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Creative Arts Emmys, Round 1: RuPaul Snatches Best Reality Host from Ellen Degeneres, James Corden, Plus Awards for RBG, Springsteen, Aretha, Norman Lear, Paul McCartney

Roger Friedman
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Creative Arts Emmys, Round 1: RuPaul Snatches Best Reality Host from Ellen Degeneres, James Corden, Plus Awards for RBG, Springsteen, Aretha, Norman Lear, Paul McCartney

There are so many Emmy categories that the Television Academy has two nights of Creative Arts Emmys before the actual Emmy Awards on September 22nd. So last night was part 1, and guess who beat Ellen Degeneres and James Corden for best host of a reality show? Why, RuPaul, for “RuPaul’s Drag Race.: Good for him. I sat behind RuPaul at a Broadway show last year and we talked during the intermission. He’s a nice guy, and hard working!

Other winners last included Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin, and Norman Lear. I’ll explain:

The documentary “RBG” was one of two docs to win in the documentary category. Exceptional Merit in Documentary. The other winner was “The Sentence” on HBO.

Aretha Franklin’s TV special tribute, produced by Ken Ehrlich, Clive Davis, and Douglas Davis won an award for best sound mixing.

Thom Zimny won Best Director of a Recorded Special event for “Springsteen on Broadway.”

Winner of Best Recorded Special was James Corden and Paul McCartney for their “Carpool Karaoke” special. “Carpool Karaoke” itself won Short Form Variety Series.

Best Live Special went to Norman Lear and Jimmy Kimmel’s “All in the Family/The Jeffersons” special.

Outstanding Variety Special (Live)
Live In Front Of A Studio Audience: Norman Lear’s All In The Family And The Jeffersons
ABC, Smoking Baby Productions, ACT III Productions, Gary Sanchez Productions, D’Arconville and Sony Pictures Television

Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded)
Carpool Karaoke: When Corden Met McCartney Live From Liverpool
CBS, CBS Television Studios / Fulwell 73

Outstanding Production Design For Variety Special
RENT
Fox, 20th Century Fox Television
Jason Sherwood, Production Designer
Adam Rowe, Art Director
John Sparano, Set Decorator

Outstanding Production Design For Variety, Reality or Competition Series
Saturday Night Live, Host: John Mulaney, Host: Emma Stone
NBC, SNL Studios in association with Universal Television and Broadway Video
Eugene Lee, Production Designer
Akira Yoshimura, Production Designer
Keith Ian Raywood, Production Designer

Outstanding Structured Reality Program
Queer Eye

Outstanding Short Form Variety Series
Carpool Karaoke: The Series
Apple Music, CBS Television Studios / Fulwell 73
Ben Winston, Executive Producer
James Corden, Executive Producer
Eric Pankowski, Executive Producer
David Young, Supervising Producer
Sheila Rogers, Supervising Producer
Diana Miller, Producer

Outstanding Short Form Animated Program
Love, Death & Robots, “The Witness”
Netflix, Blur Studio

Outstanding Picture Editing for a Nonfiction Program
Free Solo
National Geographic, National Geographic Documentary Films, Little Monster Films, Itinerant Media, Parkes+MacDonald/Image Nation
Bob Eisenhardt, ACE, Editor

Outstanding Narrator
Our Planet, “One Planet”
Netflix, Silverback Films
Sir David Attenborough, Narrator

Outstanding Music Composition for a Documentary Series or Special (Original Dramatic Underscore)
Free Solo
National Geographic, National Geographic Documentary Films, Little Monster Films, Itinerant Media, Parkes+MacDonald/Image Nation
Marco Beltrami, Music by
Brandon Roberts, Music by

Outstanding Music Direction
Fosse/Verdon, “Life Is A Cabaret”
FX Networks, Fox 21 Television Studios and FX Productions
Alex Lacamoire, Music Direction by

Outstanding Original Music And Lyrics
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, “I Have To Get Out/Song Title: Antidepressants Are So Not A Big Deal”
The CW, CBS Television Studios in association with Warner Bros. Television
Adam Schlesinger, Music & Lyrics by
Rachel Bloom, Music & Lyrics by
Jack Dolgen, Lyrics by

