Selena Gomez and patient at the Ryan Seacrest Foundation media center located in The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia - Photo credit: Ed Cunicelli
Selena Gomez has been named the ambassador to the Ryan Seacrest Foundation (RSF), the non-profit organization dedicated to helping seriously ill and injured children. Seacrest revealed Gomez’ new involvement on his radio show, “On-Air with Ryan Seacrest,” on April 20, 2012.
Gomez helped out the charity in July 2011, appearing at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia with Seacrest as he hosted a broadcast from the hospital’s multimedia center installed by RSF. She’ll continue helping and inspiring sick children in her official capacity as ambassador.
“From the beginning, I could tell that Selena really understood our mission. I’m so grateful that she’s decided to take on this larger role with us, joining our efforts to bring hope and spirit to seriously ill and injured kids,” said Seacrest, founder and chairman of the Ryan Seacrest Foundation. “With her as ambassador, we will continue to expand our programs at children’s hospitals throughout the country.”
“The Ryan Seacrest Foundation does such incredible work and I’m thrilled to be a part of it,” said Gomez. “I’m particularly excited about helping to launch a media center in my hometown of Dallas at the Children’s Medical Center and giving back to the kids there.”
The Mission:
The foundation provides young patients with an opportunity to engage in activities related to radio, television and new media, ranging from broadcasting like a disc jockey and playing their favorite songs to watching live artists perform and interviewing celebrities.
Roadside Attractions has picked up Branded, the sci-fi thriller from writer/directors Jamie Bradshaw and Alexander Doulerain. Ed Stoppard, Leelee Sobieski, Jeffrey Tambor, Ingeborga Dabkunaite and Max Von Sydow star in the film, and Roadside’s aiming for a September 2012 release in theaters.
Commenting on the acquistion, Roadside Co-President Howard Cohen stated, “We’re excited to release Jamie Bradshaw and Alexander Doulerain’s mind-bending, futuristic thriller Branded, which is a kind of film we haven’t done before.”
The Plot:
Branded is a dark and mind-bending journey into a surreal, dystopian society where corporate brands have unleashed a monstrous global conspiracy to get inside our minds and keep the population disillusioned, dependent and passive. One man’s Misha (Ed Stoppard) passion to unlock the truth behind the conspiracy will lead to an epic battle with the hidden forces that really control our world.
“The most powerful weapon on earth today is not a gun or a disease, nor is it even visible to many. It is Marketing. Marketing is the power to control your desires and change your mind, and if you look closer there is something about it that is not of this earth,” said writer/director/producer Alexander.
As the weather warms across the country and people start to break out the barbecues and head to the beaches, the movie theatres will soon be packed with audiences eager to see their favorite heroes battle all kinds of evil villains. It’s time for the big Summer Movie Preview. This year Superheroes, Aliens, An Evil Queen, A Princess, A Dictator and a Vampire will be up on the big screen.
Plot: Thor’s exiled brother, Loki (Tom Hiddleston), begins to attack earth to become its ruler. This forces Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) to assemble a team of super heroes including Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Captain America (Chris Evans) and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) to stop him. But only if the group can stop fighting each other and find a way to work together does earth have a chance of surviving.
Outlook: Perhaps the second most anticipated film this summer, The Avengers with its $220 million dollar budget and star-studded cast should give another famous hero a run for his cowl – and money – at the box office.
Men in Black 3: Starring Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith and Josh Brolin
Plot: Agent J (Will Smith) travels back in time to the year 1969 to stop an alien named Boris (Jemaine Clement) from changing history and killing Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones) who is played in 1969 by Josh Brolin.
Outlook: The re-teaming of Smith and Jones as Agents J and K and the superb casting of Brolin as the young Agent K should provide many laughs and hopefully a big improvement over the debacle that was Men in Black 2.
Dark Shadows: Starring Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer and Eva Green
Plot: Cursed by an evil, lovelorn witch (Eva Green) and turned into a vampire, Barnabas Collins (Johnny Depp) wakes up in the year 1972 after being entombed for two centuries. Struggling to get used to the world today and determined to protect his relatives from the witch’s undying wrath, Barnabas sets out to save the family and stop the witch once and for all.
