First Lady Michelle Obama and The Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon joined forces to take us through the evolution of mom dancing on the April 2, 2015 episode of the late night talk show. Among the many dance moves they showed off were the “Shush and Tush,” “Getting a Bag from Your Collection of Plastic Bags Under the Sink,” “I Can Still Do This Dance Because My Arms Are in Shape,” and the “Oh My God, I Didn’t Know You Were Coming.”
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-By Rebecca Murray
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Read no further if you’re not caught up on History’s Vikings this season. If you haven’t made it through the March 26, 2015 episode titled “Born Again,” absolutely do not read this article, even if you’re a big fan of George Blagden and his character Athelstan. Don’t be tempted to read as this Q&A Bladgen took part in with the media is loaded with spoilers about his character.
Blagden’s Athelstan is a fan favorite on Vikings, and viewers have watched the character make the incredible transition from captive to warrior and back to a Born Again Christian. We’ve followed his journey and are emotionally invested in Athelstan’s story, and in particular, how his actions affect Ragnar (Travis Fimmel). But as of the third season’s sixth episode, Athelstan’s journey came to an abrupt end at the hands of another fan favorite, Floki (Gustaf Skarsgard).
Chatting in a conference call just after the episode aired, Blagden reflected on his time spent on the critically acclaimed series and why fans of Athelstan should continue tuning in.
What was your reaction when Michael Hirst told you about the scene?
George Blagden: “My first reaction was to pull over. I was in a car driving and I got an email on my phone that showed up saying, ‘Athelstan: season three,’ and it was a big five-page long email. To be honest, reading the email that Michael outlined his reasons for why he thought it was the right time to kill Athelstan, I agreed with all of them and [it was] sort of, I think, kind of a full realization/comprehension of the character was the main overriding feeling. A kind of knowledge that we’re on the same page about what we wanted to do with the character and how we wanted to close it. It was nice.”
Can you walk us through that final scene with Gustaf Skarsgard?
George Blagden: “Yes, I think we both knew just before we started shooting episode one. So, it was interesting knowing that six episodes prior and being able to work that through the narrative without maybe making it too obvious. They gave his character, I think, a lot of drive and emphasis with decisions about how he was going to try and start this revolutionary thinking against Ragnar’s way of thinking. I think the scene that Helen directed us in culminated in this beautiful clash of religions and in a very respectful way, and what we really wanted to achieve was seeing two characters that have a lot of respect for one another. I think, hopefully, people took that away from it, that it was a mutual understanding between the two characters.
I’m fascinated to see what people’s perceptions of Floki are going forward because I’ve always known him for the last two or three years to be a fan favorite character. Everybody loves his character and rightly so. I hope it doesn’t affect people’s view of him because I suppose in a way he was doing what he believed in and, yes, we’ll see where Michael wants to take Floki, whether he lets this action consume him or whether there’s a revival from it.”
What do you think Athelstan would have done if he knew that Judith was pregnant?
George Blagden: “That’s a very good question. I think Michael and I talked a lot about how Athelstan perceived the situation with Judith by episode four and five. I think what we tried to portray was that it was sort of like a first love relationship for a young man who had never really been through that process before. And without kind of condemning all men throughout the world in this statement…if I can be hugely generalized, it was sort of saying things in the heat of the moment I think was what we really wanted Athelstan [to try to] be doing with Judith. I guess what we’d call in the U.K. a ‘fling’. I think that’s the main tragedy of the situation and what Michael brilliantly did was the right thing was make it that Athelstan will never ever know that he was to have a child.
I don’t know if Athelstan would have dealt with the news very well. I mean, it was the first time that he had kind of been through that process and it’s at the end of it. If he was told that he was going to be a father, I think I don’t know if he [would have] coped with it very well.”
You’ve had to keep this information secret for a while. Now that it’s out there and people know the state of Athelstan, what have their reactions been and how have you felt about it?
George Blagden: “I have to admit, I think the emotional process of it all was fascinating for me, from finding out to then getting on set and realizing that it will be the last time that I would be on that certain island and not letting anybody else know about that. A lot of the other actors actually didn’t know until after we’d started shooting season three. It was that kind of secretive. Then of course wrapping on the show, I burst into tears.
They had this big surprise for my last scene and I think it’s just very emotional when you’re working in our industry with a group of people that you get that close to with episodic television over a number of years. It kind of becomes like family. So, yes, I suppose anyone who says as an actor that when their character is killed off in the show it’s not an emotional experience, I think they’re probably lying. [Laughter] Yes, but I’ve been biting my nails since I left the show in August last year. I hope that we did lovely Athelstan justice.”