Outstanding Creative Achievement In Interactive Media Within An Unscripted Program
Free Solo, 360
National Geographic, National Geographic Documentary Films
Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Directed by/Produced by
Jimmy Chin, Directed by/Produced by
Evan Hayes, Produced by National Geographic
Framestore

Outstanding Interactive Program
NASA And SpaceX: The Interactive Demo-1 Launch
YouTube, NASA and SpaceX
NASA

Outstanding Technical Direction, Camerawork, Video Control for a Limited Series, Movie or Special
The Late Late Show Carpool Karaoke Primetime Special 2019
CBS, CBS Television Studios / Fulwell 73
Oleg Sekulovski, Technical Director
Taylor Campanian, Video Control
Joel Binger, Camera
Jim Velarde, Camera
Edward Nelson, Camera
Mark McIntire, Camera
Adam Margolis, Camera
Jorge Farris, Camera
Mike Jarocki, Camera
Peter Hutchison, Camera
Charlie Wupperman, Camera
Joshua Gitersonke, Camera
Ian McGlocklin, Camera
Doug Longwill, Camera
Josh Greenrock, Camera
Trace Dantzig, Camera William O’Donnell, Camera
Max Kerby, Camera
Scott Acosta, Camera

Outstanding Technical Direction, Camerawork, Video Control for a Series
Last Week Tonight With John Oliver, “Psychics”
HBO, HBO Entertainment in association with Sixteen String Jack Productions and Avalon Television
Dave Saretsky, Technical Director
August Yuson, Senior Video Control
John Harrison, Camera
Dante Pagano, Camera
Jake Hoover, Camera
Phil Salanto, Camera

Outstanding Short Form Nonfiction or Reality Series
Creating Saturday Night Live
NBC (nbc.com), SNL Studios in association with Universal Television and Broadway Video
Lorne Michaels, Executive Producer
Oz Rodriguez, Co-Executive Producer
Chris Voss, Co-Executive Producer
Matt Yonks, Co-Executive Producer
Michael Scogin, Supervising Producer
Erin Doyle, Producer

Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special
Hannah Gadsby: Nanette
Netflix, A Netflix Original Production
Hannah Gadsby, Written by

Outstanding Writing for a Nonfiction Program
Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown, “Kenya”
CNN, CNN Original Series, Zero Point Zero Production, Inc.
Anthony Bourdain, Written by

Outstanding Choreography for a Variety or Reality Programming
World of Dance, Routines: “Piece by Piece,” “Don’t Wanna Think,” “Fix You”
NBC, Universal Television Alternative Studio in association with Nuyorican Productions and World of Dance

Outstanding Individual Achievement In Animation
Age of Sail

Outstanding Innovation In Interactive Programming (juried)
Artificial

Outstanding Motion Design (juried)
Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj

Outstanding Exceptional Merit In Documentary Filmmaking (TIE)
RBG
CNN, CNN Films, Storyville Films
Julie Cohen, Produced by
Betsy West, Produced by
Amy Entelis, Executive Producer
Courtney Sexton, Executive Producer

The Sentence
HBO, HBO Documentary Films in association with Park Pictures
Sam Bisbee, Produced by
Jackie Kelman Bisbee, Produced by
Rudy Valdez, Executive Producer Wendy Nau, Executive Producer

Outstanding Informational Series or Special
Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown
CNN, CNN Original Series, Zero Point Zero Production, Inc.
Anthony Bourdain, Executive Producer
Christopher Collins, Executive Producer
Lydia Tenaglia, Executive Producer
Sandra Zweig, Executive Producer
Jared Andrukanis, Co-Executive Producer
Michael Steed, Producer
Jonathan Cianfrani, Producer

Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special
Leaving Neverland
HBO, HBO Documentary Films in association with Channel 4 and Amos Pictures
Dan Reed, Produced by
Nancy Abraham, Executive Producer
Lisa Heller, Executive Producer

Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series
Our Planet
Netflix, Silverback Films
Sophie Lanfear, Produced by
Alastair Fothergill, Series Producer
Keith Scholey, Series Producer

