Category Archives: Entertainment

COSMOS: my thoughts

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Completed Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey. Thank you to host Neil deGrasse Tyson, composer Alan Silvestri, executive producer Seth MacFarlane, executive producer, writer, and director Ann Druyan, and of course the late, great Carl Sagan. Cosmos is a true masterpiece of knowledge and wonder. Spectacular, from top to bottom: live, on-location shoots; cinema-level CG animation; stylized traditional animation; an inspiring host in Dr. Tyson, who makes all of the science exciting and easily digestible; and a magical score imagined by Silvestri. Traveling through space and time on the modernized Ship of the Imagination across the past, present, and future is a wildly entertaining, visually breathtaking, and wholly educational experience. Personally I’ve always been fascinated by science; Cosmos has opened my eyes even wider to the enormous spectrum of knowledge out there today and the knowledge waiting to be discovered. How exactly does dark matter and dark energy work? Will alien life ever discover our Voyager spacecraft? What happened before the Big Bang? What lies beyond the Observable Universe? Equally as important, Cosmos reaches out and grips you about the concerning realities about how we are treating our planet and it envisions very different futures for us depending on the vital actions we take next. A “Cosmic Calendar,” introduced in the first episode of the 13-part series, visualizes and condenses our universe’s 13.8 billion year lifespan into a single, glanceable year; it might make you feel tiny in our vast universe (humanity occupies the last day in the last second of the entire calendar) but it provides such amazing insight into our existence, where we come from, and where we may be heading next. In sum, I highly recommend you carve out time in your lives to take an exciting journey into spacetime; it’s unlike anything else you’ve seen on TV before and you’ll come out of it awestruck, inspired, and most of all, with an expanded mind and a new passion to question everything around you.

Jimmy Fallon parodies ‘House of Cards’

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Jimmy Fallon’s latest parody takes on Netflix Original Series House of Cards. Though it falls short when stacked against previous parodies (see: Game of Desks, Joking Bad, and Lost parody Late), Jimmy does a fine impersonation of Kevin Spacey’s Frank Underwood and the two parts are sprinkled with funny nods to the show for fans to enjoy. Take a look; House of Cue Cards part one is embedded above, and part two is after the break. Continue reading Jimmy Fallon parodies ‘House of Cards’ →

HBO renews ‘The Leftovers’ for a second season

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“Who knew one could feel so ecstatic about such a depressing show!” I tweeted upon hearing the news of renewal. HBO’s The Leftovers, from Lost’s Damon Lindelof and Leftovers author Tom Perrotta, continues to depress and infuriate its viewers with gory, out of left field violence (read: the shocking death-by-stoning of GR member Gladys) and mystery perpetually left unresolved (Perrotta’s book never explains what happened to The Departed; will the show?). So far in its first season the series has managed to captivate with its unapologetic dreary outlook. It’s proven it can tell interesting character studies by using full episodes to further flesh out backstories (see: Rev. Matt Jamison and Nora Durst’s tales of faith and discovery). And then there’s our protagonist, the flawed, enigmatic Kevin Garvey, Jr. played expertly by Justin Theroux whose life eloquently weaves in and out of dreams always living on the edge of sanity. Garvey is the glue whose actions have repercussions not only on his depressing town but also on the main mystery that lights a fire under the series: where did everyone go and why? Whether or not Holy Wayne’s army of pregnant Asian women hold the key to “bridging” the gap between The Leftovers and The Departed, it’s too much fun despising the chain-smoking, white-clad Guilty Remnant and picking out the Lost-like clues Lindelof is leaving along the way. With just three episodes left this season, we are on the precipice of finding out if this show truly contains any answers or if it will continue to force viewers to journey into a bleak and hopeless unknown that is, at the same time, a supremely hypnotic and tantalizing place to be.

“We are thrilled to bring back The Leftovers for a second season with the exceptional talents of Damon Lindelof and Tom Perrotta,” HBO programming head Michael Lombardo said in a statement today. “It has been truly exciting to see the overwhelming response to their provocative and original storytelling. We look forward to continuing the journey as the show delves deeper into the lives of those who remain.”

The Leftovers airs Sunday nights at 10PM on HBO.

