Sunday, October 13, 2024
Donate
Home Blog Page 2004

Madonna Desperately Avoiding Susan

Roger Friedman
-
2
Madonna Desperately Avoiding Susan

Madonna‘s made a lot of films. Most of them are stinkers.

But the one film in which she was charming and not yet completely full of herself was Susan Seidelman‘s “Desperately Seeking Susan.”

The 1985 hit co-starred Rosanna Arquette and Aidan Quinn. Madonna was only about two years into her career, and still a novelty. From there, her film career was a wild ride downhill.

You’d think she’d appreciate that. But tomorrow night, when the Film Society of Lincoln Center honors the film and Seidelman on their 25th anniversary. Everyone’s coming, except for one: Madonna.

“She told them she was too busy,” says a source. And yet, our Madge was industriously shooting her warmly anticipated (haha) “W.E.” right up through last Friday right here in New York. She was photographed in a gym suit on Saturday attending fake Yom Kippur services at the Kabbalah Center. Certainly she has time to give a little respect to Seidelman. Maybe she’ll show up and surprise everyone! (Doubtful.)

Anyway, it’s going to be a great night. http://filmlinc.com/wrt/onsale/dss.html

WHAT’S UP DOC? Circle October 6th at the Paley Center in New York (on West 52nd St. between 5th and 6th). The most famous documentary filmmakers of our time are being honored with a retrospective. DA Pennebaker, Al Maysles, Bob Drew and Ricky Leacock. It’s the 50th anniversary of the birth of cinema verite and the film they all made together called “Primary” about the 1960 Democratic competition between John Kennedy and Hubert Humphrey. You can buy tickets at http://www.paleycenter.org/paleydocfest2010-primary

BLOG THEFT ALERT: Deadline Yesterday picked up our story about the new Kevin Kline-Larry Kasdan movie, “Darling Companion.” No credit though. Gee, Mr. Penske, how long will this go on? We’re going to start charging soon! (Guess your writers are busy “working on the Penske file”!)

THEY LOVE US, THEY HATE US: Twentieth Century Fox didn’t want us at the premiere of “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps.” You should have heard the back and forth on that one. “No press, and that means you.” So guess who’s quote was used–without permission–in the Sunday New York Times ad for “Wall Street”? That’s right. Fox featured just a few big quotes. And right in the center of the page, there’s ours — not from this column, but from the New York Daily News review I filed from Cannes. Too funny.

John Lennon Family Gives Peace a Chance

Roger Friedman
-
3
John Lennon Family Gives Peace a Chance

There is more or less peace in the extended family of John Lennon.

This week, Yoko Ono and her son Sean took pictures with and looked cozy with John Lennon’s first wife, Cynthia, and her son, Julian. The pictures were taken at a photo exhibit here in New York.

What gives? According to my sources, no money has changed hands. Julian Lennon has not suddenly gotten a big payout from the Lennon estate thanks to Yoko. But Julian has been trying to have a relationship with half brother Sean. So he’s making the effort, sources say. “Cynthia is just going along with it.”

Also at the exhibit but not seen in the photos: May Pang, Lennon’s former lover and Ono’s former assistant. Pang brought her daughter to the exhibit. She and Ono, who don’t speak, came face to face immediately. Ono just kept moving. Pang is very friendly with Cynthia, however.

Last night at the official premiere of “Nowhere Boy,” Sam Taylor-Wood‘s wonderful film about Lennon’s early days, Pang and Ono again crossed paths. The two women didn’t sit near each other in the Tribeca BMCC Theater, although Pang watched as Ono jumped on stage before the film began and before Taylor-Wood could finish introducing her cast. On the plus side, Ono was heard saying that John would have loved the movie. I agree.

Ono skipped the party later at the Gibson Guitar building on West 54th St. But Pang was there, along with Courtney Love, Michael Stipe, and the cast including Aaron Johnson (he plays Lennon in the film; in real life, the 20 year old just fathered 43 year old Taylor-Wood’s new baby), as well as Kristin Scott Thomas, who plays Lennon’s aunt Mimi, Ann Marie Duff (who’s amazing as Lennon’s mother, Julia) and Josh Bolt, as best boyhood friend Pete Shotton.