With the death of Athelstan who was Ragnar’s last trustworthy friend, how do you think Ragnar’s going to react?
George Blagden: “It’s a very good question. I think the fact that Athelstan is no longer in Ragnar’s life leaves Ragnar very, very open and potentially weak, and the fact that he doesn’t have maybe anybody in Kattegat left who he really feels like he can trust. To be perfectly honest, my guess is as good as yours, really. I’ve not seen any of the scripts through the remainder of season three, so next week I’ll be tuning in and I’ll be watching the show as a fan.
I guess I would like to see Ragnar kind of be able to discover who the murderer was and I think I’d love to see how that relationship plays out and how things resolve with Floki and Ragnar. I don’t know if they ever do, but I would like to see whether he takes a kind of Pagan view perhaps where punishment could be very, very serious or whether maybe he takes a Christian view and maybe there’s some kind of forgiveness in both. I have no idea. I’m excited.”
Did you have a particular favorite scene or episode that you filmed, or perhaps one that was the most challenging for you?
George Blagden: “There were plenty. I think in this season, the whole sequence of when Athelstan is visited by God […]was particularly challenging because on the show so far, we have had a limited amount sort of supernatural elements to the show. It’s not a fantasy show; it’s a historical show. The element that we had in six where Athelstan is visited by God was very much a real thing.
It was kind of interesting how we would try to visualize the reality of what it would be, actually visually what you would see onscreen with this religious experience and kind of taking our own take on it and how that would affect him emotionally in that moment. It was just a really interesting process to tackle and discover how this man would behave in that exact moment. It was quite emotional and quite scary and yet something I’ve never really done as an actor before. I think I only saw the episode today for the first time but I think it was revealing in a way that I wanted it to be and that was probably the most challenging thing.”
Some Athelstan fans are so devastated over the death of your character that they’re not sure if they can continue watching the series. What would you say about the remainder of season three to encourage those to continue tuning in?
George Blagden: “Wow. Well, I suppose I would say that I think Michael said to me even though he didn’t tell me what was going to happen to the rest of season three, he said that he would find it very difficult to not have Athelstan as a very strong presence and central theme going forward. Even after death, how he would affect all of the characters’ relationships and how they would move on past his death. So I would like to think maybe he’s still a driving force in the narrative as a character, even though he’s no longer there.
I think a lot of the decisions and choices that the characters have to make as they go forward into Paris, the raid on Paris and dealing with the relationships abroad I would like to think that Athelstan has a part to play in all of that. [Laughter] So if some people are serious about not tuning in because of Athelstan, then they should tune in.”
With all the mysticism and supernatural elements that have been explored a little bit, is there any chance for a resurrection for Athelstan as another ally for Ragnar in the future since, obviously, it goes back to the Christianity thing?
George Blagden: “Like I’ve been saying, my guess is good as yours. I really don’t know what Michael has in store for the rest of season three. I don’t know what he has in store for season four, so I’m going to e-mail him all of your suggestions. [Laughing] No, it’s a great suggestion. I think it would be an amazing story going forward. That element was there somewhere. I have yet to hear and I don’t think anyone on the show has received the scripts for season four yet. I’d love to.”
What did you think of Ragnar’s eulogy for Athelstan?
George Blagden: “I welled up. It’s amazing on shows like this, you read the script and you see what all of the other characters will have to film, but of course you’re not there on the day when they’re doing it. So you just see the scenes, see when it’s being shot and you imagine, ‘Okay, Travis [Fimmmel] is off doing that somewhere.’ I didn’t even know where they were filming it.
And then coming to watch the episode through to the end and seeing Travis then climbing that hill and realizing it was the same place that we had the prayer together in the end of season two, this beautiful, beautiful, beautiful performance sent me over the edge. So, yes, it was really, really lovely to watch as a kind of rounding off for the whole episode. Yes, really amazing.
I think it’s quite rare when you’re in something to be that effective. I’m sure lots of people you talk to in the industry who are actors are involved in things, probably talk a lot about it’s quite hard to look at things objectively because you’re so close to it. So when you are able to just be sucked in and be emotionally affected by something that you’re actually involved in, I think it speaks volumes how powerful that is. It’s an amazing thing what Travis did.”
As an actor, what do you take away from this experience compared to all other projects you worked on? What will you miss the most?
