CBS announced today that they are launching a digital subscription service called “CBS All Access” that allows viewers to stream CBS programs past and present without a cable subscription. The service will also stream current shows as they air live on television via feeds from local CBS affiliate stations.
According to their press release, subscribers will get access to:
– Full current seasons of 15 primetime shows with episodes available the day after they air.
– Unprecedented ability to live stream local CBS stations in 14 of the largest markets at launch, with more to be added as affiliates join the new service.
– Full past seasons of eight major current series, including THE GOOD WIFE, BLUE BLOODS and SURVIVOR.
– More than 5,000 episodes of CBS Classics, including every episode of STAR TREK, CHEERS, MACGYVER,TWIN PEAKS and CSI: MIAMI.
– Access to exclusive additional content for CBS Television’s biggest special events, such as THE GRAMMY® AWARDS, THE ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS and THE VICTORIA’S SECRET FASHION SHOW.
– Ability to stream the BIG BROTHER 24/7 Live Feeds service for no additional fee when the show returns next summer.
– Advertising-free environment for all CBS Classics.
Currently, “CBS All Access” is only being offered in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas, San Francisco, Boston, Detroit, Minneapolis, Miami, Denver, Sacramento, Pittsburgh, and Baltimore through CBS.com and the CBS mobile app. More cities will be added in the coming months.
With the growing amount of viewers relying purely on online streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu, this is great news along with HBO’s stand-alone streaming service announcement yesterday.
The Americans has cast Academy Award nominee and three-time Tony Award Winner Frank Langella for a deep undercover role.
Langella will play Gabriel, Philip and Elizabeth’s former KGB handler who comes out of retirement to take back responsibility for overseeing these two KGB operatives from their previous handler, Claudia (Margo Martindale).
“We’ve been huge fans of Frank’s work for a long time, and it’s been such a pleasure getting to know Frank himself in the beginning stages of working together on the character of Gabriel,” said Executive Producers Joe Weisberg and Joel Fields in a statement.
Season 3 of The Americans will premiere on FX in January 2015.
The first pictures of Michael Douglas on theAnt-Mansethave finally made their way online. Douglas plays Hank Pym, mentor to Paul Rudd’s character con-man Scott Lang and a scientist who created the Ant-Man suit that allows its wearer to shrink in size but gain in strength.
See the images of Douglas sporting a beard and a very dapper suit.
Season three of Netflix’s original series Lilyhammer, starringSteven Van Zandt, will make its debut on Netflix on Friday, November 21 at 12:01 AM PT. The new season will feature eight new one-hour episodes as well as the directorial debut of Van Zandt with the season three finale.
“Lilyhammer is a funny and fantastic example of programming for a global audience – a comedic culture clash that’s drawn in viewers from around the world,” said Ted Sarandos,chief content officer at Netflix. “We’re especially proud of the many international awards the show has earned, cementing its cross-cultural appeal.”
In season three of Lilyhammer, Roar (Steinar Sagen) travels to Brazil, to meet his Internet bride from a Rio favela. Blinded by love, he finds himself tangled up with the law, and it’s up to Frank and Torgeir (Trond Fausa) to make things right. Assisted by the Norwegian Foreign Ministry, the collaboration between Frank and the foreign minister is anything but smooth. And as if Frank doesn’t have enough challenges with his unruly bunch, a ghost resurfaces from the past – an American “family friend” who sees vast opportunities in Lillehammer for a man of his talents.
Star Wars Rebels: Spark of the Rebellion will be making its third channel premiere on ABC on Sunday, October 26 (7:00 p.m. ET/PT) with an added bonus.
“We wanted to do something special for the ABC broadcast,” executive producer Dave Filoni said in a statement. “We’ve added a scene which gives audiences insight into the Inquisitor and includes a cameo by Darth Vader voiced by the distinguished actor James Earl Jones.”
Rebels, which was renewed for a second season, delivered 6.5-million viewers in its premieres on Disney Channel and Disney XD.
The voice cast includes Freddie Prinze Jr. as Kanan, Vanessa Marshall as Hera, Steve Blum as Zeb, Tiya Sircar as Sabine, Taylor Gray as Ezra, David Oyelowo as Agent Kallus and Jason Isaacs as the Inquisitor.
Star Wars Rebels is created by Dave Filoni, Simon Kinberg, and Carrie Beck. The Lucasfilm Animation production is also executive-produced by Filoni and Kinberg as well as Greg Weisman.
ABC has ordered three more scripts for their freshman series – Selfie, Manhattan Love Story, and Forever. This comes shortly after the network’s full season pickups for How to Get Away With Murder and Black-ish.
While three more episodes is no full season, ABC executives will be able to monitor how each series does a bit longer before deciding between pickup and cancellation.
Last we saw of Emily Thorne/Amanda Clarke, she was about to be a crispy critter.
Charlotte had knocked her out and set fire to their meeting place: Jack’s kick-ass seaside bar and grill, The Stowaway. Of course, being that Emily is the main character of Revenge, the whole ordeal is less “Will she escape” and more “#EMILYSURVIVESLOL”. In other words, it’s predictably fruitless effort ending with a predictable resolution. It was an especially needless situation and one that really makes little to no sense, given what happens later in the episode.
Before I get ahead of myself, Charlotte Grayson, the guilty party, tells surrounding witnesses that nobody was in the bar. This, of course, runs contrary to Jack’s discovery of Emily’s lifeless body and, of course, he ventures in and saves the day., braving one of those suddenly-heaving-at-the-camera fireballs which only appear in television and movie fires.
Meanwhile, Daniel Grayson and Margaux are a thing. Grayson, however, is hemorrhaging money while still, unknowingly, attempting to take care of Charlotte’s drug habit. He can’t even help his own mother when she comes calling. He wants to be a “financial advisor” based on his name alone but nobody wants to hire him for that very reason. His hotel room is even taken away from him by management because his credit card was declined. Good thing he still has the money to spend on glasses of expensive whiskey in the hotel bar, though. If you’re gonna end up poor and on the street, might as well get the alcoholism requirement started.
Jack attempts to discover what happened to his bar and ends up finding out that Charlotte was behind it through the same witness who first spoke to her. The fact is later confirmed by Emily, miraculously 100 percent despite being stuck in a massive fire in an enclosed space for minutes on end because only Emily Thorne can survive a fire without so much as damage to her lungs from smoke inhalation or burns on her body. The situation does give us a great exchange between Emily and Nolan, her loyal friend and confidant:
Nolan: “[These gifts] were supposed to spruce up your hospital room, but I just came from there and, weirdly, it’s empty…and…’unspruced’.” Emily: “I checked myself out.”
Nolan: “It’s a hospital. Not a hotel.“
At least the dialogue makes us aware that the writers aren’t really trying to fool anyone.
Apparently, Emily really has no time to waste on Victoria and, instead, wants to try to make amends with Charlotte, the girl who hates her, knocked her out and tried to murder her. She even uses her magical pouting powers to convince Jack that she will “take care of Charlotte”, which Jack just accepts even though he lost a huge investment in his bar.
The crux of the plot revolves around a new wrinkle: Louise, the strange redhead that Victoria met when she was in the inescapable psych ward that doesn’t seem to really care if Victoria escaped anymore, is out of the psych ward. She wants to hang with Victoria — but, since Victoria’s a little busy planning her revenge on Emily and seducing the hell out of her father, Victoria’s like the Guess Who: she’s got no time left for Lou(ise).
