WebProNews

Tag: Entertainment

  • Video Gaming Increasing Across All Age Groups

    Video Gaming Increasing Across All Age Groups

    In further evidence of the impact the pandemic is having on everyday life, video gaming has seen a significant uptick across allage groups.

    With more people staying home and avoiding in-person contact, alternative forms of entertainment and socialization have been on the rise. Video gaming, in particular, has become a popular option. Rather than being a solo experience, modern video games often provide a high level of social interaction.

    According to Mat Piscatella, Video Game Industry Analyst, The NPD Group, video games are rising in popularity across age demographics, and specifically among middle-aged and older groups.

    https://twitter.com/MatPiscatella/status/1333452885422587912?s=20

    Interestingly, the biggest jump in video game usage was in the 45 to 54 year-old age group. This impact of the pandemic is sure to open up new opportunities for enterprising companies to better engage with potential customers.

  • Dr. Dre Beats Deal: An Apple For Dre Keeps The Dr. Well Paid

    Dr. Dre Beats Deal: An Apple For Dre Keeps The Dr. Well Paid

    Those who “forgot about Dre”, will remember him well after his recent Beats deal with Apple

    When he and Interscope buddy Jimmy Iovine came up with the idea for the Beats by Dr. Dre headphones in 2008, the invention was meant to supplant those god awful ear buds that come with your ipod. The still sought after headphones continue to grace the good doctor’s bank account with additional zeroes years after their inception.

    Last year alone, Beats headphones raked in about a billion dollars.

    That may be why Apple is buying the company that sells the popular product for $3.2 billion.

    Andre Young (which – if you don’t know, now you know – is his government name) pretty much confirmed as much in a recent video posted to Tyrese Gibson’s Facebook page.

    The footage shows the 49-year-old Death Row Records co-founder with party-goers “getting drunk off Heinekens” and celebrating hip hop opulence. And why not, when he’s about to be the “First billionaire in hip-hop, right here on the motherf—–g West Coast!”

    Or is he?

    Conferring with the judges (over at Forbes), I’m being informed: not quite.

    While that final financial figure (after capital gains taxes) may make Dre $200 million short of landing that “billionaire” label, it may still seem a better deal compared to the work and effort of making an album or doing a tour after. That’s a matter sparking a fan schism. After scouring Twitter, I see an even opinion mix supporting both sides. If producing rap’s your passion, the deal’s less appealing. But if making paper’s the priority, the doc’s rocking the rap world.

    Indeed, if the video announcement is true, Dr. Dre will be the hip hop kid with the most toys – if we’re measuring status in cash, not new albums. And I’m not being snarky. I just know a few people who might like to use those majestic headphones to actually enjoy “Detox” sometime before they die.

    But if we consider him as a person (which, I know, is hard in “I/ME” culture), he’s also an artist by trade and a man with a family. As an artist, he’d admittedly “rather be behind the scenes and organizing”. So it’s not altogether surprising that someone with an auditory gift for quintessential sound prefers to propagate protégé’s or fantastic music devices.

    Also, given his age and the tragic passing of his son, perhaps family and time spent with friends is more of a life priority. Our opinions on the life of a man we don’t know are ultimately immaterial, but I’m just offering a different perspective for fans craving ear refills from the hip-hop doctor.

    Plus, hope’s not lost for Detox. He’s still recording:

    Forbes status, new albums, or not – Mr. Young’s an old school hip-hop classic who’s managed to remain relevant in his field. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be reading this.

    Congratulations on your deal, my dude.

    Image via Youtube

  • Crackle And Rdio Launch Chromecast Support [Update: So Does Vudu]

    Update: Vudu has also launched Chromecast support.

    Google already has a hit on its hands with the Chromecast, and it’s only going to get better as more apps support it. Google launched the SDK out of beta just last month, essentially giving developers the license to go wild and make their own products Chromecast-ready.

    Today, Crackle and Rdio both announced support.

