There are so many super awesome cool amazing premieres falling on the schedule this month! Jump after the break to preview 12 you shouldn’t miss. Continue reading TV reminder: 12 premieres to look out for in March
Lady Gaga joins ‘American Horror Story’ in season 5 lead role
Make your reservation now. #GagaAHSHotel https://t.co/o9ixi5TaFy
— Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) February 25, 2015
American Horror Story has found its star for season five and it’s Mother Monster.
Lady Gaga, hot off her Sound of Music tribute performance at the Oscars, is confirmed to be the lead in the next installment of FX’s American Horror Story. Like every season before it, the plot, as well as Gaga’s role in it, are being kept tightly under wraps. In a surprising move, however, in addition to revealing this exciting cast addition, series creator Ryan Murphy also deemed it time to announce the installment’s name: American Horror Story: Hotel. Murphy dropped numerous clues in last season’s Freak Show pertaining to Hotel; did you catch any? By my count, there were myriad references to space, but Murphy quickly shut that theory down since the show is tied down to taking place solely on American soil.
This marks Gaga’s first major acting gig. Following a small uncredited role in The Sopranos in 2001, she most recently made cameos on the big screen in Machete Kills and Sin City: A Dame to Kill For. Even still, we all know the artist can hypnotize with sexy, captivating performances via music videos.
With Gaga locked in as lead, you must be thinking: what does this mean for franchise star Jessica Lange? Prior to Freak Show‘s debut, Lange announced that it would be her final run with the show. Since then, however, she has made whispers about a potential comeback. So then, her commitment remains up in the air until further notice. My guess: she’ll at least make her mark with a memorable cameo.
Watch Lady Gaga’s AHS: Hotel announcement video embedded above; and don’t worry, Ryan Murphy retweeted it to confirm its authenticity.
‘DuckTales’ cartoon returns with all-new episodes in 2017
Who wants to go back to Duckberg? I know I do!
DuckTales, which produced 100 episodes during a 1987-1990 run on “The Disney Afternoon” syndicated cartoon block, is making a comeback with all-new episodes set to air in 2017 on Disney XD. Per a press release, here’s what we know:
The new series’ adventures will once again take viewers along as Scrooge McDuck, his curious and mischief-making grandnephews—Huey, Dewey, and Louie—and the optimistic-yet-temperamental Donald Duck embark on high-flying adventures worldwide. Other beloved characters slated to be in the new stories are: Duckworth, Gyro Gearloose, Launchpad McQuack, Flintheart Glomgold, Magica DeSpell & Poe, Ma Beagle and the Beagle Boys (Burger Beagle, Bouncer Beagle), Mrs. Beakley, and Webbigail Vanderquack.
“DuckTales has a special place in Disney’s TV animation history, it drew its inspiration from Disney Legend Carl Barks’ comic books and through its storytelling and artistic showmanship, set an enduring standard for animated entertainment that connects with both kids and adults. Our new series will bring that same energy and adventurous spirit to a new generation,” said Disney XD exec Marc Buhaj.
I grew up on this adventurous ‘toon, and I remember enjoying it so much that I also had to engross myself in the popular DuckTales video game it inspired. Missed out on the NES title? Capcom recently released a remastered version of the game for Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii U, so you can play catchup on one of those platforms.
As you eagerly await for the DuckTales animated series reboot, take a trip down memory lane by watching the oh-so-catchy original theme song and pray that the new version doesn’t stray too far from it.
‘Sesame Street’ parodies ‘House of Cards’ in surprisingly hilarious fashion
Categorize this one under: what the!? … okay that was amazing.
Sesame Street has pulled off one of the best House of Cards parodies to date with House of Bricks, a four-minute adaptation of the classic children’s story about the three little pigs and the big bad wolf. The protagonist here is the wolf who goes by Frank Underwolf (points!) and he goes around blowing down the poorly constructed houses owned by the little pigs. Even if you’re slightly familiar with Kevin Spacey’s iconic character from the Netflix series, you’ll find this parody plenty funny. It recreates the opening credits sequence, Underwolf has a penchant to speak directly into the camera, and it’s as if the writers from the show had a hand in his Southern drawl dialogue. The best bit might be at the very end–did Sesame Street just predict the calamitous conclusion for Frank?
