It’s always fun when gamers attempt to recreate their favorite games in real life. But I haven’t ever stumbled across something like this before: special effects production house Digital Corridor has imagined what Grand Theft Auto would look like if that crazy happenings from the game went down in the real world. From stealing bikes and cars to a bloody gunfight in the street, “Real GTA” makes the game a surreal reality, tongue-in-cheek the entire time. Enjoyed the clip? Click here to see how they made it.
Category Archives: Entertainment
‘The Leftovers’ moves to Texas in revamped season 2
If you’ve been wondering about The Leftovers, you’re not alone. The gripping and sometimes downright depressing HBO drama premiered last summer, specifically on June 29. Up to this point there has been no word as to when season 2 would officially premiere. But now, thanks to this teaser, we now know that the show will return in the fall.
But why the wait? HBO hasn’t commented on that, but it’s easy to speculate. The first season of The Leftovers was based on Tom Perrotta’s book of the same name and it covered the events that unfolded in it all the way to the end. So now, Perrotta and fellow executive producer Damon Lindelof have to dream up all new source material for the series going into season two. In fact, it’s been made public already that the show is undergoing a major creative reboot: the location is moving from Mapleton, New York to a suburb in Texas; additionally, the cast is being gutted and lots of new faces are coming aboard. Confirmed to return include Justin Theroux (Kevin Garvey, Jr.), Amy Brenneman (Garvey’s wife Laurie), Margaret Qualley (Garvey daughter Jill), Chris Zylka (Laurie’s son Tommy), Christopher Eccleston (former reverend Matt Jamison), and Carrie Coon (Matt’s sister Nora Durst). Mysteriously missing like The Departed are Liv Tyler (Megan from the Guilty Remnant), Emily Meade (Jill’s friend Aimee), Max and Charlie Carver (the identical twins), Annie Q. (Holy Wayne’s groupie Christine), and the incomparable Ann Dowd (Guilty Remnant leader Patti).
In our first look at season two, this teaser introduces the town of Jarden, Texas–the one place on Earth where the Sudden Departure hasn’t claimed the lives of its residents…yet. Hence the major build-up of cars: everyone and their mother wants to reside in this place where loved ones aren’t mysteriously vanishing in thin air.
The mere fact that HBO is bringing The Leftovers back for more begs the questions again: Will Perrotta and Lindelof start delving into the overarching mysterious and answering the Big Questions: What happens to the Departed, and why were they chosen to go while others are forced to stay? Perrotta famously did not answer these questions in his novel, and season one obviously didn’t either. In a new place with a (mostly) new cast, perhaps The Leftovers will begin to satiate its intrigued fanbase with some answers.
[Via TVLine]
A&E renews ‘Bates Motel’ for two more seasons
Carlton Cuse’s vision for a five-season tale of watching Norman Bates become Psycho is right on track. Today A&E officially renewed its creeptastic drama Bates Motel for two more seasons. Upcoming seasons 4 and 5 will each consist of 10 episodes, no change there. Cuse, along with co-showrunner Kerry Ehrin, have shared with critics and fans that they’d hope to tell this finite story across (at least) five seasons, and now that the network is fully on board with that plan, viewers don’t have to worry one bit about full resolution (er, evolution) come the series finale.
“The vision of our incredible creative team has exposed the steady breakdown of the relationship between Norman and Norma Bates,” said Rob Sharenow, Executive Vice President and General Manager of A&E, in a statement. “We are thrilled to bring fans two more seasons to witness the next stages of Norman’s transformation into the most notorious psychopath in cinematic history.”
Elsewhere at A&E, Cuse’s other drama The Returned has been cancelled and will not be coming back for a second season. Though the premise intrigued in its dealings with loved ones returning from the dead, it did so without the finesse and grace of ABC’s ill-fated Resurrection; that show went on to see a second season and then fizzled out.
Kiefer Sutherland discusses the future of ’24’ without Jack Bauer
As the “more 24” rumor mill continues to spin following the successful run of the franchise’s event series 24: Live Another Day, it’s about time we heard direct from the source regarding the series’ future. Star Kiefer Sutherland, who has played the iconic terrorist hunter Jack Bauer ten times now–across eight seasons, a TV movie, and LAD, is hanging up his gun. Or rather, he’s handing it off to young blood. In an interview with Deadline, Sutherland openly discussed where 24 may be headed in the not-so-distant future.