    If you’re unfamiliar with Crackle, it’s a unit of Sony Pictures Television, and features free movies and shows, and even some originals. Crackle says:

    Google Chromecast owners can now watch Crackle’s curated collection of hit movies and television shows, including genres like action, comedy, crime, horror and sci-fi; as well as original Crackle series such as Jerry Seinfeld’s Emmy nominated “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee,” “Chosen,” starring Chad Michael Murray and Rose McGowan and “Cleaners,” starring Emmanuelle Chiriqi and David Arquette. Fan favorite shows available on Crackle include “Seinfeld,” “The Shield,” “Damages” and much more.

    Crackle has apps on Android, iOS and Chrome for Windows and Macs.

    Rdio is a service for listening to, discovering and sharing music. It’s available on iOS and Android.

    “Rdio on Google Chromecast marks another milestone in Rdio’s commitment to delivering the best music experience everywhere,” said Rdio CEO Anthony Bay. “Music fans can access Rdio’s massive catalog of over 20 million songs or start a station easily, all from Chromecast on their TV.”

    Chromecast recently expanded into the UK. Meanwhile, the competition is heating up.

    Image via YouTube

  • Heath Ledger Talks Acting And Michelle Williams In ‘Lost Interview’

    Blank on Blank, the PBS Digital Studios project, which takes obscure interviews from entertainment icons, and sets them to interesting animation, has a new video out featuring the late Heath Ledger talking about role playing and about Michelle Williams, who is also featured throughout the visuals.

    The “lost interview” was conducted by Christine Spines in 2005. Her profile appeared in Entertainment Weekly.

    Ledger recalls he and Williams living in a trailer with Williams, saying, “It was really beautiful. Yeah it was very romantic. We were suddenly thrown into a little husband-wife situation. Our bed, honestly, was no bigger than that little round table there. My legs would hang off this far at the end. But it was worth it. And it was comfortable, somehow…Yeah, it was sweet. It was very, very sweet. I could have stayed like that for years. It was very, very, very sweet.”

    He also talks about his nervous energy, his dislike for rehearsals, and Ang Lee.

    Also, check out the lost Kurt Cobain interview Blank on Blank did a while back if you missed it.

    Image via YouTube

  • Captain America: Is Nick Fury Out of Here?

    Captain America: Is Nick Fury Out of Here?

    Going by Samuel L. Jackson’s usual pace, maybe one of the hardest working actors has forty more roles to play in the next two years and needed to bow out of the upcoming sequels– from the looks of the newest Captain America TV spot, Jackson’s character Nick Fury might be headed for that Great Eyepatch In the Sky in the new movie.

    Captain America: The Winter Soldier is the newest spin-off of Marvel’s wildly popular Avenger movie featuring Captain America, the Falcon and the Black Widow. The storyline focuses on Captain America adjusting to modern life while dealing with a reincarnated threat, a long-haired Soviet agent with a metal arm that goes by the name of the Winter Soldier. Due to Scarlett Johansson’s hotness and the overall awesomeness of the Black Widow character, she also comes back as Captain America’s teammate. The Falcon is the newcomer to the movie, a metal-winged Harlemite with an affection for birds who often helped Captain America and the Avengers in the comic books.

    The first feature was released earlier this month, and it showed someone covered with The Death Blanket,

    and now the recently released TV spot from Marvel Entertainment has fans abuzz– it was shown that Nick Fury was indeed in the car demolished by the Winter Soldier, and it also included Captain America referring to Nick Fury’s “last words.”

    What does it all mean? Marvel surely didn’t just release one of the Biggest Spoilers of All Time… We can’t be sure, of course. Either way, we’ll find out when the movie is released on April 4th. Can’t wait.


    Image via Youtube

  • Gravity Can’t Be Held Down At The Weekend Box Office

    Overall it was a strong weekend for the adults, as for the second weekend in a row, Alfonso Cuaron’s space drama, Gravity, takes the number one spot at the box office followed by Tom Hanks’ high sea drama Captain Phillips.

    Rory Bruer, head of distribution for Sony Pictures, tells Sacbee.com “We think the success of ‘Gravity’ will also bode well for ‘Captain Phillips … this is the extraordinary kind of film that we think audiences will flock to over the next several months moving forward.” It’ll be interesting to see if Captain Phillips can make up some ground on Gravity over the next few weeks.