The funniest scene of the night: Scottish comedian Billy Connolly got all the members of the The Quarrymen–the reunited group of 70 year olds who were Paul McCartney’s group preceding the Beatles–to sign a CD booklet. The Q’s played a few songs on the movie theatre stage following the screening, including a kickin’ version of Eddie Cochran’s “20 Flight Rock.”

“Now if one them dies, this booklet will be worth more,” Connolly quipped. “Hello Ebay! One of them does have a limp.”

photos c2010 Showbiz411/Ann Lawlor

Chaz Bono: Everyone Wants His Movie (Not Just Oprah)

Roger Friedman
-
5
Chaz Bono: Everyone Wants His Movie (Not Just Oprah)

Chaz Bono‘s documentary about his life changes– from female to male, etc–is a hot commodity.

I told you this morning that Rosie O’Donnell was producing the film for Oprah’s OWN Channel. It turns out it’s a lot more complicated than that.

Rosie, in fact, saw a “sizzle” reel of the film and went nuts for it. In her deal at OWN, she is able to select docs for the channel and host them–sort of like Alistair Cooke used to do for “Masterpiece Theater.” She can do wraparounds, etc.

When Rosie saw the footage from Chaz’s movie, she immediately wanted it.

I’m curious to see what other documentaries Rosie curates for OWN. She will wind up being a great tastemaker for the channel. Chaz Bono should be delighted she’s sought after by the top women in daytime TV.

But I’m told the deal isn’t done, and that OWN and Rosie and Oprah have not yet nailed it down. The Chaz story could still wind up somewhere else.  It’s O’Donnell’s enthusiasm for it that’s driving the activity.

D’Onofrio, Erbe Back to “Law & Order: CI”: We Told You 2 Weeks Ago

Roger Friedman
-
9
D’Onofrio, Erbe Back to “Law & Order: CI”: We Told You 2 Weeks Ago

The official news is out that “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” is coming back to USA Network with its original stars.

Yes, I told you on September 5th in this very column that Vincent D’Onofrio and Kathryn Erbe were on their way back. It’s too funny to read it in what I now call “Deadline Yesterday.”

The show went back into production a week ago.

Anyway, so it is, as the stars were booted from the show a season ago and replaced with Jeff Goldblum. But Goldblum did one season on his own and abruptly quit. The world of Dick Wolf has never been an easy one, that’s for sure. But it’s good to have two “L&O” shows still operating in New York.

The loser in all this is Eric Bogosian, whose character was killed off preemptively. It’s not known if anyone else from that original cast will return. A source tells me, “They kind of want to start over.”

Paul McCartney’s Son Releases First Album

Roger Friedman
-
3
Paul McCartney’s Son Releases First Album

He’s always been a bit of a mystery while his sister Stella has been in the headlines a lot. (She’s a famous designer, you know.)

But today James McCartney, Paul and Linda’s son, releases his first album.

It’s actually an EP of five tracks that you can buy on amazon.com for $4.99. It’s called “Available Light.”

The tracks include a cover of Neil Young‘s “Old Man,” plus original songs “Angel,” “Denial,” “Glisten,” and “My Friend.” They were produced by Paul and the great David Kahne at Abbey Road Studios. But the sound is not so Paul-like. James’s voice is a little higher, and his multi-layered guitars have a feel of Matthew Sweet.

James has inherited his father’s musical gifts and more: he plays several instruments including bass guitar, mandolin, and piano.

It’s not easy doing this sort of thing; in fact, it’s down right brave. Children of rock stars, no matter how talented, are always compared to the parents. James is 33, and has obviously waited until he was comfortable with his identity. Other late blooming rock kids include Harper Simon, Paul’s son, who’s released a couple of very good albums; and Sting’s son, Joe Sumner, who fronts the popular group Fiction Plane. Both Julian Lennon and Sean Lennon have made attempts at careers. Julian, of course, had a couple of solid hits in the 80s.

So bully for James McCartney. The tracks are good. Let’s hear more, I say!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3plcauHZ5Q&feature=related

Photo courtesy www.jamesmccartney.com taken by his sister, Mary

Rosie O’Donnell Producing Chaz Bono Film for Oprah Network

Roger Friedman
-
2
Rosie O’Donnell Producing Chaz Bono Film for Oprah Network

Rosie O’Donnell is a busy woman these days.

