Lionsgate says filming is now underway in New Orleans on the dramatic thriller Deepwater Horizon directed by Peter Berg (Lone Survivor) and based on the NY Times article “Deepwater Horizon’s Final Hours” by David Barstow, David Rohde, and Stephanie Saul. The cast is led by Mark Wahlberg and includes Teen Wolf‘s Dylan O’Brien, John Malkovich, Gina Rodriguez, Kurt Russell, and Kate Hudson.
Matthew Sand and Matthew Michael Carnahan (The Kingdom) wrote the script. Walhberg, Stephen Levinson, David Womark, Lorenzo di Bonaventura, and Mark Vahradian are producing with Jeff Skoll and Jonathan King executive producing. Summit Entertainment will be releasing the film in theaters on September 30, 2016.
The Plot:
Deepwater Horizon is based on the true events that occurred on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20, 2010, the story chronicles the courage of those who worked on the Deepwater Horizon and the extreme moments of bravery and survival in the face of what would become one of the biggest man-made disasters in world history.
Charles Barkley and Gabriel Macht in ‘Suits’ (Photo by: Shane Mahood / USA Network)
USA Network’s Suits will be back for a fifth season kicking off on June 24, 2015 at 9pm ET/PT with Gabriel Macht and Patrick J Adams returning in starring roles. Also showing up for this upcoming season is former NBA star/current NBA analyst Charles Barkley. The network just announced Barkley will cameo in an episode of season five.
Barkley’s character: “A long-time client of Pearson Specter Litt, Barkley surfaces in an effort to help Harvey make amends with a fellow partner at the firm.”
For those who need a refresher course on season four, USA Network will be airing a “SUITS Undressed” marathon beginning on June 20th at 9pm ET/PT. According to the network, season four averaged 5 million viewers with the finale scoring the highest ratings of the season.
Details on Season Five, Courtesy of USA Network:
In the season five premiere, Harvey (Macht) has difficulty adjusting to changes around the office, which affects his ability to do his work. Donna (Sarah Rafferty) must acclimate to working for Louis (Rick Hoffman), who’s certain it’s only a matter of time before she returns to Harvey. Mike (Adams) and Rachel (Meghan Markle) must decide how and when to share their big news, but their excitement about their future together will take a back seat to Harvey and Mike’s latest case. And an up-and-coming partner makes his presence known to Jessica (Gina Torres), confronting her about whether Harvey’s way of doing business is beneficial to the firm.
Oscar winner Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network) and Oscar winner Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire) teamed up for a biopic on Apple founder Steve Jobs and Universal’s just released a first look at their collaborative effort. The cast of Steve Jobs is led by Michael Fassbender as Steve Jobs and includes Kate Winslet as former Macintosh marketing chief Joanna Hoffman, Seth Rogen as Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, Jeff Daniels as former Apple CEO John Sculley, Katherine Waterston as Jobs’ ex-girlfriend Chrisann Brennan, and Michael Stuhlbarg as Apple Macintosh development team member Andy Hertzfeld.
Boyle directed from a screenplay by Sorkin based on Walter Isaacson’s biography of Steve Jobs. Mark Gordon, Guymon Casady, Scott Rudin, and Christian Colson produced the dramatic film. Universal Pictures’ Steve Jobs opens in theaters on October 9, 2015.
The Plot:
Set backstage at three iconic product launches and ending in 1998 with the unveiling of the iMac, Steve Jobs takes us behind the scenes of the digital revolution to paint an intimate portrait of the brilliant man at its epicenter.
Taylor Swift at the 2015 Billboard Music Awards (Photo by Ethan Miller / Getty Images via ABC)
The 2015 Billboard Music Awards, which were held on May 17, 2015 with Ludacris and Chrissy Teigen as hosts, should have been renamed The Taylor Swift Awards Show. Swift kicked off the show with the debut of her “Bad Blood” music video and then went on to snag eight awards including Top Artist, Top Female Artist, and Top Billboard 200 Artist.
Following far behind were Iggy Azalea, Sam Smith (who couldn’t attend as he just had vocal cord surgery), and Pharrell Williams with three awards each.
The Billboard Awards Nominees and Winners:
** = winners
ARTIST AWARDS
TOP ARTIST:
Ariana Grande
One Direction
Katy Perry
Sam Smith
**Taylor Swift
Top New Artist:
5 Seconds of Summer
Iggy Azalea
Hozier
**Sam Smith
Meghan Trainor
Top Male Artist:
Drake
Pharrell Williams
Ed Sheeran
**Sam Smith
Justin Timberlake
Top Female Artist:
Iggy Azalea
Ariana Grande
Katy Perry
**Taylor Swift
Meghan Trainor
Top Duo/Group:
5 Seconds of Summer
Florida Georgia Line
MAGIC!