House of Cards returns for a third season this Friday, Feb. 27, to Netflix.
‘POWER/RANGERS’ fan-fic short film shines a dark light on the nostalgic franchise [Update: It’s back]
Did you grow up watching The Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers? Well, if you did, like me, it’s pretty much a sure thing that you will thoroughly enjoy this 14-minute short film produced by Adi Shankar and directed by Joseph Kahn. Shankar enlisted Katie Sackoff (Battlestar Galactica) and James Van Der Beek (Dawnson’s Creek) to play Pink Ranger Kimberly Hart and the second Red Ranger Rocky DeSantos, respectively, in POWER/RANGERS.
The dark-and-gritty short takes place in a dystopian future ruled by the Machine Empire, which, if you remember, consists of robotic villains hellbent on world domination. Rocky, who has since abandoned the Power Rangers to join the winning side, is on a war path to find Tommy (the Green Ranger) and questions Kimberly for answers. The intense interrogation allows for breaks to catch up with the other members of the MMPR–the present is bleak for the lot of them.
Don’t want to give away too much here. So go on and enjoy this R-rated take on the Power Rangers for yourself. And just so you know, this short has no affiliation with the upcoming 2016 reboot film from Saban and Lionsgate. Shankar produced it merely as fan fiction; as a kid he imagined the teenaged Power Rangers as “child soldiers” tasked to ward off evil forces in an intergalactic war “they had nothing to do with.” Yeah, it’s twisted, but it makes total sense. You can hear about Shankar’s inspiration here.
Since there’s no official affiliation and it’s not a pitch, after watching you should go on and support these filmmakers and hopefully after gaining viral traction they will go on to make even cooler projects! Check out Shankar’s YouTube channel where you’ll find previous work like this incredible Punisher short. As for the director Joseph Kahn, he’s mostly dabbled in music video fare (most recently Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space”); here’s to hoping Shankar’s wishes for Kahn to become the next big box office hit maker are granted. This short is concrete proof he’s got the chops to make explosive sh*t happen. He expands on the making of POWER/RANGERS at HitFix.
Update (2/26): Hope you caught it while it was up, because it’s been pulled. After raking up over 13 million views in two days, YouTube removed the short from its site because Power Rangers owner Saban Brands is claiming copyright infringement. Adi Shankar isn’t going down without a fight, however; the producer’s legal team is prepared to bring a case to court to get the video back to streaming. Let’s hope this gets settled sooner rather than later; POWER/RANGERS, at the end of the day, is an impressive work of art meant to be shared with MMPR fans now and until the end of time. Yeah, it’s that radical.
Update 2 (2/27): POWER/RANGERS lives thanks to Facebook, the one destination Shankar uploaded his short to that isn’t taking it down at the moment. “Thank you Mark Zuckerberg for hosting Power/Rangers and taking a stand,” he said in a statement to the Facebook founder. Now, don’t waste any time; if you haven’t seen it yet, do so now before it’s too late (again)!
Update 3 (3/1): The legal battle is over and Saban played it cool by letting Shankar re-release the short across YouTube, Vimeo, and anywhere else, really, so long as it specifies a disclaimer, which it does now. Said disclaimer basically states that his production is in no way associated with Saban and their original take on the Power Rangers; plus there’s a viewer discretion warning due to violence and nudity. Which brings me to my next bit of good news: Shankar’s unfiltered, NSFW version of POWER/RANGERS, which was originally banned from YouTube, is now available for your viewing pleasure right here, above. So sit back, relax, and rejoice for today marks a big win for creators everywhere! Director Kahn released the following statement to Deadline: “They put these disclaimers on so kids so don’t confuse our super-violent film with their Power Rangers brand. There are no hard feelings. We signed contracts. We can play it anywhere we want on all platforms. I think they realized that people just want to see it.”
