Iggy Azalea (Photo Courtesy of the People’s Choice Awards)
Iggy Azalea and Fall Out Boy have been added to the lineup for the 2015 People’s Choice Awards airing on CBS on January 7, 2015. In addition to performing live, it’s possible Iggy Azalea will be taking the stage three times as she also earned her first People’s Choice Awards nominations this year in the Favorite Female Artist and the Favorite Hip Hop Artist categories.
Lady Antebellum was previously announced as a performer on the 2015 show. The awards show/popularity contest will be hosted by Mom stars Anna Faris and Allison Janney and will air at 9pm ET/PT. Fan voting, which is now closed in all but two categories, determines the People’s Choice Awards winners.
“We are thrilled that Iggy Azalea and Fall Out Boy will be joining us and performing live for our fans,” stated executive producer Mark Burnett. “Iggy’s multiple Grammy, People’s Choice, and MTV Video Music Award nominations speak to her popularity with the music industry and fans alike. As a past People’s Choice Awards winner, Fall Out Boy will see firsthand how much their fans love them when they take that stage live for the first time at the show.”
Poster for ‘Get Hard’ (Courtesy of Warner Bros Pictures)
Warner Bros Pictures has released the official trailer and new poster for the comedy movie Get Hard starring Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart. The cast of the 2015 comedy, directed by first-time feature film helmer Etan Cohen, also includes Tip “T.I.” Harris, Alison Brie, and Craig T. Nelson.
Warner Bros Pictures is opening Get Hard in theaters on March 27, 2015.
The Plot:
When millionaire hedge fund manager James (Will Ferrell) is nailed for fraud and bound for a stretch in San Quentin, the judge gives him 30 days to get his affairs in order. Desperate, he turns to Darnell (Kevin Hart) to prep him for a life behind bars. But despite James’ one-percenter assumptions, Darnell is a hard-working small business owner who has never received a parking ticket, let alone been to prison. Together, the two men do whatever it takes for James to “get hard” and, in the process, discover how wrong they were about a lot of things – including each other.
Claire Randall (Caitriona Balfe) and Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan) in ‘Outlander’ (Photo Courtesy of Starz)
Christmas just came early for Outlander fans as Starz has released a new teaser for the second half of season one that’s filled with clips of Jamie (Sam Heughan) and Claire (Caitriona Balfe). In the new video, Heughan promises a ‘darker’ second half of the season, and if you’re familiar with the books, you know exactly what he’s talking about.
The Outlander season one part two video also features clips of Black Jack Randall (Tobias Menzies) as well as series executive producer Ronald D. Moore discussing what’s in store for Outlander fans.
Outlander returns with all new episodes on April 4, 2015 at 9pm ET/PT.
The Plot:
The Outlander series spans the genres of romance, science fiction, history, and adventure in one epic tale. It follows the story of Claire Randall, a married combat nurse from 1945, who is mysteriously swept back in time to 1743. Upon her arrival, she is immediately thrown into an unknown world where her life is threatened. But when she is forced to marry Jamie Fraser, a chivalrous and romantic young Scottish warrior, a passionate relationship is ignited. Now, Claire’s heart is torn between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.
“This place is waking up for the first time, and we have no idea what is out there,” says Larry (Ben Stiller) to Teddy (Robin Williams), Attila the Hun, (Patrick Gallagher), Ahkmenrah (Rami Malek), and the rest of the New York Museum statues who come to life when the sun goes down due to the magic from a mysterious tablet. The gang has sneaked into the British Museum in hopes of fixing the magical tablet that’s quickly losing its powers in the third and final installment of the family, fantasy adventure movie, Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb.
After a horrible premiere night at the New York Museum of Natural History where all the statues, who are pretending to be special effects, go berserk and almost get him fired, Larry discovers the mysterious tablet that causes all the museum’s pieces of fine art to come alive at night is showing signs of decay and is losing its power. Ahkmenrah tells Larry the only person who knows all the secrets of the tablet is his father, Merenkahre (Ben Kingsley), who’s currently housed in the British Museum in London.
