To promote crime dramas Elementary and Person of Interest heading into syndication, CBS and WGN American teamed up to create this highly amusing spot featuring the major players from each series. Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu square off against Michael Emerson and Jim Caviezel, all in character. It’s silly, really, and fans of either show will find the funny in it. I know I did! #TeamMachine
Category Archives: Video
‘Paranormal Activity’ revealed in sixth and final film in the franchise
Four films and one spinoff later, the Paranormal Activity franchise is ready to reach its climax and conclusion. Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension is prepared to guide the supernatural horror flicks that came before it into the light by addressing the many unanswered questions and riddles left lingering over the years. Producer Jason Blum of Blumhouse Productions confirmed to USA Today that Ghost Dimension is indeed the final installment and that answers are coming.
“It’s coming to an end. This is it, the finale,” says Blum. “We’re saying it before the movie opens. We’re not going to grind this horror franchise into the ground. This will keep Paranormal Activity as part of this culture and this particular time in a really fantastic way. We couldn’t go just teasing. All the questions that everyone has asked from the past Paranormal Activity films: What does Toby look like? What’s the backstory to the families? These questions have been teased out. Now they will be answered.”
That’s a big one. Ever since the first Paranormal Activity released in 2007, audiences have been forced to use their powerful imaginations to put a face on the invisible, angry entity that has been terrorizing the families featured in all the movies. In Ghost Dimensions, a special video recording device enables the latest family to actually see the paranormal activity going on around them. PA producer and director of the original Oren Peli commented on this major reveal: “We’ve done well without showing Toby, being able to create tensions and scares based on audiences’ imagination,” he said. “But people are very curious.”
Curious, indeed! And by the looks of it, Ghost Dimension may just be the most haunting Paranormal Activity of all. Watch the debut trailer hanging above to see what I mean. Though the many sequels failed to capture the same kind of awe and suspense of the original, this final chapter aims to bring it all home by tying everything that came before it together in a neat bow. Hopefully plot satisfaction and fun scares will have made the journey worth it.
Eight years after the micro-budget original spent $15,000 and made $193 million at the box office worldwide, there’s no denying the powerful effect the Paranormal Activity franchise has had on the horror genre and the box office in general. It spurred the proliferation of scary micro-budget movies including other Blumhouse works like Insidious, Sinister, and The Purge. And perhaps we haven’t seen the last of PA after all?
“At some point, might there be a reboot? You never know. We’ve never discussed it,” says Blum. “[But] we made this movie like it’s the end of this Paranormal line for sure.”
Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension hits theatres October 23, and it’s the first PA movie to be released in 3D. Just in time for Halloween! Continue reading ‘Paranormal Activity’ revealed in sixth and final film in the franchise
HRG & Hiro return in new ‘Heroes Reborn’ teaser
Where are the heroes? That’s the tagline used in the freshly minted teasers for NBC’s upcoming event series Heroes Reborn. Five years after the Peacock network axed Tim Kring’s sci-fi series about ordinary people discovering super-human abilities, it’s reigniting the spark again for a new 13-episode run. Prior to releasing the preview embedded above, NBC started airing a rather lackluster teaser featuring the aforementioned tagline scribbled throughout a city in rubble. It did little in the way of building any sort of tangible hype since it held too much back. This more pronounced preview, however, certainly does the trick. After borrowing imagery and Scala & Kolancy Brothers’ haunting track “Nothing Else Matters,” it finally gives fans a peek at some actual Reborn footage. There’s the return of HRG and Hiro, as well as a smattering of new characters with all kinds of awesome abilities, including mastery of auroras. And of course, fans of the series’ original run will no doubt beam in elation when Shankar’s iconic strings close the clip out. Hunting for plot details? Look no further as NBC provides this:
A year ago, a terrorist attack in Odessa, Texas, left the city decimated. Blamed for the tragic event, those with extraordinary abilities are in hiding or on the run from those with nefarious motives.
Two such vigilantes include Luke (Zachary Levi, “Chuck”) and Joanne (Judith Shekoni, “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2”), who are seeking to avenge a tragic loss.
Noah Bennet, aka H.R.G. (Jack Coleman, “Heroes”), has gone off the grid but conspiracy theorist Quentin Frady (Henry Zebrowski, “A to Z”) finds him and opens his eyes to the truth behind the Odessa tragedy.
While in hiding, some are discovering their newfound skills. Awkward teen Tommy (Robbie Kay, “Once Upon a Time”) just wants to be normal and win the girl of his dreams, Emily (Gatlin Green, “Criminal Minds”), but normalcy is virtually impossible after learning of a new ability that terrifies him. Coming from a very sheltered upbringing, a bold and ethereal teenager, Malina (Danika Yarosh, “Shameless”), has been told she is destined for greatness. In Tokyo, a quiet and unique young woman, Miko (Kiki Sukezane, “Death Yankee 3”), is trying to track down her missing father while hiding an extraordinary secret that will make her a force to be reckoned with. Elsewhere, a different type of hero is emerging through former soldier Carlos (Ryan Guzman, “The Boy Next Door”).
