AMC Hollywood Icon: Sean Connery

AMC and Marvel Present The Prisoner Comic at Comic-Con

2009-07-23T16:50:24Z

AMC and Marvel Comics are giving away an exclusive printed edition of The Prisoner Sneak Peek Comic at Comic-Con. The comic features the likenesses of Ian McKellen and Jim Caviezel, and provides an illustrated first-look at scenes based on the premiere episode which airs in November. The Prisoner AMC/Marvel Comic features art by São Paulo graphic artist Amilcar Pinna, color by Chris Sotomayor (who did titles for Captain Marvel, vol. 4; Avengers, vol. 3; Incredible Hulk and Fantastic Four), and lettering/production by Chris Eliopoulos (Savage Dragon series).

Not in San Diego but still want to see it? Click here to print out the PDF version of The Prisoner Comic-Con comic online.

Download The Prisoner's Comic-Con Posters

2009-07-23T16:30:14Z

If you weren't able to make it to Comic-Con this year to pick up some Prisoner swag, never fear: You can click here to download and print out the PDF version of all three official AMC The Prisoner Comic-Con posters.

July Movie Mad-ness

2009-07-23T16:55:39Z

Well, here we are Maddicts! It is July, a year has passed, and we have survived the interlude between the end of one season and the beginning of another!

Season 3 will begin in a couple of weeks and (with this post) we'll discuss the final group of movies on our "Movie Mad-ness" schedule. I want to thank each and every one who posted on our Mad-ness thread or just read it every month. You are all an amazing group, and your input was appreciated.

This last thread will be the discussion of two movies: "How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying" and "Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum." And, ...the actress discussed this month will be Irene Dunn.

If you can remember, begin by reminding everyone where the movies and actress were mentioned during the series, and then incorporate your personal comments to drive our discussion.

Once again....thanx for allowing me to stick out my neck every month to lead our discussions. I'm just a fellow Maddict (like you) waiting for the new season to start.... You made it much more enjoyable....

Don't Miss Out on These Features

2009-07-23T13:54:03Z

Video: The Prisoner First Trailer: The first look at Ian McKellen as Two and Jim Caviezel as Six in the miniseries.		Video: The First Read-Through: Ian McKellen and Jim Caviezel disclose that the first reading is often the most difficult.
Sneak Peek: The Making Of: Reflections from Ian McKellen, Jim Caviezel, Lennie James, Jamie Campbell-Bower, Ruth Wilson, and Hayley Atwell.		Wrap-up Video: Last Day of Production: When the last scene wrapped, the crew burst into applause, and Jim Caviezel started waxing about Tennessee Williams.
Video: Interview With Ian McKellen in Namibia: Ian McKellen gives a lesson in the creation of desert sand dunes and has a word or two to share about Two.		Video: Filming, Day 1 With Jim Caviezel: Sand is the last thing that Jim Caviezel wants more of after an intense day of filming action scenes in the Namibian desert.
Video: Jamie Campbell-Bower Interviews Ian McKellen, Pt. 2: Jamie Campell-Bower listens in as McKellen discusses what ignited his passion for politics.		Ian McKellen's Blog: A Tour of The Village and Palais Two: Ian McKellen describes set locations for The Village and their real-life uses and history.
Video: Building The Village: Production Designer Michael Pickwoad discusses the challenges of creating The Village while we get a sneak peek tour of the set.		Production Diary: Actors and Dust Storms Arrive in Swakopmund: AMCtv.com's multimedia producer shares his concern that sandstorms will threaten shooting.
*You'll find more The Prisoner* Greatest Hits here:** • Production Photo Gallery • Ian McKellen's Blog • Production Diary • Recent Interviews with Cast • Recent Interviews with Crew

Opening Night - The Ugly Truth's Gerard Butler Instructs Ladies to Lift Their Skirts

2009-07-23T04:02:00Z

Jacob Soboroff and I hit the Hollywood premiere for The Ugly Truth after a long day that started around 5AM covering the Emmy nominations (congrats to AMC's Mad Men, Breaking Bad and Storymakers!). So by the time we got to the Cinerama Dome on Sunset twelve hours later, we were beat but soldiered on. There were a ton of fans there... some for Katherine Heigl, but most were screaming for Gerard Butler. One woman was even taken away on a stretcher to an ambulance.

