The action thriller opens on January 20, 2012 and also stars Michael Fassbender (soon to be seen in the NC-17 rated Shame), Ewan McGregor, Michael Angarano, Antonio Banderas, Michael Douglas, and Bill Paxton.
Watch the 2nd trailer:
The Plot:
Mallory Kane is a highly trained operative who works for a government security contractor in the dirtiest, most dangerous corners of the world. After successfully freeing a Chinese journalist held hostage, she is double crossed and left for dead by someone close to her in her own agency. Suddenly the target of skilled assassins who know her every move, Mallory must find the truth in order to stay alive.
Using her black-ops military training, she devises an ingenious—and dangerous—trap. But when things go haywire, Mallory realizes she’ll be killed in the blink of an eye unless she finds a way to turn the tables on her ruthless adversary.
Glee, Glee, Glee…you delivered a promising first season but followed it up with a season number two that completely fell off the rails. Season three’s episodes have been mostly misses thus far. However, this mash-up of Adele’s “Rumour Has It” and “Someone Like You” from episode six (debuting on November 15, 2011) should help remind disillusioned Gleeks why we fell in love with the show in the first place.
The episode features a “mash-off” between New Directions and the Troubletones, the new all-girl club, and this Adele mash-up featuring Naya Rivera as Santana and Amber Riley as Mercedes looks to be a real show-stopping number.
Cobra Starship (Photo supplied by Decaydance/Fueled By Ramen)
Decaydance/Fueled By Ramen just announced “You Make Me Feel… (Feat. Sabi)” off of Cobra Starship’s Night Shades album is now a top 5 favorite at CHR/Top 40 radio outlets. And the band’s Night Shades has reached platinum status, selling over 1.4 million copies. The “You Make Me Feel…” video, directed by Kai Regan, is also proving extremely popular, hitting #3 on VH1’s Top 20 Video Countdown.
Watch the video:
Cobra Starship’s Upcoming Appearances:
—Dancing with the Stars Semi-finals on November 15, 2011
–85th Anniversary Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on November 24
“Sometimes you need to bend the rules a little to keep your country safe.” That’s J. Edgar Hoover (Leonardo DiCaprio) explaining to his right-hand man Clyde Tolson (Armie Hammer) his philosophy of what it takes to protect the country in the dramatic film J. Edgar.
Clint Eastwood’s movie about the man who’s credited with turning the FBI into what it is today: an extremely efficient, crime-fighting organization, focuses on both Hoover’s love for his country and wanting to protect it from all its enemies as well as his drive and determination to obtain power and never lose it. The film goes back and forth in time while chronicling Edgar’s career in the FBI.
Hoover, as a young man, is ambitious and determined to protect the country against communists. And as the new director to the FBI appearing before congress to get money, arms and the materials his agents need to go up against the deadly gangsters of the 1930s, he’s passionate and persuasive. In his later years, the director of the FBI becomes more and more paranoid, trusting only his personal secretary, Helen Gandy (Naomi Watts), who’s in charge of all his personnel files, and his right-hand man Clyde Tolson (Armie Hammer) who he shares more than just a passion for justice with.
Based on the life of Hoover, J. Edgar is a historical drama that has some solid performances, especially from Leonardo DiCaprio as the young, awkward man striving to protect his country from socialist radicals. It’s unfortunate, however, that his performance as the older, more cautious and power-hungry Edgar doesn’t hold up, partly due to the horrible make-up used to age him. The same can be said for Naomi Watts as his dedicated secretary and especially Armie Hammer, whose make-up is so incredibly terrible in the later part of the film it distracts and ruins the drama happening up on the big screen.
Another big problem with the movie is the mere size and scope of the story it’s trying to tell. Eastwood tries to squeeze almost 50 years of both Hoover’s career and the formation of the FBI into just a little over two hours. As a result, there’s not much substance or depth to many of the other characters. A perfect example of this is Helen Gandy. The film first introduces her as a flirty, attractive young professional who seems to have an eye on the young-and-upcoming Mr. Hoover. After a few dates and a clumsy, awkward, yet sincere advance from Edgar in the Library of Congress, Miss Gandy makes it clear she’s only interested in forwarding her career and riding on his coat tails. Not long after, he makes her his personal secretary and the two of them spend the next nearly 50 years working together, with Gandy being the keeper and protector of his infamous secret files. There is never an attempt in the film to explain or show why Miss Gandy becomes so dedicated, loyal and caring of Edgar and his needs up to and even after his death.
Overly ambitious, slow and ponderous at times, J. Edgar is a film that should have taken the moviegoer into the fascinating world of the birth of the FBI and the man who had the vision and determination to create one of the greatest law enforcement agencies of all time despite many obstacles. Instead, the film delivers an all too familiar story of a once good and dedicated individual who becomes completely corrupted by his lust for power.
