Latest Movie News From Moviefone |
- What's New on TV, Netflix Streaming, Digital, and DVD/Blu-ray This Week: August 17-23
- Psychological Thriller 'The Gift' Shows Karma Is Alive and Kickin'
- New 'SNL' Hosts Named: Tracy Morgan 'Stoked' For Post-Accident Comeback
- 'Fantastic Beasts' Starts Filming: New Details on Harry Potter Spinoff
- 'Mad Max: Furiosa' Spinoff Rumored, Watch 3 'Fury Road' Deleted Scenes Now
- Ansel Elgort Wraps 'Allegiant' Filming With (Apologetic) Shirtless Photo
- Watch the First Minute of 'Once Upon a Time' Season 5 (Oh, Regina!)
- D23 'Star Wars' News Roundup: Poster, 'Rogue One,' Theme Parks, Episode IX
- First 'Carol' Trailer Shows Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara Falling in Love
- Ellen DeGeneres Introduces 'Finding Dory' Cast and First Photo
- Nina Dobrev Says Goodbye to 'Vampire Diaries' in Beautiful Teen Choice Speech
- D23's 'Captain America: Civil War' Footage Did Not Leak and Twitter Can't Cope
- Morgan Freeman Thanks Supporters After 'Tragic and Senseless' Death of Granddaughter
- Watch Vin Diesel's Touching Paul Walker Tribute at Teen Choice Awards
- Here Are the 2015 Teen Choice Awards Winners
- 7 Reasons Why 'Straight Outta Compton' Surprised Hollywood at the Box Office
| What's New on TV, Netflix Streaming, Digital, and DVD/Blu-ray This Week: August 17-23 Posted:  At 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 "NCIS" 'Tis the season for a ton of TV shows to come out on DVD, including "NCIS: The Twelfth Season," "NCIS: Los Angeles - The Sixth Season," and "NCIS: New Orleans - The First Season" on August 18. Have yourself a merry little "NCIS" marathon! And in case you want more details on Season 12, that Blu-ray comes with deleted scenes, audio commentary on select episodes, cast and crew interviews, and over an hour of behind-the-scenes featurettes. "Grey's Anatomy" The 2014-2015 season of "Grey's" -- which didn't have the happiest of endings, but oh well -- is also coming out this week. If you watch Season 11 from start to finish, knowing how it ends, maybe it'll add more pathos. Or maybe it'll just make you angrier. Either way, it's coming. Bonus features include "Spotlight: Caterina Scorsone"; an extended version of Episode 1124, "You're My Home"; "How to Say Goodbye"; "In Stitches"; and deleted scenes. "Once Upon a Time" Yes, dearie, Season 4 of OUAT arrives this week. So much happened in the past season, from "Frozen" to the tease of Dark Swan, so there's a lot to re-process. Bonus features include "Defrosting Frozen," "Behind the Magic Tour," "Three Who Stayed," "The Fairest Bloopers of Them All," and deleted scenes. New Video on Demand, Rental Streaming, and Digital Only "Sun Belt Express" Tate Donovan stars in this road trip comedy-drama, which is out on Digital HD and VOD August 18. Set in the Sonoran Desert south of Tucson, Arizona, "Sun Belt Express" follows Allen King (Donovan), a down-on-his-luck professor who agrees to earn some extra cash by smuggling undocumented immigrants across the border. When his curious teenage daughter (India Ennenga) sneaks into the trunk of his car, Allen finds himself on an unhinged run across the Mexican border with his daughter, a former girlfriend (Ana de la Reguera), and three undocumented immigrants in the trunk. Miguel Sandoval and Rachael Harris co-star. Here's an exclusive clip of the group facing off with some crooked cops:  "The Hotwives of Las Vegas" The hilarious "Hotwives" franchise is back! Do yourself a favor and check out the first "Hotwives of Orlando" season before Hulu debuts round two in Las Vegas. The new ladies -- still starring Casey Wilson, Angela Kinsey, Erinn Hayes, Danielle Schneider, and Andrea Savage -- wreak their havoc starting August 18. As Angela Kinsey teased to Fox, "You can expect to see lots of wigs, lots of boobs, and horrible behavior. Every single person gets slapped or slaps someone. We all throw champagne in each other's faces. I mean I wrestle a pregnant woman while she's stripping on a pole!" Magic! "Blood Cells" Nominated for Best British Film and Best Performance in a British Film at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, "Blood Cells" will be released on DVD and VOD on August 17. The story follows one man's return from a self-imposed exile as he makes his way through the broken-yet-beautiful margins of Britain. Adam (Barry Ward) has lived a rootless existence since his family's farm was destroyed by the Foot & Mouth epidemic of 2001. When his younger brother reaches out to him to announce the birth of his first child-there is an ultimatum attached: come home now, or never come home again. "Being Evel" "She's Funny That Way" "Queen of Earth" On August 21, three films are coming out on iTunes on the