It’s happening! Paul Reubens & Judd Apatow join forces to make new Pee-wee Herman movie
Nearly five years after posting about this exciting news, it is finally coming to fruition! Today Paul Reubens and Judd Apatow made it official that a new Pee-wee Herman movie is on the way with a distribution model ready to go. Pee-wee’s Big Holiday, starring Reubens’ iconic fun-loving character and Apatow (The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up) executive producing, begins production next month and will premiere exclusively on Netflix.
In Pee-wee’s Big Holiday, a fateful meeting with a mysterious stranger inspires Pee-wee Herman to take his first-ever holiday in this epic story of friendship and destiny.
That’s all there is to know about the shrouded plot so far. Reubens penned the script with Paul Rust (Comedy Bang! Bang!, Arrested Development) and John Lee (Broad City, Inside Amy Schumer) is making his feature film directorial debut.
“Judd and I dreamt up this movie four years ago. The world was much different back then— Netflix was waiting by the mailbox for red envelopes to arrive. I’ve changed all that. The future is here. Get used to it. Bowtie is the new black,” said Pee-wee Herman in a press release.
“As a fan of Pee-wee Herman since he first appeared on The Dating Game, I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with the brilliant Paul Reubens on this film. It is a dream come true,” added Apatow.
“We didn’t hesitate for a moment knowing that Pee-wee’s Big Holiday was such a passion project for Paul and Judd and we are delighted by the opportunity to introduce such a beloved character to a new generation,” said Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos. “We are thrilled to bring our viewers around the world the wonder of Pee-wee Herman.”
I, for one, cannot wait to see what Reubens and Apatow cook up for longtime fans of Pee-wee Herman. Pee-wee’s Big Adventure from a young Tim Burton in 1985 hit all the right notes and now, 30 years later, Reubens is ready to do it again. I’m happy to report that the man-child’s still got it; I saw Reubens reprise his character in 2010 on Broadway in The Pee-wee Herman Show and he brought back his bizarre, captivating, and imaginative wonder without missing a step. This movie for Netflix will surely satiate nostalgic fans, as well as attract an entirely new generation of kids, teens, and adults. Pee-wee, after all, is for everyone to enjoy!
‘Birdman’ & ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ win big at the Oscars
Prior to the 87th Academy Awards, Birdman and The Grand Budapest Hotel garnered the most nominations and what do you know–the two films ended up walking away with the most statues at four apiece. Birdman took home the most coveted award of the evening as it was crowned Best Motion Picture of the Year. Helmer Alejandro G. Iñárritu was crowned Best Director and the film’s original screenplay and cinematography were also awarded. Grand Budapest Hotel was recognized for its achievements in production design, music, costume design, and makeup and hairstyling. Following close behind with two wins was Whiplash scoring Oscars for film editing, sound mixing, and supporting actor J.K. Simmons. Frontrunner Boyhood walked away with a single win for supporting actress Patricia Arquette. The Theory of Everything star Eddie Redmayne won for his leading role in the Stephen Hawking-inspired film, surpassing frontrunner Michael Keaton (Birdman). Julianne Moore nabbed an Oscar for her dramatic turn in Still Alice. Elsewhere, The Imitation Game won Best Adapted Screenplay and Disney’s Big Hero 6 was named Best Animated Movie.
Marvel teases the return of The Avengers in ‘Age of Ultron’ poster
Marvel’s pushed out the official theatrical poster for Avengers: Age of Ultron. Joss Whedon’s super hero sequel features the usual suspects including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Nick Fury. The film’s main antagonist, Ultron, is nowhere to be seen; unless, of course, he’s one of the many ominous flying pieces of metal in the sky. You’ll also notice three new players entering the arena: on the far right there’s Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, played by Elizabeth Olsen and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, respectively. And up top, soaring above Hulk’s angry mug, is The Vision. He’ll be played by Paul Bettany, who interestingly also voiced Tony Stark’s AI, J.A.R.V.I.S. Note that this isn’t the first time Marvel’s teased the mysterious figure from comic book lore; jump after the break to see him hiding in plain sight in the San Diego Comic Con-exclusive poster that dropped over the summer. Sadly, Spidey is nowhere to be found…yet.
