Comic Con: Freddy Highmore snaps at the real ‘Bates Motel’

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Vera Farmiga aka Norma Bates just scooped up an Emmy nomination for Best Actress while her TV son Freddie Highmore was left in the dust. When the young Norman Bates stops by the Bates Motel writer’s room he begins to discover that the show’s executive producers Carlton Cuse and Kerry Ehrin are very much feeding into Farmiga’s fame. Highmore doesn’t like it, so Cuse plans a trip to the real Bates Motel that’s still up at the Universal lot. And from there, things get…weird.

This video, originally screened at Comic Con, had me in a fit of laughter on more than one occasion: “Norman thinks about sunsets” … Cuse practicing his “Previously on” line … I mean, this is seriously funny stuff. Let’s not linger; get to the goods and hit play!

Comic Con: ‘Hannibal’ gag reel is LOL, obviously

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Now here’s something you wouldn’t expect to come out of Bryan Fuller’s NBC serial killer thriller Hannibal: A GAG REEL! And a fine one, at that. Hugh Dancy, Mads Mikkelsen and the rest of the Hannibal cast do not disappoint this absolutely hysterical peek behind-the-scenes of the darkly violent and gruesome show. In my opinion, Mads steals the show at the dinner table when he calls Freddie Lounds…well, you’ll see!

To find out what’s in store for season 2, watch Fuller, Dancy, and exec producers David Slade and Martha de Laurentiis spill the beans in an informative and entertaining video interview conducted by TVLine that’s embedded after the break. Continue reading Comic Con: ‘Hannibal’ gag reel is LOL, obviously →

Comic Con: ‘Breaking Bad’ countdown clip hypes the series’ final run

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Breaking Bad made their final stop at Comic Con this summer hyping the AMC series’ final eight episode run that begins August 11. Creator Vince Gilligan and the cast led by Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul screen this “countdown mashup” clip that serves as a “best of” video featuring some of Walter White’s best lines and moments from the acclaimed series. Gilligan was very tight-lipped about plot details, but he did say that he and his writing staff and everyone involved really are proud of the final 8 and he thinks fans will be satisfied by the way things end. Also, the rumored Saul Goodman spinoff starring Bob Odenkirk is very much in the works with Gilligan pushing for a green light.

If you happened to be walking the Con floor, chances are you might have bumped into Cranston! He was mingling amongst the crowd disguised as his TV alter ego Walter White wearing a mask and using a high-pitched voice. Check out some pictures from the panel reveal in the gallery below.

[Images via BIA]

Comic Con: Relive ‘Game of Thrones’ deaths in a “In Memoriam” clip here

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To remember those we have lost, the nifty editors at HBO’s Game of Thrones put together this “In Memoriam” clip that premiered at Comic Con. Set to Boyz II Men’s “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday” makes light of so many of the grisly deaths that have come to pass on Thrones since the beginning. A tag “The North Remembers” concludes the video and we are left with a Spring 2014 premiere to anticipate.

It goes without saying: spoiler alert.

Comic Con: Martin Freeman & Benedict Cumberbatch appear at ‘Sherlock’ panel

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Comic Con hosted a Sherlock panel, but its two big stars Martin Freeman and Benedict Cumberbatch couldn’t make it in person. So they both filmed prerecorded bits for those in attendance and you can watch what they saw in the clip embedded above. Freeman is rocking some scraggly hair as he finishes shooting The Hobbit in New Zealand and Cumberbatch explains how he survived his big fall from the series 2 finale (or he attempts to, at least).

As you’re enjoying this humorous clip, know that lots more Sherlock is on the way. “As long as everyone wants to keep doing it, we’ll keep doing it,” shared creators Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss and producer Sue Vertue. “There is something lovely about the idea of Benedict and Martin aged 55, around the same fireplace, becoming the same age we associate with Holmes and Watson,” added Gatiss.

Comic Con: Neil deGrasse Tyson hosts ‘Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey’ (teaser inside)

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FOX is rebooting Carl Sagan’s Cosmos: A Personal Voyage (a 13-part TV series that aired in 1980 on PBS) with Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey hosted by astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson.

