NOW That’s What I Call Country Ballads, an album loaded with Country love songs, proved so popular that it’s spawned a sequel. NOW That’s What I Call Country Ballads 2 will arrive in stores on January 21, 2014 featuring romantic contemporary country hits from artists including Luke Bryan, Lady Antebellum, Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert, Tim McGraw, Taylor Swift, and The Band Perry.
The second country ballads album will feature 18 songs and will be available in digital download and CD formats.
NOW That’s What I Call Country Ballads 2 Track List:
1. Luke Bryan – “Drunk On You”
2. Hunter Hayes – “Wanted”
3. Lady Antebellum – “Just A Kiss”
4. Miranda Lambert – “Over You”
5. Taylor Swift – “Ours”
6. Darius Rucker – “True Believers”
7. Keith Urban – “Without You”
8. Jake Owen – “Don’t Think I Can’t Love You”
9. Kenny Chesney – “Come Over”
10. Tim McGraw – “Better Than I Used To Be”
11. Josh Turner – “Time Is Love”
12. Eli Young Band – “Even If It Breaks Your Heart”
13. Gary Allan – “Every Storm (Runs Out Of Rain)”
14. Scotty McCreery – “I Love You This Big”
15. Love And Theft – “If You Ever Get Lonely”
16. Sara Evans – “A Little Bit Stronger”
17. The Band Perry – “All Your Life”
18. Gloriana – “(Kissed You) Good Night”
James D'Arcy and Chloë Sevigny star in the new A&E original scripted drama series 'Those Who Kill' (Photo by A&E/Copyright 2012)Chloë Sevigny (Big Love) and James D’Arcy (Cloud Atlas) have teamed up for the new dramatic series Those Who Kill on A&E. The new drama has landed a March 3, 2014 premiere date, set to air at 10pm ET/PT. The show’s based on the Danish series format which was inspired by Elsebeth Egholm’s work. Brian Grazer, Glen Morgan, David Petrarca, Peter Bose, and Jonas Allen serve as executive producers with Glen Morgan attached as showrunner. Morgan also wrote the pilot.
“Glen Morgan and the incredible team behind the Those Who Kill have crafted a captivating drama that we’re thrilled to add to our slate of original scripted series,” stated David McKillop, Executive Vice President and General Manager of A&E Network. “As the story unfolds, these damaged yet good-intentioned characters are brought to life by the talented cast.”
The Plot:
As a freshly minted homicide detective, Catherine Jensen has garnered a reputation for overstepping her boundaries in her unrelenting pursuit to solve Pittsburgh’s most gruesome murders. Motivated by her past, including the disappearance of her brother and the suspicion that her stepfather is a serial killer, she often finds herself emotionally connected to the victims she’s investigating. Jensen enlists the help of Thomas Schaeffer (D’Arcy), a forensic psychologist who has a tumultuous relationship with the police department, to provide insight into her cases and her personal investigation into her stepfather. He too finds himself deeply connected to each case, but often through the killer, which proves to be a hazardous undertaking. The pair shares a skewed sense of judgment that often puts them, and sometimes even their families, at risk. As these two captivating yet flawed characters come together, their bond often rescues them from their individual demons but may be the source of more harmful tribulations.
Benjamin Stockham as Marcus and David Walton as Will in 'About a Boy' (Photo by: Jordin Althaus/NBC)For those wondering when About a Boy is finally going to debut on NBC, the network has just provided the answer. NBC’s announced the premiere dates for five new midseason series including About a Boy based on the Nick Hornby novel of the same name. Other midseason shows joining NBC’s lineup include the comedy Growing Up Fisher, dramas Believe and Crisis, and the ‘alternative’ series American Dream Builders.
About a Boy will air on Tuesdays at 9pm ET/PT beginning February 25th. However, prior to it settling into its regular time slot, the first episode will air immediately after the Olympics on February 21st at 10:30pm. Growing Up Fisher will plop into its time slot of Tuesdays at 9:30pm after About a Boy starting on February 25th. Growing Up Fisher, starring J.K. Simmons and Jenna Elfman, will also have a special Olympics premiere on Sunday, February 23rd at 10:30pm.
