Month: September 2022

Because Marilyn Monroe has been so enamored, so analyzed since her death in1962, at the young age of 36, there have been countless projects about herlife, many of them dramatizations that require an actress — or two — toattempt the iconic star’s je ne sais quoi. The many Marilyns have all tendedto have some things in common: There’s the screen siren’s voluminous blondehair — a shortcut to screaming, “THIS IS HER!” — her slender yet curvy figureand her breathy voice.

Ana de Armas will become the latest to play Marilyn when a film adaptation of_blonde_ , the 2000 Joyce Carol Oates novel of the same name, arrives inselect theaters on Sept. 16 and debuts on Netflix on Sept. 28. The book, whichwas made into a two-part TV movie, starring Poppy Montgomery and a pre- Grey’s Anatomy Patrick Dempsey, in 2001, is a fictionalized version of Marilyn’slife.

Already, de Armas’s performance in the newer version has been criticized, withsome calling her out for her accent. She received some big support on Aug. 1,though, when the Marilyn Monroe Estate released a statement lauding her forcapturing Marilyn’s “glamour, humanity and vulnerability” in the movie’strailer, adding “We can’t wait to see the film in its entirety!”

Yahoo Entertainment breaks down some of the previous movie and TV projectsthat have focused on the life of Marilyn Monroe — and who played the actress:

Goodbye, Norma Jean (1976) and Goodnight, Sweet Marilyn (1989)

Misty Rowe tosses her head back in 1976’s Goodbye, Norma Jean. (Photo:Everett Collection)

stars: Former hey haw cast member Misty Rowe appeared as a pre-HollywoodNorma Jean Baker in both films (the latter through flashbacks), while PaulaLane, who appeared on The Mike Douglas Show ** __** as a Monroe lookalike in1980, portrayed her more glamorous counterpart.

Based on: Scripts by director Larry Buchanan (1969 TV movie It ‘sAlive!) and, in the case of Goodbye, Norma Jean co-written by actor-turned-writer Lynn Shubert, explore Monroe’s sexual encounters and, eventually,speculate that a friend killed her out of mercy.

Story continues

Response: A surviving review from ___TV Guide_ calls the former a “rancidmovie bio” that’s “sensationalistic and slimy.”

Marilyn: The Untold Story (1980)

Catherine Hicks stars in Marilyn: The Untold Story in 1980. (Photo: SchillerProd./Courtesy Everett Collection)

stars: future 7th Heaven mom Catherine Hicks as Marilyn, and future_Growing Pains_ star Tracey Gold as the pint-sized her.

Based on: Norman Mailer’s 1973 book Marilyn: A Biography.

Response: the **** TV movie was nominated for four Emmys, including onefor Hicks as lead actress in a limited series or special. Writing for TVGuide Judith Crist lauded Hicks’s “breathtaking (and breathless) portrait ofthe actress.”

Marilyn and Me (1991)

Susan Griffiths’s turn to play Marilyn came in 1991’s Marilyn and Me.(Photo: New Films International/Courtesy: Everett Collection)

stars: Monroe impersonator **** Susan Griffiths, who appeared in PulpFiction and other productions.

Based on: Robert Slatzer’s claims that he secretly married the screen starin Mexico in 1952, which he laid out in two books, The Life and Curious Deathof Marilyn Monroe (1974) and The Marilyn Files (1992).

Response: Hairstylist Linle White was nominated for an Emmy.

Norma Jean and Marilyn (1996)

Ashley Judd plays Norma Jean, while Mira Sorvino plays Marilyn in Norma Jeanand Marilyn. (Photo: Everett Collection)

stars: Mira Sorvino as Marilyn, Ashley Judd as the inner Marilyn (NormaJean).

Based on: Anthony Summers’s 1985 book, Goddess: The Secret Lives ofMarilyn Monroe a biography based on more than 600 interviews.

Response: Both stars were rewarded with Emmy and Golden Globe nominations.

blonde (2001)

Poppy Montgomery stars in a 2001 version of blonde. (Photo: Joe Pugliese/TVGuide/courtesy Everett Collection)

stars: Poppy Montgomery as Marilyn.

Based on: Oates’s book, the same source material for the new Blonde.

Response: While Montgomery didn’t win big awards, she notably won oversome critics, such as one at variety with her “impressive performance.”

My Week With Marilyn (2011)

My Week with Marilyn_ stars Michelle Williams as Marilyn Monroe. (Photo:Laurence Cendrowicz/The Weinstein Company/courtesy Everett Collection)”src=”https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/mH4fuUbc.M064rXOgXrb0A-/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MA-/https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2022-08/74a4e4c0-167d-11ed-9d5f-57a23e8b68f9″ class=”caas-img”/>

My Week with Marilyn stars Michelle Williams as Marilyn Monroe. (Photo:Laurence Cendrowicz/The Weinstein Company/courtesy Everett Collection)

stars: Michelle Williams as Marilyn.

