MTV is bringing back Punk’d, the TV series that embarrassed celebrities, in March 2012. Punk‘d will be returning to the network’s schedule on March 19, 2012 but with a slightly different format.
Ashton Kutcher’s busy with Two and a Half Men, so he’ll be – according to MTV – passing the hosting duties off to a different celebrity guest each week. MTV just revealed a sampling of the celebrity guest hosts for the 2012 season and among those ready to punk their friends are Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Kellan Lutz, Bam Margera and Dax Shepard. Other celebrity hosts will be announced soon.
Source: MTV – January 1, 2012
Punk’d Returns in March
Russell Brand and Katy Perry File for Divorce
Brand was recently spotted without his wedding ring, and TMZ reports the couple spent the Christmas holidays apart.
In a statement issued to the AP, comedian Brand confirmed the rumors, stating, “Sadly, Katy and I are ending our marriage. I’ll always adore her and I know we’ll remain friends.”
Divorce papers were filed in LA citing the ever-popular ‘irreconcilable differences’ as the reason for the end of their marriage.
—Posted Dec 30, 2011
Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt Sing “What Are You Doing New Years Eve?”
(500) Days of Summer co-stars Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt got together to sing an adorable version of “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?” Why? Here’s what Deschanel says about the video she posted on YouTube.
“I have known Joe Gordon-Levitt for going on 12 years. We first met in the summer of 2000 while doing a tiny movie called Manic, where we bonded over a mutual appreciation for Harry Nilsson and Nina Simone and I have been lucky enough to call him one of my dearest friends ever since. When we did 500 Days of Summer 8 years later, we spent every lunch hour dancing to Marvin Gaye in the hair and makeup trailer; we had loads of fun.
I hope to do a thousand more movies with him because he’s simply the best. But in the meantime, we made a little New Year’s duet for all of you! The original by Nancy Wilson. ENJOY!
Don’t forget to check out Joe’s website hitrecord.org. New Girl is back January 17 (my birthday) !”
‘Angels Crest’ Movie Review
One of the last films to get released before 2012 gets underway is a small, carefully crafted feature from director Gaby Dellal, Angels Crest. And while the saying ‘save the best for last’ isn’t entirely accurate, this year has been so up and down (but mostly down) that when the credits rolled, I was instantly grateful to have seen such an intimate and poignant production.
Set near the Rocky Mountains in a small town named Angels Crest (what a coincidence!), the film begins with a father (Thomas Dekker) taking his 3-year-old son out one cold, snowy day into the woods. Leaving him asleep in the truck to track a deer, he returns to find an empty vehicle, and the wheels are set in motion for the entire town to be turned upside down.
Sounds like a laugh riot, right? Wait, if you said yes to that I suggest professional help. Obviously, this film is a bit on the somber side. However, instead of just being dour and melancholy (not that there’s anything wrong with that), watching the community cope with tragedy and decide how to assign blame or show compassion is truly moving and sincere.
The acting all around is excellent, with two key highlights. First, there’s Jeremy Piven who plays the district attorney compiling a case against Dekker. Better known for his comedic work, there is a profound sadness to his character always hovering overhead like a storm cloud. It’s perhaps his best work (PCU notwithstanding). Then there’s Lynn Collins, who plays the boy’s mother. Her character is deeply flawed, practically broken, and yet Collins finds a way to not only make the anger and sadness come through but also the possibility of redemption. It’s one of the better supporting actress performances of the year.
Another element working in the film’s favor is that this isn’t a myopic point of view centered on the parents alone. We get to know a bit about the circle of people around Dekker and Collins, thereby getting a better sense of the community – creating a stronger impact of the ripples that emanate from the boy’s disappearance. Dellal’s direction and a nicely laid out script by Catherine Trieschmann pare down events to what we need to know, working from the novel by Leslie Schwartz. While the book is usually better than the resulting film, it didn’t feel like the audience was being shortchanged too much on any particular characters. Often, it’s easy to spot that there’s a gap in the backstory in order to make for a reasonable runtime; here, the amount of info given about everyone seems just right.
