Effie Trinket (Elizabeth Banks) and Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) in ‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2’ (Photo by Murray Close)
With the release date less than a month away, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2‘s unveiled a new video that premiered during the first game of the World Series. The new spot looks at Katniss Everdeen’s journey leading up to her becoming the face of the revolution. The final Hunger Games movie will open in theaters on November 20, 2015 with Jennifer Lawrence back as Katniss, Josh Hutcherson as Peeta, and Liam Hemsworth as Gale.
The cast also includes Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jeffrey Wright, Willow Shields, Sam Claflin, Jena Malone, Natalie Dormer, Stanley Tucci, and Donald Sutherland.
The Plot: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 brings the franchise to its powerful final chapter in which Katniss Everdeen realizes the stakes are no longer just for survival – they are for the future.
With the nation of Panem in a full scale war, Katniss confronts President Snow [Sutherland] in the final showdown. Teamed with a group of her closest friends – including Gale [Hemsworth], Finnick [Claflin] and Peeta [Hutcherson] – Katniss goes off on a mission with the unit from District 13 as they risk their lives to liberate the citizens of Panem, and stage an assassination attempt on President Snow who has become increasingly obsessed with destroying her. The mortal traps, enemies, and moral choices that await Katniss will challenge her more than any arena she faced in The Hunger Games.
Fans of Life in Pieces will be able to see 22 episodes this first season as CBS has given the show a full season pickup, ordering nine additional episodes. In addition, the network confirmed the half-hour comedy series is moving to its new time slot on Thursday, November 5 at 8:31pm ET/PT. The full season order comes after the series scored the #1 spot among new comedies with 10.26 million viewers.
“Life in Pieces, with one of the best ensemble casts on television, is telling terrific stories in a very unique way, and we’re excited to tell many more of them this season,” said Glenn Geller, President, CBS Entertainment.
Life in Pieces is executive produced by Justin Adler, Aaron Kaplan, Jason Winer and Jeff Morton, and stars Dianne Wiest, James Brolin, Zoe Lister-Jones, Colin Hanks, Angelique Cabral, Thomas Sadoski, Betsy Brandt, Dan Bakkedahl, Niall Cunningham, Holly J. Barrett and Giselle Eisenberg.
The Plot:
Life in Pieces is a single-camera comedy about one big happy family and their sometimes awkward, often hilarious and ultimately beautiful milestone moments as told by its various members. Of the three siblings, middle child Matt may have just found his true love, his co-worker, Colleen; his coddled youngest brother, Greg, and his wife, Jen, are overwhelmed by the birth of their first child; and the eldest, Heather, and her husband, Tim, are dreading their impending empty nest so much, they’re considering having another baby. Their parents are Joan, the family’s adoring matriarch who would do anything for her kids – as long as she agrees with it – and John, the gregarious patriarch who’s searching for ways to soften the blow of turning 70. As the family’s lives unfold in four short stories each week, they try to savor these little pieces of time that flash by but stay with you forever, because these moments add up to what life’s all about.
CBS’s new entry in the comic book-inspired superhero genre, Supergirl, arrived on October 26, 2015 with the debut of the one hour action/drama/comedy starring Melissa Benoist in the title role. The first episode did a fantastic job of setting the tone for the show along with introducing viewers to the key characters who’ll be either working with or against the latest costumed fighter to headline a TV series. The series went all out with the effects and action, but the writers also didn’t skimp on character development.
By the time the one-hour Supergirl pilot ended, audiences had a firm grasp on who Kara Zor-El/Supergirl, Alex Danvers, James-Not-Jimmy Olsen, Cat Grant, Winn Schott, and Hank Henshaw are as well as the overall layout of the show.
Executive produced by Greg Berlanti, Ali Adler, Andrew Kreisberg, and Sarah Schechter, CBS’ Supergirl’s first episode did a terrific job of explaining the world the show will exist in, blending in humor to make some of the more out of this world aspects go down easier. Melissa Benoist really fits the role, pulling off both the slightly goofy side of Kara as well as the determined-to-be-a-hero aspects of Supergirl. In fact, the series is well cast all the way around, and it’ll be entertaining to get to spend more time with each of the supporting characters as the series’ first season moves along.
Here’s a recap of Supergirl’s first episode in case you missed anything in the jam-packed pilot:
Supergirl starts off with a voice-over by Kara Zor-El explaining that 24 years ago, Krypton was in trouble. Her cousin Kal-El was sent to Earth and, of course, we all know his story. “The story you don’t know is that I was sent to protect him,” says Kara. Kara was also sent to Earth, charged with protecting Kal-El. Her parents warned her she would have extraordinary powers on Earth and that she must always look out for her cousin.
Unfortunately, Krypton blew up, which knocked her pod into the phantom zone where she slept for 24 years before finally reaching Earth. She was still physically 13 while her cousin was now grown up and had already revealed himself to be Superman to the people on Earth. Superman placed Kara with her adoptive family, Jeremiah and Eliza Danvers (Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman’s Dean Cain and Helen Slater from 1984’s Supergirl movie), and their daughter Alex (Chyler Leigh). Because Superman didn’t need her protection, Kara no longer had a mission on Earth.
Kara has the same powers as her cousin but chooses to hide them and fit in, believing Earth doesn’t need another hero. Instead, she took a job at CATCO Worldwide Media built by Cat Grant (Calista Flockhart), the most powerful woman in National City. Her co-worker Winn Schott (Jeremy Jordan) asks her out, but she already has a date she booked online.
Miss Grant is the world’s most difficult boss. She’s a very demanding, very high-maintenance woman who doesn’t care about other people’s feelings, and when she has to downsize The Tribune, it’s Kara she tasks with sending out the notices. Kara asks her what’s going to happen to all the people losing their jobs, reminding her The Daily Planet isn’t downsizing. Cat explains that’s because Metropolis has a guy flying around in a cape saving people. He gets 54% of The Daily Planet’s covers. If Kara wants to save The Tribune, she has to find Cat a hero.