“I’m not coming back to do 24 because there are other things I want to do. And when they said limited-series run [re: Live Another Day], I meant it. But I’ve always felt, from Season 1 on, that 24 is such a great idea that this can go on forever. I think if you create a new cast or other characters in the telling of this story, it will bring a freshness. And let’s face it there’s only so many bad days one can have before the show becomes a mad comic. And what I don’t want it to be is a mad comic…it doesn’t rule out to one having a cameo.”
So! 24 will likely live to see another day, but this time around it will feature a new bad-ass leader at the helm. And, if we’re lucky, Sutherland will show up again as Bauer to literally hand the baton to his successor. But first, someone has to break him out of Russia firm grip! Also, can 24 exist without Jack Bauer fully involved in the day’s predicaments? Sound off! #BringTonyBack
[Via Deadline]
‘Smash’s “Bombshell” explodes on Broadway, see clips from the concert inside
Bringing “Bombshell” to Broadway was a Smashing success. After amassing a whopping $318,120 for the non-profit Actors Fund on Kickstarter, the short-lived NBC musical drama Smash brought its Marilyn Monroe musical-within-a-show “Bombshell” to actual Broadway for a one-night limited engagement.
Though the star-studded concert featuring songs from Smash‘s “Bombshell” was not recorded in full due to legal reasons, Broadway.com managed to capture bits and pieces from it. Above, see Christian Borle and Debra Messing introduce the score for the musical “they wrote” in the show as songwriting partners Julia Houston and Tom Levitt. You’ll see snippets of Megan Hilty and Katharine McPhee belting out hit songs from “Bombshell” including “Big Finish” and of course “Let Me Be Your Star.” After you’ve finished with this clip, jump after the break for two more! And if you’re interested in getting a full breakdown of the night, check out EW‘s inside scoop.
Obviously there’s interest not only to bring Smash back but also to get “Bombshell” as a mainstay on B’way. Though the former is likely to never happen, the latter has a glimmer of hope. Musical co-writer and director Scott Wittman shared his enthusiasm with EW to possibly make that happen: “The songs have such a life, and [on YouTube there are covers by] everyone from a drag bar in Atlanta to a 14-year-old boy in his bedroom to high school choirs and marching bands. I know there’s a life out there for it somewhere.” He added, “Even though Smash didn’t have enough viewers to allow NBC to continue it, it was still millions of people. Millions of people were hearing these songs every week, and that’s a lot of people!”
Smash executive producer Neil Meron built on top of that: “Of course we’d love to see Bombshell have a life on the stage. But we’d also like to catch our breath and then see where everyone is at.” Even Debra Messing thinks, “There’s a real musical there” and Katharine McPhee says, “[Bombshell] would make a great Broadway show. You never know.” Continue reading ‘Smash’s “Bombshell” explodes on Broadway, see clips from the concert inside
‘Tread Lightly’ with ‘Breaking Bad’-inspired Blue Ice Vodka
Looking to add to your TV series-inspired alcoholic beverage collection? Blue Ice Vodka has you covered with its brand new Breaking Bad inspired vodka appropriately and simply named Heisenberg. Three special edition bottles of Heisenberg by Blue Ice Vodka will be made available for a limited time this summer; the bottles will feature famous quotes from the AMC hit series including “The One Who Knocks,” “Tread Lightly,” and “Say My Name.” Gotta catch ’em all!
Blue Ice Vodka is handcrafted in Idaho and the company prides itself on its premium, all-natural ingredients and its patented five-stage filtration process “making it among the purest products in the marketplace.” Walter White would be proud.
Even Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan shared his excitement over this fun collaboration. “The Dude had his White Russians, the Blues Brothers had their Night Train… and now Heisenberg has his very own Blue Ice Vodka! I’m counting on our fans to use it in the creation of a great many delicious cocktails. I’m getting thirsty just thinking about it.”
If you don’t want to wait for Heisenberg to hit the shelves, you can order the special edition bottles online today at Reserve Bar; the bottles go for $27 a pop, or you can buy the bundle of three for $81. Watch the official commercial for it after the break; fans of the series will get a kick out of it since it borrows the animations and styling of the show’s iconic opening credits. ¡Salud!