Outstanding Makeup for a Multi-Camera Series or Special (Non-Prosthetic)
Saturday Night Live, Host: Adam Sandler
NBC, SNL Studios in association with Universal Television and Broadway Video
Louie Zakarian, Department Head Makeup Artist
Amy Tagliamonti, Key Makeup Artist
Jason Milani, Key Makeup Artist
Rachel Pagani, Additional Makeup Artist
Sarah Egan, Makeup Artist
Young Beck, Makeup Artist

Outstanding Hairstyling for a Multi-Camera Series or Special
RuPaul’s Drag Race, “Trump: The Rusical”
VH1, World of Wonder Productions
Hector Pocasangre, Hairstylist

Outstanding Costumes For Variety, Nonfiction Or Reality Programming
RuPaul’s Drag Race, “Trump: The Rusical”
VH1, World of Wonder Productions
Zaldy Goco, Costume Designer (RuPaul)
Art Conn, Costume Designer (Michelle Visage)

Outstanding Directing for a Reality Program
Queer Eye, “Black Girl Magic”
Netflix, Scout Productions, Inc. and ITV Entertainment, LLC
Hisham Abed, Directed by

Outstanding Casting For A Reality Program
Queer Eye
Netflix, Scout Productions, Inc. and ITV Entertainment, LLC
Gretchen Palek, SVP, Casting & Talent
Danielle Gervais, VP, Casting & Talent
Quinn Fegan, Casting Producer
Ally Capriotti Grant, Location Casting
Pamela Vallarelli, Location Casting

Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program
Free Solo
National Geographic, National Geographic Documentary Films, Little Monster Films, Itinerant Media, Parkes+MacDonald/Image Nation
Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Directed by
Jimmy Chin, Directed by

Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special
Springsteen On Broadway
Netflix, Thrill Hill Productions, Inc.
Thom Zimny, Directed by

Outstanding Animated Program
The Simpsons, “Mad About The Toy”
Fox, Gracie Films in association with 20th Century Fox Television

Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance
Family Guy, “Con Heiress”
Fox, 20th Century Fox Television
Seth MacFarlane as Peter Griffin, Stewie Griffin, Brian Griffin, Glenn Quagmire, Tom Tucker, Seamus

Outstanding Picture Editing For Variety Programming
Last Week Tonight With John Oliver, “The Wax & The Furious” (segment)
HBO, HBO Entertainment in association with Sixteen String Jack Productions and Avalon Television
Ryan Barger, Editor

Outstanding Picture Editing for an Unstructured Reality Program
United Shades Of America With W. Kamau Bell, “Hmong Americans And The Secret War”
CNN, CNN Original Series, Main Event Media, All3Media America
Alessandro Soares, Editor

Outstanding Picture Editing for a Structured Reality or Competition Program
Queer Eye, Series Body Of Work
Netflix, Scout Productions, Inc. and ITV Entertainment, LLC
Joseph Deshano, Editor
Matthew Miller, Editor
Ryan Taylor, Editor
Carlos Gamarra, Editor
Iain Tibbles, Editor
Tony Zajkowski, Editor

Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Variety Series or Special
Aretha! A Grammy Celebration For The Queen Of Soul
CBS, AEG Ehrlich Ventures, LLC
Paul Wittman, Production Mixer
Josh Morton, Re-Recording Mixer
Paul Sandweiss, Music Mixer
Kristian Pedregon, Music Mixer
Christian Schrader, Supplemental Audio
Michael Parker, Monitor Mixer
Patrick Baltzell, House PA Mixer

Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Nonfiction Program
Free Solo
National Geographic, National Geographic Documentary Films, Little Monster Films, Itinerant Media, Parkes+MacDonald/Image Nation
Tom Fleischman, CAS, Re-Recording Mixer
Ric Schnupp, Re-Recording Mixer
Tyson Lozensky, Scoring Mixer
Jim Hurst, Production Mixer

Outstanding Sound Editing for a Nonfiction Program (Single or Multi-Camera)
Free Solo
National Geographic, National Geographic Documentary Films, Little Monster Films, Itinerant Media, Parkes+MacDonald/Image Nation
Deborah Wallach, Sound Supervisor
Filipe Messeder, Sound Effects Editor
Jim Schultz, Music Editor
Roland Vajs, Foley Editor
Nuno Bento, Foley Artist

