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I don’t understand a word of Vanity Fair anymore, and from the looks of their circulation, no one else does, either.
After fumbling the ball with Hollywood, new editor Radhika Jones brought over a big team from Entertainment Weekly to give the magazine a jolt. (Those talented people must be very frustrated!)
But for the September issue, traditionally the gateway to the fall season, Jones has snubbed Hollywood and movie community. The cover story is about someone named Lewis Hamilton.
I tell you, I had to think for a few seconds before I remembered who he was. Hamilton is a star F1 race car driver. He’s also Black, which is key for Jones, who has more than made up for Vanity Fair’s years of ignoring POC cover stars. But when I asked a friend of mine who’s a Black journalist if he knew who Lewis Hamilton was, he actually said to me: “Who? How do you spell it?”
The same journalist had other cogent observations about Vanity Fair that I won’t share right now.
Jones certainly had a wide choice of star for the September issue, any of whom would be more recognizable than Hamilton. (His story and the photos are all fine, but they would have been better used on the inside of the magazine.)
Considering the number of films and stars going to the Toronto, Telluride, and New York Film Festivals, you’d think Vanity Fair could have come up with something. A very interesting cover might have been this summer’s big star, Michelle Yeoh, whose movie, “Everything Everywhere All at Once” made $70 million. She’s a shoo-in for an Oscar nod.
Funny that Vanity Fair, which really rests its laurels on its annual Oscar party every year, is ignoring Hollywood in its busiest season. Take a look even at the cover lines for the September issue: you wouldn’t really know Hollywood existed.
EXCLUSIVE The great Aretha Franklin passed away four years ago today and we miss her every day. Aretha was one of the bravest people ever to grace on this planet, a true artist who overcame suffering on a daily basis. She also had a wicked sense of humor. There’s so much to say that hasn’t been said yet about this remarkable woman.
In her hometown of Detroit I can tell you exclusively that Aretha will be celebrated on September in a special concert. “A Night of Respect” will be a small, semi-private affair in honor also of the 170th anniversary of the Detroit YMCA. Only 100 tickets will go on sale August 27th for the September 27th show.
The evening will feature Detroit star singer Freda Payne (“Band of Gold”) and Aretha’s cousin and long time backup singer, Brenda Franklin Corbett. I’m told all the musicians on stage will be veterans of Aretha’s bands over the years including singer Millie Scott.
What a splendid way to honor Aretha and the YMCA! Tickets should sell out almost immediately, so I hope they decide to two shows. Aretha would be very flattered. Plus there will be an exhibition of photographs from Detroit’s top shooter, Linda Solomon, at the Y.
One PS on this sad day: how did Aretha Franklin become the Queen of Soul? There are many pretenders to the throne currently. But what they’re not getting is that Aretha was committed to the music. Everything she did was original, and there was plenty of it. Even when she adapted a song — like “Bridge Over Troubled Water” — she made it her own. And she didn’t wait six years between releases. There isn’t a year without an Aretha release, and every single one of them displayed her devotion to her craft.
“The Flash” star, Ezra Miller, is ready to get with the Warner Bros. program. In a statement to Variety, the pronoun-deficient actor says they’re (meaning he, because it sounds like more than one person is involved) is getting mental health treatment.
Miller says: “Having recently gone through a time of intense crisis, I now understand that I am suffering complex mental health issues and have begun ongoing treatment,” Miller says. “I want to apologize to everyone that I have alarmed and upset with my past behavior. I am committed to doing the necessary work to get back to a healthy, safe and productive stage in my life.”
So, everything is fine, the people who were allegedly missing or kidnapped are officially out of the story. Warners’ $200 million “Flash” movie can be released next June. Nothing to see here, folks. Go back to what you were doing.
Well, as we all know, this is not the end. It never is.
Last year Peter Jackson’s Beatles documentary, “Get Back,” was the hit of the season on DisneyPlus. No one could stop watching it and the reviews were raves.
The DVD-Blu Ray release was coming, then postponed and kind of fell between the cracks. It should have been a monster release.
“Get Back” was finally released three weeks ago in both formats. No one knows about it, and it’s been a dud. The DVD version has sold just 12,716 copies. The Blu Ray has sold 31,661. This is very disappointing. Total sales so far have come to just $1.6 million.
