Movie Release :

Monday, August 10, 2015

Latest Movie News From Moviefone

Latest Movie News From Moviefone

Watch TV Anchor Storm Off Set After One Too Many Kardashian Stories

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Meet your new hero: John Brown, an anchor on "Good Day Orlando," took a stand on Friday when it comes to the Kardashians. He walked off the set of a live show before having to report on Kylie Jenner's new rabbit named Bruce.

"I'm having a good Friday, so I refuse to talk about the Kardashians today," he said, turning to his co-anchor. "You are on your own, Amy. I can't do it." It seemed like it was all in good fun, not a mean-spirited rant, but he continued. "I've had enough Kardashians. I can't take any more Kardashian stories on this show." After Brown left, he still had his mic on, so he could be heard off-camera saying, "I don't care about this family! I'm sick of this family. It's a nonstory!" The co-anchors laughed as he continued, "We're talking about the family every freakin' day on this show. Nobody cares about this family anymore! I've had enough! It's Friday! I want to have a good Friday, I don't want to talk about the Kardashians!"

PREACH.

The reporter reading off the story said she even agreed with him, since she didn't care about the family either. Brown continued his rant from off-camera, saying if you look at the research, no one cares about the Kardashians anymore. At that point, the other anchors just told him to breathe.

Brown shared the post on Facebook on Friday, sort of apologizing but also promoting the walk out, writing, "Here is the Kardashian rant. Sorry, I lost my mind a bit, although it was partially in jest! I did feel better though after I was done." The comments are filled with praise for this bold stand, offering Brown thanks and flower garlands and babies to kiss and basically declaring him a human unicorn. If he announces a bid for president at this point, he might win.

Check it out:

Here is the Kardashian rant. Sorry, I lost my mind a bit, although it was partially in jest! I did feel better though after I was done.See more Good Day Orlando videos: http://bit.ly/JLScxX #FOX35

Posted by John Brown at Fox 35 on Friday, August 7, 2015

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Robert Downey Jr. Gets Salty About Creative 'Iron Man' Depiction

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Thanks to "Iron Man," Robert Downey Jr. is one of the richest actors alive, but he still has a taste for the simple things in life, including a salty joke.

Using just two spices, an artist made a pretty genius rendition of Tony Stark/Iron Man. Not sure who made it (RDJ himself?), or how long it took, but "The Avengers" star -- a rare tweeter -- shared this image on August 10, along with a little wink to Tony's lady love, Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow):


Get it? Pepper? Salt? Gold! Hopefully there were no cats on the premises to step in this -- 'cause you know that would be their immediate goal.

This salt-n-Pepper shot is the first thing RDJ has tweeted -- or posted to Instagram -- since he dubbed July 31 "#FerrariFriday." Back in late May, he posted a photo of himself on what looks like a private plane, writing, "We work weekends ..for your viewing pleasure... #marvel #civilwar #pickyourside." "Captain America: Civil War" pits Cap vs. Iron Man and it opens May 6, 2016. Check out some recent set photos over here.

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7 Horror Kids That Scared the Crap Out of Us

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7 Scariest Movie Kids
Kids are cute right? Well, most of the time. But, in the right movie, some children are downright terrifying. These are the seven kids from movies that still give us nightmares.

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'Suicide Squad': Jim Parrack's Joker Henchman Role Confirmed By Deleted Photo

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NY Special Screening of The Internet is like Vegas -- what happens there stays there, even when you try to delete it. The "Suicide Squad" trailer played to high praise at Comic-Con, and there was a glimpse of a guy walking ahead of the Joker. (You can see it around the 2:14 mark of the trailer below.) That's actor Jim Parrack (Hoyt on "True Blood") and it has apparently been confirmed that he's playing Jonny Frost, aka the Joker's (Jared Leto) henchman.

The first rumors about this casting came from TheWrap's Jeff Sneider, who said (a few months ago) that he'd been told from reliable sources that Parrack would play Jonny Frost. Confirmation just recently came from a now-deleted Instagram photo from actress Corina Calderon. She has a small role in the movie and posted a photo of herself, writing, "All #HappyCamper on my way to set again, going earlier than my #CallTime just to be there and watch my boy Jim Parrack playing #JonnyFrost do his Thang #SuicideSquad."

That post was deleted, but the Internet saved it, and you can also see a screenshot of Frost walking ahead of the Joker, in a still from the trailer:


Here's the trailer again:
Screen Rant shared some details on the character:

Jonny Frost appears in Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo's 2008 graphic novel "Joker", as a bottom-rung thug who becomes a temporary chauffeur for the Joker after the supervillain takes a shine to him."

