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“Barbenheimer” is Coming and It Won’t Be Pretty: Two Blockbusters Go Head to Head on July 21st, Only One Will Emerge the Winner

Roger Friedman
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“Barbenheimer” is Coming and It Won’t Be Pretty: Two Blockbusters Go Head to Head on July 21st, Only One Will Emerge the Winner

The movie world is counting down to July 21st. That’s when Universal Pictures opens Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” and Warner Bros. delivers Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” (co-written with husband Noah Baumbach).

When box office receipts are counted on Saturday morning, July 22nd, life as we know it may never be the same.

This legendary death cage match has a lot of history and baggage. Nolan made all his movies at Warner Bros, for two decades. But when his impenetrable “Tenet” had to be released during the pandemic, the company put it on streaming, where it was even less understandable. Nolan was furious, and left the company.

Recently the Warner’s honchos said they wanted to woo him back. So why release “Barbie” on the same day? That decision remains a mystery. But the result is a collision both in theaters and backstage. Press screenings for the two films are on the same days, causing a lot agita among reviewers. At least their big premieres are on different coasts. “Oppenheimer” is here in New York, “Barbie” is in Los Angeles.

The real test will be on Sunday night (tomorrow) when the press social media embargo lifts for “Barbie.” Then we’ll start to see reactions from critics. These early reactions will be vital for a lot of reasons. Warner Bros, coming off a huge dud with “The Flash,” needs a big hit more than Universal. If “Barbie” isn’t swooned over, the spectre of David Zaslav will loom large. He would love to sell Barbie and Ken’s Dream House in a minute.

Among the ticket buying audience so far “Barbie” — with an enormous marketing plan — is tracking to open between $70 and $80 million. “Oppenheimer” is put at $40 million. But which one will get better reviews? And which will last through Labor Day?

The match has meantime inspired dozens of t shirt designs for what is being called “Barbenheimer.” This could be a good thing for both movies, sending fans to see each of them on the first weekend. That’s what Tom Cruise says he plans to do. Of course, his movie, “Dead Reckoning — Part One,” opens a week earlier. It’s more than likely that that film will hold the top spot for a second week in a row, pushing the warring duo to numbers two and three.

Check back on Sunday night for the early takes.

Pop Gone Wrong: Kelly Clarkson, Off the Air and Hindered by Poor Choices, Sees New Album “Chemistry” Fizzle

Roger Friedman
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Pop Gone Wrong: Kelly Clarkson, Off the Air and Hindered by Poor Choices, Sees New Album “Chemistry” Fizzle

What should have been a big deal for Kelly Clarkson has gone very wrong.

Armed with a hit talk show, and massive good will from fans, a new Clarkson album should have been a huge hit. After all, she came to TV with a string of top 40 hits including “Since U Been Gone” and “Stronger.” And no one has more potential exposure.

But “Chemistry” in its second week of sales has fallen completely off the hitsdailydouble.com top 50. Last week it debuted at number 6 with around 52,000 copies sold. This past week “Chemistry” fizzled, posting the equivalent of maybe 23,000 copies sold. On the Luminate chart, streaming plus sales now bring the total to a measly 75,000.

The album is dead. Radio isn’t playing the songs, and actually streaming numbers from Spotify are minimal.

There are maybe myriad reasons for this failure, but two come to mind. One, Clarkson and her label, Atlantic Records, probably counted on Kelly being on TV daily through July sweeps where she could promote the album on her show. But the writers’ strike killed that. “The Kelly Clarkson Show” has been in reruns for two months. Without the show — or late night shows where she could have shined — Clarkson went on an odd social media tour singing “spontaneously” in subway stations and parks making viral videos that made no sense.

Second, the album is just not good. “Chemistry” lacks any potential singles. It’s a collection of complaints against Clarkson’s ex husband. He was probably a rat, but no one wants to hear a dozen whiny songs about him. Clarkson’s rich voice — so gorgeous singing cover hits on her show — is replaced by a thin wail. Alright, she had to pay him big bucks. But one song would have been sufficient. Three or four power pop hits would have reimbursed her. (Maybe had “Chemistry” been a country album, the “I kicked you to the curb” theme would have worked.)

