Janet Jackson New Album Gets Title, New Song Snippet 'The Great Forever'

Janet Jackson (Photo : Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

Janet Jackson's new album has been shrouded in mystery beyond an announced world tour and a new single "No Sleeep." But now, in one single tweet, the pop star revealed a snippet of a new song "The Great Forever" and the record's title.

After saying that any new news about herDiscipline follow-up would come from "her lips" earlier in the week, on Thursday (Aug. 20), Jackson revealed that her first album in seven years will be called Unbreakable.

Jackson made the big album title announcement subtly with the snippet of "The Great Forever." On a lyric sheet in the studio, it's said that the new song comes fromUnbreakable.

The album title should come as no surprise from fans of Jackson's. Her massive worldwide tour, set to kick off later this month, is called the Unbreakable World Tour.

As previously mentioned, the album title announcement and new song title came along with a short audio clip of "The Great Forever." Like "No Sleeep," the latest Jackson single recalls all of her biggest this from the height of her career. With a breezy undertone and relaxed vocal style, Jackson cheerily sings about living her best life in hopes to get in to heaven.

"Living my life / The way that I hope / Is leading me to / The Great forever," she sings with an infectious inflection.

Despite an album title and two songs in the well, further details surrounding Jackson's new album remain tightly under wraps. Her last studio effort, Discipline, was released in 2008.

Monkees’ Micky Dolenz Sits in with Roots on Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show Sept. 23

Hey hey it’s Micky. After his hit run at 54 Below in July, the once and always Monkee is on a roll. I’m told he will sit in with the Roots for the whole “Tonight” show on September 23rd.

Two days later, on the 25th, Micky’s album, “A Little Bit Broadway, a Little Bit Rock and Roll” is released on Broadway Records. And on the 25th and 26th, Micky returns to 54Below, where the album was recorded.

The Roots have good taste, and so does Jimmy Fallon. Micky was such a hit at the club, I can’t wait for America to see him again on national TV. Bravo!

Gladys Knight Reunites with Stevie Wonder, Dionne Warwick for Apollo Theater Rendition of “That’s What Friends Are For”

EXCLUSIVE For the second night in a row, Oprah Winfrey’s OWN network filmed Legends at the Apollo. This time, however, the main attraction– Gladys Knight– pulled off a coup. She reunited with Stevie Wonder and Dionne Warwick for a sensational rendition of “That’s What Friends Are For” that brought the Apollo crowd– which included Cissy Houston and Vy Higgensen– to their feet.

For 90 minutes preceding, Knight, 71 going on 40, wowed the crowd with full length versions of her hits like “Midnight Train to Georgia,” “Neither One of Us,” “Heard it Through the Grapevine,” and “Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me.” She added in an old hit, “I Don’t Wanna Do Wrong,” which coincidentally has been in regular rotation for the last couple of weeks on SiriusXM’s Soul Town.

On “(I’ve Really Got to Use My) Imagination,” Gladys brought out her older brother former Pip Bubba Knight who danced and sang up a storm. No one in the invited audience but for a few people knew that Stevie or Dionne was in the house.

Gladys, wearing a diaphanous white pants suit, is a vocal presence to behold. Her voice has only grown richer over the years, with incredible texture. On her hits as well as jazz offerings of “Someone to Watch Over Me” and “Stormy Weather,” she creates modulations that are out of this world. It’s as if no time, or only a really good time, has passed since her zenith circa 1973 after she and the Pips left Motown for Buddah Records and a string of hits. She is most certainly over due for a Kennedy Center honor among other things.

The night had special meaning: Bubba told me after the show that he and Gladys performed their first hit, “Every Beat of My Heart,” at the Apollo with the Pips way back in 1962. They were children!

Backstage, Stevie hung out with Gladys — his Motown label mate in the 60s–and Dionne reminiscing about those early days. Stevie also told me about the heat– the actual temperatures– in Washington, Philadelphia, and Central Park as he performed three surprise shows on Monday to wild acclaim. He starts a new leg of “Songs in the Key of Life” tour next month, and he looks and sounds great.

Meanwhile, yes, Cissy Houston did make what I think is her first public appearance since the untimely death of granddaughter Bobbi Kristina. She came to support her cousin, Dionne. Cissy was dressed in a black silk suit, and remained low key. She’s been through unimaginable sorrow but she’s a survivor. Dionne said she was grateful that she came, but Houston left after the show and didn’t socialize backstage.

On Monday night, Smokey Robinson held the Apollo stage. His special guest was Joss Stone, who came back as an audience member last night. Tonight– Wednesday– OWN presents Earth, Wind & Fire. On Thursday, it’s The Isley Brothers. The concerts will shown on OWN this fall. Amazing stuff. Real legends. Our music royalty.

And prepare yourselves– Gladys’s assistant played me her new single, due in September. It’s so off the charts hip it’s going to surprise everyone. The producer–Symbolyc One (S1) aka Larry Griffin Jr. is a find. He’s worked with Kanye, Jay Z, and Beyonce, as well as Eminem. Hot stuff.

Both photos c2015 Showbiz411.com

Exclusive: Rare Aretha Franklin Performance Film Directed by Sydney Pollack May Screen in Toronto

EXCLUSIVE The Toronto Film Festival may be announcing this morning a screening of “Amazing Grace,” an unseen performance doc about Aretha Franklin filmed by Sydney Pollack in 1972 in Los Angeles. (UPDATE The screening was announced. Telluride will also show the film. )

I say “may” for many reasons: the film’s provenance is still up for some discussion. Franklin has not wanted it to be released, and has fought it at every level. She may still fight it, that part is unclear.

Alan Elliott, a lecturer at the Herb Alpert UCLA School of Music, told me a few days ago that he he owns the rights. There’s a long back story about how Pollack made the movie, and papers Franklin may or may not have signed 40 years ago, etc. But the main story now is that Elliot managed to get the audio and video synched up of this historic performance, and he’s planning on showing it in Toronto and at Telluride.

Thanks to Elliott, I’ve see “Amazing Grace.” It runs about 87 minutes and is all music taken from Franklin’s huge bestselling album of the same name. All of the music is spiritual with the exception of an astounding rendition of Carole King’s “You’ve Got a Friend.”

There’s also a little surprise: Mick Jagger and Charlie Watts sat in the very small audience at the church for one of the filming days. They aren’t seen talking to anyone, or vice versa, including Franklin. But they are very much on camera.

Reverend James Cleveland accompanies Franklin on piano, although Aretha herself plays quite a bit. She’s 30 years old, has already had innumerable hits, and is sensational. At one point, her father, Reverend C.L. Franklin, gets up and speaks about her. She’s 30; he’s 57. It’s an incredible historic moment. She is at her greatest height artistically (although she’s pretty damn good right now).

For her own reasons, however, Franklin has blocked this film’s release over the years. Her attorney Arnold Reid got a temporary injunction against Elliot in 2011. In 2012, he told a Detroit TV station that Franklin would have to approve the film’s release. “(You) still can’t use somebody’s name and likeness for commercial purposes without compensating them,” Reid said. “They own it, but they can’t exploit it commercially without her permission.”

So what’s next? Keep refreshing. Franklin is traveling, doing dates in Oakland CA and Las Vegas, and can’t be reached yet.

Hello! Lionel Richie Named MusiCares Person of the Year for Pre-Grammy Celebration

Good choice! Lionel Richie has been named next February’s MusiCares Person of the Year. He follows Bob Dylan, Carole King, Paul McCartney, Sting, Bono, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder and many others as the big draw for MusiCares’ annual pre-Grammy fundraiser and concert next February.

This also means that the Rolling Stones remain holdouts for this award. But that’s another story.

A night listening to artists sing Lionel’s songs should be a huge draw. That catalog is made for singing, from “All Night Long” and “Lady” to “Brickhouse.” Maybe MusiCares can get the Commodores back together for one night. And you know, the whole audience will sing “We Are the World.”

Already confirmed for the show are Pharrell, Luke Bryan and Lady Antebellum. How about Kenny Rogers?

MusiCares continues to be a vital organization for musicians in need of anything. This will be reason to celebrate!

Lindi Ortega is a seasoned pro who began her journey in Ontario Canada nearly 15 years ago and since then has made living on the road an art form. She’s an artist that’s out to prove that there’s no cookie-cutter way to achieve your life goals and Lindi has made a name for herself for being the girl that isn’t afraid of the harsh reality. She’s a country crooner with a twist; she’s a traditional gal with a pop sensibility, and a grunge attitude. Her latest release Faded Gloryville is about the nitty gritty, Ortega’s telling tales from the miserable state of mind that is The ‘Faded Gloryville’, where dreams just aren’t what they’re cracked up to be. It’s a place you stop off when you start to doubt who you are and where you’re going.

Lindi Ortega does a good job of creating songs that have a recognisable country twang that are crafted with elements of classic rock and it works to make her music likeable for everyone. The first half of the record features a traditional country vibe; they’ve got simple, repetitive drumbeats with Ortega crooning over simple chords with her acoustic guitar and they’re a little lacklustre. The tracks like Faded Gloryville, Someday Soon and, To Love Somebody really highlights the dull nature of Gloryville; they’re the ones that symbolise the beginning of the road to success. Ortega uses these to describe the idea of loving something that’s never going to work out, whether it is an idea or a person. Before you get to the shiny, happy stage of your dreams you’ve got to work through the slumps until you start to see the light at the end of the tunnel, or in this case finally see the Now leaving ‘Faded Gloryville’ sign.

Once you hit track 5 you’re halfway there, you are well on the way to leaving the dreary, not so appealing stages of achieving what you want. This is where the guitar riffs pick up the pace, the beats get a bit bolder and Lindi Ortega puts her punk edge into full swing. The second half of this record is much lighter in comparison and is full of wholehearted, fun songs that are full of country dreams. They make you want to grab a banjo and kick up your heels while you sing and dance your way out of ‘Faded Gloryville’.

