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‘The Walking Dead’ Season Four Premiere Recap and Review

The Walking Dead Season 4 Premiere Review
Andrew Lincoln in 'The Walking Dead' Season Four (Photo Credit: Frank Ockenfels 3/AMC)
“Wait, please help me,” says a creepy-looking young woman walking in the woods to Rick (Andrew Lincoln), who was trying to slip away unnoticed after mistaking her for a walker, in the season four premiere of the AMC horror series The Walking Dead.
 
It’s been six or seven months since Rick brought the survivors of Woodbury back with him to join his friends living at the prison, and everyone seems to be doing much better. The group has a small committee that governs how things will be handled in the prison and everyone has a job to do to contribute, whether it be killing fence walkers, gardening, cooking, or going on scouting runs for supplies or survivors. Rick has taken himself a bit back from the group, focusing on raising his son Carl (Chandler Riggs) and doing local patrols for food. Daryl (Norman Reedus) has now stepped up and become one of the new leaders of the group, heading up the scouting runs for supplies and survivors. And while on one such scouting trip in an abandoned story with Michonne (Danai Gurira), Glenn (Steven Yeun), and a small handful of others, a group of walkers roaming aimlessly on the weak roof of the store begin crashing through it and present a very real danger to Daryl and the others.
 
Meanwhile back in the woods, Rick is following the strange woman named Carla back to where she says her husband is waiting for food. Rick’s becoming increasingly uneasy about her and he must decide if she is to be feared and killed or trusted and brought back to the prison.
The Walking Dead Season 4 Premiere Review
Norman Reedus and Melissa Suzanne McBride in 'The Walking Dead' (Photo Credit:Gene Page/AMC)

The Walking Dead season four premiere titled “30 Days Without An Accident” brings the horror/soap opera series back with impressive new zombies and sets up what looks to be an intense season. Rick and Carl seem to have improved their father & son relationship, and both appear to have managed to get in touch with their humanity again. Glenn’s first concern is the safety and health of his love, Maggie (Lauren Cohan), and he’s stressed about the future of their relationship and the security of their home.
 
The production of the series is still first-rate with excellent make-up for the zombie actors and set design for the prison, which is a sanctuary for Rick and the others. But the question lingers: how much longer will it last as more and more flesheaters are testing and surrounding the fences.
 
A stand-out, particularly thrilling scene from the season four premiere was the attack of the rooftop walkers in the store involving Daryl, Glenn, Michonne, and a few others.
 
With more and more zombies arriving outside the prison and a possible unknown weakness inside, this season of The Walking Dead looks to be one of the most action-packed and terrifying seasons yet.
 
GRADE: B
 

– By Kevin Finnerty

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Hawaii Five-0 Fans Get to Build an Episode

Fan Built Hawaii Five-0CBS and Hawaii Five-0 are asking viewers to take charge of an upcoming episode of the popular series. Fans are asked to put together a story by selecting one element from each of these categories: Scene of the Crime, The Victim, The Murder Weapon, The Evidence, The Suspect, and The Takedown. The special “Fan Built” episode will air later this season.
 
Per the official announcement, the writers will put the show together using the most popular choices submitted through October 31, 2013. As the production of the episode draws closer, viewers will be asked to vote on other elements including the music, wardrobe, and the episode’s title.
 
To vote, visit www.cbs.com/H50vote.
 
“Viewers loved helping figure out the ‘whodunit’ episode last season,” stated executive producer Peter Lenkov. “Now, we want to up the ante by having viewers’ input on the production of a show. From story to props, viewers will help call the shots. And yes, this is fun for me when I get to see just how creative our writers can be when the key elements are chosen.”
 
SCENE OF THE CRIME:
 
Chin Ho’s High School Reunion
Volcano
Skydiving Lesson
Motocross Race
Luau
Helicopter Tour
Yoga Retreat
 
THE VICTIM:
 
Ancient Hawaiian Healer
Celebrity Matchmaker
Female Golf Pro
Cabana Boy
Astronaut
Sumo Wrestler
Macadamia Nut Tycoon
 
THE MURDER WEAPON:
 
Five Inch Stiletto
Flame Thrower
Poisoned Jacuzzi
Snow Shovel
Poisonous Toad
Tiki Torch
Spear Gun
 
THE EVIDENCE:
 
Body Drained of Blood
Jelly Fish
Kitty Litter
Toy Rocket
A Missing Eyeball
Sumatran Tiger
A Bag of Teeth
 
THE SUSPECT:
 
Hula Dancer
Spring Breaker
Synchronized Swimmer
Aging Rockstar
Personal Chef
Race Car Driver
Struggling Illusionist
 
THE TAKEDOWN:
 
Sniper Hunter Robot
Rappelling
Scuba Diving
ATV Chase
Giant Maze
Base Jumping
Spelunking
 
Source: CBS

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Shrek the Musical Gives Back

Shrek the MusicalDreamWorks Animation and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment will be releasing Shrek the Musical on Blu-ray and DVD on October 15, 2013 and in support of the release they’re going to be donating $50,000 to help music and arts programs in schools. Working with the National Association for Music Education, DreamWorks and Fox Home Entertainment will be setting up five $10,000 grants.
 
