My Publicist Note Book

With studio tentpoles becoming bigger and more extravagant, the budgets for Marvel’s Avengers movies are going through the roof. Once upon a time, a movie costing $100 million was considered a big deal. In 2007 when Titanic‘s budget topped $200 million, folks thought things were maybe getting out-of-hand. Nowadays $200 million is nothing for a big studio movie, and it’s not unheard-of for a film to top the $300 million mark. With special effects becoming more elaborate all the time, it doesn’t seem like studios are going to back off trying to pack their big-ticket movies with as much visual spectacle as possible, and that’s only going to cause budgets to keep ballooning. In the next few years,  Avengers: Infinity War  and its sequel are expected to shoot right past any previous budgetary high-water mark and set a new standard for spending. At last month’s African American Critics Association luncheon, Pinewood Atlanta Studios co-owner Dan Cathy cut loose with a ja...

Nearly 15 years after Jam Master Jay was murdered, the police has classified his case as a cold case NEW YORK (AP) — A mural of Run-DMC’s Jam Master Jay, his arms crossed in defiance, looms over the hallway of the Queens recording studio where he was shot to death 15 years ago. The memorial gives no hint of a disturbing footnote to the DJ’s tale of fame and misfortune: The killer, so far, has gotten away with it. New York City police detectives acknowledge that their investigation into the October 30, 2002, killing of the artist, whose given name was Jason Mizell, has gone cold. But some in the borough where Jam Master Jay, Joe “Run” Simmons and Darryl “DMC” McDaniels emerged as rap sensations in the 1980s hold out hope that witnesses could still come forward. “It’s not resolved to the legal eye, but the street always talks,” said Jeremy “JL” Lam, a friend of Jam Master Jay’s family and a partner in the latest version of the Queens studio. Family members, however, ...

Atlanta ’s eastern suburb is trying to entice film, television, music and digital entertainment productions out of the big city by starting a new entertainment commission. The new DeKalb County Georgia Entertainment Commission launched earlier this week with the goal of furthering the county’s film, television, music and digital entertainment industries. First on its agenda: an Oct. 21 entertainment expo event with panels, workshops and other resources on display. “The new DeKalb Entertainment Commission will be about making connections, building collaboration and creating amazing content,” said Andrew Greenberg, commission chairman. “It will be the economic engine that drives growth for our county across the entertainment industry, encouraging companies to locate here while creating jobs and spurring construction, development and overall industry growth.” He added: “The commission will be an important resource for DeKalb County as the entertainment indus...

25 SEMIFINALISTS ANNOUNCED FOR 2018 MUSIC EDUCATOR AWARD ™  PRESENTED BY THE RECORDING ACADEMY ™  AND THE GRAMMY MUSEUM ® RECIPIENT, FINALISTS, AND SEMIFINALISTS TO RECEIVE CASH HONORARIUMS, WITH GENEROUS SUPPORT AND RESOURCES PROVIDED BY THE GRAMMY MUSEUM ® 'S EDUCATION CHAMPION: FORD MOTOR COMPANY FUND    WHO: A total of 25 music teachers from 25 cities across 17 states  have been announced as  semifinalists  for the  Music Educator Award ™ presented by the  Recording Academy ™   and the  GRAMMY Museum ®   Initial nominations  were submitted from all  50 states . A complete list of semifinalists is below.   WHAT:  The  Music Educator Award  was established to recognize current educators (kindergarten through college, public and private schools) who have made a significant and lasting contribution to the field of music education and who demonstrate a commitment to the broade...

