Dennis Chun, Bryan Spicer, Taylor Wily, Al Harrington, Michelle Borth, Peter Lenkov, Alex O’Loughlin, Daniel Dae Kim, Jeff Downer, Mayor Kirk Caldwell, Louise Kim McCoy, Liz Miller and Angela Laprete Bottom row, left to right: Kauila Kawelo Barber, Kalei Nu’uhiwa and Kepa Cruse
CBS announced filming is now underway on the drama Hawaii Five-0 starring Alex O’Loughlin, Scott Caan, and Daniel Dae Kim. And in honor of the Hawaiian culture, the cast and crew held a Hawaiian blessing ceremony as they kicked off the start of filming on season four.
According to CBS, Kauila Kawelo Barber and Kalei Nu’uhiwa officiated the blessing ceremony that called “upon the elements and inviting goodness, protection, peace, happiness and success.”
In addition to announcing the start of production, writer/executive producer Peter Lenkov showed off a picture on Twitter of season four guest star Henry Ian Cusick (Lost) on the set.
Hawaii Five-O season four premieres on September 27, 2013 at 9pm.
Sons of Anarchy star Charlie Hunnam leads the cast of the sci-fi action thriller, Pacific Rim, now playing in theaters. And in this interview courtesy of Warner Bros Pictures, Charlie discusses his character and how the pilot he plays ‘drifts’ his mind to connect with his co-pilot. He also talks about working with writer/director Guillermo del Toro, the story, and his admiration for co-star Rinko Kikuchi.
The Official Plot: When legions of monstrous creatures, known as Kaiju, started rising from the sea, a war began that would take millions of lives and consume humanity’s resources for years on end. To combat the giant Kaiju, a special type of weapon was devised: massive robots, called Jaegers, which are controlled simultaneously by two pilots whose minds are locked in a neural bridge. But even the Jaegers are proving nearly defenseless in the face of the relentless Kaiju.
On the verge of defeat, the forces defending mankind have no choice but to turn to two unlikely heroes — a washed-up former pilot (Charlie Hunnam) and an untested trainee (Rinko Kikuchi) — who are teamed to drive a legendary but seemingly obsolete Jaeger from the past. Together, they stand as mankind’s last hope against the mounting apocalypse.
A voice-over by Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom‘s star Idris Elba guides the viewer through this U.K. teaser trailer released by The Weinstein Company. Directed by Justin Chadwick and co-starring Naomi Harris, Tony Kgoroge, and Riaad Moosa, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom will open in theaters on November 29, 2013.
The Plot:
Mandela : Long Walk To Freedom celebrates Nelson Mandela’s extraordinary journey from his childhood in a rural village through to his election as President of South Africa. It explores the Mandela unknown to most of the world – the lover of fast cars and women, the boxing enthusiast and playboy, the skilful lawyer and the gun-toting freedom fighter. It is a thrilling and ultimately joyous story of an exceptional – but not perfect – human being, who rose to the challenge of his times and triumphed – an intimate portrait of the making of a modern icon.
September’s almost here and with it the premiere of season six of FX’s critically acclaimed drama Sons of Anarchy. The network’s just unleashed a new teaser for the upcoming season, but what does the short video titled “Brawl” symbolize? Why is Clay holding Jax back? Is Tara out of jail and out of trouble? All questions to ponder as we wait semi-patiently for the return of SoA.
For those of you in San Diego next week for Comic-Con, don’t forget to check out the Sons of Anarchy panel on Sunday. SoA cast members Charlie Hunnam, Katey Sagal, Ron Perlman, Maggie Siff, Kim Coates, Mark Boone Junior, Tommy Flanagan, Theo Rossi, Dayton Callie, and Jimmy Smits will join creator Kurt Sutter and executive producer/director Paris Barclay for a Q&A session at 3:50pm in Hall H.
Grant Bowler as Joshua Nolan and Julie Benz as Amanda Rosewater in 'Defiance' (Photo by: Joe Pugliese/Syfy)For those who still haven’t caught on to Syfy’s Defiance, the sci-fi world created for the show is also featured in an online game which runs concurrent to the storylines in each week’s television episode. The interconnected worlds of the show and the series make it one-of-a-kind and promote the active engagement of viewers with the show itself. And in keeping with Syfy’s desire to involve Defiance fans, the network’s announced a “Play the Game. Join the Show.” contest in which one lucky winner will have their character featured in season two of the series.
Running now through July 30th at 10am PT, the “Play the Game. Join the Show” contest is actually the second time the show’s gamers have had the opportunity to be featured in the TV series. The first contest run by Trion Worlds and Syfy found the winners’ likenesses pictured on Wanted posters on an episode of the series.
