Cockadoodie-do!

This is great news....

American Horror Story is ratcheting up the Misery in Season 3. Oscar winner Kathy Bates is joining FX’s hit spookfest as a nemesis to Jessica Lange, TVLine has learned exclusively. Bates will play the best friend of Lange’s new character, who turns into her enemy. 

Details on Horror Story‘s third season remain scarce, but series cocreator Ryan Murphy previously confirmed that Lange will play a “glamour cat leading lady,” in stark contrast to her gloomy Asylumwardrobe. Ryan also teased that the new season will be "more historical in nature" and take place in modern day. 

But just like past seasons, we will see different “time periods” and “there [will] also be different cities.” Horror Story vets reuniting with Lange in Season 3 include Lily Rabe, Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Taissa Farmiga and Bates’ former Six Feet Under co-star Frances Conroy.

Kathy has actually worked with Jessica before in Men Don't Leave, one of my favorite movies from the 90's (which is also where Chris O'Donnell got his first film role).

Kathy Bates is always good in everything she does...she should be great in this too and hopefully give Miss Lange a little run for her Cra-Cra money!

Squeee!

Headliner

It was confirmed today that Kathy Bates will be joining American Horror Story: Hotel...

Showrunner Ryan Murphy confirmed news that the actress will be back for the FX anthology's fifth season, American Horror Story: Hotel. 

"Kathy Bates is running the Hotel. #AHSSeason5," Murphy announced. 

Starring Lady Gaga, Matt Bomer, Chloë Sevigny, Wes Bentley and Cheyenne Jackson, American Horror Story: Hotel will be the first season of the series from Murphy and Brad Falchuk without leading lady Jessica Lange. 

Bates' return, which had been rumored for months, will mark her third season with the series after her co-starring roles in Coven and Freak Show. (Bates won an Emmy for her role in Coven.)

I'm so happy that she's returning for another season and hope that her character doesn't lose her head, literally, again (which has happened the past two seasons).



Although, even without a body, she still always manages to outshine most other actors around her.

Grrr....animals

It finally cooled down to about 85 today, so we headed off to the Denver Zoo.

There were quite a variety of animals there and they all seemed to be pretty happy, all things considered (I mean, they are confined and hardly living the dream-life somewhere in the wild).











This one looks like Dame Maggie Smith...



It also seemed that we encountered a variety of animals who had partied a bit too hardy the night before....







After many hours wandering around the animals and a surprising amount of Far Side-looking people (oddly shaped people with small heads and large bodies), we headed back into town.

On the way back, we stopped by the Brown Palace Hotel. Contrary to its poo-sounding name, it's one of Denver's oldest and most famous hotels and was named after the infamous Unsinkable Molly Brown (portrayed by multi-talented Kathy Bates in the movie "Titanic"), a Denver native.






Molly Brown moved into this historic hotel after selling her large mansion (also a city landmark) in the city.

She lived here until she died (Molly Brown, not Kathy Bates....she's still very much alive).

It's a beautifully ornate old hotel. So much detail and history....you feel it as soon as you walk in. I'm sure it would be an amazing place to stay, if one has boxes of cash to spend. We didn't....so we breezed through, took a few pictures and a set of salt and pepper shakers....then left.





After that. we walked down the famous 16th Street Mall, got something to eat and then headed back to the hotel for our last night here in the city.

I can't believe how fast our trip has gone. We weren't able to get up to the mountains (the Alpine train doesn't run in the summer) or to Boulder (after we got here, I got several emails from people suggesting we go there), but we got to see a very nice variety of sights and people right here in the city.

It's been a great visit and I look forward to heading back this way again.

Toil and Trouble

The first trailer for the upcoming season of American Horror Story: Coven (with Kathy Bates, Jessica Lange, Angela Basset, Frances Conroy and many of the cast from previous seasons) was released this week and it's just as weird and creepy as you'd expect...



Now, that's some messed up planking!

::Shudder::

::Squeee::

Watchmen

I don't know anything about this comic book series, other than hearing the name mentioned from time to time in passing.

However, I saw the trailer for the new movie and it looks pretty cool, I must say.

It's directed by the same guy who directed "300", which, visually, was amazing.

So, it'll be another big production that I'm looking forward to in the coming year (like "Star Trek", The Day the Earth Stood Still" and anything with Dwayne Johnson, of course).

If you haven't seen the trailer to "The Day the Earth Stood Still" (with Keanu Reeves), you may enjoy it here...

Looks like cool effects AND Kathy Bates is in it too...

