Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton in 'Friday Night Lights' - Photo Credit: NBCMembers of the Television Critics Association (TCA) singled out Friday Night Lights as television’s best of the best at their annual event held this year on Saturday, August 6, 2011 at The Beverly Hilton Hotel. The TCA, which is made up of 200+ TV critics and journalists from the U.S. and Canada, also threw their support behind HBO’s Game of Thrones, naming it this year’s Outstanding New Program.
This year’s awards ceremony (which wasn’t televised) was hosted by Parks and Recreation‘s Nick Offerman.
The 2011 TCA Award Winners:
Individual Achievement in Drama: Jon Hamm (Mad Men, AMC)
Individual Achievement in Comedy: Ty Burrell (Modern Family, ABC) and Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation, NBC)
Outstanding Achievement in News and Information: Restrepo (National Geographic Channel)
Outstanding Achievement in Reality Programming: Amazing Race (CBS)
Outstanding Achievement in Youth Programming: Sesame Street (PBS)
Outstanding New Program: Game of Thrones (HBO)
Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Miniseries and Specials: Masterpiece: Sherlock (PBS)
Outstanding Achievement in Drama: Mad Men (AMC)
Outstanding Achievement in Comedy: Modern Family (ABC)
Career Achievement Award: Oprah Winfrey
Heritage Award: The Dick Van Dyke Show
Program of the Year: Friday Night Lights (DirecTV/NBC)
Noah Wyle and Drew Roy in Falling Skies - Photo Credit: Ken Woroner/TNT
Tonight the stars of TNT’s hit alien invasion drama, Falling Skies, will be on Twitter answering questions from fans during the East Coast airing of season one’s final episode. The cast and writer/producer Mark Verheiden will be tweeting with fans from 9-11pm ET, 6-8pm PT.
Noah Wyle will be using @fallingskiesTNT (the show’s official Twitter account). The rest of the cast and producer Verheiden will be using their personal Twitter accounts:
Drew Roy: @drew_roy
Sarah Sanguin Carter: @sanguin_carter
Colin Cunningham: @CunninghamColin
Conner Jessup: @ConnorJessup
Mark Verheiden: @MarkVerheiden
Fans can ask questions using the hashtag #FSChat.
The Plot :Falling Skies takes place in the chaotic aftermath of an alien attack that has left most of the world completely incapacitated. Tom Mason (Wyle), a Boston history professor and the father of three sons, must put his extensive knowledge of military history to the test as second in command of a regiment of resistance fighters protecting a large group of civilian survivors.
Edward Burns in 'Newlyweds' - Tribeca FilmTribeca Film has picked up the comedic relationship drama Newlyweds, the 10th film from actor/writer/director Edward Burns. The film premiered at the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival and will find its way into theaters later this year. In addition to Burns, the Newlyweds cast includes Caitlin Fitzgerald, Max Baker, Marsha Dietlein Bennett, and Kerry Bishé.
“I have enjoyed a great relationship with the Tribeca Film Festival since its inception and I am so thrilled to be collaborating with them to bring Newlyweds to a broad commercial audience,” stated Burns. “The unique, multi-platform release of Nice Guy Johnny broke new ground last year and brought my work to audiences who have traditionally had trouble accessing independent films theatrically. I am extremely confident that we will really build on that success now that we have Tribeca Film onboard for Newlyweds.”
“Newlyweds shows how authentic filmmaking can spring from intentionally modest circumstances. Made on a remarkably small budget, it is a rich and resonant exploration of relationships brought to life by vivid location work and lively, intelligent performances,” said Geoffrey Gilmore, Chief Creative Officer of Tribeca Enterprises. “We look forward to presenting Newlyweds to North American audiences.”
The Story:
Shot in a fast paced 12 days exclusively in New York City’s Tribeca neighborhood, the film is a chronicle of modern marriage complete with the crackling humor and sharp insights into contemporary relationships that Burns fans have come to love. The film tracks a newly wedded couple whose honeymoon period is upended by the arrival of the husband’s wild-child baby sister and the crumbling marriage of the wife’s meddlesome sister. A 21st Century Manhattan love story, Newlyweds highlights the unarguable truth that when you get married, you’re not just getting a husband or wife, you’re getting the family, the friends, and even the exes.
