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Tag: Television

  • Aereo TV Service Threatened by Supreme Court Case

    In a case which alludes to the 1984 Betamax case, the pseudo-TV service Aereo is being threatened by a lawsuit from major cable companies. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court will start hearing arguments from both sides.

    Two years ago, Aereo was brought to New York City. The concept of the company was simple, yet brilliant. Utilizing thousands of tiny, thumbnail-sized antennas, Aereo would allow customers the opportunity to view public network broadcasts on their computer, phones, or tablets through a subscription service. At the Aereo headquarters, each subscriber would be assigned their own, individual antenna by which they would receive the television broadcasts. Not only can subscribers to Aereo watch the broadcasts live, but they can also watch them at a later date due to the cloud-based DVR services offered by Aereo.

    Essentially, Aereo’s service provides public, free, network television broadcasts, through tiny antennas, to those who do not have or do not wish to have a TV or antenna set-up.

    The complaint with Aereo from the cable companies and broadcasters is that the company does not pay a retransmission fee to broadcast said channels.

    If Dish or DirecTV or Time Warner or any other cable company wants to transmit local, network television to its customers, it has to pay a retransmission fee because the Copyright Act of 1976 states that these cable companies provide a form of “public performance”, i.e. the companies show the broadcasts en masse to millions of patrons.

    The major cable companies and broadcasters feel as if Aereo should have to pay the same retransmission fee.

    “Aereo has built a business out of retransmitting broadcast television to members of the public without seeking authorization from or paying compensation to copyright holders… It is settled law that third parties must pay for the rights to transmit performances of copyrighted works to the public,” stated Washington Appellate Lawyer Paul Clement, the man representing the major broadcast companies in the suit.

    Aereo’s lawyer, David Frederick, believes otherwise, however: “When an Aereo user plays her personal recording of a broadcast work and views its images and sounds over the Internet, the ‘performance’ she transmits and receives is that playback – not the broadcaster’s prior performance… Because Aereo’s technology cannot be used to transmit content other than from a user’s personal recording, it does not transmit the performance embodied in petitioners’ broadcasts… Nothing goes into or comes out of Aereo’s equipment except in response to a user’s commands.”

    http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/supreme-court-agrees-hear-arguments-internet-tv-service-aereo/

    While the case may seem fairly cut and dry, it is the lack of legal precedence or proper legislation which makes this case so interesting and confusing. Only six cases with relevance to Aereo’s case have been documented in Supreme Court history, and the rulings have been so diverse that there is no discernible pattern as to what the decision might be: “There’s nothing that ties the Supreme Court’s hands in this case, which makes it doubly intriguing,” explained Shyamkrishna Balganesh, assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s law school.

    Making the case even more intriguing is the divide among even like-minded justices. Ruth Bader Ginsberg and Stephen Breyer, both Democratic justices appointed by Bill Clinton, are expected to side with opposite parties due to the vagueness of copyright law – Ginsberg is expected to side with the Copyright Act of 1976 due to her intimate knowledge of the subject, while Breyer is expected to side with Aereo due to his lenience toward intellectual property rights.

    In the end, the decision as to whether or not Aereo will be allowed to continue is one with immense implications for the future of digital media. If it wins, Aereo and future services could change the way in which consumers watch TV forever. If it loses, cloud-storage services, such as DropBox, could face legal issues in the future due to copyright violations.

    Regardless of the outcome, Aereo has pushed-in all of its chips: “There’s no plan B,” stated Barry Diller, the man whose company backs Aereo. “If we lose, we’re finished. I can’t see any path forward.”

    Image via Facebook

  • Bing Now Shows Predictions For The Voice, American Idol & Dancing With The Stars

    Microsoft announced announced that it is adding predictions to Bing search results pages for some queries. These are based on data from searches that have taken place and social input from Facebook and Twitter.

    Bing will show such predictions for shows like The Voice, American Idol, and Dancing With the Stars.

    “One of the most interesting aspects of search engines is their ability to process trillions of signals to reflect what is happening in the real world,” says Bing. “For instance, during the presidential elections, Bing experiences a surge of positive and negative queries about the presidential candidates from different parts of the U.S. Taking this model even further, teams within Bing have been experimenting with useful ways that we can harness the power of Bing to model outcomes of events. This could be anything from an election or sporting event to whether an actor will win the People’s Choice Award.”

    The feature will work when you search for a supported show, or a contestant.

    “The central idea behind the direct approach is that winners and losers correspond to popularity,” Bing says. “In broad strokes, we define popularity as the frequency and sentiment of searches combined with social signals and keywords. Placing these signals into our model, we can predict the outcome of an event with high confidence. For The Voice, our model is tuned to account for biases, such as regional preferences, and other measurable and observable trends. We have also learned how to combine the prior popularity of a contestant with the contribution due to his or her performance. Although we might believe that the outcome of this week’s The Voice comes down to how well someone belts out a tune, our data indicates that many people have ‘favorites’ regardless of individual week-to-week performances.”

    Bing says users can expect more of this beyond the shows mentioned in the future.