Obviously, if you’re the type of person who loves car chases, explosions, and Adam Sandler, this isn’t the movie for you. For everyone else, Angels Crest is a thoughtful, heartfelt exploration of loss. It’s one of the hidden gems of 2011 and will hopefully earn the recognition it deserves.
GRADE: B+
Angels Crest hits theaters in limited release on December 30, 2011 and is rated R for language and some sexual content.
George R.R. Martin Reveals The Winds of Winter Excerpt
Author George R.R. Martin has given his readers a special holiday present in the form of a chapter from his sixth book of the A Song of Ice and Fire series, The Winds of Winter. On his blog that’s not a blog, Martin stated:
As a Christmas gift to all my loyal fans and readers, I’ve just replaced the (long published) sample chapters from A DANCE WITH DRAGONS on my website with an unpublished sample chapter from THE WINDS OF WINTER.
Go ye to “Ice & Fire Sample” on my website and enjoy.
(The chronology, as usual, is tricky. This chapter will be found eventually at the beginning of WINDS, but as you will be able to tell from context, it actually takes place before some of the chapters at the end of DANCE).”
Martin fans, what are you waiting for? Go read the chapter at http://www.georgerrmartin.com/if-sample.html.
And for those of you who are only familiar with Martin’s bestselling books series because of the critically acclaimed and very addictive HBO series, Game of Thrones, the chapter from Martin’s sixth book won’t mean a thing. However, if you feel like you have to read it because it’s as close to Game of Thrones as you’re going to get until the second season debuts in April 2012, be forewarned: you won’t understand what’s going on. Also, it does contain a major spoiler about a character you were introduced to in season one so don’t read it unless you’ve read all five books!
Variety Names Charlize Theron Their Indie Impact Award Winner
Charlize Theron has been named the winner of Variety’s Indie Impact Award which recognizes the “performer and filmmaker for her outstanding contributions to the art and business of cinema.” The award will be presented to Theron on January 8, 2012 during the Palm Springs International Film Festival. Previous Indie Impact Award winners include Mark Wahlberg and Philip Seymour Hoffman.
“Charlize Theron continues to make an impact by committing herself to films that exemplify the best in independent cinema,” stated Variety Executive Editor Steven Gaydos in the press release announcing the honor. “She notably won an Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, SAG Award and Independent Spirit Award for the independent film Monster, and contributed unforgettable performances to films such as The Burning Plain, In the Valley of Elah and North Country. Her recent acclaimed work in Young Adult, for which she was recently nominated for a Golden Globe® Award, demonstrates Theron’s characteristic edge and verve.”
Young Adult will also be picking up an award for the best ensemble at the PSIFF’s Awards Gala.
‘Wrath of the Titans’ – Trailer, Cast, and Plot Details
Sam Worthington stars as Perseus in the epic action movie Wrath of the Titans. Directed by Jonathan Liebesman, the PG-13 fantasy adventure is set to open in theaters on March 30, 2012.
The cast also includes Ralph Fiennes as Hades, Liam Neeson as Zeus, Rosamund Pike as Queen Andromeda, Danny Huston as Poseidon, Toby Kebbell as Agenor, and Bill Nighy as Hephaestus. Edgar Ramirez is Ares, John Bell is Helius, Lily James is Korrina, Alejandro Naranjo is Mantius, Freddy Drabble is Apollo, and Kathryn Carpenter plays Athena.
Official Synopsis: A decade after his heroic defeat of the monstrous Kraken, Perseus (Sam Worthington) — the demigod son of Zeus (Liam Neeson) — is attempting to live a quieter life as a village fisherman and the sole parent to his 10-year old son, Helius.
Meanwhile, a struggle for supremacy rages between the gods and the Titans. Dangerously weakened by humanity’s lack of devotion, the gods are losing control of the imprisoned Titans and their ferocious leader, Kronos, father of the long-ruling brothers Zeus, Hades (Ralph Fiennes) and Poseidon (Danny Huston). The triumvirate had overthrown their powerful father long ago, leaving him to rot in the gloomy abyss of Tartarus, a dungeon that lies deep within the cavernous underworld.
