Corey Stoll as Ephraim Goodweather in ‘The Strain’ (Photo Credit: Michael Gibson/Copyright 2014)
“The end of our world … is the beginning of theirs.”
FX has unveiled new footage from the upcoming thriller The Strain premiering on July 13, 2014. This apocalyptic vampire thriller features creatures that have nothing in common with the sparkingly teen vampires or the sexy, leather-clad vampires from recent films and TV shows. Instead, these are grotesque beasts who’d never pass as human.
The Plot:
The Strain is a high-concept thriller from Academy Award® nominated Filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, author Chuck Hogan and writer/producer Carlton Cuse, which is based on the best-selling vampire novel trilogy of the same title written by del Toro and Hogan. It tells the story of “Dr. Ephraim Goodweather,” the head of the Center for Disease Control Canary Team in New York City. He and his team are called upon to investigate a mysterious viral outbreak with hallmarks of an ancient and evil strain of vampirism.
As the strain spreads, Eph, his team, and an assembly of everyday New Yorkers wage war for the fate of humanity itself.
Writer/director Bobcat Goldthwait delivers something complete different from his past black comedies with Willow Creek starring Alexie Gilmore (God Bless America) and Bryce Johnson (Pretty Little Liars). The found footage film is a horror movie set in the world of Bigfoot enthusiasts. MPI/Dark Sky Films are releasing the film in theaters and VOD on June 6, 2014.
The Plot:
Set in Humboldt County, California, Willow Creek centers on Jim (Bryce Johnson) a Bigfoot believer whose idea of a romantic getaway is to head deep into Six Rivers National Forest in Northern California, video camera in tow, trying to shoot his own Bigfoot footage at the site of the Patterson-Gimlin film. That 1967 fragment of footage purporting to show Sasquatch striding along a dry riverbed became a key artifact in the cryptozoology community, and Jim dreams of nothing more than setting foot on the actual location where it was shot. His long-suffering girlfriend, Kelly (Alexie Gilmore), agrees to tag along for the ride, despite the fact that she thinks Bigfoot has about as much chance of being real as leprechauns.
The two stop off first in Willow Creek, the Bigfoot capital of the world and home to an annual Bigfoot festival, where various locals talk to Jim’s camera, warning them to keep out of the woods, singing ballads about Bigfoot, and generally enjoying their 15 minutes in the spotlight while Jim and Kelly have a blast, cracking wise amidst all the touristy Bigfoot kitsch on display. But when they strap on packs and head into the forest via a two-hour drive down a dirt road, they start to feel like they might be in over their heads. Well, Kelly does, at least. Jim, as he approaches what he considers hallowed ground, is in heaven.
That night they’re awakened by mysterious sounds echoing through the woods, and whooping vocalizations that might be Bigfoot, but that might also be locals screwing with them. Either way, they’re not welcome here and so Jim and Kelly decide to get out come sun-up but, as they quickly discover, it might already be too late, and as the sun goes down for the second time and they find themselves retracing the steps of Roger Patterson and Bob Gimlin they discover the truth behind Bigfoot and the disturbing meaning of the term “forest bride.”
Daniel Radcliffe’s stuck in the friend zone with Zoe Kazan in this new trailer for the romantic comedy What If from writer Elan Mastai and director Michael Dowse. The cast also includes Adam Driver, Rafe Spall, Megan Park, Mackenzie Davis, and Oona Chaplin.
CBS Films will launch What If in theaters in August.
The Plot:
What If is the story of medical school dropout Wallace (Daniel Radcliffe), who’s been repeatedly burned by bad relationships. So while everyone around him, including his roommate Allan (Adam Driver) seems to be finding the perfect partner (Mackenzie Davis), Wallace decides to put his love life on hold. It is then that he meets Chantry (Zoe Kazan) an animator who lives with her longtime boyfriend Ben (Rafe Spall). Wallace and Chantry form an instant connection, striking up a close friendship. Still, there is no denying the chemistry between them, leading the pair to wonder, what if the love of your life is actually your best friend?
Sam Trammell, Ryan Kwanten, Anna Paquin, Joe Manganiello, and Chris Bauer in 'True Blood (Photo: Tony Rivetti/HBO)
True Blood‘s finishing up its run on HBO with the seventh season set to premiere on June 22, 2014 at 9pm ET/PT. The sexy vampire/shapeshifter/werewolf/fairy series is going out with 10 new episodes featuring Anna Paquin as Sookie, Stephen Moyer as Bill Compton, Sam Trammell as Sam Merlotte, Eric Northman as Alexander Skarsgard (at least we assume he’ll be back), and Ryan Kwanten as Jason.