    Image via Bing

  • Devious Maids Is Going To Remain Devious In Its Second Season

    Devious Maids returned for its second season on Sunday night to rave reviews across all the TV blogs. The murder mystery series is already jumping onto its next mystery and fans can’t wait to see where it goes next. The question now is whether or not the series will get even more treacherous for the cast in the second season.

    Speaking to Fox News Latino, Roselyn Sanchez says that that the second season of Devious Maids is going to throw a lot of fans for a loop. Not only is a new murder going to take place, but a central character from the first season is going to completely change her position among the cast. Marisol Duarte posed as a maid in the first season to prove that her son wasn’t a murderer, but she now has her own maid as the character is engaged to a wealthy man.

    Sanchez also reveals that her character gets into a relationship with gay pop star Alejandro Rubio to cover up the fact that he’s gay. She says that her character does this to obtain her dreams, but it doesn’t always turn out that way:

    “And then thinking that’s going to change my life dramatically and I’m going to accomplish my dreams, but of course everything goes wrong and she’s completely out of touch with reality and [makes] bad choices and insanity. But I love her. She’s crazy.”

    For fans of Devious Maids who watch it for reasons other than murder, Sanchez reveals that she has plenty of sexy scenes in season two. She reveals that she doesn’t get naked again, but she leaves it open as a possibility.

    If all of this has you itching to check out Devious Maids, here’s a recap of season one to get you caught up on the series:

    And if you missed last night’s premiere of season two, here’s a little preview to keep you satiated until you can see it:

    If you’re caught up with the series, you can go have fun with the series’ Twitter account where fans are sharing quotes from last night’s premiere with each other:

    Devious Maids airs on Lifetime at 10 p.m. EST on Sunday nights.

    Image via Lifetime/YouTube

  • Judy Greer Has ‘Planet of the Apes’ Themed Wedding

    Dawn of the Planet of the Apes co-star Judy Greer revealed to Conan O’Brien that she’d opted for a Planet of the Apes-themed wedding during her 2011 nuptials to television producer Dean Johnsen.

    Greer told Conan, “During the cocktail hour, we had the TV screens in the bar with the movies playing. We had Rise (of the Planet of the Apes) playing on one screen and then the original, obviously, Planet of the Apes playing on the bigger screen.” Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is set to open on July 11, and is directed by Matt Reeves, of Cloverfield and Let Me In fame. Dawn also features Andy Serkis, Gary Oldman, Jason Clarke and Keri Russell. Russell had previously worked with Reeves on the WB drama Felicity, which was co-created by J.J. Abrams.

    Here Greer relates to Conan her peculiar choice of a wedding theme:

    Greer, 38, is best known for her roles as Kitty Sanchez on Fox’s Arrested Development, as well as Cheryl Tunt on the animated comedy series Archer. In 2011, the actress began hosting an online series of workout videos called Reluctantly Healthy, and in 2014 published her first book, I Don’t Know What You Know Me From: Confessions of a Co-Star.

    In Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Greer plays an ape named Cornelia, set against the goings on of a growing nation of genetically evolved apes led by Caesar, who are threatened by a band of human survivors. Man vs. Ape action ensues. Here is the trailer:

    Actor James Franco, who starred in the Dawn prequel, 2011’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes, was not included in the latest film, after Rise director Rupert Wyatt was replaced by Reeves. Freida Pinto, who played primatologist Caroline Aranha in Rise, was also excluded from the sequel.

    Image via YouTube

  • Gwen Stefani Signs on to Judge ‘The Voice’

    Gwen Stefani, co-founder and lead vocalist of pop rock outfit No Doubt, has just signed on as a judge of the NBC singing contest program The Voice. It’s been reported that Stefani will fill in for Christina Aguilera, who is on maternity leave. The 44-year-old singer-songwriter, fashion designer and actress will also take up coaching duties on the show, alongside Adam Levine, Blake Shelton and Pharrell Williams.

    NBC had asked Aguilera to stay on for the upcoming seventh season of The Voice, though she declined. Stefani signed a one-year contract as her replacement, and Aguilera plans to return for season 8, after she and finace Matt Rutler welcome their baby girl.

    Stefani had previously worked with Williams during a collaboration on her 2004 solo hit Hollaback Girl. Pharrell brought Stefani onstage during his Coachella set last week to perform the song, and gave her an enthusiastic introduction beforehand – “I can tell you right now there’s only one incredible, historical, most important, incredibly talented, fucking awesome, rad girl in the world.”

    Here is a clip of the Coachella duet:

    Stefani’s voice has been described as unusual and dynamic, and has been noted for its deep vibrato. On the single Cool, her vocal range covers roughly one and a half octaves. Stefani has been influenced by and compared to pop icon Madonna. In 2007, she told Elle magazine, “A lot of my influence came from her early work, like directly, like a Xerox.” Stefani was nominated five times at the 2006 Grammy Awards for her debut solo album Love. Angel. Music. Baby., including Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and Best Pop Vocal Album.

