Category Archives: Entertainment

Kid Cudi returns to his childhood high school for inspirational TED talk

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It’s been fun following Scott “Kid Cudi” Mescudi’s career over the years, from his humble rap beginnings to his recent exploration into rap-punk-rock fusion. He never lets his fans forget where he comes from–that’s Cleveland, Ohio if you didn’t know. Last February, he went home to give a TED talk at his old high school, Shaker Heights High, where he shared with an excitable audience his experiences growing up in the music industry. For Cudi fans, it’s a brief but intriguing trip inside the mind of the rapper turned rocker/actor. In general, though, it’s an informative speech with an aim to push everyone to make goals and reach to fulfill them. Cudi gets surprisingly candid with the crowd (at one point he even invites up an old high school friend he hasn’t seen in many years) and offers sound advice for his fans, the haters, and all.

Click here to watch the 20-minute TED talk on YouTube.

The new ‘Ghostbusters’ are ready to play

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The Ghostbusters are ready to kick some ass, again. Director Paul Feig (Bridesmaids, The Heat) hand-picked his rag-tag heroines for the upcoming reboot and we’ve already glimpsed behind the curtain during the film’s production. While Feig remains mum on juicy plot details, he continues to share stills from the set and this next one does not disappoint. Check out Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon, Kristin Wiig, and Leslie Jones welding their modern proton packs in the ghoulish pic hanging above.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Feig had nothing but praise for the funny ladies of SNL (plus McCarthy). “They are four incredibly talented women, each with a unique voice and style of comedy,” he said. “The fact that they meshed so well and complemented each other so well made this team of paranormal warriors a very interesting and fully-rounded group. The funniest people who come from sketch, stand-up, or just comedy, in general, work well together because the good ones know they are only as good as those they are playing off, against, and with. The set was a fun, supportive and creatively fertile environment.”

And there’s more! Be sure to pop into the gallery below to view movie posters featuring the four leads. The new Ghostbusters arrives July 15, 2016.

Movie trailer round-up: ‘X-Men: Apocalypse’, ‘Independence Day: Resurgence’, ‘Star Trek Beyond’ & ‘Fantastic Beasts’ (Update)

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Director Bryan Singer is ready to introduce the world to Apocalypse, the first mutant from which all mutants descend. Also, he’s totally evil and stuff and wants to annihilate mankind and create a new world order over which he will reign. Oscar Isaac (Inside Llewyn Davis, Ex Machina, Star Wars: The Force Awakens) plays the villainous mutant who has amassed the powers of many other mutants since the beginning of recorded time, becoming immortal and invincible in the process. A disheartened Magneto (Michael Fassbender) joins the dark side once again to take on Professor X (James McAvoy) and his team of misfit mutants in an epic war to save the world from irreversible destruction. Jennifer Lawrence (The Hunger Games) and Sophie Turner (Game of Thrones) also make impressions in this debut trailer for X-Men: Apocalypse as young versions of Mystique and Jean Grey, respectively. The wide ensemble cast also includes Nicholas Hoult, Rose Byrne, Tye Sheridan, Olivia Munn, Lucas Till, Evan Peters, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Alexandra Shipp, Josh Helman, Lana Condor, and Ben Hardy.

Singer’s followup to his successful Days of Future Past hits theatres May 27, 2016.

Update (12/13): 20th Century Fox has dropped the first official trailer for Independence Day: Resurgence and you can watch it now after the break.

Update 2 (12/14): Following a leak in Germany, Paramount has released the first trailer for Star Trek Beyond a tad early, but we’re not complaining! Find it after the break.