same day they hit theaters. "Being Evel" follows the life story of the daredevil Evel Knievel. "She's Funny That Way" is a screwball comedy from director Peter Bogdanovich, following the cast and crew of a Broadway production; the all-star cast includes Owen Wilson, Imogen Poots, Rhys Ifans, Jennifer Aniston, Will Forte, Illeana Douglas and Richard Lewis. "Queen of Earth" stars Elisabeth Moss as a woman going through dark double losses: the death of her father and being dumped by her boyfriend; she goes to a friend's lake house for relaxation but that doesn't prove too relaxing either. New on Netflix "Girl Meets World" Season 1 of Disney Channel's "Boy Meets World" sequel -- following the daughter of Cory and Topanga -- hits Netflix on August 23. "Lord of War" Nicolas Cage plays an arms dealer opposite Ethan Hawke, Jared Leto, Bridget Moynahan, and Ian Holm in this 2005 thriller which arrives on Netflix August 17. "Grantham & Rose" Grantham, 17, is struggling to find his way a man when a spontaneous road trip puts him into the care of feisty 81-year-old Rose. Watch this 2014 comedy/drama on Netflix starting August 21. TV Worth Watching "Fear the Walking Dead" (Sunday on AMC at 9 p.m.) It's not quite a prequel. It's not quite a spinoff. But it is set in the same world as "The Walking Dead" and will show what happened in the time Rick Grimes was in a coma over in Georgia, back in TWD Season 1. "Fear" follows some teachers and their families in Los Angeles, showing the confusion and ignorance of the early days of the outbreak. Watching this should give us an idea of how Hershel managed to get to TWD Season 2 just thinking people were sick and needed help. There was a lot of misinformation out there in the beginning. Just don't expect too many zombies at the start, since this show will have a slower build. "Hollywood Game Night" (Tuesday on NBC at 10 p.m.) Everyday people join celebs to play crazy party games in this NBC game show hosted by Jane Lynch. Season 3 continues with "The Scott Wolf of Wall Street," featuring players Scott Wolf (naturally), Mary Lynn Rajskub, David Walton, Mena Suvari, Kate Flannery and David Giuntoli. "Steampunk'd" (Wednesday on GSN at 10 p.m.) GSN's new skill-based design competition series, hosted by Jeannie Mai, takes viewers inside the retro-futuristic aesthetic of Steampunk and aims to discover the most inventive and versatile Steampunk designer in America. The eight-episode series premieres August 19 at 10 p.m., and will move to its regular 9 p.m. time starting Wednesday, August 26. Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Psychological Thriller 'The Gift' Shows Karma Is Alive and Kickin' Posted:  SPOILERS AHEAD! Don't read this unless you want the twist revealed."The Gift," a mystery-thriller released August 7, stars Jason Bateman, Rebecca Hall, and Joel Edgerton, who also steps in as first-time director. No blood and guts in this flick, one of the many positives about the movie, which kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time I watched it. Jason Bateman plays a successful family man who moves to California with his wife, played by Rebecca Hall, after landing a new job there. Everything seems fine, life is great -- and getting better! -- until an old high-school acquaintance shows up. Unbeknownst to us, Bateman was a bully in high school and spread a nasty rumor he made up that caused Edgerton to suffer mental and physical abuse at the hands of his own father; 25 years later Edgerton comes for payback. What I really liked about this psychological thriller is the karma aspect of it. Bateman, as an adult, was a successful salesman with a beautiful wife who made moves up the corporate ladder, but, 25 years ago in high school, he was a bully who put his victim through hell. Instead of peace in their new home, Edgerton is popping up un-announced several times, causing Bateman's wife extreme anxiety and sleepless nights. Things really start to unravel for the couple as Bateman's wife learns of his past horrible deeds and starts to question who she married. Bateman's new friends find out how low he'll go to get what he wants. He loses his job and has to question the paternity of his new child. Karma at its best! "The Gift" is a great psychological thriller and mystery movie that, in my opinion, should be watched by high school and adult bullies alike. It really shows how a person's actions, and how we treat others -- even as kids -- can have lasting and sometimes devastating effects on others; even to the point where they carry that hurt around and seek revenge years later. Bullying is a real problem in middle school and high school, and "The Gift" puts a nasty little spin on how karma loves to visit when you least expect it. Nice job, Edgerton. Me likey. 