Year: 2017

Categories
Movies

I saw CARS 3 this week and enjoyed it.

Box office report: Transformers: The Last Knight lands in first place

Transformers: The Last Knight has touched down in a prime position.

The latest movie in the franchise brought in an estimated $45.3 million in its opening weekend. While this was enough to come out on top, it doesn’t bode well for the aging space robot-based series of films. This marks the lowest domestic opening of a Transformers movie yet, debuting with at least a full $50 million less than previous releases Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen ($109 million), Transformers: Dark of the Moon ($97.9 million), and Transformers: Age of Extinction ($100 million). Even the movie that kicked off the Autobots’ live-action stint on the big screen, Transformers, earned $70.5 million its opening weekend.

And neither fans nor critics seem particularly enthused by the latest movie (which will be followed by two more in 2018 and 2019). Last Knight earned a B+ on CinemaScore, the only film in the series apart from 2009’s Revenge of the Fallen to not earn an A or A-, which usually signifies not only whether a film is popular with moviegoers, but also if it has staying power in the box office top 10. (Dark of the Moon scored the rare A and went on to make $1.1 billion worldwide.)

Nonetheless, Last Knight has performed quite well overseas, bringing in $196 million, which is more than double the film’s cumulative domestic haul so far ($69.1 million). However, compared to previous Transformers films’ international earnings, the fifth film is still a long way behind 2014’s Age of Extinction and 2011’s Dark of the Moon, which both went on to earn $858 million and $771 million, respectively, during the course of their international runs. (Age of Extinction also crossed the $1 billion mark.)

The movie sees Mark Wahlberg return as inventor Cade Yeager in a world where humans are warring against the titular robots — and Optimus Prime is gone. Yeager teams up with beloved Autobot BumbleBee and Anthony Hopkins’ Sir Edmund Burton, an old English historian who knows about the history of Transformers on Earth, which they will need to explore if they are to find peace.

A little lower in the top 10 are Cars 3 and Wonder Woman, tied for second place with estimated earnings of $25.2 million each. This tracks well for the latest Pixar film, which has now earned an estimated $99 million so far. While not bringing in the same opening numbers as predecessors Cars ($60 million by its second week) and Cars 2 ($66 million by its second week), its week 2 has only seen a 53.1 percent decrease in domestic earnings, which is much better than Cars 2‘s 60.3 percent decline. Worldwide, Cars 3 has brought in $141 million but is yet to open in many key foreign markets, including China.

As for Wonder Woman, this week’s figures prove to be another impressive feat for DC’s latest big-screen superhero. The Patty Jenkins-directed movie sees a 39 percent drop in what is its fourth weekend at the box office and has become the highest-grossing live-action film directed by a woman thanks to its domestic earning of $318 million and worldwide total of $652.9 million. The film has now tied Iron Man‘s domestic total ($318 million) and is on track to take on fellow DCEU films Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice ($330.4 million) and Suicide Squad ($325 million) despite having had a smaller opening figure than either film. So far the movie, which stars Gal Gadot as the iconic DC superhero, has already out-earned Man of Steel‘s entire run and Iron Man‘s total worldwide earnings ($585 million).

In third and fourth place in the top five are shark-infested Mandy Moore movie 47 Meters Down and Tupac Shakur biopic All Eyez On Me. The former brought in an estimated $7.4 million for a domestic haul of $24.3 million, while the latter saw a sharp 77.9 percent drop for an estimated earning of only $5.9 million. This brings the film’s domestic total to $38.6 million.

At No. 5 is The Mummy, which sees a steep 59.8 percent drop in the domestic box office for an estimated earning of $5.8 million in its third week out. This brings the movie’s domestic haul to $68.5 million. However, the Tom Cruise movie continues to do well overseas, where it’s earned a total of $273.6 million for a cumulative worldwide earning of $342 million. The recent reboot of the fan-favorite 1997 film of the same name sees Cruise play Nick Morton, an archeological thief who steals ancient artifacts from sites of historical value and sells them to the highest bidder. When he accidentally comes across Ahmanet, a buried Egyptian princess, he must try and prevent her rage-filled rampage from destroying London.