George Blagden: “I think the group of people I got to work with in Ireland for three years is something that is very rare. I think we got to a point in season three where everybody just had as much fun as they were working hard on the show. I think it’s rare when you’re on something where everyone gets along with everyone and there’s not a tough day at work because everyone is trying to make it as easy as possible for one another. I think the people were a very, very special, rare group of people, the actors, the crew, everybody involved. I miss them all hugely.”
Athelstan went out on the pacifist note because of his rebirth. During season two he was on the warrior path and now he came back to being a pacifist. Is that the way you always would have wanted him to go out or would you rather him going out with a sword?
George Blagden: “That’s a very good question because the little boy part of me, George, would just love to seeing Athelstan and go out in some big heroic battle scene. The reality is that doesn’t look right when you stood next to Travis and you’re little George Blagden and you can’t really go out in the heroic battle. No, I think Michael was very, very clever in how he kept the needle swinging backwards and forwards with Athelstan throughout the three seasons.
It’s amazing how many times he could switch his character from side to side. I think there’s a nice resolution in coming full circle back to the religion in which he started and the devote Christian faith in which he so strongly believed in. I think it made the whole process feel a bit more complete in doing that. So I think Michael’s choice to have him go through this rebirth was definitely the right one.”
Was there ever any discussion about having a scene where Ragnar discovers Athelstan’s body?
George Blagden: “No, to be perfectly honest. All the script that I saw from Michael always had the murder of Athelstan take place and then very, very quickly making that time cut of Ragnar having discovered his body. I think, actually, the scene that Michael and Travis came up with and how episode six ends is sort of in a way a lot more beautiful. I think there could have been a risk maybe if we had played out that scene where Ragnar discovers his body that we could have lapsed into a sort of melodrama or something that wasn’t maybe as reverential as it needed to be at the end of episode six.
I remember Michael saying that episode six originally, we were going to move on very quickly and we would actually see some of the Vikings getting on the boat, sailing out towards Paris. Talking with Travis, it really felt as though we needed to close the book on that chapter. I think we needed episode six to end in that way with Travis sort of saying goodbye to his friend.”
Michael Hirst have recently said that Ragnar’s children will eventually come into conflict with Alfred, who was your son. If the show were to do a huge time jump, would you play Alfred the Great? Would you be up for that?
George Blagden: “Absolutely, yes. Yes, I would love to. I think it would be a little bit weird and I’m not sure if people would fully buy into that. I’m there if they want me. No, that’s amazing. I didn’t actually know that. I should do a bit more research into Michael’s interviews. Yes, I had no idea that that is where he wants to end up. That’s hard down the timeline with all of the sons and babies and children that we have at the moment in the show being grown up, that would be amazing. I’d be tuning in every week if I wasn’t in fact there on the set being Alfred.”
One of the best scenes was when Athelstan went to Ragnar and told him he was Born Again. It was emotional to watch but was it emotional to play?
George Blagden: “It was one of the last scenes I had filmed on the show. I remember Helen [Shaver], our director, explaining to me that I had to just try to be as open and loving towards Travis as I possibly could and not be scared to overdo it. It’s an interesting thing if you ever try being open and loving towards Travis, let me tell you it’s not the easiest thing in the world. The lovely, lovely kind of quiet, reserved man…yes, he’s not quiet and reserved. I don’t really want to get emotional with anybody – man that he is. It just made the scene everything, the chemistry that was going on between us to not just this character but the fact that it was one of the last scenes I would ever shoot with him. It made something that was very easy to play in the moment. I’m very happy how it turned out. I think it kind of looks very authentically full of openness. It was very much thanks to Helen who kind of pushed me and pushed me to make sure that I’m always giving him the loving eyes.”
It seemed Michael wrote that for the Athelstan-Ragnar fans out there.
George Blagden: “Yes, I think maybe there was a little element of that. But, yes, it was certainly a lot of Helen’s kind of direction that helped us to sort of make that scene very chemical in other words, yes.”
What’s up next for you?
George Blagden: “I have just finished filming a television series in France, in Paris believe it or not. Athelstan ended up going to Paris. No, it’s called Versailles. It’s for Canal+ in France and it’s about how Louis XIV decided to centralize his government and build this monstrosity of a palace, Versailles that we know and love today.
It was very, very different to Vikings. I actually finished filming Vikings on the Friday at 6pm, got on a plane on Saturday, had hair and make-up test on Saturday, rehearsed all day Sunday with the director of Versailles and we turned over on the Monday morning in Paris. So I had a weekend to prepare for Versailles. It worked out quite well, let’s say, with the scheduling but the main difference was that weekend I spent most of it having my hands manicured like crazy.