    The only other new release was Machete Kills, which earned a lowly $3.8 million, which is far less the predecessor, 2010’s Machete which came in at $11.4 millions it’s first weekend. It feels as though Machete Kills could make a killing (no pun intended) when it hits Blu-Ray and Redbox though.

    You can check out the full top-ten below:

    1.) Gravity – $44.3 million
    2.) Captain Phillips – $26 million
    3.) Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 – $14.2 million
    4.) Machete Kills – $3.8 million
    5.) Runner Runner – $3.7 million
    6.) Prisoners – $3.7 million
    7.) Insidious: Chapter 2 – $2.6 million
    8.) Rush – $2.4 million
    9.) Don Jon – $2.3 million
    10.) Baggage Claim – $2 million

    This sees the following films hitting your local multiplex:

    Carrie
    The Fifth Estate
    12 Years a Slave
    Escape Plan
    All Is Lost
    Kill Your Darlings

    Do you plans to see any of the above titles?

    (Main image via YouTube)

  • Chinese Audiences Love Jurassic Park 3D

    Chinese Audiences Love Jurassic Park 3D

    Chinese audiences marveled at Steven Spielberg’s dinosaur-romping classic from the early 1990’s this week: Jurassic Park 3D earned almost $30 million in worldwide revenue in a single week. A Yahoo News story says the increased revenue will greatly benefit the film, which is already coming to the end of its summer run in western theaters.

    The Hollywood Reporter has more: Jurassic Park 3D‘s China debut turned out at $28.8 million alone, proving that 3D re-releases are a sought-after commodity in the market of Chinese filmgoers, unlike some other parts of the world.

    Reuters via the CS Monitor breaks down the numbers: after 11 foreign markets raised $30 million for Universal, the film’s complete international haul came out to around $44.5 million, with the re-release netting Universal Studios a cool $90 million in revenue. These numbers do not take into account areas that Jurassic Park 3D hasn’t even opened in yet, like Germany.

    The original Jurassic Park was never played in China, although when it did get released it took in a worldwide total just $30 million shy of $1 billion. The Inquisitr notes that, with the 3D re-release’s bombing Chinese box office, the film has officially become a part of the “$1 billion club” and is, coincidentally, both the 17th film to break through the billion dollar ceiling and number 17 on the all-time highest grossing films list.

    Blasting off and leaving previous Spielberg epics (E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial) in the dust, the Jurassic Park franchise would, after The Lost World: Jurassic Park and Jurassic Park 3, leave the series grossing almost $2 billion worldwide.

    If you are interested in the finer details of Jurassic Park, like what parts the filmmakers and 3D artists got right and wrong, a paleontologist writing for the Telegraph has an excellent article that starts quite similarly as the film: at an archaeological dig, with scientists excavating for dinosaur bones.

    Image via Youtube

  • Animal Activists Say “No Dolphins” to Anchorman “Ron Burgundy”

    A movie is schedule for release just before Christmas. It features scenes with dolphins and one animal group says they are fighting mad about it.

    The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) says the upcoming feature film “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues” has scenes they want censored before its release next month. Delcianna Winders, the PETA Foundation Director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement, says the group wants to protest the efforts of “theme park bosses” who abuse and simply just take animals for granted.They say the movie’s producers should act in good faith toward that end.

    “The constant deprivation that marine mammals face at SeaWorld is suited to a horror film, not a comedy,” according to a report.”PETA is calling on the creators of Anchorman to…leave all SeaWorld scenes on the cutting room floor where they belong.”

    The movie company Pixar, changed the end of one of their upcoming family animation movies entitled “Finding Dory,” the sequel to “Finding Nemo,” after reportedly viewing a documentary entitled “Blackfish.” The documentary reportedly details cruel treatment of marine animals held captive in small tanks.

    Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy is a comedy movie staring Will Ferrell. Produced by Judd Apatow, it features the misadventures of a 1970s-era, egomaniacal television anchorman named, of course, Ron Burgundy — a character that is said to mirror a real-life news anchorman named, Ron Hunter, a former WWL-Channel 4 anchorman who reports say died in Las Vegas.

    The Anchorman sequel features what happens to Ferrell’s character, Burgundy, years later at the beginning of the 1980s cable television “boom,” as a washed up San Diego, SeaWorld announcer. Directed by Adam McKay, famous for movies such as “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby,” the second Anchorman movie also features a shark scene shot on St. Simons Island, Georgia.

