Nicki Minaj apparently didn’t have time to zip up her dress, Katy Perry and Riff Raff did their best to pay tribute to Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake’s denim attire from the 2001’s VMAs, Miley Cyrus showed a surprising amount of restraint, and Beyonce seemed to still be in love with Jay Z…all of these things you missed if you didn’t tune in to the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards on August 25, 2014.
Minaj was part of an opening act at the VMA’s, along with Jessie J and Ariana, which required a quick costume change. Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough time to finish zipping up, and she wound up holding the front of her outfit together which caused much speculation across the Twittersphere on whether or not there had been a wardrobe malfunction. The performance began with Ariana Grande singing some of “Break Free,” followed by Minaj performing “Anaconda” (without the snake that bit her backup dancer during rehearsals). Then Jessie J arrived on stage to finish up with a collaborative performance of “Bang Bang.”
As for the grown-up version of Miley Cyrus who attended the show in place of the twerking, tongue-out version, this new Cyrus won the award for Video of the Year and had a homeless teenager she met in a shelter last week take the stage to accept the award. Jesse spoke on behalf of the millions of runaways and homeless youth who are fighting for their lives on the streets. After the show, Cyrus used her Facebook page to deliver a message about how to donate to help out.
2014 MTV Video Music Award Winners
VIDEO OF THE YEAR:
Miley Cyrus – “Wrecking Ball”
BEST HIP HOP:
Drake ft. Majid Jordan – “Hold On (We’re Going Home)”
Can AMC please just stop with the teasing and release a real trailer for the new series Better Call Saul? This new video features series creator Vince Gilligan talking about when the series is set in relation to the events of Breaking Bad and where audiences will pick up the life of Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk).
Yes, there’s another Amityville film heading to theaters and, yes, it’s a sequel. Amityville: The Awakening once again finds an unsuspecting family moving into the house at 112 Ocean Avenue, and this time around it’s Jennifer Jason Leigh as a single mom with three kids who discovers there really is something to fear about things that go bump in the night. Directed by Franck Khalfoun, The Weinstein Company’s Amityville: The Awakening opens in theaters on April 15, 2015.
The Plot:
Belle (Bella Thorne), her little sister, and her comatose twin brother (Cameron Monaghan) move into a new house with their single mother Joan in order to save money to help pay for her brother’s expensive healthcare. But when strange phenomena begin to occur in the house including the miraculous recovery of her brother, Belle begins to suspect her Mother isn’t telling her everything and soon realizes they just moved into the infamous Amityville house.
Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence, right), Effie Trinket (Elizabeth Banks, center) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson, left) in THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE. (Photo Credit: Murray Close / Lionsgate Films)
TNT will be airing both The Hunger Games and Divergent movies as part of a deal with Lionsgate. After the upcoming The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 and 2 finish up their theatrical releases, they’ll make their TV debuts on TNT. Plus, the first two Hunger Games movies will air on TNT during the winter of 2015 and winter 2016. Mockingjay Part 1 will air in 2017 and Part 2 will air in 2018.
The deal for Divergent gives TNT the rights to air all four of the planned films of the franchise.
“The Hunger Games and Divergent franchises fit perfectly within TNT’s brand evolution and expansion into action-packed genre programming,” said Michael Wright, President, Head of Programming for TNT, TBS and Turner Classic Movies (TCM). “Like our current hits The Last Ship and Legends and the upcoming series The Librarians, the movies in these franchises are ideal for drawing young adults to the network. We look forward to making The Hunger Games and Divergent movies the kind of event programming that will engage and excite fans for years to come.”
“We’re delighted to launch this partnership with TNT for two of our biggest global franchises,” added Jim Packer, Lionsgate President of Worldwide Television & Digital Distribution. “The agreement underscores the breadth and depth of our content portfolio and supplies TNT with blockbuster franchises that will resonate with their audiences for many years to come.”
Coldplay’s just released the official video for their third single off of Ghost Stories. The “True Love” video, which features Chris Martin and Jessica Lucas as ballet-lovers wearing sumo suits, was directed by Jonas Akerlund.