Outlook: Directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp as the awkward, out of time vampire – he’s dead and we’re loving it.
Battleship: Starring Liam Neeson, Taylor Kitsch, Rihanna and Alexander Skarsgard
Plot: Based on the classic Hasbro Naval game, an army of ships are forced into battle with an alien invasion force from under the sea.
Outlook: It’s Transformers meets Independence Day, only on the water. Here’s hoping it doesn’t sink to the bottom of the ocean and the bottom of the box office.
What To Expect When You’re Expecting: Starring Elizabeth Banks and Cameron Diaz
Plot: Focuses on five interconnected couples going through the trials and tribulations of starting a family.
Outlook: Like the other interconnected story films before it – New Years Eve and Valentine’s Day – What To Expect When You’re Expecting will most likely fall short of any real character development or emotion.
The Dictator: Starring Sacha Baron Cohen and Anna Faris
Plot: The story of a dictator who risks his life to ensure that democracy will never reach his country and that his reign there will continue.
Outlook: If the entire film is as funny as the trailer it will be a sure-fire, laugh-out-loud hit at the box office this summer.
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel: Starring Judi Dench and Bill Nighy
Plot: A group of British seniors travel to a shabby Indian hotel run by an ambitious entrepreneur (Slumdog Millionaire’s Dev Patel).
Outlook: This may do well in England and India, but even with a strong British cast it most likely will hold little interest to the American movie-going public.
Plot: The Evil Queen (Charlize Theron) sends a despondent huntsman (Chris Hemsworth) into the Dark Forest to kill Snow and bring her heart back to her so her reign will last forever. However, the Huntsman becomes Snow’s protector and mentor and helps build an army and fight to win her kingdom back.
Outlook: Darker and grittier than other film versions of the classic fairy tale, Snow White and the Huntsman should benefit from the wonderful casting of Charlize Theron as the Evil Queen. Just her scenes in the trailer are impressive, and this will be a cinematic first in that the Queen is truly more beautiful than Snow White.
Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted: Starring Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer and Jada Pinkett Smith
Plot: Alex the lion (Ben Stiller), Marty the zebra (Chris Rock), Melman the giraffe (David Schwimmer), and Gloria the hippo (Jada Pinkett) are still trying to get back home to their beloved Central Park Zoo. This time around, their adventure finds the four lost animals being chased through Europe by a crazed animal control officer. In order to escape, they wind up hiding out with a traveling circus.
Outlook: The return of these four lovable, funny, lost characters to the big screen in a new adventure might just be exactly what families looking to spend some time at the movies this June want.
Brave: Starring Kelly Macdonald, Emma Thompson and Kevin McKidd
Plot: Princess Merida (Kelly Macdonald), being a feisty, brave and excellent archer, stirs up trouble for her father the King (Billy Connolly) by not following the country’s customs and ultimately must try to undo a horrible curse.
Outlook: This is the first time in Disney and Pixar’s history that the ‘Princess’ is also a warrior and isn’t seeking true love but fighting for both her kingdom and her independence. It just might be the animated film to beat this year.
Prometheus: Starring Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender and Charlize Theron
Plot: A crew of a spaceship head out for a distant planet, which is home to a civilization that was on Earth long ago and has left proof of its existence.
Outlook: Directed by Ridley Scott and unofficially considered to the prequel to the Alien films, Prometheus might just bring scares back to outer space and to a theatre near you.
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter: Starring Benjamin Walker
Plot: The 16th President of the United States discovers vampires are trying to take over the country and makes it his mission to stop them.
Outlook: Based on the bestselling book, at least this is a different take on the overdone vampire genre.
Seeking A Friend For The End of the World: Starring Steve Carell and Keira Knightley
Plot: Having only three weeks left before an asteroid destroys life on Earth, a lonely, sad man (Steve Carell) decides to take a road trip and his next door neighbor (Keira Knightley) tags along.