Victoria, instead, visits Charlotte and attempts to make amends with her. Charlotte drops what she believes is a bombshell: Emily Thorne is Amanda Clarke. Of course, Victoria already knows this and ups the ante by dropping the real bombshell: her father, David Clarke, is alive and well. Charlotte ends up meeting his daughter for the very first time.
At the same time, Emily makes another attempt to make contact with Charlotte at the old Grayson hunting cabin — but ends up seeing the business end of a shotgun held by Victoria. When Emily dares Victoria to shoot her and end this once and for all, Victoria balks, saying that it wouldn’t satisfy her. She owes Emily so much more and tells her that she should “buckle up”. At the end of the visit, Emily runs into the smitten Officer Hunter, who just happens to be there in the middle of the woods, looking into “underage drinking”. The two have chemistry. If, by “chemistry”, you mean that awkward feeling you get when you interrupt the busy clerk at the pizza parlor to ask for a box for your leftovers. It starts that way and ends that way.
Hunter does let Jack know that The Stowaway burned down “by accident”, as determined by the local fire department. If I’m not mistaken, the place went up due to heavy use of a lit accelerant — a fact that should be plain as day to any fire forensics team. But, whatever, Jack’s gonna get his insurance money.
Oh…let’s go back to Daniel: while drinking his Scotch, he happens to bump into Louise…and Louise needs a bit of financial advice to get out of the pickle she’s in with her family…and Daniel may be just the guy to help.
The episode ends with David Clarke upset with Victoria for keeping the fact that Emily visited while he wasn’t around. Victoria goes out to attempt to get some more cash so that they can move out of the place they’re in. Clarke wants to go with her but Victoria advises him to protect Charlotte. She leaves — and so does David. His mission is to kill Emily Thorne once and for all.
Little does he know (I love that: “little does know”) that Nolan is staying with Emily to “re-boot her Security Systems” (not a euphemism) and protect her. This pays off. He sees David’s attempted assault on camera and scares David off. The problem? Neither Emily or Nolan know it was that attacked her, due to the fact that he was donning a hoodie under the cover of darkness.
As usual, the show plays fast and loose with logic but the intrigue and multifaceted plotting is what makes this fun. All the loose ends are seemingly being tied up. The only real crime would be to continue this another year.
This is another solid episode and one only hopes it continues this way. If Season 2 is the basis of comparison in terms of quality. then this season has, thus far, surpassed that.
Neil Patrick Harris is hosting the 87th Academy Awards next year making this his third major award show after hosting the Tony Awards four times and the Emmys twice. The actor confirmed the news with a little video posted today:
NPH previously performed at the 2010 Oscars with Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin hosting. Perhaps one day we’ll see the entertainer at the Grammys as well?
The 87th Academy Awards airs on ABC February 22, 2015.
Looks like Kalinda Sharma will be hanging up her leather jacket for good.
Archie Panjabi, the Emmy-winning actress who plays the notoriously secretive investigator and “Good Wife” fan favorite, is leaving the series after six seasons.
According to Entertainment Weekly, Panjabi will not be renewing her contract with the CBS drama, focusing instead on a newly signed deal for 20th Century TV to develop her own starring vehicle.
“Archie is an Emmy award-winning dramatic actress, and rightly so,” declared Sharon Klein, executive vice president of casting for 20th Century. “Her work on ‘The Good Wife’ has been extraordinary, and the time has come for her to star in a project of her own. We couldn’t be happier that it will be with us.”
“The Good Wife” creators Robert and Michelle King chimed in, adding, “Archie is an amazing actress who helped build Kalinda from the ground up as an enigmatic, powerful and sexy character. It’s been a pleasure to write for her, and we’ll be sad to see her go,” they said. “But we still have her for the rest of season six, so let’s not exhaust our goodbyes yet. We look forward to meeting all the wonderful new characters Archie brings to the screen.”
That’s all well and good, but what of Kalinda’s trademark wardrobe?
“Either way, we’re keeping the boots,” the Kings confirmed.
We’ll see what Alicia Florrick has to say about that.
“The Good Wife” airs Sunday nights at 9/8c on CBS.
NBC has hit the abort button on midseason comedy Mission Control.
Confirmed by THR, the single-camera space comedy starring Krysten Ritter encountered casting issues after Michael Rosenbaum left the series. Unable to fill the role, the network moved to scrap the series.
Mission Control was produced by David Hornsby, Adam McKay (“Anchorman,” “Talladega Nights”), Will Ferrell (“Step Brothers”) and Owen Burke.
About the series:
Houston, we have a problem! Dr. Mary Kendricks (Krysten Ritter, “Don’t Trust the B— in Apartment 23”) is a tough but brilliant aerospace engineer, leading a team of NASA scientists at the cutting edge of space exploration. The only problem is, this is the 1960s and she’s a woman. Navigating the ridiculous boys’ club of astronauts and engineering nerds is no easy task, but she’s up to the challenge … until her boss brings on Tom (Tommy Dewey, “The Mindy Project”) — a former hotshot test pilot and overall man’s man — to co-manage her team. It doesn’t help that he initially mistakes her for a secretary. Between him, her astronaut boyfriend Cash and her offbeat all-guy team, Mary certainly has her hands full… but at the end of the day, they all want the same thing: to get a man on the moon. It might just take a woman to get him there.
The cast also includes Malcolm Barrett, Jonathan Slavin and Julie Meyer.
Netflix announced today all 10 seasons of the classic sitcom will be up for streaming beginning Jan. 1. That’s 83 non-stop hours of Central Perk, “Smelly Cat” and Ms. Chanandler Bong to kick your 90s nostalgia into overdrive.
The NBC comedy has enjoyed a steady syndication schedule for years, keeping Ross, Rachel, Phoebe, Chandler, Monica and Joey a consistent presence on our TV screens whether we’ve been on a break or not. But the Netflix news marks the first time “Friends” has been available for true binge-watching consumption.
Considering HBO’s groundbreaking deal to unveil a stand-alone streaming service next year, it looks like TV as we once knew it really is a moo point.
Put all your roommate’s clothes on at once and watch The Rembrandts’ special “Friends” announcement:
So, Ebola has entered the US. That’s old news, of course, but now it’s spreading and the CDC is backpedaling and healthcare professionals are considering running out on us and NO, THIS IS NOT A MOVIE.
It’s time to prepare for the coming pandemic, people, and since there’s no way any proper alarmist could encourage you to get off your couch, how about some movies that can get it done from inside the safety of your four walls (Which probably aren’t, you know, CLEAN. But they’re not going to turn your insides to puddles of blood).
1. Cabin Fever (2002):
This group of unsuspecting teens who fall prey to a random virus is pertinent in a couple of ways. First, the virus eats their flesh JUST LIKE EBOLA. Ebola eats your insides, the fictional virus eats the outside, but hey. Work with me, here. The second way is that people are certainly going to freak out at some point and try to murder the infected, so study up. I’d tell you to stockpile weapons, but hey, this is America. I’m sure you’ve already done that.
This film about the survival of only a handful could come in handy if the WHO’s latest prediction of over 1.4 million infected by early next year come to fruition, although from all counts, people with ebola aren’t going to turn into rage-a-holics any time soon. Considering they’ve lost all of their blood and internal organs, but still. If you’re one of the 30-50%, you might want to know how it’s going to work.
