Hampton Habitués

Good News Gossip About our Notable Friends and Neighbors

New Year Cheers
Before we do anything else, let’s give a big round of applause to East Hampton’s Steven Spielberg, who is fresh off Best Picture and Best Director wins at the Golden Gloves for his latest, The Fabelmans. 

The 2022 coming-of-age story, which is predicted to pick up several more honors as awards season progresses, is Spielberg’s most personal to date. The semi-autobiographical film, which stars Michelle Williams, Paul Dano and Gabriel LaBelle, is a love letter to the movies. It was written by Spielberg and Tony Kushner. 

Hot Tickets
A certain Water Mill resident is making history with her upcoming “Madonna: The Celebration Tour.” Showcasing 40 years of hits, the series of live concerts will be kicking off in July in Vancouver and heading to Madison Square Garden at the end of August. The “Material Girl,” who has earned a total of 57 legit hits — including 38 top 10s, which is the most ever of any female artist — promises to slay with all the biggest moneymakers, including “Borderline,” “Cherish,” “Like a Virgin,” “Vogue,” “Music,” “Holiday,” etc. etc. etc. 

These concerts will surely be “A Ray of Light” for the “Lucky Star” and her fans. They are can’t-miss events!

Made Off Money
For those who love a true-crime docuseries (who doesn’t?), there’s Madoff: The Monster of Wall Street, now streaming on Netflix. Taking a deep dive into the former Montauk resident’s life of crime, the limited series includes interviews with whistleblowers, employees, investigators, reporters, victims, and even the biggest-Ponzi-schemer-of-all-time himself. 

Set as a four-part financial thriller, filmmaker Joe Berlinger uses the form to reveal the genesis and mechanics of Madoff’s fraud. Those close to the convicted felon might not feel like watching, as the series paints a compelling picture of conspiracy, negligence, and blatant disregard for the law. Ouch. 

Bad Behavior / Good Times
Since we’re on the subject, there’s another series that might be a bit more of a frothy watch. It’s The Traitors, starring Hamptons friend Alan Cumming and a slew of reality television stars. 

Based on a Dutch series, De Verraders, the Peacock show features 20 contestants — including the likes of Kyle Cooke of Summer House, Brandi Glanville of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, and Kate Chastain of Below Deck — sequestered in a Scottish castle while they vy for a $250,000 prize. 

Cumming, who has been keeping himself quite busy of late, will also return for the second season of the Apple TV+ hit Schmigadoon! That series, an Emmy and AFI Award winner, stars Cecily Strong and Keegan-Michael Key. 

Other notable East End friendly talents include Kristin Chenoweth and Jane Krakowski. The second season of the musical show starts streaming in early April. In the meantime, we can’t wait to see what Mayor Aloysius Menlove gets into in season two!

What About Bob
Normally we wouldn’t be too excited for movies about the Super Bowl. No offense meant, just the truth. But we can make exceptions if they star Lily Tomlin, Sally Field, Jane Fonda, and Rita Moreno. 

So, our interest is piqued for 80 for Brady. Based on a true story about four best friends who decide to take a trip to football’s biggest day of the year so they can see their hero, quarterback Tom Brady, play in the 2017 championship. 

Of course, the real reason we’ve got to see the movie is because it also stars one of our favorite Bridgehampton residents, Bob Balaban. That said, we have no idea what he’s doing in it, but are ready to watch just to find out. 

Toxic TV
It might be a little odd but it’s worth the watch for White Noise. Based on the U.S. National Book Award for Fiction-winning novel by Don DeLillo and starring the super talented Hamptons habitué Adam Driver and Greta Gerwig, this Noah Baumbach-helmed Netflix endeavor is one wild ride. 

The tale centers on college professor Jack Gladney and his family, who must evacuate their comfy home due to a nearby chemical leak, which unleashes a noxious black cloud over the region. Lots of strangeness ensues. 

We really love that that the Netflix flick features Amagansett part-timers Sam Nivola and May Nivola — the son and daughter of actors Alessandro Nivola and Emily Mortimer — as well as André 3000 and Kenneth Lonergan. This film is a winner just for the casting alone!