Emily Blunt and Tom Hanks set for ‘SNL’ season 42.
Saturday Night Live newbie Emily Blunt will host the October 15, 2016 episode while SNL veteran Tom Hanks has been tapped to host the October 22nd episode. Season 42 kicked off with Margot Robbie as host, marking the show’s highest rated premiere in 22 years. Viewers tuned in to watch Alec Baldwin as Donald Trump debate Kate McKinnon as Hillary Clinton, with more than 11.8 million viewers checking out the show’s season 42 premiere.
Emily Blunt, currently promoting her new movie The Girl on the Train, will be joined on the October 15th show by Bruno Mars. This will be Mars’ fourth time as SNL‘s musical guest, and he just released the first single from his upcoming album 24K Magic which will arrive in stores on November 18th.
Tom Hanks (Sully, Inferno) will be hosting SNL for the ninth time when he takes the stage on October 22nd. Lady Gaga will perform for the third time as the October 22nd musical guest, supporting her new album Joanne which drops on October 21st.
The October 8th episode will have Hamilton‘s Lin-Manuel Miranda as host and Twenty One Pilots as musical guests.
Coldplay has just announced new 2017 North American stadium and arena tour dates, with the just-announced venues including the band’s first trip to Canada in five years. The new run of ‘A Head Full of Dreams Tour’ concert dates begin on August 1, 2017 in New York at MetLife Stadium with stops to include Kansas City, Houston, and Seattle. The new round of 2017 concert dates finish up on October 8th in San Diego at Qualcomm Stadium.
The Grammy Award-winning band’s been on the road with the ‘A Head Full of Dreams Tour’ since March. The tour, in support of Coldplay’s 2015 album that sold more than five million copies, has sold more than 2.5 million tickets across Latin America, the U.S. and Europe. Tickets for the new dates go on sale beginning October 15 at 10am via livenation.com.
Coldplay North American Tour Dates:
Tue Aug 01 – New York, NY – MetLife Stadium
Fri Aug 04 – Boston, MA – Gillette Stadium
Sun Aug 06 – Washington, DC – FedExField
Tue Aug 08 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre
Sat Aug 12 – Minneapolis, MN – US Bank Stadium
Mon Aug 14 – Omaha, NE – CenturyLink Center
Tue Aug 15 – Kansas City, MO – Sprint Center
Thu Aug 17 – Chicago, IL – Soldier Field
Sat Aug 19 – Cleveland, OH – Quicken Loans Arena
Mon Aug 21 – Toronto, ON – Rogers Centre
Fri Aug 25 – Houston, TX – NRG Stadium
Mon Aug 28 – Miami, FL – Hard Rock Stadium
Sat Sep 23 – Seattle, WA – CenturyLink Field
Tue Sep 26 – Edmonton, AB – Rogers Place
Fri Sep 29 – Vancouver, BC – BC Place
Mon Oct 02 – Portland, OR – Moda Center
Wed Oct 04 – San Francisco, CA – Levi’s Stadium
Sun Oct 08 – San Diego, CA – Qualcomm Stadium
Emily Blunt stars in ‘The Girl on the Train’ (Photo Credit: DreamWorks Pictures)
Tate Taylor handles his second film based on a bestselling female character-driven book with The Girl on the Train starring Emily Blunt as the titular character. Taylor adapted and directed his friend Kathryn Stockett’s novel The Help in 2011, and that screen adaptation earned four Oscar nominations including a win for Octavia Spencer in the Supporting Actress category. It’s a possibility The Girl on the Train could earn Emily Blunt awards attention, however it’s unlikely the film itself will win over critics and/or awards voters the way Taylor’s first feature based on an incredibly popular book did. The Girl on the Train is an absorbing, page-turning (or page-swiping) whodunit, but it doesn’t have quite the same impact as a feature film.
Blunt plays Rachel, an alcoholic who longs for her old life, her ex-husband, and the upscale home they shared in the suburbs. Each day she deliberately takes a seat on the side of the train that will allow her to glimpse her former home out the window. She sips from a water bottle filled with vodka, mourns the death of her marriage, and fantasizes about the life of the gorgeous young woman who resides a few houses down from where her ex-husband lives with his new wife and their baby. Rachel pictures the stranger, who she develops an unhealthy obsession with, as happily married with a loving husband and the perfect life. That changes one day when she spots the woman kissing another man on the deck of her house.
