Right now, the name Chris Rock is synonymous with one thing: The Slap at the March 27 Oscars. However, Rock’s career is a lot more varied than that one incident, though there are several clues in his work leading up to that moment.
May 20 marks the 35th anniversary of his movie debut as a parking valet in the 1987 “Beverly Hills Cop 2.”
Variety’s review described it as “noisy, numbing, unimaginative” and didn’t mention Rock. A year later, however, he got a shout-out in the Dec. 9, 1988, review of “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka,” with Variety enthusing, “Chris Rock turns a walk-on into a standout” as a customer in a rib joint.
Rock’s first big break came in 1984, when he booked a splashy standup gig in 1984 at Catch a Rising Star in New York. Eddie Murphy saw and mentored him, Rock continued to work, and soon he made his...
May 20 marks the 35th anniversary of his movie debut as a parking valet in the 1987 “Beverly Hills Cop 2.”
Variety’s review described it as “noisy, numbing, unimaginative” and didn’t mention Rock. A year later, however, he got a shout-out in the Dec. 9, 1988, review of “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka,” with Variety enthusing, “Chris Rock turns a walk-on into a standout” as a customer in a rib joint.
Rock’s first big break came in 1984, when he booked a splashy standup gig in 1984 at Catch a Rising Star in New York. Eddie Murphy saw and mentored him, Rock continued to work, and soon he made his...
- 5/20/2022
- by Tim Gray
- Variety Film + TV
You may not realize it, but 20 years ago, us mortals were delivered a gift from the higher powers of comedy. I’m referring to Larry David’s hilarious and groundbreaking program, “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” which premiered on HBO precisely two decades ago on October 15, 2000. To help celebrate the prettaaay, prettaaay good run that the show has had, we at Gold Derby are ranking the 20 best episodes of the Emmy-winning show for its 20th anniversary. Scroll through our photo gallery and see where your favorite episode is ranked.
The show centers on David, playing a somewhat fictionalized version of himself, and the often inane and neurotic interactions he has with with those that are closest to him. Among the people in this orbit are his much-more-grounded wife Cheryl (Cheryl Hines), his manager/best friend Jeff Greene (Jeff Garlin) and Jeff’s wife, Susie Greene (Susie Essman), who is always at least...
The show centers on David, playing a somewhat fictionalized version of himself, and the often inane and neurotic interactions he has with with those that are closest to him. Among the people in this orbit are his much-more-grounded wife Cheryl (Cheryl Hines), his manager/best friend Jeff Greene (Jeff Garlin) and Jeff’s wife, Susie Greene (Susie Essman), who is always at least...
- 10/12/2020
- by Charles Bright, Chris Beachum and Misty Holland
- Gold Derby
Indie film company Slaughtered Lamb Productions has released the first set of stills from Killer Rack, a horror comedy shooting at the Pierce Arrow Film Arts Center in Buffalo, New York. Check 'em out right here!
The film, written by Paul McGinnis, is directed by Gregory Lamberson (Slime City Massacre, Dry Bones) and is co-produced by Lamberson, McGinnis, and Rod Durick (Filming the Undead: How to Make Your Own Zombie Movie).
Newcomer Jessica Zwolak stars as Betty, a young woman who discovers her new breast implants are man-eating monsters. Debbie Rochon co-stars as Dr. Cate Thulu, Lloyd Kaufman plays psychiatrist Howard Foin, and Brooke Lewis voices the titular monsters.
The photos depict Betty's initial examination by Dr. Thulu and a confrontation which occurs later in the film. Robert Bozek plays Thulu's nurse, Herbie East. Additional photos are behind-the-scenes shots of a disarming date between Betty and her boyfriend, Dutch (Sam Qualiana,...
The film, written by Paul McGinnis, is directed by Gregory Lamberson (Slime City Massacre, Dry Bones) and is co-produced by Lamberson, McGinnis, and Rod Durick (Filming the Undead: How to Make Your Own Zombie Movie).
Newcomer Jessica Zwolak stars as Betty, a young woman who discovers her new breast implants are man-eating monsters. Debbie Rochon co-stars as Dr. Cate Thulu, Lloyd Kaufman plays psychiatrist Howard Foin, and Brooke Lewis voices the titular monsters.