Lindi Ortega is incredibly clever in the sense that she’s essentially crafted one big metaphor for life and dreams. The beginning is set at the border to ‘Faded Gloryville’, where you’re going to struggle the most. These are the tracks that have a slower rhythm and are a bit dreary but they do well to showcase Ortegas clear voice, while the ending is literally the conclusion of that journey and is a set of upbeat tunes. Faded Gloryville played in track order does well to take you on a journey, so join Lindi Ortega as she plays you her story, while her experience and talent truly do the talking.

4 / 5 stars

Bully Makes Television Debut on Conan With Single 'Trying'

by William Hoffman Aug 19, 2015 21:12 PM EDT

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Bully makes its debut on "Conan" (Photo : Screenshot from teamcoco.com)

Rising band Bully performed what is surely the most ferocious punk anthem single of the summer, "Trying", in the group's television debut on "Conan" last night.

Bully's debut album Feels Like came out on July 23 to a lot of critical acclaim, now the band is proving itself on the road and on the late night circuit.

This Nashville-based punk band consists of Stewart Copeland, Clayton Parker, Reece Lazarus and Alicia Bognanno fronting the band with her killer voice. Last night's performance on "Conan" showed that off when she ends the song on killer blood curdling scream.

"Trying" talks about Bognanno's struggles to deal life and all its complexities "I question everything/ My focus my figure my sexuality/ And how much it matters or why it would mean anything." Not only that, but it's just a supper catchy song.

The whole album is rife with hard-hitting lines that move in quick and linger like good punk songs should. One of the first lines off the album sets the tone for the rest of the album "I remember getting to f*cked up/ And I remember throwing up in your car."

Bognanno wrote, produced and engineered the whole album according to a Rolling Stone feature. She interned at Nirvana and Pixies producer Steve Albini's Electric Audio studio in Chicago where she learned the ropes of working a studio. That experience allowed her to craft the raw sound on Bully's album, which was reportedly recorded live in a few takes to capture the band's energy.

Definitely be on the lookout for more from this band throughout the year as they are likely to make the cut of several end-of-the-year lists. In the meantime, check out the group's performance on Conan below or catch them on the road in city near you by visiting Bully's website.

HBO’s “Show Me a Hero” Too Late for Emmy’s, Woulda Won: Oscar Isaac Amazes, Winona Ryder Comeback

So, why the heck did HBO’s “Show Me a Hero” miss the Emmy cut off? Timing is everything! The Paul Haggis directed mini-series, written and produced by David Simon of “The Wire” fame, is the one reason to watch TV in August. The next awards it can be up for will be Golden Globes.

“Show Me a Hero” is like a great Sidney Lumet movie about politics and corruption in New York, with a heavy dose of Haggis, an expert at following different story threads to a conclusion.

Oscar Isaac, soon to play Han Solo’s kid in the new Star Wars and already a star from “Inside Llewyn Davis,” is Al Pacino-like riveting as real life Yonkers, New York mayor Nick Wasicsko who had to guide the city through a violent housing desegregation in the mid 1980s. Winona Ryder, who doesn’t work enough, makes a sensational comeback of sorts as a local councilwoman who stood up against the local Yonkers bigots who didn’t want blacks and low income families living in their neighborhoods.

The whole cast is top notch, with Bob Balaban, LaTanya Richardson, Alfred Molina, Jim Belushi, Catherine Keener, Peter Riegert, and Jon Bernthal among the standouts. The whole show is like a Who’s Who of the Best Actors Around as the tragic story of Wasicscko’s ride as the youngest mayor of a major city plays out.

Yonkers, if you don’t know, is a hidden big city directly north of New York’s City’s the Bronx in Westchester County and very much like that borough– except instead of the Yankees, it has a lot of inner city problems.

How hard was “Show Me a Hero” to make? When principal photography concluded, the show’s co-writer and executive producer, Simon’s long time partner, actually had a stroke. Simon joked, “He was back in time for post-production.”

Last night’s premiere brought out Marisa Tomei, Samuel L. Jackson, Joel Coen and Frances McDormand, and my old friend, designer Kai Milla (ex-Mrs. Stevie Wonder) who told me she’s bringing a new line of clothes to Fashion Week next month with a big show at the snazzy Baccarat Hotel.

And Oscar? Are you following this guy? His career is a straight trajectory up for the last 10 years. He’s got Star Wars and X Men coming up. I’m certain he will have his own Oscar before he turns 40. Nice guys finish first sometimes!

Sam Elliott, Ernie Hudson Will Play BFs to Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin on “Grace & Frankie” Season 2

Big news: Sam Elliott and Ernie Hudson will play Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin’s boyfriends on the second season of “Grace and Frankie.” Elliott, I told you a while ago, turned down the role that went to Craig T. Nelson in season 1. But then Elliott, having a Renaissance right now, starred with Lily in “Grandma,” opening this Friday. He met Fonda at the L.A. screening, and the rest is history. Hudson appeared in season 1, but Lily told our Paula Schwartz last night that he’s coming back.

Here’s Paula’s report from the NY “Grandma” premiere. Tomlin, as we’ve said before, is a shoo in for an Oscar nomination. Elliott is in the running. A terrific film.

Pablo Trapero’s ‘The Clan’ Slays Tom Cruise in ArgentinaAUGUST 21, 2015 | 02:33AM PT

Venice-Toronto competition player punches best opening ever for Argentine movie

John Hopewell

International Correspondent@john_hopewell

Distributed by Twentieth Century Fox, made by the producers of “Wild Tales” and bowing Aug. 13,Pablo Trapero’s “The Clan” sold 504,000 tickets over in its first four days in Argentina, setting a new record for the best opening ever of an Argentine movie.

Total first week gross is around 825,000 admissions, said Film Factory’s Vicente Canales, movie’s sales agent.

Running up this record, “The Clan,” a dark abduction thriller, slaughtered “Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation” (400,000 in 12 days) and came out of the gates even bigger than Damian Szifron’s “Wild Tales,” 10% up on its “Wild Tales’’” first-frame 450,000 admissions.

Produced – like “The Clan” – by Buenos Aires’ K & S Film, the Almodovars’ Madrid-based El Deseo and Argentine broadcaster Telefe, as part of Telefonica Studios’ drive into movie investment, “Wild Tales” went on to sell 3.45 million tix in Argentina last year, becoming the highest-grossing Argentine film in history. “The Clan” is also co-produced by Fox International Productions.

A movie ticket sold at about $5.15 in Argentina over 2014.

Exploring social issues with a sense of both character and genre, led by film noir (think 2010’s “Carancho,” an expose of insurance fraud in Argentina), Trapero’s movies have often had B.O. traction in Argentina: Social issue priest drama “Carancho,” starring Ricardo Darin, grossed $2.5 million. But “The Clan” is already in a different B.O. league altogether.

Factor’s driving “The Clan’s” bar-raising trawl include Trapero’s caché, Argentina’s new-won enthusiasm for select big-play national movies, the willingness of a new generation of filmmakers to mesh weighty issues and entertainment, and the presence of lead actor Guillermo Francella, with Ricardo Darin Argentina’s biggest local marquee draw. In Francella’s best outing to date, 2013’s romcom “Corazón de leon” grossed $10.6 million in Argentina, sparking remakes in Colombia and now France, starring “The Artist” Oscar-winner Jean Dujardin.

For “The Clan,” which is based on true-events, Francella plays Arquimedes Puccio, whose family, the so-called Clan Puccio, abducted people from its own upscale Buenos Aires neighborhood, demanding hefty ransoms. Upon their receipt, they then killed their victims. Accomplices in varying degrees in the kidnappings, all the family members benefitted from the ransom payments. The action unspools around four kidnappings, from 1982 to 1985.

“The case that inspired ‘The Clan’ is one of the most emblematic crimes in Argentina’s history,” said Javier Braier, head of development at K & S Films.

He continued: “Like Ricardo Darín, almost every film Guillermo Francella stars in is one of the film events of the year. And the fact that this is a new film by Pablo Trapero is a large attraction for the media, critics, audiences and the film community. Next to Daniel Szifron and Juan José Campanella, he forms part of the elite of Argentine directors both is mass audience appeal and on an artistic level.”

The question is now whether “The Clan” can play international where Twentieth Century Fox has rights to Latin America and sales agent Film Factory announced a weighty big arthouse distrib pre-sale to France’s Diaphana at Berlin.

“The Clan” has snagged one of the best big fest runs possible for a foreign title, competing at Venice, where it international premieres on its first Sunday on Sept. 6, then segueing to Toronto’s new Platform competition. After that it plays San Sebastian’s Pearls section.

Certainly, Argentine press reviews have been favorable. “Very Good,” sentenced Pablo Scholz at “Clarin,” one of Argentina’s most influential dailies. “Trapero is a storyteller like few others on the Argentine scene, who grew with the initial New Argentine Cinema to evolve into a director who makes the best cinema, which combines art and commercial reach.”

Like “Wild Tales,” “The Clan,” it could be argued, is also not just about Argentina.

It channels an indignation at the sense of lack of accountability of the rich. “When the Pucci were finally arrested, many people said they must be innocent, because their social class simply didn’t commit this type of crime,” Trapero told Variety ladt December on the set of the film.

“The Clan’s” psychological heart is its father-son relationship, where Arquimedes Puccio persuades son Alejandro to abet his crimes. Here the film enters its heart of horror: How people whose ethical sense seems to have short-fused can carry such force of conviction when persuading others to commit the most hideous crimes possible in the claimed interest of a greater good – here the well-being of the Puccio family itself.