GRADE: C
J. Edgar was released on November 11, 2011 and is rated R for brief strong language.
Season two of E!’s Kourtney and Kim Take New York is set to premiere on November 27, 2011. The half-hour reality series follows Kim and Kourtney Kardashian’s sex lives and family shenanigans.
What You Need to Know:
By the looks of things, the “honeymoon phase” is over for Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries. But, after just 72 days of marriage, it seems like it might have been over as soon as it began. I’m going to assume all of you Kardashian fans who just can’t get enough of this family will tune in to see what went wrong with this short-lived marriage. Many people vow never to watch the show again because of Kim and Kris’ short marriage, but I’m willing to bet they’ll secretly still tune in to watch the train wreck.
And let’s not forget about Kourtney and Scott’s relationship… I know I have forgotten about it with the whole Kim and Kris scandal, but Kourtney and Scott have had their fair share of not-so-glamorous moments in their relationship, mostly because of Scott’s out-of-control behavior when he drinks. With her younger sister’s relationship falling apart, will Kourtney finally have a happily ever after?
'Songs of Anarchy' (Columbia Records) Sons of Anarchy fans have a new way to feed their obsession with the show. Columbia Records, FX and 20th Century Fox Television have partnered up on Songs of Anarchy: Music from Sons of Anarchy Seasons 1-4, a soundtrack to the series featuring 15 tracks by Katey Sagal, Curtis Stigers, The Forest Rangers, Lyle Workman & Bob Thiele, Audra Mae, Anvil, The Lions, Billy Valentine, Paul Brady, Battleme, Alison Mosshart, and Franky Perez & Los Guardianes del Bosque.
Songs of Anarchy: Music from Sons of Anarchy Seasons 1-4 Track List:
1. “This Life” – Curtis Stigers & The Forest Rangers
2. “Son of a Preacher Man” – Katey Sagal & The Forest Rangers
3. “Forever Young” – Audra Mae & The Forest Rangers
4. “John the Revelator” – Curtis Stigers & The Forest Rangers
5. “Fortunate Son” – Lyle Workman & Bob Thiele
6. “Slip Kid” – Anvil featuring Franky Perez
7. “Girl From the North Country” – The Lions
8. “Someday Never Comes” – Billy Valentine & The Forest Rangers
9. “Gimme Shelter” – Paul Brady & The Forest Rangers
10. “Bird on a Wire” – Katey Sagal & The Forest Rangers
11. “Hey Hey, My My” – Battleme
12. “What a Wonderful World” – Alison Mosshart & The Forest Rangers
13. “Los Tiempos Van Cambiando” (“The Times They Are A-Changin'”) – Franky Perez & Los Guardianes del Bosque
15. “House of the Rising Sun” – Battleme & The Forest Rangers with Katey Sagal
Songs of Anarchy: Music from Sons of Anarchy Seasons 1-4 will be released on November 29, 2011. Season 4 of Sons of Anarchy, FX’s highest-rated series, finishes up on December 6, 2011.
The rumors were true, Black Sabbath is getting back together. Original band members Ozzy Osbourne, Geezer Butler, Bill Ward, and Tony Iommi just announced the return of Black Sabbath with a new studio album (their first in 33 years) and a 2012 fall tour kicking off after they headline the Download Festival in June. Rick Rubin will be producing the album.
The heavy metal band made the announcement during an 11-11-11 press conference held at the Whisky A Go Go in Hollywood. They also released a video featuring clips of the band from years ago, along with the basic details of the reunion.
A scene from "You Have the Right to Remain Jolly" Episode of 'The Closer' - Photo Credit: Mercedes Heinila/TNT
TNT’s set a November 28, 2011 return date for the last five new episodes of the seventh season of the police drama The Closer. The series will wrap-up in 2012.
The Closer stars Kyra Sedgwick, Jon Tenney, J.K. Simmons, Robert Gossett, Corey Reynolds, Tony Denison, G.W. Bailey, Michael Paul Chan, Raymond Cruz, Phillip P. Keene, and Mary McDonnell. McDonnell will reprise her character (‘Captain Sharon Raydor’) in TNT’s new series Major Crimes, which premieres after the conclusion of The Closer.
TNT also announced the series’ upcoming guest stars and brief plot descriptions:
In the five new episodes airing this winter, the cast will be joined by several additional guest stars. In the show’s 100th episode, “You Have the Right to Remain Jolly,” airing Monday, Dec. 5, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT), Fred Willard guest stars as Santa Jack, the owner of a Christmas village who believes he could be the real Father Christmas. Brenda’s parents, played by guest stars Frances Sternhagen and Barry Corbin, return on Monday, Dec. 12, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT) in “Relative Matters,” the second holiday-themed episode of the season, with surprising news that keeps Brenda’s mind from her case.