The winners of the grants will be announced on November 4, 2013, with schools invited to submit their music programs for consideration at www.ShrekDay.com. The deadline is October 31, 2013 and the winners will be determined via a random drawing.
 
“Music is an essential part of every student’s educational experience; it teaches cooperation, collaboration, creativity, and communication. It is important to support school music programs so children can enjoy the lifelong benefits of music study,” stated Michael A. Butera, executive director, National Association for Music Education and Give a Note Foundation. “Shrek the Musical tells a story of love, friendship and finding your true self. The fact that the story is enhanced by music demonstrates the true power of musical expression. We’re very grateful to DreamWorks Animation and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment for their support and generosity.”
 
“We are proud that our live theater experience can give back to the educational community through this grant program,” added Bill Damaschke, Chief Creative Officer at DreamWorks Animation. “Full of high energy and fun, Shrek The Musical is a great introduction for kids to experience the magic of live theatre. The Shrek franchise continues to entertain audiences in a number of different ways.”
 
Source: DreamWorks Animation and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
 

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Filming Begins on ‘Big Sky’ Starring Bella Thorne

Bella Thorne Stars in Big Sky
Bella Thorne (Photo © Richard Chavez)

Filming is currently underway on the dramatic movie Big Sky starring Disney Channel’s Bella Thorne along with Kyra Sedgwick, Frank Grillo, and Aaron Tveit. Jorge Michel Grau will be making his English-language directorial debut with the project set up at Manis Film.

“Big Sky is a suspenseful and thrilling story that will have audiences on the edge of their seats as our troubled characters tumble further into peril,” said Manis Film’s Randy Manis. “We are very excited to share the talent of our skilled director and the highly talented cast that he has attracted.”

Grau is directing from a script by Evan M. Wiener. Matthew Salloway and Christina Papagjika are producing, with Christine Vachon and Jeffrey V. Mandel executive producing.

The Big Sky Plot:

Big Sky is the tale of Hazel (Thorne), a teenage girl who suffers a mortal fear of open spaces. She never leaves her bedroom, which has put a strain on the relationship with her strung-out mom, Dee (Sedgwick), and is starting to take its toll on both of them. In a last ditch attempt to cure her daughter, Dee enrolls Hazel in a high-end treatment facility in the desert, hoping they will finally find the help they require so that Hazel can begin to move forward from the horrors of her past that triggered her illness.

But help is the last thing that they get. When two brothers, Jesse (Grillo) and Pru (Tveit), interfere with Hazel and Dee’s plans in the worst possible way, Hazel must confront her paralyzing fears before they consume her and is forced to fight for her survival in the harshest conditions, all while avoiding the cunning schemes hatched by Jesse.




Black Sails Offers Up a New Trailer

Pirates remain popular…there’s even an annual Talk Like a Pirate Day…and Starz is hoping to draw in viewers with a new series set 20 years before the events of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island. Black Sails, executive produced by Michael Bay (the Transformers movies), will debut in January 2014 on the network and Starz unveiled the first official trailer for the series during their presentation at the NY Comic Con.

Black Sails was created by showrunner/executive producer Jon Steinberg. Bay’s Platinum Dunes partners Brad Fuller and Andrew Form also serve as executive producers.

The Plot: The eight-episode first season of Black Sails centers on the tales of Captain Flint and his men. Toby Stephens (Die Another Day) stars as Flint, the most brilliant and most feared pirate captain of his day, who takes on a fast-talking young addition to his crew who goes by the name John Silver. Threatened with extinction on all sides, they fight for the survival of New Providence Island, the most notorious criminal haven of its day – a debauched paradise teeming with pirates, prostitutes, thieves and fortune seekers, a place defined by both its enlightened ideals and its stunning brutality.

What Men Really Do When They Say They’re Watching Football…

This definitely doesn’t happen in my house because I’m just as into football as my husband, but apparently when women leave men alone to catch a game on TV, a “Boy Dance Party” breaks out – so says this SNL skit aired on the October 12, 2013 episode. Host Bruce Willis joined the male SNL cast members in the skit, showing off some bizarre dance moves including a bit of sack shaking and some twerking.

Eat your heart out, Miley Cyrus.

Katy Perry Performs “Roar” on SNL

Katy Perry Performs Roar on SNL
Katy Perry on 'SNL' (Photo by: Dana Edelson/NBC)
Katy Perry was the musical guest on the October 12, 2013 episode of Saturday Night Live (Bruce Willis hosted) and she performed her hit single “Roar” which has enjoyed a lengthy stay on Billboard’s Top 10 Pop Songs chart. The “Roar” set was made to look like a jungle, her band was dressed in various jungle animal costumes, and even her backup singers were fully decked out as an elephant and an alligator. However, the performance lacked a little energy – even though it sounded fine.
 
