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Monday, May 23, 2016

Latest Movie News From Moviefone

Latest Movie News From Moviefone

'Biggest Loser' Contestants Claim They Were Given Illegal Weight Loss Drugs

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the biggest loser, biggest loser, nbcAfter a controversial study examined the extreme weight loss tactics of NBC reality series "The Biggest Loser," some former contestants are saying that that research didn't go far enough -- and that the show actually encouraged contestants to take illegal drugs and starve themselves in order to shed pounds and boost ratings, among other shocking claims.

The New York Post reports that after the study was published in the journal Obesity earlier this month, several former contestants reached out to say that it only revealed part of the purportedly large set of problems with "The Biggest Loser"'s methodology. The study stated that the show significantly altered contestants' metabolisms and hormone levels, leading most to regain much or all of the weight they lost after they left the show. But according to the contestants that The Post spoke with, it did more damage than that.

Many allegations surround the show's doctor, Rob Huizenga, a.k.a. Dr. H., who contestants say knowingly allowed trainers to supply them with drugs including "yellow jackets," which are yellow and black pills that contain ephedra extract (a substance that was banned by the FDA in 2004). Joelle Gwynn, who competed on the 2008 couples season of the show, told The Post that her trainer, Bob Harper, gave her yellow jackets, telling her, "Take this drug, it'll really help you." The pills made her "jittery and hyper," she told The Post, adding:

The next day, Dr. H gave us some lame explanation of why they got added to our regimen and that it was up to us to take them . . . People chastise Bill Cosby for allegedly offering meds to women, but it's acceptable to do to fat people to make them lose weight. I feel like we got raped, too.


Gwynn also said that Harper told her to lie and report that she was eating 1,500 calories per day, but encouraged her to actually eat about 800 calories per day in order to shed more pounds. Season two contestant Suzanne Mendonca told The Post that contestants would regularly "take amphetamines, water pills, diuretics, and throw up in the bathroom." She claimed that Harper "tells people to throw up" because they will "'lose more calories.'"

Huizenga denied the illegal drug claims ("Nothing could be further from the truth," he said), and told The Post that the show has a "zero tolerance for any weight-loss drugs." Huizenga added that he continually instructs contestants about "proper caloric intake," and that contestants "rarely" pass out.

Harper did not respond to The Post's request for comment. He later released a statement to People, also denying the veracity of The Post's report:

"These allegations are absolutely false and are in direct conflict with my lifelong devotion to health and fitness," he told PEOPLE. "Safety is paramount in my training regimen and, while demanding, my approach has always focused on the overall well-being of contestants as they lose significant weight and educate themselves, for the first time, on living a healthy lifestyle."


"The Biggest Loser" producers released the following statement to The Post:

The safety and well-being of our contestants is, and always has been, paramount. We prohibit the use of any illegal substances, in addition to the many other rules and procedures of the show that are designed to ensure safety.


The Post's report also contains several searing accounts from former contestants who claim they have suffered depression, additional weight gain, eating disorders, numerous medical maladies, divorce, job loss, and other detrimental physical and psychological effects as a result of their participation on the series. Read the entire thing here.

"The Biggest Loser" wrapped its 17th season in February. NBC has not yet announced whether the show will return for season 18.

[via: New York Post, People]

Photo credit: Trae Patton/NBC

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'X-Men: Apocalypse' Stars Jennifer Lawrence, James McAvoy Reveal Secrets of Epic Final Battle (Exclusive)

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[SPOILER ALERT: Don't read any further if you have yet to see the movie.]

"X-Men: Apocalypse" owes a lot to "X-Men: First Class." Especially its ending.

After hijacking the world's nuclear arsenal and assembling his Four Horsemen, Alpha mutant Apocalypse (Oscar Issac) uses Magneto (Michael Fassbender) and a swirl of CG to literally build a new world from what's left of the humanity's old one. And after several punch-happy attempts to physically stop Apocalypse, Professor X must battle him in the psychic realm.

This type of showdown is one fans of the comics and the '90s animated series have been dying to see for years. In fact, as James McAvoy revealed exclusively in an interview with Moviefone, audiences almost saw a version of this fight in his first "X-Men movie.

"We had a mind battle written into 'First Class,' between [Charles] and Emma Frost, and it was fairly epic -- and cataclysmic," McAvoy said. He elaborated that the battle between the two mutants would have taken place within a "city of the mind kind of thing," as the two would be "tearing each other through walls and buildings and all that stuff."

So why didn't the battle make it into "First Class?" Blame Christopher Nolan.
"'Inception came out, while we were planning it, and [the studio] just cut it," McAvoy said. "And this amazing action sequence that I was so pleased about doing -- it was the only action sequence I had -- turned into us just staring hard at each other. So I was glad we got a little bit of mind battle in it, and that was something I fought for to get into this movie."

What the actors didn't have to fight for is to ensure that their characters didn't get lost in the shuffle, as new mutants were added to the X-Men's already very-deep bench. From Jean Grey to Nightcrawler, several fan-favorite characters joined the roster, in a movie that has to service at least three main characters and an epic baddie making his first long-awaited, live-action appearance.

"There's so much trust. I just get my script in the mail [and do what is there]," Jennifer Lawrence revealed. "Oscar -- he was really involved, though, in shaping his character. Because he was going to be in so much make-up, he was meeting with [co-writer and producer] Simon [Kinberg] a lot -- he was more creatively involved than any of us were."
McAvoy chimed in: "There's room to get involved [with the story] once we're there, on set. There's room to move things around and inject things. And really, we all trust Simon because Simon is the guy who comes up with the great stuff every time we do it, so we trust 'im."

So we know McAvoy's favorite scene, but was Lawrence's?

"I loved doing our scene where I come to see [Charles] in his office, I felt that there was a lot of growth to our characters where we recognize that we differ in ideals -- but have more patience with each other.'

J-Law's hardest scene? "Being strangled by Apocalypse. That was the hardest, because I was in a harness, being lifted by my genitalia." Ouch.

While a fourth film in this series has yet to be officially announced, McAvoy has at least one idea for a scene between Raven and Xavier that he would like to see.

"I'd quite like to, one day, get us back to where we were in 'First Class' and actually just be like: 'Hey, give us a cuddle.' I don't mean like lovers, I mean like brother and sister."

"You want more cuddles," Lawrence joked. "You are so precious."

"X-Men: Apocalypse" smashes into theaters Friday.

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Angelina Jolie Will Be a Visiting Professor at London School of Economics

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GREECE-EUROPE-MIGRANTS-UN-JOLIEAngelina Jolie is already an Oscar-winning actress, a successful director, and a United Nations goodwill ambassador, and her next role is equally impressive: She'll be teaching a course at the prestigious London School of Economics.

The university announced on Monday that Jolie would join the school's Centre for Women, Peace and Security as one of several visiting professors heading up a new curriculum aimed at "developing strategies to promote gender equality and enhance women's economic, social and political participation and security." The one-year master's program will offer courses including "Women, Peace and Security," "Gender and Militarisation," and "Gender and Human Rights."

Jolie co-founded the Centre in 2015 alongside former UK foreign secretary Lord William Hague, who will also serve as a visiting professor for the program. The pair also co-founded the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative in 2012 in order to "raise awareness, rally global action, promote greater international coherence and increase the political will and capacity of states to do more to address the culture of impunity that exists for these crimes, to increase the number of perpetrators held to account and to ensure better support for survivors," according to the LSE.