[Via Blue Ice Vodka; EW] Continue reading ‘Tread Lightly’ with ‘Breaking Bad’-inspired Blue Ice Vodka
WWDC15: Apple updates OS X, iOS & watchOS, unveils Apple Music streaming service
2015’s World Wide Developers Conference was all about software for the house that Jobs built. Apple CEO Tim Cook led an extensive first-look extravaganza at the many updates coming to the company’s myriad operating systems. The desktop OS X, the mobile iOS, and even the new watchOS are all receiving user experience and performance upgrades soon. Additionally, Apple unveiled its next revolution in the music industry: there was the iPod, and iTunes, and now Apple Music. Jump after the break to learn all about it. Continue reading WWDC15: Apple updates OS X, iOS & watchOS, unveils Apple Music streaming service
Showtime joins the stand-alone streaming fray with… SHOWTIME
Following in the footsteps of the Home Broadcasting Company, premium cable rival Showtime is getting in on the standalone-streaming service cord-cutting craze. HBO NOW‘s direct competition will be called SHOWTIME when it launches in July. A specific release date is still being kept under wraps, but Showtime confirms it will arrive prior to the July 12 season premieres of Ray Donovan and Masters of Sex. SHOWTIME subscribers will have unlimited on-demand access to every season of the network’s original series, as well as hundreds of hours of movies, documentary and sports programming. Additionally, subscribers will have access to the live broadcast of the east and west coast feeds of Showtime–this is something HBO’s stand-alone streaming service does not offer…yet. SHOWTIME requires a monthly fee of $10.99; for comparison’s sake, NOW subscribers have to cough up $14.99 for access to HBO’s content library. Also like HBO, Showtime has signed a deal with Apple that allows customers to sign up for a free 30-day pass for the service, as long as you nab it on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Apple TV. SHOWTIME will be accessible via the network’s app or in-browser at showtime.com.
“Going over-the-top means Showtime will be much more accessible to tens of millions of potential new subscribers,” said CBS head Les Moonves in a statement. “Across CBS, we are constantly finding new ways to monetize our programming by capitalizing on opportunities presented by technology. This works best when you have outstanding premium content – like we do at Showtime – and when you have a terrific partner like Apple – which continues to innovate and build upon its loyal customer base.”
Though the 30-day free pass will be made available exclusively on Apple devices, SHOWTIME at $10.99/month will be offered on other platforms at launch including Roku and Sony’s PlayStation Vue.
Ridley Scott’s next journey to space stars Matt Damon as ‘The Martian’ stuck on Mars
Ridley Scott, the director behind Alien and Prometheus, is going back to space with The Martian. Matt Damon stars as an astronaut who gets stranded on Mars when an expedition to the red planets goes sideways. The film’s official synopsis includes additional detail:
During a manned mission to Mars, Astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is presumed dead after a fierce storm and left behind by his crew. But Watney has survived and finds himself stranded and alone on the hostile planet. With only meager supplies, he must draw upon his ingenuity, wit and spirit to subsist and find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive. Millions of miles away, NASA and a team of international scientists work tirelessly to bring “the Martian” home, while his crewmates concurrently plot a daring, if not impossible rescue mission. As these stories of incredible bravery unfold, the world comes together to root for Watney’s safe return.
Damon’s Interstellar co-star Jessica Chastain joins him on this new mission and the rest of the star-studded cast includes Kristen Wiig, Jeff Daniels, Michael Peña, Kate Mara, Sean Bean, Sebastian Stan, Aksel Hennie, and Chiwetel Ejiofor. The Martian is based on the best-selling book of the same named written by Andy Weir.
Are you excited to watch Damon survive on Mars? As NASA and Elon Musk’s SpaceX continue their collective efforts to make a trip to Mars a reality, movies like Interstellar and now The Martian make for some good entertainment that also shines a light on our not-so-distant future.
The Martian releases November 25.
‘American Crime’ creator & composer discuss the series’ powerful score
If you watched ABC’s midseason entry American Crime, then you know just how vital a role music played in its critical success. In addition to setting the tone at the top of nearly every episode with its signature, speedy strings, the composition also helped define the flawed characters and their relationships.
