The Show:

For Raising Hope, Garcia and crew took a new spin on an old concept. Hope isn’t the first show to have a single parent, but this time the single parent is the father, here Jimmy (newcomer Lucas Neff). Jimmy lives at home with his parents, Burt (Garret Dillahunt) and Virginia (Martha Plimpton), and his great grandmother, Maw Maw (comedy icon Cloris Leachman). In the first episode we find Jimmy hooking up with Lucy (Bijou Phillips). He knocks Lucy up from a one night stand. Only problem is, Lucy is wanted for murder. After giving birth in prison and being sentenced to death, Jimmy and his family have to take care of baby Hope, originally named Princess Beyonce by Lucy. Yes, her name is now Hope Chance.

With a synopsis like that, it doesn’t seem like a comedy but a new weekly drama, but the show is very funny and far from a drama. Jimmy works at the local supermarket, where he has a crush on his co-worker Sabrina (Shannon Woodward) but she already has a boyfriend. Burt owns his own company where he cuts lawns and cleans pools, Virginia cleans rich people’s homes and Maw Maw is senile, but has clarity once in a while for a few minutes. She some times thinks that Jimmy is her dead husband and tries to make out with him.

The great thing about this show is it takes every day activities, like teaching a baby to crawl, and turning them on their ear. In order to teach Hope to crawl, Jimmy places sugar cubes in front of her to eat. Jimmy needs a day care service, so he goes to Sabrina’s cousin Shelly (Kate Micucci). The only problem is she runs a day care/dog care service and Hope is her only child. Hope then starts to act like a dog. After seeing this, Jimmy tries to get Hope into a high end day care, but he can’t since Burt is a registered sex offender (he is caught having sex with Virginia when he was 17 and she was 15 at the time). When trying to get it expunged, each family member does something to be added to the list. Maw Maw shows up to the courthouse topless, Virginia is caught peeing in public and Jimmy is caught asking a prostitute to act like Maw Maw.

It’s this outrageous situations that makes this show so funny. You never know what to expect next. This is one of Garret Dillahunt’s first turns in comedy, and he hits it out of the park. He is one of the funniest people on tv at the moment. He steals just about every scene he’s in. Plimpton is wonderful as Virginia and Neff is great as the pure, yet trying too hard Jimmy. Leachman is one of the funniest women in show business, and she proves it once again here as Maw Maw. Twins Bayley and Rylie Crecut play Hope and they are super adorable.

This is a show that really should be seen by all as it’s just a fun, over the top experience.

Audio/Video: The video looked very good and sharp. Being shot in HD and just transferred to DVD nothing was lost. The audio was good here as well. Nothing was missed from the dialogue or background sounds.

Extras:

Pilot commentary: This had the entire cast and you could tell that they were having a lot of fun making the show. Not a must listen, but enjoyable.

Unaired Network Pilot: This was the same as the pilot that was aired with a few exceptions. There was a different actress playing the role of Sabrina. Also, in the pilot, Jimmy had a male cousin and in this version it was female and played by Kate Micucci. Everything else was the same. It was funny and a good introduction to the characters.

Don’t Vote for This Episode – Extended Episode: This was the season 1 finale. It flashes back 5 years as jimmy tells Hope everything about himself and his family. The episode that aired was great, and extending it really didn’t do too much to help or hurt it.

Adorable Stars: Meet the Hopes: This was shot on set and had interviews with the cast and crew about the twins that play baby Hope.

Moments with Mrs. Chance: This was random clips of Martha Plimpton as Virginia. It wasn’t anything spectacular.

Taking Chances: Shooting the Season Finale: This was cool. This was a behind the scenes of the season final. It had interviews with cast and crew. A fun little extra.

Gag Reel: Nothing too special here. It had it’s moments of being funny. The stand outs were Cloris Leachman flubs. Watching her work is fantastic.

Deleted and Extended Scenes: Nothing spectacular here. The scenes were deleted or cut down for a reason. Nothing to run out and get this set for.

