Category Archives: Video

Upfronts: Preview ABC’s fall schedule including Kiefer Sutherland as POTUS

News, Television, Video, , , , , ,

ABC is network number three to present its new series for the upcoming 2016-17 TV season. There are 5 new dramas and 4 new comedies on deck, and of the nine new series, five will debut this fall. The upcoming season marks a changing of the guard in Alphabet city as Channing Dungey takes over for Paul Lee as the net’s new entertainment president.

In one of her first big moves as network head, Dungey cancelled a significant number of ABC’s shows including the long-running Castle and Wednesday night staple, Nashville. Leading out of Dancing with the Stars on Monday nights now and replacing Castle is a new procedural toplined by Hayley Atwell, Conviction; Atwell, ironically enough, is the former star of ABC’s now-cancelled Agent Carter. Comedy is a big deal for Dungey, and viewers should take notice. A two-hour comedy block has been added to Tuesday, and veteran The Middle is relocating there from Wednesday to serve as the opening course. It will lead into new sitcom American Housewife and the returning Fresh off the Boat and The Real O’Neals. Closing out the final hour of the evening is Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., now in the 10pm hour. A second two-hour block of comedy follows on Wednesday, and the network now entrusts The Goldbergs to kickstart the funny. It will open the night for another new sitcom, Speechless, which is followed by vet Modern Family and breakout hit black-ish. Taking over Nashville‘s Wednesdays-at-10 vacancy is new political drama Designated Survivor with Kiefer Sutherland (24). This fall, “TGIT” takes a backseat since Scandal is being held until midseason (likely because star Kerry Washington is pregnant with her second child). Sandwiched between Grey’s Anatomy and How to Get Away with Murder is new legal drama Notorious (and no, it is not executive produced by Shonda Rhimes, hence the halting of TGIT). But fear not–TGIT will return in midseason when both Scandal and another Shonda show The Catch return to the schedule. Friday remains dominated by ABC’s single-cam sitcoms Last Man Standing and Dr. Ken, and Sunday looks familiar with Once Upon A Time, Secrets and Lies (finally returning for its second season), and Quantico.

New series being held for midseason include another Shondaland show, Still Star-Crossed, the third time-travel series to come out of this year’s upfronts, Time After Time (following NBC’s Timeless and FOX’s Making History), and sitcoms Downward Dog and Imaginary Mary (for former including a talking dog, and the latter a completely animated character). Mary is the second live-action/CGI hybrid to debut this week, following FOX’s Son of Zorn. Special event programming include a David Blaine magic special, Ali: The Champion, a special honoring boxer Muhammad Ali, limited series When We Rise, and a three-hour filmed musical event, Dirty Dancing.

Jump after the break to view the full fall schedule and preview ABC’s new fall and midseason series with video clips and descriptions. Continue reading Upfronts: Preview ABC’s fall schedule including Kiefer Sutherland as POTUS →

Upfronts: Preview FOX’s fall and midseason schedules, including new ’24’ & ‘Prison Break’

News, Television, Video, , , , , , , , ,

FOX followed NBC out of the gate in presenting its next programming slate for the 2016-17 TV season. In total, the now American Idol-less network is showcasing 8 new dramas, 3 new comedies, 2 new reality series, and a live musical. Of the 13 new shows, four will premiere this fall and the remainders will air in midseason or later. Sound familiar? NBC is playing up stability in the fall, too, debuting only three new series early on and saving the rest for next year. Unlike the other networks, however, FOX shares its fall and midseason schedules at the Upfronts, so we have a clearer picture here as to when benched series will see the light of day.

This fall, FOX’s schedule is unmistakable. Gotham and Lucifer open Monday. Brooklyn Nine-Nine and New Girl provide a comedic launchpad for Ryan Murphy’s fun horror fest Scream Queens on Tuesday. On Wednesday, new drama Lethal Weapon is paired with broadcast juggernaut Empire. Thursday sees crime procedural Rosewood leading into the final season of Bones. Another new drama based on a popular film franchise, The Exorcist, gets the Friday-at-9 slot following Hell’s Kitchen, where it will go head-to-head with NBC’s Friday night genre fare, Grimm. Animation Domination Sunday includes the return of Bob’s Burgers, The Simpsons, Family Guy, and at 8:30 a new half-hour sitcom, Son of Zorn, which is an eccentric live action/animated hybrid from Phil Lord and Chris Miller (The Last Man on Earth). A live presentation of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, starring Laverne Cox (Orange is the New Black) and Victoria Justice (Victorious), will air sometime in October, just in time for Halloween.

