ABC president Steve McPherson steps down [Update: Paul Lee steps in]

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After six years as ABC Entertainment Group President, Steve McPherson has resigned from the company.  When McPherson first took the reins of the ABC primetime lineup the network was stuck in fourth place behind direct competitors CBS, FOX, and NBC.  Throughout his career as president he oversaw many of ABC’s well known hits and misses.  He had a hand in launching the uber-successful primetime dramas like Lost, Grey’s Anatomy, and Desperate Housewives; the new Wednesday night comedy lineup including Modern Family, Cougartown, and The Middle; and one of most watched reality programs Dancing With the Stars.  During his early days, though, he was there when the network overplayed “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” until its eventual cancellation.  He has also been faulted with not pushing hard enough for procedural dramas (like CBS’ The Mentalist) as opposed to the heavily serialized shows like Lost.  As great as a show Lost was (and always will be), shows like it are hard to repeat and syndicate once they are completed.  His final year with ABC (2009-2010) landed the network in third place, just 150,000 viewers ahead of NBC.

The sudden resignation comes on the heels of the Summer TV Press Tour 2010, a time when the big networks show off and promote their fall TV lineups.  Yesterday “an informed source” leaked information saying that McPherson was tied up in a formal investigation conducted by ABC related to sexual harrassment crimes.  ABC has not responded to comment, nor have they denied the rumors.  McPherson’s lawyer states that his client “made a voluntary decision to resign, and ABC accepted his resignation.  It is not uncommon for high-level executives to be the subject of gossip and innuendo.”  Whatever the case may be, McPherson is out and a replacement has not been decided upon yet.  ABC Family president Paul Lee, riding high on his recent teen-hit Pretty Little Liars, is expected to occupy the now-vacant position.  McPherson’s parting words:

“I want to thank the wonderful team of individuals who have worked with me throughout my time here and wish them nothing but the best.”

Update: It’s official.  Paul Lee is the new ABC Entertainment Group President and will oversee the network’s primetime lineup and its sister company, ABC Studios.  If he can do to ABC what he did with ABC Family (Kyle XY, The Secret Life of the American Teenager, Pretty Little Liars, Greek) this network might have a fighting chance against behemoths FOX and CBS.

[Via EW-HollywoodInsider; here & here; THR]

Discover new music: Mark Russell

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Last week a good friend of mine introduced me to a brand new artist whose voice will likely take the industry by storm.  Mark Russell is a singer-songwriter at heart, but he can easily supplement his powerful voice with piano keys and guitar strings.  Back in college his talent afforded him the opportunity to open for renowned acts like Avril Lavigne, One Republic, Hanson, and Robin Thicke.  Since then Russell decided to enter the biz as a solo artist under Wright Entertainment Group management, and the musical content that has materialized thus far is simply superb.

Embedded above is Russell’s most recent music video.  In it he performs “I Believe”, a song originally produced by alternative rock band Blessid Union of Souls in 1995.  One day in the studio he teamed up with another client under his management company and started belting out his own version of the inspiring track.  Russell shares, “In the spirit of sharing charity, I wanted to give away this song in hopes that those of you who have experienced tragedy this year might find some comfort in it, and perhaps the rest of us can be re-inspired to reach out and do something good.”  Download “I Believe” for free here.

What makes Russell stand out is that he sings from the heart, and you can feel his emotions pour out of the lyrics (thanks to his strong voice) and the instruments he plays.  He’s got a very rustic, fresh vibe to his look and sound; artists with qualities like these are always welcome to jumpstart an industry crammed with uniformity.  Russell has the ingredients to become an immensely popular and successful pop-rock musician with his impressive vocal range.  It only takes a few beats in his rendition of “I Believe” to hear it.

Be sure to check out his YouTube page if you like what you hear in this video.  There you’ll find original content plus a notable acoustic cover of Taio Cruz’s “Dynamite”.  Russell is currently bringing his act to locations around the country.  Keep tabs on his official web site and Facebook page to follow his whereabouts and other updates.  If you’re digging his talent as much as I am right now, spread the word and let’s get Mark Russell to start climbing the charts.

