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Say goodbye to Kara DioGuardi. Fox has sent out a press release saying she’s “stepping down” from her judgeship. We know she was fired, but heck, whatever.
DioGuardi will continue to have a great career as songwriter-producer.
Meanwhile, even though press reports keep insisting on Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler as the new judges to sit around Randy Jackson, I wouldn’t bet the farm on it. Sources tell me nothing has been decided, and that no one has told Jackson anything. “He was never even told about Kara,” says a source. Calls to Jackson were not were not returned. But the word is that he was not informed of DioGuardi’s official departure. And he knows as little as we do about who his fellow judges might be.
Jackson will remain with the show, however. “He has a contract,” says a source.
But every name is still in motion with executive producer Nigel Lythgoe. Remember Lythgoe told me in February that he wanted Elton John.
“He’s not going to get him,” says a source. Chris Isaak‘s name is still in the mix. Frankly, they’d be better off getting Gene Simmons, someone who has nothing to lose by being hard on the contestants. Tyler and Lopez will be hard pressed to make fun of people who are their fans in real life.
Lythgoe has two weeks or less to make his final decisions.
And this: there’s still a persistent rumor that Paula Abdul is being talked to endlessly about coming back. It’s hard to since she has a contract with CBS.
George Clooney’s “The American” looks like it’s in good shape to take the weekend box office.
“The American” opened Wednesday and already has $3.1 million in the till. It could come out of the holiday weekend with $20 million or more.
As I wrote a couple of days ago, “The American” has been a strange deal. No publicity and little marketing. Just ads. And hope. Clooney got a big boost at the Emmy Awards on Sunday night when he received a humanitarian award. His speech was superb, and if he wasn’t running for office, then it was for box office king.
Anton Corbijn has made a stunning, compelling little film. Clooney is excellent as a hit man from the old Clint Eastwood days, a loner who says little as he survives various attempts on his life. A beautiful naked Italian girl is really all you need besides the hero, and Corbijn delivers. I think “The American” will have a reputation that builds over time. And it’s nice to see an intelligent film in which not everything needs to be explained and laid out.
Tyler Perry is making an Oscar run on November 5th with his much anticipated “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow is Enuf.”
Lions Gate just announced they’ve moved up their release from a planned January 14th.
The film has a bevy of possible Best Supporting Actresses including Thandie Newton, Kerry Washington, Phylicia Rashad, Anika Noni Rose, and Janet Jackson.
There are plenty of other big names, like Whoopi Goldberg, in what could be the “Precious” of 2010.
This was the film Mariah Carey had to drop out of last spring. You can see why now.
Nevertheless, this is Tyler Perry’s first attempt to try and get into the Oscar race. The question is will critics and awards voters treat this movie as they did “Dreamgirls” and “Precious.” Last year, the National Board of Review ignored “Precious.” It went on to get 6 Oscar nominations. “Dreamgirls” produced only an Oscar win for Jennifer Hudson, and no other key nominations.
“For Colored Girls” is based on the play by Ntozake Shange. It’s been in development for more than 30 years. The play opened on Broadway in September 1976 and played 742 performances. I just hope the film’s ads and one sheets retain the gorgeous iconic poster from the play. It’s a classic.
Yes, there’s a whole new line of IPods announced yesterday. They have phones, cameras, and frappe blenders attached to them.
What they don’t have is...music.
Whether you listen to digital music on an IPod or — my personal favorite–a Creative Zen XFi2-– it doesn’t matter. You simply aren’t hearing what was recorded. This is especially true for classical, jazz, and classic rock records. No matter how good the earbuds– from the Klipsches we heard last week in L.A. to my preferred Ultimate Ears— 50% of the music is lost.
Some digital music is called “lossless” but that’s not true. In order to get the big sound of a beautiful recording into something the size of pack of cards, precision has to be dumped. And it is. Further, to then force the music into those ear buds–ouch! Forget about hearing loss. The richness of the sound is simply gone.
I’ve been traveling for the last few weeks, so I’ve had the Zen and Ultimate Ears to entertain me. They’re fine; very good in fact. But they’re not intended for anything than on the go listening.
