Category Archives: Entertainment

Trailer: Super 8 (plus synopsis)

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After dropping two teasers on us (the one from way back in May and the 30-second Super Bowl spot), Paramount opened the crack a bit more today providing us with a full-blown theatrical trailer for Super 8, the shrouded-in-mystery sci-fi Spielberg homage from writer/director J.J. Abrams and producer Steven Spielberg. The studio even let loose a synopsis!

“In the summer of 1979, a group of friends in a small Ohio town witness a catastrophic train crash while making a super 8 movie and soon suspect that it was not an accident. Shortly after, unusual disappearances and inexplicable events begin to take place in town, and the local Deputy tries to uncover the truth — something more terrifying than any of them could have imagined.”

That pretty much sums up what’s going on in this new trailer. Looks like we can expect a character-driven story with phenomenal visuals and a mystery (alien invasion?) hanging over our heads. Can’t wait. Super 8, starring Kyle Chandler, Elle Fanning, Joel Courtney, Gabriel Basso, Noah Emmerich, Ron Eldard, Riley Griffiths, Ryan Lee and Zach Mills, opens June 10 in standard and IMAX theatres.

Look after the break to see the official movie poster.

[Thanks, Andrew F.] Continue reading Trailer: Super 8 (plus synopsis) →

FOX’s ‘Terra Nova’ will not be previewed in May

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Aw man. For those of you who have been wildly anticipating the upcoming sci-fi epic from Steven Spielberg and Peter Chernin Terra Nova, I have some unfortunate news to share with you. Citing that the production team needs more time to work on the show’s elaborate visual effects, FOX has removed the show’s special two-night sneak peek from its schedule.

Says Fox president Kevin Reilly: “Terra Nova is one of the most ambitious television series ever produced. The cutting-edge visual effects used to create the world of Terra Nova, which is of massive scope and scale, require more time to be realized. This aspect of the series is essential, so we are pushing back the special early preview date to give the visual effects team the time needed for their groundbreaking work.”

Adds executive producer René Echevarria: “The world of Terra Nova is visually stunning on multiple levels, and effects play an enormous part. Premiering in the fall will give us the proper time to create a world never before seen on television.”

Terra Nova was originally planned to premiere midseason this year, then it was delayed until the fall but with promise of the now-axed two-night preview. FOX has decided to fill those vacant slots (May 23 & May 24, 9PM) with the season finales of The Chicago Code and Glee. Expectations are high for this prehistoric drama; the new fall season cannot come soon enough.

[Via Deadline; EW]

‘The Cape’ finale to air online tonight at midnight

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If you’ve been following the recent adventures of The Cape, you should know that the network ultimately decided to break up what was supposed to be a two-hour finale on February 28 into two pieces. The first hour “Razor” aired on that date then Chuck took over the 10PM slot. Last week The Event returned from its three month hiatus and claimed The Cape‘s regular 9PM slot. With no room in the Peacock’s scheduling for the last hour of the show with dismal ratings, they’ve decided to stream it exclusively online with hopes that fans of the short-lived series will flock to the website and watch the conclusion there.

“Endgame,” the season (likely series) finale of The Cape will be uploaded to the official NBC site tonight at midnight and will live there probably until the network decides to shut down the page. Here’s a synopsis of the episode:

THE CAPE AND VINCE FARRADAY’S WORLDS COLLIDE AND HARD TRUTHS ARE REVEALED — Police Chief Marty Voyt (Dorian Missick) lands behind bars, in the hands of ARK Corporation, fearing he may receive the same fate as Vince (David Lyons). Attempting to learn more about Vince’s disappearance, Dana (Jennifer Ferrin) takes on Marty’s case, and the impervious ARK Corporation , only to discover secrets of betrayal. The Cape’s double identity becomes blurred when Max (Keith David) and the carnival of crime attempt to protect Dana, Marty and his family.

I’m trembling with anticipation. Not.

Update: It’s up! NBC / Hulu

[Via TVLine]

Lupe Fiasco’s LASERS out now

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After warring with his record label Atlantic Records, rapper Lupe Fiasco has finally managed to release his third studio album LASERS. The 12-track album features singles Words I Never Said and The Show Goes On. iTunes is selling the record for $10.99 and a $13.99 deluxe version which includes “I’m Beamin'”, the Matthew Santos assisted “Shining Down”, and two music videos (“I’m Beamin’” & “The Show Goes On“). John Legend, Trey Songz, and Skylar Grey are among the featured artists.