Mark Moses and Elizabeth Perkins will guest-star in “Road Block” on Monday, Dec. 19, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT), as the LAPD’s Police Commissioner and his wife, Gail, who may be in trouble when Brenda becomes determined to uncover a scandal one of them tried to cover up. And in the winter finale, “Silent Partner,” airing Monday, Dec. 26, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT), Brenda seeks help from a businessman, played by guest star Jason George, with old ties to the neighborhood where Turell Baylor was murdered.
The Closer Synopsis:
Over the past six and a half years, Sedgwick’s Chief Johnson and the LAPD’s Major Crimes unit have put some of Los Angeles’ most brutal killers behind bars. With her keen investigative instincts and brilliant interrogation techniques, Brenda usually closes her cases by eliciting a confession through sometimes-questionable methods. This summer, Brenda’s tactics resulted in a civil lawsuit that raised scrutiny over her controversial style and revealed a mysterious leak in her division. Although the original suit was settled, Brenda is now the target of a federal civil rights suit. Special guest star Mark Pellegrino (Lost) returns this winter as Brenda’s lawyer to defend her against the mounting federal investigation by prosecutor Peter Goldman, played by returning guest star Curtis Armstrong (American Dad).
The devil made them do it…the Tasmanian Devil, that is. The Wonder Years‘ Danica McKellar and Olympic skating champion Apolo Ohno will star in Syfy’s original movie, Tasmanian Devil. Filming will get underway this month in British Columbia.
According to Syfy, McKellar and Ohno will be taking on a ‘deadly mythical beast’. “In the movie, scheduled to premiere on Syfy in 2012, base jumpers in a remote Tasmanian national park are pursued by grizzly bear-sized Tasmanian Devils – legendary creatures created to protect the land from intruders.”
Kenneth Mitchell (Jericho) has also been cast in Tasmanian Devil.
When last we saw Anton Yelchin and Jennifer Lawrence, they were falling in love while Mel Gibson stuck his hand up a Beaver puppet. In director/co-writer Drake Doremus’ new film, Like Crazy, their romance is an entirely different animal and only a subplot for the main pairing of Yelchin and Felicity Jones (alas, there are no puppets).
The film begins with an irresistibly endearing meet-cute between Jacob (Yelchin) and Anna (Jones). He’s a furniture design student and she’s an English girl studying abroad in Los Angeles. What follows is a constantly moving portrait of their relationship, with gaps in time never overtly explained, we just know a shift has occurred based on locale or whomever each of them may be shagging (yeah, baby, yeah … wait, there’s no nudity … umm … well … whatever).
The time shifting is a completely effective tool to encompass this young romance, giving the audience a glimpse of the saccharine sweet while also highlighting some major obstacles in their path (kudos to editor Jonathan Alberts for making it all flow so well). Obviously, as a Brit utilizing a student Visa, there comes a point when Anna must return to the UK. The resulting drama from extending her stay over their first summer together and the long-distance relationship that occurs as Jacob starts a furniture business in L.A. while Anna works at a magazine in England are huge issues but to the film’s credit, not the driving wedge that might come between the two.
At its core, this is a tale of exploring love, the joys it can bring, the sadness created by separation, and testing the limits of how far a relationship can go when running almost solely on that love. Yelchin and Jones do a fine job of building a real relationship between people in their low-20s. It’s easy to see why they come together, and it makes the difficulties later on that much more poignant. And while none of the performances in the cast are likely to stand out over time, they work perfectly within the context of the film and create a very relatable setting for audiences.
Dustin O’Halloran’s score perfectly complements the tone of the film, though that’s not surprising considering Doremus’ last film, Douchebag. While completely different movies with different composers, each utilized the score and soundtrack effectively to convey emotion without being overly pushy and Doremus seems to have a knack for creating a sensibility in his work that allows comedy and drama to co-exist without feeling contrived or forced.
Sadly, what is a bit contrived and forced in the film are the decisions made by Jacob and Anna as the challenges to their relationship grow bigger and bigger. Sure, it’d be nice if love conquered all, but it’s just too much of a stretch to think these two would try so hard to stick it out given what happens along the way. And with its short 90-minute runtime, some of the stumbling blocks on the road to potential happiness feel a bit like padding to get the project to feature length.
However, Doremus is smart and ends the film with some ambiguity (much to the chagrin of the screening audience so if you need a concrete resolution to your movies, this may present a problem for you). There are a number of scenes that resonated with the sincerity and exhilaration of young love perfectly, but there are also quite a few that don’t quite feel like things would happen that way in real life. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, but the overall result of Like Crazy is positive if you’re an independent movie fan.
Anyone nursing a broken heart will either find themselves needing a few drinks afterward or needing to be restrained from calling their ex, so if you fall into that category, make sure to have both a designated driver and designated dialer. You can thank me later.
GRADE: B
Like Crazy is rated G-13 for sexual content and brief strong language.