No, the deceased ebola patients (almost 9000 strong now) are not returning to life no matter what reports we’re seeing out of Africa. What Zombieland teaches us, however, is to decide now what is most important to us in this world and hang on to it–whether it’s the dream of losing your virginity to the hottest girl still alive and willing or stockpiling Twinkies. The world going to shit does not give you an excuse to give up on your goals, people.
For me, one of the things that made this film scarier than most was the intense look at how much shit we touch every day that other people touch. And if that person happens to be an index patient infected with an unknown virus that came from a bat (you know, like ebola) and flies halfway around the world before she knows she sick? We’re all in a heap of freaking trouble. The movie chronicles the breakdown of society that would likely result from a quarantine and widespread panic, so if I were you, I’d raid the nearest Costco now and maybe clean out Sam’s Club, too. Don’t worry about the ethical concerns of shopping at the latter. NOW IS NOT THE TIME. The funny thing is that the CDC response in the movie was pretty fast (HAHAHA) and the disease had a mortally rate of (gasp!) 25% – ebola’s is 50-70%, depending on who you ask. WHY AREN’T YOU LAUGHING?
This classic film about handling a new epidemic in the first world is actually based on – wait for it – a fictionalized account of ebola. After the virus was discovered in the late 70’s epidemiologists and virologists were understandably freaked out. Every time ebola has surfaced in human beings it’s been a different strain. There was a strain in Washington DC (that’s right, folks, in AMERICA. WHY DIDN’T WE SHOOT IT DEAD?) in the early 90’s that is thought to be transmitted through the air (in monkeys, not humans) and those cases inspired Outbreak. Watch, fear, prepare.
Also, this movie teaches us a very important fact about disease in general – DO NOT GO NEAR MONKEYS. THEY ARE NOT CUTE OR FUNNY THEY ARE JUMPING, POOP-THROWING DISEASE VECTORS WITH TAILS. And they hate us for snatching them out of trees and shoving them in cages.
BONUS: Carriers (2009): This is actually a decent film that combines horror and drama, but it’s a bonus because it’s less applicable to our current situation (but still a great epidemic film!)
Up Next: 5 Books that Can Prepare You for the Coming Ebolapocalypse!
HBO has finally heard the voices of millions asking for a stand-alone streaming service!
Speaking at the Time Warner Inc. Investor Meeting today, Richard Plepler, chairman and CEO, HBO, announced that the company will offer a stand-alone HBO streaming service in 2015.
In his talk Plepler mentioned the current ten million broadband-only homes. “That is a large and growing opportunity that should no longer be left untapped. It is time to remove all barriers to those who want HBO. So, in 2015, we will launch a stand-alone, over-the-top, HBO service in the United States. We will work with our current partners. And, we will explore models with new partners. All in, there are 80 million homes that do not have HBO and we will use all means at our disposal to go after them.”
Since I loathe spoilers, for this write-up I’ll paint the plot with broad strokes, in the hopes of enticing all you TV-obsessed maniacs to watch the show. I can’t promise some bits won’t slip through the cracks, since, well, I am discussing a show that has already aired eight episodes. To all of you perverts who’ve already watch the first half of the series, let’s have a super spoiler-y discussion in the comments. I’ll bring the snacks.
I’ll just throw this out there since I don’t like lying to you, internet: I’m new to the Outlander series. An outlander, in my own right, if you will. (Sorry, not sorry.) When Starz announced the show and I read the synopsis, I wasn’t impressed–which is odd, given my love of historical dramas, Scotland, and bodice-ripping red heads. Something about the time-traveling romance screamed “choking hazard: too much pulp” for my tastes, so I steered clear like the good little trend-chaser I am. It wasn’t until the first preview trailer that I became more interested. (Okay, okay, it was the male lead and promises of sex. I’m not a complicated woman, I know.) I sped through the first book and found myself on the other side–a fan, and a little bit too warm for polite company. Because I finished the book before the first episode aired, I consider myself an Outlander hipster and thus, am able to properly critique the first eight episodes of the series. Step off, plebes.
Outlander is the first of a series of books by Diana Galbadon that follows Claire Randall, a strong-willed nurse who travels to Scotland with her husband, Frank, for their second honeymoon. After five years spent apart due to World War II, the couple seeks to rekindle their relationship through lots and lots of sex in poorly put together Scottish beds, bringing joy to sweet, but nosy, old women everywhere. Unfortunately, during their plight to have sex on every flat surface in the Highlands things go awry when Claire touches the stones at Craigh na Dun and is vaulted back in time to the 18th century. Caught amid the Jacobite uprisings, Claire is forced to navigate political intrigue between the Scottish McKenzie clan and the English redcoats, in an attempt to prove to both sides she is not the spy they claim. Along the way, a romantic, ahem, entanglement occurs and I need a fan just thinking about it.
For as much as I’ve enjoyed Outlander so far, the promotional work for it has been downright terrible. From the episode trailers to the posters, the show comes across as a cheesy romance that just needed an excuse to have men in kilts. (“The Wedding” episode trailer is the finest example of this.) Don’t watch Outlander’s opening credits, either. I have no idea what Starz was going for when they made that nonsense. Unless they intended to lull their viewers to sleep, in which case: gold star.
However, once you fast forward through the credits, you’ll see that Outlander is much more than the 18th century version of Fifty Shades of Grey. Claire, played by the wonderful Caitriona Balfe, proves to be an exhilarating protagonist whose resourceful yet stubborn nature brings out the best (or worst) in the surrounding characters. Watching a modern woman explore the past (to which she already knows the ending) is an interesting premise. The show is at its most interesting when Claire is tossed headfirst into unfamiliar customs. The men of the McKenzie clan are a fascinating bunch, and they begrudgingly come to accept the foreigner’s presence, not because she is attractive (or because they–sigh–want to rape her), but because she can handle herself in a pinch, mend a dislocated shoulder, and use all the best modern-day insults in a single breath. Even Jamie (Sam Heughan), her male counterpart, only comes into his own while in Claire’s company.
I don’t have a complaints about any of the actors, though, I do pity Tobias Menzies. Every time I see his face I’m reminded that he played Edmure Tully in Game of Thrones and I kind of want to sucker punch him in the mouth. But kudos to him for being able to act as both the endearing Frank and Frank’s English ancestor, Captain “Black Jack” Randall. Menzies capably expresses the quiet villainy of Black Jack without taking the character to Petyr Baelish levels of madness. But! The show is still young and his barbaric behavior can only go up (down?) from here.
I won’t lie to you, internet. Outlander isn’t perfect. The plot meanders at its own pace and if you’re expecting Game of Thrones-intrigue or Spartacus-action, you’re gonna have a bad time. For me, the characters make the slow journey enjoyable, allowing me to savor the differences between eras, as well as the varying cultures, and–I’ll say it–the accents. However, I could do with about, oh, 90% less voice-over work. Nothing pulls a viewer out of a story more than having a narrator explain the story. I appreciate the attempt to insert the first person POV from the books, but we aren’t stupid. Yes, honey, Claire, we all figured out half an hour ago that you are no longer in the 20th century. Do try to keep up. And if another episode ends with Claire saying some variation of, “Somehow, I had to find a way back to Craigh na Dun….or die trying” I’m going to eat my hair.