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! This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| New 'SNL' Hosts Named: Tracy Morgan 'Stoked' For Post-Accident Comeback Posted:  Tracy Morgan got himself trending today, thanks to the good news that he'll be returning to NBC this fall as one of the hosts of "Saturday Night Live" Season 41. Tracy almost lost his life, and did lose a close friend, in a horrifying car accident in June 2014. Tracy's recovery has been slow but steady and he said he hoped to return to comedy. Now he's doing it, back home on NBC.SNL just revealed the first three hosts for Season 41: That's Miley Cyrus taking on the October 3 premiere, in her third time as host. Believe it or not, Amy Schumer has never hosted SNL before, so October 10 will be her debut. Tracy returns to host for his second time, although he was a cast member from 1996 to 2003. The musical guests for those episodes, and future episode hosts, will be announced at a later date. Good luck to the SNL41 crew! Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 'Fantastic Beasts' Starts Filming: New Details on Harry Potter Spinoff Posted:  And so it begins! Principal photography has started on "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them," starring Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne, directed by "Harry Potter" veteran David Yates, and set in the wizarding world of J.K. Rowling. It's exciting news, and by "exciting" we're directly quoting the Harry Potter author herself, who just tweeted about the start of filming: That "exciting" probably could've used more oomph, but who are we to question the queen? That tweet link led to a press release from Warner Bros. Pictures with more details on the movie. Here's a portion of the release, which includes more casting news: J.K. Rowling had only just revealed, on August 15, the last names of two of those characters: Now that filming has started, we'll have to keep our eyes peeled for set photos, first footage, and other sneak peeks. Or perhaps we can just say "Accio updates!" and have it all arrive at our doorsteps. Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 'Mad Max: Furiosa' Spinoff Rumored, Watch 3 'Fury Road' Deleted Scenes Now Posted:  Can you ever max out on "Mad Max"? Three deleted scenes from "Mad Max: Fury Road" have made their way online in advance of the September 1 DVD/Blu-ray release, and there's new chatter about a potential spinoff movie in the works called "Mad Max: Furiosa."First, the Blu-ray. It comes with a ton of features, including all this stuff: o. Maximum Fury: Filming Fury Road Documentary o. Mad Max: Fury on Four Wheels Documentary o. The Road Warriors: Max and Furiosa Featurette o. The Tools of the Wasteland Featurette o. Fury Road: Crash & Smash Featurette o. Deleted Scenes The video below shows three deleted scenes, back to back. The first doesn't add too much. The second shows a desperate mother begging for her baby to be taken into the The Citadel. The third shows Immortan Joe's rallying cry as Miss Giddy looks on, then ends with Miss Giddy being attacked by crows. Here goes: What's next? Well, after the massive success of "Fury Road," there's talk of multiple movies, including one focused on Charlize Theron's Furiosa. Is it official? No, not yet, but Deadline just renewed speculation/expectation and don't be surprised if you hear more about it. As Collider put it: Yes, that would be interesting. For now, just watch the deleted scenes, prepare for the Blu-ray release, and hope that any sequels or spinoffs come together naturally ... or not at all.  Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Ansel Elgort Wraps 'Allegiant' Filming With (Apologetic) Shirtless Photo Posted: On what was apparently his final day on set, Ansel posed for a photo with Theo James, who plays Tris's love interest, Tobias "Four" Eaton. Check out the pic Ansel shared on Instagram, and don't miss the classic caption: "ITS A META'FOUR' #Allegiant we are WRAPPED! I know we'd all rather see theo shirtless I'm sorry." Ansel must've known he'd have plenty of fans jumping to his defense, insisting they are perfectly happy that he went shirtless. Both Theo (looking very James Dean here) and Ansel have become heartthrobs in their own rights, even if Shailene is the real star. She probably doesn't mind that the boys are the ones showing off their bodies and competing for attention. Also on August 14, Ansel shared another set photo, writing, "That's a wrap ALLEGIANT! Much love to the cast and crew. Gonna miss this guy @wyattbelton (my hairdresser ✂️) He doesn't really have that much hair to style, but what's there does look good. Apparently Ansel went right from filming to climbing in the desert in Nevada, since he's now posting about that. Onward and upward! Congrats to Ansel on leaving it all behind. After "Part 1" is released next year, "The Divergent Series: Allegiant - Part 2" comes out on March 24, 2017. Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Watch the First Minute of 'Once Upon a Time' Season 5 (Oh, Regina!) Posted:  "Once Upon a Time" Season 5 won't premiere until Sunday, September 27, but the first minute of the new season was just presented by Disney/ABC at D23. And now you can watch it in the video below.The clip starts with a replay of the very end of Season 4, when Emma Swan (Jennifer Morrison) sacrificed herself to save Regina (Lana Parrilla) and Storybrooke, and got "sucked up by a vortex of evil." That's how Regina describes it anyway, and you can tell right away that she is not overly grateful for Emma's sacrifice or sobbing over the loss of the savior. "How could she be so STUPID?" Regina asks. "There had to be another way." Now Emma is "a problem," Regina adds, and not one that can be easily solved by Captain Hook (Colin O'Donoghue) just picking up the dagger and commanding the new Dark One to appear. Regina tells "Guyliner" (haha!) to put the dagger down before he hurts himself. You can use the dagger to summon the Dark One from any corner of the world but, since it isn't working, that shows Emma isn't in this world anymore. We already know Season 5 is meant to show a role reversal of sorts, with Emma as the "evil" one and Regina showing her savior side. Swan Queen fans probably have a lot to look forward to, even if Regina will always be Regina. Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| D23 'Star Wars' News Roundup: Poster, 'Rogue One,' Theme Parks, Episode IX Posted:  As expected, The Force was strong with "Star Wars" news at the D23 Expo, even if there was no new Episode VII trailer. Harrison Ford showed up, which is almost as good, and there were several major headlines from the event. Here's a roundup.EPISODE VII POSTER The official poster for "Star Wars: Episode VII -- The Force Awakens" was revealed, as designed by veteran "Star Wars," "Indiana Jones" and "Harry Potter" artist Drew Struzan. Featured are Finn (John Boyega), Rey (Daisy Ridley), Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), and Han Solo (Harrison Ford). That's Daisy showing off her poster in the pic above, from her Instagram. Here's the full poster: "STAR WARS: ROGUE ONE" The first photo from the standalone film was shared, and here it is:  Felicity Jones stars in the movie, which was already known, and director Gareth Edwards introduced other key cast members: Diego Luna, Ben Mendelsohn, Forest Whitaker, Mads Mikkelsen, Donnie Yen, Jiang Wen, and Riz Ahmed, with Alan Tudyk playing a motion-capture character. Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy shared more in a statement: "Star Wars: Rogue One" will be released on December 16, 2016.  THEME PARKSGo here, we will! Yes, hmmm. "Star Wars" lands will be added to both Disneyland in Anaheim, CA, and Walt Disney World's Hollywood Studios in Orlando, FL. "We're bringing Star Wars to life in a big way," Disney CEO Bob Iger said during D23. "And I mean really big." He said, at 14 acres, it's set to be the largest single-themed expansion ever and it will "transport guests to a whole new planet ... one of the last stops before wild space." Fans will be able to participate in an epic battle between the First Order and the Resistance and take control of Han Solo's Millennium Falcon, on a special secret mission. There will also be a cantina! No idea when this will be open to the public, but start saving your pennies. EPISODE IX "Jurassic World" director Colin Trevorrow was confirmed to direct "Star Wars: Episode IX," which comes out in 2019. He follows J.J. Abrams, who directed "The Force Awakens" (out December 18) and Rian Johnson, who is directing Episode VIII (May 26, 2017). Here's Colin's statement about his cool new gig: Stay tuned for more updates on all things "Star Wars" before the many films (and now theme parks) arrive. Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| First 'Carol' Trailer Shows Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara Falling in Love Posted:  Ah, l'amour. Cate Blanchett plays the rich married title character "Carol," who falls in love with a 20-year-old department store clerk named Therese (Rooney Mara) in Todd Haynes' adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's 1952 romance novel "The Price of Salt." The dreamy first teaser trailer was just dropped, set to Margaret Whiting's rendition of "My Foolish Heart."Here's the trailer: That song! It just makes us want to float around the room and swoon. Sigh. This story of "love against the odds" has the glamorous backdrop of New York in the 1950s. Director Todd Haynes ("Far From Heaven," "Mildred Pierce") already has experience covering gay relationships in this time period, and now he's showcasing a romantic lesbian affair. "Carol" also stars Kyle Chandler -- as Carol Aird's husband Harge Aird -- along with Sarah Paulson, Jake Lacy, Cory Michael Smith, and Carrie Brownstein. The movie is scheduled for a limited release on November 20, and we may just hear more about it come Oscar time. Watch the trailer. Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Ellen DeGeneres Introduces 'Finding Dory' Cast and First Photo Posted:  What did Ellen DeGeneres's adorable Dory do after "Finding Nemo"? She just kept swimming -- and now we have new details on where she went and who she met along the way!Ellen was at Disney's D23 Expo this past weekend to promote "Finding Dory," the sequel to "Nemo," following her character on her next adventure. "This is so exciting for me," Ellen told the audience (via USA Today). "I'm so proud of this film. I'm so excited for you to see this." First, here's the official synopsis for "Finding Dory": Ellen introduced the cast members joining her to tell the story (and the first three also joined her on stage at the event): o. Ed O'Neill is voicing Hank, a cantankerous octopus; o. Ty Burrell (yep, another "Modern Family" star) voices Bailey the misguided beluga whale; o. Kaitlin Olson (of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia") voices Destiny, a kind-hearted whale shark; o. Diane Keaton and Eugene Levy play Dory's parents Jenny and Charlie. Here's the first photo from "Finding Dory," showing Dory with Hank: D23 also debuted some first-look footage from the movie. As USA Today described, one scene showed Marlin (Nemo's dad) telling Dory he knows a guy who can help her find her parents; in another scene, Dory interacts with Hank, who tries to convince her to give him the tag that's on her fin. Hopefully Disney releases footage to the public soon, so fans can join the excitement. "Finding Dory" will be released June 17, 2016. Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Nina Dobrev Says Goodbye to 'Vampire Diaries' in Beautiful Teen Choice Speech Posted:  The 2015 Teen Choice Awards had us all emotional last night, from the Paul Walker tribute to "The Vampire Diaries" alum Nina Dobrev's goodbye to the character(s) she played for six years.Nina, TVD, and her former co-star Ian Somerhalder won several awards, with Nina picking up Choice TV Actress: Sci-Fi/Fantasy. She started her speech with some funny vampire fangs in her mouth, then acknowledged (to awwws from the crowd) that she doesn't need them anymore. Here's Nina's beautiful acceptance speech, welcoming the change in her life:
The audience cheered. Nina said she wouldn't be there without the fans, then promised good stuff ahead. "So remember, change is coming, so hold on and enjoy the ride, all right? It's going to be fun." This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| D23's 'Captain America: Civil War' Footage Did Not Leak and Twitter Can't Cope Posted:  Congratulations, D23, you must have stronger superpowers than Comic-Con. SDCC was a trailer sieve, but apparently Disney is better at keeping things on lock, 'cause no one seems to be able to track down a leaked version of the "Captain America: Civil War" footage that played at the Anaheim, CA, Expo. What showed on August 15 wasn't an actual "trailer" as much as a sizzle reel of scenes with Captain America (Chris Evans), Falcon (Anthony Mackie), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and company, plus "Ant-Man" Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) having a fanboy moment.But reading detailed accounts of footage is no match for actually seeing the footage. Twitter clearly expected someone to shoot and share some blurry bad-angled video, so they waited from Saturday night to Sunday morning. And they kept waiting. And now they're angry. And you know how Twitter gets when it's angry. It gets hilarious. Buck up, little campers, we'll get through this together! Disney/Marvel won't leave fans hanging forever, and the wait will just build anticipation. But if you want something to watch, here are Chris Evans and Anthony Mackie at D23, sharing details on the movie: Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Morgan Freeman Thanks Supporters After 'Tragic and Senseless' Death of Granddaughter Posted: The circumstances sound bizarre, but -- whatever the details -- a young woman's life was taken and her family is devastated. E'dena, an actress, played a receptionist in Morgan's movie "5 Flights Up," which was just released in May. The legendary actor reacted to his stepgranddaughter's death in a statement to People: Morgan also later posted a message of thanks to his 17 million Facebook fans: Here's the embedded post, in case you'd like to add your sympathies directly to Morgan and family:
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| Watch Vin Diesel's Touching Paul Walker Tribute at Teen Choice Awards Posted:  The cast of "Furious 7" held hands on stage last night at the 2015 Teen Choice Awards and honored their late, great co-star Paul Walker. Paul, who died in November 2013, won the Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actor: Action. "Furious 7" picked up the award for Choice Movie: Action.Stars Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges and Jordana Brewster accepted the film award, and Vin honored his "brother" in a heartfelt speech: The crowd cheered, anticipating what was to come. Vin continued: Meadow is Paul's 16-year-old daughter. "Furious 7" finished filming with the help of Paul's brothers, Cody and Caleb. After the speech, host Ludacris announced that Paul won the posthumous award for Choice Movie Actor: Action/Adventure. Luda added, "Rest in peace!" and Jordana said, "We miss you and we will always, always love you, Paul." Watch the full speech: Here are the rest of the Teen Choice Award winners. Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Here Are the 2015 Teen Choice Awards Winners Posted:  Surfboards were handed out to music, TV, web, and fashion fan faves at the 2015 Teen Choice Awards on Sunday. "Jane the Virgin" star Gina Rodriguez was on hand to host the festivities, alongside Ludacris and Josh Peck.What did the young people of the world vote for when it comes to entertainment? Who's the reigning choice celeb selfie taker? Find out the big winners below. CHOICE MUSIC GROUP: MALE One Direction (WINNER) 5 Seconds of Summer Fall Out Boy Imagine Dragons Maroon 5 OneRepublic CHOICE SUMMER MUSIC: GROUP One Direction (WINNER) 5 Seconds of Summer Echosmith Fifth Harmony Little Mix Maroon 5 CHOICE SUMMER TOUR One Direction - On the Road Again Tour (WINNER) 5 Seconds of Summer - Rock Out with Your Socks Out Fall Out Boy & Wiz Khalifa - The Boys of Zummer Tour Ariana Grande - The Honeymoon Tour Ed Sheeran - X World Tour Taylor Swift - The 1989 World Tour CHOICE DANCER Chloe Lukasiak (WINNER) Stephen "tWitch" Boss A llison Holker Derek Hough Les Twins Maddie Ziegler CHOICE TV: BREAKOUT SHOW Empire (WINNER) Becoming Us Blackish iZombie Jane The Virgin Younger CHOICE TV SHOW: SCI FI/FANTASY The Vampire Diaries (WINNER) Arrow Once Upon a Time Sleepy Hollow The 100 Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D CHOICE MOVIE: DRAMA If I Stay (WINNER) Fury McFarland, USA The Age of Adaline The Longest Ride The Theory of Everything CHOICE COMEDIAN Ellen DeGeneres (WINNER) Jimmy Fallon Kevin Hart Jimmy Kimmel George Lopez Amy Schumer CHOICE SONG: GROUP One Direction - "Steal My Girl" (WINNER) 5 Seconds of Summer - "What I Like About You" Echosmith - "Cool Kids" Fall Out Boy - "Centuries" Fifth Harmony - "Worth It" Maroon 5 - "Sugar" CHOICE SUMMER SONG "Worth It" -Fifth Harmony (WINNER) "Bad Blood" - Taylor Swift & Kendrick Lamar "Cheerleader" - OMI "Cool For the Summer" - Demi Lovato "Fight Song" -Rachel Platten "Good For You" -Selena Gomez & A$AP Rocky CHOICE MOVIE: ACTION/ADVENTURE Furious 7 (WINNER) Insurgent Kingsman: The Secret Service San Andreas The Maze Runner Tracers CHOICE MALE ATHLETE Stephen Curry (WINNER) American Pharoah/Victor Espinoza Tom Brady Lebron James Cristiano Ronaldo Jordan Spieth CHOICE WEB STAR: MUSIC Shawn Mendes (WINNER) Christina Grimmie Jack & Jack Tori Kelly Lindsey Stirling Sam Tsui CHOICE WEB STAR: MALE Cameron Dallas (WINNER) Matthew Espinosa Joey Graceffa Ryan Higa Felix Kjellberg Tyler Oakley CHOICE MOVIE: ACTION Furious 7 (WINNER) The Divergent Series: Insurgent Kingsman: The Secret Service San Andreas Tracers The Maze Runner CHOICE SELFIE TAKER One Direction (WINNER) Justin Bieber Kim Kardashian Kylie Jenner Rihanna Nicole Scherzinger CHOICE FASHION: FEMALE HOTTIE Fifth Harmony (WINNER) Miley Cyrus Cara Delevingne Selena Gomez Rihanna Taylor Swift CHOICE MUSIC: FEMALE ARTIST Fifth Harmony (WINNER) Barden Bellas Cimorelli HAIM Icona Pop Little Mix CHOICE FASHION: MALE HOTTIE One Direction (WINNER) 5 Seconds Of Summer Justin Bieber Ryan Guzman Austin Mahone Zayn Malik CHOICE MUSIC: PARTY SONG "No Control" - One Direction (WINNER) "BBHM" - Rihanna "Blank Space" - Taylor Swift "I Want You To Know" - Selena Gomez & Zedd "Shut Up & Dance" - Walk The Moon "Uptown Funk" - Mark Ronson & Bruno Mars CHOICE TV: DRAMA SHOW Pretty Little Liars (WINNER) Castle Empire The Fosters Grey's Anatomy Nashville CHOICE TV