Kara meets the new guy, James Olsen (Mehcad Brooks), to get the layouts Cat wants and he’s busy unpacking his office. He has a Pulitzer Prize-winning photo of Superman with him and tells Kara Superman actually posed for the shot because he likes him. He’s now at The Tribune after leaving The Daily Planet, and Kara asks about Superman. James gives her the scoop and tells her he’s as nice a guy as you’d want him to be. He also points out that she looks a little like Superman.
Alex goes to Kara’s to help her pick out an outfit for her blind date. Kara’s questioning her decision to work for Cat, and Alex tells her that’s normal. But, Kara wants to be so much more, just like Superman. Alex reminds her life is not so bad and makes her pick out an outfit quickly because she has a plane to catch.
The blind date isn’t going well because the guy is busy with his cell phone – and busy picking up other women. The news pops up on the TV in the restaurant, following the breaking news of a plane with engine failure. Kara immediately thinks of Alex’s flight she had to catch and rushes out of the restaurant. She sees the plane, uses her X-ray vision to see Alex on board, and after a failed attempt, she flies up to the plane. Two engines are on fire and Kara gets under the plane to try and keep it from crashing.
Alex sees her outside under the wing, and Kara has to dodge a bridge but saves the plane by landing it in the water. She climbs atop the now floating plane and is spotlighted by a helicopter. Everyone snaps her photo before she takes off once again.
Kara is back at home, wet and watching TV. A flying female saved the plane’s passengers from certain death, according to one reporter, while another reporter talks about the destruction on the bridge caused by the rescue. A photo of Kara standing in the spotlight on the plane is shown on TV, and Alex walks in the room and sees it. Kara’s super excited she did it and Alex can’t believe it. Alex needs a drink, and Kara says she almost forgot what flying is like.
Alex asks her what she was thinking, worried Kara exposed herself to the world and now everyone will know about her. Kara’s fine with it; she doesn’t mind being exposed. She’s always wanted to help people. But Alex is worried people will figure out who she is and what she is, and doesn’t think it’s safe for Kara to do it again. That knocks Kara down, and she gets emotional. Alex leaves, saying, “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
The next morning everyone is trying to figure out who saved the plane. No one recognizes the woman in the plane. Her coworkers joke that no one can take her seriously because she’s a rookie superhero who can’t even come up with a suit.
Cat has a meeting with her staff and she’s pissed no one has any idea who the flying superhero is. Cat asks James if there’s a connection between the mysterious woman and Superman and he says he doesn’t know. Superman didn’t mention it, he says. But, he also says saving people is what she’s born to do if she is like Superman. Cat’s excited because this will save The Tribune but she needs images, video, and exclusive content. Everyone heads out to look for her while Kara heads out to get Cat a lettuce wrap. James tells Kara Superman’s first act was also to save a plane.
Kara meets with Winn on the roof and says she needs someone to be excited for her and only three people know her secret. Last night she embraced who she was, and he guesses it’s that she’s a lesbian. She says, “I’m not gay. I’m her – the woman who saved the plane.” Winn, of course, doesn’t believe it and Kara goes to the edge of roof, falls backward, and flies. He’s now a believer.
At a diner, a man’s fingernails scrape the countertop as he watches the news reports on the plane. Outside, he climbs into a tanker truck and it’s revealed he’s not human. Vartox (Owain Yeoman) talks to his boss The Commander (Faran Tahir) via video, with his boss demanding to know why the plane with DEO agents didn’t blow up. Both men know about Krypton and Jar-El, and they think Supergirl is Alura Zor-El’s daughter who’s working with the humans. Vartox’ boss says he must eliminate the girl and human casualties don’t matter. The General is on the way and this must be done quickly.
At home, Winn and Kara work on coming up with a costume, the first of which she wouldn’t even wear to the beach. And, she wants a cape but Winn says they’re lame. She comes up with another costume that‘s much better, and he sends her out to help with a freeway car chase. That’s an easy one compared to the plane, but she crashes during the chase. She gets her cape because it helps with aerodynamics.
Next up, a robbery with armed gunmen. She’s bulletproof so it’s another easy victory for Kara. But, the cape didn’t survive the gunshots and a better one made of sturdier material is created. It has the ‘S’ which isn’t an S, it’s her family’s coat of arms: The House of El. Next, a four-alarm fire gets her attention. It’s a trap though as she’s hit with darts full of a green material and taken hostage.
Waking up secured to a table, Hank Henshaw (David Harewood) explains the darts were made of low-grade Kryptonite which weakens her. Then, surprise, surprise, Alex is introduced as an agent working for the DEO: the Department of Extranormal Operations. It monitors extraterrestrials, so that means Kara. They have her ship from the day she crashed, and she’s the reason they launched the organization.
Superman made them figure out they’d be getting more “immigrants” and when Kara crashed on Earth she brought Fort Rozz and its population of the worst criminals known to exist with her. Fort Rozz was banished to the Phantom Zone and somehow when Kara’s pod got loose, it pulled Fort Rozz with her to our planet. The alien convicts escaped and are starting to emerge. They were behind Alex’s near plane crash.
Kara wants to help but Hank says she’s too visible now. He suggests if she wants to help, she should go back to getting coffee. Angry over being deceived for so many years, Kara and Alex argue over why Alex was recruited for the agency in the first place. Kara thinks it’s because of her, and Alex says it’s her academic background in biology that got her the position.