"I am very encouraged by the creation of this master's programme," Jolie said in a statement. "I hope other academic institutions will follow this example, as it is vital that we broaden the discussion on how to advance women's rights and end impunity for crimes that disproportionately affect women, such as sexual violence in conflict. I am looking forward to teaching and to learning from the students as well as to sharing my own experiences of working alongside governments and the United Nations."

The program will begin accepting applicants this fall. More information about the Centre for Women, Peace and Security is available here.

[via: London School of Economics]

Photo credit: AFP/Getty Images

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Movies & TV Shows Leaving Netflix: June 2016

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leaving netflix in june 2016No big plans for Memorial Day? Then get busy watching these Netflix titles before they vanish in June. Among the great films leaving Netflix streaming are Disney '90s classics "Mulan," "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" and "Hercules" (don't worry, you'll see more from Disney on Netflix VERY SOON).

And say goodbye to comedies "About a Boy," "Bridget Jones's Diary," "Wayne's World," and "Groundhog Day."

Also leaving: Harrison Ford as Jack Ryan in "Clear and Present Danger," horror film "The Others," the Robert Rodriguez "aliens take over a high school" flick "The Faculty," and tearjerker "Ghost."

Here's the complete list of titles leaving Netflix in June 2016. As always, all titles and dates are subject to change.

Leaving June 1

"A Wrinkle in Time" (2003)
"About a Boy" (2002)
"Bounce" (2000)
"Bridget Jones's Diary" (2001)
"The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury" (2004)
"Clear and Present Danger" (1994)
"Click" (2006)
"Darkman" (1990)
"Disney Animation Collection: Vol. 5: Wind in the Willows
"Dude, Where's My Car?" (2000)
"Duplex" (2003)
"Elias: Rescue Team Adventures:" Season 1
"The Faculty" (1998)
"Far from Home: The Adventures of Yellow Dog" (1995)
"Ghost" (1990)
"Groundhog Day" (1993)
"Hamlet" (2000)
"Hercules" (1997)
"In the Bedroom" (2001)
"Jersey Girl" (2004)
"Kinky Boots" (2005)
"Lassie" (2005)
"Losing Isaiah" (1995)
"Madonna: Truth or Dare" (1991)
"Marvin's Room" (1996)
"Music of the Heart" (1999)
"My Boss's Daughter" (2003)
"Nine Months" (1995)
"The Others" (2001)
"Paris Is Burning" (1990)
"Private Parts" (1997)
"Proof" (2005)
"Schoolhouse Rock!: Earth" (2009)
"The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" (2005)
"The Station Agent" (2003)
"The Stepford Wives" (2004)
"Stir of Echoes" (1999)
"Stir of Echoes 2: The Homecoming" (2007)
"The Super Hero Squad Show:" Seasons 1-2
"Velvet Goldmine" (1998)
"View from the Top" (2003)
"Wayne's World" (1992)
"The Yards" (2000)

Leaving June 2

"Eureka Seven:" Seasons 1-2

Leaving June 14

"HawthoRNe:" Seasons 1-3

Leaving June 15

"The Bank Job" (2008)

Leaving June 18

"A Late Quartet" (2012)
"The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss:" Season 1

Leaving June 21

"Mixology:" Season 1

Leaving June 24

"Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me" (2013)
"The Hunchback of Notre Dame" (1996)
"The Hunchback of Notre Dame II" (2002)
"Marvel's Avengers Assemble:" Season 1
"Mulan" (1998)
"Who Framed Roger Rabbit" (1988)

Leaving June 30

"Sophie's Choice" (1982)

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New on Netflix: June 2016

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New on Netflix: June 2016Get out those orange jumpsuits: Season 4 of "Orange Is the New Black" debuts on Netflix on June 17.

Also new in June: The first three "Jurassic Park" films, "Life" (starring Robert Pattinson as a Life magazine photographer and Dane DeHaan as James Dean) and Best Picture Oscar winner "Spotlight." ("The Big Short" arrives in July.)

Here's the complete list of what's new on Netflix streaming in June 2016:

Available June 1

"7 Chinese Brothers" (2015)
"72 Cutest Animals:" Season 1
"72 Dangerous Places:" Season 1
"A Walk to Remember" (2002)
"Big Stone Gap" (2014)
"Bob Ross: Beauty is Everywhere (1990)
"Breaking the Magician's Code: Magic's Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed:" Season 1-2
"Cold in July" (2014)
"Conspiracy Theory: Did We Land On The Moon?" (2001)
"Cuba: The Forgotten Revolution" (2015)
"(Dis)Honesty: The Truth About Lies" (2015)
"El Libro de Piedra" (1969)
"Elizabeth: The Golden Age" (2007)
"Extraordinary Tales" (2015)
"The Fear of 13" (2015)
"Gabo: The Creation of Gabriel García Márquez" (2015)
"Gentlemen and Gangsters:" Season 1
"The Good Witch:" Season 1
"The Great Alone" (2015)
"Hadwin's Judgement" (2015)
"J. Edgar" (2011)
"Jaco" (2015)
"Janis: Little Girl Blue" (2015)
"Jurassic Park" (1993)
"Jurassic Park III" (2001)
"Lion Heart" (2013)
"The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)
"Meadowland" (2015)
"The Odd Couple II" (1998)
"Off Camera:" Series 1
"Pokémon the Movie: Hoopa and the Clash of Ages" (2015)
"Pokémon: XY: Kalos Quest:" Season 2
"Portrait of a Serial Monogamist" (2015)
"The Resurrection of Jake the Snake" (2015)
"Rock the Kasbah" (2015)
"Sam Klemke's Time Machine" (2015)
"Second Coming" (2014)
"Tab Hunter Confidential" (2015)
"UFOs: The Best Evidence Ever (Caught on Tape)" (1997)
"Underdogs" (2013)
"What Our Fathers Did: A Nazi Legacy" (2015)
"Wildlike" (2014)

Available June 2

"Beauty & the Beast:" Season 3
"Hibana: Spark (Netflix Original)
"Pretty Little Liars:" Season 6

Available June 3

"Bo Burnham: Make Happy" (Netflix Original)

Available June 6

"Darkweb" (2015)

Available June 7

"Every Thing Will Be Fine" (2015)
"Jarhead 3: The Seige" (2016)

Available June 10

"LEGO Friends: The Power of Friendship:" Season 2 (Netflix Original)
"Voltron: Legendary Defender:" Season 1 (Netflix Original)

Available June 11

"Me Him Her" (2016)
"Scandal:" Season 5

Available June 12

"Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong" (2015)

Available June 14

"The League:" Season 7

Available June 15

"After The Spill" (2015)
"Boom Bust Boom" (2016)
"The Giver" (2014)
"In the Shadow of the Moon" (2007)
"Naz & Maalik" (2015)
"Night Owls" (2015)
"Poverty, Inc." (2014)
"Top Spin" (2015)
"TransFatty Lives" (2015)

Available June 16

"Being Mary Jane:" Season 3
"Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.:" Season 3
"The Unborn" (2009)

Available June 17

"All Hail King Julien:" Season 3 (Netflix Original)
"Orange is the New Black:" Season 4 (Netflix Original)

Available June 18

"Cedar Cove:" Season 3
"Grey's Anatomy:" Season 12

Available June 19

"Bunk'd:" Season 1
"I Am Thor" (2015)

Available June 20

"Life Story:" Series 1
"The Making of 'Life Story'"

Available June 21

"Best Friends Whenever:" Season 1

Available June 22

"Sin City: A Dame to Kill For" (2014)
"Spotlight" (2015)

Available June 24

"Dragons: Race to the Edge:" Season 3 (Netflix Original)
"The Fundamentals of Caring" (2016) (Netflix Original)
"Justin Time GO!" (Netflix Original)

Available June 27

"Cronies" (2015)

Available June 29

"Life" (2015)

Available June 30

"A Very Secret Service:" Season 1 (Netflix Original)
"Palio" (2015)
"(T)ERROR" (2015)

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'X-Men: Apocalypse' Has Powerful $103.3M Opening Overseas

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Mutant teens in '80s fashions are taking over the world. "X-Men: Apocalypse" just opened in 75 international markets, and it kicked some serious butt.