The biggest problem with Outlander is what is happening to it at this very moment: nothing. Absolutely nothing. Outlander is taking one them fancy-smancy mid-season breaks all the cool shows are doing these days and I couldn’t be angrier.
“Outlander returns April 4th.”
APRIL? Are you kidding, Starz? Do you know what comes on in April? GAME OF THRONES. Do you know the kind of people watch shows like Outlander? PEOPLE WHO WATCH GAME OF THRONES. If people are already being sated with Game of Thrones, guess what they aren’t doing? LOOKING FOR A SHOW TO FILL THEIR BLOODY GAME OF THRONES HEARTS. Do you see where I’m going with this? Ya had your window with the fall showing and you. just. blew. it. But hey, I’m easy to please. Lure me in with more promises of bodice-ripping and I’ll keep watching.
Tell me your thoughts about the show so far in the comments. Frustrated rants, swooning, and inappropriate gifs are all welcome.
Outlander was airing on Starz on Saturdays at 9pm. Now it isn’t.
It will return April 4th, 2015. Images courtesy of Starz.com
This week’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was formally (and appropriately) titled “Face My Enemy,” though it should’ve really been subtitled “what happens in Miami stays in Miami.” Once we had passed our season premiere, I admit to being skeptical as to how the show would handle more of a weekly case plotline. But that’s one thing that has so far been an improvement and strength about this season: even the one-off episodes are keeping the mythology in check and working with the overall arc the show is setting up.
We begin with some priests getting out of a car at Santa Maria de las Flores, where a fire has basically destroyed all items in the church—except one. A seemingly innocent photo of the Virgin Mary looks like a simple piece of miracle art, but when the priest flips it over, we see the scrawl of code that Coulson has been writing on the back of the painting. Dun, dun, dun…
In the trenches of Miami, team S.H.I.E.L.D. is getting their undercover operation on, and Hunter’s charm is coming in handy as he swipes an unsuspecting woman’s keys while he canoodles with her on the boardwalk. (Let’s have a round of applause for that cameo by Skye and her motorcycle, because damn.) Coulson and May are undercover (complete with heels, a sparkly dress and all) at a fancy benefit to raise money for the restoration of the church, though May is understandably less than thrilled about the fashion grievances of being a woman at a fancy gala. We get it, May. We totally get it.
Once inside, the two go radio silent (much to the dismay of the team) so that they can dance together and focus on scoping out the situation and security. The whole moment is impressive and captivating, and it makes me wonder if all spies are trained in dance lessons, because in my head Clint Barton and Natasha Romanov have definitely taken these dance lessons together. Anyway, the Philanda game is strong as the two banter about their youth and remise about working missions. May brings up the fact that she’s noticed Coulson’s symptoms are getting worse, and Coulson, ever the pragmatist, wants to talk about what will happen if he starts going the way of Garrett. Before they can get into that discussion, however, Coulson spots Talbot at the party.
Surprisingly, Coulson breaks his cover and makes himself visible to Talbot almost immediately, telling him about the mission and how it will benefit both of them if he’s successful. Talbot promises that he won’t interfere unless he feels he needs to, which is a nice sentiment considering what we’ve seen of him recently. Back on The Bus, the team is having their own bonding moment as they tease Hunter, trying to get him to talk about his ex-wife. Coulson interrupts them to tell them that Talbot is there, and because of that, they’re going after the painting now. May works her magic on the man running the benefit (“just remember, I’m here for the cause,” and boy is she) while the team listens in with a bit of amusement, because it’s quite clear they’ve never seen The Cavalry like this before. Something tells me this night will be referenced throughout the rest of the season, whether May likes it or not.
May calls Coulson over to take a picture, which is really just a subtle way for them to retinal scan the man so that they can get access to the basement where the picture is being held (a hell of a lot easier and cleaner than removing one’s eyeball.) They manage to make it to the room where the painting is, but find it gone. Meanwhile, Talbot calls Whitehall and alerts him that S.H.I.E.L.D. is here, and we groan a little inside because really, Talbot? We were just starting to like you!
May is frustrated with Coulson because she believes that he jeopardized the plan by being too caught up in trying to channel “the good old days.” Coulson still wants to have a real conversation about a contingency plan, but they run into Talbot before they can even address it.
Talbot asks them straight out about the writing on the back of the painting, and says that’s why the government sent him. He suggests working together so that he can examine the writing at a government facility and Coulson agrees, with the condition that he has an hour to tell his team. Coulson and May split up once Coulson lets her know that he’s aware Talbot is trying to play them, and he sends May to try to find out what’s going on.
On The Bus, Mack finds Skye is doing “extra research” which is a really a nice way of saying she’s snooping. Hunter tries to talk about his ex-wife again and as the team continues to bond, Fitz starts to look increasingly more out of place. Poor Fitz. It’s clear that without science and without Simmons, he’s having a hard time finding his place in a group that he used to be so comfortable with.
May finds Agent 33 in a room with Hydra files and attacks her, demanding to know what she’s done with Talbot. Who should show up at that very moment? Talbot. Or really, Bakshi, who is pretending to be Talbot by wearing one of those holographic mesh masks that Black Widow used in The Winter Soldier when she infiltrated Pierce’s Council. Much like the escaping holes, I loved seeing the little nods and inclusions of Marvel tech in both the movies and the TV show. Bakshi eventually gets the best of May, knocking her out with a taser, and use her blood and voice recognition to disguise Agent 33 so that she can infiltrate S.H.I.E.L.D. The whole process is actually a really cool look at how the mesh masks are made, which is honestly something I had always wondered about since seeing the movie. Hydra may not be moral, but they sure do have some nice technology.
Agent 33 as May calls Coulson and lets him know she’s coming back, and that she believes Talbot is legit. As she makes her way to The Bus, Fitz is having a moment to himself with Imaginary!Jemma, who scolds him for running away. Fitz feels like he has nothing to offer the group anymore, and also out of it and alone without his other half. “I don’t have anything in common anymore. I’m not even a part of the team,” he says, adding that they don’t even have their old lab anymore. Poor Fitz. Iain de Caestecker is really killing it this season in terms of emotional resonance.
Agent 33 as May comes back to The Bus asking for Coulson and gets him alone, using the device Bakshi gave her to compromise the ship. May finally regains consciousness and Bakshi tries to get her to tell him why they want the painting, who’s running S.H.I.E.L.D, and where they’re operating out of. Meanwhile, Agent 33 as May and Coulson are alone in the car, and Coulson once again tries to talk about “the other plan” aka the contingency plan. Agent 33 has no idea what Coulson is referring to but does her best to act convincing, and because of the nature of the conversation, it kind of works, at least enough for Coulson to apparently not be suspicious (though we all agree that at this point, he should be.) But Agent 33 as May tells him that she won’t let him down, and that seems to be enough to pacify Coulson for the moment.
While Skye continues to be Expert Hacker Extraordinaire, the lights on The Bus suddenly go out and the plane suddenly starts to shut down. Fitz quickly finds the device Agent 33 has used and recognizes it as based on S.H.I.E.L.D. tech, while also realizing they’ve been sabatoged–and that if they can’t figure out how to fix it, the plane will explode. As Agent 33 continues her attempt to lure Coulson back to the room where Bakshi is waiting, Coulson continues to try to converse with her, offering her a chance to get coffee with him after the mission is over. For old times sake, of course. Agent 33 agrees and Coulson finally gets confirmation on what he’s apparently been suspecting, punching her out and triumphantly telling her that “May hates coffee.” Atta boy, Coulson!
