Latest Movie News From Moviefone |
- 'Mythbusters' to End After Next Season
- 'Sesame Street' Introduces First Autistic Muppet
- NBC Developing 'Cruel Intentions' TV Show
- 18 Pieces of 'Back to the Future Part II' Tech You Wish Were Real
- The 15 Best (and Worst) Horror Movies of the '90s
- Why Are 'The Walking Dead' Ratings Down in Season 6?
- What's Leaving Netflix in November 2015
- Amy Adams Wants to Be Jennifer Lawrence and Amy Schumer's 'Not-Cool' Friend
- What's New on Netflix in November 2015
- Bruce Willis Reacts to 'Tricky Idea' of 'Die Hard: Year One' Origin Story
- It's Official: Chris Rock Will Host the 2016 Oscars
- ABC Announces 2015 Holiday Programming Schedule
- 16 Halloween Movies You Can Watch With Your Kids
- Kimmel and Conan Blast Donald Trump and Zachary Levi for Cancelling at Last Minute
- Michael J. Fox Is Crazy-Good With a Guitar in This 'Back to the Future' Clip
- Here's Why 'Back to the Future's' DeLorean Is the Best Time Machine Ever
- Watch 'Back to the Future' Composer Alan Silvestri Make Movie History
- Why Marlene King Shot Down ABC Family's 'Now and Then' TV Series
- 'Back to the Future': 30 Things You (Probably) Didn't Know About the Time-Travel Classic
- Best of Late Night TV: 'Star Wars' Fans Attempt Football, Jay Z's Embarrassing Rap Clip
| 'Mythbusters' to End After Next Season Posted:  The "Mythbusters" will bust their final myths next season.Entertainment Weekly reports that Discovery's long-running reality series will come to an end after 14 seasons. The stars, Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman, have planned an "explosive" final run of episodes. "It was my greatest fear that Mythbusters would just stop and we wouldn't be able to do proper final episodes," Savage told EW. "So whether it's myths about human behavior or car stories or explosion stories, we tried to find the most awesome example of each category and build on our past history." "Mythbusters" was a hit for Discovery in its early days, and received much critical acclaim, as well as seven Emmy nominations. It is credited with helping to make science accessible and interesting for a broad swath of people. Savage and Hyneman, who famously do not get along, will tour the country for a last round of "Mythbusters Live" next month. That will likely be the last time they work together. The final season of "Mythbusters" will premiere January 9. And the Science Channel will run a massive marathon of all 248 episodes starting Dec. 3. Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 'Sesame Street' Introduces First Autistic Muppet Posted:  "Sesame Street" is continuing its tradition of addressing important issues on the show, this time by introducing the first autistic muppet, Julia. Her arrival is part of "Sesame Street and Autism: See Amazing in All Children," an initiative to teach children about autism and prevent autistic children from being harassed in school. "Children with autism are five times more likely to get bullied," senior vice president of U.S. social impact, Dr. Jeanette Betancourt, told People. "And with one in 68 children having autism, that's a lot of bullying. Our goal is to bring forth what all children share in common, not their differences." Julia will pal around with Grover, Abby, and Elmo. Sesame Street hasn't set a date for when she'll appear on the show, but she's already made her debut in the online storybook "We're Amazing, 1, 2, 3!" "We are trying to spread the story about the theory behind this whole thing - love and acceptance," says Dr. Betancourt. "Everyone is touched by autism, and by creating Julia, Sesame is bringing children together." Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| NBC Developing 'Cruel Intentions' TV Show Posted:  Sex, money, power and corruption at an elite boarding school? That made for a great movie in 1999's "Cruel Intentions," and NBC is betting it'll make for a great TV show, too.Variety reports that the network is developing a "Cruel Intentions" series with original writer and director Roger Kumble. The show would be a sequel - when Annette Hargrove (Reese Witherspoon) drove off in the car owned by her dead lover, Sebastian Valmont (Ryan Phillippe), apparently she was pregnant. The show would focus on their 16-year-old son named Bash. He discovers his father's journal and learns about his parents' dark past. Looking for more answers, he goes to a prestigious school in San Francisco, where he "finds himself in a world of sex, money, power and corruption he never could have imagined." The script was written by Lindsey Rosin and Jordan Ross, who were behind this summer's "Cruel Intentions" musical in L.A. The show got a lot of notice when the original movie's stars - Witherspoon, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Selma Blair - reunited to attend. Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 18 Pieces of 'Back to the Future Part II' Tech You Wish Were Real Posted: Ever since Marty McFly and Doc Brown traveled all the way to October 21, 2015 in "Back to the Future Part II," we've been counting down to that date, eagerly awaiting our own flying cars (hey, we've got drones), garbage-fueled DeLoreans (hydrogen-powered cars are already a thing!), and hoverboards (which we sort of have, ouch). While some of the things predicted in the hit sequel were right on the money -- like giant TVs and videochatting -- a lot of the "future" remains firmly in the realm of science-fiction. Just try hydrating a pizza or getting fruit to drop from your ceiling! In honor of Oct. 21, "Back to the Future" Day, here are 18 pieces of amazing tech from the movie we can't wait to have in real-life. "Back to the Future 30th Anniversary Trilogy" is available to own now on Blu-ray & DVD.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The 15 Best (and Worst) Horror Movies of the '90s Posted: In addition to spoiling us with Taz and Bugs shirts and Rockapella, the 1990s also gave us something we didn't know we needed: Good horror movies. In fact, some of them were outright great, as the decade saw the slasher genre get an infusion of meta-goodness (thanks, "Scream") -- while high-concept efforts like "Seven" and "Blair Witch" brought audiences to the edge of their seats with multiple repeat viewings. But there's a flip side to that coin -- the influx of decent slasher flicks also brought a ton of "Scream" clones, along with some really, really bad attempts at cinema. With Halloween right around the corner, we've ranked and filed the 15 best (and worst) horror films from one of our favorite decades.