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Hell on Wheels Review – Episode 1

By
Rebecca Murray
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Cullen Bohannon (Anson Mount) and Elam Ferguson (Common) in Hell on Wheels
Cullen Bohannon (Anson Mount) and Elam Ferguson (Common) - Photo Credit: Chris Large/AMC
Reviewed by Kevin Finnerty

 
“Don’t you believe in a higher power?” “Sure. I carry it right here on my hip.” That’s the dark, mysterious former Confederate soldier Cullen Bohannon (Anson Mount) heading out west to find work building the railroad in 1865 in the post-Civil War Western drama, AMC’s Hell on Wheels.
 
Bohannon’s true quest is not to find honest hard work to make his fortune like the two traveling Irish immigrants he’s met on the train. In fact, he’s on the trail of the men responsible for his wife’s brutal murder. He successfully finds work on the railroad headed by Thomas ‘Doc’ Durant (Colm Meaney), an overbearing businessman/investor who seeks to become even more rich and powerful from the railroad. He also meets a recently freed slave, Elam Ferguson (Common), trying to find his place in the world.
 
Hell on Wheels “The Pilot Episode” is a gritty, violent, heavy-handed beginning to what seems to be an unoriginal and formulaic take on the classic American Western. Anson Mount’s gunslinger character bent on revenge is a weak impersonation of the “Man with no Name” that Clint Eastwood defined so wonderfully in the 1960s spaghetti Western films. Colm Meaney is both over-the-top and unbelievable as the corrupt businessman intent on owning the railroad and its riches. He delivers a horribly over-acted performance.
 
The writing is extremely weak with boring, at times silly dialogue which only helps make scenes seem even more forced and unrealistic. There’s also no real flow or pacing with the show, with many scenes going back and forth with almost no connection with what came before it.
 
Uneven and uninspired, Hell on Wheels is a television saga that doesn’t capture the grandeur and adventure of the wild west but rather delivers a slow, tedious and bleak untamed west which will have the viewer reaching for a John Wayne or Clint Eastwood DVD western to watch instead.
 
D+
 
Hell on Wheels premiered on AMC on November 6, 2011.
 

KEM Joins the Sparkle Cast

By
Rebecca Murray
-

KEM
Singer/songwriter KEM has signed on to the cast of the dramatic movie, Sparkle, a remake of the 1976 film of the same name. The ’76 version was directed by Sam O’Steen and starred Philip Michael Thomas, Irene Cara, Lonette McKee, and Dwan Smith.

The remake is set to star Jordin Sparks, Whitney Houston, Derek Luke, Mike Epps, Carmen Ejogo, Tika Sumpter, Omari Hardwick, and Cee Lo Green. KEM will play, according to the press release, a club owner and Master of Ceremonies named Buddy.

Production is currently underway in Detroit, Michigan.

“I’ve always had the idea that I’d like to try my hand at acting one day, and I’m very thankful to have the chance to do that with a classic film such as Sparkle,” stated KEM. “That the film is set in Detroit and being filmed in Detroit only enhances this extraordinary experience for me.”

More on KEM [Courtesy of Project Producers, LLC]:

Motown Recording Artist KEM recently headlined his sold-out national ‘Intimacy Tour’ with Special Guests Musiq Soulchild & Ledisi. His latest CD, Intimacy, debuted at #2 on Billboard’s Top 200 Albums list in August 2010. Intimacy garnered national acclaim, including two Grammy award nominations, a Soul Train award nomination and a BET Centric Award nomination. In February of 2001, KEM independently released his first CD, Kemistry, sold nearly 15,000 CD’s, piquing the interest of Universal Motown. The label signed KEM to a five-record deal in November 2001 and re-released Kemistry. KEM previewed music from his second release, KEM Album II, for audiences on a 20-city underground tour, after which the CD was certified gold after just two weeks of release in May 2005.

Source: Project Producers, LLC – November 4, 2011

Lady Gaga Wins Big at the 2011 MTV EMA

By
Rebecca Murray
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Lady Gaga The Monster Ball Tour

Lady Gaga was the big winner at the 2011 MTV EMA on November 6th in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The event, which was hosted by Serena Gomez and held at Belfast’s Odyssey Arena, found the Grammy-winning Lady Gaga adding four new trophies to her collection.