Based on: Colin Clark’s books The Prince, The Showgirl and Me (1995) and_My Week With Marilyn_ (2000), based on his account of his time working on theset of Monroe’s 1957 movie The Prince and the Showgirl which co-starredLaurence Olivier.

Response: The film grossed an estimated $35 million on a reported $10million budget. Williams was nominated for an Oscar and won a Golden Globe,while Kenneth Branagh snagged a nod for best supporting actor for hisportrayal of Olivier.

smash (2012)

Smash_ actress Katharine McPhee plays a “bombshell.””src=”https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/4jW_4CtMk5hrfBn7CFKhrQ-/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MA-/https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2022-08/ec5ef6e0-2898-11ed-b575-772185e5b7aa” class=”caas-img”/>

smash actress Katharine McPhee plays a “Bombshell.”

Megan Hilty’s Marilyn Monroe sits with Will Chase’s Joe DiMaggio on an episodeof smash. (Photo: Everett Collection)

Uma Thurman plays the star in smash production “Bombshell.” (Photo: WillHart/NBC/Courtesy: Everett Collection)

stars: Show-within-a-show features Katharine McPhee, Megan Hilty and UmaThurman all playing Marilyn at different times.

Based on: This one is different, because the NBC show was actually aboutactresses Karen (McPhee) and Ivy (Hilty) competing to play Monroe in aBroadway production about her life. At one point, a veteran actress, Rebecca(Thurman), comes in to be Marilyn, too.

Response: Thurman was nominated for an Emmy for her guest appearance, andthe show was recognized for its music and choreography. It was up for the bestTV comedy or musical award at the Golden Globes in 2013.

The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe (2015)

Kelli Garner stars as Marilyn in The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe. (Photo:Everett Collection)

stars: Kelli Garner ( Lars and the Real Girl , Pan Am ) as Marilyn.Notably, Susan Sarandon and her daughter Eva Amurri play the older and youngerversions of Marilyn’s mother, Gladys.

Based on: Lifetime’s two-part TV miniseries focused on Marilyn’srelationship with her family and how she tried to hide that part of her lifefrom the public, and it was taken from J. Randy Taraborrelli’s 2009 bio of thesame name.

Response: Reviews of Garner’s performance skewed from meh to wow, but theminiseries picked up three non-acting Emmy nods.

blonde (2022)

Ana de Armas is Marilyn Monroe in blonde. (Photo: Netflix/Courtesy EverettCollection)

stars: Ana De Armas.

Based on: Joyce Carol Oates’s 2000 biographical fiction novel.

Response: To be determined.

This story was originally published on Sept. 16, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. ET.

That is what WNL editor-in-chief Bert Huisjes said on Wednesday in the NPORadio 1 program Spraakmakers. He speaks on behalf of a number of broadcasters,including KRO-NCRV, MAX and WNL. “We are still discussing this, but a majorityis emerging,” Huisjes said.

The position was the result of a consultation between the heads of journalismof most broadcasters. These consultations take place on a regular basis. “Weno longer want to talk about journalism with Ongehoord, because what they dois not journalism,” Huisjes said in the broadcast. “They make a pamphlet-likeprogram that uses structures that we recognize from journalism. But theinterviewers are Twitter agitators like Raisa Blommestijn, without anyjournalistic experience or background.”

CDA wants measures against broadcaster ON, ‘administrative courage is lacking’

The CDA believes that State Secretary Gunay Uslu (Media and Culture) is takingmeasures against broadcaster Ongehoord Nederland (ON), according toparliamentary questions from the CDA faction. According to the petitionerLucille Werner, it now appears to be ‘lack of administrative courage’ to actagainst ON.

She wants to know who is responsible for checking whether ON complies with theconditions set for admission to the system, and wants to know what duties andpowers the NPO Ombudsman, the Media Authority and the State Secretary have inthe case. They often refer to each other when the call to action is heard.

So far, Uslu has been of the opinion that it will only intervene once ON hasbeen sanctioned twice by the Commissariat. After that, she herself isauthorized to intervene, she stated earlier. Uslu said several times that hedid not want to influence the content of programs of the public broadcaster.

The broadcasters also disapprove of the fact that there is rarely a rebuttalin Ongehoord Nieuws. “Someone with whom the microphone is turned off in theHouse of Representatives, may be completely deflated at Ongehoord in a kind ofjournalistic setting,” said Huisjes. He seems to be referring to Forum forDemocracy leader Thierry Baudet. During the General Deliberations in theHouse, he was denied the floor because he made suggestive statements aboutMinister Sigrid Kaag and the British university she had attended. The dayafter, Baudet was a guest in Ongehoord Nieuws. “Unheard News does not pursueany journalistic goals. Its sole purpose is to extend the vote of Forum forDemocracy.”

Bert Huisjes, editor-in-chief of WNL.

‘Ended in screaming’

According to Huisjes, the journalistic consultation with Ongehoord boss ArnoldKarskens ‘has already been completely derailed and ended in screaming’. TheWNL boss emphasizes that the journalistic consultation of the NPO is not aboutthe question of whether the broadcasting license of Ongehoord Nederland isunder discussion. “As far as I am concerned, they should be removed from thesystem. But it is now about a different discussion: that they should not beallowed to call journalism companies and the program that way.”