The Contest Details [Courtesy of Syfy]:
The “Play the Game. Join the Show.” in-game contest pits players against the game’s Arkfall events to see who can rise to the top and become the ultimate Ark Hunter. The winner’s character will appear during the second season of the TV series.
The ten Ark Hunters who complete the most Major Arkfall events between July 8 (10am PDT) and July 30 (10am PDT) will compete for a chance to have their character written onto the show. These ten semifinalists will be fleshed out with backstories written by the show’s writing staff, which will then be featured on Facebook, where Defiance fans will choose their five favorites. From this pool of five finalists, a member of the Defiance team will select the final winner to appear in season two of Defiance.
To enter, players must register for the “Play the Game. Join the Show.” contest at www.defiance.com/en/game-show-contest, then complete as many Major Arkfalls as possible between July 8 (10am PDT) and July 30 (10am PDT). Between August 12th and August 21st, one semifinalist backstory will be posted per day. Registered Facebook users can vote for the top five characters between August 26th (3am PDT) and September 6th (8:59pm PDT), and the final winner will be selected in September.
Pearl Jam not only just announced details on their upcoming fall tour, they also just confirmed an October 15, 2013 release date for their next album, Lightning Bolt. The fall tour will include 24 stops and kicks off on October 11th in Pittsburgh. The tour in support of Lightning Bolt will finish up in Seattle on December 6th.
Tickets will go on sale on Saturday, July 27 at 10am local time. In addition, Pearl Jam Ten Club members are eligible for a special pre-sale drawing. For more info, visit pearljam.com/tickets.
The group’s also just unveiled the first single from Lightning Bolt, “Mind Your Manners.”
Pearl Jam’s North American Tour:
Oct-11 Pittsburgh, PA at Consol Energy Center
Oct-12 Buffalo, NY at First Niagara Center
Oct-15 Worcester, MA at DCU Center
Oct-18 Brooklyn, NY at Barclays Center
Oct-19 Brooklyn, NY at Barclays Center
Oct-21 Philadelphia, PA at Wells Fargo Center
Oct-22 Philadelphia, PA at Wells Fargo Center
Oct-25 Hartford, CT at XL Center
Oct-27 Baltimore, MD at 1st Mariner Arena
Oct-29 Charlottesville, VA at John Paul Jones Arena
Oct-30 Charlotte, NC at Time Warner Cable Arena
Nov-1-3* New Orleans, at LA Voodoo Music + Arts Experience
Nov-15 Dallas, TX at American Airlines Center
Nov-16 Oklahoma City, OK at Chesapeake Energy Arena
Nov-19 Phoenix, AZ at Jobing.com Arena
Nov-21 San Diego, CA at Viejas Arena
Nov-23 Los Angeles, CA at Sports Arena
Nov-24 Los Angeles, CA at Sports Arena
Nov-26 Oakland, CA at Oracle Arena
Nov-29 Portland, OR at Rose Garden Arena
Nov-30 Spokane, WA at Spokane Arena
Dec-2 Calgary, AB at Scotiabank Saddledome
Dec-4 Vancouver, BC at Rogers Arena
Dec-6 Seattle, WA at Key Arena
Strike Back starring Philip Winchester, Sullivan Stapleton, Rhona Mitra, Michelle Lukes, and Liam Garrigan returns on August 9, 2013 for a 10 episode third season. The Emmy-nominated series will air at 10pm on Friday nights, and joining the cast will be series newbies Robson Green, Dougray Scott, Milauna Jackson, and Zubin Varla.
Michael J Bassett returns as director, writer, and co-executive producer.
Season three begins with Winchester and Stapleton as Sgt Michael Stonebridge and Sgt Damien Scott taking some much-needed time off. “It’s a great start to the season, and one of my favorites, because Stonebridge and Scott are on holiday together,” says Stapleton. “They have to leave suddenly for a mission and get airdropped into the Colombian jungle. There, we find our newest cast member, Martinez, a DEA agent played by Milauna Jackson. She gets sassy with Scott, it’s great banter.”
“The fact that they go on holiday together is a big thing for the two,” says Winchester. “They’ve been through a lot together. They are riding motorcycles down the west coast of the U.S., and getting into all sorts of trouble. Stonebridge wants to head out to a spiritual pilgrimage known as Camino del Santiago, but to Scott, it’s just a walk, and they do a road trip instead.”
Winchester adds, “Stonebridge really needs the break, too. He’s suffered tremendous loss over the past two seasons and it’s scarred him, first with his Section 20 colleague Kate, and then with his wife in last season. Stonebridge knows that there’s loss and it’s going to continue to happen. He’s used his nine lives several times over. He’s not sure about the cause anymore. He likes the purity of soldiering and there’s definitely a gray area that’s a lot bigger than the black-and-white. He doesn’t like the politics and the gray area that interferes with the job, and he prefers the black-and-white.”