As originally shared by Deadline, here is an American Crime featurette with commentary by series creator John Ridley and his talented composer Mark Isham. You’ve got to love how Ridley describes his show: “American Crime is really about the cascade effect that crime has on people. It’s not a procedural, it’s not an investigation, it’s really an examination of human nature.” He gets teary-eyed in the clip when he likens Isham’s composition to an “emotional freight train.”
American Crime will return for a second season with a new cast of characters, a new story, and hopefully a starkly different yet equally impactful score.
Update: Ridley Scott gives TVLine clues about American Crime season 2. “[In Season 1] we dealt with race and faith; in Season 2 we want to deal a lot more with class. We want to deal with gender issues, sexual orientation and sexual identity.” He went on, “It’s going to be a whole different set of circumstances. We’re hoping that we can not only make it provocative, but humanize people as well. If there’s one thing that American Crime did very well, it took issues that are generally just a headline and put faces on them. I’m hoping we can do that in the second season.” The setting is moving from Northern California to the midwest, and as far as the cast is concerned, he “would love to get as many of [season 1’s stars] back for the second season as I can.” So far, Timothy Hutton and Felicity Huffman are confirmed to return.
Update 2 (6/16): Regina King has been confirmed as a season 2 regular. “Regina is phenomenal in all regards, and is going to be at the center of a story that deals with physicality, sexuality, and societal boundaries with the same urgency as our first season dealt with race and faith,” said Ridley. “We’ve been blessed with the opportunity to speak on subjects as no other show does, and a cast which can do so with such a high degree of emotional honesty.”
Pixar imagines a world where dinos rule in next animated pic ‘The Good Dinosaur’
Inside Out hasn’t even hit theatres yet (June 19 where are you?!) and Pixar is already readying audiences for its next animated flick, The Good Dinosaur. A basic teaser trailer came out today and it begs the question: What if the asteroid that forever changed life on Earth missed the planet completely and giant dinosaurs never became extinct? That’s what Pixar is pitching with The Good Dinosaur, which stars Arlo the Apatosaurus (voiced by Raising Hope‘s Lucas Neff) and his small human cave-boy friend Spot.
In an interview with Yahoo, director Peter Sohn–who last helmed Ponyo and served as a Story Artist on other Pixar films like Up!, Wall-E, Ratatouille, The Incredibles, and Finding Nemo–describes the film as a boy-and-his-dog story, except here the roles are reversed. “Arlo himself is what we would have become, able to articulate and have certain emotions and connection to family,” says Sohn. [The dinosaurs have] become us, essentially… I’m trying to treat Spot in a very kind of animalistic way, where he doesn’t speak very much. He’s very feral.”
While traveling through a harsh and mysterious landscape, Arlo learns the power of confronting his fears and discovers what he is truly capable of. The teaser does little in the way of expanding upon this general logline; it does, however, successfully set up breathtaking landscapes and it leaves you with Pixar’s signature warmth at the end. That heartwarming dino-human print is featured on the first official poster for the movie and it hangs after the break.
The Good Dinosaur roars into theatres November 25.
Update (6/12): The Good Dinosaur‘s voice cast is undergoing major changes. Lucas Neff is out and child actor Raymond Ochoa (Mars Needs Moms) is in to voice Arlo the Apatosaurus. Deadline reports the rest of the new cast: “Jeffrey Wright as Arlo’s dad, Poppa; Steve Zahn as a pterodactyl named Thunderclap; AJ Buckley as Nash, a T-rex; Anna Paquin as Ramsey the T-rex; Sam Elliott as a tough T-rex named Butch and Marcus Scribner as Arlo’s brother Buck.” Continue reading Pixar imagines a world where dinos rule in next animated pic ‘The Good Dinosaur’
TV reminder: 8 premieres to look out for in June
We’ve officially entered the month that welcomes back summer. Typically, a TV draught takes place after the big finales in May and avid viewers are forced to twiddle their thumbs until the new season kicks into high gear in September. That has all changed. We’re living in the Golden Age of TV, after all, and the sheer amount of creative content isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. The summer months are packed with great programs you simply cannot miss; the broadcast and premium cable networks, as well as streaming giant Netflix, have a number of exciting new series debuting this very month. To see what June has to offer, jump after the break. Continue reading TV reminder: 8 premieres to look out for in June