Infuriated because this stranger doesn’t appreciate how good she has it, Rachel inserts herself into the woman’s life, ignoring previous warnings to stay away from her ex-husband’s neighborhood. Rachel displays a disturbing lack of judgement, and her desire to confront this woman for her indiscretions winds up making her one of the lead suspects in a missing persons case.
Emily Blunt is fascinating to watch as Rachel, a woman who has spiraled out of control and who has spent years filled with self-pity, unable to deal with the end of her marriage. Rachel is incredibly damaged and Blunt completely captures her descent into a self-loathing mess as well as her struggle to lift herself out of this depressing abyss she’s slipped into. For both book readers and those only familiar with The Girl on the Train through movie trailers, the main reason to see this R-rated thriller is for Emily Blunt’s performance. She’s fabulous in the lead and carries the movie over bumps in the narrative that would otherwise stall the film.
Haley Bennett, recently seen in The Magnificent Seven, plays Megan, the young woman who Rachel believes threw away an idyllic life to be with someone other than her husband. Rebecca Ferguson plays Anna, the new wife of Rachel’s ex, Tom (Justin Theroux), who started off as the other woman until Rachel was ultimately pushed out of the picture. Bennett and Ferguson do terrific jobs at drawing the audience in, despite the fact neither are playing sympathetic characters.
Paula Hawkins’ bestseller remains mostly intact in the film adaptation, with the exception of the major change of setting from London to New York. Even with the film’s move to the States, Blunt kept her British accent which isn’t explained in the movie. But, that’s not an issue as New York is full of transplants from other countries. Another change that actually should be a bit off-putting for fans of Hawkins’ novel is the lessening of the temper and cruelty of one of the main supporting characters.
Hawkins created an incredibly complex web of personalities in the book but, because of time constraints, a few are short-changed in the movie. Still, screenwriter Erin Cressida Wilson manages to work in the misdirections even if some of the motivations behind the actions are not quite as clear or as carefully laid out as they are in the book. That said, if you liked the book, you’ll most likely enjoy the adaptation. Hawkins’ novel was a tricky story to bring to life on the big screen and the film isn’t nearly as compelling as the book, but it’s still a decent thriller fueled by a first-rate cast.
GRADE: B-
MPAA Rating: R for violence, sexual content, language and nudity
Horror fan Gale Anne Hurd (The Walking Dead) is teaming up with Amazon Prime Video on Lore, a new horror anthology series based on the Lore podcast. The unscripted series will be executive produced by Hurd, Ben Silverman (The Office), Howard T. Owens (The Biggest Loser), Brett-Patrick Jenkins (Face Off), and Aaron Mahnke. The Propagate Content and Valhalla Entertainment production has Glen Morgan (X-Files) on board as showrunner.
“Being a horror aficionado, Aaron Mahnke’s Lore podcast captivated me from the very beginning as it explores the terrifying truth behind the world’s most frightening legends,” said Hurd. “And just as Mahnke revolutionized the serial podcast, Amazon is reinventing the unscripted series—and I couldn’t be more excited about the mashup.” The Lore podcast has 3.2 million fans who tune in each month for “tales dealing with frightening, psychologically disturbing, and often paranormal true events that have spawned modern-day nightmares.” The Amazon Prime Video series’ first season will consist of 10 episodes and is tentatively scheduled to premiere in 2017.
“Lore is a thrilling podcast with a rabid following, and we jumped at the opportunity to work with Gale Anne Hurd, Ben Silverman and Howard Owens to develop it into a series for Amazon Prime members,” said Conrad Riggs, Head of Unscripted, Amazon Originals. “The series will be a truly unnerving and exciting experience that Prime members will not forget.”
“We are thrilled to be working with Gale Anne Hurd and Amazon to bring Aaron Mahnke’s incredible horror franchise to television,” said Owens and Silverman. “Lore has inspired nightmares for millions of fans while capturing our own imaginations, and we couldn’t be more excited to materialize these real-life horror stories in a way never seen before.”
The Plot:Lore combines narration, historical mixed media, and dramatic scenes to bring to life terrifying but true stories. Celebrating the origins of the horror genre, Lore explores the real-life stories behind pop culture’s most legendary horror characters and myths, such as vampires, zombies, werewolves, ghosts, serial killers and witches.