Outside the top 10 is recent release (and Sundance favorite) The Big Sick, starring Silicon Valley‘s Kumail Nanjiani, who co-wrote the script with his real-life wife Emily V. Gordon. It follows a Pakistani comedian who falls in love with Emily, an American graduate student (Ruby Sparks‘ Zoe Kazan), but is worried about how his more traditional Muslim parents will react. When Emily falls ill and goes into a coma, Kumail begins to get to know and bond with her distraught parents (Ray Romano, Holly Hunter). The film, which opened in limited release, has brought in an estimated $435,000 from five locations with a per-screen average of $87,000. It has the largest per-screen average of any film opening on more than one screen this year.

Another limited release that, like The Big Sick, is being considered as a potential contender come award season is The Beguiled. The Sofia Coppola-directed film (which is based on the 1971 novel of the same name) opened earned an estimated $240,545 from four locations for a per-screen average of $60,138. The film’s impressive cast includes Nicole Kidman, Colin Farrell, Kirsten Dunst, and Elle Fanning.

Per ComScore, overall box office is up 27.6 percent in the same frame from last year. Check out the June 23-25 box office figures below.

1 – Transformers: Last Knight – $45.3 million
2 – Cars 3 – $25.2 million
2 – Wonder Woman – $25.2 million
3 – 47 Meters Down – $7.43 million
4 – All Eyez On Me – $5.85 million
5 – The Mummy – $5.83 million
6 – Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales – $5.24 million
7 – Rough Night – $4.7 million
8 – Captain Underpants – $4.28 million
9 – Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 – $3 million
10 – Beatriz At Dinner – $1.8 million

Categories
Star Wars

If it’s good – in the end – none of this will matter, just like ROGUE ONE.

How the Han Solo film broke apart — with Ron Howard picking up the pieces

Ron Howard is now steering the Millennium Falcon. And he has to maneuver it out of a giant asteroid field.

A little over a day after the directors of the upcoming Han Solo movie were fired, Lucasfilm has turned to the veteran filmmaker to steer the Star Wars project home.

“At Lucasfilm, we believe the highest goal of each film is to delight, carrying forward the spirit of the saga that George Lucas began forty years ago,” Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy said in a statement. “With that in mind, we’re thrilled to announce that Ron Howard will step in to direct the untitled Han Solo film. We have a wonderful script, an incredible cast and crew, and the absolute commitment to make a great movie. Filming will resume the 10th of July.”

Howard previously worked with Lucasfilm when he directed the 1988 fantasy adventure Willow, with Warwick Davis, Val Kilmer, and Joanne Whalley. And the A Beautiful Mind Oscar-winner also served as an unofficial adviser to George Lucas on his prequel films, having been a longtime friend ever since costarring in Lucas’s coming-of-age classic American Graffiti in 1973.

Brace yourself for a wave of “Help us, Opie-Wan Kenobi, you’re our only hope” headlines.

The Star Wars stand-alone project, starring Alden Ehrenreich in the role originated by Harrison Ford, was just weeks away from ending principal photography when directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller, best known for The LEGO Movie, were dropped from the film Monday — with Lucasfilm and the filmmakers both citing “creative differences.”

The question remained for Star Wars fans: What exactly were those differences, and why were they so insurmountable that neither side was willing to compromise to avoid this public upheaval?

Here’s what we know now: Several sources close to the movie and others close to the directors tell EW that ever since filming began back in February, Lord and Miller, who are known primarily for wry, self-referential comedies like 21 Jump Street and the pilot episodes for Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Last Man on Earth, began steering the Han Solo movie more into the genre of laughs than space fantasy.

Apparently, the split was a subtle one that became magnified over time: Lucasfilm and producer Kennedy believed Lord and Miller were hired to add a comedic touch; Lord and Miller believed they were hired to make a comedy.