Sagan’s original creative collaborators, namely writer/executive producer Ann Druyan and astronomer Steven Soter, along with executive producer Seth MacFarline (yes, of Family Guy fame) have teamed together to continue where Sagan left off.

The series will explore how we discovered the laws of nature and found our coordinates in space and time. It will bring to life never-before-told stories of the heroic quest for knowledge and transport viewers to new worlds and across the universe for a vision of the cosmos on the grandest scale. Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey will invent new modes of scientific storytelling to reveal the grandeur of the universe and re-invent celebrated elements of the legendary original series, including the Cosmic Calendar and the Ship of the Imagination. The most profound scientific concepts will be presented with stunning clarity, uniting skepticism and wonder, and weaving rigorous science with the emotional and spiritual into a transcendent experience.

When asked why do a reboot, Sagan’s wife Ann Druyan explained, “Well, it’s a very big universe, and in the first series we covered a lot of territory. But there’s so much left. We have new stories that have yet to be told.” She promises it “is as accessible as the first one and contains information that’s at times arcane, that at other times is as less complicated. But it’s for everyone.”

Interested in exploring the mysteries of space? Then the 13-part docu-series Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey–premiering in 2014 on FOX–is a can’t miss TV event. See how cool science can be in the teaser trailer posted after the break. Continue reading Comic Con: Neil deGrasse Tyson hosts ‘Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey’ (teaser inside) →

Comic Con: Zack Snyder teases ‘Man of Steel’ sequel featuring Batman (!)

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During the Warner Bros. panel at Comic Con, Man of Steel director Zack Snyder announced that another Superman movie is in the works, and most titillating, the Man of Steel sequel will reintroduce Batman into the mix. In a press release Snyder said, “I’m so excited to begin working again with Henry Cavill in the world we created, and I can’t wait to expand the DC Universe in this next chapter. Let’s face it, it’s beyond mythological to have Superman and our new Batman facing off, since they are the greatest Super Heroes in the world.”

At the panel Synder had actor Harry Lennox (who played General in Man of Steel) read an excerpt from the comic book The Dark Knight Returns: “I want you to remember, Clark, in all the years to come, in your most private moments, I want you to remember, my hand, at your throat. I want you to remember the one man who beat you.” And then the logo formed on the giant screen behind him. Cue insane applause and cheers from the crowd. (Note: Snyder says the upcoming pic will not adapt that comic but will use it as a springboard to tell a new story.)

With Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy complete, Warner Bros. and Snyder’s crew are looking for a new Batman to step into the iconic role and join Cavill’s Superman “in one explosive new film.” I mean, the simple yet powerful logo hanging here says it all. This is going to be epic in ways it’s currently hard to imagine. Personally I’ve been holding out for a Batman versus Superman flick since the ’90s and now the pieces are finally in place. Snyder, bring it.

Synder is directing and co-writing the story with David S. Goyer. Production begins next year with a tentative Summer 2015 release. Official PR is after the break. Continue reading Comic Con: Zack Snyder teases ‘Man of Steel’ sequel featuring Batman (!) →

Comic Con: Marvel sheds light on ‘Avengers’ sequel & ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’

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At Comic Con 2013 in San Diego, Marvel packed Hall H to share with fans new footage from its upcoming slate of super hero flicks including Thor: The Dark World and Captain America: The Winter Soldier. At the very end of the panel, surprise guest Joss Whedon took the stage to announce the title of his next Avengers movie and it is Marvel’s The Avengers: Age of Ultron. In case you didn’t know, Ultron is a famous Marvel supervillain that is a robot with massive amounts of artificial intelligence. The nearly indestructible foe will prove to be a worthy villain in the Avengers sequel due out May 1, 2015. Thanos, the other-worldly villain teased during The Avengers‘ credits sequence, will likely make a grand appearance before A2 now that we know Ultron is the big bad our heroes will face in the sequel.

