As Lucy Hale accurately states in the new Pretty Little Liarsfeaturette, there’s “twists, and turns, and drama” in the upcoming Christmas episode of the hit show.
In the Tuesday, December 9 episode “How the ‘A’ Stole Christmas” (ABC Family, 8 pm) the four resilient ladies (Aria, Emily, Hanna, Spencer) search for proof that will keep Spencer (Troian Bellisario) from heading to jail. Along with the long running drama behind finding out “A’s” true identity, the episode should hopefully hold a bit of holiday cheer (amidst, of course, all that underlying deceit and darkness).
Troian Bellisario, Ashley Benson, Lucy Hale, Shay Mitchell in ‘Pretty Little Liars’ – ABC Family, Eric McCandless)
The new Pretty Little Liars featurette is below:
In other PLL related news, actress/singer Lucy Hale was interviewed for Yahoo Beauty’s new “Beauty Story” video series. During the chat, Hale talked about what she’s learned from playing Aria on Pretty Little Liars:
“My favorite thing about Aria — she’s very driven. She’s also teaching me how to be a little bit more romantic as well. We’re very similar in a lot of ways, which is why I was drawn to her initially when I read the script.”
Yahoo also asked Hale about what five items she would bring if she was stranded on a desert island. To watch the video, go here.
I had the pleasure of interview director Atom Egoyan(Exotica, Where the Truth Lies, The Sweet Hereafter, Devil’s Knot) this week in Los Angeles, and during the session he was asked about another movie that he recently finished.
Remember stars Christopher Plummer, an actor Egoyan previously worked with on Ararat. In a Daily Variety piece, Plummer described Remember as a story that is “arresting and powerful beyond measure.”
Penned by Benjamin August, the project also stars Martin Landau, Dean Norris (Breaking Bad), and Bruno Ganz (Wings of Desire).
Atom Egoyan sums up Remember below:
“Christopher Plummer plays a Holocaust survivor with early stages (of) dementia who thinks he’s found the person responsible for having killed his family in Auschwitz and goes on a mission to execute this person but keeps forgetting why.
What’s remarkable (about) the script is that (they’re) all these themes that are really close to me but it’s a really completely linear story. And yet the complexity of the characters is so fascinating and Plummer is extraordinary . . . It’s a pleasure to work with him again.”
To hear Atom Egoyan’s audio version of his answer, click on the media bar below:
The Captive, which premiered exclusively on DirectTV on November 13, hits theaters December 12. I’ll have more posts on The Captive, a thriller which I really enjoyed, in the coming days.
Mireille Enos & Ryan Reynolds in THE CAPTIVE (A24)
The Captive’s Boilerplate Summary: In this psychological thriller from Academy Award Nominated director Atom Egoyan, Matthew (Ryan Reynolds) steps briefly into a diner and comes out to find that his young daughter Cassandra has vanished without a trace from the back of his truck. Her unsolved abduction destroys Matthew’s once-happy relationship with his wife, Tina (Mireille Enos), who, haunted by mementos of Cassandra that appear mysteriously at her work, suspects her husband of foul play. Years later, when detectives Nicole (Rosario Dawson) and Jeffrey (Scott Speedman) discover recent images of Cassandra online, Matthew risks everything to ensure his daughter’s safe return—and to save himself and Tina from the limbo of unrelenting despair. Kevin Durand, Alexia Fast, and Bruce Greenwood co-star.
I love watching videos on Vimeo, as it’s a streaming service that’s never done me wrong. One of the projects that’s caught my eye is the documentary Beautiful Noise, which is now on sale as a digital download on Video on Demand: vimeo.com/ondemand/beautifulnoise.
The documentary centers on a period of music in which musicians mixed their proverbial wall of sound in a unique fashion, infusing guitar instrumentation into seemingly conventional pop song driven melodies.