Maroon 5
**One Direction
Top Billboard 200 Artist:
One Direction
Pentatonix
Ed Sheeran
Sam Smith
**Taylor Swift
Top Hot 100 Artist:
Iggy Azalea
Ariana Grande
Sam Smith
**Taylor Swift
Meghan Trainor
Top Digital Songs Artist:
Iggy Azalea
Ed Sheeran
Sam Smith
**Taylor Swift
Meghan Trainor
Top Radio Songs Artist:
John Legend
Maroon 5
Ed Sheeran
**Sam Smith
Taylor Swift
Top Touring Artist
Lady Gaga
**One Direction
Katy Perry
The Rolling Stones
Justin Timberlake
Top Social Artist:
**Justin Bieber
Miley Cyrus
Selena Gomez
Ariana Grande
Taylor Swift
Top Streaming Artist:
** Iggy Azalea
Ariana Grande
Nicki Minaj
Taylor Swift
Meghan Trainor
Top R&B Artist:
Beyonce
Chris Brown
John Legend
Trey Songz
**Pharrell Williams
Top Rap Artist:
**Iggy Azalea
J. Cole
Drake
Nicki Minaj
Rae Sremmurd
Top Country Artist:
Jason Aldean
Luke Bryan
**Florida Georgia Line
Brantley Gilbert
Blake Shelton
Top Rock Artist:
Bastille
Coldplay
Fall Out Boy
**Hozier
Lorde
Top Latin Artist
J Balvin
Juan Gabriel
Enrique Iglesias
Prince Royce
**Romeo Santos
Top Dance/Electronic Artist
Avicii
Clean Bandit
Disclosure
**Calvin Harris
Lindsey Stirling
Top Christian Artist
Casting Crowns
**Hillsong
Lecrae
MercyMe
Newsboys
Top Billboard 200 Album:
Maroon 5 “V”
Pentatonix “That’s Christmas To Me”
Ed Sheeran “x”
Sam Smith “In the Lonely Hour”
**Taylor Swift “1989”
Top Soundtrack:
“The Fault in Our Stars”
“Fifty Shades of Grey”
**“Frozen”
“Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Mix: Vol. 1”
“Into the Woods”
Top R&B Album
Beyonce “Beyonce”
Chris Brown “X”
Michael Jackson “Xscape”
John Legend “Love in the Future”
**Pharrell “G I R L”
Top Rap Album:
**J. Cole “2014 Forest Hill Drive”
Drake “If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late”
Nicki Minaj “The Pinkprint”
Iggy Azalea “The New Classic”
Eminem “The Marshall Mathers LP 2”
Top Country Album:
**Jason Aldean “Old Boots, New Dirt”
Garth Brooks “Man Against Machine”
Luke Bryan “Crash My Party”
Brantley Gilbert “Just As I Am”
Miranda Lambert “Platinum”
Top Rock Album:
AC/DC “Rock or Bust”
The Black Keys “Turn Blue”
**Coldplay “Ghost Stories”
Hozier “Hozier”
Lorde “Pure Heroine”
Top Latin Album:
Juan Gabriel “Los Duo”
**Enrique Iglesias “Sex and Love”
Romeo Santos “Formula: Vol. 2”
Santana “Corazon”
Marc Anthony “3.0”
Top Dance/Electronic Album
Avicii “True”
Disclosure “Settle”
Calvin Harris “Motion”
Skrillex “Recess”
** Lindsey Stirling “Shatter Me”
Top Christian Album:
**Lecrae “Anomaly”
Casting Crowns “Thrive”
MercyMe “Welcome to the New”
NEEDTOBREATHE “Rivers in the Wasteland”
Chris Tomlin “Love Ran Red”
Top Hot 100 Song:
Iggy Azalea Feat. Charli XCX “Fancy”
John Legend “All of Me”
Sam Smith “Stay With Me”
Taylor Swift “Shake It Off”
**Meghan Trainor “All About That Bass”
Top Digital Song:
Mark Ronson Featuring Bruno Mars “Uptown Funk!”