The Show Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Extras Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

“The film will be a two-hour representation of a 24-hour day,” he said, “so all of a sudden, the restrictions of the real-time aspect are lifted. Which is huge.

“To put it in context, in the series, every crisis had to come to us, because we couldn’t move. Who wants to see Jack Bauer sit on a plane for four hours?

“But in the format of the film, it will be very feasible to go from Eastern Europe to London in the space of 24 hours, so all of a sudden there is so much more latitude. The skies have opened up!”

Sutherland also mentioned that the film will take place outside of America, and hinted that the story could lead into a second film. There’s no word on when the film would begin shooting however.

Comic Book Movies has the news:

“Now the movie will get a follow up/sequel Comic Book. Patton Oswalt, a stand up comedian who is probably best known for his role on King of Queens, will be writing the comic. Oswald had a small role on Whedons recently cancelled show Dollhouse. It was there, that after meeting with Whedon, that he got permission for the comic. The comic will be released by Darkhorse in June.”

I really love Serenity, and I can’t wait to see what Oswalt creates. I do hope that this generates enough interest to create another film based on the Firefly.

This is still all up in the air, but it would be no surprise for things to quickly be put together prior to the tour. Another thing that is reported to be in consideration along with the documentary is him landing a late night deal with Fox. What do you think of that, if he went over to Fox after the six months are up?

If your interested in purchasing tickets (that are still available), go on the Team Coco website. Check out the tour dates listed below to see if he’s going to be somewhere near your town.

Tour Dates

• Eugene, OR (April 12th)
• Vancouver, BC (April 13-14th)
• Spokane, WA (April 16th)
• Enoch, AB (April 17th)
• Seattle, WA (April 18-19th)
• San Francisco, CA (April 22-23rd)
• Universal City (April 24-25th)
• San Diego, CA (April 29th)
• Phoenix, AZ (April 30th)
• Las Vegas, NV (May 1-2nd)
• Reno, NV (May 4th)
• San Jose, CA (May 5th)
• Sacramento, CA (May 6th)
• Boulder, CO (May 9th)
• Dallas, TX (May 13th)
• Austin, TX (May 14th)
• Tulsa, OK (May 15th)
• Kansas City, MO (May 16th)
• Minneapolis, MN (May 18th)
• Chicago, IL (May 19-20th)
• Toronto, ON (May 22nd)
• Atlantic City, NJ (May 30th)
• New York, NY (June 1-2nd)
• Boston, MA (June 4-5th)
• Uncasville, CT (June 6th)
• Upper Darby, PA (June 7th)
• Washington, DC (June 8th)
• Manchester, TN (June 11th)
• Atlanta, GA (June 14th)

Source Code

The only real problem at the moment is how much longer the show will be running for, because once it jumps off the air then the feature film can go into full swing. The story that Ray pitched involves Bauer making his way over the big blue ocean, heading into Europe for this particular story. There are still a lot of factors that play into the seemingly inevitable movie, and that’s in terms of the crew, of the further duration of the show, of the studio itself just to name a few.

For those of you who are fans of the hit television series, do you think it’s something that you’d like to see? Mind you, they already took a hand at a feature with 24: Redemption which was positively taken in by audiences and critics alike.

“I’m so glad you asked that,” joked Arnett, who has been questioned about the series’ fate since it went off the air in 2006. “It’s very refreshing. We are working on the movie right now, yeah… We don’t have a completed script yet, but it’s forthcoming and we’re going to make the movie this year.”

If the flick is scheduled to start initial filming this year, its definitely a possibility especially if he’s announcing this all the way in January. Mitchell Hurwitz, the creator of the hit cult show, is currently penning the script with the possibility of executive producer/narrator of the show Ron Howard directing the feature.

The Show:

When visiting friends and relatives during the holidays, one is generally expected to be asked what they received for gifts on an hourly basis. Although this year, many unsuspecting people fell victim to being asked if they had watched Glee far more than being asked what Santa had left under their trees.