It’s an ironic turn. Last year, when Rogue One was undergoing reshoots, fans were critical because they assumed Lucasfilm was trying to “lighten” the war story with more comedy. Those concerns were unfounded, but now the opposite may be the case for the Han Solo film: Lucasfilm wants young Han Solo to be more grounded.

As usual with stories like this, not all sources agree. Another individual close to the movie says it wasn’t a question about how much comedy would be in the film. The consensus, however, is that the filmmakers were encouraging significant improvisation from the actors, which some at Lucasfilm believed was shifting the story off-course.

With actors who are also writers, and gifted at coming up with their own material, like Atlanta creator and star Donald Glover in the role of Lando Calrissian and Fleabag creator and star Phoebe Waller-Bridge as an unspecified motion-capture character (which in galactic terms, that usually signals a droid or alien), the sources say Lord and Miller began straying from the script by Star Wars veteran Lawrence Kasdan and his son, Jon Kasdan (The First Time).

One person close to the fired directors says: “They thought they were brought on to make a Phil and Chris movie. … Sometimes they just thought the actors could do it differently.”

But others on the project say they pushed too far. It wasn’t just a question of tone. The variations added up to significantly change the story. They may have been brought aboard to give young Han Solo a wiseacre vibe and an irreverent style, but Lucasfilm still felt the directors had a responsibility to tell the story as written.

When dailies began rolling in featuring improvisation from the actors and new ideas from the directors that significantly parted ways with the script, the relationship with the home office at Lucasfilm became fraught. As principal photography for the movie approached its end, it became clear that the filmmakers and producers did not share the same vision for some critical scenes.

Reshoots were always possible (they are factored into almost every major film these days, and each new Star Wars project has undergone them), but as Lord and Miller dug in, refusing to compromise on what they saw as best for the film, the partnership went from strained to fractured. If they wouldn’t do the scenes as Lucasfilm and Kennedy wanted them now, why would they do them that way during reshoots?

Sources close to the studio tell EW that Kennedy was also determined to do what was best for the film. Those perspectives were just different — and growing further apart.

After relaunching the franchise, which had taken damage from the critical reception of the Star Wars prequels, and building not just an acclaimed new saga with The Force Awakens but kicking off a series of stand-alone films with Rogue One, Kennedy felt she had earned her galactic bona fides: The directors should give her the benefit of the doubt and follow her concept of what the Star Wars movie should be.

Lord and Miller are well-liked within the industry and have a style that has often led studios to compete for their attentions, but Kennedy — whose long history of credits include Back to the Future, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and Jurassic Park — also has an immense, proven track record. Backing her was Kasdan, Star Wars royalty — the screenwriter of The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens.

They became immovable objects. If the filmmakers were refusing to make the movie Lucasfilm expected, why continue?

On Monday, Lord and Miller were told they were terminated. The production was put on hold.

Howard’s name began circulating immediately, but yesterday his agency, CAA, was still saying a deal hadn’t been reached. This morning, it was done.

He will have two weeks to get to England and get up to speed on where things are, where they went awry from the studio’s point of view, and come up with a plan to complete it — if not on time, then with minimal extension to the schedule.

Meanwhile, Lord and Miller will begin packing up and heading home. Reps for the directors declined to say whether they might return Warner Bros.’ big-screen version of the DC Comics superhero The Flash, which they had left to take on the Han Solo movie. But since they were fired over a difference of vision, rather than an out-of-control production, they aren’t expected to take a massive career hit.

A source close to them said they wouldn’t have bad blood toward Howard. “Somebody has to take over the movie.”

Some close to the pair say Lord and Miller see the Han Solo film like a romantic break-up. It’s the end of an unhappy relationship, something they once deeply cared about, even if there is no future together.

To paraphrase the smuggler and the princess:

“I don’t love you.”

“I know.”

Categories
Awards

That actually makes sense.

Why Richard Dreyfuss Keeps His Oscar in His Fridge

He took home a best actor Academy Award in 1978 for ‘The Goodbye Girl.’

Forget the fireplace or the safe deposit box, Richard Dreyfuss has found a more unique place to store his Oscar that works for it — and other items like milk, eggs and ketchup.

