Category Archives: News

NBC pulls the fourth episode of ‘Hannibal’, shares informative web series, finally releases it on iTunes

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Hannibal episode 104 “Ceuf” was originally set to air on Thursday, April 25 but a day before its airing NBC and series executive producer Bryan Fuller deemed the installment’s content too inappropriate for TV when taking in consideration of recent world news (i.e. the Boston bombings and the Newtown shooting). The hour’s intriguing synopsis:

A string of family murders takes place, and Will (Hugh Dancy) determines they were conducted by each of the families’ missing children, who were abducted and brainwashed into killing their old families for their sinister “new family.” Against Alana’s (Caroline Dhavernas) recommendation, Hannibal (Mads Mikkelson) checks Abigail (Kacey Rohl) out of the hospital for some frightening psychiatric practices that ultimately align her loyalty with him.

Fuller sided with the network to pull the episode from the schedule, but he didn’t leave fans of the creative new series empty handed. The network released online a five-part “web series” that includes select scenes from the missing episode that do not involve the admittedly gruesome “crime of the week.” You can watch all five parts (with an introduction from Fuller) at YouTube.

On Tuesday, April 30, after NBC aired Hannibal‘s fifth episode, the network finally released “Ceuf” into the wild making it available for download via iTunes. Fans of the show will surely gobble up the lost ep, even if it means watching it out of order.

Hannibal airs Thursday nights at 10PM on NBC.

‘Hemlock Grove’ is now available to stream on Netflix

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Following Lillyhammer and House of Cards, Netflix’s next foray into original programming is here. Hemlock Grove, from Eli Roth (Hostel) and based on Brian McGreevy’s 2012 novel of the same name, is a horror mystery series involving murder and monsters. On April 19 all thirteen episodes were made available on Netflix and if you’re a subscriber you can binge-watch ’em all at anytime. Eye the freakishly awesome poster above, and then get a taste of what’s in store with a red-band trailer, a teaser, and arguably the most “realistic” looking werwolf transformation sequence you have ever seen. Continue reading ‘Hemlock Grove’ is now available to stream on Netflix →

The new season of ‘Arrested Development’ gets its spring release date

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Arrested Development returns with all-new episodes on (drum-roll please) May 26, 2013.

Netflix issued a press release on Thursday expressing the long-awaited news. In addition to announcing the release date, the streaming company increased the episode order to a grand total of 15, way up from the originally planned 10 installments. Just like it did with its last premiere of original programming in House of Cards, Netflix will make all 15 episodes of Arrested Development available at the same time precisely at 12:01AM PDT on Sunday, May 26. Take note: the new season premieres Memorial Day weekend so fans will have plenty of time to marathon it all before the work week/school resumes on Tuesday.

Ted Sarandos, Chief Content Officer for Netflix: “Arrested Development is now widely viewed as one of the top TV comedies of all time and Mitch Hurwitz is bringing it to Netflix in a brand new way, crafted for the on-demand generation that has come to discover the show in the years since it last appeared on TV. The highly anticipated return of this show is sure to make history all over again.”

Series creator and executive producer Mitch Hurwitz: “Ted said that? Wow. Well don’t print this obviously, but he’s going to be immensely disappointed. In truth we are doing something very ambitious that can only be done with Netflix as partners and on their platform. Finally my simple wish for the show is coming true: that it be broadcast every second around the clock to every television, computer or mobile device in existence.”

In case you didn’t know… Arrested Development centers around Michael Bluth (Jason Bateman) and his eccentric family comprised of his son George Michael (Michael Cera), his father George Bluth Sr. (Jeffrey Tambor), his mother Lucille (Jessica Walter), his brothers George Oscar Bluth II (Will Arnett), Buster Bluth (Tony Hale) and sister Lindsay Funke (Portia de Rossi), and Lindsay’s husband Tobias (David Cross) and their daughter Maeby (Alia Shawkat). With the new episodes, each installment is dedicated to a different character’s point of view. And all of it is a major set up for a feature length film which is still in the works.