Perhaps the most anticipated new series next season, the exciting return of 24 and Prison Break, are being saved for midseason premieres. In 24: Legacy, Kiefer Sutherland’s Jack Bauer is out and The Walking Dead‘s Corey Hawkins is in as the new lead. Typically FOX announces midseason premieres as we get closer to winter, but the new 24 is a special case because it has snagged the coveted post-Super Bowl slot; it will premiere Sunday, Feb. 5 immediately following the big game, and then it will fall into its regular Monday-at-8 timeslot the day after. The next chapter in Prison Break is being billed as a six-episode event series and it will air Thursdays-at-9 leading out of Rosewood come early 2017; the entire gang is back and it looks incredible. Other new series being held for midseason include dramas APB with Justin Kirk (Tyrant), MLB-backed Pitch from EP Dan Fogelman (Crazy, Stupid, Love), racially charged Shots Fired, and Lee Daniels’ Star, plus comedies The Mick with Kaitlin Olson (It’s Always Sunny) and fun time-traveller Making History with Adam Pally (Happy Endings). Reality series Kicking and Screaming and My Kitchen Rules come later, too. And for all your Sleepyheads out there, Sleepy Hollow will return to Friday next year.

Update (5/20): FOX has made some tweaks to its upcoming schedules, just days after announcing them at the Upfronts. Baseball drama Pitch will now premiere in the fall (alongside the new MLB season, so that makes sense), and this pushes Bones to winter. And that, in turn, pushes Prison Break to spring, when it will air on Tuesday instead of Thursday. Got it? Good. The fall and midseason schedules below have been updated to reflect these changes.

Jump after the break to view the full fall schedule and preview FOX’s new fall and midseason series with video clips and descriptions. Continue reading Upfronts: Preview FOX’s fall and midseason schedules, including new ’24’ & ‘Prison Break’ →

Upfronts: Preview NBC’s fall schedule including time travel drama & afterlife sitcom

Image cache, News, Television, Video, , , , , ,

NBC is the first of the Big Four Networks to unveil its new series for the upcoming 2016-17 TV season. In total, the Peacock has 7 new dramas, 5 new comedies, and 3 new reality series in the pipeline to debut next season. Of the 15 new shows, only three will rollout in the fall, and the rest will remain on tap for midseason.

Time travel drama Timeless from Eric Kripke (Revolution, Supernatural) and Shawn Ryan (Last Resort, The Chicago Code, The Shield) has landed NBC’s most powerful timeslot, the plumb Monday-at-10 hour behind ratings juggernaut The Voice. On Tuesday, ensemble drama This Is Us from Dan Fogelman (Crazy, Stupid, Love) is sandwiched between a second hour of The Voice and the returning Dick Wolf procedural Chicago Fire. This past fall’s breakout hit Blindspot is relocating to Wednesday to give Timeless a fighting chance, where the Greg Berlanti-produced thriller will lead into Law & Order: SVU and Chicago P.D. Comedies will open Thursday nights, with the returning Superstore leading into Michael Schur’s (Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Parks and Rec) next surefire hit The Good Place. The second half of NBC’s “Must See TV” evening is comprised of Chicago Med and The Blacklist. Genre fare Grimm remains on Fridays perched at the 9pm hour, SNL rules Saturday night as is tradition, and football dominates Sundays.

New series being held for midseason include spinoff The Blacklist: Redemption, another Dick Wolf spinoff Chicago Justice, Wizard of Oz-inspired Emerald City, mystical Midnight Texas, a prequel series Taken based on the Liam Neeson movie franchise and sitcoms Great News (from Tina Fey and Robert Carlock), Marlon Wayans’ Marlon, DC Comics-based Powerless, and Trial & Error with John Lithgow. Reality series warming the bench include The New Celebrity Apprentice spearheaded by Arnold Schwarzenegger, Better Late Than Never starring Henry Winkler, William Shatner, Terry Bradshaw, and George Foreman, First Dates executive produced by Ellen DeGeneres, and The Wall EP’d by LeBron James. Special event programming include Dolly Parton’s Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love, Hairspray Live!, and A Few Good Men Live!.

Jump after the break to view the full fall schedule and preview NBC’s new fall and midseason series with video clips and descriptions. Continue reading Upfronts: Preview NBC’s fall schedule including time travel drama & afterlife sitcom →

Star Wars Day: Emojis tell ‘The Force Awakens’, and J.J. Abrams & Lin Manuel Miranda perform the new Cantina song

Movies, Music, News, Video, , , , , , , , ,

Today is May 4th and you know what that means: it’s Star Wars Day! To celebrate the annual occasion, Disney dropped this incredibly adorable version of The Force Awakens…as told by emoji! In under four minutes, the cute clip breaks down the seventh installment in the Star Wars franchise, hitting most of the major beats of the film. Rey, Finn, Poe, Kylo Ren, Han Solo, and the rest of your characters pop up throughout in emoji form, and the animation makes fun use of GIFs, apps, and recognizable iDevices. Enjoy, and May the Fourth Be With You!

