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The Glorious Corner

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6 years ago

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G.H. Harding

Graham Nash

LAUREL CANYON DEBUTS MAY 31 — (via Best Classic Bands) – The two-part documentary series, Laurel Canyon, will premiere this month, May 31, on EPIX. As the riveting film unfolds, it explores the lives and evolution of the musicians – the Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, the Mamas and the Papas, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Joni Mitchell, Linda Ronstadt, the Doors, Jackson Browne, Eagles, and many more – who inhabited that unique part of the Los Angeles music scene. Through rare and newly unearthed footage and audio recordings, the documentary features an intimate portrait of the artists who created a music revolution of the 60’s and 70’s that would change popular culture.

Alison Ellwood (History of the Eagles) directed it. Part one will premiere May 31 at 10 p.m. on EPIX. Part two airs one week later, on June 7.

One of the film’s frequent interview subjects is the well-known photographer, Henry Diltz, who became close with many of the era’s stars and documented it with countless images, scores of which are used in the film to great effect. He shares, in significant detail, his first-hand accounts of the artists he befriended and the iconic events he documented.

Early in the film, Diltz says, “I made a list of everyone I could think of that I photographed in Laurel Canyon,” as his shots of such figures as Mama Cass, Micky Dolenz, Jackson Browne, David Crosby, and more, are shown. “Lot of people.”

The producers also crowd-sourced fans’ personal film footage, photos and other materials that feature artists in the Canyon, the Sunset Strip and other area locales.

Laurel Canyon features all-new, original interviews with many of the legendary artists. It all unfolds beautifully, taking the viewer back to that fertile music scene.

“We were at the very center of this bubble of creativity and friendship,” says Graham Nash.

Frank Zappa

“[My home] turned out to be a gathering place,” says Dolenz. “We began to throw these soirees along with a ping-pong tournament. Up the street were the Turtles. Zappa was a little further down. It was a very small community of musicians and long-haired weirdos.”

The enclave and its unique geography were also part of what made it special. “It was so magical,” says Chris Hillman, who moved there in 1965. “Literally within four or five minutes you could be down on the Sunset Strip into Hollywood.”

“Once you got above 20 or 30 of us living there,” says his Byrds bandmate, David Crosby, “it was kind of a community. We would go around and visit one another quite a bit.”

The film pinpoints many moments that changed the face of popular music.

Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan, on stage with the Byrds, at Ciro’s in West Hollywood, March 26, 1965.

When the Byrds drastically reinterpreted Bob Dylan’s acoustic “Mr. Tambourine Man” in 1965, with a much richer version, filled with harmonies and jangly guitar, the public embraced the song, sending it to #1 on the Hot 100.

“[Dylan] loved what we did,” says Hillman.

The Byrds were regulars at Ciro’s, a nightclub in West Hollywood. Roger McGuinn recalls, “I remember Bob came and said, ‘Wow, you can dance to it!’ He got on stage with us.”

“The next day,” says Crosby, “everyone in town was talking about us. All of a sudden, people were lining up. It was every kid’s dream.”

“When I heard that electric version of this song, it inspired me to go to California to start a band,” says Richie Furay.

Soon, he would form Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills, Neil Young, Bruce Palmer and Dewey Martin.

“We were creative people,” says Furay. “We were young. We were ambitious. The spectrum we covered was incredible.”

Much of the community’s musical output is featured in some marvelous footage and through the neighborhood’s legendary soundtrack: The Turtles’ “Happy Together,” the Mamas and the Papas’ “Creeque Alley,” and, the Doors’ “Break on Through.”

Interviews with Furay, the Monkees’ Dolenz and Mike Nesmith, and Stills himself, explain the genesis of the latter’s “For What It’s Worth,” which stemmed from the clashes between teenagers on the Sunset Strip and police, that took place in 1966. “I get home, pick up an acoustic guitar, and all of a sudden it turns into a song,” says Stills.

Buffalo Springfield’s recording became the band’s biggest hit and an anthem that still resonates.

When they performed the song at 1967’s Monterey Pop festival, they were joined on stage by David Crosby (but minus Neil Young). Watch them get introduced by Stills’ close friend, Peter Tork

“It didn’t bother me that much at the time,” says Croz’s bandmate, Chris Hillman. Several months later, though, Crosby and the Byrds parted ways.