Here's the scoop from Deadline:

"Opening in 64% of the international marketplace, the latest installment in the X-Men franchise blasted off with $103.3M to best the debut of X-Men: Days Of Future Past in the same suite of 75 markets and at today's exchange rates. That film ultimately grossed $514M overseas and $748M worldwide. North America opens next weekend on XMA with Korea going May 25, China on June 3 and Japan on August 11."


So it still has some major markets to go, including here in the U.S. starting this Friday, May 27.

The same 75 markets X just marked gave "X-Men: Days of Future Past" a $100M opening, so it wasn't too far behind, but it's encouraging to see "Apocalypse" is on track to surpass its predecessor. "Apocalypse" also opened to No. 1 in 71 of those spots, was the biggest X-Men opening in 33 of them, and marked the biggest Fox debut weekend ever in six of them. Not bad at all!

X-Men opens at home opposite "Alice Through the Looking Glass," and neither film has particularly wowed critics. "Apocalypse" currently has a 52 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with "Alice" at 45 percent. Then again, "The Angry Birds Movie" has a 43 percent rating and it just topped the U.S. box office, so certain films are just critic-proof. But the ones that tend to stay in the top 10 for weeks on end -- like "The Jungle Book," "Captain America: Civil War," and "Zootopia" -- are the ones that both critics and audiences love.

Are you planning to see "X-Men: Apocalypse" this weekend?

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'The Bachelorette' Spoilers Suggest JoJo Fletcher Picked 'a Player'

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"The Bachelorette" Season 12 premieres tonight (Monday, May 23) at 9 p.m., after "Dancing With the Stars." Texas beauty Joelle "JoJo" Fletcher, runner-up from Ben Higgins's "The Bachelor" Season 20, is now handing out roses, and spoilers from Reality Steve suggest she picked -- and is currently engaged to -- a guy who was there for all the wrong reasons. (Cue the "right reasons" rap!)

Tonight, JoJo will meet her new bros, including Evan the "Erectile Dysfunction Specialist." (!) However, according to Steve, she's immediately drawn to Jordan Rodgers, a former pro quarterback and brother of Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Here are the final four guys, as spoiled by RS:

• Jordan Rodgers (Chico, CA)
• Robby Hayes (St. Augustine, FL)
• Luke Pell (Burnet, TX)
• Chase McNary (Castle Rock, CO)

Hometown Rose Ceremony Elimination: Chase McNary
Overnight Dates Rose Ceremony Elimination: Luke Pell

(Side note: Keep an eye on Luke; he may be the next Bachelor.)

Final Two: Robby Hayes and Jordan Rodgers
Winner: Jordan -- JoJo and Jordan are reportedly engaged.

Here's where it gets dramatic, though, even beyond JoJo picking a famous sports star's brother. Steve listed a whole bunch of issues that are supposedly part of the story, but may or may not make it to TV because they'd bring a negative edit:

• Jordan and JoJo were talking to each other before the show began filming.
• Jordan's goal was to be the "Bachelor"
• "Jordan is a total dog and a player."

Here's part of Steve's breakdown for the "player" allegation:

"I'm aware that a lot of guys go on this show (if not all) to be the next 'Bachelor' or promote their brand, or help their career. We know this happens. But if there were EVER a guy who absolutely is there for career advancement, it's Jordan Rodgers. [...]

Jordan Rodgers was actually with another girl before he left for the show. Like, he was with her at her place the night before he left for filming. Not someone he was casually seeing, or occasionally dating. Someone who he had believing he wanted to be with her. Wow. That's some serious power he has. Now, if this girl wants to come forward at some point and talk to the tabloids, that's on her. My guess is she won't from what I've gathered. She's completely embarrassed by it all and can't believe he did this. Jordan told her before he left that she was the one he wanted to be with, this was strictly a business decision and that they'd continue their relationship when he got back. He's yet to contact her and he's been back almost a week.

No, this girl is not Brittany Farrar. That's his ex from a couple years ago. But get ready to hear her name a few times in the coming months. [...] If you want to add more, there's yet another girl out there that Jordan has constantly been hitting up until the day he left for filming about hooking up with, even though he knew she's had a boyfriend the whole time and she wouldn't give him the time of day. Never stopped him from trying though."


Steve added more toward the end of his post:

"...But just after hearing all this stuff about Jordan, I hope JoJo has developed some thick skin because she's gonna have to put up with a sh** ton of tabloid coverage blasting this guy in the next few months. I'm sure she'll stand by him and choose to believe the stories aren't true, but really? You think every single one of these girls is just gonna be making stuff up about the guy? Horrible way to start a relationship. Like I said, be careful JoJo. You're in for one bumpy ride."


Host Chris Harrison also sounded a little bit wary of Jordan Rodgers, when doing his annual roundup of five guys to watch this season. Here's what Chris told Yahoo TV:

"Jordan is very interesting. He is the brother of Aaron Rodgers, the quarterback of the Green Bay Packers, and he himself is a former pro football quarterback. JoJo has a spark with him right off the bat. The billion-dollar question is if he is here to extend his fame or find love. Is he just there trading on his brother's name? Is he here to make a run to be the next Bachelor? JoJo is very smart and has a good BS meter. Jordan was one of those guys from the beginning that she was very taken with, but also very leery of for that exact reason. She keeps an eye on him. He's got game and is very good at wooing JoJo, but she sometimes has a feeling about it being potentially too good to be true. We'll see if she asks the tough questions even if she won't like the answer."


All told, "The Bachelorette" does have a fairly good success rate for couples, at least compared to "The Bachelor." So if JoJo did pick Jordan, maybe they just clicked and were meant to be, and all the stuff before each other was just sowing wild oats, etc. Naive? Maybe. Anyone who feels like tuning in for the 2016 season can watch what happens, then hope JoJo is still happy with her Chosen One this time next year.

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Is 'Game of Thrones' Launching a Jon Snow Spinoff? Not So Fast

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Please. Jon Snow already gets enough attention on "Game of Thrones." If HBO is going to OK a spinoff, it should be The Torienne Show, following Brienne and that "wildling with the beard," Tormund. But rumors starting spreading over the weekend, courtesy of U.K. tabloids like the Daily Star, that Kit Harington was in talks for his own series.