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Why Are 'The Walking Dead' Ratings Down in Season 6? Posted:  The next episode of "The Walking Dead" Season 6 should dress the walkers and/or Wolves up in sports jerseys, since that's the real threat this year."The Walking Dead" is used to massive overall and 18-49 demographic numbers, and it's still doing incredibly well, just not as well as before. The premiere numbers had gone up every season until this one, from just over 5 million in Season 1, to just over 7 million, over 10 million, over 16 million, over 17 million, to ... just over 14 million in Season 6. [sad trombone] That's not really bad, just less than usual, and it doesn't cover the Live + 3 Day ratings everyone loves nowadays because they include delayed viewing from DVR, On Demand, etc. But it's possible that Season 6 in Alexandria just isn't as must-see-ASAP as the cliffhanger of Season 5's How Will They Get Out of Terminus. Apparently investors are taking note. Deadline said AMC Networks' stock price staggered on October 20, following the release of less-than-stellar ratings for Season 6, Episode 2. There was also a drop last week after the premiere's disappointing numbers.  Season 6 started with a 90-minute episode and just had a killer hour in Episode 2, "JSS." Deadline shared a details ratings assessment, mentioning Episode 2's major competition from Sunday Night Football and Game 2 of the National League Championship Series: TWD fans may want to watch sports live, but that doesn't mean they forget about the zombie show. That's why, Deadline notes, AMC has been focusing on the Live + 3 numbers. On that note, they added: So don't ugly cry ala Daryl for Merle until this week's delayed viewing numbers come in. And even if those numbers are soft, it's not like "The Walking Dead" needs to be put down. (The show will JSS!) The real tell should be in this next Episode 3, "Thank You," since everyone who didn't watch Episode 2 live probably heard about the absolute ownage by Carol and others at Alexandria. Maybe the premiere didn't seem like must-see TV, but things are getting good now and even the casuals are going to want to catch up before spoilers ruin the surprise. Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| What's Leaving Netflix in November 2015 Posted:
And if you want to watch "Fargo" (1996), "Rudy" (1993), "Stand by Me," or "The Blues Brothers" (1980), they're also vanishing on November 1. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Amy Adams Wants to Be Jennifer Lawrence and Amy Schumer's 'Not-Cool' Friend Posted:  Amy Adams was in "American Hustle" with Jennifer Lawrence -- they even had a tense kiss (see below) -- but apparently Amy is not in with the In Crowd yet. She wants to be! Ms. Adams just had a long Q&A on her career for the Hollywood Masters series at Loyola Marymount University's School of Film & TV in Los Angeles; The Hollywood Reporter has the whole roundup, but at one point she was asked if she has friends outside the industry, and if she ever gets fed up with it.Here's Amy's response, which includes an open plea for an invite to the next JLaw/Amy Schumer party: Awww. The moderator told her that she's actually "pretty cool," too. But every squad could use a funny, talented, chipper and slightly non-hip friend like Amy Adams. If Jen and the other Amy never call, she's welcome to attend our much less cool parties anytime. She'll have to bring the boat, though.  Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| What's New on Netflix in November 2015 Posted:
Here's the entire list of what's new on Netflix in November. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Bruce Willis Reacts to 'Tricky Idea' of 'Die Hard: Year One' Origin Story Posted:  "Jaws 19" may be fake, but "Die Hard 6," aka "Die Hard: Year One," is really happening. It may not keep that name, but the plan from director Len Wiseman is to do a prequel origin story showing how John McClane got to be the NYC cop we met when Bruce Willis introduced him back in 1988.What does Bruce Willis think of this plan? He told Entertainment Tonight he's "probably going to produce" the movie and he's excited about the possibilities. "It's a very good idea, a really tricky idea, and I'm very happy about it," Willis told ET. "It's a really cool idea, because it's the origin story. It's gonna happen at the beginning of this. We're going to bounce back and forth." The movie is reportedly going to focus on a younger version of McClane, with Willis only seen in flash-forward scenes, so ET asked who might be able to play the young McCLane. "We're not there yet," Willis said. "Hopefully he's got a hard head." As we previously noted, Joseph Gordon-Levitt already has experience playing a younger Bruce Willis in "Looper," so they could ask him to return for another round. Too obvious? What do you think of this idea, and -- since it seems to be happening whether you like it or not -- who should play young John McClane? Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| It's Official: Chris Rock Will Host the 2016 Oscars Posted: UPDATE: Somebody start making Chris Rock a "Star Wars" costume, 'cause he'll probably need one. On October 21, ABC confirmed that Rock will return to host the Oscars for a second time. "I'm so glad to be hosting the Oscars," Rock said in a statement. "It's great to be back." Producers David Hill and Reginald Hudlin added, "Chris Rock is truly the MVP of the entertainment industry. Comedian, actor, writer, producer, director, documentarian - he's done it all. He's going to be a phenomenal Oscar host!" The 88th Academy Awards will be broadcast live on Oscar Sunday, February 28, 2016, on ABC. Chris Rock previously hosted the 77th Oscars in 2005. Original story: The 2016 Oscars may have already secured a host, if a new report is to be believed. According to Robot Butt (yes, that's a real website), Chris Rock has been tapped as the next host of the Academy Awards. The site writes that a formal announcement from the Academy is expected any day now; Variety later confirmed that Rock is indeed in talks for the