The documentary, directed by Eric Green, contains interviews with members of Cocteau Twins, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Slowdive, Ride, My Bloody Valentine, Chapterhouse, Swervedriver, Lush, Pale Saints, Curve, AR Kane, and Medicine. Music icons Trent Reznor, Robert Smith, and Billy Corgan are also featred in the doc.
Beautiful Noise premiered May 31, 2014 at the Seattle International Film Festival and globally June 8, 2014 at the Sheffield International Film Festival. Other fests which featured the documentary included the Don’t Knock the Rock Festival in Los Angeles and the Sound + Vision Festival at Lincoln Center.
Remote Area Medicalis a documentary which focuses the universal need for efficient healthcare, but instead of taking a pointed political stance on the issue, filmmaker Jeff Reichertand Farihah Zamantake viewers on a personal journey of RAM’s three day clinic at Tennessee’s Bristol Motor Speedway.
Shot in April 2012, the documentary contains extensive interviews with patients of Remote Area Medical (an estimated 2000 people were treated during RAM’s pop-up stop in Tennessee). Since Bristol rests within the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, many of the people reside amidst this scenic environment.
REMOTE AREA MEDICAL – Cinedigm
But a beautiful view and living in open country doesn’t translate into excellent medical care, as many people can’t even afford a doctor or a dental visit. In the documentary, viewers witness a man who gets his blood pressure taken in the nick of time, a woman who undergoes a much needed X-ray, and several more than thankful patients getting several of their teeth extracted (these are the doc’s hardest to watch sequences) . Even obtaining a new pair of glasses and dentures is a luxury these patients can’t afford, but thanks to RAM those needs were met.
“We want the movie to stand as a document of the time that we were there and the people that we met,” said Reichert, who previously directed the 2010 film Gerrymandering. “There’s something kind of wonderful in documentary (filmmaking). You can watch something happen and share it with people who couldn’t actually be there to see it.”
REMOTE AREA MEDICAL – Cinedigm
For the filmmakers, the documentary’s focus came into clearer view during the editing process.
“With most good documentary filmmaking, you have to be surprised,” said Zaman who, along with Jeff Reichert, volunteered at a Remote Area Medical clinic in 2011. “For one thing, it became more about the place itself. The beauty of the landscape – specifically growing up in Appalachia we sort of delved (into it) in a way that we didn’t expect. Also we talked about a film that was completely vérité which the final film is not. We did those interviews in the film that became the structural backbone of the (documentary).”
Remote Area Medical opens today in Los Angeles and other markets. For more info, go to its official site.
Remote Area Medical (MPAA Rating: none. Running time: 80 minutes). Los Angeles venues: Lammle’s Musical Hall 3 in Beverly HIlls and Lammle’s Town Center 5 in Encino.
Guitarist Joe Perry is bringing the holiday cheer with his four song EP Joe Perry’s Merry Christmas, which is out now at the official site for Unison Music Group and on iTunes.
“I have wanted to do a Christmas CD with Aerosmith for years, but it seems we never have the time to record one,” said Perry, who released his bestselling memoir Rocks: My Life In and Out of Aerosmith on October 7. “When my Rocks book tour ended, the timing was right – we were in LA with access to a studio with some really talented friends and it all fell together. I was finally able to record some Christmas classics for the fans.”
The songs covered on the album are “White Christmas,” “Silent Night,” “Santa Clause Is Back In Town” and “Run Run Rudolph” (featuring Johnny Depp on rhythm guitar).
Along with being a writer and musician, Perry also has a passion for healthy and organic food. During a recent appearance on Home & Family, he shared a Baked Beans recipe which was created by his son) and incorporates Perry’s own line of BBQ sauces. Check out the video below:
http://youtu.be/CLxnaH44xx4
To check out Joe Perry’s line of sauces, go to Mr. Perry’s official site.