We'll have to see what director David Ayer and company do with the character on film. What do you think about "Suicide Squad" so far? It opens August 5, 2016.

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Here's What 9 Child Actors Looked Like Then vs. Now

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9 Child Actors: Then Vs. Now
While some child actors disappear off the face of the earth after starring in a few movies, others stick around and continue to stay in the spotlight. Here are what nine of your favorite child actors look like then vs. now.

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Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer Reveal Secrets Behind 'Man From UNCLE' Action Scenes

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'Man from UNCLE' Interview - Armie Hammer & Henry Cavill
This summer is full of movies packed with impressive action scenes, and "The Man From UNCLE" is no exception.

Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer's new Cold War spy flick finds the two intrepid operatives engaged in everything from gunfights to one very cool (and funny) boat chase involving explosions and (spoilers!) picnic baskets. Watch the films' stars reveal the secrets behind one of the summer's most entertaining set pieces.

"Man From UNCLE" hits theaters this Friday.

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New 'Supergirl' Trailer Arrives, Plus Details on Cousin Superman's Role

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It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a new "Supergirl" trailer! Not a long one, though -- not like that first look back in May -- and this one does re-use some shots. The CBS series starring Melissa Benoist, premieres Monday, October 26 at 8:30 p.m. ET. The new teaser, which has a more serious tone, re-shows Supergirl's cousin Superman in a kind of godlike glow, as Kara Zor-El's contemporaries talk about both superheroes and "the worst criminals in the galaxy," who have emerged and must be stopped. " Cue our new heroine! As Kara puts it, "Earth doesn't have just one hero anymore. Now it has Supergirl."

Kara's story comes 20 years after Superman wowed the world. DC Entertainment's Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns told Entertainment Weekly, "He will be a factor in her life, but you won't see him exactly on screen. He's going to be more in the background. But he does play a part in her evolution into a superhero." During the TCAs press tour on August 10, executive producer Andrew Kreisberg added, "There's a tendency with Superman to make him so powerful that there isn't really any danger. There are plenty of things besides Kryptonite that can take [Supergirl] down. It's not to diminish her, it's to make it feel like there's actual jeopardy to the show."

Executive producer Ali Adler also addressed the idea of why she's Supergirl instead of Superwoman. "[That's a] different character. She's Supergirl because she's Supergirl." Executive producer Greg Berlanti added, "We knew going in that Supergirl might imply a younger audience, but we felt we could take a powerful word back and participate in introducing that to a new generation and say that doesn't just mean young or inconsequential. It should be strong and bold. That was our goal. One of the blessings of what we get to do is to introduce it to a new generation and that means changing key elements of the character and still keeping true to the core DNA of the character."

Here's the new "A Hero Will Rise" trailer:



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'Pretty Little Liars' Summer Finale: Teases on 'A' Reveal and 5-Year Time Jump

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The summer finale of "Pretty Little Liars" Season 6 is almost here! "Game Over Charles" airs Tuesday, August 11 at 8 p.m. Here's ABC Family's synopsis:

"A" is revealed, and all of the questions are answered, in "Game Over Charles."

Who killed Toby's mother? Who hit Alison in the head with the rock the night she went missing? Who is Red Coat? Who killed Bethany? Who is the Black Widow? Why has "A" been targeting the PLLs all this time? After years of torture, Alison, Aria, Emily, Hanna and Spencer finally come face-to-face with their tormentor and learn the story of how and why Charles became "A."

The Hollywood Reporter talked to PLL creator Marlene King about the "absolute closure" to the "A" story coming in the Episode 10 finale, plus the five-year time jump that's ahead when Season 6 resumes in the fall. Tuesday's summer finale picks up right from last week. "The Pretty Little Liars are still at prom, and we go from there, like a speeding train," said King.

Actress Shay Mitchell also told THR, "Fans are going to get their answers, for once and for all, and this isn't a fake. We are serious: You are going to see who ['A'] is." Shay also teased the big changes coming after the time jump. "A lot can happen in five years to each of those girls. [The Liars] may not be together-together the entire time."

Also, King weighed in on the SPOILER that made the rounds that Wren was "A." She simply told THR, "I love that rumor, that's all I'll say - I love Wren." That's not really all she said, though, because she acknowledged that "lots of people" have correctly guessed A's identity. However, that's not the entire story. "The 'who' has been guessed, but the 'how' and 'why'? Not so much."

