Aloha wasn’t on our radar until this first trailer arrived and now it’s been added to our list of must-see films for 2015. Written and directed by Cameron Crowe, Bradley Cooper, Rachel McAdams, and Emma Stone lead a cast that includes Bill Murray, John Krasinski, Danny McBride, and Alec Baldwin.
Aloha opens in theaters on May 29, 2015.
The Plot:
In Aloha, a celebrated military contractor (Bradley Cooper) returns to the site of his greatest career triumphs – the US Space program in Honolulu, Hawaii – and reconnects with a long-ago love (Rachel McAdams) while unexpectedly falling for the hard-charging Air Force watchdog (Emma Stone) assigned to him.
John Larroquette, Christian Kane, Rebecca Romijn, Lindy Booth, and John Kim in ‘The Librarians’ (Photo by TNT)
The fantasy series The Librarians will be returning for a second season. The TNT series drew in an average of 11.4 million viewers over its first season run, snagging the best ratings of any new cable series of 2015 behind only The Last Ship and making the decision to bring back the show for another season a no-brainer for the network.
TNT has ordered a 10-episode second season which will air later this year.
The Plot:
The Librarians centers on an ancient organization hidden beneath the Metropolitan Public Library dedicated to protecting an unknowing world from the secret, magical reality hidden all around. Rebecca Romijn, Christian Kane, Lindy Booth, and John Kim star in the series as the newest protectors of the world’s mystical treasures, with Emmy winner John Larroquette as their reluctant caretaker. Noah Wyle recurs as Flynn Carsen, the role he played in TNT’s movie trilogy.
To say that Kingsman: The Secret Service is original is sort of like saying cigarettes prevent lung cancer. However, there are plenty of cinematic examples where a lack of originality does not spoil the fun … and for the most part, this rings true here.
The Kingsman (Kingsmen if it’s plural?) are an independent, secret society of spies who sport code names from King Arthur and his knights. They’re highly trained, always dress impeccably, and generally come from old money. For some reason, class warfare is one of the main themes here and the word ‘posh’ wasn’t used nearly as much as I would have thought for a film set in England. But I digress.
So the basic idea is that the good guys need to replace a fallen comrade while at the same time figure out who was behind his death. So the film runs you through the typical selection of the fittest contest (where brains and heart matter as much as muscle). And you know how that’s going to go when they place a kid from the wrong side of the tracks (or whatever the British equivalent is of that). And wouldn’t you know it? Once they figure out Samuel L. Jackson and his lisp are the enemy, of course things don’t all go to plan and some of the new blood must step in.
Now I could write a whole bunch of random things. Like how I feel like I wrote this plot on a napkin while waiting for my bacon cheeseburger and tots. Like not being totally onboard with the choice to have Jackson rock the lisp because it seemed like a lazy choice (but the audience loved it). Or like how the movie felt like RED meets James Bond meets Austin Powers meets Kick-Ass.
But in the end, I have to say it was entertaining. The actors seemed to have bought in. While the new kid (Taron Egerton) felt like a less annoying Ryan Phillipe, I always enjoy Colin Firth, Mark Hamill with a British accent is fun, and the CGI used to make it seem like Sofia Boutella was a top-class Paralympian with super sharp blade feet was top notch. Perhaps most surprising was watching Mark Strong play a good guy. He’s played a lot of baddies in his career so seeing him play the opposite was perhaps the most interesting element as far as acting choices.
In any case, there’s really not that much more to say here. Director Matthew Vaughn helms this predictable but likable effort just fine. Since he’s not butchering the X-Men source material here, his no-frills and generally paint-by-number approach didn’t offend me in the slightest. If you want your action-spy movies with the bare minimum of neural obstacles, Kingsman is for you. I turned my brain off and was decently entertained. I suspect if you can do the same, you’ll be too.
GRADE: C+
MPAA Rating: R for sequences of strong violence, language and some sexual content
Annet Mahendru as Nina Sergeevna in ‘The Americans’ (Photo by Ali Goldstein / FX)
Annet Mahendru admits that she wasn’t sure her character, Nina, would survive The Americans‘ second season given how she was playing both sides. Fortunately for both Mahendru and fans of the FX series, Nina did survive although her circumstances have drastically changed from seasons one and two.