The veteran star, who took home a best actor statuette in 1978 for his work in The Goodbye Girl, tells The Hollywood Reporter that he keeps the award in the refrigerator. “I don’t like to brag, but I like everyone to know about it,” laughs the 69-year-old. “Sooner or later, I know they are all going to go to the refrigerator.”

Dreyfuss, now starring on the series Shots Fired, revealed the news at Diane Keaton’s recent AFI Life Achievement Award presentation. They both took home trophies that night back in 1978 — Keaton for best actress in Annie Hall, a film that won a total of four Oscars, including best picture. The only nomination that didn’t turn to gold was Woody Allen’s best actor prize — because of Dreyfuss.

“Diane and I never got to talk that night, but I thought it was totally appropriate that Annie Hall won everything it won and that I won what I won. It would’ve been out of balance for Woody to have won best actor, but he won everything else,” Dreyfuss says. “And he deserved to win everything else. She was great, the script was extraordinary. It’s the greatest romantic comedy since the end of the Second World War. You can watch it now as if it’s brand new and get introduced to this grown-up, imaginative Woody Allen introducing this extraordinary, singular, eccentric woman.”

Categories
Movies

I saw ROUGH NIGHT and it was awful, pure garbage with only a few laughs. Hope to see CARS 3 soon!!

Box Office: ‘Cars 3’ Beats ‘Wonder Woman’ With $53.5M; ‘All Eyez on Me’ Nabs $27M

In a surprise upset, Mandy Moore shark thriller ’47 Meters Down’ beats the R-rated female comedy ‘Rough Night,’ starring Scarlett Johansson; ‘Wonder Woman’ approaches $600 million globally.
Despite signs of franchise fatigue, Pixar and Disney’s Cars 3 dominated the road at the North American box office over the weekend.

The threequel opened to an estimated $53.5 million from 4,256 theaters, enough to beat ruling champ Wonder Woman. It is anticipating a brisk Sunday, thanks to Father’s Day (the movie is skewing slightly male). Overseas, Cars 3 debuted to $21.3 million from its first handful of territories for a global start of $74.8 million.

Make no mistake, Wonder Woman continues to impress, falling a scant 30 percent in the U.S. to $40.8 million for a domestic cume of $274.6 million. The Warner Bros. movie, directed by Patty Jenkins, enjoyed one of the best third weekends in history for a superhero film. Internationally, Wonder Woman’s hold is almost as good, earning another $39.5 million for a foreign total of $297.2 million and worldwide tally of $571.8 million.

In the coming days, Wonder Woman will eclipse 2008’s Mamma Mia! ($609.8 million) to become the top-grossing female-directed film of all time, not accounting for inflation.

Cars 3 nabbed an A CinemaScore. That means all 18 Pixar films have received some variation of the top grade. It is also the 16th Pixar movie to open at No. 1.

At the same time, Cars 3 came in 19 percent behind the $66.1 million domestic debut of Cars 2 in 2011, which went on to earn $562.1 million worldwide. The original Cars, which hit theaters in 2006, opened to $60.1 million in its North American bow before topping out at $462.2 million worldwide. Overall, Cars merchandise is a huge revenue generator for Disney.

The threequel follows the legendary Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson) as he’s pushed out of the sport he loves by a new generation of blazing-fast racers. He enlists the help of a young race technician (voiced by Cristela Alonzo) to help him get back in the game.

The other big headline of the weekend was the Tupac Shakur biopic All Eyez on Me, directed by Benny Boom. The movie, landing at No. 3, came in ahead expectations with $27.1 million from 2,471 theaters.

Lionsgate’s Codeblack Films partnered with Lionsgate on the movie, which was released on what would have been the late iconic rapper’s 46th birthday. Named after Shakur’s fourth studio album, the film includes over a dozen songs from his music catalog.