Outstanding Lighting Design/Lighting Direction for a Variety Special
RENT
Fox, 20th Century Fox Television
Al Gurdon, Lighting Designer
Madigan Stehly, Lighting Director
Ben Green, Lighting Director
Ryan Tanker, Lighting Director
Patrick Brazil, Lighting Director

Outstanding Lighting Design/Lighting Direction for a Variety Series
Saturday Night Live, Host: John Mulaney
NBC, SNL Studios in association with Universal Television and Broadway Video
Richard McGuinness, Lighting Director
Geoffrey Amoral, Lighting Director
William McGuinness, Lighting Director
Trevor Brown, Lighting Director
Tim Stasse, Lighting Director

Outstanding Host for a Reality or Competition Program
RuPaul, RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1)

Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program
United Shades Of America With W. Kamau Bell
CNN, NN Original Series, Main Event Media, All3Media America
W. Kamau Bell, Executive Producer
Jimmy Fox, Executive Producer
Layla Smith, Executive Producer
Tim Pastore, Executive Producer
Justin Yungfleisch, Executive Producer
Amy Entelis, Executive Producer
Lizzie Fox, Executive Producer
Lauren Thompson, Co-Executive Producer
David E.J. Berger, Supervising Producer
Dwayne Kennedy, Supervising Producer
Geraldine L. Porras, Supervising Producer

Outstanding Cinematography For A Nonfiction Program
Free Solo
National Geographic, National Geographic Documentary Films, Little Monster Films, Itinerant Media, Parkes+MacDonald/Image Nation
Jimmy Chin, Director of Photography
Clair Popkin, Director of Photography
Mikey Schaefer, Cinematography by

Outstanding Cinematography For A Reality Program
Life Below Zero, Series Body Of Work
National Geographic • BBC Studios
Mike Cheeseman, Director of Photography
Danny Day, Director of Photography
David Lovejoy, Director of Photography
Ben Mullin, Director of Photography
John Griber, Director of Photography
Benji Lanpher, Director of Photography
Terry Pratt, Director of Photography

Jennifer Lopez Hustles at the Box Office: “Hustlers” Gives Enterprising Celebrity/Movie Star/Pop Singer Biggest Opening of Career

Roger Friedman
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Jennifer Lopez Hustles at the Box Office: “Hustlers” Gives Enterprising Celebrity/Movie Star/Pop Singer Biggest Opening of Career

“Hustlers” is a hit. Last night (and including $2 million of Thursday previews) the comedy-drama took in $13 million. That’s biggest opening ever for Jennifer Lopez, with more than $30 million for the weekend expected.

Jennifer Lopez’s prior biggest opening weekend was way back in 2005, for “Monster-in-Law,” in which she played Jane Fonda’s daughter-in-law to be. That number was $23.1 million for the weekend. It was also her highest grossing film, with $82 million. She’s never appeared in a live action film that’s made more than that.

Lopez has had bigger openings since then, but they were animated films in which she was part of an ensemble. Right before she starred in “Monster-in-Law,” JLo starred with then boyfriend Ben Affleck in “Gigli,” infamously one of the worst and most-mocked movies of all time.

“Hustlers” will change a lot about JLo’s film career, at least for the near future. Its relative success will breed at least one sequel, even though the true story of strippers drugging and bilking Wall Streeters stopped with the end of that movie. You know somehow those characters will make a return trip to the screen. In the meantime, her stock goes up and she’ll get at least a Golden Globe nomination (not so sure about an Oscar).

Box Office Disaster: All- Star “Goldfinch” Bombs with Just $870K on Friday Night, $2 Million Weekend for $50 Mil Film

Roger Friedman
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Box Office Disaster: All- Star “Goldfinch” Bombs with Just $870K on Friday Night, $2 Million Weekend for $50 Mil Film

You win some, you lose some. Warner Bros. learned this the hard way last night as “The Goldfinch” took in just $870,000 in over 2,500 theaters.

The all star adaptation of Donna Tartt’s beloved and best selling novel cost between $40 and $50 million. The weekend take should be $2 million if they’re lucky.