With season three now underway and Nina locked up in prison, Mahendru took the time to take part in a conference call with journalists to discuss the show, Nina’s arc, and what viewers can expect from upcoming episodes.
FX’s The Americans airs on Wednesday nights at 10pm ET/PT.
Annet Mahendru The Americans Interview:
Obviously, it was a big blow to see Nina get sent back to Russia at the end of last season. What do you think was going on in her head, other than thoughts of the betrayal by Stan? Do you think there was any relief that it was finally over, that she didn’t have to play both sides anymore?
Annet Mahendru: “You know, yes. She is definitely going to face her own fate, and she’s decided to do it. She could have been exfiltrated. We had the car ready for her and Stan and already had the money for her and told her to run. I think she’s just going to face whatever it is.”
Nina is playing a bit of a different role this season. Can you talk a little bit about what’s in store for Nina in the coming episodes?
Annet Mahendru: “A lot of isolation. It’s finding your way to survive. She’s still tough. She’s still Nina but without all the ways she usually has to survive. It’s a really, really scary time, and you’re really just facing yourself.”
The scripts are so sharply written. Do the twists and turns still surprise you? And what was your initial reaction to getting the script for last season’s finale?
Annet Mahendru: “They always surprise me. It’s nice that way. I always know that there’s something crazy happening to Nina. There always is, but I never know what. The world is always moving, and it’s such a thrill for me as an artist. When I got the finale, I, too, was hopeful. There was still…Stan was in the car and she wasn’t alone yet. She wasn’t on the plane yet. There was a lot of possibility. Then you wait for the next one and then you find out that you’re in prison.”
You and Keri Russell don’t share any screen time, but there are a lot of similarities between Nina and Elizabeth. You’re both very good at your jobs, sometimes even more so than someone like Stan or someone like Philip. Do you see any similarities between Nina and Elizabeth?
Annet Mahendru: “Yes, that’s a great point. I do in the fact that Nina chooses to go back, not chooses, but she doesn’t run away. She doesn’t take Stan up on his plans because she was brought up in the Soviet Union. She’s a child of that belief system. The thing Stan is offering her is an American way; to have a choice, to get what you want, to succeed and then to be important. Her ways are you’re doing something for the greater good, for the people. She’s essentially jeopardized her people, and now she’s facing the consequences and she’s going for it. So that says a lot about, I guess, who she is. Elizabeth is also very true to her upbringing.”
Could you tell us anything about what we’ll see happen with Nina and her cellmate in the coming episodes?
Annet Mahendru: “Evi comes, and she’s a horrible intrusion to Nina’s life in prison, now to her little cell of privacy. She greets her with suspicion and hate because in her experience connecting with people has gotten her in trouble. Now she has nothing and who knows why this woman is there now and why she’s been joined with Nina. There’s just no trust at this point and no interest either. You’d think it’d be good to have someone to share with, but again, what can you share? You can’t in the world that she lives in.”
You mentioned there’s a lot of isolation for Nina this season. Are we going to see basically where her loyalties lie? She’s been betrayed on both sides and played both sides. Will you get to explore that at all this season, the idea of loyalty and the cause that she was originally brought into this whole world for?
Annet Mahendru: “Yes. She’s been there for four months now in isolation. One day sometimes is a long time. She’s been staring at those cracks on the wall and they kind of branch off and it’s kind of like her life. Had she done this, she would have been somewhere else. Had she never met Stan or actually never confessed where would her life have taken her?
She went from an accomplished KGB officer who’s done so much in her first tour, second in charge to a criminal. She’s thinking about Stan, and she’s thinking about Oleg, and about having nothing at the end and possibly facing 15 years at a prison camp. Just mulling over all that and going crazy.”
For season one, it was purely about survival and then in season two Nina felt she could play both sides. You didn’t know what her ultimate goal would be because she could easily go to either side. What’s her motivation this season? Is it survival? Is it trying to find a way out or maybe trying to find a loophole to escape?
Annet Mahendru: “I feel like she’s been doing everything that she’s been told to do. She’s been a really good student, and that has gotten her places. And now she’s, I think, really discovering who she really is and, I think, what her beliefs really are and what, maybe, what she wants. I think maybe we’ll really meet her now, this season.”