    Stefani’s fans are pleased with her new gig:

    Random Madonna/Stefani lore:

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Netflix Said To Be In Talks With Vodafone

    Netflix Said To Be In Talks With Vodafone

    Netflix might be on the verge of expanding its services to yet another customer base. AdAge is reporting that the company is in talks with Vodafone to offer its subscribers access to its streaming service.

    This one sounds interesting, because the report, which cites three people familiar with the discussions, says it would actually give customers free access to Netflix content for “a period of time”.

    This could just refer to the standard Netflix free trial for new subscribers, but that would be an odd way to say that.

    Past deals have required users to have regular paid Netflix subscriptions, essentially making the partnerships another way for Netflix to simply get on more devices. For example, in January, Netflix became available on Cin Gen TiVo boxes in Sweden. Before that, it launched on boxes from Virgin Media in the UK.

    While Vodafone isn’t commenting, AdAge managed to get this vague comment from Netflix:

    “We have all kinds of arrangements with all kinds of operators, and we have nothing to say until we announce them,”

    It’s pretty clear that this is a strategy Netflix is trying to employ with many different providers, and has expressed interest on making more such deals in the U.S.

    The Netherlands, the U.K. and Ireland are regions where both Vodafone and Netflix are available.

    Image via YouTube

  • Here’s A New Clip From ‘Derek’ Season 2 [Netflix Originals]

    There’s a lot to look forward to for fans of Netflix’s originals. In recent days, we’ve seen the first teaser for Hemlock Grove: Season 2, which is due out in July. This morning, we got the first real trailer for the upcoming second season of Orange is the New Black, which comes out in June.

    Earlier this month, Netflix announced its release date for the second season of Ricky Gervais’ Derek, and now the Ricky Gervais YouTube channel has put out a new clip: Language is NSFW.

    Here’s a deleted scene/outtake.

    The show will actually premiere on Channel 4 in the UK first on April 23rd, then everywhere else on Netflix (where it’s available at least) on May 30th.

    In other Ricky Gervais news, it looks like he’s got a David Brent project headed for the big screen. It’s apparently also not out of the question that a spinoff of the original version of The Office could one day make it to Netflix (take that one with a grain of salt though).

    Image via YouTube

  • ‘Orange Is The New Black’ Season 2 Gets New Trailer [Netflix Originals]

    Netflix’s much talked about Orange is the New Black will be back soon with its second season. The first teaser hit the web in February, but now we have a full trailer.

    Fired up yet?

    Netflix also put out this video of cast members describing the season as “extraordinary, “volatile,” “turbulent,” “raw,” “complex,” “elevated,” “real,” “sexy,” “sexier,” “wild,” “deeper,” “ballsy,” “insane,” “scary,” “shocking,” “dark,” “badass,” “cray,” “f—ed up,” “a big deal,” “hilarious,” and “up in you.”

    The has been present throughout the awards season, and most recently won an Peabody, as did House of Cards, another Netflix original.

    In other Netflix show news, earlier this week, they put out a teaser for the upcoming season of Hemlock Grove, which debuts in July.

    Orange is the New Black: Season 2 debuts on Netflix on June 6th.

    Image via YouTube

  • Laura Prepon Reportedly Dating Tom Cruise

    Xenu, the 75-million-year-old dictator of the “Galactic Confederacy” described in Scientology doctrine has allegedly shined his celestial light upon Orange Is the New Black star Laura Prepon, bringing her together with Scientology heavyweight Tom Cruise. The two are reportedly dating, though secretly.

    Rumors of a budding relationship between the two first surfaced after it was reported that Cruise, 51, had treated Prepon, 34, to an elaborate date at Renaisssance, an eatery inside the Church of Scientology’s Celebrity Centre in Los Angeles in November. The couple was reportedly spotted again at the Renaissance, as well as at a party hosted by fellow Scientologist higher-ups John Travolta and Kelly Preston.

    Having dated That ’70s Show co-star Danny Masterson for several years, Prepon is well-versed in the teachings of Xenu whisking billions of humans away from his home world, only to stagger them around Earth volcanoes to kill them using hydrogen bombs, thus trapping the essences of their souls in the atomosphere, which have formed around modern man, rendering them spiritual battered. Incidentally, within the Church of Scientology, the Xenu history is part of the church’s secret “Advanced Technology,” considered a sacred and esoteric teaching, reserved for members who have contributed large amounts of money.

    Here Cruise displays his A-list charisma while hawking the virtues of Scientological power:

    Prepon first went public regarding her Scientology beliefs in 2007, in an interview featured in Women’s Health, and the thrice-divorced Cruise has likely learned that a strong belief in the church is key to sustaining a lasting relationship. Cruise’s ex-wife Katie Holmes abruptly filed for divorce in 2012, after reportedly becoming concerned over daughter Suri’s involvement in the Church of Scientology.

    Why reps for both actors deny any romance, perhaps it’s a match made in Teegeeack, or “Earth,” as Xenu might call it.

    Prepon is presently working on season 2 of Orange Is the New Black, while Cruise is allegedly developing Top Gun 2, to reprise his iconic role as the fighter pilot Maverick.