Today, finally resettled in my apartment, on went the solid state Conrad Johnson amp, the Rogue tube pre-amp. I let everything warm up. Then I put the Arif Mardin tribute CD, “All My Friends Are Here,” into the Creek CD player. The orchestra opened up, and Bette Midler‘s beautiful voice swam through the Sequerra Met 7.7 speakers. Nirvana. More CDs followed, including Arcade Fire’s “Suburbs” and Mozart piano concertos played Robert Casadesus,the Beatles, Sting‘s “Symphonicities,” and — when we were sure the amp was awake– a little Led Zeppelin remastered.
I write this now because I realize: compressed music is hurting my head. The musical palate is disappearing. Digital music is convenient, but it’s not an artistic experience. Yes. it’s grand to have 160 GB stored in a device. But it’s better to have a single great recording envelope a room. Kids, there’s nothing like it.
Please do click on the link at right for Dick Sequerra Speakers, or go to www.stereophile.com, or better yet, visit a high fidelity stereo store in your town (not Best Buy, etc). In New York, we have Stereo Exchange, Sound by Singer, Park Avenue Audio, and Innovative. Read www.audioadvisor.com. Lament not the IPod wheel. Celebrate the breadth and depth of music.
You are a devoted group but you’re not buying CDs.
According to Nielsen Soundscan, the new Hanson album, “Shout it Out,” has sold a paltry 31,000 copies.
The most recent one before that was called “Walk.” Total sales to date from 2007: 54,000 copies.
The days of “MMMBop” are long since passed. This doesn’t mean Hanson are not talented musicians. It’s just that their day in the sun has come and gone. This can be said for plenty of acts. I wish them well in all their endeavors.
Oscar Isaac, the hot star of Madonna’s highly anticipated “W.E.,” is joining the cast of “Drive.”
“Drive” stars Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston, and Albert Brooks. The action thriller is based on James Sallis‘s novel.
Isaac is hot as a pistol. He’s in Zack Snyder‘s upcoming “Sucker Punch.” In the last two years he’s starred in “Agora” with Rachel Weisz, and the cult film, “Balibo.” He was Prince John to Russell Crowe‘s “Robin Hood’ earlier this year, pretty much stealing the show.
In Madonna’s movie, Isaac is one half of a modern day couple who are juxtaposed with the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. It’s sort of like “The Hours” told with a pocketwatch.
But Isaac is poised to be a breakout star for 2011. He also has a music career currently on the backburner. He was almost going to star in a Lincoln Center musical version of “Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown.” Broadway is definitely in his future according to sources.
His latest film, called “Flipped,” has made just around $690,000 since its release on August 6th. It’s dead, it’s over, it’s gone. A total write off of last $25 million.
“Flipped” got mixed reviews when it debuted. The trade papers didn’t like it. Some bloggers and a few newspaper reviewers were okay with it. It registered a high 68% on Rottentomatoes.com, with a cadre of little known bloggers pulling it up.
But “Flipped” is a Warner Bros. It’s not some little indie. And it has names, albeit not box office magicians: Rebecca deMornay, Anthony Edwards, John Mahoney, and Aidan Quinn. They are all fine actors.
“Flipped” falls in the Rob Reiner CV closer to “Stand By Me” and less like “When Harry Meets Sally.” It’s a little piece of nostalgia. It had little press or publicity when it was released. Maybe Warner’s thought it would just find an audience on its own. Unfortunately that doesn’t happen anymore.
Reiner’s decline as a director has been wild. Long gone are the days of “Stand by Me,” “When Harry Met Sally,” “This is Spinal Tap.” His last hit was the godawful “Bucket List,” a sentimental bit of treacle that no one would have gone to if it hadn’t had Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman showboating around.
Reiner had an amazing run from “Spinal Tap” in 1984 to “The American President” in 1995. Also in that group were “A Few Good Men,” “Misery.” The Princess Bride,” and “The Sure Thing.”
But beginning in 1996, he lost his focus. “Ghosts of Mississippi” was a misguided movie about the civil rights movement. It was panned and did poorly at the box office. Following that came “The Story of Us,” “Alex and Emma,” and “Rumor Has It.” Three duds. They lacked Reiner’s acerbic wit, his sense of parody and satire, and his delicious humor. Remember, it was Rob’s late mom, Estelle, who uttered the famous line in “Harry…Sally”: “I’ll have what she’s having.” In these movies all of that sensibility is gone.
