“There’s only one thing better than sex, drugs, and rock ‘n roll—and that’s pirates,” says Black Sails cast member Zack McGowan in this behind-the-scenes video from Starz’ upcoming pirate adventure series. Coming this January, the new original series promises to be different than other pirate tale, and the cast—including McGowan, Toby Stephens, Hannah New, and Luke Arnold—explain what sets it apart in this short video.
The Plot:
Black Sails centers on the tales of Captain Flint and his men and takes place twenty years prior to Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic Treasure Island. Flint, the most brilliant and most feared pirate captain of his day, 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.
Dylan O’Brien, best known to Teen Wolf fans as ‘Stiles’, has a supporting role in the comedy movie The Internship directed by Shawn Levy. The film reunites Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson from Wedding Crashers and is set at Google headquarters where Vaughn and Wilson play interns seeking full-time jobs. And in this interview courtesy of 20th Century Fox, O’Brien talks about the chemistry between Vince and Owen as well as working with director Shawn Levy. He also discusses the setup of the film and what audiences can expect.
The Plot:
Vince and Owen are salesmen whose careers have been torpedoed by the digital world. Trying to prove they are not obsolete, they defy the odds by talking their way into a coveted internship at Google, along with a battalion of brilliant college students. But gaining entrance to this utopia is only half the battle. Now they must compete with a group of the nation’s most elite, tech-savvy geniuses to prove that necessity really is the mother of re-invention.
Watch the video:
I took it upon myself to review Violet & Daisy with very little knowledge about the film ahead of time. All I knew is that it was about two teenage hitgirls played by Alexis Bledel & Saoirse Ronan. If nothing else, it sounded different. And it is.
Right from the start, there’s a deadpan tone to the proceedings that’s a cross between Pulp Fiction, D.E.B.S., and Kick-Ass. That’s far from surprising considering the subject material and main characters but writer/director Geoffrey Fletcher certainly embraced that mood and used it as a foil to counterbalance the themes on display. Best known as the Oscar-winning screenwriter for Precious, Fletcher wasn’t adapting any material this time around. This is an original script, though it still echoes certain elements of that work; his romanticized view of New York and what it is to be faced with uncommon obstacles one must overcome to get a taste of what lies on the other side.
Casting Bledel and Ronan is both fitting and counter-intuitive. Bledel has always been the sweet, precocious girl – most evident in her best-known role on TV’s Gilmore Girls. I’ve never thought much of her film acting but it works within the context of this film and I’m also amazed on how close in age she appears to be to Ronan, despite a 13-year age gap. Saoirse is the chameleon of the two, rocketing into the limelight with her impressive performance in Atonement and doing such an amazing job of choosing projects and roles that would allow for variety and showcase her talents. She once again fully dissolves into her character and is simply the best actress of her generation.
Their chemistry works quite well and using such fresh, young faces to exhibit the duality of the characters allows the offbeat tone to work. Throwing in James Gandolfini as a mark that throws the pair for a loop elevates the project from simple bubble gum exploitation into a character study triptych. With most of the proceedings taking place inside Gandolfini’s apartment, watching each of them navigate some emotional stumbling block as a result of their situation is the primary goal for Fletcher and he succeeds in doing that.
Interspersing surrealist elements, macabre humor, and elaborate dream sequences, the film takes on a lyrical quality. I found myself wandering away from the proceedings about two-thirds of the way through because I can only take so much deadpan (part of my problem with identifying with Wes Anderson films) but came back into it by the end; aided in some degree by an inspired inclusion of Sarah McLachlan’s instrumental piece Last Dance during a pivotal scene.
What’s nice about such small, independent features is the ability for the filmmaker to present their vision without fear or worry that it won’t appeal to the masses. There’s no point in worrying if Peoria, Illinois will understand or appreciate it, all that matters is for Fletcher to project his story onto the screen and he’s done it here.
That being said, Violet & Daisy isn’t for everyone. It crosses so many genre boundaries that trying to pin down a demographic is nearly impossible; suffice to say that this is skewed more toward the art house crowd. Being so far outside of the conventional mainstream formula and format, casual moviegoers may likely dismiss this or not find it enjoyable to dig through the symbolism or discuss the unanswered elements.