Update 3 (12/15): Warner Bros. is giving Harry Potter fans a peek at the anticipated spinoff Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. By now you know where to find it. Continue reading Movie trailer round-up: ‘X-Men: Apocalypse’, ‘Independence Day: Resurgence’, ‘Star Trek Beyond’ & ‘Fantastic Beasts’ (Update) →

‘Serial’ podcast returns and its new case will have global consequences

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Serial is back. This morning at precisely 6am, host Sarah Koenig and her crack team at NPR’s This American Life debuted the first chapter in the second season of her wildly popular podcast. While season 1 was all about a captivating murder case, season 2 will investigate a new, compelling story surrounding U.S. soldier Bowe Bergdahl. Apparently Bergdahl left his small outpost in eastern Afghanistan and ventured into hostile territory to later be taken hostage by the Taliban; he would be the terrorist organization’s prisoner for almost five years. In May 2014, a deal was struck and the Taliban handed Bergdahl back to the United States. But things were not all peachy for the rescued solider upon his return; a celebration hosted by his hometown of Hailey, Idaho was promptly cancelled when Bergdahl’s fellow soldiers started labeling him a deserter and traitor to his country. In this season of Serial, Koenig–with the assistance of filmmaker Mark Boal (Zero Dark Thirty, The Hurt Locker)–will explore the mystery behind Bergdahl’s decision to leave his post and the global ramifications that followed. “It’s a story that has played out in unexpected ways from the start. And it’s a story that’s still going on,” reads a post featured on the Serial site.

“Unlike our story in Season One, this one extends far out into the world,”  Koenig blogs. “It reaches into swaths of the military, the peace talks to end the war, attempts to rescue other hostages, our Guantanamo policy. What Bergdahl did made me wrestle with things I’d thought I more or less understood, but really didn’t: what it means to be loyal, to be resilient, to be used, to be punished.”

And now, without further ado, I present “DUSTWUN,” the 44-minute premiere of Serial‘s second season. You can stream it free at Serial‘s site and on Pandora, or alternatively you can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes. In addition to complementary posts, the Serial team will be providing interactive 3D maps, graphics, and videos to help explain the story as it unfolds. Look out for new installments on a weekly basis.

Excuse me while I fall back into the trance that is Sarah Koenig’s investigative prowess. I’ve missed you, MailChimp. See you all on the other side.

Netflix and the streaming services dominate Golden Globe nominations

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Popular streaming services like Netflix and Amazon made a considerable splash at the Golden Globe nominations ceremony today. Netflix, the maker of original content like House of Cards and Orange is the New Black, leads the TV competition including streaming services, cable and broadcast networks with a total of 8 nominations. Not so far behind is premium cable networks HBO and Starz with 7 and 6 nods, respectively, and Amazon ties FX with 5.

Speaking of the streaming services taking over, you needn’t look further than the Best Television Series — Musical or Comedy category which is utterly dominated by offerings from Netflix (Orange is the New Black), Amazon (Transparent), and Hulu (Casual). They’ll be facing off against HBO’s Silicon Valley and Veep. You’ll notice not a single broadcast network comedy enters the race here; the times, they are a-changin’. Fox’s Empire managed to squeeze into Best Drama Series where it is instantly overshadowed by HBO’s Game of Thrones, USA’s Mr. Robot, Starz’s Outlander, and yet another Netflix show, Narcos.

Actresses across the comedy TV category up for Globes include Rachel Bloom (The CW’s Crazy Ex-Girlfriend), Jamie Lee Curtis (Fox’s Scream Queens), Julia Louis-Dreyfus (HBO’s Veep), Gina Rodriguez (The CW’s Jane the Virgin), and Lily Tomlin (Netflix’s Grace and Frankie). Leading actors include Aziz Ansari (Netflix’s Master of None), Gael Garcia Bernal (Amazon’s Mozart in the Jungle), Rob Lowe (Fox’s The Grinder), Patrick Stewart (Starz’s Blunt Talk), and of course Jeffrey Tambor (Amazon’s Transparent).

In the drama department, the following actresses are vying for the shiny statue: Caitriona Balfe (Starz’s Outlander), Viola Davis (ABC’s How to Get Away with Murder), Eva Green (Showtime’s Penny Dreadful), Taraji P. Henson (Fox’s Empire), and Robin Wright (House of Cards). Leading actors nominated include Jon Hamm (AMC’s Mad Men), Rami Malek (USA’s Mr. Robot), Wagner Moura (Netflix’s Narcos), Bob Odenkirk (AMC’s Better Call Saul), and Liev Schreiber (Showtime’s Ray Donovan).