I just spent three months in Ireland in the fields in mud being as Pagan as I could be. Yes, that was the main difference between the shows was the hand care, honestly like nail care, it was extreme. No, there was obviously a lot more amazing different things but no, it was an amazing project and I can’t wait for the world to see it. It’s very different to Vikings and yes, I’m excited to see it.
The Hunger Games‘ Liam Hemsworth stars as a small town guy who wants out and will do anything necessary to escape the confines of his rural Montana hometown in Cut Bank, a thriller that marks the feature film directorial debut of veteran TV director Matt Shakman. Working from a script by Roberto Patino (Sons of Anarchy, Prime Suspect), Shakman’s rookie feature film effort is reminiscent in tone to early Coen Brothers’ films.
However, unlike the Coen Brothers’ movies, Cut Bank suffers from unnecessary exposition that interrupts the flow of the indie thriller and holds it back from earning the high marks of the films it takes after.
Screenwriters occasionally forget that audiences are capable of catching on to the intimate details of characters’ lives without the need to spoon-feed them information. Cut Bank inserts too much exposition – and does so repeatedly – but fortunately, the talented ensemble makes it possible not necessarily to overlook that but to shove it aside a bit and get caught up in this twisted tale of small-town murder.
Hemsworth and Teresa Palmer play the town’s best-looking couple, Dwayne and Cassandra, who just happen to be out in the middle of a field shooting a video when they capture the murder of a postman in the background. The local sheriff’s never had to handle a murder case, and the sight of blood makes him squeamish, but he’s determined to ferret out the killer’s identity once Cassandra’s father convinces the couple to turn the video over to the authorities.
Even without the postman’s body, the video is enough to prove to the sheriff there was a killing, and Dwayne’s convinced it’s also enough to earn him the $100,000 reward offered by the U.S. Postal Service for any evidence in the murder of one of their employees.
But of course, things aren’t as they initially seem, and Cut Bank soon evolves into a full-on dark comedy as who did what to whom with whose knowledge is left up to the sheriff, the postal inspector, and one very impatient resident on the postman’s route to figure out.
Hemsworth, Palmer, Bruce Dern, Billy Bob Thornton, John Malkovich, Oliver Platt, and Michael Stuhlbarg make up the ensemble and each brings something special to their roles. Hemsworth and Palmer have real chemistry, with Hemsworth surpassing expectations as a leading man.
Malkovich is the sheriff who’s the heart and soul of the film, Dern’s the postman who’s also anxious to leave small-town life behind, and Thornton plays Palmer’s dad who dislikes his daughter’s choice for a boyfriend and who’s used to having his opinion heard and acted on. Platt provides much of the comedy relief as the postal inspector who loves diner food, and Stuhlbarg’s nearly unrecognizable as the recluse who tirelessly hunts down his missing package.
Cut Bank has a clever premise and a cast that works hard to make it worthwhile to stick with the film through the clunky parts. And while it doesn’t live up to its set-up, there’s enough going on in Cut Bank that it’s not a bad choice for fans of either indie thrillers or dark comedies.
GRADE: B-
MPAA rating: R for violence and language
Running time: 93 minutes
TNT’s 2015 summer lineup will feature 10 original series including the final season of Falling Skies and the debut of Public Morals, Proof, and Cold Justice: Sex Crimes. Shows returning to the schedule include The Last Ship, Rizzoli & Isles, Major Crimes, Murder in the First, Legends and Cold Justice.
Public Morals is set in the ’60s and comes from Steven Spielberg and Edward Burns. Proof is a new dramatic series executive produced by Kyra Sedgwick and starring Jennifer Beals and Matthew Modine. And the new show Cold Justice: Sex Crimes is the first spinoff from Cold Justice.
Here’s the schedule of premieres along with details on the 10 shows, courtesy of TNT:
Major Crimes – Season 4 Premiere: Monday, June 8, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT)
Television’s favorite squad of detectives is on the case in Major Crimes, TNT’s powerful crime-drama that ranks as one of basic cable’s Top 10 original series. Major Crimes focuses on how the American justice system approaches the art of the deal as law enforcement officers and prosecutors work together to score a conviction. The elite team is back, headed by two-time Oscar® nominee Mary McDonnell as Los Angeles Police Captain Sharon Raydor, G.W. Bailey as Lieutenant Provenza, Tony Denison as Lieutenant Andy Flynn, Michael Paul Chan as Lieutenant Mike Tao, Raymond Cruz as Detective Julio Sanchez, Kearran Giovanni as Detective Amy Sykes, Phillip P. Keene as tech expert Buzz Watson, Robert Gossett as Assistant Chief Russell Taylor and Jonathan Del Arco as Dr. Morales. Graham Patrick Martin returns as Rusty Beck, the homeless teen who was officially adopted by Captain Raydor last season.
