“Narnia,” “Tourist” bomb at North American box office
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) ñ The third movie in the shaky “Narnia” fantasy franchise and a romantic thriller starring ubiquitous celebrities Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp both fell flat at the weekend box office in North America, according to studio estimates issued Sunday.
“The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader” opened at No. 1, as expected, but with three-day sales of about $24.5 million across the United States and Canada. Industry pundits had predicted a $30 million to $40 million start for the third adaptation of C.S. Lewis’ Christian-themed books.
The film got off to a much better start overseas, earning $81 million, and distributor 20th Century Fox said it was “excited” about its overall prospects.
“The Tourist,” starring Jolie and Depp as a mismatched pair cavorting around Venice, came in at No. 2 with $17 million — short of dampened forecasts in the $20 million range.
Both films were lambasted by critics, and both carried hefty price tags — $150 million and $100 million, respectively — requiring strong overseas sales to make them profitable.
“Narnia” marks the follow-up to “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian,” which opened to $55 million in 2008 on its way to a weak total of $142 million. The overseas haul was $278 million. The first film, “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” ended up with $292 million in North America after a $66 million debut. Foreign fans kicked in an additional $453 million.
The latest film was distributed by News Corp-owned Fox, which took over the franchise after Walt Disney Co dropped it in the wake of the “Caspian” flop. The series is produced by family-friendly film company Walden Media, which is owned by billionaire Philip Anschutz.
“The Tourist” marks the worst start in years for its high-profile stars. Jolie’s last big flop was “A Mighty Heart,” which opened to $3.9 million in 2007. Depp has to go back to 2001 for a worse performance: “From Hell,” with $11 million.
Jolie was last in theaters with “Salt,” whose so-so domestic total of $118 million (including a $36 million opening) was boosted by foreign sales of $175 million.
Depp starred in one of the biggest movies of the year, “Alice in Wonderland,” which grossed more than $1 billion worldwide, two-thirds coming from overseas.
The new film also did worse than a recent pair of unloved match-ups between big stars, “The Bounty Hunter,” with Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler ($21 million); and “Knight and Day,” with Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz ($20 million). They finished with $67 million and $76 million, respectively, in North America. “Bounty Hunter” made a similar amount overseas, while “Knight and Day” earned $185 million internationally.
“The Tourist” was distributed by Sony Corp’s Columbia Pictures, which has limited financial exposure. The studio is receiving a distribution fee from Oscar-winning producer Graham King (“The Departed”), who arranged financing himself.
Last weekend’s champion, the Disney cartoon “Tangled,” slipped to No. 3 with $14.6 million. Its total rose to $115.6 million after three weekends. Foreign sales stand at $77 million from 17 markets.
Year: 2010
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Congrats to them all!!
‘Red Dead Redemption’ branded game of the year
LOS ANGELES ñ Rockstar Games’ Wild West epic “Red Dead Redemption” rounded up four trophies at Saturday’s Video Game Awards in Los Angeles, including Game of the Year.
Other multiple honorees at Spike TV’s eighth annual event were BioWare/Electronic Arts’ “Mass Effect 2,” which won best Xbox 360 game and two other prizes; and Sony’s “God of War III,” whose two prizes included best PlayStation 3 game.
Additional major winners included Nintendo’s “Super Mario Galaxy 2,” best Wii game; Activision Blizzard’s “StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty,” best PC game; and Sony’s “God of War: Ghost of Sparta,” best handheld game.
Spike’s award show has become a high-profile showcase for forthcoming video games. This year’s broadcast featured debut trailers for BioWare’s “Mass Effect 3,” Warner Bros.’ “Batman: Arkham City,” and Sony’s “Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception.”
The program was hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, who won the “best performance by a human male” VGA for providing the voice of Peter Parker and Spider-Man in Activision’s “Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions.”
Besides taking home the big prize, “Red Dead Redemption” ó from the studio behind the controversial “Grand Theft Auto” series ó also won VGAs for best song, best original score and best downloadable content.
The Couch Potato Report – December 11th, 2010
This week The Couch Potato Report has the whole story, and weíll invade your dreamsÖ.without you even knowing.
It was back in 2001 when the very first SHREK film was released, giving us our first cinematic look at the ogre who had originally been introduced to the world in William Steig’s 1990 picture book, Shrek!.
The original SHREK won the very first Academy Award that was given out for Best Animated Feature, and was followed in 2004 by the almost as good SHREK 2, and the awful SHREK THE THIRD in 2007.