Elsewhere, ABC’s American Crime, FX’s American Horror Story: Hotel and Fargo, Starz’ Flesh and Bone, and PBS’ Wolf Hall have all been nominated for Best TV Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for TV. Shout outs to Kirsten Dunst (Fargo), Lady Gaga (AHS: Hotel), Felicity Huffman & Regina King (American Crime), Maura Tierney (The Affair), Ben Mendelsohn (Netflix’s Bloodline), and Christian Slater (Mr. Robot) for scoring lead and supporting acting nods.

Moving onto the snubs… Where’s the love for stellar shows like HBO’s The Leftovers, FX’s The Americans, AMC’s The Walking Dead, A&E’s Bates Motel, Netflix’s Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, FXX’s You’re the Worst, NBC’s Parks & Rec, Fox’s Brooklyn Nine-Nine and and The Last Man on Earth? The decision to completely omit these shows and their stellar casts makes me scratch my head indefinitely.

Now let’s not forget that the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) also votes on the best films of the year. Movies nominated for best Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy include The Big Short, Joy, The Martian (??), Spy, and Trainwreck. Best Dramas include Carol, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Revenant, Room, and Spotlight. The movies up for Best Animated Picture: Anomalisa, Pixar’s The Good Dinosaur and Inside Out, The Peanuts Movie, and Shawn the Sheep Movie.

Click here for the full list of Golden Globe-nominated TV series, movies, actors, actresses, screenplays, directors, scores, and songs. The 73rd Golden Globes airs live Sunday, Jan. 10 at 8pm (ET) on NBC.

Kendrick Lamar, Taylor Swift & The Weeknd lead 2016 Grammy nominations

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Seemingly always on the rise rapper Kendrick Lamar leads with the most Grammy Award nominations this year. His 11 nods fall within major categories including Album of the Year (To Pimp A Butterfly) and his track “Alright” landed him numerous nods in the following fields: Song of the Year, Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song, and Best Music Video. Trailing not so far behind is Taylor Swift and The Weeknd, both earning 7 nods apiece.

Let’s take a quick look at the General Field nominees, the four most prominent categories that Swift managed to dominate this year thanks to her record-breaking album, 1989. Her popular single “Blank Space” is competing for Record of the Year with D’Angelo And The Vanguard’s “Really Love,” Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk,” Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud,” and The Weeknd’s “Can’t Feel My Face.” In the Album of the Year category, 1989 is up against Alabama Shakes’s Sound and Color, Kendrick’s Butterfly, Chris Stapleton’s Traveller, and The Weeknd’s Beauty Behind The Madness. “Blank Space” and “Alright” are joined by “Girl Crush” by Little Big Town, “See You Again” by Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth, and “Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran in competition for Song of the Year. Last, Courtney Barnett, James Bay, Sam Hunt, Tori Kelly, and Meghan Trainor are all vying for the coveted Best New Artist award.

Click here for the full list of this year’s nominees. The 58th Annual Grammy Awards airs Monday, Feb. 15 at 8pm on CBS.

Kid Cudi drops his next genre-busting effort, ‘Speedin’ Bullet 2 Heaven’

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The sixth studio album from Kid Cudi, Speedin’ Bullet 2 Heaven, has finally arrived. Like WZRD (2012), Indicud (2013), and Satellite Flight: The Journey to Mother Moon (2014) before it, SB2H continues to defy the musical boundaries Cudder successfully defined for himself early in his career with the Man on the Moon records. Cudi doesn’t consider himself a hip-hop or rap artist but instead an “alternative” one. SB2H emanates alt-grunge-rock vibes with emphasis on guitar strings, not electronic beats. “I’ve ripped my heart out and carved it into tiny pieces of musical madness,” Cudi has previously said about his latest effort. And it’s true: SB2H is an emotional record that drives into the depths of the experimental rapper-turned-rocker.