role, though an Academy spokesperson declined to comment. If true, this would be the second time Rock has hosted, after he helmed the ceremony back in 2005. Initially, new Oscars producers Reginald Hudlin and David Hill had said that they wanted to try a multi-host format, similar to recent telecasts with two hosts (2010's pairing of Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin, and the much-maligned duo of Anne Hathaway and James Franco the following year). But it now appears that plan has been scrapped entirely (thankfully). Robot Butt says (there's a sentence we never thought we'd type) that Rock beat out other contenders including Ellen DeGeneres, Jimmy Fallon, and Amy Schumer. Schumer reportedly was offered, and turned down, the gig. Rock seems like a good choice for the job, and as Variety reminds us, he was behind one of the weirder (and funnier) moments in recent Academy Awards history: after joking about Jude Law appearing in so many movies that year, he was chided onstage by a sourpuss Sean Penn. Here's hoping there are plenty more oddities like that on deck if Rock indeed gets the gig. The Oscars are scheduled for Sunday, February 28, 2016 on ABC. [via: Robot Butt, Variety] Photo credit: Caroline McCredie via Getty Images This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| ABC Announces 2015 Holiday Programming Schedule Posted:  'Tis the season to annoy everyone by using "'tis the season" way too many times when talking about holiday stuff. Halloween hasn't even happened yet, but the Christmas decorations are already taking over drug stores so ABC is just going ahead and announcing its 2015 holiday lineup. It's something to look forward to after the candy is gone, anyway, and since the "Toy Story 20th Anniversary Special" and "It's Your 50th Christmas, Charlie Brown" are involved, you should definitely mark your calendars.Here's a chronological list of holiday programming highlights, via ABC: FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27 "Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town" - In the perennial favorite created in 1970 by Rankin-Bass Productions ("Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," "Frosty the Snowman"), Fred Astaire narrates this timeless tale of Kris Kringle (Mickey Rooney), a young boy with an immense desire to do good things for others. The vocal cast features Mickey Rooney as Kris Kringle, Keenan Wynn as Winter, Paul Frees as Burgermeister Meisterburger, Grimsby, the soldiers and the townsmen, Joan Gardner as Tanta Kringle, Robie Lester as Jessica and Andrea Sacino, Dina Lynn, Gary White and Greg Thomas as the children. (8:00-9:00 p.m.) (Rebroadcast- ABC OAD: 12/2/05) MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30 "It's Your 50th Christmas, Charlie Brown" - In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the beloved PEANUTS animated tale, "A Charlie Brown Christmas," Kristen Bell will host a special holiday retrospective, "It's Your 50th Christmas, Charlie Brown." The anniversary special will celebrate 50 years of the iconic classic that has brought joy and a television watching tradition at the holidays for generations of fans. The unforgettable night will feature spectacular live performances, from the memorable music of Vince Guaraldi, to Kristen Chenoweth singing "Happiness" from the "Peanuts" Broadway hit, and a performance from Matthew Morrison of an original song, "Just Like Me." Other amazing musical guests set to perform classic songs are Sarah McLachlan, Boyz II Men, Pentatonix, David Benoit and The All-American Boys Chorus. This December marks the 50th anniversary of the Emmy-winning special, "A Charlie Brown Christmas." (8:00-9:00 p.m.) "A Charlie Brown Christmas" - Celebrate the joy of the holidays with the classic animated Christmas-themed PEANUTS special, "A Charlie Brown Christmas," created by the late cartoonist Charles M. Schulz. In the digitally re-mastered 1965 special, Charlie Brown complains about the overwhelming materialism that he sees everywhere during the Christmas season. Lucy suggests that he become director of the school Christmas pageant and Charlie Brown accepts, but it proves to be a frustrating struggle. When an attempt to restore the proper spirit with a forlorn little fir Christmas tree fails, Charlie Brown needs Linus' help to learn what the real meaning of Christmas is. (9:00-10:00 p.m.) (Rebroadcast- ABC OAD: 12/20/91) "The Great Holiday Baking Show" - SERIES PREMIERE - (10:00-11:00 p.m.) It's a delicious addition to television this holiday season when "The Great Holiday Baking Show," based on the hit UK series, "The Great British Bake Off," premieres on ABC. Hosted by Nia Vardalos ("My Big Fat Greek Wedding") and husband Ian Gomez ("Cougar Town") "The Great Holiday Baking Show" stars some of the nation's best amateur bakers as they compete in a series of themed challenges and eliminations all hoping to be crowned Holiday Baking Champion. For four weeks, James Beard Award-Winning pastry chef and author, Johnny Iuzzini, joins England's "Royal Queen of Baking," author and television personality Mary Berry, as they judge the decadent and delicious holiday fare these bakers create as they throw down their best culinary skills. "The Great Holiday Baking Show" is produced by Love Productions for the ABC Television Network.  THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3 "Toy Story That Time Forgot" - Pixar Animation Studios' special for television, "Toy Story That Time Forgot," features your favorite characters from the "Toy Story" films. During a post-Christmas play date, the "Toy Story" gang find themselves in uncharted territory when the coolest set of action figures ever turn out to be dangerously delusional. It's all up to Trixie, the triceratops, if the gang hopes to return to Bonnie's room in this "Toy Story That Time Forgot." The cast of "Toy Story That Time Forgot" includes Tom Hanks as Woody, Tim Allen as Buzz, Kristen Schaal as Trixie, Kevin McKidd ("Grey's Anatomy") as Reptillus Maximus, Wallace Shawn as Rex, Timothy Dalton as Mr. Pricklepants, Don Rickles as Mr. Potato Head and Joan Cusack as Jessie. (8:00-8:30 p.m.) (Rebroadcast - ABC OAD: 12/2/14) "Shrek the Halls" - DreamWorks Animation's "Shrek the Halls," a half-hour of entertainment starring America's favorite ogre and his friends and