Back on May 21st, of this year, the fourth film in the series ñ one that was billed as THE FINAL CHAPTER ñ was released and now SHREK FOREVER AFTER is available to ownÖand while it isnít as good as either of the first two films, it is a much better way to conclude the series than with SHREK THE THIRD.
SHREK FOREVER AFTER is actually pretty good.
Canadian Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy, Antonio Banderas and the whole voice cast are back for this final film, one that sees the title ogre going through a mid-life crisis, and in a twist on ITíS A WONDERFUL LIFE, is shown what life would have been like for everyone if he had never been born.
SHREK FOREVER AFTER is only for people who love these characters, really love them, and this seriesÖotherwise, donít bother with it.
And if you do love them, you should look for SHREK ñ THE WHOLE STORY, a great box set that features the four films that have collectively become the fourth highest-grossing film series of all-time ñ behind only Harry Potter, James Bond, and Star Wars.
When I compiled my list of my favourite films of 2001, the first SHREK film was at the top of the list.
As I work toward finishing my list for this year, one film that is near the top is INCEPTION, director Christopher Nolanís fantastic film about a man who leads teams of thieves, artists and scientists into the subconsciouses of powerful men to steal their secrets and plant ideas while they dream.
INCEPTION is a visual masterpiece and features a cast that includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Tom Berenger, Michael Caine and Halifaxís Ellen Page.
This movie is smart, well made and acted and very clever!! I loved it and I easily recommend INCEPTION as one of the yearís best!!
Another one of this yearís best releases is ESPN ñ 30 FOR 30 BOX SET, a six-disc set featuring the first fifteen of the thirty documentaries that have been produced about sports related stories from the first three decades of the ESPN sports networkís existenceÖincluding, The Band That Wouldnít Die about the Baltimore Colts, Small Potatoes: Who Killed The USFL?, The Legend of Jimmy The Greek, Straight Outta L.A. about the Raiders move to and from Oakland, and Kings Ransom, about Wayne Gretzkyís trade to the Los Angeles Kings.
But the best film in the set may just be June 17th, 1994 ñ one that is about several different sporting events on the day in question as O. J. Simpson’s run from the police overshadowed an NBA Finals game between the New York Knicks and Houston Rockets, soccerís World Cup began, Arnold Palmer played in his last-ever U.S. Open, and the New York Rangersí Stanley Cup parade.
The ESPN ñ 30 FOR 30 BOX SET is a must have ñ and would make a great gift ñ for sports fans, and for people who love great documentaries.
This is a tremendous collection of films and one of the best releases of the year!!
KNIGHT & DAY is not a film that many will call one of the best releases of the yearÖhowever, it is one that will be listed as one of the biggest flops of 2010.
Tom Cruise stars as a fugitive super spy who may or may not have had a psychotic break from reality and Cameron Diaz as a woman who meets a mysterious stranger, and thinks she’s found the man of her dreamsÖbut her opinion changes when she is put in the middle of a cat-and-mouse chase that spans the globe.
Due to the fact that there is too much less than impressive computer effects that real action and perilous scenes KNIGHT & DAY is not a great film, but I sort of liked itÖliked, not loved.
At least I didnít think it was a waste of time, like THE TWILIGHT SAGA ñ ECLIPSE was.
Now I know that millions of people around the world love the books and the films based on them, but I am not one of them.
For the uninitiated, the TWILIGHT series is made up of four fantasy/romance novels that feature Vampires.
They were all written by Stephenie Meyer and the books follow the life of Isabella “Bella” Swan, a teenager who falls in love with a vampire named Edward Cullen.
In this third of four films a string of mysterious killings grips Seattle and Bella ñ whose high school graduation is fast approaching – is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with werewolf Jacob.
I liked the first TWLIGHT film, even though it was far from perfect, but the last two have just too much teenage melodrama and the computer animation and red contact lenses they use for some of the characters are so laughably bad, I still find it hard to believe they made it into a movie that was released theatrically.
The bottom line is that ECLIPSE is what it is. If you are a Twilighter, if you ìTwi-hardî and love this series, then you will love and need to own this made-in-Vancouver movie, no matter what I ñ or anyone else ñ says about it.
And if you do love them, then donít miss DESTINATION FORKS: THE REAL WORLD OF TWILIGHT because this documentary takes us to Forks, Washington, the actual place where the stories are set, and introduces us to the people who own the “homes” of Bella, Edward and Jacob, and more!