Gravity director Alfonso Cuaron and J.J. Abrams’ creation, Believe, will air a special preview on Monday, March 10th at 10pm ET/PT following The Voice. Its official time slot is Sundays at 9pm ET/PT beginning March 16th.
Dermot Mulroney and X-Files‘ Gillian Anderson lead the cast of the dramatic series Crisis debuting on March 16th at 10pm ET/PT. Per NBC, Crisis “examines to what extremes elite and influential Washington, D.C., parents will go to when their children are put in jeopardy by a man who is out for revenge.”
American Dream Builders, a new reality competition show with Nate Berkus as host, will debut on Sunday, March 23rd at 8pm ET/PT. The series will involve a dozen accomplished designers and builders going against each other “as they tackle massive home renovation projects, featuring unique architectural styles, resulting in some jaw-dropping transformations.”
Hot on the heels of the release of the trailer comes the unveiling of a brand spanking new poster for Veronica Mars. Writer/director Rob Thomas included the poster in an email to his Kickstarter backers along with an update on what’s happening with the film.
Veronica Mars will be debuting at SXSW Film 2014 and even though very few people have seen it, the action comedy has already won an award. Variety named it the Breakthrough Movie of 2014 and Thomas, Kristen Bell, and Ryan Hansen made the trek to Vegas to accept the award. According to his Kickstarter update, Thomas expected Bell to give the acceptance speech; however, Bell apparently believed Thomas was going to talk. As Thomas wrote: “We were not the most prepared duo at the festivities.” He also admitted that Veronica Mars won because of the way it came about – through donations via Kickstarter – and he’s grateful for all of the support of fans.
The much-anticipated film adaptation opens in theaters on March 14, 2014.
While Hemsworth most likely won’t be nominated for either Thor: The Dark World or Rush, his Rush co-star Daniel Bruhl could earn a Supporting Actor nomination. Hemsworth’s feature film credits also include Star Trek, A Perfect Getaway, Thor, The Cabin in the Woods, The Avengers, Snow White and the Huntsman, and Red Dawn. He recently completed work on Cyber and is currently filming In the Heart of the Sea with Cillian Murphy and Ben Whishaw.
The 2014 Oscars will air live on ABC on Sunday, March 2, 2014, live on ABC.
Source: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Homeland: “Big Man in Tehran”
Terry Kelley, A.C.E.
House of Cards: “Chapter 1”
Kirk Baxter, A.C.E.
BEST EDITED MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE FOR TELEVISION:
American Horror Story: Asylum: “The Name Game”
Stewart Schill, A.C.E.
Behind the Candelabra
Mary Ann Bernard
Phil Spector
Barbara Tulliver, A.C.E.
BEST EDITED NON-SCRIPTED SERIES:
Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown: Tokyo
Nick Brigden
Beyond Scared Straight: “The Return of Hustle Man”
Rob Goubeaux, A.C.E., Mark S. Andrew, A.C.E., Paul J. Coyne, A.C.E., Jennifer Nelson, Martin Skibosh, Trevor Campbell
Deadliest Catch: “Mutiny on the Bering Sea”
Josh Earl, A.C.E. Alex Durham, Rob Butler
“How long before you’re ready to date? I saw in your emails you’ve gone through a breakup,” asks Samantha (Scarlett Johansson), an advanced computer operating system. “Well, you’re kind of nosy,” replies Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix), a lonely writer who purchased Samantha to help him organize his life in the romantic drama Her.
Set in a near future where advanced computer systems are able to handle a person’s every need, Theodore is still pining for his ex-wife, putting off signing the divorce papers even though it’s been a year since they’ve been together. Feeling overwhelmed and incredibly lonely, Theodore purchases a new computer operating system to help him get organized and have someone to talk to.