If you followed our Twitter feed that day, you saw the pictures I posted of Jacob with co-stars Cheryl Hines, John Michael Higgins and Butler. I couldn't get one with him and Katherine Heigl. She didn't come to the red carpet until later, when direct sunlight was no longer an issue (she's very fair-skinned), so by the time she got to Jacob, it was a reporter scrum. But we got her! Check it out:

A Decade of Incredibles - The Top Ten Animated Movies of the New Millennium

2009-07-23T04:01:00Z

No offense to The Lion King, but in the years since animation's renaissance in the '90s, the form has undergone such a vast makeover, it's practically a new species when compared to the flicks of yesteryear. Forget hokey jokes and cornily-sung duets about the glory of love; the new animated classics aim as high as their live-action counterparts in the pursuit of smart laughs, real terror, and moody atmosphere. Need proof? Read on for a greatest-hits list of the best animated movies to hit theaters since the year 2000.

10. Ice Age (2002)
You wouldn't think that a movie about a widowed woolly mammoth (Ray Romano) would be the stuff of great cinema, but this movie packs a surprisingly emotional punch. Meanwhile, Scrat the Squirrel, a comic-relief character who could easily gone the way of Jar-Jar Binks, provides well-played sight gags that are actually -- wait for it -- charming. This pick is a bit more cartoonish than its millennial peers, but even cynical viewers can't help but be drawn in by its story, landing it the bottom spot on the list.

9. Monster House (2006)
Monsters, Inc. and Monsters Vs. Aliens may have gotten the lion's share of attention but Monster House passes them both to make this list by having one of the best (and most unexpected) animated objects: A ravenous house! This scare-fest was also one of the first to make extensive use of performance-capture advances, but that feat comes to second to its genuine thrills, which earn it ninth place.

]]> 8. Ratatouille (2008)
Lady and the Tramp's spaghetti scene was memorable, but it wasn't anywhere near the quality of the dishes in Ratatouille -- nor did that movie have anywhere near the emotional depth of this Oscar winner. The movie's attention to detail is unparalleled -- even a compost pile gets star treatment -- and Remy the Rat's topsy-turvy movements rival the best of the silent clowns. Indeed, the animators' artistry steals the show as well as eighth place. What could top this? Read on...

7. The Simpsons Movie (2007)
After twenty years as a hit television series, the majority of people in theaters opening night of The Simpsons Movie were in their thirties. This cartoon movie had no techy gimmicks, no 3D glasses, and no big names; it just had decades of loyal fans. No matter your age, you still root for Homer to beat the bad guys and laugh at dumb-but-funny visual gags like Bart's epic naked skateboard ride, complete with full-frontal cartoon nudity. The Simpsons Movie's ballsy approach puts it in seventh place.

6. Finding Nemo (2003)
What hit movie starts out with the protagonist's mom being eaten alive within the first ten minutes? Hint -- it's not The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. While kids innocently root for dad and son to reunite in this Pixar flick, even the most hardened father in the audience will enjoy witnessing more near-death sequences than pop up in a Die Hard movie. Nemo's ability to give a delicate subject mass appeal -- plus kudos for giving its main character an irksome disability -- keeps it afloat at number six.

5. Up (2009)
Forget princes and princesses: This movie stars a nerdy pre-teen Wilderness Explorer and a geriatric Ed Asner on his way into a retirement home. After the first few scenes there's no love story in sight, so even men won't have to worry about their masculinity being compromised. Up taps into the spirit of adventure in all of us, and it's hard not to adore the kid, the curmudgeon, or their self-imposed canine best friend at number five.

4. Shrek (2001)
No frogs here. This time it's a hottie who's ugly inside and needs a nasty wake-up call before she can show us her true form. Shrek's plot is like the ogre himself, simple but adult-oriented, and brings in humor and musical references grown-ups can relate to (Joan Jett, Rufus Wainwright, etc.). Fart jokes that manage to not feel totally stale propel Shrek to number four.