Not wanting his friends to return to being just lifeless pieces of art, Larry and a small band of museum exhibits travel to London and bluff their way past the night security guard, Tilly (Rebel Wilson), to get into the museum with the tablet.
Once inside, Larry and the gang set out to find Merenkahre and learn from him how to fix the tablet. Given that it’s the first time the British Museum artifacts have come to life, they quickly begin creating all kinds of chaos and distractions for Larry, Teddy, Jedediah (Owen Wilson), and the rest of the gang. With only a few hours left, Larry becomes increasingly desperate to find Merenkahre before time runs out and his friends become lifeless, motionless statues forever.
Funny, bittersweet, and at times even a bit poignant, Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb ends the trilogy with just the right amount of hijinks, magic and heart that the first film had…and perhaps even more. Ben Stiller is back as Larry Daley, the divorced, single dad and nighttime security guard and in this third film, he’s more mature and capable than in the first two movies.
Larry’s determined to save his friends no matter the cost, and Stiller’s obviously completely comfortable handling the role for this third outing. Stiller also does double duty this time out as a caveman who was made in the image of Larry and who, when he comes alive, believes Larry to be his “Dada,” which leads to lots of silly and very funny moments.
It’s extremely difficult not to get a little sad and perhaps choked up when watching Robin Williams, who the world lost far too soon this past summer, reprising his role as Teddy Roosevelt and Larry’s right-hand man. It’s a more subtle and controlled performance by Williams as Teddy fights and faces his fear of becoming a lifeless statue.
Owen Wilson and Steve Coogan return once again as Jedediah and Octavius, the tiny Cowboy and Roman soldier who end up going on their own little adventure away from the rest of the group and provide many of the laugh-out-loud moments in this third film of the series.
New to the Museum universe is Ben Kingsley, who is pitch perfect as Merenkahre, the Egyptian Pharaoh who knows all the secrets to the tablet but is in no hurry to share. Even Kingsley gets a few funny lines and is entertaining to watch as he banters with Stiller. Downton Abbey’s Dan Stevens joins the cast as Sir Lancelot, who has just come to life and doesn’t realize he’s really a museum piece as he joins the quest to save the tablet.
The production design and special effects in Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb are once again first-rate as dinosaurs, lions, serpents, and all kinds of museum artifacts come alive and create chaos. Also, there are a few terrific cameos (which will not be revealed here) to watch for that add even more energy to an already jammed-packed adventure.
Humorous and with plenty of heart, Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb is a fitting farewell to Larry, Teddy, Jedediah, Octavius, and the rest of the gang from the New York Museum of Natural History.
(Appearing on screen during the end credits: “For Robin Williams – The Magic Never Ends.”)
GRADE: B
Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb is rated PG for mild action, some rude humor, and brief language.
Tom Hiddleston singing a Christmas carol with an adorable dog cuddled lovingly in his arms? Yes, it did happen and there’s a video to prove it.
Hiddleston, the very lucky dog Mono, and Country singer Rodney Crowell teamed up to wish the world happy holidays with a short but sweet video of them singing “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.” Hiddleston and Crowell did the video for fans while working on the upcoming Hank Williams biopic, I Saw the Light, at Crowell’s studio. Hiddleston stars as Williams in the 2015 drama directed by Marc Abraham, and Crowell is both the executive music producer and plays Williams’ father, Elonzo Huble ‘Lon’ Williams.
Mono is Rodney’s “wonder dog” and was apparently charged with supervising the holiday message.
Antony Starr in ‘Banshee’ season 3, episode 1. (Photo by Gregory Shummon / Courtesy of Cinemax)
Banshee kicks off a 10 episode season three on Cinemax on Friday, January 9, 2015 at 10pm ET/PT with Antony Starr, Ivana Milicevic, Ulrich Thomsen, Frankie Faison, and Hoon Lee back in starring roles. Cast members returning for a third season also include Rus Blackwell, Matt Servitto, Trieste Kelly Dunn, Ryann Shane, Lili Simmons, Odette Annable, and Geno Segers.