Murder in the First – Season 2 Premiere: Monday, June 8, at 10 p.m. (ET/PT)
TNT will once again take viewers deep inside a complex murder investigation in Murder in the First, a powerful crime drama starring Taye Diggs (Private Practice) and Kathleen Robertson (Boss) and co-created by Emmy® winner Steven Bochco and Eric Lodal. This summer in the second season of Murder In The First, San Francisco homicide detectives Terry English (Diggs) and Hildy Mulligan (Robertson) will investigate a series of murders that could rip the city apart and shake the police force at its core.
Caught in the crosshairs during one of the most shocking crimes in the city’s history, Mulligan, English and the men and women of 850 Bryant Street find themselves trapped in a crumbling system where the lines are blurred – between friends and enemies, loyalty and corruption, legal and illegal, good and evil – as a threat from outside is matched by a threat from within. Joining the cast this season are A.J. Buckley, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Laila Robins, Mo McRae, Mateus Ward and John Cothran. Returning series regulars include Raphael Sbarge and Lombardo Boyar as Homicide Inspectors David Molk and Edgar Navarro, Ian Anthony Dale as Lt. Jim Koto, Currie Graham as Chief Prosecutor Mario Siletti and Mimi Kirkland as Hildy’s daughter, Louise.
Rizzoli & Isles – Season 6 Premiere: Tuesday, June 16, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT)
TNT’s hit drama Rizzoli & Isles, which topped the charts as basic cable’s #1 series last summer, stars Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander as Boston’s top crime-solving duo. Harmon plays Jane Rizzoli, a tough-as-nails Boston police detective, and Alexander is Dr. Maura Isles, a smart, impeccably dressed medical examiner from a privileged background. Despite being complete opposites, the two women share an offbeat chemistry, an authentic and deep friendship and a unique working relationship, a killer combination that helps them solve the most complex murder mysteries in the city of Boston. Rizzoli & Isles also stars Jordan Bridges, Idara Victor, Bruce McGill and Lorraine Bracco.
Proof – Series Premiere: Tuesday, June 16, at 10 p.m. (ET/PT)
For millennia, the world’s greatest scholars and philosophers have tried to answer one important question: Is death truly the end, or is there something else beyond? Now a brilliant surgeon is ready to take up the mantle in TNT’s intriguing new drama Proof, starring Jennifer Beals, Matthew Modine, David Sutcliffe and Joe Morton. Beals plays Dr. Carolyn Tyler, who has suffered the recent, devastating loss of her teenage son, the breakup of her marriage and a growing estrangement from her daughter.
Carolyn is persuaded by Ivan Turing (Modine), a cancer-stricken tech inventor and billionaire to investigate cases of reincarnation, near-death experiences, hauntings and other phenomena, all of it in the search for evidence that death is not the end. It’s both a journey of exploration toward finding an answer to a question many people have asked and a deeply personal and emotional journey for Carolyn, who hopes to find answers in the wake of her son’s death.
Proof also stars Callum Blue, Edi Gathegi, Annie Thurman, and newcomer Caroline Rose Kaplan.
The Last Ship – Two-Hour Season 2 Premiere: Sunday, June 21, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT)
The wait is nearly over. TNT’s epic drama The Last Ship – basic cable’s #1 new series of 2014 – is preparing to set sail again this summer in its quest to save humanity after a devastating pandemic. Eric Dane, Rhona Mitra and Adam Baldwin star in the high-impact series, which is produced by Platinum Dunes, with its partners – blockbuster filmmaker Michael Bay, Brad Fuller and Andrew Form – serving as executive producers. Co-creators and showrunners Hank Steinberg and Steven Kane are also executive producers, along with Jack Bender.
Based on William Brinkley’s popular novel, The Last Ship chronicles a global catastrophe that nearly decimates the world’s population. Because of its positioning, the Navy destroyer U.S.S. Nathan James avoided falling victim to the devastating tragedy. But now the crew and its captain must confront the reality of their new existence in a world where they may be among the few remaining survivors. As the second season opens, Captain Chandler (Dane), XO Slattery (Baldwin) and the rest of the crew are working to disseminate the cure that paleomicrobiologist Dr. Rachel Scott (Mitra) developed at the end of season one.