3. Coraline (2009)
Coraline goes deep into disturbing territory with parent-napping, eyeball-skewering, and characters named "Why Born." That's what you get when you adapt a Neil Gaiman story into stop-motion animation. Gone are the days of Gumby and herky-jerky movements -- Coraline's transitions are as smooth as the one between a little girl's real house and the one in which her Other Mother lives. Coraline makes no excuses for its disconcerting storyline, taking it to third place.

2. The Incredibles (2004)
The Incredibles twists the traditional coming-of-age theme to include a set of parents who've lost their way, a prescient move in the pre-economic-disaster era of plenty. Endearing characters and smart dialogue make this one easy to watch, and yes, it teaches a lesson (capes are bad!), but it doesn't put the entertainment factor at risk. The Incredibles manages to get its point across clearly, but with a lighter tone than Coraline, inching them into spot number two.

1. WALL-E (2008)
Nothing says kids movie like the end of humanity. Oh, wait. Children will enjoy the pretty pictures and WALL-E's adorable robot eyes, but here's hoping they don't notice the overwhelming sense of futility that permeates the first two thirds of the movie. Adults will get a good dose of guilt over not recycling, but ultimately kids and their parents bond over the message of love and inner strength. WALL-E makes you laugh, cry, and kind of want to change the world, which is reason enough to be named the best animated movie of this young century.

John Scalzi - When Science Fiction Goes Global at the Foreign Box Office

2009-07-23T04:00:29Z

Here's a question for you: Which is the bigger summer science fiction hit -- Star Trek or Terminator Salvation?

"Well, that's easy," you say, gazing at the box office figures: Star Trek had a $75 million opening weekend and has made $250 million at the box office so far, while the Terminator flick had a $42 million opening and has made just under $125 million -- half of Star Trek's haul. So: Star Trek.

That's very logical of you. You are correct. But what if I told you there was an alternate universe in which it was Terminator Salvation that had grossed $230 million at the box office while Star Trek managed a mere $125 million?

"Why, that's madness!" you'd no doubt say. "Do the stars of each movie in this alternate universe also wear sinister goatees?" No, they don't. The stars looks the same, act the same, and even sound the same -- that is, as long as the movie has subtitles instead of being dubbed. Because this alternate universe I am speaking of is the rest of the world. Welcome, friends, to the Foreign Box Office.

]]> Decades ago the international market was a bit of an afterthought for Hollywood compared to its primary domestic market (the US and Canada). These days, however, foreign markets are just as important -- and as we see in the case of Terminator, can actually change the box office math, turning a minor financial disappointment into a bona-fide hit. In the U.S. and Canada, Star Trek has made over $125 million more than Terminator, but when you add in the rest of the world, the box office difference between the two is just $22 million ($378 million for Trek, $356 million for Terminator). Which is the more successful film really just depends on what country you're standing in.

The foreign box office doesn't just equalize out the big hits; sometimes it can actually save a flick's bacon. Take, if you will, Dragonball: Evolution, which was a big fat flop here in the domestic market grossing $9.3 million. For a picture that cost $45 million to make, that's very bad news. But internationally, the movie rolled up over $48 million for a total worldwide gross of $57 million. This is no blockbuster gross, but it doesn't entirely stink. At the end of the day, when DVDs and rentals and cable showings and such are tallied up, it'll probably squeak into the black. And what does that mean? Dragonball 2: Reborn is currently scheduled for 2011.

There are also movies that are monster hits without the help of the domestic box office. As we speak, there's one that has grossed $182 million internationally -- a sum that would put it at number six on the domestic box office for 2009 -- without having made a penny here at home. That would be Ponyo, the latest fantasy flick by Japanese animation icon Hayao Miyazaki. The movie is scheduled for release domestically in August, but is unlikely to make a significant sum -- Miyazaki's most successful here, 2001's Oscar-winning Spirited Away, made just $10 million while earning $265 million abroad. Indeed, Miyazaki's last four pictures combined have grossed nearly $850 million, of which just $17 million was banked here in the U.S. and Canada.