The photos depict Betty's initial examination by Dr. Thulu and a confrontation which occurs later in the film. Robert Bozek plays Thulu's nurse, Herbie East. Additional photos are behind-the-scenes shots of a disarming date between Betty and her boyfriend, Dutch (Sam Qualiana,...
- 8/7/2014
- by Steve Barton
- DreadCentral.com
Nine experts entered predictions for the 55th Annual Grammy Awards. -Insertgroups:12- Only two of them predicted all 35 categories with Glenn Gamboa (Newsday) scoring better, with 20 correct (58%). Among his savvy choices, he accurately predicted the Black Keys' sweep of the rock field, as well as Zac Brown Band's upset victory for Best Country Album. Gold Derby's Paul Sheehan was close behind with 19 out of 35 (55%). Related: See how you did predicting Grammys Edna Gundersen (USA Today) correctly predicted 12 out of 24 categories (50%), while Lyndsey Parker (Yahoo! Music) got 10 out of 23 (44%). Two experts entered predictions in 22 races: Shirley Halperin (Hollywood Reporter) batted .500 with 11 correct (50%) and Phil Gallo (Billboard) foresaw five winners (23%). Leah Greenblatt (Entertainment Weekly) nailed eight of her 14 predix (58%) while Chris Willman went five f...
- 2/11/2013
- Gold Derby
Our experts are almost evenly split over who will win the Grammy for Best New Artist. They forecast a close two-way race between indie pop trio Fun. and critically hailed hip-hop artist Frank Ocean. -Addprediction:76:134:Click to predict Best New Artist:addprediction- Five out of nine predict Fun. will win: Glenn Gaboa (Newsday), Edna Gundersen (USA Today), Shirley Halperin (Hollywood Reporter), and Gold Derby's Tom O'Neil and Paul Sheehan. The remaining four are backing Ocean: Phil Gallo (Billboard), Leah Greenblatt (Entertainment Weekly), Lyndsey Parker (Yahoo! Music), and Chris Willman. Related: Will Frank Ocean suffer same Grammy fate as Kanye West? Grammy history may favor Fun. over Ocean. Solo male artists rarely win the category, and though both are tied with six nominations, Fun. is the only artist nominated in all four general field categories (also: Record, Song, and Album of the Year), and those artists usually win the New Artist priz.
- 2/6/2013
- Gold Derby
Only two of this year's Record of the Year Grammy nominees are also in contention for Song of the Year: Fun.'s "We Are Young" and Kelly Clarkson's "Stronger (What Doesnt Kill You)." -Insertgroups:5- Unlike Record of the Year, which is awarded to the artist, producers, engineers, and mixers, the Song of the Year prize is awarded only to the songwriter, and "We Are Young," written by Fun. band members Jack Antonoff, Andrew Dost, and Nate Ruess, along with producer Jeff Bhasker, is tipped to win by seven of our nine experts: Phil Gallo (Billboard), Glenn Gamboa (Newsday), Leah Greenblatt (Entertainment Weekly), Edna Gundersen (USA Today), Shirley Halperin (Hollywood Reporter), Lyndsey Parker (Yahoo! Music), and Gold Derby's Paul Sheehan. "We Are Young" is also the frontrunner to win Record of the Year. Related: Who could pull off upsets at the Grammys? Our remaining two experts, Chris Willman and.
- 2/5/2013
- Gold Derby
In an unusual year for the Record of the Year Grammy, only two of the six nominees match the Song of the Year lineup, which often goes hand-in-hand: "We Are Young" by Fun. and Janelle Monae and "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" by Kelly Clarkson. It's Fun. that gets the most support from our experts, with six out of nine predicting them to win for their breakthrough pop anthem: Phil Gallo (Billboard), Glenn Gamboa (Newsday), Leah Greenblatt (Entertainment Weekly), Lyndsey Parker (Yahoo! Music), and Gold Derby's Tom O'Neil and Paul Sheehan. Our remaining three experts are not picking Clarkson, however, but Gotye and Kimbra for "Somebody That I Used to Know." The ubiquitous hit was not nominated for Song of the Year, but that's because it wasn't submitted for consideration in the category. Edna Gundersen (USA Today), Shirley Halperin (Hollywood Reporter), and Chris Willman are betting on it to prevail i.