Bakshi is distracted by the fighting outside, and May uses the moment to get herself free, leading into what is one of the most epic fight scenes that the show has given us so far—yes, even more epic than the Ward/May showdown last season, which, by the way, totally won EW’s season finale award. Agent 33 is still wearing May’s mask and clothes and so May essentially fights herself in a long, drawn-out, and beautifully choreographed sequence that left me in awe of Ming-Na’s talent. On The Bus, the team is trying to figure out how to stop the virus that’s threatening to destroy the ship, and Hunter helps Fitz figure it out so that he can get The Bus back online.
Bakshi tries to escape with the painting, and Coulson gives a long chase while May continues to fight Agent 33. She eventually bests her opponent by electrocuting the mask, and Coulson stuns Bakshi as he’s calling for back-up. When Hydra arrives on Bakshi’s orders, they find nothing but a deserted room. Better luck next time, Hydra.
Hunter and Mack celebrate their survival with beers, and offer one to Fitz out of gratitude. H’s still hesitant, but Hunter congratulates him on saving them, and Imaginary!Simmons pushes him, and Fitz eventually joins in with his teammates. Is this the last time we’ve seen Imaginary!Simmons? It seems like it, but I’m curious to see how Fitz will continue to evolve as the season moves forward, and if he’ll need a little extra boost from his other half. And if he doesn’t, well, that should be something interesting to deal with if Simmons ever truly comes back from Hydra.
Coulson and May talk with Talbot, who is understandably kind of creeped out about someone pretending to be him without his knowledge. Coulson tells him that the painting was destroyed in the fight, but that Hydra was mistaken about its worth. May and Coulson share an endearing conversation about how Coulson knew it wasn’t May after she got captured, before Coulson tries once more to bring up talk about the plan. May gets frustrated and reveals that she already has a plan—a cabin in the Australian outback, for example. If things go south, she’s taking care of him and getting him out, not killing him. She’s determined to find a way to salvage the situation, and it’s a moment where you realize just how much the two care about each other. Coulson is touched by her decision, but tells May that “hard choices are coming. I need you to make this one. For me.”
At the end of the episode, we find Flowers making plans to go to Miami. She’s reading about the painting in the newspaper when Hydra agents trap her in her car, and Whitehall gets in and introduces himself. Before Flowers can try to talk herself out of the situation, Whitehall attaches a device to her hand that paralyzes her, and threatens her with what he can do if she doesn’t obey him. He then tells her she has 48 hours to get him the Obelisk. Oh, Raina. Now I’m especially curious about what role she’s going to play throughout the season, especially given Whitehall’s involvement.
What did you think of the episode? Sound off below!
Quoteables:
“Where are you based?” – Bakshi / “Currently? About five feet from kicking your ass.” – May
“I would pay $500 right now for a pair of flats.” – May
“The Book of Life” Directed by: Jorge R. Gutierrez Written by: Jorge R. Gutierrez and Douglas Langdale Starring: Diego Luna, Channing Tatum, Zoe Saldana, Christina Applegate, Ice Cube, Ron Perlman, and Kate del Castillo Rated: PG
Grade: C+
Computer animated comedies have essentially become a dime-a-dozen in today’s cinematic landscape. An art form once dominated by the geniuses at PIXAR with occasional competition from Dreamworks is now ubiquitous at every major film studio with a steady stream of films hitting the market every month.
The Book of Life, the latest of these animated films from 20th Century Fox and Reel FX Animation Studios, was a reason to get excited though thanks to Guillermo del Toro‘s involvement as Executive Producer. Del Toro isn’t one to deliver routine or typical films to the marketplace so there was reason to believe that this Dia de los Muertos-inspired love story could really be something special. And on one level that turned out to be true.
On a purely visual level, this story about two young men (voiced by Diego Luna and Channing Tatum) vying for the affections of their now grown up childhood sweetheart, Maria (Zoe Saldana), packs a wallop. Set in a fanciful island city somewhere in Mexico, the love triangle drama is populated by gorgeous vistas and inventively designed characters that make your eyes and imagination dazzle at the artistry placed before you.
But things get even more stunning and mind-boggling when one of our combatants for love ends up being bitten by a two-headed snake just as he is about to seal the deal with Maria. He passes on to the land of the dead where he is reunited with his ancestors and must go on a quest to earn the right to be alive once again and finally be with Maria.
The afterlife worlds presented here are even more eye-popping than what we see in the first half of the film. With vibrant colors, skulls aplenty, and the stylistic characters associated with the Day of the Dead holiday filling every inch of every frame I couldn’t have been more pleased with what my retinas were taking in.
I only wish that the screenplay itself could match the pure beauty of the images used to depict it. For every gorgeous, original element presented in The Book of Life there are probably five studio-demanded things shoehorned in to attract as big of an audience as possible. Some of these things include tossing in a bunch of mildly outdated pop songs for the cast to perform, hiring a well-known rapper (Ice Cube) to voice one of the roles, and making sure the film ends with a large scale battle that has every man, woman, child, and animal seen throughout the film take up arms in violence against a largely superfluous villain. These things – and many, many others – have become staples of this family-friendly genre and The Book of Life checks them all off the list in blatant fashion.
The film is also hampered by spending a significant amount of time with a narrator character (Christina Applegate) telling the story to a group of children in a modern day museum. These scenes feel like stuffing for the relatively thin plot to make it to 90 minutes and are really only necessary for viewers otherwise incapable of following the plot on their own.
But let’s be real. This is a movie meant for the kids and for the most part I think they’ll like it. It’s full of the kind of jokes that make them crack up hysterically and they’ll likely be dancing in their seats to the music. But adults shouldn’t expect to be blown away by anything more than the visuals, a handful of laughs, and a few heartwarming moments. Oh, and there’s also an adorable baby pig.
Ryan Murphy’s American Horror Story: Freak Show made its record-breaking debut on FX last week and I think I speak for a majority of viewers when I say that my dreams have been haunted ever since by Twisty the Clown. Oh yes. That dirty suit, horrific rubber smile, and demented hair made Twisty one of the most visually disturbing characters in TV history.
Now if only the rest of the series was as potent as Twisty.
I came away from last week’s premiere episode feeling like the whole thing lacked much of the intrigue and energy that made previous seasons of the series so compelling at their beginnings…even though they all ended up stumbling thanks to Murphy’s trademark lack of focus, an overabundance of characters, and a general sense that the creative team was winging it each episode rather than carefully plotting out a cohesive storyline.
I therefore approached Freak Show with relatively low expectations but had hopes that things would pick up a little bit when I popped in a preview copy of Episode 2: “Massacres and Matinees”. Unfortunately, my low expectations were not exceeded by an episode that continued to pile on new characters and subplots without making the original ones more interesting first.
Most importantly, this episode brings into the fold two big names missing from the premiere: Michael Chiklis and Angela Bassett who single-handedly slayed every scene she was in during last season’s Coven. In this outing the pair play a husband and wife who arrive at Elsa’s (Jessica Lange) freak show looking for work. Chiklis’s character, Dell, wants to be the resident “Strongman” while Bassett’s Desiree offers to display her assets as a hermaphrodite with three boobs.
