Discovery Channel is teaming up with Lionsgate to develop a mini-series based on John Jakes’ bestselling North and South trilogy. Jakes will be involved as an executive producer on the mini-series, however, there’s no official word yet on who will adapt the books or direct the limited-run series.
Per the official announcement:
“North and South will tell the epic story of two families – the Hazard family, northern factory owners from Pennsylvania, and the Main family, southern plantation owners. The story begins when lead characters George Hazard and Orry Main meet as young men at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. The Hazard and the Main families become close, brought together in bonds of friendship and affection that neither jealousy nor violence can shatter.
At a time when great technological advancements were made and social and political groups worked for anti-slavery legislation as well as women’s equality, the economic foundation of the country began to rapidly change. Spanning three generations and chronicling the lives and loves of two great family dynasties, North and South shows the vastly different ways of life for the Main and Hazard families which threaten to drive them apart, fracture marriages, and poison sibling relationships. They are put to the ultimate test as fathers, sons, brothers, and friends fight each other on the battlefields of the deadliest war America has ever seen.”
The NOW That’s What I Call Music! franchise is shining the spotlight on new artists with the release of NOW That’s What I Call What’s Next coming out on Tuesday, August 27, 2013. The CD will feature 10 songs from up-and-coming artists, including Bonnie McKee, Mikky Ekko, and The Colourist.
The NOW series has sold over 200 million albums worldwide, and every album of the numbered series has made it into Billboard’s Top 10 list. With the release of this emerging artists album on iTunes, musicians who would usually be featured in the numbered series’ bonus tracks now take center stage.
Jeff Daniels in 'The Newsroom' - Photo by Melissa Moseley/HBOThe second season of HBO’s dramatic series The Newsroom will be coming to a close with the season finale on September 15, 2013 at 10pm. And as we near the end of this summer’s run, HBO has released details on the season’s finale two episodes.
The Newsroom September Episodes
Episode #18: “Election Night, Part I”
Debut: SUNDAY, SEPT. 8 (10:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT)
Other HBO playdates: Sept. 8 (midnight), 10 (11:00 p.m.), 11 (9:00 p.m.), 12 (8:00 p.m.), 13 (midnight) and 14 (9:45 p.m.)
HBO2 playdates: Sept. 9 (10:00 p.m.), 10 (9:00 p.m.), 11 (11:00 p.m.) and 13 (3:40 p.m.)
In the wake of Leona’s (Jane Fonda) refusal to accept the resignations of three top ACN talents, “News Night” goes forward with its 2012 election night coverage, featuring Will (Jeff Daniels) in the unlikely role of director of morale. Sloan (Olivia Munn) is perturbed that her book was auctioned off with a forged signature, while Mac (Emily Mortimer) tasks Neal (Dev Patel) to fix a faulty Wikipedia page. Mindful that Charlie (Sam Waterston) wants a screw-up-free evening, Jim (John Gallagher, Jr.) weighs the cons of retracting a call he made too soon. The team deliberates whether to hold off on a story that might affect a tight Senate race.
Written by Aaron Sorkin; directed by Jason Ensler.
Episode #19: “Election Night, Part II” (season finale)
Debut: SUNDAY, SEPT. 15 (10:00-11:00 p.m.)
Other HBO playdates: Sept. 15 (midnight), 17 (11:00 p.m.), 18 (9:00 p.m.), 19 (8:00 p.m.), 20 (midnight) and 21 (9:45 p.m.)
HBO2 playdates: Sept. 16 (10:00 p.m.), 17 (9:00 p.m.), 18 (11:05 p.m.) and 20 (5:15 p.m.)
As election night 2012 winds down, Will and Charlie await a decision from Reese (Chris Messina) that may impact their future at ACN, and that of the entire senior staff. Sloan learns the identity of the anonymous winning bidder for her book; Don (Thomas Sadoski) discusses a countersuit against Jerry (Hamish Linklater) with Rebecca (Marcia Gay Harden); Neal turns to Hallie (Grace Gummer) for help giving Mac a parting gift; Jim tries to make peace with Lisa (Kelen Coleman), encouraging Maggie (Alison Pill) to do the same; Will has a revelation while Charlie is sharing his.
Written by Aaron Sorkin; directed by Alan Poul.
The hammer-wielding god will be on exhibit at Disneyland this fall. Although the details are very vague – actually, they’re nearly non-existent – Disneyland’s official blog promising park visitors will be able to “visit Asgard this fall and come face-to-face with the Mighty Avenger, Thor.” There’s no word yet on whether the celebration of the theatrical release of Thor: The Dark World will also include a chance to get up-close-and-personal with Loki.
The Disneyland blog promises further updates about the Thor exhibit in the coming months.
CBS Films’ comedy Last Vegas teams up Michael Douglas, Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman, and Kevin Kline (all Oscar winners) for a road trip to Vegas. Hitting theaters on November 1, 2013, Last Vegas was directed by Jon Turteltaub (National Treasure, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice) from a script by Dan Fogelman and Adam Brooks.