Fox’s Lucifer season two episode three is set to air on October 10, 2016 at 9pm ET/PT. Episode three is titled “Sin-Eater” and finds our favorite team of investigators trying to figure out the identity of a serial killer. The cast includes Tom Ellis in the title role, Lauren German as Chloe, DB Woodside as Amenadiel, Lesley-Ann Brandt as Maze, Kevin Alejandro as Dan, Scarlett Estevez as Trixie, Rachael Harris as Linda Martin, Tricia Helfer as Charlotte, and Aimee Garcia as Ella. The “Sin-Eater” guest stars include Robin Givens as Leila Simms, Vik Sahay as Ray Codfree, Harry Katzman as Tommy Smith, Matthew MacCaull as Nicholas Sands.
Sin-Eater Plot: Lucifer and Chloe investigate a gruesome murder after a video of the crime surfaces on social media. When a second video appears, they realize they have a serial killer on their hands. Meanwhile, Lucifer’s mom returns as Charlotte Richards. Also, Amenadiel, struggling with his loss of power, has an appointment with Linda in the all-new “Sin-Eater” episode of Lucifer.
Lucifer Series Details: Lucifer is the story of the original fallen angel. Bored and unhappy as the Lord of Hell, he has abandoned his throne and retired to L.A., where he has teamed up with an LAPD detective to take down criminals.
Salli Richardson-Whitfield as Maggie, Kyle Harris as Cameron, Emma Ishta as Kristen, Allison Scagliotti as Camille and Ritesh Rajan as Linus in ‘Stitchers’ (ABC Family/Craig Sjodin)
Stitchers fans can expect the series to stick around for at least one more season. Freeform renewed the sci-fi drama for a third season following a high-rated season two. Freeform’s Executive Vice Present of Programming and Development Karey Burke made the announcement, stating, “Stitchers‘ passionate fanbase has been vocal about wanting to see more of this show, and we listened. Stitchers has proven itself a consistently strong performer, and we’re proud of the fact that it celebrates #smartgirls everywhere.”
According to the network, Stitchers is Freeform’s number two new series among adults 18-49 over the past two seasons. Only Shadowhunters, based on Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments books, ranks higher. Stitchers is executive produced by Jeffrey Alan Schecter, Jonathan Baruch, and Rob Wolken. Stitchers stars Emma Ishta as Kirsten Clark, Kyle Harris as Cameron Goodkin, Ritesh Rajan as Linus Ahluwalia, Salli Richardson-Whitfield as Maggie Baptiste, Allison Scagliotti as Camille Engelson, and Damon Dayoub as Detective Quincy Fisher.
The Plot: Highly intelligent and persistent, Kirsten Clark has an aptitude for technology but never expected that she’d be hacking into the minds of the recently deceased. Recruited into a covert government agency to be ‘stitched’ into the memories of the dead, Kirsten and the Stitchers team investigate murders and decipher mysteries that otherwise would have gone to the grave. Working alongside Kirsten is Cameron, a brilliant neuroscientist whose passion for the program is evident in his work, and Linus, an earnest engineer and communications technician. The secret agency is headed by Maggie, a skilled veteran of covert operations who closely guards the deeper purpose of the Stitchers program. Kirsten’s roommate, Camille, a gifted computer science grad student, is also recruited to use her skills to assist Kirsten in her role as a “stitcher,” as well as LAPD Detective Fisher, who provides back-up and support for the team.
Kiefer Sutherland and Natascha McElhone in ‘Designated Survivor’ (Photo by Ben Mark Holzberg / ABC)
“What if it’s..,” begins to ask Seth Wright (Kal Penn). “Another attack,” finishes President Kirkman (Kiefer Sutherland) as the lights and phones go out in the White House in episode three of ABC’s new political thriller series, Designated Survivor.
The episode starts off with the reveal of the identity of the survivor pulled from the rubble at the end of last week’s episode. It’s Congressman Peter MacLeish (Ashley Zukerman) who’s quickly transported to the hospital with FBI Agent Hannah Wells (Maggie Q) extremely interested in questioning him about what he saw.
