Latest Movie News From Moviefone |
- Taylor Swift & Idina Menzel Sang 'Let It Go' in 'Frozen' Costumes for Halloween
- Viola Davis's Daughter Dressed as Her for Halloween, Is Officially the Cutest
- Heidi Klum's Jessica Rabbit Halloween Costume Is Cartoon Awesomeness
- Neil Patrick Harris's Family Had the Perfect 'Star Wars' Halloween Costumes
- Ranking the James Bond Actors From Worst to Best
- Here's The CW's Schedule of 2015 Holiday Specials
- Striking New 'The Revenant' Posters Showcase Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy
- What's New on TV, Netflix Streaming, Digital, and DVD/Blu-ray This Week: November 2-8
- A New 'Star Trek' TV Series Is Coming in January 2017
- Watch Royals Drench Paul Rudd in Beer Shower After World Series Win
- 'The Walking Dead': Where's Steven Yeun? Glenn Actor Dropped From Credits
- 'Spectre' Has Biggest U.K. Opening Ever, Breaking Harry Potter's Spell
- Josh Duhamel's 5 Favorite Road Trip Movies
- Holiday Movie Preview 2015: 29 Films You Need to See
- 7 Reasons for This Weekend's Box Office Catastrophe
- 'The Walking Dead' Season 6, Episode 4 Recap: The Cheese Stands Alone
| Taylor Swift & Idina Menzel Sang 'Let It Go' in 'Frozen' Costumes for Halloween Posted:
"Frozen totally happened tonight," Swift later wrote on Instagram of the awesome, showstopping performance. "And 55,000 people sang 'Let it Go' so loudly, it nearly took my breath away." Swift is notorious for parading around her famous pals during her "1989" tour, but it makes sense that she'd want to incorporate "Frozen" in some way -- after all, her album was huge, and so was "Frozen," and there's no doubt lots of overlap in each's core audiences. Check out a quick video of the fun below. [via: Taylor Swift, h/t Billboard] Photo credit: Taylor Swift/Instagram This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Viola Davis's Daughter Dressed as Her for Halloween, Is Officially the Cutest Posted:
The photo really does say it all -- it's simply too cute. Genesis's huge grin is absolutely infectious, and we love that she also chose a white sleeveless dress, similar to the one her mom sported on Emmy night. But the best part, we have to say, is the statuette itself. It may just be a coincidence that it more closely resembles an Oscar than the Emmy that Davis actually won, but we'd like to imagine that it's a bit of foreshadowing for when Davis finally claims a little gold guy of her own. We'll keep our fingers crossed for that, and hope that Genesis keeps her inventive spirit for many more Halloweens to come. [via: Viola Davis] Photo credit: Getty Images This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Heidi Klum's Jessica Rabbit Halloween Costume Is Cartoon Awesomeness Posted:
[via: Heidi Klum] Photo credit: Getty Images for Heidi Klum This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Neil Patrick Harris's Family Had the Perfect 'Star Wars' Halloween Costumes Posted:
We love the attention to detail that each member of the Burtka-Harris family put into their outfits, down to the character-specific poses that everyone is striking in the photo. Both Burtka and Harris could easily pass for their onscreen counterparts, while Harper and Gideon are adorable little mini-me versions of fellow fraternal twins Luke and Leia. We're especially loving Harper's sassy hand on her hip, proving she's every bit of the little diva-in-training we saw in that adorable video Harris shared last month of his family's musical morning routine. (Gideon's humming of the "Star Wars" theme in that clip also nicely foreshadowed the Halloween fun to come.) The Burtka-Harrises have set the Halloween bar pretty high for other Hollywood families, and for themselves, too. We can't wait to see what clever costumes they come up with next year. [via: Neil Patrick Harris] Photo credit: Neil Patrick Harris/Instagram This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Ranking the James Bond Actors From Worst to Best Posted: In 53 years and 24 movies, only six actors have ever (officially) strapped on the shoulder-holster and uttered the words "Bond. James Bond." And even though the character doesn't really change, the actors' performances do -- some go (too) serious (cough, Timothy Dalton) and others, well, they arguably don't go serious enough (double cough, Roger Moore.) With "Spectre," Daniel Craig's fourth turn as 007 hitting theaters this week, we've ranked the best actors to ever play the number one cause of death for guys named "Blofeld."  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Here's The CW's Schedule of 2015 Holiday Specials Posted:  Now that Halloween is out of the way (any candy left? mail it to us!) it's time to get serious about holiday programming. For some people "holiday" may suggest Christmas, but nobody puts Thanksgiving in the corner. The CW just released its list of upcoming holiday specials and they were wise enough to include one of the great T-Day comedy classics, "Planes, Trains and Automobiles," as well as more wintry fare, including "Kung Fu Panda Holiday" and "Merry Madagascar."Here's The CW holiday schedule: Tuesday, November 24 "GREATEST HOLIDAY COMMERCIALS COUNTDOWN" - (8:00-9:00 p.m. ET)