Since making its pilot debut in May of last year, Glee has turned into a pop culture phenomenon that has reached a large number of demographics with its awe-inspiring musical numbers and quick witted humor. Its popularity has grown so quickly that the phrases “Glee-tards” and “Gleeks” are now being used to describe the fanatics that support the show’s ever growing craze.

The show’s craziness begins when a Spanish teacher, Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison) gets recruited to resurrect William McKinley High’s glee program. Slowly getting tired of his passionless marriage to his materialistic wife, (played by Jessalyn Gilsig) he vows to relive his own high school glee club glory days by restoring the Glee club’s vivacity.

Unfortunately for Will, the school’s celebrity cheerleading coach, Sue Sylvester (played by the always funny Jane Lynch) is constantly devising plans to destroy the Glee club so the school funds could replenish the cheerleading squad’s unreasonable high budget again. Scared that Will might leave her, Will’s wife Terri fakes a pregnancy in hopes that his attraction to the lovesick and obsessive-compulsive guidance counselor, Emma (Jayma Mays) will go away.

Meanwhile the Glee club members are also facing many trials and tribulations. Head cheerleader Quinn, (who ironically is also the president of the chastity club) gets pregnant by bad boy/slushie thrower, Puck. (Played by Mark Salling) However, she tells her annoyingly naïve boyfriend, Finn (Cory Monteith) that it’s his. Finn also gets himself caught in a love triangle when he becomes attracted to overachiever/slushie target, Rachel. (Played by the talented Lea Michele) Needless to say, there are many more outrageous characters and story lines that are handled with much thought and creativity in this show, that one may forget that it is only 13 episodes long at this point.

As much as I hate to admit this, Glee is a show that deserves the hype and praise it so rightfully receives. After watching the first episode and seeing a purple slushie being thrown into a character’s face, I was immediately hooked and pulled into the overblown drama and the epic dance numbers. Just like Fame, Glee features a diverse and unknown cast that can actually sing, dance and act which is fairly refreshing to see these days.

Many skeptics may be turned off by the constant musical numbers in the show, although the show tailors to all types of music lovers. Fans of Broadway will appreciate the covers of Barbra Streisand songs and Wicked’s “Defying Gravity.” Fans of old school and modern R&B will be pleasantly surprised to hear classic renditions of Bell Biv Devoe’s “Poison” and Jazmine Sullivan’s recent hit “Bust your windows out your car.” Add some Van Halen, John Lennon and Lily Allen to the mix, and you’ve got yourself a very diverse and clever soundtrack.

Despite the constant praise this show is receiving from critics worldwide, it is hard at times to suspend your disbelief when it comes to sitting through cheesy dance numbers, (there’s always a couple in each episode) auto tuned solos and far-fetched storylines. Unless you are a 15 year old girl, there are times you will cringe from the embarrassment. (Will performing “Thong Song” comes to mind.) Although, for every G-rated cringe-worthy moment on the show comes startling fellatio jokes, kinky balloon games, “sexting” and teenage on stage dry humping that will win anybody over with its brilliant inappropriateness. (Thank series creator Ryan Murphy for that!)

The DVD:

Many DVD consumers may be discouraged from buying the first volume of the season one box set, but I highly recommend viewers to watch Glee as the first thirteen episodes follows a specific story arc that ends with a very satisfying conclusion. The only problem with watching this highly addictive box set is that once you’re done watching it, you will have to wait until April for more episodes. Pace yourself..you’ve been warned.

The DVD’s special features include hilarious video diaries, a deconstructing Glee feature, a welcome to McKinley featurette, a dance boot camp and a hilarious feature about what the letter ‘A’ means to Jane Lynch that “gleeks” will really enjoy!