The Last Ship also stars Travis Van Winkle, Charles Parnell, Christina Elmore, Marissa Neitling, John Pyper Ferguson, and Jocko Sims, with Emmy® winner Alfre Woodard set to guest-star in a multi-episode arc.
Falling Skies – Final Season Premiere: Sunday, June 28, at 10 p.m. (ET/PT)
TNT’s epic drama Falling Skies – from Amblin Television and executive producer Steven Spielberg – will come to a climactic end this summer with the show’s fifth and final season. Falling Skies tells the extraordinary story about life and survival in the wake of a catastrophic alien invasion. Noah Wyle stars as Tom Mason, a college professor who became an unlikely resistance leader. Moon Bloodgood is Dr. Anne Glass, a pediatrician who became the survivors’ primary physician and eventually fell in love with Tom. Will Patton is Colonel Weaver, the gruff and emotionally scarred commander leading the battle against the invaders. Also starring in Falling Skies are Drew Roy, Connor Jessup, Maxim Knight, Colin Cunningham, Sarah Carter, Mpho Koaho and Doug Jones.
Cold Justice – Summer Premiere: Friday, July 31, at 8 p.m. (ET/PT)
Spring Episodes: April 10 – June 5
Justice Served special with John Walsh: May 29
Summer premiere with Cold Justice: Sex Crimes: July 31
This spring and summer, TNT’s real-life crime series Cold Justice will be back with more of its powerful and emotional third season as the show continues to have a real-world impact on cases that have lingered for years in small towns across America. Cold Justice follows former prosecutor Kelly Siegler and former crime-scene investigator Yolanda McClary as they dig into murder cases that have long gone unsolved. Working with local law enforcement, Siegler and McClary are helping bring about real results in real time for the police, investigators, district attorneys and families who have worked tirelessly on these cold cases for years.
The impact of Cold Justice can be seen clearly in the results of the investigations featured on the show. Since the show’s premiere in September 2013, Siegler and McClary have assisted local law enforcement in a long string of successful investigations, securing a total of 22 arrests, 11 criminal indictments, four confessions, three guilty pleas and three convictions. Just before the start of season 3, Cold Justice helped land its first jury trial conviction.
In May, John Walsh will be back to host a new Cold Justice: Justice Served special in which Siegler and McClary update viewers on the status of recent cases and the remarkable results that the show has helped achieved. And when Cold Justice returns for its summer premiere at the end of July, it will be joined by the new spinoff series, Cold Justice: Sex Crimes.
Cold Justice: Sex Crimes – Series Premiere: Friday, July 31, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT)
TNT is expanding its real-life investigation series Cold Justice with the all-new spinoff, Cold Justice: Sex Crimes from Wolf Reality and Magical Elves. This new series is an extremely timely project, especially in light of the sobering statistics for sex-related crimes in America revealing that there are approximately 240,000 survivors of sexual assault in America, including men, women and children. In fact, every two minutes, someone is sexually assaulted in the United States.
To combat these numbers and bring justice to the survivors of sexual assault, former Harris County, Texas, prosecutors Casey Garrett and Alicia O’Neill are traveling to small towns around the country to help local law enforcement close cases that have sat dormant for years.
Legends – Season 2 Premiere: Tuesday, Aug. 25, at 10 p.m. (ET/PT)
Screen Actors Guild Award® winner Sean Bean enters new territory in Season Two of Legends, TNT’s suspense-filled drama based on a character created by master spy novelist Robert Littell. Bean plays Martin Odum, an undercover operative who has learned he isn’t the man he believed himself to be. On the run for a murder he didn’t commit, Martin searches for his true identity, following a trail that takes him to London and the European continent, where he discovers a dark and violent past that holds the key to his future survival.
Public Morals – Series Premiere: Monday, Aug. 17, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT)
This summer, TNT is going to take viewers to the seedy, gritty streets and the bright, seductive lights of 1960s New York with Public Morals, a powerful, buzz-generating police drama from writer, director, executive producer and star Edward Burns. Public Morals also stars Michael Rapaport and Elizabeth Masucci. The series centers on Terry Muldoon (Burns), an officer of the Public Morals Division, which investigates vice crimes in the city.