    Image via YouTube

  • ‘House Of Cards’ Season 2 DVD, Blu-ray Release Date Announced

    If you don’t have a Netflix subscription, but are still interested in getting caught up on House of Cards (or if you just want to own a hard copy), the second season will be hitting DVD and Blu-ray on June 17th.

    TVShowsOnDVD.com has what appears to be a press release announcing the release. According to that, bonus features will include:

    – “Two Houses” – Exploring differences between the original show & the history of how this project came together.

    – “Table Read” – A behind-the-scenes look at table reads cut together with the actual scenes from the show.

    – “Direct Address” – Exploring the way Francis talks directly to viewers in both the original & new series

    – “Politics for Politics Sake” – Politics is only the back drop in this show, but the themes are universal. This featurette explores what the show is all about – relationships and power, not just politics.

    – “Line of Succession” – A look at the creative process that goes into making an episode.

    If you’ve not yet seen the second season, you’re in for quite a treat. Hopefully you’ve managed to avoid spoilers all this time. There’s a big one.

    About fifteen percent of Netflix subscribers watched the first episode of the season within a six to height hour period on one ISP, according to reports.

    The show’s third season is in the works, and will likely see a release early next year.

    Image via Facebook

  • 4K TV And Why You Should Probably Wait To Buy One

    Some Americans take “keeping up with the Joneses” to a different level when it comes to the latest technology.

    Often it’s about having the item just to say they bought it rather than being certain they’re getting their money’s worth. This isn’t the most sensible approach to purchasing new tech items, particularly televisions.

    It’s been noted that television sales have actually been declining in recent years.

    Many families already own at least one high definition television. It’s just not easy to justify the need to buy a new one.

    The arrival of 4K TV and its eight million pixels (versus two million pixels displayed by typical HD TVs) should justify a trip to the store.

    The problem is that the people running out to buy these television sets today aren’t able to do so. One might even argue that they’ve been duped.

    Buying a high definition television with a 1080p resolution can be more readily justified; there is a great deal of content presently available at that resolution.

    There is a noted lack of 4K TV level content available for persons who take the initiative and spend thousands of dollars on these TVs right now.

    It’s highly likely that television channels and movies will eventually be readily broadcast in ultra high definition. Why not wait until after that happens to buy a 4K TV?

    “Well when it finally happens, I’ll be ready!”

    Guess what? So were the people who bought the first plasma HDTVs for the prices that the 4K TVs currently run.

    Meanwhile, those who waited for prices to drop and HD content to become the standard paid anywhere from one half to one tenth what they did.

    As the saying goes, “Patience is a virtue”.

    When certain technologies stick around long enough to evolve, prices will eventually slide downward into the realm of being easily afforded by the general public.

    When this happens for 4K TVs a few years from now, the wider availability of higher resolution television content will make buying these television sets perfectly logical.

    4K TV is a promising new television format. Just be smart enough to spend money to enjoy it when there’s enough content available to get the most out of the experience!

    Besides, it’s always inevitable that something bigger and better will come along.

    Image via YouTube

  • Neve Campbell Makes Memorable Appearance on Mad Men

    When we think of the hit AMC drama Mad Men, we usually don’t think of the show as an opportunity for veteran television actors to reinvent themselves. However, Harry Hamlin of L.A. Law fame has been wickedly hilarious as his turn as an advertising executive at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce. Also Linda Cardellini, Freaks and Geeks and ER, played Don’s mistress last season, and ultimately broke his heart and helped to shatter his daughter’s innocence.

    On Sunday, we also saw Dan Byrd who plays Travis on Cougar Town, as a naive businessman with a new set of ideals that seem to work better on paper than they do in the real world. But perhaps the biggest, and most pleasant surprise, was seeing Neve Campbell as the sexy, alluring widow seated next to Don Draper on the airplane ride back to New York after an up and down visit with his ready-to-breakout actress wife Megan.

    Campbell has more or less been out of the spotlight since her salad days of the 1990s when she starred in the weepy television drama Party of Five, ran her way out of trouble in the horror parody franchise Scream, and fought evil witches in the cult hit The Craft. Her appearance towards the end of the Season 7 premiere may have only been five minutes of screen time, but the impact was felt by fans of the show not only on a nostalgic level, but in a way that could ultimately have an impact on the fate of our anti-hero Don Draper.

    The 40-year-old actress spoke about her character’s deep back story in an interview with The Daily Beast, “Considering what she’s experienced in the past year with losing her husband, and then living in the generation she does, finding herself living as a widow, there was a lot to play with as an actress. And the fact that her husband was an alcoholic and that she watched him spiral downward, I thought about that history and what that would do to me, and what kind of person that would make me.”

    Don Draper is clearly a man who has hit rock bottom in his life: he was kicked out of his own company, his marriage is on the rocks, his daughter caught him cheating with his mistress, his alcoholism is out of control, and he can never really escape the horrid memories of his childhood. However, Don always appears to maintain his composure (unless he’s blackout drunk). Campbell’s character seemed to bring out Draper’s vulnerability, he opened up to her in a way that we haven’t really seen on the show.

