Category Archives: Entertainment

‘Better Call Saul’ behind the scenes

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Perhaps this will help you ride out the anticipation for Vince Gilligan’s next AMC project: it’s a behind the scenes look at Better Call Saul, the highly anticipated Breaking Bad prequel/spinoff starring Bob Odenkirk as sleazy lawyer Saul Goodman small-time lawyer Jimmy McGill. In the clip you’ll hear from Odenkirk, other cast members including Jonathan Banks (reprising Mike Ehrmantraut) and Michael McKean (he’s playing Jimmy’s brother Chuck McGill), as well as members of the show’s crew.

Better Call Saul premieres in February.

‘Orphan Black’ season 3 tease

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Orphan Black is coming. But not soon enough. In the meantime, enjoy this first teaser hyping the sci-fi action show’s upcoming third season. The song: Leslie Gore’s “You Don’t Own Me.” How appropriate.

BBC America has yet to set an air date, but if prior seasons are any indication, you can expect Clone Club to reconvene this spring.

Sneak peek ABC & Marvel’s ‘Agent Carter’

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Marvel’s next live-action TV show is Agent Carter. It’s inspired the Marvel One-Shot short film that came packed inside Captain America: The First Avenger way back when. Hayley Atwell reprises her role as Peggy Carter, an agent of the Strategic Scientific Reserve (SSR)–S.H.I.E.L.D.’s predecessor. The show takes place in the 1940s when America is disengaging from WWII, and just after her love Steve “Captain America” Rogers gets dislodged from his time period. Hanging above is a first look clip featuring Carter, Iron Man’s father Howard Stark (Dominic Cooper, also reprising his role from the first Cap movie), and Father Stark’s butler and inspiration for Tony’s advanced AI, Jarvis (played by James D’Arcy). Watch a scene from the pilot and then a quick montage of Agent Carter kicking ass and taking names now.

ABC will debut Agent Carter in January 2015. The 8-episode season will air in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.‘s Tuesdays-at-9 timeslot while that show is on winter hiatus.

OK Go impresses again with meticulously shot music video featuring motorized scooters, colorful umbrellas & a drone

Music, Video,

OK Go may not be the most popular alt-rock band on the scene, but there’s absolutely no denying their inventiveness when it comes to the construction, production, and execution of their extravagant and by all means brilliant music videos. Billboard breaks down their latest masterpiece and visual eye candy: getting around on motorized mobility devices made by Honda, the band is accompanied by a flock of umbrella-toting Japanese school girls in the middle of an abandoned structure located in the city of city of Chiba, about 45 minutes outside of Tokyo. The precise choreography is splendid, and the whole thing was captured by a camera-assisted drone called an octocopter. The single, uninterrupted shot took about 50 to 60 times to nail, but you just need to watch this once to fully embrace the magic of it all.

Movie trailer roundup: ‘Minions’, ‘Furious 7’ & ‘Ex Machina’ [Update: Neill Blomkamp’s ‘Chappie’]

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The Minions are back, and this time they star in their very own spinoff movie appropriately titled Minions. Following their memorable debut in 2010’s Despicable Me and their reprise in the 2013 sequel Despicable Me 2, the tiny, yellow, lovable, babbling, hysterical creatures are turning back time in a prequel of sorts that takes place way before they worked with Steve Carell’s Gru. As you can see in the debut trailer above, the minions’ story dates back to the beginning of time and they all share the same goal: “to serve the most despicable master around.” From dinosaurs to ancient Egyptian pharaohs to Napoleon and even Dracula, the minions roam the Earth to serve. Unfortunately they can never seem to hold onto a master for long, and eventually they grow bored and depressed without a purpose. And so Kevin, Stuart and Bob team up on an adventure to find a new and lasting despicable master for their tribe. And as the extended trailer reveals, the trio will make their way to 1968 New York and then…you’ll have to flock to theatres July 10, 2015 to find out what happens next. You might be suspect as to how a feature-length film packed with jibberish-speaking oddities will keep your attention; well, if this trailer is any indication, Minions will do juuuuust fine. Also, Sandra Bullock, Jon Hamm, Michael Keaton, Allison Janney, and Steve Coogan are billed as voice cast so there’s that to look forward to! Illumination Entertainment’s latest film is directed by Pierre Coffin and Kyle Balda and written by Brian Lynch.

Jump after the break for more trailers. Continue reading Movie trailer roundup: ‘Minions’, ‘Furious 7’ & ‘Ex Machina’ [Update: Neill Blomkamp’s ‘Chappie’] →

Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase 3 unveiled

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Following in the steps of rival DC Entertainment, Marvel Studios carved out time to lay the groundwork for its future feature film slate. In Marvel grand fashion, President Kevin Feige rented out the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood and spelled out Phase 3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in front of rabid fans and the press.