In addition to naming the next Avengers film, Marvel touted another Phase 2 flick in the works: James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy. Due August 1, 2014, Galaxy stars Chris Pratt (Zero Dark Thirty) as Peter Quill aka Star-Lord, Zoe Saldana (Star Trek Into Darkness) as Gamora, Dave Bautista (Riddick) as Drax the Destroyer, Lee Pace (The Hobbit) as Ronan the Accuser, Michael Rooker (The Walking Dead) as Yondu, Karen Gillan (Doctor Who) as Nebula, Djimon Hounsou (Gladiator) as Korath, Benicio del Toro (Traffic) as The Collector, John C. Reilly (Chicago) as Rhomann Dey, and Glenn Close (Fatal Attraction) as Nova Prime.

Actual footage from these Marvel movies has yet to be released to the general public; for now, eye the official logos in the gallery below.

Bonus! Actor Tom Hiddleston crashed the Thor part of the panel in-character as Loki. Watch him command the crowd in an entertaining clip embedded after the break.

Continue reading Comic Con: Marvel sheds light on ‘Avengers’ sequel & ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ →

Movie trailer round-up: ‘Gravity’, ‘Spider-Man 2’, ‘Catching Fire’, ‘Riddick’, ‘Ender’s Game’ & ‘Kick-Ass 2’

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Sandra Bullock and George Clooney star in the Alfonso Cuaron-directed space pic Gravity. It’s bring described as a “heart-pounding thriller that pulls you into the infinite and unforgiving realm of deep space.” Bullock and Clooney play astronauts who get stranded beyond Earth when their spacewalk goes awry; they have limited oxygen and zero communication with our planet and therefore they must work together to survive. Following major conventions like CinemaCon and Comic Con, there is much buzz surrounding Gravity; you can experience what Con-goers saw right here. Above is the initial teaser trailer that released earlier in May; after the break you’ll discover a trio of teasers that expand on just how intimate and thrilling this movie promises to be. In particular the seemingly “one-shot” teaser titled “Detached” will have you reeling when you witness Bullock’s character losing control and aimlessly float into the dark pit that is space. Chills, I tell you! Gravity opens in 3D and IMAX October 4.

Jump after the break for more trailers. Continue reading Movie trailer round-up: ‘Gravity’, ‘Spider-Man 2’, ‘Catching Fire’, ‘Riddick’, ‘Ender’s Game’ & ‘Kick-Ass 2’ →

2013 Emmy nominations: ‘AHS: Asylum’ & ‘Game of Thrones’ collect most nods, Netflix enters the fray

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Here we go. It’s Emmy season, everybody! Today the 65th Primetime Emmy Awards nominations were announced to much fanfare, as always. For the second consecutive year, the show that picked up the most nods is American Horror Story: Asylum with 17; following close behind are HBO’s Game Of Thrones (16 nods) and Behind The Candelabra (15), Saturday Night Live (15), Breaking Bad and 30 Rock (13 apiece), Downton Abbey, Mad Men, and Modern Family (12 apiece), Homeland and Phil Spector (11 apiece), and Boardwalk Empire (10). The most intriguing turn of events: streaming service Netflix is a real Emmy contender racking up 14 nods for House of Cards (9, including Outstanding Drama Series), Arrested Development (3, including Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series), and Hemlock Grove (2).

Duking it out for Best Drama are Breaking Bad, Downton Abbey, Game Of Thrones, Homeland, House of Cards, and Mad Men. Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), Hugh Bonneville, (Downton Abbey), Damian Lewis (Homeland), Kevin Spacey (House of Cards), Jon Hamm (Mad Men), and Jeff Daniels (The Newsroom) are up for Best Lead Actor in a Drama Series. Leading ladies include Connie Britton (Nashville), Claire Danes (Homeland), Michelle Dockery (Downton Abbey), Vera Farmiga (Bates Motel), Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men), Kerry Washington (Scandal), and Robin Wright (House of Cards). In the Supporting Actor categories, Bobby Cannavale (Boardwalk Empire), Jonathan Banks (Breaking Bad), Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad), Jim Carter (Downton Abbey), Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones), Mandy Patinkin (Homeland), Anna Gunn (Breaking Bad), Maggie Smith (Downton Abbey), Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones), Christine Baranski (The Good Wife), Morena Baccarin (Homeland), and Christina Hendricks (Mad Men) vie for the golden statue.