Wednesday, November 25 "PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES" - (8:00-10:00 p.m. ET)
Friday, November 27 "GRANDMA GOT RUN OVER BY A REINDEER" - (8:00-9:00 p.m. ET) (TV-G)
"KUNG FU PANDA HOLIDAY" - (9:00-9:30 p.m. ET) (TV-G) (HDTV)
"MERRY MADAGASCAR" - (9:30-10:00 p.m. ET) (TV-G) (HDTV)
Friday, December 11 "THE 84th ANNUAL HOLLYWOOD CHRISTMAS PARADE" - (8:00-10:00 p.m. ET)
Thursday, December 17 "iHEARTRADIO JINGLE BALL" - (8:00-9:30 p.m. ET)
Thursday, December 24 "MR. MAGOO'S CHRISTMAS CAROL" - (8:00-9:00 p.m. ET) (Content Rating TBD) Also, The CW added a little note on the plan for New Year's coverage: On Thursday, December 31, the network will rebroadcast the "iHEARTRADIO MUSIC FESTIVAL - Night 1 (2015)" with performances by Sam Smith, Coldplay, Kenny Cheseny, Kanye West and more, and on Friday, January 1, they'll rebroadcast the "iHEARTRADIO MUSIC FESTIVAL - Night 2 (2015)" featuring performances by The Weeknd, Fall Out Boy, Blake Shelton, Nick Jonas and more. And, in case you missed it, ABC previously announced its 2015 holiday programming schedule. Mark your calendars accordingly! Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Striking New 'The Revenant' Posters Showcase Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy Posted:  The filming of Leonardo DiCaprio 's upcoming movie "The Revenant" may have been a total clustermakewhoopee, but the first trailer was intriguing and the two new posters -- featuring Leo and Tom Hardy -- are stunning.You may have seen a previous teaser poster, just showing off the landscape, but the two new posters for "Birdman" Oscar-winner Alejandro G. Inarritu's film zero in on the main stars -- DiCaprio's explorer Hugh Glass and the friend who betrays him, Hardy's John Fitzgerald.   Blood lost. Life found. "The Revenant" is based on the 2002 novel of the same name, inspired by the real life of frontiersman Hugh Glass, who was mauled by a bear in 1823, then left for dead by his companions who had robbed him before they left. (Way harsh, Tai.) When Glass regained consciousness, he set out to get revenge against the non-friends who abandoned him. Leo's comin' for you, Hardy! Although it doesn't look or sound terribly festive, "The Revenant" will be released in theaters on December 25. This is not only a potential Oscar contender, it's also aiming for box office heft, so we'll have to see if the ends can justify the hellish means. Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. 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: November 2-8 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 "Inside Out" Joy! Joy! Joy! Disney/Pixar's brilliant emotional roller coaster is finally out on Blu-ray and DVD on November 3. There are so many special features with the various in-home releases, especially if you get the Blu-ray Combo Pack, including the short film "Riley's First Date," another short film called "LAVA," tons of behind-the-scenes featurettes, four deleted scenes, and commentary. Check out the extras breakdown. "Vacation" The Griswolds are back, for better or worse, in this next generation comedy, which is out on DVD and Blu-ray November 3. Ed Helms plays the adult Rusty Griswold, who takes his wife Debbie (Christina Applegate) and their two sons on a road trip to Walley World. OGs Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo co-star, along with newbies Chris Hemsworth and Leslie Mann (as grown-up Audrey). The Blu-ray includes featurettes "Return to Walley World," "The Griswold Odyssey," a gag reel, and deleted scenes. "Before We Go" Watch pretty people fall in love in Chris "Captain America" Evans's directorial debut, co-starring Alice Eve. The two stars play strangers who meet by chance in New York City and change each other's lives. The Blu-ray and DVD both include "A Conversation with Director Chris Evans," to hear Cap's thoughts on his romantic debut behind the camera. New Video on Demand, Rental Streaming, and Digital Only  "Mistress America"Indie queen Greta Gerwig earned raves for her performance in this critically acclaimed modern screwball comedy from writer/director Noah Baumbach. Tracy (Lola Kirke) is a lonely college freshman in New York City, enjoying neither the exciting