Heroes Reborn premieres this fall on NBC. Confirmed returning characters include HRG (Jack Coleman), The Haitian (Jimmy Jean-Louis), Mohinder Suresh (Sendhil Ramamurthy), Matt Parkman (Greg Grunberg), and matriarch Angela Petrelli (Cristine Rose).
Update (6/30): Two cool “motion posters” featuring HRG and new hero Malina (played by Danika Yarosh) hang after the break. Continue reading HRG & Hiro return in new ‘Heroes Reborn’ teaser
Go behind the scenes in ‘The Walking Dead’ with star Michael Cudlitz (Comic Con poster inside)
We’re still many months away from the sixth season premiere of AMC’s The Walking Dead, but to keep you going until October, the network is sharing a candid look behind the scenes with your host, Michael Cudlitz. In this clip, Abraham Ford’s portrayer guides you around the set of the season 6 opener, checking in with various cast members including Sonequa Martin-Green (Sasha), Lennie James (Morgan), Lauren Cohan (Maggie), Christian Serratos (Rosita), and Dani Guerira (Michonne). Also, a special someone stops by to give Guerira an impromptu kiss!
Though very little is divulged in terms of where things are headed (spoiler alert) following the surprise return of Morgan at the end of last season, Cudlitz hypes up the upcoming premiere calling it a “huge, huge episode” and saying that “the first episode is going to blow your mind.” Mission accomplished, Cudlitz; I’m shaking in my post-apocalyptic boots.
And if that isn’t enough to satiate your walker obsession, be sure to jump after the break to eyeball the Comic Con exclusive key-art for season 6; it appears to set up to distinct factions: Rick and his people versus Morgan and the Alexandrians. Interesting, indeed! Stick it here for the latest Walking Dead deets as a trailer is likely to leak out of Comic Con in July. Continue reading Go behind the scenes in ‘The Walking Dead’ with star Michael Cudlitz (Comic Con poster inside)
Arnold Schwarzenegger: actor, governor, ultimate prankster!
Arnold Schwarzenegger gets in character for charity leading up to his the release of his new movie Terminator: Genisys. After being transformed in the makeup chair to become his iconic film character The Terminator, Ah-nold takes to Hollywood Boulevard where he interacts with unsuspecting bystanders and even a Terminator street impersonator. The former Governor also visits Madame Tussauds wax museum to prank visitors like a pro. It’s all funny stuff, and it’s for a good cause. He’s promoting his charity After-School All-Stars that benefits after-school programs for kids. Omaze is hosting donations, and you can enter to win a ticket to the Genisys premiere in Los Angeles. Way to go, Schwarzenegger; hearty laughs for a good cause!
Movie trailer round-up: Animated entries ‘Secret Life of Pets’ & ‘Peanuts’ pack humor, heart & fun
Illumination Entertainment, the maker of Despicable Me and the upcoming Minions movie, has a new animated comedy in the works about the lives our pets lead after we leave for work or school each day. The first teaser trailer, embedded above, does a fantastic job of setting the scene featuring Illumination’s slick animation style and signature humor. An overarching plot isn’t being divulged just yet, but that doesn’t even matter–The Secret Life of Pets is sure to draw audiences of all ages to its adorable collection of cats and dogs and video game savvy birds. The stacked voice cast includes Louis C.K., Eric Stonestreet, Kevin Hart, Ellie Kemper, Lake Bell, Jenny Slate, Bobby Moynihan, Hannibal Buress, and Albert Brooks.
The Secret Life of Pets releases July 8, 2016.
Jump after the break to see the latest trailer for Blue Sky Studios’ Peanuts adaptation. Continue reading Movie trailer round-up: Animated entries ‘Secret Life of Pets’ & ‘Peanuts’ pack humor, heart & fun
New ‘Fear the Walking Dead’ clip teases faster walkers [Update: More teasers + Comic Con poster inside]
Here we have the second teaser for AMC’s upcoming prequel spinoff Fear the Walking Dead. At a brisk 30-seconds in length, it stars Frank Dillane (young Tom Riddle from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince) running away from…something. Of course, the first thing that should come to mind is WALKER! If that’s the case, this must be a fast sucker. Remember, Fear takes place during the early days of the zombie apocalypse, before the corpse’s have had time to properly decay. So for a walker chasing somebody at this pace in Fear, it makes sense. OR, it could be a crazy ex-boyfriend, or a dad. Notice how Dillane’s character’s shirt is completely unbuttoned and his pants are falling to his knees? All signs point to a quit exit from a bedroom…I’m just saying!
Fear the Walking Dead premieres in August on AMC. Click here to learn more about Robert Kirkman’s Walking Dead companion series. You can expect a full-blown trailer to premiere next month at Comic Con. Continue reading New ‘Fear the Walking Dead’ clip teases faster walkers [Update: More teasers + Comic Con poster inside]
‘Grand Theft Auto’ gets the “real life” treatment
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.
‘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]
‘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
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.”