That's good to hear, since the "A" reveal alone shouldn't be all that's considered important. If that were the case, they could just end the show this week.

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'Sunset Blvd.': 15 Things You (Probably) Didn't Know About the Hollywood Classic

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Long before the lurid "E! True Hollywood Story" series, there was "Sunset Boulevard" -- maybe the darkest, most cynical movie ever made about what Hollywood is really like.

Released 65 years ago this week (on August 10, 1950), director Billy Wilder's classic explored fame from the perspective of those who had it and lost it (like Gloria Swanson and her "waxwork" friends, playing lightly fictionalized versions of themselves) and those who never quite made it, like the struggling young screenwriter (William Holden) and the failed actress-turned-script reader played by Nancy Olson.

Even if you haven't seen "Sunset Boulevard," you may feel like you have, whether because of the popular Andrew Lloyd Webber musical it spawned, the movies that copied it (particularly "American Beauty," with its narration from beyond the grave), and the countless parodies of Swanson's final "All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up" scene. In honor of the film's anniversary, here are 15 things you need to know about the Hollywood classic.
1. Initially, Wilder (above) and writing partner Charles Brackett conceived the story as a comedy about a has-been actress making a comeback, and they imagined Mae West as the star. But West found the role unflattering, a problem that continued to make casting difficult after Brackett and Wilder rewrote the film as a drama. They approached such silent-era stars as Mary Pickford, Pola Negri, and even Greta Garbo (who'd starred in the writers' hit "Ninotchka"), but all of them turned down the role of Norma Desmond.

2. George Cukor, a director famed for his sensitivity toward actresses, suggested Swanson, another glamorous silent actress who hadn't successfully transitioned into the sound era. She had also once lived in a mansion on Sunset Boulevard. Unlike Norma, she wasn't hiding away in a Hollywood mansion; she was working in New York in the then-new medium of television. She was insulted by Paramount's' request that she do a screen test, but Cukor convinced her that it was the role she would be remembered for, worth the indignity of such an audition, and he joked he would shoot her if she didn't take it.

3. To hide what they were making, from both Paramount brass and the Production Code censors, Wilder and Brackett told everyone they were making a comedy called "Can of Beans."

4. To play kept man Joe Gillis, the filmmakers cast Montgomery Clift, but the rising young star dropped out two weeks before the shoot. His given reason was that the affair between a young man and an older woman was too similar to what he'd done in "The Heiress," but the real reason may have been Clift's off-camera relationship with older singer Libby Holman. The story was that she felt the movie would be seen as a mockery of their romance, and that she threatened to kill herself unless Clift quit. Wilder tried and failed to get Fred MacMurray (his "Double Indemnity" star) and Gene Kelly. He almost hired Marlon Brando to replace him, but the Broadway star had never made a film before (Brando's screen debut in "The Men" was still more than a year away). Eventually, contract player William Holden got the part, which made him an A-list star.
5. The house that played Norma's mansion was really on Wilshire Boulevard, not Sunset. It had belonged to J. Paul Getty's family. It would appear on film again a few years later in "Rebel Without a Cause," shortly before the Gettys tore it down and replaced it with an office high-rise.

6. Erich von Stroheim, who plays Norma's director-turned-husband-turned-butler Max, was indeed one of the great directors of the silent era. He had directed Swanson in the epic "Queen Kelly" but had been fired when the sprawling production went over budget. The film had never been seen in America, until excerpts of it showed up in "Sunset Boulevard" as the old Norma Desmond movie that Norma watches on her projector at home.

7. Norma's leopard-upholstered car was a real Isotta-Fraschini, an exotic Italian auto that had been a popular choice among silent film royalty. The script called for von Stroheim to drive it onto the Paramount lot, but he didn't know how to drive. The car was towed by a truck hidden outside of camera range instead. Even so, von Stroheim accidentally steered it into the Paramount gate. After the shoot, the car ended up back in Italy, in an automotive museum in Turin.

8. Crew members asked Wilder what kind of set-up he needed for the sequence involving the bizarre funeral for Norma's chimpanzee. Replied Wilder, "You know, the usual monkey-funeral sequence."