Back at the office, Cat has dubbed the new superhero Supergirl. Kara rushes into Cat’s office upset about the nickname. “A female superhero – shouldn’t she be called Superwoman?” Cat doesn’t care, but Kara thinks calling her Supergirl – something less than what she is – makes them all guilty of being anti-feminist. Cat doesn’t think anything’s wrong with being a girl and says the real problem is Kara’s opinion of the word. James interrupts Cat as she’s about to fire Kara with the news Kara has a friend who works at the bank that got robbed. James claims Kara convinced her friend to allow them to use a good photo of Supergirl that she took during the incident. Cat’s impressed and Kara’s no longer fired.
Kara and James leave Cat’s office and she tells him she could have handled it herself. Just then Vartox sends out a high-pitched signal only she can hear. He threatens to kill humans if she doesn’t meet him. She runs outside, rips off her shirt, and flies to the power plant where they’re supposed to meet. He attacks her, saying females bow before men. Alura was his judge and jailer so he’s eager to kill her daughter. He slams her around like a toy and he says she’s no Superman, even with the S on her chest. As he’s strangling her a helicopter appears and fires on Vartox. Alex and the DEO save Kara but Vartox escapes.
At the DEO headquarters, they use the alien material from Kara’s wound to help figure out more about the Fort Rozz escapees. Kara says Alex was right, the world doesn’t need her.
Kara is home alone at night when Alex knocks. Outside the door, she tells Kara that it’s not her fault. As a child, she couldn’t compete with Kara and was happy when Kara decided not to use her powers, but now the world needs her. Kara finally opens the door and says she can’t do it. Alex says her family wants her to do this and whips out something from Krypton recovered by Hank from Kara’s pod years ago. A hologram of her mom opens up and her mother tells her her destiny is not tied to Kor-El. What’s important is she find her way back to the brave girl she always was. She tells her to be brave, be strong, and always be true to yourself.
Back at HQ, Alex insists Kara is there to help them and that Hank needs to let her do what she was put on the planet to do or else Alex will stop helping the team also. A team member says she found Vartox and he’s heading toward the city. Kara demands to go take on Vartox and Hank tells her, “Make sure you win.”
Kara stops the tanker Vartox is driving and Vartox is ejected. Kara’s ready this time and gets in a few good punches. Alex analyzed the metal in the axe and they both know it can explode if it gets too hot, which is what Alex is trying to make it do. She says she gives up and as Vartox swings the axe, Kara catches it and uses her heat vision to heat it up. It works and the axe is destroyed. Vartox says she has no idea what’s coming and kills himself.
Back at CATCO Winn says he heard about a Supergirl vs Reptilian wrestling match in the desert. She says she’ll tell him later and when he asks if that means the Superfriends are back, she insists they’re not calling themselves that. She asks James out for lunch and he says, “You probably burned up a lot of calories fighting an axe-wielding alien.”
Up on the roof, James confesses Superman asked him to be near Kara in National City. Superman wants her to do this, but he wanted her to choose it for herself. James hands her a box with the blanket Kal-El was wrapped in as a baby. Apparently, this cape won’t shred, says James, telling her Superman is proud of her. “Now, don’t you save a city to protect? You know, up, up, and away.”
The final scene finds The Commander meeting with the General. We learn Kara is the General’s niece (the General is Alura’s twin sister, also played by Laura Benanti) and she wants her killed as soon as possible.
The half-hour comedy series The Grinder has been picked up for a full first season as just announced today by Fox. The series stars Rob Lowe as an actor who played a lawyer on a popular series and who can’t seem to stop playing a lawyer after the show goes off the air. Season one has improved Fox’s ratings in the Tuesdays at 8:30pm time slot by over 70%, so greenlighting it for a full season couldn’t have been a difficult decision on the part of the network.
“The Grinder is the perfect combination of razor-sharp wit and relatable family dynamics – two hallmarks of successful comedies,” said David Madden, President, Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company. “The critics have embraced this original, fresh and funny show, and the talented cast – led by Rob Lowe and Fred Savage – has done such an incredible job infusing it with biting humor and heartfelt moments. We are so excited about the storylines that these fantastic producers have planned for the rest of the season.”
Andrew Mogel and Jarrad Paul created the comedy show and executive produce along with Rob Lowe, Nicholas Stoller (Neighbors), Melvin Mar, Ben Wexler, and Jake Kasdan. Kasdan also directs the series.
The Grinder‘s Next New Episode:
In the next all-new episode, “A Bittersweet Grind (Une Mouture Amer),” airing Tuesday, Nov. 3 (8:30-9:00 PM ET/PT unless there’s a game six of the World Series), just as Dean (Rob Lowe) prepares to give up on what he thinks is a hopeless search for love, he is reunited with Gail (guest star Christina Applegate), an old flame who restores his belief in romance. Meanwhile, Deb (Mary Elizabeth Ellis) encourages Stewart (Fred Savage) to change his strict ways and let Lizzie (Hana Hayes) have a supervised date with Joel Zadak (guest star Johnowen Lowe).
Adam Levine, Gwen Stefani, Jimmy Fallon, Blake Shelton, and Pharrell Williams on ‘The Tonight Show’ (Photo by: Douglas Gorenstein / NBC)
The Voice coaches Blake Shelton, Pharrell Williams, Adam Levine, and Gwen Stefani stopped by The Tonight Show to take part in a brand new game called Spin the Microphone. The rules, according to host Jimmy Fallon: spin the microphone and if it lands on your name, you have to pick a card with a song title. After reading the song title, you can decide whether you’re going to sing the song or have someone else do it.
Among the songs The Voice coaches and Fallon were given to perform were Britney Spears’ “Oops…I Did It Again,” “YMCA” by The Village People, and “It Takes Two” by Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock. Shelton really got into “YMCA,” however his Voice co-star Levine delivered an unenthusiastic “Oops.”