According to the Daily Star's report, a "senior executive at HBO confirmed 'exploratory talks'" with Kit about a spinoff. This exec reportedly said, "Any spin-off built around Jon Snow, who is hugely popular with fans, would also undoubtedly involve other characters from the cast. When the seventh season wraps next year, it's going to be a case of figuring out who we want to join us for a new show and which of those cast members actually want to jump on board." They added that the spinoff could make Kit one of the highest-paid stars in TV history, at more than £684,000 (around $990,000 U.S.) per episode.

But hold your Hodors, 'cause Entertainment Weekly talked to "reps for the show and actor" who said "there is zero truth to this."


EW added that HBO has consistently said there are no current plans for a spinoff or prequel -- however, that may change now that Michael Lombardo is leaving as HBO's top programming exec. There's a wealth of material for prequel stories, in the recent past or ancient history of author George R.R. Martin's universe.

It's still not even clear when this particular story is ending, though. The most recent news is a proposed ending of 13 more episodes spread across "Game of Thrones" Season 7 and Season 8. But that's not set in stone yet, either, so one kingdom at a time.

*If* HBO ever says yes to a spinoff, what would you most like to see? After Season 6's most recent episode, we'd love to follow young Ned, Lyanna, Benjen, and company, if for no other reason than to spend more time with Wylis.

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What's New on TV, Netflix, Digital, and DVD/Blu-ray This Week: May 23-29

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At a loss for what to watch this week? From new DVDs and Blu-rays, to what's new on Netflix and TV, we've got you covered.

New on DVD and Blu-ray

"The Finest Hours"
Chris Pine, Casey Affleck, Ben Foster, and Eric Bana lead a band of brothers on the high sea in this action thriller based on the true story of a 1952 U.S. Coast Guard rescue. Check it out on Blu-ray Combo Pack, Digital HD, Disney Movies Anywhere, and On-Demand on May 24. There's a ton of great bonus footage including the new documentary "Against All Odds: The Bernie Webber Story"; "Brotherhood," with the cast members reflecting on the bonds they forged during the shoot; "Two Crews," with Chris Pine and Casey Affleck sharing insights into Bernie Webber and Ray Sybert; behind-the-scenes interviews with real U.S. Coast Guard members; and new deleted scenes.

Check out this exclusive clip from the Blu-ray, with the cast talking about their bonding experience:

"Zoolander 2"
Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, and Will Ferrell can strut into your home -- then pose -- when the "Zoolander" sequel arrives on Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD, and On Demand May 24. "The Magnum Edition" combo pack takes you on location to Rome with Ben Stiller and the cast as they discuss the legacy of Zoolander; plus, watch Kristen Wiig's Alexanya Atoz introduce her revolutionary new beauty product, "Youth Milk," in a special featurette.

"The Player"
Robert Altman's Hollywood satire is getting the Criterion treatment on May 24 in a special edition Blu-ray with all the fixins. Extras include audio commentary from 1992 featuring director Robert Altman, writer Michael Tolkin, and cinematographer Jean Lépine; an interview with Altman from 1992; new interviews with Tolkin, actor Tim Robbins, associate producer David Levy, and production designer Stephen Altman; the Cannes Film Festival press conference from 1992 with cast and crew; "Robert Altman's Players," a short documentary about the shooting of the film's fund-raiser scene; "Map to the Stars," a gallery dedicated to the cameo appearances in the film; deleted scenes and outtakes; the film's opening shot, with alternate commentaries by Altman, Lépine, and Tolkin; trailers and TV spots; plus an essay by author Sam Wasson.


New Video on Demand, Rental Streaming, and Digital Only

"Hail, Caesar!"
The Coen Brothers are back with another A-list comedy set during Hollywood's Golden Age. Watch it on Digital HD May 24, then Blu-ray, DVD, and On Demand on June 7. George Clooney, Channing Tatum, Scarlett Johansson, Jonah Hill, Josh Brolin, Tilda Swinton, Ralph Fiennes, Frances McDormand, and the brand new Han Solo, Alden Ehrenreich, star in the film, which will come with a bunch of bonus features on Blu-ray and DVD.

"Eddie the Eagle"
Taron Egerton, who was almost the new Han Solo, stars as "Eddie the Eagle" -- the most famous ski jumper in British history -- opposite Hugh Jackman as his Olympic trainer in this inspiring biography/dramedy, which is out on Digital HD May 27 and then DVD/Blu-ray June 14. Special features include the documentary "Let The Games Begin: Soaring with Eddie the Eagle"; "All or Nothing: The Hero's Heart"; "An Unlikely Friendship: Eddie & Peary"; and "Attitude is Altitude: Filming the Ski Jumps."

"13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi"
John Krasinski, James Badge Dale, and Pablo Schreiber star in director Michael Bay's action film based on the nonfiction book, "13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi." The film will be ready to download on Digital HD May 24, before it arrives on Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD, and On Demand June 7.


New on Netflix

"Bloodline" Season 2 (Netflix Original)
Friday is a big day for Netflix, with four original series debuting May 27. Arguably the most intriguing is the second season of this underrated thriller following the dark secrets of the Rayburn family in Florida. Here's Netflix's teaser for "Bloodline" Season 2: "You can't escape the past. The Rayburns struggle to conceal an unthinkable crime and begin to unravel in the midst of mounting lies, betrayal, and paranoia."

Check out the haunting trailer:

"Chef's Table" Season 2, Part 1 (Netflix Original)
Are you ready for a second helping of chef biographies? This documentary series profiles the most renowned chefs in the world. The "first course" of six episodes premieres May 27, followed by four special episodes later in the year, with the the "third course" highlighting another six chefs in early 2017. Featured chefs for the start of Season 2 include Alex Atala, Dom, (São Paulo); Ana Roš, Hiša Franko (Kobarid); Dominique Crenn, Atelier Crenn (San Francisco); Enrique Olvera, Pujol (Mexico City); Gaggan Anand, Gaggan (Bangkok); and Grant Achatz, Alinea, Next, The Aviary (Chicago).

"The Do-Over" (Netflix Original)
David Spade plays a depressed bank manager whose life turns upside-down when a friend from his past (played by Adam Sandler) manipulates him into faking his own death. The pair take on the identities of two other guys, then quickly discover that those men are in deep trouble. Paula Patton, Nick Swardson, Luis Guzmán, Jared Sandler, Renee Taylor, and Torsten Voges co-star in the comedy.

It's available for streaming May 27; here's the trailer:

"Mako Mermaids" Season 4 (Netflix Original)
Netflix is also releasing the fourth season of this family series on May 27. According to EnStarz, Season 4 will feature a new mermaid named Weilan (Linda Ngo), "who brings trouble to Mako in the form of a Chinese water dragon. Ondina (Isabel Durant) won't be fond of her, but Mimmi (Allie Bertram) will play peacemaker." If all of that makes sense to you, enjoy.


TV Worth Watching

"The Bachelorette" (Monday on ABC at 9 p.m.)
"Worth watching" is always a stretch when it comes to Bachelor Nation; "watching ironically" is closer to the truth. This year, lucky JoJo Fletcher gets to date an erectile dysfunction specialist, a guy dressed as Santa, a guy who rides in on a unicorn, and Aaron Rodgers's brother. Take that, Caila! The two-hour "Bachelorette" Season 12 premiere promises to be the wonderful trainwreck we've come to expect, and it will air right after the big "Dancing With the Stars" Season 22 finale, where "America's Next Top Model" winner Nyle DiMarco will most likely pick up another reality TV show title.

