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Oscar Winners, Nominees Seek “Salvation”

Roger Friedman
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I’m happy to report that the terrific producers Celine Rattray and Cathy Schulman are helping a bunch of Oscar winners and nominees seek Salvation.

That is, they are getting ready to shoot “Salvation Boulevard” with an all-star cast that includes Oscar winners Jennifer Connelly and Marisa Tomei, and nominees Donald Sutherland, Greg Kinnear, and Ed Harris. If you think that’s a good group, just add former Bond Pierce Brosnan, who’s so good right now in “The Ghost Writer.” (If you haven’t seen the Roman Polanski thriller, you are missing great movie making.)

The indie production is budgeted at $5.5 million. I’m told these intrepid women have raised all but the last $250,000. “Salvation Boulevard” seems like a sound investment. Between the producers and the cast, and director  George Ratliff, they have the combined credentials to make a hit. Ratliff adapted his script from a novel by Larry Beinhart, author of the book that became one of my favorite movies, “Wag the Dog.”

Schulman, meantime, was the driving force behind the Oscar winning “Crash.” She has dozens of credits including one of my guilty pleasure Sundance movies, “Thumbsucker.” Rattray is the founder of Plum Pictures, a plucky indie company with its own set of impressive titles including one of this past Sundance’s best films, :Lisa Cholodenko’s “The Kids Are Alright.” The latter film will get a big Oscar push, I hope, from Focus Features.

So the indie film world lives. I can’t wait to see “Salvation Boulevard” turn out to be one of the happy surprises of 2011.

Lady Gaga, Gwen Stefani Other Music Stars Choose PMK

Roger Friedman
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The crazy PR wars in Hollywood this past winter redistributed a lot of stars to new and different firms.

Now PMK, which merged with Bragman Nyman Cafarelli to become PMK BNC, has thrown down the gauntlet. They’ve brought in Dave Tomberlin from Interscope Records to their L.A. office. And Tomberlin is bringing heavy hitter clients with him.

Joining PMK-BNC are no less than the hottest star of the year, Lady Gaga (Stephanie Germanotta), as well Gwen Stefani, her rocker husband Gavin Rossdale, and Stefani’s group, No Doubt. For good measure, Tomberlin also delivers to PMK-BNC The Pussycat Dolls.

Back in the days when Pat Kingsley, Leslee Dart, and Lois Smith ran the old PMK, they had music clients. But you never really thought of them as a music agency. Now Cindi Berger and Kristen Foster have put together quite a roster adding these new names to those of  Whitney Houston, Eric Clapton, Joan Jett, Mariah Carey, Peter Gabriel, The Dixie Chicks, Seal, Harry Connick Jr., John Legend, Counting Crows,  and Shakira. Berger put Shakira on the cover of The Economist recently. I mean, that’s pretty cool stuff.

On top of that, PMK-BNC is handling summer tours for teenager Justin Bieber (the kids love him, even if I don’t get it), and the cast of the hit show, “Glee.”

Here’s Gavin with No Doubt: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15EA9ER65Ss&feature=related

Carly Simon Reunites with Cat Stevens After 34 Years

Roger Friedman
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It was just a few weeks ago that Carly Simon went to London on a promo tour for her “Never Been Gone” album. Remember all that hoopla about “You’re So Vain” being about David Geffen? (It wasn’t.)

A lot happened to Simon in Blighty as we find out now. For one thing, today 2 million copies of “Never Been Gone” are bundled into The Mail on Sunday and its subsidiary papers. The Mail’s parent company licensed the album from Carly and printed up the massive number for its readers. All the UK will be humming Simon songs this week.

And there was more: one afternoon at her London hotel, Simon got a surprise visitor.

“I’d just gotten back from a day of publicity,” Carly told me. “I had mascara all over my face. And they said Yusuf Islam is here to see you.”

Yusuf Islam, of course, is the former Cat Stevens. The pair dated in 1969-70, and Stevens was responsible for helping Simon with her breakthrough second album, “Anticipation.”

“I hadn’t seen him since 1976,” Carly said. “My son Ben played “How Can I Tell You” for him”– a popular Stevens song from his heyday–”Ben does a wonderful version of it. We sang a song together, too. I cannot tell you how good it was to see him. He hasn’t changed. He’s just remarkable.”

Indeed, the two singer songwriter stars of the 1970s had not seen each other since ‘76. But Carly says they’d talked on the phone a few times. She named one of her recent albums after Stevens’ song, “Into White.”

And “You’re So Vain”? Even though we know (wink wink) it’s about Warren Beatty, the secret remains safe. And later this week, Simon will hear, more importantly, whether her lawsuit against Starbucks’ Hear Music record label is going forward. Hear Music released Simon’s “This Kind Of Love” album in 2007 without telling her they were going out out business on the same day.

This put some clouds in her coffee, but Simon is a survivor. Next up: she’s recording a surprise album for this fall. Details to come…

Don’t Worry About Uma: Her Next One’s with Robert Pattinson

Roger Friedman
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Let’s not blame Uma Thurman for mistakes made by others.