Later that year, Crosby was selected to produce the debut album from a new singer-songwriter, known to everyone by her middle name, Joan.

Within two years, the performer, now known professionally as Joni Mitchell, was a significant star, and had settled into a bungalow in Laurel Canyon.

Diltz was hired by her management to photograph her for the 1970 album, Ladies of the Canyon. As he approached her house with his partner, Gary Burden, “[Joni] was leaning in the window waiting for us. Luckily Gary got into a conversation with her which allowed me… to just keep clicking away while she was talking.” The landmark LP included “The Circle Game,” “Big Yellow Taxi,” and “Woodstock.”

One of the pivotal figures in the Laurel Canyon landscape and in the documentary is Cass Elliot. “She saw herself as a hip Barbra Streisand,” says Michelle Phillips of the Mamas & the Papas. “Her house was at the center of everything, open twenty four hours a day [with] a very wide circle of friends.”

“Cass loved introducing people,” Henry Diltz adds. “She was always on TV programs. Once it was Cream and she invited Eric Clapton to her home. She called me and said ‘I’m having some friends over. Come on up.’ David Crosby brought Joni and said to her, ‘Play us a tune,’ so she sang the entire album!

“Clapton was staring at her fingers. This legendary guitarist had never seen that [style of playing] before!”

Part two of the documentary includes extended segments on historic events that unfolded in 1969 and 1970 that took place well beyond the scope of what was going on in Laurel Canyon. Two occurred within weeks of each other in August 1969: the murders by the Manson family, and Woodstock.

“We were in this beautiful bubble,” says Graham Nash. “Those murders put a pin right in that bubble and it exploded. It was too close, too real.”

“Suddenly, hippies were not harmless anymore,” says Alice Cooper.

At the time, Diltz was already in Bethel, New York, preparing to shoot the 1969 Woodstock Music & Art Fair. “My friend, Chip Monck [the lighting designer who would double as the festival’s primary PA announcer] introduced me to Michael Lang. He sent me a round-trip plane ticket on TWA and $500 to shoot the festival.

“I had the Golden Pass from the producer and stayed on stage with the best seat in the house.”

Part two also introduces us to several members of the so-called “second generation” of Laurel Canyon musicians including Linda Ronstadt.

“Frank Sinatra never wrote any songs. Elvis Presley never wrote any songs. Neither did Linda,” says Diltz. “But she had the knack for picking out, instinctively, what songs were going to be good for her.”

She had recorded the 1967 hit, “Different Drum,” with her band the Stone Poneys. Diltz adds, “She was on the scene, one of the gang. No airs. We all loved her.” He recalls another unique quality. “She was always barefoot. Even on stage.”

As a solo artist, her first singles stalled on the chart. That all changed with her cover of “You’re No Good,” which reached #1 in 1975.

“Every songwriter wanted to get something to her,” says her early producer and manager, John Boylan. “She took over those songs.”

Jackson Browne was another prominent member of the “second wave.”

“I was writing songs and playing open mic night at the Troubadour,” he says. Browne was introduced to the artist management team of David Geffen and Elliot Roberts. “We knew songs, and we knew artists. But we couldn’t get a deal for Jackson,” says Roberts. “No one wanted him. So we started our own [label, Asylum Records] for artists that we think are great.”

Browne’s debut album and lead single, “Doctor My Eyes,” became big successes when they were released in 1972. “Jackson was a mentor to all of us because he had broken through first,” says one of his friends, a singing drummer. “We all aspired to write like that.”

His voice and his words and his melodies,” Diltz tells us. “That plaintive, yearning voice. It just kills me.”

When Glenn Frey and J.D. Souther dissolved their group, Longbranch Pennywhistle, Frey took advantage of an offer from Ronstadt to join her touring band. “I told Glenn he was a hotshot and he was going to do something someday,” she says.

At around the same time, she and Boylan saw a band called Shiloh perform. Impressed with their singing drummer, they invited Don Henley to audition for her band. The two new members discovered they were kindred spirits.