featuring the voices of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz and Antonio Banderas. Just when Shrek thought he could finally sit back, relax and enjoy his happily ever after with his new family, the most joyous of all holidays arrives. It's Christmas Eve and everyone is filled with holiday cheer -- except for Shrek. He isn't exactly the picture of yuletide joy, but for the sake of Fiona and the kids, he tries to get into the spirit of things as only an ogre can. Unfortunately, everyone seems to have their own ideas about what Christmas is all about, so when Donkey, Puss In Boots, Gingerbread Man and the whole gang try to join in on the fun, Shrek's plans for a cozy family celebration end up spiraling into one truly unforgettable Christmas. (8:30-9:00 p.m.) (Rebroadcast -- ABC OAD: 11/28/07) "CMA Country Christmas" -- Some of the biggest names in music will come together to celebrate the holidays on "CMA Country Christmas," a two-hour special hosted for the sixth year by Jennifer Nettles. The special is a celebration of the season featuring some of the top stars in music performing holiday songs and getting into the Christmas spirit. (9:00-11:00 p.m.) MONDAY, DECEMBER 7 "The Great Christmas Light Fight" - SEASON PREMIERE -- It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas with ABC's hit holiday decorating competition series, "The Great Christmas Light Fight" returning for its third season with all new celebrity judges, Taniya Nayak and Carter Oosterhouse. "The Great Christmas Light Fight" is a competition series in which 20 families and three neighborhoods from across America decorate their homes to the extreme. In each episode, four families compete for a cash prize as they transform their homes into a festive wonderland for the holidays. (8:00- 10:00 p.m.) "The Great Holiday Baking Show" - Hosted by Nia Vardalos ("My Big Fat Greek Wedding") and husband Ian Gomez ("Cougar Town") "The Great Holiday Baking Show" stars some of the nation's best amateur bakers as they compete in a series of themed challenges and eliminations all hoping to be crowned Holiday Baking Champion. (10:00-11:00 p.m.) TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8 "Fresh Off the Boat" -- "The Real Santa" - Jessica loves the holidays, but feels that Santa could use some improvements. So she and Louis convince Evan that Santa is a scientist with multiple post-graduate degrees from Princeton and has a close relationship with his mother. Meanwhile, Eddie and Emery are struggling to find the perfect Christmas gift for their mother. (8:30-9:00 p.m.) WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9 "The Middle" - "No Silent Night" -- In an episode that takes place entirely on Christmas Eve, it's a not so silent night for the Hecks as an attempt to stay home and watch church on TV instead of going to actual church sets off a string of events that finds the ties that bind hilariously unraveling in near real time. (8:00-8:30 p.m.) "The Goldbergs" - "A Christmas Story" -- Disappointed with her unenthusiastic family during the holidays, Beverly creates "Super Hanukkah" to get them into the spirit but it's too similar to Christmas. Meanwhile, Adam is annoyed that Barry is more interested in hanging with Lainey than him, so he triple-dog dares his brother with results neither one see coming. (8:30-9:00 p.m.) "black-ish" - "Stuff" -- Dre thinks Christmas has become commercialized and is all about "stuff," and no one loves "stuff" more than his kids. Pops thinks they have forgotten the true meaning of Christmas and comes up with a new plan to pare down gifts and spend more time together. The kids don't handle the news well and hope that if they act nice, Dre and Bow will change their stance. Meanwhile, Dre shares his Christmas plan at work and they have him starting to doubt his new traditions. (9:30-10:00 p.m.) THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10 "Toy Story 20th Anniversary Special" - ABC will air a tribute to the Pixar Animation Studios film that ushered in a new era of computer generated animation. The special will take a look at how Pixar's early beginnings making short, digitally-animated films lead them to take the bold step of making the first feature length computer animated film, "Toy Story." Producers, animators, technical artists, designers and some of the film's voice talent will discuss making the film and the impact it has had over the years, spawning two sequels, with a new installment, "Toy Story 4," on the way. "Toy Story 20th Anniversary" will be executive produced and directed by Brad Lachman of Brad Lachman Productions in conjunction with Pixar Animation Studios. (8:00-9:00 p.m.) "Toy Story" - Tim Allen and Tom Hanks provide the voices for two tough toys on a dangerous journey when supercharged playthings come to life, in "Toy Story," the phenomenally popular film that was the first full-length movie to be made entirely with computer animation. Cowboy Woody (Hanks) and spaceman Buzz Lightyear (Allen) are thrown into a scary new World Outside when they go out a window and into a very bad boy's backyard (this kid likes to make toys go BOOM!). They bravely make their way home -- but "home" isn't really there anymore, and their hazardous voyage continues as they follow the family to a new neighborhood. Other star voices in the 1995 Walt Disney Productions triumph include Don Rickles as Mr. Potato Head, Jim Varney as Slinkey Dog, John Ratzenberger as Hamm the Pig and Annie Potts as Bo Peep. John Morris is Andy, the toys' owner, Laurie Metcalf is Mrs. Davis, his mother and Erik von Detten is Sid, the rotten kid next door. (9:00-11:00 p.m., ET) (Rebroadcast: ABC OAD: 9/28/97) FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11 "Last Man Standing" - "Gift of the Wise Man" - Mike, annoyed at how far his family has moved away from the true spirit of Christmas, tells them he doesn't want any physical gifts this year. Instead, he just wants each of them to perform a "good deed" for him. Meanwhile, Chuck is nominated to be Outdoor Man's in-store Santa for the season. (8:00-8:30 p.m.) "Dr. Ken" -- "The Master Scheduler" - When Allison gushes about how excited she is to go to Hawaii for the holidays, Ken realizes that he forgot to ask for those days off. So Ken, not wanting to admit he messed up, turns to lying, begging and