9. Initially, the movie opened in a morgue, with the corpses awakening and discussing with each other how they died, leading to Joe Gillis telling the story of his affair with Norma. But test audiences laughed too hard, and the absurd tone didn't work with the rest of the movie. The sequence was cut, so that the film would begin with Joe's body floating in the pool, but the idea of the dead narrator stayed.
10. That eerie shot of Joe face down in the pool (pictured), seen from underneath with the police and paparazzi hovering over him, was difficult for Wilder to get right. He tried lowering a camera into the pool in a see-through, waterproof box, but he didn't like the result. Ultimately, he succeeded by placing a mirror on the floor of the pool and shooting the reflection of Holden and the cops and photographers.

11. The "waxworks," Norma's fellow silent-film ghosts who come over to play bridge, were played by real-life silent relics Buster Keaton, Anna Q. Nilsson, and H.B. Warner. In real life, Keaton had a reputation as one of Hollywood's best bridge players. Wilder coached the others to watch how Keaton handled the cards and do likewise.

12. Director Cecil B. DeMille, a pioneer of silent Hollywood who was still a top director when "Sunset Boulevard" was shot in 1949, also famously played himself. He had made Swanson a star by directing her in several silent hits and had nicknamed her "young fella," which is what he calls Norma. When Norma visits him on the Paramount lot, he's shooting "Samson and Delilah," which would be his biggest hit yet in real life.

13. As Wilder feared, the Hollywood "powers that be" were horrified and outraged by the portrait "Sunset Boulevard" painted of them and their dream factory. At the film's Hollywood premiere, MGM chief Louis B. Mayer denounced Wilder, saying, "You have disgraced the industry that made and fed you! You should be tarred and feathered and run out of Hollywood!" Wilder's typically blunt response: "Go f--k yourself."

14. "Sunset Boulevard" cost $1.6 million to make. It returned $2.5 million in its initial American run -- not enough to make a profit -- but ultimately returned $5 million by 1960, when it had played in theaters all over the world.
15. Despite the initial outrage from Hollywood insiders, the Academy recognized the film's artistry and nominated it for 11 Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Black-and-White Cinematography, and Best Editing. It won for Best Screenplay, Best Black-and-White Art Direction, and Best Score (for composer Franz Waxman). It earned nominations in all four acting categories, for leads Holden and Swanson and supporting players von Stroheim and Olson. It's one of only three films nominated in all four acting categories that didn't win any of them; the other two are "My Man Godfrey" (1936) and "American Hustle" (2013).

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Here's Proof That 'Fantastic Four' and 'The Fly' Are the Same Movie

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It may not be an obvious connection to make, but Couch Tomato makes it clear in its new "24 Reasons" comparison video: "The Fly" and "Fantastic Four" are indeed the exact same movie.

The 1986 20th Century Fox movie starring Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis, is compared to the 2005 20th Century Fox movie starring Ioan Gruffudd and Jessica Alba, which has come under renewed scrutiny thanks to the 2015 "Fantastic Four" reboot. This educational, 3 minute, 40-second video includes side-by-side visual comparisons and insights like this:

There's this girl with a vagina made of magnets and she's stuck between two guys with peni made of metal. On one side, her romantic relationship with her boss is coming to an end. On the other hand, she's got a thing for mullets, so she starts falling for this scientist she's working with. It's been said that a mullet alone could get you from like first or second base, but if you're trying to slide into home, both of you might have to get tipsy first."

Cue shots of lame bosses, mullets and alcohol consumption, in both movies. (Side note: Is "peni" really accepted as plural for "penis"?) Anyway, we're convinced. These movies are identical twins. Watch and judge for yourself:



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Here Comes NBC's 'Mr. Robinson'!

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mr robinson craig robinson nbc"Mr. Robinson," starring Craig Robinson, made its debut Wednesday, August 5th, on NBC. It's about a part-time musician who gets a job as a part-time music teacher, all to reconnect with an old high school flame he stood up at his prom.

I liked the concept of "Mr. Robinson," which shows a new high school music teacher (Robinson) who is more of a friend to the students than a teacher or disciplinarian. In one scene, he catches a kid on the school yard with a joint, but instead of having him expelled he takes the joint, chastises him a little, then dismisses him with a "now get yo little ass outta here." Parts of the show were fun and funny and made me laugh (like that joint scene), but others (for those of you who had biology class) were about as fun and funny as watching fungi get freaky.

"Mr. Robinson" had its funny moments in the two episodes that aired but, it really needs to be funnier if it's going to last. That said, I'm ready to tune in next week. This comedy has heart, and it's fun to watch with the whole family. Kids will really like it and, perhaps, relate better to it than the adults in the room.