While not superb, DESTINATION FORKS is very interesting at times.
VAMPIRES SUCKÖthat is true, it is what they doÖand it is also the name of a film that is a parody of the TWLIGHT films and the current vampire craze.
The filmmakers have loaded it up with lots of jokes, and attempts at jokes, and it is too bad that ñ ultimately ñ VAMPIRES SUCK isnít that funny. It has a few laughs, but for the most part this spoof just does what vampires do…as the title implies.
Up next this week is the latest from director Rob Reiner, who has given us This Is Spinal Tap, The Sure Thing, Stand by Me, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, Misery, A Few Good Men, and Sleepless In Seattle!!! One guy is responsible for all of those fantastic films!!
Sadly, he is also the guy who gave us the less than entertaining movies North, Ghosts of Mississippi, The Story of Us, Alex & Emma, Rumor Has It and now FLIPPED.
I really had high hopes for this latest film, and was hoping it would be a return to form for ReinerÖbut, sadly, it is notÖsadly.
The tag line for FLIPPED is ìYou Never Forget Your First Loveî and it is about two eighth graders who start to have feelings for each other despite being total opposites. One of them flips right away, the other eventually.
FLIPPED does have a nice ending and a few sweet moments, but it is not a good film, or one I can suggest you see.
If you want to see a good Rob Reiner film, check out This Is Spinal Tap, The Sure Thing, Stand by Me, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, Misery, A Few Good Men, or Sleepless In Seattle!!!
Now those are all great films!!!
Okay, lets have a few laughs now, shall we? Courtesy of SEASON TWO of the very entertaining show PARKS AND RECREATION!!
PARKS & RECREATION was created by some of the same people who produce THE OFFICE, and is shot in mockumentary style like it’s predecessor.
The show features a top notch ensemble cast, lead by Saturday Night Liveís Amy Poehler playing an ambitious and hopeful small town government worker.
She is pushy and doesn’t always listen, and could have come across as unlikeable, but Amy is just such a great comedian, that instead of not liking her, you actually root for her.
Rashida Jones, Aziz Ansari, Paul Schneider, Aubrey Plaza and Nick Offerman round out the cast of PARKS & RECREATION and in SEASON TWO the cast gelled and the show is fun to watch.
I love this show and the addition of Rob Lowe to the cast at the end of the season bodes well for SEASON THREE!!
The characters in the Swiss film CARGO arenít trying to get to the moon, but they are in space, in the 23rd century, as an ecological collapse has forced Earth’s inhabitants into overcrowded, disease-ridden space stations.
Their only hope of escape is a blissful yet expensive-to-reach planet that is five light years away that everyone aspires to get to.
That includes a doctor who takes a job on a cargo freighter, but when a crew member is killed, questions arise about exactly what the cargo is.
CARGO offers up some unique stuff, but it also borrows heavily from THE MATRIX, ALIEN and several other films. It also has some good, and some very bad computer effects.
Personally, as I have said before, I will watch any science fiction films or television shows, and Iím glad Iíve seen CARGOÖbut I canít wholeheartedly suggest you see itÖunless you are also willing to watch any science fiction films or television shows.
I have three classic Holiday shows to get to in a moment, as soon as I am done talking about the romantic comedy GOING THE DISTANCE. This one stars Drew Barrymore and Justin Long as a couple who try to keep their love alive as they shuttle back and forth between New York and San Francisco to see one another.
GOING THE DISTANCE is a very predictable film that is not great, but I liked it. It had enough funny scenes and enough nice moments to keep me entertained.
I have certainly seen worse this week…TWILIGHT – ECLIPSE, I am talking to you!!!
Okay, let me tell you now about three holiday classics that are available on Blu-ray in one great package.
THE PEANUTSí HOLIDAY COLLECTION features BOTH Blu-ray AND DVD versions of It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving and A Charlie Brown Christmas!!
And if you are a fan of the Peanutís specials of years gone by, this set also includes the Bonus Episodes: “It’s Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown”, “The Mayflower Voyagers”, “It’s Magic, Charlie Brown” and Backstory Featurettes on the creation of the shows, but primarily THE PEANUTSí HOLIDAY COLLECTION features the classic shows we know, remember, and love.
Finally this week, THE BLU-RAY BEACON is able to shine on a film that was not only on my list, but topped it as my favourite film for the year it came out.