DVD: Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Features: Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

“This gives Joss the opportunity to end in a significant way,” the network said in a statement (Variety). This is the part where you question how is this significant. Then again, since Whedon attached his Eliza Dushku starring series with Fox who are better known for prematurely yanking all sorts of shows before they reach their prime.

What do you think? Do you believe that Whedon’s show was wrongfully axed? Or are you part of the group that believes the show was not up to par to begin with? Let us know.

THE FILM:

Your favorite heroes from the previous computer animated hits, Ice Age and Ice Age 2: The Meltdown are back.

The third installment of the Ice Age films, Ice Ace: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, finds wooly mammoths, Manny (Ray Romano) and Ellie (Queen Latifah), embarking on their biggest adventure yet—preparing the world for the birth of a baby mammoth!  Their new family outlook leaves old pals Diego, a saber-toothed tiger (Denis Leary), and Sid, a sloth (John Leguizamo), feeling all alone in the big, bad, frozen world.  Like always, Sid is fast to find trouble, this time in the way of three dinosaur eggs he discovers in an underground cave.  He takes the tots in as a family of his own.  Little does he know, the adorable baby t-rexes come with a mad momma who steals her three babies and their “mother,” Sid, taking them into a hidden, underground world!  Manny, Ellie, and Diego must team up to save the day!  Also along for the ride are Eddie and Crash (Josh Peck and Sean William Scott, respectively), Ellie’s possum brothers, and a new character, Buck (Simon Pegg), an Aussie that guides the gang through this mysterious world.  Meanwhile, Scrat, the luckless saber-toothed squirrel, and his foxy female friend are fighting over that same pesky acorn.

I thoroughly enjoyed both Ice Age and The Meltdown.  Dawn of the Dinosaurs is not as funny as its predecessors, though.  In fact, it is not super funny at all.  It had its moments.  That is about all I can say for it.

The Scrat/Scratte miniature story arch is easily my favorite thing about the movie.  Scrat is still your “every man,” goofy character.  Scratte is everything he is not:  smart and sizzling!  This story line is too cute and so enjoyable.

The theme of the third Ice Age was straightforward and simple:  true family may extend beyond blood and onto the people who are always around to support you.  It is the perfect message for a great family oriented film.  Although the characters are not your average herd of animals, their dysfunctional relationship is heart-warming and realistic.

THE BLU-RAY:

Audio/Video: The audio was great, especially for the score of the comedic crash and chase scenes.  I also appreciated it with the roar of the dinosaur!  The video was just average for me, nothing special to comment on.

Director’s Commentary: Boring…

Ice Age Story Book Maker: This interactive story book maker allows viewers to pick scenes from the film and tell a tale of their own.  Its only downside is the amount of effort it takes to play… not exactly what I want to spend all day doing, but I’m sure my favorite munchkins will be entertained.

Exploration Expedition: They could not resist adding some educational importance for kiddos.  An expert on animals of the Ice Age takes a look at the qualities of each character from a scientific stand-point.

Buck: From Weasel to Easel: This feature examines the new addition to the Ice Age cast, Buck, the weasel, with interviews from the voices of characters.

Unearthing the Lost World: How are dinosaurs roaming around in the Ice Age?  Find out how the people in charge made that connection, as well as all the new projects involved in making the jump from the land of the ice and snow to the steamy jungle.

Walk the Dinosaur: Music Video: Fun song!

Scrat Shorts: Since Scrat is my favorite character, I’m all about these mini stories starring Scrat.  Way to put a smile on my face!

Scrat Featurettes: There are 5 featurettes, and while the first two were, to me, boring beyond belief (a “how-to” draw the character and a little informative clip on the saber-toothed squirrel), the “Breaking News” report on the dangers of finding the flash-frozen Scat was indeed fun to watch.