Outlook: If the film has as many laughs as the trailer, this could be the comedy hit of the summer.
Plot: It’s been eight years since Batman defeated the Joker and took the fall for Two Face’s crimes. The Winged Vigilante is still MIA and Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) is still trying to recover emotionally and physically from his battles. Gotham City is at peace and prospering when a new hulking terrorist named Bane (Tom Hardy) sets out with his small army of men to destroy the city. Another criminal, high-class grifter Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway) – aka Catwoman – also focuses on Gotham as her new home. This forces Bruce Wayne/Batman out of his self-imposed exile to join GCPD in fighting Bane and stopping him from destroying the city.
Outlook: It’s the summer blockbuster to beat and if it’s half as good as The Dark Knight, director Christopher Nolan will be responsible for the best film trilogy since The Lord of the Rings and the first Star Wars films. Can’t wait!
The Amazing Spider-Man: Starring Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone and Rhys Ifans
Plot: Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) gets bitten by a genetically altered spider and turns into the web-slinging hero who’s also on a quest to uncover the secret behind the mysterious disappearance of his parents years ago – all while fighting crime and avoiding the police.
Outlook: This reboot of a film series that had only one solid entry out of its three films arrives too soon and doesn’t exactly wow us with its trailer. Here’s hoping old Spidey still has a few fun surprises in his web.
Ice Age: Continental Drift: Starring Ray Romano, Denis Leary and John Leguizamo
Plot: After their continent is set adrift, Manny (Ray Romano), Sid (John Leguizamo) and Diego (Denis Leary) use an iceberg as a ship to take on pirates and face dangerous sea creatures.
Outlook: These three characters (plus Scrat) were funny, sweet and endearing, but now seem tired and dull. The plot also sounds unoriginal and uninspired. Perhaps it’s time for a new Age with new characters to take over the screen.
Neighborhood Watch: Starring Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn and Jonah Hill
Plot: A misfit group of volunteer crime fighters who end up fighting an alien invasion.
Outlook: With a solid cast and a very quirky idea, Neighborhood Watch might be a solid summer comedy. It’s just too bad the first promotional items hit about the same time as the Trayvon Martin tragedy was in the news.
Plot: A new CIA operative from Treadstone is killing and causing chaos for his superiors at the agency.
Outlook: A risky gamble moving forward with the Bourne franchise without Matt Damon and director Paul Greengrass, but if anyone can pull it off it’s Jeremy Renner who is hands-down one of the best actors of his generation. Here’s hoping The Bourne Legacy does good enough at the box office to continue the best spy film series since 007.
Total Recall: Starring Colin Farrell and Kate Beckinsale
Plot: Doug Quaid (Colin Farrell), a factory worker who is bored with his routine life, tries a new experimental mind-tripping spa which gives its clients memories of a different fantasy life. The visit triggers memories from Quaid which make him start to believe he’s really a spy being hunted.
Outlook: Sigh…another pointless remake.
Hope Springs: Starring Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones
Plot: A Midwestern couple who have been married for 30 years attend a weekend of therapy to try to decide the fate of their struggling marriage.
Outlook: With an A-list cast and a serious and at times very funny look at married life, this might just be the film for the older movie fan looking for a more adult relationship story.
The Expendables 2: Starring Sylvester Stallone and Bruce Willis
Plot: A team of mercenaries head out seeking revenge for a fallen comrade.
Outlook: With more action, more explosions and bigger roles for Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger, it’s the sequel that will have men heading to the theater with their buddies for a guy’s night at the movies.
Transformers fans, here’s the ultimate thrill ride. Literally, here is the ultimate thrill ride created with you in mind. This behind the scenes video shows what went into making the Transformers ride at Universal Studios and includes interviews with the creative people responsible for the ride as well as an advance look at what we can expect from the attraction which opens on May 25, 2012.
Watch the behind-the-scenes video:
The Official Details:
“The thrill ride will tell a new Transformers story using original, photo-realistic 3D-HD media, sophisticated special effects masterminded by Industrial Light & Magic, and one of the most elaborate roaming flight simulator ride systems ever created.