Additional season seven cast members include Rutina Wesley as Tara, Chris Bauer as Andy, Kristin Bauer van Straten as Pam, Amelia Rose Blaire as Willa, Lauren Bowles as Holly, Tara Buck as Ginger, Gregg Daniel as Rev. Daniels, Nelsan Ellis as Lafayette, Aaron Christian Howles as Rocky, Joe Manganiello as Alcide, Noah Matthews as Wade, Bailey Noble as Adilyn, Nathan Parsons as James (previously played by Luke Grimes), Adina Porter as Lettie Mae, Carrie Preston as Arlene, Jurnee Smollett-Bell as Nicole, Deborah Ann Woll as Jessica, and Karolina Wydra as Violet.
True Blood June 2014 Episodes
Episode #71: “Jesus Gonna Be Here”
Debut: SUNDAY, JUNE 22 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT)
Other HBO playdates: June 22 (10:00 p.m., 11:30 p.m., 1:00 a.m.), 23 (11:00 p.m.), 24 (11:00 p.m.), 25 (8:00 p.m., 12:45 a.m.) and 27 (midnight)
HBO2 playdates: June 23 (9:00 p.m.), 26 (1:00 a.m.), 28 (9:00 p.m.) and 29 (8:00 p.m.), and July 10 (2:30 a.m.)
A band of rogue H-vamps crashes the vampire-human mixer at Bellefleur’s, with shocking results. As Sookie (Anna Paquin) seeks refuge from accusations that she’s somehow to blame for the chaos in Bon Temps, the “one vampire for every human” plan moves forward. In the face of a vigilante insurrection led by redneck Vince (Brett Rickaby), Bill (Stephen Moyer) receives aid from an unexpected source.
Written by Angela Robinson; directed by Stephen Moyer.
Episode #72: “I Found You”
Debut: SUNDAY, JUNE 29 (9:00-10:00 p.m.)
Other HBO playdates: June 29 (11:45 p.m., 2:30 a.m.) and 30 (11:15 p.m.), and July 1 (12:15 a.m.), 2 (8:00 p.m., 12:30 a.m.) and 4 (midnight)
HBO2 playdates: June 30 (9:00 p.m.) and June 3 (3:35 a.m.), 5 (9:00 p.m.), 6 (8:00 p.m.) and 10 (3:25 a.m.)
A trio of hostages taken in the Bellefleur’s attack looks to a familiar face as a possible liberator from the H-vamps. Sookie and Jason (Ryan Kwanten) visit the neighboring town of Saint Alice, where a young woman’s diary offers clues to the potential fate of Bon Temps. Spurned by Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis), a desperate Lettie Mae (Adina Porter) turns to Willa (Amelia Rose Blaire) to channel her family past. Vince whips his fellow vigilantes into a dangerous frenzy. Pam’s (Kristin Bauer van Straten) search for her maker leads her to a very familiar place.
Written by Kate Barnow; directed by Howard Deutch.
20th Century Fox has released the first trailer for the animated comedy The Book of Life from writer/director Jorge Gutierrez. Guillermo del Toro (Pacific Rim) produced the movie which features a voice cast that includes Diego Luna, Channing Tatum, Zoë Saldana, Ice Cube, Ron Perlman, Christina Applegate, Kate del Castillo, Cheech Marin, Placido Domingo, Hector Elizondo, Ana de la Reguera, Eugenio Derbez, Gabriel Iglesias, Ricardo “El Mandril” Sanchez, and Danny Trejo.
The Book of Life will open in theaters on October 17, 2014.
The Plot:
The Book of Life is the journey of Manolo, a young man who is torn between fulfilling the expectations of his family and following his heart. Before choosing which path to follow, he embarks on an incredible adventure that spans three fantastical worlds where he must face his greatest fears. Rich with a fresh take on pop music favorites, The Book of Life encourages us to celebrate the past while looking forward to the future.
Jennifer Lopez’ new black and white music video for “First Love” off of her upcoming album A.K.A. starts off with JLo talking about love. The music doesn’t kick in until the minute 11 mark when a motorcycle-riding hunk shows up, and Jennifer Lopez starts singing.
The video takes place out in the middle of nowhere in a ramshackle house, but with a working shower. How do we know it works? The hunk slips under the water (with his clothing on but shirt unbuttoned). Don’t worry, the shirt does come off later for some up close and personal moves with JLo and it’s off while he’s hauling around a huge tire for no apparent reason.
Hiccup and Toothless fly onto Netflix in 2015 with new seasons of 'DreamWorks Dragons' (PRNewsFoto/Netflix, Inc.)
The animated series DreamWorks Dragons will be airing new seasons only on Netflix, as just announced by the streaming service. All-new episodes are set to premiere on Netflix in the spring of 2015, with Hiccup and Toothless once again entertaining kids (and adults) with new adventures on the island of Berk.