university experience nor the glamorous metropolitan lifestyle she envisioned. But when Tracy is taken in by her adventurous soon-to-be stepsister, Brooke, she's rescued from disappointment and drawn into Brooke's mad schemes. "Mistress America" is out on Digital HD November 6 with the Blu-ray to follow on December 1. Here's an exclusive "Brookisms" video, with Gerwig's Brooke giving her version of wise adult advice:  "Amy"The brief life of six-time Grammy winner Amy Winehouse -- who died from alcohol poisoning in 2011 at age 27 -- is shown in this extraordinary documentary, which uses mostly archival footage to let Amy tell her story in her own words. The doc is out on Digital HD November 3, with the DVD/Blu-ray/On Demand release December 1. "Bettie Page Reveals All" Hulu is adding a lot of interesting new titles in November, and on Nov. 3 they start streaming this documentary on "Queen of Pinups" Bettie Page. Find out what happened to the iconic '50s beauty, just as she peaked as a superstar, in this fascinating 2011 doc, which features interviews with Dita Von Teese, Hugh Hefner, and more. New on Netflix "Master of None" Netflix's new original comedy series stars Aziz Ansari as Dev, a 30-year-old actor in New York who has trouble navigating through life. (He should hang out with Brooke from "Mistress America.") All 10 Season 1 episodes will be available to stream on November 6. Check out the trailer: "The Runner" Nicolas Cage stars as a Louisiana congressman whose dreams of running for Senate are compromised by an embarrassing video. (Why does this always happen? Keep it in your dang pants, people!) "The Runner" didn't get the best reviews, but it has a great cast, including Connie Nielsen, Sarah Paulson, Bryan Batt, and Peter Fonda. It's available on Netflix starting November 5. "The Midnight Swim" When June's (Lindsay Burdge) mother (Beth Grant) goes mysteriously missing after diving in Spirit Lake, she and her two half-sisters (Jennifer Lafleu, Aleksa Palladino) travel home to put Mom's affairs in order, and are caught up in a series of strange events. This 2014 drama-mystery, the directorial debut of Sarah Adina Smith, starts streaming on Netflix November 3. TV Worth Watching  "Project Runway" (Thursday on Lifetime at 9 p.m.)It's almost time to say auf wiedersehen to Season 14, and the winner will be named Thursday, November 5. Will it be Ashley, Candice, Edmond, or Kelly? The competition may end this week, but the drama will continue next week with the reunion show (Swapnil, say you'll be back for All-Stars!), which will be followed by the premiere of "Project Runway: Junior." "The Big Bang Theory" (Thursday on CBS at 8 p.m.) Leonard Nimoy's son Adam joins recurring guest star Wil Wheaton on "The Spock Resonance," as they ask Sheldon (Jim Parsons) to be in a documentary about the "Star Trek" legend. Although Sheldon is as thrilled about the idea as you'd expect, CBS teased that he'll also struggle to suppress his emotions about his recent break-up with Amy. "MasterChef Junior" (Friday on FOX at 8 p.m.) In the Season 4 premiere, "New Kids on the Chopping Block," 24 new contestants will start their culinary journeys with a mystery-box challenge that involves making a burger and a side dish. The winner gets to choose the main ingredient for the first elimination round. Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| A New 'Star Trek' TV Series Is Coming in January 2017 Posted:  "Star Trek" is set to boldly go where no "Star Trek" TV series has gone before -- online streaming!The franchise is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2016, and the timing appears to be right for another small screen debut. CBS Television Studios just announced the launch of a new "Star Trek" series in January 2017. The new show will start with a special preview broadcast on CBS. But here's the New School twist: The premiere episode and all following first-run episodes will then be available exclusively in the U.S. on CBS All Access, the network's digital subscription video on demand and live streaming service. This is the first original series developed specifically for U.S. audiences for CBS All Access. The show's executive producer is Alex Kurtzman, who co-wrote and produced the "Star Trek" movie with Roberto Orci, and "Star Trek Into Darkness" with Orci and Damon Lindelof. This new series will follow closely behind the next movie, "Star Trek Beyond," which opens next summer, but CBS took pains to point out that the new series is not related to the movie. There's no official title for the new TV show yet, but it will follow the original Gene Roddenberry series, an animated series, "The Next Generation," "Deep Space Nine," "Voyager," and "Enterprise." Are you excited to see how this turns out, or irritated that you'll have to watch it on CBS All Access? Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Watch Royals Drench Paul Rudd in Beer Shower After World Series Win Posted:
Love how he happily agrees "I'm WAY too dry!" Paul is not a casual fan, he's a lifer, and the Royals shared a photo of him at Game 5 with legend George Brett: The actor shared his excitement with reporters after the win, saying (via NJ.com), "I mean, I thought I was going to faint. I haven't thought about anything. I can't even believe that I'm standing here right now. I don't know how I snuck in." It's probably because you're a superhero (and ants can sneak in pretty much anywhere). Congrats, man! Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 'The Walking Dead': Where's Steven Yeun? Glenn Actor Dropped From Credits Posted:  The title of last night's episode of "The Walking Dead" was "Here's Not Here," and even though it was a Morgan Jones quote, the "Not Here" best described Steven Yeun and his character, Glenn Rhee.The only main TWD cast member in Season 6, Episode 4 was Lennie James, whose Morgan had his own standalone movie, co-starring a cheesemaker and a goat. But the other main and supporting actors were all featured in the opening credits -- which is the norm, whether the actor is in the episode or not -- expect for Steven Yeun, aka Glenn. Fans noticed that Steven Yeun was removed from the opening credits. What gives? If Glenn were definitively dead after last week's "Thank You," it would be much more straightforward. He would've been shown in last Sunday's "Talking Dead" In Memoriam. Steven Yeun would be doing interviews, and the cast would be talking about the legacy of Glenn. Instead, no one really believes Glenn is dead, and showrunner Scott M. Gimple (who wrote last night's "Here's Not Here") said we would see Glenn again (whether in flashbacks or otherwise) and answers would be coming. They did not come last night and the word on Spoiler Street is that we might not revisit the subject until Episode 7. So we'll need patience. It seems like AMC is just toying with fans, having a bit too much fun teasing the idea of killing Glenn, including pulling this move in the credits. This is going to be extra awkward if/when they do eventually kill Glenn, because Gimple will be The Showrunner Who Cried Wolf and the death may not have the same impact because we'll all be waiting for a Jon Snow revival. Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 'Spectre' Has Biggest U.K. Opening Ever, Breaking Harry Potter's Spell Posted:  Accio, "Spectre" tickets! The 24th James Bond movie has the box office shaken and stirred overseas, setting a new record for the biggest opening in United Kingdom history.Leave it to 007 to save the day, at least in the U.K., when the U.S. box office was in total crisis mode. We don't get "Spectre" until this Friday, November 6, but British audiences ate up the Daniel Craig spy thriller, giving it $63.8 million in its opening week, breaking the spell held by "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban." According to Variety, the movie made a total of $80.4 million in its first week -- including $3.9 million from Netherlands and $12.7 million from the Nordic region -- setting more records in Finland, Norway, and Denmark. Still more records were set for IMAX, Variety added, with "Spectre" making $5 million so far, and earning the highest per-location average in company history with $105,000 in 47 theaters. Box office prognosticators expect "Spectre" to top the U.S. box office next week, taking in around $80 million. We'll see. The last movie, "Skyfall," -- also starring Daniel Craig and directed by Sam Mendes -- was the highest-grossing Bond film ever, and the first in the franchise to cross the $1 billion milestone. So far, "Spectre" has a respectable 77 percent "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes, from 44 reviews. (Let's just hope it doesn't drop in the next few days.) Are you planning to get tickets to "Spectre" this weekend? Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Josh Duhamel's 5 Favorite Road Trip Movies Posted: Josh Duhamel is no stranger to playing heartthrobs and action heroes, and now he's taking on the role of John -- a small time crook -- who finds an unlikely accomplice in a newly-orphaned teenage boy in his new movie "Lost in the Sun." To celebrate the release of the new flick that follows the two on an open-road adventure, Duhamel told us the five movies he watches when he needs road trip vibes. Be sure to check out "Lost in the Sun," out November 6.