Fox Movie Channel Specials: There are five Fox Movie Channel features on the Blu-Ray disc.  “Making A Scene” made me realize that computer animation is DIFFICULT. It’s not like this feature was super entertaining, but I now know I don’t have the patience or energy to be a computer cartoonist!  Also on the disc as a Fox Movie Channel Special are “Getting Into Character” with John Leguizamo, Ray Romano, and Queen Latifah.  I really enjoyed these.  All three actors have such great personalities which make for entertaining interviews.

The Film: Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

The Blu-ray: Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

The Show:

After a three-season run, The Simpsons developed into a half-hour show and has gone on to be one of the most successful television programs in history. It’s the longest-running American sitcom, the longest-running American animated program, and in 2009 it surpassed Gunsmoke as the longest-running American prime-time entertainment series.

I’ve been a fan since day one - the show is as hilarious now as it was when I first became addicted to it back in High School. It’s more than just about the Simpson household. It’s Chief Wiggum, Milhouse, Apu Nahasapeenapetilon, Barney, Itchy &  Scratchy and hundreds of other characters that I’ve let into my heart over the years. They have become a part of me and I can’t imagine life without them. The Simpsons paved the way for similar-themed shows like King of the Hill and Family Guy, and put FOX on the map as a network to be reckoned with.

There are 21 Episodes in the 12th Season – so I won’t bore you with reviews of all them, I will though concentrate on the two that I believe are the best.

Treehouse of Horror XI is broken up into three vignettes: G-G-Ghost D-D-Dad deals with Homer’s horoscope saying he will die, which comes true via a piece of broccoli. He can’t get through heaven’s gate until he returns to Earth to do a good deed. Scary Tales Can Come True skewers Grimm’s Fairy Tales, and has the Simpsons clan running afoul of a wicked witch who wants to have them for dinner. The best is saved for last in Night of the Dolphin, which has the town of Springfield doing battle which a gang of angry dolphins. Some of the classic moments from Jaws and The Birds find their way into one of the best Halloween episodes in some time.

Worst Episode Ever sees the “King of Splatter” himself  Tom Savini making an appearance at The Android’s Dungeon & Baseball Card Shop. After Savini gives a gut-busting performance, the ornery “Comic Book Guy” has a cardiac episode while giving our favorite Pittsburgh make-up artist a tongue lashing on his lack of skills.

The Disc:

Audio/Video: the sound is good and the picture quality has improved a lot over the years. Details on faces and the surroundings of Springfield have never looked better(until the recent HD episodes we’ve see the last few years).

Commentaries: All of the episodes come with commentaries and my favorites are for the titles I wrote mini-reviews for.

A Comic Moment with Matt Groening: Matt gives a synopsis of the goodies you will see in the Twelfth Season - the 250th Episode, the many cameos, as well as the Annual Halloween Episode.

Deleted Scenes with intro and commentry: Executive producer Mike Scully chats about the  numerous scenes that had to be trimmed for running time. Some keepers were lost for the Halloween episode.

The Global Fanfest: on Sunday, October 29, 2000 the Fox Studios held The Simpsons Global Fanfest Backlot Bash! On stage: clips were shown with and without music, and there is a Q & A with the writers and cast.

Commercials: these are a necessity for me and we have 4 different TV spots for various products. Two for Butterfinger, one for Burger King, and one for Red Rooster.

Comic Book Guy: Best. Moments. Ever.- is essentially a “Greatest Hits” collection of his insults and geekiness, the highpoint of the extra features.

Treehouse of Horror XI: Picture-in-picture/Animatic-not much to see here unless you’re a fan of this kind of stuff.

Lisa and the Tree Hugger/Homer: Animators Steven Dean Moore, Mike B. Anderson, and Check Sheetz are entertaining as they talk about their work on various residents of Springfield.

Animation Showcase: Day of the Jackanapes-Picture-in-Picture/storyboards/animatic.

Conclusion: this is a must buy for any fan of The Simpsons. Fox has put a lot of time and effort into the packaging, the layout, the extra features, and the overall quality on these DVD’s. My only complaint is the amount of time it takes for seasons to be released. A little faster in that department would be much appreciated.