As she gets ready for her return to daytime TV next fall with a talk show on Oprah’s OWN Network, Rosie is also wearing another hat. She’s got a deal to produce one documentary per month for OWN. She’s not just sitting around. The first one is about Chaz Bono, the son/former daughter of Cher and Sonny Bono.

I”ve seen some of the footage,” Rosie told me last night at the annual fundraiser for her Rosie’s Broadway Kids. “It’s amazing.”

What’s also amazing is that last night we saw the first graduating class from Rosie’s Broadway Kids–which is considering a name change to Rosie’s Theater Kids, she says, “because too many people we were just for kids who were already on Broadway.”

Not so at all. Rosie’s Kids are amateurs, drawn from schools all over the city. They convene on West 45th St. at the Maravel Center, which Rosie built, and where they get top notch theater instruction. Last night, Cyndi Lauper cried as the entire school population opened the night with a brilliant medley of her hits. It was a stunning presentation. Later, when she came on to perform her hits, Cyndi quipped: “I hope do these as well.” Don’t worry: she did, and then some.

For the last couple of years, Rosie’s Broadway Kids had skipped the big hotel ballroom fundraiser and did smaller events. “But things are better, we think,” Rosie told the huge crowd in the Marriott Marquis ballroom. All told, the night raised over a million dollars. The live auction alone brought in around $250,000.

(It was a nice counterpoint to the other big party in town, where “Greed Is Good” was being celebrated by the “Wall Street 2” crowd at Cipriani on 42nd St. “It costs $50,000 just to walk in the door,” said one guest about the banquet hall’s costs, and who marveled at how much money was being spent, yet again, to launch the Oliver Stone film. Over $2 million alone was blown in Cannes last May for the same purpose.)

In the room: Suze Orman, Fran Drescher, and Tyne Daly.

On stage Rosie let slip that she’s returning to the next season of Larry David‘s “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”

“Larry and I have a terrible fight after a woman gives each of us her number,” Rosie revealed. It sounds like a great episode.

Rosie’s son Parker, who’s just started high school and is a great kid, was there. Also present were Rosie’s girlfriend Tracy Anders, who is extremely pleasant, and Anders’ eldest adopted daughter. (Anders has six kids, she told me, ranging from 6 to 18.)

Rosie told Cyndi after the show that her daughter, Chelsea, age 13, had recently dyed her hair purple. Lauper, wearing a sort of fire engine red wig in a style best described as Helena Bonham Carter from a Tim Burton movie, laughed. “I think she did it in tribute to you,” Rosie said to her friend.

Girls, you know, just want to have fun.

Pictures copyright c2010 Showbiz411/Ann Lawlor

Paul Reiser, Musician: TV Comic Joins Famed Singer in Song for Soldiers

Roger Friedman
-
4
Paul Reiser, Musician: TV Comic Joins Famed Singer in Song for Soldiers

Paul Reiser is best known for “Mad About You.” The talented writer-actor-comedian never told us something important though: he’s a musician.

And now Reiser has hooked up with one of the best female singers in popdom, Julia Fordham, in an unusual collaboration. They’ve made an album together and a new song, “UnSung Heroes,” that’s dedicated to the US soldiers in Afghanistan. (Video after the jump.)

The video for “UnSung Heroes” premieres right here.

Fordham, of course, is the much admired British vocalist who’s made a name for herself with hits like “Happy Ever After” and “Porcelain.” Her most recent albums have won Fordham acclaim as a singer whose range is unparalleled.

Reiser tells me that he was just driving along and heard her remarkable voice on the radio. “I pulled right over.” The two met a couple of years ago and started writing songs together. Paul Reiser a musician? Yes indeed. But he hadn’t really encouraged that part of his career other than

 writing the theme song for “Mad About You.”

Now the pair has ten songs and an album called  “Unusual Suspects” that will be out November 9th.

The idea for “UnSung Heroes,” Paul says, came from stories he and Fordham heard about returning soldiers.

“It was the last song we wrote for the album. For the video, we even got approved images from the Defense Department. A recent live performance of it for the Wounded Warriors Project on September 11th, he said, was “humbling.”