Fusing high-tech elements with an epic new Transformers tale, “Transformers: The Ride–3D” will be Universal Studios Hollywood’s most ambitious ride ever created and will set a new standard in the world of theme park attractions, stretching the medium’s potential as an immersive and powerful storytelling vehicle.”
NBC has announced the schedule for this summer’s concert series on Today, with the 2012 calendar kicking off on May 18th with Usher. Other artists scheduled to take the stage on this summer include Justin Bieber, Maroon 5, and The Band Perry.
Today has been hosting the concert series for 17 years, however this year the show’s kicking it up a notch by partnering with Pandora “to extend the concert series beyond the Plaza and into the digital space” According to the press release, Pandora will create three music stations, NBC Today Rock, NBC Today Country and NBC Today Pop, featuring the artists appearing during this summer’s concert series.
Toyota Concert Series on Today
MAY
18 Usher
25 Pitbull
31 American Idol winner and runner up (special Thursday concert)
JUNE
1 The Band Perry
8 Chris Brown
15 Justin Bieber
22 Kenny Chesney
29 Maroon 5
JULY
6 Flo Rida
13 Zac Brown Band
20 Hot Chelle Rae
27 “Today” at the Olympics
AUGUST
3 “Today” at the Olympics
10 “Today” at the Olympics
17 TBD
24 Train
31 Jason Mraz with special guest Christina Perri
It’s that time of year again. As sure as you can count on the Tax Man wanting his take, you can count on Disney releasing a nature documentary around Earth Day. However, don’t let The Mouse hear you calling Chimpanzee a documentary.
It’s about chimpanzees (did the title give it away?) and follows a troop of primates over the course of a few years. The star, as one can tell from the trailer, is Oscar. His status as a central character is assured because baby animals are cuter and the tragedy that befalls his family makes for a compelling story. This is where the notion of documentary versus narrative comes into play because directors Alastair Fothergill and Mark Linfield were more concerned with telling a story than just giving audiences another fly-on-the-wall description of chimp life.
Some may find the manipulation of the story cute, others like myself will find it slightly more on the obnoxious side. Bookended by adorable chimps playing while a dippy song raises the energy level, the tale being crafted is both classic Disney and yet also not what I’d want to show to young kids.
I say classic Disney because it deals with one baby chimp named Oscar losing his mother (a theme evident in nearly every story from the studio) but finding an unlikely adoptive member of the troop. And there are two reasons I wouldn’t want to bring a small child to see this movie (three if you count the price of movie tickets): 1) There are some scenes and themes that are a bit dark and totally at odds with the nature docs that have been the staple of the past few Earth Day releases; 2) It’s BORING.
Not since Jonah Hex has nearly 80 minutes felt so long. Most of the nature docs lately have been vignettes of multiple animals and settings, breaking up the monotony – or come in a running time well under an hour. Here we get to watch these chimps figure out how to break nutshells … then groom each other … then risk a skirmish with a rival troop … then figure out how to break nutshells … then groom each other … then risk a skirmish with a rival troop … and then again figure out how to break nutshells … and then again groom each other … and yet one more time risk a skirmish with a rival troop … If you read all that, I both apologize and hope that the message is sinking in.
Quite honestly, this was one of the least enjoyable movie experiences I’ve had in 2012. This should have just been a bit of light, cute fare for the kids. There’s nothing wrong with that. But in trying to invent some new sub-set of documentary-meets-narrative, the filmmakers have spent a great deal of time and effort delivering a product that shows some of the more aggressive and true-to-life chimp aspects but missed the mark on what audiences have come to expect and want out of these Earth Day releases.
If you’re a parent, some of the scenes may be too harsh for your little ones and others too boring. If you’re a nature enthusiast, Tim Allen’s quips as narrator and the Disney tinkering will be at best irksome, more likely irritating. Taking that into account, with Chimpanzee I suggest just waiting for the footage to get re-used in some future project as is so often the case.