“[Glenn] had this very detailed plan of this band he wanted to start,” says Henley. “After we got back from Linda’s tour, we started the recruitment process.” The pair were soon joined by Bernie Leadon and Randy Meisner to form the Eagles.

The first single from their 1972 self-titled album was “Take it Easy,” a song that Browne had been unable to finish. Frey presented some initial suggestions and the pair collaborated on completing the lyrics.

With three hit singles, the Eagles debut was a big success. They followed it up with a concept album centered around the Old West, which lacked a pop hit. Enter Ronstadt, who recorded one of the album’s Henley-Frey compositions for her own 1973 LP.

“‘Desperado’ wasn’t a hit for us until Linda recorded it,” says Henley. “She gave it wings.” It became one of the band’s signature songs.

“The whole California country rock thing exploded with Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Poco, Linda, Jackson Browne, and the Flying Burrito Brothers,” says Boylan. “But the Eagles took that to the next level. It was the dominant musical format of the 70’s in this country.”

The series is not associated with 2019’s documentary Echo in the Canyon, which took a different approach to explore the same, fertile 60’s music scene. Music fans will find Laurel Canyon to be worth the wait.

I’ve seen the entire program and really enjoyed it. The Echos In The Canyon docu completely missed Joni Mitrchell, which to me was a crucial error. How could you do a documentary about Laurel Canyon and leave out Joni?

Part one perfectly gets the essence. Dolenz lived up the canyon from Frank Zappa (who definitely deserved a lot  more screen time) and next to Alice Cooper. Me, I would have loved to have heard more about that! Like how Dolenz was asked to join Zappa’s Mothers Of Invention, or how Alice used to babysit for Dolenz’s daughter.

Part two is a bit more Eagles-driven, but is a strong presentation. Must-see viewing for sure. Watch the trailer here

SHORT TAKES — Brilliant article from Deadline’s Pete Hammond on the future of live premieres and events. Read it here: https://deadline.com/2020/05/premieres-red-carpets-oscar-emmy-campaigning-new-normal-1202941922/ … Bob Dylan turned 79 Sunday. On the even of his first new album in years (Rough And Rowdy Ways) our colleague Roger Friedman gave a wonderful tribute to a rare 1969 gospel album he did with Merry Clayton. Check out here: https://www.showbiz411.com/2020/05/24/happy-79th-birthday-bob-dylan-flashback-to-a-rare-1969-gospel-album-of-dylan-songs-featuring-the-great-merry-clayton … And, I personally had my first night out – dinner with 2 friends – in weeks! Amazing night for sure!

NAMES IN THE NEWS — Roger Chasteen; Dave Marken; Keith Barrow; Heather Moore; Tom & Lisa Cuddy; Randy Alexander; Keith Sherman; Pete Hammond; Bob Hartz; Victor Kastel; Marsha Stern; and, CHIP!

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G. H. Harding is a four decades insider to the entertainment world. He’s worked for record companies; movie companies; video-production He’s worked for record companies; movie companies; video-production companies and several cable outlets. His anonymity is essential in bringing an unbiased view to his writings on pop culture. He is based in NYC.

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The Glorious Corner

Published

14 hours ago

on

October 15, 2026

By

G.H. Harding

MACCA SPEAKS, AGAIN — Paul McCartney’s promotional efforts for his latest album The Boys of Dungeon Lane, has been really remarkable. Between his efforts and the PR for the Michael Douglas and Sylvester Stallone memoirs, it’s been quite the fall so far. Even though Todd Rundgren in his now infamous interview in Vulture, claimed that “McCartney would go to a mall opening,” but I think what he’s done has been really good.

Credit manager Scott Rodger for the spirited jaunt.

Amy Poehler

But today I heard today what unquestionably must be one of the best interviews he’s ever done and that’s the Good Hang podcast with Amy Poehler.

I never been a huge fan of Poehler, but I must say, her efforts on this really knocked me out, as she covered everything from John, George and Ringo to Linda and got McCartney to talk a lot about his kids. Even 2009’s Nowhere Boy and the forthcoming Sam Mendes movies were referenced. It was McCartney, in a totally different light … a reflective and relaxed light for sure.