A film she made called “Motherhood” debuted at Sundance two years ago–and had a tepid response.

A few distributors bit, and Freestyle Releasing thought they’d give it a shot in America. Last October they sent “Motherhood” to theaters and made $90,000. Pheh. That should have been a sign to everyone. “Motherhood” was at best a straight to DVD, made for Lifetime kind of movie. It was not going to attract moviegoers.

Nevertheless, the British distributor decided it had to try the theater route, too. Who knows why? Cooler heads should have prevailed. So they gave it a limited release. And “Motherhood” made about $150 in its only weekend. Tally-ho!

Motherhood is executive produced by John Wells, whose real career is in TV. He knows how to make a hit TV show, which is exactly what “Motherhood” could have been. But Wells is less experienced in feature films. At this past year’s Sundance he brought “Company Men,” a better film with an all-star cast. It was sold to the Weinstein Company and will be released this fall.

As for Uma, it’s not her fault. Actors make movies from available scripts. She’s a two time Oscar nominee with nothing to apologize for. She’s currently filming “Bel Ami” with the inexplicably popular Robert Pattinson. And she’s got “Kill Bill, Pt. 3″ down the road. She’ll be just fine, thanks.

Sony Music Bloodbath: Beyonce and the Boss’s Peeps Are Purged

Roger Friedman
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Bruce Springsteen may have a $100 million record deal at Sony Music but the person he trusted most is gone.

Tracy Nurse, a 30 year veteran of the company, has been purged as part of a blood bath that’s taken place in the last few days. Nurse, I am told, is leaving to start her own consultancy firm.

Also gone is Yvette Noel-Schure, VP of publicity, and her remaining publicist, Andre Morris. “There’s no one left in urban pr,” says a source.

Schure is starting her own company, from which she will handle all of Beyonce’s marketing needs. “She was Beyonce,” says a source. Schure also handled Maxwell and John Legend, among others.

All told, at least 20 key talented, highly skilled people are gone in this lay off, from international marketing people like Dave Toomey to Craig Logan, a longtime fixture in the UK office of Sony who was also trusted by the remaining artists. Sade, one of Sony’s few best sellers, was a Logan disciple.

The layoffs and departures reflect Sony Music’s dire straits. Their only hits include Sade, a new hybrid group called Broken Bells, and Susan Boyle from Britain’s “American Idol.” And while Boyle has sold an astounding number of CDs, it’s unclear how much of that revenue Sony will get since she’s owned by the American Idol/Simon Cowell/19 Entertainment mega structure.

Sony doesn’t have a lot to look forward to release wise right now except perhaps an upcoming soundtrack from the “Glee” TV show. There’s also an “Iron Man 2″ soundtrack in the offing that will be essentially a compilation of recordings by AC/DC, a group which has worked with Sony’s Rick Rubin.

“All these great people fired, and look who still has a job,” says an insider. “Rick Rubin.” Rubin, a controversial figure, runs from Sony Music from his home because he doesn’t like to work in an office. Nevertheless, he made Sony leave their offices and rent the very expensive former CAA office in Beverly Hills. Rubin is also known for making hits for other labels, not Columbia or Epic. His most recent successes was for  Metallica on rival Atlantic Records.

John Lennon Film Set for 70th Birthday Release

Roger Friedman
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“Nowhere Boy,” the acclaimed film that tells the story of John Lennon’s early days, has gotten a US release date.

I am told that The Weinstein Company will give “Nowhere Boy” its launch on Friday, October 8th, to mark what would have been Lennon’s 70th birthday the next day.

“Nowhere Boy” has already its run in the UK, and played at various film festivals to mostly high praise. The film has attained some notoriety because the director, a woman named Sam Taylor Wood, is now pregnant with the baby of the star, Aaron Johnson, who plays Lennon. He’s 23 years her junior. The baby is due in late summer.

“Nowhere Boy” has been stalled in release simply because TWC could never pick a date. But October 8th does seem appropriate, and will tie in nicely marketing wise with other events planned for that weekend around Lennon’s birthday.

Sinatra Dance Show Soars, But Nancy Sinatra Sours

Roger Friedman
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“Come Fly Away,” the sizzling, sexy Twyla Tharp dance show with the music of Frank Sinatra, is a hit. Last night’s opening was a smash, there were standing ovations and rave reviews.

The show is so good that even people who don’t go to the ballet–like yours truly– will dig it. Sinatra’s voice — heard in his famous recordings–has even grown as a wonder of the world. The orchestrations and musicians behind him now really seem like pure genius in the era of Lady GaGa and the Jonas Brothers.

But at the premiere after party at Roseland, the Sinatra family didn’t look so thrilled. As they waited for the New York Times review, the Sinatras looked like they were at a funeral. Nancy Sinatra, famous herself for “These Boots Are Made For Walkin’,” had her head in her hands and was bent over.

Congratulatory messages didn’t seem to bolster her. I commented that I liked the way Tharp had brought in Sinatra’s recording of “My Funny Valentine” on an extended note. It seemed very clever.

“It was too short,” Nancy responded.