Oh, how I long for the days of the earlier, funnier Reiner. I’m sure he does, too. Rob, call Chris Guest. Get away from the pretentiousness. Get back to where you once belonged.
Seal— such a good singer songwriter, has a new album coming out on September 28th. It’s called “Commitment.”
Did you know about it? Of course not. It’s from Warner Music Group.
The first single is called “Secret.” It was released to YouTube and other outlets three days ago. Surprise!
I ran into Seal at the Governor’s Ball for the Emmy Awards with his delicious wife, Heidi Klum. They were celebrating losing the Emmy for “Project Runway” to “Top Chef.” Oh well. It’s better to look good than to feel good.
Seal told me he decided to stick with WMG for this album and one more, despite their shall we say indifferent attitude to promoting their CDs or selling them. Also, “Commitment” is an album of all new songs, not remakes, covers, or greatest hits. It does seem that in the modern era of music, getting out new songs is a challenge. The public, record companies and radio feel, only want to hear what they already know.
But “Secret” is a beautiful single. It has “hit” written all over it. If only Snooki were in the video. Can’t wait to hear more from the album.
And yes, PS, Heidi Klum is still magnificent. They are a lovely couple. Too bad for the tabs!
The great and legendary musician Billy Preston would have turned 64 on September 2nd. He died in June 2006, however, leaving a crazy legal entanglement.
Billy was the real “Fifth Beatle,” the only artist ever to have his name on a record with the Beatles–“Get Back.” He played on many of their hits, and with the Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton. Of course, he’s not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Billy’s hits included “Will it Go Round in Circles,” “Nothing from Nothing,” and “Outta Space.” He co-wrote the classic hit song, “You Are So Beautiful to Me.”
I knew Billy, and I know his manager, Joyce Moore, who’s been a musicians’ advocate for over 30 years. When Billy died, it was after an eight month coma that may have been caused during a hospital mishap. Prior to that, Billy was on dialysis for kidney failure. Three times a week Moore drove him to treatment, and took exceptional care of him.
Since Preston‘s death, Moore has lived with a massive set of legal issues that would cripple a normal person. Four years and hundreds of thousands of dollars later, she’s now represented by a cool lawyer– Bruce Fein, former general counsel of the Federal Communications Commission, Associate Deputy Attorney General of the United States, and a regular witness before Congress on a wide array of constitutional and international law matters.
Fein says: “I am optimistic that the courts will do justice to Billy Preston’s legacy once the true facts are exposed. His music is a national treasure which rapacious litigants are attempting to hijack under the aegis of law.”
Fein is standing up for Preston and for Moore (the wife of R&B legend Sam Moore) against a variety of people including Preston’s two half sisters whom he’d disavowed long ago. One of the sisters’ sons-in-law represented the family until he was recently disbarred.
Moore and Fein are also up against Los Angeles’s perennial celebrity bankruptcy trustee, R. Todd Neilson.
A major point: Billy Preston never filed for bankruptcy. A bankruptcy was filed in his name one month before he went into an unexpected coma— by an attorney who may not have been licensed at the time. It’s unlikely Preston’s signature on the papers is real.
Neilson is an interesting guy. He’s automatically handed every major celebrity case in Hollywood. He’s a Director (aka senior partner) with LEGC, an international sort of combination management consultancy and tax accountant. On the LEGC website he’s listed alternately and enigmatically as “R. Neilson” and “tneilson”.
R. Todd Neilson is also Chairman of thevery exclusive Private Bank of California, which describes itself as “a full-service commercial bank that focuses on high net worth and high income individuals; business professionals and their professional service firms; and business owners, particularly of family owned and closely held businesses.” Translation: it’s for the very rich. It’s unclear what if any conflicts occur between Neilson’s bankruptcy business and his bank life.
Happy birthday, Billy, and here’s hoping that your legacy gets its proper solution soon.
I wrote about Hanson today and got a lot of email from their fans. I didn’t even know they had fans. Who knew? Hanson seems very 1997. If they sell CDs or downloads, they must have a very devoted group of followers. It’s not like Hanson recordings are showing up in sales charts or on the tradio.
But plenty of groups inspire loyalty who are not that well known anymore. So I tip my hat to Hanson’s gang of believers. Never will take their name, with o or an e, in vain again! All hail Hanson!