Warner’s also has the monster hit, “It: Chapter Two,” which will be followed by “Joker.” So they’re okay. But “Goldfinch” would have nice for awards season. The good news is that “Goldfriend” is really a movie from Amazon Studios, which Warner’s distributed. They didn’t make it. So don’t blame them!

What a pedigree, too! Directed by John Crowley, cinematography by Roger Deakins. with Nicole Kidman, Ansel Elgort, Sarah Paulson, Jeffrey Wright star in the film about an art theft.

But everything went wrong. For Kidman, who got good notices in the film, it’s a disappointment, too. She already had a big hit this year with “The Upside,” which made over $100 million. Again, you win some, you lose some.

Even though it wasn’t their movie, Warner’s might be jumpy about “Goldfinch” since its star, Elgort, is filming Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story” right now. But it’s not the actor, it’s the material. I think Elgort will soar as Tony in the updated musical.

 

 

Actress Felicity Huffman Sentenced to 14 Days in Jail and Community Service for College Admissions Scandal

Roger Friedman
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Actress Felicity Huffman Sentenced to 14 Days in Jail and Community Service for College Admissions Scandal

Felicity Huffman has been sentenced to 14 days in jail, one year of supervised release, and250 hours of  community service for her role in the college admissions scandal. She will also pay a $30,000 fine.

The award winning actress spent $15,000 to get her daughter’s SAT test taken by someone else, and gain admission to college.

Huffman pleaded guilty immediately in federal court in Boston. Today she apologized in court. But Judge Indira Talwani said Huffman knew what she did was wrong, saying, “She knew it was a fraud it was not an impulsive act.”

Huffman told the court:  “I am sorry to you.”

“I am deeply ashamed of what I have done,” Huffman told the judge. “At the end of the day I had a choice to make. I could have said ‘no.’”

Prosecutors had wanted a 30 day jail sentence, so Huffman got a better deal in the end. Certainly the fact that she has no prior legal issues and was immediately contrite and did not fight her case or plead not guilty helped.

Now actress Lori Loughlin and her husband can get an idea of what’s going to happen to them if they lose their case. They pleaded not guilty after being accused of spending $500.000 to get their daughter into USC.

“Knives Out” for Frank Oz, aka Yoda and the Mentor of Muppets, Has Rare On Screen Role, with Lines, in Hilarious WhoDunit

Roger Friedman
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“Knives Out” for Frank Oz, aka Yoda and the Mentor of Muppets, Has Rare On Screen Role, with Lines, in Hilarious WhoDunit

I guess only Rian Johnson could persuade Frank Oz to take an onscreen role in a comedy.

But the director of “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” had the upper hand; Oz has been voicing Yoda, the rabbi of “Star Wars,” since 1977.

Oz has not only played Yoda through all the “Star Wars” movies, he’s been the motivating reason why the Muppets have gone on to fame and glory in their movies and all their TV shows following their introduction on “Sesame Street.” Oz began his career as a puppeteer, and now may be the most famous of all time. Oz has also directed some classic movies including Steve Martin’s “Bowfinger,” Kevin Kline in “In and Out,” “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,” “Little Shop of Horrors,” “The Muppets Take Manhattan,” and “The Dark Crystal.”

In “Knives Out,” which wowed Toronto Film Festival audiences this past week, Oz plays the only normal character, the estate lawyer for the crazy Thrombey family. Their patriarch (Christopher Plummer) has died– either by murder or suicide– and Oz’s character presides over the reading of his last will and testament. Daniel Craig plays a mysterious investigator hired to solve the crime– with a Southern drawl, no less, he is hilarious. Among the suspects are Jamie Lee Curtis, Chris Evans, Don Johnson, and Toni Collette. Ana de Armas plays Harlan Thrombey’s loyal nurses aide.

On screen previously, Oz has a couple of walk ons or cameos long forgotten. But his turn in “Knives Out.” whichopens November 27th, is his first real role with lines and a purpose. He’s only 75, so maybe this is just the beginning of a new career!  “Knives Out” already has a near perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes. But a wise choice to have Yoda advising a nutty, wealthy family. As usual he’s the voice of reason!