GRADE: D+
Chimpanzee hits theaters on April 20, 2012 and is rated G.
'Private' by James Patterson - Little, Brown and Company PublisherAuthor James Patterson will executive produce an original series for TV based on his bestselling book series, Private. Sonar Entertainment and James Patterson Entertainment are teaming up on the project, according to a joint announcement by Stewart Till, CEO, Sonar Entertainment and Steve Bowen, President of James Patterson Entertainment.
Black Swan screenwriter Jon McLaughlin is working on the first two-hour episode.
“My ultimate goal is to tell stories in television that fans love and want to come back to again and again. Television is the ideal medium to deliver that type of entertainment,” said Patterson. “Sonar represents the kind of collaborative television partner I want with creative vision and strong emphasis on innovative sales and marketing.”
“Jim has purposely crafted Private to deliver stories and characters that make it an undeniably international television series,” Till stated. “We are thrilled he has entrusted us with this exciting action-packed property.”
The Plot:
Private features former CIA agent Jack Morgan, who runs the world’s most elite investigation firm. With maximum force and maximum discretion always guaranteed, Jack’s staff of global investigators uses advanced forensic tools to make and break the cases that involve the secrets of the most influential people in the world.
Source: Sonar Entertainment and James Patterson Entertainment
New Byliner Original by Buzz Bissinger (PRNewsFoto/Byliner)
Pulitzer Prize winner H.G. ‘Buzz’ Bissinger’s new Byliner Original, After Friday Night Lights, was published today and tells the story of what happened to Friday Night Lights‘ Boobie Miles after the events in Bissinger’s book. Meant to be read in a single sitting, After Friday Night Lights examines the 25 year relationship between Bissinger and Boobie Miles, the ex-Permian Panthers running back whose “rare skills and heartbreaking story helped ignite the Friday Night Lights phenomenon.”
As author Bissinger puts it, the friendship he now shares with Miles is “the most lasting legacy of Friday Night Lights, or at least the legacy I care about most.”
The Story:
Heading into the 1988 season, Miles looked like a star-in-the-making, a sure bet to ascend to college and the NFL. Abandoned by his mother, beaten by his dad, he had scraped through a rough upbringing, but it appeared that success on the field was soon to redeem his pain. Then, in a meaningless preseason scrimmage, Boobie blew out his knee. By midseason he was off the team, no longer needed by his coaches, who had found themselves a new running back.
After Friday Night Lights follows Boobie through the dark years he suffered after his injury right up to a hopeful present. It is the indelible portrait of the oddest of enduring friendships: that of a writer and his subject, a “neurotic Jew” and a West Texas oil-field worker, a white man raised in privilege and a black man brought up in poverty and violence, and a father and his “fourth son.” Their story encompasses the realities of race and class in America and reveals with heartbreaking accuracy how men rise again after their dreams are broken.
Syfy’s Hollywood Treasure returns for its second season on May 22nd at 10pm with Joe Maddalena back guiding viewers through the world of collectibles. In the first episode of season 2, Sean Astin shows up to show off his Lord of the Rings collection. Astin, the son of actress Patty Duke, played ‘Sam Gamgee’ in the Lord of the Rings film trilogy and is very familiar with everything Middle Earth.
Season two episodes will also feature Whitney Houston’s costume from The Bodyguard, the house in American Horror Story, Lost items, the General Lee from Dukes of Hazzard, and the original camera George Lucas used to film Star Wars. The show will also include Maddalena’s “personal Holy Grail – the lost pair of ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz.”
More on Hollywood Treasure [Courtesy of Syfy]:
Each episode of the documentary-reality series follows Maddalena – owner of Profiles in History and the world’s largest auctioneer of original movie, television, science fiction, fantasy and pop culture collectibles – as he and his crew travel the globe searching for the most compelling, rare, and sought-after Hollywood memorabilia. During each show, Maddalena also presides over auctions where the collectibles are sold to fans and collectors from around the world.