The Plot:
Starring four legends like you’ve never seen them before, Last Vegas tells the story of Billy, Paddy, Archie and Sam (played by Academy-Award winners Michael Douglas, Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Kline), best friends since childhood. When Billy, the group’s sworn bachelor, finally proposes to his thirty-something (of course) girlfriend, the four head to Las Vegas with a plan to stop acting their age and relive their glory days.
However, upon arriving, the four quickly realize that the decades have transformed Sin City and tested their friendship in ways they never imagined. The Rat Pack may have once played the Sands and Cirque du Soleil may now rule the Strip, but it’s these four who are taking over Vegas.
“Hero Ventures is developing a themed entertainment concept that we expect will be a transformative, traveling destination that will deliver to fans and families an exciting, groundbreaking and unique experience,” stated Marvel’s VP of Business Development, Sean Haran.
“The dynamic creative elements we’re developing are going to enable anyone to feel like a Super Hero like Spider-Man or Captain America,” said Hero Ventures’ CEO Rick Licht. “We couldn’t be more excited about our partnership with Marvel. Kids and adults are going to be absolutely inspired, empowered and thrilled from start to finish, with an immersive experience that is not just memorable, but unforgettable!”
Per the official announcement: “The Marvel Experience is a ‘first-person’ Super Hero adventure in which audiences step into the Marvel Universe to become a part of the story and the action. Innovative tour elements include a one-of-a-kind, traveling dome complex the size of two football fields developed exclusively by Hero Ventures. In addition to the 4D motion ride and 3D animated features, other components will include digitally projected animation, motion-comic origin stories, virtual reality and holographic simulations, original merchandise and integrated social media touch points all carefully woven into the rich narrative story line.”
Jane Lynch hosts 'Hollywood Game Night' (Photo Credit: Trae Patton/NBC)
NBC’s not playing games when it comes to their new game show Hollywood Game Night. They’re taking the show’s popularity seriously and have given the series an order for a 10-episode season two. The series is based on Sean Hayes’ real-life game nights and is hosted by Glee‘s Jane Lynch.
Paul Telegdy, President, Alternative and Late Night Programming, NBC Entertainment announced the renewal, stating, “Hollywood Game Night allows the audience to take a seat on the couch next to their favorite celebrities and enjoy the pandemonium and exuberance of the colorful cast of celebrities in each episode. Jane and her friends know how to throw a party and we’re thrilled viewers have come to play too.”
Season one found celebrities including Kristin Bell, Rose Byrne, Kristin Chenoweth, Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Perry, Amy Poehler, Martin Short, and Jason Sudeikis all showing up to play. “It’s fun hanging with friends and playing ringmaster while trying to help our contestants earn $25,000,” said Lynch. “It’s a win-win for all.”
The Plot: In the series, two contestants in each episode are transported from their everyday lives into a once-in-a-lifetime night of fun and celebration as they step beyond the velvet rope and rub shoulders with some of their favorite celebrities. Part Hollywood club and part casual game night, the series is a fresh look into the lives of the celebrity crowd.
I’m told The Mortal Instruments books by Cassandra Clare are popular in that oh-so-hot Young Adult genre that Hollywood keeps mining to discover the next Twilight (not for their merit but for their box office). After watching the first of the series turned into a feature film, subtitled The City of Bones, I can see why the books might be a hit, particularly with teenage girls. However, I am seriously hoping the movies don’t find any success because I don’t particularly want to sit through another one of these things. (And yes, I know the sequel is already in pre-production but if this tanks, it’s not too late to pull the plug and save the studio face & money while saving the world from another bad movie.)
It all starts off innocuously enough. Lily Collins plays Clary, a young woman who has begun to see past the veil that clouds the world we puny humans can see. That fun ability is thanks to having some angel blood in her veins (ain’t genetics grand?) and she discovers a world within our world, where Shadowhunters (angel descendants) hunt demons and try to keep the balance of good and evil in check. Hmm, I’ve already seen Constantine.
Now, before I go any further, I’m warning you. What follows in this review is a whole heap of SPOILERS. Seriously. I’m going to reveal major plot points. If you’ve read the books, you’re fine. If you weren’t going to buy a ticket and just enjoy me ripping on a movie, you’re more than fine. If you wanted to see it, just know this: you shouldn’t. There. Simple enough. And now on with the critique.
Of course, there’s a love interest that binds it all together for our heroine. Here, it’s a pale, blond kid named Jace (Jamie Campbell Bower) who perhaps girls find attractive. I don’t know anymore considering the popularity of Justin Bieber, Robert Pattinson, and Shia LaBeouf. No one will ever make me understand that unholy trinity … well, maybe Pattinson … but that’s because he’s also Cedric Diggory and has a British accent. Chicks dig accents.
ANYWHO. Where was I?!? Oh yeah, ripping City of Bones. -Wait. One second. Need to go on a tangent. Why is this called City of Bones? They go to a place named that for like, five minutes. It’s never mentioned again. You might as well have called this City of the Random Coffee Shop, or City of the Douchey Nightclub. We spend just as much time in both of those locations.