Mini teaser: AMC’s ‘Better Call Saul’

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Here’s your very first look at Bob Odenkirk as lawyer Jimmy McGill, the protagonist of Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould’s Breaking Bad spinoff/prequel series. As we already know, Better Call Saul takes place six years before the Saul meets Walter White; it will take time before McGill transforms into criminal lawyer “Saul Goodman” audiences have come to know and love. This is the teasiest of teasers clocking in at a mere 10 seconds, but the clip does just enough to remind viewers of Odenkirk’s magic plus we get premiere timeframe: February 2015. Let the countdown begin.

Update (8/24): Gilligan & Gould talk Saul in a new teaser embedded after the break. Continue reading Mini teaser: AMC’s ‘Better Call Saul’ →

‘Homeland’ stars discuss upcoming new season

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Homeland stars Claire Danes, Mandy Patinkin, and Nazanin Boniadi take time during their promotional photoshoot to talk season 4. In addition to a brief glimpse at this season’s shooting location (Cape Town, South Africa will stand in for parts of the Middle East), this new clip does a fine job at teasing the upcoming Brody-less season just as the “First-Look” trailer did before it.

Homeland returns October 5 to Showtime with a two hour premiere.

A Lonely Island movie is in the works!

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The Lonely Island aka The Dudes aka Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone, and Akiva Schaffer are making another movie together. The last time the SNL Digital Short guys collaborated on a feature film was in 2007; the absurd genius that is Hot Rod was the result. This time around they are teaming up with Universal Pictures and prolific producer Judd Apatow to make a comedy set in the world of music, according to Variety. TLI is no stranger to making music; in addition to producing comedic music videos for SNL like “Jizz in my Pants” and “I’m On a Boat,” they’ve gone on to release three comedy-rap albums: Incredibad (2009), Turtleneck & Chain (2011), and The Wack Album (2013). The untitled pic will be directed by Schaffer (Hot Rod) and Taccone (MacGruber). All three Dudes are expected to star. In short, this project has the potential to be insanely outrageous and hilarious packed with a catalog of TLI-infused tunes. At the very least, we’re likely to get a new Lonely Island album out of it! Next stop: trailer town.

Movie trailer round-up: Disney’s ‘Into the Woods,’ ‘Night at the Museum 3,’ ‘SpongeBob Movie 2’ & ‘Interstellar’

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Disney is adapting the Tony-winning original musical Into the Woods into a movie. Like the Broadway musical before it, the theatrical adaptation is inspired by classic Brothers Grimm fairytales such as Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Rapunzel. The film is directed by Rob Marshall (Chicago, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides) and composer Stephen Sondheim provides the music and lyrics. Its synopsis and stars follow:

“Into the Woods” is a modern twist on the beloved Brothers Grimm fairy tales, intertwining the plots of a few choice stories and exploring the consequences of the characters’ wishes and quests. This humorous and heartfelt musical follows the classic tales of Cinderella (Anna Kendrick), Little Red Riding Hood (Lilla Crawford), Jack and the Beanstalk (Daniel Huttlestone), and Rapunzel (MacKenzie Mauzy)—all tied together by an original story involving a baker and his wife (James Corden & Emily Blunt), their wish to begin a family and their interaction with the witch (Meryl Streep) who has put a curse on them.

Into the Woods hits theatres December 25.

Jump after the break to view more trailers. Continue reading Movie trailer round-up: Disney’s ‘Into the Woods,’ ‘Night at the Museum 3,’ ‘SpongeBob Movie 2’ & ‘Interstellar’ →

Comic Con: Extended look at ‘Person of Interest’ season 4

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At the end of Person of Interest‘s third season, our heroes Reese, Finch, Shaw, and Root were forced into hiding after the sinister John Greer of Decima Technologies turned on a second powerful and all-knowing artificial intelligence-enabled machine known as Samaritan. At Comic Con executive producers Jonah Nolan and Greg Plageman, along with cast members Jim Caviezel, Michael Emerson, Kevin Chapman, Sarah Shahi, and Amy Acker, screened an extended clip (embedded after the break) featuring mostly new footage from the upcoming season that sheds a good amount of light on what’s coming next. Samaritan is hunting down the remaining members of Team Machine…The Machine continues to spit out numbers and while Reese is eager to continue their work, Finch knows their resources are severely limited…The Machine has helped Reese go undercover in law enforcement while ladies Shaw and Root now work at a posh department store (the panel’s crowd erupted in laughter at the sight of Shaw working her new job)…also, quick glimpses of Elias and Control hint at their return.