 

Ringo Starr’s New Album Will Feature Semi-Beatles Reunion with Paul McCartney Playing, Singing on John Lennon Song

Roger Friedman
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Ringo Starr’s New Album Will Feature Semi-Beatles Reunion with Paul McCartney Playing, Singing on John Lennon Song

Ringo Starr has managed to pull off a semi-Beatles reunion for his new album, called “What’s My Name,” coming on October 25th. He’s covered John Lennon’s great song, “Grow Old With Me,” with Paul McCartney playing bass and singing background. It should be a three handkerchief moment.

According to a press release:

For Ringo, the inspiration to record “Grow Old With Me” now came when he ran into noted record producer Jack Douglas who had produced John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s Double Fantasy album, among other classic recordings.
“Jack asked if I ever heard The Bermuda Tapes, John’s demos from that time,” Ringo recalls. “And I had never heard all this. The idea that John was talking about me in that time before he died, well, I’m an emotional person. And I just loved this song. I sang it the best that I could. I do well up when I think of John this deeply. And I’ve done my best. We’ve done our best. The other good thing is that I really wanted Paul to play on it, and he said yes. Paul came over and he played bass and sings a little bit on this with me. So John’s on it in a way. I’m on it and Paul’s on it. It’s not a publicity stunt. This is just what I wanted. And the strings that Jack arranged for this track, if you really listen, they do one line from “Here Comes The Sun.” So in a way, it’s the four of us.”
Ringo’s other collaborators include brother in law Joe Walsh as well as Edgar Winter, Steve Lukather, Nathan East, and Colin Hay.

Watch Miley Cyrus, Ariana Grande, Lana del Rey Perform Hit from the New “Charlie’s Angels” Movie

Roger Friedman
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Watch Miley Cyrus, Ariana Grande, Lana del Rey Perform Hit from the New “Charlie’s Angels” Movie

Anytime you hear someone singing the line, “Don’t call me angel,” you figure it’s from “Angel of the Morning,” Merilee Rush’s famous 60s hit.

Well now that line comes from the song of the same name as the line, the theme song from the new “Charlie’s Angels” movie.

Three top poplets of this era join together to represent the Angels: Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus, and Lana del Rey. I kind of think Lana steals the show vocally, but they’re all good and this is fun pop for radio and video.

Rock Hall: No One Worth it Eligible for 2020 Ceremony, But Plenty of Qualified Acts Snubbed from Past Years

Roger Friedman
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Rock Hall: No One Worth it Eligible for 2020 Ceremony, But Plenty of Qualified Acts Snubbed from Past Years

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a shell of its former self, is getting ready to announce a raft of potential inductees for the 2020 ceremony.

Eligible this year for the first time are many artists who are good, bad, or eh. Those include Sheryl Crow, Weezer, Wilco, Notorious BIG, Daft Punk, Oasis, Keb Mo, and Marilyn Manson. But do any of them really belong in the Hall of Fame with the Beatles, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, the Temptations, Aretha Franklin, and Sam & Dave? Think hard on that question.

However, still eligible and constantly not voted in are many classic acts who had an impact or influence on popular music. Those include Nile Rodgers & Chic, Carole King (she’s in only as a songwriter) and Sting (in with the Police only, and not for his 25 year solo career) each as artists, Chubby Checker,  Tommy James and the Shondells, as well as Rufus and Carla Thomas, Barry White, Harry Nilsson, Carly Simon, Chaka Khan, and — still most embarrassingly, The J Geils Band.

Any or all of those artists should have been inducted long ago. Also missing are Billy Preston, Motown’s Mary Wells, The Spinners, Steppenwolf, and the Doobie Brothers. There are also pop groups like the Fifth Dimension and Three Dog Night that were responsible for introducing many classic songs and famed songwriters like Randy Newman, Hoyt Axton, and Laura Nyro to wide audiences.

Plus there are more than a dozen New Wave artists who are absent, as the RRHOF mirrors Rolling Stone, a magazine that preferred Fleetwood Mac to the Clash in 1979. Squeeze, XTC, the Jam, the Eurythmics, the B52s all had many hits and were great influences. And let’s not forget trailblazers like Iggy Pop, or the MC5.