TV Review: ‘Public Morals’

COURTESY OF TNT

AUGUST 21, 2015 | 07:30AM PT

Brian Lowry

TV Columnist@blowryontv

At first glance, “Public Morals” looks like another well-worn period crime drama — a vanity project from writer-producer-director-star Edward Burns, where too many tough-talking characters sound as if they’re impersonating the late Sheldon Leonard. Stick with it past the premiere, however, and the show becomes increasingly rich and watchable through four previewed episodes, thanks to a splendid guest/supporting cast and growing tension surrounding an unsolved murder. TNT stumbled in this genre previously with the poorly executed “Mob City,” and the vice-squad-in-the-1960s theme is a trifle “Crime Story” Lite. Still, on a fundamental level, policing private transgressions makes “Public Morals” pretty good.

Burns’ Terry Muldoon oversees the NYPD’s Public Morals Division, which is responsible for curbing ostensibly victimless vices like prostitution and gambling. Not surprisingly, Muldoon and his men operate under a certain code, which is to say they occasionally look the other way or take a little taste of the action while insuring that nothing gets out of hand, lest it upset the good people of New York. (Streetwalking in the theater district, for example, leads to creative efforts to essentially relocate the problem, reflecting the Whac-a-Mole aspects of the work.)

Even allowing for the fact the squad members — including Michael Rapaport as Muldoon’s right-hand man — aren’t exactly choirboys, the opening chapter feels a bit like yesterday’s news until the very end. Without giving too much away, a killing risks upsetting the order of things, potentially unleashing a war between crime factions that Muldoon and company try to keep under control, but at a respectful distance.

That mob plot brings in players, including Brian Dennehy as the imperious boss and Neal McDonough as his hotheaded son, who raise the show several notches. In this case, the bad boys might not have all the fun, but they do class up the joint, in part because the cops tend to blend together, at least initially, while being saddled with familiar themes, like the newbie who’s bound to be tempted and the tough guy (Austin Stowell) who cold-cocks his own well-connected dad (Timothy Hutton) for beating his mother.

Muldoon, meanwhile, has a sprawling family and employs tough-love techniques in raising his kids, determined to scare them straight. Unlike some of his pals, he’s not completely forthcoming about his shadier activities to his patient wife (Elizabeth Masucci).

Produced in conjunction with Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Television, “Public Morals” doesn’t yet feel like a top-tier cable drama, but it has the makings of a highly watchable one, and stands a cut above much of TNT’s lineup in terms of ambition. That includes a sumptuous look that showcases the darker, rougher side of the “Mad Men” era.

TNT is at a bit of a strategic crossroads, so this series could easily find itself in a sort-of no-man’s land. Still, it does represent a modest step toward the sort of “edgier” fare that the new management team has spoken of bringing to the network.

Whether viewers respond to that is, pardon the expression, a crapshoot. But if they do, “Public Morals” could discover that being good just might be its own reward.

TV Review: 'Public Morals'

(Series; TNT, Tues. Aug. 25, 10 p.m.)

Production

Filmed in New York by Marlboro Road Gang Prods. in association with Amblin Television.

Crew

Executive producers, Edward Burns, Aaron Lubin, Steven Spielberg, Darryl Frank, Justin Falvey; producer, Paul F. Bernard; writer-director, Burns; camera, William Rexer III; production designer, Dina Goldman; editor, Janet Gaynor; music, PT Walkley; casting, Laura Rosenthal, Maribeth Fox. 60 MIN.

Cast

Edward Burns, Michael Rapaport, Elizabeth Masucci, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Wass Stevens, Keith Nobbs, Austin Stowell, Patrick Murney, Katrina Bowden, Lyndon Smith, Brian Wiles, Cormac Cullinane, Brian Dennehy, Neal McDonough, Robert Knepper, Timothy Hutton

Big Bang’s’ Simon Helberg, Wife Jocelyn Towne Set Deal With Warner Bros. TV

COURTESY OF MATT BARON/BEI/REX

AUGUST 20, 2015 | 04:00PM PT

Whitney Friedlander

TV News Editor@loislane79

Warner Bros. Television has signed an exclusive two-year pod deal with “Big Bang Theory’s” Simon Helberg and his wife, writer-director-actor Jocelyn Towne, it was announced Thursday.

Under the deal, the duo will develop series for the studio via their recently established production banner, Wildline Entertainment. Film producer Cora Olson has also been brought on to head development and supervise projects.

“We grew up in an era when people watched television on something called a ‘television.’ Today there is more opportunity than ever to be personal and daring in TV, and we’re ecstatic to partner up with Warner Bros. to do just that,” said Helberg.

Wildline is currently developing a half-hour comedy that Helberg is writing for WBTV. It has also just closed a deal for the rights to “Legacy of Kings,” a story about Alexander the Great that is the first in author Eleanor Herman’s Blood of Gods and Royals series. Helberg and Towne will produce that project via Wildline under the WBTV deal alongside Lauren Oliver and Lexa Hillyer of Paper Lantern Lit, who packaged the book.

“It’s thrilling to meet these characters just as they are discovering their true identities. We envision developing this as a historically rooted epic, but for a younger crowd,” said Towne.

Helberg is represented by UTA, Brillstein Entertainment Partners and Myman Greenspan.

Towne is represented by UTA.

Paper Lantern Lit and Herman are represented by UTA on behalf of InkWell Management.

WE TV Greenlights Dating Show ‘Ex Isle’ With Host Carmen Electra

MICHAEL TRAN/FILMMAGIC

AUGUST 20, 2015 | 11:21AM PT

Elizabeth Wagmeister

@EWagmeister

WE TV has given the greenlight to new dating show “Ex Isle” with a 10-episode order, the cabler announced Thursday. Carmen Electra will host.

The series hails from SallyAnn Salsano’s 495 Productions, with Salsano (“Jersey Shore”) serving as an exec producer.

“Ex Isle,” which is set on a secluded tropical island in the Dominican Republic, helps former couples finally break free from one another so they can move on to form new, healthy relationships. The island setting helps to focus on issues away from daily distractions.

Dr. Ish Major, a psychiatrist specializing in women, children and families and an expert on broken relationships, joins Electra on the project, helping guide the former couples on their journey.

“‘Ex Isle’ is a concept that’s completely untapped in the world of dating and relationship shows, but one that’s familiar to so many of us,” said Marc Juris, president of WE TV. “The couples featured will be given the tools and guidance to let go of the past and finally move towards building emotionally healthy and productive relationships. Viewers will witness a transformational journey that’s captivating, entertaining and relevant.”

Salsano commented: “This is probably one of the most relatable shows I have been a part of. We all have exes and have been these people. You feel their pain and heartbreak like it’s your own; you root for them as they heal and find new love. Let’s just say, I’ve been up since we started filming, it is an emotional roller coaster, and I don’t want to miss a second.”

Joel Zimmer and Pam LaLima of 495 Productions will also exec produce with Salsano, in addition to WE TV’s Lauren Gellert, Angela Molloy and Mark Powell.

“Ex Isle,” which is in production, is slated to premiere in 2016.

Olivia Thirlby Joins David E. Kelley’s Legal Drama ‘Trial’ on Amazon

COURTESY OF CAA

AUGUST 20, 2015 | 10:00AM PT

Elizabeth Wagmeister

@EWagmeister

Olivia Thirlby has been cast in Amazon’s legal drama “Trial,” Variety has learned. She joins Billy Bob Thornton, who is set to star in the David E. Kelley series.

“Trial” follows Billy McBride (Thornton), a once-respectable lawyer who was ousted from the high-profile firm he co-founded. Billy now spends his days getting drunk, with the occasional case tossed his way by his ex-wife, but his professional life is turned upside down when a young lawyer who has just been fired from his old firm brings him a wrongful death case that pits him against the head of his former firm.

Thirlby (“Juno,” “No Strings Attached”) will play Lucy Kittridge, a whip-smart, high-powered attorney who knows what she wants, which is money, sex and respect. Though she’s brilliant, she’s not as seasoned as she pretends to be, which gets her into trouble.

Kelley, who created “The Practice,” “Boston Legal” and “Ally McBeal,” co-wrote the “Trial” pilot with his “Practice” and “Boston Legal” producer Jonathan Shapiro. Both will serve as exec producers on the series.

“Trial” will mark the streaming service’s first-ever straight-to-series order, as Amazon usually allows audiences to view pilots and provide feedback on which should be picked up.

Thirlby is repped by 3Arts Entertainment, CAA and Stewart Brookman at Hansen Jacobson.

"Steve told me that if I moved to New York, he could get me work," Love says. Josh Goleman

About 35 years ago, Bruce Springsteen and Steve Van Zandt were in Los Angeles when they heard Darlene Love was playing at the Roxy. Love had been one of Phil Spector's go-to singers in the 1960s, powering "He's a Rebel," "Today I Met the Boy I'm Gonna Marry" and other Wall of Sound classics. But by the early 1980s, she had been working as a maid and was attempting a comeback. Van Zandt showed up at the Roxy that night and promised to turn Love's career around. "Steve told me that if I moved to New York, he could get me work," Love says. "Then he said, 'I need to record you.' "

Darlene Love: Let Love Rule »

Van Zandt did get her regular work at the Bottom Line and the Peppermint Lounge, but his life got so hectic in the ensuing years with the E Street Band, his solo career and unlikely emergence as an actor that he kept delaying his promise to cut an album with her. "I finally realized last year there's never going to be a right time," he says. "I couldn't have been busier than I was at the time, but I finally said, 'Fuck it, I'm pushing this into my schedule.'"

For Introducing Darlene Love (due September 18th), Van Zandt reached out to many of the best songwriters in the world, including Springsteen, Elvis Costello, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, Jimmy Webb, and Linda Perry. "I said to them, 'I want big,'" Van Zandt says. "I want horns and strings. Her voice wants that. And I told them we weren't waiting, so I gave them a month or two."