Trailer: The Smurfs

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Neil Patrick Harris, Hank Azaria, and Glee‘s Jayma Mays star alongside the little blue guys in this new trailer for Sony’s upcoming 3D flick The Smurfs. Voice actors include Jonathan Winters as Papa Smurf, Katy Perry as Smurfette, Alan Cumming as Gutsy Smurf, George Lopez as Grouchy Smurf, Gary Basaraba as Hefty Smurf, Anton Yelchin as Clumsy Smurf, Fred Armisen as Brainy Smurf, John Oliver as Vanity Smurf, Paul Reubens as Jokey Smurf, Kenan Thompson as Greedy Smurf, B. J. Novak as Baker Smurf, Jeff Foxworthy as Handy Smurf, and Wolfgang Puck as Chef Smurf.

The Smurfs opens wide August 3.

Terry O’Quinn lands villainous role in ABC pilot ‘Hallelujah’

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The man known ’round the world for his phenomenal performance as John Locke in Lost is returning to ABC this fall in a drama from Marc Cherry (Desperate Housewives) called Hallelujah. Described as “a drama with musical elements,” the show is set in the town of Hallelujah, Tenn., which is being torn apart by the forces of good and evil and whose fortunes change when a stranger comes to town, bringing justice, peace and possibly restoring faith.” The stranger is played by Law & Order’s Jesse L. Martin and O’Quinn is Del, a charming yet wholly corrupt local millionaire who virtually owns the town.

O’Quinn joins Lost partners-in-crime Jorge Garcia and Michael Emerson in the fall pilot pool. Garcia and Emerson was recently cast in projects attached to Lost creator J.J. Abrams–Alcatraz and Person of Interest, respectively. Odd Jobs, the Abrams-backed project that was planning to bring O’Quinn and Emerson back together as suburban hit men, will simply have to wait.

[Via Deadline; TVLine]

Classic 90s Nick programming coming to TeenNick this fall

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Nickelodeon is ready to bring back the goods, finally. And when I say “goods” I am obviously referring to the kid network’s classic 90s programming. You know–Rugrats, Kenan & Kel, Pete & Pete, The Amanda Show, All That, Clarissa, and so and so forth. According to EW, all these retro shows will be airing in a new midnight-to-2 a.m. programming block appropirately branded “The ’90s Are All That” starting in the fall. The decision to add this new block came about after Nick execs caught wind of the massive amount of followers and continued support for Nickelodeon shows from that unforgettable decade. Says Keith Dawkins, senior VP and general manager of TeenNick: “At the time, we were completely devoted to that audience ages 9, 10, and 11. It was ground-breaking and for the young viewers, a powerful and pivotal time in their lives. Those kids who are now 22, 23 and 24 want to bring that back.” With open arms Mr. Dawkins, with open arms.

[Via EW]

NBC reveals season finale dates for its programming slate

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Somewhere on or between Monday, April 4 and Tuesday, May 24 your favorite NBC programming will conclude in hopefully satisfying fashion. Notable finales include half of the Thursday night comedy lineup–The Office, Community, and Parks and Recreation will wrap up their respective seasons with extended one hour episodes. Look after the break to see all of the finale dates listed in chronological order. Don’t see The Cape listed there? Here’s why.

[Via TVLine] Continue reading NBC reveals season finale dates for its programming slate →

TV Reminder: ‘The Event’ returns tonight on NBC [Update: Low ratings]

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After an extended three month hiatus, NBC’s sci-fi drama The Event returns to the airwaves tonight. After a promising start (remember–what happened to that plane?!), the mysteries started piling on top of each other with no cohesive plot thread tying them together and this resulted in contrived, lackluster plotlines that failed to challenge the viewer intellectually (or in any way for that matter). Save for the handful of character-driven episodes the first half of the season was dominated by run-of-the-mill action sequences, cheesy dialogue, and lots of running (Sean and Leila need more to do!). As the show’s creativity lost its touch early on, viewers dropped in significant numbers. The long hiatus provided the show’s creators plenty of time to retool things; I have faith that the show can transform itself from a rollercoaster of good-decent-filler episodes into a reliable mystery drama that’ll make me want to tune in every week. But first things first–they’ve got to tell us what the event IS! Perhaps episode 15 will provide some answers.

The Event returns tonight at 9PM on NBC. It’s a 2 hour, erm, event, so set your DVRs accordingly. Check out photos from “And Then There Were More” and “Inostranka” in the gallery below. Beware of minor spoilers. Need a refresher? Jump after the break to watch a brief recap.

