There’s probably a Taylor Swift lyric that’d make a fantastic opening line here, but I’m more of a Susanna Hoffs guy. So let’s just get into it, instead.
The three-and-a-half hour Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (Taylor’s Version) concert film generated 16.2 million hours of viewing in its first three days of release, which translates into a record-setting 4.6 million views on Disney+ — making it the No. 1 music film ever on the platform.
More from TVLineRatings: The Bachelor Dips as 'Women Tell All,' Sytycd Ticks Up'Someone's Killing Jedi' in Star Wars: The Acolyte Trailer - Watch,...
The three-and-a-half hour Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (Taylor’s Version) concert film generated 16.2 million hours of viewing in its first three days of release, which translates into a record-setting 4.6 million views on Disney+ — making it the No. 1 music film ever on the platform.
More from TVLineRatings: The Bachelor Dips as 'Women Tell All,' Sytycd Ticks Up'Someone's Killing Jedi' in Star Wars: The Acolyte Trailer - Watch,...
- 3/19/2024
- by Matt Webb Mitovich
- TVLine.com
Chicago – It was another city in another time when Andrew Davis directed his first film “Stony Island” in 1970s Chicago. The film was released in 1978 to acclaim, but faded into the mist of cinema. Andrew Davis is back in his hometown to introduce “Stony Island” at the Gene Siskel Film Center on Friday, November 17th, 2023. For tickets and info, click Stony Island.
Rating: 4.5/5.0
Lovingly filmed on the gritty 1970s streets in the Chicago of Andy Davis, the film features his brother Richard Davis as Ritchie, a white boy guitarist trying to break into a Southside rhythm and blues band that cooks with its own brand of Windy City soul. Based a bit on his brother’s actual circumstances, the film features actual singers and players of the era, including a magnificent performance by Gene Barge as Percy Price, the centerpiece cat in the story who ends up in a fate of celebration.
Rating: 4.5/5.0
Lovingly filmed on the gritty 1970s streets in the Chicago of Andy Davis, the film features his brother Richard Davis as Ritchie, a white boy guitarist trying to break into a Southside rhythm and blues band that cooks with its own brand of Windy City soul. Based a bit on his brother’s actual circumstances, the film features actual singers and players of the era, including a magnificent performance by Gene Barge as Percy Price, the centerpiece cat in the story who ends up in a fate of celebration.
- 11/16/2023
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Celebrating its 45th anniversary, director Andrew Davis’ first film “Stony Island” will make its digital debut on major VOD platforms and DVD on Nov. 17. That same day, there will be a theatrical screening of the film at the Gene Siskel Center in Chicago. Following the one-night-only screening, Davis and his brother Richie Davis will host a Q&a session.
“Stony Island” tells the story of “two struggling musicians who buck the odds in their attempt to form an R&b band and take it on the road,” according to a release provided to Variety. It follows Richie Bloom, the only white kid on the block, who forms a band with his best friend Kevin Tucker. Aging sax legend Percy Price mentors them as they pull together a funky supergroup. Armed with little resources and facing heavy losses, the musicians must unite to make their smash debut.
The film received accolades...
“Stony Island” tells the story of “two struggling musicians who buck the odds in their attempt to form an R&b band and take it on the road,” according to a release provided to Variety. It follows Richie Bloom, the only white kid on the block, who forms a band with his best friend Kevin Tucker. Aging sax legend Percy Price mentors them as they pull together a funky supergroup. Armed with little resources and facing heavy losses, the musicians must unite to make their smash debut.
The film received accolades...
- 10/31/2023
- by Caroline Brew
- Variety Film + TV
Irish singer, songwriter and activist Sineád O’Connor, whose death at 56 was announced by her family today, is being remembered by her peers as an icon whose commitment to honest expression, in both her music and her life, was unwavering.
“I hope there’s peace for Sineád at last,” tweeted country star Jason Isbell about O’Connor, who very publicly battled mental health issues over the years.
Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins wrote on Instagram, “Fiercely honest and sweet and funny, she was talented in ways I’m not sure she completely understood. But Sinead stands alone as a figure from our generation who was always true to the piercing voice within and without. And for that I will always admire and respect her. And never forget that she was once cancelled for an act of simple resistance. Her crime? Tearing up a photo.”
“Respect to Sinead….. She stood for something,...
“I hope there’s peace for Sineád at last,” tweeted country star Jason Isbell about O’Connor, who very publicly battled mental health issues over the years.
Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins wrote on Instagram, “Fiercely honest and sweet and funny, she was talented in ways I’m not sure she completely understood. But Sinead stands alone as a figure from our generation who was always true to the piercing voice within and without. And for that I will always admire and respect her. And never forget that she was once cancelled for an act of simple resistance. Her crime? Tearing up a photo.”
“Respect to Sinead….. She stood for something,...
- 7/26/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Get ready to rock out with the Electric Mayhem Band in the latest Muppets series. “The Muppets Mayhem” tells the story of the band as they go on a journey to record their very first studio album, with the help of a young music exec played by Lily Singh and some popular friends like Paula Abdul, Steve Aoki, and more. Season 1 of “The Muppets Mayhem” premieres on Disney+ this Wednesday, May 10. You can watch The Muppets Mayhem with a subscription to Disney+..
How to Watch ‘The Muppets Mayhem’ Series Premiere When: Wednesday, May 10, 2023 Where: Disney+ Stream: Watch with a subscription to Disney+. Sign Up Now$7.99+ / month disneyplus.com
Get Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ for just $12.99 a month ($13 savings).
About ‘The Muppets Mayhem’ Series Premiere
“The Muppets Mayhem” follows The Electric Mayhem Band you know and love, featuring Dr. Teeth on the keyboard, Animal on drums, Floyd Pepper on bass, Janice on lead guitar,...
How to Watch ‘The Muppets Mayhem’ Series Premiere When: Wednesday, May 10, 2023 Where: Disney+ Stream: Watch with a subscription to Disney+. Sign Up Now$7.99+ / month disneyplus.com
Get Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ for just $12.99 a month ($13 savings).
About ‘The Muppets Mayhem’ Series Premiere
“The Muppets Mayhem” follows The Electric Mayhem Band you know and love, featuring Dr. Teeth on the keyboard, Animal on drums, Floyd Pepper on bass, Janice on lead guitar,...
- 5/10/2023
- by Jeff Kotuby
- The Streamable
The recent passing of Harry Belafonte — and the viral proliferation of a clip featuring the iconic singer/actor/activist crooning “Day-o” in front of a boat packed with dancing pigs — was a reminder of how many stars of a certain generation were at their most relaxed and ebullient as participants on The Muppet Show.
Some 44 years after Belafonte did The Muppet Show, the powers that be at Disney and the Muppet Studio continue to go out of their way to find avenues for Muppet programming that inexplicably avoid just doing The Muppet Show for a new generation. There’s a willingness to fritter this priceless brand away on tangential projects that vanish quickly and forgettably instead of bringing the characters and the A-list stars who love them together in one spoof-and-song-driven space.
Disney+’s new effort at Muppet-mining — a third, following Muppets Haunted Mansion and Muppets Now — is The Muppets Mayhem,...
Some 44 years after Belafonte did The Muppet Show, the powers that be at Disney and the Muppet Studio continue to go out of their way to find avenues for Muppet programming that inexplicably avoid just doing The Muppet Show for a new generation. There’s a willingness to fritter this priceless brand away on tangential projects that vanish quickly and forgettably instead of bringing the characters and the A-list stars who love them together in one spoof-and-song-driven space.
Disney+’s new effort at Muppet-mining — a third, following Muppets Haunted Mansion and Muppets Now — is The Muppets Mayhem,...
- 5/9/2023
- by Daniel Fienberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Michael J. Fox may be the only man on earth who doesn’t remember Susanna Hoffs.
Fox made the revelation Friday during an interview to promote his new Apple TV+ documentary, Still. The story focuses on his life and current battle with Parkinson’s disease.