Joining the cast as regulars this upcoming season are Langley Kirkwood and Afton Williamson. Denis O’Hare, Chaske Spencer, Tom Pelphrey, and Meaghan Rath will have guest starring roles in season three.
The series was created by Jonathan Tropper and Peter Macdissi and is executive produced by Tropper, Macdissi, Alan Ball, and Greg Yaitanes.
Banshee Season 3 January 2015 Episodes:
Episode #21: “The Fire Trials”
Debut: FRIDAY, JAN. 9 (10:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT)
Other CINEMAX playdates: Jan. 9 (11:00 p.m., midnight, 2:20 a.m.), 10 (9:00 p.m., midnight) 11 (5:00 p.m.), 12 (8:00 p.m., 11:00 p.m.) and 14 (9:00 p.m., 1:25 a.m.)
Lucas (Antony Starr), Brock (Matt Servitto) and Siobhan (Trieste Kelly Dunn) exact payback on a skinhead responsible for Emmett’s death. Now waitressing at a local diner, Carrie (Ivana Milicevic) faces new challenges in the wake of her revelation to Gordon (Rus Blackwell) and Deva (Ryann Shane) about her past. After Alex Longshadow’s death, a new, menacing threat looms on the horizon for Lucas, not to mention Proctor (Ulrich Thomsen) and Rebecca (Lili Simmons): Chayton Littlestone (Geno Segers), hell-bent on whipping the Kinaho tribe into a frenzy of violence against their enemies. Investigating the murder of four Marines, Lucas eyes the possibility of a huge, if dangerous, heist, and attempts to reenlist Job (Hoon Lee) to help him and Sugar (Frankie Faison) pull it off.
Written by Jonathan Tropper; directed by Loni Peristere.
Episode #22: “Snakes and Whatnot”
Debut: FRIDAY, JAN. 16 (10:00-11:00 p.m.)
Other CINEMAX playdates: Jan. 16 (11:00 p.m., midnight), 17 (9:00 p.m., 12:05 a.m.) 18 (3:40 p.m.), 19 (8:00 p.m., 12:30 a.m.) and 21 (9:00 p.m., 1:30 a.m.)
As Lucas and Carrie case the tunnels under Camp Genoa, Proctor and Rebecca find themselves in a territorial faceoff with two rival drug suppliers and, later, are threatened by a pair of Chayton’s thugs. Lucas and new deputy Billy Raven (Chaske Spencer) pay a visit to a decidedly unfriendly Kinaho bar. Carrie tries to end a relationship with Col. Douglas Stowe (Langley Kirkwood), who may be misrepresenting the amount of cash in Camp Genoa. Gordon hits rock bottom before resolving to turn his life around.
Written by Halley Gross; directed by Loni Peristere.
Episode #23: “A Fixer of Sorts”
Debut: FRIDAY, JAN. 23 (10:00-11:00 p.m.)
Other playdates: Jan. 23 (11:00 p.m., midnight), 24 (9:00 p.m., 12:05 p.m.), 25 (5:10 p.m.), 26 (8:00 p.m., 12:45 a.m.) and 28 (9:00 p.m., 1:10 a.m.)
Lucas’ secret is threatened when he’s arrested by FBI Special Agent Robert Phillips (Denis O’Hare), but both men end up at the mercy of Raymond Brantley (Shuler Hensley), a mob kingpin with a deadly mobile agenda. Against Chayton’s orders, Tommy Littlestone (Ricky Russert) spearheads a second strike against Proctor at a local gentlemen’s club. A revenge-minded Nola Longshadow (Odette Annable) mixes it up with Burton (Matthew Rauch) at Proctor’s mansion.
Written by Justin Britt-Gibson; directed by Magnus Martens.
Episode #24: “Real Life Is the Nightmare”
Debut: FRIDAY, JAN. 30 (10:00-11:00 p.m.)
Other CINEMAX playdates: Jan. 30 (11:00 p.m., midnight), 31 (9:00 p.m., 11:30 p.m.), and Feb. 1 (3:45 p.m.), 2 (8:00 p.m., 12:50 a.m.) and 4 (9:00 p.m., 12:45 a.m.)
