Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet” is coming to theaters July 17th, and people are going to show up with masks, without them, and who cares. Warner Bros. is counting on that from the looks of this trailer. John David Washington and Robert Pattinson star along with Elizabeth Debicki and Michael Freakin’ Caine. The trailer looks great. Like all non-Batman Nolan movies, it’s all about the reversal of time. Watch “Memento” while you’re waiting, just to feel the rhythm. I can’t wait, personally. PS Here’s a clue: Tenet is a palindrome. The whole movie is a palindrome.
Famed Hollywood PR Firm Baker, Winokur, Ryder Succumbs to the Economy, Consolidation, and Generational Change
Baker, Winokur, Ryder was one of my favorite PR firms in the 90s and 00s. Nanci Ryder was simply the best there was in the biz. Larry Winokur was a pleasure to deal with. (I didn’t really know Paul Baker.) But as of today, the agency, founded in 1987, is gone.
They succumbed to the changing generations, the economy, and consolidation. All these PR agencies that handle movie, TV, and Broadway talent live on monthly or annual fees from studios and stars. But if no one’s making any entertainment, and everyone is laying low, no one want to pay. It’s as simple as that.
Leslie Sloane, who has her own firm now, was a BWR star. We always had a good time getting ourselves into trouble on a variety of issues. But she’s moved on. Cindy Guagenti is still with BWR, wherever she goes people will be lucky to have her. She steered Brad Pitt’s career through thick and thin. Nicole Perna and Melissa Raubvogel have made their Imprint with a new agency that includes Dominique Appel, Brett Ruttenberg, Jeffrey Chasen and Ashley Mokma.
Nanci Ryder has been battling ALS for some time now. She’s retired. She’s so loved that her star clients are looking after her. You can read all about it here. The end of BWR is probably hard for her in the abstract, but her health is more important. I hope she knows how many fans she has on the East Coast.
So farewell, BWR. You had a great run!
Daytime Emmy Award Nominations Are Here: Valerie Bertinelli, Alex Trebek, Susan Seaforth Hayes Among Most Buzzed About
The Daytime Emmy Award nomination were announced today, the day after CBS said they’d carry a virtual version of the Emmys on June 26th. What a coincidence. Among the most buzzed about nominees: Alex Trebek, who has to win because he’s made it this far with grace and elegance; Valerie Bertinelli, because she’s a breath of fresh air in those stale kitchens; and Susan Seaforth Hayes, who has waited 50 years in soap operas and was better than ever this season on that zany “Days of Our Lives.” Other should-wins in bold face.
OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES
The Bold and the Beautiful
Days of Our Lives
General Hospital
The Young and the Restless
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Finola Hughes (Anna, GH)
Katherine Kelly Lang (Brooke, B&B)
Heather Tom (Katie, B&B)
Maura West (Ava, GH)
Arianne Zucker (Nicole, Days)
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Steve Burton (Jason, GH)
Thorsten Kaye (Ridge, B&B)
Jon Lindstrom (Ryan/Kevin, GH)
Thaao Penghlis (Tony, Days)
Jason Thompson (Billy, Y&R)
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Tamara Braun (Kim, GH)
Rebecca Budig (Hayden, GH)
Susan Seaforth Hayes (Julie, Days)
Christel Khalil (Lily, Y&R)
Annika Noelle (Hope, B&B)
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Mark Grossman (Adam, Y&R)
Bryton James (Devon, Y&R)
Wally Kurth (Justin, Days)
Chandler Massey (Will, Days)
James Patrick Stuart (Valentin, GH)
Paul Telfer (Xander, Days)
OUTSTANDING YOUNGER ACTOR OR ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Sasha Calle (Lola, Y&R)
Olivia Rose Keegan (Claire, Days)
Katelyn MacMullen (Willow, GH)
Eden McCoy (Josslyn, GH)
Thia Megia (Haley, Days)
OUTSTANDING GUEST PERFORMER IN A DRAMA SERIES
Elissa Kapneck (Sasha, Y&R)
Michael Knight (Martin, GH)
Eva LaRue (Celeste, Y&R)
Jeffrey Vincent Parise (Simon, Y&R)
Chrishell Stause (Jordan, Days)
OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES WRITING TEAM
B&B
Days
GH
Y&R
OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES DIRECTING TEAM
B&B
Days
GH
Y&R
OUTSTANDING DIGITAL DAYTIME DRAMA
After Forever
The Bay The Series
DARK/WEB
Eastsiders
Studio City
OUTSTANDING GAME SHOW HOST
Wayne Brady, Let’s Make a Deal
Steve Harvey, Family Feud
Alfonso Ribeiro, Catch 21
Pat Sajak, Wheel of Fortune
Alex Trebek, Jeopardy!