I don’t have a trailer for you yet (there may never be one since Hurwitz is keeping such a tight lid on the plotlines), but you can eye the first promotional poster above. I imagine the entire Bluth clan locked inside that bright orange shipping container with Gob trying his mightiest to bust them all out. It reads, “The Final Countdown Begins.” Celebrate with an appropriate scene after the break. Continue reading The new season of ‘Arrested Development’ gets its spring release date →

TV reminder: ‘Mad Men’ premieres Sunday night at 9PM on AMC

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Get an Old Fashioned ready; Don Draper and company return to the box in your living room Sunday, April 7 at 9PM on AMC. Tonight’s season 6 premiere of Mad Men, written and directed by sereis creator Matthew Weiner, is called “The Doorway” and it is two hours long. “If you like the show, there’s a good chance you’ll like the premiere… It is different than last year’s in a sense that it was my idea and I was just trying to give bang for a buck to an audience that I didn’t want to lose because we’d been away for so long. This year it’s really constructed like a film. It is its own story and hopefully it foreshadows the rest of the season,” Weiner shared to EW.

The season’s key art pasted above constructed by illustrator Brian Sanders features ad man Don Draper facing duality. When we last saw Don he was letting his wife Megan pursue her dream of acting; granting her this independence might have let Don slip into his old ways of infidelity. The poster does a fine job of expressing Don’s dilemma: will he continue to love Megan and remain faithful in his marriage or will he succumb to his former self and take the hand of a beautiful stranger? There are many ways the illustration can be interpreted; what do you think?

Since it’s been a while since Mad Men last aired, jump after the break to catch up with a “where season 5 left off” video with commentary from Weiner and the talented cast led by Jon Hamm. Also there you’ll find more commentary from the cast and creator plus a couple season 6 promos. Continue reading TV reminder: ‘Mad Men’ premieres Sunday night at 9PM on AMC →

Louis C.K. to air new HBO stand-up special Saturday, April 13

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Louis C.K. fans listen up: the dirty, dirty comedian is about to air his next stand-up comedy special on HBO this week. In Louis C.K.: Oh My God, Louie discusses such topics as the food chain, animals, divorce, strange anecdotes, broken morality, murder and mortality. The stand-up, which features brand-new material, was taped at the Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix. Written, directed and executive produced by Louis C.K. (per usual, he does it all), Oh My God debuts April 13 at 10PM on HBO, so set your DVRs accordingly.

Watch a trailer starring C.K. above, and after the break you’ll find a few more clips promoting the special. Continue reading Louis C.K. to air new HBO stand-up special Saturday, April 13 →

‘The Walking Dead’ finale sees new ratings record, preview season 4 here!

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The Walking Dead season 3 finale on March 31 managed to break a new ratings record for the cable hit. 12.4 million viewers tuned into the final episode of the season which saw the death of a major character. The previous record-holding episode was the February 10 midseason premiere which garnered 12.3 million viewers–the finale just beat it out. 6.8 million in the coveted 18-49 demo watched this episode, another all-time high for the series.

AMC president Charlie Collier: “Two words: Grateful. Dead. It’s a joy that we get to work with such tremendous talent to makeThe Walking Dead and Talking Dead come to life for audiences that continue to engage and grow. In just three seasons, The Walking Dead has become a pop-culture phenomenon, entertaining millions of passionate viewers and obliterating traditional lines between cable and broadcast television.”

Now check out this preview of season 4 which is set to debut on AMC in October. Though you won’t find new footage, you will hear tantalizing tidbits from the show’s producers and stars. “There’s a broader, bigger world out there. Now that we’ve introduced that there are more survivors out there, it’s only going to get more and more interesting,” says EP David Alpert. “We will be getting into more world building, more civilization being brought back, more of a bigger sense of community,” spills EP and Walking Dead comic book creator Robert Kirkman. “The Governor is still out there. The war is not over,” shares EP Denise Huth. Fans can also expect more transformation out of trigger-happy Carl. “Is Carl going to be Rick? Or is Carl going to be The Governor? Right now it can go either way,” posits Huth.

HBO renews ‘Game of Thrones’ for a fourth season

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No surprise here: two days after airing the season 3 premiere of Game of Thrones, HBO renewed the fantasy series based on George R.R. Martin’s books for a fourth season. As previously reported, the season 3 premiere ranked as the series’ highest rated episode to date attracting 4.4 million viewers.

Game of Thrones airs Sunday nights at 9PM on HBO.