Now, those of you who picked up a copy of John Williams’ score from The Force Awakens likely scratched your head and went, Huh, where’s the new Cantina song? Well, here it is now! In honor of Star Wars Day, Lucasfilm is finally making “Jabba Flow” available to stream and purchase. The track is written and performed by director J.J. Abrams and Hamilton creator and star Lin Manuel Miranda. Watch them perform it live, for the first time ever, in a video recorded earlier today; it’s embedded below. Continue reading Star Wars Day: Emojis tell ‘The Force Awakens’, and J.J. Abrams & Lin Manuel Miranda perform the new Cantina song →

Netflix orders ‘Wet Hot American Summer’ sequel, summer of ’91 reunion gets real!

News, Television, Video, , ,

“Hey, lets all promise that ten years from today, we’ll meet again, and we’ll see what kind of people we have blossomed into.”

That’s a line that Bradley Cooper’s Ben says at the end of the 2001 cult comedy film Wet Hot American Summer. When Netflix announced that it was bringing Wet Hot back as an episodic TV series, fans were pleasantly surprised to find out that it would a prequel taking place during the first day of camp in the summer of 1981 (as opposed to the last day of camp as featured in the movie). For those of you still yearning for a true sequel, your prayers have been answered. Taking a cue from Cooper’s Ben, Netflix confirms Wet Hot American Summer: 10 Years Later is on its way!

Wet Hot writers Michael Showalter and David Wain are returning to pen the 8-episode sequel series, and Wain will direct the installments again. The cast hasn’t been solidified yet, but by teasing the new season with the clip from the movie embedded above, you have to imagine that the entire gang is game to reprise their memorable characters.

Wondering what the crop of raunchy characters will be up to in the summer of 1991? Perhaps the “10 Years Later” tag at the very end of the Wet Hot movie provides clues; revisit it here.

Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later is set to debut on Netflix in 2017.

Marvel’s ‘Doctor Strange’ teaser dives headfirst into alternate dimensions

Images, Movies, Video, , , , ,

In December, we caught a mere glimpse at Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock) as the next Marvel Cinematic Universe superhero, Doctor Strange. Today, we are gifted with the first teaser trailer for Marvel’s Doctor Strange and it flips the MCU on its head, quite literally, in fact. The brief official logline released by Marvel reads, “When famous neurosurgeon Stephen Strange (Cumberbatch) suffers career-ending injuries in a devastating car crash, he seeks help in the furthest reaches of the world! Hoping to find cures for his injuries, Strange instead uncovers the hidden world of magic and alternate dimensions.”

The powerful entity who teaches Strange how to harness magic and travel across dimensions is known as The Ancient One, played here by a very bald Tilda Swinton. “You’re a man looking at the world through a keyhole,” The Ancient One tells Strange. “You’ve spent your life trying to widen it. Your work saved the lives of thousands. What if I told you that reality is one of many?”

We’ve seen aliens invade Earth, we’ve traversed the The Bifröst Bridge to Asgard where gods like Thor rule the land, and we’ve even witnessed myriad mutant powered people. Doctor Strange introduces an entirely new spin on the MCU with the exciting introduction of magic and alternate dimensions, and I cannot wait to see how Stephen Strange’s transformation into the Sorcerer Supreme affects everything that has come before and will come after.

Cumberbatch and his immediately acceptable English accent is joined on screen by Swinton, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Michael Stuhlbarg, Mads Mikkelsen, and Benedict Wong.

Doctor Strange, directed by Scott Derrickson (Sinister, Deliver Us from Evil), hits theatres November 4. Dive into the gallery below to view not one but two epically cryptic theatrical posters.

[Via Marvel; Twitter]

‘Star Wars’ spinoff ‘Rogue One’ teaser trailer arrives

Movies, Video, , , , , ,

UPDATE (4/7): As promised, here is the first teaser trailer for Rogue One! It debuted on Good Morning America this morning, and it packs quite the punch even for a one-minute forty-second tease. John Williams’ iconic score has a new edge here, blending his classic keys with something entirely new. It introduces Felicity Jones’ character, who we now know is named Jyn Erso. “This is a rebellion, isn’t it? I rebel,” she says and just like that she immediately wins the hearts of Star Wars fans everywhere. Ben Mendelsohn looks to be channeling his inner evil he commands so well (see Bloodline) as an Imperial villain, and Forest Whitaker comes to Jyn’s aid in stealing the Death Star plans with a warning: “If you continue to fight, what will you become?” Also, be on the lookout for exciting callbacks to the original trilogy; Mon Mothma and the AT-ATs are back, and is that The Emperor underneath a black robe? Enjoy!