Siobhan is torn between exposing Lucas and keeping his secret. Brock seethes upon learning that his ex, Emily (Tanya Clarke), is working as a caregiver for Proctor’s mom. Rebecca impresses Burton but inflames Chayton. Job and Sugar mop up critical surveillance. Carrie takes off on a thrill ride after walking out on her job. Gordon changes his mind about Proctor’s plea bargain. Chayton readies his army for an assault.
Written by Justin Britt-Gibson; directed by Magnus Martens.
Stephen Colbert’s final The Colbert Report aired on December 18, 2014 and the final 15 minutes were packed with celebrities saying good-bye to Colbert and the show. With Randy Newman at the piano, Jon Stewart, Bryan Cranston, Willie Nelson, Mandy Patinkin, Mandy Patinkin, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Tom Brokaw, Yo-Yo Ma, David Gregory, JJ Abrams, Cyndi Lauper, Big Bird, and Jeff Daniels helped send Stephen Colbert off in style.
Celebrity fans turning out to bid farewell to Colbert also included Sam Waterston, Bill de Blasio, Toby Keith, Ken Burns, Katie Couric, James Franco, Michael Stipe, Cookie Monster, Kareem Abdul-Jabar, Barry Manilow, Christiane Amanpour, Patrick Stewart, David Gregory, Ariana Huffington, Alan Alda, Eliot Spitzer, George Lucas, Henry Kissinger, Bob Costas, Elijah Wood, Tim Meadows, Vince Gilligan, Bill Clinton, JJ Abrams, and Smaug. Following a rousing rendition of “We’ll Meet Again,” Colbert meets up with Santa, Abraham Lincoln, and Alex Trebek, and they all head off into the night sky.
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies is the best of the Hobbit lot. It doesn’t come close to Peter Jackson’s cinematic versions of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings saga, but at least it finishes Jackson’s time in Middle Earth on a relatively happy note.
The Hobbit #1 was a red hot mess. The Hobbit #2 redeemed Jackson in the eyes of many Hobbit fans, and now with The Hobbit #3 the filmmaker who’s devoted so many years delving into Tolkien’s world of hobbits, dwarves, elves, orcs, and wizards sends the whole series off with an action-packed, CGI-loaded movie that gives a wink and a nod to all of his previous visits to this fantastical world full of colorful characters.
While you might assume a movie titled The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies might actually feature a hobbit front and center in the story, that’s not the case with this third and final film of the franchise. This one’s actually all about the dwarves, in particular Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage), and their return to their home in Erebor (aka Lonely Mountain). The dwarves take up residence following Smaug’s departure, however, they aren’t the only race that wants the treasure stored in its vaults. Orcs, wargs, humans, and elves are all after a share of the treasure, and a war breaks out, thus the film’s title of The Battle of Five Armies.
The Story:
When we first catch up with the decidedly not merry band of dwarves and their hobbit companion, Smaug (with a velvety yet chilling voice supplied by Benedict Cumberbatch) is terrorizing Laketown. Smaug’s set fire to the settlement and its residents are fleeing in panic, with the exception of Bard the Bowman (Luke Evans) who makes a stand against the gigantic fire-breathing beast. Jackson kicks off The Hobbit #3 with Smaug’s fiery attack, effectively setting the stage for battles to come.
There’s a few entertaining scenes of simple interactions between characters, but for the most part, The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies is short on dialogue and long on action scenes. Jackson actually made this final film the shortest of the set and packed it with so many fight scenes, that keeping track of who/what is fighting for/against the dwarves’ rights to the Lonely Mountain is almost unnecessary.
Highlights among the many action sequences include Legolas (Orlando Bloom) in an epic fight against a CGI creature on a CGI bridge, Tauriel (Evangeline Lilly) attempting to protect her dwarf boyfriend, Thranduil (Lee Pace) riding around on an elf/moose/mythical beast-thing, and Galadriel (Cate Blanchett) transforming into the creepiest elf ever seen in a Hobbit or LoTR film. Allegiances shift, Thorin loses his mind while obsessing about the Arkenstone, and the outcome of the battle for the mountain ultimately rests in the hands of a hobbit.