I know it seems like everyone and their mother has a podcast right now, but this one was extra-special.

I was knocked out. Take a listen

X FILES — (Via Deadline) Ryan Coogler’s long-gestating The X-Files reboot starring Emmy nominee Himesh Patel (The Odyssey, Station Eleven) and Danielle Deadwyler (The Bell Jar, The Chaperones), has been ordered to series at Hulu.

From Onyx Collective and 20th Television, the reimagining of Chris Carter’s classic series follows two highly decorated but vastly different FBI agents, played by Deadwyler and Patel, who form an unlikely bond when they are assigned to a long-shuttered division devoted to cases involving unexplained phenomena.

Sinners filmmaker Coogler wrote, directed and executive produced the pilot.

Like the Miami Vice reboot, currently in production, I don’t see it as a success. I mean, how can you do the X-Files with Mulder or scully? But we’ll see.

Crustacean

SHORT TAKES — One of my favorite restaurants in LA is closing, Crustacean on Bedford Drive in Beverly Hills. Fish-centric, but just a great, great spot. Been going for a decade. Very sad … Whatever happened to a follow-up date for John Cafferty at NYC’s Cutting Room? We’d love to see him there again … SIGHTING: PR-pasha David Salidor at Din in Brooklyn Heights … Sad to read about Mike Love’s recent health struggles. Here’s hoping for all the best … Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed will be back for another go-round. Apple TV announced Wednesday that it has renewed the dark comedy thriller for a second season. A writers room is underway, we hear, with Season 2 production slated for the first half of 2027. Starring Emmy winner Tatiana Maslany …There’s another trailer for the Blade Runner series on Prime. Take a peak:

Bruce Morrow

Happy 91 to radio’s Cousin Bruce Morrow. An icon for sure!

NAMES IN THE NEWS — Daryl Hall; Raspin Stuwart; Roy Trakin; John Hughes; Lorne Michaels; Robert Funaro; Ken Sharp; John Sykes; Tom & Lisa Cuddy; Sharon Bush; Anthony Pomes; Chris Carter; Max Sabrin; Michael Domino; Harrison Jordan; Steve Leeds; Steve Walter; Moe Kaplan; Dianna O’Neill; Jacqueline Boyd; Judy Kaufman; Chuck Pulin; Bob Gruen; Markos Papadatos; and CHIP!

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The Glorious Corner

Published

3 days ago

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October 13, 2026

By

G.H. Harding

VICE 2028 — When Michael Mann tried to reboot his series Miami Vice in 2006, it was a commercial and critical disappointment. Miami Vice 85, the latest reboot, is well underway with a most impressive cast, including Austin Butler and Michael B. Jordan as the series lead characters Crockett and Tubbs.

Austin Butler and Michael B. Jordan

When Vice first hit TV screens in September of 1984, audiences had rarely seen anything as ambitious or creative. Mann -and Anthony (Buffalo Club) Yerkovich- hit on something new for the small screen. NBC’s head-honcho at the time Brandon Tartikoff, called them “MTV cops.”

Anthony Yerkovich

MTV was approaching its peak (27 million households) and this TV-show captured not only that, but both the angst and joy of the go-go 80s.

It propelled Don Johnson to mega-stardom, as well as Philip Michael Thomas. The two even recorded albums, which were not bad, but never fully realized.

One major key to the show’s success was the endless streaming of hit music -from Phil Collins; Dire Straits; Steve Jones; to INXS on down. This was before music supervisors came into play and it was often the label’s PR-people that propelled songs and artists to major success. The show also employed various music stars (like Collins and Franz Zappa) as guests stars and often, they were great. Zappa, as a cool-drug merchant on a yacht was great.

PR-man David Salidor was handling PR for The Funhouse, one of the key-clubs of the time, and remembers bringing producer Michael Attanasio down to the club. “They wanted something authentic and since they were going to be shooting in NY for the second season, the club was a perfect fit.”

I was a fan and remain a fan, and even when I watched the episodes now, they’re a bit dated, buy the symbiosis of what’s on the screen and the music remain pretty outstanding.

I honesty doubt whether Mann can do it again, but interest remains high … very high. See you in 2028 Miami Vice!