  • Amazon Releases First Round of “Notable” Videos

    A story about a man and his jellyfish. Small town ruin and survival. Post-apocalyptic future. These are just a few scenarios from Amazon’s new collection of video releases

    Amazon announced the release of some concept videos; a way to illustrate new movie ideas and get people excited about potentially upcoming films. Although not all of the current videos will become major movie blockbusters, Amazon says they are excited about what some of the movie ideas may bring.

    A frontrunner, “Alluvion,” happens in a post-apocalyptic future in a world encompassed by water. It features a story about a character named “Desmond” born after the cataclysm. Project creator, Tito Fernandes, says much of the story is facilitated by the physical landscape which segregates people into factions.

    “Small groups of people rely on their primeval instincts to survive, unaware that they are ensuing mankind’s existence. The concrete islands (buildings), segregate distinct communities that live differently from one another. Food, procreation, social behaviour, believes are all self contained.”

    “Yellow Sky,” a sci-fi thriller, features a story strange events in a small town. The sky turns yellow after a rainstorm and residents get infected with an infectious virus which causes them to mutate. Hector Cortez, the story’s creator, says he has a lot more to tell.

    “This short film is an example of what the post-accident world of Yellow Sky would look like. It is merely a small piece of the overall story. The feature length script is in the works.”

    Inspired by a series of video games, “Blockworld” is another among Amazon’s releases. It features a story about what happens to two people when they break into a high-tech game park. Jeffrey Haber says he felt compelled to impart some social commentary into his work.

    “This is a surreal look at the pull of gaming and the addictive nature of technology.”

    Among other of Amazon’s contenders are “Think Tank”, “Dear Roommate,” and “Seeds.” In partnership with Warner Brothers, Amazon says it will continue to provide a platform for storytellers everywhere.

    “We’ll be presenting our top projects to Hollywood’s biggest studio for consideration as theatrical feature films.”

  • ‘Orange Is The New Black’ Cast Gets New Addition For Season 2

    Netflix’s new hit show Orange is the New Black has added a cast member for the second season, and promoted a couple of recurring cast members from the first season to regulars for the second one.

    The news, which comes from Deadline as an exclusive, is that Lorraine Toussaint (pictured above) will play a character named Vee, described as “a longtime street tough who ran her own drug business, recruiting children to serve as runners.”

    Toussaint has a long body of work dating back to the early 80s. She has had recurring roles on a number of television shows, including Where I Live, The Young and the Restless, Friday Night Lights, Amazing Grace, Leaving L.A., Any Day Now, Crossing Jordan, Law & Order, Threat Matrix, The Closer, CSI, Ugly Betty and Body of Proof, as well as one-episode roles in a number of other series.

    Actresses Danielle Brooks, who plays Taystee on OITNB, and Taryn Manning, who plays Pennsatucky, have been promoted to regulars. Brooks’ filmography so far only consists of OITNB and a 2012 TV movie called Modern Love. Manning, on the other hand, has a rather extensive filmography including films like 8 Mile and Hustle & Flow and recurring roles on shows like Sons of Anarchy and Hawaii Five-0

    Orange is the New Black was renewed for a second season in June, even before the first season debuted. Season 2 will debut on an as-of-yet unannounced date in 2014. It joins Lilyhammer, House of Cards, Hemlock Grove and most likely Arrested Development in getting a second season on Netflix. Lilyhammer’s second season should be available sometime this year.

    Here’s Brooks as Taystee (NSFW language):

    Here’s Manning talking about her role:

    Image: Mingle Media TV (Flickr via Wikimedia Commons)

  • Downton Abbey’s Maggie Smith Is ‘Queen Of The Double Take’

    PBS has uploaded a new video featuring Downton Abbey’s Jim Carter (Carson) talking about Maggie Smith, who he had deemed “queen of the doubletake”.

    If you’ve already watched the season finale, don’t forget to check out this heartwrenching look back at Mary and Matthew Crawley’s life together.

    Also, here’s Carter talking about how Carson should marry Mrs. Hughes.