Actor Jai Courtney has been all over the cinematic map in 2014, thanks to his work in the fantasy/action flicks Divergent and I, Frankenstein,the crime drama Felony, and the upcoming WWII feature Unbroken(he plays a cigar chomping soldier and friend to Olympic runner Louis Zamperini).
His most anticipated film is Terminator Genisys, and the trailer was released today. Is Kyle Reese (Courtney) saving a Sarah Connor (Emilia Clarke) who was actually raised by a grey-haired Terminator (Arnold Schwarzeneger), and does this recent time travel journey forever change the events from The Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgement Day?
During our interview with Jai Courtney for Felony, he gave a brief insight on Terminator Genisys:
There’s not a lot I can say – it’s definitely not exactly the same than anything you’ve seen. It’s going to dig up some familiar aspects of the world we know about in Terminator, but there’s certainly kind of (a pushing of) “reset” somewhat if you know what I mean.
To hear Jai Courtney’s full answer, click on the audio bar below (Felony co-star Joel Edgerton is also heard in the clip)
Benedict Cumberbatch(Sherlock Holmes, The Imitation Game) and Jennifer Lawrence(The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part I) were the most reblogged actors of 2014, as the pair topped Tumblr’s “Year In Review” list.
With his work on the TV series Sherlock Holmes and his larger than life portrayal of Smaug in The Hobbit films and Khan in Star Trek Into Darkness, Cumberbatch’s star has continued to rise in meteoric fashion. Along with The Imitation Game, Cumberbatch reprises his role as Smaug in The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.
Benedict Cumberbatch (to see his Tumblr thank you video, click here).
Tom Hiddleston
Jensen Ackles
Dylan O’Brien
Misha Collins
Jared Padalecki
Chris Evans
Martin Freeman
Sebastian Stan
Leonardo DiCaprio
Robert Downey Jr.
Evan Peters
David Tennant
Ansel Elgort
Matt Smith
Robin Williams
Tyler Hoechlin
Tyler Posey
Jared Leto
Chris Pratt
Along with The Hunger Games franchise, Jennifer Lawrence has accrued Marvel Universe fans thanks to her work in X-Men: First Class and X-Men: Days of Future Past. She has also garnered critical acclaim for her work in Winter’s Bone, Silver Linings Playbook, and American Hustle.
– New York, NY – 11/15/14-New York Press Conference For The Hunger Games : Mockingjay Part 1 .The Film will open November 21. PICTURED: Jennifer Lawrence PHOTO by: Dave Allocca/Starpix
Tumblr will hold a Year in Review event December 10in Brooklyn. One of the bands who made Tumblr’s reblogged list will give a surprise performance at the celebration. To check out Tumblr’s “Year In Review” post, please go to http://yearinreview.tumblr.com/2014.
Here are the other artists who topped this year’s “most reblogged” list:
Black Sails: The Complete First Season (Anchor Bay Entertainment)
Black Sails: The Complete First Season comes out on Blu-ray and DVD on January 6 via Anchor Bay Entertainment.
The Starz series, executive produced by director Michael Bay (Transformers films and Pain & Gain) and created by Jonathan Steinberg (Jericho, Human Target) and Robert Levine (Touch), the story centers on Captain Flint (Toby Stephens), an intimidating pirate captain whose new addition to his crew is an upstart named John Silver (Luke Arnold).
Set in the British colony of New Providence Island in 1715, Black Sails also stars Hannah New as Eleanor Guthrie, the daughter of a smuggler who teams with Flint and turns the pirates’ accrued loot into financial gain.
Along with season one’s eight episodes, the Black Sails Blu-ray ($59.99) and DVD ($49.98) contains the following Bonus Features:
Black Sails: A Look Inside
Dress To Kill
Pirate Camp
Folklore Is Finished: Pirate Politics
A Place In History
Building The Behemoth
Black Sails: The Complete First Season (Anchor Bay Entertainment)
The second season of Black Sails stats January 24 on Starz.