Watch the video:
 

 

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Check Out the ‘Dear Mr. Watterson’ Trailer

Dear Mr. Watterson Poster

I miss Calvin & Hobbes and it’s sad to think there are people out there who have no idea what I’m referring to. For those who need a refresher, Calvin & Hobbes was a popular comic strip created by Bill Watterson that existed way before Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, etc. The comic went away a decade after it first ran in newspapers when Watterson decided to retire the characters. And in the new documentary Dear Mr. Watterson, director Joel Allen Schroeder examines what the comic meant to its fans.

Dear Mr. Watterson opens in theaters on November 15, 2013.

The Plot:

Calvin & Hobbes took center stage immediately when it appeared in newspaper comics across the country in 1985. The funny pages were a big part of popular culture, and it was hard to find a comics reader who didn’t like Calvin & Hobbes.

A decade later, when Bill Watterson retired his strip, millions of readers felt the void left by the sudden departure of Calvin and his beloved tiger, and many fans would never find a satisfactory replacement. In his retirement, as he did during his career, Mr. Watterson has steadfastly declined to license his beloved Calvin and Hobbes characters for any wider commercial purposes, a principled decision that left perhaps hundreds of millions of dollars on the table.

It has now been 18 years since the end of the Calvin & Hobbes era. Bill Watterson has kept an extremely low profile during this time, living a very private life in Ohio. Despite his quiet lifestyle, he is remembered and appreciated daily by fans who still enjoy his amazing collection of work.

Dear Mr. Watterson is not a quest to find Bill Watterson, or to invade his privacy. It is an exploration to discover why his ‘simple’ comic strip has made such an impact on so many readers, and why it still means so much to us.




Movie Review: ‘Captain Phillips’

Captain Phillips Review
Tom Hanks stars in 'Captain Phillips' (Photo © 2013 Columbia Pictures)
“Look at me.” “Sure.” “Look at me, I’m the Captain now.” That’s Tom Hanks as Captain Richard Phillips being told by Muse (Barkhad Abdi), the leader of the Somalia pirates who’s just boarded the US-flagged ship MV Maersk Alabama, that he is no longer in charge of his vessel in the dramatic film Captain Phillips.
 
In 2009, the U.S. container ship Maersk Alabama with Captain Phillips in charge is hijacked by a small crew of armed Somalia pirates looking to make a big score for their tribal leader back home. Phillips and his crew follow procedure and radio in for assistance as well as use their fire hoses to try to keep the pirates from being able to hook a ladder onto their ship and board the vessel. Realizing he’s fighting a losing battle and it’s only a matter of time before the pirates get on board, Phillips orders his crew to hide down below in the engine room of the ship and to stay hidden at all costs. The captain doesn’t want to give the pirates any chance of taking hostages.
 
Once on board, the hostile take-over of the ship turns into a battle of wits between Phillips – trying to keep his crew from being discovered as well as a way to get the pirates off his ship as quickly and peacefully as possible – and Muse, the pirate leader determined to find the crew and take as many hostages as he can with him back to Somalia.
 
Based on a true story and masterfully directed by Paul Greengrass (The Bourne Ultimatum), Captain Phillips is an incredibly intense, riveting film with an unforgettable performance by Tom Hanks. The scenes on board the U.S. Maersk Alabama in which the pirates are confronting Phillips and begin a slow, careful search through the ship for its crew are both suspenseful and terrifying, and they’re sure to have audiences on the edge of their seats. Newcomers Barkhad Abdi and Barkhad Abdirahman are terrific as the pirate leader and his forceful henchman who constantly argue and disagree about what to do next and how to handle the captain who they nickname ‘Irish’ after he identifies himself as an Irish American.
 
Tom Hanks gives his best performance since Saving Private Ryan as Captain Richard Phillips, a wise, middle-aged professional seaman who bravely takes charge of dealing with the pirates and constantly puts himself in harm’s way to protect his crew and his ship. It’s a powerful performance and the last scene is perhaps the most moving and finest piece of acting he has ever delivered on screen.
 
Gripping, compelling, and suspenseful, Captain Phillips is without a doubt one of the best films of the year and is sure to be remembered and nominated during Oscar season. Don’t miss it!
 
GRADE: A
 
Captain Phillips is rated PG-13 for sustained intense sequences of menace, some violence with bloody images, and for substance use.

– By Kevin Finnerty

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‘Glee’ Cory Monteith Tribute – “Seasons of Love”

This performance of “Seasons of Love” by the cast of Glee gave me goosebumps. It’s a beautiful rendition of the song from the musical Rent, and it’s sung against a simple, black backdrop with a photo of Cory Monteith as Finn Hudson in his football jersey appearing at the end.

“The Quarterback” episode aired on Thursday, October 10, 2013, paying tribute to actor Cory Monteith while saying goodbye to his Glee character, Finn. Fox scored big ratings with the episode, but it would be way too cynical to believe ratings played any part in putting this episode together. This was a group of friends paying tribute to a young, troubled actor.

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