  • Downton Abbey Makes Patton Oswalt Want To Set An Arby’s On Fire

    There are a lot of people talking about Downton Abbey on Twitter today, now that PBS has run the season finale here in the U.S. While many had already seen the episode, a lot of American fans only got the opportunity to do so on Sunday. While I won’t spoil it here, suffice it to say, something big happened.

    Comedian Patton Oswalt tweeted his way through the episode on Sunday night. Below is the majority of his recap, which ends with him drinking, crying, wanting to set an Arby’s on Fire and watching the movie Battleship. Beware of spoilers and language if you’re easily offended.

    From there, Oswalt proceeded to tweet his way through Battleship. Do yourself a favor and view his timeline.

  • Watch The Walking Dead Midseason Premiere For Free On Android, iPhone, iPad And Kindle Fire

    AMC announced this week that it will be streaming the midseason premiere of The Walking Dead online for free until March 10. Today, the network also announced that the episode is now available for a limited time (presumably the same period of time) on the AMC Mobile app for Android, iPhone, iPad and Kindle Fire.

    The app also provides behind-the-scenes video content, and previews.

    The episode has received mixed reviews from fans of the show, but it also set a series record for viewers when it premiered on Sunday.

    Here are a couple of behind-the-scenes videos AMC has posted to accompany the episode. They’ve also posted a preview for the upcoming episode.

    AMC will be showing episodes of The Walking Dead from seasons 1 and 2 in black and white regularly on Thursdays, beginning on February 14th.

    More The Walking Dead fun here.

  • YouTube Shows Are About To Be Shown On Virgin America Flights

    YouTube announced that it is teaming up with Virgin America to bring a handful of shows to all of the airline’s flights in the U.S. and Mexico.

    Those shows would be: H+ The Digital Series, WIGS’ Blue, Geek & Sundry’s Written By a Kid, Crash Course and Barely Political’s The Key of Awesome.

    The shows will be on the flights by mid-December, according to YouTube.

    “Bringing YouTube aboard Virgin America is part of a larger effort to bring you more of the videos you love, at heights you’ve never seen them before,” said YouTube marketing manager Kate Berland. “Sample these great series on your flight, and then visit YouTube to enjoy the full seasons. New series and shows will become available every two months.”

    Here’s what you’re in for:

  • The Walking Dead Does Something No Other Cable Show Has Done In History

    AMC announced today that The Walking Dead is the first cable television series in history that has achieved being the biggest show of the Fall season among the Adult 18-49 rating. The show beat out such broadcast hits as The Voice, Modern Family, X Factor, Two and a Half Men, The Big Bang Theory and Grey’s Anatomy.

    “Representing both the studio and the network as AMC does on this project, I speak for so many when I say ‘thank you’ and congratulations to everyone involved,” said AMC President Charlie Collier. The records that The Walking Dead shattered today represent an enormous achievement of which we are so proud.”

    Sunday’s mid-season finale reached 10.5 million viewers during its premiere. When it encored an hour later, it attracted an additional 3.6 million. When it encored again, it reached another 1.1 million. In total, 15.2 million people watched it on TV that night.

    Of course, those broadcast shows don’t have the benefit of such an encore schedule, but impressive nonetheless. Getting AMC back on Dish must have helped tremendously.

    In a blog post, AMC says:

    The Walking Dead Season 3 to date reigns as the number one ad supported drama series in basic cable history among total viewers, adults 18-49, adults 25-54, adults 18-34, men 18-49, men 25-54 and men 18-34. AMC resumes the final eight episodes of The Walking Dead Season 3 on Sun., Feb. 10 at 9/8c.

    In addition, the Season 3 Midseason Finale of Talking Dead at 11PM attracted 2.2 million viewers. The live after show, hosted by Chris Hardwick, expands to a one-hour program on Sun., Feb. 10 at 10/9c immediately following The Walking Dead. Embassy Row’s Michael Davies and Jen Patton serve as executive producers and Brandon Monk is co-executive producer.

    The show has over 12 and a half million Facebook likes, and is cable’s most mentioned show, based on Trendrr.tv data, according to AMC, who notes that it outranks WWE’s Monday Night Raw and ESPN’s Monday Night Football. That, too, is impressive.