ACTOR: COMEDY Ross Lynch, Austin & Ally (WINNER) Anthony Anderson, Blackish Jamie Camil, Jane The Virgin Chris Colfer, Glee Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory Andy Samberg, Brooklyn Nine-Nine CHOICE MOVIE ACTOR: ACTION Paul Walker, Furious 7 (WINNER) Vin Diesel, Furious 7 Ansel Elgort, The Divergent Series: Insurgent Theo James, The Divergent Series: Insurgent Taylor Lautner, Tracers Dylan O'Brien, The Maze Runner CHOICE MOVIE ACTRESS: DRAMA Chloe Grace Moretz, If I Stay (WINNER) Felicity Jones, True Story / The Theory Of Everything Blake Lively, The Age of Adaline Britt Robertson, The Longest Ride Kristen Stewart, Still Alice Reese Witherspoon, Wild CHOICE MUSIC: R&B/HIP HOP ARTIST Wiz Khalifa (WINNER) Iggy Azalea Drake Nicki Minaj The Weeknd Kanye West CHOICE TV ACTRESS: SCI-FI/FANTASY Nina Dobrev, The Vampire Diaries (WINNER) Candice Accola, The Vampire Diaries Jennifer Morrison, Once Upon A Time Danielle Panabaker, The Flash Emily Bett Richards, Arrow Eliza Taylor, The 100 CHOICE MOVIE ACTOR: Drama Scott Eastwood, The Longest Ride (WINNER) James Franco, True Story Chris Hemsworth, Blackhat Jonah Hill, True Story Logan Lerman, Fury Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything CHOICE MOVIE ACTOR: Sci-Fit/Fantasy Josh Hutcherson, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 (WINNER) George Clooney, Tomorrowland Robert Downey Jr., Avengers: Age of Ultron Chris Hemsworth, Avengers: Age of Ultron Liam Hemsworth, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 Channing Tatum, Jupiter Ascending CHOICE MOVIE ACTOR: COMEDY Skylar Astin, Pitch Perfect 2 (WINNER) Robbie Amell, The Duff Jim Carrey, Dumb and Dumber To Bradley Cooper, Aloha Kevin James, Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 Ben Stiller, Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb CHOICE MUSIC BREAKOUT ARTIST Little Mix (WINNER) Andy Grammer Tove Lo Rachel Patten Meghan Trainor The Weeknd CHOICE TV: LIPLOCK Nina Dobrev & Ian Somerhalder - The Vampire Diaries (WINNER) Candice Accola & Paul Wesley - The Vampire Diaries Jennifer Morrison & Colin O'Donoghue - Once Upon A Time Candice Patton & Grant Gustin - The Flash Emily Bett Rickards & Stephen Amell - Arrow Gina Rodriguez & Justin Baldoni - Jane The Virgin CHOICE SONG FROM A MOVIE OR TV SHOW Wiz Khalifa (feat. Charlie Puth) - "See You Again" (WINNER) Ellie Goulding - "Love Me Like You Do" Empire Cast feat. Jussie Smollett & Yazz - "You're So Beautiful" Jessie J - "Flashlight" from Pitch Perfect 2 Ross Lynch, Maia Mitchell, Garrett Clayton, Grace Phipps, John Deluca, Jordan Fisher - "Gotta Be Me" from Teen Beach Movie 2 Shawn Mendes - "Believe" from Descendants CHOICE INTERNATIONAL ARTIST One Direction (WINNER) 2NE1 5 Seconds of Summer Girls Generation Little Mix Super Junior This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 7 Reasons Why 'Straight Outta Compton' Surprised Hollywood at the Box Office Posted:  During N.W.A.'s brief existence, the group and its members made a career out of being underestimated. A quarter century later, the underdog rappers have been underestimated again, even by the studio releasing their victory-lap biopic.Going into the weekend, Universal's predictions for "Straight Outta Compton" were modest, projecting a debut of about $25 to $30 million. Granted, studios routinely lowball such estimates so that everyone can be pleasantly surprised if the movie surpasses them, or at least not disappointed if it doesn't. But even the more optimistic industry insiders who predicted an opening weekend of $40 million turned out to be way off, since "Compton" actually opened with an estimated $56.1 million. That's an impressive number for a release with no movie stars, in the depths of August, with a hard R-rating, a running time of two-and-a-half hours, and a theater count below 2,800 venues. ("The Man From UNCLE" opened on nearly 900 more screens, its 3,638 theater count standard for a summer action blockbuster-hopeful, and yet it did less than a fourth as much business as "Compton.") All of those should have counted as strikes against "Compton," so how did the film become a smash well beyond the most optimistic projections? Here are some of the ingredients of the film's success. 1. Very Strong Reviews Critics have been mostly kind to "Compton" (its Rotten Tomatoes score stands at 88 percent, while its Metacritic reviews are 72 percent favorable). Word-of-mouth has been even stronger, with the film earning an A grade at CinemaScore. To the extent that the movie needed to win over older viewers -- particularly those old enough to remember N.W.A. from its heyday more than a quarter-century ago -- those positive notices matter. 