At first, Samantha – a name the operating system gave to herself – is all business, deleting old and unimportant e-mails, reminding Theodore about meetings and appointments, and handling all his voicemails. But since Samantha is a cognitive system that’s continuously evolving and constantly adapting and becoming more aware of new ideas and emotions, it’s not long before her conversations with Theodore start becoming personal. Soon Theodore finds himself falling for Samantha, and she/it seems to be having feelings for him.
Directed by Spike Jonze (Adaptation, Where the Wild Things Are), Her is a sci-fi, romantic, comedy/drama that has two solid performances but a plot that feels old and tired. Joaquin Phoenix delivers a solid performance as Theodore, a shy, lonely man who misses terribly being in a happy relationship and doesn’t believe he can find true love again. He’s a sad soul who begins to try to reach out to someone, even if it is his computer.
Scarlett Johansson is the best thing about the film as the voice of Samantha, the operating system which at first seems to be just what Theodore needed in his depressing and empty life. But as she/it evolves, she starts to become a jealous and even threatening presence…Hello, Ms. Hal 9000. Johansson brings a wonderfully sexy and cute personality to Samantha and gives the operating system more personality than any of the human roles in the film.
Her look is a bit sterile, almost as though the city had gone through a medical cleansing process, and that adds to the bland and unappealing non-personalities in the film, which becomes part of the movie’s problem. None of the characters seem to have any real depth and, thus, are uninteresting and boring. The other big problem with the film is the lack of originality in the plot. This is not the first time on the big screen – or the small – a character falls for/becomes obsessed/dependent on his computer. This has been done before, and it’s just not that interesting to watch Phoenix as Theodore have a weird and unusual relationship with his computer secretary.
Although it is slow and predictable, Her does have a sweetness to the high-tech romance that will have the male audience wishing their computer sounded and acted like Scarlett Johansson in the first half of the film and extremely happy they don’t by the time the credits roll.
GRADE: C
Her is rated R for language, sexual content and brief graphic nudity.
Fox has greenlit Backstrom, giving the crime drama based on the book series by Swedish criminologist Leif G.W. Persson a 13 episode order. Mark Mylod (Entourage) directed the pilot and is on board as executive producer alongside series creator Hart Hanson (Bones), Niclas Salomonsson, and writer Persson.
Filming is expected to begin sometime in early 2014 on the one-hour drama.
The series stars Rainn Wilson (The Office) as Detective Everett Backstrom, an “offensive, irascible detective, as he tries, and fails, to change his self-destructive behavior. Throughout the series, Backstrom leads his team, the Serious Crimes Unit, as they navigate Portland’s most sensitive cases.”
“Hart Hanson and Rainn Wilson are the perfect combination of creative vision and on-screen talent to bring this one-of-a-kind character and story like Backstrom to FOX,” said Kevin Reilly, Chairman of Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company. “I’ve been in business with Hart for a long time, and not only does he have a rare gift for infusing darker themes with relatable humor, he’s one of the best showrunners out there today. Together with Rainn – who absolutely nails this role and makes it a classic FOX character – I think we’ve got something really special here.”
“There are so few creators out there with the genuine ability to mix great procedural storytelling with humor, and Hart Hanson is one of those guys. Getting another show on the air with him has been a top priority of this company,” stated Twentieth Century Fox Television Chairmen and CEOs Gary Newman and Dana Walden. “And getting the amazing Rainn Wilson in the title role was quite simply a coup. His ‘Backstrom’ fits perfectly into FOX’s long history of dramas centered around a bigger-than-life iconic character.”
“Naturally, all of us who worked on Backstrom thought it was too promising a series to die unseen and Dana and Gary were relentless in their support of the project,” added Hanson. “Imagine our delight to find that Kevin Reilly and his team at FOX agreed enough to pick it up and give us a good home. Thanks FOX!”
And Rainn Wilson commented on his commitment to another TV series, saying he couldn’t be more thrilled than to tackle the role of Detective Everett Backstrom.
