Monday, September 23, 2024
Home Blog Page 935

Box Office: “Shazam!” Makes $53.4 Mil, Becomes Surprise Hit Franchise for Beleaguered DC Comics-Warner Bros.

0

Shazam! Didn’t Gomer Pyle used to say that? Shazam!

Well, no one’s thinking about that today as “Shazam!” the movie about a goofy super hero is number 1 at the box office. Zachary Levi is suddenly a movie star and David F. Sandberg is the most wanted director in comic book land.

For Warner Bros. and DC Comics, “Shazam!” is a god-send after so many beleaguered movies on their resume. “Shazam!” has made $56 million in its first weekend (including some early previews). With a $100 million price tag, that means they’ve got a home run.

Sandberg had two previous Warners/New Line movies, each horror films that did fine. Credit Toby Emmerich for believing in him. Levi was “Chuck” on TV, went to Broadway for very good notices in “She Loves Me,” and is currently on “Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” the bit hit on Amazon. Shazam has been around since the 1930s, so “Mrs. Maisel” could work in a Shazam joke for Levi’s character. (“Gomer Pyle” started in 1962 so “MMM” may not be there yet.)

Shazam has an interesting history in the comic books. He used to be called Captain Marvel, until a lawsuit between DC Comics and Fawcett Books put an end to him because Shazam was too close to Superman. Then Marvel Comics started publishing their own Captain Marvel. It gets complicated after that, but Captain Marvel eventually fell under Marvel Comics.

Now Warner-DC will be able to do at least two more movies, and re-milk the whole thing for a decade. As Gomer Pyle would say:

Will Ferrell, Adam McKay Realize Gary Sanchez is Yankees Star Catcher, Dissolve 13 Year Old Production Company of Same Name

0

For a long time, people wondered who Will Ferrell and Adam McKay’s production company, Gary Sanchez Productions, was named for. Some people thought it was a dog. Then Gary Sanchez became a star catcher for the New York Yankees, which made things confusing.

Now Ferrell and McKay are dissolving Gary Sanchez after 13 years. They didn’t even consider changing the name to Austin Romine Productions. Gary Sanchez Productions gave us the Anchorman and Daddy’s Home movies, and many other Ferrell comedies like “The Other Guys” (which was really good).

But McKay has sort of left the world of comedy for his more socially directed movies like “The Big Short” and “Vice,” each of which produced Oscar nominations. He hasn’t cast Ferrell so far, and probably won’t in his next one, the Jennifer Lawrence starrer about Elizanet Holmes and Theranos.

So they are splitting up. Ferrell hasn’t had a real hit in a while. “Holmes and Watson” was a stink bomb. He just filmed “Downhill” with Julia Louis-Dreyfus, directed by Nat Faxon and Jim Rash. It sounds good on paper, at least. McKay Tweeted a thank you to everyone he’d worked with after Deadline broke the original story today.

Ferrell has remained mum. My guess is, he’s not thrilled. McKay could have cast him as George W. Bush in “Vice,” when you think of it. But Sam Rockwell got the role and the Oscar nomination. Ferrell is very talented. He’s capable of making some smart comedies for time to come. I always loved “Stranger than Fiction.” Stay tuned…

 

UPDATE Rapped Lil Nas X Gets His Number 1 on Country Chart at Last: iTunes, Better than Billboard

0

Billboard took Lil Nas X’s country song, “Old Town Road,” off its country chart. So Lil Nas X, a rapper, was smart: he added Billy Ray Cyrus to the remix.

Now “Old Town Road” is number one not only on the iTunes pop chart, but it’s number 1 on the country chart.

A rapper now stands atop the Country chart.

Billboard, in what seems like move to keep a black artist off the country chart, made a terrible mistake. Now, as “Old Town Road” is selling, selling, selling, the “Bible” of pop music will have to backtrack fast.

“Old Town Road” is also at the top of all Spotify’s streaming charts!

Now Lil Nas X will have to make a whole album of country sounding songs. And you know what that means!

Lil Nas X Adds Billy Ray Cyrus to “Old Town Road,” Zooms to Number 1 on iTunes After Billboard Boots Him from Country Chart

0

Lil Nas X would not take ‘no’ from Billboard after they booted his “Old Town Road” from the country charts.

He got country royalty Billy Ray Cyrus and added him to a remix of the single. Now “Old Town Road” is number on the iTunes POP chart. It’s also number 1 on the iTunes Rap Chart. However, it doesn’t appear so far on the iTunes country chart.

The difference between Billboard and iTunes charts is this: the Billboard editors decided “Old Town Road” wasn’t ‘country enough.’ On iTunes, it’s the buyers/listeners. Either way, it’s racist. “Old Town Road” is a better song than most on any country charts.

Cyrus saw it two days ago. He Tweeted to Lil Nas: “Been watching everything going on with OTR. When I got thrown off the charts, Waylon Jennings said to me “Take this as a compliment” means you’re doing something great! Only Outlaws are outlawed. Welcome to the club!”