The Bottom Line:
While you’ll walk away from this final Hobbit film easily able to recall the action scenes, Jackson and his co-writers did manage to work in a few quieter, emotional scenes that help release the tension built up by watching orcs, elves, dwarves, and the rest of the creatures fight for control of the Lonely Mountain’s treasure. The elf-dwarf romance provides a tiny reprieve from all the warring going on, and any scene with Bilbo (Martin Freeman) and Gandalf (Sir Ian McKellen) is a pleasure to watch.
The CGI is better overall in The Battle of the Five Armies than the first Hobbit film and there’s not a lot of extraneous material in this third film of the series. Fortunately, there’s not a single scene of dwarves wandering the hills or sitting around a table singing. Also working in this Hobbit‘s favor is a satisfying ending that doesn’t fool you into believing the credits are about to roll when there’s actually a few more false endings to come.
GRADE: B
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies is rated PG-13 for extended sequences of intense fantasy action violence, and frightening images.
The Last Five Years, based on the musical by Jason Robert Brown, is showing off a new poster and trailer featuring Anna Kendrick (Pitch Perfect) and Jeremy Jordan (Smash). Richard LaGravenese adapted Brown’s musical for the screen and directs the dramatic film which is heading to theaters and On Demand on February 13, 2015.
The Plot:
In this adaptation of the hit musical, The Last Five Years is a musical deconstruction of a love affair and a marriage taking place over a five year period. Jamie (Jordan), a young, talented up-and-coming Jewish novelist falls in love with Cathy (Kendrick), a Shiksa Goddess and struggling actress. Their story is told almost entirely through song. All of Cathy’s songs begin at the end of their marriage and move backwards in time to the beginning of their love affair, while Jamie’s songs start at the beginning of their affair and move forward to the end of their marriage. They meet in the center when Jamie proposes.
Poster for ‘The Americans’ (Photo Copyright 2014, FX Networks. All rights reserved.)
FX’s critically acclaimed thriller The Americans returns for season three on January 28, 2015 at 10pm ET/PT and the network’s just revealed a new short teaser for the upcoming much-anticipated series. Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys return in starring roles, and in the clip we see the Jennings family is constantly in the path of danger – even at home.
The Plot:
The Americans is a period drama about the complex marriage of two KGB spies posing as Americans in suburban Washington D.C. shortly after Ronald Reagan is elected President. The arranged marriage of Philip (Rhys) and Elizabeth Jennings (Russell), who have two children – 14-year-old Paige (Holly Taylor) and 11-year-old Henry (Keidrich Sellati), who know nothing about their parents’ true identity – grows more passionate and genuine by the day, but is constantly tested by the escalation of the Cold War and the intimate, dangerous and darkly funny relationships they must maintain with a network of spies and informants under their control.
The trickiest of Philip’s sources continues to be Martha (Alison Wright), the assistant to Special Agent Gaad (Richard Thomas). In order to ensure her continued loyalty, Philip, in the guise of FBI bureaucrat “Clark,” one of his numerous cover identities, marries her. Things were going smoothly until Martha began pressuring Clark to start a family. Their neighbor, FBI Agent Stan Beeman (Noah Emmerich), could also prove to be a renewed threat. When forced to choose between betraying his country or his KGB double-agent and paramour Nina (Annet Mahendru), Stan chose the USA.
Nina has been sent back to Moscow to face charges of treason, much to the dismay of her boss Arkady (Lev Gorn), Director of the KGB Rezidentura. In addition to his rededication to his mission of uncovering the identities of the Russian spies living among them, Stan is also attempting to rebuild a relationship with his estranged wife Sandra (Susan Misner). Meanwhile, in the Jennings’ house, Philip and Elizabeth find themselves at odds over Paige’s future now that the KGB has made it clear that they want her to join the family business.