Sam Smith “Stay With Me”
Taylor Swift “Shake It Off”
** Meghan Trainor “All About That Bass”
Pharrell Williams “Happy
Top Radio Song:
**John Legend “All of Me”
MAGIC! “Rude”
Nico & Vinz “Am I Wrong”
Sam Smith “Stay With Me”
Pharrell Williams “Happy
Top Streaming Song (Audio)
Iggy Azalea Feat. Charli XCX “Fancy”
Hozier “Take Me to Church”
**John Legend “All of Me”
Sam Smith “Stay With Me”
Tove Lo “Habits (Stay High)”
Top Streaming Song (Video)
Idina Menzel “Let It Go”
Bobby Shmurda “Hot Boy”
Taylor Swift “Blank Space”
**Taylor Swift “Shake It Off”
Meghan Trainor “All About That Bass”
Top R&B Song:
Chris Brown Featuring Lil Wayne, French Montana, Too $hort & Tyga “Loyal”
Jason Derulo Feat. 2 Chainz “Talk Dirty”
Jeremih Featuring YG “Don’t Tell ‘Em”
John Legend “All of Me”
**Pharrell “Happy”
Top Rap Song:
**Iggy Azalea Feat. Charli XCX “Fancy”
Iggy Azalea Feat. Rita Ora “Black Widow”
Big Sean Featuring E-40 “I Don’t F**k With You”
Nicki Minaj “Anaconda”
Bobby Shmurda “Hot Boy”
Top Country Song:
**Jason Aldean “Burnin’ It Down”
Luke Bryan “Play It Again”
Sam Hunt “Leave the Light On”
Florida Georgia Line Featuring Luke Bryan “This Is How We Roll”
Florida Georgia Line “Dirt”
Top Rock Song:
Bastille “Pompeii”
Coldplay “A Sky Full of Stars”
Fall Out Boy “Centuries”
**Hozier “Take Me to Church”
Paramore “Ain’t It Fun”
Top Latin Song:
J Balvin Featuring Farruko “6 AM”
**Enrique Iglesias Featuring Descemer Bueno & Gente de Zona “Bailando”
Romeo Santos “Eres Mia”
Romeo Santos Featuring Drake “Odio”
Romeo Santos “Propuesta Indecente”
Top Dance/Electronic Song:
Clean Bandit Featuring Jess Glynne “Rather Be”
Disclosure Featuring Sam Smith “Latch”
**DJ Snake & Lil Jon “Turn Down For What”
Ariana Grande Featuring Zedd “Break Free”
Calvin Harris “Summer”
Top Christian Song
Francesca Battistelli “He Knows My Name”
Hillsong “Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)”
MercyMe “Greater”
newsboys “We Believe”
**Carrie Underwood “Something In The Water”
Billboard Chart Achievement Award
Iggy Azalea
**Taylor Swift
Meghan Trainor
Iain Glen and Peter Dinklage in ‘Game of Thrones’ (Photo Courtesy of HBO)
We open Game of Thrones season five episode six in the House of Black and White where Arya (Maisie Williams) is still on corpse-washing duty. She looks so grown up! It’s still a shock to see her wearing a dress with her hair clean and neatly brushed. She’s certainly learned to treat the bodies she’s preparing with reverence and care (corpse washing, after all, is a promotion from being a mere floor-sweeper). But she’s still Arya and demanding answers.
I don’t blame her a bit. I want to know what they’re doing with those bodies, but more importantly, where do they come from? Are they all victims of The Faceless Men?
Instead of providing answers, her workmate tells her a heart-warming story that sounds a lot like it’s written by the Brothers Grimm, about her happy childhood, further confounding Arya. Not only can she not tell how much of what the girl says is fact and how much is fiction, she gets no new answers.
Later, Jaqen (Tom Wlaschiha) finds Arya as she sleeps and wants her to tell him her story. Every time she lies he not only knows but beats her for it. “The girl lies to me, the many-faced God, and to herself. Does she truly want to be no one?” Most revealing is that Jaqen knows that Arya didn’t entirely hate The Hound (and that he may not be dead. I live in hope).
In Volantis, Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) is arguing with Jorah (who is apparently subbing in for Varys. Tyrion just needs someone to argue with). During one of these discussions, Tyrion tells Jorah (Iain Glen) that he killed his own father, but also lets slip that Jorah’s father – Grand Maester Mormont of the Night’s Watch – was murdered by his own men. Jorah’s life sucks.
Back again to the House of Black and White, Arya is back to scrubbing the floor, perhaps as punishment, when a man brings his dying daughter to the house looking for help. Even I can see this is a trick or a test. Arya tells the girl a hopeful story about the healing powers of the water at the house fountain. Arya’s instinct may have been pure – she wanted to take the girl’s pain away and ease her suffering, but we know what happens to people who drink that water, don’t we? Cut to Arya washing the girl’s corpse. Oh look, the door is ajar! Is this a reward? Did she pass the test? We know Jaqen saw her give the girl the water. Will Arya find out what happens to the bodies? She follows a path lit by lamps and candles down below the house into a large chamber – the walls are rows and rows stacked to the 100-foot ceilings with faces.
Jaqen asks, “Is the girl ready to give up her ears, her nose, her tongue, her hopes and dreams, her loves and hates, all that makes the girl who she is, forever, to become no one? No, but she’s ready to become someone else.”
Back to Tyrion and Jorah walking and talking. Tyrion wants to know why Daenerys? He still doesn’t “get” Dany or her right to rule. Why should a girl who’s never spent a day in Westeros sit on the Iron Throne? Jorah tells Tyrion about the funeral pyre and the birth of the dragons. Before they can conclude their discussion, they are set upon by slave traders. They want to carve up Tyrion and sell him for parts, one part in particular. Luckily they need a bona fide “cock merchant” to verify his dwarf status before separating Tyrion from his most prized possession.
One of the slave traders had thought that Jorah might be fit to be a galley slave, but his companion thinks he’s too old and they should just kill him. Fast-talking Tyrion manages to get Jorah a reprieve with tales of his daring-do. The traders have heard that Dany is reopening the fighting pits of Meereen, so Jorah volunteers to be a gladiator. It seems the road to Meereen is their destiny.
