David Julian Hirsh (“Jacob”) and Toni Braxton (“Nina”) share their love of music in Twist of Faith, a music infused love story premiering on February 9 at 8pm on Lifetime (Photo by Ed Araquel, Copyright 2011)
Lifetime has landed on a premiere date for the music-filled romantic movie Twist of Faith starring Toni Braxton, David Julian Hirsh, and Mykelti Williamson. The network will debut the movie on February 9, 2013 at 8pm.
Directed by Paul A Kaufman (NCIS: Los Angeles), Twist of Faith was written by Joyce Gittlin, Janet Fattal, and Stephen Tolkin (Brothers & Sisters).
The Plot:
In Twist of Faith, the fictional, cross-cultural, music infused love story tells the tale of Jacob Fisher (Hirsh), an Orthodox Jewish Cantor and amateur songwriter who resides in Brooklyn, New York, witnesses the senseless murder of his wife and three children. Catatonic, Jacob walks out on his Jewish mourning ritual, leaving behind his Jewish garments, wallet and keys. Abandoning his identity, he wanders aimlessly, hoping somehow to understand his tragedy.
Fortuitously, he lands in Brent, Alabama (population 2,500), where he is embraced by Nina (Braxton), a single mother and the lead singer of a small gospel choir (an unlikely finalist in the competition to determine the best gospel choir in Alabama), her Uncle Moe (Williamson) and their gospel community who help his return to life while music brings Nina and Jacob together as they try to make sense of his past and their possible future.
Disney’s showing off this new poster of James Franco, one of the stars of Oz The Great and Powerful. The caption: “Meet Oscar Diggs: A small-time magician with questionable ethics arrives in a land and must decide if he will be a good man or a great one.”
Directed by Sam Raimi and heading to theaters on March 8, 2013, Oz The Great and Powerful also stars Michelle Williams, Mila Kunis, and Rachel Weisz.
The Plot: When Oscar Diggs (Franco), a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics, is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz, he thinks he’s hit the jackpot—fame and fortune are his for the taking—that is until he meets three witches, Theodora (Kunis), Evanora (Weisz) and Glinda (Williams), who are not convinced he is the great wizard everyone’s been expecting.
Reluctantly drawn into the epic problems facing the Land of Oz and its inhabitants, Oscar must find out who is good and who is evil before it is too late. Putting his magical arts to use through illusion, ingenuity — and even a bit of wizardry — Oscar transforms himself not only into the great wizard but into a better man as well.
Josh Gad, Ahna O'Reilly and Ashton Kutcher attend the Red Touch Media hosted Sundance Premiere Party of JOBS at Nur Khan Presents on January 25, 2013 in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for The Branding Bee)
Jobs starring Ashton Kutcher, Dermot Mulroney, Josh Gad, Lukas Haas, J.K. Simmons, Ahna O’Reilly, and Matthew Modine premiered as the closing night film at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, and Red Touch Media hosted the after party for the cast and invited guests. On hand to celebrate the premiere screening were Kutcher, Gad, O’Reilly, director Joshua Michael Stern, and writer Matt Whiteley.
Thus far, the only review from the closing night premiere comes from The Hollywood Reporter’s critic, who says it is “perhaps too respectful of the tech icon’s innovations” but that it “still remains frequently engaging.”
Writer Matt Whiteley and director Joshua Michael Stern attend the Red Touch Media hosted Sundance Premiere Party of JOBS at Nur Khan Presents on January 25, 2013 in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for The Branding Bee)Ashton Kutcher attends the Red Touch Media hosted Sundance Premiere Party of JOBS at Nur Khan Presents on January 25, 2013 in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for The Branding Bee)
It’s completely crazy but you won’t be able to look away. Flinch, yes. Look away, no. This is four minutes of some of the wildest, craziest athletic feats and stunts put together in a clip titled “People Are Awesome.” I’ve given it the “How to Break Every Bone in Your Body” subtitle, which is what would happen if I tried anything from this video.
Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys lead the cast of FX’s spy drama The Americans, playing Russian spies posing as a normal American couple. The series joined FX’s lineup on January 30, 2013, with season two following on February 26, 2014, and season three premiering on Jan 28, 2015.
Keri Russell plays Elizabeth Jennings, Matthew Rhys is Phillip Jennings, Noah Emmerich stars as FBI Agent Stan Beeman, and Richard Thomas is Special Agent Gaad. Holly Taylor is Paige Jennings, Keidrich Sellati is Henry, Alison Wright is Martha, Annet Mahendru is Nina, Lev Gorn is Arkady, and Susan Misner plays Sandra.