In an ideal case scenario, what would you like to happen to Nina in the endgame? Would you want her to defect or to run off with Oleg?
Annet Mahendru: “I want her to find her truth and her mission. Everything’s been part of someone else, a man, many men. She’s just maneuvering through and trying her best. I’ve been really ready for Nina to have her own mission; then you really discover who she is, and I think that’s really exhilarating.”
Does she have somebody she talk to and let her guard down and really show us who she is outside of the guard that she shows?
Annet Mahendru: “It’s always a tough one because she was trained to be a spy, so she’s always shape-shifting. She can be anything. That’s what she’s cut out to be, so to say. She’s had great training to connect with people. Again, but it’s all part of the job. She may enjoy it, or you may see her being her but, again, she knows the consequences. She knows if she opens too much, or if she doesn’t open enough, then she failed.
Her job so far has been seeing through people, working with these men. That was her mission, is people. It’s never just been, even with Oleg. Stan is a detective and Oleg is a spy, so she hasn’t yet met, I guess, a human being that’s just being real, being who they are without anyone to answer to. So, I don’t know. Then Oleg’s father comes to see her and there’s a lot of hope and it’s bizarre that he’s there. He’s a man of great influence, and again, he can do something for her just like the other men were able to, at least promise her survival.
At the same time, it’s so embarrassing. Here she is sitting, a criminal. Oleg really loves this woman and it’s very touching that someone actually loves you and is still fighting for you when you can have completely failed and have nothing. I think that really moves something in her.”
Has it surprised you that your character has stayed alive as long as she has? Has there been point where you thought it had to be the end for Nina?
Annet Mahendru: “Yes, the finale of season two. I remember I hadn’t gotten the script yet and things were looking really bad. Nina knew from the start that it would be impossible to turn Stan, and yet she did what she could and then comes to know, and of course, he’s unturnable. I was just waiting for the script and then I get a phone call from Joe and Joel and I was like, ‘This is deep. Is this the ‘you’re going to die?’ Oh, great.’ And they’re like, ‘No.’
I live for the story and there’s an aspect that, ‘Oh great, you’re dead.’ But you’re so in the story that, hey, if she needs to die. These writers, they create our world. They’re our father. You believe in their plan and if you’re going to die, you’re going to die. You’re doing it for the story. It’s so intense, even when I sit down and watch it on Wednesdays. I watch it, I’m there for the story, and I’m always laughing and screaming. It’s an incredible world. It’s so much fun.”
The show takes place during a time in the 1980s when American culture was trying to put down woman, yet there’s something like Working Girl and the rise of women starting to come up in the working field. Can you talk about Nina’s place within this discussion of women empowerment and on this show?
Annet Mahendru: “That’s a great, great topic. It’s been so interesting because she’s with these men ultimately, but there’s so much strength to her, and the men value that and see that in her. They work together and it’s so important when that happens. It feels like 50/50 with Stan and her other interactions and that’s what it should be like. They play their separate roles, as a woman and as a man, but they come together, and they do together and they understand each other. That’s really empowering.
Nina comes from a working-class family. She’s a very young pioneer. She went to school, studied her butt off, and got herself to this posting with her own merit and her abilities. She’s capable of anything. She’s worked really hard and she’s got her first posting in America. She’s there to protect the interests of her country, in a different country.
It’s such a position of strength and to see this woman survive is empowering, I guess. Even though Stan is a married man, it’s not definitive circumstances for this exploration but it comes all from a deeper place. It’s not selfish. It’s not conniving. It’s not any of that. She’s truly just finding her own way, working. Yes, I guess, she’s the example of a woman in those times and making really difficult decisions, but making them and following through. She really inspires me.”
Teo Yoo, Justin Chon and Esteban Ahn star in ‘Seoul Searching’
The Sundance Film Festival hit Seoul Searching features an all Asian cast, many of whom were first time actors found through a Facebook audition search. Teo Yoo had acted before, but he was pretty much born for the role of Klaus. Klaus is a German-Korean because his family moved to Hamburg after the Korean War. Yoo was also born in Germany.
Klaus joins a group of teenagers in Seoul Searching sent to a camp in 1986 to get in touch with their Korean roots. The camp was real for kids of emigrates but short-lived because of teenage hijinks even crazier than the ones in the film. Seoul Searching is modeled after the ‘80s John Hughes movies with comedy and heart for teens. Look for it in theaters after the buzz from Sundance. I got to speak with Yoo by phone from Korea.