“She’s our Firefly. We don’t know who the other one is,” says Barnes (Michael Chiklis) to Gordon as they watch a video of Bridgit dressed up in her Firefly gear exiting a building with her huge flame thrower. “I do…damn it!” responds Jim (Ben McKenzie) as he realizes that Bridgit’s partner in her latest caper is Selina Kyle (Camren Bicondova) in season two episode six of FOX’s dark comic book-inspired crime series Gotham.
It seems even though Penguin (Robin Lord Taylor) hacked off Butch’s hand the big gorilla is still loyal to him – because in season one he was programmed to be Penguin’s loyal muscle man in a Manchurian Candidate sort of way – and goes to try to infiltrate Theo’s (James Frain) organization. The chopping off of Butch’s hand is to help sell the lie of Butch (Drew Powell) going to work for Theo because Penguin is losing it. Not really believing Butch’s story, Theo asks both Tabitha (Jessica Lucas) and Barbara (Erin Richards) what they think. Tabitha is keen on the idea of having Butch join them, calling him cute, “like a sad teddy bear,” but Barbara recalls how he was once mean to her and isn’t interested in him being there. Theo decides to entertain his sister’s whims and brings Butch on board.
Bruce (David Mazouz) and Alfred (Sean Pertwee) are back down in the secret cave sparring and boxing, with Alfred training Bruce as he promised he would. It’s interesting during the training that Alfred makes a few unconventional fight moves on Bruce telling him to always be ready for the unexpected.
Gordon’s search for Selina keeps hitting dead ends and it falls to his more seasoned partner, Bullock (Donal Logue), to find out where the sly cat is hiding herself these days, discovering the truth by striking a bargain with little Ivy (Clare Foley) while interrogating her. He gives Jim the info so he can go talk to her.
The whole reason Selina and Bridgit (Michelle Veintimilla) robbed an underground sex-slavery ring was to get enough money for Bridgit to get out of Gotham, away from her fire-starting brothers and start over somewhere. It’s clear, however, the more Bridgit dresses up in the firefly outfit and uses the flame thrower to intimidate and steal, the more she enjoys it. Just as Selina and Bridgit are saying their goodbyes, Bridgit’s brother Joe and his friend speed up in a van, grab Bridgit, and pull her inside while Selina fights with one of them and wins by getting his shotgun away from him. The van speeds away with poor Bridgit inside.
Gordon finds Selina where Bullock told him he would but she’s not happy to see him, pointing the shotgun she lifted from one of Bridgit’s brothers right at Jim. Knowing Selina won’t shoot him, Jim holsters his weapon and tells her he wants to find Bridgit before the other cops do so she won’t get killed – remember in last week’s episode Bridgit killed a member of the strike force. Selina, trusting Gordon to help her friend, tells him about the brothers grabbing her and where their loft is. She pleads for him to help Bridgit, saying she’s a victim of her brothers’ violence and abuse. Jim promises Selina he’ll try.
Back at the Pike brothers loft, the two sadistic jerks are threatening to blow up Bridgit if she ever tries to leave them again. After having enough amusement at her fear, order her to go make them dinner. Bridgit comes back from the kitchen with her Firefly outfit on and the flame thrower pointed at them. One of the brothers laughs and asks, “What are you going to do, kill us?!” to which Bridgit replies coldly, “Yes.” Firefly then lets the flame thrower loose on the two men as they scream and burn to death.
While all this killing, chasing, stealing, and interrogating is going on, Ed Nygma (Cory Michael Smith) overhears Kristen Kringle (Chelsea Spack) talking to Lee (Morena Baccarin) about her relationship with Ed, saying how sweet and gentlemanly he is but she just wished he would be a little more forceful at times. Not wanting to disappoint his true love, Ed enters and tells her in a take-charge tone of voice they are having dinner together tonight at his place to which Kringle smiles and says okay.
Up on a rooftop somewhere in Gotham City, Selina finds Bridgit and tries to reach out to her friend but realizes all too quickly Bridgit has changed since killing her brothers. She goes into the gory details about which brother burned the fastest and tells Selina that she’s finally free and is ready to go after all the creeps and bullies who hurt people like them. Realizing she won’t be able to talk Bridgit out of whatever she has in mind, Selina tells her to be careful and gives her a hug goodbye. Knowing what Bridgit is going to do and wanting to save her friend from getting killed, Selina reaches out to Gordon and tells him where Bridgit is headed.
Sure enough, Jim, Bullock, and the some of GCPD’s finest find Bridgit aka Firefly freeing all the girls from the underground sex-slave ring while setting a few of its henchmen on fire. Surrounded by the police Firefly gets ready to turn her flame thrower on the cops and set as many of them ablaze as she can when Gordon shouts, “Don’t shoot! Hold your fire,” and holsters his weapon putting his hands in the air and slowly walking toward Bridgit, telling her she doesn’t have to do this and he can help her.
Unfortunately, Firefly doesn’t know Gordon the way Selina does and doesn’t trust him. She has no intention of going quietly and begins to turn her weapon toward Jim which causes one of the officers to shoot and hit her right where the fuel for the flame thrower is on her, causing it to leak. The fire she has created doubles back being drawn to the fuel and Bridgit aka Firefly goes up in flames.
Back at Lee’s place, she’s being held at gunpoint by Selina who’s waiting for Jim to come home. When Jim arrives, Selina asks if Bridgit is okay and did he help her. It seems Selina did hear about the big fireball incident. Jim tells her he tried but it went bad and to be honest he didn’t think Bridgit wanted to be saved. Devastated, Selina refuses to forgive Gordon for not keeping his promise to help Bridgit and lets it slip that the Pike brothers were hired by Penguin to set those fires. She leaves, tears in her eyes, telling Gordon she should never have trusted a cop.
Meanwhile, Penguin finally gets some news about his mother’s whereabouts after Butch escapes from Tabitha’s imprisonment and torture – seems the only reason Theo took in Butch was so his little sister could have a new plaything. Butch tells Penguin he’s figured out where Gertrude is being kept and they have to move now…tonight.