2. Weak Competition  "UNCLE" was the only other wide release this weekend, and it underperformed even its modest expectations (predictions ran near $19 million), opening in third place with an estimated $13.5 million. The three-week-old "Mission: Impossible: Rogue Nation" fared better, earning an estimated $17.0 million.In retrospect, it's hard to imagine how Warner Bros. expected to score with a franchise-launcher based on a 50-year-old TV spy series that no one in the target demographic could be expected to remember with fondness -- or at all. Director Guy Ritchie does excel at this sort of action picture, and reviews were good (not great), but anyone who wanted to watch an action thriller based on a half-century-old Cold War spy show could go see "Mission: Impossible," which not only is better-known now as a well-established present-day franchise, but also stars Tom Cruise. "UNCLE" couldn't boast that kind of star power. Sure, Henry Cavill played Superman in "Man of Steel," and yet he's still not a household name. And "Lone Ranger" star Armie Hammer is Hollywood's equivalent of "fetch" -- the industry keeps trying to make him happen. He's not going to happen. 3. Personal Branding  "Compton" had even less star power than "UNCLE," but even audiences too young to remember N.W.A. know the rap group's co-founders, Ice Cube and Dr. Dre. They're still dependable entertainment brand names, and their oversight of this project lends it credibility. (It doesn't hurt that Cube is played in the film by his own son, O'Shea Jackson Jr., essentially a living extension of Cube's personal brand.)Don't forget about the brand-name filmmakers behind the camera, either. Director F. Gary Gray (pictured above) is a 20-year Hollywood veteran, whose association with Cube goes all the way back to Cube's 1990s music videos and the beloved 1995 cult comedy "Friday," which helped transform the rapper-actor's screen persona from scowling menace into non-threatening comic straight man. And then there's executive producer Will Packer, who's shown a knack over the past five years for making crossover hits out of low-budget movies with predominantly black casts (often comedies starring Kevin Hart, though he also made the hit "Ride Along" with both Cube and Hart). At a reported $29 million, "Compton" has an unusually high budget for a Packer production (most cost less than $20 million; only action thriller "Takers," cost more at $32 million), and yet it's clear that Packer has managed to wring the maximum entertainment value from what is still, by Hollywood summer movie standards, a meager budget. Packer's not a household name, but his name in the credits is also a stamp of reliability. 4. Clever Marketing Universal's marketing team is certainly on a roll, having helped make hits of four other huge movies this summer, from "Trainwreck" to "Jurassic World." (Only "Ted 2" has been a misfire.) "Compton" had the benefit of an especially viral online campaign that included the meme generator that allowed all your Twitter friends to make their own "Straight Outta..." album cover. (Even Bette Midler got into the act.) So there was no escaping awareness of the film. 5. Something for Everyone You might expect an R-rated movie about rappers known for their misogyny (both in its lyrics and offstage behavior) to have little appeal for younger ticketbuyers or women. But "Compton" proved to be a draw for almost everyone. In fact, exit polls showed that, while audiences were almost evenly split between men and women, and between viewers over and under 30, there was actually a slight edge for female moviegoers (52 percent) and under-30 audiences (51 percent). But how did that happen? Well... 6. Smart Scheduling Opening the film in mid-August was wise; all the other major summer releases are out of the way. There's also the notion that August is no longer a wasteland. Recent August releases "The Help" and "Lee Daniels' The Butler" have proved that the dog days of summer are actually a good time to release serious movies (like, awards-contender serious) that appeal to both men and women, and to older and younger audiences. Not coincidentally, they're also historical dramas about the struggles of black people in America. And that leads, in turn, to... 7. Relevance Sadly, the #BlackLivesMatter movement has made "Compton" especially timely. It can't be lost on viewers that the kind of police harassment the film's characters faced and turned into songs three decades ago is still common enough today to be debated on cable news and to inspire protests and activism. In that sense, "Compton" isn't a nostalgia piece at all. No wonder younger viewers have flocked to see it. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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