OUTSTANDING GAME SHOW
Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?
Double Dare
Family Feud
Jeopardy!
The Price Is Right
OUTSTANDING CULINARY HOST
Valerie Bertinelli, Valerie’s Home Cooking
Frankie Celenza, Struggle Meals
Giada De Laurentiis, Giada Entertains
Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa: Cook Like a Pro
Rachael Ray, 30 Minute Meals
OUTSTANDING CULINARY PROGRAM
Barefoot Contessa: Cook Like a Pro
Giada Entertains
Milk Street
30 Minute Meals
Valerie’s Home Cooking
OUTSTANDING LEGAL/COURTROOM PROGRAM
Hot Bench
Judge Judy
Judge Mathis
Lauren Lake’s Paternity Court
The People’s Court
OUTSTANDING MORNING SHOW
CBS Sunday Morning
CBS This Morning
Good Morning America
Sunday Today With Willie Geist
Today
OUTSTANDING ENTERTAINMENT NEWS PROGRAM
Access Hollywood
E! News
ET
Extra
Inside Edition
OUTSTANDING INFORMATIVE TALK SHOW HOST(S)
Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sunny Hostin, Meghan McCain, Abby Huntsman & Ana Navarro, The View
Tamron Hall, Tamron Hall
Larry King, Larry King Now
Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager, Today With Hoda & Jenna
Jada Pinkett Smith, Willow Smith and Adrienne Banfield-Norris, Red Table Talk
OUTSTANDING INFORMATIVE TALK SHOW
The 3rd Hour of Today
Rachael Ray
Red Table Talk
Today With Hoda & Jenna
The View
OUTSTANDING ENTERTAINMENT TALK SHOW HOST(S)
Michael Strahan, Sara Haines and Keke Palmer, GMA3 Strahan, Sara & Keke
Kelly Clarkson, The Kelly Clarkson Show
Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest, Live With Kelly and Ryan
Maury Povich, Maury
Sara Gilbert, Sharon Osbourne, Sheryl Underwood, Eve, Carrie Ann Inaba and Marie Osmond, The Talk
OUTSTANDING ENTERTAINMENT TALK SHOW
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
GMA3 Strahan, Sara & Keke
The Kelly Clarkson Show
Live With Kelly and Ryan
The Talk
Al Pacino’s Director Daughter Makes a Comedic Short Film Called “Hard Work” for PornHub, of All Places
Julie Pacino is a nice girl and a good director. I’ve known her a long time. So she’s made an eleven minute film that’s more uncomfortable than pornographic, but she’s partnered with PornHub to show it.
Yes, Julie is Al Pacino’s daughter, and no, she’s not trying to embarrass anyone. Her film, called “Hard Work,” can be found on the PornHub site, which I can’t link to, and no, I cannot embed the film here. You can find it on your own.
It’s sort of a comedy about a porn actor who needs an injection from a production assistant so they can, ahem, get things going. Her collaborator is Max Meisel. Party promoter Noel Ashman is a producer on the film. Julie Pacino’s made a bunch of interesting short films. I’m looking forward to seeing a feature from her.
“Hard Work” is being released on Pornhub as part of the platform’s effort to expand and diversify into mainstream content.
According to a press release, Pornhub has huge numbers – 42 billion visitors last year, about a third of them women. Given the challenges, especially now, of releasing an indie or a short, Pornhub could be a viable option for struggling filmmakers. Pornhub started last March with a documentary, “Shakedown,” about lesbian nightclubs in LA. Although that doc had some graphic content, it wasn’t a porn film. In fact it was screened at MoMA.
PS Cindy Adams talked to Julie yesterday.Cindy: How’s Daddy feel about daughter making a film about the porn industry?
Julie: “He thinks it offers comic relief during this pandemic.”
Mission Mystery: Nicholas Hoult, 30, Replaced in Tom Cruise Franchise by Esai Morales, 57, as Film’s Villain
Something stinks in Hollywood this morning.