Read more here: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/miami-vice-85-austin-butler-michael-b-jordan-1236727734/

And here’s a great take from Yerkovich on the creation: https://intelligentcollector.com/miami-vice-creator-anthony-yerkovich-on-the-style-packed-pilot-that-changed-tv-forever/

SHORT TAKES — I watched the 1998 movie Deep Impact over the weekend and the basic plot was an asteroid was about the hit the Earth and one of the plans President Morgan Freeman came up with was to build immense silos in the mountains. Sounds a tad like the TV-showParadise, right? Amazing …

Sheryl Crow

Sheryl Crow says she’s losing major money on her new album. Interetsing article from Female First. Take a read: https://www.femalefirst.co.uk/music/musicnews/sheryl-crow-says-losing-ton-money-latest-album-reflects-fame-cancer-ageing-radio-1451871.html … Great interview on Rory Kennedy’s The Trial of Alec Baldwin. Check it out: https://deadline.com/2026/10/the-trial-of-alec-baldwin-director-rory-kennedy-interview-1237154646/ … Happy Bday Daryl Hall.

NAMES IN THE NEWS — Bill Maher; Chuck LaBella; David Bowie; Steve Walter; Frank Ucciardo; Thomas Jay; Mark Biggs; Tugg Putt; Tom & Lisa Cuddy; Race Taylor; Chuck Nolan; Bill Evans; Dan Zelinski; David Foster; Michael Hutchinson; Walter Egan; Bill McCuddy; Eppy; Joe Lynch; Linda Wnek; and ZIGGY!

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Dexter Has Never Looked So Good: PaleyFest NY Celebrates 20 Years of Television’s Favorite Serial Killer

Published

5 days ago

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October 11, 2026

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Jack Alcott, Kadia Saraf, Marcos Siega, Clyde Phillips, Michael C. Hall, James Remar, Uma Thurman, Bokeem Woodbine, and Scott Reynolds attend Dexter: Resurrection & 20th Anniversary of Dexter at PaleyFest NY at The Paley Museum in New York City on October 9.

Dexter Cast and EPs_Panel

Michael C. Hall, Uma Thurman and the cast of Dexter: Resurrection bring a little delicious darkness to The Paley Center for Media.

Michael C. Hall

Twenty years, countless victims and more lives than the proverbial cat. Television’s most compelling serial killer is still making audiences root for the man they should probably be running from. On Friday evening, The Paley Center for Media embraced the darker side of television with a sold-out PaleyFest NY celebration marking the 20th anniversary of Dexter and offering a tantalizing look at the second season of Dexter: Resurrection.

Uma Thurman

The evening, presented with support from Citi, brought a decidedly glamorous collection of television’s morally compromised to the red carpet. Michael C. Hall, the man who made Dexter Morgan an unlikely cultural icon, was joined by Uma Thurman, James Remar, Jack Alcott, Bokeem Woodbine and Kadia Saraf, along with showrunner Clyde Phillips and executive producers Scott Reynolds and Marcos Siega.

EPs_Marcos Siega_Michael C. Hall_Clyde Phillips_Scott Reynolds

Inside the Bennack Theater, fans were treated to an advance screening of the Dexter: Resurrection Season 2 premiere, followed by a conversation moderated by Deadline Associate TV Editor Rosy Cordero. The celebration was also part of a milestone year for PaleyFest NY, which introduced the inaugural PaleyFest Award, recognizing excellence in media and entertainment among its participating programs.

Bokeem Woodbine

For Hall, the enduring fascination with Dexter remains something of a surprise. “Twenty years later it’s mind blowing,” he admitted. “I had no anticipation it would be as broadly appealing.”

Jack Alcott

Yet the appeal is hardly mysterious. Dexter accomplished something few television series dare attempt: it invited audiences into the mind of a murderer and made them care about his survival. Beneath the blood, the carefully controlled rituals and the infamous code lies a character perpetually wrestling with identity, inheritance and the uncomfortable distance between what people are and what they pretend to be.

James Remar

Remar, who plays Dexter’s father Harry Morgan, offered a succinct explanation for the show’s longevity. “It’s complex but it’s believable,” he observed. “There’s a reason why we’re sitting here so fully engaged with these characters.”