Lil Nas X’s original version is number 3 on iTunes, btw. I think it would be funny if more country artists stepped up to make versions. Blake Shelton, Brad Paisley, you’re next.

Billy Ray wrote on Twitter: “It was so obvious to me after hearing the song just one time. I was thinking, what’s not country about it? What’s the rudimentary element of a country and western song? Then I thought, it’s honest, humble, and has an infectious hook, and a banjo. What the hell more do ya need?”

“A few days passed and I went to the studio to do vocals.When I finished the pass, I whistled at the end of the song. Thats when the engineer stood up and said, “that shit is fire” We’re keeping that! Glad you gusys are diggin’ the tune, love seeing all your meme’s…. #OTR”

And that is how he got on the record.

Now the remix is going to be the biggest record of the year. And Billboard looks idiotic. I am very sorry that they’ve done that. White artists have always been allowed on R&B charts (Eagles, Hall & Oates). Charley Pride was a superstar black artist who sang country music. What’s up with these people?

Review: Julianne Moore Is First in Line for Next Year’s Oscars with “Gloria Bell,” An Anthem for Independent Women

0

“Gloria Bell,” starring Julianne Moore in the title role, opens wide today to rave reviews.  (The film has a 92 on Rotten Tomatoes.) This “Bell” rings true in many varied cinematic ways.  Moore is captivating. She and Sebastian Lelio, the writer and director, have created in a sense an anthem for independent women that stays with you. Moore, already an Oscar winner for “Still Alice,” is first in line once again this year for an Academy nomination.

Chilean born Lelio directed and wrote his first “Gloria” in 2014. (His “A Fantastic Woman,” won the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar in 2018.)  In this incarnation, Moore plays Gloria who spends her days at a normal 9 to 5 job as in insurance adjuster. Gloria is a patient and understanding Mom to her grown children and a devoted daughter. But at night at various clubs in LA and on the dance floor, her inner hippie and party on persona takes over.  She sometimes succumbs loneliness and desperation, but not really  

Gloria’s intense and joyful singing in the car to late 70’s and early 80’s hits shows her longing for her past yet keeping her hope and sense of wonder alive.  She meets Arnold (John Turturro) at a club,  and starts a romance with him that is perplexing because he’s unappealing, weak and a whiner.  That’s part of her emotional journey, of course.  

The supporting cast is sold: Michael Cera as her son, Brad Garrett as her ex, a nice turn by Rita Wilson as a close friend and the always terrific Holland Taylor as her Mom, all add to the actors showcase that Moore so expertly leads.  Lelio and Moore give it their all to tell the worthy story of an average woman.  “Gloria Bell” tells her tale in an even keeled, touching, sensitive and bittersweet way.

UPDATE: 17 Year Old Billie Elish Debut Album Enters Charts at Number 1 with Second Highest Sales of Year So Far

0

Billie Eilish– does she have a high school degree? Well, at 17, she’s learned the truth. Her debut album has debuted at number 1 on the charts this week.

“When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?” sold 307,000 copies this week, the second highest first week sales of 2019 after Ariana Grande’s “Thank You, Next.” More than half of Eilish’s sales were CDs and downloads, too.  If you’ve got a tween in the house, you’ve probably heard Eilish’s little girl voice bleeding out a kid’s earbuds.

Eilish also sold 26,000 copies (including streaming) of her debut EP, so she has two albums on the charts.

Nipsey Hussle, who was killed last week, sold 63,525 copies his album, “Victory Lap.” Three quarters of those sales came from streaming.

The number 1 streaming hit is “Old Town Road” by Lil Nas with Billy Ray Cyrus, whose daughter is a famous singer. “Old Town Road” was booted from the Billboard country chart because Lil Nas is black and not part of the country Establishment. He added Cyrus and re-released the record, so maybe now it will chart. It’s a pretty good record. Country music has forgotten Charley Pride. “Old Town Road” is a country song, not a rap song. Wait til the fight at the Grammy committee this fall. That should be fun! (Not!)

 

Die Hard: Planet Hollywood (Stallone, Schwarzenegger, Willis Co-Owned) and Associated Food Chains Has Massive Data Breach

0

I just received a notice that all nine of the dining chains owned by Earl Investments– aka Robert Earl– have suffered a massive data breach.

This is the chain heavily invested in and identified with Bruce Willis, Sylvester Stallone, and Arnold Schwarezenegger.

And this does mean Planet Hollywood in Times Square and most of the restaurants owned by this group.

They write:

Earl Enterprises recently became aware of a data security incident potentially affecting payment card information of a limited number of guests that dined at certain of Earl Enterprises’ restaurants. Potentially affected restaurants include the following brands: Buca di Beppo, Earl of Sandwich, Planet Hollywood, Chicken Guy!, Mixology and Tequila Taqueria. We are providing this notice to our guests to inform them of the incident and steps they can take to help protect themselves. The security and privacy of our guests’ payment card data is a top priority, and Earl Enterprises deeply regrets that this incident occurred.