That said, Miyazaki illustrates a salient point for foreign box office: It's not evenly distributed. Of Ponyo's $182 million gross, more than $160 million of it is in Japan -- the director's home territory. To go back to Star Trek and Terminator, Trek's best overseas markets were the UK, Australia and Germany -- markets similar to the U.S.'s where Trek has a successful track record on TV. Meanwhile, Terminator did its best business in Japan and South Korea -- two gadget-obsessed cultures who, frankly, are probably closer to a Skynet sort of situation than the rest of us are. Only one movie this summer, in fact, has been an evenly distributed smash, and if you guessed that it was Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, you may congratulate yourself (or weep, depending on your inclinations).

Why mention all of this? Well, so that when Terminator 5 rolls onto movie screens in a couple of years (along with the next Star Trek and Transformers installments), you won't be standing there going, "Wait, I thought the last one didn't do well." It did do well. You just have to look at it globally.

Winner of the Hugo Award and the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer, John Scalzi is the author of The Rough Guide to Sci-Fi Movies and the novels Old Man's War and Zoe's Tale. He's also Creative Consultant for the upcoming Stargate: Universe television series. His column appears every Thursday.

Daily Scan for 07.23.09 - Raimi Directs Warcraft, Fusco Writes Turtles

2009-07-23T04:00:16Z

• Evil Dead and Spider-Man director Sam Raimi has been tapped to helm the upcoming World of Warcraft movie.

• SF Signal hosts another Mind Meld: Memorable short stories to add to your scifi reading list, parts one and two.

• The genius scribe behind the seminal psychological drama Young Guns, John Fusco, has been chosen to write the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles script.

• A new four and a half minute clip of the upcoming animated scifi flick 9 is likely to get your salivary glands drooling.

• SciFi Wire posts a panoramic, swoopable screenshot of the first day's filming of the next season of Doctor Who.

]]> • For the first time in nearly thirty years, the complete Star Trek 2: Wrath of Khan score will be made available for purchase.

• Tron 2 gets its first viral site: Flynn Lives.

Cowboys in Movies Quotes Quiz

2009-07-23T04:00:15Z

From The Alamo to Rio Bravo, Westerns are a part of America's imagination. Why are people afraid of Clint Eastwood? Like most cowboys, he's the strong, silent type -- and like most cowboys his remarks express truisms that hit the mark. Which Kirk Douglas character says "Money's just a "tool of my trade?" Take the quiz now. Take Quiz Â»

To challenge yourself with more movie trivia, try our Super Movie Quiz.

Check out Hellfighters, playing tonight on AMC at 5:15PM | 4:15C. Click here for the full schedule.

Check out Rio Bravo, playing tonight on AMC at 8PM | 7C. Click here for the full schedule.

Check out Chisum, playing tonight on AMC at 11PM | 10C. Click here for the full schedule.

Scott Sigler - Run... Run for Your Life! The Orphans Are Here!

2009-07-23T04:00:12Z

Just what the world needs: A cautionary tale about adoption. No, I'm not talking about Madonna or Angelina Jolie: I'm talking about the horror-thriller Orphan, which hits movie screens tomorrow.

The powers that be kept a tight lid on pre-release plot details, but the movie tells the tale of Kate and John Coleman, who lose their baby to a miscarriage and adopt a 9-year-old girl to fill the hole in their hearts. This being a horror flick, the wee lass is not all she appears to be. The trailer (see it here) kicks ass and hints at intellectual horror with an unguessable twist -- I mean, come on: Could it really be a cut-and-dried case of little Esther is an evil brat hell-bent on taking out anyone she dislikes? Doubtful.

In any event, Esther is hardly the first scary orphan on the block... not by a long shot. See if you remember these "sugar and slice, she'll cut you twice" movies. ]]> Samara Morgan, The Ring (2002)
What list of murderous orphans would be complete without the lovely Samara Morgan? Adopting this kid. Bad call, Ripley, bad call. And sealing her away in a back attic of the barn? Also a bad call. Look, the first time my kid puts evil mental projections into my family movies, it's infanticide time. Yes, there is a justification, and behaving like Samara is one of them.