Kadia Saraf

That complexity is no accident. Phillips acknowledged that the writers deliberately create seemingly impossible situations, explaining, “We paint ourselves into a corner on purpose.” The objective, naturally, is to keep viewers perpetually off balance. Woodbine credited the writing itself, noting that “what appeals to people is the level of intelligence of the script.”

While murder may provide the spectacle, family remains the franchise’s most intriguing psychological battlefield. Reynolds suggested that each season explores something fundamentally relatable, and Phillips revealed that the new chapter places particular emphasis on the father-son relationship between Dexter and Harrison.

Alcott, who portrays Harrison, sees a young man grappling with an inheritance considerably more disturbing than an awkward family resemblance. Harrison has “got a propensity for violence,” he explained. “He’s nowhere near his father, but there’s something there.”

It is a fascinating premise. Can a father’s darkness become a son’s destiny, or is recognizing that darkness the first opportunity to escape it? For a franchise built around a killer’s elaborate moral code, the question of what passes from one generation to the next feels especially appropriate.

The new season also promises complications for the characters surrounding Dexter. Woodbine hinted at unexplored dimensions of Captain Mixon, acknowledging a darkness within the character that he has yet to fully understand. Saraf, who portrays Detective Claudette Wallace, promised considerably heightened stakes and a season that would be both compelling and unexpectedly affecting.

Thurman, meanwhile, brings her formidable screen presence to Charley Brown, a woman whose conscience may prove as troublesome as her decisions. “Charley is burned by having a conscience and she’s made compromises that she thought she could square away,” she explained, describing the character as “exciting” and “morally ambiguous.”

Morally ambiguous, of course, might as well be the official dress code of the Dexter universe.

Hall offered an equally intriguing glimpse into his character’s evolution. When audiences first encounter Dexter in Resurrection, he explained, the character has recommitted himself to the code that has governed his actions for so long. Unfortunately, “that doesn’t prove to be enough.”

For a man who has spent two decades attempting to impose rules upon his darkest impulses, that admission suggests the most dangerous confrontation may not be with another killer, but with the limitations of his own carefully constructed morality.

There is also a new leading character in the franchise: New York City itself. Siega explained that the creative team wanted to embrace the city’s visual character, declaring there was no “better place to shoot.” With its shadowy streets, restless energy and endless possibilities for disappearing into a crowd, New York provides a particularly seductive playground for a character who has always depended upon remaining unnoticed.

What makes Dexter such an enduring television phenomenon is not simply its willingness to explore violence, but its understanding of the contradictions that make human beings fascinating. Its characters are capable of affection and brutality, loyalty and betrayal, conscience and calculated cruelty. The audience is continually asked to reconsider whom it trusts, whom it condemns and why.

Twenty years after Dexter Morgan first appeared on television, those questions remain disturbingly entertaining. The blood may be fictional, but the moral dilemmas have never been entirely comfortable.

Cordero concluded the evening by congratulating the team on its latest incarnation, apologizing in advance for the inevitable pun: “I’m sorry for the pun but, you’ve killed it.”

For once, nobody needed to investigate the confession.

And judging by the enthusiasm inside the Bennack Theater, Dexter Morgan’s next resurrection may be his most deliciously complicated yet.

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The Glorious Corner

Published

6 days ago

on

October 10, 2026

By

G.H. Harding

THE TRIAL OF ALEC BALDWIN — The wattage on Alec Baldwin has definitely simmered down. I saw him a few weeks back in the Hamptons, but other than that, he’s been under the radar. The film Rust, which interrupted everything is out; was minimally shown in May in about 115 theaters and was released on various on-demands. But the powers that be have kept it basically under wraps. Ironically, the few reviews I read noted how good it looked, rather than dwell on the tragic incidents that occurred.

Now, from documentarian-Rory Kennedy comes the film The Trial of Alec Baldwin. Both stories which I’ve posted below say the very first thing you see is a statement saying that Baldwin had no input into the making of the film. I haven’t seen it, but I think everything I need to know has always been disclosed.