“When I look at that period in the [documentary] it just seems crazy,” Fox told The Sunday Times. “Look at all the girls I dated. Some of them I can’t even remember. I mean, I dated Susanna Hoffs from the Bangles, and I can’t even remember it. But that’s just an example. Stuff like that happened all the time.”
The Back to the Future and Teen Wolf star briefly dated Hoffs in 1986. She went on to marry Austin Powers director Jay Roach and Fox married his Family Ties costar Tracy Pollan.
Recently, Fox allowed that too much partying may have played a role in his Parkinson’s disease.
Fox made the revelation Friday during an interview to promote his new Apple TV+ documentary, Still. The story focuses on his life and current battle with Parkinson’s disease.
“When I look at that period in the [documentary] it just seems crazy,” Fox told The Sunday Times. “Look at all the girls I dated. Some of them I can’t even remember. I mean, I dated Susanna Hoffs from the Bangles, and I can’t even remember it. But that’s just an example. Stuff like that happened all the time.”
The Back to the Future and Teen Wolf star briefly dated Hoffs in 1986. She went on to marry Austin Powers director Jay Roach and Fox married his Family Ties costar Tracy Pollan.
Recently, Fox allowed that too much partying may have played a role in his Parkinson’s disease.
- 5/7/2023
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Apple TV+ has announced the premiere date for Season 2 of its murder mystery comedy series “The Afterparty.” The series is set to return on Wednesday, June 12 with two brand new episodes, followed by one weekly episode every Wednesday through September 6.
From Chris Miller and Phil Lord, “The Afterparty” is a genre-bending comedy that stars Tiffany Haddish, Sam Richardson and Zoë Chao. With a new murder case being introduced in Season 2, joining the show are Elizabeth Perkins, Zach Woods, Paul Walter Hauser, Poppy Liu, Anna Konkle, Jack Whitehall, Vivian Wu, John Cho and Ken Jeong.
When a wedding is ruined after the groom is murdered, every guest becomes a suspect in the case. Detective Danner (Haddish) swoops in to help Aniq (Richardson) and Zoë (Chao) solve this eerie wedding murder mystery by questioning family members, past lovers, businesses partners and more by hearing their individual sides of the story.
“The Afterparty...
From Chris Miller and Phil Lord, “The Afterparty” is a genre-bending comedy that stars Tiffany Haddish, Sam Richardson and Zoë Chao. With a new murder case being introduced in Season 2, joining the show are Elizabeth Perkins, Zach Woods, Paul Walter Hauser, Poppy Liu, Anna Konkle, Jack Whitehall, Vivian Wu, John Cho and Ken Jeong.
When a wedding is ruined after the groom is murdered, every guest becomes a suspect in the case. Detective Danner (Haddish) swoops in to help Aniq (Richardson) and Zoë (Chao) solve this eerie wedding murder mystery by questioning family members, past lovers, businesses partners and more by hearing their individual sides of the story.
“The Afterparty...
- 4/14/2023
- by McKinley Franklin, Sophia Scorziello and Charna Flam
- Variety Film + TV
The legendary rock band from Jim Henson’s Muppets is making a comeback…with their very first studio album. Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem Band return in the new series The Muppets Mayhem, which will be streaming all episodes on Disney+ starting on May 10. The show stars Lilly Singh, Tahj Mowry, Saara Chaudry, and, of course, The Electric Mayhem Band. Disney just dropped the trailer for the new Muppet adventure.
The official Disney+ synopsis reads,
The Muppets Mayhem follows The Electric Mayhem Band — Dr. Teeth on vocals and keyboards, Animal on drums, Floyd Pepper on vocals and bass, Janice on vocals and lead guitar, Zoot on saxophone and Lips on trumpet — on an epic, music-filled journey to record their first-ever studio album. With the help of a driven young music executive, Nora Singh (Singh), the old-school Muppet band comes face-to-face with the current-day music scene as they try to...
The official Disney+ synopsis reads,
The Muppets Mayhem follows The Electric Mayhem Band — Dr. Teeth on vocals and keyboards, Animal on drums, Floyd Pepper on vocals and bass, Janice on vocals and lead guitar, Zoot on saxophone and Lips on trumpet — on an epic, music-filled journey to record their first-ever studio album. With the help of a driven young music executive, Nora Singh (Singh), the old-school Muppet band comes face-to-face with the current-day music scene as they try to...
- 4/12/2023
- by EJ Tangonan
- JoBlo.com
After more than four decades of living that hard rock life, Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem are finally… making their first album?
Yes, as revealed in the just-released trailer for The Muppets Mayhem (premiering May 10 on Disney+), the iconic felt-skinned band has never actually gotten around to laying down tracks in a recording studio. As the group’s frontman explains, “We got a little sidetracked by the ’80s.”
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Yes, as revealed in the just-released trailer for The Muppets Mayhem (premiering May 10 on Disney+), the iconic felt-skinned band has never actually gotten around to laying down tracks in a recording studio. As the group’s frontman explains, “We got a little sidetracked by the ’80s.”
More from TVLineStar Wars: The Bad Batch Renewed for Third and Final SeasonObi-Wan Kenobi Season 2 Is Officially... Probably Not HappeningFirst Ahsoka Series Trailer Features Sabine, Hera, Grand Admiral Thrawn and an...
- 4/12/2023
- by Andy Swift
- TVLine.com
Like their unlikely namesake, the Zombies have had several lives since being formed by keyboardist Rod Argent and vocalist Colin Blunstone in St. Albans in Hertfordshire U.K. in the early 1960s. The first British Invasion act after the Beatles to score a chart-topping U.S. hit, with “She’s Not There,” the guys disbanded shortly before their 1968 soon-to-be-cult album, “Odessey and Oracle,” was released. That collection produced another stateside smash in “Time of the Season,” which Al Kooper belatedly convinced Columbia’s Clive Davis to put out.
Since Argent and Blunstone reunited as the Zombies in 2004, the group has released four albums, the latest being the Covid-delayed “Different Game,” on the indie Cooking Vinyl, which serves as the follow-up to 2015’s aptly titled “Still Got That Hunger.”
The duo is fresh back from an acclaimed trip to Austin for South by Southwest, where they were honored with the Grulke Prize for Career Act,...
Since Argent and Blunstone reunited as the Zombies in 2004, the group has released four albums, the latest being the Covid-delayed “Different Game,” on the indie Cooking Vinyl, which serves as the follow-up to 2015’s aptly titled “Still Got That Hunger.”
The duo is fresh back from an acclaimed trip to Austin for South by Southwest, where they were honored with the Grulke Prize for Career Act,...
- 4/5/2023
- by Roy Trakin
- Variety Film + TV
Fox’s The Masked Singer Season 9 Episode 7 brings three new masks to the stage — Doll, Moose, and Scorpio. The night features hits from the ’80s, and viewers will see at least one unmasking before the show ends. So, who is Scorpio? Here’s who fans are guessing based on the look of the costume.
Scorpio hits the stage in ‘The Masked Singer’ Season 9 Episode 7 for ’80s Night ‘The Masked Singer’ Season 9 contestant Scorpio | Fox via Getty Images
The Masked Singer Season 9 Episode 7 brings fans back to the 1980s — and Scorpio, Moose, and Doll will compete against each other to see who stays and who’s unmasked.
The preview for the episode shows Jenny McCarthy, Nicole Scherzinger, Robin Thicke, Ken Jeong, and Nick Cannon getting into the ’80s spirit. McCarthy crowd surfs while wearing a pink tube top and sparkling spandex leggings while Scherzinger references her hair while speaking to one of the singers.
Scorpio hits the stage in ‘The Masked Singer’ Season 9 Episode 7 for ’80s Night ‘The Masked Singer’ Season 9 contestant Scorpio | Fox via Getty Images
The Masked Singer Season 9 Episode 7 brings fans back to the 1980s — and Scorpio, Moose, and Doll will compete against each other to see who stays and who’s unmasked.
The preview for the episode shows Jenny McCarthy, Nicole Scherzinger, Robin Thicke, Ken Jeong, and Nick Cannon getting into the ’80s spirit. McCarthy crowd surfs while wearing a pink tube top and sparkling spandex leggings while Scherzinger references her hair while speaking to one of the singers.