David, Screamers (1995)
Peter Weller (Robocop) plays a grizzled Colonel in this far-future scifi tale of Von Neumann devices gone haywire. Don't know what a Von Neumann device is? Well Phillip K. Dick did -- he wrote the story upon which the movie was based -- but let's not digress into lightyear-spanning, self-replicating robot technology. Let's stay on point, the point being dangerous orphans. The little stray boy here is, of course, not what he appears; in fact, that might be the understatement of the century. Fun scifi flick, even if it doesn't pay much attention to plausible science. You like mechanical monsters and blood? Rent it.

Rynn Jacobs, The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane (1976)
Jodie Foster and Martin Sheen team up for this psychological thriller that leaves you guessing just how evil this little girl might be. She doesn't start out as an orphan, but becomes one due to some tasty cups of cyanide-laced tea.

All the kids on the island, Who Can Kill a Child? (1976)
Seems the American bicentennial was a bad year to be a parent. First Jodie Foster makes you drink some souped-up killer tea, then a couple takes a vacation to an island full of child killers. No, wait, the children are the killers, so while they are "child killers," they are more aptly named as "adult killers." Also known as "The Island of the Damned" or the original Spanish-language title "Quien puede matar a un nino," this is akin to an early Children of the Corn only with more guns and less He Who Walks Beneath the Rows.

Malachai, Children of the Corn (1984)
Did I just mention this flick? Hell yes, I did. Perhaps it's not high-grade cinematic art, but it's a hot time for small town orphans. Why are they orphans? Because they killed their parents. Some with a meat slicer, which is particularly nasty. The movie kicked out one of my all-time favorite horror quotes: "He wants you too, Malachai ... he wants you too." Damn! When that line is delivered? Just shudder-ville.

Adopt! Adopt!
Please, don't let this list of flicks dissuade you. Adopting is a very cool thing to do. Honest. But, a few caveats. Make sure your prospective family member a) is not a card-carrying member of the NRA, b) does not quote his or her own, freshly written scripture, c) comes wandering in out of a nuked-out, wasted warzone holding a teddy bear, d) likes tea parties ... a lot, or d) dumps her thoughts onto your old VHS copy of Who's the Boss.

If the child covers any or all of the above, perhaps it's time to consult a fertilization specialist instead.

New York Times best-selling author Scott Sigler writes tales of hard-science horror, then gives them away as free audiobooks at www.scottsigler.com. His novel INFECTED was named as the Border's #1 mystery, thriller and horror novel for 2008. His latest hardcover, CONTAGIOUS is in stores now. If you don't agree with what Scott says in this blog, post a note in the comments section below. Please include all relevant personal information, such as your address and what times you are not home, so Scott can come visit and show you his world famous "Chicken Scissors."

The Newsdesk 07.23.09 - Alice in Wonderland Trailer Debuts; First Look at New Freddy Kreuger

2009-07-23T04:00:01Z

• The first teaser trailer for Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland has been released. Johnny Depp appears to be doing a cross between Jack Sparrow and Carrot Top.

• Frank Miller has completed a draft of a graphic novel that could serve as the basis for the 300 sequel. This way he can add in all the weird troll people and underwritten female characters ahead of time.

• The first images of Jackie Earle Haley as Freddy Krueger have surfaced. Will Depp cameo as a young Johnny Depp?

• A new Jonah Hex poster featuring Josh Brolin and Megan Fox surfaced at Comic-Con. Wait, is Brolin also playing Freddy Kreuger?

• Denzel Washington will reteam with Tony Scott for the runaway-train flick Unstoppable.

• The full trailer for Whiteout, starring Kate Beckinsale, is now online. We're not sure if it's a disaster flick, or a story about The Abominable Snowman.

• More new images from Iron Man 2 have been released, including the first new photo of Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts. Gotta love that business casual look!