[Thanks for the tip, Matt]

Jed Whedon previews upcoming debut “History of Forgotten Things”

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Jed Whedon is ready to go solo.  After teaming up with brothers Joss (Buffy, The Avengers) and Zack (Fringe) to create the amazingness that is Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog and composing last year’s Guild smash “(Do You Wanna Date My) Avatar“, the youngest Whedon is prepping his solo debut album titled History of Forgotten Things.  He posted three tracks from it onto his SoundCloud profile page, and they’re embedded above for your convenience.  Since he had a significant hand in the making of Horrible and its catchy, high production value hits, I have little doubt his foray into the music biz will go unseen.  Frustrated, angry, or having a bad day?  After previewing Jed’s soothing tracks you will feel much better.  Side effects include the sudden anticipation of his album which drops on August 10.

[Via Whedonesque]

Owl City’s Adam Young fesses up to old side project, alter ego Sky Sailing

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You all know about Owl City (aka Adam Young) and his chart-topping song “Fireflies” and album Ocean Eyes.  But did you know that before Owl City there was Sky Sailing and he had an album called An Airplane Carried Me To Bed?  Here’s the story behind what’s being called a “side project” in Young’s words:

Three and a half years ago, I recorded a collection of songs in my parent’s basement during the bleary-eyed hours of night when sleep and I could not bring ourselves to meet. I was a metalworker, working 6 AM to 4 PM at a warehouse in my little southern Minnesota town. I was writing, creating, thinking, imagining and breathing music with every second I had to spare. Music has always been my dream, but at that point in time, it was merely a feather tossed to the wind. Regardless, my spirits were far from dampened and I created music as fast and as furiously as I could. In my little basement bedroom, I had an old Dell computer, Reason 2.5, a friend’s borrowed Behringer C-1 condenser, a Behringer 8 channel analog mixer and my uncle’s old Alvarez. I didn’t have a clue what I was doing but I was a dreamer and music was my escape so I gave it everything I had. Never expecting my music to be heard anywhere but by my parents through the floorboards above, I wrote for my own ears. I was both artist and audience and I called myself Sky Sailing.

It’s true–the Sky Sailing’s vocals are very similar to what we hear on Ocean Eyes today.  What differenciates the two alter egos is that Sky Sailing trades in Owl City’s current crop of synth-infused tracks for those that feature acoustic guitar and standard piano keys.  Young explained to Billboard, “It was clear early on that it needed to be separate from Owl City.  Overall, this piece is disconnected enough to be its own thing.”

On July 13, the 11-track An Airplane Carried Me To Bed  was released to iTunes exclusively; it hits stores in physical form tomorrow (7/27).  Although Young has done little to promote this new album, it quickly climbed the charts and sold thousands of copies during its initial digital release week.  If you’re a fan of Owl City, you’ll want to preview what Sky Sailing has to offer.  Feel free to preview four tracks from Airplane on his MySpace page.

[Thanks, Brian]

Say hello to your 2011 Avengers

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They are: Robert Downey Jr. — Tony Stark; Clark Gregg — Agent Coulson; Scarlett Johansson — Black Widow; Chris Hemsworth — Thor; Chris Evans — Captain America; Samuel L. Jackson — Nick Fury; Jeremy Renner — Hawkeye; Mark Ruffalo — Hulk.  Director Joss Whedon and Marvel head Kevin Feige are up there, too.

Marvel killed it at Comic Con this year.  They literally slaughtered the competition.  After unveiling new footage of Captain America: The First Avenger and Thor (in 3D), the official ensemble cast of The Avengers was announced.  The biggest surprises?  Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker) is set in stone as Hawkeye and Mark Ruffalo (Shutter Island, The Kids Are Alright) replaces Edward Norton as Bruce Banner/Hulk.  Marvel head Kevin Feige on the Ruffalo decision: “Ruffalo is Joss Whedon’s Banner. He is the Banner that is going to be in that [Bill] Bixby type, wants to help people and is somewhat ashamed of what he goes through but isn’t as strong and angry in his Banner form as he is in his Hulk form, which is something we haven’t really seen in the past films. .. Something like how he was portrayed in the Ultimates, a guy who just wants to be left alone and wear his glasses and do his science.”  Feige also shares that he “hope[s] to develop a standalone franchise” for Renner’s Hawkeye post-Avengers.

