Latest Movie News From Moviefone |
- Ricky Gervais Will Return to Host the 2016 Golden Globes
- Disney's 'Zootopia' Unveils Star-Studded Voice Cast
- Gordon Ramsay Swears at 'MasterChef Junior' Kids in 'Hell's Kitchen' Mashup
- Did (SPOILER) Really Die on 'The Walking Dead'? Let's Discuss
- What's New on TV, Netflix Streaming, Digital, and DVD/Blu-ray This Week: October 26-November 1
- Top 10 Channing Tatum Performances That Give Us Life
- 27 Sci-Fi Movie Mistakes That Only a Time Machine Can Fix
- Jared Leto: Playing The Joker in 'Suicide Squad' Was 'Very Painful'
- New 'Sherlock' Special Gets Theatrical Release (With Bonus Footage)
- Piers Morgan Trolls Fans With Scathing 'Star Wars Sucks' Rant
- Reese Witherspoon: Now Is the Perfect Time to Make 'Legally Blonde 3'
- Kristen Wiig Responds to 'Surprising' 'Ghostbusters' Backlash
- The Top 21 Horror Movie Villains, Ranked
- Here Are the 'Dancing With the Stars: Live!' Winter 2015-2016 Tour Dates
- Jimmy Fallon Falls Again, Heads to Hospital After Injuring Other Hand
- What's Behind This Weekend's Box Office Slump?
- 'The Walking Dead' Season 6, Episode 3 Recap: Thanks for Nothing
| Ricky Gervais Will Return to Host the 2016 Golden Globes Posted:  The Golden Globes are going back to a familiar face to host their next telecast, tapping comedian Ricky Gervais for the gig.Gervais, who hosted the show back-to-back-to-back in 2010, 2011, and 2012, will once again emcee the program when it airs on NBC in January. The network made the stealth announcement on Monday afternoon with a cryptic tweet from the official Golden Globes account, writing, "He's Back" over a silhouetted figure; the Peacock then released a statement confirming that that figure was indeed Gervais. "We're excited to have Ricky Gervais back to host the most enjoyable awards show of the season in his own inimitable way," said NBC Entertainment Chairman Robert Greenblatt in the statement. "Disarming and surprising, Ricky is ready to honor - and send up - the best work of the year in film and television. Fasten your seats belts." Audiences are already quite familiar with Gervais's shtick, so it's kind of surprising that NBC would dip into that same well again. And following Amy Poehler and Tina Fey's wildly popular subsequent three-year reign of their own after Gervais's run, we're a little disappointed that the network would go with a host we've seen so much of before. Then again, the Globes pride themselves as the biggest party in Hollywood, where TV and movie stars can mingle and the booze flows freely. If anyone is qualified to head such an event, it's Gervais. Check out his fourth round as host when the Golden Globes air on NBC on January 10, 2016. [via: Golden Globes, TheWrap] Photo credit: Getty Images This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Disney's 'Zootopia' Unveils Star-Studded Voice Cast Posted:  Not much intel had been revealed before about Disney's "Zootopia," the animation studio's next big flick, due out in the spring. But now, we finally know just who will be starring in the film's voice cast, and the list is filled with big names.USA Today has unveiled both the movie's main characters and the actors behind them, and they include Oscar winners (Octavia Spencer and J.K. Simmons), action stars (Idris Elba), comics (Tommy Chong and Jenny Slate), and seasoned voice actors (Alan Tudyk and Bonnie Hunt) alike. Here's a rundown of who's who in the ensemble:
Sounds like a promising group. For more photos of the characters, check out USA Today. "Zootopia" is due in theaters on March 4. [via: USA Today] Photo credit: Disney/USA Today This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Gordon Ramsay Swears at 'MasterChef Junior' Kids in 'Hell's Kitchen' Mashup Posted:  Gordon Ramsay may play the villain in shows like "Hell's Kitchen," but when it comes to the kid contestants on "MasterChef Junior," he's sweet as pie. But what if he treated those pint-sized chefs the same as their adult counterparts? The results would be f--king hilarious, as a new, NSFW mashup video proves.The clip in question layers uncensored, obscenity-laced tirades that Gordon has delivered on "Hell's Kitchen" with shots from "MasterChef Junior," and the way the editing works, you could swear that Ramsay was swearing in these upset children's faces. As the contestants scramble to chop, stir, souffle, shred, and serve, Ramsay's voice is the background constantly berating them. One floppy-haired blond boy in particular seems like he's about to have a nervous breakdown as Ramsay's screams intensify. "What's so f--king complicated?!" Ramsay shouts as the poor kid tries desperately to stir a sauce, grate an onion, and peel a potato. A young girl sadly puts her head down on a table in defeat as Ramsay screams, "Take your jacket, and f--k off!" Now, of course, we'd never condone actually screaming such horrifying things to children in real life. That would be beyond cruel and inappropriate. That being said, you have to admit that this mashup is pretty f--king brilliant. Check it out below. Photo credit: Getty Images for Vegas Uncork'd This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Did (SPOILER) Really Die on 'The Walking Dead'? Let's Discuss Posted:  If you watched last night's episode of "The Walking Dead," you've probably already cycled through the five stages of grief once or twice or thrice. But the last stage, acceptance, seems to be where many fans of the show have gotten stuck since then, and according to a couple theories floating around -- not to mention the ambiguous words of the show's producers -- there's a good reason for that.For the first time this season, I received an advance screener of this week's episode, and was able to watch and write my recap before the show aired on Sunday night. When I saw what happened to Glenn, it seemed pretty obvious to me that he was dead. After all, Nicholas -- who had just shot himself in the head -- had taken Glenn down with him as he tumbled off that dumpster and into