The Synopsis:The Americans is a period drama about the complex marriage of two KGB spies posing as Americans in suburban Washington D.C. shortly after Ronald Reagan is elected President. The arranged marriage of Philip and Elizabeth Jennings, who have two children – 14-year-old Paige and 11-year-old Henry, who know nothing about their parents’ true identity – grows more passionate and genuine by the day, but is constantly tested by the escalation of the Cold War and the intimate, dangerous and darkly funny relationships they must maintain with a network of spies and informants under their control.
The trickiest of Philip’s sources continues to be Martha, the assistant to Special Agent Gaad. In order to ensure her continued loyalty, Philip, in the guise of FBI bureaucrat “Clark,” one of his numerous cover identities, marries her. Things were going smoothly until Martha began pressuring Clark to start a family.
Their neighbor, FBI Agent Stan Beeman, could also prove to be a renewed threat. When forced to choose between betraying his country or his KGB double-agent and paramour Nina, Stan chose the USA. Nina has been sent back to Moscow to face charges of treason, much to the dismay of her boss Arkady, Director of the KGB Rezidentura. In addition to his rededication to his mission of uncovering the identities of the Russian spies living among them, Stan is also attempting to rebuild a relationship with his estranged wife Sandra. Meanwhile, in the Jennings’ house, Philip and Elizabeth find themselves at odds over Paige’s future now that the KGB has made it clear that they want her to join the family business.
Summit Entertainment has released trailer #2 for the action drama Snitch starring Dwayne Johnson, Barry Pepper, Susan Sarandon, and Jon Bernthal. Inspired by true events, Snitch finds Johnson playing a dad who will do pretty much whatever it takes to get his son out of jail.
The Plot:
Dwayne Johnson stars as a father whose teenage son is wrongly accused of a drug distribution crime and is looking at a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 10 years. Desperate and determined to rescue his son at all costs, he makes a deal with the U.S. attorney to work as an undercover informant and infiltrate a drug cartel on a dangerous mission — risking everything, including his family and his own life.
In addition to creating the Costume Designers Branch, the Academy has added two new governor positions.
“History was made at the Board of Governors meeting on Wednesday night with the formation of a Costume Designers Branch,” said Academy Governor Jeffrey Kurland. “Costume designers have waited a long time for recognition with branch status. As a governor representing these designers, I’m thrilled and grateful for the Academy’s support.”
The Academy also voted to up the number of Makeup Artists and Hairstylist Branch representatives from one to three governors.
“I’m looking forward to sharing the task of representing the Academy’s makeup artists and hairstylists with two of my colleagues,” said Academy Governor Leonard Engelman. “New governors will bring new ideas, which will help to keep the Academy’s leadership strong and sharp.”
“Congratulations to our members from these essential craft areas. Movies are a visual medium and costume designers, makeup artists, and hairstylists help to create images that tell stories,” said Academy President Hawk Koch. “This recognition is richly deserved.”
Source: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Matt Damon had Andy Garcia sub in for Guillermo, Sheryl Crow take over as the show’s band leader, Robin Williams help him with his monologue, and Sarah Silverman – Jimmy Kimmel’s ex – show up to celebrate Matt Damon taking over Jimmy Kimmel Live.
But the celebrities turning out for Damon’s night of hosting the show didn’t stop there. No, not even close. Among the night’s biggest ‘gets’ was Nicole Kidman, who walked onto the stage and did a quickie lap dance type of thing on the tied-up Kimmel. And when Damon asked her why she’s never done the show before, she said it was because Kimmel isn’t classy and he sucks.
Then Gary Oldman and Amy Adams showed up to up the A-list ante. And while Kimmel complains about not being able to book big guests, Andy Garcia proved you can toss a rock on Hollywood Blvd and hit an Oscar winner. To prove his point, he hit Reese Witherspoon. Oh, and then he nailed Demi Moore with a rock.
Splash marks the first time 10 celebrities will train and compete in regulation platform and springboard diving at dizzying heights in front of a weekly poolside audience. Leading up to the competition, the world’s most decorated and medaled diving legend, Greg Louganis, will give each celebrity weeks of training. Each dive will be critiqued by the judges, London Olympic U.S. Gold medalist David Boudia and Australian Olympic athlete and USA Dive Team director Steve Foley.