Four seasons in and Jersey Shore shows no signs of wearing out its welcome. The August 4, 2011 fourth season debut scored a record 8.8 million viewers making it MTV’s most watched series opener in history. In addition, Jersey Shore beat out the regular network programming (including CBS’ Big Brother).
Although the premiere beat the debut episodes of the previous three seasons of the reality show, it fell slightly behind the most-watched episode in the show’s history. That honor goes to the January 20, 2011 broadcast which featured Snooki getting released from jail and attracted 8.9 million viewers.
About Season 4:
“This summer will be hotter than ever when America’s favorite roommates head overseas to learn all about the culture they love and bring their trademark hilarity, fist-pumping and family dysfunction to ‘the beautiful country.’ When the cast goes to Italy, they take a little of Jersey with them; and the birthplace of the Renaissance might never be the same. There’s plenty of GTL, fist pumping and hair gel – but in Italy even going from “cabs are here” to “I taxi sono que” puts a hilarious spin on their everyday adventures. As they navigate Florence and rely on one another more than ever before, relationships will shift and evolve in directions fans could never see coming.”
Achtung Baby 20th Anniversary Edition - Photo Credit: Universal Music Enterprises
It’s hard to believe but it’s been 20 years since U2 released their critically acclaimed album, Achtung Baby, which won a Grammy for Best Rock Performance and is still thought of as one of the best releases from the group. And in celebration of the 20th anniversary of its release, U2 is putting out a special edition on November 1, 2011 in the US (Oct 31, 2011 internationally).
The group has also been involved in working on a rock documentary called From the Sky Down with Waiting for Superman director Davis Guggenheim. The documentary has been chosen to open the upcoming Toronto International Film Festival, the first time a documentary has been given that honor.
Commenting on the film, director Guggenheim stated, “In the terrain of rock bands – implosion or explosion is seemingly inevitable. U2 has defied the gravitational pull towards destruction, this band has endured and thrived. The movie From The Sky Down asks the question why.”
More on Achtung Baby from the official press release:
“Recorded over six months at Hansa Studio in Berlin and Windmill Lane in Dublin, Achtung Baby is U2’s seventh studio album. Produced by longtime U2 collaborators, Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno with Steve Lillywhite, Achtung Baby was engineered by Flood and led by “The Fly.” The album spawned four other singles: “Mysterious Ways,” “One,” “Even Better Than The Real Thing” and “Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses.”
The Achtung Baby archives have unearthed some previously unreleased songs from the recording sessions. With a raft of unreleased material, video, remixes, b-sides and documentary footage discovered, a full album of demo and early versions of the final 1991 tracklisting has also been revealed. Five physical editions including vinyl, CD, DVD and digital options will be made available. Full details of all formats are at achtungbaby.u2.com.
Official Synopsis: Every year in the ruins of what was once North America, the evil Capitol of the nation of Panem forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the Hunger Games. A twisted punishment for a past uprising and an ongoing government intimidation tactic, The Hunger Games are a nationally televised event in which “Tributes” must fight with one another until one survivor remains. Pitted against highly-trained Tributes who have prepared for these Games their entire lives, Katniss is forced to rely upon her sharp instincts as well as the mentorship of drunken former victor Haymitch Abernathy. If she’s ever to return home to District 12, Katniss must make impossible choices in the arena that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.