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Holiday Movie Preview 2015: 29 Films You Need to See Posted: Theaters near you are about to be swamped with holiday blockbusters, prestigious Oscar contenders, a friendly dinosaur and a giant killer whale. Brace yourself for the new James Bond film "Spectre," the "Hunger Games" finale and a little something called "Star Wars: The Force Awakens." Perhaps you've heard of it? Here are the 29 biggest movies you'll want to see, including Pixar's "The Good Dinosaur" and Chris Hemsworth getting shipwrecked by a whale in "In the Heart of the Sea."  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 7 Reasons for This Weekend's Box Office Catastrophe Posted:  Last weekend's box office looked like the beginning of a disastrous slump, but it's a golden age compared to this weekend.None of the frame's three new wide releases cracked the top four. Overall, the weekend's total receipts came to an estimated $70.9 million. That's down 33 percent from last weekend's dismal $105.6 million. It also makes this weekend the worst box office Friday-to-Sunday in 14 months, since the Sept. 5-7 weekend of 2014, which was itself the worst box office weekend in six years. Not that anyone was expecting much from new releases "Burnt," "Our Brand Is Crisis," and "Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse." Even so, all three movies underperformed expectations. The best performer was Bradley Cooper's "Burnt," which was supposed to open between $6 and $8.5 million, but only mustered an estimated $5 million for a fifth place debut. At least that made it into the top five. Sandra Bullock's "Our Brand Is Crisis" premiered in eighth place with an estimated $3.4 million, about half what it was predicted to earn, and marking the lowest-grossing wide-release debut in the A-lister's career. "Scout's Guide" opened at No. 12, with an estimated $1.8 million -- not even reaching the $2-to-$5 million window of its predicted grosses. It's like Hollywood made the same mistakes as last week, only worse. Here's what went wrong: 1. Bad Movie Titles and Even Worse Marketing  You don't want your popcorn burnt, and you don't want to think of anything else burnt while you're at the movies, so why did The Weinstein Company think this title would work. Well, originally, the movie was called "Chef," but then Jon Favreau's "Chef" came out last year and was a hit, so they renamed the movie after Cooper's character, "Adam Jones," but that was too generic. So "Burnt" was still better than the movie's previous titles."Our Brand Is Crisis" was based on a documentary of the same name, but it's still not clear why Warner Bros. thought that title was good enough to keep. As for "Scout's Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse," it was originally titled "Scouts vs. Zombies," but maybe someone at Paramount realized that, as descriptive as that was, it sounded too much like the flop "Cowboys vs. Aliens," so they went with the more wryly funny title. Either way, it didn't work. Overall, of course, these bad titles are symptomatic of weak marketing campaigns. Did you see a lot of ads for any of these movies? Cooper and Bullock went out and promoted them dutifully, but they couldn't overcome the other strikes these films had against them. Including... 2. Bad Reviews "Crisis" may be an Oscar-baiting political satire, and "Scout's Guide" may be a cheapo teen horror comedy, but both got the same terrible 32 percent fresh rating among critics' opinions compiled at Rotten Tomatoes. ("Burnt" was close behind with 29 percent.) Since "Burnt" and "Crisis" were both aiming for older viewers who still take critics seriously, those notices had to hurt. 3. Poor Word-of-Mouth  Not that actual paying moviegoers liked these movies much better than critics did. "Crisis" got a horrible C+ grade at CInemaScore, but "Burnt" and "Scout's Guide" (pictured) didn't do much better, with a B- for each. So no one was strongly recommending any of these movies to friends.4. Bad Release Strategies Paramount did the same thing with "Scout's Guide" that it did with "Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension" last week: it told exhibitors it would release the movie in theaters for just three weeks, but then it would share revenues from home viewing via video-on-demand with the theaters that booked the horror movie. And the same thing happened: the big theater chains, already wary of any move that shortens their exhibition window even further, refused to book the film. As a result, "Scout's Guide" opened on just 1,509 screens, not far below the 1,656 that "Paranormal" was able to book last weekend. But that film was the sixth in a well-established franchise, and while it opened weakly, it still