“For an actor, it’s rare to get a crack at a role of such intelligence, humor and complexity. He’s a delightfully disheveled misanthrope with a twisted, brilliant mind and a heart of barbed wire. Truly the role of a lifetime,” said Wilson. “Hart Hanson is an incredible writer and showrunner and I couldn’t be more excited to collaborate with him. Last but not least, FOX is the PERFECT home for this fun and disturbed piece of entertainment. They are passionate about the show and I’m ecstatic to be working with Kevin Reilly again (he launched The Office on NBC and fought tooth-and-nail for us to stay on the air, let’s not forget) and to be on the same network as my frenemy, Mindy Kaling.”
Details on the Pilot: “In the pilot episode, after the apparent suicide of a Senator’s son is ruled a homicide, the Portland Police Bureau’s Serious Crime Unit, led by Detective Backstrom (Wilson) must solve the case. Following the team’s arrival on the scene, forensics expert Sergeant Peter Niedermayer (Kristoffer Polaha) verifies that the death was indeed a homicide. This starts the trail for Backstrom and his team: Detective Nicole Gravely, Detective Sergeant John Almond (Dennis Haysbert), uniformed officer Frank Moto (Page Kennedy) and the tech-savvy Nadia Paquet (Beatrice Rosen).
Together, they must follow leads while trying to maintain a low profile in this highly scrutinized case.
The Pete Holmes Show (Photo Credit: Tyler Golden / TBS)Photo Credit: Tyler Golden / TBSComedian Pete Holmes will be back hosting The Pete Holmes Show on TBS for at least 13 more weeks. The network’s ordered up additional episodes which will kick off on February 24, 2014 and run Monday through Thursday nights at midnight.
Conan O’Brien’s Conaco produces the series which tapes live in front of a studio audience and features sketches, live comedy, and video pieces.
“The first 28 episodes were a joy to make, and I’m so thrilled we get to keep going,” said Pete. “We have so much more we want to do, and I’m looking forward to the opportunity to make great comedy, continue to evolve the show and really push the limits of potty language and tasteful male nudity. I can’t wait!”
During its initial run in 2013, The Pete Holmes Show was averaging nearly half a million viewers.
The cast of this film adaptation of the critically acclaimed play also includes Alfred Molina, Joe Mantello, Jonathan Groff, Denis O’Hare, Stephen Spinella, Corey Stoll, Finn Wittrock, and BD Wong. Ryan Murphy, Dante Di Loreto, Jason Blum, Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner executive produce with Ruffalo co-executive producing.
The Origin of The Normal Heart [Courtesy of HBO]:
“In 1981, writer Larry Kramer hosted a gathering of six gay men and their friends to discuss the ‘gay cancer,’ and to talk about fundraising for research. This informal meeting in Kramer’s home would lead to the formation of Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC), one of the first advocacy groups for HIV prevention and care. Kramer’s play debuted at New York’s Public Theatre in 1985 and was revived in Los Angeles and London, and off-Broadway. The 2011 Broadway revival garnered five Tony nominations, winning for Best Revival, Best Featured Actor and Best Featured Actress.”
The Plot:
Ruffalo portrays Ned Weeks, who witnesses first-hand a mysterious disease that has begun to claim the lives of many in his gay community and starts to seek answers. Matt Bomer plays Felix Turner, a reporter who becomes Ned’s lover. Taylor Kitsch plays Bruce Niles, a closeted investment banker who becomes a prominent AIDS activist. Jim Parsons plays gay activist Tommy Boatwright, reprising his role from the 2011 Broadway revival. Roberts plays physician Dr. Emma Brookner, a survivor of childhood polio who treats several of the earliest victims of HIV-AIDS.
Alfred Molina plays Ned’s older brother, Ben, who is a successful attorney. Joe Mantello plays Mickey Marcus, who is an instrumental member of the Gay Men’s Health Crisis. Jonathan Groff plays Craig, Bruce’s lover, an early victim of HIV-AIDS. Denis O’Hare portrays Hiram Keebler, Mayor Koch’s gay aide. Stephen Spinella plays Sanford, one of Dr. Brookner’s first patients. Corey Stoll portrays presidential senior advisor John Bower. Finn Wittrock plays Albert, a male model. BD Wong portrays Buzzy, a nurse who works with Dr. Brookner.
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