the hungry herd below them. Then, there was a fairly gratuitous shot of the walkers feasting on Glenn's innards, pulling organs out left and right and sending lots of blood oozing, as Glenn screamed in horror and pain, his face awash with anguish as he watched himself be consumed. Except. Except that, apparently, that maybe wasn't what I saw at all. As I tuned in to "Talking Dead" after last night's episode aired, eager to see what people were saying about Glenn's death, and perhaps to hear from the man who played him, Steven Yeun, I was greeted by a grim Chris Hardwicke, who kept talking about "what happened," never explicitly saying that Glenn had died. Glenn was notably missing from the show's "In Memoriam" segment, and Yeun was suspiciously absent from the guest couch. And then, showrunner Scott M. Gimple sent over a statement about the episode that made things even more confusing. "Dear fans of 'The Walking Dead,'" Gimple's statement began, "this is a hard story to tell, and when we were planning to tell it we knew our friends over at 'Talking Dead' would be talking to you about it. And knowing you'd all be talking, and feeling, and commiserating, I knew we should say something about it, lest our silence say something we didn't mean to say, or not say. So I will say this: In some way, we will see Glenn, some version of Glenn, or parts of Glenn again, either in flashback or in the current story, to help complete the story." Gimple's strange statement implies that there were numerous ways to read last night's episode, and that Glenn could, in fact, still be alive. It never once crossed my mind that what happened was ambiguous at all -- it seemed pretty clear that Glenn was dead, especially since the show made great pains to use that clever "dumbass" callback to season one, effectively bringing his character full-circle. But apparently, there's something else from season one that could also be in play here: the use of zombie guts to disguise the smell of humans. The device has been deployed twice now on the show, first when Glenn and Rick drench themselves in innards to escape from a horde in Atlanta back in season one, and then again, when Carol did the same in the season five premiere. It could, theoretically, be possible for Glenn to have survived his harrowing ordeal if Nicholas's body landed on top of him when they fell into the waiting walkers, and the zombies were feasting on Nicholas instead of him. Then, soaked in Nicholas's blood, he'd go undetected by the zombies; all he'd have to do it wait for them to shamble off somewhere else, then he could slide out and make his escape. I see a couple problems with this version of events: First, yes, Nicholas killed himself, so he was already dead when he took Glenn down with him. But were those few seconds enough time for his blood to change from human-smelling to (un)dead-smelling, enough so that that would effectively mask and protect Glenn? I'm not so sure. Then, of course, there's the fact that a horde of hungry walkers probably aren't going to stop chowing down on Nicholas's dead body immediately after they reach its end, but before Glenn's body begins -- and there's bound to a few undead folks who continue eating even when Nicholas is no more, right? If you can suspend your disbelief enough to discount both of those scenarios (and considering you're a fan of a show about zombies, there's a good chance you're already skilled at belief suspension), then sure, it's possible that Glenn's alive. And the fact that he's one of the core characters of the series would certainly indicate that it wasn't quite his time to go yet. After all, we haven't lost a member of our season one gang since Andrea's death way back in season three; at this point, anyone from those early days is considered sacred, and their death would send enormous shockwaves not only through the fan community, but through the rest of the survivors on the show. Therein lies the problem, though. We as viewers have already started to process, in some way, that Glenn is gone. Pulling a 180 now would cause a lot of whiplash, and honestly, I'd feel a little cheated. Sure, I liked Glenn a lot, and thought what happened to him was just plain stupid. I'll miss him, if he's truly dead. But these characters cannot be completely untouchable; there's no drama if every one of our original survivors is never truly in danger. But more so, this forced ambiguity has really just put Gimple and co. in the impossible situation of getting fans' hopes up to the point that they're going to be incredibly dashed no matter what happens. If Glenn's death was a fakeout, then they've already shown their hand, and the suspense and surprise of a potential return is ruined. (Similarly, if he somehow makes a Sophia-style cameo as a zombie, again, the drama of that moment is lost and gone forever.) And if he's truly gone, they've just created false hope in an attempt to drum up controversy. There's been a big show made of the fact that next week's episode is a 90-minute installment, and one of my Facebook friends cynically suggested that perhaps they've been so vague about Glenn because they want viewers to tune in live, and see whether he makes his big return (in whatever form that takes). My friend may not be wrong. As Alan Sepinwall points out, shows like "Talking Dead" make it pretty much impossible for ambiguity on television these days, since everything is immediately dissected and it's demanded that the creators explain themselves. (Uh, not that you should stop reading my recaps or anything, though. That type of dissection is good!) Gimple and co. may be hemming and hawing here because they don't want to discourage people from watching altogether. But their non-explanation explanation is maddening; those who didn't question what they saw now don't trust their own judgment (that would be me), and those who've been desperately searching for an alternative answer are still scratching their heads. Whatever happens next week (or whenever