After Phase 2 closes out with Avengers: Age of Ultron and Ant-Man this coming summer, Phase 3 will kick off in May 2016 with Captain America and Iron Man facing off in Captain America: Civil War. That film will introduce Chad Boseman (42, Get on Up) as Black Panther. Following the Cap threequel is the introduction to Doctor Strange in November 2016; Deadline reports Sherlock actor Benedict Cumberbatch will play the title role. Then in May 2017 the Guardians of the Galaxy return in a sequel, followed by a Thor threequel subtitled Ragnarok. In November 2017, Boseman will reprise his African American superhero Black Panther in his very own film. In May 2018 the Avengers will assemble for a third time in Infinity War Part 1. And before Part 2 comes around a year later, female superhero Carol Danvers will debut as Captain Marvel in July 2018 and an entirely new super-powered group The Inhumans will hit the big screen in November 2018. Yeah, it’s a mouthful; so here it is in list form:

Click the respective links above to learn more about each film. Now, comic book fans rejoice–so many more of your favorite heroes are jumping from the page to the screen between now and 2020! (Bonus: click here to watch the Infinity War announcement trailer Marvel screened at the event.)

New documentary explores “the art of running a TV show”

Movies, News, Television,

If you watch a ton of television like I do, you must be at least a little interested in how it’s all made. Well, a new documentary is here to satiate your curiosity. It’s called Showrunners and it explores the creative teams and decisions that go into the making of a formidable TV program. The docu features exclusive interviews with some of the most successful producers, writers, and creators around including J.J. Abrams (Lost), Jane Espenson (Once Upon a Time), Hart Hanson (Bones), Mike Kelley (Revenge), Robert and Michelle King (The Good Wife), Damon Lindelof (The Leftovers), Jonathan Nolan (Person of Interest), Jeff Pinkner and J.H. Wyman (Fringe), Bill Prady (The Big Bang Theory), Joss Whedon (Firefly), and many more.

Director Des Doyle’s Showrunners promises to be an intriguing and informative look behind the scenes at what it’s like to build television drama and comedy, from a percolating idea to production to premiere. Learn more about the doc here, or head over to iTunes today to stream and watch.

Premiering this month: Marvel special & the final season of ‘The Newsroom’

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November is a relatively quiet month in terms of flashy new premieres, but there are two you simply cannot miss.

First up is an ABC special called Marvel 75 Years: From Pulp to Pop! Emily VanCamp (Revenge, Captain America: The Winter Soldier) hosts the hour-long special celebrating Marvel’s 75th anniversary with exclusive interviews and an exploration of the company over the years. It promises to shed light on comic book/movie studio enterprise’s history, as well as peek into its future; perhaps viewers will be privy to new looks at Avengers sequel Age of Ultron or even the now-in-production Ant-Man. It airs this Tuesday (11/4) at 9pm on ABC.

And then there’s the final season of HBO’s award-winning political drama The Newsroom. The final episodes kick off Sunday, November 9 at 9pm. Fans of the fictional News Night with Will McAvoy will get to say goodbye to Aaron Sorkin’s journalistic jamboree over the course of six tight episodes that conclude on December 14. “Every story needs a final word” reads the tagline of the show’s third season, and it’s certainly sad to say that time has come now. Click here to watch a trailer.

‘Girls’ season 4 trailer [Update: New trailer inside]

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Here’s our first real look at the upcoming fourth season of HBO’s Girls. Lena Dunham’s Hannah Horvath and company are back in a season that’s about “the girls making smarter choices and realizing that life is still hard.” Preview season 4 in the video embedded above and see how many guest stars you can find.

Girls returns early next year.

Update (11/7): HBO’s released another look at Girls season 4. Watch it after the break. Continue reading ‘Girls’ season 4 trailer [Update: New trailer inside] →

Ryan Murphy discusses the interconnectedness of ‘American Horror Story’

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How have you been enjoying American Horror Story latest incarnation? Only four episodes in and it’s already proven to be one of the franchise’s best seasons yet. The Halloween themed “Edward Mordrake” two parter was quite exquisite, to say the least. And I’m sure you feel the same way I do about the inclusion of little miss Pepper. It’s a shame she never got her meatloaf, but more than that she’s served as a great addition to the season’s sprawling cast. Creator Ryan Murphy said including her and effectively bridging a gap between season 2’s Asylum and the current Freak Show was a decision that was not made lightly. But now that the door is cracked open, he’s going all the way in.

It’s been reported that AHS mainstay Lilly Rabe is making an appearance later this season and she will be the second actor to reprise a character from a previous season. She’s coming to the Freak Show as her Asylum alias Sister Mary Eunice to snatch up poor Pepper and bring her to the mental institution Briarcliff Manor. In an interview with EW, Murphy waxed about Rabe’s return as well as the interconnectedness of it all.