The biopic, starring Demetrius Shipp Jr., grabbed an A CinemaScore. The cast also includes Kat Graham, who plays Jada Pinkett-Smith, who was close to Shukur. (Pinkett-Smith says the movie is “deeply hurtful.”) More than half of the audience was African-American (52 percent), followed by Caucasians (22 percent), Hispanics (19 percent) and Asians/Others. That’s on par with the audience breakdown for Straight Outta Compton, which debuted to more than $60 million two summers ago.

Universal’s The Mummy followed at No. 4 with $13.9 million from 4,034 locations for a 10-day domestic total of $56.6 million through Sunday. While the Tom Cruise starrer might be lagging in the U.S., it continues to do solid business overseas, where it won the weekend with $53 million from 68 markets for a foreign total of $239.1 million and global cume of $295.6 million.

In North America, the news was rough for Sony’s raunchy female comedy Rough Night. The R-rated movie fell flat with $8.1 million from 3,162 theaters. The $20 million film stars Scarlett Johansson, Ilana Glazer, Kate McKinnon, Jillian Bell and Zoe Kravitz as a group of friends who gather for a weekend-long bachelorette bash.

In a surprise upset, Rough Night was beaten by the femme-centric shark thriller 47 Meters Down, starring Mandy Moore and Claire Holt. The film, the first major title from Byron Allen’s distribution venture Entertainment Studios, grossed $11 million from 2,270 theaters to land at No. 5.

Rough Night received a C+ CinemaScore, while 47 Meters garnered a C.

Categories
People

May he rest in peace.

Animal House star Stephen Furst dies at 63
Stephen Furst, best known for playing Kent “Flounder” Dorfman in 1978’s Animal House, died in his California home on Friday from complications due to diabetes. He was 63.

Furst’s death was confirmed by his sons, Nathan and Griffith.

“Steve has a long list of earthly accomplishments,” Furst’s sons wrote on Facebook. “He was known to the world as [a] brilliant and prolific actor and filmmaker, but to his family and many dear friends, he was also a beloved husband, father and kind friend whose memory will always be a blessing. To truly honor him, do not cry for the loss of Stephen Furst. But rather, enjoy memories of all the times he made you snicker, laugh, or even snort to your own embarrassment. He intensely believed that [laughter] is the best therapy, and he would want us to practice that now. If you knew him personally, remember his gift for lighting up a room. And no matter who you are, when you think of Steve, instead of being sad, celebrate his life by watching one of his movies or use one of his bits to make someone else laugh — really, really hard.”

Born in Norfork, Virginia on May 8, 1955, Furst made his first credited acting appearance in the 1977 film American Raspberry just one year before breaking out in Animal House. He played Flounder in the comedy classic, a legacy pledge and “real zero” who becomes friends with the disruptive fraternity brothers of Delta Tau Chi — played by John Belushi, Tim Matheson, and Peter Riegert. Furst reprised the Flounder role in the short-lived 1979 follow-up television series Delta House.

After Animal House, television success followed. Furst appeared on numerous series throughout the 1980s and 1990s, including a costarring role on St. Elsewhere, where he played Dr. Elliot Axelrod through the show’s five-year run from 1983-1988. He also made guest-star appearances on Newhart, The Jeffersons, MacGyver, CHiPs, Murder, She Wrote, Scrubs, and many other series. Furst’s other notable television role was playing Vir Cotto on Babylon 5.

Furst last appeared on screen in 2006’s Basilisk: The Serpent King, which he also directed.

Categories
People

I’m so happy that my country will be recognizing Gord while he’s still alive. This is a beautiful thing!!

Gord Downie, Indigenous activist Sylvia Maracle to receive Order of Canada on Monday

OTTAWA—Gord Downie and Indigenous activist Sylvia Maracle will be appointed to the Order of Canada on Monday, while Downie’s Tragically Hip bandmates will also receive one of the country’s highest civilian honours at a later date.

Maracle will be named an officer of the Order of Canada and Downie will be named a member.

They are among 30 recipients to be honoured for leadership in supporting Indigenous issues, including NHL player Jordin Tootoo, who will receive a meritorious service medal in the civil division.

Maracle, a Mohawk from the Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory and executive director of the Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres, is known as a passionate advocate for urban Indigenous peoples and women’s issues.