At the White House, President Kirkman has gathered his people together to go over what needs to be accomplished, including choosing a new cabinet and naming his Chief of Staff. This is when the power goes out and everyone is afraid it’s another attack. It turns out that the White House has been hacked. As the tech guys and the Secret Service work on finding out who hacked the White House, Aaron (Adan Canto) and Emily (Italia Ricci) sit down with Congresswoman Hookstraten (Virginia Madsen) to go over Cabinet appointments. She’s more interested in the computer hack which she knows happened because she saw how quickly the Secret Service pulled out all the computers in the Oval Office. Before they can get anywhere with the list, Aaron and Emily are called back to the Oval Office.
It seems whoever hacked the White House didn’t take anything, but they left something instead. A video of terrorist Majid Massar taking credit for the attack at the Capitol. General Cochrane (Kevin R. McNally) tells the President he wanted more proof and now they have it, but Kirkman senses something is off about it and wants verification before going to war. FBI Deputy Director Jason Atwood (Malik Yoba) interjects about Agent Hannah’s theories that these clues, like the bomb and video, are being deliberately placed to lead them away from the real terrorists. Kirkman asks Atwood if he really believes that, and Atwood admits he’s not sure, but he does believe in his people. Kirkman decides to take the tape to Congresswoman Hookstraten, and she suggests he should release the tape but tells him she will back him whatever he decides.
At the hospital, Hannah visits MacLeish, who doesn’t seem to know much other than he was sitting in his seat and the next thing he was in darkness, unable to move. He seems to be riddled with survivor’s guilt.
Back at the White House the former President’s son, Tyler, has been brought in to talk to Kirkman about speaking at his father’s funeral. Kirkman asks a very shell-shocked young man about his father, and Tyler makes it seem as though the two were very close. Meanwhile, little Penny (Mckenna Grace) accidentally discovers her brother’s stash of drugs that he has been selling and shows her mother, Alex (Natascha McElhone), not realizing what it is. (She thinks it’s aspirin.) Alex confronts Leo (Tanner Buchanan) about selling drugs, and he doesn’t deny it. She points out that if Penny had taken one or two of those pills, and Leo interrupts, clearly upset with the idea, saying to his mother, “She’s not stupid.” “So what’s your excuse then?” snaps back Alex, who is then called away by the Secret Service. She tells Leo they are not done talking about this.
Kirkman is scheduled to give an interview with a reporter about the attacks at the Capitol and about bringing the country back together again. At first, the interview goes off fine, but at the end the reporter hits him with leaked information asking him if it’s true the former President asked for his resignation the morning before the attacks. The new President excuses himself and steps outside to get advice from Aaron and Emily. Emily tells him to tell the truth, and Aaron wants him to deny it. Kirkman goes back into the room and answers the question honestly, saying he was offered another position that he hadn’t decided if he was going to accept and that he was no longer going to be part of the President’s Cabinet.
Back at the FBI, Hannah is reviewing the footage of the State of the Union, which cuts out 34 seconds before the bomb goes off. Looking closer, she tells the data tech to get from the Cloud all the photos from a woman’s phone who was taking pictures as the attack happened. The tech guy is uncomfortable doing this before they get the right legal clearance, but Hannah tells him if they don’t play dirty, they will never find out who is really behind this attack.
Kirkman is attending the former President’s funeral and is going to deliver the eulogy when Tyler tells the President he doesn’t want him to, especially after he saw the interview and found out his father fired him. Kirkman respects the young man’s wishes and just attends the service. This is when yet more politics comes into play as Tyler introduces Congresswoman Hookstraten to deliver the eulogy instead. Alex says to Tom, “This is not good,” and he tells her that’s what he gets for telling the truth in Washington.
It keeps being a very busy day for Kirkman when he hears that the video of Majid Massar taking credit for the attack has been leaked. Kirkman confronts Hookstraten asking her if she did it and she says no, but in all honesty, it’s the best thing for his presidency. She tells him in a few hours no one will be questioning if he should be President but will be rallying around him to go after Massar. Kirkman asks her if she is trying to get his job as President, and she says not now. He asks what about in four years and she says it will probably be two and a half with a special election. On her way out, she says to him with a smile, “At least I’m honest.”
Back at the FBI, Atwood reprimands Hannah for trying to get the woman’s photos while avoiding protocol. He also brings her up to speed on the list of the confirmed dead, which includes a Congressman Hannah had been having an affair with. She opens up a bit to Atwood, who’s more than just a boss but also a friend and mentor. She leaves and sits in her car and begins to cry when she gets a call…something has been found on the State of the Union footage.
