Wednesday, September 18, 2024
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SAG Awards Win Sets “Oppenheimer” Up for Oscar Sweep with Best Ensemble, Actor, Supporting Actor — Lily Gladstone Best Actress!

“Oppenheimer” won Best Ensemble at the SAG Awards tonight, virtually guaranteeing it Best Picture at the Academy Awards next month. The Christopher Nolan epic also won Best Actor and Supporting Actor for Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey Jr.

Lily Gladstone won Best Actress. Da’Vine Joy Randolph won Best Supporting Actress. They are all headed to the Oscars.

Here are some notes from the often embarrassing show tonight. The only thing that worked was the In Memorian, which included everyone and was done tastefully.

EARLIER The SAG Awards are badly written and very weird. But they’re on Netflix right now, and the TV side is being given out.

Barbra Streisand wins Lifetime Award. She gave a great speech.

As for the TV Awards, the surprises were Best Actor and Actress in a Drama series.

Best Ensemble Drama: “Succession”

Best Ensemble Comedy: “The Bear”

“The Bear” is winning comedy acting for Jeremy Allen White and Ayo Edibiri. Pedro Pascal just won won Best Actor in a drama for “The Last of Us.” This means the “Succession” actors split their votes.

Best Female Actor in a Drama: Elizabeth Debicki– beats Sarah Snook! Forgot to say anything about Princess Diana

Male Actor in a Miniseries or Limited Series: Steven Yeun, “Beef”

Female Actor in Miniseries or Limited Series: Ali Wong, “Beef”

FILM:

Best Ensemble: “Oppenheimer”

Best Actor: Cillian Murphy, who the announcer called “Chillean”

Best Actress: Lily Gladstone!!!!

Supporting Actress Winner: Da’Vine Joy Randolph — she’ll win the Oscar now

Supporting Actor: Robert Downey Jr. — wear black tie please!

Box Office: “Drive Away Dolls” Run Over with Just $1 Million Opening, Bob Marley Heading to $65 Mil

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The Friday box office had ups and downs.

The good news is “Bob Marley:One Love” is heading to $65 million this weekend and looks like it’s going to have long legs. Paramount can only be thrilled.

The film about the reggae and political legend has mixed reviews. But the music is carrying it to success just as it did with the Freddie Mercury and Elton John movies.

That bodes well for forthcoming films about Linda Ronstadt, the Bee Gees, and Michael Jackson.

On the downside: Ethan Coen’s “Drive Away Dolls” is roadkill at this point. The road trip comedy has made $1 million in a full day of release. Odds are the weekend will come to $2.5 million all in. Audience score is down to 36%, which means no one wants to see it unless forced. Could this be headed to Peacock quickly? Makes sense.

PS Academy voters– I was reminded that the way voting works, always put your absolute favorite choice at number 1 on the ballot. Don’t save it for number 2 or 3. For example, don’t think Lily Gladstone is so popular that you can make her number 2. Put her right at the top along with Paul Giamatti, Robert Downey Jr, and Da’Vine Joy Randolph. And best movie? I guess “Oppenheimer” is coming in for the sweep.

DOA: Jennifer Lopez’s New Album “This Is Me…Now” Debuts with Just 21,000 Copies Sold

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This may be the costliest album project in history.

Jennifer Lopez’s new release, “THis is Me…Now” is dead on arrival.

Hitsdailydouble.com says it sold just 21,011 copies in its first week including 4,200 CDs or paid downloads, and 16,000 streaming equivalent sales. “Now” debuts at number 28!

Lopez says she sunk $20 million of her own money into the album and the Amazon.com short film that accompanies it.

The film has been panned everywhere. Amazon.com will release it next week. So far there are no reviews on Rotten Tomatoes.

Lopez made a lot of the fact this was about her marriage to Ben Affleck twenty years after they parted as lovers. This was a mistake, as most listeners just wanted some good dance songs. But the album is a bore, and Lopez’s thin voice doesn’t help. “Now” has not launched any hits on the singles charts, either.