Jimmy Fallon to replace Jay Leno on ‘The Tonight Show’ in Spring 2014

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It’s official: Jimmy Fallon will take over The Tonight Show in Spring 2014 when Jay Leno will step down (again) from his post as the late-night ratings king. When Fallon moves to 11:35PM, The Tonight Show will return to its home at 30 Rock in New York City. Leno took over the hosting duties of The Tonight Show in 1992 from TV icon Johnny Carson, and when Leno steps down in 2014 he will have hosted for 22 years. A replacement for Fallon at Late Night has not been picked yet, but rumors are swirling that executive producer Lorne Michaels will fill the vacant seat with another SNL Weekend Update anchor, Seth Meyers. Here are some quotes pulled from an NBC press release:

Leno: “Congratulations Jimmy.  I hope you’re as lucky as me and hold on to the job until you’re the old guy. If you need me, I’ll be at the garage.”

Fallon: “I’m really excited to host a show that starts today instead of tomorrow.”

Steve Burke, CEO of NBCUniversal: “Jay Leno is an entertainment icon, making millions of people laugh every weeknight for more than 20 years. His long reign as the highest-rated late-night host is a testament to his work ethic and dedication to his viewers and to NBC. We are purposefully making this change when Jay is #1, just as Jay replaced Johnny Carson when he was #1.  Jimmy Fallon is a unique talent and this is his time.  I’m thrilled he will become the sixth host of ‘The Tonight Show’ at exactly the right moment, in conjunction with our coverage of next year’s Winter Olympic Games from Sochi, Russia.”

NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg commented on Tonight moving from Burbank, California to 30 Rock. “The Tonight Show will bring even more jobs and economic activity to our city — and we couldn’t be happier that one of New York’s own is bringing the show back to where it started — and where it belongs.”

When The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon premieres in Spring 2014, Lorne Michaels will follow him to serve as exec producer of his new show and his old one; he replaces longtime Tonight EP Debbie Vickers. As long as Leno follows through with his talk show retirement this time, Fallon is poised to smoothly transition into the earlier hour of entertainment. Way to go Jimmy! Let’s hope he brings The Roots with him. Watch Fallon and Leno sing it out in a clip embedded after the break.

[Via Deadline 1, 2] Continue reading Jimmy Fallon to replace Jay Leno on ‘The Tonight Show’ in Spring 2014 →

‘Finding Nemo’ sequel ‘Finding Dory’ is official with Andrew Stanton & Ellen DeGeneres on board

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The next Disney-Pixar film in the works is the long-awaited sequel to 2003’s award-winning Finding Nemo. This time, moviegoers are Finding Dory, the friendly-but-forgetful blue tang fish voiced by Ellen DeGeneres. Nemo director Andrew Stanton returns with DeGeneres for the sequel. “There is no Dory without Ellen,” said Stanton in a press release. “She won the hearts of moviegoers all over the world—not to mention our team here at Pixar. One thing we couldn’t stop thinking about was why she was all alone in the ocean on the day she met Marlin. In Finding Dory, she will be reunited with her loved ones, learning a few things about the meaning of family along the way.”

Finding Dory takes place about a year after the first film, and features returning favorites Marlin, Nemo and the Tank Gang, among others. Set in part along the California coastline, the story also welcomes a host of new characters, including a few who will prove to be a very important part of Dory’s life. The remainder of the voice cast has not been confirmed, but who else except Albert Brooks could bring Marlin back to life?

DeGeneres also commented on the exciting news. “I have waited for this day for a long, long, long, long, long, long time,” the comic and talk show host said. “I’m not mad it took this long. I know the people at Pixar were busy creating Toy Story 16. But the time they took was worth it. The script is fantastic. And it has everything I loved about the first one: It’s got a lot of heart, it’s really funny, and the best part is—it’s got a lot more Dory.”

And get this: they’ve even set a date so mark your calendars accordingly. Finding Dory swims into theatres November 25, 2015.

[Via Disney]

Kid Cudi departs G.O.O.D. Music for his own label Wicked Awesome Records

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In just over two weeks Kid Cudi’s third solo record Indicud will hit stores. It will be his first release on his very own label Wicked Awesome Records. Like Kanye West before him with G.O.O.D. Music, Cudder has imagined his own label with hopes to discover and ignite new creative talent in the world of music and beyond. His friend and frequent collaborator King Chip (aka Chip Tha Ripper) is his first Wicked Awesome inductee. To focus on his label, Cudi has stepped away from G.O.O.D. amicably. He broke to Power 106 LA earlier in the week and explained it like this: “Me and Kanye were actually talking on the phone the other day, and there’s been things I wanted to talk to him about. About me wanting to start my own direction, and he got because he’s trying to start his own new path, and trying new things as an artist. And he was just like ‘Man, I feel you. It’s cool.’ This is just from a business standpoint. There’s no beef with anyone on the label. It’s all love.”