Actress Reese Witherspoon is the latest Hollywood star to go public with her experience with sexual harassment and assault in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal. Speaking at a Women in Hollywood event Monday night, Witherspoon said that she had been sexually assaulted by a director when she was just 16. “I have my own experiences that have come back to me very vividly, and I found it really hard to sleep, hard to think, hard to communicate. A lot of the feelings I’ve been having about anxiety, about being honest, the guilt for not speaking up earlier or taking action. True disgust at the director who assaulted me when I was 16 years old and anger that I felt at the agents and the producers who made me feel that silence was a condition of my employment,” Witherspoon told the audience Reese  did not name the director and said that she had gone through “multiple experiences of harassment and sexual assault” throughout her career. The Oscar-winning actress told atten...

This year, the MPAA, Paramount, Warner Bros., Disney, Viacom, BET, and others joined the Entertainment Industry College Outreach Program (EICOP) to offer students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) invaluable film and television experience and continue building a diverse talent pipeline. The inaugural HBCU in LA Internship Program provided an immersive educational real-world work experience essential for launching and leveraging a career in the entertainment sector . This program included behind-the-scenes tours and information sessions at some of Hollywood’s major studios, panel discussions, and Q&A sessions with industry leaders. The MPAA is proud to support this important program and will continue working to provide aspiring filmmakers with opportunities to pursue their dreams. See what the students are saying here: INTERNSHIP PROGRAM MISSION The Entertainment Industry College Outreach Program (EICOP) is an educational...

The wonderful world of independent film takes the stage in New Orleans for the 28th annual New Orleans Film Festival (a.k.a. Cannes on the Mississippi), sponsored by the New Orleans Film Society. The festival takes place Oct. 11 – 19 throughout several area theaters. Director Sean Baker’s touching “The Florida Project” starring Willem Dafoe, is the festival’s opening night selection and will screen at the Orpheum Theater at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 11. Thursday, Oct. 12 brings the much-anticipated biopic “Marshall,” the true story of the early years of Thurgood Marshall (Chadwick Boseman), America’s first African-American Supreme Court justice. Directed by Reginald Hudlin (“House Party,” “Boomerang”) and co-starring Josh Gad, “Marshall” can be seen at 8:30 p.m. at the Ace Hotel on Carondelet Street, a new addition to the festival’s list of venues. Also at the Ace Hotel at 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 14 is the festival’s centerpiece film,  “Mudbound.” It’s the story of two families ...

On National Gumbo Day, you need to know that t here are right and very wrong ways to make, serve and eat gumbo. We hope this enlightens folks from near and far so you never make a faux pas on the ten commandments of gumbo. #1- Gumbo is one of the most beloved entrees in the great state of Louisiana. People from around the world enjoy this amazing soup of rouxy goodness, b ut dare NOT mess up any of the golden rules of a good gumbo.  Five Food Facts about Gumbo: Gumbo is the official cuisine of the state of Louisiana. There are several different varieties of gumbo based on the type of thickener used to create the dish. Creole gumbo contains shellfish and tomatoes whereas Cajun gumbo is generally spicier with shellfish or chicken. Gumbo may have flavors rooted in Native American, African, Caribbean, Spanish, and French cuisines. No one is certain of the dish’s origin; the oldest mention is by French explorer C.C. Robin on the Acadian coast in 1803. ...

wants to offer us mere mortals a chance to have some of her flair. On Monday, the 44-year-old announced on Instagram she’s partnering with JCPenney “to create a holiday collection” she hopes “empowers women to embrace their joyful spirit.” Each piece of the 45-piece collection was imagined and created  When the collection hits stores on November 12 — just in time for all the holiday parties — it will be priced from $9 to $75, and will range in size from small to 3x. “There’s something for everybody and every body,” she stressed under of one of her outfit shots. She gave her 3.8 million followers a preview of what’s to come in a series of photos where she's modeling the pieces. Click ahead for a sneak peek. Tracee Ellis Ross For JCPenney. Tracee Ellis Ross For JCPenney Tuxedo Jacket, $59, Tuxedo Pant, $59, available at J.C. Penny. Tracee Ellis Ross For JCPenney Kindness Dress, $34, available at J.C. Penny. Tracee Ellis Ross For JCPenney Glow Dress,...