Phil Spector Gets Slammed by Critics

GETTING THEIR PHIL: Last night’s HBO premiere of Phil Spector, writer/director David Mamet’s “fictional” story of the infamous Wall of Sound producer's real-life trial in the death of Lana Clarkson, is burning up the social media transom, mostly with outrage. Starring Al Pacino, segueing from Dr. Kevorkian to the bewigged Phil, along with Helen Mirren as one of his lawyers, the film has been mostly lambasted by critics, who claim its suggestion of Spector’s innocence completely corrupts the facts. Still, you can’t help but chortle when Pacino credits the giant Afro wig, which he famously wore to the hearing, as his own tribute to another “long-suffering” rock icon, Jimi Hendrix. Look for a full assessment later in the week. (3/25a)