Meanwhile Baelish (Aidan Gillen) has made it to King’s Landing. His first encounter is with weird cousin Lancel (Eugene Simon). Of course Littlefinger manages to antagonize the Sparrows, but not before discovering what the Faith Militant was up to while he was away. “Step carefully Lord Baelish,” says Brother Lancel. “You’ll find there’s little tolerance for flesh peddlers in the new King’s Landing.”
“We both peddle fantasies,” counters Baelish. “Mine just happen to be entertaining.” Oh snap!
Anyway, it’s Cersei he’s come to see. Discussing the arrest of Ser Loras Tyrell (Finn Jones), Cersei tries to sell the idea that Loras’ proclivities are an “insult, since he was promised” to her but instead “he chose the company of boys.” Baelish points out that “one’s choice of companion is a curious thing.” He’s obviously hinting at Cersei’s own depravity, you know, that her brother is the father of all of her children. (He didn’t actually say that. He never says anything outright). Cersei pauses but doesn’t blink.
Finally, he gets to the reason that actually brought him to King’s Landing. The slimeball tells Cersei that he’s “heard” that Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner) is alive and at Winterfell and that she’s probably going to marry Ramsey Bolton (Iwan Rheon), as if he had nothing to do with it! He’s riling up Cersei and playing both sides against the middle, as usual. He says he’ll get Robin Arryn to let him take the Knights of the Vale to Winterfell and fight whoever wins the battle between Stannis Baratheon and Roose Bolton (Michael McElhatton). His ultimate goal? HE wants to be Warden of the North! (And take Sansa for himself I have no doubt, despite the fact that Cersei wants her head on a pike.)
In Dorne, Trystane Martell (Toby Sebastian) and Myrcella Lannister (Nell Tiger Free), the Romeo and Juliet of The Seven Kingdoms, are canoodling in the gardens of Dorne (which looks like Paradise), and discussing their future, watched by Prince Doran (Alexander Siddig) and his axe-man. (Doran is too reasonable to last long I fear.) Say, Bronn (Jerome Flynn) can sing! Of course, he’s driving Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) batty. They’re dressed in the garb of the Dornish soldiers they killed last week and riding to the city, slipping into the gates unnoticed. They spot our young lovers right away.
Meanwhile Ellaria (Indira Varma) is giving the Sand Snakes (Keisha Castle-Hughes, Jessica Henwick, and Rosabell Laurenti Sellers) a pre-battle pep talk, “unbowed, unbent, unbroken…for Oberyn,” before sending them out to capture Myrcella. Jaime and Bronn at least get to her first. (Like a good father, he sizes up his “niece’s” suitor.) Uh oh, too late, The Snakes have arrived to the party.
Jaime and Bronn have to battle three “girls” armed to the teeth and very, very skillful. Not too subtle these Sand Snakes. They pick a fight in broad daylight in what looks to be the town square, and right under the Prince’s nose. One of them (it’s nearly impossible to tell them apart) grabs Myrcella and tries to flee before Doran’s axe-man breaks up the fight.
Her plot foiled, Ellaria is under guard.
Queen Margaery is seen with Olenna Tyrell (Diana Rigg) who has been called back to King’s Landing by the Queen after Ser Loras Tyrell (Finn Jones) was arrested. Despite the fact that they both know Cersei is behind the whole thing, Olenna seems to think they can still make it go away. She goes to see Cersei and they spend a few minutes trading threats and insults and neither of them learn anything they didn’t already know or take any ground from the other.
So Loras is with the High Sparrow (Jonathan Pryce) having to deny his “crimes” – lying through his teeth – about his relationship with Renly Baratheon, among others. The High Sparrow then calls Margaery to “testify”. She, of course, backs up her brother, swearing to the gods that Loras is innocent. In walks Loras’ last lover, whom we know that not only did Loras sleep with him, but Margaery witnessed them together.
Cersei gets to sit there and pretend to be outraged at the proceedings, but of course, the lover knows of a birthmark. This was only a preliminary hearing, but of course, the High Sparrow decides that not only is there enough evidence to hold Loras for trial but Margaery as well, for giving false testimony. While Margaery screams for Tommen to DO SOMETHING, Cersei sneers at Olenna. Cersei wins again. (I thought there was supposed to be some comeuppance this season?! There are only four more episodes. It better happen! *shakes fist*)
Oh crap. Looks like Sansa was right. At Winterfell, Myranda is giving Sansa a pre-wedding bath and warning her about the dangers of “boring” Ramsey, including a list of his past girlfriends and the fates that befell them once he grew tired of them. She asks if Sansa has ever seen a body destroyed by wolves and giggles that “Ramsey let me come with him on that hunt.” (She is nearly as sick and twisted as Ramsey.) Sansa turns around and asks how long Myranda has been in love with Ramsey. That shut her up and Sansa threw her out, every inch the Lady of Winterfell.
Theon comes to escort Sansa to the God’s Wood for her nuptials. Sansa is not having it. When Reek says Ramsey will punish him if she doesn’t come with him, she replies, “Do you think I care what he does to you?” Dark Sansa ROCKS! (The dark is only spiritual now, since the color was rinsed from her hair.)