Downie, who announced last year that he was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer, has become a strong advocate for Indigenous people and issues.

His recent solo album and graphic novel Secret Path tells the story of an Indigenous boy, Chanie Wenjack, who died while trying to escape a residential school.

The Hip’s members — Downie, Rob Baker, Johnny Fay, Paul Langlois and Gord Sinclair — are being honoured for their contributions to Canadian music and support for social and environmental causes.

An officer of the Order of Canada is recognized for national service or achievement, while a member of the Order of Canada is honoured for contributions at the local or regional level or in a special field of activity.

Other recipients to be feted on Monday include Métis author Jacqueline Guest, whose children’s and young adult books showcase Indigenous culture. She was announced as a member of the Order of Canada in January.

Cree activist, producer and actress Tina Keeper and Royal Winnipeg Ballet artistic director Andre Lewis will also each receive a meritorious service medal for producing the acclaimed ballet Going Home Star — Truth and Reconciliation.

The story depicts the painful history of residential schools and was envisioned by late Cree elder and activist Mary Richard, who will receive a posthumous meritorious service medal.

Categories
Television

Well done, Stephen!!

Colbert’s full-season victory over Jimmy Fallon is official

It’s official: Donald Trump has been good for Stephen Colbert.

A final tally of late-night numbers were released on Tuesday for the 2016-2017 TV season, confirming a stunning comeback for “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.”

Colbert’s final average nightly viewership was 3.26 million — 80,000 ahead of the 3.18 million nightly total for “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” according to Nielsen.

The left-wing, bespectacled talk-show host claimed his full-season victory after losing miserably in the 2015-2016 TV season, when he trailed Fallon’s “Tonight” by 870,000 viewers.

Indeed, Colbert mounted his impressive comeback after beginning the latest season with a 738,000-viewer deficit versus Fallon, closing it steadily as the election and its aftermath wore on, according to Nielsen.

Colbert’s victory over Fallon came as viewers flocked to Colbert’s “Late Show” for its cynical take on politics and nightly take-down of President Trump – including a vulgar rant last month that drew outrage but boosted ratings.

Fallon floundered, meanwhile, as he stuck to his usual mix of song, dance and amiable celebrity interviews — although many believe he never recovered after fawning over Trump and mussing his hair during a September show.

In terms of eyeball share, Colbert’s comeback was the product of a 12.4 percent viewership gain, versus a 15.6 percent loss for Fallon, according to Nielsen.

“Late Show’s” seasonal late-night crown in total viewers is the first for CBS since the 1994-1995 TV season.

Viewership numbers for the season, which stretched from Sept. 19, 2016, to May 24, 2017, include live viewing plus seven days of delayed playback.

Categories
Awards

Good luck to all the nominees, but I hope that Gord wins – one way or another.

Gord Downie, Tragically Hip both make cut as Polaris Prize long list revealed

The Polaris Prize announced its long list Tuesday of 40 early contenders for this year’s prize for top Canadian album of the past year. They are:

A Tribe Called Red, We Are The Halluci Nation

Alaclair Ensemble, Les Frères Cueilleurs

Anciients, Voice of the Void

Arkells, Morning Report

Philippe B, La grande nuit vidéo

BADBADNOTGOOD, IV

Louise Burns, Young Mopes

Chocolat, Rencontrer Looloo

Clairmont The Second, Quest For Milk and Honey

Leonard Cohen, You Want It Darker

Antoine Corriveau, Cette chose qui cognait au creux de sa poitrine sans vouloir s’arrêter

Le Couleur, P.O.P.

Marie Davidson, Adieux Au Dancefloor

Mac Demarco, This Old Dog

Gord Downie, Secret Path

Drake, More Life

Feist, Pleasure

Figure Walking, The Big Other

Fiver, Audible Songs From Rockwood

Geoffroy, Coastline

Hannah Georgas, For Evelyn

Japandroids, Near To The Wild Heart Of Life

Carly Rae Jepsen, E.MO.TION Side B

B.A. Johnston, Gremlins III

Lisa LeBlanc, Why You Wanna Leave, Runaway Queen?