managed to earn $8.1 million, more than four times what the unknown-quantity "Scout's Guide" took in. "Burnt" also went with a riskier strategy than it might have. Originally, it was scheduled for a limited release to build word-of-mouth before opening wide. Maybe TWC didn't want to compete with four new wide releases last week (plus "Steve Jobs," expanding into wide release last week). So at the last minute, it ditched the limited release plan and opened the film on 3,003 screens. The marketplace wasn't prepared, though maybe, given the ultimately poor reviews and word-of-mouth, there wasn't much else TWC could do. 5. Uninteresting Premises "Burnt" was clearly too much like "Chef," and not just in its original title. "Crisis" is a political satire set in a non-English-speaking country, a surefire recipe for low grosses, as "Rock the Kasbah" proved last week. A zombie comedy is actually not a terrible idea, but only a couple, "Zombieland" and "Warm Bodies," have made any money, and those both had recognizable-name actors in their casts. 6. Lack of Audience Appeal Both "Burnt" and "Crisis" were aiming for older, primarily female audiences. But the older crowd has been especially choosy this fall. Very few of this season's supposedly grown-up movies have appealed to them, save for this weekend's repeat at No. 1, "The Martian," and "Bridge of Spies," which held strong for a third-place finish. 7. Bad Timing Who knows, maybe "Burnt" and "Crisis" would have done better if they hadn't opened opposite each other, or while "Spies" was still strong. But there's also the Halloween factor. It's a traditionally discouraging holiday for the box office, since it means parties, trick-or-treating, and World Series games, all of which keep kids and adults away from the multiplex. Even horror films, like "Scout's Guide," "Paranormal," and Lionsgate's "The Last Witch Hunter," aren't necessarily draws at this time of year. (Although kiddie horror comedies "Goosebumps" and "Hotel Transylvania 2" are both still flourishing after several weeks of release.) The traditional Halloween ghost-town effect at the multiplex is actually a good sign; it means the current slump could be over as soon as this coming weekend, especially with a new James Bond film ("Spectre") and "The Peanuts Movie" opening. Still, if you wanted to give Hollywood suits a seasonal scare, this weekend's numbers probably gave a few of them heart attacks. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 'The Walking Dead' Season 6, Episode 4 Recap: The Cheese Stands Alone Posted:  As "Walking Dead" showrunner Scott Gimple scolded us all last week, answers about what may or may not have happened to our beloved Glenn are forthcoming -- but we're going to have to wait awhile. The exasperated executive producer instead encouraged viewers to look at this season of the show as a movie or a book, with different reels/chapters that need to be viewed together to make a cohesive whole. So this week, we were served a Morgan-centric chapter that filled in some of our wayward traveler's back story, but did little to propel the plot of our main chain of events. It's an episode that fans are bound to either love or hate; I found myself somewhere in the middle."Here's Not Here" focuses on Morgan's fateful meeting with a man named Eastman, played to perfection by character actor John Caroll Lynch (who you may recognize from "Fargo," "The Drew Carey Show," "The Americans," "American Horror Story" -- the list goes on and on). Eastman is the one to bring Morgan (mostly) back to reality after Morgan's encounter with Rick in season three's "Clear"; this week's action picks up not long after the events of that episode, paving the way for Morgan to make his way to Rick once more, this time with a little bit of his sanity restored. That sanity is relative, of course, since Morgan's zenned-out ways this season have been a bit frustrating, especially when he failed to kill several of the Wolves who invaded Alexandria in "JSS," letting them slip out the gate, gun in tow. I thought he had finally come to his senses at the end of that installment, killing the greasy-haired Wolf who he first met in the season five finale; instead, we learn this week that that Wolf is not only alive, but that Morgan has squirreled him away in an abandoned Alexandria home, and is hoping to put him through obedience school. Unsurprisingly, the Wolf isn't too keen on learning any new tricks. Morgan wasn't, either, when he first meets Eastman, a man living alone in a cabin in the woods who's surviving thanks to his green thumb and a goat named Tabitha. Eastman easily subdues Morgan when the latter man sneaks up on the cabin, thanks to his mastery of