LOST IN TRANSLATION was released in 2003 and stars Bill Murray as an aging movie star having a mid-life crisis and Scarlett Johansson as a neglected newlywed. The two are strangers who meet in Tokyo, Japan and form an unlikely, but very beautiful bond.
This is a very entertaining and beautiful film that was nominated for four Academy Awards, including: Best Picture, Best Actor for Bill Murray, and Best Director for Sofia Coppola; who also won for Best Original Screenplay.
Even though it was produced on a small budget, LOST IN TRANSLATION looks great in High Definition and if you have never seen itÖI highly recommend that you do.
LOST IN TRANSLASTION, THE PEANUTSí HOLIDAY COLLECTION with A Charlie Brown Christmas/It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown/and A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, CARGO, GOING THE DISTANCE, SEASON TWO of PARKS AND RECREATION, FLIPPED, VAMPIREíS SUCK, DESTINATION FORKS, THE TWILIGHT SAGA ñ ECLIPSE, KNIGHT & DAY, The ESPN ñ 30 FOR 30 BOX SET, INCEPTION and SHREK ñ THE WHOLE STORY with SHREK, SHREK 2, SHREK THE THIRD and SHREK FOREVER AFTER are all available now for you to watch and own.
Coming up on the next Couch Potato Report
Weíll see QUEEN ELIZABETH IN 3D, hang out with THE OTHER GUYS, try and find THE A-TEAM and youíll meet CYRUS.
I’m Dan Reynish. I’ll have more on those, and some other releases, in seven days.
For now, that’s this week’s COUCH POTATO REPORT.
Enjoy the movies and I’ll see you back here again next time on The Couch!
Categories
But…she’d look sooo good in spandex!!!
Witherspoon rejects superhero roles
Actress Reese Witherspoon has ruled out ever starring in a superhero movie because futuristic films have no roles suitable for women of her age.
The Hollywood star admits the movie industry has changed drastically in the last few years and become more sci-fi orientated but she has no intention of trying her hand at that genre.
She tells Entertainment Weekly, “The movies that are being made feel different. There are a lot of really, really, really big movies about robots and things – and there’s not a part for a 34-year-old woman in a robot movie.
“I’ve never done the superhero movie. That doesn’t interest me too much.”
Witherspoon admits the shift in popular genres has prompted her to be more selective of the projects she takes on, but she insists her children Ava and Deacon keep her more than busy when she’s not working on a movie.
She adds, “I also have kids, so when I’m not working, it’s not like I’m sitting around doing nothing. I’m taking care of two kids who are rapidly growing up in some bizarre time warp. I mean, somehow I now have an 11 year old!”
Doubleday Canada staff laid off
TORONTO – When single mom Corinne Wong got home, she was going to hug her son and then get ready to apply for employment insurance.
With only weeks to go before Christmas, she was one of about 100 people fired on Thursday after DB Media, otherwise known as Doubleday Canada and Columbia House Canada, closed down after declaring bankruptcy.
“This is not such a good day,” said Wong, who was a website specialist for Doubleday, a book distributor.
“It’s not such a great time of year, being close to the holidays. A lot of us have families.”
Wong, 44, says while she still plans for a festive Christmas with her six-year-old, Jarrett, some of the holiday spirit was sucked out of her.
“Everyone’s upstairs collecting their things,” said Wong through a trembling lip. “It’s tough. We’re like a family.”
Wong was one of the first fired workers to emerge from Doubleday’s corporate headquarters at Finch Ave. and Neilson Rd.
All employees were gathered together on the second floor and given the news at 2 p.m., she said.
Brenda Hefferon, a marketing specialist and 14-year veteran of the company, fought back tears.
“We’ve been through it all together,” Hefferon said. “We share everything together — weddings, funerals, births, deaths.”
In a letter to its outgoing employees, workers were told that “as a consequence of the bankruptcy, the operations of the business have ceased and … your employment with the company has been terminated immediately.”
DB Media is a part of Direct Brands, a distributor of books, music and movies. An e-mail from Direct Brands CEO Deborah Fine announced the “strategic decision to close the Canadian operation” as a result of conditions in the Canadian marketplace.
“U.S. operations will not be affected in any way by the closure in Canada,” she said.
Jeff Betts, a graphic designer with music distributor Columbia House, said employees had been hearing rumours for weeks.
Because it is a bankruptcy “none of us got severance – nothing,” said Betts, 34.
Categories
56 discs, cool!!!