- 2/5/2013
- Gold Derby
Mumford and Sons are tied with multiple artists for the most nominations (six) at this year's Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year rivals the Black Keys, Frank Ocean, and Fun.. However, the British folk quartet is our experts' pick to win for their sophomore album, "Babel." Seven out of nine experts are forecasting a win for "Babel": Leah Greenblatt (Entertainment Weekly), Edna Gundersen (USA Today), Shirley Halperin (Hollywood Reporter), Lyndsey Parker (Yahoo! Music), Chris Willman, and Gold Derby's Tom O'Neil and Paul Sheehan. Two experts disagree, both picking the Black Keys' critically acclaimed hit "El Camino": Phil Gallo (Billboard) and Glenn Gamboa (Newsday). -Addprediction:76:347:Click to predict Album of the Year:addprediction- None of them are picking Frank Ocean's "Channel Orange," Fun's "Some Nights," or Jack White's "Blunderbuss." All are first-...
- 2/4/2013
- Gold Derby
In the keynote Q&A of the Billboard/Hollywood Reporter Film & TV Music Conference Oct. 24, composer Gustavo Santaolalla, who won Oscars for Babel and Brokeback Mountain, spilled personal tales and trade secrets to Phil Gallo, Billboard senior editor film & TV, and a packed room at Hollywood's W hotel. The Argentine 1960s rock star-turned-producer-turned-film composer confessed that he always goes with his gut. "I'm not an academically trained musician, so it's always very intuitive," said Santaolalla. "I don't know how to read or write music. I wrote my first song when I was ten, had
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- 10/25/2012
- by Tim Appelo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“I’m as shallow as you can get,” a charming Alanis Morissette surprisingly confessed at a Los Angeles event, and then proceeded to prove just the opposite. The small gathering, held at Sonos Studios in Hollywood, featured a Q&A conducted by Billboard's Phil Gallo, with Morissette about the making of her new album, “Havoc And Bright Lights,” as well as a mini-concert by the Grammy winner. [More after the jump...] After 1995’s “Jagged Little Pill” catapulted the then-21-year old into the stratosphere, much of her material has been about the search for connection, meaning, and a healthy sense of self in a...
- 8/21/2012
- Hitfix
More than 600 Gold Derby readers predicted the winners of 29 races at the Grammys. In total, our Users entered more than 14,000 predictions. To see how you fared, log in to your account and under your profile picture click on Grammys 2011 in the Predictions sub-menu. Had you predicted all the Gold Derby odds-on favorites you would have scored 20/29. Two Users scored 23/29: Zach Graham and diego leal. With 22/29 were Tanner, Troy, Peter Citoh, Cheval Dixon, Steven Cuevas and Michael Nickerson. Check out the full leader board breakdown here and see the category breakdown here) Among our Experts, Gold Derby executive editor Paul Sheehan scored 20/29, Edna Gunderson (USA Today) got 19/28, Chris Willman (The Wrap) was at 17/28 and Glenn Gamboa (Newsday) at 17/27. Site founder Tom O'Neil scored 16/29, Leah Greenblatt (EW) was at 15/28, Phil Gallo (Billboard) at 11/16, Lyndsey Parker (Yahoo! Music) at 11/29 and Shirley Halpe...
- 2/13/2012
- Gold Derby
Three pundits tied with the best score at Gold Derby when predicting Grammy nominations in the top four races (Album, Record, Song and New Artist of the Year): USA Today music scribe Edna Gundersen and Gold Derby editors Tom O'Neil and Paul Sheehan. They all correctly forecasted 10 nominees out of 20 slots (50%). See comparative charts of their predix here. (Click through the links on top of that page to see other categories.) Click the names of each pundit below to see a page featuring all of their predix in one area with green check marks next to their correct calls. Grammy Gurus Scores Edna Gundersen, USA Today – 10 Tom O'Neil, Gold Derby - 10 Paul Sheehan, Gold Derby – 10 Glenn Gamboa, Newsday - 9 Shirley Halperin, Hollywood Reporter – 9 Nekesa Moody, Associated Press – 9 Chris Willman, The Wrap - 9 Dave Dimartino, Yahoo Music - 8 Leah Greenblatt, Entertainment Weekly – 7 Phil Gallo, Billbo...
- 12/1/2011
- Gold Derby
In the past two years, Variety has lost an astonishing number of reporters and editors. The first waves were layoffs. The latest wave has been voluntary. January 2009 brought a set of layoffs that included reporters and editors Mike Jones, Anne Thompson, Alys Marshall, Phil Gallo, Andrew Barker, Byron Perry, Lisa Weinstein, Diane Garrett, Martha Hernandez, Ben Fritz and Jeff Sneider. It was one in a series of layoffs at the trade. But it wasn’t the last. In April, Peter Bart was moved from editor-in chief to become a columnist. Tim Gray...