Details on Season 3:
Stealth counterterrorism unit Section 20 pursues a deadly terrorist network from Colombia to Lebanon to Eastern Europe, uncovering deadly plots that threaten the West. The team tracks the elusive terrorist al-Zuhari and his well-financed drug cartel partners as they target European and American interests, both at home and abroad, including Section 20 itself. The Section 20 team is often forced to resort to extraordinary measures to protect the greater good, making some members question their future with the unit.
Strike Back August Episodes:
Episode #21
Debut: FRIDAY, AUG. 9 (10:00-10:50 p.m. ET/PT)
Other playdates: Aug. 9 (11:00 p.m., midnight), 10 (9:00 p.m., 11:45 p.m.), 11 (noon, 11:00 p.m.), 12 (12:15 p.m., 11:45 p.m.), 13 (10:15 a.m., 12:05 a.m.), 14 (8:00 p.m.), 15 (9:00 p.m.), 21 (7:15 p.m.), 28 (6:30 p.m.), 30 (9:00 p.m.) and 31 (7:20 p.m.), and Sept. 4 (6:20 p.m.), 11 (5:30 p.m.), 18 (4:45 p.m.) and 25 (4:00 p.m.)
Enjoying a long-deserved vacation, Scott (Sullivan Stapleton) and Stonebridge (Philip Winchester) are recalled after a fellow Section 20 member dies while pursuing the elusive terrorist al-Zuhari in Beirut. A new lead sends them into the remote jungles of Colombia in pursuit of a known associate of al-Zuhari’s and deep in territory controlled by a powerful drug cartel.
Written by Simon Burke and Tim Vaughan & Michael J. Bassett; directed by Michael J. Bassett.
Episode #22
Debut: FRIDAY, AUG. 16 (10:00-10:50 p.m.)
Other playdates: Aug. 16 (11:30 p.m.), 17 (9:00 p.m., 11:45 p.m.), 18 (noon), 19 (10:30 a.m., 11:45 p.m.), 20 (2:10 p.m., 11:45 p.m.), 21 (8:00 p.m.), 22 (9:00 p.m.), 28 (7:20 p.m.), 30 (9:45 p.m.) and 31 (8:10 p.m.), and Sept. 4 (7:10 p.m.), 11 (6:20 p.m.), 18 (5:30 p.m.) and 25 (4:50 p.m.)
Out of options and hunted by the resourceful cartel, Section 20 goes for a longshot and attempts an assault in downtown Bogota, hoping to obtain intel on one of al-Zuhari’s key people. Meanwhile, Dalton (Rhona Mitra) looks for the source that exposed her team in Beirut, but discovers a surprising ally and a piece of al-Zuhari’s plan.
Written by Simon Burke and Tim Vaughan & Michael J. Bassett; directed by Michael J. Bassett.
Episode #23
Debut: FRIDAY, AUG. 23 (10:00-10:50 p.m.)
Other playdates: Aug. 23 (11:30 p.m.), 24 (9:00 p.m., 11:50 p.m.), 25 (noon), 26 (10:20 a.m., 11:45 p.m.), 27 (2:20 p.m., midnight), 28 (8:10 p.m.), 29 (9:00 p.m.), 30 (10:30 p.m.) and 31 (9:00 p.m.), and Sept. 2 (12:30 p.m., 11:30 p.m.), 3 (11:50 a.m., midnight), 4 (8:00 p.m.), 5 (9:00 p.m.), 11 (7:10 p.m.), 18 (6:20 p.m.) and 25 (5:35 p.m.)
Although they are uncertain of others’ loyalties, the team must work with an asset in Beirut to get a lead on James Leatherby (Dougray Scott), a dangerous and unpredictable operative with ties to al-Zuhari.
Written by James Dormer; directed by Julian Holmes.
Episode #24
Debut: FRIDAY, SEPT. 6 (10:00-10:50 p.m.)
Other playdates: Sept. 6 (11:30 p.m.), 7 (9:00 p.m., 1:15 a.m.), 9 (1:15 p.m., 12:10 a.m.), 10 (11:45 a.m., 11:40 p.m.), 11 (8:00 p.m.), 12 (9:00 p.m.), 18 (7:10 p.m.) and 25 (6:25 p.m.)
Section 20 attempts a risky rescue for a potential new ally. Now veering close to the edge, but determined to find the truth, Dalton goes AWOL with a detainee.
Written by James Dormer; directed by Julian Holmes.