The New Pornographers, Whiteout Conditions

Klô Pelgag, L’Étoile thoracique

Peter Peter, Noir Éden

Lido Pimienta, La Papessa

Jessie Reyez, Kiddo

Daniel Romano, Modern Pressure

The Sadies, Northern Passages

John K. Samson, Winter Wheat

Tanya Tagaq, Retribution

The Tragically Hip, Man Machine Poem

TUNS, TUNS

Leif Vollebekk, Twin Solitude

Weaves, Weaves

The Weeknd, Starboy

Charlotte Day Wilson, CDW

The jury will confer over the upcoming weeks and the short list of 10 albums will be revealed on July 13, one month from the long list’s announcement. The winner of the top prize of $50,000 will be announced on Sept. 18.

The Polaris, which began in 2006, has in the past given the top honour to Arcade Fire, Feist, Buffy Ste. Marie and others.

Categories
People

May she rest in peace.

Rolling Stones muse Anita Pallenberg dies at 75

Anita Pallenberg, a model and actress who had children with Keith Richards and served as a muse for The Rolling Stones, has died. She was 75.

A spokesperson for Richards told the Associated Press that Pallenberg died Tuesday at St. Richard’s Hospital in the city of Chichester, located in southeast England. The cause of death was not revealed, but the statement released Wednesday said Pallenberg “had been ill for some time” and her family was by her side.

“A most remarkable woman. Always in my heart,” Richards said in a statement.

Pallenberg was born on April 6, 1942. She served as inspiration for the Stones’ Miss Amanda Jones and You Got the Silver.

She appeared in films like Barbarella, Candy, Le Berceau de Cristal and Performance, which included Mick Jagger.

Pallenberg first dated the late Brian Jones of the Stones, but later dated Richards, with whom she had three children (their youngest son died months after he was born).

Pallenberg said in an interview with The Guardian in 2008 that she didn’t want to write her autobiography because publishers wanted dirt and drama about the Stones.

“I had several publishers and they were all the same. They all wanted salacious,” she said.

Pallenberg will be cremated and a memorial service is being planned. She is survived by a son, a daughter and five grandchildren.

Categories
Music

In a day and age when no one announces new music anymore, they just release it, Shania Twain announces a new single and album. Good luck, Shania!!

Shania Twain Announces New Album ‘Now,’ Reveals Cover Art

Shania Twain has officially announced the title of her new album – Shania Now – her first full-length in nearly 15 years. The performer shared artwork for Shania Now square by square today on Instagram, and tweeted art for lead single, “Life’s About to Get Good.” The album is currently slated for a September 29th release.

The black-and-white cover for Shania Now is a classic Twain pose – flirty and mysterious, with her leopard-spotted gloves and windblown hair, but confident and in control. The art for “Life’s About to Get Good,” by comparison, shows a more relaxed Twain, smiling contentedly while lying on the grass.

“Life’s About to Get Good,” which Twain debuted live at Stagecoach 2017, is a bouncy, optimistic number about moving from troubled times into better days. Yoking a steady four-on-the-floor beat to energetic handclaps and thumping piano, the tune has a touch of Jeff Lynne’s hyper-melodic work with Electric Light Orchestra in its DNA, from the rich harmonies to the bright combination of chords. “Life’s about joy, life’s about pain,” she sings at one point, acknowledging the good and bad, sweet and sour of living.

Twain has noted at various points that the songs on Shania Now came out of an extended dark period in her life, during which she divorced husband and longtime producer Mutt Lange, battled Lyme disease and temporarily lost her singing voice. She returned to the spotlight in 2011, issuing the single “Today Is Your Day” and setting up her Las Vegas residency Still the One at Caesars Palace. She followed that two-year stint by getting back on the road with the Rock This Country Tour, which she claimed in 2016 would be her final tour.

A track listing for Shania Now has not yet been announced, but fans may hear something new when Twain performs as part of Today’s Summer Concert Series on Friday, June 16th, on NBC.