- 12/13/2010
- The Wrap
A lot has changed in the last year for the Hollywood trades. A year ago, Variety began a series of lay-offs (several years after the THR started trimming staff), including me. Long-time editor Peter Bart moved to being a columnist/blogger, while Tim Gray took over his post. Also a year ago, ex-Variety exec Jennifer Wilhelmi Sargent and ex-lat staffer Gregory Ellwood founded Hitfix. And ex-nyt reporter Sharon Waxman launched online trade The Wrap. Changes continued at Variety. Reed Business CEO Tad Smith left, as well as a series of well-paid Variety editors (Michael Speier, Kathy Lyford and Phil Gallo), while Lat veteran Leo Wolinsky came in to run the Daily. And Variety publisher Neil Stiles, questioning the paper's future, finally moved the beleaguered trade toward ...
- 2/4/2010
- Thompson on Hollywood
On his enduring catalog, the Internet business model and a proposed jukebox musical.
By Phil Gallo
The first Daryl Hall & John Oates box set will be released Oct. 6, a four-cd set that starts with Hall’s work in the Temptones in 1966 and chronicles the entire 37-year recording career of the biggest-selling pop duo in history.
The duo continues to tour the world and will appear in Los Angeles on Sept. 2 at the Nokia Theater.
In the last 18 months, Daryl Hall has developed and produced a unique performance-based show on his Web site, Livefromdarylshouse.com that partners Hall with guest singers...
By Phil Gallo
The first Daryl Hall & John Oates box set will be released Oct. 6, a four-cd set that starts with Hall’s work in the Temptones in 1966 and chronicles the entire 37-year recording career of the biggest-selling pop duo in history.
The duo continues to tour the world and will appear in Los Angeles on Sept. 2 at the Nokia Theater.
In the last 18 months, Daryl Hall has developed and produced a unique performance-based show on his Web site, Livefromdarylshouse.com that partners Hall with guest singers...
- 8/30/2009
- by Michael Speier
- The Wrap
Writer/director Gregory Lamberson announced that shooting has been completed on his new sequel Slime City Massacre, and sent along some exclusive photos (see ’em below). The movie, which shot for 19 days on assorted Buffalo, NY locations, follows survivors of a dirty bomb attack on Manhattan as they become the victims of an elixir that turns them into gooey creatures possessed by the spirits of long-dead cultists.
“Despite our low budget, this was the biggest film I’ve ever worked on,” says Lamberson of Massacre, which stars Jennifer Bihl, Kealan Patrick Burke, Fangoria Radio’s Debbie Rochon, Lee Perkins, Brooke Lewis, Tommy Sweeney, Roy Frumkes, Eric Mache, original Slime City lead Robert C. Sabin and Lloyd Kaufman. “We had four characters who become Slime Heads, five who were mercenaries, eight who were cannibals and 50 homeless people. My director of photography, Chris Santucci, did some amazing shots and the entire cast performed beyond my wildest expectations.
“Despite our low budget, this was the biggest film I’ve ever worked on,” says Lamberson of Massacre, which stars Jennifer Bihl, Kealan Patrick Burke, Fangoria Radio’s Debbie Rochon, Lee Perkins, Brooke Lewis, Tommy Sweeney, Roy Frumkes, Eric Mache, original Slime City lead Robert C. Sabin and Lloyd Kaufman. “We had four characters who become Slime Heads, five who were mercenaries, eight who were cannibals and 50 homeless people. My director of photography, Chris Santucci, did some amazing shots and the entire cast performed beyond my wildest expectations.
- 8/6/2009
- by no-reply@fangoria.com (Michael Gingold)
- Fangoria
We've been following the progress of Greg Lamberson’s Slime City Massacre fairly closely, and today we got word that filming of the indie flick has wrapped after a 19-day shoot at various locations in Buffalo, New York, including an abandoned postal facility adjacent to the dormant Central Terminal Station. In addition, Lee Perkins, who plays Mason, has provided with the first look at his character, both pre- and post-sliming.