They do walk together to the wood, which actually looks beautiful. There are lanterns in the trees and snow is on the ground. Then Roose Bolton starts to speak and we realize that this is the wedding and it is happening! And Theon is actually giving her away! This is the grimmest wedding EVER! No one is smiling, especially not the bride. Sansa finally says “I do” (I was so hoping she’d start killing people) and then Ramsey smirks the same smirk he smirked when he started slicing off parts of Theon.
Now we’re in the honeymoon suite. Ramsey is grilling Sansa on why she’s still a virgin. Theon is still in the doorway. Ramsey is cranking up the creep factor and Sansa, who so recently had grown a spine is reduced to a scared whisper. He orders Sansa to take off her clothes and Reek to watch. When she doesn’t move fast enough he rips her dress and proceeds to take the spoils of his wedding night. How much more must Sansa endure?! She needs to smother Ramsey with a pillow in his sleep. No, that’s too good for him. She needs to disembowel him with a spoon. From the look on Reek’s face, he would gladly hold him down for her. (The enemy of my enemy is my friend.) And fade to a very quiet black.
As usual this episode raised more questions than it answered. Since we got no Jon Snow, Stannis, or Dany, I’m assuming we’ll catch up with them next week. The preview for episode 7, “The Gift”, takes us back to the Wall, as well as Winterfell and King’s Landing. See you then, same bat time, same bat channel.
A few memorable lines from Season 5, Episode 6:
“I am Sansa Stark of Winterfell. This is my home and you can’t frighten me.” – Sansa (to Myranda)
“Would you were whole, it would have been a good fight.” – Doran’s axe-man (to Jaime Lannister)
“You fight pretty good for a little girl.” – Jaime Lannister (to Obara Sand)
“If they arrested all the pillow-biters in King’s Landing, there’d be no room in the dungeons for anyone else.” – Olenna Tyrell (to Margaery)
“You’ve known Sansa since she was a girl. Now watch her become a woman.” – Ramsey Bolton (to Theon)
“Have you ever heard baby dragons singing? It’s hard to be a cynic after that.” – Jorah Mormant (to Tyrion)
The 2015 Billboard Music Awards opened with the world premiere of Taylor Swift’s much-anticipated star-studded “Bad Blood” music video. Directed by Joseph Kahn, “Bad Blood” is the fourth single off of Swift’s 1989 album and Swift had been teasing her fans with posters featuring her celebrity friends as their “Bad Blood” characters in the days leading up to the video’s release.
Here’s the cast list:
Taylor Swift – Catastrophe
Selena Gomez – Arsyn
Lily Aldridge – Frostbyte
Zendaya – Cut-Throat
Haley Williams – The Crimson Curse
Gigi Hadid – Slay-Z
Ellie Goulding – Destructa X
Hailee Steinfeld – The Trinity
Lena Dunham – Lucky Fiori
Kendrick Lamar – Welvin Da Great
Karlie Kloss – Knockout
Serayah – Dilemma
Jessica Alba – Domino
Martha Hunt – Homeslice
Ellen Pompeo – Luna
Mariska Hargitay – Justice
Cara Delevingne – Mother Chucker
Cindy Crawford – Headmistress
The last major role has been cast in ABC Family’s Shadowhunters based on the Mortal Instruments book series by Cassandra Clare. Harry Shum Jr, best known for his role as Mike Chang in Glee, has been cast as the powerful warlock Magnus Bane.
ABC Family previously announced Katherine McNamara will play Clary Fray, Dominic Sherwood is Jace Wayland, and Alberto Rosende has been cast as Simon. The Shadowhunters cast also includes Emeraude Toubia as Isabelle Lightwood, Matthew Daddario as Alec Lightwood, and Isaiah Mustafa as Luke Garroway. Alan Van Sprang will be a recurring guest star as Valentine. McG is executive producing and will also direct season one episode one.
The Plot:
Shadowhunters follows 18-year-old Clary Fray, who finds out on her birthday that she is not who she thinks she is but rather comes from a long line of Shadowhunters – human-angel hybrids who hunt down demons. When her mother, Jocelyn, is kidnapped, Clary is thrown into the world of demon hunting with mysterious Shadowhunter Jace and her best friend, Simon. Now living among faeries, warlocks, vampires and werewolves, Clary begins a journey of self-discovery as she learns more about her past and what her future may hold.
Magnus Bane is the high warlock of Brooklyn. With eccentric style, he’s fierce, cunning, and keeps his cards close to his chest. Though he looks like he’s in his 20s, he’s hundreds of years old – which makes him wiser and wary of others.
The weekend of May 15-17, 2015 saw two films actually worth going to the theaters to check out open in wide release. Pitch Perfect 2 with actress Elizabeth Banks at the helm revisited the world of the Barden Bellas, bringing back all of the a cappella fun with a fresh, new story and new musical performances.
Mad Max also returned to the screen in Mad Max: Fury Road with Tom Hardy taking over the role originally played by Mel Gibson in the post-apocalyptic action franchise. Although Max is in the title, it’s equally Imperator Furiosa’s (played by Charlize Theron) film. Furiosa’s a one-armed a**-licking machine and Theron is fantastic in the role.