Some of Maddalena’s previous finds include the Wicked Witch of the West’s hat from The Wizard of Oz and the vintage Chitty Chitty Bang Bang car. Last season, he worked with Debbie Reynolds to auction off her extraordinary estate of film costume and prop memorabilia.
There are far too many Kings in season two of Game of Thrones and you just know one – or more – of them has to fall sometime in the near future. Will it be during May’s episodes? HBO’s just released the details on the four Game of Thrones season two episodes airing in May and while they don’t completely give away upcoming events, if you’d rather be kept completely in the dark, I suggest you do not read any further.
Game of Thrones Season 2 May 2012 Episodes:
Episode #16: “The Old Gods and the New”
Debut: SUNDAY, MAY 6 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT)
Other HBO playdates: May 6 (11:00 p.m.), 8 (11:00 p.m.), 9 (10:00 p.m.) and 12 (1:00 a.m.)
HBO2 playdates: May 7 (9:00 p.m.), 10 (8:00 p.m.), 11 (11:00 p.m.) and 13 (3:45 p.m.)
Theon (Alfie Allen) completes his master stroke. In King’s Landing, the Lannisters send Myrcella (Aimee Richardson) from harm’s way in the nick of time. Arya (Maisie Williams) comes face to face with a surprise visitor; Dany (Emilia Clarke) vows to take what is hers; Robb (Richard Madden) and Catelyn (Michelle Fairley) receive crucial news; Qhorin (Simon Armstrong) gives Jon (Kit Harington) a chance to prove himself.
Written by Vanessa Taylor; directed by David Nutter.
Episode #17: “A Man Without Honor”
Debut: SUNDAY, MAY 13 (9:00-10:00 p.m.)
Other HBO playdates: May 13 (11:00 p.m.), 15 (11:00 p.m.), 16 (10:00 p.m.) and 19 (1:30 a.m.)
HBO2 playdates: May 14 (9:00 p.m.), 17 (8:00 p.m.), 18 (midnight) and 20 (1:00 p.m.)
Jaime (Nicolaj Coster-Waldau) meets a distant relative; Dany receives an invitation to the House of the Undying; Theon leads a search party; Jon loses his way in the wilderness; Cersei (Lena Headey) counsels Sansa (Sophie Turner).
Written by David Benioff & D.B. Weiss; directed by David Nutter.
Episode #18: “The Prince of Winterfell”
Debut: SUNDAY, MAY 20 (9:00-10:00 p.m.)
Other HBO playdates: May 20 (11:00 p.m.), 22 (11:00 p.m.), 23 (10:00 p.m.) and 26 (12:55 a.m.)
HBO2 playdates: May 21 (9:00 p.m.), 24 (8:00 p.m.), 25 (midnight) and 27 (4:00 p.m.)
At Winterfell, Theon receives a visitor and holds down the fort. Arya calls in her final debt with Jaqen (Tom Wlaschiha) in a way that displeases him. Robb is betrayed. Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) and Varys (Conleth Hill) find common ground. Dany ignores Jorah’s (Iain Glen) advice. Stannis (Stephen Dillane) and Davos (Liam Cunningham) approach their destination, and Davos is offered a reward.
Written by David Benioff & D.B. Weiss; directed by Alan Taylor.
Episode #19: “Blackwater”
Debut: SUNDAY, MAY 27 (9:00-10:00 p.m.)
Other HBO playdates: May 27 (11:00 p.m.), 28 (8:00 p.m.), 29 (11:00 p.m.) and 30 (10:00 p.m., midnight), and June 1 (10:00 p.m.) and 2 (10:15 p.m.)
HBO2 playdates: May 28 (9:00 p.m.) and 31 (8:00 p.m., 9:00 p.m., 10:00 p.m.)
Tyrion and the Lannisters fight for their lives as Stannis’ fleet assaults King’s Landing.
Written by George R.R. Martin; directed by Neil Marshall.
NBC has announced the schedule for this summer’s concert series on Today, with the 2012 calendar kicking off on May 18th with Usher. Other artists scheduled to take the stage on this summer include Justin Bieber, Maroon 5, and The Band Perry. 