They add:

The malicious software was designed to capture payment card data, which could have included credit and debit card numbers, expiration dates and, in some cases, cardholder names. Although the dates of potentially affected transactions vary by location, guests that used their payment cards at potentially affected locations between May 23, 2018 and March 18, 2019 may have been affected by this incident. Online orders paid for online through third-party applications or platforms were not affected by this incident.

Sounds bad. Maybe Rambo, John McClane, or the Terminator can come in and fix this problem.

PS Didn’t I just see the Earl of Sandwich in King Lear on Broadway? He didn’t mention a thing about it!

 

Before Katy Perry Wedding: Orlando Bloom Is Selling His Billionaire’s Bachelor Pad in Beverly Hills for $8.9 Million

0

Before his wedding to Katy Perry, “Lord of the Rings” and “Pirates of the Caribbean” actor Orlando Bloom is selling his Beverly Hills sex cave for $8.9 million.

I received this from TopTenRealEstateNews and decided to run it in its entirety from my sex cave on the fifth floor of a Greenwich Village converted tenement. He’s marrying the woman in the photo, btw.

Not my words, not one of them. The song It’s Only Make Believe should be playing in the background:

With his wedding to Katy Perry on the horizon, English Lord of the Rings actor Orlando Bloom is selling the house he bought in Beverly Hills after an extensive renovation. He had planned on living in the home as Hollywood’s #1 bachelor pad, before he proposed to Perry on Valentine’s Day. Though there is much speculation about when and where the marriage will take place, neither the date nor location has been announced and Bloom, 42, has now put his house on the market, priced at $8.99 million.

Located on “Billionaires’ Row” with stunning views over the city and ocean, the 4,011-square-foot, four-bedroom, four-bath contemporary exemplifies the indoor-outdoor living that characterizes the celebrity lifestyle up and down the California coast. The wide sweep of the open floor plan, sliding walls of glass and lightly defined living areas supply Hollywood drama from its sunken living room conversation pit with views of the zero-edge pool and spa, outdoor dining and conversation areas. All in sparkling white from walls to furniture, the house is a perfect setup for art collections and of a size to entertain on an intimate or large scale.

Built in the 1960s, Bloom added a new pool and reinforced it with caissons installed 50-feet underground. He also added wood decking, built-in seating, LED lighting, a romantic fire feature behind the pool and reconfigured the kitchen to open to the dining room. The master bath opens through a sliding glass to a private walled deck that invites au naturel sunning. Grounds are beautifully landscaped for privacy and pleasure.

Orlando Bloom is well known for his roles as Legolas in the ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy and Will Turner in ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl’ and ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End.’ He likes to mix things up and return occasionally to stage acting, but soon he will be filming a war drama, ‘The Outpost’ with Scott Eastwood and Caleb Landry Jones.

Now for sale, Orlando Bloom’s Billionaires’ Row, Beverly Hills home is for sale, priced at $8.99 million. The listing agent is Jason Oppenheim, of the Oppenheim Group, who also sold Bloom the house two years ago. Jason and his real estate team are the subject of the new hit Netflix original series, ‘Selling Sunset.’

For more information and celebrity home photos, visit TopTenRealEstateDeals.com – spectacular and celebrity homes and real estate news. Where Real Estate Is Never Boring!

Roseanne Barr Stand Up Comedy Dates at Detroit, Raleigh, Ft. Wayne Arenas in Peril With Few Seats Sold, Just Weeks to Go

0

I’ve told you before that Roseanne Barr’s stand up comedy dates are in peril. She has four dates booked on ticketmaster, and only one — in Jim Thorpe, PA– has sold reasonably well.

But the dates in Detroit and Raleigh, NC are largely unsold and the clock is running out. It’s hard to believe people aren’t interested in listening to Roseanne explain how she racially mocked Valerie Jarrett on Twitter, got fired, and then blamed everyone else in the world.

For Raleigh on May 2, pretty much you can have the pick of the place:

 

Same for Detroit on May 19th:

Even Fort Wayne, Indiana isn’t much better:

Mick Jagger Tweets from Hospital After Heart Procedure: “I’m feeling much better now and on the mend”

0

Mick Jagger has Tweeted from the hospital from his bed after a heart procedure yesterday. Mick, who is a veteran of being in bed, thanked his fans and said “I’m feeling much better now and on the mend.”

Jagger had a valve replacement procedure through his groin, with a stent. He luckily didn’t have open heart surgery. His tongue was not affected either. He should be up, around, and chasing the nurses this afternoon. What a relief! There was sympathy after all for the devil.

Seriously, it’s all good news. The Rolling Stones will pick up their postponed tour in July. Get well soon, Mick!