Perseus cannot ignore his true calling when Hades, along with Zeus’ godly son, Ares (Edgar Ramírez), switch loyalties and make a deal with Kronos to capture Zeus. The Titans’ strength grows stronger as Zeus’ remaining godly powers are siphoned, and hell is unleashed on earth.
Enlisting the help of the warrior Queen Andromeda (Rosamund Pike), Poseidon’s demigod son, Argenor (Toby Kebbell), and fallen god Hephaestus (Bill Nighy), Perseus bravely embarks on a treacherous quest into the underworld to rescue Zeus, overthrow the Titans and save mankind.
‘We Bought a Zoo’ – Scarlett Johansson Interview Video
Scarlett Johansson plays a zookeeper in charge of a struggling private zoo in the Cameron Crowe dramedy, We Bought a Zoo. And in this interview courtesy of 20th Century Fox, Johansson talks about her character, the story, working with Matt Damon, and director Crowe’s love of music.
The Plot: This holiday season, acclaimed filmmaker Cameron Crowe (Jerry Maguire, Almost Famous) directs an amazing and true story about a single dad who decides his family needs a fresh start, so he and his two children move to the most unlikely of places: a zoo. With the help of an eclectic staff, and with many misadventures along the way, the family works to return the dilapidated zoo to its former wonder and glory.
Josh Lucas The Firm Interview Video
In this video clip courtesy of NBC, Josh Lucas discusses his starring role in the upcoming legal drama, The Firm, premiering on January 8, 2012. Lucas explains how this TV series connects to John Grisham’s bestselling novel and the film starring Tom Cruise that Grisham’s work inspired. He also reveals why the character Mitch McDeere continues to be one of the most popular Grisham’s ever created.
Watch the video:
The Plot:
Based on the best-selling novel by world-renowned author John Grisham, The Firm is a new drama series that continues the story of attorney Mitchell McDeere (Josh Lucas), who, as a young associate 10 years earlier, had brought down the prestigious Memphis law firm of Bendini, Lambert & Locke, which had been operating as a front for the Chicago mob.
After a difficult decade, which included a stay in the Federal Witness Protection Program, McDeere and his family now emerge from isolation to reclaim their lives and their future — only to find that past dangers are still lurking and new threats are everywhere.
Abby McDeere (Molly Parker), Mitch’s supportive, smart and resourceful wife, who had helped her husband expose Bendini, Lambert & Locke, is excited to start a new life in Washington, D.C., as a school teacher and mom to their daughter, Claire (Natasha Calis).
Ray McDeere (Callum Keith Rennie) is Mitch’s charming, yet volatile, older brother whose work as an investigator in Mitch’s office is uniquely informed by his past stretch in prison for manslaughter. Despite a gritty past that stands in stark contrast to that of his Harvard-grad brother, Ray shares one key quality with Mitch – a loyalty that is unbreakable.
Tammy Hemphill (Juliette Lewis) is Mitch’s feisty, sexy receptionist whose work life is made all the more tumultuous by her on-again, off-again relationship with Ray. With a personality as arresting as her ever-changing hair color, Tammy is leery when Mitch accepts a deal to partner with a top law practice, as she’s not cut out for the conservative culture of a white-shoe firm.
Source: NBC – December 29, 2011
Noomi Rapace ‘Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows’ Video
In this video courtesy of Warner Bros Pictures, Noomi Rapace discusses Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, her character, fight scenes, being on the set with Robert Downey Jr, and working with director Guy Ritchie.
The Plot:
Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) has always been the smartest man in the room…until now. There is a new criminal mastermind at large — Professor Moriarty (Jared Harris) — and not only is he Holmes’ intellectual equal, but his capacity for evil, coupled with a complete lack of conscience, may actually give him an advantage over the renowned detective.
When the Crown Prince of Austria is found dead, the evidence, as construed by Inspector Lestrade (Eddie Marsan), points to suicide. But Sherlock Holmes deduces that the prince has been the victim of murder — a murder that is only one piece of a larger and much more portentous puzzle designed by Professor Moriarty. The cunning Moriarty is always one step ahead of Holmes as he spins a web of death and destruction—all part of a greater plan that, if he succeeds, will change the course of history.
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