]]>
BIZ

Disney to charge for content online

from Hollywood Reporter by By Paul Bond

Disney plans to offer a broad array of its content, including movies, TV shows and games, online to those willing to pay for it -- possibly at a single Web site that requires a subscription, president and CEO Robert Iger said Wednesday.

FCC Chief: We Must Reassess Children's TV

from The Wrap RSS by Lew Harris

Banning interactive links to commercial products from children's shows will be a top priority.

Big drop in L.A. production days

from Hollywood Reporter by By Carl DiOrio

On-location film and TV production slid 31% in the second quarter, yielding an nearly 25% drop in production days for the first half of the year, FilmLA said Wednesday.

Hollywood shoots leaving

from Variety.com - Film News

Film News: Incentives lure features outside state -- Off-lot feature production in the Los Angeles area slid 44% during the second quarter year over year amid the ongoing trend of features shooting outside Hollywood.

Silverman: NBC Will Sell Far Less Fall Inventory

from The Wrap RSS by Michael Speier

Network has still not closed its deal with upfront advertisers, months after its presentation.

FESTIVALS

'Twilight,' 'Iron Man' & 'Avatar' Among Hot Properties At Comic-Con

from Access Hollywood - Movies

From immortal bloodsuckers and 19th century forensics pioneers to flying suits of armor and an all-new breed of live-action 3-D, the essence of this year's hottest properties at Comic Con can be found deep in the past, or far into the future.

L.A. Shorts Fest '09 to open

from L.A. Times - Movie News

L.A. Shorts Fest '09 has ones by Courteney Cox, Demi Moore and Scarlett Johansson.

Wilco, Jason Mraz, Phosphorescent Added to Farm Aid Lineup

from Paste Magazine

For 29 years, music-and-food fest Farm Aid has been raising money and awareness for America's farmers. This year's concert, held in Maryland Heights, Mo. on Oct. 4, is shaping up to be quite an addition to the festival's rich history.

Austin City Limits 2009 Schedule Announced

from Paste Magazine

Bring on the heat, bring on the music, bring on the stage shuffling! Austin City Limits' annual festival will take place Oct. 2-4 this year, and the festival's website recently posted the weekend's schedule.

Naming names at Venice film fest

from Variety.com - Film Festivals

Film Festivals: Festival loads up star power -- The upcoming Venice Film Festival is shaping up as a launching pad for plenty of U.S. kudos hopefuls, a strong European lineup and new works from big-name helmers including Steven Soderbergh, Michael Moore, Joe Dante, Werner Herzog and Todd Solondz, alongside Claire Denis, Jacques Rivette and Giuseppe Tornatore.

FILM

Daily Box Office: Tuesday, July 21, 2009

from Box Office Mojo - Current Box Office Results

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince tops Tuesday's box office with $9.5 million

Pics sizzle at overseas box office

from Variety.com - Film News

Film News: Hot summer for 'Ice,' 'Angels,' 'Transformers' -- Hollywood summer tentpoles are doing big business at the international box office, and not just Warner Bros.' "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince."

First Look: 'Iron Man 2'

from Access Hollywood - Movies

Check out all the hot shots from summer 2010's highly anticipated 'Iron Man 2!'

Denzel Washington on board for Tony Scott's 'Unstoppable'

from Entertainment Weekly's News Briefs by Whitney Pastorek

After recently withdrawing from Tony Scott's upcoming runaway-train flick Unstoppable over rumored salary concerns, Denzel Washington has signed back on for the project with his Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 director, according to his rep.

'Alice in Wonderland' trailer unveiled

from L.A. Times - Movie News

Johnny Depp is a wicked Mad Hatter.

'2012': One final disaster for director Roland Emmerich

from USATODAY.com Life - Top Stories

Earth won't have Roland Emmerich to kick it around anymore. Come '2012,' the Master of Disaster is retiring from cataclysm.

TELEVISION

Emmy episode entries revealed for 'Mad Men,' 'Dexter,' 'Damages,' 'HIMYM,' more

from Entertainment Weekly's News Briefs by Whitney Pastorek

The L.A. Times has revealed a partial list of episodes submitted to the judges by this year's crop of Emmy nominees.

