Now that the big four networks have open the flood gates to the new fall season, it’s prime time for cable to release its heavy hitters. Jump after the break to learn when Showtime’s Homeland, FX’s American Horror Story, and AMC’s The Walking Dead return to the schedule. Continue reading TV reminder: 4 premieres to look out for in October
The Simpsons is the longest-running American sitcom in TV history; last Sunday it entered its 26th season. The premiere featured one of the series’ best “couch gags” and I’ve embedded it above for your viewing pleasure. Directed by animator Don Hertzfeldt, the sequence imagines what the animated series might look like far into the future. It’s spectacularly bizarre and trippy and absurd and at times a bit disturbing and quite unsettling. Take it all in and share your experience in the comments below.
Summer relationship comedies Married, starring Nat Faxon and Judy Greer, and You’re the Worst, with breakout stars Chris Geere and Ava Cash, will return next year with second seasons.
“We love these shows and the creative visions of Andrew Gurland of Married and Stephen Falk of You’re The Worst,” said Nick Grad, President of Original Programming at FX. “These shows are honest, 360-degree looks at relationships, and we’re excited to see how they evolve.”
So am I. Though bleak, Married unspools episodes that show an unapologetically real look at the ups and downs of a modern husband and wife relationship. You’re the Worst, IMHO, is the better of the two since it tends to have (much) more fun with its characters; it’s the best kind of wacky and at the end of the day it’s sweet and reliably funny.
Married will continue to air on FX and You’re the Worst will join It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and The League on sister network FXX.
Another one bites the dust. Following the departures of Chevy Chase in season 4 and Donald Glover in season 5, Community is losing a third member of the original study group in season 6. Yvette Nicole Brown, who plays Shirley Bennett, will not be a series regular when Community makes its debut on Yahoo next year. In fact, her exit will take place off screen. Her father isn’t doing so well, and so she made the decision not to participate in the new episodes.
“My dad needs daily care and he needs me,” Brown tells TV Guide. “The idea of being away 16 hours a day for five months, I couldn’t do it. It was a difficult decision for me to make, but I had to choose my dad.”
She may, however, return to guest star at some point in the future. “I am totally open to whatever Dan decides,” she says. “I’m glad it won’t be hard for them to explain where she is. She has three kids, a degree and a business. There are a lot of ways to explain her [departure].” That’s true.
She goes on to assure fans the show will continue to delight in its quirky ways, even without Shirley’s presence. “I’m still Community’s biggest fan and I’ll still live Tweet episodes,” she says. “It’s very bittersweet. I can take care of my dad but won’t be with my TV family. I don’t want the fans to worry; it’s going to be fine. Greendale is the heart of the show, not any particular character. Even if characters come and go, the heart of Greendale remains.”
Brown will go on to star in CBS’ reboot The Odd Couple with Matthew Perry and Thomas Lennon. “A multi-camera sitcom is a better fit for the life I have now,” she says. “I can’t say enough how much I respect [producer] Sony and [Community leader] Dan [Harmon] for how they handled this profound change in my life.”
[Via TV Guide]
Pixar’s latest movie, Inside Out, will take audiences inside the mind. Emotions such as Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust and Sadness serve as the film’s main characters. The first teaser trailer, embedded above, features mostly a look back at Pixar’s greatest hits but it is tagged with the following synopsis that provides more plot detail:
Growing up can be a bumpy road, and it’s no exception for Riley, who is uprooted from her Midwest life when her father starts a new job in San Francisco. Like all of us, Riley is guided by her emotions – Joy (Amy Poehler), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black), Disgust (Mindy Kaling) and Sadness (Phyllis Smith). The emotions live in Headquarters, the control center inside Riley’s mind, where they help advise her through everyday life. As Riley and her emotions struggle to adjust to a new life in San Francisco, turmoil ensues in Headquarters. Although Joy, Riley’s main and most important emotion, tries to keep things positive, the emotions conflict on how best to navigate a new city, house and school.
Looks like fun! Inside Out hits theatres in 3D on June 19, 2015.
Jump after the break to view more trailers. Continue reading Movie trailer round-up: Pixar’s ‘Inside Out,’ ‘American Sniper,’ ‘Taken 3’, ‘Interstellar’ & ‘Exodus: Gods and Kings’
“We are all atoms,” sings Terrell Woodard, better known by his stage name Turbo T. Double. After years of hard work, patience, and pounding the pavement (or what Turbo refers to as “the scramble”), the rising rapper has released his first project “Atoms” to the masses and it shines both lyrically and visually. The track samples M83’s synthpop “Midnight City,” with the electronic band’s blessing. The video, shot in Prague, is directed by Yemi A.D., a well renowned creative in the hip-hop community. A major collaborator of his is Kanye West; Yemi served as director of his recent tours and he’s also the choreographer behind West’s ballerina-clad music video “Runaway.” Turbo’s “Atoms” unequivocally promotes peace and equality as humans of varying shades and sexes emerge from the earth in harmony in the clip embedded above.
Turbo tells [experience-it-all] that his new release was inspired by personal events in his life that made him feel “mistreated for ridiculous reasons.” The track is a response to those who have treated him poorly, and it’s also something that he feels can encourage others to “figuratively open their eyes” and rise above roadblocks and any haters that are in your way of fulfilling your dreams. Soft-spoken and smart, Turbo imagined “Atoms” to be the best and most “peaceful and relatable” way to get those thoughts across.