I said this last week: she’d be better off putting together an album of cover songs and have it ready when the strike is over and her show makes its season debut. “Chemistry” is a formula that just didn’t solve her problems.

Laura Linney, Kathy Bates, Maggie Smith Visit Lourdes and Wind Up Healing the Audience in “Miracle Club”

Regina Weinreich
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Laura Linney, Kathy Bates, Maggie Smith Visit Lourdes and Wind Up Healing the Audience in “Miracle Club”

During the pandemic, “Ozark” was celebrating its latest season at the Plaza Hotel’s Oak Room. Laura Linney, one of its stars, dropped by the masked but crowded party—“on her way to Ireland to make a movie with Maggie Smith,” she said. Now that film, “The Miracle Club,” having just had its world premiere at the recent Tribeca Festival, opens in American theaters July 14th from Sony Pictures Classics.

A road movie for ageless women, as we say, “The Miracle Club” is a European variation on the female travel romp made popular in this country with “The Book Club, 1 & 2,” “80 for Brady,” etc. hugely successful entertainments featuring an older, glamorous, stellar quartet. In the Irish version, with a purposeful, religious pilgrimage that goes back to The Canterbury Tales (1400), you can add soul.

Linney plays the estranged daughter of a beloved Irish woman recently deceased. The woman’s friends—with Kathy Bates joining in with Maggie Smith—take a bus trip to Lourdes for healing. A good part of the film’s beginning goes into the kinds of emotional and physical resuscitation needed here. In lesser hands, this could be melodramatic fodder for a soap opera. Newly arrived to mourn her mother, Linney makes the trip with them, an outsider who used to be an insider; shall we say, without divulging a rich backstory, she is the movie’s miracle.

In Lourdes (filmed in Dublin), there’s a quiet moment that takes your breath away: Linney, helping Smith in a “bath” meant for spiritual cleansing places her hand on Smith’s shoulder in a gesture of generosity and forgiveness. If Americans are concerned with stolen Louis Vuitton suitcases in Rome, here, you might replace the laughs with tears of gratitude. At the SVA Beatrice theater, Linney and the film’s director Thaddeus O’Sullivan noted, this was the first time Linney and Smith performed together; Kathy Bates worked hard with a dialect coach for her fine accent, and the filming took a brisk 25 days.

Catching up with Thaddeus O’Sullivan at Common Ground in the meatpacking district, I asked about the movie’s men, who, predictably miss their women going off like that, leaving kids and grandkids in their care. He said the superb Stephen Rea is both curmudgeonly and the grandfather you wish you had. The child actors loved him. Joking onset, he asked about a bag of vegetables he buys in the market: is there a turnip?

What difference does it make?

You can’t make an Irish stew without turnips.

The men do come around, don’t they? O’Sullivan laughed.

As to the sublime Laura Linney, so good in “Ozark,” and in the recently closed Broadway show, “Summer 1976,” she did not attend the Tony Awards the day before her movie premiered at Tribeca. Only her co-star Jessica Hecht landed a nomination for Best Actress in a Drama for the two-hander. If she was upset at this injustice, no one would know.

Faith Based “Sound of Freedom” Has Booming Sales, But It’s “The Sound of Free” as Company Offers Thousands of Gratis Tickets Paid for By Others

Roger Friedman
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Faith Based “Sound of Freedom” Has Booming Sales, But It’s “The Sound of Free” as Company Offers Thousands of Gratis Tickets Paid for By Others

I told you all about a movie called “Sound of Freedom” on Wednesday. It was released on Tuesday by a small outfit called Angel Studios and made $14 million.

Two more days at the box office have brought the total up to $22 million. That’s three days of audiences.

But there should be an asteris, next to these numbers. For all other movies, individuals pay for their own tickets (or their companions).