    Campbell agrees, “Don’s suddenly in a very vulnerable place in his life where everything has fallen apart, and since she’s so open and vulnerable in sharing her story, I think it gives him more room to share. Also, her story is something he can relate to, and hear, and he might realize that the effect my character’s husband had on her might echo the damage he’s causing his own family.”

    Whether or not we will enjoy more of Campbell on the final season of Mad Men remains to be seen. Matt Weiner, the showrunner of the drama, is notoriously secretive and Campbell is not allowed to say if she will be back.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • ‘Hemlock Grove’ Season 2 Will ‘Blow Away All Expectations,’ Says Eli Roth [Netflix Originals]

    As previously reported, Netflix announced today that Hemlock Grove: Season 2 will debut on July 11th, three months later in the year than the first season’s debut.

    This season will have fewer episodes with just ten, but if comments from executive producer Eli Roth (whose credibility in the horror genre is nearly unmatched in my opinion) are any indication, fans are in for a wild ride.

    “I cannot wait for fans to see what’s in store for season two – it is going to blow away all expectations,” he said. “Netflix has been an incredible partner, and whenever we wanted to take the story in a dangerous direction, they encouraged us to go even further – into a scarier, darker, and sexier place. We guarantee you won’t see anything like this anywhere else on television.”

    Sounds good.

    Last year, he made similar comments, saying the season would have “so many cool surprises”. Considering how the first season ended, it’s probably fair to throw any expectations out the window.

    Today’s announcement from Netflix says this about it:

    Season two continues with the town coming to grips with the shocking massacre incurred by one of its deadliest creatures. Roman and Peter are now faced with new responsibilities and the realities that come with adulthood. Roman’s relationship with his mother (Janssen) is all but dead as he struggles with his unwanted Upir birthright and the disappearance of his sister, Shelley (Martin). Peter moves in with Destiny (Horn) and is forced to get a job after his mother is sent away. Meanwhile, in search of a new life, newcomer Miranda Cates (Madeline Brewer), embarks on Hemlock Grove with an unknowingly profound effect on Peter and Roman. And Norman (Scott), still reeling from the loss of his family, must face the harsh truths that are uncovered about those he still loves.

    Netflix says it will be providing more info about Season 2 here, as well as across the show’s various social media accounts.

    Image via Eli Roth (Facebook)

  • ‘Hemlock Grove’ Season 2 Release Date Finally Announced [Netflix Originals]

    Fans have been waiting for an eternity, but Netflix has finally announced the release date for Hemlock Grove: Season 2. The date, which is much later in the year than the first season’s debut, is July 11th.

    Update: More details about the season, including comments from Eli Roth here.

    Here’s a teaser:

    Yes, truly a teaser. You’re not getting much out of that one other than the sweet confirmation that the show’s return is actually getting closer.

    It’s interesting that Hemlock Grove: Season 2 is not coming until the middle of the summer, well after the second season of Orange is the New Black, considering that the first season of that debuted after the first season of Hemlock Grove, which was released in April.

    While the House of Cards: Season 2 debut was pretty close to that of the first season, it’s clear that we can’t rely on the date of any given season of a Netflix original to correspond with subsequent seasons. Last week, we learned that the second season of Derek will hit May 30th. The first season debuted in September last year.

    Oh well. As long as the seasons of these quality shows keep coming fans will be thirsty for more.

    Hemlock Grove’s second season was announced back in June, so they’ve had plenty of time to put together a quality run, even if it’s shorter than the first season (there will be ten episodes, according to the initial announcement).

    Since the first season, the show has picked up Charles H. Eglee of The Walking Dead, Dexter and The Shield fame as an executive producer. It has also added Orange is the New Black actress Madeline Brewer.

    Shelly will be played by a different actress as Madeleine Martin from Californication (Hank’s daughter) joins the cast, replacing Nicole Boivin.

    According to producer Eli Roth, there are going to be “so many cool surprises” this season.

    Images via YouTube, Facebook

  • Here’s What’s About To Hit Netflix (Bourdain & Meatwad Included)

    As you know, content comes and goes on Netflix. Each week, we’re bringing you a list of titles that you’ll be able to stream in the U.S. in the coming days.

    If you need some Anthony Bourdain in your life, then your lucky day is almost here. Also, more Aqua Teen is rarely a bad thing. Fans of G.I. Joe will have something to cringe at as well.

    Available on 4/11:

    Peeples (2013)

    Craig Robinson, Kerry Washington, David Alan Grier, S. Epatha Merkerson, Tyler James Williams

    Average guy Wade Walker wants to marry his beautiful, successful girlfriend, Grace Peeples. Having never met her upper-crust family, Wade crashes their annual reunion and finds himself in a face-off with her disapproving dad, Judge Peeples.