Check out Julia’s website for more info: www.juliafordham.com

Carlos Santana Headlines “Dancing with the Stars” Premiere

Roger Friedman
-
3
Carlos Santana Headlines “Dancing with the Stars” Premiere

And you thought tomorrow night’s “Dancing with the Stars” was all about Bristol Palin.

Wrong!

An actual person of substance will be headlining tomorrow night’s premiere on ABC. Carlos Santana is set to perform three songs. He’s doing “Oye Como Va”–his biggest hit other than “Smooth”–and then two from his new album, “Guitar Heaven.”

The two new songs are “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” with special guest India.Arie, and “Photograph” with Chris Daughtry. Daughtry is also doing a song from his own new album.

Santana is making a big media push in the next few days for “Guitar Heaven,” an album that features guest vocalists including Rob Thomas, Joe Cocker, Gavin Rossdale, and Pat Monahan from Train. Lots of great tracks–look for Santana to pick up some more Grammy’s this winter.

“Mad Men”: Sally Draper Comes to Town

Roger Friedman
-
2
“Mad Men”: Sally Draper Comes to Town

Catching up with the last couple of episodes of “Mad Men”: last night Sally Draper came to town. Is it a coincidence that she’s dressing and acting like her mother? The worst part is that no one–not even Don–is listening to her. Hey, it’s 1965. Parents weren’t this out of touch unless they were really, really bad parents. The Drapers are beyond. Of course, while Don is just clueless, Betty is mean. “You see how much fun it is to take care of her,” Betty says. Things are only going to get worse.

The death of Blankenship was a blow. I suppose she was becoming too much of a comic go-to. But still. Don had the best line of the night: “I’d ask my secretary to do it, but she’s dead.” Meanwhile, Slattery just fires off the quips, and they’re all good. The reunion of Joan and Roger was long in the making. Guessing from next week’s promo that something has happened to Joan’s awful husband. Good riddance.

And still the gang cavorts around old New York. Last week it was Barbetta’s (still open in the theatre district). This week, P.J. Clarke’s. It’s more fun when the places are far in the past. I don’t know which deli Roger and Joan had their cheesecake in. No menus.

And then there’s Peggy, still trying on her race relations hat, maybe waking up to what’s happening around her. No  one else in the show seems vaguely aware of the Civil Rights Movement. Peggy and Joan are each ready for Women’s Lib. It can’t get there soon enough.

And what of Don and Dr. Faye? Will he keep the Dick Whitman secret from her, too, or ‘fess up? I was rooting for Dr. Miller to exert her psychiatry skills on Sally. But she seemed clueless, too. Her degree must just be in tight sweater sets and focus groups.

Last week, “The Summer Man” was the episode the season. From strains of the Stones’ “Satisfaction”–right year, and Don can’t get no–to the whole business with Henry Francis maybe realizing he’s made a mistake with Betty, the show was perfect. Don’s diary entries have given him a new gravitas. Kudos to my old pal Lisa Albert who wrote the episode with Janet Leahy and Matt Weiner. That’s an Emmy right there.

Mariah’s New Xmas Album; Rosie and Cyndi Tonight

Roger Friedman
-
1
Mariah’s New Xmas Album; Rosie and Cyndi Tonight

Mariah Carey‘s new Christmas album, “Merry Christmas II You” is coming on November 2nd. I told you about this album first about six months ago. Mariah’s been working in the studio with Randy Jackson and a bunch of producers. The first single is called “Oh Santa.” The album is a mix of new songs and traditional ones. If all things are on track, by November 2nd Mariah should be as big as Santa herself! (And you know why.) There’s also, as I’ve said before, a new version of Mariah’s hit, “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” It’s the most played song on radio every December…

Tonight: Rosie O’Donnell’s big fundraiser tonight features a performance from Cyndi Lauper. Rosie’s Broadway Kids is always the best and most fun night of the year. Plenty of celebrities attending, and wait til you see Rosie’s Kids do their thing. The night’s proceeds go Rosie’s Maravel Center just west of Broadway. http://www.rosiesbroadwaykids.org Call 914-579-1000.

1...2,0032,0042,005...2,134Page 2,004 of 2,134

Hollywood to the Hudson

Company

Trending

Categories

© Showbiz411.com