bribing in hopes that the master scheduler for the office (with whom no one has ever met) can give him the time off. (8:30-9:00 p.m.) MONDAY, DECEMBER 14 "The Great Christmas Light Fight" - In each episode four families compete for a cash prize as they transform their homes into a festive wonderland for the holidays. (8:00- 10:00 p.m.) "The Great Holiday Baking Show" - Hosted by Nia Vardalos ("My Big Fat Greek Wedding") and husband Ian Gomez ("Cougar Town") "The Great Holiday Baking Show" stars some of the nation's best amateur bakers as they compete in a series of themed challenges and eliminations all hoping to be crowned Holiday Baking Champion. (10:00-11:00 p.m.) TUESDAY, DECEMBER 15 "Toy Story That Time Forgot" See Dec. 3 (8:00-8:30 p.m.) Repeat "Shrek The Halls" See Dec. 3 (8:30-9:00 p.m.) Repeat THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17 "Disney Prep & Landing" - Walt Disney Animation Studios brings you a half-hour holiday special tale of an elite unit of Elves known as Prep & Landing. After working tirelessly on Prep & Landing for 227 years, an elf named Wayne is upset when he doesn't receive an expected promotion to be the Director of Naughty List Intelligence. Instead, Magee, the North Pole Christmas Eve Command Center Coordinator (NPCECCC for short), partners Wayne with Lanny, an idealistic rookie who has an undying enthusiasm for Christmas. During their Christmas Eve mission, Wayne and Lanny encounter unexpected challenges that push them to their limits. Will the elves be able to guide Dasher, Dancer and the rest of the reindeer pulling Santa's sleigh through a raging snowstorm to ensure a Merry Christmas for all? (8:00-8:30 p.m., ET) (Rebroadcast - ABC OAD: 12/8/09) "Prep & Landing 2: Naughty vs. Nice" - The yuletide adventures of Christmas elves Lanny and Wayne continue. With the Big 2-5 fast approaching, Wayne and Lanny must race to recover classified North Pole technology that has fallen into the hands of a computer-hacking Naughty Kid! Desperate to prevent Christmas from descending into chaos, Wayne seeks out the foremost Naughty Kid expert to aid in the mission, a bombastic member of the Coal Elf Brigade who also happens to be his estranged brother, Noel. (8:30-9:00 p.m.) (Rebroadcast- ABC OAD: 12/5/11) FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18 "Yes, Virginia" - New York City, 1897. A little girl named Virginia O'Hanlon loves Christmas more than anything else in the world. But when a schoolyard bully challenges her belief in Santa Clause, Virginia embarks on a quest across the city to prove he is real. With her best friend Ollie in tow, Virginia meets everyone from an overeager librarian to a Scraggly Santa raising money for the poor. Finally, her father inspires her to write a letter to the New York Sun newspaper, claiming if you see it in the Sun, it's so. Based on the true story of the most famous newspaper editorial of all time, "Yes, Virginia" is a charming and heartwarming tale about believing in the true spirit of Christmas. This animated special features the voices of Neil Patrick Harris, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Michael Buscemi, Alfred Molina and Beatrice Miller. (8:30-9:00 p.m.) (Rebroadcast- ABC OAD: 12/11/09) SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19 "I Want A Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown!" - "I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown!" centers on ReRun, the lovable but ever-skeptical younger brother of Linus and Lucy. It's Christmas vacation and, as usual, ReRun's big sister is stressing him out, so he decides to turn to his best friend, Snoopy, for amusement and holiday cheer. However, his faithful but unpredictable beagle companion has plans of his own, giving ReRun reason to ask Snoopy to invite his canine brother, Spike, for a visit. The cast of "I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown!" includes Jimmy Bennett as ReRun, Adam Taylor Gordon as Charlie Brown, Ashley Rose Orr as Lucy Van Pelt, Corey Padnos as Linus Van Pelt, Hannah Leigh Dworkin as Sally, Nick Price as Schroeder, Jake Miner as Pig Pen/Franklin, Kaitlyn Maggio as the little girl and Bill Melendez as Snoopy. (8:00-9:00 p.m.) (Rebroadcast- ABC OAD: 12/9/03) MONDAY, DECEMBER 21 "The Great Christmas Light Fight" - SEASON FINALE - In each episode, four families compete for a cash prize as they transform their homes into a festive wonderland for the holidays. (8:00-10:00 p.m.) "The Great Holiday Baking Show" - SEASON FINALE- Hosted by Nia Vardalos ("My Big Fat Greek Wedding") and husband Ian Gomez ("Cougar Town") "The Great Holiday Baking Show" stars some of the nation's best amateur bakers as they compete in a series of themed challenges and eliminations all hoping to be crowned Holiday Baking Champion. (10:00-11:00 p.m.) THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24 "It's Your 50th Christmas, Charlie Brown" -- See Nov. 30 (8:00-9:00 p.m.) Repeat "A Charlie Brown Christmas" - See Nov. 30 (9:00-10:00 p.m.) Repeat FRIDAY, DECEMBER 25 "CMA Country Christmas" - See Dec. 3 (8:00-10:00 p.m.) Repeat MONDAY, DECEMBER 28 "Happy New Year, Charlie Brown" - The ABC Television Network and the PEANUTS gang will ring in the new year with the animated PEANUTS special, "Happy New Year, Charlie Brown," created by late cartoonist Charles M. Schulz, along with "She's a Good Skate, Charlie Brown." In "Happy New Year, Charlie Brown," the PEANUTS gang is ringing in 1986 and Marcie and Peppermint Patty are throwing a big New Year's Eve bash. Charlie Brown plans to celebrate the holiday by curling up with a big book that weighs nearly as much as he does, Tolstoy's War and Peace. The book's weight doesn't stop him from lugging it to Lucy's pre-party dance class, where he cuts a mean rug with a rollicking Patty. With just 1131 pages to go, Charlie Brown takes another break, this time for the party, and summons the courage to invite his true love, the little red-haired girl. She doesn't respond, but hapless Chuck shows up anyway - with Tolstoy in tow. Then, he settles down with the book - on a porch swing in a snowstorm, and in so doing, misses the evening's big surprise. In "She's a Good Skate, Charlie Brown," disaster strikes as Peppermint Patty heads to her first major ice-skating competition with coach Snoopy and faithful companion Marcie by