    The Dirties (2013)

    Matt Johnson, Owen Williams, Krista Madison, Brandon Wickens, Jay McCarrol, Josh Boles

    Film geeks Matt and Owen make a movie about getting revenge on “the Dirties,” a group of bullies who target them at school. Then Matt decides to take things a step further, stockpiling weapons for a sequel in which they’ll open fire on their enemies.

    Available on 4/12:

    G.B.F. (2013)

    Michael J. Willett, Paul Iacono, Sasha Pieterse, Andrea Bowen, Xosha Roquemore, Molly Tarlov, Joanna ‘JoJo’ Levesque, Megan Mullally, Natasha Lyonne, Rebecca Gayheart

    When shy Tanner is outed as a school’s only openly gay student, popular girls Fawcett, Caprice and ‘Shley engage in an epic catfight to acquire him as their “Gay Best Friend.” Tanner soon finds himself torn between popularity and old friendships.

    G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013)

    Dwayne Johnson, Jonathan Pryce, Byung-hun Lee, Elodie Yung, Ray Stevenson, D.J. Cotrona

    In this action-packed sequel to G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, the elite anti-terrorist team finds itself ambushed and framed for treason by global mercenary Zartan. Driven into hiding, the warriors devise a desperate plan to defeat Zartan’s forces.

    Available on 4/13:

    The Bible: The Epic Mini Series

    Diogo Morgado, Darwin Shaw, Paul Brightwell, Roma Downey, Greg Hicks, Sebastian Knapp

    Re-creating the Bible’s vision of human and divine history for contemporary audiences, this sweeping miniseries incorporates key biblical stories and parables, vividly dramatizing the ancient tales — from Adam and Eve to the revelation of St. John.

    Avail 4/15

    Alon Gold: Chosen and Taken (2014)

    Elon Gold unleashes his sharp, biting humor in his brand new comedy special Chosen & Taken. His manic wit transcends race and religion to celebrate the absurd things people get away with.

    Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown: Seasons 1 & 2

    CNN proposes to send Bourdain around the globe to sample local cuisines in a variety of cities.

    Aqua Teen Hunger Force: Season 2

    Smart-mouthed fast-food superheroes Master Shake, Meatwad and Frylock take on monsters, aliens and their neighbor, Carl.

    The Boondocks: Season 2

    Based on the comic strip by Aaron McGruder, this satirical animated series follows the socially conscious misadventures of Huey Freeman, a preternaturally smart 10-year-old who relocates from inner-city Chicago to the suburbs.

    Interior. Leather Bar. (2013)

    Val Lauren, James Franco, Christian Patrick, Travis Mathews, Brenden Gregory, Brad Roberge

    Reimagining the 40 minutes of explicit gay S&M footage rumored to have been cut from the 1980 film Cruising, this fascinating film explores the normalization of gay culture and the boundaries of sexual and creative freedom.

    R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour

    Children’s horror writer R.L. Stine presents a collection of bizarre and terrifying tales designed to make kids and parents shiver in their sofas. Witches, aliens and assorted malign spirits abound in the world of Stine’s dark imagination.

    Available on 4/16:

    Scoop (2006)

    Woody Allen, Scarlett Johansson, Hugh Jackman, Ian McShane, Romola Garai, Jim Dunk, Colin Salmon

    While visiting friends in London, American journalism student Jade Spence beats out Britain’s top reporters by exposing a story involving murder and magic. But just as the story heats up, so do things between Jade and a hunky aristocrat.

    The Eagle (2011)

    Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell, Donald Sutherland, Mark Strong, Tahar Rahim, Denis O’Hare

    Haunted by the disappearance of his father, who vanished with the Roman Ninth Legion on an expedition into the north of Britain, centurion Marcus Aquila sets out to unravel the mystery and recover the legion’s eagle standard.

    The Family (2013)

    Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer, Tommy Lee Jones, Dianna Agron, John D’Leo, Domenick Lombardozzi

    The Manzonis, an infamous mob family, are relocated to Normandy, France, by the witness protection program, where they have some difficulty fitting in. When local problems arise, they respond the only way they know how: mafia style.

    See more recently added titles here.

    Image via YouTube & YouTube

  • Stephen Colbert to Replace Letterman on ‘Late Show’

    When David Letterman announced his retirement from the Late Show on April 3rd, rumors immediately began swirling as to who would replace the 33-year-long television icon. The first forerunners were obviously fellow late-night show hosts. However, history shows that that transition has a history of not working well (*cough* Conan O’Brien *cough cough*). Following that initial list, names like Tina Fey, John Stewart, and even Neil Patrick Harris were tossed around. Late last week, however, a unique, yet odd, choice started to rise to the top – none other than The Colbert Report‘s host, Stephen Colbert.

    Today, CBS cemented the truthiness of said rumor by announcing that Stephen Colbert has signed a five-year agreement with the network to become the next host of The Late Show, ending Letterman’s 21-year run as the host.

    Prior to becoming host for The Late Show, Letterman was host of NBC’s Late Night, starting in 1983. When Jay Leno was named Johnny Carson’s successor to The Tonight Show in 1993, Letterman decided to jump ship to another network after a decade at NBC.