Many of Muldoon’s fellow cops in the division walk a thin line between morality and crime as vice-related temptations threaten to snare even the best of officers, including Muldoon’s partner, Charlie Bullman (Rapaport). As Muldoon watches the Hells Kitchen streets where he grew up devoured by an escalating war within two factions of the Irish-American Mob, he becomes more determined than ever to fight back against the city’s dark underbelly so he can provide a safe place where he and his wife, Christine (Masucci), can raise their family.
Also starring in Public Morals are Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Wass Stevens, Keith Nobbs, Austin Stowell, Patrick Murney, Katrina Bowden, Lyndon Smith, Brian Wiles, and Cormac Cullinane. In addition, Public Morals will feature guest appearances by Oscar® winner Timothy Hutton, Golden Globe® winner Brian Dennehy, Satellite Award® winner Neal McDonough, and Satellite Award nominee Robert Knepper.
Rev up your engines, it’s time for the seventh (yes SEVENTH) installment in the Fast and Furious franchise. As they’re running out of ways to play with the words, this one’s titled Furious 7. Sounds a bit like an upgraded version of the Fox Force Five team referenced in Pulp Fiction but I can dig it.
For franchise aficionados, you’re likely aware of the two most significant elements about this installment: 1) It establishes where the third film (Tokyo Drift) fits into the timeline and 2) It is the last we’ll likely see of Paul Walker in the crew.
As it’s the most talked about component of the film, I’ll start with Paul Walker. Following the news of his passing, Vin Diesel and the filmmakers decided to press on with the movie as it as basically originally intended. Walker had filmed a number of scenes, and clever editing and technology utilized his brother as a double and pasted his face where it was needed (thankfully this technology has gotten better since Blue Crush).
If you’re really looking for which scenes involving his character were shot for real or are being manipulated, you will be able to spot the switch. However, aside from some glaringly obvious shots in the final minutes, I give director James Wan, the editors, and the VFX wizards credit for keeping the distraction to a minimum.
And as for the film’s final scenes, it’s largely a cinematic farewell for Walker and basically plays out like a memoriam. It’s easily the most sincere section of the movie and you can clearly feel the genuine emotion on display from the other actors as they say goodbye to their friend on screen. The fourth wall is quite noticeably broken here but it’s all handled quite tastefully. And with for all the grief I may have given Walker over the years for his acting, I’d never heard one bad word about him from colleagues who had the chance to meet or interview him and I applaud the cast and crew for how this was handled.
Back to the movie itself … well … recommending it is sort of irrelevant, isn’t it? This is aimed at a demographic that could care less what I said, even knowing I’m a fan of the series. Of course, what I’d say is that while the fifth and sixth films were turning points for the franchise and genuinely fun, the upward progression sadly comes to an end here.
That’s not to say this isn’t fun, but it’s not as good as the last film and may only be slightly more interesting than the fifth because of the sendoff for Walker and the inclusion of Tony Jaa (who is severely underutilized and underrated in Western cinema). There are some very good action scenes and some very satisfying fights to be had but with a run time of 2 hours and 17 minutes, the notion that this film needed to grow a heart and a brain created some very obvious pacing problems. Also, just as an aside, if you’re playing the drinking game, all you need to do is listen for the keywords of “love” and “family”. Oh, and make sure to have Uber on speed dial.
So if you need a mindless bit of escapism, filled with expensive cars, exaggerated physics, beautiful women, jacked up dudes, explosions, fistfights, guns, questionable damage thresholds of the human body, and the odd inclusion of Kurt Russell, then by all means go out and see Furious 7. If you’re waffling on going to theaters or waiting for the home market, I can advise that you really won’t miss much by waiting but depending on where you are in the country, some free air conditioning may be a good tipping point. Your call.
GRADE: B-
MPAA rating: PG-13 for prolonged frenetic sequences of violence, action and mayhem, suggestive content and brief strong language
Release date: April 3, 2015
Pierce Brosnan plays an assassin tracking Milla Jovovich’s character who’s on the run in the action thriller Survivor from director James McTeigue (V for Vendetta). With the film heading to theaters and On Demand on May 29, 2015, the official trailer and poster have finally arrived featuring Brosnan on the hunt.
In addition to Brosnan and Jovovich, the Survivor cast includes Dylan McDermott, Angela Bassett, and Robert Forster.
The Plot:
After being mysteriously framed for a terrorist bombing, a Foreign Service Officer (Milla Jovovich) must evade government capture and death by a ruthless assassin (Pierce Brosnan) in order to stop the real perpetrators’ master—and much deadlier—plan.