her side. As always, the unassuming Woodstock flies in to save the day. (8:00-9:00 p.m.) (Rebroadcast- ABC OAD: 1/1/86) "Rudolph's Shiny New Year" - It's Rudolph to the rescue when Happy, the Baby New Year, goes missing, in "Rudolph's Shiny New Year," the classic Rankin/Bass stop-motion animated holiday special. Red Skelton narrates and voices Father Time, while Frank Gorshin and Morey Amsterdam also provide voices for characters. Father Time (voiced by narrator Red Skelton) asks the most famous reindeer of all, Rudolph, to find the next Baby New Year before midnight on New Year's Eve. (9:00-10:00 p.m.) (Rebroadcast- ABC OAD: 12/26/06) THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31 "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2016" - A stellar line-up of the year's top music artists performs during the biggest live music celebration of the year. The bi-coastal celebration will include hours of special performances and reports on New Year's celebrations from around the globe. Ryan Seacrest will host the traditional countdown to midnight from Times Square in New York City as he has for the last decade, and continues as an executive producer. (8:00-11:00 p.m.; 11:30 p.m.-2:13 a.m.) Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 16 Halloween Movies You Can Watch With Your Kids Posted: Who doesn't love a good scare? But you can't exactly sit down and watch "The Shining" or "The Exorcist" with young kids. (Well, you can but we're not paying the therapy bills.) Why not queue up family-friendly horror-comedies like "Hocus Pocus," "Casper" or "The Addams Family?" Here's our list of 16 movies you can watch with your kids (and not be bored silly).  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Kimmel and Conan Blast Donald Trump and Zachary Levi for Cancelling at Last Minute Posted:  Careful. If you cancel on a comedian, you get a free roast in your absence. Only "Jimmy Kimmel Live" and "Conan" are airing new shows this week, Fallon and the other late-night guys are on repeats, and both Jimmy Kimmel and Conan O'Brien saw their main Tuesday night guests cancel at the last minute.So the hosts did what all decent comedians would do -- they burned the guests behind their backs. Kimmel is in Brooklyn this week, and even though Donald Trump's team gave him about a day's notice to cancel, it's still a huge blow to lose Trump as a guest. Kimmel told the audience they're still confused as to what happened. "His people called late last night and canceled on us," said Kimmel (via The Hollywood Reporter). "They were cryptic as to why he canceled - they said he has a major political commitment. But he did want me to relay the message to you that if he had been here, he would have been great. ... I'm dying to find out what this major political commitment was. Usually, it means he had to go on CNN and call someone an idiot or something."  Kimmel also jokingly asked, "Why did he cancel? We told him there were cameras here, right?" Trump is supposed to be on the show at a later date, but Kimmel told his October 20 audience not to worry, "Tonight, we're going to give everyone in the audience a basketball dipped in cologne, so you can fully experience what it would have been like had Donald Trump been here."Nice. Tracy Morgan stepped in for Trump and he hung out with Jimmy at the zoo. Conan and Andy Richter also had fun talking about how Zachary Levi was supposed to be on "Conan" to promote "Heroes Reborn" but he canceled that day. Why? Conan said it's very unusual for a guest to cancel the day of the show. Zachary didn't have a political or other commitment, he just didn't get on the plane -- that they helpfully set up for him, Conan added. The actor had a flight that morning from Toronto that he was supposed to get on, and then he just didn't make it.  So Conan asked Andy, in his experience, if he misses a morning flight, what does that normally mean for him? Andy: "I drank too much and overslept." Conan: "Yes!" Conan said he was curious, so he asked others in the studio (including a stray dog) the same question and got the same answer. So basically they're just assuming Zachary Levi got drunk and overslept.Conan: "Well it's too bad, because since I began on television in 1993, I've been planning all this time to honor my show's 10,267th guest. See, that's a sacred number in both Aztec and Irish culture. So this was going to be a huge deal." Andy said he's been talking about it for years. Conan said they had some amazing prizes lined up for Zachary, including a multi-million villa off the Amalfi Coast. Since Gabrielle Union actually did show up, she got all the prizes ... except the stray dog. Check it out: Basically, both hosts made lemonade out of the lemons they were dealt. And at least Zachary had the grace to make fun of himself for his boo-boo. Here's Zachary apologizing and promoting Conan's show: Here's a roundup of what did happen last night on the late night circuit, thanks to the guests that bothered to show up. Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Michael J. Fox Is Crazy-Good With a Guitar in This 'Back to the Future' Clip Posted: The only person better on the guitar than Marty McFly? The actor who plays him. Just in time for "Back to the Future" Day (October 21), Universal has released rare behind-the-scenes footage where Michael J. Fox shows off his scary-good electric guitar skills. He even impresses Huey Lewis! (Insert "The Power of Love" music sting here.) Watch the clip now!  "Back to the Future 30th Anniversary Trilogy" is available to own now on Blu-ray & DVD. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Here's Why 'Back to the Future's' DeLorean Is the Best Time Machine Ever Posted: Everyone's favorite time machine on four wheels was almost a refrigerator. "Back to the Future" director and co-writer Robert Zemeckis originally intended to have Marty and Doc Brown travel to 1955 by way of an ice box. So why did he change his mind? Watch the video to find out.  "Back to the Future 30th Anniversary Trilogy" is available to own now on Blu-ray & DVD. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Watch 'Back to the Future' Composer Alan Silvestri Make Movie History Posted: The only thing as iconic as "Back to the Future" is its theme music. "Alan Silvestri totally understood what we were after," said co-writer and producer Bob Gale in a recent interview celebrating the best time-travel movie ever made.  