This was a landmark documentary that fans should have wanted for their permanent collections. Paul McCartney did what he could, using footage from the doc in his live concerts this spring. Otherwise, there’s been little promotion. Ringo Starr is currently trying to give the collection a boost on Twitter, using pictures of toes in sandals for some reason as an illustration. It’s not a good look.
Me? After writing several glowing pieces about the documentary last year, I tried to get a review copy so I could do more. Not one email has been answered. It’s likely I am not alone in this predicament.
If you were hoping for an Adele vs. Beyonce face off at the Grammys next winner, don’t count on it.
Beyonce’s album, “Renaissance,” has been a sales disaster. As of Friday, the album has sold just 475,000 copies according to Luminate and hitsdailydouble. This past, its third in release, sales were down a whopping 74%.
“Renaissance” has scored just one hit single with “Break My Soul.” That single now sits at number 15 on iTunes. A remix with Madonna has pooped out at number 55. Beyonce will try a new single this week, but the ship may have sailed on this project.
What’s the problem? Beyonce has a voice that should be soaring over radio stations all day long. But her choice of material is terrible. It’s all mishmash retreads of old songs “interpolated” into tuneless concoctions.
The other problem is that she’s doing no marketing or appearances. Beyonce projects an “above it all” attitude when it comes to publicity. She hasn’t done the important TV work for selling albums. There are no interviews. She’s apathetic and so is her public.
Johnny Depp will not be joining Jeff Beck on the latter guitar ace’s upcoming tour.
That may be because the album they did together, called “18,” has sold just 15,000 copies.
Beck will be joined on his tour in various cities by Ann Wilson of Heart and ZZ Top. My guess is other guest artists will jump in along the way.
But not Depp. He and Beck were recently accused of stealing lyrics to one of their collaborations from an old blues song. Since Beck is an instrumentalist, the odds are Depp is the culprit, allegedly.
Beck is one of the great musicians in rock history. Good for him for dumping Depp and moving on with other comparably tremendous contemporaries.
Jean Smart is really having an extraordinary moment. Last year she was nominated for two Emmy Awards– for “Mare of Easttown” and “Hacks.” And of course she won Best Actress in a Comedy for “Hacks.”
This year she’s up again for Best Actress in a Comedy for “Hacks.” That’s a good thing. But because the Emmys have been pushed up a week earlier than usual, Smart will miss an important event 3,000 miles away: the Toronto International Film Festival.
Smart’s cup runneth over: in addition to “Hacks,” Smart co-stars in a breakout indie film coming to the Toronto Film Festival. It’s called “Wildflower,” directed by Matt Smukler. The other big names in are Kiernan Shipka of “Mad Men” fame, Alexandra Daddario of “White Lotus,” and Charlie Plummer.
Daddario is also nominated for “White Lotus.” But she may make the TIFF premiere of “Wildflower.” Smart is going to miss it, stuck in L.A. where she has a good chance of repeating her Emmy win unless Rachel Brosnahan — whose “Marvelous Mrs, Maisel” didn’t have a season last time around — returns to reclaim her title.
Some of the producers behind “Wildflower” are the same people who brought to Toronto in previous years hit films like “Captain Fantastic” and “Half Nelson.” “Wildflower” doesn’t have a distributor yet, but as with those films, when it’s shown in Toronto the bidding wars will be intense. As for Smart, it’s a bounty of riches some 30 years after she had a hit run in TV’s “Designing Women.”
It wasn’t the greatest weekend at the box office with no real new releases, just leftovers.
Still. “Bullet Train” with Brad Pitt took in just over $13.4 million as it chugged along a lonely track. Customers are still boarding even if they’re not going anywhere.
“Top Gun Maverick” is still in theaters! In the next day or so the Tom Cruise blockbuster will hit $675 million.
DOA: Poor “Easter Sunday,” it’s over, there’s nothing else to say. Universal should put it on Peacock.
Lions Gate opened a film called “Fall,” and took in $2.5 million. It has something to do with climbing up and down a mountain. That’s all I know.
In more encouraging news, the 40th anniversary release of Steven :Spielberg’s “ET: The Extra Terrestrial” made $1 million over the weekend, If it’s playing near you just go see it, this is what a great movie was in the heyday.