The 26-track album is split into an A-side and B-side. The first half features singles including “Confused!,” “Judgemental Cunt,” and “Wedding Tux.” Sprinkled throughout are skits featuring Beavis & Butt-Head voiced by the cartoon’s creator Mike Judge; Cudi enlisted Judge to record the new bits in-studio and how cool is that? The B-side includes eight tracks, half of which are demo recordings. Longtime Cudi fans will take solace in the fact that SB2H welcomes back Cudi’s Man on the Moon producing partner Plain Pat behind-the-scenes.

Wondering about Cudi’s tour plans? He was expected to kick things off this month, but due to production issues he’s postponing until “the top of next year.” Our consolation prize? The release of a third single, “Speedin’ Bullet 2 Heaven,” side-A’s penultimate track produced by Cudi and Plain Pat.

Dig Speedin’ Bullet 2 Heaven‘s album artwork above, plug in your headphones, and rock out to dat new-new Kid Cudi via iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, or Google. Holding out for the physical CD? Cudi promises that’ll release Dec. 18, and you can preorder it today at Amazon. Also coming soon: vinyl and a “special limited run of cassette tapes.” Rad.

Amazon’s ‘Transparent’ returns later this month

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With the holiday season upon us, many of your favorite shows broadcasting on network and cable are going into hibernation for winter. But that surely doesn’t mean there’s nothing to watch until they reemerge in the new year. Streaming services like Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu are showing TV viewers with all kinds of grade-A content right now, including last month’s recommendations Masters of None, Jessica Jones, and The Man in the High Castle.

Joining that list this month is Amazon’s most lauded original work, Jill Soloway’s Transparent. Jeffrey Tambor walked away with an Emmy and a Golden Globe for his riveting and realistic portrayal of a transgender person going through the growing pains of coming out to his tight-knit family. Tambor truly is a tour-de-force in the role, and he’s proven to be an inspiration for the transgender community. And underneath all this lives and breaths a relatable, quirky family drama supported by a fantastic cast including Amy Landecker, Jay Duplass, Gaby Hoffmann, and Judith Light. Transparent effortlessly tells its important life lessons on inclusivity with healthy doses of humor and love. It’s hard not to get completely entangled and mesmerized by the trails and tribulations of the Pfeffermans.

The 10-episode second season of Transparent debuts on Amazon all at once on Friday, December 11. Feeling the itch to get things started early? Amazon is offering up the first episode, “Kina Hora,” today; watch it here. And here’s the season 2 trailer.

Movie trailer round-up: ‘Captain America: Civil War,’ ‘Zoolander 2,’ Now You See Me 2,’ Disney’s ‘Zootopia’ & the stunning ‘Little Prince’ [Update: ‘Batman v Superman’]

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Tensions rise as the world governments demand accountability for our heroes’ actions in the first trailer above, pitting friend against friend.

Friend #1? Captain America. Friend #2? Oh, that’s Iron Man.

In Marvel’s third Cap movie, it’s Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) versus Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) as the superheroes take sides in a Civil War of epic proportions. In Age of Ultron, the Avengers inadvertently made quite the mess and killed innocent bystanders in their quest to destroy Stark’s rogue artificial intelligence. Captain America: Civil War picks up shortly thereafter at a time when the government is forming a system of accountability in regards to calling in the Avengers for combative assistance. Stark takes sides with the politicians as he believes in strong government regulation of his rag-tag team of heroes. Rogers, meanwhile, is not a fan and therein lies the fracturing of former friends.

Civil War almost feels like a third Avengers movie. In addition to the usual Cap supporting players like the Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), Falcon (Anthony Mackie), and Crossbones (Frank Grillo), Civil War also features lots of Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), and of course Iron Man (Downey, Jr.). Making his debut here is Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther, and everyone’s anticipating Tom Holland’s Spider-Man to enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe at this point.

Captain America: Civil War is out May 6, 2016. Pop into the gallery below to see some shiny theatrical posters featuring Cap and Iron Man duking it out.

Jump after the break to view more trailers.