[tabs style=”default” title=”‘The Hunger Games’ Resources”] [tab title=”Cast”]
‘Katniss Everdeen’ – Jennifer Lawrence
‘Peeta’ – Josh Hutcherson
‘Gale’ – Liam Hemsworth
‘Prim’ – Willow Shields
‘President Snow’ – Donald Sutherland
‘Effie Trinket’ – Elizabeth Banks
‘Seneca Crane’ – Wes Bentley
‘Caesar Flickerman’ – Stanley Tucci
‘Haymitch Abernathy’ – Woody Harrelson
‘Cinna’ – Lenny Kravitz
‘Portia’ – Latarsha Rose
‘Octavia’ – Brooke Bundy
‘Mrs Everdeen’ – Paula Malcomson
‘Glimmer/District 1’ – Leven Rambin
‘Marvel/District 1’ – Jack Quaid
‘Cato/District 2’ – Alexander Ludwig
‘Clove/District 2’ – Isabelle Fuhrman
‘District 3 Tribute’ – Ian Nelson
‘District 3 Tribute’ – Kalia Prescott
‘District 4 Tribute’ – Ethan Jamieson
‘District 4 Tribute’ – Tara Macken
‘District 5 Tribute’ – Chris Mark
‘Foxface/District 5’ – Jacqueline Emerson
‘District 6 Tribute’ – Ashton Moio
‘District 6 Tribute’ – Kara Peterson
‘District 7 Tribute’ – Sam Ly
‘District 7 Tribute’ – Leigha Hancock
‘District 8 Tribute’ – Samuel Tan
‘District 8 Tribute’ – Mackenzie Lintz
‘District 9 Tribute’ – Imanol Yepez-Frias
‘District 9 Tribute’ – Annie Thurman
‘District 10 Tribute’ – Dakota Hood
‘District 10 Tribute’ – Jeremy Marinas
‘Rue/District 11’ – Amandla Stenberg
‘Thresh/District 11’ – Dayo Okeniyi
[/tab]
Official Synopsis:In Time presents a world where time has become the ultimate currency. You stop aging at 25, but there’s a catch: you’re genetically-engineered to live only one more year, unless you can buy your way out of it. The rich ‘earn’ decades at a time (remaining at age 25), becoming essentially immortal, while the rest beg, borrow or steal enough hours to make it through the day. When a man from the wrong side of the tracks (Justin Timberlake) is falsely accused of murder, he is forced to go on the run with a beautiful hostage (Amanda Seyfried). Living minute to minute, the duo’s love becomes a powerful tool in their war against the system.
[tabs style=”default” title=”‘In Time’ Resources”] [tab title=”Cast”]
Justin Timberlake – ‘Will Salas’
Amanda Seyfried – ‘Sylvia Weis’
Cillian Murphy – ‘Raymond Leon’
Alex Pettyfer – ‘Fortis’
Matthew Bomer – ‘Henry Hamilton’
Johnny Galecki – ‘Borel’
Olivia Wilde – ‘Rachel Salas’
Bella Heathcote – ‘Michele Weis’
Will Harris – ‘Ulysse’
Nick Lashaway – ‘Ekman’
Pierre – ‘Will Peltz’
Ray Santiago – ‘Victa’
Collins Pennie – ‘Timekeeper Jaeger’
Toby Hemingway – ‘Timekeeper Kors’
Melissa Ordway – ‘Leila’
Yaya DaCosta – ‘Greta'[/tab]
“So I thought we might start by canvasing the neighborhood,” says FBI special agent Wendell Everett (Don Cheadle) to Sergeant Gerry Boyle (Brendan Gleeson). “Sorry. You lost me at ‘we,” replies the sergeant in the dark crime comedy The Guard.
A maverick Irish cop in a small town in County Galway, Boyle has his own moral code, a confrontational personality, and a subversive sense of humor. He has his own ideas about what true justice is and just what is important in his life.
When a rookie police officer goes missing and the town becomes the key focus of a large investigation of drug trafficking by the FBI, Boyle is forced to work with straight-laced, no sense-of-humor Special Agent Wendell Everett on the case. Almost instantly, the two lawmen clash. Everett looks down on Sergeant Boyle, seeing him as a low-level local flippant cop. Boyle recognizes Everett for what he is, an uptight by-the-book policeman who doesn’t have the first clue about how the real world works. He takes pleasure in mocking and embarrassing the FBI agent whenever he gets the chance.