Splash Celebrity Cast Members:
LOUIE ANDERSON — Emmy Award-winning comedian Louie Anderson is one of the most versatile and successful comedians working in Hollywood today. Sharing the ups and downs of his childhood experiences as one of 11 children in Minnesota, Louie crafted comedy routines that rang true for his early club audiences, while reducing them to helpless fits of laughter. Johnny Carson invited Louie to make his national television debut on the The Tonight Show in 1984, and the rest is history. The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Late Show with David Letterman, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, Comic Relief and Showtime and HBO specials followed, making Louie a household name. He has guest-starred in numerous sitcoms and dramas on television, and has had memorable feature film roles in Coming to America, opposite of Eddie Murphy, and the classic Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.
In 1995 Louie put his creative energies to work on the Saturday morning award winning animated series, Life with Louie. The long-running series, based on Louie’s own childhood, won three Humanitas Prizes for writing on a children’s animated series, making him the only three-time recipient of this award. It also earned a Genesis Award for its depiction of the humane treatment of animals and, most significantly, two Emmy Awards. His bestselling books include Dear Dad – Letters from an Adult Child, a collection of alternately touching and outrageous letters from Louie to his late father; and Good-bye Jumbo…Hello Cruel World, self-help for those who struggle with self-esteem issues, as only an award-winning comedian could write it. Louie recently finished writing his newest installment on family, The F Word, How to Survive Your Family, and starred on his own standup special, Big Baby Boomer, on CMT.
DRAKE BELL — Since becoming a household name via the hit Nickelodeon series Drake & Josh, Drake Bell has evolved into an international music, television and film star. He was most recently seen paying homage to the network that launched his career as star of Nickelodeon’s live-action/CG adaptation of The Fairly Odd Parents, A Fairly Odd Movie: Grow Up, Timmy Turner!, opposite Daniella Monet, and is currently starring as Peter Parker in Disney XD’s new animated series Ultimate Spider-Man. His 10 U.S. and International Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice and Teen Choice Awards have proven Drake a fan favorite over the years in both acting and music.
As a musician with two successful albums under his belt — the indie release “Telegraph” and “It’s Only Time” — a chart-topping single, “I Know,” and past tour sell-outs of 3,000-8,000 seat venues, Drake released a new independent EP, “A Reminder,” last June, which became a Top 5 release on iTunes. This last fall he was also able to mix both his love of acting and his love of music in his first ever Broadway endeavor; he performed as the lead in the theatrical workshop production of A Moment in Time, the new musical from five-time Tony Award-winning producer Stewart F. Lane. Drake’s other acting credits include playing John Cusack’s son in the HBO film The Jack Bull, as well as his memorable role in Jerry Maguire as the son of a hospitalized hockey player client of Tom Cruise’s sports agent. He then went on to roles in the feature films High Fidelity and Yours, Mine and Ours, as well as on the TV series Seinfeld, The Drew Carey Show, The Pretender and Home Improvement. Since 2009, Drake has also supported The Thirst Project, a non-profit organization that exists to raise awareness of and bring solutions to the clean water crisis globally through educational outreach and fundraising initiatives.
CHUY BRAVO — Launched into the limelight five years ago as the personal assistant to TV hostess Chelsea Handler, Chuy Bravo has come far, but his journey to Hollywood stardom was long. As Chelsea’s sidekick on E!’s No. 1-rated show, Chelsea Lately, Chuy is the first Latino talk show sidekick ever, and his one-liners have become a favorite staple on the hit show he now calls home. The youngest of seven brothers and sisters, Chuy moved with his family to the U.S. from Mexico at the age of 15. Bitten by the Hollywood bug, he was determined to pursue his dream of big-screen stardom. He landed his first role in Austin Powers 3: Goldmember, and can also be seen in The Rundown, starring The Rock, and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End.
In April 2010, Chuy added another hat to his collection, that of published author. His first book, Little Nuggets of Wisdom, has shown how anyone can live and love the Chuy Bravo way thanks to his bite sized advice covering family, finances, friendship, fashion, travel, food, fitness and more. His next adventures are the launch of his national comedy tour in April, a signature line of chips and salsa in the fall, and a new line of merchandise available soon on chuybravo.com. He also decided this year to take his health seriously, and on a $10k bet with Chelsea, is hoping to shed those extra pounds. He has hired a nutritionist to help with this task. If he is successful, he will donate the money to various charities and hopes to motivate others.