During the panel Downey Jr. worked the crowd, naturally.  He invoked the success of Inception, saying it was “just about the most ambitious movie I’ve ever seen.”  He continued, “And then thought wait a goddamn second.  Marvel Studios is going to take all of their top super heros and they’re gonna put them all together in The Avengers?  That’s the most ambitious movie I’ve ever seen.”   He concluded, “If we’re going to make a movie this ambitious [then] the most important thing is that we had to find a person to helm it to get your [the fans’] approval”.  Enter Joss Whedon: “I have had a dream all my life and it was not this good…This cast is more than I could have ever of dreamed of working with. And I am going to blow it…I need your love, I need your support.”  Joss, you got it.

The Avengers is slated for a May 4, 2011 release.  Whet your appetite with Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger on May 6, 2011 and July 22, 2011 respectively.  Bonus!  Look in the gallery below for newly released mini-one-sheets featuring Thor and Cap concept art.  Peek after the break to watch your 2011 Avengers assemble at Comic Con in video form.

[Via IGN, here, here, here & here; Marvel]

Continue reading Say hello to your 2011 Avengers →

Visionaries J.J. Abrams & Joss Whedon spill their guts at Comic Con

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At this year’s Comic Con in San Diego, a panal called “Visionaires” brought my two favorite people together: J.J. Abrams (MI: III, Cloverfield, Star Trek, Lost, Fringe) & Joss Whedon (Serenity, Buffy, Angel, Firefly, Dollhouse).  The panel, conducted by Entertainment Weekly’s Jeff Jenson, is literally packed with all sorts of intriguing information.  Jenson starts things off with the question, “When did you guys decide you wanted to be storytellers?”  Whedon and Abrams are also asked about their takes on comic books, 3D movies, the current and future states of television (including what it wants and supports, the waning of serialized story format), and the outlook for new media (shooting for the web, web content).  They also delve into their respective past and upcoming projects.  Whedon makes it official that he is directing Marvel’s The Avengers and briefly elaborates on the direction he plans to take the movie; he also talks about his now-on-hold horror flick Cabin in the Woods and what’s up with the impending Dr. Horrible sequel.  Abrams shares an anecdote surrounding his super-secret Super 8 movie (which is set to start production this September) and the collaboration with producer Steven Speilberg.  During the 3D movie discussion, Abrams confirmed that Super 8 will not be shot for 3D; he pans 3D and that it adds an unnecessary barrier between the viewer and film.  Although Joss is “totally into” watching 3D flicks, he hopes that his upcoming Cabin in the Woods doesn’t get the streoscopic treatment.  While going back and forth about the state of the serialized story format for TV, Abrams spilled that his upcoming NBC show Undercovers will be self-contained episodes (meaning you can miss a few episodes and still know what’s going on), but there will be an overall mythology to keep week-to-week viewers satisfied.  Speaking about mythology, Abrams also shares his thoughts on the final episode of Lost (spoiler: he loved it).  Whedon continues the conversation by bringing up the demise of FOX’s Dollhouse.  All in all, it’s a great watch and interesting look into two very successful film and TV artists that shouldn’t be missed.  Head over to EW to access the 5-part stream.  Or click here to watch an abridged interview.

Trailer #2: Tron: Legacy (+ Daft Punk tracks!)

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We’re one teaser and two trailers deep into the expansive world of Tron (catch the others here & here).  This latest one is fresh from its 2010 Comic Con debut.  I really don’t know how they do it, but somehow these Tron sneak peeks get better with every trailer.  I don’t give a damn if you have never heard of Tron or don’t take any interest in the movie/1978 arcade game; you will watch this trailer and like it.  And if you are a Tron fan and are highly anticipating its December 17 release in IMAX 3D like a respectable human being, well then…you’re in for a treat!  Load in HD, turn up your speakers, and let it rip.