Songs poured in. "Elvis Costello jumped in like a motherfucker," says Van Zandt. "He sent me four songs within a day." Springsteen sent complete demos for "Night Closing In" and "Just Another Lonely Mile," two anthemic tunes that would have sounded right in place on The River. "When I first heard he was writing for me, I was like, 'Oh, my God! We'll have a song from Bruce! I can't wait! I can't wait!'" Love says. "When they came in, I just loved them. I listened to them, put them into my mind and made them Darlene Love songs."

The album title reflects the fact that Introducing is Love's first album of secular songs in three decades, and it's part of a resurgence of interest in Love that began with 2013's 20 Feet From Stardom, an Oscar-winning documentary about backup singers in which she was prominently featured.
"[Before the film], some people didn't even realize there was a Darlene Love," she says. "They thought I was a figment of Phil Spector's imagination. Before the movie, we were doing 1,200 seaters, and now we're doing 3,000 seaters. But I want young people to know who Darlene Love is. I have a story to tell them."

The album includes one cover song: a new arrangement of Ike and Tina Turner's "River Deep — Mountain High." "That was supposed to be Phil Spector's masterpiece," says Love. "But he buried everything, and you can't really hear Tina. Steve wanted to make a new version of it." Van Zandt is a huge fan of Spector, though Love says the two producers couldn't be more different. "When you went into the studio with Phil, he was like, 'This is what you're gonna do, and I don't want to hear nothing else about it,'" Love says. "Steve wants me to be part of the process. Also, he ain't crazy."

"Steve Van Zandt wants me to be part of the process. Also, he ain't crazy." —Darlene Love

Introducing Darlene Love is part of Van Zandt's long-standing mission to honor the performers that came before him, and often didn't get their due. "The legendary artists of the 1950s and especially the early 1960s really got shafted by the British Invasion," he says. "TheBeatles and Stones put all their heroes out of work. Unintentional consequence. I played on the oldies circuit in 1973 where I backed the Dovells. I met my heroes, and they were pissed off, all of them. When I produced Southside Johnny's first album, I got Lee Dorsey to play on it, literally pulling him from under a car where he was working as a mechanic in New Orleans. On the record, I reunited the Drifters, the Coasters and the Five Satins just to remind people how still great they were. Later, Bruce and I got into the studio with Gary U.S. Bonds and actually had a hit, which was a miracle."

He's hoping the same thing happens for Darlene Love, and on September 12th, he's going to join her when she plays the Paramount Theater in Asbury Park to celebrate the release of the album. Might a certain songwriter from the record that lives nearby make a guest appearance? "We'd never announce anything like that because that means I still need help to sell tickets," she says. "This is my show. If anyone shows up, it'll be a surprise."

Carrie Underwood's new song, "Smoke Break" hit country radio today. Jason Davis/Getty Images for CMT

Country radio stations all over the world received a big, unexpected surprise today: a new Carrie Underwood song. The uptempo "Smoke Break," penned by the country superstar with longtime collaborators Hillary Lindsey ("Jesus, Take the Wheel," "Two Black Cadillacs") and Chris DeStefano ("Good Girl," "Something in the Water"), is what she calls "an anthem for every hard-working person," with lyrics about escaping life's many stresses.

"We were writing and kept taking breaks to go outside because we were getting a little stuck on a song we were already working on," Underwood answers when asked by a fan via Facebook how the song came about. "It was so beautiful outside that we had a hard time focusing, so we decided to write a song about taking breaks! 'Smoke Break' seemed like a great title, so we ran with it!"

"Smoke Break" was produced by Jay Joyce, best known for his work with Eric Church and Little Big Town, and marks Underwood's first time working with the boundary-pushing producer. The song will appear on the Grammy winner's upcoming fifth studio album,Storyteller, due out October 23rd, as she announced in a video chat today. It's an appropriate LP title for the singer-songwriter who's scored platinum sales on songs that very well could be made into movies, such as "My Last Name," "Before He Cheats" and "Two Black Cadillacs" — the latter of which is indeed being made into a TV mini-series.

Underwood's name is on the songwriting credits for six tracks on the new project. "I feel like a lot of the songs that I wrote and gravitated to ended up being more traditional and 'twangy' than anything I have ever done before. I just went with it!" she writes on Facebook. "I love the story telling aspect of Country music...it's one of the reasons I always wanted to be a part of it."

"Now I want as many people to hear my music as possible," says the Canadian artist known as the Weeknd. Scott Roth/Invision/AP

This is the summer of the Weeknd. Look around, the signs are everywhere: In July, the 25-year-old Canadian singer performed his absurdly catchy hit "Can't Feel My Face" for 83,000 screaming Taylor Swift fans after she brought him out as a surprise guest at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. In August — by which time "Can't Feel My Face" had shot to Number One on the charts — Stevie Wonder sang a few bars of the song at a concert in New York's Central Park. Earlier this year, Katy Perry said his steamy single "Often" is her favorite song to have sex to. "I don't know if I'm on top of the world," says the Weeknd. "But I'm on top of my game, for sure."

It's past midnight in Brooklyn's Brighton Beach neighborhood, and he's hiding in his trailer on a break from an all-night video shoot. Outside, curious passersby — some Russian-accented locals, some teenage superfans — crane their necks for a glimpse of him. "It's hard to walk down the street now," he says, fiddling with five or six pairs of sunglasses on the table in front of him. "But I worked for that."

"Can't Feel My Face" is one of three Top Five smashes he's scored this year, along with the plush, romantic ballad "Earned It" and the stormy jam "The Hills." "He's absolutely one of the biggest artists out right now, and he's just getting going," says Sharon Dastur, senior vice president of programming at radio giant iHeartMedia, which has the Weeknd in rotation at pop and hip-hop stations. "Not a lot of artists hit Number One this quickly and navigate all those formats."

Dastur says the Weeknd's new album, Beauty Behind the Madness, made a big impression when he played it for iHeartMedia programmers and executives at a private listening party during the company's biannual Music Summit this month. (Actress-singer Hailee Steinfeld was there too.) Dastur expects the LP, due out August 28th, to generate enough hits for at least another year of heavy airplay: "It's a long-term project, without a doubt." She also notes the symbolic importance of Taylor Swift's co-sign at MetLife. "Taylor knows pop culture better than anyone," she says, "and you know the masses are looking to see who's up on stage with her."

A few years ago, pop domination was the last thing the Weeknd was aiming for. He kept his real name (Abel Tesfaye) and face hidden on his first releases in 2011 — a trio of dark, druggy R&B mixtapes that sounded like they'd been recorded toward the tail end of a True Detective orgy. When Republic Records senior vice president Nate Albert flew to Toronto that spring to court the Weeknd and his manager, they shut him down. "I thought there was no reason he couldn't end up being a big pop voice," says Albert. "But they had no interest."

After pursuing him for another year and a half, Albert — a rock lifer who played guitar in the Mighty Mighty Bosstones before becoming an A&R exec — was able to persuade the Weeknd to sign with Republic. But the singer's full-length debut, 2013's Kiss Land, stuck with the mixtapes' claustrophobic, hazy, defiantly un-pop sound. Even a guest verse from early supporter Drake couldn't get it to register with mainstream audiences. "Kiss Land wasn't about what people wanted to hear on the radio," the Weeknd admits now. "It was the state of mind I was in — introverted, like David Cronenberg's Naked Lunch. You didn't know if you were hearing a chorus or a verse. It was just my thoughts." (Albert compares the album to Weezer's Pinkerton: "As hard as it was not to have the massive success he probably wanted, I think it galvanized his fan base.")

When Kiss Land stalled, the Weeknd fell into a creative rut. "I just kept getting more and more depressed," he says. He considered relocating from Toronto to Seattle in search of a "super-drugged-out Nirvana vibe." Instead, after writing and scrapping an album's worth of material, he started spending more time in Los Angeles and listening to his label. Republic got him a choice placement on the 50 Shades of Grey soundtrack with "Earned It" and set up a duet with Ariana Grande on her club-ready single "Love Me Harder," produced by synth-pop wizard Max Martin. "At first I was kind of iffy about it," the Weeknd says of the collaboration, which would have been unthinkable in the old days. "Five years ago? Definitely not. I was the young starving artist that wanted to do it all by myself."

"I was the young starving artist that wanted to do it all by myself."

But he and Martin hit it off. The unlikely pair reunited for "Can't Feel My Face," and he cites the Swedish maestro as a major influence on the rest of Beauty Behind the Madness, which also includes guest appearances from Ed Sheeran and Lana Del Rey. "At one point, I didn't care," the Weeknd says. "Now I want as many people to hear my music as possible."

Even so, he hasn't completely left his roots behind. On the new LP's "Tell Your Friends," a power ballad co-produced by Kanye West, the Weeknd paints a bleak picture of his misspent youth, singing about being broke and homeless, his nights filled with substance abuse, meaningless sex and petty theft. "As soon as I stepped foot in the city, it was a feeling I got addicted to," says the singer, who moved to downtown Toronto at 17 after being raised by a single mother in the suburbs. "Lights, no sleep — either you're going to make it or die trying."

There are hints of more recent trials on songs like "The Hills": "When I'm fucked up, that's the real me," he moans over industrial creep-show synths and processed screams. The song, whose title and lyrics nod to Wes Craven's 1977 horror film The Hills Have Eyes, is partly about the culture shock he experienced in L.A. in the past year. "I was working on this album in a world I'm not used to," he says. "You're sober. Then one day you want to have fun, and that darkness comes back — and the darkness feels good." He shakes his head. "It's crazy. People relate to that stuff."

The Weeknd says he sees no contradiction between that side of his personality and his bright, glossy radio hits. "I feel like I'm changing pop culture," he says. "Taylor Swift's audience can listen to me, but so can the street kids. I want to touch it all."

Colbie Caillat and Christina Perri: Girl power reigns supreme in Tucson

August 20, 20151:49 PM MST

Colbie Caillat

©Mary F. Andrews

Mary Andrews

Tucson Concerts Examiner

Colbie Caillat and Christina Perri live in Tucson

Rating: 5 Stars

Colbie Caillat and Christina Perri co-headlined their “The Girls Night Out, Boys Can Come Too Tour” the AVA Amphitheatre in Tucson, AZ on August 18, 2015. Newbie group, High Dive Heart, opened the show as well. These singer/songwriters were crowd pleasers from start to finish!

Colbie and Christina are fine examples of stars derived from social media. Colbie Caillat started on the new, now defunct ‘My Space’ when a friend posted her video of “Bubbly” unbeknownst to her. This became the first number one hit by a singer without a record deal and certified platinum. She auditioned and was rejected by the judges on American Idol when she sang “Bubbly” for them. Thankfully, everything has gone uphill for Caillat from there.

Ms. Perri had moved to California from Pennsylvania six years ago to pursue her dreams of being a songwriter. As she mentioned during the show, she held three jobs at one time as a waitress. She found she spent more time trying to survive than writing during this stage of her life. In 2010, the television show, “So You Think You Can Dance,” featured a one and one-half minute demo of “Jar of Hearts.” It sold 48,000 copies the first week after the show. She signed a record deal shortly after that. Perri actually appeared in a Christmas show at AVA in Tucson that same year!

The show started with openers, Jason Reeves and Nelly Joy of High Dive Heart. This is a new group who are promoting their EP “Sonic Graffiti.” Their single is “Vintage.” Nelly Joy took the reigns as the spokesperson and the personality for the duo. She was dressed in a vintage white lace pantsuit with a flower wreath around her blond hair that gave her a cherub-like appearance. Colbie revealed in her set that Jason has been her best friend and song collaborator for the last ten years. The set was well received and a perky start for what was to come!

Christina Perri hit the stage and she was on fire from the first note! Unlike her previous visit in 2010, she was not constricted behind the keyboards. That excitement was quickly communicated to the audience and they were up dancing, taking photos and gravitating to the front of the stage. She was having a ball and it was instantly contagious. Christina was stunningly beautiful. She introduced each song with information on how it was conceived. She invited people on stage to dance with her. The 14-song set was filled with all of her hits over the last five years. The men, women, and children knew the lyrics and willing to sing along! These were her people. For a set list, click here.

Colbie Caillat followed Christina with just as many fans up and out of their seats ready to greet her. Again, Colbie was gorgeous in a black two-piece outfit and low, high-heeled boots. There was an immediate rush to the stage and Colbie seemed to have a sense of relief as she stepped down to the front of the stage. She did not have quite the high energy that Christina displayed, but she kept the momentum going nonetheless. There was a large screen in the back of the stage showing videos during the songs. This was particularly effective during “Favorite Song” with Common in the background as a duet. Her fiancée, Justin Young, sang duet with Colbie on “Lucky” (originally done with Jason Mraz). His voice was very similar to Mraz. Colbie related many stories associated with her songs. She also discussed her problems with stage freight and self-confidence. She encouraged the fans to come down to the front of the stage and instructed security not to interfere with the fans coming close. This was a 16-song set that included all the fan favorites. For a complete set list, click here.

The age range for this crowd was most unusual for this casino venue. Ages from six to sixty were present for this event. Many of the crowd was between six and twelve years old. They all knew the words to the songs and sang! The guys were here too, but they hung out in the back. They were on their feet, singing and flailling their arms in the air too! It was a good time for all.

Beatles' earliest signed recording contract dating from 1961 to be auctioned

Steve Marinucci

Beatles Examiner

August 19, 20155:15 PM MST

Play

The Uwe Blaschke Beatles Collection being sold by Heritage Auctions.

YouTube/Heritage Auctions

The Beatles' first recording contract which was signed by the group in 1961 for the recording session that produced “My Bonnie” with Tony Sheridan will be auctioned in September, Heritage Auctions announced Aug. 18. The Entertainment & Music Memorabilia Signature Auction takes place September 19-20 in New York. The auction showcases the Uwe Blaschke Beatles Collection, which will be featured in 300 lots of ultra-rare items, many from the group's early days, during the sale.

Rare Beatles items going under the hammer in September.

Heritage Auctions - used by permission.

The six-page contract, written in German, is signed by John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison, and original drummer Pete Best, since the agreement was made before Ringo Starr joined the group. It sold for over $114,000 in 2011. The contract is on onion-skin paper with a signature in blue fountain pen reading “James Paul McCartney,” and the rest in blue ballpoint reading “J.W. Lennon,” “George Harrison” and “Peter Best.” It said the document is in overall excellent condition with no folds or creases to the pages and with yellowing consistent with age. You can see pictures of the contract here.

Other Beatles items in the auction include a pay stub for John Lennon from the opening week of the Star-Club, a Star-Club photo signed by John Lennon and George Harrison, a George Harrison-signed 1964 Christmas card designed by Lennon, two original color negatives of John Lennon and Paul McCartney performing in Austria during the filming of “Help!” in 1965, a signed first edition of Brian Epstein's book “A Cellarful of Noise,” an autographed first Parlophone Records pressing of the Beatles' first single “Love Me Do,” and an acoustic guitar owned by Klaus Voormann and Ringo Starr and played by John Lennon.

Marvel’s Mockingbird Series Starring Adrianne Palicki Lands ABC Pilot Order (EXCLUSIVE)

Pre-Broadway Review: ‘Waitress’ with Jessie Mueller

EVGENIA ELISEEVA

AUGUST 20, 2015 | 08:00PM PT

Frank Rizzo

The words “sugar, butter, flour” waft like a siren call in the opening moments of “Waitress,” the new Broadway-bound musical getting its out-of-town premiere in the test kitchen of the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Mass. From these basic ingredients, this musical’s heroine Jenna (Jessie Mueller, who won a Tony for “Beautiful”), an unhappily married waitress in a small-town diner, creates spectacular pies that are, as one character remarks, “biblically good.” And while this feminist fairy tale of a show, in which singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles makes an impressive legit bow as a composer, is quite delicious at times, it still needs more work — especially in the second act — before it’s a recipe for success.

Based on writer-director Adrienne Shelley’s 2007 indie film, Jessie Nelson’s book follows the movie’s narrative, beginning just as Jenna, in the midst of planning to leave her abusive husband, Earl (Joe Tippett), discovers she is pregnant. She decides to have the baby — but clearly it’s not a child she wants.

She finds support from her fellow waitresses, not dissimilar to the characters in the diner film “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore” and its sitcom spinoff, “Alice.” There’s mousy, nervous Dawn (Jeanna De Waal) and tough, wisecracking Becky (Keala Settle). There’s also brusque Cal (Eric Anderson), the cook/manager, and the diner’s folksy-crusty owner, Joe (Dakin Matthews, in a performance as easygoing and tasty as molasses).

Things get more complicated when Jenna starts an affair with her newly-arrived-in-town — and married — gynecologist, Dr. Pomatter (Drew Gehling). As played by the sweetly awkward and disarmingly gentle Gehling, it’s the type of romance that, in another show, you would hope would work out somehow. But this distaff-centric tuner is not simply about getting Prince Charming, but also getting its heroine to clean up her own messes, take action and discover her maternal worth.

A comic-romantic subplot with Dawn and an Internet date with Ogie (Jeremy Morse, in a firecracker of a performance) brightens the mood, with Morse having a pair of highly charged numbers: “Never Getting Rid of Me,” which nicely contrasts with Earl’s creepy possessiveness, and the silly but joyous “I Love You Like a Table.”

Dawn and Becky have their musical moments, too, especially Settle’s searing “I Didn’t Plan It,” when Becky owns up to her own marital imperfections. (“Its not right/but it’s mine/and it’s finally something to feel.”) These flawed or broken characters live with their fates as best as they can, some better than others. When Jenna asks Cal if he’s happy, he responds, “Happy enough.” Jenna wants more than enough.

But making Earl so relentlessly horrible makes Jenna’s inability to leave him not just indecisive but something more worrisome. (In the film, Jeremy Sisto’s character is more wily and seductive in his pathology.) Meanwhile, there’s little evidence for the good doctor being Jenna’s lost soulmate, despite his loving bedside manner, and the 11th-hour cameo of Dr. Pomatter’s wife is a questionable choice, at least as it’s presented now.

Mueller’s performance transcends the show’s imperfections. She’s funny, frisky and likable. She sings Bareilles’ songs beautifully, giving every word significance and interest even as the tunes in the second half slip increasingly into thicker sentiment.

Leading the sisterhood of creatives, director Diane Paulus fills the production with clever touches — a scalloped pie-crust proscenium, a fluid and easygoing flow and a natural truthfulness in the performances. Scott Pask’s set design authentically evokes the chrome, neon and Naugahyde look of a down-home joint, as do Kenneth Posner’s lighting and Suttirat Larlarb’s seemingly off-the rack costumes. Another nice touch: The band is positioned onstage in a side room of the diner, further populating the place — and justifying the diner’s three waitresses.

In a show that celebrates motherhood, pie and extramarital affairs, “Waitress” could be a kind of comfort-food musical. But at this point it still needs more filling.

Pre-Broadway Review: 'Waitress' with Jessie Mueller

Loeb Drama Center, Cambridge, Mass., 550 seats, $110 top. Opened Aug. 20, 2015; reviewed Aug. 19. Running time: 2 HOURS, 30 MIN.

Production

An American Repertory Theater presentation of a musical in two acts with book by Jessie Nelson and music and lyrics by Sara Bareilles, based on the film “Waitress” written by Adrienne Shelly.