I don’t want to say much about it but obviously she’s playing Sister Mary Eunice. The interesting thing about doing a show like this is every season is incredibly its own story and its own beginning, middle and end. Its own journey. But we have always from the very beginning in the intertwining mythologies and how things connect. This is the first year where we begin to tell you that season two is connected to season four which is connected to season one. People have started to write articles about that. A lot of their hypotheses have been completely right on. That’s the fun of the show. Hopefully by the end of the run, be it 10 years or 15 years, people will be able to stand back and be able to say, “Oh that was connected to x.”

There’s definitely a rhyme or a reason and a connectedness to all of these seasons, but in the same way, they’re standalones, which is the fun of it. But it is a puzzle. And Lily coming back and dealing with Pepper is sort of the first unveiling of that connectedness. She’s so great in that role, Lily. I understood she wanted to go off and do her own show. But I was thrilled she was able to come back and give us a couple days and show how Sister Mary Eunice and Pepper are connected and how it’s all connected. I’m glad she’s back in the habit!

So AHS fans, rejoice! The show will remain an anthology series, but going forward Murphy and co. will begin to tie at least some things together for studious fans to froth over. I, for one, cannot wait to find out how exactly this season will make a bridge to Murder House!

AHS: Freak Show airs Wednesdays at 10 on FX.

Full season orders handed out to 5 network series; 4 others get axed [Updated 11/7]

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Good news for fans of The Eye’s older-skewing programming: four freshman series will live on to see their first season of television all the way through and they are: hacker drama Scorpion, spinoff NCIS: New Orleans, Kevin Williamson’s thriller Stalker, and Téa Leoni top-lined Madam Secretary.

“These four shows have had an immediate impact on our schedule by improving nights, winning time periods and adding more hours of success across our primetime lineup,” said Nina Tassler, CBS’ Entertainment Chairman, in a statement.

Elsewhere, The Peacock picked up The Mysterious of Laura for a full 22-episode first season.

Debra has effortlessly infused Laura with a relatability that is captivating audiences,” said Jennifer Salke, NBC’s President of Entertainment. “We can’t wait to see how Laura will continue to evolve throughout the entire season.”

And now, the sour news. Low ratings are forcing out rom-coms Manhattan Love Story (ABC) and A to Z (NBC), as well as Kate Walsh sitcom Bad Judge (NBC) and FOX’s “social experiment” reality show Utopia. MLS and Utopia were pulled from their network schedules on the dates of their cancellation (10/24 and 11/2, respectively), but in a surprise move NBC is allowing A to Z and Bad Judge finish out their original 13-episode orders. The former comedy has shot 11 of 13 episodes and the latter has produced 10. What this means is that the creatives behind them will be able to scramble together plotline bookends since they’re aware the end is in sight. A silver lining: at least these shows will air final episodes that will indeed serve as series finales with at least some closure before audiences are forced to say goodbye.

If you’re keeping count, these full season orders join previously announced pickups of ABC’s Black-ish and How to Get Away with Murder, FOX’s Gotham, and The CW’s The Flash and Jane the Virgin.

Update (11/7): ABC has cancelled rom-com Selfie and has given a full season order to the Ioan Gruffudd-led drama Forever.

NERDGASM: ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ teaser trailer arrives [Update: Extended trailer inside!]

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Earlier this week, word got out that Marvel would be releasing a first look at the upcoming Avengers sequel Age of Ultron. The very next day a poor quality version of the sneak peek leaked but the comics and movie powerhouse took it in stride. Later that evening the studio uploaded and shared with the world the first official teaser trailer for the highly anticipated sequel, even though it was supposed to make its worldwide debut during this coming Tuesday’s airing of ABC’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. They blamed Hydra for the leak–points!

And so, here it is. For your viewing pleasure. Our heroes including including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye take on villain Ultron, a terrifying technological villain hell-bent on human extinction, in this action-packed and oh-so-epic 2:16 tease.

Some notes: Yes, that is The Blacklist‘s James Spader spectacularly voicing the villainous Ultron and quoting “I’ve Got No Strings” as made famous in the classic Disney animated tale Pinocchio…Did you catch Elizabeth Olsen and Aaron Taylor-Johnson as mutant twins Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver?…And how awesome is Tony Stark’s latest creation the Hulkbuster? He’ll use it, as you can see, to take on Bruce Banner’s green Hulk. But why are the heroes in arms in such a kerfuffle? Time will tell.

Avengers: Age of Ultron hits theatres May 1, 2015. Jump after the break to view a new poster and the full official logline for the movie.

Update (10/28): Despite Hydra’s best efforts, Marvel still managed to surprise its fans by airing a new extended trailer during Tuesday night’s telecast of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on ABC. The first minute of the new clip features The Avengers–plus Maria Hill and James Rhodes–straight chilling at Tony Stark’s posh pad. They’re having their hand at trying to pick up mighty Mjölnir; but of course, it is only the mighty Thor who is “worthy” enough to wield the weapon. The party, though, comes to a screeching halt in no time when Ultron emerges and speaks of strings, none of which he has: we know. Watch it after the break.

Continue reading NERDGASM: ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ teaser trailer arrives [Update: Extended trailer inside!] →