Monday, August 31, 2015

Hold back time

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The trailer for the sixth and final season of Downton Abbey was released this weekend...



It looks like change is coming for just about everyone on the show, which should be interesting and fun to watch.

As much as I don't want this show to end, I suppose I'm just going to have to accept it and enjoy the final season when it starts airing here in the states on January 3rd (and, NO, I'm not going to stream it early after it starts airing in the UK on September 20th).

Sigh.

Friday, August 28, 2015

Image control

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Girl Scouts + Puppy = Perfect Supergirl publicity pic

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It looks like her cousin could use a new PR agent.

Or a puppy.

Thursday, August 27, 2015

Game changer

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After years of development and false starts, production finally begins Monday on the hugely popular video game-to-movie Assassin's Creed. The studio released the first look at Michael Fassbender today in costume as the lead, Callum Lynch.

Here's a bit about the movie...

The game series features an evil company called Abstergo, which created Animus. It’s technology that allows people to relive the “genetic history” of their ancestors. As you’d expect, they don’t use the tech for the best reasons but the Assassin’s Order does. They use it to train modern assassin’s through the genes of great assassins of the past. 

Fassbender’s Lynch finds out he’s the descendant of Aguilar, a deadly 15th-Century Spanish assassin. And through the Animus, he learns the skills to fight the evil company in modern times.

The reason for Fassbender to play a new character is that the game’s creators at Ubisoft have developed such a rich history over the course of the franchise, this movie doesn’t want to mess with that or just retell a story fans have played before. This is set in the same world, but it’s a wholly new adventure.

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It looks like they've captured the look of his character pretty well, based on the pic from the game. It'll be interesting to see how the true gamers end up feeling about the film once its completed.

For the rest of us, we just want it to look good, move fast, and not bore us to tears.

The film is scheduled to be released December 21, 2016.

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Holding out for a hero

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Heroes Reborn is coming next month and the studio has released a behind-the-scenes look at what we should expect from this update...



I liked the first season of the original Heroes, but each season got progressively tiresome and ridiculous. So, let's hope they learned their lesson and give us more powers and less carnivals.

Like, NO carnivals (and that goes for you too, American Horror Story!).

Monday, August 24, 2015

It's legit!

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Kristen Wiig celebrated her birthday over the weekend. So, to join in the festivities, I think we need to watch some of her most memorable characters from SNL...


I had forgotten about Judy Grimes the "Just Kidding" lady...HILARIOUS.

And I'm not kidding.

Friday, August 21, 2015

Making a scene

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Here is a first-look shot from the set of Star Trek Beyond (above) and also a video of Lady Gaga on the American Horror Story set.



I'm looking forward to both of them, so here's hoping that they get things wrapped up soon so we can all start watching.

American Horror Story: Hotel premieres on October 7th, 2015 and Star Trek Beyond opens on July 8th, 2016.

Thursday, August 20, 2015

Downton Crabby

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The cast of Downton Abbey completed filming their sixth and final season last week and, to mark the occasion, the production team released some new photos of the cast for people to enjoy before the show starts airing in the UK next month (and then here in the U.S. on Sunday January 3rd).

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I was very surprised by how much I enjoyed this show. From the beautiful scenery and cinematography, the witty and touching writing, to the actors who did such an amazing job making you care for them, even when a couple of them got on your last nerve at times.

I'm really going to miss the show and them.

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But, I think I'm going to miss the Dowager Countess (Dame Maggie Smith) most of all.

She definitely expresses, below, exactly how I feel about Downton Abbey coming to an end...

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Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Yvonne Craig

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Very sad news today...

Yvonne Craig, best known for her role as Batgirl in the iconic 1960s television series Batman, died Monday. She was 78. 

Craig was a trained dancer who had studied at the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and toured for three years. Those dancing skills came in handy when the character of Batgirl debuted on ABC's popular superhero crime-fighting series in 1967. Craig was able to perform her own stunts alongside Adam West, who played Batman. 

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Star Trek fans will remember Craig's work, too. She played Marta, the green-skinned Orion slave girl who wanted to kill Captain Kirk in Season 3. 

Other roles include the 1963 movie It Happened at the World's Fair and 1964's Kissin' Cousins, both staring Elvis Presley. She also made guest appearances on popular TV shows throughout the 1970s, including Starsky & Hutch, The Six Million Dollar Man and Kojak.

I remember always looking forward to seeing Batgirl show up on Batman during that season and then, around the same time, seeing Ms. Craig show up on Star Trek (a show I've "kinda" been a fan of forever).

She was one of the last to approve a license for her Batman character for merchandising (she didn't do it until 2013), so that explains the lack of action figures out there of her likeness.