When asked what the theme of the new season will be Plageman answered “war.” It’s a battle between two AIs and our heroes are stuck in the middle with limited resources and no sanctuary (The Library was destroyed, remember?). It is key to note that Detective Fusco is not being flagged by Samaritan, and Plageman says this will allow for fun creative liberties. Also, Nolan briefly hinted that the two AIs might be upgraded with a voice some time in the future, but at the same time Plageman assured fans that they “always want to keep the technology grounded.”

Person of Interest returns Tuesday, Sept. 23 at 10PM on CBS. Continue reading Comic Con: Extended look at ‘Person of Interest’ season 4 →

Comic Con: ‘The Walking Dead’ season 5 trailer will blow you (and your brains) away

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The Walking Dead knows how to cut trailer. Once again they’ve managed to top themselves with a brilliant season 5 trailer that only teeters on major reveals and still gets the job done. This pretty much confirms Rick and the gang will get out of Train Car A and face the Termites of Terminus. Gareth, their leader, appears to be a reasonable man here as he allows Rick and co. to leave his horror house and find a cure for the zombie apocalypse in Washington, D.C. That’s right–road trip! “When we get to Washington, we will make the dead die and the living will have this world again,” snarls Abraham Ford. And who took Beth? A tiny tease at the end reveals her imprisonment at some sort of psych ward (?); wherever she is she appears to be more badass than ever and ready for escape.

What looks to be the most ambitious season of The Walking Dead yet premieres Sunday, October 12 at 9PM on AMC. Skip after the break to view new key art made specifically for Comic Con. Continue reading Comic Con: ‘The Walking Dead’ season 5 trailer will blow you (and your brains) away →

Comic Con: ‘Once Upon a Time’ readies fans for ‘Frozen’ arc

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Don’t hold your breath, Oncers. Though ABC is touting this as the official “Season 4 Trailer” it serves simply as a series recap and does not contain new footage. Bummer, I know. But here it is nevertheless, and it will get you amped for what’s to come in Storybrooke this fall.

Major takeaways from this year’s Once Upon a Time panel at Comic Con: Giancarlo Esposito, fresh off his three year stint on NBC’s now-cancelled Revolution, will return as Regina’s Mirror. Actor Michael Socha, who played the Knave in the short-lived spinoff Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, will make his way to Storybrooke. Colin O’Donoghue’s Hook will begin to sport modern attire in the new season. A musical episode is not in the cards (for now). And in terms of the hyped Frozen storyline, showrunners Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz presented a brief clip (not available online) of Anna and Elsa (played by Georgina Haig and Elizabeth Lail, respectively) leaving flowers at their parents’ grave. Frozen characters joining the show include the aforementioned queen and princess, Kristoff (Scott Michael Foster), Hans (Tyler Jacob Moore), and Grand Pabbie the Troll King (voiced by John Rhys-Davies).

[Via TVLine]

Comic Con: ‘Bates Motel” unearths actors’ “audition tapes”

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Those who attended the Bates Motel panel at this year’s Comic Con were privy to never-before-seen “audition tapes” headlined by series stars Vera Farmiga, Freddie Highmore, Nestor Carbonell, Olivia Cooke, and Max Thieriot. You’re probably wondering why those words are in quotations; well, I won’t ruin the surprise. Just got a box of tissues ready because soon enough tears of laughter will be streaming down your face. This here is pure gold.

Also during the panel it was announced that Kenny Johnson–who plays Caleb, Norma’s brother and Dylan’s biological father–will return as a series regular in season three. Also, Nicola Peltz–Norman’s friend-that-he-would-do-anything-for Bradley Martin–will return to the show after leaving early on in season two to shoot the new Transformers movie; again, unfortunately, she will not be present full-time but she’s expected to enter the fold later in the season.

Bates Motel returns to A&E this fall.

Comic Con: ABC celebrates ‘LOST’ 10 years later

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The groundbreaking drama LOST premiered to a room full of eager fans at 2004’s San Diego Comic Con. Ten years later the Alphabet network that fostered it produced a short yet impactful two minute commemorative video featuring some of the series most memorable scenes bookended by words from showrunners Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof. The video embedded above ran on a loop at ABC’s booth during this year’s Comic Con. If you couldn’t make it out this year watch it now and relive the emotional bliss that was and forever will be LOST. Jack’s bearded rallying cry “We have to go back,” Charlie’s hand inscribed with the message “Not Penny’s Boat,” Jack and Locke’s heated faith argument, Jack’s “Kate, dammit, run!,” Ben tearfully pushing the donkey wheel with all his might to (boom) move the Island–it’s all there. Enjoy.