The new Ghost Stories single follows the release of top 10 singles “Magic” and “A Sky Full Of Stars.”
Jessica Alba returns to the world of Sin City, reprising her role as a stripper named Nancy in the sequel Sin City: A Dame to Kill For now playing in theaters. The film reunites the actress with filmmaker Robert Rodriguez who she previously worked with on Sin City, Machete, and Spy Kids: All the Time in the World.
And in this interview courtesy of The Weinstein Company, Alba talks about her working relationship with Rodriguez and Frank Miller, how she’s not at all like her character, and her character’s transition from victim to someone who takes charge of her destiny.
Dane DeHaan and Aubrey Plaza in ‘Life After Beth’ (Photo Courtesy of A24)
Kitchen appliances always come with an instruction manual that explains how the item works and the potential dangers of not using it properly. Here are 10 films (Final Destination films are excluded) that put kitchen appliances to unconventional uses that would most definitely invalidate the warranties. Do not try any of this at home. (Some spoilers below.)
1. Time and Tide (2000) – Refrigerator
In this Hong Kong action film Nicolas Tse gets trapped in an apartment where a gas leak threatens to blow the whole place up. So he simply clears out the fridge and locks himself in to survive the blast. Nicely done and of course well presented by director Tsui Hark. But remember all those warnings you got as a kid NOT to lock yourself in a fridge because you would not be able to get out? Well I guess you can assume the blast blew the door open.
2. The Raid (2011) – Refrigerator
Director Gareth Evans adds a twist to the refrigerator gag in his Indonesian action film. The cops trapped inside an apartment building controlled by drug dealers get cornered in a kitchen and escape by turning the fridge into a bomb. They load it with a large natural gas tank, turn the door of fridge toward the hallway, and BOOM! Momentary relief from the onslaught of henchmen… momentary.
3. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) – Refrigerator
Okay, this film gets a lot of flack for being awful and yes it is the worst Indiana Jones film ever. But… it does have a creative if wholly unbelievable use for a refrigerator. Near the beginning of the film, Indy finds himself in the fake model home at an atomic test site just as the bomb is about to be set off. So Indy climbs into a fridge and survives not just the nuclear detonation but also being thrown hundreds of feet in the air. The test site town is leveled but Indy pops out of the fridge just fine. I think someone suggested it was a lead-lined fridge. Hmm? Really? But the film is responsible for this entry in the Urban Dictionary: “Nuke the fridge is a colloquialism used to refer to the moment in a film series that is so incredible that it lessens the excitement of subsequent scenes that rely on more understated action or suspense, and it becomes apparent that a certain installment is not as good as a previous installments, due to ridiculous or low quality storylines, events or characters.” Invalidated the warranty I’d say.
4. Dead Alive (aka Braindead, 1992) – Blender
Peter Jackson, who was so clever and inventive in his early years before he had the money for limitless CGI, displayed ingenuity in this zombie apocalypse film in many ways. A lawnmower proves to be the weapon of mass destruction to save the hero and his girl from the zombie horde. But on a smaller scale, a single zombie baby is whipped to death in a blender. Perhaps a new twist on the zombie cocktail. A blender also proved useful in destroying the vicious toys of Small Soldiers.
5. Gremlins (1984) – Mixer and Microwave
It seems your kitchen appliance can come in quite handy as a defense weapon whenever facing bombs or small vicious enemies. In Gremlins there is a whole scene in a kitchen employing a mixer (I think it’s a mixer or perhaps an odd blender), TV dinner table, knife, and microwave. A housewife has to be able to improvise when faced with unexpected guests and Frances Lee McCain does wonders in her kitchen. She whips one nasty gremlin to death and explodes another in the microwave. Go mom!
