Charlie Sheen (Photo Credit: Ian White/Comedy Central)
Comedy Central’s booked a roast of troubled actor Charlie Sheen and has set the air date for September 19, 2011 – the same date as the season debut of Sheen’s old show, Two and a Half Men. The “COMEDY CENTRAL Roast Of Charlie Sheen” (#SheenRoast) will tape in Los Angeles on Saturday, September 10th and premiere at 10 pm ET/PT on September 19th, but it’s not too early to start guessing how many times ‘winning’ will be uttered during the taping.
“You could say I’ve been providing kindling for this Roast for a while,” said Sheen. “It’s time to light it up. It’s going to be epic.”
“Charlie has assured us that nothing will be off limits in this Roast… which scares even us,” said Kent Alterman, head of original programming and production, COMEDY CENTRAL.
The “COMEDY CENTRAL Roast Of Charlie Sheen” will be executive produced by Joel Gallen from Tenth Planet Productions, who also served as executive producer and director of the COMEDY CENTRAL Roasts Of Donald Trump, David Hasselhoff, Joan Rivers, Larry The Cable Guy, Bob Saget, Flavor-Flav, Pamela Anderson, as well as the Emmy-nominated “COMEDY CENTRAL Roast Of William Shatner”. Jonas Larsen is the executive in charge for the network.
Mavis (Selena Gomez), Griffin the Invisible Man (David Spade), Wayne (Steve Buscemi), Wanda (Molly Shannon), Murray the Mummy (Cee Lo Green), Dracula (Adam Sandler) and Frank (Kevin James). Photo Courtesy of Sony Pictures Animation
Adam Sandler’s joining the long list of actors who have the part of a vampire on their credits. Sandler, who’ll soon be heard but not seen in Zookeeper, has signed up to voice the lead role of Dracula in Sony Pictures Animation’s 3D family comedy Hotel Transylvania.
Michelle Raimo-Kouyate, Sony Pictures Animation President of Production announced the casting and said, “We’re thrilled to be working with Adam to create a comedic Dracula for a new generation We have a unique story about that iconic character, starring a phenomenal cast directed by Genndy Tartakovsky, that re-imagines Transylvania and its legendary monsters in the way that only animation can.”
Columbia Pictures is releasing the animated comedy on September 21, 2012.
The film will be directed by Genndy Tartakovsky, a star in the animation community, well-known for his work on Samurai Jack, Star Wars: Clone Wars, and “Dexter’s Laboratory.” He recently conceptualized and storyboarded the final action sequence for Iron Man 2 and provided the stylish and memorable prologue for the film Priest.
The film is produced by Michelle Murdocca (Open Season, Stuart Little 1 & 2) and the animation is by Sony Pictures Imageworks.
The Plot: Welcome to the Hotel Transylvania, Dracula’s (Adam 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.
Also confirmed to join the cast: Kevin James will play Frank – also known as Frankenstein – with Fran Drescher voicing Eunice, his in-your-face, over-the-top, and larger-than-life Bride. David Spade plays Quasimodo, once the hunchback of Notre Dame and now a crazy, passionate gourmet chef always looking for his next piece de resistance. Steve Buscemi and Molly Shannon will play Wayne and Wanda, a pair of married, harried werewolves, parents to an ever-increasing litter of pups, who are looking forward to their family vacation at the hotel.
Cee Lo Green is also joining the cast as Murray, a boisterous Mummy, once entertainer to the great Pharaohs, now the life of the party, and always feeling the urge to let loose and sing. Finally, Andy Samberg will voice the role of Jonathan, a 21-year-old regular guy, carefree and full of life, whose world travels land him at the Hotel.
-Bill (Stephen Moyer) orders Eric around and we discover why Bill’s now the King of Louisiana.
-Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll) can’t resist the urge to bite humans.
-Tara (Rutina Wesley) has turned into a cage-fighting lesbian, but she returns to Bon Temp after Layafette (Nelsan Ellis) lets her know Sookie’s alive and well. She reunites with Layafette and Sookie and then accompanies Layafette and his boyfriend, Jesus (Kevin Alejandro), to a meeting with the coven.