    For a look ahead at the second half of the season, which returns in February, check out these videos AMC put out.

    More The Walking Dead fun here.

  • The Walking Dead Episode 308: Here’s What The Cast And Crew Have To Say About It

    AMC aired The Walking Dead episode 308 on Sunday. As you may know, it was the mid-season finale. The network has posted an inside look at the episode, including some interviews with cast and crew. It does contain spoilers, so if you haven’t watched the episode yet, you may want to hold off. Otherwise, proceed.

    Season 3 of The Walking Dead will resume in February. Here’s a teaser for the next installment:

    More The Walking Dead fun here.

  • George Lucas: When I First Made Star Wars, Everybody Said, “This Is A Movie Disney Should Have Made”

    George Lucas: When I First Made Star Wars, Everybody Said, “This Is A Movie Disney Should Have Made”

    As you have no doubt heard, George Lucas has sold Lucasfilm (and Star Wars) to Disney. A new Star Wars is coming out in 2015. More on the deal here.

    George Lucas talks about the deal and his thoughts about Disney more in this clip that was uploaded to the Star Wars YouTube channel:

    “I felt that I really wanted to put the company somewhere, in a larger entity, which would protect it. Disney is a huge corporation,” says Lucas. “They have all kinds of capabilities and facilities. There’s a lot of strength that is gained by this. The great thing about Disney, again, as we were saying before, is that you know, between the parks and all the things they’ve got going, it’s great that we have a chance probably to expand that. You know, there’s lots and lots of opportunities at Disney that we wouldn’t have at any other studio.”

    “When I first made Star Wars, everybody in Hollywood said, ‘Well this is a movie Disney should have made,” he said.

    That’s sure to get some conversation going.

  • Yahoo And Paramount Bring Back “Burning Love” For Two More Seasons

    Yahoo and Paramount announced the renewal of its comedy series Burning Love, which debuted in June on Yahoo Screen. There will be at least two more seasons, beginning next year.

    “The star-studded first season of Burning Love, produced by Ben Stiller (among others), premiered to critical acclaim and is coming back with another exciting season that will feature Ken Marino, June Diane Raphael and Natasha Leggero as well as new characters in their quest to find true love,” a spokesperson for Yahoo tells WebProNews. “The series has been renewed for two more seasons to give comedy fans more of the content they want.”

    “At Yahoo!, we program based on insights about what our users want to watch,” said Erin McPherson, VP and Head of Video at Yahoo!. “We knew we found a hit with Burning Love given the caliber of the talent and the subject matter—and it was proven shortly after the launch with all the binge viewing that took place. We’re excited to offer two more seasons of it to our audience.”

    “The success of Burning Love is a testament to the unparalleled creative team that delivered a truly hilarious series and set a new bar for original digital entertainment,” said Amy Powell, President of Insurge Pictures and EVP of Interactive Theatrical Marketing for Paramount Pictures. “Yahoo! did a tremendous job of getting the series in front of their audience, and we are thrilled to be working with them to bring the next two seasons to fans.”

    Ben Stiller says, “We are very excited to keep Burning Love on the fire — get ready for it to get hotter and hotter till it scalds your comedy taste buds off.”

    The next two installments will be written by Erica Oyama (Childrens’ Hospital) and directed by Ken Marino.

  • Iron Man 3 Trailer Teaser Uploaded By Marvel

    Marvel uploaded a new teaser trailer for Iron Man 3 to its YouTube channel on Sunday. It’s a whopping seventeen seconds long, and some of those seconds are spent without showing actual footage, so don’t expect a whole lot going in. Still, fans of the franchise have something to tide them over until something longer is released.

    Take a look:

    The trailer is coming to Apple Trailers on Tuesday.

    The film is currently scheduled for a May 3, 2013 release. It is directed by Shane Black based on a screenplay by Black and Drew Pearce. It stars Robert Downey, Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall, Stephanie Szotak, James Badge Dale, Ben Kingsley, and Jon Favreau.

  • Jennifer Esposito Calls Out CBS On Twitter

    Jennifer Esposito is being written out of the cast of the CBS show Blue Bloods after appearing in 42 episodes. As one might imagine, she’s not too thrilled with this news, and has taken to Twitter to call out CBS.