The Show: Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

The DVD: Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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Fox

Writer Mark Rizzo will be adapting the dark comedy for TV with assistance from Jenny Bicks. Sony Pictures TV and Lakeshore Entertainment will produce.

The project is currently in the script stage with Rizzo still considering different ideas on how to update Heathers 20 years after the film’s debut. The main characters are all expected to be in the remake – Veronica Sawyer (originally played by Winona Ryder), J.D. (Christian Slater) and the “Heathers.”

The original movie revolved around Veronica as she navigates a clique of mean girls (all named Heather) and rebels after meeting J.D., the new guy at school. Soon, the Heathers start “accidentally” dying at the hands of Veronica and J.D., who cover up the deaths by faking them as suicides.

The original film was directed by Michael Lehmann and written by Daniel Waters. Also in the movie was Shannen Doherty.

SOURCE: Variety

The project is based on Greg Rucka‘s Oni Press comic and centers on a female Special Ops agent who is on the run after carrying out a high-level assassination in Eastern Europe. Some have called it a female version of The Bourne Identity.

Rucka has written several comics for Marvel and DC. He is known for writing strong female characters including Wonder Woman and Batwoman, and Queen & Country is expected to have a strong female lead.

SOURCE: Hollywood Reporter

Here are the newest members:

Josh Hutcherson will play Robert (originated by C. Thomas Howell) and become the group’s tech geek. You’ll remember Hutcherson from Journey to the Center of the Earth and Bridge to Terabithia.

Isabel Lucas will play Lea Thompson‘s Erica, the head cheerleader and Peck’s character’s girlfriend whom he desperately wants to rescue from an internment camp. Lucas most recently appeared in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.

Connor Cruise, who recently played the young Will Smith character in Seven Pounds, will play Daryl, the mayor’s son and best friend of Robert. He is also the real-life son of Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. Daryl was originally played by Darren Dalton.

Edwin Hodge will play Danny (Brad Savage‘s role), “the coolest kid in school” and star wide receiver who helps establish the resistance. Hodge has a recurring role on Fox‘s Mental and recently appeared in the film All the Boys Love Mandy Lane.

The new script, written by Carl Ellsworth and Jeremy Passmore, will stay close to the original film. Along with a few casting alterations, the main difference will be that the bad guy invaders are China and Russia instead of the Soviet Union. The film will be directed by Dan Bradley (Quantum of Solace and Bourne Ultimatum).

The actors will spend a few weeks in military training before filming begins next month in Detroit. The film is scheduled for a Sept. 24, 2010 release.

SOURCES: Cinema Blend, Hollywood Reporter, Yahoo! Movies, Beyond Hollywood & Cinema Suicide

Being cited for the quote, “There’s a sucker born every minute,” P.T. Barnum revolutionized hoaxing the public by making it more portable. The movie is also set to play up the infatuation Barnum had for singer Jenny Lind, who Jackman would like Anne Hathaway to portray.

That being said, I saw Hugh Jackman in The Boy From Oz on Broadway in 2004. The man has some pipes. And Anne Hathaway’s (hopefully) in it. Done and Done.

Source: FirstShowing.net

Maybe they shouldn’t have been that girl in the first place. Just saying. But back to being stupid-excited about new Futuramas!!!

Update: Billy West & John DiMaggio not yet signed but close.

Los Angeles, Calif.-The Star has learned exclusively that the voice cast of Futurama has just signed a new contract with Fox after weeks of intense salary negotiations.

As late as last week, the network was threatening to replace the original voices of Matt Groening’s cult-hit cartoon, to the point of actually announcing a casting call for voice actors to replace them.

The compromise agreement, with the studio paying more and the actors accepting less, comes after the announcement of a 26-episode pick-up here by Comedy Central. Futurama also airs internationally in syndication, has produced four bestselling straight-to-DVD movies (later cut into episodes) and an upcoming feature film.

Source: HitFlix