Dinner between Ed and Miss Kringle goes so well that Kringle takes Ed back to his bedroom. Afterward, Kringle begins to tell Ed she’s worried about officer Tom, that if he ever came back to town and found out he might try to kill Ed. Ed tells her he killed him so she doesn’t have to worry. At first, she doesn’t believe Ed, but when she realizes he’s telling her the truth she becomes enraged telling him that he’s some sicko and she’s going to tell the police and make sure he gets what’s coming to him. Trying to calm her down and keep her quiet, Ed grabs her neck and shuts her mouth effectively and accidentally killing poor Miss Kringle. Realizing what he’s just done, Ed holds Kristen’s lifeless body close to him as he sobs from grief.
The last scene in the episode shows Bridgit, extremely badly burned and bandaged, being wheeled on a gurney through a strange corridor by two men in white coats talking about how her suit melded with her skin making her essentially fireproof. She looks to one of the walls that reads: “Indian Hill – A Division of Wayne Enterprises.”
Dark, action-packed, and violent, season two episode six titled “By Fire” shows the birth of a new enemy who will undoubtedly resurface down the line and edges Selina closer to the distrusting, lone Cat Woman burglar/thief she will eventually become. The series is becoming much more brutal and sinister with the deaths becoming much more gruesome, in particular in this episode Firefly setting people on fire. Not that her “brothers” didn’t have it coming but the joy and glee Bridgit took in it was very disturbing, even to Selina.
Speaking of Selina, Camren Bicondova once again delivers the stand-out performance of the episode, capturing perfectly the struggle within herself as she tries to help Bridgit. More than once different characters ask why Selina cares so much about Bridgit and each time she plays it off like she really doesn’t, when the truth is that Selina sees a part of herself in Bridgit and she desperately wants to save her in a weird way, hoping maybe she can save herself too. It’s been a few tough weeks for Selina, being chased off by Alfred when she tried to see Bruce and now losing a friend from when she was younger. The hurt and betrayal Camren displays when Ben McKenzie as Jim tells her he couldn’t save Bridgit is crushing.
With Penguin about to either save his mother or walk into a trap and Theo about to up his game in order to become Mayor of Gotham, the next few episodes should be extremely intense. Can’t wait!
Juliette Landau (Photo provided by Juliette Landau)
“Juliet is fearless.”
Those are the words actor James Marsters has used when asked about Juliet Landau, his co-star from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. Marsters and Landau played Spike and Drusilla, respectively, whom creator Joss Whedon described as the Sex Pistols’ Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen as vampires.
Today, Landau is fearlessly exploring new frontier with her upcoming documentary, A Place Among the Dead – the definitive, comprehensive documentary about vampires in pop culture – which she is writing, producing, and directing. This is the first time the who’s who of the vampire genre has been seen together in one documentary – something that has never been attempted before.
“I was extremely fortunate to work with the brilliant Joss Whedon and to play Drusilla on Buffy and Angel. It was such an amazing world to play in. Through the years, whenever I’ve hung out with creators, writers, directors, actors who have lived in the vampire universe, I have had the best conversations – interesting, funny, insightful discussions – and I’ve always thought, ‘I wish people could see this!’” explained Landau. “The stuff never shared before, the camaraderie, the insider’s view.”
At first, she and her husband Deverill Weekes self-funded Dead. However, the documentary has grown beyond their wildest expectations. Many creators/writers and actors have approached the couple, expressing their desire to be interviewed for Dead. To able to complete this project, Landau will launch an Indiegogo campaign on Tuesday, Oct. 27, in an effort to raise funds.
“It’s crazy. So many people want to be interviewed. This project has taken on a life of its own!” said Landau.
So far, Landau has interviewed Whedon, novelist Anne Rice (author of the Interview with the Vampire series), actor Gary Oldman (Bram Stoker’s Dracula), actor Willem Dafoe (Shadow of the Vampire), actor Robert Patrick (From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series), filmmaker Tim Burton (2013’s Dark Shadows remake, 1989’s Batman), Charlaine Harris (author of the Southern Vampire Mysteries, which inspired HBO’s True Blood), filmmaker/actor Kevin Grevioux (Raze in the Underworld franchise, which he also created), filmmaker David Greenwalt (Angel and Grimm co-creator), Jim Kouf (Angel consulting producer, Grimm co-creator), filmmaker Tom Holland (Fright Night creator), actress Mariana Klaveno (True Blood), filmmaker Cole Haddon (NBC’s Dracula), filmmaker Steve Niles (30 Days of Night creator), filmmaker E. Elias Merhige (Shadow of the Vampire director), novelist Kim Newman (author of the Anno Dracula series), actress Madeline Smith (Hammer Film Productions’ Taste the Blood of Dracula, The Vampire Lovers), actress Caroline Munro (Hammer’s Dracula AD 1972, Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter), filmmaker Stephen Woolley (producer of 1994’s Interview with the Vampire adaptation), novelist Christopher Golden (author of The Shadow Saga series of vampire novels and various Buffy-verse novels and comics) and musician David J of the gothic rock bands Bauhaus and Love and Rockets.
“(This documentary) provides a rare perspective. It’s an insider’s view into the vampire phenomenon. Every interviewee shares stories that have never been seen before on film. Also, the movie transcends the traditional idea of a documentary. It is a tapestry with beautiful, interlinking narrative films inspired by the conversations. They are set in New Orleans, London, and various locales. No film has ever brought together such a wide, varied, passionate, avid and active super-fan base,” said Landau.
When interviewing Rice, considered by many to be the mother of the vampire fiction genre, Landau attended the Vampire Ball with her in New Orleans.