-Sam’s still hanging out with his new shapeshifting friends – including the beautiful Luna (Janina Gavankar) who likes to keep secrets – and finally confronts his brother, Tommy (Marshall Allman), about the fact the brothers really don’t trust each other.
-The episode ends with Eric wandering shirtless down Sookie’s road where, when he’s confronted by the telepath, claims he has no idea who she is.
The Good:
-Lafayette and Jesus’ relationship is firmly in place and feels very genuine.
-Tara looks great and has obviously recovered from almost being a vampire’s bride.
-Nan (Jessica Tuck), the voice of vampires worldwide, continues to prove she’s a tough cookie, forcing Pam into making a public service announcement which, of course, the headstrong, wise-cracking vampire refuses to put any energy into. Eric takes over the announcement and shows he can charm the pants off any living, breathing human.
-Sam’s confrontation with his baby bro helps explain why Tommy’s now living with Hoyt’s mom and eating all his meals at Merlotte’s, instead of living and working with his shapeshifting older brother.
-Jessica continues to be one of the show’s most entertaining characters, leaving Hoyt at home and heading off to secretly feed at Fangtasia.
-Terry Bellefleur (Todd Lowe) is keeping things together in his newly expanded household and handling the role of proud new papa like a pro while Arlene (Carrie Preston) is going crazy with worry over the fact her baby boy might be evil like his biological father.
The Bad:
-The leader of the coven, Marnie Stonebrook (Fiona Shaw), comes off as too fragile when she’s not under the influence of some magical spirit.
-Sam’s new group of shapeshifting friends has yet to prove interesting enough to warrant their own storyline.
-Crystal (Lindsay Pulsipher) returns and is helping to make Jason into a panther because she wants to have a panther/man baby with him. It’s a weird twist on the Jason/Crystal plotline from the book and, so far, doesn’t really work.
-Bill as the King. I’m not sold in the least bit on this drastic departure from Book Bill. Eric is never subservient to Bill in the books, and seeing Eric have to follow Bill’s commands has made it incredibly difficult to enjoy Season 4 thus far. The only redeeming factor is seeing Eric wandering around Bon Temp which gives me hope Alan Ball hasn’t completely abandoned Charlaine Harris’Dead to the World (the fourth book of the Sookie Stackhouse series).
-And speaking of Eric, who’s dressing Alexander Skarsgard? The black tank top he wore under his jacket looked decidedly feminine.
Ryan Kwanten (True Blood), Peter Dinklage (Games of Thrones), Summer Glau (Firefly), Danny Pudi (Community), Margarita Levieva (The Lincoln Lawyer), and director Joe Lynch are bringing their indie film Knights of Badassdom to San Diego for the 2011 Comic-Con. The cast and director will be hosting a panel and participating in a Q&A on Saturday, July 23rd in Hall H. They’ll also be debuting a special exclusive trailer for the comedy/fantasy adventure.
So, what’s Knights of Badassdom? Here’s the official synopsis:
Joe (Ryan Kwanten) is a heavy metal rocker who’s just gone through a painful breakup with his girlfriend, Beth (Margarita Levieva). His concerned roommates (Steve Zahn, Peter Dinklage) kidnap him to their LARP (Live Action Role Playing) gathering, where he enters a realm of fantasy escapism in which pretend knights, elves, and barbarians clash with foam weaponry on a mock battlefield.
When Joe’s “sorcerer” roommate (Zahn) inadvertently summons a deadly succubus that takes Beth’s seductive form, bloody reality crashes down upon their fantasy world. Once LARPers start to turn up dead, the make-believe wizards and warriors must become the real-life heroes they have been pretending to be in order to conquer the evil that has been unleashed.
Def Leppard’s joined forces with the Wounded Warrior Project and Raven Drum Foundation to make available free concert tickets and VIP Wounded Warrior Meet N’ Greets with Def Leppard one-armed drummer Rick Allen to active and veteran military personnel.