Creative

Directed by Diane Paulus. Choreography by Chase Brock. Sets, Scott Pask; costumes, Suttirat Larlarb; lighting, Kenneth Posner; sound, Jonathan Deans; music supervisor, Nadia DiGiallonardo; production stage manager, Thomas J. Gates.

Cast

Jessie Mueller, Drew Gehling, Jeanna De Waal, Keala Settle, Dakin Matthews, Joe Tippett, Jeremy Morse, Eric Anderson, Giana Ribeiro, Charity Angel Dawson, David Jennings, Corey Mach, Ragan Pharris, Cullen R. Titmas, Stephanie Torns.

Melody Patterson, Who Played Wrangler Jane on 'F Troop,' Dies at 66

Melody Patterson with Ken Berry on the set of "F Troop."

Courtesy of Photofest

by Mike Barnes

8/22/2015 9:35am PDT

She started on the 1960s ABC series at just 15 and later married 'Hawaii Five-O' star James MacArthur.

Melody Patterson, who played the sharpshooting Wrangler Jane on the screwball ABC comedy F Troop, has died, her co-star Larry Storch said on Facebook. She was 66.

“It’s with a heavy heart that we can let you know our beloved Wrangler Jane, Melody Patterson passed away. Our hearts are sad today. RIP Sweet Melody. We love you,” Storch, 92, who played Corporal Randolph Agarn on the show, wrote.

No details of her death were immediately available. Another friend said on Facebook that Patterson had been in poor health after breaking her back a few years ago.

Patterson was married to Hawaii Five-O star James MacArthur, the adopted son of famed actress Helen Hayes, from 1970-75. She portrayed a Hollywood starlet opposite him in the 1968 film The Angry Breed, and she guest-starred in three episodes of his CBS show.

F Troop, set in an Army fort on the western frontier in the years after the Civil War, ran on ABC for just two seasons, from September 1965 to April 1967, but was a big hit in syndication for decades after that.

The blonde Patterson, a native of Inglewood, Calif., auditioned for the part of Jane when she was just 15 (she had told the producers that she was 18).

Her tomboy character, which ran the trading post in town, was smitten with the bumbling Captain Wilton Parmenter (Ken Berry), but he was too shy to acknowledge her affections.

When she did manage to kiss him, Wilton said, “Please, Jane, not in front of the men.”

“She was extremely independent,” Patterson said of her character in Tom Lisanti’s book Drive-in Dream Girls: A Galaxy of B-Movie Starlets of the Sixties. “She owned her own store, she ran the mail and she could outride and outshoot anybody else in town. She was a very self-reliant teenager, which I always saw her as.”

Just before F Troop, Patterson had an uncredited role as a dancer in the film version of Bye Bye Birdie (1965). She enrolled in the Hollywood Professional School in the ninth grade, left for Downey High School and then filmed the pilot for F Troop during Christmas vacation.

She said that by the time producers realized she was not 18, the series was already on the air and doing well.

After F Troop, she did a show on Armed Forces Radio for troops in Vietnam and starred in The Cycle Savages (1969), with Bruce Dern as the leader of a biker gang. Posters for the film, executive produced by Casey Kasem, said: "Hot steel between their legs … the wildest bunch on wheels."

Netflix's 'Bloodline' Season 2 adds John Leguizamo to cast as series regular

'Straight Outta Compton' Actor Marcc Rose Working on Tupac Biopic With John Singleton

Tupac Shakur (Photo : Getty/Frank Micelotta)

Marcc Rose, the actor who portrayed Tupac in the blockbuster N.W.A. biopic, Straight Outta Compton, revealed that he's working on a film about the late rapper with John Singleton.

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Rose shared the big news during an interview withYahoo! Movies.

"Me and John Singleton are trying to brainstorm and form together a proper biopic for him," the 23-year-old actor said. "Hopefully if everything works out we can make it work."

It turns out that Rose was also a part of the first Tupac movie that Singleton was involved in but they both ended up cutting ties with the project back in April.

"When Singleton exited so did I," he said. "If the rights to the biopic are returned to Pac's mom, Afeni Shakur, John Singleton and I will be reassociated with it."

Upon his departure from the film, Singleton noted a lack of respect for Tupac's legacy as his reason for parting ways with his Morgan Creek counterparts.

Singleton, a known Tupac admirer, directed the 1993 film Poetic Justice, which starred the late rapper alongside Janet Jackson.

Aside from Singleton's film, there have been reports of a sequel to Straight Outta Compton that will be centered on Tupac and Snoop Dogg's rise to fame on Death Row Records.

According to TMZ, Dogg Pound 4 Life will focus on the careers of Nate Dogg, Warren G, Kurupt and currently incarcerated label head, Suge Knight. In terms of casting, the outlet reports that none of the actors featured in Straight Outta Compton are expected to reprise their roles. Dr. Dre's son, Curtis Young, will reportedly play the role of his father.

Dr. Dre and Ice Cube won't be producing the film, which happens to be the third Tupac biopic proposed.

Rita Moreno to Host Hispanic Heritage Awards for PBS Airing

Posted By Admin On August 20th, 2015 10:15 AM | Awards, Lifestyle, Spotlight, TV, VIP Latino

Taped live on September 17th At Washington D.C.’s Historic Warner Theatre

Washington, DC – The Hispanic Heritage Awards were established by The White House in 1987 to commemorate the creation of Hispanic Heritage Month in America and they are now televised on PBS. This year legendary actress, singer and previous Hispanic Heritage Award Honoree Rita Moreno will host the program and perform. Presented by Target the Hispanic Heritage Awards will be taped on September 17th at the Historic Warner Theatre in Washington, DC and broadcast October 9th on PBS during Hispanic Heritage Month.

“The Hispanic Heritage Foundation is proud to partner with Target to honor yet another inspiring group of Latino leaders with our prestigious Hispanic Heritage Award and we are thrilled to be back on PBS to share our cultural pride, accomplishment and great promise with all of America,” said Jose Antonio Tijerino, President and CEO.

The 2015 Hispanic Heritage Awards Honorees in categories such as Education, Arts, STEM (Science, Tech, Engineering, and Math), Sports, Innovation, Healthcare, Legend and Inspira for youth will be announced later this month with additional show details.

“The Hispanic Heritage Awards highlight the important contributions Latino Americans make to our nation, and we look forward to honoring this new group of 2015 award recipients,” said Paula Kerger, President and CEO of PBS.

This year’s honorees will be announced shortly, however past honorees Rita Moreno, Placido Domingo, Celia Cruz, Antonio Banderas, Tito Puente, Anthony Quinn, Carlos Gutierrez, Juan Marichal, Los Tigres Del Norte, Ricky Martin, Juanes, Ruben Blades, Jose Feliciano, Isabel Allende, Alejandro Sanz, Oscar de la Hoya, America Ferrera, Gloria Estefan, Martin Sheen, Andy Garcia, Carlos Vives, and Zoe Saldana, among many many.

The Awards serve as a launch of HHF’s year-round award-winning programs which inspire, identify, prepare and position Latino leaders in the classroom, community and workforce to meet America’s priorities in the STEM, finance, education, media, and innovation fields. For more information on the year-round, high-impact programs and work of HHF, including the Hispanic Heritage Awards, visit www.hispanicheritage.org.

Specific program information and updates for press are available at pbs.org/pressroom or by following PBS Pressroom on Twitter.

Imagen Awards Winners: Jane the Virgin Take Three; George Lopez Best Actor

Posted By Admin On August 22nd, 2015 07:52 AM | Awards, Events, Latino Hollywood Wrap Up, Spotlight

Imagen Award Founder Helen Hernandez, Esai Morales, America Ferrera, Norman Lear, Supervisor Hilda Solis and Mark Ridley Thomas

Rita Moreno, Supervisor Hilda L. Solis, Father Gregory Boyle & Liz Imperio Receive Special Recognition

Los Angeles, CA – If you were not one of the over 600 attendees at the 30th Annual Imagen Awards, and now the premier Latino entertainment awards program, not to worry we have your winner list here and you can also watch the television special which will air on PBS SoCaL during Hispanic Heritage Month.

The Imagen 30 celebration of Latino talent in Hollywood was a star-studded special event held in the Grand Hall of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles. The awards, with returning host comedian and actress Aida Rodriguez.

(L-R) Top: America Ferrera & helen Hernandez. Bottom: Honoree Liz Imperio, Paula Abdul & Honoree Rita Moreno

Special honorees were the legendary actress Rita Moreno with the Imagen Legacy Award; Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda L. Solis with the President’s Award; Father Gregory Boyle, Founder and Director of Homeboy Industries with the President’s Award; World Renowned Choreographer and Director, Liz Imperio with the Creative Achievement Award. Among celebrities in attendance were America Ferrera, Paula Abdul, Edward James Olmos, Roselyn Sanchez, Esai Morales, Maria Canals-Barrera, Richard Cabral, Johnny Ortiz, Jon Seda, Melissa Fumero, Diogo Morgado, Rico Rodriguez, Sofia Carson, Danny Pino, Carlos Pratts and many other Latino performers. They were joined by legendary TV Producer and Imagen Founder Norman Lear and Kenny Ortega, a collaborating producer for this year’s special anniversary show.

“The people we recognized at last night’s event are distinguished leaders who have been at the forefront of advancing our community as a whole,” said Helen Hernandez, President and Founder of the Imagen Foundation which presents the Imagen Awards. “For 30 years we have had the honor of acknowledging the amazing Latino talent in front and behind the cameras, as well as those who tirelessly work behind the scenes on behalf of all Latinos.”

Imagen Awards 2015 winners were judged and selected in twenty-four categories by an independent panel of entertainment industry executives and Latino community leaders.

The complete list of 2015 Imagen Awards winners in their respective categories follows:

Best Picture: McFarland, USA (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

Best Director: Sean McNamara, Spare Parts (Pantelion Films)

Best Actor – Feature Film: George Lopez, Spare Parts (Pantelion Films)

Best Actress – Feature Film: Zoe Saldana, The Book of Life (Reel FX/20th Century Fox)

Best Supporting Actor – Feature Film: Carlos Pratts, McFarland, USA (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

The television special will air on PBS SoCaL during Hispanic Heritage Month.Supporting Actress – Feature Film: Kate del Castillo, The Book of Life (Reel FX/20th Century Fox)

Best Primetime Television Program – Drama: Law and Order: SVU (Universal Television and Wolf Films)

Best Primetime Television Program – Comedy: Jane The Virgin (The CW)

Best Primetime Program: Special or Made-for-TV-Movie: American Crime (ABC Studios)

Best Actor – Television: Gael García Bernal, Mozart In The Jungle (Amazon Instant Video/Amazon Studios)

Best Actress – Television: Gina Rodriguez, Jane The Virgin (The CW)

Best Supporting Actor – Television: Danny Pino, Law and Order: SVU (Universal Television and Wolf Films)

Best Supporting Actress – Television: Andrea Navedo, Jane The Virgin (The CW)

Best Young Actor – Television: Rico Rodriguez, Modern Family (ABC/20th Century Fox Television)

Best Young Actress – Television: Lilimar Hernandez, Bella and the Bulldogs(Nickelodeon)

Best Variety or Reality Show: Vice (HBO)

Best Children’s Programming: Nick News with Linda Ellerbee (Nickelodeon)

Best Documentary/Film or Television: Children of Giant (PBS/Latino Public Broadcasting)

Best National Informational Program: America By The Numbers with Maria Hinojosa: The New Mad Men (The Futuro Media Group in association with PBS and the World Channel)

Best Local Informational Program: Life Connected: Hispanic Heritage Special (NBC4-Southern California)

Best On-Air Advertising: AARP (Alma Advertising Agency)

Best Theatrical Short or Student Film: Ni-Ni (American Film Institute)

Best Web Series: Comedy: Oh Noah! (Thirteen/WNET New York Public Media)

Best Web Series: Reality or Informational: Los Cowboys (Corral 360)

The Imagen Awards were established in 1985 from a suggestion by veteran television producer Norman Lear to encourage and recognize the positive portrayals of Latinos in the media. Later, as The Imagen Foundation, it expanded its programs and initiatives to further its mission to serve as a bridge between the Latino community and the entertainment industry in providing access, education, and resources for Latinos in the industry, as well as those seeking careers in entertainment

More information on the organization as well as details of the event can be found online atwww.imagen.org and its social media channels: Facebook and Twitter.

Yunuen Pardo: Double Threat Newbie—Actor Now Producer

Posted By Eesparza On August 19th, 2015 04:25 PM | Awards, Events, Spotlight

Yunuen Pardo

Honored By Imagen Awards Nomination in “Best Web Series: Comedy”

Hollywood, CA —Mexican born and raised, Chicago adopted, Yunuen Pardo is a young actress and now producer who is relishing the reality that her first producing project caught the attention of the Imagen Foundation.

She’s flying into Los Angeles just in time to walk the Red Carpet of the 30^th Annual Imagen Awards on Friday, August 21, 2015 at the Music Center’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles. Under Covers (Arrow & Key Productions), a comedy web series she co-produced has been nominated in the “Best Web Series: Comedy” category along with some very impressive competitors: Los Cowboys (Corral360) and Oh Noah!(Thirteen/WNET New York Public Media).

Yunuen is nominated along with her co-producer partner Carlo Lorenzo Garcia (FOX TV’s Empire, NBC’s Chicago PD), who is also the show’s creator and writer. Now with this Imagen Awards nomination, they are off to a great start.

“Carlo and I decided early on that we would only create projects that will open doors for us,” Pardo said. “Our first project, Cowl Girl, which featured me in the starring role, is currently in post production.”

Under Covers is about two mediocre detectives who bumble around Chicago solving crimes of the heart, all while trying to find their own piece of the pie. “It is very funny, and we’re humbled by the Imagen Foundation’s nomination. They totally get the quirkiness of this crime comedy.”

As an actor, Yunuen, is a classically trained actor having graduated from Columbia College with a BA in Theater and Performing Arts Management. She’s been a part of the Conservatory at the Steppenwolf Theater and was part of the Sundance Institute Theatre Lab.

Her theater accomplishments are as impressive as her producing work. She’s earned credits at the Steppenwolf Theater, The Goodman Theater, at the Victory Gardens and at Aquijon Theater. Recently, Ms. Pardo produced and stars in Cowl Girl, a TV pilot about an agoraphobic fan girl. This summer she filmed an action film, Belzebuth, in Mexico, directed by Emilio Portes. Here she costars with Tobin Bell, Tate Ellington and Joaquín Cosío. She also just finished working on Call Center, a Chicago indie. Pardo is starring in the TV pilotOuroboros, a suspense/horror in Mexico, and in pre-production in the feature film Las Alas Rotas del Cuervo with Ofelia Medina, Gustavo Sánchez Parra and Silverio Palacios.

Yunuen Pardo as Penelope at Steppenwolf Theater, El Nogalar

Yunuen’s work in Chicago and Mexico seem to be endless and now she’s heading to Hollywood where she is determined to break new barriers as a busy working Latina actress. “Chicago is where my acting career was born nine years ago when I first arrived. And, now it is such an honor to also be a working actress in my native Mexico,” affirmed Pardo.

Yunuen Pardo, chosen as one of the Hottest New Faces of Chicago Theater” — Chris Jones/Chicago Tribune

And, Yunuen (pronounced June), is a smart, talented and beautiful woman with a Mexican Purépecha name that means the “moon. ” She arrives to the Imagen Awards empowered with her experience and training ready to make inroads in Hollywood.

“I’ve come close before,” she added. “In 2010, I wrote, produced and starred in the short filmAnother Life, directed by Aric Jackson, we received a second place People’s Choice Award.”

Follow Yunuen Pardo on Social Media:
https://www.facebook.com/YunuenPardo

https://twitter.com/yunuenpardo

www.yunpardo.com

THISISRNB NIGHTS: TAMIA PERFORMS AT IRVING PLAZA IN NYC

Posted on August 21st, 2015 by ThisIsRnB in PERFORMANCES, PHOTOS |

Tamia tore up the Irving Plaza stage on Thursday night in New York City. The performance was the kick off show of her “Love Life Tour,” which will travel across the U.S. for over a month, hitting cities such as Washington D.C., Atlanta, Orlando, Chicago and more before culminating Sept. 26 in Scottsdale, AZ.

Known for her outstanding live shows and vocal prowess, the R&B songstress delivered another exceptional performance.

Tamia gave the capacity crowd of fans a night to remember performing her vast catalog of past hits, fan favorites, and cuts from her brand new album Love Life.

At times the audience joined her word for word singing even louder than Tamia herself.

Check out our exclusive photos below:

(Photos by Michael Mathis

Whitney Rose Rails Against the One Who Left in “My First Rodeo”

SINGER/SONGWRITER’S NEW ALBUM, “HEARTBREAKER OF THE YEAR,” WAS PRODUCED BY THE MAVERICKS’ RAUL MALO.

photo by Jen Squires/Conqueroo

Canadian singer/songwriter Whitney Rose found a kindred spirit in The Mavericks’ Raul Malo, leader of a band that has long marched to the beat of its own drum.

1. Little Piece of You
2. My First Rodeo
3. The Last Party
4. Only Just a Dream
5. Heartbreaker of the Year
6. Be My Baby (feat. Raul Malo)
7. The Devil Borrowed My Boots
8. Ain’t It Wise
9. Lasso
10. There’s a Tear in My Beer

Pre-order on iTunes Amazon

After playing a series of shows with The Mavericks, Whitney recruited Raul to work on her sophomore album, Heartbreaker of the Year, due out Aug. 21. Along with eight originals (like “My First Rodeo,” which is premiering here), it also includes covers of Hank Williams’ “There’s a Tear in My Beer” and The Ronettes’ “Be My Baby.”

“Whitney Rose writes the kind of country music that will one day firmly place her as one of the greats of the genre,” says Raul of the recordings.

“My First Rodeo” bops along with the gloomy swagger of Nancy Sinatra, putting Whitney in a position to sound righteously upset/angry about a guy who got what he wanted from her and left. It’s the kind of song that could soundtrack a midnight drive down a dark road when you need to cool your head.

“‘My First Rodeo’ is about firsts in life and the weight that ‘firsts’ hold . . . first loves, first hurts, first kisses . . . and I’ll let audiences go further than that if they want to,” explains Whitney.

Listen: https://soundcloud.com/whitney-rose-music/02-my-first-rodeo

JANET JACKSON TEASES NEW TRACK, TAKES US BEHIND THE SCENES OF ALBUM SHOOT

Posted on August 20th, 2015 by Ni'Kesia in BEHIND THE SCENES, MUSIC |

With the kickoff to her ‘Unbreakable’ tour just a few days away, Janet Jackson is ready to give fans something new to rock to.

Teasing a new single titled “The Great Forever,” the legendary performer coos out the lyrics to the pop-like Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis-produced single. Only giving us a mere 24-seconds of the new single, Janet has us anticipating everything that comes along with this new album.

In addition to previewing “The Great Forever,” Ms. Jackson (if ya nasty) gave fans a first look at her album cover shoot courtesy of Elle France.

Catch the BTS footage here!

