Thursday, October 3, 2024
Donate
Home Blog Page 263

Tonight’s “Succession”: Something Wicked This Way Comes Tonight as There Are No Advance Screeners, for a Reason

Roger Friedman
-
0
Tonight’s “Succession”: Something Wicked This Way Comes Tonight as There Are No Advance Screeners, for a Reason

There are no advance screeners for tonight’s “Succession.”

A few people in the press received the first four episodes in advance, but now they’ve evaporated. HBO is holding back for a reason.

Tonight’s episode will feature Connor and Willa’s wedding, although marriage is not guaranteed. The kids are always fighting among themselves and with Logan, although Kendall and Shiv don’t know yet that Roman has weaseled his way back into his father’s good graces.

The X factor character is Alexander Skarsgard’s Lukas Matsson, aka “The Swede,” whose company is supposedly buying Waystar. We’ve only seen him so far on the phone eating junk food and making veiled threats. Matsoon is a stand in for Spotify’s Daniel Ek, but better looking.

But something big is happening tonight, that’s for sure. I’ll try and live tweet it at @showbiz411 and be back on here at the of the hour to say what I can without giving it away for other time zons.

Super Mario Mania as Original 1993 Live Action Starring Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo Movie Goes to Number 1 on Amazon in DVD and VHS!

Roger Friedman
-
0
Super Mario Mania as Original 1993 Live Action Starring Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo Movie Goes to Number 1 on Amazon in DVD and VHS!

It’s Super Mario mania!

With the new “Super Mario” movie making $204 million over the long Easter holiday, it was only a minute before fans would searching for its origins.

They can be found in the 1993 movie, “Super Mario Brothers,” that has long ago fallen into obscurity.

And yet it’s back! The 1993 movie is available on DVD and VHS. And it’s number 1 on Amazon’s list of movie best sellers. (It’s number 12 on Barnes & Noble, but maybe because it’s a dollar more expensive.) The number 2 DVD on Amazon? Advance orders for the new film’s disc.

The original live action film starred Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo as Mario and Luigi in the flesh! The directors were Annabel Jankel and Rocky Morton. Leguizamo has openly critical of the new casting with Chris Pratt. Hoskins, one of our great actors, passed away much too soon at 71 nine years ago. He was the brilliant star of movies like “Mona Lisa” and “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?”

On Amazon the seller of the DVD — for five bucks — is Hollywood Pictures, aka Disney, the original studio. It says they’re in stock, so Disney must have more of them, or they’re stamping them out right now.

In “SNL” Last Supper, Trump Compares Himself to Jesus “All I Did Was Be Friendly to a Sex Worker” (See Video)

Roger Friedman
-
0
In “SNL” Last Supper, Trump Compares Himself to Jesus “All I Did Was Be Friendly to a Sex Worker” (See Video)

Last night’s “SNL” had a great start with James Austin Johnson as Donald Trump taking over the Last Supper. He compared himself to Jesus, “because all I did was be friendly to a sex worker.” It was Johnson’s best bit yet. His Trump is really a work of art.

Molly Shannon, a treasured alumna of “SNL,” returned as host after 16 years. But the show’s writing now isn’t subversive enough to catch her voice, so many of the skit were lackluster. A good one, with the Jonas Brothers, didn’t come on until almost the end of the show. It should have been much earlier. There were almost no references to her recent successes, like “White Lotus,” or her HBO show, “I Love That for You.” And Mary Katherine Gallagher got a passing nod. Head scratchers.

Bigger headscratcher: Jonas Brothers. Their first song was “Waffle House,” an ok uptempo number currently number 11 on iTunes. But the second song was like a 70s rock ballad. It was the wrong kind of showcase for their about to be released album, which for some reason is called “The Album.” They need new management. They’re either not getting good advice, or not taking it.

PS Loved Heidi Gardner’s “Weekend Update” cameo as the overworked office supervisor. She’s ready for an Emmy nomination.

Box Office: “Super Mario” Rakes in $204 Over Five Days, “Air” Takes Flight Before Streaming Debut, Audiences Return to Theaters

Roger Friedman
-
0
Box Office: “Super Mario” Rakes in $204 Over Five Days, “Air” Takes Flight Before Streaming Debut, Audiences Return to Theaters

It was the Easter weekend of movie theater audiences.

If “Top Gun Maverick” saved the business last year, this time around it’s “Super Mario Brothers.”

Ridiculous as it may seem, this animated film based on a video game raked in $204 million from Thursday through Sunday. I know: crazy, right? But Mario and Luigi brought people back to movie theaters in droves. Cash registers were ringing — well, computers were beeping — all over the country!

On the actual film side of the deal, Ben Affleck’s “Air” took flight with just over $20 million during that same period. The first actual Oscar movie of 2023, with rave reviews, is a hit on every level.