NICOLE EGGERT — Born in Southern California, Nicole Eggert was Miss Universe in the petite division at age 5, which landed her in a Johnson’s & Johnson’s television commercial, one of many to come. In 1980 Nicole, only eight at the time, landed a role in the movie Rich and Famous, opposite Jacqueline Bisset and Candice Bergen, playing a young Meg Ryan, directed by George Cukor. She also co-starred with Darryl Hannah in Clan of the Cave Bear, directed by Michael Chapman. After re-occurring roles in both hit TV shows TJ Hooker and Who’s The Boss, she appeared as a regular on the hit television show Charles in Charge as Jamie Powell, when it was syndicated for five years between 1987 to 1992. After the show ended, Nicole went on to star as Lifeguard Summer Quinn on Seasons 1 and 2 on Baywatch, at the height of its popularity between 1992 and 1994. She has appeared in numerous films for television and the big screen, including the Lifetime TV hit Holiday Switch and National Lampoon’s Cattle Call.
She has also guest starred on such series as Gilmore Girls, The Outer Limits and Boy Meets World. Today Nicole is enjoying raising her two daughters, and has recently been in the media for her struggle with weight loss, for which she created a “Funny or Die” spoof that received millions of hits and was voted as one of the funniest “Funny or Die” videos ever, making her a great role model for the “real” women in the world.
KESHIA KNIGHT PULLIAM — Keshia Knight Pulliam began her career at the age of nine months in a national print ad for Johnson’s & Johnson’s baby products. By the age of four, Keshia appeared in several national commercials, was a regular on Sesame Street and had the feature film the Last Dragon on her resume. It was at the age of four that she landed the role of Rudy Huxtable, the youngest daughter of Clair and Cliff Huxtable, on the iconic television series The Cosby Show. For her work on The Cosby Show, Keshia received several NAACP Image Awards, Young Artist Awards, a People’s Choice Award, a Nickelodeon Kids Choice Award and a host of other honors. To date, she is the youngest actress ever nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Emmy Award.
During the run of The Cosby Show, Keshia also starred in a host of TV movies, including the period holiday drama The Little Match Girl, the Mark Twain update A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, Debbie Allen’s musical version of Pollyanna, Polly, and the sequel, Polly: Comin’ Home!. After The Cosby Show wrapped, Keshia took several years away from acting to concentrate on school.
In 2001 she graduated with honors from Spelman College with a B.A. in sociology and a concentration in film. Since graduating, she has resumed her acting career in both television and film. She co-starred alongside Queen Latifah in Beauty Shop, with Boris Kodjoe and Idris Elba in The Gospel, and most recently starred with Tyler Perry and Derek Luke as the female lead Candace in Madea Goes to Jail. Currently, Keshia stars as Miranda on the TBS sitcom The House of Payne, which is entering its 5th year of production. For her work on The House of Payne she has won three NAACP Image Awards for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. Additionally she has an Atlanta-based production company, Kizzy Productions, and the non-profit organization Kamp Kizzy. Keshia divides her time between her suburban Atlanta home and her LA residence.
NDAMUKONG SUH — Ndamukong Suh was born on January 6th, 1987 to a Jamaican mother, Bernadette, and a Cameroonian father, Michael. In the Ngema tribe in Cameroon, Ndamukong means “House of Spears.” At Grant High School in Portland, Suh was a two-way star on the football team, earning Parade Magazine All-American honors and Portland Interscholastic League Defensive Player of the Year. Considered among the nation’s best defensive tackle prospects, he chose to attend the University of Nebraska to study Engineering. During his junior year at Nebraska, he was the first Nebraska defensive lineman to lead the team in tackles since 1973. In 2009, his senior year, he registered 82 tackles, 12 sacks and helped lead the Cornhuskers to the top ranking scoring defense in the nation – yielding only 10.4 points per game.
Upon his graduation, Suh donated $2.6 million to the University of Nebraska, including $600K towards an endowed engineering scholarship. In the 2010 NFL draft, he was selected second overall by the Detroit Lions. His rare combination of strength, agility and speed made him an instant force in the NFL. He was selected Rookie of the Year and named to the NFL’s All-Pro team. Suh was also voted a Pro-Bowl starter, which was the first time for a rookie defensive player in NFL history. In 2011 he helped lead the Detroit Lions to their first playoff appearance since 1999. After the 2012 season, he was named to the NFL’s All-Pro team, and will represent the NFC in the Pro Bowl for his second time in three seasons. In addition to making an to making an impact on the field, Suh has made his presence felt in the local community, including partnering with the Detroit Medical Center and adopting a school in Cameroon, Africa, through his foundation, The Suh Family Foundation.