- 3/29/2023
- by Lauren Weiler
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
The Bangles frontwoman Susanna Hoffs has announced a new album, a collection of covers called The Deep End. The project is out April 7th via Baroque Folk, while the first taste of the LP — a cover of The Rolling Stones’ 1966 track “Under My Thumb” — is available to stream now.
Produced by Peter Asher, The Deep End sees Hoffs tackle classics from the Stones, Squeeze, and Leslie Gore, as well as modern songs by artists like Ed Sheeran, Billie Eilish, and Brandy Clark. It arrives at the same time as The Bird Has Flown, the artist’s debut novel. Pre-orders for both the album and the book are ongoing.
While she admits to loving the Stones and “Under My Thumb” — “I’ve listened to that song on repeat since it came out in the mid-’60s,” she recalled in a statement — covering the track presented Hoffs with the opportunity to practice a little gender trouble.
Produced by Peter Asher, The Deep End sees Hoffs tackle classics from the Stones, Squeeze, and Leslie Gore, as well as modern songs by artists like Ed Sheeran, Billie Eilish, and Brandy Clark. It arrives at the same time as The Bird Has Flown, the artist’s debut novel. Pre-orders for both the album and the book are ongoing.
While she admits to loving the Stones and “Under My Thumb” — “I’ve listened to that song on repeat since it came out in the mid-’60s,” she recalled in a statement — covering the track presented Hoffs with the opportunity to practice a little gender trouble.
- 3/8/2023
- by Carys Anderson
- Consequence - Music
Rufus Wainwright has announced his upcoming album Folkocracy will arrive June 2 and released its lead single “Down in the Willow Garden” on Monday. The track features Brandi Carlile, and is described by Wainwright as a “blatantly brutal and masochistic” folk ballad.
“I chose us a cheery little number — not! The song is so blatantly brutal and masochistic that I had to sing it with a woman. Sadly, we still live in a violent world,” Wainwright said in a statement. “The amazing thing about so many folk songs is that, content wise,...
“I chose us a cheery little number — not! The song is so blatantly brutal and masochistic that I had to sing it with a woman. Sadly, we still live in a violent world,” Wainwright said in a statement. “The amazing thing about so many folk songs is that, content wise,...
- 3/7/2023
- by Charisma Madarang
- Rollingstone.com
Diane Warren, Brian Wilson, Sheryl Crow and Emmy-winning screenwriter Larry Karaszewski are among the stars remembering Burt Bacharach.
The Grammy- and Oscar-winning composer died Wednesday of natural causes at his home in Los Angeles. He was 94.
Through his partnership with Hal David, Bacharach brought swanky sophistication to pop music in the ’60s.
He won three Oscars and eight Grammys and composed the music for roughly 50 top 10 hits, including “Walk on By,” “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head,” “What the World Needs Now Is Love,” “What’s New Pussycat?” “(They Long to Be) Close to You,” and “Do You Know the Way to San Jose?”
Crow, who performed Bacharach’s song “Dancing With My Shadow,” from the 2016 film A Boy Called Po, for which he also wrote his first score in 16 years, called getting to know him, “one of the great thrills and honors” of her life.
“There will never be...
The Grammy- and Oscar-winning composer died Wednesday of natural causes at his home in Los Angeles. He was 94.
Through his partnership with Hal David, Bacharach brought swanky sophistication to pop music in the ’60s.
He won three Oscars and eight Grammys and composed the music for roughly 50 top 10 hits, including “Walk on By,” “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head,” “What the World Needs Now Is Love,” “What’s New Pussycat?” “(They Long to Be) Close to You,” and “Do You Know the Way to San Jose?”
Crow, who performed Bacharach’s song “Dancing With My Shadow,” from the 2016 film A Boy Called Po, for which he also wrote his first score in 16 years, called getting to know him, “one of the great thrills and honors” of her life.
“There will never be...
- 2/9/2023
- by Hilary Lewis
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Sarah Michelle Gellar is a celebrity to which many fans feel an intense connection. Her cult-classic role in the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer earned her a place in pop culture history, while movies such as I Know What You Did Last Summer and Scooby-Doo cemented her status as a late-’90s/early-2000s icon. These days, with several high-profile projects in the works, Gellar is earning further acclaim. While many fans might freak out about meeting her, she’s not immune to the effects of star power, either. And in a recent interview, Gellar opened up about a celebrity encounter that left her speechless.
Sarah Michelle Gellar admitted to being starstruck over Tom Cruise Sarah Michelle Gellar | Paramount+
Gellar began acting when she was only 4, appearing in productions such as An Invasion of Privacy and Swan’s Crossing. As a young Hollywood newcomer, Gellar was thrust into some extraordinary situations.
Sarah Michelle Gellar admitted to being starstruck over Tom Cruise Sarah Michelle Gellar | Paramount+
Gellar began acting when she was only 4, appearing in productions such as An Invasion of Privacy and Swan’s Crossing. As a young Hollywood newcomer, Gellar was thrust into some extraordinary situations.
- 2/4/2023
- by Christina Nunn
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Tom Verlaine, frontman and guitarist for seminal NYC punk band Television, has died at 73.
The New York Times reported that the punk pioneer died Saturday in Manhattan. Jesse Paris Smith, daughter of Verlaine’s ex and frequent collaborator Patti Smith, told the outlet that Verlaine died “following a brief illness.”
Born Thomas Miller in Denville, New Jersey, he met Richard Meyers at a boarding school in Delaware, with the two moving to New York City and changing their names to Tom Verlaine and Richard Hell, respectively, to form the band Neon Boys along with drummer Billy Ficca.
Read More: David Crosby, Legendary Musician Of The Byrds And Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Dead At 81
That band didn’t last, but then reformed as Television, adding guitarist Richard Lloyd. Television quickly became the darlings of the budding NYC punk scene, gaining a following with performances at legendary clubs CBGBs and Max’s Kansas City.
The New York Times reported that the punk pioneer died Saturday in Manhattan. Jesse Paris Smith, daughter of Verlaine’s ex and frequent collaborator Patti Smith, told the outlet that Verlaine died “following a brief illness.”
Born Thomas Miller in Denville, New Jersey, he met Richard Meyers at a boarding school in Delaware, with the two moving to New York City and changing their names to Tom Verlaine and Richard Hell, respectively, to form the band Neon Boys along with drummer Billy Ficca.
Read More: David Crosby, Legendary Musician Of The Byrds And Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Dead At 81
That band didn’t last, but then reformed as Television, adding guitarist Richard Lloyd. Television quickly became the darlings of the budding NYC punk scene, gaining a following with performances at legendary clubs CBGBs and Max’s Kansas City.
- 1/29/2023
- by Brent Furdyk
- ET Canada
Flea has led tributes to Tom Verlaine, the frontman for rock band Television, after his death was announced on Saturday (29 January).
Verlaine was the guitarist, songwriter and lead figure of the New York City band, which was mainly active in the mid-Seventies.
The band is most known for the 1977 album Marquee Moon, which is highly regarded as one of the foremost punk releases.
Verlaine frequently collaborated with musician Patti Smith throughout his solo career, and they once dated while they were part of the emerging punk scene in New York.
His death was announced by Jesse Paris Smith, the daughter of Patti Smith, who said that he died “after a brief illness”.
Since the news broke, Red Hot Chili Peppers’ bassist Flea is one of several musicians to have paid tribute to Verlaine online, sharing that he’d been an influence on his and bandmate John Frusciante.
“Listened to Marquee Moon 1000 times,...
Verlaine was the guitarist, songwriter and lead figure of the New York City band, which was mainly active in the mid-Seventies.
The band is most known for the 1977 album Marquee Moon, which is highly regarded as one of the foremost punk releases.
Verlaine frequently collaborated with musician Patti Smith throughout his solo career, and they once dated while they were part of the emerging punk scene in New York.
His death was announced by Jesse Paris Smith, the daughter of Patti Smith, who said that he died “after a brief illness”.