    CBS president and CEO Leslie Moonves stated, “Stephen Colbert is one of the most inventive and respected forces on television. David Letterman’s legacy and accomplishments are an incredible source of pride for all of us here, and today’s announcement speaks to our commitment of upholding what he established for CBS in late night.”

    Nina Tassler, the Chairman of CBS Entertainment, would add that, “Stephen is a multi-talented and respected host, writer, producer, satirist and comedian who blazes a trail of thought-provoking conversation, humor and innovation with everything he touches. He is a presence on every stage, with interests and notable accomplishments across a wide spectrum of entertainment, politics, publishing and music. We welcome Stephen to CBS with great pride and excitement, and look forward to introducing him to our network television viewers in late night.”

    CBS executives are not the only people to recognize Colbert’s multifaceted brilliance and support his ascension to host of The Late Show. Colbert’s former employer and co-worker, Jon Stewart, also had words of support to add for Colbert’s new role:

    “He is a uniquely talented individual. He’s wonderful in Colbert Report, but he’s got gears he hasn’t even shown people yet. He would be remarkable… He’s done an amazing job with just that very narrow cast of character, but he’s got a lot more he can show. He’s got some skill sets that are really applicable, interviewing-wise, but also he’s a really, really good actor and also an excellent improvisational comedian. He’s also got great writing skills. He’s got a lot of the different capacities. Being able to expand upon [those] would be exciting.”

    One question remains unanswered, however. Does this move to primetime, late-night, locally-televised programming mean the death of “Stephen Colbert”? Colbert is known for never dropping his conservatively satirical schtick featured on The Colbert Report – not even in public when he is not associated with the show.

    While many of us are waiting to see how the character of Stephen Colbert will evolve or adapt to a bigger stage, Colbert only has intense preparation for the new role on his mind: “I’m thrilled and grateful that CBS chose me. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go grind a gap in my front teeth.”

    Image via YouTube

  • Under The Dome Leaks Season 2 Promo Online [Video]

    It is still a couple of months before Under The Dome returns, but CBS has already released a promotional video for the show’s second season. The first season left off on quite a cliffhanger, and fans are anxiously awaiting to find out what will happen.

    Under The Dome is a suspenseful drama that airs on CBS, and is based on a novel by Stephen King. Fans were drawn in by the odd nature of the show’s first season, and similar to a show like Lost, the show continues to make its audience question things.

    In the first episode of the series, a dome comes down over a small fictional town in the United States, and traps them all inside, cutting them off from the rest of civilization. It tests the emotions, and actions of each character on the show, showing how they can each react when under pressure.

    The show can be thrilling, while also a character study containing elements of science fiction. The show stars Dean Norris, who became well-known for his role on Breaking Bad, which finished as season one of Under The Dome aired.

    In addition, the ensemble cast includes Mike Vogel, Natalie Martinez, Alexander Koch, and several others. Norris plays a character known as Big Jim, and in the season 2 preview, people are seen being dragged against their will and collapsing, but Big Jim is the only one who’s not affected by the mysterious power.

    Throughout the first season, his character gave other characters and audiences suspicions, and there may even be a possibility that he was involved in the dome going down over their town.

    Executive producer Neal Baer spoke about the upcoming season when saying “it will be filled with twists and turns and shocking events,” adding that “what’s outside comes inside.” He also added that Junior has had an Uncle that has been hiding out the whole time, and may pose a threat for Barbie.

    The first preview for season two of Under The Dome also hints that there will be some mysterious telekinetic power affecting the town’s residents. However, Big Jim does not seem to be affected, and cries out “Tell me what to do. Tell me!”

    Fans that have been going crazy since last summer can rest assured knowing that Under the Dome will return for its second season on Monday, June 30 at 10 P.M. ET on CBS. Does anyone have any theories about what will happen as the second season begins?

    Image via Facebook

  • Caroline Manzo Returning To Bravo With New Series

    If there’s two things Bravo loves it’s reality television and housewives from different cities all over the country.

    After spending five seasons on The Real Housewives of New Jersey, Caroline Manzo left the show in late 2013.

    Fans of Manzo need not be depressed, the mother of three is getting her own series, Manzo’d With Children.

    The show will follow Manzo, her husband Albert, sons Albie and Chris, daughter Lauren and sister Fran.

    In a statement Manzo said, “It is a very exciting time for me and my family. We are grateful for this opportunity from Bravo and our fans. Expect a lot of smiles, laughs and good times.”

    Manzo’d With Children was announced at Bravo’s 2014 upfronts, along with a Kandi Burress spinoff, three new projects in development, and the renewal of 15 shows. Manzo’s series doesn’t have a specific release date yet, but will air later this year.

    Manzo took to Twitter to announce the show and link to a sneak peek of the upcoming show.

    Maybe the show will even enlighten fans on the upcoming nuptials of Manzo’s daughter Lauren to fiance Vito Scalia. Lauren recently celebrated her future with Scalia at an engagement party on Friday at the family-owned Brownstone restaurant.