’24’ star Kiefer Sutherland turns back clock with 56-disc box set
Jack Bauer fans jonesing for a 24 fix can restart the clock: All 192 episodes of Fox’s groundbreaking thriller are due Tuesday in a complete 56-disc box set (20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, $349.98).
Included are extras such as a final unaired coda for the series, in which Chloe O’Brian (Mary Lynn Rajskub) is arrested for once again freeing beleaguered counterterrorism agent Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland), as her 6-year-old son watches; 24: Redemption, the two-hour Season 7 prequel, filmed in Africa; a recent Comic-Con panel; a wrap-party highlight reel; and the usual cast-and-crew interviews interspersed with highlights of the series.
“Nostalgically, the first season will always feel special to me. We were really flying by the seat of our pants,” says Sutherland, who spent 10 years and eight seasons in his first TV series.
“And I have a real affection for Season 8” and its depiction of a battered Jack’s relationship with agent Renee Walker (Annie Wersching), which he calls “one of the most grounded story lines … and, as an actor, one of the most satisfying to play.” But “watching clips from Season 1 to 8, all I see is, ‘Man, we got old!’ ”
The show’s real-time conceit, each season representing a single day, was both radical and daunting. “Trying to do something in the thriller genre for eight years, trying to do a story that’s suspenseful and earnest, is an unbelievable challenge,” he says.
As it was for three winners of a Hollywood promotional stunt last weekend, who stayed awake long enough to set a Guinness world record for TV marathon viewing, watching more than 86 consecutive hours ó the first five seasons ó of the series, and claiming $10,000 prizes.
Though the series has ended, a feature film is still in development at Fox, and Tony Scott (Unstoppable) has been in discussions to direct. Sutherland is hopeful the movie will be released in 2012, though Fox has not yet committed to the project.
In the meantime, he’s due in sci-fi film Melancholia next year and is prepping his Broadway debut in That Championship Season, by Jason Miller, due next month. Sutherland says talks for the revival of the 1972 play came out of a conversation with pal Jason Patric, Miller’s son, with whom Sutherland shared a movie (The Lost Boys) and an ex-girlfriend (Julia Roberts).
“It’s four middle-aged men living off their high school success, which is really sad and funny at the same time,” he says.
Categories
The Hoff has been cancelled!!
“The Hasselhoffs” pulled after two episodes
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) ñ A&E has pulled the David Hasselhoff reality series “The Hasselhoffs” from its schedule after only two episodes.
“The Hasselhoffs” premiered Sunday to 718,000 viewers, with the audience shrinking considerably for the second half-hour episode to 505,000 viewers.
The show centered on the former “Baywatch” star as he helped guide his daughters Taylor Ann and Hayley pursue careers in entertainment. Eight unaired episodes are left.
Box Office Preview: ‘Narnia’ should sail to No. 1
LOS ANGELES ñ During this, the most family-intensive period at the nation’s theaters, the timing couldn’t be better for Fox’s “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader” to go after the kids and parents who have made both “Tangled” and “Harry Potter 7” such huge holiday season hits.
So look for the third installment of the “Narnia” film franchise to follow its two predecessors and debut at the top of the domestic box office chart this weekend with a gross in the low $30 millions ó respectable business but somewhat lower than the $66 million and $55 million respectively earned for the previous pair of “Narnias” ó “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” and “Prince Caspian.”
Expected to place a strong second this weekend is the pairing of Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp in Sony’s “The Tourist.” A remake of a 2005 French film, the mere presence of these attractive superstars ó not to mention the exotic locations, action sequences and comedic bits ó will be enough to send older fans scampering to the theaters for a gross in the low $20 millions.
A film that debuted better than expected over Thanksgiving weekend and continues to draw family audiences across the board is Disney’s “Tangled,” which ascended to the No. 1 spot last weekend and will grab a solid third place in its third outing with a gross of just over $10 million. Total receipts for the “Rapunzel” tale should cross the $110 million mark by the end of the weekend.
Certainly no holiday movie weekend would be complete without a solid dose of “Potter-mania” and fourth place will find “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1” charming another $8 million to $10 million from weekend audiences as it closes in on the $260 million mark in overall domestic revenue.
The battle for fifth place will pit a burlesque dancer against a runaway train, with Sony’s “Burlesque” in its third weekend and Fox’s “Unstoppable” in its fifth weekend each expected to earn less than $5 million at the box office.
Ricky Gervais on Steve Carell leaving ‘The Office’: ‘It’s what’s good for the show that counts’
Ricky Gervais isn’t going to spoil how Steve Carell leaves “The Office” or who might replace him. But he has some definite opinions about it.