At the box office, Pitch Perfect 2 has already surpassed Pitch Perfect‘s total take of $65 million in just three days of release. It also easily earned back its budget (estimated to be around $30 million). Mad Max: Fury Road, the fourth film of the series, also proved to be a winner at the box office, pulling in $44 million, which isn’t bad for a sequel to a franchise launched way back in 1979. The third film of the franchise, Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome, opened in theaters in 1985 and made $35 million domestically during its theatrical run. Mad Max: Fury Road has already earned $109 million worldwide, making it the biggest-grossing film of the series.
Commenting on Mad Max: Fury Road‘s box office performance, Warner Bros President of Domestic Distribution Dan Fellman said, “George Miller, together with his extraordinary cast, led by Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron, and fellow filmmakers, has created a movie-going experience that critics agree is not to be missed, as evidenced by the 98% ‘Fresh’ score on Rotten Tomatoes—resulting in the biggest opening weekend ever for an R-rated actioner so well-reviewed. Word of mouth is already tremendous and should drive box office returns well into summer.”
For anyone who has read the Outlander books, this next series of events is going to be the hardest to get through. We are at Wentworth Prison! For those of you who have not read the books, there is no way you can brace yourself sufficiently for what is going to happen. As I contemplated this week’s recap I thought, some things just can’t be unseen. Reading about them in the book is one thing. What occurs..well, most people cannot put a visual to even seeing the words in print. But watching them performed before you on the TV screen is entirely another thing. The phrase “burned into my retina” never was more fitting.
I approached this episode, and have to say the next one too, with a fear that I have never had while watching a TV series. It was more akin to the ‘horror movie’ feeling I usually get before one starts. Because I love these characters so much, there was a little “don’t destroy my beloved family member” thrown in for good measure. I warn you now; I do not have the words of description to adequately convey this episode in all aspects, nor the next one which is the season finale. Some things you will need to experience for yourself to get the full understanding. However, I will do my best.
We open to a wide shot of the outside of the prison, a very huge and imposing place as you can imagine, and completely inescapable. But our heroine is going to give it her all. The opening scene has Jamie (Sam Heughan) and Taran MacQuarrie (Douglas Henshall) watching other prisoners get hanged. Just another lovely day at Wentworth right?! They’re discussing what it will be like for them when their judgments are carried out. Standing there in torn, filthy, shabby clothes, bare feet, and given the size of the prison, no hope of escaping this one. Chains on the hands and feet pretty much keep you unable to do anything, heavy iron shackles complete the ‘lovely’ set, along with the beautiful markings they provide on the skin at the wrists and ankles. Now, seriously, what prison has their gallows on repeat?! The noose is just pulled back to the top and set for another neck. Who knew a prison had a hanging express lane, how ghastly.
Taran MacQuarrie was called as the third man we have the pleasure (said in all sarcasm) of seeing stretched at the end of a rope. MacQuarrie went out cussing the English. Atta boy!!! Get one last insult in before you lose the chance. Then our dashing, yet very dirty, hero is called. MacQuarrie is still squirming; his neck did not break cleanly so he dangled briefly before death.
As they come for Jamie he does as he always does, tries to fight back. They get him up the gallows and put the rope around his neck. A rider comes in and stops the proceedings in respect to Jamie. You might think this a good thing, but the rope would have been kinder to Jamie in the end. Who rides in and stops the events just in time? BLACK JACK RANDALL (Tobias Menzies).
If you haven’t read the book, you might breathe a sigh of relief at having the rope taken from around Jamie’s neck. Nope, death would have been a kindness in this case. But I won’t spoil it, so let’s keep moving. BJR has Jamie taken to a cell. As Jamie passes he stares Jack down, basically this is the only way he can show defiance at this point. You can then see the determination in Jack’s eyes; he is aiming to break the man this time. Plus, we know that he has a sadistic affection for Jamie. Jack has food sent down. We can’t have our plaything weak from hunger now can we? Jamie grabs a loaf of bread and goes back to trying to pull his chains from the wall.
Then we see Claire (Caitriona Balfe) in a room with an Englishman talking about Jamie. She is playing the part of a family friend. Sir Fletcher (Frazer Hines) is advising Claire that Jamie has been given a stay of execution for the moment. Claire is trying to get a visit with Jamie by playing the Christian woman role. Sir Fletcher won’t let her go down to see him but her inquiry to allow Jamie to write a letter to his family does spark Fletcher to movement.
When he leaves the room for a moment, Claire all but breaks down. She has to steady herself before he comes back. He won’t allow a letter from Jamie, but he brings her Jamie’s personal effects. In the box you can see all of his things that Jamie carries in his Sporran. I don’t know how Claire holds it together. I’m on the side of tears and the episode just got started.
Claire leaves with the box and Murtagh (Duncan Lacroix) is waiting outside the front gate. As she is leaving she starts to stumble, falls into the wall and is understandably sick. She is so weak that Murtagh has to carry her away. At the inn where the other men are waiting, some of the men get into a dice game with two of the jailers at the prison. The manly way to garner intelligence it would appear. They discover that Sir Fletcher has a routine that will allow approximately an hour where he is not keeping close watch on the prison. A window of opportunity, as it were. Claire shows a glimmer of hope with this news.