Along with Perkins, the film stars Jennifer Bihl, horror author Kealan Patrick Burke, Debbie Rochon, and Slime City veterans Robert C. Sabin, Mary Bogle, T.J. Merrick, and Dick Biel. Brooke Lewis and Tommy Sweeney provide additional support.
“Despite our budget, this was the biggest film I’ve ever worked on,” says Lamberson. “We had four characters who become Slime Heads, five who are mercenaries, eight who are cannibals, and fifty homeless people. My director of photography, Chris Santucci, did some amazing shots,...
Along with Perkins, the film stars Jennifer Bihl, horror author Kealan Patrick Burke, Debbie Rochon, and Slime City veterans Robert C. Sabin, Mary Bogle, T.J. Merrick, and Dick Biel. Brooke Lewis and Tommy Sweeney provide additional support.
“Despite our budget, this was the biggest film I’ve ever worked on,” says Lamberson. “We had four characters who become Slime Heads, five who are mercenaries, eight who are cannibals, and fifty homeless people. My director of photography, Chris Santucci, did some amazing shots,...
- 8/3/2009
- by The Woman In Black
- DreadCentral.com
Album sales for the first half of 2009 are down 15% from the same period in 2008.
By Phil Gallo
The music industry's turbulent ride in the digital age continues to get bumpier with mostly cloudy skies ahead.
Overall album sales continue to dip in the double digits while the number of singles being sold -- generally at less than a dollar apiece -- are not sufficient to replace the lost revenue brought in by albums.
Not only is the industry failing to create new stars, the hottest commodities in music right now are the songs of Michael Jackson.
And with a summer largely devoid of superstar releases -- Daughtry's second album and Whitney ...
By Phil Gallo
The music industry's turbulent ride in the digital age continues to get bumpier with mostly cloudy skies ahead.
Overall album sales continue to dip in the double digits while the number of singles being sold -- generally at less than a dollar apiece -- are not sufficient to replace the lost revenue brought in by albums.
Not only is the industry failing to create new stars, the hottest commodities in music right now are the songs of Michael Jackson.
And with a summer largely devoid of superstar releases -- Daughtry's second album and Whitney ...
- 7/6/2009
- by Michael Speier
- The Wrap
Two compilation albums, "Thriller" land In top spots; almost 3 million digital tracks sold in U.S. alone.
By Phil Gallo
Michael Jackson had the three biggest selling albums in the country last week, but due to Billboard's rules regarding older items he will not appear on the top 200, only the comprehensive and pop catalog charts.
The compilation albums "Number Ones" and "Essential" took the top two slots on sales of 108,000 and 102,000 copies each, according to Nielsen SoundScan figures for the week that ended Sunday.
"Thriller" was third...
By Phil Gallo
Michael Jackson had the three biggest selling albums in the country last week, but due to Billboard's rules regarding older items he will not appear on the top 200, only the comprehensive and pop catalog charts.
The compilation albums "Number Ones" and "Essential" took the top two slots on sales of 108,000 and 102,000 copies each, according to Nielsen SoundScan figures for the week that ended Sunday.
"Thriller" was third...
- 7/2/2009
- by Michael Speier
- The Wrap
By Friday morning, 40 Jackson tracks were in the top 100 at iTunes, five in the top 10, and he had the top seven downloaded albums.
By Phil Gallo
Just four hours after the announcement of his death, Jackson had the number-one slot on the album download chart at Apple's iTunes store, "The Essential Michael Jackson."
By Friday morning, 40 Jackson tracks were in the top 100, five of which were in the top 10, with "Man in the Mirror" and "Thriller" leading the way. The top seven downloaded albums were from Jackson, led by Sony Music's "The Essential Michael Jackson" at number one and "Thriller" at number two.
<img width="275" vspace="14" hspace="15" h...
By Phil Gallo
Just four hours after the announcement of his death, Jackson had the number-one slot on the album download chart at Apple's iTunes store, "The Essential Michael Jackson."
By Friday morning, 40 Jackson tracks were in the top 100, five of which were in the top 10, with "Man in the Mirror" and "Thriller" leading the way. The top seven downloaded albums were from Jackson, led by Sony Music's "The Essential Michael Jackson" at number one and "Thriller" at number two.
<img width="275" vspace="14" hspace="15" h...
- 6/26/2009
- by Michael Speier
- The Wrap
"All You Need Is Love" will be first downloadable single released.