The premiere of "Mr. Robinson" drew NBC's best summer comedy viewership since 2007, with 4.6 million viewers, and internet buzz says NBC ordered six episodes of Mr. Robinson. I hope we get to see episode 7, 8, and 20. Congrats, Craig Robinson!

Wendell Escott is a student at El Camino Community College and a contributor to Moviefone's Campus Beat. Are you a current college student with a love for all things movies and TV? Contribute to Campus Beat!

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New 'Star Wars: Episode VII' Teaser Has Ominous 'Awakening'

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A new 30-second teaser for "Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens" was just dropped -- by Star Wars Korea. Does it have a ton of fresh footage? No. But it reminds us "There has been an awakening" and opens with a frightening shot of The First Order:


If you've seen the previous "Force Awakens" trailers, you've seen most of those images. However, as Entertainment Weekly noted, the shot with the stormtroopers before a stage is from a new angle:

Here we see it from the staging platform, and Gwendoline Christie's chrome stormtrooper, Captain Phasma, is one of the leaders overlooking the assembly. Beside her appears to be Domhnall Gleason's General Hux, although it's difficult to tell from this angle. He could also be the one at center stage, although it seems more likely that this might be Andy Serkis in his performance-capture role of Supreme Leader Snoke."

So at least we still have room for speculation, which is always fun. EW also made a clear connection from the arresting image of The First Order to images of the Nazis' The Third Reich.

"The Force Awakens" is set about 30 years after "Return of the Jedi" (Episode VI, but the third of the original movies) and features new lead characters alongside returning favorites like Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), and Han Solo (Harrison Ford). Here's everything we know about the movie so far.

"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" opens December 18.

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What's New on TV, Netflix, Digital, and DVD/Blu-ray This Week: August 10 - 16

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Mad Max Fury RoadAt a loss for what to watch this week? From new DVDs and Blu-rays, to what's streaming on Netflix, we've got you covered.

New on DVD and Blu-ray

"Hot Pursuit"
Critics torched this crime comedy, but you can judge for yourself. Reese Witherspoon plays a by-the-book cop trying to protect Sofia Vergara's drug lord wife as they race through Texas. The Blu-ray featurettes may actually be better than the movie. There's "The Womance," showing Reese and Sofia's on-set antics; "Say What?" where Reese and Sofia try to speak the other's language; "Action Like a Lady," where they show the making of all the stunts; and an alternate ending. The DVD just has "The Womance."

"Unfriended"
During their usual group video chat, high school friends are terrorized by an unseen figure in this horror thriller. It pretty much polarized critics -- some really liked, some REALLY disliked -- so be prepared for either reaction.

"I Am Chris Farley"
The life story of Chris Farley -- the amazing much-missed comedy legend who died of a drug overdose back in 1997 at age 33 -- is told by his friends, family, and TV/film colleagues in this new documentary. It just came out in limited release July 31 and it's on DVD, Digital and VOD on August 11.

New Video on Demand, Rental Streaming, and Digital Only

"Mad Max: Fury Road"
George Miller's amazing apocalyptic action movie -- starring Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy -- has its Digital HD debut on August 11. It won't be out on Blu-ray and DVD until Tuesday, September 1, but when those discs do drop they will come with tons of extra bonus features.

"Kingdom"
Season 1 of this gritty, critically acclaimed series -- from DirecTV's Audience Network -- has its Digital HD release on August 10. In the Venice, CA-set drama, Alvey (Frank Grillo) and Lisa (Kiele Sanchez) fight to keep Navy Street, a Mixed Martial Arts gym, alive. Everything is put to the test as two fighters -- Alvey's son, Nate (Nick Jonas), and Lisa's ex-boyfriend, Ryan (Matt Lauria) -- prove they just might be what Navy Street needs. Catch it on iTunes, Google Play, Vudu, Amazon Instant Video, Sony Playstation, X-Box Nation, or MGo.

"Fort Tilden"
This millennial comedy about two women in quarter-life crises won the 2014 SXSW grand jury prize winner for narrative film, and Orion is releasing it both theatrically and on VOD on August 14. Allie struggles to prepare for the Peace Corps, while Harper awaits checks from her father to fund her artistic dreams. But the two friends quickly ditch responsibilities for the day when a pair of good-looking guys invite them along for a carefree Fort Tilden afternoon. The movie is billed as "a hilariously insightful look at the consequences of extended adolescence."

