Entertainment Weekly and Dimension Films are showing off the upcoming cover for the ‘Summer Must List’ issue which features Jessica Alba in a bathing suit promoting the Sin City sequel, Sin City: A Dame to Kill For. And speaking of bathing suits, Alba talked about the film’s approach to sex in her EW interview. “Sex is absolutely what helps sell this movie, which is fine by me,” said Alba.
Sin City: A Dame to Kill For was directed by Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller and will open in theaters on August 22nd.
The Plot:
Co-directors Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller reunite to bring Miller’s visually stunning Sin City graphic novels back to the screen in Frank Miller’s Sin City: A Dame to Kill For. Weaving together two of Miller’s classic stories with new tales, the town’s most hard boiled citizens cross paths with some of its more reviled inhabitants. Frank Miller’s Sin City: A Dame to Kill For is the follow up to Rodriguez and Miller’s 2005 groundbreaking film, Frank Miller’s Sin City.
Charlize Theron’s out promoting her upcoming comedy movie A Million Ways to Die in the West and Josh Hartnett’s starring in the new Showtime series Penny Dreadful, but none of that mattered as the two battled it out in a game of charades on The Tonight Show. Theron teamed up with Steve Higgins while Josh Hartnett partnered with Jimmy Fallon in a game that changed rules midstream to allow Fallon’s team a chance at winning.
Are you a Star Wars fanatic? Director J.J. Abrams, Disney, Lucasfilm, and Bad Robot just announced the ultimate Star Wars contest in which one lucky fan will win the opportunity of a lifetime: to actually be a part of the new Star Wars film, Star Wars: Episode VII. Director Abrams announced the new Star Wars initiative “Star Wars: Force for Change” which was formed to assist United Nations Children’s Fund’s (UNICEF) Innovation Labs with helping children in need around the globe. The Star Wars Force for Change contest will help raise money for the important charitable work.
“The Star Wars fans are some of the most passionate and committed folks around the globe,” said director J.J. Abrams. “We’re thrilled to offer a chance to come behind the scenes as our VIP guests and be in Star Wars: Episode VII. We’re even more excited that by participating in this campaign, Star Wars fans will be helping children around the world through our collaboration with UNICEF Innovation Labs and projects.”
“The Star Wars films were made through George Lucas’s adventurous combination of technology and creativity,” stated Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm. “We wanted to honor and carry on that positive spirit as we start production on Episode VII and use Star Wars to make a difference in the world. Star Wars: Force for Change will help us do that, letting us give back to the fans who keep Star Wars alive, and raising much-needed funds for programs like UNICEF’s Innovation Labs.”
“UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to help the world’s most vulnerable children and young people identify solutions and create change,” says Christopher Fabian, UNICEF Senior Advisor on Innovation and co-Lead of the Innovation Unit. “We work together with the greatest technologists and designers of our time to create open-source solutions that help millions of people. The support from Star Wars: Force for Change will help to bind these innovators together on a mission to solve the world’s most pressing problems, and create a better future.”
Here’s the Star Wars: Force for Change contest details:
Disney has committed US $1 million to support the launch of Star Wars: Force for Change. Fans can now contribute directly at Omaze.com/StarWars for a chance to appear in Star Wars: Episode VII. For each $10 contribution made through the Omaze fundraising platform, eligible participants will be automatically entered for a chance to win this once-in-a-lifetime experience. The campaign runs from 12:01am PST on May 21stth until 11:59pm PST July 18th.
The Star Wars: Force for Change Grand Prize includes:
· Airfare and accommodations to London for one winner and a guest
· Behind-the-scenes access on the closed set of Star Wars: Episode VII as VIP guests of J.J. Abrams
· Winner will have the opportunity to meet members of the cast
· Winner and their guest will then be transformed by makeup and costume teams into a Star Wars character and filmed for a scene in Star Wars: Episode VII
Jennifer Aniston and Will Forte in LIFE OF CRIME (Photo Credit: Barry Wetcher)
The caper comedy Life of Crime, based on the Elmore Leonard novel The Switch and starring Jennifer Aniston, has released the official first trailer. Coming to theaters and VOD on August 29, 2014, the dark comedy also stars John Hawkes, Yasiin Bey, Will Forte, Mark Boone Junior, Isla Fisher and Tim Robbins.
The Plot:
The wife (Aniston) of a corrupt real estate developer (Robbins) is kidnapped by two common criminals (Bey and Hawkes), who intend to extort him with inside information about his crooked business and off-shore accounts. But the husband decides he’d actually rather not pay the ransom to get back his wife, setting off an unbelievable sequence of double crosses and plot twists that could only come from the mind of Elmore Leonard.
Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman will kick off its fifth season on June 4, 2014 at 10pm ET/PT on Science Channel. The critically acclaimed series will air eight new episodes and cover topics including the possibility of an actual zombie apocalypse taking place, whether poverty could be genetic, and what’s the best way to crush a superpower.
“Curiosity is a uniquely human characteristic,” stated Freeman. “Every season we dig deeper to ask those questions that have perplexed mankind for centuries. I hope with each episode we can continue to feed that curiosity and pursue those great unknowns that are still out there in the universe.”
“Through the Wormhole challenges our audience in a way that no other television program that is out there can,” added Rita Mullin, general manager of Science Channel. “With the hot-button topics that each episode explores, season five will leave viewers even more inspired than ever before. Morgan and Revelations Entertainment have delivered their best season yet.”
Season Five Episode Descriptions
Is Poverty Genetic?
World Premieres on Wednesday, June 4 at 10PM ET/PT
Are the wealthy just born in the right place at the right time? Are the poor victims of a system designed to keep them down? Or do physics and biology determine who is rich and who is poor? Throughout history, distribution of wealth is governed by hidden forces: DNA, environmental stress, patterns of human migration and even the laws of thermodynamics. Nature seems to demand winners and losers in life. But does this mean greed is king, and the rich can take what they want? Or is cooperation – between microorganisms, monkeys, and humans – more essential to survival of a species?
How to Collapse a Superpower
World Premieres on Wednesday, June 11 at 10PM ET/PT
With a little imagination, could a few terrorists sabotage a mighty nation? Perhaps even tear down modern civilization? The stability of the US, Europe, China, or any global power depends on high-speed digital communication. Our increasing dependence on digital devices and global interactivity may be placing us in grave danger. Scientists around the world are dealing with new threats such as body hacking, Trojan horse viruses, and brain-damaging Internet addiction. But what if the ultimate threat isn’t an attack on technology, but the technology itself? Could the final superpower be the disembodied mind of the Internet?
Does the Ocean Think?
World Premieres on Wednesday, June 18 at 10PM ET/PT
There could be an undiscovered species on Earth unlike anything we’ve ever known. Not in the ocean, but the ocean itself! Its body spans thousands of miles; its heart beats with a one-thousand-year pulse. It could even have an immune system capable of annihilating all other life on earth. Just as our bodies function through the interaction of water with individual cells, including bacteria and other microorganisms, the ocean’s residents might collectively form a super-organism. A recent discovery suggests the ocean is a living being capable of thought. If so, what is the ocean thinking about us?
Is a Zombie Apocalypse Possible?
World Premieres on Wednesday, June 25 at 10PM ET/PT
It is a nightmare that has stalked us for centuries: hordes of human beings transformed into mindless, cannibalistic monsters. Could this civilization-ending nightmare become reality? Scientists have discovered pathogens that turn insects into the walking dead. New strains of viruses are attacking humans every day. Mathematicians have calculated the likelihood of surviving a zombie virus outbreak: they’re not hopeful. Now neuroscientists are discovering how easy it is for us to lose conscious control of our bodies. Are we at risk of becoming puppets? And if we are already in the middle of a zombie apocalypse, would we know it?
Is Gravity An Illusion?
World Premieres on Wednesday, July 2 at 10PM ET/PT
We feel it every moment of our lives but for physicists, gravity is the longest running unsolved mystery of the universe. Why do all objects that have mass pull on one another? Cutting-edge theories are proposing unexpected answers: Gravity could be another force in disguise, a thermodynamic mirage, or even a shadow of a hidden holographic universe. If so, the force that holds us to the surface of the earth and holds the earth in orbit around the sun may be a trick of the mind. We feel it, but it may not be real. Is Gravity an Illusion?
When Did Time Begin?
World Premieres on Wednesday, July 9 at 10PM ET/PT
We float along the river of time. But does that river have a source? Where did time come from? Some believe time and space is a single thing, and the Big Bang started the cosmic clock. Others believe the universe existed for almost half a million “years” before light could move and time began. Still others say time is older than our universe. But what if time itself is an illusion? Incredible new experiments may hold the answer. One groundbreaking experiment gives us the power to punch holes in time…and another may create a machine that operates outside time’s boundaries.
Is There A Shadow Universe?