Since the news broke, Red Hot Chili Peppers’ bassist Flea is one of several musicians to have paid tribute to Verlaine online, sharing that he’d been an influence on his and bandmate John Frusciante.
“Listened to Marquee Moon 1000 times,...
- 1/29/2023
- by Nicole Vassell
- The Independent - Music
Viewers won’t go wrong watching the two-hour entirety of “Homeward Bound: A Grammy Salute to the Songs of Paul Simon” tonight on CBS. But if you have only about a 10-minute stretch to spare for televised non-holiday music in the days leading up to Christmas, maybe make it the closing act of this special — especially the generational handoff number that has one master, Rhiannon Giddens, movingly joining another. As Giddens and Simon perform “American Tune,” you may feel like you’ve gone off to find America, and actually kinda succeeded in that search, over the course of just one number.
Everything else about the telecast — which was filmed before a live audience at Hollywood’s Pantages back in April (see Variety‘s next-day coverage here) — feels immaculately chosen by producer Ken Ehrlich, if hardly marked by left-field surprises. There are no sops to the youth vote, except for the...
Everything else about the telecast — which was filmed before a live audience at Hollywood’s Pantages back in April (see Variety‘s next-day coverage here) — feels immaculately chosen by producer Ken Ehrlich, if hardly marked by left-field surprises. There are no sops to the youth vote, except for the...
- 12/22/2022
- by Chris Willman
- Variety Film + TV
The MPTF “Lights, Camera, Take Action!” telethon raised 867,986 on Saturday night to benefit the 100-year old charity’s support of entertainment industry members in need.
Cast and Crew of MPTF Telethon
The telethon aired live on Ktla 5, with presenting sponsors City National Bank and UCLA Health leading the philanthropic charge. Acclaimed Emmy-nominated actress and writer Yvette Nicole Brown, currently seen in Disenchanted, and beloved game show host and Emmy winner Tom Bergeron co-hosted the show on-air, with Ktla’s Sam Rubin hosting the in-studio phone bank. Writer-producer Phil Rosenthal, who also appeared during the program, and David Wild produced the show. The telethon celebrated MPTF’s significant safety net support to the entertainment community and offered viewers a night of unforgettable musical performances and appearances by special guests. Industry celebrities including Spencer Garrett, Clark Gregg, Annette O’Toole, Michael McKean, Rob Morrow, Jessica Rothe, and Adrienne Visnic took donations on a phone bank throughout the event.
Cast and Crew of MPTF Telethon
The telethon aired live on Ktla 5, with presenting sponsors City National Bank and UCLA Health leading the philanthropic charge. Acclaimed Emmy-nominated actress and writer Yvette Nicole Brown, currently seen in Disenchanted, and beloved game show host and Emmy winner Tom Bergeron co-hosted the show on-air, with Ktla’s Sam Rubin hosting the in-studio phone bank. Writer-producer Phil Rosenthal, who also appeared during the program, and David Wild produced the show. The telethon celebrated MPTF’s significant safety net support to the entertainment community and offered viewers a night of unforgettable musical performances and appearances by special guests. Industry celebrities including Spencer Garrett, Clark Gregg, Annette O’Toole, Michael McKean, Rob Morrow, Jessica Rothe, and Adrienne Visnic took donations on a phone bank throughout the event.
- 12/14/2022
- Look to the Stars
Paramount+ has announced that Sometimes When We Touch, a three-part documentary series exploring the history of soft rock music, will premiere exclusively on the service in the U.S. and Canada on Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023 and will also stream in the U.K., Latin America and Australia, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and France. Sometimes When We Touch is the untold story of soft rock, whose artists dominated pop music worldwide in the ’70s, only to crash and burn in the ’80s, eventually experiencing one of the most unlikely comebacks in music history. The series presents all-new interviews with some of soft rock’s biggest legends, like Air Supply (“All Out of Love”), Dan Hill (“Sometimes When We Touch”), Kenny Loggins (“This Is It”), Ray Parker Jr. (“A Woman Needs Love”), Rupert Holmes (“Escape: The Piña Colada Song”) and Toni Tennille (“Love Will Keep Us Together”). Through candid and poignant stories, these...
- 12/13/2022
- by Hollywood Outbreak
- HollywoodOutbreak.com
Click here to read the full article.
The Motion Picture & Television Fund hosted a telethon Saturday to raise funds for the organization that recently shared it “desperately” and “urgently” needed donations following the pandemic. It raised 867,986.
The telethon aired live on Los Angeles’ Ktla 5 on Saturday. The Phil Rosenthal and Tom Bergeron-produced event was hosted by Emmy-nominated actress and writer Yvette Nicole Brown and game show host and Emmy winner Tom Bergeron.
In a recent letter that was also published in The Hollywood Reporter, MPTF CEO Bob Beichter explained that the organization has always survived year to year and deficit to deficit.
“We are now operating in dangerous territory, rapidly depleting our cash reserves,” he wrote. “Our ability to continue to support the thousands of industry members on our campus and in the community who depend on MPTF for food, shelter, charitable assistance, medical care and socialization literally hangs in the balance.
The Motion Picture & Television Fund hosted a telethon Saturday to raise funds for the organization that recently shared it “desperately” and “urgently” needed donations following the pandemic. It raised 867,986.
The telethon aired live on Los Angeles’ Ktla 5 on Saturday. The Phil Rosenthal and Tom Bergeron-produced event was hosted by Emmy-nominated actress and writer Yvette Nicole Brown and game show host and Emmy winner Tom Bergeron.
In a recent letter that was also published in The Hollywood Reporter, MPTF CEO Bob Beichter explained that the organization has always survived year to year and deficit to deficit.
“We are now operating in dangerous territory, rapidly depleting our cash reserves,” he wrote. “Our ability to continue to support the thousands of industry members on our campus and in the community who depend on MPTF for food, shelter, charitable assistance, medical care and socialization literally hangs in the balance.
- 12/12/2022
- by Christy Piña
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Tonight’s MPTF’s telethon on Ktla raised 858,493 for Hollywood’s 101-year-old charitable organization – exceeding the 750,000 that it had targeted. Jeff Bridges, who was one of the many stars who appeared on the show, noted that the MPTF is in “dire straits” due to the extraordinary Covid expenses it’s racked up over the last three years.
MPTF said in October that it’s facing its “imminent demise” unless it raises 10 million-12 million in cash donations by the end of this year in order to meet its bank line compliance and continue ongoing operations.
Related: MPTF To Hold Telethon December 10 On Ktla As Charity Struggles To Meet Fundraising Goals To Stay Afloat
MPTF president and CEO Bob Beitcher said last week that the current fundraising campaign has only raised about half of that. Tonight’s telethon – called Lights, Camera, Take Action! – gets them nearly 1 million closer to meeting its fundraising needs.
MPTF said in October that it’s facing its “imminent demise” unless it raises 10 million-12 million in cash donations by the end of this year in order to meet its bank line compliance and continue ongoing operations.
Related: MPTF To Hold Telethon December 10 On Ktla As Charity Struggles To Meet Fundraising Goals To Stay Afloat
MPTF president and CEO Bob Beitcher said last week that the current fundraising campaign has only raised about half of that. Tonight’s telethon – called Lights, Camera, Take Action! – gets them nearly 1 million closer to meeting its fundraising needs.
- 12/11/2022
- by David Robb
- Deadline Film + TV
The Motion Picture & Television Fund’s star-packed telethon Lights, Camera, Take Action! airs live Saturday on Ktla beginning at 7 p.m. It hopes to raise at least 750,000 to defray some of the 9 million in direct Covid expenses it’s racked up over the past three years – and to help keep more than 250 residents of the retirement village from having to move out.
If you can’t watch it on Ktla, you can watch the livestream above.
The 101-year-old charitable organization said in October it’s facing its “imminent demise” unless it raises 10 million-12 million in cash donations by the end of the year in order to meet its bank line compliance and continue ongoing operations.
MPTF president and CEO Bob Beitcher said a week ago that the current fundraising campaign has only raised about half of what’s needed. MPTF officials hope tonight’s two-hour telethon will get them a little closer.