I’m not even exactly sure whether I would have preferred the movie to be a more simple and light piece of entertainment. I did enjoy the performances, especially that of Ronan and Gandolfini. It left me in a pensive mood, and even though it wasn’t what I was looking for on that particular night, I think any movie that makes me think is a good thing. It will be interesting to see if Bledel takes this opportunity to choose or attempt more daring roles and I’ll just continue watching Ronan’s star rise as the only thing standing in the way of her continuing to impress is her own willingness to keep acting; and I for one hope she keeps at it for a long, long time.
GRADE: B-
John Travolta and Robert De Niro look pretty fierce on this new poster for Millennium Entertainment’s dramatic film Killing Season. Set to open in theaters on July 12, 2013 (the same day it’ll be available on OnDemand/VOD), Killing Season was directed by the filmmaker behind 2003’s Daredevil, 2007’s Ghost Rider, and 2010’s When in Rome: Mark Steven Johnson.
The cast also includes Milo Ventimiglia and Elizabeth Olin.
The Plot:
Deep in the Appalachian mountains, a reclusive American military veteran (Robert De Niro) and a European tourist (John Travolta) strike up an unlikely friendship. But when the tourist’s true intentions come to light, what follows is a tense battle across some of America’s most forbidding landscape proving the old adage: the purest form of war is one-on-one.
Vanessa Hudgens is a stripper who attracts the attention of a serial killer in The Frozen Ground, based on true events. Nicolas Cage stars as an Alaskan police detective and Cusack gets evil as killer Robert Hansen in this thriller written and directed by Scott Walker and based on the Green River Killer murders.
Hansen preyed on Anchorage citizens for 13 years without being noticed, but when the bodies of young women started to add up, an Alaskan detective went on a personal manhunt to find the killer. Hudgens plays a victim who escaped with her life and has key details on the serial killer.
Watch the trailer:
Oscar-nominee Morgan Spurlock, best known for the documentary Super Size Me, will be hosting a new original series on CNN. Inside Man will premiere on June 23, 2013 at 10:00 p.m. ET., re-airing on Sunday at 1 a.m. ET and at 4 a.m. ET and streaming online on CNN.com.
Spurlock hosts and produces the one-hour weekly series which examines “diverse sectors of American life” and spotlights important issues facing the U.S. including “migrant farm workers, the elder care industry, union workers, gun owners, education, bankruptcy, and the drought.”
“Morgan, known for his inquisitiveness, humor, and intimate portraits, is one of America’s most distinctive voices in documentary filmmaking. By telling the story from the inside, he and his Warrior Poets team bring enlightened perspectives and added depth to the stories that impact American lives,” stated Jeff Zucker, President, CNN Worldwide.
Spurlock’s other credits include the FX series 30 Days and the upcoming 3-D One Direction concert film.
We catch up with the 2nd Mass in the third season of TNT’s sci-fi alien invasion series Falling Skies seven months after the events of season two. New alliances have been formed, relationships are changing, and Seychelle Gabriel says that this upcoming season will find her character, Lourdes, getting more involved in the action.
With aliens fighting alongside the human survivors led by Noah Wyle as Tom Mason, Falling Skies season three promises more action, more drama, and plenty of unexpected twists.
Sitting down at WonderCon to discuss Falling Skies‘ third season, Gabriel provided a few clues as to what we can expect when the series returns on June 9, 2013 at 9pm.
What can you say about your character for this season?
Seychelle Gabriel: “She has a much bigger role than she has in any other season, which is cool. She has always been pretty vital in the medical arena, with Anne Glass [played by Moon Bloodgood] and whatever, but I think this season she plays a way more vital role because Anne has her baby in the first episode and that’s kind of distracting and Tom’s president, so I’m kind of almost like the head of the infirmary there.