the martial art of Aikido, which urges "redirecting, evading, and actually caring about the welfare of your opponent" (and also, incidentally, calls for some pretty kickass work with a staff). Eastman places Morgan under temporary house arrest while trying to talk him down from his madness (or at least get him to leave without attempting to kill Eastman again), and eventually, Morgan relents and reaches for Eastman's copy of "The Art of Peace," immersing himself in the philosophy that everything does, indeed, get a return. (There's a circle on the front of the book to really drive that point home, though that was more the cover designer's doing than the show thrusting a metaphor in our faces. Well, maybe a little bit of both.) It's true that I clamored to know more about Morgan back when his permanent return to the show was teased last season. I'm just not convinced that that backstory justified a 90-minute episode, especially following the anguishing events of last week. Sure, "Here's Not Here" provided a palette cleanser of sorts, a way for fans to breathe and grieve and process what we may or may not have seen in "Thank You" (the jury's still out, though I'm starting to accept that my eyes may have indeed deceived me; more on this below). And it was helpful to finally find out just how Morgan made his transformation from bats--t crazy to bo-wielding badass. It just seemed like a roundabout way to get there, especially in the beginning, when Morgan made more than a few false starts in his journey from screaming "Kill me!" at Eastman to actually accepting the man's help (and falafel). Morgan is clearly unhinged in the episode's earlier flashbacks, and the camerawork makes that apparent, appearing blurry around the edges during some of Morgan's more brutal moments. He murders two men in cold blood out in the woods, stabbing one through the throat and choking the other one as the young man pleads for mercy. Morgan smiles at this and continues snuffing his life out; later, he explains to Eastman that his job in this new existence is simple: he clears, whether it's walkers or people -- anything that gets near him must be eliminated. "That's the biggest load of horses--t I've ever heard," Eastman replies, and I can't help but agree. Morgan has gone mad, and there doesn't seem to be a point anymore to his decision-making; it's not kill or be killed, it's just kill and keep killing, until there's no more killing left to do. Then, it's time to paint some rocks with nonsense words and phrases. As you do. Eastman, a former forensic psychiatrist, diagnoses Morgan with PTSD, and explains that he, too, suffered trauma, but has risen above his memories of the awful fate that befell his family thanks to his continuing devotion to Aikido. He learned the martial art before the apocalypse, he tells Morgan, in part to relieve the stress of his job, interviewing hundreds of convicted criminals to evaluate whether or not they were fit for release. During an encounter with a man named Crighton Dallas Wilton ("Name like that, sounds like he should own an oil company, wear a big hat," Eastman says wryly), the psychopath snapped, attempting to beat Eastman to death to prevent him from delivering the report that Wilton was unfit for the outside world. Thanks to Aikido, Eastman subdued the criminal and survived; unfortunately, he made a powerful enemy, as Wilton later escapes from prison and murders his wife and two children, simply because he wanted to ruin Eastman's life. It's a chilling tale with seemingly endless layers of horror, as Eastman reveals that he then plotted to take his own revenge, snatching Wilton from the side of the road while out with a prison work crew, and bringing the convict back to the cell in his cabin to watch the man starve to death. Morgan marvels at this plan, and asks if Eastman actually went through with it. "I have come to believe that all life is precious," Eastman replies. "That's why we're having oatmeal burgers." We later learn that this is a lie by omission, and that Eastman did indeed carry out that plot, though he deeply regretted it. "What I did to him, it didn't give me any peace," he tells Morgan. "I found my peace when I decided to never kill again." Contrast that attitude with the one the Wolf sports, and you can see where Morgan's morality will be tested as this season unfolds. The episode is framed with Morgan telling the Wolf about his time with Eastman, to explain that he, too, was once a broken and reckless killing machine, but he believes the Wolf can learn to change, just like he did. The Wolf disagrees. He came to Alexandria in search of medical supplies to treat a serious wound; whether he lives or dies, he tells