"Nashville" (Wednesday on ABC at 10 p.m.)
This is it. After four seasons, Rayna Jaymes (Connie Britton) and Juliette Barnes (Hayden Panettiere) will hang up their mics on May 25. The Season 4 finale, appropriately titled "Maybe You'll Appreciate Me Someday," was directed by series creator Callie Khouri and has this synopsis from ABC: "Rayna resorts to drastic measures when she learns that Maddie has crossed paths with a duplicitous figure from her past. Juliette must choose how to publicly reckon with the truth of Jeff Fordham's death - a decision that directly affects Layla. Scarlett and Gunnar consider parting ways as bandmates, and Will finally decides to do what he should have done long ago - step up as the leader of a cause and a community."

"Arrow" (Wednesday on The CW at 8 p.m.)
Heads up: Season 4 closes with Episode 23, "Schism," which airs May 25 with this official synopsis from The CW: "Oliver (Stephen Amell) teams up with a surprising force in an attempt to stop Damien Darhk (guest star Neal McDonough) and his magic once and for all." Charlotte Ross (Donna Smoak) told TVLine the finale will be "intense, painful, shocking and scary," adding, "It's very open-ended for many characters — to such a degree that you will have no idea how Season 5 will resume, and which characters may be returning or which characters will be gone for good." Not another cliffhanger!

"Wayward Pines" (Wednesday on FOX at 9 p.m.)
Season 2 of this psychological thriller from executive producer M. Night Shyamalan and author Blake Crouch, premieres May 25 with "Enemy Lines": "As the residents of Wayward Pines struggle against the rule of the First Generation, a new resident emerges from suspended animation to help preserve the endangered human race." Jason Patric, Djimon Hounsou, and Hope Davis star, with Terrence Howard and Carla Gugino in guest appearances.

Check out this behind-the-scenes look at Season 2:


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SNL's Brilliant 'Dead Poets Society' Spoof Leaves (Ceiling) Fans Hysterical

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Fans are still laughing their heads off at Fred Armisen's new "Saturday Night Live" sketch, "Farewell, Mr. Bunting," which was declared an "instant classic."

SNL isn't always "live" when you consider all of the pre-taped bits, which are often the strongest segments of the week. But millions of viewers still watch live on Saturday night, and that was the best way to see this "Dead Poets Society" spoof, because the live reactions from the studio audience and Twitter were priceless.

Check it out:

It was only a matter of time before the ceiling fans attacked. We tried to warn people...

No one saw that brilliant twist coming during the live show, and you can hear the shocked guffaws. Here are some of the reactions online:


If only SNL would do more sketches like this.

[via: EW]

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Gillian Anderson Responds to Push for Her as the Next 'Bond. Jane Bond'

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Never mind that Daniel Craig is not actually done as James Bond, not yet anyway. Fans are having too much fun promoting their favorite replacements at the hashtag #NextBond -- from Tom Hiddleston, Idris Elba, and Michael Fassbender to Emily Blunt, Hayley Atwell, and Gillian Anderson.

Someone even created an awesome Bond poster for the "X-Files" star, and Gillian retweeted it with a nod to the fandom:
She seems to just be joking around, but if you check out the replies, a lot of people want to believe are very supportive of the Jane Bond idea. (Maybe David Duchovny could play the new Bond girl.)

But that's Gillian's fans -- hardcore 007 fans probably feel differently, considering there was outcry about casting a "blond Bond" when Daniel Craig was first announced. Ian Fleming described a certain look for his James Bond, and not everyone is thrilled about deviating from it. But heck, from here, everyone after Sean Connery was just playing dress-up, so we're not precious about who's next.

What do you think -- is this all just silliness to you, or do you think the producers should seriously consider thinking outside the Bond box?

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Watch Disney's First 'Beauty and the Beast' Teaser Trailer With Emma Watson

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It's a tale as old as time, and this first teaser for Disney's live-action "Beauty and the Beast" is as true as it can be to the 1991 animated classic.

The new movie, starring as Belle and as the Beast, doesn't come out until March 17, 2017, but Disney revealed a 1:30 teaser trailer today on "Good Morning America," just to give fans a glimpse of the film and tie it to the original.

Most of the trailer is a tour of the Beast's sad, empty castle, set to the haunting score of the original; toward the end, we hear the voices of Lumiere and Cogsworth,saying, "Look, a girl!" "Yes, I can see it's a girl, you fool." "What if she is the one?"

And then we see Belle at the door, and it's our new Belle -- Emma Watson, who says hello, checks out the rose, and prepares to further her grand adventure. Gah! This is going to be so good!

Watch the teaser:

Josh Gad, who plays Le Fou, recently talked to Moviefone about how it felt to portray one of these iconic characters from childhood.

"It's funny because, before I signed on, I sat down with the director, Bill Condon, and was like: "I want to pay homage to the character that came before, but I want him to be distinct in some way." And I feel like we found some interesting wrinkles that are hopefully going to be a little surprising. You're playing a three-dimensional version of a two-dimensional character, so you've gotta bring something more to it. And, having seen a cut of it, I think it works incredibly well and the film is just exceptional."

In less than a year, we'll get to see this "exceptional" film ourselves!

"Beauty and the Beast" co-stars Luke Evans as Gaston; Kevin Kline as Maurice, Belle's father; Ewan McGregor as Lumiere; Stanley Tucci as Maestro Cadenza, the harpsichord; Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Plumette, the feather duster; Audra McDonald as Madame Garderobe, the wardrobe; Ian McKellen as Cogsworth; and Emma Thompson as Mrs. Potts.

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Justin Lin on 'Star Trek Beyond': It's Not Marvel's 'Guardians of the Galaxy'

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"Marvel does their own thing, and they do it great -- 'Trek' is something different."

Director Justin Lin is quick to distinguish his newest film, next summer's "Star Trek Beyond," from that other popular franchise about heroes in space -- especially when fans drew comparisons to "Guardians" before and after the launch of the film's first trailer, which was released this week.But during a recent trailer presentation event, what similarities Lin did acknowledge were between "Trek" and his other franchise. The teaser, which emphasizes the film's considerable action, features a callback of sorts to the mid-air catch from Lin's "Fast Six," swapping out Dom and Letty for Kirk and a new alien badass played by Sofia Boutella ("Kingsman").

"I am who I am," the director grinned.

The director seemed enthusiastic (and a little tired) on set when Moviefone visited a few months before the teaser premiered. The teaser went through several iterations before Lin settled on the final cut. The 93 second tease showcases key footage we saw being shot while on a set visit in August, a scene featuring the crew of the Enterprise struggling to recover from the destruction of their ship while licking their wounds/plotting next steps on an alien world.

The teaser offers glimpses of this alien planet, as well as the vessel (likely Federation) that our struggling crew board for refuge. (The name of that ship? The Franklin, according to the patch on the arm of Spock's new mission jacket.) We also learned the name of the ship -- and saw its old-school bridge, complete with a grainy, digital-green Franklin crew photo on a monitor -- when we visited set.

Lin and the "Beyond" cast and crew were epically tight-lipped about plot details. But the few things they did divulge can be glimpsed in the teaser. Here's what we can tell you:

-- The villain, played by Idris Elba, is named Krall. And he has a very specific, anti-Federation agenda.