Continue reading Movie trailer round-up: ‘Captain America: Civil War,’ ‘Zoolander 2,’ Now You See Me 2,’ Disney’s ‘Zootopia’ & the stunning ‘Little Prince’ [Update: ‘Batman v Superman’] →

First look: Gal Gadot brings Wonder Woman to life in standalone pic coming in 2017

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Ladies and gentleman, our Wonder Woman. Israeli actress Gal Gadot is set to make her big debut as the DC Comics heroine in Zack Snyder’s upcoming superhero extravaganza Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. We’ve seen her don the classic garb associated with WW in a still plucked from Snyder’s take. This image, however, comes from another place entirely. Warner Bros. is making a standalone Wonder Woman movie starring Gadot and directed by Patty Jenkins (Monster). Gadot took to Twitter to share this enticing pic and couple it with the following caption: “Almost 75 years in the making… #WonderWoman is underway.” Previously I had made the argument that WW is ready for the big screen, and it didn’t take long for my wish to come true.

See Gadot bring Diana Prince to life in Batman v Superman when it releases March 25, 2016. Wonder Woman is on track to hit theatres June 23, 2017.

‘Game of Thrones’ season 6 promotional poster teases Jon Snow’s questionable fate [Update: Teaser trailer]

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It goes without saying, but… spoilers inside.

Jon Snow lives?! Ever since the climactic season 5 finale, Game of Thrones viewers have been up in arms about the fate of fan favorite, Jon Snow. For many reasons it was rough to see him bite the dust during the closing minutes of the episode. He had only recently become the fearless leader of The Night’s Watch and ultimate defender of The Wall. He had unfinished business with the terrifying White Walker nation. And, of course, there’s the lingering curiosity surrounding his birth mother. With so much going for Snow, ripping him away like that seemingly out of nowhere was a very hard pill to swallow.

And now, there’s this. But what does it mean? HBO and numerous members of the show’s cast and crew have publicly stated that Jon Snow is dead as a doornail. Is the poster teasing his presumed resurrection by The Red Woman aka Melisandre who conveniently strolled into Castle Black moments before Snow’s abrupt execution?

Like winter, answers are coming when Game of Thrones returns in April.

Update (1/3): You won’t find any new footage here in the first teaser trailer for Game of Thrones season 6, but there’s plenty of Jon Snow to go around. Is he alive, is he dead? The verdict’s still out. The best part? That’s when Bran ends with clip with, “They have no idea what’s going to happen.” This, of course, is a fun poke at GoT book fans since the TV series has finally caught up with the events unfolding in George R.R. Martin’s novels. It’s true: we know nothing…except for the fact that HBO is torturing us re: Snow’s ultimate fate. Watch the teaser after the break.

[Image via Twitter] Continue reading ‘Game of Thrones’ season 6 promotional poster teases Jon Snow’s questionable fate [Update: Teaser trailer] →

James Franco travels back in time to save JFK in ‘11.22.63,’ the next series from J.J. Abrams & Stephen King

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J.J. Abrams and his production company Bad Robot (Lost, Fringe, Person of Interest) aren’t tipping toes into the world of subscription-based streaming; with 11.22.63, the ubiquitous storyteller is diving in head-first. Abrams’ latest TV series is coming to Hulu in 2016 and it’s based on Stephen King’s 2011 novel of the same name. King (Under the Dome) also serves as executive producer. Here’s the official logline, time travel included.

Hulu Original series 11.22.63 is a thriller in which high school English teacher Jake Epping travels back in time to prevent the assassination of President John F. Kennedy — but his mission is threatened by Lee Harvey Oswald, falling in love and the past itself, which doesn’t want to be changed.

Movie actor James Franco, best known for stoner comedies such as This is The End and Pineapple Express, takes a dramatic turn as lead character Jake Epping and the supporting cast includes Chris Cooper (The Bourne Identity), Josh Duhamel (Battle Creek), T.R. Knight (Grey’s Anatomy), Cherry Jones (24), Sarah Gadon, Lucy Fry, George MacKay, and Daniel Webber.

The series’ first teaser trailer rests above and packed inside the 30-second clip are more than enough tantalizing glimpses to appropriately whet your appetite. “I’m gonna tell you something that’s gonna seem crazy,” says an off-screen narrator. “If you go through there, it’s 1960.” Chills is the proper response.

Prepare for you next binge as 11.22.63 rolls out on Hulu on February 15, 2016. Happy President’s Day.