"You're the Worst"
Two toxic people -- Jimmy, a self-involved writer, and Gretchen, a self-destructive Los Angeles PR executive -- attempt a relationship in this comedy series. The first season is coming to Hulu on August 10, which gives you plenty of time to catch up before Season 2 premieres September 9 on FXX. Here's the Season 2 trailer.

New on Netflix

Three Netflix original series are arriving on August 14:

o. "Demetri Martin Live (At the Time)": The actor/writer/stand-up comic's comedy special.
o. "DinoTrux": Season 1 of the children's fantasy show set in a world of giant creatures that are half dinosaur and half truck.
o. "Ever After High: Way Too Wonderland": The fifth TV special for the "Ever After High" cartoon series, tied to the "Way Too Wonderland" dolls. Here's the trailer.

TV Worth Watching

"Mr. Robinson" (Wednesday on NBC at 9 p.m.)
NBC launched two new back-to-back shows last Wednesday night: "The Office" alum Craig Robinson's classroom comedy, "Mr. Robinson," and Jerrod Carmichael's family comedy, "The Carmichael Show." Check them out this week and see what you think of the new lineup.

"Show Me a Hero" (Sunday on HBO at 8 p.m.)
David Simon, creator of "The Wire" and "Treme," now brings HBO this six-part series set in the 1980s, exploring racial tensions in Yonkers, New York through the eyes of a 28-year-old mayor played by Oscar Isaac. All six episodes are directed by Paul Haggis, and the supporting cast includes Catherine Keener, Jim Belushi, Clarke Peters, Alfred Molina and Winona Ryder. Parts 1 and 2 premiere August 16.

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HBO Shares First Look at 'Westworld' With Anthony Hopkins, Evan Rachel Wood

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HBO is already priming you for your next obsession: "Westworld," a sci-fi series co-created and written by Jonathan Nolan, produced through J.J. Abrams's Bad Robot Productions, based on the 1973 Michael Crichton movie, and starring Anthony Hopkins in his first series-regular role. Boom! What more do you need? How about Evan Rachel Wood, James Marsden, Thandie Newton and Ed Harris as co-stars?

In the series, which premieres in 2016, Anthony Hopkins plays the brilliant creative director of Westworld, a futuristic Wild West theme park populated by artificial people. HBO aired a tease for "Westworld" before the "True Detective" Season 2 finale.

Here it is:


According to The Hollywood Reporter, the show's lifelike robots can be killed off and return with completely different personas, allowing actors to play many characters. THR also noted that an extended trailer of "Westworld" aired at the TCAs, with HBO programming president Michael Lombardo sharing more teases:

[With] the film ... you were very invested in one particular group of humans that were enjoying the park and their experience with the robots. This is not that. This is very much told from the POV of the robots. The corporate world's as dimensionalized as the park. And I think the visitors to the park are really not the primary focus of our show at all. So again, without giving more than that away, I think all I can say is only one character that you saw in the clip is a visitor to the park. And yeah, it resembles the film in name and in spirit and but really is, I think, otherwise not much of a reference point."

What do you think of "Westworld" so far?

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Jennifer Lawrence Visits Children's Hospital During 'X-Men' Filming

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Jennifer Lawrence re-confirmed her perfection over the weekend, taking time out from shooting "X-Men: Apocalypse" in Montreal to visit the city's Shriner's Hospital for Children. Shriner's shared photos from the visit, which include Jen posing with kids and signing a young man's cast:

A very special visitor stopped by our Canada hospital today. Jennifer Lawrence is in Montreal filming a new movie and...

Posted by Shriners Hospitals for Children on Friday, August 7, 2015

That's so sweet! Jen also recently had some vacation time with Amy Schumer, which is less adorable than just awesome and #squadgoals-worthy. Meanwhile, "X-Men" director Bryan Singer remains busy on the "Apocalypse" set, sharing behind-the-scenes photos that don't make sense quite yet, but should in May 2016, when the movie comes out.

Props to Jen for giving these kids a thrill, and best wishes to the children and their families. Heal fast!
Jennifer Lawrence Surprises Children's Hospital

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Twitter Eviscerates the 'True Detective' Season 2 Finale

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"True Detective" Season 2 just got hate-watched into the ground. The 1.5-hour finale aired last night, and Twitter was ready with knives. Maybe expectations were too high after Season 1, but from the first episode, fans were confused, disappointed, confused, depressed, still confused, and bored. When the series ended, there was still mass confusion and disappointment.