At the White House, Kirkman calls Aaron over to talk to him in private and tells him he knows he who leaked the footage. Aaron admits he did it to protect Kirkman. Aaron tells the new President that he wants him to have a long term and that he’s dedicated to making that happen, but if he wants his resignation, he can put it into effect any time and hands him his resignation letter. Kirkman thinks it over and calls in Emily to talk to her. He tells her he’s making Aaron his Chief of Staff because he thinks differently than they do. Emily is obviously upset and disappointed, but Kirkman tells her he wants her to be “Special Advisor” to the President, insisting that it’s not a hand-out and that he needs her with him if he’s ever going to be President. Emily accepts but reminds him that she is not just his “yes” woman, and if she thinks he or Aaron is wrong, she will tell them. She also says she expects to have an equal voice.
Later that night, Tyler is brought to the Oval Office and is unsure of why he is there. Kirkman apologizes for trying to use his father’s funeral for a political moment. He then goes into a story Tyler’s father told him and many of the Cabinet members about one of Tyler’s recitals. Tyler insists that his dad was never there and Kirkman is mistaken but Tom just smiles and tells the young man that is father only took one Secret Service man with him and wore a baseball cap as he sat in the back. It was important to him that he not take the focus off his son.
Kirkman also tells Tyler that his late father gave every member listening to his story a program of the recital, and he hands it to Tyler. The young man, moved by emotion, thanks Kirkman for calling him Mr. President and leaves with the program in his hands.
Back at the FBI, Hannah is watching the footage with the data tech guy who admits he thinks she’s a real badass. The footage shows that MacLeish was not, in fact, in his seat 30 seconds before the bomb went off.
Aaron is out walking when he gets a call from Kirkman who tells him he is making him his Chief of Staff and that his first order of business is to find the terrorist behind the attack. Aaron says of course Mr. President and hangs up. This is when a mystery woman walks up behind him and gives Aaron a file on Kirkman. “Anything good in it?” asks Aaron. “Depends on what side you’re on,” answers the woman as she leaves and Aaron walks off in the other direction.
Review of Episode 3 Titled ‘The Confession’
Dramatic and with a few interesting twists and turns, episode three titled “The Confession” begins to show a stronger and more decisive President Kirkman as well as a little softer and human side to agent Hannah Wells. Sutherland really shines as Kirkman, who is direct and unwavering when he confronts both Congresswoman Hookstraten and Aaron on their shady political moves to better their situation. He also demonstrates Kirkman’s softer and likable side as shown in the scene with the former President’s son who had a falling out with his father two years ago and is so moved to discover his father loved him and thought the world of him.
With Aaron looking to be playing both sides, FBI Agent Hannah seeming to be on the right track, and Kirkman about to go after a terrorist who may not have had anything to do with the attack, next episode should be very revealing and hopefully will unveil even more twists.
The new restricted trailer for The Edge of Seventeen finds Hailee Steinfeld’s character Nadine accidentally sending a sexy text to a guy, something she immediately regrets. Written and directed by Kelly Fremon Craig,the coming of age comedy also stars Woody Harrelson, Kyra Sedgwick, Haley Lu Richardson, Blake Jenner, and Hayden Szeto. STX Entertainment will release The Edge of Seventeen in theaters on November 18, 2016.
The Plot: Everyone knows that growing up is hard, and life is no easier for high school junior Nadine (Steinfeld), who is already at peak awkwardness when her all-star older brother Darian (Jenner) starts dating her best friend Krista (Richardson). All at once, Nadine feels more alone than ever, until the unexpected friendship of a thoughtful boy (Szeto) gives her a glimmer of hope that things just might not be so terrible after all.
The film also stars Kyra Sedgwick as Nadine’s well-meaning but completely ineffective mother, and Woody Harrelson as Nadine’s History teacher, mentor and reluctant sounding board.
FX’s American Horror Story‘s sixth season sticks with the battle between Matt and Shelby and the spirits who want them out of their farmhouse. Why is it that when a place is haunted the owners wait days before actually fleeing when they should have left at the first sign of supernatural activity? And why does the couple at the center of AHS: My Roanoke Nightmare always follow noises out into the woods? You’d think they would have watched a scary movie or two and would have picked up a few clues as to how to act when your house is the site of unexplained activity.