Ongehoord Nederland previously received a financial sanction from the NPOafter an investigation by the Ombudsman into complaints that the broadcasterspreads incorrect and unreliable information, that the journalists did not askenough critical questions and that the guests mainly came from the right. Thisis contrary to the Journalistic Code of the NPO. The Ombudsman consideredthese complaints to be largely well-founded. The Ombudsman has launched a newinvestigation after a much-discussed item that showed videos of random blackpeople beating up white people without any context.

Huisjes is not the first broadcaster to be critical of Ongehoord Nederland.KRO-NCRV director Peter Kuipers and Omroep MAX boss Jan Slagter previouslystated that Ongehoord should be removed from the system. State Secretary GunayUslu has so far put the ball down with the NPO.

Arnold Karskens and Ongehoord Nederland could not be reached for comment onWednesday morning.

TVOn Friday Streamz will present the latest documentary ‘Laurent, the childprodigy’. It examines the life of the Belgian-Dutch gifted Laurent, whoobtained his master’s degree in quantum physics summa cum laude at the age oftwelve. However, wondrous whiz kids, wisecracking smarts and other brilliantlywired block beasts are not a rare phenomenon on your TV screen. From a Ugandanchess prodigy in ‘Queen of Katwe’ on Disney+ to the widely gifted and renownedwizard ‘Harry Potter’ on Streamz. These clever cobblestones quiz youeffortlessly under the table.

‘Gifted’ (Disney+)

Gifted but also frail, that’s Mary Adler, a seven-year-old girl who showssigns of extraordinary math skills. The young genius is raised by her uncleFrank (played by Chris ‘Captain America’ Evans) after her equally brilliantmother commits suicide. While Frank is busy giving Mary as normal a life aspossible, Mary’s grandmother thinks otherwise and wants to exploit hergranddaughter’s talents for her own benefit. This results in a bitter custodybattle between the two. This tear-jerking drama from Marc Webb has beenpraised by critics for its impressive cast and truthful portrayal of familyconflicts, and has easily increased its modest $7 million box office budgetsixfold. Talk about a mathematical miracle!

‘Matilda’ (Netflix)

She could speak perfectly after 18 months, after 3 years she could read andafter 5 years she could multiply numbers with double digits. If anyone is topof the class, it’s Matilda. Like Laurent, Matilda also cannot explain why sheis so gifted. She just is. This 1996 film adaptation of Roald Dahl’s booktells the story of an extremely gifted Matilda Wormwood (Mara Wilson), whogrows up in a dysfunctional family with an aloof, immoral father (played byDanny DeVito, who also directed the film) and a selfish, binge-addictedmother. The biggest bully, however, is Principal Agatha Trunchbull. WhenMatilda realizes she possesses the miraculous power of telekinesis, she startshitting back at all the bullies in her life, including her unkind parents.

‘Queen of Katwe’ (Disney+)

Were you completely blown away by ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ on Netflix? Then youurgently need to discover ‘Queen of Katwe’ on Disney+. This 2016 award-winningfilm starring Oscar winner Lupita Nyongo tells the true story of PhionaMutesi, a nine-year-old girl growing up in the slums of Uganda, East Africa,who accidentally discovered the sport of chess. When she starts to hone hertechnique more and more, she is seized by the chess bug and participates ininternational tournaments that send her to the absolute world top. Aninspiring formula that tells the typical ‘zero to hero’ story, but at the sametime lands with the viewer in a refreshing way. Thanks to the magneticrenditions of newcomers such as Madina Nalwanga (Phiona) and the lamentedNikita Pearl Waligwa (Gloria), who died suddenly in 2020 from the effects of abrain tumor.

Fuller House (Netflix)

In the vein of ‘Young Sheldon’, the series about the handsome childhood ofSheldon Cooper from ‘The Big Bang Theory’, the follow-up show to ‘Full House’also has a character in its ranks that deserves its own spin-off, morespecifically Max. This precocious, intelligent young lad is the second son ofthe oldest Tanner daughter DJ and steals every scene he appears in. Ascientific genius, he likes to dress in plaid shirts and, like Sheldon,carries a briefcase to school instead of a backpack. He is neat and tidy andlikes to poke fun at others who are less intelligent than him. For fans of’Full House’, the show is a pleasant reunion with some of the key figures fromthe nostalgic sitcom, including ‘Uncle Jesse’ (John Stamos), Stephanie Tanner(Jodie Sweetin) and even the annoying girl next door Kimmy Gibbler (AndreaBarber).

‘Harry Potter’ (Streamz)

One story that still appeals to many bright youngsters is the adventures ofHarry Potter. The film series based on the books by JK Rowling may be veryclose to the fantasy genre, but it contains many reflections of giftedness, aswell as themes with which gifted children can identify. Because Harry is alsodifferent and does not fit in, but he is destined to develop his talents anddo great things with them. He’s not the only one who hangs together withbrilliant bolts, by the way. His schoolmates are also unusually gifted to agreater or lesser extent, and we’d even venture to say that the perfectionistbookworm Hermione Granger is the franchise’s biggest smartass. Not countingAlbus Dumbledore, of course.