Back to spoiling things, the whole movie centers around the search for the Mortal Cup – a chalice that an angel used to grant some lucky humans with special abilities. A former Shadowhunter who went mad on power (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) wants the Cup, and wouldn’t you know it, Clary is the key to it all. Hmm, I’ve already seen Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
Back to all that love in the air, while Clary is oblivious to the obvious “best friend” who’s loved her for years without saying anything (Robert Sheehan), once she meets Jace, the Twilight love triangle is complete (and yes, this movie has vampires. Swoon? Wait, that’s not right. Puke! That’s it.) There’s a ridiculous scene midway through, all set to a cheesy song (which I’ll probably download later) inside a botanical garden of sorts where, I shit you not, the two lovebirds finally manage to do the needful (i.e. start kissing) and the ceiling sprinklers go off! If you’re scoring at home (good for you but not what I meant), that’s actually a NET ZERO. No, not the internet service. Here, I’ll count it all up: 1 point for the music; 1 point for the sprinklers; 1 point for the two lovestruck teens making out; but -3 points for the horrendous blocking, directing and dialogue. Hmm, where have I’ve seen an equally awful “romantic” scene? Oh yeah, when that sparkly vamp and the lip-biter girl laid out in a sea of wildflowers and stared at each other while the audience wondered if they forgot their lines. Hmm, I’ve (sadly) already seen Twilight (all of them actually so say a little prayer for me tonight).
Then we get to the action/fighting. It’s handled fairly well for the genre. To be fair, my expectations were scattered on the floor with some sticky soda residue the theater staff hadn’t quite mopped up entirely. However, there comes a point when Clary realizes she’s got some mad demon-fighting skills and is able to hold up her hand and freeze a gang of evildoers from making swift work of her and her friends. Basically, she’s the One. Hmm, I’ve already seen The Matrix.
And now we come to my favorite piece of “borrowing” from prior material. At one point, not so surprisingly, we find out that the big bad ex-Shadowhunter is … wait for it … Darth Vader Clary’s dad! Oh, and that pale blond kid Clary’s been making out with? Well, he might be her brother. *AWKWARD* Now where I have I seen these scenarios before … oh yeah, that’s right, I’ve absolutely already seen the Star Wars franchise. It’s when you start messing with George Lucas that I worry in a litigious sense for author Cassandra Clare in terms of all these “coincidences” from pop culture films that all happened prior to the 2007 release of the first book in the series.
In any case, if you haven’t figured it out, I’m not a big fan of this movie. Myself, and a few critics near me, spent the last half with the giggles, constantly flabbergasted at just how hokey the dialogue and plot progression kept getting. This has some of the most unintended comedy in a movie all year. And this is all despite the fact that I actually was fine with about the first half of things. Aside from thinking Jonathan Rhys Meyers has any business playing a villain, the casting department found people who can generally act (though Robert Sheehan seemed to be doing a Jay Baruchel impression for 95% of the time he was on-screen).
I’m starting to just ramble on so I’ll boil this one down. I don’t need to see a sequel. I don’t want to see a sequel. However, I’m going to be monumentally, epically, and just all-around bummed if this movie makes anywhere near as much money as The World’s End, also opening this weekend. One movie is smartly written, well directed, features good actors, and is worth seeing multiple times. The other is The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones. And considering this whole movie amounts to a search for a de facto Holy Grail, I’ve really only got one thing to say to people who buy tickets to it: You have chosen … poorly.
P.S. If you want to make this review interactive, try imbibing a favored beverage for each element I’ve highlighted in another color. I sure wish I had a similar option when I watched the movie.
GRADE: D+
The Mortal Instruments opened in theaters on August 20, 2013 and is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of fantasy violence and action, and some suggestive content.
Kit Harington stars in 'Pompeii' (Photo Courtesy of TriStar Pictures)Game of Thrones‘ Kit Harington (‘Jon Snow’) stars in the action film Pompeii coming to theaters next February 28th. TriStar’s just released this first photo featuring a shirtless Harington as well as the first trailer which shows the destruction of Pompeii as well as the after-effects of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Directed by Paul W.S. Anderson, Pompeii also stars Emily Browning, Jared Harris, Kiefer Sutherland, Carrie-Anne Moss, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, and Jessica Lucas.
The Plot:
The film follows an enslaved Celtic gladiator who falls in love with a noblewoman on the eve of a massive volcanic eruption that destroys Pompeii, an event that also brings him face-to-face with the man who slaughtered his family years earlier.
Taylor Swift surprised her adoring fans during her August 20, 2013 concert at Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles when she brought Tegan and Sara out on stage to perform their hit single, “Closer.” The sold-out Staples Center crowd cheered for the threesome as they collaborated on the chart-topper, with Taylor instructing her 15,000 fans to get on their feet and jump around.
Stumble It! 