However,  it appears the wait was worth it.

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A company called Tweeterhead has just completed a new Batgirl statue and it looks almost exactly like her as the character in almost every detail (right down to the eyes, which seems to be something most companies constantly get wrong when doing any kind of character figure).

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I just might have to get one of these for my collection.

She will definitely be missed. However, she has left a memorable mark in the Pop Culture world and her character will live on for a very long time.

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

What hump?

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The first trailers for Victor Frankenstein were released today and it's interesting to see how the two dramatically differ in tone...

Here is the U.S. version...



We get the somewhat generic version featuring a weird creature wrecking havoc on the Brits.

Here is the International version...



The International folks get a more "Victor is the monster, not the creature he made" version, which appears more intellectual overall.

I guess they really do know their audience.

This Frankenstein is not the usual bolts-in-the-neck-Herman Munster version we're used to seeing in the past. It's more of a slimy-CGI-alien-meets-The Thing creation.

Plus, it appears Igor (Daniel Radcliff) finds a way to get rid of his hump.

I'll bet Dumbledor had something to do with that.

Monday, August 17, 2015

Mark your calendars

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I have a LOT of movies to see over the next four years.

And I'm okay with that.

Friday, August 14, 2015

EW Awakens

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Entertainment Weekly's latest cover story gets lots of new scoop on the upcoming Star Wars: The Force Awakens as well as some new photos...

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And Game of Thrones knight, Gwendoline Christie, looks like she's she's playing a new villain, Captain Phasma..

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Enjoyable!

The movie opens on December 18th.

Thursday, August 13, 2015

Bolly High

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It looks like the Absolutely Fabulous movie is on track and ready to start filming in October...

Fox Searchlight is in talks to board the feature adaptation of classic comedy Brit TV series Absolutely Fabulous as a co-producer and co-financier with the BBC. Fox also will handle worldwide distribution on the project, which will reunite Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley in their iconic roles as Edina and Patsy. 

Set in the worlds of fashion and PR, the original TV series debuted in 1992 to immediate acclaim and high ratings, going on to run for a total of six seasons, spread out over two decades. All of the original main cast is confirmed, including Julia Sawalha as Saffron the scene-stealing daughter of Edina. 

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Production is set to commence October 12 in London. Mandie Fletcher — who helmed a number of the original TV episodes — will direct, with Jon Plowman and Damian Jones producing. Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French and Maureen Vincent are exec producing.

Oh...this just might be a HOOT!

Cheers!

Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Twin Peaks Rumblings

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It looks like new episodes of Twin Peaks will now start filming in September...

Showtime Networks president David Nevins announced that the followup series from David Lynch and Mark Frost is slated to start production in September. Lynch is set to direct all episodes. He and Frost actually wrote one long script. Lynch will shoot the series continuously as a movie, and later cut it into episodes. 

Originally envisioned as being 9 episodes, the series will likely run longer but the exact number of episodes is still in flux and won’t be known until after filming is completed. Nevins declined comment on castings for Twin Peaks beyond the announced return of star Kyle MacLachlan. (the casting for the series is handled by Lynch’s company), but said that “you should be optimistic that the people you want to be there will be there, in addition to some surprises.” 

Originally slated for a 2017 premiere, there is hope that Twin Peaks could be ready for 2016 but there is no pressure on Lynch, who has complete creative control over the project. “I’ll take it when it’s ready,” Nevins said. “I hope that’s sooner rather than later.”

I hope its sooner than later as well and, as Bryan Fuller so eloquently stated above...

Consider me...moved.

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Senator Half-Pint

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Melissa Gilbert has come a long way since growing up on that prairie...

The actress perhaps best known for her role as Laura Ingalls Wilder on the TV series "Little House on the Prairie" is taking a run at Congress. 

Melissa Gilbert announced Monday her candidacy to represent Michigan's 8th congressional district as a Democrat, the seat currently held by Republican Mike Bishop.Michigan's 8th district includes the state capital, Lansing, and Oakland, Ingham and Livingston counties, where Gilbert and her husband live. 

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"Here in Michigan, I know people are doing their best to make a good life for themselves and their families," Gilbert's campaign said. "When it comes down to it, I think that's what we all really want." 

No stranger to holding elected office, Gilbert was the president of the Screen Actor's Guild from 2001 to 2005. 

I think Pa would be very proud.

Nellie Oleson...not so much.

Monday, August 10, 2015

Embrace who you are

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A new Supergirl trailer was released today...



Each trailer is looking a little bit better, which is encouraging.

The series premieres on October 26th at 8:00 on CBS.