Nat Faxon as "Roddy," Sam Rockwell as "Owen," Liam James as "Duncan" and Maya Rudolph as "Caitlyn" in THE WAY WAY BACK - Photo Courtesy of Fox Searchlight
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to combine Adventureland, Little Miss Sunshine, and A Good Old Fashioned Orgy? No? Hmm. Neither did I. But wonder no more, because The Way, Way Back is here.
From writer/directors Nat Faxon and Jim Rash (the Oscar-winning screenwriters of The Descendants), this movie takes place during a family’s summer vacation to a not so glamorous beach resort town, where the largest attraction is the Water Whizz water park. Duncan (Liam James) doesn’t think much of himself and it doesn’t help that Mom’s boyfriend (Steve Carell) is an absolute jerk. But Duncan ends up making friends with the girl next door, Susanna (AnnaSophia Robb), and from that relationship and a job at the water park where the boss (Sam Rockwell) proves to be a far better father figure, the coming of age story is well underway.
If the movie had simply been about Duncan and Susanna confiding in one another to make the world seem less harsh and Duncan’s rise in self-confidence from working at Water Whizz, this would have been a super charming and endearing film. However, Faxon and Rash (who also provide excellent comedic acting within their film) apparently had other ideas about what the movie was about.
From the opening sequence, where Duncan and family drive to the beach town, we immediately understand the issues that will arise between Mom and her boyfriend. That half of the movie is devoted to the issues of the adults merely sidetracks the far more interesting elements involving the kids. And while Allison Janney’s character was the most likable adult by far, being stuck with a jerky Carrell, a mopey Toni Collette, an almost wasted Rob Corddry, and a completely useless Amanda Peet, there simply isn’t much to enjoy as far as their antics.
It’s perfectly evident Faxon and Rash were hoping to pit the themes of teenagers wanting to find themselves versus adults wanting to relive their youth against one another. That makes sense in concept, but the execution merely made all of the scenes involving the adults unwanted intermissions between the heartfelt and sincere moments centered on the kids.
Now don’t take everything I say to mean I couldn’t stand the film – far from it. There are some very funny bits, some very touching scenes, and some good performances (from the kids and Rockwell). This would be a lovely way to enjoy a rainy day curled up on the couch with some popcorn and licorice. However, nothing in the movie needs to be seen on the big screen, and it’s just unfortunate that the duel narratives were so far apart in the quality of their execution.
This is worth seeing, but you don’t need to go to any great efforts to make that happen anytime soon. In fact, you could put it Way, Way Back on your movie to-do list … if you are as snarky as I am. If not, place it gently in the middle of your desired 2013 cinema and get to it when you can. That it’s one of the more pleasant movies of the year is more a sign of how lackluster it’s been so far than anything else.
GRADE: C+
The Way, Way Back is rated PG-13 for thematic elements, language, some sexual content and brief drug material.
Russell Hicks, President, Content Development and Production, Nickelodeon, made the announcement, saying, “Kids have already shown their love for Jennette and Ariana’s crazy adventures and comedic talent in Sam & Cat. We are thrilled to be delivering even more of their wild antics from this successful series.”
Sam & Cat starring Jennette McCurdy and Ariana Grande airs on Saturdays at 8pm. Season one’s guest stars include Laverne & Shirley‘s Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams, and Sophia Grace and Rosie (The Ellen DeGeneres Show).
The Plot:
Sam & Cat follows the duo as they become best friends and unlikely roommates who start a babysitting service.
Crazy Heart writer/director looks to be in the hunt for awards season glory with Out of the Furnace starring Oscar winner Christian Bale, two-time Oscar nominee Woody Harrelson, two-time Oscar nominee Willem Dafoe, Oscar winner Forest Whitaker, Oscar nominee Casey Affleck, and Oscar nominee Sam Shepard. Relativity Media’s just released this new trailer for the film opening in theaters on November 27, 2013.
The Plot:
Russell Baze (Christian Bale) has a rough life: he works a dead-end blue-collar job at the local steel mill by day and cares for his terminally ill father by night. When Russell’s brother Rodney (Casey Affleck) returns home from serving time in Iraq, he gets lured into one of the most ruthless crime rings in the Northeast and mysteriously disappears. The police fail to crack the case, so – with nothing left to lose – Russell takes matters into his own hands, putting his life on the line to seek justice for his brother.
A voice-over by Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom‘s star Idris Elba guides the viewer through this U.K. teaser trailer released by The Weinstein Company. Directed by Justin Chadwick and co-starring Naomi Harris, Tony Kgoroge, and Riaad Moosa, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom will open in theaters on November 29, 2013.
Pearl Jam not only just announced details on their upcoming fall tour, they also just confirmed an October 15, 2013 release date for their next album, Lightning Bolt. The fall tour will include 24 stops and kicks off on October 11th in Pittsburgh. The tour in support of Lightning Bolt will finish up in Seattle on December 6th.