Episode four titled ‘Chapter 4’ begins with Current Matt (Andre Holland) confused as to why Shelby accused him of having sex with a strange woman in the woods. He remembers none of it. Flashback Shelby (Sarah Paulson) thinks Lee and Matt went behind her back to make a deal to get Flora back. She no longer trusts him, screaming and hitting him, but Matt (Cuba Gooding Jr) says he has absolutely no idea what happened in the woods. He’s on the verge of a breakdown and finally Shelby says she believes him.
Current Shelby (Lily Rabe) says she saw in his eyes that he truly didn’t remember having sex in the woods.
Flashback Shelby is about to take a shower when Pig Man tries to attack her with a knife. He chases her out, growling, and Matt knocks him down. Pig Man continues to stalk them until Dr. Elias Cunningham (Denis O’Hare) appears, hits the Pig Man, and yells, “Croatoan!”
Shelby doesn’t understand the word Croatoan, and Elias explains it was left at Roanoke so the others could find the new colony. It’s a word of dark power in blood magic. Elias says he only lived in this house for six months and all of the owners of the place always died or went missing within just a couple months of taking ownership of the house. He can’t live there but kept it until he lost it because he couldn’t afford the taxes. That’s why it was up for sale when Matt and Shelby bought it. He tells them they want him there and that he’s trying to help them. Matt wants him to leave and then Elias says he knows things, like that Pig Man will be back and that he’s been there before. He has a book with a list of every bit of paranormal activity in and around the house, with the records going back all the way to the 1700s. Matt sees a photo of the sisters he saw in his dream.
Current Matt says at that point he just didn’t know what to believe.
Elias tells Flashback Shelby and Matt that even those sisters were killed by The Butcher and her people. Elias says he knows this because the sisters told him this one night when he was hiding in the woods. He can’t forget the horror of their deaths. One sister was pulled from both sides until her arms were ripped off. The other sister’s head was chopped off by The Butcher. Elias shows them others, including hunters that killed each other after staying in the house. Every missing person or death takes place during the six days of the Blood Moon. That’s the only period when the spirits can kill, and that first quarter moon starts that night.
Current Matt recalls how it was hard not to take Elias seriously at this point because there were so many deaths. Shelby says she thought he just wanted the house back.
Flashback Shelby tells Elias they can’t leave the house without Flora and that Priscilla has her. Fortunately, Elias thinks he knows where Priscilla is.
Current Shelby admits she felt horrible about turning Lee into the police. Matt thinks they have to find Flora alive in order to free Lee.
Elias takes Flashback Shelby and Matt into the woods where Priscilla supposedly hangs out, while Current Matt says he trusted Elias because he realized Priscilla is actually the little girl who led them to the root cellar and to Elias in the first place. They hear noises in the woods and Matt sees the witch (Lady Gaga). Shelby gets angry and chases after her (while Current Shelby says she doesn’t know what possessed her). Shelby sees men with horrible wounds advancing toward her and Elias grabs her and they run. She yells, “Croatoan,” but it doesn’t work because the Blood Moon cycle has started. They spot Flora playing with Priscilla and other victims of the spirits, including the sisters and Pig Man. As Elias is begging Priscilla to let Flora go, a group of men shoot him with arrows. He dies, and Matt and Shelby flee back to their house. Cricket (Leslie Jordan) greets them at the door and asks if they’re ready to finally listen to him.
Cricket tells them Flora is not dead and Matt and Shelby promise to do anything he says. Cricket apparently went back to tell The Butcher they would leave but she no longer wants to make a deal with them. Cricket needs to understand what he’s dealing with and heads back out to talk to The Butcher.
Current Shelby says when he came back, it was obvious he’d been through a horrifying experience.
Flashback Shelby and Matt ask him what happened and Cricket reveals he thought he was going to be killed. The witch blinded him and was going to kill him, but he told her he knew she was the mastermind. He offered her Matthew, because Cricket saw she had physical needs and no one to satisfy them. She took his hand and he was able to see everything clearly. They walked through a cornfield centuries into the past, back to when Matt and Shelby’s house was the site of the true lost colony of Roanoke. But, they weren’t lost; they loved it here. They performed human sacrifices in order to keep the area fruitful. Not all the citizens were supporting the sacrifices, and even The Butcher’s son, Ambrose (Wes Bentley), thought the witch of the wood poisoned his mother’s mind. He leads the townspeople in a meeting against his mother and they’re all ready to return home. The witch tells The Butcher to bend them to her will and she can use the power of the Blood Moon to bind their souls to her for eternity.