Who could resist that pairing?
At first, Elsa hesitates to hire them but then sees the benefit of having Dell on the team for security purposes and allows them to make themselves at home. We later learn though that Dell is the ex-husband of the Bearded Woman, Ethel (Kathy Bates), and father to Jimmy (Evan Peters). And to say they happily welcome him to the fold would be a stretch.
Dell quickly asserts himself as a rival to Elsa’s leadership by mandating that all future shows be matinees until the police lift their curfew on the town. He also flexes his muscle when Jimmy leads a group of the “freaks” out to eat at the local diner. What transpires sets up what I assume will be an ongoing power struggle between father and son for the rest of the season…or at least until Murphy and his writers forget about them completely.
The other big addition to the cast this week is famed singer Patti LaBelle who plays…a maid. Yeah, you read that right. PATTI. LABELLE…has been cast to play a maid to Frances Conroy’s character. But this isn’t a big maid part either. She gets about three short lines with little intrigue or promise of something more interesting to come. Go figure.
And speaking of Frances Conroy, her Gloria continues to be a part of Freak Show’s most bizarro storyline thus far. With Twisty the Clown (John Carroll Lynch) continuing his murder spree unabated, Gloria stumbles upon him walking the streets in broad daylight and decides he would make a great playmate for her increasingly wacky son, Dandy (Finn Wittrock).
Twisty and Dandy end up becoming a fine pair of playmates and what occurs between them remains the show’s most unsettling storyline. Only now I’m not sure who’s scarier: Twisty or Dandy?
Another significant chunk of screen time is devoted to Sarah Paulson’s Siamese twin characters, Bette and Dot. After moving into the freak show last week, Bette and Dot are now pressured into earning their keep by performing. Singing becomes their art form of choice and at the first matinee show they unleash a rendition of Fiona Apple’s “Criminal”.
Again, yes. You read that right.
As with last week’s performance of a David Bowie song, “Criminal” is clearly not of the 1950s period setting that the show is set in. One assumes Murphy is going for the goal of using (somewhat) contemporary songs to up the excitement level for our modern audience minds a la Moulin Rouge. Or maybe he’s just trying to use up songs that he wasn’t able to squeeze into the upcoming final season of Glee. Either way, I don’t think the device is working.
The rather low tempo “Criminal” ends up creating an awkward slow motion mosh pit complete with some of the “freaks” crowd surfing and it all just felt terribly forced, distracting, and well…freakish.
If it feels as if I’ve unveiled everything about the second episode of Freak Show have no fear – this one also runs an extra 30 minutes longer than the show’s typical one-hour runtime, so I’ve left plenty for you to discover on your own including the latest developments in the “freaks” killing of a cop from the first episode.
In short, I don’t have high hopes for this particular iteration of American Horror Story getting back on a strong track. It is already overstuffed with even more actors/characters expected to be introduced in coming episodes and given the track record of past seasons this will only hurt the proceedings rather than help.
I’ll give it a few more episodes to turn things around and surprise me with greatness but otherwise I’ll be ready to fire up those DVR settings and calmly select: “Cancel Series Recording”.
“DRACULA UNTOLD”
Directed by Gary Shore Written by Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless (Based on characters created by Bram Stoker) Starring Luke Evans, Sarah Gadon, Dominic Cooper, Art Parkinson, Charles Dance, Paul Kaye, Ferdinand Kingsley, Joseph Long, Diarmaid Murtagh, William Houston Rated PG-13
** out of ****
The new Dracula film sits some place between one of those Russo-Finnish productions Joel and the ‘Bots used to skewer on Mystery-Science Theater 3000 and Medieval Times on bath salts.
The good news? None of the vampires sparkle. And I think that might count for something.
First-time feature film director Gary Shore brings us “Dracula Untold”, a reincarnation of one of Universal’s classic movie monsters which, if I understand it, is the studio’s attempt to restart the entire Universal Movie Monster franchise. The problem is that the movie suffers from delusions of grandeur.
The movie tells the story of Prince Vlad Tepes who, back in the day, looked as harmless as Dennis Eckersley but murdered and, subsequently, impaled tens of thousands of soldiers and people throughout his lifetime before he was beheaded by–oh. Wait, no, that’s real life.
Universal’s not interested in telling you that Tepes was a twisted, sadistic man whose antics were so disturbingly awful, that they inspired “Dracula”. Nope. Shore goes for a Chris Nolan Reboot and ends up with Chris Columbus revisionism instead.
If Tepes wasn’t somewhere smiling from the flattery before, he should be grinning in pure delight now.
Universal’s bringing Sexy Drac (if you’ll indulge me; pardon the pun) with long-haired stud, Luke Evans, playing the titular character. Instead of a brutal, murderous psychopath Tepes is a loving, caring family man with a wife, Mirena (Sarah Gadon) and son, Ingeras (Art Parkinson). He, along with his kingdom, is mentally and physically scarred from the last big war they fought. Tepes, as it turns out, is fresh off murdering about 1000 boys and men. So why root for this guy? Because, ironically, he did it in the name of God which, I’ve become convinced, was the medieval equivalent of saying, “We were all drunk at the time and had an Asshole moment,” but I can’t be sure because I’m not a historian.
The war may be over but Tepes is concerned that the Turks are ready for Round Two when they find a trail of weapons and armor leading to “Broken Tooth Mountain”, the least threatening lair moniker in movie history. Here, they cross paths with a mysterious and aggressive entity that attacks Tepes and his men. After escaping with his life, Tepes learns that that they dealt with a vampire.
When the Turks come knocking again, this time with a demand from one Hamza Bey (Ferdinand Kingsley) that Tepes cough up 1000 of his own men to join the Turkish army, Tepes murders Hamza and his men in a bloody rage. Knowing that Hamza’s boss, Sultan Mehmed (Dominic Cooper), is gonna retaliate with fury, Tepes actually scales Broken Tooth Mountain (by himself, in inclement weather with no climbing gear) and confronts the thing that tried to kill him the first time they met. Here, he meets an aging vampire (the veteran Charles Dance, delightfully hamming it up) who strikes a deal: he will grant Tepes with temporary immortality and supernatural powers so that he can take care of business. In three days, Tepes will be mortal again — but only if he can resist sucking blood for those three days.
From here, Tepes gains the ability to turn into a swarm of bats, kill whole armies in the time it takes to watch an episode of your favorite sitcom and has that really cool Bat Sonar Sight Lucius Fox made for Bruce Wayne in The Dark Knight — only built in.
A premise like this could and should be fun. The problem is that the fun is drained out of it. Even the hokey bits — an overwrought choral and bass soundtrack, overdone accents, bats tossed around like obedient paper planes — just aren’t executed with subtlety. They’re shoved down your throat in loud bursts and with no logic or thought. And, save for a really intense set piece near the end, this Dracula is PG-13, thus we’re missing the trademark bodice-ripping lust and debauchery normally seen in a Dracula picture — and, strangely, a curious lack of blood. I’m not one who demands these things be in my Dracula flick but if you’re gonna make a Dracula movie, it would benefit the filmmakers to actually put something recognizable and iconic or else it’s just a shaggy dog story about a guy who became a vampire
The supporting characters don’t even make any real sense. Tepes’ wife is fairly inert and is seemingly cool with her husband being an agent of the devil (even when she witnesses his skin chipping off his body in the sunlight – a dealbreaker in most marriages, I’m sure), though the rest of the kingdom doesn’t really get it…but, hey, as long as everyone’s safe and Vlad’s able to give the wife some lovin’, everything’s cool. This is one of the main problems with the movie: Dracula’s suddenly an anti-hero instead of a full-fledged villain. Even when we should be seeing Anakin-becomes-Vader, Dracula Untold is content with showing Tepes stuck in neutral. Tepes is so kind-hearted that, by the end of the film, you can’t even buy that he’s that same blood-sucking fiend we’ve all come to know and love (or hate, as the case may be.).