Oscar winner Alan Arkin (Little Miss Sunshine) has been selected to receive the 2015 CinemaCon Lifetime Achievement Award, says CinemaCon’s Managing Director Mitch Neuhauser. Calling Arkin one of the most beloved, talented, and respected actors of his generation, Neuhauser explained why Arkin was chosen as this year’s recipient. “From The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming to The In-Laws and Little Miss Sunshine to Argo, Arkin has endeared himself to generations of moviegoers which is a remarkable testament to his incredible versatility. Arkin’s work never ceases to entertain and impress and we can’t wait to see him later this year when he stars in Love the Coopers,” said Neuhauser.
CinemaCon, the annual gathering of National Association of Theatre Owners, will take place April 20 – 23 in Las Vegas. Arkin will pick up his award during the CinemaCon Big Screen Achievement Awards at Caesars Palace on April 23rd.
A brief bio of Alan Arkin, courtesy of CinemaCon: “Born in Brooklyn, Arkin launched his career with Chicago’s improvisational revue Second City. This led to his 1963 Broadway bow in the play Enter Laughing, for which he won a Tony Award. In 1966, Arkin made his major feature film debut, starring in Norman Jewison’s comedy smash The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming, for which he won a Golden Globe Award. With more than 70 films to his name, Arkin’s filmography includes Little Miss Sunshine, a role which won him an Academy Award, Argo, Million Dollar Arm, Grudge Match, The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, The Change Up, Marley & Me, Catch-22, Edward Scissorhands, and Sunshine Cleaning. Arkin has also directed several short films and written several books, including eight children’s books, and most recently his memoir, An Improvised Life.”
The series premiere of Spike TV’s Lip Sync Battle airs tonight at 10pm ET/PT with Jimmy Fallon taking on Dwayne Johnson doing what promises to be one of the most bizarre versions of Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off” ever seen. LL Cool J’s charged with hosting the show and Chrissy Teigen provides commentary as celebrities including Anna Kendrick, Jennifer Lopez, Iggy Azalea, Terry Crews, and Taraji P. Henson compete on the series created by Fallon, Stephen Merchant, John Krasinski, Matador, and Casey Patterson.
Other celebrities taking part in Lip Sync Battle during its first season include Anne Hathaway, John Legend, Justin Bieber, Meghan Trainor, Common, Terrence Howard, Mike Tyson, Queen Latifah, Will Arnett, and Alison Brie.
Season one consists of 18 episodes and features celebrities “going head to head – lip-syncing the song of their choice – battling for the coolest bragging rights on the planet.”
Watch the trailers:
Bob Odenkirk’s keeping busy with Better Call Saul but apparently he has time in his schedule to squeeze in the sketch comedy series With Bob and David. Netflix just ordered four half-hour episodes along with a 60 minute Making Of special starring Odenkirk and his frequent collaborator David Cross.
With Bob and David comes two decades after the premiere of Odenkirk and Cross’ Mr. Show and will be written by, executive produced, and star the comedy duo. Marc Provissiero, Naomi Odenkirk, Tim Sarkes, Dave Kneebone, Tim Heidecker, and Eric Wareheim are also on board as executive producers.
Netflix hasn’t confirmed when we can expect to be able to binge-watch With Bob and David.
The Plot:
After being dishonorably discharged from the Navy Seals, Bob and David are back serving our country the way they do best, making sketch comedy. Four half-hours of brand new comedy featuring all new characters, all new scenes, and most importantly, all new wigs.
-By Rebecca Murray
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“There is no justice without sacrifice” – The CW’s Arrow returns on April 15, 2015 to kick off the final five episodes of season three and the network’s released this new trailer featuring scenes from the last episodes of the 2015 season. Season three’s been packed with one game-changing event after another, with characters forced to their limits and relationships tested and, in some cases, strengthened.
This season’s also seen the introduction of new villains and in the April 15th episode titled “Broken Arrow,” Doug Jones (Falling Skies, Pan’s Labyrinth) shows up as Deathbolt.
Here’s the synopsis of the April 15th episode directed by Doug Aarniokoski from a script by Ben Sokolowski and Brian Ford Sullivan: Lance (Paul Blackthorne) continues his mission to take down the Arrow (Stephen Amell) so Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) orders Oliver to keep a low profile. However, when a meta-human named Jake Simmons (Jones), who kills people with blasts of energy and plasma, starts terrorizing Starling City, Oliver is forced to ask Ray (Brandon Routh) for help. The unlikely duo is forced to team up to save the city.
Watch the season 3 final episodes trailer:
