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Cannes: Spike Lee’s “Da 5 Bloods” Would Have Gotten 10 Minute Standing Ovation, Chadwick Boseman Major Oscar Buzz

Roger Friedman
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Cannes: Spike Lee’s “Da 5 Bloods” Would Have Gotten 10 Minute Standing Ovation, Chadwick Boseman Major Oscar Buzz

If we had been in Cannes, Spike Lee’s “Da 5 Bloods” would have gotten a standing ovation last night at the Palais. Chadwick Boseman would have been the toast of the town, with lots of Oscar buzz.

Interestingly, Cannes’s Thierry Fremaux would have allowed “Da 5 Bloods” to be featured out of competition as a nod to jury chief Spike Lee, despite the festival’s long standing position against Netflix and TV platform films. But even Fremaux would have had to acquiesce this time, and Lee would have told me how grateful he was it all worked out.

“Da 5 Bloods” heavily features the Chambers Brothers’ great hit “Time Has Come Today” in the trailer. I hope they were paid very well.

The movie is described as the story of four African-American Vets — Paul (Delroy Lindo), Otis (Clarke Peters), Eddie (Norm Lewis), and Melvin (Isiah Whitlock, Jr.) — who return to Vietnam. Searching for the remains of their fallen Squad Leader (Chadwick Boseman) and the promise of buried treasure, our heroes, joined by Paul’s concerned son (Jonathan Majors), battle forces of Man and Nature — while confronted by the lasting ravages of The Immorality of The Vietnam War.

Norm Lewis, if there’s a god, you’ll get a nomination, too. If you don’t know Norm Lewis, he’s a Broadway superstar, and the most criminally underrated actor in the world.

Chrissie Hynde Releases Three Dylan Covers to YouTube Separate from the Forthcoming New Pretenders Album

Roger Friedman
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Chrissie Hynde Releases Three Dylan Covers to YouTube Separate from the Forthcoming New Pretenders Album

Chrissie Hynde is keeping busy during the pandemic. She’s a got a Lockdown Series of Bob Dylan covers she’s recorded with Pretenders guitarist James Walborne. This is all in anticipation of the new Pretenders record coming in July. Since I can listen to Chrissie sing the phone book, here are the three covers they’ve done so far.


Hi Ya’ll!

I was so buoyed up by the new Dylan songs that I talked to Pretenders Guitar playing hot-shot James Walbourne and we decided it’s a good time to do those Dylan songs we’ve always talked about doing. Every singer-songwriter in the world covers the master’s songs and there is an endless supply of them. So we’ve started, and will do one a week until lockdown ends.

The First one is off the Shot of Love album, In The Summertime. We did it from home on our phones. I did the rhythm – sent it to James, he added guitar , sent it back to me, i put on the vocal , sent it back to him, he put on some back up vocals and organ, then we sent it to Tchad Blake to tidy up. I know you don’t need the behind the scenes details so I won’t repeat myself on the next one.

WalMart Commercial Perfectly Resurrects Sam & Dave’s 1966 Perennial, Timeless “Hold On I’m Coming”

Roger Friedman
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WalMart Commercial Perfectly Resurrects Sam & Dave’s 1966 Perennial, Timeless “Hold On I’m Coming”

Wal Mart is blanketing our airwaves with a great commercial dedicated to health care workers and first responders. There’s an unmistakable song playing through the commercial, Sam & Dave’s classic 1966 hit “Hold On I’m Coming.” Sam Moore’s lush voice is prominent, with the late Dave Prater underscoring harmony. Those lyrics by Isaac Hayes and David Porter are reassuring everyone during tough times:

Now, don’t you ever be sad
Lean on me, when the times are bad
When the day comes and you’re down, baby
In a river of trouble and about to drown
Hold on, I’m coming
Hold on, I’m coming.

The horns you hear were played by Wayne Jackson, Charles “Packy” Axton, and Don Nix, aka the Mar-Key horns from Stax Records. It’s a signature sound for Sam & Dave that can be heard on all their great hits.