By Phil Gallo
"All You Need Is Love" will be the first Beatles song to be released as a download, and “Abbey Road” is scheduled to be the first Beatles album to be released digitally.
The song that first appeared in the U.S. on 1967’s “Magical Mystery Tour” will be released on Sept. 9 exclusively to Xbox 360 users in conjunction with “The Beatles: Rock Band” game. Proceeds from the sale of the single will benefit Doctors Without Borders.
Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and the widows of John Lennon and George Harris...
By Phil Gallo
"All You Need Is Love" will be the first Beatles song to be released as a download, and “Abbey Road” is scheduled to be the first Beatles album to be released digitally.
The song that first appeared in the U.S. on 1967’s “Magical Mystery Tour” will be released on Sept. 9 exclusively to Xbox 360 users in conjunction with “The Beatles: Rock Band” game. Proceeds from the sale of the single will benefit Doctors Without Borders.
Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and the widows of John Lennon and George Harris...
- 6/1/2009
- by Michael Speier
- The Wrap
By Labor Day, 26 new reality shows will have premiered on network and cable television.
By Phil Gallo
The networks are in the midst of unveiling their high-profile new series at the upfront presentations in New York, but for summer, they're heavily arming themselves with reality.
By Labor Day, 26 new reality shows will have premiered on network and cable television, and another 20 shows that fit the reality/game show definition will have returned.
And overall, it’s a cuddly summer: The shows are ones that families and advertisers can cozy up to, even among the dramas debuting between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
CBS is sticking to its time-tested summ...
By Phil Gallo
The networks are in the midst of unveiling their high-profile new series at the upfront presentations in New York, but for summer, they're heavily arming themselves with reality.
By Labor Day, 26 new reality shows will have premiered on network and cable television, and another 20 shows that fit the reality/game show definition will have returned.
And overall, it’s a cuddly summer: The shows are ones that families and advertisers can cozy up to, even among the dramas debuting between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
CBS is sticking to its time-tested summ...
- 5/18/2009
- by Michael Speier
- The Wrap
The masters of '70s R&B on what has been called a "creative rampage."
By Phil Gallo
Songwriters, producers and entrepreneurs Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff set a message of love and togetherness to lushly orchestrated ballads and dance tunes to create the Philly Soul sound of the 1970s. Their Philadelphia International Records grabbed the baton from Motown and Stax in 1971 and quickly commandeering the pop and R&B charts with records by the O’Jays, the Spinners, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, Jerry Butler, Lou Rawls and Billy Paul.
<img width="275" vspace="15" hspace="15" height="228" align="left" alt="" s...
By Phil Gallo
Songwriters, producers and entrepreneurs Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff set a message of love and togetherness to lushly orchestrated ballads and dance tunes to create the Philly Soul sound of the 1970s. Their Philadelphia International Records grabbed the baton from Motown and Stax in 1971 and quickly commandeering the pop and R&B charts with records by the O’Jays, the Spinners, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, Jerry Butler, Lou Rawls and Billy Paul.
<img width="275" vspace="15" hspace="15" height="228" align="left" alt="" s...
- 5/15/2009
- by Lew Harris
- The Wrap
"Yusuf" merges his past with his present in a by-invitation-only concert in Los Angeles.
By Phil Gallo
The marquee outside Wilshire Boulevard’s El Rey Theater read, “Yusuf the Roadsinger World Tour,” above a more crucial second line of “Cat Stevens.”
Yes, the sign included quote marks around the name of a man who had not appeared on a Los Angeles stage in 33 years -- giving the sagely ‘70s troubadour not only second billing, but the implication that it was not completely the guy everyone remembers.
Yusuf, born Steven Geoirgiou 60 years ago, had no problem or issues to returning to his Cat Stevens skin on Monday at this invite-only co...
By Phil Gallo
The marquee outside Wilshire Boulevard’s El Rey Theater read, “Yusuf the Roadsinger World Tour,” above a more crucial second line of “Cat Stevens.”
Yes, the sign included quote marks around the name of a man who had not appeared on a Los Angeles stage in 33 years -- giving the sagely ‘70s troubadour not only second billing, but the implication that it was not completely the guy everyone remembers.
Yusuf, born Steven Geoirgiou 60 years ago, had no problem or issues to returning to his Cat Stevens skin on Monday at this invite-only co...
- 5/12/2009
- by Lew Harris
- The Wrap
By Phil Gallo
The Hollywood approach has rarely worked in baseball.