Then we see BJR coming into the room where Jamie is being held. Oh look, BJR brought a friend, a rather large friend, to join in the fun. As BJR likes to do, he starts by bandying words around but does eventually come to his first point. He has gotten his hands on the petition against himself that Jamie and Claire had drawn up. This dastardly man has no limit to his abilities to cover his own arse. So as you would expect, BJR burns the letter right in front of Jamie, his last hope gone in a puff of smoke and ash. The stare-down continues.
We return to Claire and Murtagh entering the prison again, right at the ‘window of opportunity’ I spoke of. They are shown into an empty office. Claire, expertly and much to the surprise of Murtagh, gets rid of the guard so they can search the office. Hunting for keys and a way to find Jamie is the purpose of this activity.
Enter the cat and mouse game again. BJR and Jamie are still conversing in Jamie’s cell. Jamie tells Jack that he would prefer the noose to Jack’s company. And as Jack is so masterfully able to do, he works to get inside Jamie’s head. I know evil exists in the world, but this man appears to be eaten up with it…and we haven’t seen his worst yet.
BJR invokes the name of Claire touching Jamie’s scars with her delicate bare hand at moments while he’s in bed with her to continue to pry his way into Jamie’s mind. BJR confesses to Jamie he wants Jamie to admit he fled Ft. William but never did flee far enough to keep from having BJR in his head. Again, Jamie cannot give in to Jack’s demands. He is determined to not let Jack break him. Jack continues to give him options of a clean death as a prize for admitting and giving surrender. He admits he will have Jamie’s surrender before Jamie is killed, one way or the other.
Claire and Murtagh are still searching the office and have found keys. While looking for a map of the prison, the officer comes back in and catches them with the keys. Murtagh knocks him out before he can sound an alarm. They make a plan for meeting back up later, and Claire heads out to try to find Jamie. A woman in a prison…real easy thing to hide. She does a good job of dodging soldiers and making it to the cells. One of the prisoners tells her to go below; she should hunt in the lower cells.
Now Jamie is looking into the face of the brute BJR brought into Jamie’s cell before. This won’t be good. Jamie tells Jack he will not surrender to him or any man. Of course Jack expected this and admits he would have had a level of disappointment if Jamie did give in. Jack then asks to see the scars on his back. Jamie pretty much agrees if it will shut Jack up. Always defiant and cheeky Jamie, always. With respect, which is odd, Jack asks to lift Jamie’s shirt back. Just keep playing with the mouse, kitty cat!
Jack’s brute standing in the front while Jack is standing at Jamie’s back. (Okay, I think the music gives the fact away that something is about to happen.) Jamie spins and gets Jack in a chokehold with both hands around his neck. The big burly man comes at him with a metal hammer and his initial strike hits Jack, since Jamie expertly moved at the last second to force that event. Jack is thrown to the side, Jamie and the brute continue to battle. Jamie gets in some pretty good shots, but the man eventually has Jamie on his back choking the life out of him. You can only do so much chained to a wall, but excellent effort all the same. Of course Jack can’t let his toy be destroyed, not yet, so he kicks the man in the face to make him let go.
Jamie gasps for air as he is pulled to his feet. Jack grabs the metal hammer and makes the brute force Jamie to sit at the small table in the room. He commences with pounding Jamie’s hand with the hammer. I shake as I write those words. As Jamie did not cry out when being lashed or flogged, as most every other person in the world would have, he is crying out now. This being the first real painful cry Jamie has uttered, even while in serious pain and anguish previously, it is terrifying to hear because it takes a lot to push Jamie to it.
Claire is in the lower level now and hears Jamie’s cries. She skitters down the hall toward the sounds. As the scene returns to the room, you see Jamie’s bloodied and broken fingers. He is on the verge of passing out from the pain, but Jack grabs him by the hair and makes him stay awake. Jamie tries, in his much-weakened state, to lung at Jack. Jack takes the opportunity to force the situation to become one of the elements most feared from the book. Though the book doesn’t have that exact thing happening yet in the chain of events, it is still within the spirit of the encounter. (I can’t tell you how much back spacing I have had to do thanks to the shaking of my hands as I write this part.)
Jamie is forced to grab Jack’s penis. Jack makes Jamie start pleasuring him, and Jamie says he will kill him. Jack decides he will not take Jamie, not just yet. Jack wants to break him first. He leaves him on the floor holding his broken hand and near unconsciousness from the pain.
As Jack is going down the hall, Claire pops out from a side room. She heads for the cell after Jack is gone from the hall. So many cells to guess, she chooses a bolted door. This door happens to lead to the back and outside of the prison. She leaves the door rigged so she can get through it on her way out or as a means to get back in after Jamie, if necessary. She then continues down the hall looking for Jamie. She finds him crumpled on the floor. She rushes in and makes him aware she is there. He begs her to go and lets her know that BJR is nearby. She is determined to get him out and starts trying to force a key into his shackles so she can unlock them. AAANNNNNDDDDDD enter Black Jack behind her.