-- The crew of the Enterprise is about halfway through their five-year mission, as relayed to us by Chris Pine and Simon Pegg. They make a pit stop at a starbase (known as Yorktown), a place populated with at least 50 brand new alien species designed in honor of Trek's 50th anniversary. (We spied a few creature designs that we can't talk about, but if you're a die-hard Trekker, then you will be very happy to see what this trip to the Final Frontier has in store. Think Breen-looking aliens.)

-- We didn't see the Enterprise bridge. Why? Because it's been destroyed. All we saw was the remains of one of her hallways.

Moviefone recently sat down with the director to discuss fan reactions to the trailer, the big set pieces it hinges on, the motivations of Idris Elba's very pissed-off baddie, and what "Beyond" has in store for fans. Here are the highlights:

Revealing Idris Elba's Villain
That alien that looks like it belongs on "Babylon 5," the one that gets its close-up in the teaser (pictured)? That's Idris Elba's character, Krall.

And contrary to popular internet rumors, he is obviously not a Klingon. But he is a villain that Lin promises will have both a swarm of stabby ship and a unique philosophy behind his assault on Kirk and the Enterprise crew.

"He's a character that has a very distinct philosophy," Lin teased. And it is a philosophy that conflicts violently with that of the Federation, prompting Krall to growl the trailer's best line: "This is where the frontier pushes back!"

Krall's reptilian look required at least four hours to apply, as the character represents a new race never before seen in the "Star Trek" universe. In fact, as we learned on set, "Beyond" aims to diversify the Trek universe with a very large and unique canvas full of citizens representing the "strange new worlds" Trek prides itself on exploring. Speaking of exploration...

Why the Movie Is Called "Star Trek Beyond"
Lin revealed that co-writer and actor Simon Pegg came up with the title, which is tethered to the plot and the five-year mission the Enterprise crew have been on for almost three years. The title also stems from Lin's initial discussions with producer J.J. Abrams, who encouraged Lin to make the project his own -- to "go and be bold."

The more the filmmakers talked about what the story should be, the more they kept saying "let's keep pushing," according to Lin. And that is when Pegg locked in on the title "Star Trek Beyond."

The Enterprise Gets Her Ass Kicked... Again
For the second film in a row, the Federation flagship gets beaten up -- bad. But this time, the ship follows a similar fate to that of the Enterprise in the last Part III, "Search for Spock" -- that of being completely destroyed.

Lin told us on set, and during our post-teaser trailer discussion, that Pegg originally wanted the Enterprise to be attacked at the end of the second act, the natural low point in three-act feature film storytelling. But the director argued for a less conventional place to put the flagship's epic battle -- somewhere about halfway through the movie. (Or near the end of the first act.)

In "Search for Spock," Kirk used his skills as a great tactician by sacrificing his ship to save his best friend, Spock, who just came back from the dead. When asked if the ship's fate is tied to this series finally giving Kirk a chance to show off his exceptional combat skills, Lin didn't really answer.

But he did say that the attack will subvert expectations, especially when it comes to the aforementioned swarm of ships responsible for her destruction. The idea of a swarm of ships attacking Enterprise draws from modern day warfare to a degree, where it's small cells going on the offensive instead of one massive unit.
"'Star Trek' has a very 1960s sensibility of who has the bigger ship usually wins, right? And if you look at it, the attack, these ships are 40 feet long. [But in our movie] there's like 4,000 of them. And so I think even in the way they're being encountered, and how people are coming, it's -- you can't help but, I mean, we live in a world that is ever evolving. And I think that that's always made 'Star Trek' sci-fi great is when you're able to at least acknowledge what's happening today."

Find out the fate of the Enterprise crew when "Beyond" hits theaters July 22, 2016.

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5 Reasons Why 'Angry Birds' Crushed the Competition at the Box Office

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So much for the three-peat.

"Captain America: Civil War" could have come out on top for the third straight weekend. It could even have lost 45 percent of last weekend's business (when it earned $72.6 million) and still outdistanced this weekend's three new wide releases. Even after three weeks, you might still have expected the Marvel mega-movie to outdistance three seemingly-undistinguished newcomers: a period action comedy starring no-longer-a-box-office-draw Russell Crowe and never-really-a-box-office-draw Ryan Gosling; a Seth Rogen comedy sequel, and a cartoon based on an app that everyone thought was really cool six years ago.
Nonetheless, "The Angry Birds Movie" knocked down "Captain America," along with "The Nice Guys" (pictured) and "Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising," as easily as a short stack of pigs. The cartoon earned an estimated $39.0 million, about $1 million more than distributor Sony had predicted. "Civil War" had to settle for second, with an estimated $33.1 million (down 54 percent from a week ago), while "Neighbors 2" debuted in third with an estimated $21.8 million, and "The Nice Guys" premiered at No. 4 with an estimated $11.3 million.

"Angry Birds" now boasts the second-biggest debut ever for a video game-based movie, behind only 2001's "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider" ($47.7 million). How did the feather-tufted projectiles take down the mighty Marvel Cinematic Universe and two newer rivals? Here's what "Angry Birds" had going for it.1. The "Birds" Empire Is Bigger Than You Thought
Remember when the first "Angry Birds" game came out in 2009? You had to have the app on your phone in 2010. By 2011, maybe you'd moved on, but apparently, kids (and many grown-ups) all over the world still love game house Rovio's furious Finnish feathered friends. After all, the movie has already earned an estimated $112.0 million overseas. And every time users played an "Angry Birds" game in recent months, they were either getting an actual or in-kind ad for the movie.

2. Marketing Blowout
The film reportedly cost between $73 and $80 million to make, but Rovio has spent more than $100 million marketing it. Plus, Sony and Rovio got at least another $300 million in promotional support from some 100 merchandising partners worldwide, including McDonald's, Ziploc, Home Depot, Nestle, French car manufacturer Citroën, and Lego (which made six different "Angry Birds" construction sets available a few weeks ago).

That giant balloon of main character Red that you saw last Thanksgiving during the Macy's parade? Not a coincidence. This is the biggest campaign Sony has ever mounted for an animated feature.
3. Fans Liked the Execution
It earned a B+ grade at CinemaScore, indicating decent (if not great) word-of-mouth from ticketbuyers. Critics were less kind, giving it a 42 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes, but that's actually not so bad considering how poorly they rate most movies based on video games.

4. Adult appeal
Kids may not care, but grown-ups may have noticed that the voices come from performers they've liked in grown-up comic roles, including four "Saturday Night Live" stars (Jason Sudeikis, Maya Rudolph, Kate McKinnon, and Bill Hader), plus the usually R-rated comic actors Danny McBride, Hannibal Buress, and Keegan-Michael Key, and master thespian Sean Penn. The screenplay is by veteran "Simpsons" scribe Jon Vitti.

"Our movie operates on the sophistication of any sort of Judd Apatow comedy," co-director Fergal Reilly recently told Entertainment Weekly. Then there's the soundtrack, which, in addition to featuring contemporary stars like Blake Shelton and Charli XCX (who both have voice roles in the film), also features '80s hits by Rick Astley, Scorpions, and Tone Loc that few viewers under 35 will appreciate.
5. Timing
Sony smartly moved the film up from its initial July 1 release date. As a result, "Angry Birds" is the first major animated movie in wide release since "Zootopia" back in March and will remain the only one until Pixar's "Finding Dory" on June 17. So it has the family demographic locked up. Its competition wasn't really competing for the same viewers, with "Neighbors 2" going after young adults and "Nice Guys" after older adults. "Captain America," of course, went after all three groups, but apparently, it couldn't withstand three new movies dividing up its audience.