The song is even more poignant today. Sam’s daughter, Joanne Schmidt, is graduating this morning from Yale University’s Doctor of Nursing program. Many congrats on an amazing accomplishment! It wasn’t easy. Joanne is a single mom whose son, Jaelin Taylor, is a recent college grad and budding actor and filmmaker. (Also, PS, one of Joanne’s dozen other grads in the program is coincidentally named Steven Tyler!)

Wise Men Say “We’re Going to Graceland”: Elvis Presley’s Tourist Attraction Home Will Re-open This Week

Roger Friedman
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Wise Men Say “We’re Going to Graceland”: Elvis Presley’s Tourist Attraction Home Will Re-open This Week

“Wise men say/Only fools rush in.” Isn’t that how one of Elvis Presley’s greatest hits begins?

Well, fools are being invited to rush into Graceland at the end of this week, when Elvis’s tourist attraction home in Memphis, Tennessee re-opens from the virus lockdown.

Paul Simon sang, “We’re going to Graceland, Graceland…” But will we go to Graceland? I guess Priscilla Presley and her daughter, Lisa Marie, can’t afford to keep the cash cow closed any longer. All that shag carpeting is going to waste. Someone’s got to ooh and ah and pet it (on the walls, if I recall correctly).

Elvis, you know, died for our sins. Now we can die for his.

The gates of Graceland re-open May 21st. On the website: “Graceland has been working diligently to reconfigure all of our operations, including tours, retail and restaurants, to ensure the health and safety of our guests and associates for our re-opening. Our COVID-19 plan and protocols meet or exceed the social distancing, capacity, and health and safety guidelines outlined by local, state and federal authorities. Below are highlights of these protocols and what you can expect during your upcoming visit.”

Elvis is buried at Graceland. If you’re not careful, you can be, too.

Also on the website:

Here is what you can expect during your visit:

  Health & Safety Protocol
  • All Graceland Associates are required to wear masks while at work.
  • Guests are highly encouraged to wear masks, as well. Additionally, anyone who is persistently coughing or sneezing – for any reason – will be asked to wear a mask during their visit.
  • All Guests and Associates will be required to undergo temperature check screenings upon entering the property. Anyone with a fever of 100.4 degrees or higher will not be permitted to enter.
  • All Associates are required to participate in scheduled handwashing breaks throughout their work day.
  Enhanced Sanitization
  • Thorough, commercial-grade cleaning of the campus and all surfaces will be conducted continuously throughout the day. This includes use of UV Light Sanitizer Wands.
  • Hand sanitization stations are widely available throughout the property for the use of our Guests and Associates.
  • Shuttles and iPads will be rotated to allow for thorough sanitization between uses.
  Capacity Control – Limited Tour Groups
  • Graceland Mansion tour capacity has been reduced to 25% to allow for proper social distancing.
  • Shuttle seating capacity will be reduced by 50%.
  • Elvis Presley’s Memphis Entertainment Complex offers an expansive 200,000 square feet of Elvis exhibits and attractions, which allows Guests to spread out and tour at their own pace in their own space.
  Social Distancing
  • Signage has been placed throughout Elvis Presley’s Memphis to create awareness of proper physical distancing between guests. Please be respectful of other’s space.
  • Queue lines that allow for social distancing have been implemented to avoid crowding in the ticket plaza, in our retail shops and in our restaurants.
  • Restaurants will offer both indoor and outdoor seating at 50% capacity.

 

Condition of Broadway Star Nick Cordero, Still on a Tracheostomy Ventilator, Continues to Be Up in the Air

Roger Friedman
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Condition of Broadway Star Nick Cordero, Still on a Tracheostomy Ventilator, Continues to Be Up in the Air

I can’t imagine what life is like right now for Amanda Kloots, the devoted young wife of Broadway star Nick Cordero. Forty nine days ago Cordero went into Cedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles and was diagnosed with corona virus. He’s gone through a coma, a leg amputation, infections, mini strokes. Kloots has been unflagging in her support and good cheer. It’s not easy to go through this kind of thing in private. But in public? She gets a purple heart.

Today she wrote on Instagram: “It’s day 49 in the hospital for Nick. We have a new hashtag #offthevent because our new goal for Nick is for his lung infection to clear up so that we can start breathing trials and get him off the ventilator! These are big goals, but I BELIEVE! We have an army behind him that cheered, sang and prayed for him to wake up so now we need to believe that this to can happen! He’s not done!”

Lung infection? Breathing trials? Still on ventilator? And unclear how much he’s actually “awakened” from his coma. Everyone is praying for Nick, who was nominated for a Tony award and has starred in three Broadway musicals. Nick and Amanda have a toddler son, Elvis, who’s waiting for him.

 

Watch Rumer Willis Entertain and Charm Dad Bruce Willis and Instagram Followers Singing and Playing Piano

Roger Friedman
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Watch Rumer Willis Entertain and Charm Dad Bruce Willis and Instagram Followers Singing and Playing Piano

Rumer Willis has a great voice. I’ve seen her at Cafe Carlyle in New York, and on Broadway in “Chicago.” She spent an hour on Instagram Live the other night entertaining about 200 followers from the Willis-Demi Moore home in Idaho. Dad Bruce Willis was her live audience. Rumer accompanied herself on piano, and was totally charming. I give her props because it’s just not easy to have a career in the arts of any kind when each of your parents is a big movie star. I wish she’d cut an album up there and put it on iTunes. Her covers of these songs is terrific. And I love her patter.

PS Bruce’s wife Emma and their two daughters seem to have returned to Los Angeles without the “Die Hard” star. He remains in Idaho with Demi, their daughters, and boyfriends. Emma is very practical. This can’t be easy.

PS When I watched this live, Bruce was acknowledged toward the end. He packed it in around 10pm Friday night. The weird thing was, I was also watching Russell Simmons teach a yoga class from Bali simultaneously. It was 11:30am there the next day. I’ll try and upload the juxtaposition to YouTube later. What a small world– New York watching Idaho and Bali at the same time!

A Deadeyed Justin Bieber, No Doubt Relieved His Tour was Cancelled, Broadcast Personal Pastor on Instagram Live

Roger Friedman
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A Deadeyed Justin Bieber, No Doubt Relieved His Tour was Cancelled, Broadcast Personal Pastor on Instagram Live

So what’s Justin Bieber up to?

This week, his now-cancelled tour was supposed to begin. He’s no doubt relieved he didn’t have to go through with it since sales were slowwwwww.

Instead, a dead-eyed Justin broadcast the mundane ramblings of his snake oil salesman personal evangelist Judah Smith* live on Instagram. Justin, always on brand, wore his cheap looking “Drew” t shirt (a $5 shirt with a plastic Drew decal glued to it).

While Smith carried on, an initial 18,000 viewers shrunk to 14,000. Most of them were from other countries and probably didn’t understand what he was ranting about.

Bieber looked either hypnotized or asleep. One viewer actually wrote: “Don’t fall asleep, Justin!”

The singer’s attention suddenly was sharpened when Lentz said something about owning a shiny new red Corvette. Bieber, who was looking at his phone screen, actually focused on Lentz for a minute. It was a religious experience. And Hailey Baldwin Bieber? She helped out by plugging in Justin’s iPad before it ran out of battery. She’s The Good Wife.

 

*thanks to the reader who corrected me. After Robert Preston sold snake oil in “The Music Man,” it’s hard to tell these people apart.

 

RIP Jorge Santana, Brother of Carlos Santana, Leader of the Group Malo with their Great Hit “Suavecito”

Roger Friedman
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RIP Jorge Santana, Brother of Carlos Santana, Leader of the Group Malo with their Great Hit “Suavecito”

A lot of people have written testimonials to Jorge Santana, brother of Carlos, who died yesterday at age 68. Jorge was also a great musician. In 1972 he joined the group, Malo, and they had a crossover hit that I have loved ever since. “Suavecito” lives on and on. Condolences to his family and friends.

Fred Willard, From “Fernwood” to Forever, a Comic Genius Who Shied Away from the Spotlight

Roger Friedman
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Fred Willard, From “Fernwood” to Forever, a Comic Genius Who Shied Away from the Spotlight

Fred Willard was one of the greats. It wasn’t just that he was funny– he was– but he didn’t push it. His sense of humor was sly. In person he was one of the best people I knew in showbiz. Both he and his wife Mary, who died in 2018, were unaffected by Hollywood and never let it change them. I knew Fred was ill, but I am sad to acknowledge that he passed today at 86.

We first met Fred as Martin Mull’s sidekick on “Fernwood Tonight,” the spin off from Norman Lear’s “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman,” in 1975. Mull played Barth Gimble, local talk show host, in a hilarious send up of Johnny Carson and all talk shows of the time. Fred played Barth’s Ed McMahon, Jerry Hubbard, who was not nearly as insufferable as Barth, or clueless even though his blank looks were priceless.

There are only 44 episodes of “Fernwood Tonight” but it made Fred Willard a cult figure. If you look at his resume, he’d already been around, in a stealth way, appearing on “Get Smart” and “The Bob Newhart Show.” But after “Fernwood,” he never stopped working. He just appeared, like a non sequitir, in TV and movies. It was almost as if the people who hired him didn’t know about his cult following. But you felt like Fred was winking at you, even if he had to play it straight.

Fred’s real arc of success wouldn’t come until 1996, when he joined Christopher Guest’s ensemble with “Waiting for Guffman.” In the intervening years he could from crap like “Mama’s Family” to “This is Spinal Tap,” never once surrendering his subversiveness. He played the oddball mayor in Steve Martin’s “Roxanne” and managed to convey both wholesomeness and subversiveness.

“Spinal Tap” put him in the company of other off kilter comedians. Guest, who’d starred in that film, picked up Rob Reiner’s baton. With “Guffman,” Fred took off with the Guest repertory that included Catherine O’Hara, Eugene Levy, Harry Shearer, John Michael Higgins, Jane Lynch, and Parker Posey. “Best in Show,” tipped it over, followed by “A Mighty Wind,” “For Your Consideration,’ and “Mascots.”

So many times Fred couldn’t show up for the premiere or a screening of  a Guest film because he was working. “Where’s Fred?” I’d ask, and the group would say you know he’s doing whatever series. He was a guest or recurring on so many shows. Sometimes he and Judy would turn up at something unexpectedly and I’d say, “Fred, you’re on this, too?” He’d kind of shrug, as if to say, What can I do?

Can you make a career like that anymore? I don’t know. But Fred Willard did. I think as time goes by his real comic genius will be even more appreciated. I know I will miss him, and Mary, a lot. They were the real people in Hollywood you looked forward to seeing and were grateful you knew.

Fred Willard was nominated four times for Primetime Emmy Awards. He actually won a Daytime Emmy on “The Bold and the Beautiful” soap opera. But the awards don’t matter. He will never be forgotten. As with Jerry Stiller, I am in tears.

 

this clip is particularly poignant:

Let’s Watch the Variety Show Fundraiser for the Motion Picture Home HERE, And Discuss Afterwards

Roger Friedman
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Let’s Watch the Variety Show Fundraiser for the Motion Picture Home HERE, And Discuss Afterwards

Here’s the live variety show for the Motion Picture Home in Woodland Hills, California. The show is LIVE at 9pm Eastern. The home has had at least 7 COVID related deaths. Several years ago, it received failing grades from the state for its care. Every year there are big fundraisers the night before the Emmys and Oscars where stars can get free swag in exchange for a photo op.

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