Are you based in Korea, and how did the audition for Seoul Searching come up for you in Korea?
Teo Yoo: “I was born and raised in Germany like the character. I spent my time in Germany until I was 20 and after that I moved to New York where I studied acting. Even though in the film I look like a teenager, I’m actually 33 so I’ve been acting for quite some time now. I lived for a short time in Berlin but most of my time in New York where I did theater, a lot of indie film projects. Then in 2009 I moved to Korea where I’m based now.”
Could you relate to the story of Seoul Searching, getting back to your roots?
Teo Yoo: “For me it was very clear cut because he told me the real Klaus actually wanted to be a banker. He adapted that into the script. He’s kind of ashamed of his heritage because his parents are more on the lower end of society in terms of their jobs and their income. He wants to break out of that social status. Based on that, he helps an adopted girl find her biological mother. Basically that relationship affects him and makes him think about how good he has it. I tried to work on those emotional clues. I tried to work them into his physicality, so small technical things like the way he carries himself in the beginning, he totally transforms and carries himself at the end in an entirely different way. I tried to work physical moves into it and show the character arc. He’s stiff and he loosens up and becomes romantically involved with this girl who basically changes his world.”
That sounds like a very intricate performance. Did your acting background help you make those decisions?
Teo Yoo: “Yeah, this is my first time playing a lead character in a film and I feel like up until this point, it was more like a trial and error kind of thing. I did a lot of short films. I did a lot of theater. In feature films, I had a lot of bit parts. It felt like it came together in this project. I got really lucky.”
Did the cast have a camp together before the movie started to get to know each other?
Teo Yoo: “A few of us who had more time in pre-production, like Justin [Chon], Esteban [Ahn] and also Sue [Son] I think, we met two weeks earlier to rehearse. So by the time we started shooting, we were really comfortable with each other. I feel like the off screen chemistry that we developed shows on screen.”
Has the buzz from Sundance opened any new doors for you?
Teo Yoo: “For me, I’m hoping for a wide distribution in the U.S. but also in Korea because I’m based there as well. I’ve got to say, I think I was a little naive coming to Sundance because I didn’t know what to expect and I didn’t know how big a deal this could be. There have been a lot of good responses and a lot of people stepped forward to help in terms of representation and me getting to know other producers and directors. So I extended my stay for another three weeks, so I’m staying here until March. It has been good.”
I saw the second screening of Seoul Searching, so what was your premiere like?
Teo Yoo: “Well, it was amazing. We had standing ovations. People were reacting at all the right spots and subjectively it was overwhelming to see all of us in those bright ‘80s colors with the music and with the wardrobe and the costumes. It was just a ride, and the reactions have been great. The general audience loved it and we were kind of betting on that. We were hoping for it but we haven’t expected the kind of response that we actually got. People were coming up to us and actually asked us if they could vote for us. Thankfully we were in the Premiere section but movies from the Premiere section are not up for voting. So that was kind of sad but it has been great. I heard the last screening went great as well, so we had standing ovations for all three of them.”
James Franco is confirmed to star in the Hulu Original series 11/22/63 based on Stephen King’s bestseller. The new series is from King, executive producer/writer Bridget Carpenter, J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot Productions, and Warner Bros. Television. In addition to taking on the lead role of English teacher Jake Tepping, Franco is also on board as a producer.
11/22/63 will air as a nine-hour event series.
Back in September 2014 when the series was announced, King said, “If I ever wrote a book that cries out for long-form, event TV programming, 11/22/63 is it. I’m excited that it’s going to happen, and am looking forward to working with J.J. Abrams and the whole Bad Robot team.”
The Plot:
11/22/63 is a thriller in which high school English teacher Jake Epping travels back in time to prevent the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. But his mission is threatened by Lee Harvey Oswald, his falling in love and the past itself … which doesn’t want to be changed.
The Walking Dead creator/executive producer Robert Kirkman’s Outcast has received a series order from Cinemax. Season one of the supernatural thriller will consist of 10 episodes with Kirkman and Chris Black, David Alpert, Sharon Tal Yguado, and Sue Naegle executive producing.