6. Torn Curtain (1966) – Oven
Leave it to Alfred Hitchcock to create a deliciously tense murder scene in which two people are trying to gas a third in the kitchen oven. Paul Newman and Carolyn Conwell face off against East German security officer Wolfgang Kieling in a small farm kitchen. The scene brilliantly shows how hard it can sometimes be to kill one person. Newman disarms the man and struggles with him. Conwell decides against using a noisy gun with the man’s partner just outside, so she tries a kitchen knife but it breaks off without inflicting a fatal wound. She also hits him with a shovel before finally deciding to drag him to the gas oven and shoving his head in. Maybe not the most elegant means of disposing of someone but in Hitchcock’s hands this scene was killer.
7. Life After Beth (2014) – Oven
In this zom-rom-break up-com Dane DeHaan’s girlfriend Aubrey Plaza dies… and then comes back from the dead. At first she just seems confused but soon she starts to crave human flesh. She also develops some superhero strength. To keep her from eating everyone, her mom impales her to the kitchen stove. This works for a bit but doesn’t stop her from taking a little hike with her beloved. The image of Plaza with the oven strapped to her back as she hikes up a hill is priceless.
8. Rolling Thunder (1977) – Garbage Disposal
In this story and script by Paul Schrader there’s no jokiness as a man’s kitchen appliance proves to be a device of torture. William Devane is a Vietnam vet and former POW who is attacked in his home by four thugs. They want the 2555 silver dollars that were given to him as a homecoming gift from the town (one silver dollar for each day of his captivity). But when the thugs beat him, he has flashbacks to his torture in Hanoi and he refuses to break. They then shove his hand down the garbage disposal and grind it to pulp. His wife and son return home and tell the thugs where to find the money then all three are shot and left for dead. Devane survives, gets a hook for a hand, and heads off with fellow vet Tommy Lee Jones to get revenge. Solid and underappreciated revenge thriller, and nasty use of a kitchen appliance that everyone probably has a little fear of each time something drops in and you have to reach in to get it out.
9. Last House on the Left (2009) – Microwave
Revenge figures prominently in this remake of Wes Craven’s grindhouse cult classic. In this case the father of a young girl who is raped and left for dead by a group of thugs sets out to get even. When the father has a chance for revenge on the lead thug, he does so by paralyzing him from the neck down and placing his head in an active microwave.
10. The Refrigerator (1991)
And finally this ultra low budget film proves that a refrigerator is not always a beneficial thing. This one seems possessed as it exerts mind control over people and kills a few too. There’s also an even lower budget and more painful to watch short called Attack of the Killer Refrigerator that has a flesh hungry fridge.
Bonus Pick: Hardware Wars (short, 1978)
This short film went outside the realm of kitchen appliances, throwing in everything but the kitchen sink, to spoof Star Wars and space operas. There are flying toasters, hand mixers, and irons battling in space as well as a waffle space station. Lots of fun with home appliances and maybe an inspiration to you to look around the house and see what you can put to cinematic use.
Omar Epps made his first trip to the San Diego Comic-Con as part of the cast of ABC’s Resurrection, the new drama that debuted in March 2014 and had an eight-episode run that left off with an incredibly intense cliffhanger. Season two will premiere in September 2014 and at Comic-Con, Epps explained (without giving away any spoilers) what we can expect to see happening to his character. He also talked about the initial appeal of the show and what it is he latched onto about ‘Martin Bellamy.’
Omar Epps Resurrection Interview
How was it preparing for this role as the series’ lead?
Omar Epps: “I don’t approach it any different, in terms of my preparation, in terms of how seriously I take what I do. It’s not more work creatively; it’s more work in the business part, the marketing, and stuff. But for me, that’s fun, and that’s what I love to do. I love to get out there and talk with you guys, and get a bead on how things are going in terms of how people are responding to this trailer or having questions about this. I’m able to take all that information…or at least I’m able to do my part and come back and say, ‘This is translating. What do you think about this?’ In terms of carrying the show, I feel we’re all carrying the show.”
What is your personal take on the afterlife?
Omar Epps: “My personal take is simple it’s that energy is forever, and whatever that means to you, that’s what it is. For me, energy lives forever. So I don’t knock anyone else’s belief. I just think whatever you believe, that’s the central thing.”
What was it about Martin that resonated with you?