    Esposito suffers from Celiac Disease, a digestive disease that interferes with the way one gets their nutriets from food. It damages the small intestines from an immune response to gluten. Esposito actually operates the Jennifer’s Way Foundation, designed to educate and raise awareness about the disease. She’s been dealing with it for years, throughout her acting career.

    In a story she shares on the JennifersWay.org site, she writes, “In spite of all this though, I had managed to become a self made, hard working, award winning actress. Almost 15 years as a working actress in a god forsaken, takes no prisoners business that would make the strongest man crumble. Worked hard and managed to own my own home by the age of 25. And at this point of my life I was a friend, an aunt, a godmother, a sister and a self respecting 35-year-old women. I had traveled to foreign countries alone. I have had good relationships and bad. Cried, learned from mistakes, got back up. I’ve never fallen in to the evils of ‘Hollywood’ – never had an eating disorder, I worked out to stay healthy, and never took a drug in my life. I learned to meditate and developed a strong spiritual center. I’ve been at my lowest and knew to count my blessings for what was, rather than for what was not.”

    Now, she appears to be dealing with some familiar “evils,” as CBS has written her out of the show, following a reported collapse on set. She has taken to Twitter to call out the network, which maintains that since she is only available to work on a “very limited part-time schedule,” she is “unable to perform the demands of her role,” and that they needed to put her character on a “leave of absence.” The network says it hopes she will be able to return at some point in the future.

    Here is what Esposito has been saying (in addition to numerous retweets from her supporters):

    The New York Post reports:

    Sources tell us that Jennifer collapsed on the set in August, complaining that producers were “working her too hard…”

    One source said, “She said she was being worked too hard and was escorted to her trailer and filming was halted. The crew was forced to come back to finish the scene on a Saturday a few weeks later, and that was when Jennifer discovered from the script they were writing her off the show.”

    The publication also shares a statement from Esposito’s lawyer, who said, “The suggestion that Ms. Esposito created a scene and was escorted to her trailer is a vicious falsehood.”

    The outpour of support from fans on Twitter has been astounding, giving us one of the latest examples of how Twitter (and social media in general) are truly putting fans in connection with the celebrities they admire. Sometimes, this even leads to increased awareness for a cause. If nothing else, Esposito can likely take some amount of comfort in that aspect of the story.

    Image: Blue Bloods (CBS)

  • Mad Men Season 5 DVD, Blu-Ray Release Date Is 10/16

    Mad Men Season 5 will be available on DVD and Blu-Ray, and for digital download on Tuesday, October 16.

    AMC says in a blog post, ” The AMC premiere of Season Five was the most watched Mad Men episode ever, up over 21% from the previous season premiere. Mad Men continues to establish itself as one of the most honored series in television history, winning its fourth consecutive Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series last year, a milestone achieved by only three other shows in history (Hill Street Blues, L.A. Law, The West Wing).”

    Here are the special features that will be included on the DVD/Blu-Ray releases:

    • “Mad Men Say the Darndest Things” – Take a look at the best one-liners from the series and perhaps you will see your favorite!
    • “The Uniform Time Act of 1966” – A pictorial timeline explores the history of Daylight Savings Time and its official observance in the United States.
    • “What Shall I Love If Not the Enigma?” – A glance into the life and work of metaphysical artist Giorgio de Chirico.
    • “The Party of the Century” – Author Deborah Davis and legendary bandleader Peter Duchin take you inside Truman Capote’s infamous Black & White Masquerade Ball.
    • “Scoring Mad Men: Inside a Session” – Join composer David Carbonara, orchestrator Geoff Stradling and sound engineer Jim Hill in the recording studio as they discuss their formula for scoring Mad Men.
    • “Newsweek Magazine Digital Gallery” – A selection of Newsweek Magazine covers share the top news stories from around the world in 1966.
    • Mad Men Season Five commentaries – Matthew Weiner and the cast and crew of Mad Men take viewers behind the scenes in feature-length audio commentaries for all 13 episodes.

    It’s unclear when the fifth season will hit Netflix Instant, though it will most likely be just ahead of the Season 6 premiere. It looks like there will be at least two more seasons, based on contract extensions for cast members.