Jack has another mouse to toy with. His brute gathers Claire up when she tries to lung at Jack. She does call him some very accurate choice words. Jack then lets his brute ‘search’ her for weapons. A pretext for him assaulting her, and I am not going to get more graphic than that. Jack is explaining he wouldn’t like to see it but will be happy to let his brute do what he wants with her. Claire stands there and waits for her opportunity to shove the big man aside and lung again at Jack. Jamie makes a movement to help, as best he can in his weak state, but does manage to put a big enough wound in the brute’s neck that it kills him. Jack grabs Claire again, and by the throat this time.
As he is choking Claire he makes sure Jamie is watching. As Jack said during one of the long-winded speeches he’s so fond of giving this episode: every person has their breaking point. Jamie tells Jack he can have him without a struggle if Jack will let Claire go, which of course is what Jack has wanted all along, Jamie’s surrender. Claire is Jamie’s breaking point, her safety more accurately. Jack doesn’t care that Jamie will die soon. Jack has wanted Jamie from the first time he saw him at Lallybroch. All of this is to have his way with Jamie’s body before Jamie is given the noose. Also, the fact that Jamie is a man he has never broken. This egotistical fact just has to be corrected in Jack’s mind.
Jack demands a test of trust that Jamie will do as he said and allow him free access to his body if he will let Claire go. I’m sure Jack knows that if he puts himself in a vulnerable position Jamie will try to kill him. Jack makes Jamie place his broken hand on the table as Claire is forced to watch this time. Jack gives Jamie one mercy and lets Claire be wrapped in his good arm while Jamie has his broken hand spread opened, it was balled up, and nailed to the table. Then he makes Jamie kiss him in front of Claire as she weeps dreadfully. Claire is allowed one last kiss before she is drug away.
Jack admits to her in the hall that he heard of her witch trial. Claire tells him she IS a witch and curses him with the knowledge of his own death. It is good to see a slight element of fear in Jack’s eyes for a second. At least she got one significant blow in before being very unceremoniously thrown out a trap door. There are other bodies of the dead in the spot where she fell and she finds MacQuarrie in the pile. Claire gets up to get away from the prison.
Jack returned to the cell with Jamie and starts cutting up the back of his shirt so he can touch the scars on Jamie’s back. Actually caressing the scars as tears roll down Jamie’s cheeks. That look is one of utter devastation. Then Jack licks the scars… excuse me while I throw up.
In the meantime, Claire is trying to find the men in the woods behind the prison. In the book, Claire has to fight a wolf at this point, with her bare hands. In the show the men find her and take her back to a sympathetic member of a different clan, his house is where they are holed up. Claire begins to beg for help to free Jamie and offers the man the pearls Jamie gave her on their wedding night. This is a surprise to the man. He gave those same pearls to Ellen as a wedding present when she married Jamie’s father. Apparently, many a man’s heart was broken the night Ellen wed.
The man wants to help, but the prison is no small challenge. He also has a family and doesn’t want them to be placed in danger. All completely understandable….heart-breaking, but understandable. Murtagh sees the cows of the man outside and he has the look of a man with a figurative light bulb that goes off over his head. Murtagh has a plan for the rescue of Jamie. Roll credits….. You had to know some stuff would be left for the season finale, right?!
Jack will still do his worst before they can execute anything in the way of a rescue attempt. As disturbing as this episode is, book readers know this is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Some things are worse than death, and Black Jack Randall most certainly leads that category. Next week we find out what the consequences are of Jamie giving up his free will. Again, some things are worse than death. BUT you have to wait for two weeks this time. The season finale is to air on May 30th at 9pm ET/PT on Starz. The first eight episodes will be shown in a marathon on Saturday (Outlander Day) May 23 starting at 2pm ET/PT. The next seven will show the next day, on Sunday, May 24th starting at 2:45pm ET/PT. I’ll be tuning in, I hope you join me.
Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart in ‘American Ultra’
Lionsgate’s just released the first photo from the action comedy American Ultra starring Twilight‘s Kristen Stewart and Jesse Eisenberg (soon to be seen as Lex Luthor in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice). Along with a first look at Stewart and Eisenberg in the film, the studio also revealed their character posters for the upcoming August 21, 2015 theatrical release.
American Ultra was directed by Project X‘s Nima Nourizadeh and written by Chronicle‘s Max Landis. The cast also includes Topher Grace, Tony Hale, John Leguizamo, Bill Pullman, and Walton Goggins.
The Plot:
American Ultra is a fast-paced action comedy about Mike (Eisenberg), a seemingly hapless and unmotivated stoner whose small-town life with his live-in girlfriend, Phoebe (Stewart), is suddenly turned upside down. Unbeknownst to him, Mike is actually a highly trained, lethal sleeper agent. In the blink of an eye, as his secret past comes back to haunt him, Mike is thrust into the middle of a deadly government operation and is forced to summon his inner action-hero in order to survive.