To be fair, there are some TD2 defenders out there -- fans who claim to have liked the plot, characters, tone and finale resolution, with some arguing that the haters were just too dumb to follow along or forgot that Season 1 was also pretentious and incomprehensible. But some of defenders just seem to want to pride themselves on swimming against the stream, while some of the critics just seem to want to pride themselves on coming up with clever insults.

Either way, the result was an onslaught of (sometimes hilarious) opinions during the finale's airing. #TrueDetectiveSeason2 was trending through the final episode, and here are some of the less-than-loving tweets it faced:
Yikes. Here, at least, is one satisfied viewer:

That's probably the best it's going to get -- for now. This show may make perfect sense when binge-watched from start to finish or with the benefits of time and low expectations. Maybe it'll even end up a cult classic. What did you think of TD2, and do you hope they try again with Season 3?

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Bill Murray Joins 'Ghostbusters' Reboot

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OK, now it's a party! Paul Feig's "Ghostbusters" reboot is currently shooting in Boston and Bill Murray -- arguably the coolest of the OGs -- was spotted heading to set. You can check out the photos over at Coming Soon, if you want.

The Hollywood Reporter further confirmed that Bill Murray (aka Dr. Peter Venkman, in the classics) will appear in the movie, even though he had been reluctant to return to the "Ghostbusters" world. According to THR, he had told David Letterman that part of his hesitation came from "Ghostbusters II" not being received as well as the original.
Murray is reportedly filming a cameo, which is what Dan Aykroyd also seems to have. Dan tweeted (then deleted) a note about filming a scene with Kristen Wiig, who stars in the new movie alongside Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones, with Chris Hemsworth in the old Annie Potts role.

"Ghostbusters" is scheduled for release July 15, 2016. Are you glad to see Bill Murray join the cast, in however small a role?

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'Game of Thrones' Fan Demands Trial by Combat in Court Case

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Prince Oberyn is out. Bronn, are you free? A fan of HBO's "Game of Thrones" checked the books and decided it's fair game to demand a trial by combat in his court case, where he's accused of aiding and abetting a fraudulent transfer, among other not-quite-GoT-level claims. TheWrap has a story on Staten Island lawyer Richard Luthmann, and the comments are filled with more details from the accused himself, plus readers offering to be his champion.

As Luthmann wrote in his court filing:

Defendant invokes the common law writ of right and demands his common law right to Trial By Combat as against plaintiffs and their counsel, whom plaintiff wishes to implead into the Trial By Combat by writ of right. [...] Since [1776], no American court in post-independence United States to the undersigned's knowledge has addressed the issue, and thus the trial by combat remains a right reserved to the people and a valid alternative to civil action."

In the comments of TheWrap story, a reader asks if there's a right to "choose a champion" and if Luthmann thinks he's physically capable of winning if his opponent says yes.

Here's Luthmann's response:

The history appears to allow "the elderly, cripples and infirms" to choose champions to fight on their behalf. I had a total hip replacement four years ago from injuries sustained after years of wrestling and playing rugby, so I may qualify to select a champion on that basis. However, the Germanic and Anglo-Saxon traditions of Trial by Combat in civil matters seem to have champions that fight to injury as opposed to death. Some of the source material indicates that the respective champions would wear light armor and be armed with wooden shields and clubs (a little shorter than a baseball bat). The Champions would fight until one was too "damaged" to continue, and the party that was standing would be the winner.

As to whether I would win in a sanctioned physical altercation - you bet!"

So they need not fight to the death. Luthmann already has some prospective champions, including a guy named "John Paul Stark" (of course) who says he's a MMA coach from Starkville, Ontario, Canada (aka "the North") and is "a 6'3" heavyweight, and a legitimate bad motherf-cker."

Here's more of Stark's comment, just because it's fun:

I became a Game of Thrones fan through the show, and after the Red Wedding I googled to see if there were any Lanister's or Frey's who competed in MMA. My ambition was to beat one into a coma after carrying the Stark banner to the ring, but alas, those names are pretty rare and there were no fighters holding them.

Anyhow, I heard about your situation through Reddit, and how you might be elegable to have a Champion fight in your stead. It sounds like you could use a true Stark of the North in your corner, so I am officially offering my service. This is not a joke. You won't find a better fighter on short notice, so contact me if you are serious and name me as your Champion."

This is the world we live in! Gotta love it.