If you can’t watch it on Ktla, you can watch the livestream above.
The 101-year-old charitable organization said in October it’s facing its “imminent demise” unless it raises 10 million-12 million in cash donations by the end of the year in order to meet its bank line compliance and continue ongoing operations.
MPTF president and CEO Bob Beitcher said a week ago that the current fundraising campaign has only raised about half of what’s needed. MPTF officials hope tonight’s two-hour telethon will get them a little closer.
- 12/11/2022
- by David Robb
- Deadline Film + TV
MPTF is proud to announce the “Lights, Camera, Take Action!” telethon, airing live in primetime on Los Angeles’ Ktla 5 on Saturday, December 10, 2022 from 7:00 Pm to 9:00 Pm local time and also available across the country via Ktla.com and MPTF.com.
Acclaimed Emmy-nominated actress and writer Yvette Nicole Brown, currently seen in Disenchanted, and beloved game show host and Emmy winner Tom Bergeron are slated to host the fundraising event, while writer-producer Phil Rosenthal, who will also appear during the program, and David Wild will produce the show whose presenting sponsors include City National Bank and UCLA Health. The telethon will celebrate MPTF’s significant safety net support to the entertainment community and offer viewers a night of unforgettable musical performances and appearances by special guests. Industry celebrities will be taking donations on a phone bank throughout the event. All funds raised from the Ktla telethon will benefit MPTF.
Acclaimed Emmy-nominated actress and writer Yvette Nicole Brown, currently seen in Disenchanted, and beloved game show host and Emmy winner Tom Bergeron are slated to host the fundraising event, while writer-producer Phil Rosenthal, who will also appear during the program, and David Wild will produce the show whose presenting sponsors include City National Bank and UCLA Health. The telethon will celebrate MPTF’s significant safety net support to the entertainment community and offer viewers a night of unforgettable musical performances and appearances by special guests. Industry celebrities will be taking donations on a phone bank throughout the event. All funds raised from the Ktla telethon will benefit MPTF.
- 12/8/2022
- Look to the Stars
The Bangles‘ singer and guitarist Susanna Hoffs is partnering with Universal to adapt her music industry-focused debut novel This Bird Has Flown. At the head of the adaptation are Liza Chasin and Bruna Papandrea, who will produce the adaptation for 3Dot Productions and Made Up Stories, respectively.
This Bird Has Flown perches on bookstore shelves on April 4, 2023, courtesy of the publishing house Little, Brown and Company. Described as a story revolving around music, fate, redemption, and love, the synopsis for This Bird Has Flown reads as follows:
Jane Start is thirty-three, broke, and recently single. Ten years prior, she had a hit song—written by world-famous superstar Jonesy—but Jane hasn’t had a breakout since. Now she’s living out of four garbage bags at her parents’ house, reduced to performing to Karaoke tracks in Las Vegas. Rock bottom.
But when her longtime manager Pippa sends Jane to London to regroup,...
This Bird Has Flown perches on bookstore shelves on April 4, 2023, courtesy of the publishing house Little, Brown and Company. Described as a story revolving around music, fate, redemption, and love, the synopsis for This Bird Has Flown reads as follows:
Jane Start is thirty-three, broke, and recently single. Ten years prior, she had a hit song—written by world-famous superstar Jonesy—but Jane hasn’t had a breakout since. Now she’s living out of four garbage bags at her parents’ house, reduced to performing to Karaoke tracks in Las Vegas. Rock bottom.
But when her longtime manager Pippa sends Jane to London to regroup,...
- 11/10/2022
- by Steve Seigh
- JoBlo.com
Sandra Oh is joining the cast of HBO’s “The Sympathizer,” the TV adaptation of Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name starring Robert Downey Jr., who also executive produces. The recurring role marks her first after the series conclusion of BBC America’s “Killing Eve.” Kieu Chinh and Nguyen Cao Dy Duyen also join in recurring roles of the same capacity as Oh’s.
Described as a “blistering exploration of identity and America, a gripping spy novel and a powerful story of love and friendship,” Nguyen’s novel has been hailed by critics as a new classic of war fiction, and has been compared to the works of Kafka, Orwell and le Carré.
Also Read:
The Bangles’ Susanna Hoffs to Adapt Her Novel ‘This Bird Has Flown’ Into Feature for Universal
The series logline is as follows: “An espionage thriller and cross-culture satire about the struggles of a half-French,...
Described as a “blistering exploration of identity and America, a gripping spy novel and a powerful story of love and friendship,” Nguyen’s novel has been hailed by critics as a new classic of war fiction, and has been compared to the works of Kafka, Orwell and le Carré.
Also Read:
The Bangles’ Susanna Hoffs to Adapt Her Novel ‘This Bird Has Flown’ Into Feature for Universal
The series logline is as follows: “An espionage thriller and cross-culture satire about the struggles of a half-French,...
- 11/10/2022
- by Natalie Oganesyan
- The Wrap
Susanna Hoffs, the co-founder, lead singer and guitarist of The Bangles, will adapt her debut novel “This Bird Has Flown” into a feature romantic comedy for Universal Pictures.
Released in April of this year, “This Bird Has Flown” tells the story of a one-hit wonder musician named Jane, who finds herself broke and single a decade after her breakout song. En route to London, Jane meets a handsome stranger named Tom Hardy, and jumps at the opportunity for a second chance at stardom and love.
Liza Chasin, along with Margaret Chernin of 3Dot Productions, and Bruna Papandrea, as well as Steve Hutensky and Sarah Harvey of Made Up Stories, will produce the film.
Senior Executive Vice President of Production Erik Baiers will oversee the project for Universal.
Also Read:
‘John Wick: Chapter 4’: Keanu Reeves Travels the Globe to Take Down All-New Thugs in First Trailer (Video)
“As a lifelong fiction,...
Released in April of this year, “This Bird Has Flown” tells the story of a one-hit wonder musician named Jane, who finds herself broke and single a decade after her breakout song. En route to London, Jane meets a handsome stranger named Tom Hardy, and jumps at the opportunity for a second chance at stardom and love.
Liza Chasin, along with Margaret Chernin of 3Dot Productions, and Bruna Papandrea, as well as Steve Hutensky and Sarah Harvey of Made Up Stories, will produce the film.
Senior Executive Vice President of Production Erik Baiers will oversee the project for Universal.
Also Read:
‘John Wick: Chapter 4’: Keanu Reeves Travels the Globe to Take Down All-New Thugs in First Trailer (Video)
“As a lifelong fiction,...
- 11/10/2022
- by Harper Lambert
- The Wrap
Universal Pictures has snapped up rights to This Bird Has Flown, the upcoming debut novel from The Bangles’ Susanna Hoffs, who will adapt her own work for the screen.
Liza Chasin and Bruna Papandrea — who recently partnered for the first time on the Netflix limited series Anatomy of a Scandal, based on Sarah Vaughan’s same-name novel — will reteam to produce the film adaptation for 3Dot Productions and Made Up Stories, respectively.
Set for publication via Little, Brown and Company on April 4, 2023, This Bird Has Flown is billed as a romantic comedy pulling back the curtain on the music business via the introduction of a very endearing character and her equally charming cohort.
Steve Hutensky and Sarah Harvey on behalf of Made Up Stories and Margaret Chernin on behalf...
Liza Chasin and Bruna Papandrea — who recently partnered for the first time on the Netflix limited series Anatomy of a Scandal, based on Sarah Vaughan’s same-name novel — will reteam to produce the film adaptation for 3Dot Productions and Made Up Stories, respectively.
Set for publication via Little, Brown and Company on April 4, 2023, This Bird Has Flown is billed as a romantic comedy pulling back the curtain on the music business via the introduction of a very endearing character and her equally charming cohort.
Steve Hutensky and Sarah Harvey on behalf of Made Up Stories and Margaret Chernin on behalf...
- 11/10/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Brad Paisley’s first new release of 2022 is here, and it’s… a very short, very silly, very catchy song about eating lunch in the nude.
Like pretty much everyone else, Paisley is pivoting to podcasts, but only briefly in his case. As the title suggests, “Theme Song for Naked Lunch” will kick off every episode of the new pod Naked Lunch, in which David Wild, the longtime Rolling Stone feature writer who now writes for television — including the annual Grammys ceremony — teams up with Everybody Loves Raymond creator Phil Rosenthal...
Like pretty much everyone else, Paisley is pivoting to podcasts, but only briefly in his case. As the title suggests, “Theme Song for Naked Lunch” will kick off every episode of the new pod Naked Lunch, in which David Wild, the longtime Rolling Stone feature writer who now writes for television — including the annual Grammys ceremony — teams up with Everybody Loves Raymond creator Phil Rosenthal...
- 5/10/2022
- by Brian Hiatt
- Rollingstone.com
Micky Dolenz paid tribute to his longtime friend and Monkees bandmate Michael Nesmith in a heartfelt statement today.
The statement reads, in full:
I’m heartbroken.
I’ve lost a dear friend and partner.
I’m so grateful that we could spend the last couple of months together doing what we loved best – singing, laughing, and doing shtick.
I’ll miss it all so much. Especially the shtick.
Rest in peace, Nez.
All my love, Mick
Showbiz & Media Figures We’ve Lost In 2021 – Photo Gallery
Dolenz, the Monkees’ drummer and singer who paid tribute to Nesmith on his latest album, Dolenz Sings Nesmith, completed a farewell tour with the singer-guitarist-songwriter just last month.
Nesmith died today of natural causes at his home in Carmel Valley, Ca. He was 78. Former bandmate Peter Tork died in 2019, and singer Davy Jones died in 2012.
Dolenz was joined by other actors, musicians and colleagues remembering Nesmith today.
The statement reads, in full:
I’m heartbroken.
I’ve lost a dear friend and partner.
I’m so grateful that we could spend the last couple of months together doing what we loved best – singing, laughing, and doing shtick.
I’ll miss it all so much. Especially the shtick.
Rest in peace, Nez.
All my love, Mick
Showbiz & Media Figures We’ve Lost In 2021 – Photo Gallery
Dolenz, the Monkees’ drummer and singer who paid tribute to Nesmith on his latest album, Dolenz Sings Nesmith, completed a farewell tour with the singer-guitarist-songwriter just last month.
Nesmith died today of natural causes at his home in Carmel Valley, Ca. He was 78. Former bandmate Peter Tork died in 2019, and singer Davy Jones died in 2012.
Dolenz was joined by other actors, musicians and colleagues remembering Nesmith today.
- 12/10/2021
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
The Foo Fighters, Beck, Stevie Nicks, and more will pay tribute to Tom Petty during a virtual festival, October 23rd, to mark what would’ve been the late musician’s 70th birthday (Petty’s actual birthday is October 20th).
The five-hour event will feature a mix of performances, testimonials, and tributes to Petty, and take place across two platforms, starting at 4:30 p.m. Et on SirusXM’s Tom Petty Radio, then moving to Twitch for a livestream at 7 p.m. Et (the audio from the livestream will be simulcast...
The five-hour event will feature a mix of performances, testimonials, and tributes to Petty, and take place across two platforms, starting at 4:30 p.m. Et on SirusXM’s Tom Petty Radio, then moving to Twitch for a livestream at 7 p.m. Et (the audio from the livestream will be simulcast...
- 10/20/2020
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
The Postal Service sit through a slew of chaotic auditions in a new get-out-the-vote PSA for HeadCount’s Make Your Vote Count campaign.
The video was directed by Tom Scharpling, who helmed a similar clip the Postal Service released in 2013 to mark the 10th-anniversary reissue of Give Up. In the new clip, the band is once again joined by Dave from Sub Pop (a fictional and overzealous employee, played by comedian Jon Daly) who wants to add an additional 40 people to the Postal Service (“Like two-and-half Polyphonic Sprees!”) and embark on a massive,...
The video was directed by Tom Scharpling, who helmed a similar clip the Postal Service released in 2013 to mark the 10th-anniversary reissue of Give Up. In the new clip, the band is once again joined by Dave from Sub Pop (a fictional and overzealous employee, played by comedian Jon Daly) who wants to add an additional 40 people to the Postal Service (“Like two-and-half Polyphonic Sprees!”) and embark on a massive,...
- 10/7/2020
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
Exclusive: Senator Kamala Harris has long been tight with Hollywood, and yesterday Tinseltown’s biggest donors handed over some very big bucks to the Democrats’ vice presidential nominee.
In a virtual fundraiser put together by Ryan Murphy, Disney TV Studios boss Dana Walden, PR ace Chrisette Hudlin and Laura Shell, California’s junior senator raked in over $8 million for her and Joe Biden’s poll leading White House bid.
Announced on August 27, the event put dough in the purse of the Biden Victory Fund, a joint committee of Joe Biden’s campaign, the Democratic National Committee and state parties. Going into the final 59 days before the election, yesterday’s fundraiser is one of the biggest hauls that Biden and his running mate Harris has raised this season. Featuring both ex-vp Biden and Sen. Harris, a Jeffrey Katzenberg and George Clooney co-hosted virtual Hollywood fundraiser on August 21 raised $7 million for the Biden Victory Fund.
In a virtual fundraiser put together by Ryan Murphy, Disney TV Studios boss Dana Walden, PR ace Chrisette Hudlin and Laura Shell, California’s junior senator raked in over $8 million for her and Joe Biden’s poll leading White House bid.
Announced on August 27, the event put dough in the purse of the Biden Victory Fund, a joint committee of Joe Biden’s campaign, the Democratic National Committee and state parties. Going into the final 59 days before the election, yesterday’s fundraiser is one of the biggest hauls that Biden and his running mate Harris has raised this season. Featuring both ex-vp Biden and Sen. Harris, a Jeffrey Katzenberg and George Clooney co-hosted virtual Hollywood fundraiser on August 21 raised $7 million for the Biden Victory Fund.
- 9/5/2020
- by Dominic Patten and Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
As Emmy voting draws to a close, the 2020 music nominations span rookies to regulars. Martin Phipps landed his sixth nomination overall for the dramatic score to Netflix’s “The Crown.” Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor and his scoring partner Atticus Ross nabbed a nomination for their first series, HBO’s “Watchmen.” Emmy fave “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” grabbed another music supervision nom, while composers Thomas Mizer and Curtis Moore landed their first for music and lyrics.
There is a wealth of music nominated across different sounds and genres. Variety breaks it all down in the annual Emmy chart.
Music Composition for a Series
"The Crown" (Netflix)
Composer: Martin Phipps
Pedigree: Six previous nominations
“Aberfan”
Vibe: Solo horn for a grieving Elizabeth; choir for mourning Welsh village
"Euphoria" (HBO)
Composer: Labrinth
Pedigree: First nomination (two this year)
“’03 Bonnie and Clyde”
Vibe: Contemporary sounds complement teen sex-and-drugs drama
"The Mandalorian" (Disney Plus...
There is a wealth of music nominated across different sounds and genres. Variety breaks it all down in the annual Emmy chart.
Music Composition for a Series
"The Crown" (Netflix)
Composer: Martin Phipps
Pedigree: Six previous nominations
“Aberfan”
Vibe: Solo horn for a grieving Elizabeth; choir for mourning Welsh village
"Euphoria" (HBO)
Composer: Labrinth
Pedigree: First nomination (two this year)
“’03 Bonnie and Clyde”
Vibe: Contemporary sounds complement teen sex-and-drugs drama
"The Mandalorian" (Disney Plus...
- 8/26/2020
- by Jon Burlingame
- Variety Film + TV
Updated, 9:28 Am: Matt Bomer, Jeff Bridges, Regina Hicks, Norman Lear, Joel McHale, Katelyn Ohashi, Billy Ray and Jeff Ross have joined the lineup of Friday’s fundraiser for the Motion Picture & Television Fund’s Covid-19 Emergency Relief Fund. It will stream on MPTF’s YouTube page starting at 6 p.m. Pt.