Teams need to get fans to form an allegiance with the team for years to come. Focusing on a single player only works in the here-and-now. And the string of what-ifs -- injuries, trade, free agency, a significant slump -- make marketing a team based on a single player or two too risky.
Several seasons back, the Los Angeles Dodgers made the point that it was a team effort by hanging enormous murals of players outside the stadium. They picked players from the April roster who, by mid-summe...
The Hollywood approach has rarely worked in baseball.
Teams need to get fans to form an allegiance with the team for years to come. Focusing on a single player only works in the here-and-now. And the string of what-ifs -- injuries, trade, free agency, a significant slump -- make marketing a team based on a single player or two too risky.
Several seasons back, the Los Angeles Dodgers made the point that it was a team effort by hanging enormous murals of players outside the stadium. They picked players from the April roster who, by mid-summe...
- 5/10/2009
- by Michael Speier
- The Wrap
By Phil Gallo
Steve Wynn, an architect of modern Las Vegas who is now chairman and chief executive at Wynn Resorts Ltd., has never relied on superstar concert attractions.
He actually attempted to take something of a high road -- installing an art museum that eventually shuttered and by mounting Broadway shows at the Wynn, a plan that was abandoned in July when "Spamalot" closed after a six-month run.
The global recession, Wynn said Tuesday at the Milken Institute Global Conference, had driven revenue down nearly 20 percent.
Visitors are spending less and room...
Steve Wynn, an architect of modern Las Vegas who is now chairman and chief executive at Wynn Resorts Ltd., has never relied on superstar concert attractions.
He actually attempted to take something of a high road -- installing an art museum that eventually shuttered and by mounting Broadway shows at the Wynn, a plan that was abandoned in July when "Spamalot" closed after a six-month run.
The global recession, Wynn said Tuesday at the Milken Institute Global Conference, had driven revenue down nearly 20 percent.
Visitors are spending less and room...
- 4/30/2009
- by Sharon Waxman
- The Wrap
Big-name performers, once a goldmine, are losing their luster -- and ticket sales.
By Phil Gallo
"Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" could be a theme for the Las Vegas strip for years to come, although Elton John will no longer be singing it.
What was seen as a path paved in gold -- the pop star with decades of hits performing 50-plus shows per year -- is starting to crap out at the casinos.
Downscaling in ticket prices, expectations and the number of shows booked is emerging as a new model for 2009.
Elton packed up his red piano and bolted last week after delivering 241 performances over the course of five years at the Coliseum inside Caesars ...
By Phil Gallo
"Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" could be a theme for the Las Vegas strip for years to come, although Elton John will no longer be singing it.
What was seen as a path paved in gold -- the pop star with decades of hits performing 50-plus shows per year -- is starting to crap out at the casinos.
Downscaling in ticket prices, expectations and the number of shows booked is emerging as a new model for 2009.
Elton packed up his red piano and bolted last week after delivering 241 performances over the course of five years at the Coliseum inside Caesars ...
- 4/29/2009
- by Michael Speier
- The Wrap
Citing the sour economy, Reed Business will lay off 30 staffers at publications including Daily Variety, officials said Monday.
Pink slips were delivered to editorial, corporate and sales staff in Los Angeles. Affected publications also included Video Business, 411 and Trade Show Week.
"We continue to have confidence in the long-term growth of our businesses, but the economic realities of the moment call for a degree of belt-tightening," Variety publisher Neil Stiles said in an article posted on Variety.com.
Reed didn't offer any names of those laid off, nor did the company indicate when the layoffs will take effect. Internet reports suggested the cuts went as high as associate editor Phil Gallo, who specialized in music coverage, and deputy online editor Anne Thompson, who posted notice of her departure on a film blog.
Pink slips were delivered to editorial, corporate and sales staff in Los Angeles. Affected publications also included Video Business, 411 and Trade Show Week.
"We continue to have confidence in the long-term growth of our businesses, but the economic realities of the moment call for a degree of belt-tightening," Variety publisher Neil Stiles said in an article posted on Variety.com.
Reed didn't offer any names of those laid off, nor did the company indicate when the layoffs will take effect. Internet reports suggested the cuts went as high as associate editor Phil Gallo, who specialized in music coverage, and deputy online editor Anne Thompson, who posted notice of her departure on a film blog.
- 1/26/2009
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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