Enjoyable.

Scranton Cheese

Look who's joining the cast of The Office in the fall...

"James will reprise his role as Robert California, this uber-salesman that has a power to convince and manipulate, like a high-class weirdo Jedi warrior,” said Paul Lieberstein, one of the series’ executive producers and a series regular. "He'll have been hired over the summer as the new manager, but within hours, got himself promoted. Within days, he took over the company. James has an energy that is completely his own, and ‘The Office’ has no tools for dealing with this guy. We're thrilled he's joining our cast."



Although I'm sad that he's taking over for Kathy Bates' hilarious character, Jo Bennett (I'll be watching her on Harry's Law), I'm really excited that James is joining the cast. I've missed him as Alan Shore when he was on Boston Legal.

Maybe he'll end up having Denny Crane as his lawyer.

That would be heaven.

Sheer heaven.

Magically delicious

This season of American Horror Story is absolutely my favorite.

I mean, Kathy Bates' head on a plate can still act circles around most other full-bodied actresses out there today.

Bubble, bubble

One of the first pics of the three main cast members (Angela Bassett, Jessica Lange, Kathy Bates) from the upcoming season of American Horror Story: Coven has surfaced and they all look equally bewitching.

Here is the latest teaser trailer...



Very cool.

The first episode airs October 9th.

Can't.Wait.

Freak Out

The first full trailer for American Horror Story: Freak Show debuted today...



It appears that Kathy Bates has a bit of a mustache problem and Angela Bassett is going to need a special support system upstairs.

I bet Sarah Paulsons' two heads will figure something out.

Enjoyable.

Santa Claws

I saw "The Day the Earth Stood Still" this past weekend. It was okay...good effects and concept, but the story and ending were a bit weak, not quite deep enough for what they were trying to say about how we're destroying our planet and all of that. But, it's always nice to see Kathy Bates in a movie, even if she's not hobbling anyone.

However, if you enjoy Hugh Jackman and all of his Sexiest Man Alive qualities, I think you're gonna wanna see the new Wolverine movie trailer that played before "Day".



Now that looks enjoyable...ho, ho, ho!

Enjoyable

Vanity Fair posted a new interview with Kathy Bates recently. It's well worth the watch, if you enjoy her.

Comings and Goings

The networks announced their fall lineups last week and there were some surprises indeed. True Blood is still undead and starts airing new episodes next month.



Ashton Kutcher is set to replace Charlie not-so-winning Sheen on Two And A Half Men, which should be interesting for those of you who actually watch it.



I was pleased that David E. Kelley's Harry's Law is returning. I love Kathy Bates and usually enjoy his shows. However, his updated version of Wonder Woman did not get picked up.



I am disappointed that we won't even get to see the pilot, but they kinda ruined it when they gave WW blue boots and hooker pants.

Duh.



V didn't get renewed either, which wasn't a surprise to me. If the entire series had been half as good as the last half hour of the finale, things might have been different.



And, finally, Brothers and Sisters did not get renewed for another season, which is disappointing. Although the plots began to get more melodramatic over the past couple seasons, I still really enjoyed the show overall and will miss getting my weekly Sally Field fix.

Because I like her.

I really, really like her.

Mike Nichols

Very sad news today…

Legendary film and theater director, writer and producer Mike Nichols has passed away. He was 83.

An Oscar winner for 1967′s seminal The Graduate, he also was nominated for such films as Working Girl, Silkwood and Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? For his stage work, he amassed 10 Tony Awards including as director for such plays as Barefoot In The Park, The Odd Couple, The Prisoner Of Second Avenue and Death Of A Salesman; and as producer of Annie and The Real Thing. 

His TV credits include exec producing classic 1970s drama series Family and directing and exec producing HBO drama Angels In America. 

Nichols was married to ABC News anchor Diane Sawyer. 

The list of actors with whom Nichols worked on stage and screen is a who’s who of Hollywood, past and present. They include (in no particular order) Julie Christie, Lillian Gish, George C Scott, Richard Dreyfuss, Morgan Freeman, Steve Martin, Robin Williams, Meryl Streep, Dustin Hoffman, Jack Nicholson, Emma Thompson, John Travolta, Kathy Bates, Natalie Portman, Christopher Walken, John Goodman, Kevin Kline, Harrison Ford, Julia Roberts, Ron Silver, Anne Bancroft, Candice Bergen, Gene Hackman, Robert Redford, Tom Hanks, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. 

He was a great director and I loved his HBO production of Angels in America.

He will be missed.