In the case of this movie, the Sound of Freedom just should be called the Sound of Free. That’s right. According to the Angel Studios website, free tickets are available in parts of the country that are considered “Christian friendly.” In other areas, there are deep discounts for groups — like church groups — which account for the bulk of the sales.

Let me explain: when I went to the website and plugged in a zip code for Fairfield county, Connecticut, I was given the opportunity to buy group sales only. For example, the website instructs, you can buy 100 tickets for the price of 50.

But when I plugged in a Chicago suburb, I was able to get in line for a free ticket if I promised to use it. (LOL.) I was number 6,678 in line for a gratis ducat. If my showing wasn’t available, I’d be allowed to choose another.

All this is being funded by a program they call “Pay it Forward.” You can register and donate funds — as much as you like– so that those 6,678 can see the movie for free. Someone, after all, has to pay for it.

On the website, Angel Studios is also running their own kind of Go Fund Me pages — opportunities to “invest” in coming Christian films.

The website is clever in that it reads like a cult doctrine, creating a community. Their vague offer:” We’re building a home for stories that amplify light (or, as we call it, our North Star).”

If buy the idea, welcome

Meantime, box office aggregators like boxofficemojo and thenumbers.com should really set aside the totals for “Sound of Freedom.”

Studios Begin Yanking Misfires Asteroid City, No Hard Feelings, The Flash from Huge Numbers of Theaters to Make Way for Potential Hits

Roger Friedman
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Studios Begin Yanking Misfires Asteroid City, No Hard Feelings, The Flash from Huge Numbers of Theaters to Make Way for Potential Hits

The party is over for Hollywood studio misfires of the last month.

Start saying goodbye to “The Flash,” “Asteroid City,” and Jennifer Lawrence’s “No Hard Feelings.”

The breakthrough audiences weren’t there, so after first big weekends, the studios are not going to keep paying theaters to keep them running.

Today, for example, “The Flash” is losing 995 spots. We won’t belabor the whole “Flash” saga. It’s made $102 million over a long time, and is dying on the vine.

But also mostly dead is Wes Anderson’s “Asteroid City.” Despite an all star cast, Anderson’s movie was for his niche audience — and they’ve seen it by now. “AC” loses 790 locales today. Total take: just $21 million in the US. It’s a big disappointment.

Also winding to an end is “No Hard Feelings.” Jennifer Lawrence, an Oscar winner, runs around naked and delivers crude dialogue. What a mistake. She’s also a got a teen boy in the story who doesn’t care. (Imagine if that kid had a libido.) They could have called this “There’s Something About Jennifer” if it had been funny. Total b.o.: $34 million US, $20 mil international, so they’re pulling it from 522 spots.

Next up, the summer’s big three — “Mission Impossible,” “Oppenheimer,” and “Barbie.”

Review: Elvis Costello Hits New Heights with Dazzling New Horn Section and Ingenious Song Reinventions, and Nick Lowe for Dessert

Roger Friedman
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Review: Elvis Costello Hits New Heights with Dazzling New Horn Section and Ingenious Song Reinventions, and Nick Lowe for Dessert

How many times have we seen Elvis Costello perform in the last couple of years? A lot, and every show is different. Music of many genres pours out of him, not just his original new wave or punk rock. Costello’s songs vary to country, R&B, reggae, classical, literally everything. The theme is always melodies and hooks. No matter what field he’s working in, you can’t forget his songs.

Last night Costello brought his crackerjack group, The Imposters, along with Charlie Sexton to the Hartford Healthcare Arena in Bridgeport, Connecticut. This is a large new outdoor amphitheater open to Long Island and breezes and the rush of Metro North in the background. Even on the hottest, most humid night the place filled up pretty quickly to see Costello and co plus opening act the great Nick Lowe and his group, Los Straitjackets.