Gulf States Recently Banned Disney’s Toy Story Movie light year because of alesbian kiss. Saudi Arabia also demanded that Disney remove 12 seconds fromthe latest Doctor Strange movie, because the character America Chavez talksabout her “two mothers”. And last year in Egypt, an ultra-conservativeparliamentarian wanted to ban Netflix for ‘promoting immorality’ in the Arabicversion of the Netflix film. Perfect Strangers , partly because one of thecharacters comes out for his homosexuality. Meanwhile, _Perfect Strangers_Netflix’s most watched movie in the Arab world.

This week is coming Love, Spells and All That in the Netherlands, by ÜmitÜnal from 2019. A beautiful, naturally acted film about two women who meetagain twenty years after their first relationship and fall in love again. Isthat possible in Erdogan’s religiously conservative Turkey?

Surprisingly, Middle Eastern cinema has never had much trouble with queercharacters and themes historically. Queer is just visible in movies. In thefilms of the Egyptian pioneer Togo Mizrahi, who worked with the biggest moviestars of his time, comic entanglements regularly ended up in bed with peopleof the same sex or kissing each other more than amicably. Crossdressing sceneswere the order of the day.

In the decades that followed, Egyptian star director Youssef Chahine paid alot of attention to serious character interpretation in his films featuringqueer characters, for example in the partially autobiographical AlexandriaTrilogy. In the part Alexandria Why? we see a love affair with an eroticscene between an Egyptian nationalist and a British soldier. These films areconstantly shown on Arab television channels.

Only in 1964 did Chahine go too far Those People of the Nile , a film aboutthe construction of the Aswan dam, in which a Russian engineer has an affairwith an Egyptian worker. He takes him to Russia and then has him walk a fewmeters behind him on the street. These references to racism could upsetEgypt’s Russian allies, according to the censors. Chahine had to redo thesestreet scenes, but the love affair was no problem.

Prostitute

Salah Abu-Saifs The Malatily Bathhouse (1973) went even further in theportrayal of eroticism. The film is set in a bathhouse in Cairo, where awealthy artist falls in love with a working student from a poor family, whoworks there as a masseur. Even though the boy is in love with a prostitute whoalso works in the bathhouse, there is an erotic tension between artist andstudent.

The artist refers to the historical tolerance of the Middle East towardshomosexuality. In the meantime, he explains his homosexuality as Freudian byan unhappy relationship with his parents. But the film is a plea foracceptance. The fact that he can no longer be seen on television may berelated to the near-nude scenes. On the street you can find it everywhere onpirated DVD.

The plot of the transvestite comedy For Men Only (Mahmud Zul-Fiqar, 1964)does Billy Wilders Some Like it Hot of six years before, with the famous_gay twist_ at the end. Crossdressing comedies were common in Egypt, but ForMen Only was also a serious plea for equal treatment of women. Two graduatefemale oil engineers (star actresses Suad Hosni and Nadia Lutfi) can’t findwork until they show up dressed as men at an oil rig in the desert. There arethe necessary gender-conversion complications, such as during the weekly dancewhere the men dance close to each other for lack of women – according to somea reference to a gay nightclub.

The Yacoubian Building (Marwan Hamed, Egypt 2006) is the most commerciallysuccessful Arab cinema film ever. In this film, homosexuality is portrayed as’natural’; a gay journalist is one of the more likeable characters.

Turkish queer star

It is no different in Turkey. The Turkish singer/film star Zeki Muren, whooften performed in transvestism and who was known to be homosexual, was a folkhero in the middle of the last century. The next Turkish queer star was transsinger/movie star Bülent Ersoy. In 1981, just after she had undergone a gendercorrection, a military junta came to power that banned “social deviance.”Ersoy emigrated. After the junta disappeared, it returned, unabatedly popular.Her queerness does not stand in the way of ties with the current religiouslyconservative regime: in 2016 she caused a stir when she hosted the religiouslyconservative President Erdogan and his wife during a Ramadan meal.

Those People of the Nile (1972)

The Malatily Bathhouse (1973)

Homosexuality did appear in films half a century ago, but the theme was givenlittle depth. It was typical for the time in Turkish Kocek (1975). In this,a boy dreams of becoming a woman. He is forced by gangsters to act like_köçek_ prostitute, a traditional young male nightclub dancer dressed as awoman. When a rival gang wants to rape him, the criminals discover his sex andstab him. When he wakes up in the hospital, the doctor has performed a sexchange operation. Then a childhood friend falls in love with her, withoutknowing that she was once his best friend. All this in the form of a cheerfulmusical.