In honor of "Back to the Future Day" (October 21, according to our DeLorean's time circuits), here's a clip showing rare footage of Silvestri scoring the film and conducting the orchestra responsible for one of best movie themes in the history of always."Back to the Future 30th Anniversary Trilogy" is available to own now on Blu-ray & DVD.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Why Marlene King Shot Down ABC Family's 'Now and Then' TV Series Posted:  Everything '80s or '90s seems to be getting a reboot nowadays, for better or worse, and the 1995 coming-of-age movie "Now and Then" almost had its own TV series. "Pretty Little Liars" boss Marlene King wrote the movie, which starred Christina Ricci, Thora Birch, Gaby Hoffmann and Ashleigh Aston Moore in the 1970s-set "Then" roles, and Rosie O'Donnell, Demi Moore, Rita Wilson, and Melanie Griffith in the "Now" section.Marlene talked to Entertainment Weekly about the making of the film, including how Leonardo DiCaprio was originally cast in the Vietnam vet role that went to Brendan Fraser -- and discussed what went wrong with the TV series that was in development at one point. Here's what she had to say about that: EW asked if Marlene thought about where the characters would be now, if she did return to the "Now and Then" world. It sounds like she's happy to revisit these characters, she just wants it to stay in the '70s, or at least in a world before texting and the Internet and all that. As she put it: Do you think "Now and Then" would be good to revisit as a TV series? If so, should they stick to the '70s for the "then" part or would it be all right for '90s kids to relive their own childhoods? ABC Family is definitely aiming young (see their whole name change) so we can't see them ever focusing on the '70s, but maybe another network would pick up the idea. Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 'Back to the Future': 30 Things You (Probably) Didn't Know About the Time-Travel Classic Posted:  Since its release 30 years ago, "Back to the Future" has been everyone's favorite time-travel movie. It's remained a must-see long enough for Marty McFly's own kids to enjoy it.Even so, there's much you may not know about the beloved sci-fi comedy, from the unused ideas that popped up in other films, to why there has yet to (thankfully) be a reboot. To celebrate Back to the Future Day (October 21), here are 30 things you need to know about Marty McFly's first trip through time. "Back to the Future 30th Anniversary Trilogy" is available to own now on Blu-ray & DVD.  1. Director Robert Zemeckis and co-screenwriter Bob Gale (pictured above) tried for years to create a time-travel story. The key came in 1980, when Gale was looking over his father's high school yearbook and wondered whether he and his father would have been friends if they'd both been teenagers at the same time.2. Zemeckis and Gale took their idea to Steven Spielberg, who'd already made three movies with them ("I Wanna Hold Your Hand," "1941," and "Used Cars"). Spielberg liked the idea, but the pair held off, fearing that they'd get a reputation in Hollywood as filmmakers who only got work because of their relationship with Spielberg. 3. According to Gale, the pair pitched the script 40 times without success. Disney rejected the idea as too Oedipal. Columbia, on the other hand, felt the film wasn't sexy enough. (This was the era of "Porky's" and the teen sex comedy.) Only after Zemeckis had a hit on his own, his 1984 work-for-hire "Romancing the Stone," did the director have the clout to get "Back to the Future" made -- at Universal, with Spielberg producing. 4. Then-Universal chief Sid Sheinberg wanted the heroine's mother renamed Lorraine, after his wife, "Jaws" star Lorraine Gary. He also wanted the film's title changed to "Spaceman from Pluto," reportedly believing that no film with the word "future" in the title could be a hit. Zemeckis and Gale accepted the first request but rejected the second. 5. Marty McFly was named after a production assistant Zemeckis and Gale had known on the set of "Used Cars."  6. Bullying villain Biff Tannen (Thomas F. Wilson, pictured) was named for Ned Tanen, a studio executive Zemeckis and Gale had clashed with during the making of "Used Cars."7. To play Marty, the filmmakers wanted Michael J. Fox, but he was unavailable due to his commitment to his hit NBC sitcom, "Family Ties." Instead, they hired Eric Stoltz, fresh from his star-making dramatic performance in "Mask." As the shoot progressed, however, it became clear to the filmmakers that Stoltz wasn't working out. His performance was too "heavy" and lacked the comic energy they were looking for. Five weeks into the shoot, Zemeckis made the painful decision to fire the actor and replace him with Fox, who had arranged to shoot "Family Ties" during the day and "Back to the Future" at night. You can see some of the extant footage of Stoltz as Marty, along with the filmmakers discussing his firing, in this video. 8. Crispin Glover, who played Marty's father, is actually three years younger than Fox. 9. Christopher Lloyd landed the role of Marty's inventor pal, Doc Brown, beating out his "Buckaroo Banzai" co-star John Lithgow, as well as Dudley Moore and Jeff Goldblum. 10. Einstein, Doc's dog and the time machine's first test pilot, was originally written as a chimp. 11. Lea Thompson was cast as Marty's mother because the filmmakers liked her chemistry with Stoltz in the movie "The Wild Life."  12. Yes, that's Billy Zane (far left), in his first feature role, as one of teenage Biff's thug pals.13. Melora Hardin, best known for playing Jan on NBC's "The Office," was originally cast as Marty's girlfriend, Jennifer. It would have been a big break for her, but before she'd shot a single scene, Stoltz was fired, and she was fired too because she was so much taller than Fox. Claudia Wells was hired in her place. 14. The famous Hill Valley clock tower, so pivotal to the plot, stands on Courthouse Square, a set on the Universal backlot that's been used in such famous films as "To Kill a Mockingbird" and the Spielberg-produced "Gremlins." After its use in the "BTTF" trilogy, it popped up again on TV's "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and in the movie "Bruce Almighty." 