Avengers: Age of Ultron hits theatres May 1. See the trailers here and here. Continue reading Marvel teases the return of The Avengers in ‘Age of Ultron’ poster
Zack Snyder unveils his Aquaman for ‘Dawn of Justice’
Zack Snyder, slowly but surely, is rolling out to fans the line-up of superheroes from his upcoming DC Comics-based pic Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. So far, we’ve seen Henry Cavill as Superman, Ben Affleck as Batman and Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman. Next up, and pictured above, is Jason Momoa (Game of Thrones) as Aquaman. He’s arguably the most underrated superhero–his super power is talking to fish. But Snyder is putting his signature twist on trident-wielding King of the Seven Seas; Momoa embodies a powerful, dark, and foreboding force here with tattoos galore.
Snyder shared the image with the world via Twitter. It says “unite the seven” and his tweet reads, “There is only one true King.” Speculate what you will, but there’s no denying that Snyder aims to elevate the DC universe to Marvel’s highly set cinematic bar when Dawn of Justice releases May 6, 2016.
@ Super Creative: ‘Facebook aims to take virtual reality to new heights with Oculus VR, here’s how’
Editor’s note: On Monday I announced my partnership with Super Creative. Going forward, whenever I contribute a post to SC’s site, I’ll be sure to hang a link here at [experience-it-all] so you don’t miss out.
Today, Super Creative discusses Facebook’s acquisition of Oculus VR, an innovative company at the forefront of the virtual reality revolution, and the ways in which VR can be used beyond gaming.
‘Billy on the Street’ returns with special guests Michelle Obama, Big Bird & Elena (!)
Billy Eichner returns after a brutal hiatus with a brand new installment of his hysterical Funny or Die series Billy on the Street. The new 12 1/2 minute clip features three very special guests: First Lady Michelle Obama, Sesame Street‘s Big Bird, and BOTS fan favorite Elena. Obama and Big Bird are there to support FLOTUS’ push for healthy living, and Elena is, well, Elena. After playing a few games in a grocery store, Billy takes to the streets of NYC where he drags Big Bird along for a Lightning Round. As always, hilarity ensues. Enjoy!
In related news, and in case you were wondering, Billy on the Street is returning for a fourth season later this year; it’s relocating from Fuse to TruTV and reruns will air on TBS.
A note from the editor: Meet Super Creative
Hi readership! I have some exciting news to share with you today. I’m teaming up with LA-based production company Super Creative to assist in the development of their editorial offerings. Super Creative hails from Kevin Pereira, former host of G4’s Attack of the Show, and Yaniv Fituci, who also comes from the recently disbanded tech network’s crop of talent. Together they’ve created a unique digital content platform supporting podcasts and various web series; see Kevin’s Pointless podcast and check out their music-meets-tech web series Enter the Playlist.
Today, Super Creative is primed to spread its reach by adding live Twitch broadcasts and new editorial content to its arsenal. Kevin and SC producer Alex Corea are hosting The Attack Morning Show which debuts today at 10am PST. In addition to video game shenanigans, you can expect much hilarity to ensue as the two discuss the latest in tech and beyond. Also launching today is my very first SC blog post and it’s all about Google Glass; I discuss the future of the wearable and dream up a wish list of apps for it.
Kev & Yaniv’s site is still in an experimental state; with the exciting launch of The Attack and editorial segments, Super Creative is bound to grow exponentially as it’s proven to be a breeding ground for high-quality digital content. Explore the site, tune into today’s live-stream, and peruse the new Glass post. This is the birth of a bold collaboration, and I hope you will join me for the ride! -sm