That rather farcical handling of queer themes gave way to more seriouscharacter drawing in recent decades. In Fatih Akins The Edge of Heaven(2007) a lesbian relationship was also central, just like in Lebanese_caramel_ by Nadine Labaki about a group of women and their relationshipproblems. One of them is attracted to women, which is not a problem foranyone.

In terms of openness and understanding, Middle Eastern cinema doesn’t farebadly compared to Hollywood, where in the past queer characters were oftentwisted bad guys, as in Rope, Midnight Express, Silence of the Lambs or_Basic Instinct_. Why does a movie become like light year now banned? TheGulf states talk about western influences that go against local values. Butdoesn’t it look like they are importing Western, Christian conservatismthemselves? They would do better to study their own film history.

For Christie’s it is already the fourth 007 auction they are co-organizing.The previous times that brought in a total amount of just over five millioneuros. That the sale will continue to attract a lot of interest – and deeppockets – is no doubt since actor Daniel Craig retired as James Bond. Afterfive films, the British actor said goodbye to the character in the Bond film_no time to die_. The most coveted items from the film, which appeared lastyear, make up the bulk of the items up for auction.

The big eye-catcher is the Aston Martin DB5, the specially designed stunt carthat Craig drove in the film and which is based on the model from Casino__generous. Eight of the car were made, but only one is sold to the public.The car is in its ‘original condition’, namely the one where there arescratches in the paintwork and the headlights are machine guns. The estimatedvalue of the silver Aston Martin is between 1.6 and 2.2 million euros.

Also Daniel Craig’s two-piece suit by designer Tom Ford, several luxurywatches and the prom dress of actress Ana de Armas from no time to die gounder the hammer. For fans of motorsports and motorsports, there’s a $33,000Triumph Scrambler, and other Aston Martins priced up to $785,000.

  Photo: epa-efe

Charities

Also from Craig’s predecessors – such as Sean Connery, Roger Moore and PierceBrosnan – props from the previous Bond films are sold. This is how you canhatch the golden egg from 11,000 euros octopussy tap on the head. Or GeorgeLazenby’s watch off On her majesty ‘s service, which came out exactly fiftyyears ago. With a value of 67,000 euros, it is immediately the most expensivetimepiece at the auction.

Still on the menu: Timothy Dalton’s black suit off License to kill acollection of bow ties by Daniel Craig and the mask Rami Malek wore as theantagonist in no time to die.

The proceeds of the auction, which starts Wednesday evening, will go toseveral charities. They were chosen by the living 007 actors and thefilmmakers. The fund of the British Crown Prince William, Unicef ​​and variousculture and hospitals, among others, will receive a share of the profits.

Pioneering you can use the funny ‘whodunnit’ See How They Run not mention.Still, the film felt like a breath of fresh air when I saw it in the cinema ona rainy Sunday. See How They Run is one of those solid three-ball moviesthat you don’t see very often anymore. Charming actors, good joke density, areasonably well-rounded mystery and above all: a relatively short runningtime. After 98 minutes you are done. “Sometimes you feel like haute cuisineand sometimes a simple pasta”, concluded my girlfriend afterwards in the pub.There was drink time we wouldn’t have after yet another bloated blockbuster(hello there, Jurassic World Dominion ).

I was a bit shocked that same day when I read about the playing time of Bardo(or False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths) the latest epic by Oscar magnetAlejandro Iñárritu ( birdman , The Revenant ). Visitors to the Venice FilmFestival were shown a film of no less than 174 minutes. The buzz afterwards:partly impressive, but far too long. Iñárritu went back into the editing roomand took 22 minutes off. “I tightened the film little by little,” he told thesite indie wire. Still, he defended the playing time. “I’ve seen 80-minutemovies that are too long,” he said. “Or three and a half hours and not toolong at all.”

The conversations about length also apply to the TV world. Streaming serviceshave given series creators fewer time restrictions and even encouraged to makestories longer. In addition, film scripts are increasingly being convertedinto miniseries, because they sell better these days. The successfulminiseries The Queen ‘s Gambit is a well-known example of this. Or thinkabout Obi-Wan Kenobi a Star Wars series that started as a screenplay. Aminiseries simply yields more ‘watching minutes’ than a movie, something thatthe streamers love. Sometimes that extra time gives room for characterdevelopment and beautiful moments that are not driven by plot. Too often it’sno more than filler.

Also read: Jeff Bridges growls like no other in ‘The OId Man’

Even while watching the entertaining thriller series The Old Man with JeffBridges I got that feeling. The series, which can be seen in the Netherlandsfrom this Wednesday, is worth watching because of the play of the growlingBridges. Unfortunately, almost every episode feels ten minutes too long. Themakers are not nearly as big as the team of Stranger Things , that lastseason only poured out long episodes over the viewers. The season finale evenlasted 150 minutes.