Over the years, we’ve been privy to several incarnations of Dracula and vampires in general. We’ve seen the good and the bad. We’ve seen this creature as romantic, a ruthless killer, a misunderstood avenger and a warrior. We’ve seen the stories told in so many forms from literature to comic books to video games (and this might have made a nice “Castlevania” flick if more work was put into it) but, overall, “Untold” is a letdown. It’s an insecure movie, completely unsure of itself, trying to decide whether it’s horror or fantasy or sword and sorcery.
‘The Walking Dead’ exploded back on screens last night with a stunning 17.3 million viewers for its season 5 bow. That number is a record high for both the series, which is up 6% from last year, and cable television as a whole.
It’s a Dead man’s party. Who could ask for more?” said Charlie Collier, AMC president. “Enormous thanks to our friends and executive producers Robert Kirkman, Scott Gimple, Greg Nicotero – who also directed last night’s terrific premiere – Gale Anne Hurd, Dave Alpert and Tom Luse and all of their fellow producers, cast and crew for everything they do to make the #1 show on television such a unique and incredible experience for the fans. ‘The Walking Dead’ is one of those increasingly rare shows today that can command a live audience not significantly cannibalized by time-shifted viewing.”
Directed by effects guru Greg Nicotero, the explosive premiere crushed all of its competition in its time slot on Sunday night including Sunday Night Football. These numbers aren’t even the finals, which will be reconciled after the Live+7 data comes in.
Season 5 of ‘The Walking Dead’ will take its traditional mid-season break for the holiday season, but will return on February 8, 2015
Variety is reporting that Robert Downey Jr. is close to joining the cast of Captain America 3, pitting Iron Man against Cap by bringing the “Civil War” storyline from the comic books onto the big screen. Downey is already set to appear in next year’s The Avengers: Age of Ultron followed by the third Avengers film.
In the comics, Iron Man is in support of the Superhuman Registration Act as a means to keep those with special abilities in check by revealing their secret identities, while Captain America revolts against it and goes underground.
Last week on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Downey hinted that we were going to see more of Mr. Tony Stark and his alter ego saying, “I know there’s going to be a bunch of Marvel movies and they have big ideas of how to do it best. You know we’re in the middle of negotiations.” Though at the time Ellen had been asking if there was going to be an Iron Man 4.
With the recent success of Guardians of the Galaxy grossing $687 million world wide, its clear that fans want more from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and we can only hope that includes more RDJ.
With over 10 million people tuning into American Horror Story: Freak Show, it isn’t a surprise that FX has announced the renewal of their hit anthology series for a 13-episode fifth season.
“The American Horror Story anthology has had the highest growth trajectory of any show in FX history, not to mention an unprecedented track record of success in awards recognition,” said John Landgraf, CEO, FX Networks and FX Productions, in a statement. “With Ryan Murphy and his partners, Brad Falchuk, Dante Di Loreto and Tim Minear at the helm, the show’s success is not surprising. AHS continues to deliver amazing stories, a brilliant troupe of actors led by Jessica Lange, and a visual style unlike any other on TV. With Nip/Tuck, Glee, The Normal Heart, and American Horror Story, Ryan Murphy has established himself as one of the most successful and prolific producers of this generation. We expect AHS: Freak Show and the next incarnation of AHS to further his legacy.”
The premiere and two encore telecasts of American Horror Story: Freak Show combined to deliver 13.36 million Total Viewers, 8.6 million Adults 18-49 and 5.25 million Adults 18-34.
American Horror Story: Freak Show airs Wednesday nights at 10 PM
Good news Gotham fans! FOX has ordered six additional episodes of their Batman drama, bringing the Season 1 count to 22 episodes.
“GOTHAM debuted as one of the most buzzed-about shows of the fall, and with good reason. Bruno Heller and Danny Cannon have created an incredibly rich world, with characters that draw you in and a cast that brings to life these heroes and villains in a way we’ve never seen before,” said David Walden and Gary Newman, Chairmen and CEOs of Fox Television Group. “We are so excited to see where Bruno, Danny and the entire GOTHAM team take this story over the course of this season, and so thankful to all the fans who have embraced it this fall.”
Just can’t wait until tonight’s premiere of The Walking Dead to find out how it opens? Well, AMC posted the first four minutes of the episode at NYCC and now you can see it, too!
What do you think? Will this be your Sunday night show of choice?!
Showtime’s new series The Affair kicks off tonight with an intriguing, mind-bending pilot you’re not going to want to miss. The show chronicles how the lives of two couples become entwined when an affair begins between partners, but based on the pilot episode, there’s more to the story…a lot more.
The episode is split into two parts, the first from the point-of-view of family man Noah Solloway (Dominic West) as he and his wife (Maura Tierney) head to a small beach town for the summer. He is, by all accounts, a good husband and father who enjoys his life as a married man even if he’s sometimes, maybe, a tad restless.
Everything changes when they stop for lunch at a small diner and he meets Alison Bailey (Ruth Wilson) during a choking incident with his youngest daughter.
It’s also when things change for us as an audience, because we realize at that point that Noah is being interrogated about his (apparently impending) affair some time in the future.
He meets Alison again later that night but leaves before anything happens.
Flip to Alison’s point-of-view. She seems to be enjoying her domestic life with Cole Lockhart (Joshua Jackson) somewhat less, but not for his lack of trying. The loss of a child is hard for any relationship and the two of them are struggling hard to stay together when she meets Noah and his family.
The exact same events are related by the alternating parties but the details vary more than a little, leaving the audience with the question of whether things like that simply get remembered incorrectly during intervening years or whether one of them is purposely casting the other in a different sort of light.
The Affair has twists and turns to spare and feels more like a mystery or psychological thriller than a simple tale of what happens when couples fall apart due to infidelity. I’m still thinking about the implications of the mysteries planted in the pilot and I’m sure the writers have much more in store for us going forward. You’re going to want to be in on this one from the beginning, because from what I’ve seen, it just might be the show everyone’s talking about this fall.
Starz has released the Season 2 trailer of their hit series after premiering it to fans attending the show’s panel at New York Comic Con. The network also announced a third season renewal for their pirate drama. Take a look at the trailer above and let us know what you think in the comments below!
The Black Sails/Da Vinci’s Demons panel at New York Comic Con started off with a bang as Starz announced the renewal of their pirate drama Black Sails for a third seasonahead of January’s Season 2 premiere. This marks the second time the network has given the series an early renewal.
“The incredible world that Jon Steinberg and Robert Levine have created continues to unfold in Season 2,” said Carmi Zlotnik, Starz Managing Director. “Flint’s journey is riveting, and around him, Jon and Robert have woven an intricate web of conflict, betrayal, and redemption for the other characters that we believe will keep fans of the show coming back for more. We think that Season 3 will bring even more of the drama and lore that has made it a hit both in the U.S. and internationally.”