However, when events and circumstances keep occurring forcing Boyle to take a more serious attitude in the case, he quickly realizes that the only person he can trust is Everett. So the stage is set for the two unlikely partners to work together to bring the drug kings down.
The Guard is a sharply written, original, edgy crime comedy that has many laugh-out-loud moments and stellar performances. Brendan Gleeson gives a stand-out performance as the crass, unorthodox yet highly effective policeman who’s used to handling the town’s problems his own way. It’s one of the funniest performances on film this year.
Don Cheadle is pitch-perfect as Special Agent Everett, a man who is completely out of his element and desperately needs the help of Boyle if he hopes to catch the drug dealers. The scenes with him trying to ask the residents of the little Irish town questions are hilarious. (He’s unaware some of them only speak the old Irish language, Gaelic). And it’s the great chemistry between Gleeson and Cheadle and the wonderful crisp dialogue, written by John Michael McDonagh, that are the true highlights of the film.
Mark Strong and Liam Cunningham are effective and very funny as the two main drug bosses who see themselves as businessmen who happen to use guns instead of pens to complete their transactions. The only flaw with the film is in the pacing and mood of the first 15 minutes after the opening scene where Boyle is interrogating a possible suspect of a murder with the aid of his rookie partner. The scene has a comedic, uneasy, forced feel to it and doesn’t ring true.
In a year of unoriginal, unfunny, dumb, and insulting so-called comedies The Guard is a refreshing, dark, laugh-filled enjoyable film that should not be missed.
GRADE: B-
The Guard hit theaters on August 5, 2011 and is rated R for pervasive language, violence drug material and some sexual content.
HBO’s Game of Thrones is based on the bestselling series of books by George R.R. Martin, and the incredibly popular, critically acclaimed fantasy series returns for its fourth season on April 6, 2014. Here’s the scoop on the plot and a list of the major players in the GoT world.
Season one debuted on April 17, 2011 followed by season two on April 1, 2012. Season three arrived on March 31, 2013.
The cast includes Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister, Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen, Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Jaime Lannister, Kit Harington as Jon Snow, Sophie Turner as Sansa Stark, Maisie Williams as Arya Stark, and Isaac Hempstead Wright as Bran Stark. Rory McCann is Sandor Clegane, Jack Gleeson is Joffrey Baratheon, Iain Glen is Ser Jorah Mormont, Conleth Hill is Lord Varys, Aidan Gillen is Petyr Baelish, Charles Dance is Tywin Lannister, and Alfie Allen is Theon Greyjoy.
The Synopsis: Summers span decades. Winters can last a lifetime. And the struggle for the Iron Throne has begun.
It will stretch from the south, where heat breeds plots, lust and intrigues; to the vast and savage eastern lands; all the way to the frozen north, where an 800-foot wall of ice protects the kingdom from the dark forces that lie beyond. Kings and queens, knights and renegades, liars, lords and honest men…all will play the ‘Game of Thrones.’
Season 4 Plot: Encouraged by the Red Wedding slaughter in the Riverlands that wiped out many of their Stark nemeses, the Lannisters’ hold on the Iron Throne remains intact…but can they survive their own egos, as well as new and ongoing threats from the south, north and east? While an unbowed Stannis Baratheon continues to rebuild his army in Dragonstone, a more immediate danger comes from the south, as Oberyn Martell, the Lannister-loathing “Red Viper of Dorne,” arrives at King’s Landing to attend Joffrey’s wedding to Margaery Tyrell, and perhaps act on an ulterior agenda.
In the north, a depleted Night’s Watch seems overmatched against the inexorable Wall advances of Mance Rayder’s army of wildlings, which in turn is being trailed by an even more formidable foe: the undead White Walkers. As if that weren’t enough, Daenerys Targaryen, accompanied by her menacing trio of dragons and army of Unsullied, is poised to liberate Meereen, the largest city in Slaver’s Bay, which could ultimately provide her with enough ships to sail to Westeros and reclaim the Iron Throne.