You can therefore understand why film director James Cameron does not caremuch about complaints about the length of his productions. His long-awaitedsequel to science fiction hit Avatar will finally be released in Decemberand will last about three hours. But please don’t whine about it, he toldmagazine Empire: “I don’t want to hear from anyone about the length whenthey can binge watch TV for eight hours.” Fortunately, Cameron gives uspermission to visit the toilet in the cinema: “It’s okay to get up and gopee.” I reserve a spot in the aisle in advance.

mr. Probz is convinced that record company Sony Music Entertainment (SME) haswithheld a large amount of money. The singer, known for the hit Waves , istherefore suing the company for 10 million euros. mr. Probz suspects that therecord company has also funneled money intended for other artists andsongwriters. What’s up with that?

By Michiel Vos

mr. Probz broke through in 2013 with Waves. Not only the original version,but also a remix by DJ Robin Schulz became a hit. The success of the singer,who is actually called Dennis Stehr, was not limited to the Netherlands:Waves went all over the world.

The song became a number 1 hit in many European countries, including theUnited Kingdom. The remix has more than 817 million streams on Spotify and theoriginal another 114 million. The singer also scored a big hit with NothingReally Matters (89 million streams).

A lot of money has been made with the music. But according to mr. Probz didn’tput everything in the right place. Some of that money would have been left atthe mercy of SME and third parties.

The case against his former record company concerns the payment of royalties.A party that uses another person’s work must pay compensation to the author,artist, publisher or record company. This can involve sampling or coveringmusic, but also use in series, films or commercials, streaming or the sale ofan album.

To market their music, artists and songwriters work with a record company orpublisher. They lay down in a contract what percentage of royalties the artistor songwriter will receive and what he will give.

A percentage of something, but what is ‘something’?

“I always tell my clients: when you are offered a percentage, always ask whatthe percentage is calculated about. A percentage is always a part ofsomething, but it must be clear what that ‘something’ is,” emphasizes SanderPetit, who assists artists and record companies with his company De Dance-advocaat.

mr. Probz had an at-source provision in his contract, he says on his website.This means that when calculating the royalties, it is necessary to look atwhat is earned in total with the music and not only at what a record labellike SME has received. This provision ensures that a songwriter does notsuddenly have to give a higher percentage if the record company works withthird parties and local publishers.

“If you want to release your music in Japan, for example, you need a localparty that knows the market well,” explains Petit. Such a company charges afee for its services before passing on the revenue to the record company. “IfSony uses that amount – from which that fee has already been deducted – tocalculate the percentage that goes to the artist, then there is no longer anyquestion of at source As a result, the artist receives less money than whatis contractually agreed.

Zie ookIn de VS eisen ze miljoenen, maar hoe verlopen plagiaatzaken inNederland?

Lack of transparency is the biggest problem

The problem, according to Petit, is that the music industry is not transparentabout this. For example, it is often not clear to artists how much is earnedwith their music and what part of that income is passed on to them. “In thestreaming era, this is accompanied by enormous amounts of data, especially ifyou have such a big hit like Mr. Probz. As an artist you need a specialist tobe able to turn it into chocolate.”

In 2020, Mr. Probz already confronted SME with his company Left Lane BV incourt. At the time, it was determined that the record company had to open upbusiness in the form of accounting. The copyright law has also recently beenamended, requiring music creators to provide an annual statement of income andcosts. Petit: “The fact that it concerns complex data does not mean thatparties such as record companies have no responsibility to make thistransparent.”

mr. Probz and his lawyer state – substantiated with research by accountingfirm Grant Thornton – that SME and subsidiary Ultra Records owe the singer 10million euros, because the company would not have adhered to the at-sourceprovision in the contract. That amount “is no finger work”, Petit thinks.”That’s at least an educated guess.”

‘Many artists have no idea whether the compensation is reasonable’

“This could be a deciding factor when it comes to how transparent the musicindustry should be,” says the lawyer. mr. Probz thinks he’s not the onlyartist this plays for. Petit confirms this, but also says that not everyonehas the financial means to set up a lawyer and an accountancy firm. “Thereality is that many artists have no idea whether the compensation they aregetting is reasonable.”

Petit is positive about Mr. Probz’s case. “From what I read, they have a goodpoint. Grant Thornton’s studies reinforce that feeling. At the same time, Mr.Probz’s arguments are well-known and we don’t know Sony’s defense yet.” Shouldthe singer win the case, Petit expects many similar charges. “Then the gate is

Normally Sinan Can can be found in the Middle East with a camera crew, but forhis new documentary Fault lines he spends a year in so-called ‘no-go zones’in European problem neighbourhoods. Bee Khalid & Sophie the documentarymaker tells about what he found there.

Can traveled to the suburbs of Paris, where there is a lot of crime andunemployment. “I travel a lot to the Middle East, so I was shocked that it isalso so miserable in some places around here,” says the documentary maker.“They almost don’t last. They feel like they are abandoned. The state haswithdrawn from those neighborhoods and so the neighborhoods are being takenover by criminals.”

Sinan Can: ‘There was a constant fire in this district’

As an example, Can mentions the suburb of Clichy sous Bois, which is locatedeast of Paris. “I have never seen such a place in Europe. Think of chunks ofconcrete thundering down, constant fires and rubbish not being picked up. Thealleys deal. If a police does come into the neighborhood because teenagers aremessing around, it is with tear gas. What you see a lot there is that thestate is withdrawing.”