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story hits theatres December 16, 2016. The initial teaser for the teaser has been moved under the fold.

PREVIOUS (4/6): Yes, it’s a teaser for a teaser but… STAR WARS! Tomorrow Disney drops the first official teaser trailer for the Star Wars spinoff movie, Rogue One. To get your blood pumping, the studio’s released this 10-second teaser of the teaser and even it cannot disappoint. You’ll hear TIE Fighters whizzing, you’ll catch a glimpse of a stormtrooper dressed in all-black armor, and that’s pretty much it! Just enough to raise the hairs on every Star Wars fanboy and fangirl out there who are surely still high off The Force Awakens. Be sure to check back here Thursday morning for the full teaser.

So here’s what we know so far about Rogue One. Continue reading ‘Star Wars’ spinoff ‘Rogue One’ teaser trailer arrives →

Sony solidifies PlayStation VR launch details with bundles starting at $399

Image cache, News, Technology, Video, , , , , , , , , , ,

Virtual reality is on the cusp of going mainstream. While VR innovators Oculus and HTC are readying their headsets, Sony is prepared to attack the market with PlayStation VR. You see, the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive require powerful computers to run effectively, and not everybody invests in such pricey machinery. PS VR, formally known as Project Morpheus, simply requires a PlayStation 4 video game console to run, and Sony has the most potential to succeed here first because it can rely on its 36 million PS4 units sold since the console’s release in 2013. No doubt about it–advantage: Sony.

As we inch closer to fall, Sony’s finally made some key launch details known. PS VR releases this October starting at $399. At that price you’ll get the VR headset and all of the required cables plus stereo headphones. On launch day (still TBA), the PlayStation Store will offer a free copy of The Playroom VR so new owners of the headset will have an immersive game to demo when friends come over.

What doesn’t come in the $399 package is the PlayStation Camera and PlayStation Move motion controllers, the former a required PS4 accessory to make PS VR work. The Camera tracks your movement and the controllers bring your arms and hands into the action. The Camera ($49.78 at Amazon) and Move motion controllers ($28.85) have always been sold separately from the PS4. When PS VR comes out, however, Sony has also prepared a “launch bundle” that will include the Camera and two Move motion controllers, in addition to an exclusive title PlayStation VR Worlds. This $499 package will be available to preorder starting Tuesday, March 22 at 10AM ET at participating retailers, including Amazon. The aforementioned “core bundle,” which assumes that you at least already own the Camera, will not be available for preorder at this time. Update: Sony’s performed an about-face here and has decided to make the core bundle available for preorder on Tuesday, March 29 at 10AM ET.

Launch lineup and spec talk after the break. Continue reading Sony solidifies PlayStation VR launch details with bundles starting at $399 →

Movie trailer round-up: Tim Burton and The Lonely Island return to the big screen, plus CG animation goes rated R

Movies, Video, , , , , , , , ,

Tim Burton, the visionary director behind quirky cult oddities such as Edward Scissorhands, Sweeney Todd, and Big Fish, has discovered a new fantasy land to play in with Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. The 2011 young adult best-selling novel by Ransom Riggs is being adapted for the big screen by Burton with stars Eva Green (Casino Royale), Asa Butterfield (Hugo), Ella Purnell, Allison Janney, Terence Stamp, Rupert Everett, Judi Dench, and Samuel L. Jackson. The peculiar tale practically begs Burton to bring it to life, and it goes like this:

When Jake discovers clues to a mystery that spans alternate realities and times, he uncovers a secret refuge known as Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As he learns about the residents and their unusual abilities, Jake realizes that safety is an illusion, and danger lurks in the form of powerful, hidden enemies. Jake must figure out who is real, who can be trusted, and who he really is.

The orphanage is home to children with all kinds of wild eccentricities including but certainly not limited to invisibility, a super cool eye projector, and flight. In typical Burton fashion, the movie will embark on an exhilarating adventure filled with fun and even some scares.

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children opens September 30.

Jump after the break to view trailers for the next movies from The Lonely Island and Seth Rogen. Update (3/24): A fun teaser trailer for The LEGO Batman Movie came out today, and you’ll find that after the break, too.
Continue reading Movie trailer round-up: Tim Burton and The Lonely Island return to the big screen, plus CG animation goes rated R →

‘Ghostbusters’ ladies are locked and loaded and shine in debut trailer

Movies, Video, ,

Here it is, the first official trailer for Paul Feig’s female-empowered Ghostbusters. Saturday Night Live funny women Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones plus Feig’s go-to star Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids, The Heat, Spy) play the modern-day poltergeist pulverizers.