Baldwin made himself a target and whatever did really happen; he was in the bulls-eye for certain. I’m sure I’ve relayed this story before, but I had an unfortunate incident with him, but several months later had a conversation with him, at his El Dorado Films, and he couldn’t have been more receptive. Acting? Who knows, but I was suitably charmed.

Don’t forgot, Baldwin is one hell of an actor. Check out his astonishing scene in Glengarry GlenRoss:

What happened was awful, but awful things happen every day, and the truth remains perhaps we’ll never know the truth.

ttps://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/the-trial-of-alec-baldwin-review-rory-kennedy-documentary-1236723653/

TCM LIVES — Turns out that so far there’s one golden-nugget from the Skydance takeover and that’s is the fact that the TCM channel will remain. Spielberg and Scorsese jumped onboard the channel a few years back and they’ll stay very much involved along with Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t watch everything on TCM, but more often than not they’ll have a gem on.

Clearly Ellison didn’t want tor rattle-the-cages too soon. I’m sure that will come, but just not now. Take a read from Deadline on the story: https://deadline.com/2026/10/turner-classic-movies-skydance-film-group-1237150281/

actor Michael Douglas promo image from his Netflix show The Komisky Method

SHORT TAKES — The Michael Douglas book PR-engine moves ever forward. I just checked Facebook and there were 3 postings from Douglas and his pub-company Grand Central Publishing. As I said last column, I think you can save $46.00 buying the book and just read and listen to everything that’s out. He did Diane Sawyer for ABC; The View; Morning Joe; Jimmy Kimmel; the 92 Street Y; CBS Sunday Morning; LA Times; andDeadline (where ghost-writer Mike Fleming, Jr. in an editor) … what else is left? Actually, as I was leaving my apartment I turned on the Today Show to see Catherine Zeta-Jones plugging her latest TV-movie (Killing Jackie)and she plainly said, she had no plans to read the book. Smart gal …

David Zaslav

David Zaslav, aka Zaz The Butcher, will receives about $600 million, for the Warner Bros sale.

Mandy Patinkin

Amazing …  (Via Deadline) Mandy Patinkin really digs Digger. In an effusive video message, posted soon after watching Digger in a theater, the Homeland star implored his followers to ignore the haters and watch Tom Cruise’s ecological disaster movie. Patinkin described Alejandro G. Iñárritu-directed Digger as an “instant classic” and said it was “one of the greatest pieces of film I have ever seen in my entire life.” “This is an incredible piece of work. It puts the heart and soul back into the cinema. Everything we all love about cinema, this is it. Please, please, please, run! Don’t walk, run, and see this film,” he continued. You just know, the tide will turn .. Just in: Pershing Square bar at Grand Central in NYC will close after 3 decades in business. Sad as it was a great spot to wait for Metro North! … Who hasn’t spent time in a good, old-fashioned diner? 200 have closed in the metropolitan area so far. Check out this article on them from the New York Post: https://nypost.com/2026/10/08/lifestyle/nycs-evolving-love-affair-with-diners-enters-a-new-era/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=nypost_trending&fbclid=IwY2xjawU15FlleHRuA2FlbQIxMABwZG9mBWJyaWQRMURwUUx2UHRmME9oT05xeTBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeDhyVr1Rp_BbBfebFdI2ovl87xm3BGk7uwgnerZv-kSYKIYz3gK6c5kDqN90_aem_az9ap3hQOvpiIueQ9aC-Vg

NAMES IN THE NEWS — Shane Salerno; Andrew Sandoval; Piper Smite; Tony King; John Hughes; Tony Seidel; Bruce Haring; Jane Blunkell; George Harrison; Mal Evans; Dan Zelinski; Steve Walter; Eppy; Tom & Lisa Cuddy; Peter Bart; Judd Bernard; Lush Ice; Chuck Taylor; Elizabeth Neff; and BELLA!

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The Glorious Corner

Published

1 week ago

on

October 8, 2026

By

G.H. Harding

EMMYS TO PRIME — As predicted, the 77-year-old Emmys have been jettisoned to Prime Video. That said, Prime Video had very little impact on the most recent show.

The recent show was good, but suffered from some of the worst writing I’d ever seen. Stephen Colbert boasting that his writers wrote for the show may have been a huge error in retrospect.