15. Originally, Gale's time machine was a stationary box -- a refrigerator, in fact. To harness the power needed to make it travel through time, there was to be a scene where the fridge (with Marty inside), was taken to a nuclear test site in Nevada, where Doc Brown would somehow capture the energy from an atomic explosion. Zemeckis ultimately rejected this idea, fearing that impressionable kids would accidentally lock themselves in refrigerators and suffocate. But producer Spielberg liked the fridge-nuking idea enough to use it 23 years later in "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull." 16. Instead, Zemeckis came up with the idea of a mobile time machine, which led to the idea of using a DeLorean. The gull-wing-door car, already something of a time capsule joke even in 1985, was ideal, Zemeckis figured, because it could easily be mistaken for a flying saucer. 17. The filmmakers had a product-placement deal with Pepsi (there's even a Pepsi Free joke written into the script). The cola bottler objected to a similar joke about Tab (a product of rival soda maker Coca-Cola), but the filmmakers refused to cut it.  18. For Marty's all-important rock 'n' roll performance at the school dance, Fox learned to mimic the guitar moves with his hands, but his showboating solo was dubbed by guitarist Tim May. His vocals were dubbed by singer Mark Campbell of Jack Mack and the Heart Attack.19. Remarkably, there are only 32 special-effects shots in the movie. 20. "Back to the Future" cost $19 million to make, including the $3 million spent on re-shooting the Stoltz footage. 21. Zemeckis was worried that the movie's box office would suffer because Fox was unavailable to promote it, having to be in London shooting a "Family Ties" special. 22. In fact, the film earned $211 million and became the top-grossing movie of 1985.  23. The film was No. 1 on the box office charts for 11 of 12 weeks throughout the summer of 1985. (It was knocked out of the top spot once, by "National Lampoon's European Vacation," but then it returned.)24. "Future" was nominated for four Oscars. It won the prize for Best Sound Effects Editing. It was also nominated for Best Original Screenplay, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Original Song, for Huey Lewis' "The Power of Love." 25. President Ronald Reagan was a fan of the film, even appreciating Doc's joke at his expense. Six months after the film's release, during the 1986 State of the Union address, Reagan quoted Doc's famous line: "Where we're going, we don't need roads." 26. Claudia Wells dropped out of the sequels, reportedly to take care of her cancer-stricken mother, which is why she was replaced with Elisabeth Shue.  27. Crispin Glover also didn't appear in the sequels because of a salary dispute. Glover claims he was being given less than half of what the other principals were being offered. He also has said he believes his notoriously demented guest appearance on "Late Night with David Letterman" scared the filmmakers away. Nonetheless, he eventually reconciled with Zemeckis and played Grendel in the director's motion-capture epic, "Beowulf."28. For his stand-up comedy performances, Tom Wilson composed a song that answers all the annoying questions people have asked him whenever they recognize him as Biff. 29. Zemeckis and Gale are preparing a stage musical version of "Back to the Future," due to premiere in London later this year. 30. As far as a film reboot is concerned, however, Zemeckis and Gale have said it will happen over their dead bodies. They mean that literally, as they made sure their Universal contract stipulated that no one could remake the film while either of them is still alive. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Best of Late Night TV: 'Star Wars' Fans Attempt Football, Jay Z's Embarrassing Rap Clip Posted:  If you're like us and value your sleep, you probably nodded off into your Ambien dreamland before the party started on post-prime time TV. Don't worry; we've got you covered. Here's the best of what happened last night on late night. Since the new "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" trailer dropped during "Monday Night Football," Conan O'Brien said two million "Star Wars" fans watched their very first football game. So, Conan joked, a lot of those fans now love football as much as "Star Wars." On Tuesday night, he showed footage from "a local pickup game" with "Star Wars" fans dressed in character, initially playing football with a basketball. Best part: When they break out a football but keep it in its original packaging "so it won't decrease in value." Perfect! Jimmy Kimmel is in Brooklyn this week and Donald Trump was supposed to be on the show Tuesday night, but he canceled and rescheduled for another time. Tracy Morgan replaced Trump -- upgrade? -- and Tracy, Jimmy, and Guillermo toured the Bronx Zoo. Most of the late night guys were on repeats, except for Conan, and he had a similar issue with one of his own booked guests. Zachary Levi was supposed to be on the show but missed his flight. Conan said it's very rare for a guest to cancel on the day of the show, not a day or so in advance, and not because of another event. Zachary missed his flight out of Toronto that morning. He just didn't get on the flight. Conan sounded upset, assuming Zachary drank too much and overslept. Most of Jimmy Kimmel's time was spent with Jay Z, who basically owns Brooklyn. Jay talked about Brooklyn, TIDAL, being a sports agent, and his rap battle with Busta Rhymes in high school. Jimmy broke out an old rapping clip of Jay's -- maybe his first TV appearance -- and Jay laughed and said "That was embarrassing." And in honor of Jay's "99 Problems," Kimmel's team hit the streets to get "99 Problems from 99 People." It's kind of a great segment. We all have something going on, even if most of our "problems" are ridiculous. Gabrielle Union was also a guest on "Conan" and she, apparently, made her flight. Here she is talking about her unfortunate camping trip. She thought she signed up for "glamping" but there was no luxury at the campsite. Her husband (Dwyane Wade) wanted a valet. They did not want critters or lack of electricity. Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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