Discovery Channel to re-air 'Cronkite Remembers'

from AP Top Entertainment News At 11:05 ...

NEW YORK (AP) -- Discovery Channel says it's re-airing "Cronkite Remembers," an eight-part look at the 20th century through the eyes of veteran newsman Walter Cronkite....

Richardson joins 'Tudors' cast

from Entertainment News - UPI.com

LOS ANGELES, July 22 (UPI) -- British film and TV actress Joely Richardson has joined the cast of the drama series, "The Tudors," for its fourth and final season, Showtime announced.

Lifetime to air 'Project Runway' All-Star Challenge

from Entertainment Weekly's News Briefs by Jeff Labrecque

Kicking off its sixth season, Project Runway will welcome back eight superstar designers from years past, including Santino Rice (pictured), Jeffrey Sebelia and Sweet P, for a special two-hour "All-Star Challenge."

UK's Shorts Int'l Launches 24 Hour Shorts Channel in U.S.

from indieWIRE News

London-based shorts entertainment company, Shorts International, unveiled the launch of Shots HD on AT&T U-verse TV, a channel dedicated to short movies.

ABC schedules 'Crash Course'

from The Live Feed by hollywoodreporter

ABC has set a time for its new auto-obstacle-course reality show, "Crash Course."

VH1 resurrects 'Divas' franchise

from Variety.com - Music News

Music News: Cyrus, Adele, Clarkson, Lewis kick off reboot -- VH1 is resurrecting its "Divas" franchise after a four-year break.

MUSIC

Daughtry tops albums chart, outsells Jackson

from CNN.com - Entertainment

For the past three weeks in a row, Michael Jackson's "Number Ones" has been the biggest-selling album in the country.

LA coroner seeks records from Jackson nutritionist

from AP Top Entertainment News At 11:05 ...

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) -- Michael Jackson's former nutritionist is the latest person authorities are tapping as they piece together the star's medical history....

Springsteen, U2, Metallica set for Hall of Fame benefit concerts

from Entertainment Weekly's News Briefs by Whitney Pastorek

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, U2, and Metallica are among the bands Billboard is reporting will headline two concerts at Madison Square Garden this fall to celebrate the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 25th anniversary.

Swizz Beatz 'So Excited' To Work With Whitney Houston, Alicia Keys

from MTV News

'I was super happy,' Beatz says of the reaction his 'Million Dollar Bill' got at Houston's recent listening party.

Whitney Houston 'Truly Humbled' By Listening-Party Turnout

from MTV News

'You've overwhelmed me. I hope you love it,' Houston said to the celebrity crowd gathered to hear the first tracks off of I Look to You.

Daughtry Discuss Avoiding The Sophomore Slump With Leave This Town

from MTV News

'We put a lot of heart, soul and tears into this record,' Chris Daughtry says of #1 album.

Jay-Z Recruits MGMT for 'Blueprint 3'!

from Spin magazine's Daily Noise by Matt Kiser
Sorry, Paul McCartney -- Jay-Z beat you to a MGMT collaboration!

Blondie, Pat Benatar Kick Off U.S. Tour

from Spin magazine's Daily Noise by Eric Nowels
The opening show of Blondie, Pat Benatar, and the Donnas' Call Me Invincible Tour Tuesday night in Saratoga, CA, was like a riot -- a nicely organized riot with a seating chart, vigilant security, and lots of Chardonnay.

Kings of Leon goes platinum

from The Hollywood Reporter - Music by By Evie Nagy, Billboard

Nashville rock band the Kings of Leon today announced dates for a 30-plus-date North American arena trek this fall.

TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Toronto books 'Broken Embraces,' 'Life During Wartime.' Special Presentations, Discovery and Vanguard sidebars set

by Etan Vlessing

Pedro Almodovar's "Broken Embraces" and Todd Solondz' "Life During Wartime" are to receive high-profile North American bows at the Toronto International Film Festival, organizers said Thursday. As Toronto unveiled eight new Special Presentations titles, the festival said it booked Almodovar's latest Penelope Cruz-starrer, which bowed in Cannes, and Solondz's part-sequel to "Happiness," which stars Allison Janney and Ciaran Hinds.