Omar Epps: “Because I couldn’t put my finger on him. My approach to a character doesn’t start with a character, it starts with the overall story. And if that resonates with me, then I go back a second time, and then I look through the eyes of the character. I just felt like with Bellamy, he was a witness, you know what I mean? I was like, ‘This is really interesting.’ It’s like he’s in the audience watching this all unfold because he’s the odd man out. He believes, but he’s speculative. He’s all of these things that I just couldn’t put my finger on. That got my creative juices flowing because I wanted to figure out who this guy was.”
Do you think he’s the stand-in for the audience?
Omar Epps: “Yeah. I think in the first season, he was definitely that. I always called him the eyes of the audience, like he’s sitting there with you on the couch watching this stuff happen even though he was there. But, the way that psychologically I tried to construct the character was being a balance between emotion and logic, so for him to neither be here nor there – he was always in the grey area – and on top of that, he was reactive the whole first season. When we go into season two, he’s becoming active, so now I get a chance to act different layers of the colors. He’s got skin in the game, so he’s not witnessing now. Now he’s off and running and in the story himself.”
Can you give an example of how that’s going to play out?
Omar Epps: “So you ended season one with the question that Bellamy is possibly a returned. So what’s cool about going forward is what does that mean if he is the returned. Did he know that? And if he knew that, what does that mean? What does the whole first season mean? And if he didn’t know that, then what does that mean? But either way, season two he’s exploring himself. He’s investigating himself because he’s trying to figure out if this is real and if so, how did this come to pass.
And in those things, those are all active things that he’s going to have to do. He’s not just sitting back waiting for things to happen. He has to be proactive about it all. And, also, the stakes are so ramped up because it’s out of his hands now in terms of this phenomenon being available to the public. We start out in the beginning that they’re trying to go away from that, but think about if this would have really happened and get out on social media and those types of thing. How would he try to protect Jacob, protect the family, and do those things – it’s all active. It’s all active situations he has to put himself into.”
Keanu Reeves stars in John Wick (Photo Courtesy of Lionsgate)
Lionsgate’s just released this new photo of Keanu Reeves in the upcoming action thriller John Wick. The studio’s planning an October 24, 2014 theatrical release for the film directed by David Leitch and Chad Stahelski from a screenplay by Derek Kolstad. In addition to Reeves, the cast includes Michael Nyqvist, Alfie Allen, Adrianne Palicki, Dean Winters, Bridget Moynahan, with Ian McShane, John Leguizmo, and Willem Dafoe.
The Plot:
An ex-hitman comes out of retirement to track down the gangsters that took everything from him. With New York City as his bullet-riddled playground, John Wick (Keanu Reeves) is a stylized take on the “assassin genre”.
Eve Hewson, Clive Owen, Michael Angarano, and Cara Seymour in ‘The Knick’ (Photo: Mary Cybulski /Cinemax)
Season one of Cinemax’s dramatic series The Knick continues with four new episodes in September 2014. The critically acclaimed series debuted on August 8, 2014, kicking off a 10 episode season one run and Cinemax is so happy with the numbers generated by The Knick that they’ve greenlit the show for a second season.
The Knick stars Clive Owen, Andre Holland, Jeremy Bobb, Juliet Rylance, Eve Hewson, Michael Angarano, Eric Johnson, Chris Sullivan, Cara Seymour, Maya Kazan, David Fierro, Grainger Hines, Leon Addison Brown, and Matt Frewer.
The Plot:
New York City, 1900: The Knickerbocker Hospital is home to groundbreaking surgeons, nurses and staff who push the boundaries of medicine in a time of astonishingly high mortality rates and zero antibiotics. The newly appointed leader of the surgery staff is the brilliant, arrogant renegade Dr. John Thackery, whose addiction to cocaine and opium is trumped only by his ambition for medical discovery and renown among his peers.
Into the all-white staff and patient hospital comes the equally gifted Harvard graduate Dr. Algernon Edwards, who must fight for respect while trying to navigate the racially charged city. Trying to maintain its reputation for quality care while realizing a profit, the Knickerbocker makes an effort to attract wealthy clientele, while literally struggling to keep the lights on.