Morgan, his pack will not be tamed. "I am going to have to kill you, Morgan," the Wolf says, his sickly sweet voice dripping with danger. "I'm going to have to kill every person here, every one of them, the children, too. Just like your friend Eastman's children. Those are the rules. That's my code." Morgan's own code is simple: "Everything gets a return." Will we see Morgan snap once more, and snap this Wolf's neck? I'm hoping yes, but fearing no. Either way, the rest of the Wolves are circling -- and they'll get a return, too, one way or another. Other thoughts: - Gimple wrote both "Clear" and "Here's Not Here," and his fingerprints are all over this episode. He must really love writing for Morgan to devote two entire bottle episodes to the character. Again, I question the logic of that choice this time around, but according to the showrunner, everything will make sense in time. I'll attempt to trust him, but I'm a bit skeptical, because... - ...it seems pretty clear now that Glenn's "death" was a fakeout. Based on that "Talking Dead" statement and a re-watch of last week's episode, I'm convinced that the prevailing theory is correct: Nicholas's body fell on top of Glenn, and is the one getting eaten after they fall. I still don't think it makes much sense, since zombies are gonna zombie no matter how many people are piled on top of each other. But everyone loves Glenn, his "death" seemed pretty stupid (even for his overly-trusting character), and Gimple's own insistence that people be patient and wait for answers before jumping to conclusions indicates that we haven't seen the last of our favorite former pizza delivery guy. It's a completely cruel and unnecessary cop-out, but I'm fairly certain it's the scenario we're stuck with. Everything (even "dead" characters) gets a return, I guess? - I knew Eastman wasn't long for this world, but I really, really enjoyed his character. He wasted no time in calling Morgan on his s--t ("What's your name?" "Kill me." "That's a stupid name. It's dangerous. You should change it."), served as sensei during a "Karate Kid"-esque training montage, told sweet stories about his daughter, and yes, it turns out, actually was a cheesemaker, just like Morgan claimed. He was still perfecting his recipe when Morgan arrived (one humorous scene featured him spitting out a bad batch, yelping, "God, that's terrible!"), but managed to succeed as the days passed. "Grassy notes are a little AstroTurf, but there's potential here," he declares. " ... I was afraid that damn goat was going to make me a vegan." His death reminded me of Tyreese's, in that it happened to someone who should have known better, and shouldn't have been bitten in the first place. But thus is the circle of life on "The Walking Dead": Stupid deaths for great characters. - Speaking of which: RIP Tabitha :( - Written in Eastman's "The Art of Peace" book is this quote: "Aikido means not to kill. Although nearly all creeds have a commandment against taking life, most of them justify killing for one reason or another. In Aikido, however, we try to completely avoid killing, even the most evil person." Probably should have realized that the underlining foreshadowed that Eastman did, indeed, end up killing Wilton. - Despite the horrible nature of the story, I did have to laugh at Eastman's line, "I knew that Crighton knew that I knew exactly what he was." That circularity reminded me immediately of the "Friends" episode, "The One Where Everybody Finds Out." - Eastman tries to make Morgan believe in the future, telling him, "You're gonna hold a baby again." That winds up being true when Morgan cradles Judith in the season premiere, but that's a super random statement to make, right? - When we saw Morgan back in the season five midseason finale, he had reached Father Gabriel's church shortly after our original survivors had left. There, he pulls out some strange totems, including a Goo Goo Cluster candy bar, a rabbit's foot, and a bullet. All three make an appearance in this episode, as we learn their significance and how Morgan acquired them. The candy was a favorite of Eastman's; the rabbit's foot belonged to Eastman's daughter, and Eastman passed it on to Morgan before he died; and the bullet came as a thank you from a young couple whose lives Morgan spared near the end of the episode. - "Everything is about people. Everything in this life that's worth a damn." -- Eastman's final words of wisdom to Morgan, which spurred him on his quest to ultimately reunite with Rick. It seems Morgan may wind up regretting that journey. Photo credit: Gene Page/AMC This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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