Costello’s tour has only recently begun and is aimed the New York’s Beacon Theater next week. Last night for the first time a dazzling horn section consisting of trumpet player/arranger Michael Leonhart, saxophonist Donny McCaslin and trombonist Ray Mason was added to the Imposters famed roster of Steve Nieve, Davey Farragher, and Pete Thomas.

Elvis, alternating between a black beret and an electric blue Fedora, was more expansive on stage than ever with all this talent surrounding him. Most of his set lists are unique to the night, and this was no exception. He began the show sitting, grinding out the obscure politically themed (and rap influenced) “Pills and Soap.” That would be just enough to send fans who were expecting “Alison” to the exits. But they stuck with it, and the result was a glorious 40 year old R&B gem called “Possession,” accompanied by the disarmingly sublime horns. (It’s on the underrated “Get Happy” album.)

Then you could see Costello’s plan forming as he reinvented well known material — a la Bob Dylan — into new exciting forms. “Watching the Detectives” was crunchy. A last minute addition of “Everyday I Write the Book” was a soulful call and response with a jolly edge.

Two unexpected highlights: Costello at the piano for a gorgeous ballad he made years ago, Allen Toussaint’s “Poisoned Rose” with horns blazing. Then there was an ingenious mash up of a song Costello recorded with the Roots called “Cinco Minutos Con Vos” with the formerly pounding signature rocker, “High Fidelity.” The groove from beginning to end was magnificent and left everyone a little buzzed.

And then, of course, came “Alison” with Sexton’s guitar scraping it off the ceiling. Nick Lowe returned from his opening to join Costello on their most famous collaboration, “What’s So Funny ‘Bout Peace Love and Understanding.” (Lowe’s silky voice and enormous songwriting chops have stood the test of time.)

If you saw Costello and Lowe last summer, or Costello on his 10 show journey at the Gramercy Theater, it doesn’t seem possible but every show is unique and memorable. This is an artist at work. I can’t wait to see more.

photo c2023 Showbiz411.com

Hollywood Upset: “Indiana Jones” Beaten at Box Office on July 4th by Christian Film From Small, Upstart Outlier Utah-Based Movie Company

Roger Friedman
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Hollywood Upset: “Indiana Jones” Beaten at Box Office on July 4th by Christian Film From Small, Upstart Outlier Utah-Based Movie Company

On Tuesday, July 4th, the box went awry.

“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” number 1 for the weekend, was beaten by something “Sound of Freedom,” a Christian movie from a small, sketchy film company that doesn’t actual say it’s Christian.

“Sound of Freedom” –which took in a shocking $14 million on its opening day — is said to be based on actual events, although many question its veracity. It stars Jim Cavaziel, the star of Mel Gibson’s “Passion of the Christ,” and Eduardo Verástegui, who is also listed as the producer. Verástegui long ago starred in a little indie film called “Bella,” that won kudos on the festival circuit. He had little luck after that until he turned to faith based filmmaking. For a time he was very close to Kathie Lee Gifford, who herself has made a career in that world after leaving the “Today” show and moving to Nashville.

The film was made in Colombia by Angel Studios, which is owned the Harmon brothers (Neil, Jeff, Jordan and Daniel) and Benton Crane. They are all members of the Church of Latter Day Saints. They say they’ve perfected a technology called Pay it Forward, in which people can buy tickets for others who don’t have the funds to get their own. The Harmons tout themselves as viral marketing experts who have produced other top viral ads for companies including ​Squatty Potty, FiberFix, OraBrush, Poo~Pourri ​and ​Purple. They’re based in Provo, Utah.

On Rotten Tomatoes, “Sound of Freedom” has a high score– 88% — from 18 reviewers. Only one, Owen Gleiberman, of Variety, is listed as a Top Critic, and he liked it.

The Harmons’ expertise in marketing paid off on Tuesday with $14 million in sales. Using crowdfunding, according to one report, Angel Studios has 50,000 individual investors and has over $100 million worth of original content, including 12 titles, in production. But it’s not all a bed of roses. According to Wikipedia, in 2016, the Harmons’ original company, VidAngel, “was sued by several major Hollywood studios for copyright violations, accusing the service of streaming unlicensed content that was not created by VidAngel. VidAngel fought the lawsuit for several years, asserting its method was legal under the Family Movie Act of 2005, and then eventually reached a settlement in 2020.”