Working with Yemi was “like a dream come true,” shares Turbo. He “operates at a super high frequency,” says Turbo, and “when he heard “Atoms” he related to the lyrics and came up with the idea for the video and everything flowed from there resulting in a refreshingly challenging and inspirational experience I’ll cherish till death.” He continues, “I’m thankful that Anthony [Gonzalez] of M83 allowed me to loop “Midnight City” in order to deliver the message and Yemi’s vision brought it to life in a major way.”
Enjoy the ethereal experience that is “Atoms” and anticipate Turbo T. Double’s forthcoming EP due out next year.
Support a great cause today and download “Brand New,” a song written and imagined by Brian Meisner (yes, we’re related: brothers) to inspire those going through tough times to persevere and rise above it. In Brian’s words, “I hope this music reaches your ears and provides you with the strength to push forward and feel brand new.”
Preview the song in the montage embedded above; it follows the journey and recovery of our cousin Matty as he battled pancreatitis. Download “Brand New” at iTunes; 25% of the proceeds will be donated to nail-patella research.
How many times have you played through Hideo Kojima and Guillermo del Toro’s terrifying Silent Hills demo? Was one run-through enough to satiate your fears? Well, here’s something new to look at. The directing duo behind the latest installment in the Silent Hill video game franchise debuted a concept trailer at this month’s Tokyo Game Show. It will feel familiar to those who have played through the Playable Teaser on PS4; the game’s protagonist, personified by The Walking Dead‘s Norman Reedus, is trapped in a haunted house with creaky doors and creepy crawlers. The trailer, however, adds a boy’s severed head, sentient toys, and a giant monster to the mix. See above.
“The concepts we’re discussing, the ideas that we’re discussing and the tools that are in play to create Silent Hills are going to render an incredibly intense and an incredibly scary game,” said del Toro at TGS.
Silent Hills has an anticipated 2015 release.
[Via IGN]
24 fans can’t forget the commercials that aired during episodes of this spring’s Live Another Day. You know, the ones that hinted at the return of good guy/bad buy Tony Almeida, Jack Bauer’s right-hand man at CTU across the first few seasons of the show. Well, it turns out the rumors of his return were true. Though Carlos Bernard never turned up in season 9, his character is making a comeback in the home release exclusive clip “Solitary.” In it we find a disheveled yet enlightened Almeida who’s ready to make a new life for himself outside of his shackling bar cells. He seeks redemption and wants to help the government take down terrorists, and he thinks he can do it by going undercover because the baddies are well aware of his bloody, vengeful past.
Now here’s my logic: is this, perhaps, a setup for a potential season 10? Will Live Another Day Part Duex (title pending) feature Jack reuniting with his former parter to save another day from total destruction? Or, even more compelling, will a new season follow Tony jetting to Russia to help Jack escape his captors? Preview “Solitary” after the break; for the full clip you’ll have to shell out for the LAD DVD or Blu-ray out Sept. 30.
[Via EW] Continue reading Tony Almeida returns in ’24’ DVD/Blu-ray exclusive clip
Following the unfortunate passing of famed Saturday Night Live announcer Don Pardo at age 96, SNL head honcho Lorne Michaels named former cast member Darrell Hammond to be his official replacement. USA Today reports Hammond was the show’s longest-tenured cast member with 14 seasons under his belt. He’s best known for his impersonations of President Bill Clinton, Donald Trump, and Sean Connery. He can also impersonate the late Pardo; whenever the former announcer was diagnosed with laryngitis over the year, Hammond would sit in for him at the mic.
Hammond tells it like this: “I sat in for Don when he had laryngitis several times over the years,” Hammond says. “He was a lovely person. When he passed, they wanted me; it felt right for me to be the one to replace him. It’s been a very improbable life; I didn’t expect something like this, but it feels real good.”
Michaels also commented on his decision: “I just knew it wouldn’t be anybody who sounded like Don or replicated him. It can’t be what it was, but it could sort of be in the same tradition. And it will be nice to have Darrell around. He understands the show and will probably be helpful in ways we haven’t yet figured out.”
SNL returns tonight (9/27) on NBC with host Chris Pratt and musical guest Ariana Grande. A new opening montage will accompany Hammond’s debut.
[Via USA Today]
This summer Tyrant quickly proved to be another compelling series from the creators of Homeland, Howard Gordon, Craig Wright, and Gideon Raff. Though its cast is stacked with relatively unknown actors, this made the show’s successful debut that more surprising and exciting. The 10-episode season told a tight story about the sons of a Middle Eastern dictator grappling for power and control. It ended with a bit of a cliffhanger and now fans of the series can rest assured they’ll find out what will happen next for the Al-Fayeed brothers.
“We’re so proud of Tyrant’s performance throughout its first season,” said Nick Grad, President of Original Programming for FX Networks and FX Productions. “Howard Gordon is one of the best and most successful producers in this business. His ability to combine intelligent, edge-of-your-seat storytelling with events from the current geopolitical climate is truly groundbreaking. We look forward to seeing how Tyrant grows in season two.”
Tyrant is expected to resume on FX in summer 2015.
Tim Burton’s next project he’s directing is Big Eyes, written by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski. It’s a biopic with Burton’s signature style that focuses on Margaret Keane (Amy Adams), a talented American artist whose husband (Christoph Waltz) takes credit for her work. According to the official logline, “Big Eyes centers on Margaret’s awakening as an artist, the phenomenal success of her paintings, and her tumultuous relationship with her husband, who was catapulted to international fame while taking credit for her work.” It opens December 25.
Jump after the break to view more trailers. Continue reading Movie trailer round-up: ‘Big Eyes,’ ‘Horrible Bosses 2,’ ‘Jupiter Ascending’ & ‘Big Hero 6’