Page 27 - Florida Sentinel 3-22-19

Entertainment
Aretha Franklin’s Family Responds To Wendy Williams’ Shade Of Upcoming Documentary
Jordan Peele's ‘Us’ Projected To Dethrone Captain Marvel This Weekend
After its acclaimed premiere at SXSW ahead of its theatrical release, Jordan Peele's Us is poised to take the top spot at the domestic box office this weekend, topping Captain Marvel after its two-week reign at the top spot.
Industry analysts predict Peele's followup to the Acad- emy Award-nominated Get Out will earn $45-50 million domestically its opening week- end, while Captain Marvel is on track to earn around $40 in its third weekend.
While still an impressive weekend total, especially for a film in its third week, Peele's horror film earned rave re- views at the Austin-based film festival over the weekend and long held a perfect critics' score on review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes (though it has since dropped to a still-respectable 99 percent).
Just as Get Out benefitted
US
from a strong word-of-mouth reaction upon its initial release in 2017, Universal predicts Us will surpass Get Out's $33.3 million opening weekend with Peele firmly established as a fan-favorite genre filmmaker.
Written, directed and pro- duced by Jordan Peele, Us
JORDAN PEELE
stars Lupita Nyong'o, Win- ston Duke, Elisabeth Moss, Anna Diop, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Kara Hayward, Tim Heidecker and Shahadi Wright Joseph. It is scheduled to be released on March 22 (today) in theaters everywhere.
Aretha Franklin’s estate has fired back at Wendy Williams for the “irresponsi- ble” and “mocking” remarks the talk-show host made on her show last week about the up- coming “Amazing Grace” doc- umentary.
“Amazing Grace” is a 90- minute documentary featuring footage captured in January 1972 at New Temple Mission- ary Baptist in Los Angeles, where Franklin was joined by Rev. James Cleveland and his choir for two days of gospel sessions. Warner Bros. report- edly wanted a documentary to chronicle her best-selling gospel album.
Spike Lee has described it as “One of the greatest concerts ever put to film.” But Wendy has questioned the doc’s visual quality, Franklin’s natural hair and the true motives be- hind the film’s release.
The family fired back in a statement saying, “1972 was the era of Black Power and Black Is Beautiful. In her short natural hair and simple makeup, Ms. Franklin was in step with the times and appro- priate to the occasion. There was no ‘showgirl glamor,’ no ‘pressed hair’ and no ‘eye- lashes’ – the lack of which Williams ridiculed on her program. The simplicity of the
ARETHA FRANKLIN
presentation gives ‘Amazing Grace’ its power.”
Franklin’s estate also noted that Williams’ com- ments “indicates that she has neither seen the documentary nor understands its import or intent.”
Williams also suggested that film is being released only because Franklin’s estate is in a financial “mess.”
“I would imagine that now the bill collectors are like, ‘OK, rest in peace, Aretha Franklin. But we still need our money for this, we need money for that,’” Williams said. “So by putting this movie out, I would say the estate is probably going to be paying bills with this.”
But the family says, “This is not true.”
Travis Scott Breaks Record At L. A. Forum With Nearly $2 Million In Ticket Sales
When you’re breaking records, it’s a good sign that you’re on top.
Travis Scott continues to make a killing from his As- troworld tour. The Houston native has now joined an elite group of rappers after his sold- out show at The Forum on February 8. He sold over 16,300 tickets and cashed in at a whopping $1.7 million. Travis Scott concerts are typi- cally filled with rave and mosh pit type energy. L. A. certainly enjoyed this one.
Only a few artists have had consecutive sold-out shows at The L. A. Forum in less than a year. He joins Michael Jack- son, Janet Jackson, Lady Gaga, Sting, Garth Brooks,
TRAVIS SCOTT
Juan Gabriel, and The Grateful Dead. Any artist mentioned in the same breath as Michael and Janet Jack- son are legends in the making, period. The “Sicko Mode” artist also sold out the arena on De-
cember 19 and 20 during the first leg of his monstrous tour in 2018. Grossing almost $2 million in one night is not an easy feat. Travis has 10 dates left on his 3 Tour with his next stop in Nashville, TN.
Kristoff St. John Cause Of Death Revealed As Heart Disease & 'Effects' Of Alcohol
Soap star Kristoff St. John‘s cause of death has been revealed, RadarOnline.com can report.
An official at the Los Ange- les County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner’s Office confirmed to Radar on Tuesday that the actor died of “hypertrophic heart disease” and “effects of ethanol.”
Kristoff, 52, was found dead in his Woodland Hills, Calif. home on Sunday, Feb. 3.
At the time of his death, au- thorities told Radar the televi- sion star may have passed away from a possible alcohol overdose.
The coroner’s report proved
KRISTOFF ST. JOHN
he appeared to have alcohol in
his system but had not died of an alcohol overdose.
The medical examiner also ruled Kristoff’s death an “ac- cident.”
In 2017, Kristoff was hos- pitalized for a 72-hour psychi- atric evaluation after allegedly threatening to shoot himself.
After his passing last month, sources spilled to Radar that the The Young & The Restless star never recov- ered from the pain of losing his son, Julian, whom he shared with his ex, Mia St. John.
Julian committed suicide attheageof24in2014.A source told Radar, “When his son died, [Kristoff] died.”
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