Don't cry for Cap, though. On Sunday, "Civil War" became the first 2016 release to earn more than $1 billion worldwide. And of course, it's going to lead into future "Avengers" movies with "Infinity War."
Meanwhile, Rovio spent so much marketing "The Angry Birds Movie" that it had to lay off 40 percent of its staff last summer. And despite the film's global take so far of $151 million, "Angry Birds" is going to have to gross about $360 million worldwide just to break even (since about half that take will go to the theater owners). It may reach that mark, and a sequel is probably inevitable, but if Rovio is really going to turn this weekend's chart-topping debut into a viable franchise, it's going to have to knock down an awfully tall pig pile.

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'Game of Thrones' Recap: Hodor Holds 'The Door' Through Traumatic Episode

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Hodor. Fans have used Wylis's name to cover every emotion on "Game of Thrones." When we're excited -- Hodor! When we're sad -- Hodor. When we're confused -- Hodor? So it's no surprise that "Game of Thrones" Season 6, Episode 5, "The Door," ended with a focus on one man, and a reaction of one word.


We had heard this episode would be an "all-timer" and, for once, the hype wasn't off base. But no one warned us it would be an all-time tearjerker! CURSE THE GODS FOR THEIR CRUELTY.

So much happened -- the truth about the Children of the Forest creating the White Walkers, the truth about how Wylis became Hodor, Bran Stark as the new Three-Eyed Raven, Jorah Mormont revealing his greyscale to Daenerys Targaryen, the red priestess Kinvara finally recognizing Dany as the most likely Azor Ahai, Sansa Stark confronting Littlefinger, Brienne heading to Riverrun (Jaime reunion ahead? Sorry, Torienne), Arya Stark/No One learning about the first Faceless Men, Yara and Euron Greyjoy's "moot" points, actual male (and female, of course) nudity, and three major deaths: the Three-Eyed Raven, dear Summer, and Hodor (plus Leaf and other Children of the Forest).

RIP, our heroes. What is dead may never die.

We are halfway through the season already, which seems impossible. Maybe it was right to say goodbye to Hodor right after Osha, and during an episode where the flash-your-naughty-bits torch was passed to another guy in Braavos.

Thanks for the memories, you beautiful man:

But Summer. Oh, our sweet Summer child. And then there were two: Ghost and -- somewhere out there, thanks to Arya's prescience -- Nymeria.

Sniff. Why can't you just stick to killing people, GoT?! How are Ghost and Nymeria reacting to each of these deaths? We just lost Shaggydog and Summer one after the other, and the direwolf pups were as bonded as the Starks. Maybe they'll show Ghost soon, since he's still with Jon Snow (right?), but Nymeria ... will we ever see her again? Maybe when Arya finally crosses back to Westeros they will be reunited, both very wild and changed.


Read on for a recap of Episode 5:


THE MAP: This week's map shows us King's Landing (even though we don't visit anyone there this week), Pyke, Wintefell, The Wall, Braavos, and Meereen. By the way, are we ever going to Dorne again? Not excited to, just wondering.


BRAN NORTH OF THE WALL
We hang out with Bran and the Three-Eyed Raven, in Bran's vision, in a gorgeous location with the Children of the Forest. They tied up a human and stabbed him through the chest, thereby creating the very first White Walker. Yes, but why? Bran comes out of the vision and sees Leaf. She tells Bran they were at war, being slaughtered. They needed to defend themselves from you -- aka men, the the First Men. So they created a weapon that later backfired. Like Cersei with the Faith Militant.

Later, we return to Bran and the Raven in the cave. Poor Bran still has to crawl. He touches the root of a tree and is transported in a vision, back to the place where the White Walkers were made, this time in winter. He turns and sees an army of the dead -- wights. He walks through the still army, which *might* not be the best plan, but he is in a vision so he's used to safety. Beyond the rank and file he sees the Night's King on a horse, along with a few other White Walkers. They see him. The wights see him. The Night's King grabs his arm. It's like the equivalent of being touched by greyscale, or like "Pirates of the Caribbean" with the black spot. When Bran wakes, Three-Eyed Raven says Bran is marked now. He has to go. The Night's King can come in. Now Bran has to become the new Raven, even though he is not ready.

At the end of the episode, Meera tells Hodor they can go home now and have real food. Foreshadowing. Bran has another vision, though, and Meera rushes over to see. The wights are at the door, with the Night's King and company facing down the Children of the Forest, Meera, and company. Uh oh. The Night's King touches the ground and ... whoa ... the earth quakes and the cave looks ready to cave in. Meera tries to wake Bran, but he's in Winterfell with the Raven, during the vision. Meera tries to move Bran, and wants Hodor's help, but Hodor is not able to move. The Children of the Forest set up a fire barrier but -- BAD SIGN -- the White Walkers walk through fire. The wights can't, though. Dragon fire is different, right? For when Dany comes? The music is totally stressful. Back in Winterfell, we see a very young Ned Stark preparing to go to the Vale, presumably during the time when he and Robert Baratheon were fostered by Jon Arryn. Meera says they need Hodor, so Bran has to wake up. Bran hears her through the vision. "Warg into Hodor now!" The Three-Eyed Raven says he should do as she says.

So Bran wargs into Hodor and Hodor gets up. The White Walkers kill some Children of the Forest but Meera kills a WW. Summer protects them and attacks wights but they KILL HIM and we hear him whimper. Nooooooo! The sound of Summer whimpering is too much! The Night's King approaches the Three-Eyed Raven, who is still in the Winterfell vision. "The time has come. Leave me," he tells Bran and is killed right there in the vision. Super cool to watch, although sad. Love Max von Sydow, it was so awesome to have him on the show. Leaf has a special grenade ball she uses to take out wights, but also herself. In the end, Hodor finally gets the door open and pulls Meera and Bran inside. Bran is still warging in Hodor. Meera yells "Hold the door!" Bran looks at Hodor in the Winterfell time period. OH. This is how he became Hodor. Hold the door -- it wasn't Hodor as a warg, going into a horse or anything like that one theory. It was Bran warging into Hodor via the future. "Hold the door. Hold the door. Hold the door. Hold the door. Hold the door. Hold the door. Hold the door." He holds it, as the wights grab him. The music is haunting. "Hold the door. Hold the door. Hold the door. Hold the door. Hold the door. Hold the door. Hold the door. Hold the door. Hodor. Hodor. Hodor. Hodor. Hodor. Hodor." CHILLS CHILLS CHILLS TEARS! But will we see him again?


SANSA + LITTLEFINGER
Sansa gets her own letter, not from Ramsay this time, and asks how far is Mole's Town. She meets with Littlefinger, and brings backup in Brienne. Thankfully, Sansa gives him nothing but ice, especially when he says he's glad she's unharmed. "Unharmed?" Did he know about Ramsay? "If you didn't know you're an idiot, if you did know you're my enemy." Strong line. She tells him about her wedding night. Ramsay didn't hurt her face 'cause he needed her face. "He did what he liked with the rest of me." What does he think Ramsay did to her. Brienne pushes Littlefinger to answer. He beat you. Yep. And? Did he cut you? Oh, Sansa thinks maybe he did know about Ramsay. (The Boltons do have a flayed man as their sigil, so...) Sansa says she can still feel it. Littlefinger apologizes, and promises he will protect her from now on. She says she doesn't need him anymore. She does have Brienne and Jon Snow now. She's not like Arya, she never quite goes it alone. Baelish says he'll do whatever she wants. He saved her from one monster and gave her to another. She wants him to go back to Moat Cailin, she never wants to see him again. But Littlefinger shares one last bit of information -- her uncle the Blackfish has taken Riverrun. She might consider going to him. She says she has an army. He says it's her brother's army, her half-brother. So even now she lets him get in her head.