Glenn's fate is next addressed), I'll still continue to tune in, because I'm invested in these characters and am curious to see what happens to them. But this week's debate may change just how much I enjoy it. Photo credit: Gene Page/AMC This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| What's New on TV, Netflix Streaming, Digital, and DVD/Blu-ray This Week: October 26-November 1 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 "Southpaw" Jake Gyllenhaal beefed up big-time to play reigning junior middleweight boxing champion Billy "The Great" Hope (Jake Gyllenhaal) in this sports drama from writer Kurt Sutter and director Antoine Fuqua. When tragedy strikes, Billy hits rock bottom and finds a savior in Forest Whitaker's Tick Willis, a former fighter who trains the toughest amateur boxers. The DVD includes the featurette "Southpaw: Inside the Ring." The Blu-ray has that, plus deleted scenes, a Q&A with the cast, and an extended training montage. "The Gift" Jason Bateman and Rebecca Hall play a young couple whose world is turned upside down after a run-in with an old high school acquaintance (Joel Edgerton) in this critically acclaimed psychological thriller, out on Blu-ray, DVD, Digital HD and on Demand October 27. Both the DVD and Blu-ray include an alternate ending, deleted scenes, "Karma for Bullies," "The Darker Side of Jason Bateman," and feature commentary with writer/director Joel Edgerton. "Army of Darkness" The "Army of Darkness Collector's Edition" is out October 27, just in time for the Halloween premiere of "Ash vs. Evil Dead" (see below). This special three-disc Blu-ray set includes the theatrical cut, the director's cut (with 15 more minutes of footage), the international cut and the TV version. There's a heap of bonus content, including new interviews with star and co-producer Bruce Campbell and the cast, special make-up effect artists Howard Berger, Tony Gardner, Robert Kurtzman, and Greg Nicotero, audio commentary, alternate and deleted scenes and more. New Video on Demand, Rental Streaming, and Digital Only  "Mr. Holmes"Sir Ian McKellen plays an aging, retired Sherlock Holmes in this drama set in 1947, with the world's most famous detective facing the end of his life -- and diminishing mental capacity -- as he tries to remember his final case. Laura Linney and Milo Parker co-star in the Bill Condon film, out on Digital HD October 27, before the Blu-ray/DVD release on November 10. "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." It's the Cold War and Henry Cavill's CIA agent and Armie Hammer's KGB agent must check their hostilities and work together to stop a mysterious criminal organization from using nuclear weapons to upset the delicate balance of power between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. Alicia Vikander, Jared Harris and Hugh Grant co-star in the Guy Ritchie action comedy. It's out on Digital HD October 27, ahead of the DVD/Blu-ray release November 17. Bond movies (Hulu) Hulu is making (nearly) the entire James Bond film catalog available as of November 1, in celebration of the upcoming opening of "Spectre." Check out the full list. Definitely worth an extended binge, if you're a Hulu subscriber. New on Netflix  "August: Osage County"There's nothing like somebody else's dysfunctional family to make you feel better about your own clan. This star-studded 2013 movie, based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning play, comes to Netflix October 27. When their father dies, three sisters (Julia Roberts, Juliette Lewis, Julianne Nicholson) come to the home of their mother (Meryl Streep) for a very tense funeral. Co-stars Ewan McGregor, Chris Cooper, Benedict Cumberbatch, Margo Martindale, and Abigail Breslin. "Seven Deadly Sins" Netflix is launching its second exclusive anime TV series on November 1. It's based on the Japanese graphic novels telling the story of seven knights outlawed for allegedly conspiring to overthrow their king. Each knight has a different personality tied to a different sin. Netflix's first anime exclusive series was "Knights of Sidonia" and a third series, "Ajin: A Demi-Human," is scheduled to launch next year. Check out the "Seven Deadly Sins" trailer: "The Last Time You Had Fun" When was the last time you had fun? That's the title of this 2014 dramedy, coming to Netflix November 1, following two women and two men who meet at a wine bar and struggle to have the most fun that four bickering adults can have. Stars Eliza Coupe, Kyle Bornheimer, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, Demetri Martin, Charlyne Yi, and Jimmi Simpson. TV Worth Watching  "Supergirl" (Monday on CBS at 8:30 p.m.)The world doesn't have just one hero anymore. Now it has Superman's cousin, Kara Zor-El (Melissa Benoist), who escaped the doomed planet Krypton and now works for media mogul Cat Grant (Calista Flockhart) in National City. Watch her story begin when the pilot premieres October 26. "Ash vs Evil Dead" (Saturday on Starz at 9 p.m.) That groovy national treasure Bruce Campbell is returning to his roots in this horror comedy TV series created by the actor and the "Evil Dead" genius himself, Sam Raimi. It's a sequel to "The Evil Dead," "Evil Dead II" and "Army of Darkness." Raimi directed the premiere episode, called "El Jefe," and it debuts -- appropriately enough -- on Halloween night. "Halloween" (Saturday alllll daaayyy looonnnggg) If you're looking for other Halloween programming, beyond "Ash vs. Evil Dead," AMC is airing "Halloween" sequel reruns all day long, IFC is going with a "Nightmare on Elm Street" marathon, ABC Family has spooky programming, from "Poltergeist" to "Hocus Pocus," BBC America is airing "The Exorcist" on Saturday morning (the power of Christ compels you to watch!), and the History Channel has "Haunted History," among other options. Just in case you want something fun on in the background between trick-or-treaters at the door. Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Top 10 Channing Tatum Performances That Give Us Life Posted:  Channing Tatum isn't just a downright delightful human, he's also an awesome actor. Whether he's starring in a drama, a dance movie, or a comedy, he's always delivering. These are Tatum's 10 roles that really stand out. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 27 Sci-Fi Movie Mistakes That Only a Time Machine Can Fix Posted: A big budget doesn't always guarantee a perfect movie -- especially when special effects are involved. Some of the biggest sci-fi movies of the past four decades are littered with plot holes, continuity errors, and, in some cases, blatant gaffes. For all you purists out there, here's a roundup of some of the sci-fi genre's most noticeable movie mistakes. As usual, all photos are courtesy of MovieMistakes.com.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Jared Leto: Playing The Joker in 'Suicide Squad' Was 'Very Painful' Posted:  Jared Leto got a little more R-rated than just "very painful" when explaining how it felt to play The Joker in "Suicide Squad," the DC Comics movie coming out in July 2016.Jared opened up to Empire Magazine in his first interview on the subject, first joking (via CBM) that "the Joker would probably just say 'F--k you' and hang up." But Jared didn't hang up, he talked about listening to 1920s gospel music and reading literature on shamans while playing the role. He also apparently called co-star Jim Parrack (Jonny Frost) with orders to do things like spray-paint roses black and fill a backpack with nails. Here's more from Jared: !!! That should be the new standard for male actor pain. The deep dive part is not a surprise, since co-star Will Smith said he still hasn't even met Jared, he's only met The Joker. Jared continued: Director David Ayer also gushed about Jared's performance, calling The Joker "the third rail of comic book movies" but "by some freaking miracle, through the incredible things Jared has done and the photography and all the other millions of things that went into it, we've cooked up something transcendent. He's scary." Nice. Empire also shared a bunch of new photos. The one above, with Margot Robbie's Harley and the Joker, is from David Ayer himself, who tweeted with the shot, "Time for a little thereapy @MargotRobbie @JaredLeto #skwad." The magazine also included a description of a scene from the movie. Here's the rundown from CBM: Read more here. Sound (and look) good so far? "Suicide Squad" will be released August 5, 2016. Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| New 'Sherlock' Special Gets Theatrical Release (With Bonus Footage) Posted:  The idea may seem elementary (sorry), but "Sherlock" has never had a theatrical release before now. The upcoming Victorian-era special, "Sherlock: The Abominable Bride," will get a limited release in U.S. and U.K. theaters after it premieres on TV this January.The BBC and PBS Masterpiece revealed, over the weekend, that the special will air on TV on Friday, January 1, 2016. This is the first time both the U.S. and the U.K. are sharing a premiere date. (The Special Relationship at work!) According to Entertainment Weekly the movie will then be in theaters for two days, on Tuesday, January 5 and Wednesday, January 6. If you head out to the theater to see "The Abominable Bride," the episode comes with 20 minutes of additional footage, including a guided set tour of 221B Baker Street and a short "making-of" feature with stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman. It's like getting a Blu-ray copy of the episode in the theater as it airs. The special is expected to play at more than 500 theaters across the U.S., and tickets will be available starting on November 6. A regular "Sherlock" Season 4 is also expected to start in early 2016. Check out the new trailer: What do you think? Will you try and see this (with the bonus footage) in a theater or just watch it at home? Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Piers Morgan Trolls Fans With Scathing 'Star Wars Sucks' Rant Posted:  The Dark Side is taking over the Internet, feeding trolls like Piers Morgan, who wrote a grumpy old man/get off my lawn anti-"Star Wars" rant for the Daily Mail Online after the "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" trailer dropped. The post is focused not only on his confusion about the popularity of the franchise but his insistence that no one really likes "Star Wars" that much, we're all just falling for the hype -- except for him! He's smart enough to see past the PR machine, unlike the rest of us. [Insert eye roll]Here's an excerpt from his smug, hipster-esque boast about being so un-hip: The post has more than 1,200 comments at this point, with some fans agreeing with him and others using his own words against him. As one wrote, "Ironically, 'overrated' 'Overhyped' and 'sucked' were all words critics used to describe Piers CNN show." It seems pretty clear (that he's a stuck-up, half-witted, scruffy-looking nerf herder Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Reese Witherspoon: Now Is the Perfect Time to Make 'Legally Blonde 3' Posted:  Elle Woods for president? If Donald Trump can run, the door is open for all kinds of characters, including the "Legally Blonde" lawyer, who does have some successful D.C. experience from "Red, White, & Blonde."Reese Witherspoon was recently a guest on "Fashionably Late with Rachel Zoe," and a fan asked for her take on making "Legally Blonde 3." Reese starred in the first two movies, in 2001 and 2003, and then left the franchise, but she sounded enthusiastic about the idea of returning: The audience cheered, and she added, "I think we're ready to see Elle and see what she's up to lately. That said, I don't know! Call MGM, I have no idea." So there's no actual sequel in the works, but she's right -- 2016 would be a good time to revisit Elle Woods and see whether she'd be running for president, helping someone behind-the-scenes, or doing ... whatever the heck she would be doing more than a decade after we last saw Reese in the role. Elle would be a young president, but since Reese is 39, that's old enough for the job. Watch the discussion in the video below. What do you think? Should they pick up Elle's story for a new movie or leave it alone? Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Kristen Wiig Responds to 'Surprising' 'Ghostbusters' Backlash Posted:  Plenty of fans are excited for the new "Ghostbusters" reboot, starring Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones. But others are upset because the original series was just fine on its own for years and they don't understand why a new movie is being made now. Fair enough. But still other critics seem chiefly ticked off by the idea of rebooting the franchise with an all-female cast. That launched eyes rolling about "PC" and "feminism" and "gimmick," etc. That train easily derails into ugly fighting in the comments.Director Paul Feig has been fielding positive and negative feedback on Twitter, but Kristen Wiig weighed in on the backlash in a new interview with the L.A. Times. Here's that part of the Q&A: It is kind of a bummer, especially when some critics have shared extremely angry reactions to something they have yet to see and -- breaking news! -- never have to see if they don't want to. Speaking for ourselves, we're excited to check out the new "Ghostbusters," and the cameos from most of the OGs, when the movie opens July 15, 2016. Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The Top 21 Horror Movie Villains, Ranked Posted: Jason Voorhees didn't start out as much of a horror villain; after all, in the initial "Friday the 13th" (released 35 years ago this week, on May 9, 1980), he had to have his mother do all his dirty work. But over the course of countless sequels, the seemingly unkillable, hockey-masked slasher worked hard, paid his dues, and became one of the all-time greats. What does it take, after all, to be a great horror movie villain? A franchise helps, since you get to rack up the body count, but it should really be about quality, not quantity. Are you scary? Do you haunt the dreams of moviegoers after they leave the theater? Do they yearn for you to return and scare them again? Those ought to be the tests. With that in mind, here's our ranking of the best horror movie villains. Aspiring ghouls reading this who want to become the next Jason: you've got your work cut out for you.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Here Are the 'Dancing With the Stars: Live!' Winter 2015-2016 Tour Dates Posted:  For "Dancing With the Stars" fans, the only thing more fun than watching the pros dance on TV every Monday night is watching them in person on tour. DWTS is making these winter and summer tours a tradition, and ABC just announced the dates for "Dancing with the Stars: Live! - Dance All Night Tour." The 90-minute live show is heading to 43 cities across the U.S., starting December 15 in Salt Lake City, UT, and running through February 14. (Valentine's Day with Val? Yes, please.)So far, the cast includes pro dancers Lindsay Arnold, Alan Bersten, Sharna Burgess, Brittany Cherry, Artem Chigvintsev, Valentin Chmerkovskiy, Jenna Johnson, Keo Motsepe, Peta Murgatroyd and Emma Slater, but ABC said more cast members will be announced. (Expect whoever wins Season 21 to be on the tour, and Bindi Irwin, if she isn't already the winner.) Tickets are on sale today at dwtstour.com. Here are the tour dates: Dec 15: Salt Lake City, UT (Maverik Center) Dec 16: Colorado Springs, CO (Pikes Peak Center) Dec 17: Denver, CO (Bellco Theater) Dec 18: Kansas City, MO (Arvest Bank Theater at Midland) Dec 20: Houston, TX (Bayou Music Center) Dec 23: Los Angeles, CA (Microsoft Theatre) Dec 27: New Orleans, LA (Saenger Theater) Dec 28: Nashville, TN (Ryman Auditorium) Dec 29: Birmingham, AL (BJCC Concert Hall) Dec 30: Shreveport, LA (Municipal Auditorium) Dec 31: Atlanta, GA (Cobb Energy PAC) Jan 2: Niagara Falls, NY (Seneca Niagara Casino) Jan 3: Verona, NY (Turning Stone Event Center Theater) Jan 5: White Plains, NY (Westchester County Center) Jan 6: New York, NY (Beacon Theater) Jan 7: Boston, MA (Shubert Theatre) Jan 8: Uncasville, CT (Mohegan Sun) Jan 10: Bethlehem, PA (Sands Bethlehem) Jan 12: Baltimore, MD (Modell PAC) Jan 13: Red Bank, NJ (Count Basie Theatre) Jan 14: Philadelphia, PA (Tower Theater) Jan 16: Rama, ON (Casino Rama) Jan 17: Columbus, OH (Palace Theater) Jan 19: Lancaster, PA (American Music Theatre) Jan 20: Pittsburgh, PA (Benedum Center) Jan 22: Windsor, ON (Colosseum at Caesars Windsor) Jan 23: Merrillville, IN (Star Plaza Theater) Jan 24: Cincinnati, OH (Taft Theater) Jan 26: Durham, NC (Durham Performing Arts Center) Jan 27: Jacksonville, FL (Moran Theater) Jan 28: Orlando, FL (Walt Disney Theater) Jan 29: Sarasota, FL (Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall) Jan 30: Clearwater, FL (Ruth Eckerd Hall) Feb 1: West Palm Beach, FL (Kravis Center) Feb 4: Austin, TX (Bass Concert Hall) Feb 5: Thackerville, OK (Winstar Casino) Feb 6: San Antonio, TX (Majestic Theater) Feb 8: San Diego, CA (Balboa Theater) Feb 9: San Jose, CA (San Jose Center) Feb 10: Stockton, CA (Bob Hope Theater) Feb 12: Reno, NV (Grand Theater at Grand Sierra Resort) Feb 13: Riverside, CA (Fox Performing Arts Center) Feb 14: Phoenix, AZ (Comerica Theater) And here's a request from Val to head to a show: What do you think? Will you try to check out one of the shows heading near you ... if there is one heading near you? Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Jimmy Fallon Falls Again, Heads to Hospital After Injuring Other Hand Posted:
Stay safe out there, Jimmy, and keep away from the Jägermeister! Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| What's Behind This Weekend's Box Office Slump? Posted:  Maybe everyone just stayed home and watched the baseball playoffs this weekend. Or maybe moviegoers blew all their ticket money buying advance tickets for "Star Wars: The Force Awakens."Or maybe there was just nothing playing at the multiplex that anyone wanted to see. That last one would be the obvious takeaway from this weekend's weak box office -- so weak that, even with four new wide releases and one much-anticipated expansion into wide release -- nothing could top the three-week-old "The Martian" and the week-old "Goosebumps." Both were neck-and-neck with nearly $16 million each, but "The Martian" returned to the top spot in its fourth week of release. Overall, the box office was down 14 percent from last weekend's lackluster showing, and down 30 percent from the seasonal peak three weeks ago, when "The Martian" first topped the chart. "The Last Witch Hunter" underperformed with a disappointing fourth-place debut ($10.8 million), and "Steve Jobs" also disappointed as it expanded wide. It was expected to open in the low-teens, instead it came in seventh with $7.3 million. "Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension" marked the low-budget horror franchise's return to October and was expected to pull in about $11 million, but it opened in sixth place with an estimated $8.2 million -- the lowest opening for the franchise since the first film's bow on less than 200 screens. But at least it cracked the top 10. Bill Murray's "Rock the Kasbah" opened at No. 13 with an estimated $1.5 million, while the live-action version of '80s cartoon "Jem and the Holograms" premiered at No. 15 with an estimated $1.3 million. "Jem" now gets to go down in history as the third-worst debut of all time for a movie opening on more than 2,000 screens. How do you explain a disaster like this weekend? If it wasn't baseball or hurricanes or the Force, it was probably one of these six reasons: 1. The Pre-Halloween Pile-up It's never a good idea to have four new wide releases competing at once (five if you count "Steve Jobs" going from 60 theaters to 2,493). And while "Witch Hunter" may have been the only new film going after the young male action audience, it had to split the horror tally with "Paranormal Activity." You'd think in October, horror fans would support more than one new release at a time; guess not. Also, you'd think producer "Paranormal" and "Jem" producer Jason Blum would avoid competing against himself by releasing his two movies on the same weekend, especially since both were trying to attract young female ticket buyers. 2. Weak Reviews  All four of the new wide releases got terrible reviews. "Jem" scored just 20 percent fresh at Rotten Tomatoes, and that was the best score of the four. (Worst was "Kasbah," with 8 percent.) Now, terrible reviews don't necessarily mean terrible movies, but poor word-of-mouth show that viewers didn't recommend "Kasbah," "Witch Hunter," or "Paranormal" with any more fervor than critics did. (Only "Jem" got a decent CinemaScore grade, a B+.)3. Bad Ideas Another "Paranormal" movie is a no-brainer, but otherwise, it's hard to imagine how people thought some of these movies would be commercial even at the drawing-board stage. Vin Diesel hasn't done well outside his "Fast & Furious" franchise, and putting him in a Viking wig for even part of "Witch Hunter" sounds like a recipe for laughter, not action or horror. And director Breck Eisner had a modest horror hit with "The Crazies" five years ago, but trusting him with a big-budget action movie is probably a mistake, given that his 2005 "Sahara" was one of the five biggest money-losers of all time. As for "Rock the Kasbah," Murray is beloved without being a box office draw any more. Political satire is a nearly impossible genre to sell, especially mixed with a pop music plot (remember "American Dreamz?" Didn't think so) and an Afghanistan setting. "Jem," of course, is based on a 30-year-old cartoon with a limited following. Still, that cult was suspicious from the moment the film went into production a year and a half ago, resulting in fan furors over everything from the early trailers to the casting of light-skinned, biracial Aurora Perrineau as darker-hued bassist Shana. That controversy couldn't have helped sales. Blum spent just $5 million to make the movie, so his risk is low, but it also means he couldn't offer the visual feast that fans of the colorful cartoon expected. 4. Meh Marketing Why did Universal commit so few resources to "Jem"?" Other 1980s Hasbro-toy based cartoons, including "Transformers" and "G.I. Joe," have had hundreds of millions of dollars to play with. Is it because those were made for boys and not girls? Or is it because the "Jem" franchise was handled by the same people (including manager Scooter Braun and director Jon Chu) who helped make Justin Bieber a social-media star? After all, that's also the plot of the new "Jem," whose heroine becomes a viral sensation. Maybe they thought they could market the movie the same way and not have to bother much with traditional TV advertising. In any case, it's no wonder few moviegoers were aware of the film. (There weren't a whole lot of commercials for "Rock the Kasbah" or "Paranormal" either.) The failure is even more curious since Universal has spent most of this year expertly marketing both standard blockbusters ("Jurassic World") and movies that might have been considered tougher sells ("Fifty Shades of Grey," "Straight Outta Compton"). In the last couple of months, however, the studio has dropped the ball, not just on "Jem," but also on "Crimson Peak," "Everest," and "Steve Jobs." 5. Risky Release Strategies  "Paranormal" could have opened bigger if it had been playing on more screens. But many chains didn't want to book it, due to Paramount's controversial (but unprecedented) VOD release strategy with this installment. Theater owners don't like losing on the revenue from the already-shrinking theatrical-to-home-video window (it's down to about three months now), so Paramount offered a deal: a shorter-than-usual window in exchange for a share of the profits from digital home viewing to be shared with the theaters. Many chains refused the deal, which is why "Ghost Dimension" premiered on 1,211 fewer screens than "The Marked Ones."6. Nostalgia Ain't What It Used to Be As last week's box office results indicated, older viewers aren't coming out for this fall's supposedly adult-oriented movies the way they were expected to do. A lot of that surely has to do with lame reviews, since older viewers still pay attention to those. But that didn't leave anyone else. "Jem" alienated fans of the original without cultivating new ones. "Kasbah" was clearly meant for those who loved Bill Murray in his comic prime, and who are old enough to get the classic-rock references that pepper the script; viewers too young to know who Slash is need not bother. And even "Steve Jobs," a movie revolving around pivotal Apple product launches, was meant to appeal to grown-ups who remember how revolutionary the first Macintosh was in 1984. Who knows, maybe the kids will watch it someday on their iPhones. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 'The Walking Dead' Season 6, Episode 3 Recap: Thanks for Nothing Posted:  It's abundantly clear that the residents of Alexandria on "The Walking Dead" are made of softer stuff than Rick and the rest of our original survivors, as time and again their ignorance about the outside world has been exposed and exploited. Like we saw with Carter in the season premiere, the majority of Alexandrians have no idea how to go about killing walkers on their own; hell, they didn't even have someone regularly patrolling their walls until Constable Rick made it a priority when he rolled into town. So as this season unfolds, it should come as no surprise that many Alexandrians will probably bite the dust, as they did in the Wolf bloodbath last week. What I didn't expect, however, was one of the most seasoned members of Rick's crew to fall victim to that same foolishness and naivete.In a shocking twist that I honestly thought would never come, we said goodbye to our beloved Glenn tonight, as the smart-mouthed pizza delivery guy turned formidable badass was offed in part by his own good nature -- and, if we're being honest, his head-scratching stupidity in his decision to forgive and trust Nicholas. Yes, the same man who admitted he left a group of his friends to die, the same man who let Noah get eaten right in front of him, the same man that TRIED TO SHOOT AND KILL GLENN -- this is the guy that Glenn decides deserves a break. As Julia Roberts would say: Big mistake. Big. Huge. For some boneheaded reason, not only does Glenn let bygones be bygones, but he takes Nicholas under his wing, despite the fact that the latter man has shown zero aptitude for survival in the outside world (and, if I recall, very little remorse for attempting to murder Glenn). Glenn keeps pushing him to rise above, like with their quest to find a building to burn as a diversion for the encroaching walker horde -- a seemingly simple task at which Nicholas immediately fails. That said, Glenn doesn't deserve a free pass here, either. How hard is it to find one other building to set aflame? Or, hell, how about just lighting up the remnants of that demolished feed store? Or making a zombie bonfire? Literally anything could have been a better choice than running into a dead-end alley and getting themselves even more trapped. "The Walking Dead" has often made a big show of characters getting redeeming arcs right before they bite the dust, like Bob and Beth back in season five. But Glenn's death, the first major loss of season six, doesn't seem to have a point, other than to reaffirm the show's inherent miserable nature: these people are the walking dead, and whether or not they become/succumb to zombies is not the point -- they're doomed regardless of what happens to them. Sadly, Glenn didn't really get any redemption before a suicidal Nicholas (who officially earns himself the undisputed title of The Worst) literally dragged him down to his death. I suppose Glenn's willingness to trust to the end -- even in the face of overwhelming evidence to do the opposite -- was meant to illustrate his inherent goodness. And Nicholas does offer Glenn his gratitude before blowing his brains out (the episode's title, "Thank You," echoes his last words). All that meant to me, though, was another disappointment for the series to rub my nose in. Going by the show's own history, if anyone was set up to die tonight, it was Michonne, who did lots of speechifying as the hour played out. She and Heath butted heads several times over Rick's willingness to leave behind the weaker members of their group (basically all the Alexandrians), and whether or not that willingness constituted pragmatism or prickishness. While Michonne declined to immediately drop Zombie Bite Guy, Bullet Leg Guy, and Busted Ankle Girl, she did her best to explain to Heath why sometimes, that decision is the only option. "Sometimes you don't have a choice," Michonne says. "That is not how we do it," Heath counters, and Michonne tears into his -- and the rest of his community's -- lack of true experience with the zombie apocalypse. "Rick was out there, I was out there. We know, you don't. But if you don't learn, you will die. We will," Michonne growls, displaying a spark we haven't seen in ages. She continues, "Have you ever had to kill people because they would have killed your friends and they were coming for you next? Have you ever done things that made you feel afraid of yourself afterward? Have you ever been covered in so much blood that you didn't know if it was yours, or a walker's, or your friend's? Huh? Then you don't know." By the end of the episode, Heath learns this sad lesson, when he catches a glimpse of his blood-soaked self in a stream. Down several members of their crew, Heath sees for the first time the grim reality of the world -- the real world, the one outside Alexandria's walls. It's a rude wake-up call, and one I expect many more members of the community will receive as season six stretches on - that is, if many more Alexandrians survive to see such a transformation. They first have to fend