“She is everything you would imagine: brilliant, articulate, lovely, creative, inspiring, funny, perceptive, and special. Every single interviewee we have interviewed has discussed her influence on them. If Bram Stoker is the father of the vampire tale, Anne is certainly the mother. It was a lot of fun to talk to her about Lestat (the main character of Interview with the Vampire), who has become such an icon, that he feels like he exists,” Landau fondly recalled.
Another memory of making this documentary is interviewing Whedon when he was finishing up post-production on this year’s Avengers: Age of Ultron, which grossed $1.4 billion at the box office.
“He was very generous with his time,” Landau remembered. “He was two weeks out from delivering his cut of (the Avengers sequel) to Marvel. It was incredible that he took the time at that moment to do the interview. We went into this maze of offices, people hard at work… We set-up and created a little bubble. His interview is out-of-this-world-phenomenal. He speaks with the same intelligence, style, insightfulness, and precision with which he writes. His take on things is completely captivating and fascinating. So much so, that we lost track of time and the interview went much longer than anticipated. Joss emailed afterward to say that he’d really had a great time!”
Having played a vampire – a very insane one at that – and having interviewed all these vampire auteurs, Landau gave her unique perspective on why vampires endure in pop culture ever since Stoker popularized them with his 1897 novel Dracula.
“I think vampires have staying power because vampirism has been used and can be used to explore the human condition in such a wide variety of ways,” she explained. “For Joss Whedon, the metaphor for Buffy was ‘high school is hell.’ For Anne Rice, it was about ‘loss and grief.’ Her daughter (Michele) died of leukemia, so she wrote Interview with the Vampire with a child vampire (Claudia, played by Kirsten Dunst in the movie) who wouldn’t die… For Kevin Grevioux, creator of Underworld, it was ‘interracial dating.’ He created two species, which don’t get along. For Joss again, Angel was about exploring ‘addiction.’ For Tim Burton, Dark Shadows is about dysfunctional families. Vampirism affords a wonderful prism for us to view ourselves through. Plus, who doesn’t dream of staying young and living forever?”
For further information and/or to donate to the Indiegogo fund for Dead, go to http://igg.me/at/Undead.
AMA winners and current nominees One Direction will be taking the stage to perform on the 2015 American Music Awards. dick clark productions and ABC confirmed the group will be singing “Perfect” during the awards broadcast on November 22nd at 8pm ET on ABC. Previously announced performers include Selena Gomez, Carrie Underwood, 5 Seconds of Summer, and Jennifer Lopez. Lopez is also tapped to host the AMAs taking place at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
This year’s list of nominees is topped by Taylor Swift with six followed by The Weeknd and Ed Sheeran with five. Sam Hunt, Nicki Minaj, Sam Smith, Meghan Trainor and Walk the Moon each picked up three nominations. Winners are determined by fan voting via Amavote.com, Facebook, or Twitter.
Brief Bio of One Direction, Courtesy of the AMAs:
One Direction — composed of Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson — formed in 2010 on the U.K.’s award-winning TV talent show The X Factor. The group’s debut single, “What Makes You Beautiful,” was released in September 2011 and went straight to #1 in the U.K., with their first album, Up All Night, following suit and also topping the Billboard album chart in the U.S.
The release of their second album, Take Me Home, took One Direction to #1 in 37 countries. Their third album, Midnight Memories, was announced as the biggest selling album globally of 2013. One Direction’s fourth #1 studio album, FOUR featured hit singles “Steal My Girl” and “Night Changes.” The album made Billboard history as the only group in the 58-year history of the chart to see their first four albums debut at number one.
The band has sold more than 50 million records worldwide, achieved a total of 91 number ones, and is the recipient of five Billboard Music Awards, four MTV Video Music Awards and five American Music Awards, among others. They have a massive 115 million Twitter followers and 38 million Facebook fans. One Direction surprised fans in July 2015 with the release of their single “Drag Me Down,” breaking the record for the most streams of any one song in a single week at the time. The band’s fifth studio album MADE IN THE A.M. is set to be released on November 13, 2015.
Patrick Wilson as Lou Solverson, Jeffrey Donovan as Dodd Gerhardt, and Keir O’Donnell as Ben Schmidt in ‘Fargo’ (Photo by Chris Large / FX)
FX’s critically acclaimed drama Fargo continues season two with a third episode that finds the Gerhardts, the Kansas City mafia, and the police attempting to track down Rye. There’s also the issue of the KC mafia taking over the Gerhardt family business, plus Peggy and Ed need to deal with the broken windshield on their car before the police put two and two together.
Here’s a recap of what went down on “The Myth of Sisyphus” episode airing on October 26, 2015:
Floyd (Jean Smart) meets with associates of the Gerhardts to let them in on the news that the Kansas City mafia wants to buy out their operation. Dodd (Jeffrey Donovan) is still against any kind of deal with the outsiders while Bear (Angus Sampson) is willing to go along with whatever his mother believes is best, now that she’s temporarily in charge of the family’s business. “We’re talking about the Kansas City mafia. They’re like all the sharks in the sea. And we’re – let’s be honest – we’re small-time,” says Floyd. She concedes that maybe one day they will have to fight, but it will be on her terms. She asks the three business associates if they’re with her and they agree they won’t make the first move but if the KC people are looking to rumble, they’re ready to fight back with guns blazing.
Joe Bulo (Brad Garrett) and Mike Milligan (Bokeem Woodbine) sit down for breakfast and after discussing the North’s soft water and what it does to your hair, they get down to the business of talking about the Gerhardt deal. Joe thinks they’ll stall and then pass, so Mike wonders if that means they’ll have to kill them. Joe says it really depends on what the market dictates – either kill them or offer them more money. He’s all about the bottom line. Mike says he’s learned the missing Gerhardt son, Rye (Kieran Culkin), gunned down a judge and split. Joe tells him to find Rye and use him for leverage.