World Premieres on Wednesday, July 16 at 10PM ET/PT
When we look up into the sky it appears we live in a universe that is filled with light. But scientists are now certain there is far more matter in the dark portions of our universe that we can’t see or touch. There’s something hiding in the shadows. Cosmologists agree that “dark matter” has helped shape our Universe, but now they need to figure out what dark matter is. What’s going on in this hidden world? Could it have formed its own dark stars, planets, and even life forms? Could this Shadow Universe threaten our world of light?
Will We Become God?
World Premieres on Wednesday, July 23 at 10PM ET/PT
Humanity’s potential seems limitless. But could we become as powerful as God? Scientific breakthroughs grant our species seemingly divine abilities. Biologists tinkering with DNA are figuring out ways to grow new life forms, while neuroscientists try to create artificial consciousness. Statisticians around the world are using big data to predict the future, and computer scientists have discovered a “God algorithm” that could solve any global problem in an instant. But to truly become God, we not only have to be all knowing, but all being. Quantum physicists are figuring out how to teleport matter at the speed of light!
Veep‘s been renewed for a fourth season, which makes sense as the current season of the comedy series has been earning some of the show’s best ratings to date. And with just a few original episodes left, season three will be finishing up with Selina (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) stressing out just days before the New Hampshire primary.
Veep Season 3 June Episodes
Episode #26: “Debate”
Debut: SUNDAY, JUNE 1 (10:30-11:00 p.m. ET/PT)
Other HBO playdates: June 1 (12:30 a.m., 3:30 a.m.), 2 (12:50 a.m.), 3 (10:30 p.m., 12:30 a.m.), 4 (8:30 p.m.), 5 (9:00 p.m.) and 6 (1:30 a.m.)
HBO2 playdates: June 2 (10:00 p.m.), 6 (8:00 p.m.) and 7 (1:30 p.m., 11:00 p.m.) Selina (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and the staff prep for her debate with George Maddox (Isiah Whitlock, Jr.), Danny Chung (Randall Park), congressman Owen Pierce (Paul Fitzgerald) and Joe Thornhill (Glenn Wrage), a major-league baseball manager who recently entered the race. Dan (Reid Scott) returns with a rosier outlook. Wendy (Kathy Najimy), Mike’s (Matt Walsh) wife, arrives to do a style piece on Selina, but eyes a bigger story involving Ray.
Teleplay by David Quantick & Tony Roche; story by Armando Iannucci & David Quantick & Tony Roche; directed by Armando Iannucci.
Episode #27: “Crate”
Debut: SUNDAY, JUNE 8 (10:00-10:30 p.m.)
Other HBO playdates: June 8 (12:30 a.m., 3:00 a.m.), 9 (12:30 a.m.), 10 (10:00 p.m., 12:30 a.m.), 11 (8:30 p.m.), 12 (9:00 p.m.) and 13 (1:00 a.m.)
HBO2 playdates: June 9 (10:00 p.m.), 13 (8:00 p.m.) and 14 (2:15 p.m., 11:00 p.m.)
With Thornhill ahead in the polls, Selina and her staff discuss how to make her more “folksy.” In need of a job, Jonah (Timothy C. Simons) meets with Bill Ericsson (Diedrich Bader). Selina has an interview with pretentious journalist Quincy Carter (Nick Wyman).
Teleplay by Simon Blackwell & Georgia Pritchett; story by Armando Iannucci & Simon Blackwell & Georgia Pritchett; directed by Chris Addison.
Episode #28: “New Hampshire” (season finale)
Debut: SUNDAY, JUNE 8 (10:30-11:00 p.m.)
Other HBO playdates: June 8 (1:00 a.m., 3:30 a.m.), 9 (1:00 a.m.), 10 (10:30 p.m., 1:00 a.m.), 11 (9:00 p.m.), 12 (9:30 p.m.) and 13 (1:30 a.m.)
HBO2 playdates: June 9 (10:30 p.m.), 13 (8:30 p.m.) and 14 (2:45 p.m., 11:30 p.m.)
Three days before the New Hampshire primary, Selina and her staff juggle her multiple official obligations and campaign appearances.
Teleplay by Simon Blackwell & Tony Roche; story by Simon Blackwell & Armando Iannucci & Tony Roche; directed by Chris Addison.
Glee star Lea Michele sexes up a door, sings about being caught in the rain but doesn’t show it, shows off a lot of booty, scrunches her hair for a major portion of the song, and generally uses sex to sell her single “On My Way” from her debut album, Louder. So, is it a good song? It’s upbeat and catchy, but forgettable.