I’ve kind of fallen into my place that I think I was supposed to fall into before everything happened, as a medical student/working in a hospital. I’ve been upgraded to a doctor, actually. They call me ‘Dr. Delgado’. There’s a new species of alien. You know how Anne and I always did alien-type experiments and surgeries and stuff? Now, since there’s a new type, there are even more discoveries we’re making in the extraterrestrial realm.”
Where does the story pick up?
Seychelle Gabriel: “There’s actually been some communication between the two [groups] because Cochise [the leader of the new friendly aliens] comes down and he’s very apt with languages, so he’s able to communicate with the humans in a way that’s funny because they have to go through humans, which is kind of freaky. They can actually speak with us, so there’s already been kind of a bridge that’s formed. Whether or not that’s good or bad, I’m not allowed to share. But it’s definitely new for all of us.”
Will they basically be staying in Charleston?
Seychelle Gabriel: “Yes and no, because Charleston is like this awesome safe haven that we’ve been looking for for the past two seasons. But the 2nd Mass has this vigilante spirit about it that we can’t really hold ourselves down. Much to Charleston’s dismay, we’re still working with the rebel skitters and on our own to go and make individual stabs at the enemy. Which is leaving the community, this awesome place, to go put ourselves in danger and kind of put the community in danger, which is why people are kind of upset with our finding a home in their safe home. Yeah, it’s like yes and no.”
Are you a fan of sci-fi? Is this something you would normally watch if you weren’t in it?
Seychelle Gabriel: “You know prior to doing this, I don’t think so, so much. Once you kind of start working with people that are interested in sci-fi and comics and stuff, their enthusiasm is so brought to me and stuff that now I’m super into it. I just saw The Avengers for the first time and I was like, ‘That was so good.’ I don’t know. I’ve been to a couple of conventions now, and it’s all a lot more exciting to me.”
Are we going to see any plot lines where you’re dealing with the pent-up rage from what happened to your family?
Seychelle Gabriel: “A little bit. I think since we come in seven months later, I think the darkest moments are kind of behind us and almost it’s like that period of grieving [is over]. I think you’re almost putting yourself separate from that, and I think Lourdes embraces that because that’s the last thing she wants to see in her head over and over – that horrid scene. Yeah, I think that’s kind of the impetus for her becoming a larger role in the community and really putting all of herself into that.”
What is it actually like on the set? What’s the atmosphere like? What substitutes for the aliens?
Seychelle Gabriel: “I don’t have as many scenes like that, with those kinds of models and stuff, but it is weird because they all come through the infirmary at some point. That alien I was talking about, Cochise, he comes down. He was on set sometimes when I was there and he’s in a full-body suit, played by Doug Jones, like a head and everything. It kind of moves and lights up kind of like the skitters do, but it’s trippy because he’s super tall and it’s just like full body. It’s like it just sparks this weird animal instinct in you where you’re like, ‘That’s weird!’ You know, like when you’re at a haunted house or something? It’s just a trip. It makes pretending a lot easier.”
What’s happening with Lourdes’ love life this season?
Seychelle Gabriel: “You know, I think her love is for the new baby and for her patients, but at the end of the season there’s a little thing that’s hinted with someone in the 2nd Mass – but I’m not going to say who. Just hinted.”
Is it kind of strange to play a character who can’t depend on cellphones and technology we use every day?
Seychelle Gabriel: “Yeah. I like to keep my phone in my trailer because everything’s just so distracting.”
In your spare time, do you still have time to play music? What kind of music have you been listening to recently?
Seychelle Gabriel: “Definitely. It’s cool that where we shoot in Vancouver is a good music scene. I’ve found some cool funk brothers who have their saxes and loop themselves and good honky-tonk players and stuff. I’ve been listening to a lot of blues lately. It’s kind of like my thing. A lot of folk. I got this boxed set with Joan Baez on top of it, but it’s like all these really cool recordings of people like Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger, but like all these weird random things like Odetta and Cisco Houston or something like that. That stuff’s really fun.”