Season 2 of Black Sails premieres on Jan. 24 at 9:00/8:00c.
Marvel has released the first official pictures of Charlie Cox as Daredevil at the close of Netflix’s Daredevil panel at New York Comic Con. The series, exclusive to Netflix, will be the first of five series Marvel is bringing to the online streaming giant. The other four series will focus on Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and The Defenders.
The first image features Cox in what Marvel calls the “first costume” for the iconic blind hero. The outfit is inspired by Frank Miller and John Romita, Jr.’s Daredevil: The Man Without Fear series.
The panel also confirmed the announcements of new cast members – Ayelet Zurer, as art dealer Vanessa Marianna who will be the love interest of Wilson Fisk, Vondie Curtis Hall as Daily Bugle journalist Ben Urich, Rosario Dawson as Claire Temple aka Night Nurse, Toby Leonard Moore as Wilson Fisk’s right-hand man Wesley, and Bob Gunton as Leland Owlsley. They will be joining Elden Henson as Foggy Nelson, Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page, and Vincent D’Onofrio as Wilson Fisk, Kingpin.
Stayed tuned later this week for more Daredevil news as we detail the clips shown at the panel!
“Daredevil” follows the journey of Matt Murdock, who was blinded as a young boy but imbued with extraordinary senses, now fighting against injustice by day as a lawyer, and by night as the super hero Daredevil in modern day Hell’s Kitchen, New York City.
Marvel’s Daredevil will air on Netflix in 2015. The first season will run 13-episodes.
Friday night at New York Comic Con, Marvel’s Head of Television, Jeph Loeb, and Agent Coulson himself, Clark Gregg, revealed the first footage of Agent Carter as a surprise to the attendees of the Agents of SHIELD panel. Loeb mentioned that the series had just started shooting on Monday and the editors worked furiously to get the clip in for the convention!
Here’s the rundown on what we saw:
An old timey 1940’s car pulls up near a waterfront with Howard Stark (Dominic Cooper) and Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) getting out of the car. Stark removes a briefcase from the trunk and makes his way onto a speedboat.
Stark is headed overseas and recruits Peggy to track down a piece of paper for him. What does the paper contain? Just a formula for a substance Stark created that could level more than a city block.
“Technically, I’m not even sure it works, but, well, let’s face it, I invented it, so it works,” Stark says. Now I see where Tony gets his charm.
We get our first look at Jarvis, Howard Stark’s butler, who is tasked by Stark to help Peggy in any way possible. From the dialogue shared between the two it seems Jarvis approached Peggy in a dark alley and may have paid for it with a beating.
Jarvis mentions how he and his wife are normally in bed by 9 PM. Peggy jests that he must not have much of an espionage life to which he responds that he once found his chef stealing the good silverware.
We’re treated to one final scene – a short, quick action scene where Peggy gets into an intense, fast hand-to-hand combat against a man in the kitchen. The man ends up being thrown out the window of a second story building.
Marvel’s Agent Carter will premiere in January 2015.
There’s nothing like the promise of a new series come fall and How To Get Away With Murder does not disappoint. The show stars Viola Davis who plays Annalise Keating, a professor and practicing lawyer who uses her own cases as the subject matter in her classroom. She chooses a few lucky students to be interns and they get the real life work experience coveted by their peers.
Each episode, Annalise takes on a new case and her students help build the defense. At the same time we learn more about their very complicated lives. Annalise and her psychology professor husband Tom (Tom Verica) with their rocky marriage, Connor (Jack Falahee) preying on dorky IT guys to get them to hack into protected systems to get information for him, Michaela (Aja Naomi King) and her fiancé who once had a thing with Connor in high school, Laurel (Karla Souza) and Frank’s (Charlie Weber) sexual tension, and lastly Wes (Alfred Enoch) who is trying to save his neighbor Rebecca (Katie Findlay) from taking the fall for the murder of a fellow student.
What makes the show so compelling is that it constantly keeps you guessing. The main plot of each episode is actually a flashback and in the present, Wes, Laurel, Connor, and Michaela are trying to cover up their own murder. We get little bits of information that reveal how complicated the plot is from the victim’s identity, the scene of the crime, their alibi, and possible motives. We don’t know who actually did the killing and for what reason. The show also makes you question whether or not you can trust the characters after seeing their personalities in the flashbacks and then their actions in the present. The jury is still out on Annalise herself, is she is a hero or anti-hero?
Still, each case she takes always turns out unexpectedly and catches you off guard. First there was the woman accused of murdering her lover and it turned out that she was colluding with the man’s wife. Next was the eccentric man who allegedly stabbed his second wife to death but in fact had killed his first wife and his daughter was trying to frame him in revenge. This week, Annalise takes on a soccer mom facing serious jail time because she had been a member of an anarchist group that set off a pipe bomb that killed a man. The soccer mom ends up disappearing with the head of the anarchist group after he testifies against her to get an early release from prison. She abandons her kids and husband to become a fugitive with her old sweetheart.
The other flashback subplot is the murder of student Lila Stangard. Annalise is asked by the school to represent her boyfriend athlete Griffin O’Reilly. She is hesitant because she suspects that her husband Tom may have something to do with it after previously snooping on his phone and seeing emails between him and Lila and then all of it being trashed once she has a second chance to investigate. She sends her paramour cop to check out his alibi and while we learn Tom was not where he was supposed to be. However the detective lies to Annalise to ease her mind and to end their affair. Meanwhile, Wes pretends to be lawyer to see Rebecca in prison, who is being held as a suspect for Lila’s murder. As her neighbor, he knows something isn’t right because he’s seen Griffin and her fighting violently. Plus she had hidden a phone in his bathroom (it turns out to be Lila’s). Wes convinces Annalise to represent Rebecca instead of Griffin but just when they are about to talk to her in prison, a detective comes out and says that Rebecca had confessed to the crime on tape.
The show does a great job in keeping audiences hooked on the plots and subplots as well as providing dimensional characters with complicated backgrounds, hidden agendas, and questionable motivations. In fact it kinda feels like LOST, legal drama style. This is a definite must watch amongst the multitude of new shows this season, it’s going to be a wild ride.
A new Big Hero 6 trailer was released yesterday at the film’s New York Comic-Con panel and where we finally meet the villain and the other unlikely heroes!
“Big Hero 6” is a heartfelt comedy adventure about robotics prodigy Hiro Hamada, who learns to harness his genius—thanks to his brilliant brother Tadashi and their like-minded friends: adrenaline junkie Go Go Tamago, clean freak Wasabi No-Ginger, chemistry whiz Honey Lemon and fanboy Fred. When a devastating turn of events catapults them into the midst of a dangerous plot unfolding in the streets of San Fransokyo, Hiro turns to his closest companion—a cutting-edge robot named Baymax—and transforms the group into a band of high-tech heroes determined to solve the mystery. Inspired by the Marvel comics of the same name, and featuring comic-book style action and all the heart and humor audiences expect from Walt Disney Animation Studios, “Big Hero 6” is directed by Don Hall (“Winnie the Pooh”) and Chris Williams (“Bolt”), and produced by Roy Conli (“Tangled”). The film hits theaters in 3D on November 7, 2014.