The Knick September 2014 Episodes
Episode #4: “Where’s the Dignity”
Debut: FRIDAY, SEPT. 5 (10:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT)
Other CINEMAX playdates: Sept. 5 (11:00 p.m., 1:00 a.m.), 6 (9:00 p.m., midnight), 7 (3:15 p.m.), 8 (8:00 p.m., 12:55 a.m.), 9 (10:00 p.m.) and 10 (9:00 p.m.), and Oct. 16 (10:45 p.m.)
Edwards (André Holland) forces Thackery’s (Clive Owen) hand during surgery, angering Eleanor (Maya Kazan). In recovery, Abigail (Jennifer Ferrin) regrets her past choices involving Thackery. Cleary (Chris Sullivan) and Sister Harriet (Cara Seymour) strike one deal, then another. Bertie’s (Michael Angarano) father, Dr. Bertram Chickering, Sr. (Reg Rogers), scolds his son for his career choices. Lucy (Eve Hewson) learns of Thackery’s secret life.
Written by Jack Amiel & Michael Begler; directed by Steven Soderbergh.
Episode #5: “They Capture the Heat”
Debut: FRIDAY, SEPT. 12 (10:00-11:00 p.m.)
Other CINEMAX playdates: Sept. 12 (11:00 p.m., 12:45 a.m.), 13 (9:00 p.m., 11:40 p.m.), 14 (3:50 p.m.), 15 (8:00 p.m., 12:25 a.m.), 16 (10:00 p.m.) and 17 (9:00 p.m.), and Oct. 16 (11:45 p.m.)
Barrow (Jeremy Bobb) looks to pay down a debt by treating one of Collier’s (Danny Hoch) wounded men at the Knick, and tries to convince Captain Robertson (Grainger Hines) to invest in a new Edison invention. Still marginalized by Thackery, Edwards attempts to improve on a hernia surgery. Everett (Eric Johnson) and Eleanor fear for their baby’s health; Cleary and Sister Harriet visit Chinatown.
Written by Steven Katz; directed by Steven Soderbergh.
Episode #6: “Start Calling Me Dad”
Debut: FRIDAY, SEPT. 19 (10:00-11:00 p.m.)
Other CINEMAX playdates: Sept. 19 (11:00 p.m., 12:50 a.m.), 20 (9:00 p.m., 12:10 a.m.), 21 (3:00 p.m.), 22 (8:00 p.m., 12:40 a.m.), 23 (10:00 p.m.) and 24 (9:00 p.m.), and Oct. 16 (12:35 a.m.)
After testing out a new procedure, Thackery and Bertie vow to reverse a series of failures in the operating theatre. Euphoric after helping Speight (David Fierro), Cornelia (Juliet Rylance) finds herself less than enthusiastic about her status as the future Mrs. Phillip Showalter. Thackery entertains a salesman’s pitch; Everett considers how to help Eleanor with her grief; Barrow haggles over used merchandise. Edwards finds his clinic, and his career, in jeopardy after a surprise encounter.
Written by Jack Amiel & Michael Begler; directed by Steven Soderbergh.
Episode #7: “Get the Rope”
Debut: FRIDAY, SEPT. 26 (10:00-11:00 p.m.)
Other CINEMAX playdates: Sept. 26 (11:00 p.m., 12:50 a.m.), 27 (9:00 p.m., midnight), 28 (3:30 p.m.), 29 (8:00 p.m., 11:00 p.m.) and 30 (10:00 p.m.), and Oct. 1 (9:00 p.m.) and 16 (1:30 a.m.)
The stabbing of a cop by a black man stirs up racial tension on the street and in the Knick, forcing Thackery and Edwards to take action. Everett returns to work and a changed OR; Barrow fears for Junia’s (Rachel Korine) safety; Cornelia is impressed with Edwards’ ingenuity; Lucy is escorted home.
Written by Jack Amiel & Michael Begler; directed by Steven Soderbergh.