For example, Can sees with his own eyes how a tunnel in Clichy sous Bois,> which led to the inner districts of Paris, is closed by a number of masons.> According to residents of the problem neighborhood, this was commissioned by> the Paris police to keep the problems out of the center. Popularly in Paris> today it is called ‘the wall of shame’. And in another neighborhood too, it> has been ensured that people cannot walk from one side to the other by means> of road blocks. “As a result, those people become even more isolated,” says> Can in Khalid & Sophie.

Documentary Broken Lines is about no-go zones in Europe

Also in Sweden, a country that is seen as an example for many when it comes toprosperity, there is a notorious district. It concerns Rinkeby: a districteast of Stockholm. According to Can, it is even one of the most dangerousneighborhoods in Europe. “We were there with the director and a cameraman. Wewere told not to come out after 8pm. At one point there were attacks againstthe police and a bomb exploded at the police station. Then the police left.”

Can also see harrowing situations in Molenbeek, a dangerous neighborhood in> Brussels. There he speaks with a woman who has lived there for fifty years.> “When we came here it was a dream to live here. Everything was clean. All> Belgians among themselves, talking to each other. A real village feeling.”> Because of all the crime in her neighborhood, the woman hardly dares to> leave her street. And so the woman, like many, votes for a right-wing party.> “Macron may have won now, but who says Le Pen won’t win in four years?” Can> wonders about French politics.

‘Keep investing in community police officers’

There are no such problem neighborhoods in the Netherlands as in Paris, Swedenand Belgium, but if, for example, community police officers or facilitiesdisappear due to budget cuts, they can arise. “I also see this as a wake-upcall for Dutch policymakers. Watch this series and make sure this doesn’thappen in the Netherlands. Don’t give up,” he said in an interview with thenews agency _ANP. _

Watch the episode of Khalid & Sophie back on NPO.

For the ninth season, Love for Music can count on strong and diversecandidates. DAAN, Günther Neefs, Jaap Reesema, K3, Metejoor, Portland and StefBos must ensure a successful ‘clash of genres’. Both popular pop music andalternative bands are well represented this year.

© DBA

READ ALSO. Portland, from PXL Music to the musical top

“We’ll be gone on October 9,” ​​says Sarah Pepels. The Hoeselt half ofPortland says it feels healthy tension. “We are especially excited that aftertwo corona years we can do our thing as musicians again. In this edition weare the alternative youngsters who are allowed to collaborate with someestablished values, and we are looking forward to that. It will also be alearning experience for us. We know all the artists by name, but we have nevermet them in person.”

Portland originated in the corridors of the Music Department of the HogeschoolPXL in Hasselt. In 2016 they took part in Humo’s Rock Rally. In 2018 they wereone of the three winners of De Nieuwe Lichting from Studio Brussels. Portlandwas a hit with the public from the start. Their passage at Werchter in 2019,before their debut album Your Coulors Will Stain popped up, caused goosebumpsmoments in a packed tent.

Last season the group was already asked for Love for music. “But then itdidn’t work out for us, this suited us better.” The duo provided in theprogram a year ago The Best Of Frank Vander Lindenfor a musical climax. Theiredit of Somewhere Along the way, a song by De Mens, was greeted with loudapplause. “We think this is the people of Love for music also inspired us toask again. We were able to show that we are able to edit an existing song.”

Portland Stamp

The recordings will start in about two weeks, most of the work should be doneby now. “During the summer we searched hard for the right songs, there werealso some rehearsals with the band behind us. Wednesday we have the lastrehearsal. This adventure has been doable so far, although we had to combineit with the festival summer and other projects.”

Sarah calls it Love for music-adventure also a playground. “We (Sarah and hermusical partner Jente Pironet, ed.) both studied at PXL Music in Hasselt,where we were regularly commissioned to make covers. That was the idealschool. We enthusiastically dived into the oeuvre of Stef Bos, Daan, K3 andthe others. We looked at which songs lent themselves best to put a Portlandstamp on them. We enjoyed that process.”

Happy and crazy

It promises to be an ultimate clash of genres under the Spanish sun, becausewhat does a rocking Daan do with a catchy pop song by Metejoor? And who daresto tackle K3’s ‘Waterfall’?

“Time for something cheerful and crazy, I thought. Especially after the pastcorona years,” says DAAN. “So why no Love for Music this year? I have justrecorded a great new album with Jeroen Swinnen, the orchestra leader, and Ihave also known the other musicians intensely for years. So that can only be amusical party. With every other artist participating this year, I can alsoimagine their own ‘Danish’ interpretation, so let that adventure begin.”

“Thanks to K3 I have been able to do a lot of great things, but I admit thatparticipating in Love for Music was definitely still on my bucket list.Another nice tick that I can put on that list,” says Marthe of K3. Thisadventure is also special for Hanne, who is seven months pregnant. “All thoselovely colleagues, so much love for music… that is so inspiring andcontagious.”