As GoT fans should recall, we've seen Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage) have two champions fight for him: Bronn, successfully, and Oberyn, not-so-successfully. Hopefully the gods smile on this gentleman (unless they deem him guilty), but -- at the very least -- this sounds like a trial worth watching.

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Box Office: Is 'Fantastic Four' Doomed to Fail on the Big Screen?

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Why can't Hollywood seem to get the "Fantastic Four" right?

The reboot endured months of bad press, culminating in director Josh Trank's disavowal (later hastily retracted) of his own film on the eve of its release on Friday. Even so, the familiarity of Marvel's First Family -- and the new, grounded take on the characters -- was expected to carry the feature to a $45 million opening weekend.

Instead, "Fantastic Four" debuted with an estimated $26.2 million, failing to unseat week-old "Mission: Impossible: Rogue Nation" from the top spot. (The Tom Cruise thriller fell 47 percent from last weekend and still came in first with an estimated $29.4 million.) "F4" is the the first comic book movie based on Marvel characters since 2011's "Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance" not to open at number one.

There's already lots of speculation over whose fault this is, and what it means for the Marvel brand. Are we still going to get a "Fantastic Four" sequel in 2017? Are other studios' superhero movies going to become more formulaic and risk-averse in order to avoid future "Fantastic Four"-level fiascos?

There is plenty of blame to go around for the film being a disappointment. Some blame Trank, others 20th Century Fox -- with the clashes between the director and the studio only hurting the movie. Judging by what fans and critics have said, the reshot, tacked-on ending that Fox insisted on did the film no favors. Whether or not the film would have been better without it or was simply unfixable, we'll never know.

Trank's infamous, quickly deleted tweet on Thursday hinted that there was a better version of the movie, truer to his vision, that we'll never see. The remark seems to confirm both that the studio took the film out of Trank's hands and that both the director and the studio have been trying to cover their behinds in their efforts to salvage, release, and promote the movie they ended up with.
At the very least, "Fantastic Four" may make studios reconsider the recent practice of hiring relatively untried, low-budget directors to helm massive franchise movies. True, it's worked before for another Marvel property -- James Gunn's "Guardians of the Galaxy." Not only did Gunn's work result in a massive hit, but it also brought idiosyncratic, indie-style storytelling into a genre that's usually lacking in risk and surprise.

The approach has even worked outside of comic book movies (think Gareth Edwards directing "Godzilla," or Colin Trevorrow's "Jurassic World"). But not every indie director has the temperament and skill to command a big-budget enterprise. Neither moviegoers nor suits were overly happy with Marc Webb's "Amazing Spider-Man" movies. Director Edgar Wright, who cowrote "Ant-Man," ultimately left the film after a very public falling out with Marvel over its creative direction. And Ava DuVernay ("Selma") passed on "Black Panther," another filmmaker to join the ranks of those who pass on these types of films perhaps to avoid getting into the same kind of studio scrap that marred Trank's collaboration with Fox.

Even before "Fantastic Four's" release, Disney (Marvel's parent) had dropped Trank as director of a future "Star Wars" movie. It's entirely possible, then, that studios will prefer to hire experienced big-budget directors for their superhero movies. That could still lead to artistically daring comic book films if the director is another Christopher Nolan (who, lest we forget, got his start making tiny but incredibly inventive indies like "Memento"); less so if the director is another Michael Bay.

What does this mean for the future of Marvel's first family? A lot of pundits think Fox may let the rights fall back to Marvel. Depending on how well the new movie does overseas -- which, so far, it has made an estimated $34.1 million abroad -- Fox may decide it's not worth to continue down the road with Reed Richards and his pals. (The future of the 2017 sequel is now very much in doubt, though no one has yet to comment on its fate.)
One thing Fox will probably not do is collaborate with Marvel, the way Sony is doing with Spider-Man and allowing the Webslinger to appear in Disney's Marvel Cinematic Universe movies. Unlike Sony and Marvel, Fox and Marvel don't get along. Indeed, Marvel seems to have a history of sacrificing potential publishing and merchandising dollars just to keep from promoting Fox's Marvel movies.

If nothing else, the failure of "Fantastic Four" proves that not even movies based on Marvel characters are immune to the ill effects of bad buzz, bad reviews, and bad word-of-mouth (indicated by the movie's C- grade at CinemaScore). "Fantastic Four" shows that plenty can go wrong, at any step in the process.

It would be wise for Marvel, Disney, and other studios making superhero movies to remember screenwriter William Goldman's adage about what it takes to make a successful Hollywood movie: "Nobody knows anything."

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