More on Falling Skies:
Noah Wyle Interview
Doug Jones Interview
Drew Roy Interview
Set in the near future, America has sanctioned a 12-hour period one day a year where all crime is legal – including murder – and all police agencies and hospitals suspend assistance. It’s on this night that Charlie Sandin (Max Burkholder) lets a beaten stranger screaming for help and a place to hide into his father’s house. After his dad resets all the home’s defenses and the security system – which he himself sells to homeowners – a group of young preppie strangers show up knocking at the front door, explaining to the Sandins that they’re protecting a homeless nobody who they handpicked to kill during the yearly purge. The young leader of the murderous preppies tells the Sandins that they have the right equipment coming which will tear off the house’s security system and allow them to enter. If they don’t hand over the bloody stranger, they will murder James and his entire family.
Terrified and conflicted, James and his wife, Mary (Lena Headey), struggle and argue over whether or not to turn over the stranger to the bloodthirsty group outside or to put up a fight and try to protect everyone in the house.
Preposterous and boring, The Purge is a tedious thriller with zero scares. The film has nothing new or original to offer any horror movie fan and all the characters are one-dimensional.
Ethan Hawke gives perhaps the worst performance of his career as the clueless father who at first has no problem turning over the poor stranger hiding in his home to the wannabe killers outside and then decides to fight instead. It’s shocking that he doesn’t have, say, a panic room in his house for just such an emergency considering he’s an expert on security and sells systems for a living! Hawke, however, is not the worst performer in this mess of a movie. No, that award has to go to young Max Burkholder as James’ young, empathetic son Charlie who starts all the terror for his family by letting in the stranger in the first place. He conveys almost no emotion and has one look on his face for most of the film, which looks like he’s staring off into space.
The writing and pacing of the film are dismal with nothing really happening of any consequence for the first 40 minutes. The dialogue is weak and the script has most of the characters doing things you would never do in life and death situations, not to mention that since it’s the Sandins’ house being invaded in the latter part of the film, the family should have the advantage of knowing the layout and best places to strike from. But in The Purge it’s the killers who always get the upper hand.
A combination of terrible performances, a horrible script, and zero scares in what’s supposed to be a thriller make The Purge a front-runner for being the worst film of 2013.
GRADE: F
The Purge opens in theaters on June 7, 2013 and is rated R for strong disturbing violence and some language.
Musician Curtis 50 Cent Jackson and Sundance Channel are collaborating on the new non-fiction series Dream School coming to the network in the fall of 2013. Jackson will executive produce the show along with Jamie Oliver, who created the series’ format.
Sundance Channel President Sarah Barnett announced the new series, stating, “Dream School will be at times devastating, at times deeply uplifting, and entirely full of the genuine conflict and struggle that goes along with true transformation. Viewers will see that play out, not just from the teenagers in the show but also from the celebrities and educators who have signed on for this tough yet potentially life-changing project.”
“The series of Dream School we did in the UK was one of the things I’m most proud of,” explained Oliver. “We literally changed the lives of many of the kids for the better: some of them went back to school and are now excelling; some of them found out that, despite being told in school that they would never achieve anything, they were actually very gifted at art or acting and went on to achieve great things. But ‘Dream School’ is tough — both for the kids and for the teachers. It’s not going to be an easy ride because there are always big characters to deal with and often tensions run high.”
The Plot:
What would happen if the kids who were the hardest to reach in conventional school, instead attended a place of learning where the educators were achievers and leaders — many of whom have become household names? In Dream School, classes are taught by professionals from the top of their fields – and the faculty includes professional musicians, politicians, filmmakers, scientists, actors and artists.
The six-part hour-long series creates a place for troubled teenagers to be inspired to turn their lives around. Homeless, privileged, neglected, or bullied, the kids on this show all have one thing in common — they are dropouts. High school dropouts are four times as likely to be unemployed as those who have completed four years of college, they are more likely to apply for public assistance and they comprise a disproportionate percentage of the nation’s prison and death row inmates. 82% of prisoners in America are high school dropouts.
Now Sundance Channel is giving them a once-in-a-lifetime chance to start over. Overcoming past failures and future obstacles will prove to be no easy task for both the students and teachers in this series. Dream School is an ambitious project where the best and the brightest in our culture teach kids that have been falling through the cracks.