“The show?” I asked.

“The song,” she said. “There are a few things that can be fixed.”

Well, you know the Chairman of the Board was tough. His daughter is only to be tougher.

Nevertheless, “Come Fly Away” is pretty damn good, really kind of elevating and ebullient. Tharp’s dancers are not kids. They’re seasoned professionals, toned within an inch of their lives. The legendary pop star of the generation following Sinatra, Neil Diamond, sat next to me and watched the show in awe.

“Look at that, unbelievable,” he said about five times.

“Would your songs be good with this?” I asked. “A little Cracklin’ Rosie?”

“No not at all. This for dancing, Everyone danced to Sinstra. Didn’t you?”

I did. I do.

Elsewhere in the very black tie glittering audience: Edie Falco, Jonathan Demme, Kathie Lee Gifford, Spike Lee, Peter Cincotti, Donald Trump, Bryan Cranston (Emmy winner from “Breaking Bad”). And Tony Bennett, who loved Sinatra so much he built a school in Queens and named it for him.

“Come Fly Away” is must see theater and dance. If you’re into all those reality dance shows on TV, this is the real thing. You won’t be able to watch D listers flop all over the stage after seeing Tharp’s troupe at work. They are breathtaking!

re: the show’s name change–Everyone included me thought this show was called “Come Fly with Me” after the famous Sammy Cahn-Jimmy van Heusen song. Hello! The song is played throughout the show. When it was first work shopped, that was indeed the title.

Why the change? No one’s saying, but in music publishing, if you name a show or a movie after an existing song, the publisher is allowed to charge vastly more money for its use. I know, believe me. I can only guess that ASCAP and Warner Chappell asked for too much when the request came. Other alternate titles could have been: “Hitchcraft,” “I’ve Got You Under My Epidermis,” and “My–Sorta–Way.”

Robin Hood-Ridley Scott-Film to Open Cannes–As I Told You

Roger Friedman
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EXCLUSIVE!

Ridley Scott’s “Robin Hood” will open the Cannes Film Festival on May 12th.

I told you this would happen on Wednesday. http://showbiz411.wordpress.com/2010/03/23/woody-allen-russell-crowe-robin-hood-opening-night/

This means the red carpet at the Palais will be buzzing with Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett, and other stars. That’s a lot to look forward to for the French and for moi!

The word is that “Robin Hood” is terrific, very “Gladiator” like, and should be the hit Universal’s Ron Meyer’s been looking for. Good news all the way around!

Hollywood Producer Wants US Senator Barbara Boxer’s Job

Roger Friedman
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California’s very popular Senator  Barbara Boxer has a challenger for her Democratic seat.

It seems Hollywood is sending producer Brian Quintana into the ring.An office number answered with a recording “BQ for Senate.”

But Quintana has enough baggage to fill an airport. Last year he sued “Superman” producer Jon Peters for sexual harassment. A court order was issued to keep Peters 100 feet away from Quintana. He said Peters was going to break his legs. A trial was supposed to have begun on March 1st.

Quintana’s strange bio can be found on IMDB

Quintana says in his press release to run for Senate that when he ran for office in 1992 his supporters included Hollywood billionaire David Geffen, producer Steve Tisch, movie studio executive Sherry Lansing, Martin Sheen, Anjelica Huston, and entertainment mogul Barry Diller.

According to his own press release Quintana says:  “The Tsunami of discontent for politics as usual is sweeping our country from Florida to Massachusetts and from Virginia to Nevada. As a good Democratic I will not concede this seat to Barbara Boxer and allow California to be washed up come November,” stated Quintana about his decision to run. “Further, no one from Los Angeles County or no person of color has served California in the United States Senate in over 100 years. Our time has come.”

Check out Quintana’s website: http://www.brianquintana.com/

He’s also a big supporter of Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman. He wrote in an email to his fans on November 18th: Meg’s business acumen uniquely qualifies her to rescue California from it’s current economic crisis.

Let’s make history by electing California’s first female Governor. Meg is a proven job creator who gets technology, she know how to balance a budget, and is committed to our public schools. Now is the time to look forward – not backwards.

Please let me know if you’d like to meet Meg at one of her upcoming Hollywood stops. She is smart, dynamic and truly inspirational. You will leave with no doubt that she is the right leader for this challenging time.
Thank you in advance!

More to come…

Johnny Maestro Dies: It’s the Worst that Could Happen

Roger Friedman
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Johnny Maestro, lead singer of the Brooklyn Bridge, and famed vocalist from the 50s and 60s has passed away. He was 70 and had been fighting cancer.

The Brooklyn Bridge is in every Hall of Fame except the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, of course. Johnny Maestro was the lead singer on one of the greatest rock n roll songs of all time, “16 Candles” when he was with the Crests.  He also sang back up for Dion’s in the 1960s. Johnny Maestro (Mastrangelo) and the Brooklyn Bridge’s recording of “The Worst That Could Happen,” written by Jimmy Webb, is one of the best things that ever happened in rock history.

http://www.j-maestro-bklyn-bridge.com/music.html

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