Hank Larsson (Ted Danson) lets Lou Solverson (Patrick Wilson) know that a fingerprint on the gun at the Waffle Hut killing matches Rye. Neither knows Rye but Hank says he’s learned Rye’s the youngest heir to the Gerhardt syndicate out of Fargo. Lou says he’ll pass that info on to the Fargo police.
At the Fargo PD headquarters (or maybe it’s city hall?), Lou meets up with Fargo Detective Ben Schmidt (Keir O’Donnell) who’ll be helping him follow up leads on the case. They discuss the crime scene and Ben knows who the Gerhardts are. “I’m not saying your life would be easier if it was your own prints on the gun, but that’s what you should be thinking,” says Ben. He gives Lou a brief rundown on the family. Lou asks if he’s familiar with KC mob guys Mike Milligan or the Kitchen brothers, but Ben doesn’t recognize those names. After comparing their military service, Ben thinks the whole Waffle Hut thing is FUBAR.
Peggy’s cutting hair and Lou’s wife, Betsy (Cristin Milioti), is talking about how she’ll be losing her hair soon, thanks to the chemo. Peggy’s decided she’s going to the Lifespring seminar because she wants to be the “best me” she can be. In comes Hank delivering the message that Lou will be late and posting flyers in the window alerted everyone to be on the lookout for Rye Gerhardt. Hank says he must have been raised without the proper moral fiber or else he couldn’t have killed the three out at the Waffle Hut. And then Betsy shocks everyone by suggesting that the shoe in the tree has something to do with the murders. She thinks Rye was hit while walking out on the road and that’s why his car is still in the parking lot. She actually nails it, but Peggy immediately attempts to shoot her theory down, wondering why someone would hit the guy and not stop. And if he was hit, did the person just drive off with him in the car? (Yes, Peggy, you know that’s exactly what the driver did.) Hank agrees with Peggy but Betsy says, “Maybe rather than looking for a man, you should be looking for a car.”
Peggy zooms over to the butcher shop and tells her hubby, Ed (Jesse Plemons), that the police are looking for the car that hit Rye. Peggy says they absolutely have to deal with the car today.
Lou and Ben follow the typewriter store owner, Skip Spring (Mike Bradecich), out of the station because he’s acting really sketchy. Outside the station, he’s sitting in his car and they knock on the window, asking for his ID. He tells them about his store and how it’ll soon have new models that will be in any day. “They’re not just for women anymore, you know?” He tells them he’s there for a hearing but nothing scandalous, but it is time-sensitive. They want to know why he was by the dead judge’s office, and he offers condolences but insists he needs to get the money to get the new typewriters – and then he says, “Spaceships, really” for no reason.
Keir O’Donnell as Ben Schmidt, Mike Bradecich as Skip Sprang, and Patrick Wilson as Lou Solverson in ‘Fargo’ (Photo by Chris Large / FX)
Lou and Ben turn their backs and discuss Skip, who Lou calls a squirrelly fellow. They don’t think they need to bring him in and ultimately decide to let him go. “Spaceships? Really?” says Ben, and now they’re off to the Gerhardts.
Skip goes to Rye’s apartment and of course, he’s not there. Rye’s niece Simone (Rachel Keller) is, and she doesn’t know who Skip is. Dodd’s right-hand man, Hanzee Dent (Zahn McClarnon), is there but Skip doesn’t see him until it’s too late. Simone thinks Skip’s the guy Rye was working with on a side deal before he disappeared, but Skip says he was actually just looking for Rye to tell him he’d have the money soon. Simone uses Skip’s tie as a leash and pulls him out of the apartment.
In the middle of nowhere, Ed and Peggy have set their plan to drive their car into a tree in motion. They figure this way the insurance agency will pay for the damage and the police won’t see the damage Rye did to their car. “Once the car’s fixed, we’re free,” says Peggy.
Peggy leaves Ed alone in the car to slide on the black ice into a tree. It’s snowing and his first attempt at crashing the car results in it spinning around and hitting the car’s back bumper. He gets it right the second time and damages the front end, giving himself whiplash in the process. A tow truck hauls the car away.
Ben and Lou visit the Gerhardt property where armed guards allow them through the gates to the house. Lou won’t give up his gun so he’s not allowed inside, which prompts him to ask, “Am I the only one here who’s clear on the concept of law enforcement?” Floyd comes out to meet with them on the porch and she immediately recognizes Ben, who expresses his sympathy for her husband. Lou tells her about the three dead, including a state judge, at the Waffle Hut, but she has no idea what that has to do with her family. Lou tells her about the murder weapon and the prints belonging to Rye. She won’t let them talk to Rye, and her men come closer to Lou and Ben in a threatening manner. Lou tells her Rye’s wanted for three murders and she needs to handle it now or it will get handled for her. Up drives Dodd, just to make the situation even worse. Dodd says they own the judges, why would they kill one? Dodd threatens them and instantly gets on Lou’s wrong side. Lou apologizes that he’s not terrified by meeting Dodd if he should be, but he wants answers. He asks about Mike Milligan and the Kitchen brothers but they don’t know where they are. Floyd won’t say any more and tells them to leave.
On the drive back Lou and Ben discuss getting a warrant but that won’t work because the Gerhardts own the town. Ben pulls over and leaves Lou at the typewriter place because Lou still wants to check on the squirrelly dude. Lou goes to the door and finds the lock’s been broken. He hears people going through drawers and out come the Kitchen brothers and Mike Milligan. One Kitchen draws on Lou so he draws back. Lou wants to know what they’re doing there and he knows Mike definitely isn’t the owner. Speaking of the owner, that’s who Mike and the Kitchens are trying to find. Lou asks if they are Mike Milligan and the Kitchen brothers, and Mike jokes that makes them sound like a rock band. Mike wants to know what a Minnesota cop is doing in North Dakota and he wants to know where Lou saw Skip. Cheekily, Lou answers, “At your mother’s house…I think going in the back door.” With guns drawn, the ‘rock band’ leaves the store.