The “true story” in “Sound of Freedom” is about Tim Ballard, the founder of Operation Underground Railroad, or O.U.R., an anti-human trafficking activist. According to Techbuzz, “Sound of Freedom” depicts actual events involving Tim Ballard’s decision to quit his government job in Homeland Security to rescue a little girl from sex traffickers in the Colombian jungle. In the process, Ballard — played by Cavaziel — ended up saving 123 people, 55 of which were children, from one mission alone. (Mira Sorvino and Bill Camp, who are not identified as Christian actors, co-star.)

Is the story true? That’s a matter of debate, as O.U.R. has been accused of being involved with QAnon in a series of articles on Vice News. The organization denies it. But there’s plenty of reading — you can go down a rabbit on the subject of Ballard and his background.

The main thing here, though, is the Harmons and Crane upset the normal course of events on Tuesday. “Indiana Jones” is already on shaky ground financially with a poor marketing plan that has backfired. Now Disney has been embarrassed by Angel Studios, an upstart outlier that stole their thunder. Stay tuned…

Ratings: “The Idol” Series Finale Jumped 39% But Still Didn’t Crack 200,000 Viewers Plus The Weeknd Released Tracks No One Bought

Roger Friedman
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Ratings: “The Idol” Series Finale Jumped 39% But Still Didn’t Crack 200,000 Viewers Plus The Weeknd Released Tracks No One Bought

Post mortem: “The Idol” Sunday finale, probably the series finale, did jump 39% in total viewers.

But it still didn’t crack 200,000. The Sunday number was 185K. Season average was 164K.

And so “The Idol” comes to an ignominious end.

Meantime, The Weeknd released some more tracks from the show. None of them charted or sold. It’s like they never happened. The Weeknd got nothing from “The Idol” except bad press and angry fans.

HBO was smart to cut its losses, jump ahead to the last episode and get rid of the show. How long will it be up at Max? We’ll see in a few days if they just don’t chuck it.

Mangia: Top Restaurants Set Up Shop for Hamptons Happening This Saturday Night for Samuel Waxman Cancer Research, Hot Silent Auction Items Include Billy Joel Tickets

Roger Friedman
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Mangia: Top Restaurants Set Up Shop for Hamptons Happening This Saturday Night for Samuel Waxman Cancer Research, Hot Silent Auction Items Include Billy Joel Tickets

The 19th Annual Hamptons Happening is just over a week away. Don’t miss out on one of the biggest social events of the summer.
Get your tickets here today!
Your support will help fund six new investigators this fall as part the brand new SWCRF “Mission Possible” cancer research program.
Come out and enjoy a variety of delicious tastings from dozens of chefs including Ralph Scamardella, Julian Medina, and Harold Moore, and favorite restaurants such as 317 Main, Centro Trattoria and Bar, Chef Meze Catering and Events, TBar Steak & Lounge, El Turco, and Peter Ambrose (see full list below).
Plus you can party like a Yacht Rockstar with bars stocked with your favorite liquors and wines such as Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Hamptons Breeze, Woodford Reserve, Herradura Tequila, and Palm Bay International.
There will also be a thrilling live auction facilitated by our exclusive auctioneer: Heritage Auctions featuring exclusive golf packages, superstar concert tickets, and high-end, luxury items.

Hamptons Happening event is chaired by Mark D. Friedman of Brown Harris Stevens and Jamie Koff, Fabric to Finish with co-chairs Bess Freedman and Bryan Griffin and Journal Chair Erica Fineberg.