But who would be the audience for this? Kids don’t care about JLo, certainly not in videos about ostentatious weddings. Older people — the fans who may see her in concert — just want to hear her original hits, in whatever augmented form they were made. Lopez is better off sticking to Netflix movies, like Adam Sandler. Formulas work great, and you’ve already got a paid crowd.

Kanye’s iTunes Punishment Cut Sales of His “Vultures 1” in Half from First Week, Just 1,485 Downloads

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I told you overnight that Apple/iTunes restored Kanye West’s album, “Vultures 1,” to the platform.

But the whole prior week or more, iTunes had pulled the album down over possible copyright infringement — not because the album is full of gross language and has an antisemitic lyric.

Anyway, the numbers are in for this past week. “Vultures” dropped to 2nd place and sold just 1,485 paid downloads.

All other sales were from streaming, cutting the album’s sales in half, from 159,000 to just 732,418.

Amazon dropped the album from its music service as well. But Spotify — which has the morals of frothing dog — kept it up. Most of the downloads sales would have come from them.

When “Vultures” returned last night, it shot to number 1. But with new releases today, West is down to number 5 and sinking, it is hoped.

Justin Timberlake Releases “Drown,” Second New Single Without Regular Collaborator Timbaland

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Justin Timberlake has released the follow up to his hit, “Selfish.”

It’s called “Drown,” and it debuts on iTunes at number 6, giving JT two hits in the top 20.

But it’s the second single in a row that does not include his long time collaborator, Timbaland, as a producer or writer.

Hmmmm…

Where is aka Timothy Mosley? He hasn’t disappeared. He’s all over social media with this own projects.

But on January 29th, Timba wrote on Twitter: “Don’t follow that impulsive to go back, keep going forward.”

So something looks like it may have gone wrong in this veritable partnership. It’s been Timba giving JT the beats for a lot of his hits including “Cry Me a River” and “Sexyback.”

But so far, “Drown” and “Selfish” have been mid tempo, not really for dancing. A third song, “Sanctified,” which Justin performed on “SNL,” couldn’t decide if it was gospel, dance, or whatever. Let’s hope that’s been reworked for the forth coming album, “Everything I Thought It Was.”

Palm Beach Post Endorses Joe Biden Over Trump for President Second Time in Four Years

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If Donald Trump reads his local newspaper in Palm Beach, he’s disappointed to say the least this week.

The Palm Beach Post has once again endorsed Joe Biden for president over Trump. It’s the second time in four years.

The editorial is titled, “Ignore pundits, sure, but consider the evidence piling up against Trump.”

They write:”… while some of us feel Donald Trump’s dishonesty was always obvious and his positions on issues shallow and mean, others are put off by what they see as exaggerated concerns, negativity and mocking unacceptance of a valid opposing viewpoint. So, it’s time for those who remain undecided to look with a set of fresh eyes at the evidence amassing before them.”

The editorial continues:

“Judges and juries of Trump’s peers in recent weeks have found the evidence overwhelming, to the tune of more than a half-billion dollars in fines, mounting with interest. In civil cases he’s been found to have engaged in sexual assault, defamation and corporate fraud, and the clock is winding down on criminal trials, as well. The latter will put the lie to his claims he was cheated out of reelection. They will support charges he tried to racketeer his way to a win in Georgia and nationally – just listen to that recording again. And they will spell out how, with words, actions and inaction, he sought to overthrow the will of the voters on Jan. 6, 2021.”

We do think of Palm Beach as conservative and Republican, an important part of the red Florida we’ve come to know and love. (Joking.)

Well, at least their local paper isn’t afraid to tell the truth.

Read the rest here.

https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/opinion/editorials/2024/02/21/editorial-evidence-mounts-that-trump-is-not-worthy-of-our-votes/72669652007/

Comedy “Drive Away Dolls” Shunned by Audiences with a Scary 46% Audience Rating, No Preview B.O. Numbers

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Well, it’s not good news for director Ethan Coen.