Nicholas Hoult, a rising star, hot, young, just 30 years old was supposed to play a villain in the next two “Mission Impossible” movies. Now, he’s out.
Esai Morales, a very good actor we all like, who rose to fame in “La Bamba,” is replacing him without even a script change. Morales will be 58 in October, the same age Tom Cruise will achieve in six weeks, on July 3rd.
Deadline.com reported the news first but didn’t question it.
Is it a case of reverse age-ism? That would be a first. Or was Hoult making Tom Cruise nervous? The official word on this that Hoult couldn’t do it because of “scheduling changes.” Indeed, “Mission Impossible 7” is late starting its shoot because of the pandemic. But every movie is, and Hoult does not have another project listed on the imdb. He was scheduled for these two “Mission Impossible” movies, which would have given his career a gigantic boost.
But if you Cruise, you lose. “Mission Impossible” has already chewed up and spit out other younger actors like Jeremy Renner and Henry Cavill, each of whom was terrific in the series. Both of those actors got such good notices that fans wondered if they’d succeed Cruise in the franchise. But Tom Cruise, who will be 61 when the 8th installment appears, will play Ethan Hunt until he’s scaling a nursing home, don’t you worry.
As for Hoult, he’s hitting his stride. He’s probably bummed about this news, but youth will triumph. We’ll be seeing a lot him in the next fifteen years. His mission is not impossible.
Steven Spielberg to Produce First Ever Broadway Musical, “Smash,” Based on the Failed Cult NBC TV Show
Steven Spielberg has produced dozens of movies and TV shows but just one Broadway play. “The Farnsworth Invention,” written by Aaron Sorkin, played 108 performances before it closed in March 2008. It was not a success.
But now Spielberg will produce his first musical. “Smash” is based on the failed but cult NBC TV show that starred Debra Messing, Angelica Huston, and a rotating cast of real Broadway performers as they attempted to open a musical called “Bombshell” on the Great White Way.
Bob Greenblatt, who was the head of NBC when “Smash” was on the air,” and Neil Meron, who produced the TV show, will be Spielberg’s co-producers. (Greenblatt now runs HBO.)
Excised from the production is playwright Theresa Rebeck, who created and executive produced “Smash” until she was fired.
According to a press release, Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, who wrote over two dozen songs for the television show will provide the score. The musical’s book will be co-written by two of Broadway’s most seasoned craftsmen, Tony winner Bob Martin (The Prom, The Drowsy Chaperone) and Tony-nominated Rick Elice (Jersey Boys, Peter and the Starcatcher). “Smash’s” Emmy-winning choreographer Joshua Bergasse will reprise his role for the stage musical.
Well, that’s a lot of star power for one new show.
“I am personally thrilled to be a part of this musical and its road to Broadway,” said Steven Spielberg whose original idea led to the NBC series. “’Smash’ is near and dear to my heart, and it seems fitting that a new musical inspired by what we did on the show would eventually come to the stage. I’m beyond thrilled to be working with this incredible creative team and my producing partners, who began the ‘Smash’ journey with me over ten years ago.”
Neil Meron added, “Speaking for myself and Bob Greenblatt, our partner when he was running NBC, we’re thrilled Steven wanted to embark on this musical with us. We’ve all felt that Shaiman and Wittman’s incredible score for ‘Smash’ belonged on Broadway. Collaborating with first-class bookwriters Rick Elice and Bob Martin, and the world’s best choreographer Josh Bergasse, will be the icing on the cake.”
Paul McCartney on the Passing of Beatles Photographer Astrid Kirchherr: “I will always remember her and her cheeky grin with great fondness”
The girl who took the original pictures of the Beatles in Hamburg, Astrid Kirchherr, died on May 12th. Yesterday would have been her 82nd birthday. A number of remembrances were posted last week, but Paul McCartney finally published something on his website and Twitter overnight.
He writes:
“Very sad news this week about Astrid Kirchherr.
Astrid was a dear friend from my Hamburg days with The Beatles. Another friend, Klaus Voormann, told me she had passed away and this brought back memories of our days in the clubs in Hamburg. Astrid looked unique. She had a short blond haircut and wore a slim black, leather outfit which made her look like a funky pixie. She would come to the club with Klaus and another friend, Jürgen Vollmer, and the three of them made quite an impression on us four lads from Liverpool. Their wit and conversation was really stimulating and we fell in love with Astrid’s style. Astrid took beautiful photographs of us. She used black and white film and achieved a stunning mood in her pictures that we all loved. She had a great sense of humour and later went on to marry Stuart [Sutcliffe] our bass player. I have so many fond memories of our time together in the club or her home or a trip to the nearby seaside resort, Lübeck.