Note: You should know that actor Jeff Bridges starred in the original 1982 Tron flick as Kevin Flynn, and that he reprises his role as Papa Flynn in Legacy.  At timestamp 1:08 we are introduced to Clu, a villianous rogue program in the Tron universe, who might look eerily similar to a young Jeff Bridges to you.  Well that’s because it is a young Bridges!  Thanks to advanced CGI technology, a performance-capture suit, and impeccable editing skills, the Tron special FX crew was able to create a Kevin Flynn as he appeared in Tron almost thirty years ago.  Crazy (and a bit creepy), right?!  Moving on…

It was leaked quite some time ago that Daft Punk would compose the score for Tron: Legacy.  And over the course of the last year we were teased with the theme music in the trailers that have been released.  Today that tease disappears!  Online radio station “The End” got their hands on exclusive streams of six tracks from the movie soundtrack, including the epic theme from the trailers.  They’re dark and appropriately cinematic in scope.  Click here to take a listen.  (Bonus note: The electric Daft Punk duo will have cameo roles in the movie–gasp!–sans characteristic helmets!

[Via MTVuk]

Trailer: Saw 3D

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The seventh and final chapter in the highest grossing horror film franchise begins with this first theatrical trailer for Saw 3D.  The tagline?  “This October, the traps come alive.”  After a fantastic start (well II was pretty awful, III was freaking awesome), the Saw movies have steadily drifted downhill in value.  Sure the traps are always fun, but for me it was ultimately the twist endings and the John Kramer mythos that hooked me at the start.  After watching this brief trailer and reading what director Kevin Greutert (Saw VI) has to say about the final Saw, I’m excited to see how it’s all going to end.  “There’s something miraculous about creating a final chapter to the Saw chronology that not only gives the core fans everything they want and deserve, but also serves as a perfect introduction to audiences who are new to the series,” says Gruetart who served a role in every Saw movie.  Thoughts from producers Oren Koules and Mark Burg: “It’s been an amazing ride. As filmmakers it was important to us that Saw was one story in seven chapters rather than just a series of sequels.”  Tobin Bell (Jigsaw), Costas Mandylor (Mark Hoffman), and Betsy Russell (Jill Tuck) will reprise their roles.  Also, Cary Elwes (Dr. Lawrence Gordon), who has not been seen since the original Saw (not including archived/flashback footage), is back for revenge.

Besides the sick traps and inventive twists, if there’s anything I’m going to miss from the Saw franchise it’ll be Charlie Clouser’s fantastic and chilling score.  “Hello Zepp”, the song used in the first movie and recycled in the rest of them, will remain one of my favorite instrumentals of all time.  (FYI, it’s the song featured in the trailer above…and can be downloaded here.)

Saw 3D will duke it out with Paranormal Activity 2 this Halloween.  Look after the break for the movie poster.

[Via IGN] Continue reading Trailer: Saw 3D →

Trailer #3: Machete (red band)

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You’ve seen the “illegal” and first theatrical trailer for Robert Rodriguez’s Machete.  Now it’s time to feast your eyes on the NSFW red band trailer.  (NSFW = Not Stuff For Work = the video contains blood, guts, nudity, and tons of other fun and inappropriate content.)  Due to its NSFW nature, I’ve embedded the trailer after the break, so click through if you dare.

[Via IGN] Continue reading Trailer #3: Machete (red band) →

Trailer: Syfy’s Red (starring Felicia Day)

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Waay back in March news broke that The Guild/Dr. Horrible‘s Felicia Day would star in a Syfy original movie called Red, a dark re-imagining of the classic fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood.  This past weekend at Comic Con the trailer for it was finally debuted.  To call this a “dark” version of the tale is an understatement.  There’s guns and blood and creepy CGI wolves.  Ah, I won’t spoil it all for you; check it out in the video above.  Red is expected to air next July.

[Via Syfy]

Amazing Daft Punk helmet took 17 months of labor to complete

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Now is that one of the coolest things you’ve ever seen?  Harrison Krix of Volpin Props set aside 17 months to create to most amazing DIY Daft Punk helmet ever made.  It lights up and everything!  Head over to Krix’s website to find an intensive two-part build archive if you think you’re up for the challenge (or if you’re even slightly interested to see how it was made).  Look in the gallery below for a collection of helmet pics and jump after the break for a brief video that speeds through the construction process and reveals the final result.  I am blown away right now, for realz.

[Via VolpinProps; @ChelseaLoPinto]

Continue reading Amazing Daft Punk helmet took 17 months of labor to complete →