Previously, May 8: George Clooney, Michael Douglas, Hugh Jackman, Allison Janney, Jodie Foster and Pierce Brosnan headline an all-star fundraiser next week to benefit the Motion Picture & Television Fund’s Covid-19 Emergency Relief Fund. Hosted by Tom Bergeron and Yvette Nicole Brown, the one-night-only virtual event will stream at 6 p.m. PT May 15 on MPTF’s YouTube page.
The one-hour “We All Play Our Part” salute to Hollywood and its workers also will also include personal stories, music, comedy and messages of thanks from Kris Jenner, Ray Romano, Wanda Sykes, Ken Jeong, Frances Fisher, Joely Fisher, Daisy Fuentes,...
Previously, May 8: George Clooney, Michael Douglas, Hugh Jackman, Allison Janney, Jodie Foster and Pierce Brosnan headline an all-star fundraiser next week to benefit the Motion Picture & Television Fund’s Covid-19 Emergency Relief Fund. Hosted by Tom Bergeron and Yvette Nicole Brown, the one-night-only virtual event will stream at 6 p.m. PT May 15 on MPTF’s YouTube page.
The one-hour “We All Play Our Part” salute to Hollywood and its workers also will also include personal stories, music, comedy and messages of thanks from Kris Jenner, Ray Romano, Wanda Sykes, Ken Jeong, Frances Fisher, Joely Fisher, Daisy Fuentes,...
- 5/14/2020
- by David Robb
- Deadline Film + TV
Mptf (Motion Picture & Television Fund) has announced that it will host a one-night-only fundraiser to benefit their Covid-19 Emergency Relief Fund, providing support for entertainment industry workers, particularly those who work behind-the-scenes across film and television, who need it most during this pandemic.
The virtual event, “We All Play Our Part: A Benefit for Mptf” will broadcast on Mptf’s YouTube page on Friday, May 15 at 6pm Pdt, and will be hosted by longtime Mptf advocates and supporters Yvette Nicole Brown and Tom Bergeron.
The one-hour salute to Hollywood and the people who work behind-the-scenes to make it all come to life will include stories, music, comedy, and heartfelt messages giving thanks to our Industry community. Skyler Day, Susanna Hoffs, Richard Marx, Leslie Odom Jr., Brad Paisley, and Rachel Platten are slated to perform, with additional appearances from Pierce Brosnan, George Clooney, Taye Diggs, Michael Douglas, Jay Ellis, Valorie Kondos Field,...
The virtual event, “We All Play Our Part: A Benefit for Mptf” will broadcast on Mptf’s YouTube page on Friday, May 15 at 6pm Pdt, and will be hosted by longtime Mptf advocates and supporters Yvette Nicole Brown and Tom Bergeron.
The one-hour salute to Hollywood and the people who work behind-the-scenes to make it all come to life will include stories, music, comedy, and heartfelt messages giving thanks to our Industry community. Skyler Day, Susanna Hoffs, Richard Marx, Leslie Odom Jr., Brad Paisley, and Rachel Platten are slated to perform, with additional appearances from Pierce Brosnan, George Clooney, Taye Diggs, Michael Douglas, Jay Ellis, Valorie Kondos Field,...
- 5/12/2020
- Look to the Stars
Billie Joe Armstrong added a power-pop spin to Kim Wilde’s 1981 hit “Kids in America” with the latest installment of his quarantine cover series “No Fun Mondays.” The frontman belts the track over distorted guitars that build from palm-muted chugging to surging chords.
The singer dedicated the track to “the one, the only Mike Dirnt,” Green Day’s bassist and his bandmate of over two decades. “Play this one loud just for him,” Armstrong wrote in the video’s caption. The clip features an animated unicorn bassist bouncing along as...
The singer dedicated the track to “the one, the only Mike Dirnt,” Green Day’s bassist and his bandmate of over two decades. “Play this one loud just for him,” Armstrong wrote in the video’s caption. The clip features an animated unicorn bassist bouncing along as...
- 5/5/2020
- by Ryan Reed
- Rollingstone.com
Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong, along with his sons Joey and Jakob, performed a cover of “I Think We’re Alone Now” on Tuesday’s Late Late Show With James Corden.
Performing via the singer’s recording studio, the Armstrongs delivered a fiery punk-pop take on the Tommy James and the Shondells single.
In a statement to Rolling Stone, Tommy James said of the cover, “I am honored that Billy Joe Armstrong covered my hit of ‘I Think We’re Alone Now’ – I have always been a huge fan of Green Day...
Performing via the singer’s recording studio, the Armstrongs delivered a fiery punk-pop take on the Tommy James and the Shondells single.
In a statement to Rolling Stone, Tommy James said of the cover, “I am honored that Billy Joe Armstrong covered my hit of ‘I Think We’re Alone Now’ – I have always been a huge fan of Green Day...
- 4/29/2020
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
“What time is it?” is a question Prince fans have been asking one another, and not just because they’ve got Morris Day on their minds. A re-broadcast of “Let’s Go Crazy: The Grammy Salute to Prince” was hastily scheduled for Saturday after the original airing of the special Tuesday won the ratings race for the night, to the surprise of many.
Reaction to the first broadcast was wildly enthusiastic among most viewers. “It seemed to strike a chord with people,” says executive producer Ken Ehrlich, “and more than one person pointed out how refreshing it was to see a live audience, as opposed to one more couch-and-guitar number (not that there’s anything wrong with that). It did well for the network, which always helps.” The show was filmed before the coronavirus pandemic shut-downs, of course, a couple of nights after the Grammys.
Variety picked his brain about...
Reaction to the first broadcast was wildly enthusiastic among most viewers. “It seemed to strike a chord with people,” says executive producer Ken Ehrlich, “and more than one person pointed out how refreshing it was to see a live audience, as opposed to one more couch-and-guitar number (not that there’s anything wrong with that). It did well for the network, which always helps.” The show was filmed before the coronavirus pandemic shut-downs, of course, a couple of nights after the Grammys.
Variety picked his brain about...
- 4/25/2020
- by Chris Willman
- Variety Film + TV
Sometimes it snows more than once in April. “Let’s Go Crazy: The Grammy Salute to Prince” did well enough in the ratings for CBS Tuesday night that the network has scheduled the special for an instant rerun, to air Saturday, April 25 at 8 p.m. Et/Pt.
The two-hour tribute, well received by casual fans as well as the Prince faithful, was the top-rated show on television Tuesday night, scoring 1.0 in the 18-49 demographic (besting the 0.8 for the series finale of “Empire”). In total overall viewers, it brought in an impressive 6.49 million, slightly behind the 7.7 million of its network lead-in, “NCIS.”
The first airing Tuesday arrived on the fourth anniversary of Prince’s death — but as timing goes, an even more important factor may have been how ready viewers were to see some full produced live music after a month’s worth of mostly seeing stars turning in acoustic performances from their living rooms.
The two-hour tribute, well received by casual fans as well as the Prince faithful, was the top-rated show on television Tuesday night, scoring 1.0 in the 18-49 demographic (besting the 0.8 for the series finale of “Empire”). In total overall viewers, it brought in an impressive 6.49 million, slightly behind the 7.7 million of its network lead-in, “NCIS.”
The first airing Tuesday arrived on the fourth anniversary of Prince’s death — but as timing goes, an even more important factor may have been how ready viewers were to see some full produced live music after a month’s worth of mostly seeing stars turning in acoustic performances from their living rooms.
- 4/23/2020
- by Chris Willman
- Variety Film + TV
Three months after the all-star special was taped during Grammy weekend, Let’s Go Crazy: The Grammy Tribute To Prince aired Tuesday to mark the fourth anniversary of Prince’s death.
In addition to the participation of Prince collaborators like the Revolution, Sheila E. and Morris Day & The Time, the special also featured performances by Foo Fighters, Beck, Usher (with Fka Twigs), Miguel and John Legend, who delivered a piano rendition of the Prince-penned Sinead O’Connor hit “Nothing Compares 2 U.”