Don’t expect a host as marquee-level as Mariska Hargitay next year.

Check out the full story from Deadline:

https://deadline.com/2026/10/amazon-emmys-six-year-global-deal-1237147189/

Green Lantern

LANTERNS FINALE — HBO’s Lanterns finale aired Sunday and after 7 somewhat dismal and heavily re-written episodes from the original comic-lore, ended with a bang. If you’ve been following it as I have, I never, ever would have suspected that Kerry Kane (yes, related to Batgirl Kate Kane) killed Hal Jordan … or, did she?

Damon Lindelof, from Lost and The Leftovers wrote the script and as he has with everything he’s touched, put his rather remarkable stamp on it. Heavily re-written from what the original DC comic was, it enraged hard-core comic fans and delighted others with many pundits comparing the new narrative to what True Detective was like.

Kyle Chandler was great and it’d be awful to see him leave. That said, I don’t think there’s a chance in hell that HBO renews this show … but, anything can happen.

SHORT TAKES —- (via EW Weekly) Miley Cyrus’ new album has suffered a shocking fall from the top spot of the American charts. After debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 last week, the 33-year-old’s latest LP, Bass Persuades, tumbled 156 spots to land at No. 157 on the current chart. The fall is one of the biggest for a No. 1-debuting album in history, surpassed by that of one other act: Bon Jovi, whose album This House is Not For Sale plummeted from No. 1 to No. 169 in its second week of release …

Michael Douglas

I love the so-called surprises in Michael Douglas’ new memoir One Helluva Ride. But there’s been so many reveals, I’m not sure you even have to read the book. Believe me, I know full well what a successful book tour entails, but I can’t even imagine what’s he’s held back. For one of the best takes on the book, check this out from the Hollywood Reporter: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/michael-douglas-book-revelations-1236723340/?link_source=ta_first_comment&taid=6ac57d7ea871e000015a57ac&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwY2xjawUzD89leHRuA2FlbQIxMABwZG9mBWJyaWQRMVFmemc0d0JpZzcyT0dUb2lzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEe7fEet4cwDHjNBlS_APTaVxthMJu3K7ZAeIhpZ4R3iZdIPsnPnR08QOPKBt0_aem_cQKCov058dhIZU8gVtsnvg PR-pasha David Salidor had several Douglas-tales to tell when he worked for Douglas’ Third Stone Records, with Doug Morris, Ahmet Ertegun, and Douglas’s own PR-rep Allen Burry and he says they were all fun … From one of the best writers around,

Roy Trakin on Digger: Alejandro Iñarritu’s “Digger” is neither misunderstood masterpiece nor unmitigated disaster, but a white elephant of an art film that has echoes of “Dr. Strangelove” and “Synodoche, New York” and recalls George S. Kaufman’s famed quote about “satire closing on Saturday night.” Definitely worth seeing on a big screen for Tom Cruise’s over-the-top performance and monologue about our need for oil. Its dystopian corporate theme adds an extra layer of irony given the backdrop of Skydance’s birth, making it one of the final Warner Bros. movies before the merger with Paramount. I wasn’t bored, and at $7, it was a bargain … Guess Who Don’t Sue: What artist whose latest record is pressed on red vinyl is lobbying for a new artist-Grammy nomination? It’s funny when most Grammy-voters haven’t even been serviced nor heard the record as the artist’s team most likely didn’t even know that had to happen first … No big surprise Aerosmith is reuniting for a pair of shows at LA’s Hollywood Bowl. Tyler was great as an American Idol judge (seasons 10 and 11 with JLo and Randy Jackson), but I’m sure got very restless with the band somewhat retired … RIP Eva Marie Saint … Happy Bday Heather Moore.

NAMES IN THE NEWS — Al Roker; Sean Hayes; Debbie Gibson; Tom & Lisa Cuddy; Jane Blunkell; Jackie Romeo; David Adelson; Donald Johnson; Paul Morphos; Jim Yukich; Steve Leeds; Deborah Silver; Brad Balfour; Todd Sharp’ Daryl Hall; Ken Sharp; John Hughes; and CHIP!

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