Sony Pictures is labeling it a reboot, though the trailer does reference the iconic original that hit theatres some thirty years ago. The studio still isn’t providing a logline, but it’s not too difficult to grasp what’s going on here. Wiig’s particle physicist Erin Gilbert utters the closest thing we may ever get to a plot description when she says, “Someone has created a device that has amplified paranormal activity and we might be the only ones who can stop it.” Among the ghoulish green horrors here is everyone’s favorite–Slimer’s back! Also making comebacks are the Ecto-1 getaway vehicle, the recognizable uniforms and proton packs, and of course, Ray Parker, Jr.’s unforgettable theme permeates throughout. Looks like loads of fun.

And if you were ever worried about Feig’s decision to swap genders, this trailer will dispel those fears. “Ghostbusters are for everybody. The first movie worked because it had four of the funniest people and I just want the funniest people–and the funniest people are these women,” the director said at a recent event reported by Deadline. McCarthy and company slip into their Ghostbusters roles with distinct ease. In fact, I want to see this movie right now! Alas…

Ghostbusters, written by The Heat‘s Katie Dippold, drops into theatres July 15. Continue reading ‘Ghostbusters’ ladies are locked and loaded and shine in debut trailer →

‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ comes home in April with bonus content galore

Image cache, Movies, News, Video, , , , , , ,

Chewie, you’re coming home. Disney’s announced that Star Wars: The Force Awakens will become available to own next month. It initially rolls out across digital platforms on April 1, followed by Blu-ray and DVD releases on April 5. A 3D version is also in the works for those of you with capable living room setups. Both the Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack and DVD releases will come packaged with lots of bonus content including a behind-the-scenes making-of documentary including exclusive interviews with the cast and filmmakers. For the full breakdown of bonus content, which also includes deleted scenes and featurettes on building BB-8 and an inside look at John Williams crafting the iconic score, pop after the break.

Now here comes some more good news (or sour news), depending on your perspective. Disney is teaming up with retailers Target, Walmart, Best Buy, and its own Disney Store to offer fans even more exclusive bonus content. Each retailer offers unique collector’s packaging and special goodies inside. For example, Target’s includes 20 minutes of new content including exclusive interviews with the cast and a special look at the movie’s costumes and weaponry. The Disney Store, on the other hand, is including a limited lithograph set inside. All of this extra stuff is welcome, but retailer-exclusives pretty much forces fans and collectors to hunt down various copies of the same movie! Be sure to click after the break where you’ll find images of these bundles and links to order them.

J.J. Abrams latest resurrection was a box office smash, breaking records left and right. It’s most significant record has to be outpacing James Cameron’s Avatar to become the highest grossing domestic film of all time. It raked in $928.79 million in North America (compared to Avatar‘s $760.51 million). It could not, however, steal the golden crown from Avatar. Cameron’s technological marvel performed better internationally and that amounted to a worldwide gross of $2.79 billion. The Force Awakens ended up resting at a still wildly impressive $2.05 billion overall gross. Continue reading ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ comes home in April with bonus content galore →

‘Once Upon A Time’ looks back as 100th episode looms ahead

Television, Video, , ,

Consider yourself a fan of ABC’s fairy tale drama Once Upon A Time? Then look no further than here–it’s a nearly seven minute retrospective video that takes you down memory lane. The celebratory clip anticipates the series’ upcoming 100th episode, aka the season 5 midseason premiere, with a look back at the numerous heroes, villains, new worlds, adventures, and stories of love and hope we’ve experienced over the past five years. Fans have grown close to the classic fairy tale characters who make up Storybrooke, Maine, and that’s what makes this video all the more special. Audiences have witnessed characters like Emma Swan (who initially and for a long time didn’t believe) and The Evil Queen (whose name used to fit her well) blossom into heroic figures. And now, as we head into episode 100 that’s titled “Souls of the Departed,” Emma must journey into the Underworld where she’ll face off against Hades (Greg Germann) in order to save Hook from a hellish fate. Once is coming off its strong “Dark Swan” story arc, and with the promise of seeing old faces resurface (including Cora and Pan), fans can rest assured that the series will continue riding his creative streak heading into the latter half of the season.

Once Upon A Time returns Sunday, March 6 at 8pm on ABC. Continue reading ‘Once Upon A Time’ looks back as 100th episode looms ahead →