KATHERINE WEBB — Katherine Webb was born in Montgomery, Alabama and recently graduated from Auburn University with a degree in business management and administration. In 2007 Katherine ranked in the Top 15 for the title of Miss Georgia USA. She was crowned Miss Alabama USA in 2012, and then went on to finish in the Top 10 of the Miss USA 2012 competition. She recently gained national attention during the 2013 BCS National Championship Game telecast in which she was supporting boyfriend and University of Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron.
Since captivating the spotlight, Katherine has signed on to multiple projects, including shooting for Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit Edition, as well as covering 2013’s Super Bowl XLVII for the entertainment news program Inside Edition. She is also heavily involved in Rebuilding Together New Orleans, which helps to restore that city in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
KENDRA WILKINSON — Television personality and glamour girl Kendra Wilkinson is best known from her self-titled E! hit reality series, Kendra, previously from E!’s “The Girls Next Door,” and currently from her series on WE TV, Kendra on Top. The new series follows Kendra, NFL player husband Hank Baskett and son Hank IV through their crazy lives as they balance celebrity life with everyday parenting. Kendra got her start on one of E! Entertainment’s highest rated television shows, The Girls Next Door. She co-starred on the reality hit for five seasons, until 2009, when she closed that chapter in her life and opened a new one: that year she got married, welcomed the birth of her son, Hank IV, and of course debuted her show, Kendra.
Originally from San Diego, Kendra knew little about the world of Playboy before her move to Los Angeles, but she quickly found herself attracted to the carefree, frolicking lifestyle that it offers. She first met Hef while being body painted for his 78th birthday party at the Playboy Mansion. Hef asked Kendra to move in and live as one of his girlfriends. Since the debut of The Girls Next Door, Kendra has appeared on the cover of numerous magazines and has enjoyed everything from television to movie appearances. Most recently she was part of the cast of the popular ABC show Dancing with the Stars with professional dance partner Louis Van Amstel. Her first book, Sliding in to Home, debuted at No 4 on the New York Times Bestseller list when released in 2010, and her follow-up, Being Kendra, was released in September 2011, also becoming a bestseller.
Two additional celebrities will be announced closer to the date of the show’s premiere.
Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton star in 'Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters' from Paramount Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures.
“My name is Gretel, and this is my brother, Hansel,” says Gretel (Gemma Arterton) to the villagers whose children have been taken by evil witches in the fantasy, action, horror film Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters.
Ever since escaping the clutches of the old demonic witch in the gingerbread house 15 years ago, Hansel (Jeremy Renner) and Gretel have become witch-hunting bounty hunters who seem immune to their dark magic and spells. They have the talent, strength, and weapons to kill any type of witch they confront.
However, this time the two siblings are going up against three witches led by the extremely powerful Muriel (Famke Janssen) who has been kidnapping children for some particular type of sacrifice for the ever-approaching Blood Moon.
Joined by their number one young fan and a beautiful young woman named Mina (Pihla Viitala) they saved from almost being burned at the stake for being mistaken to be a witch, Hansel, and Gretel set out to track down the witches’ hideout and save the children before it’s too late.
Dark, loud, and unoriginal, Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters wants to be Van Helsing meets The Matrix and falls flat. This is an uninspired and uninteresting twist on the classic Grimm Brothers fairy tale told with terrible dialogue, chaotic and messy action scenes, and cheesy special effects. The giant who works for the three witches and starts to develop a crush on Gretel looks and sounds like a reject from the Harry Potter films.
Jeremy Renner’s performance is nothing more than a walk-through. He’s basically playing Hawkeye from the movie The Avengers, only this time he’s killing witches. Gemma Arterton looks lovely on screen but is an awful actress as she delivers her lines in a constant monotone, resulting in a dull and stale delivery.
Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters is the first terrible film of 2013 and should be avoided even when it comes out on DVD and Blu-ray. In fact, it should just be burned at the stake.
GRADE: F
Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters hits theaters on January 25, 2013 and is rated R for strong fantasy horror violence and gore, brief sexuality/nudity, and language.