Lady Gaga was also among the night’s performers, as were Justin Bieber (singing “Mistletoe”), Bruno Mars, David Guetta, Red Hot Chili Peppers, LMFAO, Snow Patrol, and Queen.

Coldplay kicked things off with their “Every Teardrop is a Waterfall,” and Queen (joined by Adam Lambert) put the finishing touches on the broadcast with a medley of their songs that included “We Will Rock You” and “We Are The Champions.”

The 2011 MTV EMA also featured a video tribute from the fans of Amy Winehouse.

2011 MTV EMA Winners:

Lady Gaga: Best Female, Best Song (“Born This Way”), Best Video (“Born This Way”), Biggest Fans (brand new award that celebrates artists with the most committed fanbase)

Justin Bieber: Best Pop, Best Male

Thirty Seconds To Mars: Best Alternative, Best World Stage

Bruno Mars: Best New, Best Push

Queen: Global Icon

Eminem: Best Hip Hop

Katy Perry: Best Live

Linkin Park: Best Rock

BIGBANG: Best Worldwide

SNL Pokes Fun at Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries

By
Rebecca Murray
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It’s such an easy target, who could resist? SNL sure couldn’t, delivering one of their funniest skits of the year as they make fun of Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries’ relationship, Kris Jenner’s need for attention, and Bruce Jenner’s surgically frozen face.

Watch the video from the November 5, 2011 show hosted by Charlie Day:

New My Week with Marilyn Clip: Heatwave

By
Rebecca Murray
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Eddie Redmayne, Dougray Scott, and Michelle Williams in My Week with Marilyn
Eddie Redmayne, Dougray Scott, and Michelle Williams in My Week with Marilyn - © The Weinstein Company
As we approach the November 23rd release, The Weinstein Company’s been putting out a new clip a week for My Week with Marilyn, the dramatic film starring Michelle Williams as Marilyn Monroe. It will likely be one of the films TWC will be promoting around the awards circuit, and Williams’ performance has already been gaining some Best Actress awards mentions.
 
Check out this new clip titled ‘Heatwave’ from My Week with Marilyn and see what you think:
 

 
The Plot:
 
In the early summer of 1956, 23 year-old Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne), just
down from Oxford and determined to make his way in the film business, worked
as a lowly assistant on the set of The Prince and the Showgirl. The film
that famously united Sir Laurence Olivier (Kenneth Branagh) and Marilyn
Monroe (Michelle Williams), who was also on honeymoon with her new husband,
the playwright Aurthur Miller (Dougray Scott).
 
Nearly 40 years on, his diary account The Prince, the Showgirl and Me was
published, but one week was missing and this was published some years later
as My Week with Marilyn this is the story of that week. When Arthur
Miller leaves England, the coast is clear for Colin to introduce Marilyn to
some of the pleasures of British life; an idyllic week in which he escorted
a Monroe desperate to get away from her retinue of Hollywood hangers-on and
the pressures of work.
 

Lucy Griffiths Joins the Cast of True Blood

By
Rebecca Murray
-

Lucy Griffiths in Robin Hood
Lucy Griffiths in Robin Hood - © BBC
British actress Lucy Griffiths (BBC’s Robin Hood) has been cast as Nora, Eric Northman’s vampire sister, in the fifth season of HBO’s sexy vampire/werewolf/shapeshifter drama, True Blood. According to TVLine, Nora was sired by Godric, the same vampire who turned Eric (Alexander Skarsgard), and will be featured during season 5.
 
TVLine describes Nora as a double agent who works for the Vampire Authority. She loves Eric, but is committed to a “higher purpose.”
 
Filming will be getting underway next month.
 
–Posted on November 6, 2011 by Rebecca Murray
 

Trailer for We Need to Talk About Kevin Looks Incredibly Creepy

By
Rebecca Murray
-

I’m not familiar with Lionel Shriver’s book, but I may have to put it on my reading list after watching this trailer for We Need to Talk About Kevin. Directed by Lynne Ramsey, We Need to Talk About Kevin stars Tilda Swinton, John C Reilly, and Ezra Miller and is rated R for disturbing violence and behavior, some sexuality and language.
 