Per the press release: “With this contribution, our heroes are thanked for their service and invited to enjoy an evening with their loved ones and fellow service men and women. For many veterans, reintegration into daily civilian life has its many challenges – the goal here is to provide an important, bonding entertainment experience. For the VIP Wounded Warrior Meet N’ Greets, it is an honor to welcome VIP Wounded Warriors to join Rick Allen and Raven Drum Foundation backstage before the concerts to share experiences, inspire, and be inspired.”
Tickets will be distributed by the Wounded Warrior Project.
Rick Allen and Lauren Monroe created the Raven Drum Foundation, a non-profit organization set up to serve, educate and empower veterans and other people in crisis. “The Veteran Resiliency Program, which focuses on veterans and their families, is the foundation’s primary program. This program guides participants and provides somatic and contemplative tools that bring body and mind to a place of rest and balance. The foundation engages music as a tool for healing, allowing participants to use rhythm as a form of release, an avenue for empowerment, and a means to connect to others.” [per Raven Drum]
In the third episode of HBO’s True Blood Season 4, the witches are all stirred up after Eric Northman (Alexander Skarsgard) interrupts their argument over bringing back a human by attacking the coven’s leader. Meanwhile Claudine wants Sookie (Anna Paquin) to go home to the fairy’s world and Jason’s (Ryan Kwanten) still tied up and being fed on by shapeshifters who change into panthers.
Detective Bellefleur (Chris Bauer) is acting crazy due to being hooked on V, and Eric’s wandering around without a memory.
I had a Monday afternoon off and I was walking at the mall by myself. I walked by the theatre and noticed that The Hangover II was scheduled to start in 20 minutes, so I bought a ticket. I walked into the theatre, and there was just one other person seated. I wondered, if a theatre sells no tickets to a showing, do they still show the movie? I guess it’s kinda like wondering if the light is on the refrigerator when the door’s closed.
At any rate, as soon as I sit down the previews start. I’m seated in the second row from the top, in the middle of the row. The other person in the theatre was seated in the middle of the theatre on the right-hand side, as you’re looking at the screen. We must have both been thinking alike because we both have our feet up, a big drink, and we’re not too concerned about having our phone on and sending text messages.
The movie starts with some strong points, and while there are no gut-busters in the first few segments there are some entertaining parts. Then, about 10 minutes into the movie, a third person comes into the theatre and sits on the left-hand side of the theatre. That may answer my question I guess; they would still show the movie if they sell no tickets by show time, just in case someone comes late.
I knew going into this movie based on both what I had heard and my assumption, that this was not a movie that was going to “change the world,” make anyone forget about Titanic, or win any awards. To be honest, I don’t need any of that to like a movie. I just wanted to kick back and be entertained for two hours. That is what I got. The formula or playbook was nearly identical to the first. I must admit that I watched pretty closely to see if I could figure out what caused the hangover, and I still didn’t catch it.
If there is a Hangover III, the formula is going to have to change though. For starters, Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms), and Doug (Justin Bartha) are all married now. Does that mean Alan (Zach Galifianakis) is actually going to get married? (Maybe Mike Tyson will get married…I doubt it.) Also, as in the first movie, Doug had a rather minor role compared to the other members of the “Wolf Pack.” Will that change? Phil’s wife played a little more of a role in this movie than in the first. Maybe, the third will somehow include the wives.
Finally, I was disappointed that we still didn’t learn where the chickens came from in the first Hangover.
Before She Was Famous: Underwood grew up in Checotah, Oklahoma and sang in her church, in elementary school musicals, and in talent shows. She majored in broadcast journalism at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, and during her senior year Underwood decided to try out for American Idol. In 2006 Underwood finished her education, graduating magna cum laude with a Bachelors Degree in Mass Communications.
Trivia: Fulfilling Simon Cowell’s prediction, Carrie Underwood won the fourth season of American Idol in 2005.
Personal Life: After dating some high-profile celebs (including Tony Romo), Underwood married hockey player Mike Fisher in July 2010.
Genres: Country, Country Pop
Debut single: “Jesus Take the Wheel”
Biggest hits: “Inside Your Heaven,” “Jesus Take the Wheel,” “Before He Cheats”
Albums: Some Hearts (2005), Carnival Ride (2007), Play On (2009)