Update: To the surprise of no one The Event returned not with a bang but as a bust. Though the two-hour return was (for the most part) fast-paced with some fun action segments, the writing is still poor and the story is, well, uneventful. The ratings agree: the show drew a 1.4/4 in the 18-49 demo and 5.2 million total viewers. That’s down 26% from its last original airing back on November 29. If these numbers don’t start to steadily increase and stabilize between now and April, you can kiss this thrill-less sci-fi thriller goodbye.

[Images via IGN; Deadline]

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Continue reading TV Reminder: ‘The Event’ returns tonight on NBC [Update: Low ratings] →

Reminder: ‘Breakout Kings’ premieres tonight on A&E [Update: Strong ratings!]

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I consider the 2005-2009 FOX series Prison Break to be one of the most thrilling and entertaining serialized programs produced for television. The Break writer/producer team Matt Olmstead and Nick Santora is ready for a second outing in a familiar setting. Tonight is the series premiere of Breakout Kings, an ensemble drama following an unconventional partnership between the U.S. Marshals’ office and a group of convicts as they work to catch fugitives on the run. “It takes a con to catch a con” is the show’s slogan–sounds like a fun concept. If you’re a loyal Break fan then obviously you know what to expect from Olmstead and Santora; namely edge-of-your-seat action sequences and smart, witty dialogue. Though Kings will play out more like a procedural (the show will focus on a new criminal each week), it is being described as a character-based show so the relationships and personalities that form amongst the ensemble cast of cops and convicts will play an integral part in the show’s development. If you need a solid reason to tune in each week here it is: Break’s Robert Knepper will be reprising the brilliantly sinister Theodore “T-Bag” Bagwell later this season in a four episode arc!

Breakout Kings begins its 13-episode season tonight at 10PM on A&E. Check out stills from the pilot below, and click here to read more about show.

Bonus! Click here to watch the producers discuss the round table writing process.

Update: The Breakout Kings premiere received the highest demo numbers for an A&E drama series–1.5 million adults 18-49 and 1.6 million adults 25-54. That’s up 25% and 14%, respectively, from the network’s previous ratings record holder The Glades (which premiered in July 2010). In terms of total viewership, Kings‘ 2.9 million viewers did not beat out The Glades‘ undisputed record of 3.6 million. Says Bob DeBitetto, President and general manager of A&E and BIO: “Breakout Kingsis a smart, action-packed drama with great storytelling and authentic well-drawn characters. Clearly the series has struck a chord with the younger viewers.” Yes, yes it has.

[Images via IGN; Deadline]

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Trailer: ‘Super’

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From writer/director James Gunn (Slither) comes Super, a story that centers on an everyday guy (The Office‘s Rainn Wilson) who transforms himself into a superhero named the Crimson Bolt after his wife (Liv Tyler) falls under the influence of a ruthless drug dealer (Kevin Bacon). Ellen Page (who acted alongside Wilson in Juno) plays his sidekick Boltie and together they fight against local crime. Nathan Fillion also plays a masked crusader. Instead of me trying to force a plot synopsis on you, simply mash play and fall in love with the trailer above. Super performed well when it premiered at the Toronto Film Festival last year (IFC Films picked it up for distribution), and anticipation is ramping up for its U.S. theatrical release that is April 1.

‘Star Wars: Episode I’ in 3D coming to theatres February 10, 2012

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This week Lucasfilm Ltd. and Twentieth Century Fox announced when the Star Wars re-release in 3D is going to begin. Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace will be the first in the franchise to receive the 3D conversion treatment, landing in theatres February 10, 2012. The remaining five films will follow suit over the course of consecutive years. Reads the press release:

Set against the thrilling and exotic backdrop of a “galaxy far, far away,” Star Wars is perfectly suited to the immersive 3D theatrical experience, and Episode I delivers some of the Saga’s most stunning and spectacular sequences – from the Naboo invasion to the Tatooine Podraces to the climactic lightsaber battle between Darth Maul and the Jedi. Supervised by Industrial Light & Magic, the meticulous conversion is being done with utmost respect for the source material, and with a keen eye for both technological considerations and artistic intentions.

Do we really have to experience Jar Jar Binks in three dimensions? I might skip out on this one and wait for the original trilogy to come back; I advise you to do the same. And for all you couch potatoes out there, don’t forget that the franchise is coming to Blu-ray in September.

[Via Deadline]