It’s not often that CYNDI LAUPER makes personal concert appearances for charity. But last night in the Southampton village of Water Mill, Lauper and her band rocked out a tentful of high paying guests who came to support the Katz Institute of Women’s Heath at Northwell Health’s new Manhattan women’s center.
Cyndi, dressed in a leopard print outfit and sporting pinkish tinged hair, opened her set repeating John Lennon’s once famous announcement to a crowd of royals: “Rattle your jewelry!”
Lauper and her crack band opened the set with “She Bop,” and by the time she hit her second number, “Time After Time,” suddenly the entire guest list was up and dancing across the floor of the dazzling tent set against a spectacular sunset thanks to host Vicki Moran Furman.
Cyndi didn’t mince words about the current state of abortion laws in this country and the need for girls and women to get more help than ever. She punctuated her comments by playing her moving anthem, “Sally’s Pigeons.” In the fall she said she’ll be launching a new foundation to bring OB GYN care to women who can’t afford it across the country.
She wrapped the set with “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” — which sent the crowd swirling in dance with hands raised above their heads — and “True Colors.”
What impressed me is how beautifully executed Lauper’s set was. She is a consummate musician, and her band is formidable. Not only has her voice grown over the years, but the richness of the songs has never aged either. The Tony winner (“Kinky Boots”) is prepping another hit Broadway musical, based on the movie “Working Girl,” with a book by Theresa Rebeck. (Yes, she’s also won an Emmy and a couple of Grammy awards).
Fox5’s star anchor Rosanna Scotto emceed the night, titled “SHE: Summer Hamptons Evening” which raised almost $1 million and was produced by Lawrence Scott Events, who should get a Tony Award for his stunning projects…
It was a crazy busy night in the Hamptons, the height of the long summer. Over at Herrick Park in East Hampton, the town library returned to full function for the annual writer’s event. Four dozen or so authors were gathered under a huge white tent, sitting at tables and signing their books. Sales of the books go directly to the Library.
Among the authors: Katie Couric, Tovah Feldshuh, Robert Caro, Nelson DeMille, Jeffrey Lyons, Monte Farber and Amy Zerner, Alan Patricof, Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Mike Lupica, Marie Brenner, Bill Boggs, Cati Marton, David Maraniss, Tina Brown, and Robin Baker Leacock were among those who greeted crowds of excited fans, a lot of whom were well known or famous in their own right. After the signing, a total success, guests peeled off for dinners at private homes where they got all the good gossip. You know, East Hampton is just like any other small town in America!
PS TOVAH FELDSHUH joins Lea Michele in the relaunched “Funny Girl” on Broadway September 6th. She told me she’s already met Lea — “love her!”- and rehearsals begin Tuesday. See her signing books below.
BACK IN MONTAUK…gifted local artist Anne Raymond opened a new show at the startup Lucore Gallery. What a treat. You can see her latest paintings — titled Skyfall– on her website. I’ve no doubt the whole lot sold out quickly. I could have moved furniture in and lived in that room of her work. Raymond’s skies are filled with vivid colors and abstract notions immediately welcoming no matter if they’re cheerful of turbulent. And Raymond, who I wanted to meet, turns out to be a dynamic force who started out in Dallas but moved to New York as soon as she could. Can you blame her?
And that’s all she wrote for Jeffrey Toobin at CNN. He’s announced he’s leaving the network after 20 years.
Toobin does not get a happy ending with CNN. He was suspended for months following his New Yorker Zoom scandal. The New Yorker already fired him.
During the pandemic, Toobin was caught pleasuring himself during a Zoom call with New Yorker colleagues. He was ousted fairly quickly after that.
Now he says he’ll concentrate on a book about the Oklahoma City bombing.
No word on what happened since Toobin returned under the Jeff Zucker regime. But my guess is the new Warner Discovery people were not keen on keeping him around.
Friends, I’ve decided that, after 20 years, I’m leaving @cnn after my vacation. Was great to spend my last day on air with pals Wolf, Anderson and Don. Love all my former colleagues. Watch for my next book, about the Oklahoma City bombing, coming in 2023 from @simonandschuster
