No Time to Die” squeaks in at 178,000,000.*

It wasn’t a bad song, but Eilish’s record was timed to launch the movie in early April. When the movie was moved to November, all the steam went out of the project. Unlike Adele’s “Skyfall,” “No Time to Die” rose up no charts, got little airplay, and vanished.

Now we’re only mid way through the weeks and months until the movie is released on November 20th. Actually five months. Eilish’s single is now much in the past and not particularly exciting. (Sung in a whisper, it wasn’t that exciting to begin with.) The movie needs all new marketing hooks for its release. A new song would certainly help. Even a new recording — a post-pandemic mix– might be a good idea.

Maybe Eilish could drink some coffee before she re-records “No Time to Die” so it doesn’t sound like she actually does have time to die. She and brother Finneas have all summer to jazz it up. It’s not like they’re going on tour.

*I corrected the 178,000 to 178,000,000. It doesn’t matter. The number is very low.

Clive Davis Curates Digital All Star Grammy Party with Rare Live Performances by Carly Simon, Frankie Valli, Raises Big Bucks for COVID Relief

Lady Gaga’s “Chromatica” Holds the Number 1 Spot for 2nd Week, But Falls 76% in Sales

Roger Friedman
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Lady Gaga’s “Chromatica” Holds the Number 1 Spot for 2nd Week, But Falls 76% in Sales

The top 50 chart ending Thursday was pretty sad. Not much is selling, even through streaming.

Lady Gaga’s “Chromatica” took the number 1 spot for the second week in a row, but sales fell 76%. The total in week 1 was 275,000. The 2nd week was 65,000. Actual CDs and downloads came to just 25,000. This means the second wave of buyers didn’t care if they owned the music.

Run the Jewels “RTJ4” is now up to 63,000 total after 10 days. The total sales this past week were just 25,000 including streaming and iTunes. RTJ gave away a lot of free downloads on their website. They don’t count with the RIAA.

Otherwise, this past week was a snore. The biz needs a surprise. Bob Dylan comes this Friday. That means we’re counting on a release from a 79 year old. Not a good situation.

Beatles Surprise Disappointment as Peter Jackson’s “Let it Be” Documentary Delayed by a Year

Roger Friedman
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Beatles Surprise Disappointment as Peter Jackson’s “Let it Be” Documentary Delayed by a Year

Disney has announced that Peter Jackson’s “Let it Be” documentary about the Beatles has been delayed by a year. It was supposed to be released on September 4th. Now it’s set for August 2021. If it ever comes out.

What is now also up in the air is a 50th anniversary edition of the “Let it Be” album or any kind of re-release of the original “Let it Be” film. Internet detectives can find the film floating around on the web, but officially it’s out of print.

The Jackson doc was supposed to take Michael Lindsay-Hogg’s original footage and rearrange it to make the Beatles look happier and less at each other’s throats during the making of their penultimate album. As it turned out, after making the album and the film they went on to make their masterpiece, “Abbey Road.” “Let it Be” was issued after “Abbey Road” as the Beatles broke up.

The “Let it Be” film does show the group in a tense moment. Paul McCartney is calling the shots. John Lennon is using Yoko Ono as an ally and shield. George Harrison is trying to be zen, although his facade cracks at one point and he gets a bit put out with Paul. Ringo is just doing his thing, although a highlight moment is the drummer playing a newly written “Octopus’s Garden” for George on the piano.

The Beatles legacy is so Rushmore-ish now that I’m sure there’s internal squabbling among the principals about the tone of the documentary. Frankly, they should just re-release the old movie and be done with it. The reality is that they made “Abbey Road,” broke up, fought in public, made amends, and were friends before Lennon, and then Harrison, died. Everyone loves them, and no opinions will be changed by fans now seeing “Let it Be” in its original form.

 

Clive Davis Curates Digital All Star Grammy Party with Rare Live Performances by Carly Simon, Frankie Valli, Raises Big Bucks for COVID Relief

Roger Friedman
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0
Clive Davis Curates Digital All Star Grammy Party with Rare Live Performances by Carly Simon, Frankie Valli, Raises Big Bucks for COVID Relief

I’d been hearing about these private Hollywood Zoom parties called Quarantunes for sometime now. WME superagent Richard Weitz and his 17 year old daughter Demi (charming and articulate) host them from their Los Angeles kitchen. The parties have raised around $3 million for various charities because guests– a number of whom are famous– are encouraged to donate while the party continues.

So last night I got an invite thanks to Sirius XM’s great Tracey Jordan, who helped legendary music mogul Clive Davis put together a digital version of his famed pre-Grammy dinner concert for the Weitzes. The money went to United Way, and the raised a lot.

Like all Clive’s dinners, the performers were all kept secret. So when Carly Simon turned up live from her barn on Martha’s Vineyard with a band, I was verklempt and so were the 400 plus other guests who were logged on. And Carly’s big surprise was that her band included one of our favorite actors, Tony Shalhoub, on guitar. The rest of her outfit included son Ben Taylor, David Saw, and John Forte. They kicked off with an old song called “It So Easy Then” from Carly’s “No Secrets” album, and then hit a home run with a gorgeous, flowing, “Anticipation.” Carly said she was singing in a lower key than she did in 1971, but she was sure radio ready. A triumph! (She should be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by now!)

Clive’s many other performers for the four hours included more legends Frankie Valli (86 years old and also, spot on), Kool and the Gang, Ashanti, a special video of John Legend and Andra Day singing “The Greatest Love of All,” and so on. Quite amazing. The 400 guests included former Paramount chief Sherry Lansing, hit songwriter Diane Warren, the great Jimmy Jam Lewis, and tons of familiar faces from the biz. Other highlights included Kool and the Gang singing “Hollywood Swinging” and “Get Down on It,” and Frankie– sounding and looking great– with a big group of singers he’d corralled into doing “Let’s Hang On to What We’ve Got.” I also adored Ashanti and her mother rapping and singing together.

There was a way out special guest, too: Jim Messina! You know him, he was Loggins and Messina. Before that Jim Messina was in Poco and a famous session musician. In the early 70s, he also worked for Clive at Columbia Records in A&R. What a thrill to see and hear him do Danny’s Song, House at Pooh Corner and other hits!

The program wasn’t just known stars. We met an an up-and-comer, a gospel R&B singer named Jac Ross, discovered by Rodney Jerkins. Jac Ross channels Sam Cooke so well he would surprise the Cooke family and even Lou Rawls would have been surprised.

A great night- I sure hope they invite me back!

 

Everybody Must Get Stoned: Bob Dylan Announces Trilogy of Tennessee Whiskeys, and the Tracklist to New Album

Roger Friedman
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Everybody Must Get Stoned: Bob Dylan Announces Trilogy of Tennessee Whiskeys, and the Tracklist to New Album

Bob Dylan is not shy about branding. Call this Everybody Must Get Stoned.

Dylan, our poet laureate, has announced on Instagram a “trio of Tennessee Whiskeys” They’re called Heaven’s Door, named for his famous song “Knockin On Heaven’s Door.” Each bottle is 50 bucks. One comes in a faux leather case with Dylan lyrics scrawled on it to make it look like a book. He’s also got an album coming out next week called “Rough and Ready.” It’s unclear which project is the tie in and which the main event. I guess we’re lucky there’s no cologne called “Blowin’ in the Wind” or Shelter from the Storm home furnishings.

Well, why not? Guillermo del Toro has a line of tequila. Francis Ford Coppola has his wine. Ernest Hemingway– who will never go away– is touting cologne. And of course, Kanye West has his sneakers. Why shouldn’t Bob Dylan have some good merch?

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