Background events 1963

2009-07-23T01:00:26Z

Elsewhere someone posted that Janaury Jones had said the season begins with Betty 7 months pregnant. If so, we're in the spring of 1963. What events might be mentioned or reflected indirectly in the storyline?

April 12 1963 - Bob Dylan performed at Town Hall. Maybe Kurt and Peggy go to the concert?
Lunch counter protests begin in Birmingham, Alabama. How will Carla react? Will we see any awareness of civil rights demonstrations among the staff at SC?
The Burton/Taylor affair - echoes at SC?
Gordon Cooper in orbit (May) - another trip to California?

The Newsdesk 07.22.09 - Toronto International Film Festival

2009-07-22T22:30:31Z

The Toronto International Film Festival revealed its slate of documentaries, midnight movies and avant garde selections:

"Sense of Immediacy" In Toronto Fest's 17 Docs

by Peter Knegt (Updated 23 hours, 48 minutes ago)

"This year's documentaries have a sense of immediacy like never before," said Thom Powers, the Toronto International Film Festival's documentary programmer, regarding this year's slate of docs. "Current events are getting a fresh perspective in films about the post-crash economy, Iran, Berlusconi, surrogate mothers, U.S. Army veterans and more. These films are sure to generate a lot of debate."

Avant-Garde Film and Video Showcased In Toronto's Wavelengths Program

by Peter Knegt (Updated 23 hours, 48 minutes ago)

The Toronto International Film Festival has announced the lineup for its Wavelengths program, a presentation of avant-garde film and video that runs September 11-14 at Toronto's Art Gallery of Ontario.

"Jennifer's Body" Headlines Toronto's Midnight Madness

by Peter Knegt (Updated 23 hours, 55 minutes ago)

A scene from Karyn Kusama's "Jennifer's Body." image courtesy of 20th Century Fox.

"Jennifer's Body," Diablo Cody's follow-up screenplay to "Juno," will have its world premiere as it opens the Toronto International Film Festival's Midnight Madness program.

Muslims, Mormons featured in Toronto

TORONTO -- Documentaries from Chris Smith, Marc Levin and Emmett Malloy, and others with subjects that include Islamic extremists and Mormons cleaning up Hollywood, are among the documentary titles added Tuesday to the Real to Reel sidebar at the Toronto International Film Festival.

White Stripes Canadian tour doc to premiere at TIFF

The world premieres of documentaries about the White Stripes cross-Canada tour and an investigation of why bees are dying will be screened as part of the Toronto International Film Festival this September.

Rich Sommer interview re "The Storm" miniseries and Mad Men

2009-07-22T23:00:22Z

Sounds like we're starting with a bang:

Excerpt:
"IGN: I know Matt likes to keep his secrets, but is there anything you can say about the new season?

Sommer: Oh gosh... Hmm... I can only give you some general tone thoughts. The thing that I noticed is, when we came back with our second season, we had no idea if there was going to be a second season. We knew we needed to get more viewers, and we didn't know if they were going to be able to put the money behind it. So when they did, that first episode of the second season felt to me like kind of a celebration - like, "Hey guys, we're back and isn't this great that we're back?!" This year, there's no such fanfare. The door is kicked down immediately, and the s**t hits the fan right away. It just starts. And I think it assumes you are along in the story. It assumes that you have been there for every single episode of the first two seasons and that for this 27th episode, we're all kind of on the same page as it rages through. It's great. It's awesome."

No spoliers but boy the whole cast knows how to tease. The entire interview starts at http://tv.ign.com/articles/100/1005737p1.html

The Pookipsie Tapes

2009-07-22T22:57:43Z

Hey All!!! First time blogger long time lover of horror movies. Does ANYONE know when The Pookipsie Tapes is coming to DVD. Also Trick R Treat (NOT Trick or Treat the 1980's one)