In short, Gervais doesn’t care who the show hires — as long as it makes sense within the the show.
“There’s a lot of talk about who’s going to replace Steve Carell. You should never think like that,” Gervais told reporters Wednesday (Dec. 8) during a conference call about his Golden Globes hosting job. “Steve Carell is an actor. You should think about who’s replacing Michael Scott. You’ve got to suspend disbelief — it’s meant to be a fake documentary, and it’s all about the story. Even though we know what’s going on behind the scenes … it’s what’s good for the show that counts.”
Nonetheless, Gervais will be sorry to see Carell leave “The Office” — and not just because it will disrupt the pair’s occasional comedy routine of making fun of one another at awards shows.
“I always joke about him, I always tease him, but I hope people know I think [Carell] is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met, genuinely,” Gervais says. “There’s no one like him. He’s untouched by Hollywood, untouched by his fame and cachet — he’s just a lovely family man who loves comedy and the work. He’s done an amazing job, above and beyond the call of duty.”
Carell will find out Tuesday (Dec. 14) if he’s a Golden Globe nominee for the sixth time. Gervais will serve as host of the awards on Jan. 16.
Categories
Here’s hoping he is resting in peace!!!
Rolling Stone releases Lennon’s final interview
NEW YORK ñ Three days before he was gunned down, John Lennon complained about his critics ó saying they were just interested in “dead heroes” ó and talked optimistically about his family and future, musing that he had “plenty of time” to accomplish some of his life goals.
Lennon’s final interview was released to The Associated Press by Rolling Stone on Wednesday, the 30th anniversary of the musician’s death. The issue using the full interview will be on magazine stands on Friday. While brief excerpts of Jonathan Cott’s interview with Lennon were released for a 1980 Rolling Stone cover story days after Lennon’s death, this is the first time the entire interview has been published.
“His words are totally joyous and vibrant and hopeful and subversive and fearless,” said Cott in an interview on Tuesday. “He didn’t mince words.”
Lennon saves some of his harshest words for critics who were perennially disappointed with Lennon’s path, in both music and in his life, after leaving the Beatles.
“These critics with the illusions they’ve created about artists ó it’s like idol worship,” he said. “They only like people when they’re on their way up … I cannot be on the way up again.
“What they want is dead heroes, like Sid Vicious and James Dean. I’m not interesting in being a dead (expletive) hero. .. So forget ’em, forget ’em.”
He also predicted that Bruce Springsteen, then hailed as rock’s bright future, would endure the same critical barbs: “And God help Bruce Springsteen when they decide he’s no longer God. … They’ll turn on him, and I hope he survives it.”
But Lennon also talked about trying to be a good father to his youngest son Sean, learning how to relate to a child (he admitted he wasn’t good at play) and spoke of his strong bond with wife Yoko Ono: “I’ve selected to work with … only two people: Paul McCartney and Yoko Ono. … That ain’t bad picking.”
At 40, he was also reflective of what he had accomplished so far in life and exploring life’s themes, and remained committed to his goal of peace and love on earth.
“I’m not claiming divinity. I’ve never claimed purity of soul. I’ve never claimed to have the answers to life. I only put out songs and answer questions as honestly as I can … But I still believe in peace, love and understanding.”
Cott interviewed Lennon at his apartment and at his record studio. The interview was originally planned for a cover story for Lennon and Ono’s upcoming album “Double Fantasy,” but in the rush to put out a story after Lennon was shot to death by Mark David Chapman, only snippets were used.
Cott said he never went back to the three hours worth of tapes until a few months ago when he was cleaning out his closet.
“On a strip of magnetic tape, it was sort of a miracle that first of all, the tape had not degraded after 30 years,” he said. “All of this sudden, this guy’s voice, totally alive … just made me feel so inspired that I felt that I should really transcribe the whole thing.”
Cott said he was struck by how much he was thinking about his life and mortality.
“There were a lot of strange consideration of where he was and what he felt like sort of in the middle of his journey,” Cott said. “I think it was like a mid-life meditation, I was struck by that.”
The magazine also included an essay by Ono recalling her final days with her husband.
Ono released a statement Tuesday night in tribute to Lennon.
“On this tragic anniversary please join me in remembering John with deep love and respect,” Ono said. “In his short lived life of 40 years, he has given so much to the world. The world was lucky to have known him. We still learn so much from him today. John, I love you!”