Sheila E. and Common also teamed for a take...
In addition to the participation of Prince collaborators like the Revolution, Sheila E. and Morris Day & The Time, the special also featured performances by Foo Fighters, Beck, Usher (with Fka Twigs), Miguel and John Legend, who delivered a piano rendition of the Prince-penned Sinead O’Connor hit “Nothing Compares 2 U.”
Sheila E. and Common also teamed for a take...
- 4/22/2020
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
“Let’s Go Crazy: The Grammy Salute to Prince” airs Tuesday night, four years to the day after the national shutdown began. Strike that… it only feels that way. Actually, as the CBS special is quick to remind you, it arrives exactly four years since the death of Prince — a span of time that feels considerably shorter than that, maybe because of our lingering collective denial over that tragedy, and because it’s impossible to feel eulogistic or even particularly retrospective when recurrent hits like “Kiss” still feel like the product of a new power generation, not a bygone one.
This is a worthy tribute special, as long as your expectations are not that anyone on it will ever actually go crazy. Some of the stars, like Miguel, Juanes and Usher, are content to try on Prince’s pantsuits for size — figuratively speaking — with recreations of his sheer sex appeal,...
This is a worthy tribute special, as long as your expectations are not that anyone on it will ever actually go crazy. Some of the stars, like Miguel, Juanes and Usher, are content to try on Prince’s pantsuits for size — figuratively speaking — with recreations of his sheer sex appeal,...
- 4/22/2020
- by Chris Willman
- Variety Film + TV
Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong continued his “No Fun Mondays” quarantine series with a cover of the Bangles’ “Manic Monday,” recruiting that band’s Susanna Hoffs for a video cameo on electric guitar.
The duo put a power-pop spin on the Prince-penned 1986 hit, replacing the original’s twinkling synths and clean strums with palm-muted crunch. They appear in a split-screen format throughout the clip: Armstrong mostly plays while seated on his couch, and Hoffs bounces around in what looks like a music room.
In addition to his own weekly series,...
The duo put a power-pop spin on the Prince-penned 1986 hit, replacing the original’s twinkling synths and clean strums with palm-muted crunch. They appear in a split-screen format throughout the clip: Armstrong mostly plays while seated on his couch, and Hoffs bounces around in what looks like a music room.
In addition to his own weekly series,...
- 4/7/2020
- by Ryan Reed
- Rollingstone.com
The Zombies have announced a 2020 spring tour — and confirmed that they’re working on a new album, their first since 2015’s Still Got That Hunger.
“It’s now 51 years since ‘Time of the Season’ reached Number one on the U.S. single charts,” keyboardist Rod Argent tells Rolling Stone. The clip above shows the band performing the Sixties anthem in Los Angeles last year. “Unbelievably, it’s a song that feels just as much a joy to play now as it did all those years ago!”
Argent recalls recording “Time...
“It’s now 51 years since ‘Time of the Season’ reached Number one on the U.S. single charts,” keyboardist Rod Argent tells Rolling Stone. The clip above shows the band performing the Sixties anthem in Los Angeles last year. “Unbelievably, it’s a song that feels just as much a joy to play now as it did all those years ago!”
Argent recalls recording “Time...
- 2/14/2020
- by Angie Martoccio
- Rollingstone.com
Prince’s death in 2016 spurred a global outpouring of sobering grief coupled with an attempt to celebrate his legacy via musical tributes. Four years later, fans and musicians continue to look for ways to properly send off the legendary musician. On Tuesday night at the Los Angeles Convention Center, modern guitar heroes and the Hall of Famer’s past collaborators coalesced for Let’s Go Crazy: The Grammy Salute to Prince, an all-star memorial featuring H.E.R., Chris Martin, Foo Fighters, Earth, Wind & Fire and John Legend.
Befitting for...
Befitting for...
- 1/29/2020
- by Ethan Millman
- Rollingstone.com
It’s going to be raining purple on CBS: The network will air the concert special Let’s Go Crazy: The Grammy Salute to Prince later this year.
The program will feature musical tributes from Beck, Common, Alicia Keys, John Legend, Coldplay’s Chris Martin, Usher, Gary Clark Jr., Earth, Wind & Fire, Foo Fighters, H.E.R., Juanes, Mavis Staples, St. Vincent and Susanna Hoffs. Additionally, Prince’s collaborators/friends Sheila E., The Revolution and Morris Day and the Time will perform together.
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The program will feature musical tributes from Beck, Common, Alicia Keys, John Legend, Coldplay’s Chris Martin, Usher, Gary Clark Jr., Earth, Wind & Fire, Foo Fighters, H.E.R., Juanes, Mavis Staples, St. Vincent and Susanna Hoffs. Additionally, Prince’s collaborators/friends Sheila E., The Revolution and Morris Day and the Time will perform together.
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- 1/9/2020
- TVLine.com
Alicia Keys, John Legend and Usher will perform at a special Prince tribute concert set to take place after the 2020 Grammy Awards and air on television later this year, Rolling Stone has confirmed.
Let’s Go Crazy: The Grammy Salute to Prince will be held January 28th – two days after the Grammys – at the Los Angeles Convention Center and will be broadcast in April. Past Prince percussionist Sheila E. will serve as the night’s musical director alongside longtime Prince associates Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. The lineup also includes Beck,...
Let’s Go Crazy: The Grammy Salute to Prince will be held January 28th – two days after the Grammys – at the Los Angeles Convention Center and will be broadcast in April. Past Prince percussionist Sheila E. will serve as the night’s musical director alongside longtime Prince associates Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. The lineup also includes Beck,...
- 1/9/2020
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
As “Bombshell” premiered in New York on Monday night, director Jay Roach reflected on the film’s place in the #MeToo era, especially in the wake of Harvey Weinstein’s recent headline-making interview with the New York Post (made in the midst of his much-publicized trial for sexual assault), where the disgraced producer said, “I made more movies directed by women and about women than any other filmmaker.”
“One of the things I found working on this story is there is a pattern,” Roach told Variety on the red carpet at the special screening at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall. “With very powerful men who become addicted to power who then feel entitled to it and will do anything to maintain it, and will do anything to demand loyalty from individuals even if it involves bullying, sexual coercion — when you see someone that delusional compartmentalizing it and then somehow self-justifying it,...
“One of the things I found working on this story is there is a pattern,” Roach told Variety on the red carpet at the special screening at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall. “With very powerful men who become addicted to power who then feel entitled to it and will do anything to maintain it, and will do anything to demand loyalty from individuals even if it involves bullying, sexual coercion — when you see someone that delusional compartmentalizing it and then somehow self-justifying it,...
- 12/21/2019
- by Elizabeth Taylor
- Variety Film + TV
What stands out about Theodore Shapiro’s score for “Bombshell” is that the music isn’t frantic despite being set in a fast-paced environment — Roger Ailes’ newsroom at Fox News. Instead, the score straddles two worlds: that of Ailes and that of the women who worked for him.
“[Director] Jay [Roach] and I talked about finding Roger’s voice in the music. He saw himself as a tough-minded realist — the only one brave enough to speak the truth about how the world really worked. We wanted to find a musical language that reflected Roger’s view [of himself],” Shapiro explains. “That music is very dry, hard and percussive. There are closed mic, deep percussion and piano. There are strings, but they are very dry and in-your-face. There are harsh string plucks.”
The film is also about women telling their story, Shapiro says. It’s about Megyn Kelly (an unrecognizable Charlize Theron) and Gretchen Carlson...
“[Director] Jay [Roach] and I talked about finding Roger’s voice in the music. He saw himself as a tough-minded realist — the only one brave enough to speak the truth about how the world really worked. We wanted to find a musical language that reflected Roger’s view [of himself],” Shapiro explains. “That music is very dry, hard and percussive. There are closed mic, deep percussion and piano. There are strings, but they are very dry and in-your-face. There are harsh string plucks.”
The film is also about women telling their story, Shapiro says. It’s about Megyn Kelly (an unrecognizable Charlize Theron) and Gretchen Carlson...
- 12/13/2019
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
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