Join us in congratulating this year’s honorees:

  • Chef Ralph Scamardella, EVP and Chief Culinary Officer, Tao Group Hospitality
  • Lori and Scott Levine, Co-founders, Scott’s Protein Balls
  • Denise Albert, CEO and Co-founder, My Cancer Family
  • Anna Zuckerman, Founder and Chief Designer, Anna Zuckerman

Review: New “Mission Impossible” Is the Studio Blockbuster of the Summer, with Tom Cruise Back to Save Movie Theaters Once Again

Roger Friedman
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Review: New “Mission Impossible” Is the Studio Blockbuster of the Summer, with Tom Cruise Back to Save Movie Theaters Once Again

Let’s face it, you kind of hate yourself for liking “Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One.” First of all, it’s two hours and forty three minutes. You could have flown to Miami or something. Second, following “Top Gun Maverick,” it’s another Tom Cruise extravaganza that will be a huge crowd pleaser. Even an aging Tom Cruise still has the charm he exuded in “Risky Business” and that was 40 years ago.

Some of “DR Part One” is a little hard to follow, but don’t worry about that. That part involves something called The Entity, which I think is like The Borg from “Star Trek.” It’s AI, or an algorithm. Charlie Brown once asked Linus what he did when he got to the long Russian names while reading “Dostoevsky.” Linus replied, “I just skip over them.” That’s what I did with The Entity. (Luckily there’s mustache twirling human villain, too, in the form of Esai Morales.)

The main thing in “DR Part One” is that UK actress Hayley Atwell really becomes a movie star. So many times in the past she was supposed to break through, whether it was in :Woody Allen’s “Cassandra’s Dream,” some “Avengers” projects, or in the wonderful “Howard’s End” TV version with Matthew MacFadyen. She was always the promising newcomer.

Now Atwell joins the long line of Ethan Hunt’s leading ladies and romantic interests, all of whom have been excellent — from Thandiwe Newton to Michelle Monaghan to Rebecca Ferguson. But Grace has something extra that propels her through this non stop action like champ. She’s beautiful, smart, sexy, cool, fun, and athletic (at least her stunt double is). She’s a good type for Cruise to be matched with, like Jennifer Connelly in ‘Maverick.” Atwell’s Grace is a welcome addition to the IMF group even though she doesn’t know it yet.

The rest of the team is back including Ferguson, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, and Henry Czerny. Add to them Oscar nominee Vanessa Kirby, who returns as The White Widow and gets to play two parts simultaneously in what is almost a mini movie within “DR Part One.” She’s a welcome distraction, believe me, and director Christopher McQuarrie knows it.

“DR Part One” is a long movie, but I never felt tired or bored. Cruise and co. can really thank themselves that Lalo Schifrin — who just turned 91 — wrote that theme music back in the 60s for the original TV show. Lorne Balfe uses it throughout his score, plus all the cues and incidental music that came with it — and it never lets up or disappoints. The music propels the film and gives a constant reminder where you are as the flames burst into explosions and bullets fly in every direction.

Then there’s the added attraction of seeing Tom Cruise, the biggest movie star in the world, constantly in danger of dying because he does these amazing stunts. He’s jumping off cliffs, flying through the air on a motorcycle, riding the tops of bullet trains through tunnels. (I always imagine what Peter Graves, the original star of “MI,” must have thought if he saw any of this.) Paramount has supplied plenty of evidence that Cruise does almost all of it himself, even when that seems eye brow raising. The main thing, when you see it, it’s not to hard to believe. Cruise is the epitome of “go for it.”

Last summer, the word was Tom Cruise saved movie theaters with “Top Gun.” He’ll do it again this summer, although I’m not sure the box office — which will be huge– can match those dizzying heights. “Top Gun” had a big heart tug, a lot of emotional appeal and nostalgia. “DR Part One” is action, action, action. It’s a thrill ride, but heavy enough on “thrill” that fans will flock to multiple viewings.

Mangia: Top Restaurants Set Up Shop for Hamptons Happening This Saturday Night for Samuel Waxman Cancer Research, Hot Silent Auction Items Include Billy Joel Tickets

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