Cyndi Lauper is also not in the RRHOF, neither are a bunch of female hitmakers including Tina Turner (Ike and Tina are in together, but nothing for Tina’s extraordinary solo career), or Cher, Petula Clark or Dionne Warwick.

So stand by. The announcement usually comes around October 9th, right before Columbus Day weekend. And every year, the chosen group induces intense debate, shouting, and disappointment.

“Ad Astra” Could Give Brad Pitt One of 2 Oscar Nods (Tarantino’s the Other) But the Movie is a Little Lost in Space

Roger Friedman
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“Ad Astra” Could Give Brad Pitt One of 2 Oscar Nods (Tarantino’s the Other) But the Movie is a Little Lost in Space

SO many things to say about James Gray’s “Ad Astra,” which opens next Friday, September 20th.

The main thing is, this role of Roy, an astronaut in the near future, gives Brad Pitt a chance to shine dramatically and in a lead role. It could be one of two Oscar nominations for him, with Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” his other one, in supporting. Wouldn’t that be a kick?

But “Ad Astra” is a little lost in space, sort of a Terrence Malick meditation in the pitch black skies. It’s a gorgeous movie to look at, not just because Brad Pitt is, well, Brad Pitt. Hoyte van Hoytema’s cinematography feels as if he went into space and shot there, on the moon, Mars, and Neptune. Even the Earth looks good under Hoytema’s gaze.

This is not a movie of a lot of action, though. It’s a lot of interior monologues, and feelings. There’s no supporting roles big enough to mean much. It’s all Brad. Even Tommy Lee Jones, playing Brad’s long lost thought-dead astronaut father doesn’t get much of a star turn. Some supporting players are literally left twisting in the wind. I have no idea what happened to Donald Sutherland’s character, Ruth Negga’s, or Liv Tyler’s although at least she, Liv, has some character development. I’m giving a shout out to Sean Blakemore, who is not getting his due in movies.

No, it’s all about Roy McBride, a classic loner, no kids, a disgruntled wife (Tyler), who’s never gotten over his dad disappearing into space decades earlier. Turns out he’s alive, and causing trouble on Neptune. NASA is sending him to find Clifford McBride and stop him. So the movie is basically Roy ruminating on their relationship. SO it’s up to Brad to big his big game, not just the fun stuff that we know he’s capable of.

And he does it. Not since “Moneyball” has Pitt seemed so engaged and confident. He’s not just a movie star, a tabloid subject, etc. He’s an actor. And “Ad Astra” gives him a chance to show us what he can do. It helps to that lines and crevices have arrived on his perfect face, giving him more character than ever. It’s possible that Pitt, like Clint Eastwood, will find the “mature”part of his career the most fulfilling. I’m down for it.

Since the Oscar prognosticators are going mad with projections, I’d put him squarely on the bill with Michael B. Jordan, Adam Driver, Taron Egerton, Edward Norton, Christian Bale, and Leonardo DiCaprio. It’s early yet, there’s a lot more to come. but at least we’re in the same galaxy, er, on the same page.

“Saturday Night Live” Casting News: Kate McKinnon Returns, Show Adds Three New Players Including First Asian Actor

Roger Friedman
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“Saturday Night Live” Casting News: Kate McKinnon Returns, Show Adds Three New Players Including First Asian Actor

“Saturday Night Live” returns for its 45th season with its star, Kate McKinnon, in place and returning. There were reports last spring that she might live, but “SNL” needs her at least through the 2020 election. She signed a one year deal. Next spring there will be talk again of her exit, but my guess is she’ll renew one last time. Let’s hope, at least.

“SNL” has lost Leslie Jones, who’s gone off to blaze new trails. She was an important addition five years ago because the show has always been light on African American comedians and actors. Eddie Murphy is the sole black star who really made it.

Jones is not being replaced by another African American hire. Instead we’ll get Chloe Fineman and Shane Gillis from the Groundlings. They’re also getting their first Asian player– first in 45 years! — in Bowen Yang, a staff writer who appeared in a sketch last March with Sandra Oh. Forty five years. Mind blowing.

No word on Alec Baldwin, if he’ll be back as Donald Trump. But my guess is he will be putting the orange make up on until Trump is out of office.

 

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