Lou pulls up to wait in line at a gas station, gets out to stretch his legs, and the guy in the car in front of him starts discussing UFOs. He says the visitors always come in sets of threes and, “Such a night was two nights past.” They’re visitors from above and they take you up in their ships. How random.
Peggy and Ed head home on the bus, and Ed has a neck brace. Peggy thinks their plan worked.
Lou makes it home and Hank’s there visiting with Betsy. Lou tells Hank about his encounter with Mike Milligan and the Kitchen brothers.
Dodd shows up at the quarry to meet with his daughter Simone and immediately treats her like trash, even though she’s the one who captured Skip. He questions Skip about where Rye is and asks if he talked to the cops. Dodd and Hanzee make him get in the hole they’ve dug, and Skip begs for a few more days to find Rye. Instead, they back up a truck and are about to dump a load to cover him when he says Milligan must have Rye. They don’t believe he knows anything and so they finish burying him alive. Bye-bye Skip.
Walt Disney Animation Studios previously announced Once Upon a Time‘s Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, and Shakira would be voicing characters in the animated movie Zootopia and now the full voice cast has been revealed. The studio’s also released details on the animated animal characters that will be populating the film.
“We had so much fun casting this film,” stated director Byron Howard. “Zootopia features such a large and diverse range of characters—one of our biggest casts ever for a Disney Animation film. We needed talented actors who could help bring these animals to life.”
“Everyone in this incredible cast is bringing something special, something unexpected to their characters, which really takes our story to a whole new level,” said director Rich Moore.
Zootopia opens in theaters March 4, 2016.
The just announced cast members are:
· Idris Elba (Netflix’s “Beasts of No Nation,” BBC’s “Luther”) provides the voice of CHIEF BOGO, head of the Zootopia Police Department. A tough cape buffalo with 2,000 lbs of attitude, Bogo is reluctant to add Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin), Zootopia’s first bunny cop, to his squad of hardened rhinos, elephants and hippos.
· J.K. Simmons (“Juno,” Oscar® winner for “Whiplash”) lends his voice to MAYOR LEODORE LIONHEART, the noble leader of Zootopia, who coined the city’s mantra that Judy Hopps lives by: “In Zootopia, anyone can be anything.”
· Nate Torrence (HBO’s “Hello Ladies,” Fox’s “Weird Loners”) lends his voice to the Zootopia Police Department’s most charming cheetah, BENJAMIN CLAWHAUSER. Clawhauser loves two things: pop star Gazelle and donuts. From his reception desk, he greets everyone with a warm smile and a helpful paw—covered in sprinkles.
· Jenny Slate (“Obvious Child,” “Marcel the Shell”) provides the voice of ASSISTANT MAYOR BELLWETHER, a sweet sheep with a little voice and a lot of wool, who constantly finds herself under foot of the larger-than-life Mayor Lionheart.
· Tommy Chong (“Up in Smoke,” “That ’70s Show”) lends his iconic voice to YAX THE YAK, the most enlightened, laid-back bovine in Zootopia. When Judy Hopps is on a case, Yax is full of revealing insights.
· Octavia Spencer (“Insurgent,” Oscar® winner for “The Help”) voices MRS. OTTERTON, a desperate otter who turns to Officer Judy Hopps for help in solving her husband’s mysterious disappearance.
· Bonnie Hunt (“Return to Me,” “Jerry Maguire”) provides the voice of BONNIE HOPPS, mother of Judy—and her 275 brothers and sisters. Mrs. Hopps loves and supports her daughter, but is a hare nervous about Judy moving to Zootopia to become a big-city police officer.
· Don Lake (“Dumb and Dumber To,” “The Bonnie Hunt Show”) voices Judy’s father, STU HOPPS, a carrot farmer from Bunnyburrow. Along with Mrs. Hopps, he is worried about Judy moving to Zootopia and the untrustworthy big-city mammals who live there—especially foxes.
· Alan Tudyk (“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” “Trumbo”) returns to Disney Animation’s recording studio for his fourth feature in a row as the voice of DUKE WEASELTON, a small-time weasel crook with a big-time weasel mouth, who tries to give Judy the slip during a police chase.
· Tommy “Tiny” Lister (“Friday,” “The Fifth Element”) voices FINNICK, a fennec fox with a big chip on his adorable shoulder.
· Raymond Persi (“Wreck-It Ralph,” WDAS story artist) voices FLASH, the fastest sloth working at the DMV—the Department of Mammal Vehicles.
· Katie Lowes (ABC’s “Scandal,” “Big Hero 6”) lends her voice to DR. MADGE HONEY BADGER, who heads up all of City Hall’s most pressing medical cases.
· Jesse Corti (“Frozen,” “Beauty and the Beast”) is the voice of the jaguar MANCHAS, a highly regarded chauffeur who works for the biggest—and shadiest—limo company in town.
· John DiMaggio (Fox’s “Futurama,” Cartoon Network’s “Adventure Time”) voices JERRY JUMBEAUX JR., the easily annoyed owner of Jumbeaux’s Café, his elephant ice cream parlor.
The Plot:
The modern mammal metropolis of Zootopia is a city like no other. Comprised of habitat neighborhoods like ritzy Sahara Square and frigid Tundratown, it’s a melting pot where animals from every environment live together—a place where no matter what you are, from the biggest elephant to the smallest shrew, you can be anything. But when rookie Officer Judy Hopps arrives, she discovers that being the first bunny on a police force of big, tough animals isn’t so easy. Determined to prove herself, she jumps at the opportunity to crack a case, even if it means partnering with a fast-talking, scam-artist fox, Nick Wilde (Bateman), to solve the mystery.