The Butcher has gathered the townsfolk at a long table, telling them she’s repenting and is sorry for what’s happened. She gives each of them a special fruit as a peace offering and everyone eats. They all immediately begin to choke, even her son. She stabs her son in the chest with her butcher knife, then proceeds down the table killing each and every one. She tells them they will all follow her in the next life, and she’s soaking the area with their blood so that they’re tethered to these grounds forever. After everyone is dead, she hands her knife to the witch and the witch cuts her throat.
Cricket describes it as “blood sacrifice to the ancient gods” and it bonded them all to the area for eternity. Every year on the anniversary of the slaughter the spirits can turn lethal. Matt and Shelby don’t want to leave without Flora, and Cricket says he knows a spell that can put the spirits down for good. He’s going to put an end to it all but he has to go back to his hotel room to get the supplies first.
Current Shelby says they were excited to hear it was coming to an end.
Cricket’s taking an Uber back to his motel when Flora runs in front of the car. He gets out and chases after her. Current Matt says they were worried because he was gone for hours.
Flashback Matt tells Shelby to get some rest and they both end up falling asleep. It’s dark when they finally wake up and Cricket hasn’t returned. Matt leaves Shelby sleeping on the couch and heads outside with a gun after hearing noises. (Seriously?! Stay inside!) He’s drawn toward the woods and toward Elias’ old hiding place. He heads down into the cellar where all the candles are lit. The witch is there and he can’t resist her. Just then, back in the house Shelby wakes up terrified. She calls for Matt but there’s no answer. She also heads outside.
Current Matt explains that the witch “opened” herself to him and he learned all about her story, her pain, and her experiences. He says it was a totally intimate experience. Her people worshiped the old gods and she was blamed for the horrible journey to the new world and she was set to be burned at the stake once they arrived in America. However, she killed her jailers before they could burn her and set herself free. She escaped into the woods and Matt says the old magic and the new world created something new. He thinks the witch wanted him to understand that and join her.
Back at the house, Shelby screams when she sees The Butcher and her people heading toward the farm with Flora, torches, and weapons. That breaks Matt out of the witch’s spell. Matt runs to Shelby and wants The Butcher to hand over Flora. She won’t; the land needs to be consecrated with fresh blood. As she’s about to slice Flora’s throat, Priscilla steps in and pushes The Butcher from behind, allowing Flora to run to Matt and Shelby. They head into the house while The Butcher slaps Priscilla.
Flora is not hurt but keeps saying, “The man.” Matt and Shelby look outside and they see Cricket’s been captured and is brought to stand before The Butcher.
The Uber driver tells the producers that he picked up Cricket around dawn. He waited for Cricket after he chased after Flora but he never came back.
Flashback Shelby and Matt watch The Butcher rip open Cricket’s stomach. Ambrose takes a hook and pulls out Cricket’s intestines while he’s still alive.
Richard Madden and Idris Elba star in ‘The Take’ (Photo Copyright: Jessica Forde)
The Take, formerly known as Bastille Day, has released a new trailer featuring Idris Elba (Luther) and Richard Madden (Game of Thrones‘ one-time King in the North). The action drama was previously set to hit theaters in April but it looks like now The Take will arrive on November 18, 2016 in theaters, digital HD, and On Demand. Directed by James Watkins from a script he co-wrote with Andrew Baldwin, The Take also stars Charlotte Le Bon, José Garcia, and Kelly Reilly.
The Plot: Michael Mason (Madden) is an American pickpocket living in Paris who finds himself hunted by the CIA when he steals a bag that contains more than just a wallet. Sean Briar (Elba), the field agent on the case, soon realizes that Michael is just a pawn in a much bigger game and is also his best asset to uncover a large-scale conspiracy. Going against commands, Briar recruits Michael to use his expert pickpocketing skills to help quickly track down the source of the corruption. As a 24-hour thrill ride ensues, the unlikely duo discover they are both targets and must rely upon each other in order to take down a common enemy.