Switching over to the comedy categories, the following shows were nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series: 30 Rock, The Big Bang Theory, Girls, Louie, Modern Family, and Veep. Alec Baldwin (30 Rock), Jason Bateman (Arrested Development), Louis CK (Louie), Don Cheadle (House of Lies), Matt LeBlanc (Episodes), and Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory) are up for Best Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. Leading ladies include Laura Dern (Enlightened), Lena Dunham (Girls), Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie), Tina Fey (30 Rock), Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep), and Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation). Supporting funny people include Adam Driver (Girls), Jesse Tyler Ferguson/Ed O’Neill/Ty Burrell (Modern Family), Bill Hader (Saturday Night Live), Tony Hale (Veep), Mayim Bialik (The Big Bang Theory), Jane Lynch (Glee), Julie Bowen/Sofia Vergara (Modern Family), Merritt Wever (Nurse Jackie), Jane Krakowski (30 Rock), and Anna Chlumsky (Veep).

And of course, there’s no going on without discussing those who were snubbed. Some that come instantly to mind: Parks & Rec, Happy Endings, and New Girl for Best Comedy (or at least recognition for their ensemble casts)…Hannibal is certainly worthy of Best Drama though being a poorly rated NBC drama it likely will never reach that peak, but perhaps stars Hugh Dancy and Mads Mikkelsen will soon receive some well deserved recognition…besides recognizing Margo Martindale for portraying Claudia aka Granny and its theme music, The Americans was pretty much left in the dark; though in its first season, the series is certainly Best Drama material and its stars Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys are worthy of Best Actor nods…and even though it’s never expected it still stings that genre shows like The Walking Dead and Fringe are passed over come Emmy season; in fact, this marks the last opportunity to give John Noble an Emmy nod for playing the incomparable and incredibly impressionable Walter Bishop on Fringe–he’s always been a winner in my book.

The 65th Primetime Emmy Awards airs live Sunday, September 22 at 8PM EST with host Neil Patrick Harris. Cop a list of all the nominees at the official Emmys website, and if I left off any of your personal snubs lemme hear it in the comment section below.

Justin Timberlake and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis lead 2013 VMA nominations

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We’re nearly approaching August and you know what that means: the MTV Video Music Awards is fast approaching. Justin Timberlake and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis lead with the most nominations for a Moonman this year with six apiece. JT’s “Mirrors” off his solid comeback album The 20/20 Experience and Macklemore & RL’s catchy “Thrift Shop” are in the running for Video of the Year along with Bruno Mars’ “Locked Out of Heaven,” Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines,” and T. Swift’s “I Knew You Were Trouble.” Close behind are Bruno Mars with four nods, and artists Pink, Robin Thicke, Miley Cyrus, and Thirty Seconds To Mars managed to pick up three nods each.

For 2013 the VMAs will air live on Sunday, August 25 from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. To honor the new host venue, one of the borough’s most influential artists KAWS was asked to redesign for this year only the famous Moonman statue. It features his signature x’s for eyes, crossbones through the head, and puffy gloves for hands. No doubt artists will be clamoring for a win to claim the limited-edition, wickedly awesome trophy pictured above.

To view the full list of nominees, pop after the break. Continue reading Justin Timberlake and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis lead 2013 VMA nominations →

Kid Cudi announces ‘Cud Life Tour’ hitting 20+ cities starting this summer

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Kid Cudi is going on a 20+ city tour starting later this summer and rappers Big Sean, Tyler The Creator, and Logic will be joining him on the road. The Cud Life 2013 Tour kicks off in Salt Lake City, Utah and will travels to major cities like Las Vegas, San Diego, Seattle, Philly, Boston, Toronto, and East Rutherford, New Jersey. Noticeably absent from the current list of tour stops are New York City and Los Angeles. According to all things Cudder source DatNewCudi.com, the Lonely Stoner plans to add additional dates and locations in the fall so stay tuned. For now, jump after the break for more tour details and a link to snag tix. Continue reading Kid Cudi announces ‘Cud Life Tour’ hitting 20+ cities starting this summer →