So sad for all of us who were her friends to lose such a lovely lady from our lives. I will miss her but will always remember her and her cheeky grin with great fondness. God bless you Astrid, see ya love!”
– Paul McCartney
CBS Will Air the Daytime Emmys, Bringing them Back To TV After Many Years, Because They’ve Run out of Shows
Content really is king.
CBS has obviously run out of things to air on the network. So they’re bringing back the Daytime Emmys. That awards show has not been on broadcast TV in many years. But you have to work with what’s available.
The bulk of the Daytime Emmys is about soap operas, and CBS has two, “The Young and the Restless,” and “The Bold and the Beautiful.” Plus they have game shows like “The Price is Right.”
The Daytime Emmys will air on June 26th, and they’ll be virtual. The actors will be seen from their homes, or in settings they want their fans to see. That alone should be pretty interesting. I’d like to see Deidre Hall’s house, that’s for sure.
Who is nominated for a Daytime Emmy? Who knows? I guess we’ll find out soon.
CBS can’t expect big ratings. Last night ABC aired a wobbly two hour special about the history of soaps and barely cleared 2 million viewers. But they’ve got to fill the time. It could be worse.
Broadway Will Celebrate the Tony Awards as Planned on June 7th, Retaliation Against CBS “Grease” Screening
Well played!
The Tony Awards will be celebrated on June 7th as planned, streaming on Broadway.com. The John Gore Organization will produce the show. Details of who’s going to be on the show are coming.
This is nice rebuke against CBS, which is showing the movie “Grease” instead of the Tonys. “Grease” never won a Tony Award in any incarnation.
“Show of Shows: Broadway.com Salutes the Tonys” will benefit the two theatrical organizations that co-present the Tony Awards: The American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League. It will kick off at 7pm, same time the Tonys would have begun at Radio City Music Hall.
In a statement, John Gore said, “We will deeply miss this year’s Tony Awards and telecast, and ‘Show of Shows’ is our small way of saluting that grand tradition while raising funds for the American Theatre Wing and Broadway League’s much needed educational initiatives.”
“Show of Shows: Broadway.com Salutes the Tonys” will be directed by Paul Wontorek, Broadway.com’s Editor-in-Chief, with Charlie Rosen serving as Music Supervisor / Producer / Orchestrator.
Who should be on this show? Well, read my story from a few days ago. Please, Gores, do something for Adrienne Warren.
Watch David Lynch’s New 10 Minute Animated Film “Fire (Pozar)” Here, It’s A Beautiful Balm to Our Lockdown
You can watch David Lynch’s 10 minute animated film “Fire (Pozar)” here.
Lynch’s website says:
“The 10-minute animation was written, drawn, and directed by David Lynch and had its world premiere on March 28 back in 2015 during the Measures & Frames “visual music” event at USC’s Newman Recital Hall in Los Angeles. Subsequent screenings occurred at the Kwadrofonik Festival in Warsaw, Poland, and most recently during the Someone Is In My House exhibition at Bonnefanten Museum in Maastricht, the Netherlands. Starting May 20, 2020, the short film can be streamed worldwide for free.”
Longtime Lynch collaborator Noriko Miyakawa (assistant editor on Twin Peaks: The Return, Inland Empire, and more) brought the director’s drawings to life. The soundtrack was composed by Marek Zebrowski, who met David Lynch at the Camerimage Festival in Poland and worked with him on multiple projects including the Polish Night Music album. During a Q&A after the world premiere, David Lynch said he gave Marek Zebrowski carte blanche to interpret the surreal visuals. The composer went on to describe his approach of the experiment as follows:
“I thought it was a very melancholic film in a certain sense and also very poetic. Without trying to be too explicit, I tried to illustrate further what David was doing. For example, there is something that looks like a hailstorm and I used a lot of pizzicato, but I also used a soaring melodic line to add a lyrical element to it.”
And when you get a chance, watch “Twin Peaks” Season 3, episode 8, maybe the greatest thing you’ll ever see made for the small screen. Or any screen.