    Friends and fans alike took to Twitter to congratulate Manzo and the rest of her family for the show’s pickup.

    Image via Caroline Manzo, Twitter.

  • ‘Mako Mermaids’ Season 2: Another Production Vlog Released [Netflix Originals]

    The second season of Mako Mermaids, one of the less talked about “Netflix originals,” is currently in production. It began shooting in December.

    Fans (of which there are apparently plenty) have been treated to a few production vlogs, which Jonathan M. Shiff Productions puts on YouTube every noow and then. Number four has now` been uploaded:

    They didn’t offer these kinds of vlogs during production of the first season, though they did have a behind-the-scenes look at one of the mermaids eating a lobster.

    The first season, by the way, appears to be headed for DVD at some point.

    Image via YouTube

  • Netflix’s ‘Marco Polo’ Begins Production

    We learned about the upcoming Marco Polo series from Netflix last summer, but Netflix formally announced the project earlier this year. The first season will consist of ten episodes.

    Today, the Weinstein Company announced that production is now underway with shooting locations in Italy, Kazakhstan and the new Pinewood Studios in Malaysia.

    It also revealed some cast and crew details.

    Lorenzo Richelmy (Il Terzo Tempo; pictured) will play Marco Polo. The cast also includes Benedict Wong (Prometheus), Zhu Zhu (Cloud Atlas), Tom Wu (Skyfall), Remy Hii (Treading Water) and Rick Yune (Olympus Has Fallen, The Fast and the Furious).

    Creator John Fusco (Forbidden Kingdom, Young Guns, Hidalgo) and Harvey Weinstein will serve as executive producers. Dan Minahan (Game of Thrones, True Blood) will serve as executive producer and will direct two episodes. Joachim Roenning and Espen Sandberg (Kon-Tiki, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales) will direct the season’s first two episodes. Patrick MacManus will serve as co-executive producer. Collin Creighton will produce.

    “Television audiences today are more discerning than ever before both in terms of character and the scope of the worlds those characters live in. We are proud to present a series that rivals some of the most successful films we’ve ever made. Marco Polo is a figure all have heard of, but few truly know, and we are excited to introduce him to the world. And we are shooting all over the world. From the sweeping vistas of Kazakhstan which act as backdrop for the wars and conquests of Kublai Khan to the intimate moments within the alleys and canals of Marco’s hometown of Venice, Italy, this is spectacle in the truest sense of the word,” said Harvey Weinstein, co-chairman of The Weinstein Company.

    “John, Dan, Joachim, Espen and our partners at The Weinstein Company are elevating the art of storytelling and delivering cinematic quality that we’re certain our members will enjoy,” said Netflix content chief Ted Sarandos. “In this commanding, epic story of Marco Polo, through the magnetic cast they’ve assembled, the spectacular martial arts work they are showcasing and the exotic locations that serve as a backdrop, they have really outdone themselves.”

    The story is described as “a kinetic tale of high politics, masterful manipulation and deadly warfare among clashing empires. ”The new announcement adds:

    The famed explorer’s journey takes him to the center of a brutal war in 13th century China, a world replete with exotic martial arts, political skullduggery, spectacular battles and sexual intrigue.

    On that martial arts note, the production tragically lost stuntman Ju Kun to Flight 370.

    The show is expected to debut on Netflix later this year.

    Image via PR Newswire

  • ‘Game of Thrones’ Premiere Breaks Piracy Record

    When the season four premiere of HBO’s fantasy-drama series Game of Thrones aired on Sunday night, a record 6.6 million viewers tuned in legally. Another million-plus viewers pirated the episode, setting another record. Jeff Bewkes, CEO of Time Warner, which owns HBO, called the new piracy record “better than an Emmy.”

    The Sunday night episode entitled “Two Swords” garnered a number of viewers not seen since the series finale of HBO’s The Sopranos in 2007, and the level of piracy exceeded the previous record, which was held by the Game of Thrones season three premiere.

    BitTorrent protocol blog TorrentFreak reported over a million downloads within 12 hours of “Two Swords” airing, with the majority of the torrents being shared in Australia. Naturally, due to HBO’s subscription-only status, piracy is rampant. Though another contributing factor was the crashing of HBO’s streaming service, HBO Go, due to overwhelming demand.

    Here is the Game of Thrones season 4 trailer:

    Game of Thrones was created for HBO by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. The series is an adaptation of A Song of Ice and Fire, a set of fantasy novels penned by George R. R. Martin. The complex storyline is set in the fictional continents of Westeros and Essos at the end of a decade-long summer, and concerns the dealings of several noble families in a civil war over the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms. Sex and violence prevail, as an army of zombie-like creatures gain strength in the northern reaches of the fantasy realm.

    Torrent downloads in the United States came in behind those in Australia at 9.3%. File sharing was also significant in the United Kingdom, Canada, The Netherlands, Philippines, India, Greece, Poland and Sweden. HBO has roughly 114 million legal subscribers worldwide, and has also made Sunday night’s GOT episode free to XBOX live users.

    Image via YouTube