After one of preview shows, the movie going audience has weighed in on Rotten Tomatoes.

Even crappy movies can get an 80 or more in the audience rating. But “Drive Away Dolls” has a 46. No one is going to recommend it.

Among critics and bloggers, “DAD” has dropped to 67%. Ann Hornaday wrote in the Washington Post: “As a fast-paced, bawdy road comedy, this isn’t an inauspicious debut as much as a curiously flimsy and forgettable one. Your mileage may vary to the point of completely sputtering out.”

“DAD” must be pretty bad. I never even got a screening invitation for it. I guess I’ll see it in the fall when studios send out links.

Also, so far there are no box office numbers for “DAD.” Every other movie has posted from last night except this one. Looking at Fandango, ticket sales are sparse.

But good for Focus Features for taking ‘DAD” on. They’ve had such a good season with “The Holdovers,” this one can be an experiment.

Trump Group Final Bill in NY Fraud Case: $454 Million (Not Including Tip, But with Fines) Read Here

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The bill has been placed on the table.

The total Donald Trump and co-defendants in the NY Fraud case comes to $454 million — payable now, not next Tuesday.

Judge Arthur Engoron has broken down the bill in his filing today so the group of convicted liars can figure out who had the calamari, and who drank the most wine.

You can read it all here.

Engoron is most serious. And even if Trump appeals, the interest alone will destroy him.

Cable News: Rachel Maddow Mowed Down Sean Hannity on Monday, Beating Him by 600K Viewers

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This past Monday showed once again the power of Rachel Maddow.

At 9pm on MSNBC, Maddow mowed down a Sean Hannity special on Fox, winning the time slot by 600,000 viewers.

Or should I say, trouncing?

Maddow’s skillful win over Hannity lead to erudite Lawrence O’Donnell’s tie at 10pm with witless Greg Gutfeld.

Maddow and O’Donnell’s strong showing, plus Ari Melber in the same ballpark as Bret Baier, made MSNBC competitive with Fox News within 150,000 total viewers.

Left out in the cold was CNN, although Anderson Cooper’s nearly 800,000 was some consolation.

Monday is Maddow, that’s for sure. If only they could clone her!

Crosby, Stills, & Nash Tribute Set to Sell Out Carnegie Hall Right Now, But Judy Collins Sends Regrets

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A tribute to Crosby, Stills, and Nash is coming to Carnegie Hall in May. Already there are fans queued up to buy tickets. A sold out audience is expected.

Michael Dorf puts on these amazing tribute shows every year, and they’re always a hit. Dozens of well known musicians play the music of the honorees.

This year, I’m told, Graham Nash and Stephen Stills may take the stage themselves. Alas, David Crosby is gone and Neil Young is a curmudgeon. But Stills and Nash together are still magic. Even if they harmonize the austere home of classical music will explode. (Not literally.)

One singer who would have been more than welcome is the great Judy Collins. She was invited, but Judy’s in such demand on the concert schedule around the world that she’s got a long ago booked gig in Santa Barbara, California. She sends her regrets, explaining to me she cannot get out of it! It’s also mostly sold out — I checked!

Of course, Judy was the subject of the group’s first and most famous song, Stills’s landmark “Suite Judy Blue Eyes.” (They were a thing back in the late 60s, when Judy was topping the charts with “Both Sides Now.”) She will be hugely missed. Maybe she can tape something in advance!

Who else will perform May 13th? Dorf — who owns City Winery in every city — hasn’t revealed yet. But apparently it doesn’t matter to fans, who have clogged Carnegie Hall’s ticket system because they love love love this seminal 1970s group.

By the way, proceeds from the show will benefit music education for underserved youth, including such organizations as Grammys in the Schools, Theater Within and VH1 Save the Music.

PS Don’t call me! Call the Hall! I’m sleeping outside right now until the ticket window opens!