“We are thrilled to be in business with Robert Kirkman, a visionary talent who has the unique ability to tap into today’s zeitgeist, making him a perfect fit for the newly expanded Cinemax roster,” said Michael Lombardo, president, HBO Programming.
“We couldn’t be more excited to bring Robert Kirkman’s new drama to Cinemax. Outcast is an ambitious series and Adam Wingard has directed a powerful pilot. I am very proud of the work that Robert, Sharon and team have put together,” said Hernan Lopez, President and CEO, FOX International Channels.
The Plot:
Outcast, based on the Skybound/Image comic title by creator Robert Kirkman and artist Paul Azaceta, follows Kyle Barnes, a young man who has been plagued by demonic possession all his life. Now, with the help of the Reverend Anderson, a preacher with personal demons of his own, Kyle embarks on a journey to find answers and regain the normal life he lost. But what Kyle discovers could change his fate — and the fate of the world — forever.
Patrick Fugit (Gone Girl) stars as Barnes, a man searching for answers, and for redemption, who sequesters himself from those he loves for fear of causing greater hurt. Philip Glenister stars as Reverend Anderson, a West Virginia evangelist who believes he is a soldier in God’s holy war against the forces of evil on Earth. An inveterate drinker and gambler, he doesn’t believe God intends people to sweat the small stuff. Gabriel Bateman stars as Joshua Austin, an eight-year-old who lives across town from Kyle. To his family’s dismay, he appears to be in the clutches of demonic possession, but there’s something very different about this possession and its connection to Kyle Barnes.
Oscar producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron announced Grammy winner Lady Gaga will perform on this year’s Oscars. According to the producers, Lady Gaga will make her first appearance on the awards show performing a “special tribute.”
“Lady Gaga is a once-in-a-lifetime artist whose musical evolution keeps growing. We are proud to have her perform on the Oscars for the very first time,” says Zadan and Meron.
Lady Gaga joins a list of musical performers that includes Anna Kendrick, Adam Levine, Jennifer Hudson, Tegan and Sara, The Lonely Island, Tim McGraw, John Legend, and Common. The 2015 Oscars will take place on February 22nd with Neil Patrick Harris set to host. ABC will air the show live beginning at 7pm ET/4pm PT.
This week’s episode of The Vampire Diaries will be bittersweet as it’s the last episode for actor Steven R. McQueen who plays Jeremy on the popular The CW series. Airing on February 12, 2015, “Stay” was written by Brian Young and Caroline Dries and directed by Chris Grismer.
The Plot:
GOODBYE, MYSTIC FALLS — It’s Jeremy’s (McQueen) last day in Mystic Falls and Elena (Nina Dobrev) puts on a brave face as they reminisce about their past. Stefan (Paul Wesley) and Caroline (Candice Accola) find themselves growing closer as they prepare Caroline’s family cabin for her mother to live out her final days. While packing up her office, Sheriff Forbes (guest star Marguerite MacInytre) turns to Damon (Ian Somerhalder) for help solving one of her remaining open cases involving Elena’s parents.
Elsewhere, when a violent confrontation with Enzo (Michael Malarkey) leaves Jeremy wondering whether he should leave or not, Matt (Zach Roerig) finds his own life on the line after Enzo lures him and Sarah Salvatore (guest star Tristan Mays) into his dangerous plan. Lastly, Caroline rushes to the hospital after learning her mother has taken a turn for the worse.
Sony Pictures has released the first official photo of Daniel Craig as James Bond in the action adventure film Spectre directed by Sam Mendes. The studio also unveiled the first behind the scenes vlog (video blog) from the film’s shoot in Austria. The short video provides a look at a major action scene from the new Bond film along with interviews with the cast and crew, as well as a brief shot at the end of Daniel Craig in action.
In addition to Craig, the Spectre cast includes Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, Ben Whishaw, Rory Kinnear, Christoph Waltz, Léa Seydoux, Dave Bautista, Monica Bellucci, and Andrew Scott.
Spectre opens in theaters on November 6, 2015.
The Plot:
A cryptic message from Bond’s past sends him on a trail to uncover a sinister organization. While M battles political forces to keep the secret service alive, Bond peels back the layers of deceit to reveal the terrible truth behind SPECTRE.