TEAM STARK MISSION
At the Wall, Jon Snow, Davos, Sansa, Brienne, Melisandre, Edd, and Tormund lead a Winterfell attack planning meeting. They need to convince the Northmen to join them, and to do that Davos says they have to be convinced this is a fight they can win. Sansa says the North remembers, they will rally for the Starks. Sansa FINALLY steps up and says she has the Stark name (and Lannister and Bolton names at this point), not Jon, so they will rally for her. (Did Littlefinger put that idea in her head, by reminding her that Jon is her half-brother?) Sansa also lies and says she saw a raven from Ramsay about her uncle taking Riverrun. Sansa wants Brienne to go to Riverrun for her. But Brienne doesn't want to leave Sansa with Melisandre, Davos, and the wildling with the beard. Haha! #TeamTorienne Sansa says Jon is Jon and they can trust him, but Brienne asks, then why did she lie? Good point. Sansa and Jon now have new clothes -- she made him a cloak (when?) like the one father used to wear. Jon leaves Edd (the new Lord Commander!) in charge. Jon: "Don't knock it down while I'm gone." Or, you know, get stabbed to death, since Mel is going with Sansa's group.



ARYA IS NOT NO ONE
Arya goes full Lara Croft on the waif, who says Arya is not ready and she should go home before it's too late. When is "too late," anyway? The other girl is a great fighter even without a staff. She kicks Arya's butt. "You'll never be one of us." She calls her a Stark. True, hopefully. If only someone would just tell her about her living family, we could end this storyline. Jaqen H'ghar gives Arya the origin story of the first Faceless Men. Can "No One" really have a history? Jaqen says a girl can be one of the Faceless Men if she desires. Arya claims she has no desires. He gives her a vial. Wants to give it to an actress. Lady Crane. "A girl has been given a second chance. There will not be a third. One way or another, a face will be added to the hall." So that's a threat. If it ain't the actress, it'll be you, No One.

So we go with Arya to watch the play, which tells the story of Robert Baratheon's death in King's Landing. Arya seems to enjoy the play, except when the jerk who plays Ned Stark comes out and they make it seem like Ned was a greedy, stupid usurper who wanted to steal Joffrey's throne. Then Arya has to watch Ned be decapitated again, in play form, as people watch and laugh. If you wanted proof that she's not quite No One, her reaction to the Stark scenes says it all. Oh, and backstage we (briefly) see some bare penis and (less briefly) boobs. Arya returns to tell Jaqen she'll poison the rum, but she also says the target is a good actress, and the younger star is jealous. (It's "All About Eve" in Braavos.) Jaqen asks if death only comes for the wicked and leaves the innocent behind? No. Arya knows it doesn't.


IRON ISLANDS: KINGSMOOT
Let's get ready to rumbllllle! It's the Kingsmoot and Yara makes her case to be queen. This group isn't initially interested in a female leader, for whatever reason has ever made sense to people. In this case, it's because Balon's male heir is still alive. So, on his cue, Theon comes forward and says Yara is his rightful ruler. He's actually a great surrogate for his sister. "This is our queen." It's kind of a sweet moment, completely ruined by Uncle Euron. He shows up at the end to claim the Salt Throne/Seastone Chair. He makes his own case, which -- like most negative political campaigns -- is just insults about the other side (like d-ckless Theon) as opposed to saying what they would do. Yara says her first act as queen will be to execute the man who killed her father. Euron doesn't deny it. "He was leading us nowhere. ... He led us into two wars we couldn't win." He apologized for not killing Balon off years ago. Theon points out that Yara was here while Euron was gone. Yara says she'll build the largest fleet they have ever seen. Euron says he's the one who will do that. He's been around the world and knows someone with a large army, three dragons, and no husband. He's going to build a fleet and give it to Daenerys Targaryen, along with his big cock. (Eye roll) He wasn't born to be king, but he paid the iron price and here he stands. So the mob backs him instead of Yara. Like Dany would touch this fool. But whatever. He gets to be king -- after being drowned by his priest bro Damphair -- and now the Iron Islands is part of the greater storyline with Dany. Also, King Euron wants to murder Theon and Yara, who just stole his best ships. So there's a civil war they have to get through before attempting to head East.


DANY NEEDS JORAH TO BE CURED
Speaking of Dany, we visit her out in the wild, leaving Vaes Dothrak, addressing Jorah. She banished him twice, and he kept saving her. She says she can't send him away, but he says she must, and shows her his greyscale. Is there a cure? He doesn't know. How long does it take? He doesn't know that either but he'll be ending things before it goes too far. She's sorry, so sorry. All he wanted to do was serve her. He says Tyrion was right, he loves Dany. "I'll always love you." Awkward with Daario there. Jorah says goodbye, Khaleesi, but she calls him back. She's tearful. He pledged himself to her. He swore to obey her. She commands that he finds a cure and heal himself, then return to her. "When I take the Seven Kingdoms I need you by my side." Sniff! So she rides away, with suspiciously perfect curly hair, and Jorah goes elsewhere.


MEEREEN
There's a meeting between Varys, Tyrion, Grey Worm, and Missandei. Varys says there's a tentative peace but Tyrion says it's not enough. Tyrion wants them to sell it as Dany's peace. Missandei says the people know who brought them freedom, but Tyrion counters, do they know who brought them security? Enter Kinvara, another servant of the Lord of Light, who kind of looks like Melisandre in her own way, and has her own ruby necklace. Tyrion asks her for help, he wants to persuade her, but ... she doesn't need persuading. Dany is the one who was promised, she says. So she is the counterpoint to Mel with Jon Snow. Can they both be right? It seems like, if only one of them can be Azor Ahai, it would have to be Dany. Kinvara says she will summon her most eloquent priests to proselytize for Dany. Varys brings up how Stannis was anointed by one of Kinvara's own, as the one who was promised. So Varys plays bad cop and sneers at this "fanatic." She shoots back, saying even honest servants of the lord can make mistakes. Everyone is who they are and what they are for a reason. Terrible things happen for a reason. Take what happened to you, Lord Varys, when you were a child. "Knowledge has made you powerful but there's still so much you don't know." Does he remember what he heard that night when the sorcerer tossed his parts in the fire? Varys looks troubled. He heard a voice in the flames and she can tell him what he heard and the name of who spoke. They serve the same queen, and if Varys truly serves her, then he has nothing to fear from Kinvara. Varys is totally creeped out. But ... she proved her point.


NEXT WEEK
Episode 6, which airs May 29, is called "Blood of My Blood." Here's the synopsis: "An old foe comes back into the picture. Gilly (Hannah Murray) meets Sam's (John Bradley) family. Arya (Maisie Williams) faces a difficult choice. Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) faces off against the High Sparrow (Jonathan Pryce)." Originally thought that "old foe" might be The Hound, but it's probably just stupid Walder Frey. He'll outlive us all.

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