“Air” will wind up on Amazon Prime* at some point, but you should see it on the big screen. It’s a real movie! Also, the Wednesday release didn’t help, with Passover starting that night. But still — pretty good. Nike isn’t part of the movie, but great publicity for them!

*Amazon Studios is going to have a good year. Wait and see…

Taylor Swift Guarantees Many New Albums of Songs, Ends 6 Year Relationship with Actor Boyfriend Joe Alwyn

Roger Friedman
-
0
Taylor Swift Guarantees Many New Albums of Songs, Ends 6 Year Relationship with Actor Boyfriend Joe Alwyn

Everything comes to a natural conclusion, and so it is with Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn.

The blonde couple had been dating for six years. Alwyn even got to the point where he was getting songwriting credits on her recent albums. If he owns his publishing, he’ll be getting checks forever.

Swift is famous for writing songs about exes like John Mayer and Jake Gyllenhaal. With this breakup, Swift fans are guaranteed years and years of new failed romance songs, exigeses on ending long term relationships. The fans will be parsing these songs for years to come, even though no one else cares. Alwyn should prepare himself.

Swift, of course, is on a major tour through August 9th. And that’s just the first leg. She should be on tour for two years or more, around the world. Alwyn has a job — to make movies. It’s a classic “A Star is Born” story. If there hadn’t been pandemic, this probably would have happened two or three years ago.

Credit for the break up news I guess goes to Entertainment Tonight. Apparently Alwyn has been absent so far from the tour, which gave someone the idea they were kaput.

Some suggestions for new Swift beaus: Pete Davidson, of course, and Rupert Murdoch.

Review: “Chantilly Bridge,” a Female “Big Chill” Meets “Boyhood,” A Sensitive Portrait of the Passing of Time with Ally Sheedy, Lindsay Crouse, Jill Eikenberry

Regina Weinreich
-
0
Review: “Chantilly Bridge,” a Female “Big Chill” Meets “Boyhood,” A Sensitive Portrait of the Passing of Time with Ally Sheedy, Lindsay Crouse, Jill Eikenberry

If “The Golden Girls” weren’t a sitcom, or if “The Big Chill” had an all-female cast, they might look like Linda Yellen’s new movie “Chantilly Bridge,” a bringing together of old friends for a reunion.

A thirty-year jump from Yellen’s movie “Chantilly Lace,” “Bridge” features the same actresses, all with big careers: JoBeth Williams, Jill Eikenberry, Lindsay Crouse, Helen Slater, Talia Shire, Patricia Richardson and Ally Sheedy. We haven’t seen them in a long time because in film life as in real life, older women are simply not seen. To the point, their lives matter.

“Chantilly Bridge” opens with a quote about the function of bridges to connect the living with those departed. The characters come together to hug, mourn, remember, console, and deal with the matters that death brings—disposal of ashes, dispensing of “things,” discussion of lives lived, the demands of friendship, and of aging. There’s hardly a guy in the whole film.

A coup: flashbacks to the women thirty years before as vibrant 40-year-olds, especially resonant because we’ve known and loved their work so well. Director Linda Yellen — a seasoned Hollywood veteran whose work dates back to the stunning 1980 TV film “Playing for Time” with Vanessa Redgrave –and “Jacobo Timmerman: Prisoner Without a Name, Cell Without a Number” — said she waited until she could secure the rights to the earlier film from Showtime. Using the footage is an artistic achievement: “Chantilly Bridge” is a sensitive portrait of what time takes away and what time gives.

Box Office: “Super Mario” Astonishing $55 Mil Friday Points to Stunning $200 Mil Easter Parade

Roger Friedman
-
0
Box Office: “Super Mario” Astonishing $55 Mil Friday Points to Stunning $200 Mil Easter Parade

Give the people what they want.

Universal Pictures has certainly done just that with “The Super Mario Brothers Movie.”

Last night, Mario and Luigi brought home a shocking $55 million. In one day. Yes, I am not kidding.

If that keeps up tonight and tomorrow, Universal is seeing a $200 million five day take from Thursday through Sunday.

That is literally insane.

“Super Mario” is certainly entertaining the masses, and there will be many sequels to this thing in coming years. It’s also hard to imagine what this means for Nintendo, or the Super Mario world of electronic games. It should be a blow out if film fans who already have some games go back and buy more to continue the experience. Nintendo already brings in about $14 billion a year.

But success always brings jealousy, so look for Luigi and the other characters to start griping about not getting their fair shares and demanding their own movies. It’s just a matter of time!

Rock Hall Fan Vote So Far: Three of the Top Five Are Dead, Hip Hop Stars Rejected

Roger Friedman
-
0
Rock Hall Fan Vote So Far: Three of the Top Five Are Dead, Hip Hop Stars Rejected

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame fan vote for 2023 is steaming to an end. The finale is April 28th.