The Plot:
 
We Need to Talk About Kevin explores the factious relationship between a mother and her son. Tilda Swinton, in a bracing, tour-de-force performance, plays the mother, Eva, as she contends for 15 years with the increasing malevolence of her first-born child, Kevin (Ezra Miller).
 
Based on the best-selling novel of the same name, We Need to Talk About Kevin explores nature vs. nurture on a whole new level as Eva’s own culpability is measured against Kevin’s innate evilness. Ramsay’s masterful storytelling simultaneously combines a provocative moral ambiguity with a satisfying and compelling narrative, which builds to a chilling, unforgettable climax.
Watch the trailer:
 


 

American Reunion Trailer Reunites the Pie Guys

By
Rebecca Murray
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Jason Biggs and Alyson Hannigan in 'American Reunion'
Jason Biggs and Alyson Hannigan in 'American Reunion' - © Universal Pictures

We’ve seen them have sex with objects, watched them get married, and now we get the chance to see what’s become of all the American Pie guys – and girls. The gang’s back for more comedy adventures in American Reunion, with Stifler and the rest proving getting older doesn’t mean you have to grow up.
 
Watch the trailer:
 

 
American Reunion hits theaters on April 6, 2012.
 

Miley Cyrus Joins Hotel Transylvania

By
Rebecca Murray
-

Miley Cyrus at the World Premiere of Hannah Montana the Movie
Miley Cyrus at the World Premiere of 'Hannah Montana the Movie' - Photo © Richard Chavez
Hannah Montana star Miley Cyrus continues with her transition to feature film actress by signing up to star in Sony Pictures Animation’s Hotel Transylvania. Genny Tartakovsky is directing the animated comedy, with Sony setting a September 21, 2012.
 
Cyrus will be voicing Mavis, the teenage daughter of Dracula. Adam Sandler’s handling the voice of the world’s most famous vampire, with David Koechner voicing Quasimodo, David Spade as Griffin the Invisible Man, Kevin James as Frank (also known as Frankenstein), Fran Drescher as Frankenstein’s bride, Eunice, and Cee Lo Green as Murray the boisterous Mummy. Steve Buscemi and Molly Shannon will be providing the voices of Wayne and Wanda, a married werewolf couple.
 
The Plot:
 
Welcome to the Hotel Transylvania, Dracula’s (Sandler) lavish five-stake resort, where monsters and their families can live it up, free from meddling from the human world. But here’s a little known fact about Dracula: he is not only the Prince of Darkness; he is also a dad. Over-protective of his teenage daughter, Mavis, Dracula fabricates tales of elaborate dangers to dissuade her adventurous spirit. As a haven for Mavis, he opens the Hotel Transylvania, where his daughter and some of the world’s most famous monsters – Frankenstein and his bride, the Mummy, the Invisible Man, a family of werewolves, and more – can kick back in safety and peace. For Drac, catering to all of these legendary monsters is no problem – but his world could come crashing down when one ordinary guy stumbles on the hotel and takes a shine to Mavis.
 
–Posted by Rebecca Murray – November 6, 2011
 

Myriad Picks Up A Common Man

By
Rebecca Murray
-

Sir Ben Kingsley
Sir Ben Kingsley - Photo © Richard Chavez
The action thriller A Common Man, starring Sir Ben Kingsley and Ben Cross, has been acquired by Myriad Pictures. Chandran Rutnam (The Road from Elephant Pass) adapted and directed the film which was shot in Sri Lanka.
 
In the press release announcing the acquisition of A Common Man, Myriad CEO Kirk D’Amico stated, “Early response to our sales promo has been terrific. Ben Kingsley is a very big star internationally and the film has the right components buyers look for – a big star with a lot of action.”
 
The Plot:
 
In A Common Man, a mysterious man (Kingsley) has planted 5 bombs in the politically-scarred city that are set to explode unless four major terrorists are immediately released from prison. When he calls in his demands to the Deputy Inspector General of the Colombo Police Department (Cross), it sets in motion an ideological and deadly confrontation between the truth and duty.
 
Source: Myriad Pictures – November 5, 2011
 

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