Director Ava DuVernay has begun work on the dramatic film Selma starring David Oyelowo as Martin Luther King Jr., Carmen Ejogo as Coretta Scott King, Tom Wilkinson as Lyndon Baines Johnson, Andre Holland as Andrew Young, Omar J. Dorsey as James Orange, Tessa Thompson as Diane Nash, and Colman Domingo as Ralph Abernathy. The film is set up with Paramount Pictures and Pathe and will shoot in Selma and Montgomery, Alabama as well as Atlanta, Georgia.
Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Christian Colson, and Oprah Winfrey are producing the film. Paul Webb wrote the script.
“This story will resonate deeply with not only those brave men and women who fought for voting rights alongside Dr. King, but also the countless millions of people who continue to fight against discrimination in voting today,” said Brad Grey, Chairman and CEO of Paramount Pictures. “This talented group of filmmakers, led by Brad Pitt and his team at Plan B, Oprah Winfrey and Christian Colson, and of course our director Ava DuVernay, are a formidable force to help bring this significant story to the big screen.”
The Plot:
Selma is the story of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s historic struggle to secure voting rights for all people – a dangerous and terrifying campaign that culminated with the epic march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, and led to President Johnson signing the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
The documentary La Bare gets up close and personal with the male strippers at one of the world’s most popular strip clubs. Produced and directed by Joe Manganiello, best known as the hunky werewolf Alcide in True Blood and for playing a stripper named Big Dick Richie in Magic Mike, La Bare has unveiled its first red-band (restricted) trailer for the documentary which will be arriving in theaters on June 27, 2014.
From the trailer introduction: “‘They’re up all night for good fun, they’re up all night to make a living.’ They are the men of La Bare. A documentary film that goes behind the curtain, behind the stage and behind the magic of the world’s most popular male strip club – La Bare Dallas. Featuring a unique ensemble of the club’s most popular dancers, La Bare takes a provocative look into their rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle and offers a front row seat to their lives, loves, laughs and losses.”
Rockey Jones and Christian Dean of DownDay (Photo credit: Courtesy of Render Records)
DownDay could fit in equally at CMA Music Festival or on a bill with Metallica. But the Arkansas quartet’s hearts are pure, if power-chorded, Country.
Christian Dean and Rockey Jones, along with bassist Damon Shores and drummer Mike Martin, signed with Render Records in April 2013. Nearly two months later, the label released the band’s earlier, regional album, Chapter 1, along with “Back in the Day” (written by Jones, Dean, Steve Freeman and David Oneal). From the structure of the song to the catchy chorus, that debut single leaned strongly toward Country and began earning adds within a month on Country radio.
Their first album for Render, After All These Years, produced by Steve Freeman and releasing May 26 on Render Records, stretches way beyond this foundation. Dreamy washes of piano, a moody minor key on the verses and anguished lead vocals wrap “Last Song” (Jones, Dean) in the cloak of metal balladry. And “Slide Me One More” (Dean) is nothing but voice and a ringing guitar playing slow, droning arpeggios.
But the lyrics draw from both vintage Haggard and modern Music Row, mourning, “I bet no one would ever miss a drunk like me.” A crunchy guitar and muscular Hammond organ riff do kick off “Crank It Up,” (Jones, Dean, Freeman) that’s true — but the lyrical bullet points are Country all the way: blacktops, cutoff jeans, beer cans and George Strait on the radio.
So mix in a little Dokken or Stryper with your Waylon! DownDay does — and it works.
IN THEIR OWN WORDS
MUSICAL HERO
DEAN: “Man, there are a lot of them, Paycheck to Haggard. They wrote and sang about their music, their way of life, so I try and do the same with my songs today. It lets people see the real you and that’s very important in my music.”
SONG YOU SING IN THE SHOWER
JONES: “I always turn on Pandora ‘Drink a Beer’ radio on my phone when I get in. Whatever is on there at the time usually works. Sometimes we come on and I’m like ‘Hey, I sound just like that guy!’ LOL!”
LUCKY CHARM
DEAN: “A leather guitar strap my brother Rick gave me when he was in the Navy. I was in my teens. I still have that strap and it stays on my main guitar and is in our videos as well. I do not play a show without it. That strap shows the road I’ve been down to get here. Thank you, brother.”
JONES: “I have a football card in my wallet that my best friend gave me when we were kids. We were inseparable from age 5 until he passed away Monday, March 29, 1999, less than a month after his 21st birthday. It has been in my wallet for over 20 years now and it will be with me when they shovel the last bit of dirt on me. I’m never without it.”
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