Downton Abbey Season 5makes its Blu-ray and DVD debut (via PBS Distribution) on January 27, 2015.
Season 5 features returnees Maggie Smith, Hugh Bonneville, Michelle Dockery, and Elizabeth McGovern, along with new characters played by Richard E. Grant (Girls), Anna Chancellor (The Hour), and Rade Sherbedgia (24). Harriet Walker and Peter Egan also reprise their roles as Lady Shackleton and Lord Flintshire.
Forty minutes of extra video, along with the full season, are featured on the Blu-ray ($54.99) and DVD ($49.99) versions (the show will also be available as a digital download).
Season five of Downton Abbey premieres on Masterpiece (PBS) starting January 4, with the season finale airing March 1.
Also airing on January 4 is The Manners of Downton Abbey, a one-hour documentary that has on-set historian Alastair Bruce, along with members of the Downton Abbeycast and crew simulate the social etiquette of the day. The special also includes interviews with Bonneville and Dockery, as they talk about the challenge and joy of playing characters from a different time period. The doc will also be available on Blu-ray ($29.99) and DVD ($24.99) on January 6.
During its illustrious run, Downton Abbey has garnered 11 Emmys, two Golden Globes, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Previously available for the PlayStation 4 and PC, Pure Poolwas recently released on Xbox One, and fans of the console who are in need of some casual gaming have come to the right place.
Whether you’re a pool shark or a sports geek taking a halftime break from watching a football game, Pure Pool is a title (priced at $12.99) with universal appeal. If you want to try a few free games in single player mode, this title is worth a look simply as a pick up and play experience. After all, how hard can hitting a few balls on a table be?
Pure Pool – VooFoo Studios & Ripstone Publishing
Indie developers VooFoo Studios and Ripstone Publishing bring their own distinct vision to the proceedings, as Pure Pool‘s hyper-real graphics and immersive environment are its creative calling cards. Once you step into this bar/lounge, ambient instrumental music (at times hypnotic, other times it’s jazzing) surrounds the area, putting you in a relaxed state as you prepare to make your first break.
Pure Pool makes excellent use of the Xbox One controller, as the left stick is employed to aim your cue stick at the intended target. The right stick, once its pulled back and moved forward, is used to set the action in motion. If you hold the “B” button while pushing the right stick, you’ll put spin on the ball, and in turn simultaneously pressing the “A” button gives the ball a more accurate trajectory. Though it requires a bit more coordination than pulling on a trigger and pressing a button, the control mechanics are a perfect fit for the game.
All of my Pure Pool playing time occurred as a single player, and although a huge part of the title deals with competing against other members online with one on one matches and custom leagues, I had more than enough fun playing by my lonesome.
Pure Pool – VooFoo Studios & Ripstone Publishing
Part of the fun with Pure Poolis the amount of in-game achievements you can accrue during you’re playing – and earning various icons after completing various trick shots or potting a certain combination of balls is one of the reasons why I’ll continue to keep playing the title for weeks to come.
Pure Pool‘s physics and gameplay is also top notch, as the title gives an accurate representation of the pure strategy and hand/eye coordination that’s involved with this all too overlooked sport. The controls to execution experience was a seamless experience, and during my two hours of play the cue stick responded to every single command from my controller.
Along with its immersive visual design, Pure Pool is also a dead-eye shooter with its gameplay presentation (the audio of the balls bouncing and smashing throughout the table is also realistic). You can also customize your pool table and cue (my table has a space-age theme) which is also an added bonus.
I’ve also downloaded the Pure Pool VooFoo DNA Pack, which enables players to take on the developers of the game, and if I ever break out of my own social rut I may challenge these good folks to a game or two. Until then, I’ll continue my single player ways with Pure Pool, a diverting game that thankfully breaks in all the right directions.
Pure Pool – VooFoo Studios & Ripstone Publishing
To download Pure Pool, please go to the Xbox Store.