“The How to Train Your Dragon franchise has been incredible to work with,” said Art Brown and Douglas Sloan, show runners on DreamWorks Dragons. “There is so much rich material available to us in the TV world that we can really dig in and create a different yet complementary experience to the feature films.”
“We are happy to be adding Dragons to our growing slate of original series for kids,” said Cindy Holland, Netflix Vice President, Original Content. “This is one of DreamWorks Animation’s most beloved set of characters and we know that kids and families will be enjoying them for years to come.”
The series features the voices of Jay Baruchel, America Ferrera, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, and TJ Miller who also voiced characters in the feature films. According to Netflix, the new episodes will “bridge the gap” between the two movies.
The Details:
Weaving a continuous storyline, the television series works in tandem with the feature films and DVD specials, allowing fans to delve deeper into dragon lore. From the origin of Hiccup’s new flight suit and the secrets of his dragon blade to the young Viking’s budding romance with Astrid, DreamWorks Dragons on Netflix gives viewers rich details of the larger narrative with the introduction of new dragons, exotic places and worlds unknown.
Little Big Town has agreed to once again host the annual CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock which is being filmed during the CMA Music Festival running June 5 – June 8, 2014. The Country music special will air on August 5th on ABC at 8pm ET/PT.
“We could not be more excited to be coming back as hosts for CMA Music Fest,” said Little Big Town’s Phillip Sweet. “Last year was incredible and we can’t wait to be back in LP Field surrounded by 50,000 screaming fans!”
Bandmate Karen Fairchild added: “Country Music truly has the most dedicated fans in the world and we’re looking forward to spending another four days with them.”
“It is great to have Little Big Town back to host Country’s Night to Rock,” said the show’s executive producer Robert Deaton. “They have impeccable timing, a terrific sense of humor, the respect of the artistic community, and the admiration of the fans. They are the perfect ensemble cast to host this special.”
Details on Little Big Town, Courtesy of CMA:
Critically acclaimed Country group Little Big Town – consisting of members Fairchild, Sweet, Kimberly Schlapman, and Jimi Westbrook – first entered the music scene more than 14 years ago with hits such as “Boondocks,” “Bring It On Home,” “Good As Gone,” and the Grammy-nominated single “Little White Church.” The quartet’s fifth studio album Tornado was released on Sept. 11, 2012 and debuted at the top of the Billboard Country Chart where it stayed in the No. 1 position for five consecutive weeks. The album has been certified Platinum with sales of more than 1 million copies.
Tornado, produced by Jay Joyce, includes 2x Platinum-selling No. 1 single “Pontoon” and follow-up single and title-track “Tornado,” which also peaked in the No. 1 position. The Grammy-nominated track, “Your Side of the Bed” and fan-favorite “Sober” are also featured on the album.
Collectively, the group has earned more than 25 award nominations, including 15 CMA Awards nods. They have taken home CMA Awards trophies for CMA Single of the Year (2012, “Pontoon”) and CMA Vocal Group of the Year (2012, 2013). They have also won a Grammy Award for Best Country Group/Duo Performance (“Pontoon”) and an Emmy (Outstanding Original Song, “Good Afternoon”). Last year, the foursome completed their sold-out headlining tour, “The Tornado Tour,”which visited more than 25 theaters in the U.S. and Canada and also recently wrapped a tour with Keith Urban performing in more than 50 cities in North America.
Little Big Town recently completed their sixth studio album working again with producer Joyce. The first single off of the new album entitled “Day Drinking” will be available at iTunes June 2 and will officially hit Country radio June 10. The album is set for release later this year.
Lionsgate Films has picked up the Canadian and US rights to XYZ Films’ Operation Avalanche directed by Matt Johnson (The Dirties). Filming’s expected to kick off later this month in Toronto, Houston, and Washington D.C.
Operation Avalanche is co-written by Johnson and Josh Boles. Matthew Miller and Lee Kim are on board as producers and Nick Spicer, Michael Paseornek, John Sacchi, and Jessica Switch are executive producing.
Although XYZ Films hasn’t released an official synopsis, it was revealed that Operation Avalanche “investigates the truth behind the CIA’s involvement in the space race.”
“The CIA, the 1960’s and the space program have always been obsessions of mine. Working with partners like Lionsgate, who understand the scope and vision of what we are creating, has been a pleasure. This movie is going to leave audiences with a powerful and imaginative interpretation of what may or may not have happened within the walls of the US’s top government agencies,” said Johnson.
tWitch knows what a huge fan Ellen DeGeneres is of the Fox dance competition series So You Think You Can Dance so he arranged a special dance number just for her. Along with his wife, dancer Allison Holker, tWitch showed off his dance moves on an episode of The Ellen Show.
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