So far, three of the top five vote getters are dead, more or less. They George Michael, the top candidate so far, at number 1. Warren Zevon is number 3, and Soundgarden — which is really Chris Cornell — is at number 5.

Number 2 so far is Cyndi Lauper, who must be inducted this year. Number 4 is Iron Maiden, which is ridiculous.

Hip hop has been rejected so far. Both Missy Elliott and A Tribe Called Quest are at the bottom of the list.

If the Hall wants to honor Seymour Stein, a founder, this year, they must induct The Spinners. They’re R&B royalty with tons of hits. Their classic sounds resonate today with “I’ll Be Around” and “Could it Be I’m Falling in Love” heard every day on satellite and terrestrial radio.

The number 6 vote getter is Willie Nelson, who’s turning 90 this year. You think of him as country music, but Willie could still rock most of these people under the table. I’d go with him. And he’ll come to the ceremony, memorably.

Most of the other nominees were bad ideas. It’s a little early for Sheryl Crow, who will get in one day soon. Ditto Jack White. Kate Bush is too much on the fringe. Rage Against the Machine, also too early, although Tom Morello will get something someday. Joy Division/New Order– I always liked them a lot, but not going to happen.

There are plenty of living people who are still not in the Rock Hall including Judy Collins, Cher, Dionne Warwick, and Chaka Khan. Also Chubby Checker. In memoriam, Mary Wells, a Motown superstar. The Monkees should have gone in already. Sting as a solo artist is a sore spot at this point. Paul Rodgers isn’t in despite having hits as Free and Bad Company. And Rufus and Carla Thomas, the linchpins of Stax Records.

Box Office Bomb: Music Bio Film “Spinning Gold” Had a Shorter Life than Its Subject, Record Label Chief Neil Bogart

Roger Friedman
-
0
Box Office Bomb: Music Bio Film “Spinning Gold” Had a Shorter Life than Its Subject, Record Label Chief Neil Bogart

Last week, “Spinning Gold” — about the short, hot career of record label exec Neil Bogart — played in 775 theaters.

This week, it’s down to fewer than a dozen from what I can tell.

The story of Casablanca Records, how it came and went, should have been a doozy. But it didn’t get very good reviews. And the minute it arrived, a lot of people complained about it.

The Village People were made they weren’t included, and claimed the producers — Bogart’s adult sons — could clear their music because he had no money.

That was theme. When the movie was being made in Montreal back in 2019, it ran into pay problems. The local talent union issued a “Do Not Work” order until the company came up with $600,000 in back pay. (They did.)

Not only that: Alex Habrich, CEO of Montreal-based SolidXperience Group, filed a multi-million-dollar lawsuit in 2020 against director Timothy Scott Bogart (the eldest son of the late Neil Bogart), alleging contractual fraud. A jury trial is scheduled to begin on Oct. 16 in Los Angeles Superior Court.

None of this is a surprise. Neil Bogart, who died at 39 from cancer in 1982, had a roller coaster run during his short career. He had massive hits with KISS, The Village People, Donna Summer, Parliament, and so on. But Bogart, however, couldn’t keep control of the artists after he broke them. He also cashed in too early to stay alive. When the company was hot, Bogart sold a piece of it to Polygram, which forced him out.

Now the movie is who knows where. The distributor, Variance Films, has never reported box office numbers, but we all know they were very low. Despite Broadway’s Jeremy Jordan playing Bogart, and a bunch of contemporary music stars playing Bogart’s acts, there was probably no money to promote “Spinning Gold” beyond a few days.

Maybe we’ll see it on a streamer or HBO, where it can catch on. But for now “Spinning Gold” has spun out.

New “Star Wars” Movie Will Pick Up Where Last One Ended, with Daisy Ridley as Rey, from Female Director

Roger Friedman
-
0
New “Star Wars” Movie Will Pick Up Where Last One Ended, with Daisy Ridley as Rey, from Female Director

“Star Wars” is coming back.

The next film will star Daisy Ridley again as Rey, and be directed by a woman, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy. Steven Knight (“Peaky Blinders”) is writing the screenplay.

LucasFilms’ Kathleen Kennedy made the announcement today in London at the Star Wars Celebration.

The film picks up the action after the events of “Rise of Skywalker.” Now even Luke is dead, so is Leia, so it’s up to Rey to start a new generation of Jedi’s.

It’s unclear if anyone will be back from other films in this new chapter. My guess is R2D2 and C3PO are eternal.

“Star Wars” will never die. We will, but it won’t!

1...262263264...2,130Page 263 of 2,130

Hollywood to the Hudson

Company

Trending

Categories

© Showbiz411.com