off the encroaching zombie horde, which is quickly making its way toward Alexandria, despite Rick, Daryl, Sasha, and Abraham's best efforts to stave them off after the horn distraction. But that's not the only worry -- the Wolves are still on the run, too, and now they're armed with more than just knives, as Rick soon discovers. He's attacked by some of the pack in his camper just as he's about to start leading a new herd of walkers back toward the original path, and while he easily puts the Wolves down, he also soon learns that his vehicle is no longer viable. (How exactly this happened, I'm still not sure; it could be that when the Wolves first shot at him, they took out the steering/main controls. Rick also may have inadvertently busted his gas tank or some other valuable part(s) as he opened fire himself on the trio waiting to attack outside.) What he discovers next, though, could mean even more trouble. Rifling through the pockets of one of the slain Wolves inside the camper, Rick finds a jar of baby food. This could just be a coincidence (hey, maybe someone in the pack really loves pureed vegetables); it could also mean that they've somehow kidnapped Judith. If you're a regular reader of these recaps, you know I'm a little cannibal-happy, quick to assume that any and all of the antagonists our survivors face are in fact trying to eat our survivors' faces. And while I've been proven wrong in every instance I've cried cannibal since our stop in Terminus, this time, dear readers, I think I may be on to something: the Wolves are totally going to eat Judith, aren't they? Okay, maybe not, but they may hold her for ransom, using the youngest Grimes as a bargaining chip against the Alexandrians. For now, they're most likely licking their wounds and plotting out their next attack. And unfortunately, with Alexandria's resources and population depleted so drastically (not to mention all those walkers milling about), it doesn't look like it will be much of a fair fight the next time they decide to pounce. Other thoughts: - As for how Judith was taken in the first place, there's a pretty sound theory going around that Enid is a member of the Wolves, and acted as their spy inside Alexandria. As we saw late last season, she loves to wander outside the walls, and was really good at sneaking up on Carl. During the Wolves' attack, she was the only other person in the house with Carl while Judith was napping upstairs, giving her ample access to the child. Enid slid a note to Carl before she fled, revealing the meaning behind her "JSS" mantra to be "Just Survive Somehow." But now that I think of it, that could easily mean "Just Steal Something" - "something" meaning a delicious-looking baby. - I should have known Glenn was a goner thanks to his delivery of one of the better callbacks in "Walking Dead" history. After the group hears the horn from Alexandria and splits up, Glenn chats with Rick via walkie-talkie, telling the constable about their building-burning plan as Rick runs ahead to try to head off the horde with the camper. "Good luck, dumbass," Glenn tells Rick, a nod to their first meeting back at the beginning of season one. The full-circle nature of that communication is a fitting conclusion to their friendship, though obviously, one I wish wasn't necessary. (And if anyone is the dumbass in this scenario, it's clearly gullible Glenn.) - When are people going to learn that if they loudly criticize Rick, they're going to die? No sooner does Blue Shirt Guy sass the sheriff's deputy than he gets bitten by a walker, perfectly illustrating why Rick wanted to bail on the weaklings. Same goes for Hat Guy. He's told not to shoot his gun, and then immediately does the opposite, shooting and hitting his friend instead. Way to prove you belong here, dude. - Speaking of Bullet Leg Guy (whose name is Scott, by the way, though I'm pretty sure no one ever says it during the episode), he, Busted Ankle Girl (her name was Annie), and Zombie Bite Guy (no idea what his name is, sorry -- not that it ended up mattering) totally got the shaft. Amazingly, all of them were completely understanding and receptive of Rick's viewpoint, and said several times that they should just be left behind so they wouldn't slow down the group. Zombie Bite Guy and Busted Ankle Girl didn't make it, and Bullet Leg Guy is currently bleeding out. The actor who plays BLG (Kenric Green) happens to be married to the actress who plays Sasha (Sonequa Martin-Green), so I have a feeling he'll probably get to stick around a bit longer than your average background player. But still -- it just doesn't seem fair that the only sensible Alexandrians have to suffer because of the mistakes of their foolish friends. (Sounds suspiciously like the real world, too.) - ZBG gives a touching speech about his wife, making his demise even more depressing. "She made me more, even better than how I used to be," he tells Michonne of his beloved. He writes a farewell note to send back to her, but Michonne refuses to take it, instead following the lead of a seventh grade girl and scrawling a message on her arm. "You're getting home," she writes. Later, as they approach Alexandria, she sadly wipes it off. - "That's making sure they're off munching on infirm raccoons the rest of their undead lives, instead of any of us." -- Abe, explaining why they should just keep going with the zombie herding, rather than double back to help the Alexandrians. Sounds perfectly logical to me. - It was jarring to hear Daryl speak above a mumble in this episode, as he shouts to Abe and Sasha in their car and to Rick over the walkie-talkie. I'd sort of forgotten what words that aren't raspy grumbles sound like coming from his mouth. - Daryl spies an Alexandria billboard, touting the community as "The start of sustainability." At the rate things are going, that seems like wishful thinking. Photo credit: Gene Page/AMC This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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