So it’s not like he left on bad terms and won’t ever be collaborating with the Kanye and the G.O.O.D. Music crew ever again. It’s just that he’s going in a new direction professionally and creatively and wants to focus solely on building and nurturing his own label. You can watch Cudi announce the news on the radio in a clip embedded after the break; and you can hear the entire radio session at DatNewCudi’s SoundCloud.

In other news, Kid Cudi has started a new Tumblr where he’s posting brief, looping clips of his recent performances and interactions with passionate fans. He calls it CUDIVHS.com. Continue reading Kid Cudi departs G.O.O.D. Music for his own label Wicked Awesome Records →

Kid Cudi’s ‘Indicud’ album cover and tracklist displayed [Update: iTunes preorder up, new single out, JKL performance]

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With less than a month left to go, the album cover and tracklist for Kid Cudi’s third solo record (fourth overall) has been revealed for all to see. The album art, like Cudder’s past few music videos, features a baroque-inspired frame. “The album art represents me. A ball of flames in a rose gold frame,” the rapper tweeted.

Indicud features a total of 18 tracks including singles “Just What I Am,” “King Wizard,” and “Immortal.” And for long-time fans of the once Lonely Stoner, a special track titled “Solo Dolo Part II” featuring rising rapper Kendrick Lamar will increase anticipation for the album’s release tenfold. Other featured artists include Cudi’s close friend King Chip (the artist formally known as Chip Tha Ripper is featured on two tracks), Father John Misty, Too $hort, Haim, RZA, A$AP Rocky, and Michael Bolton. Jump after the break to see the full tracklisting.

Currently Indicud is up for preorder at Amazon and at Kid Cudi’s official online store. His store sells digital and physical copies of the album, as well as the vinyl. On April 23 the hype becomes real.

Update (4/1): Today Indicud popped up on iTunes and is now available for preorder at that popular destination for music. Once you get there, you’ll notice that a previously unheard song “Girls” (Featuring Too $hort) is available for download. That’s the fourth single off the album–preview it at iTunes. Also, after the break I’ve posted Cudder’s first live televised performance of “Immortal” on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Continue reading Kid Cudi’s ‘Indicud’ album cover and tracklist displayed [Update: iTunes preorder up, new single out, JKL performance] →

Hideo Kojima reveals ‘Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain’

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Do you remember at the 2012 Video Game Awards when an intriguing trailer by the name of “The Phantom Pain” from Moby Dick Studios premiered to much fanfare? Well it turns out that the mysterious title is actually the next installment in the Metal Gear franchise from Konami. At the Game Developers Conference this week, Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima of Kojima Productions revealed Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain with a brand new nearly six-minute trailer that includes cinematic cutscenes and a more extensive look at Snake’s next adventure. Previously Kojima announced another MSG game in development called Ground Zeroes but according to a recent tweet GZ will serve as a prequel to TFP with a potential to ship on the same disc as TFP:

“Ground Zeroes” is a prologue of “MGSV”. 9 years after that event will be “The Phantom Pain”. MGSV is constructed w/ prologue and main game “TPP”. The game play demo I presented today is the opening of “TPP” which is tutorial that starts from crawling.

MGSV takes advantage of Kojima’s new FOX Engine and the game is confirmed to hit the current generation of platforms including Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. No word if the game will make the leap to next-gen consoles such as the PS4 and the next Xbox.

Now, there are reports that Snake will not be voiced by David Hayter, the voice actor who has played the franchise’s protagonist since the beginning in all English-language versions of the MGS titles. In an interview with GameTrailers, Kojima explained it like this: “What we’re trying to accomplish is [to] recreate the Metal Gear series. It’s a new type of Metal Gear game and we wanted to have this reflected in the voice actor as well.” But for fans this pill is surely hard to swallow. David Hayter is Snake, just as Steve Downes is Master Chief in Halo.

There’s no release date in sight yet, but feast your eyes on the next Metal Gear Solid. Like all things Kojima, it’s candy for the eyes.