The new season of Love for Music can be seen on VTM in the spring of 2023.

September is a top month for tomatoes. A selection of the possibilities fordishes that you can make with it: eat them raw as a salad, go crazy andferment them or cook a winter stock of soup and pasta sauce. These are thetomato recipes that culinary journalist Janneke Vreugdenhil heartilyrecommends.

Starters with tomato

1. Perfect for late summer: tomato soup with figs and lots of cumin

An old-fashioned recipe. This tomato soup is inspired by a soup that Janneketasted at restaurant Moro in London in 2013 – the restaurant still exists andJanneke still recommends this soup as a late summer favourite. Sweet yetsavory at the same time, it has a deep, earthy taste thanks to a generous doseof cumin that you rarely taste in tomato soup. Tip: When buying dried figs,make sure they look fresh. If they are covered in sugar crystals, they areold, tough and not tasty.

In the recipe you will find the ideal ratio of cumin, tomato and fig: End-of-summer soup

2. Shopska salata, a tomato salad from Skopje

In 2019 Janneke traveled after the main character from (and author of) GrandHotel Europa, Ilja Leonard Pfeiffer. It brought her to Skopje, the capital ofNorth Macedonia. The menus were full of local dishes, each sounding evenbetter than the next. She found one dish on every menu: shopska salata, asalad of cucumber, tomatoes, onions and white cheese. Since there is littlechance that you will find Macedonian white cheese at the supermarket aroundthe corner, any other white cheese will do as well.

Shopska salata, salad of cucumber, tomatoes, onions and white cheese. In therecipe, Janneke explains which white cheeses you can use: A salad fromSkopje.

3. Janneke’s favorite tomato salad with marinated onion

According to interest group GroentenFruit Huis, tomatoes have been the mosteaten vegetable in the Netherlands for years. Onion comes second. Janneke putthem together in an extremely simple, but now favorite recipe. The trick isbuying the tastiest tomatoes, and soaking the onions in the red wine vinegarso that they lose their pungency but retain their crunch.

The recipe says what the magic ratio is: On to 800 grams of vegetables perday!

4. Tourin à la tomato

As far as Janneke is concerned, it is the ultimate tomato soup: tourin à latomate. A tomato soup from the southwest of France, which gets a velvetysoftness due to the addition of goose fat. By the way, if you don’t havepiment d’espelette at home, you can of course also use a different dried chilipepper.

But not too much, because, as mentioned, the main role for the tomato is: It’s tomato season, that’s why: tourin à la tomate.

Main dishes with tomato

4. The simplest, most ingenious tomato sauce

Sometimes it doesn’t take much for something delicious. Not so for this tomatosauce. Marcella Hazan, celebrated cookery writer in the last century, came upwith the recipe and Janneke brought it to the attention again in 2013. _NRC_when Hazan died. And because according to Janneke it is still one of the mostingenious tomato sauces ever, here again in the repeat. All you need aretomatoes, stewed with butter and onion.

Bonus tip: make a big stock and freeze it in portions. This way you alwayshave a delicious sauce in stock with tomatoes from the season: The simplestand most genius tomato sauce

5. Pasta with cherry tomatoes and nutmeg and how to cut tomatoes like aninja

Who does not honor the small. Cherry tomatoes are small, but stronger andsweeter tasting tomatoes than regular ones and you can go anywhere with them.The only crime is the lot of carving involved – you have to cut a lot morebefore you can really do anything with it.

Janneke wrote down in this recipe from 2014 how you can do that moreconveniently, and what delicious pasta you can make with cherry tomatoes:Hit on YouTube: ninja cherry tomato trick

What else can you make with tomatoes

6. Ukrainian fermented tomatoes

A few years ago, Janneke did an experiment: she loved the taste of pickledtomatoes and their effervescent juice and wanted to learn how to fermenttomatoes herself. After several failed attempts, the last one went well. Thetomato pieces are fine, finely chopped, great as a salsa with, for example, apiece of grilled white fish, or on a bruschetta.

How Janneke finally got the job done, she wrote down in this recipe: Theredeeming tip for fermented tomatoes

7. Break your breakfast routine with this avocado toast with tomatoes,coffee and chocolate

It may sound bizarre, but Janneke is convinced. In 2019 she read in aninterview with the Italian-British chef Giorgio Locatelli about his favoritebreakfast: a piece of avocado topped with fried tomatillo, a fried egg andgrated raw cocoa beans.

Janneke didn’t necessarily have the right ingredients, but made a variation onthem and encourages everyone to give them a try: Brilliant at breakfast withthis toast

8. Save the summer, make chutney from tree or regular tomatoes

Tamarillos are also known as tree tomatoes. The oval fruits have a smooth,yellow-orange to dark red skin, which is very bitter and unpleasant to eat.The golden yellow flesh, on the other hand, is slightly sweet and veryaromatic, and is perfect for making a chutney. This way, you can still benefitfrom the good taste of September tomatoes long after the tomato season.