Maddie & Tae on Friendship: “We’re CEOs” and “Creative Partners”

THE GIRLS’ DEBUT ALBUM, “START HERE,” ARRIVES AUGUST 28.

photo by Allister Ann/Dot Records

Maddie & Tae, the hot new duo made up of Maddie Marlow and Taylor Dye, spend a lot of time together. After soaring straight to the top of the charts with their debut single, “Gi...y Song,” followed by their Top 20 hit, “Fly,” the two young women have spent almost every day of their last few years together, but they insist they never get tired of each other.

“I think the dynamic with us, we truly are best friends,” Maddie tells Nash Country Weekly. “More like sisters, I would say.”

“It’s like a marriage,” Tae adds.

Buy on iTunes Amazon Google Play

Maddie & Tae collaborate on every aspect of their career, co-writing all 11 songs on their upcoming Start Here album (Aug. 28), along with making merchandise decisions, tour plans and even video choices together.

“We really have learned how relationships work, with your friends, with your family, with each other,” Maddie notes. “We’re CEOs of a company together, but we’re also creative partners. There are very different jobs that we both do . . . It’s a good team. She makes up for my flaws, and I make up for her flaws. We always have each other’s back. If she’s having a bad day, I cheer.”

“And our personalities work really well together, too,” Tae says. “I tend to be more shy, so the outgoing part of me, she pulls that out.”

Read more about Maddie &a... and work.

Tamia Celebrates 20-Year Career at New York's Irving Plaza: Live Review

By Elias Leight | August 22, 2015 12:00 PM EDT

TAMIA

Live At Irving Plaza

The R&B conversation is often narrowly focused on a small group of artists -- youthful ones with newly minted hits. But one of this year's most exciting R&B songs, Tamia's "Sandwich and a Soda," came from outside that small golden circle. Tamia's show at Irving Plaza in New York on Thursday night (Aug. 20) promoted her latest album, Love Life, and served as a testament to her tenacity and durability.

Tamia: 'R&B Doesn't G...enres Now'

Tamia's been in the music business for two decades. That's a remarkable accomplishment for any artist, but it's even more impressive for a female singer.Aaliyah famously claimed "age ain't nothing but a number," a sweet sentiment, but not a truthful one: women in R&B mostly get attention if they are young -- orBeyoncé.

In the past, Tamia has also been accused of being out of touch with modern romance by enacting conservative gender roles -- being passive and overly dependent on the males in her life. One of her early hits, "So Into You," was about losing herself in her partner, and that's been a consistent theme in her work. "Last First Kiss," from 2006, is as strong an endorsement of conventional marriage as you're likely to find outside of Disney. Many of the songs on Love Life contain variations on the line, "You need to understand that I'd do anything for my man."

But Tamia is not just about standing by her man; she's also interested in satisfying her own needs. Her records explore love and lust, a bold move in a world that mostly frowns on the free expression of female sexual desire, especially from women over the age of 30.

Tamia Scores Her Highest-...Love Life'

Playing at Irving Plaza in New York, one of the songs that elicited the most visceral response from the crowd was "Me," a self-love, men-be-damned anthem that incited an entire room to synchronized movement. "You asked if it's another man; I said 'no,'" Tamia sang. "You laughed and say, 'is it a woman?' I say, 'yes.' Surprisingly you ask me for honey's name -- and her name is me." She added dramatic pauses before answering each of her lover's questions, building suspense and riling up the audience even though everyone knew every word.

"Me" appeared on Between Friends in 2006, and it was one of several older tracks the singer sprinkled into her set. The show opened with an extended medley that included "Imagination," (1998), "So Into You" (1998) and "Questions" (2004). Later came "Almost," a piano ballad about missed opportunities from 2006 reminiscent of Mariah Carey's "We Belong Together" and "Officially Missing You," which first appeared as a liquid bossa-inflected number in 2003. Both regretful oldies were catnip for the crowd.

Tamia worked with lean accompaniment: a drummer who did yeoman's work throughout the show, a keyboard player, and two backup singers -- gifted harmonizers who fell easily into step with the boss's dance moves. Tamia doesn't need much help. She doesn't sing in the breathy, Janet Jackson-indebted style that's currently in fashion, nor does she employ the overly-melismatic approach common on TV singing shows. Instead she's direct and her voice remains commanding, honeyed and slightly husky.

New material appeared mostly during the second half of the set, giving the singer a chance to erupt. For "Love Falls Over Me," the drum tone was set to Prince circa 1982, and Tamia hurled her voice through the track's clean, crisp spaces. "Stuck With Me," full of brutal rim-shots and lavish harmonies, benefitted from smart choreography: she sang while enveloped in a cloud of smoke and caught by four lights, a shining beacon of loneliness.

There's no loneliness in "Sandwich and a Soda," a panther-like slice of trap-funk that served as Love Life's first single. On stage, Tamia fell into finger-snapping formation with her backup singers, blending modern poise with classic power, rambunctious swagger -- "You had okay, let me give you better" -- with plenty of playfulness. Unsurprisingly, "Sandwich and a Soda" stalled at radio, but for Tamia, longevity offers its own rewards: she made one of the strongest songs of her career 20 years after she started.

Sananda Maitreya - Blanket On The Ground Video

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH SANANDA MAITREYA (FORMERLY KNOWN AS TERENCE TRENT D’ARBY)

WONDERLANCER

Introduction:

THE UNCAUGHT FISH THAT SWIMS IN THE SOUL

In the ancient language of Sanskrit, Sananda means ‘joyful’ and/or ‘one who walks with light’, whilst Maitreya is to be interpreted as ‘loving-kindness’.

It’s no accident that the artist who we are about to interview, would dream recurrently about these names in his darkest hours, when the fishnet of the corporation was starting to strangle the very gift that was his life purpose.

Sananda Maitreya was born in Manhattan, New York, at the break of the 60s and found himself in all of his glory at the end of the 20th Century.

From birth to recognition, through and beyond, this hugely talented singer/songwriter and musician was a Grammy-nominee and won a Grammy in the category of Best R&B Vocal Performance. He was also chosen for the British Awards as “Top International Newcomer”, given a Soul Train Award nomination for Best New Artist (amongst other reputed Award nominations and wins) and baptized ‘New Prince of Pop’.

His debut solo album has sold over 12 million copies so far and with it the artist set a world record, for in its release it was the first debut album in history to sell one million copies in just over 3 days.

Worldwide success was bittersweet. Fish Sananda knew he was meant to lead a life as Maitreya, and thereby he made the enormously brave decision to jump out the money-pond, before he was caught and strangled by the corp-net, thus reaching the waters of the Soul, in setting up his own independent label, through which he has kept distributing his wonderful, soul stirring, heart healing music.

Music that you’ll have heard in famous movies, series, commercials and in other well-known artists’ albums as collaborations, as well as in Sananda’s own prolific works. Music that will probably be entangled in your veins, running in your blood, reaching and setting residence in your brain by a five-octave vocal range.

And so the story of the artist has been told, although we feel that this is, somehow, the moment it begins all over again… Classic, current, timeless, multi-talented, wild, free… he was, is and will always and simply BE.

But before we can have the immense pleasure of offering you his words, directly from his heart, digitally poured by his own hand, let us give you a list of our all time favorite songs of his, old and new. Be forewarned the list is not short, but we bet that you’ll recall the delicious taste of all the notes behind most of these words as well as the distinctive, unique, otherworldly voice that sings them:

If You All Get to Heaven * If You Let Me Stay * Wishing Well * I’ll Never Turn My Back on You (Father’s Words) *Dance Little Sister * Seven More Days * Let’s Go Forward * Rain * Sign Your Name * It Feels So Good to Love Somebody Like You * To Know Someone Deeply is to Know Someone Softly * This Side of Love * Roly Poly * I Don’t Want to Bring your Gods Down * She Kissed Me * Do you Love Me Like you Say * Delicate (with Des’ree) * Succumb To Me * Vibrator * Holding on to You * Undeniably * Surrender * It’s Been Said * Designated Fool * My Dark Places * Drivin’ Me Crazy * Suga Free * Testify * Shalom * Ev’rythang * …And They Will Never Know * Shadows * Reach out * I’m your daddy * Dolphin * It ain’t been easy * Daddy can I have a war? * Pretty Baby * South Side Run * It’s just my pain * Screamer * Marlene * C.Y.A.M.G. * If I were * I Never Knew How Much * Sometimes You Gotta Cry * At The Crossroads * If I Just Stay With You * Has It Been Too Quiet? * Ooh Carolina * Because You’ve Changed * Superstar * Sananda’s Variation on a theme by Mozart * I Never Know * The Blame * What Baby Wants * The Laughing Song * This Far…

He presents his music as POST MILLENNIUM ROCK:its main elements are heart and soul, its nature made of passion, courage and curiosity; it acknowledges no rules. And so, no matter how he may prefer to dress his expression, or the perspectives from which this expression springs, let’s not forget that, at its core, its truth is universal: FREEDOM & LOVE.

WONDERLANCER: Sananda, thank you for responding to our questions today, we know that you are always busy with writing and music recording sessions. POST MILLENNIUM ROCK is a musical style that could be tentatively described in a poem verse like…

SANANDA MAITREYA:

‘Judas bled heavy his debt to the Lord,
in poverty pleading for his room and board.

He read to the children of Jerusalem,
seduced by his flute, he would read
Proust to them. More cannot be stated.

However WE rate it, he was of
use to them. He evened out his score,
while heaven called a truce with him.

His descendents live in Baltimore’.

WONDERLANCER: Love for others, whether this is a fraternal or a romantic love is a recurrent theme in your lyrics. What do you think most literature and film have reflected accurately and what they have confused people more with so far about the subject of “Romantic Love”?

SANANDA MAITREYA: The greatest known love is love for the self or you are fooling yourself about what love is and will be hard pressed to share it. We share what we know, and to know love from within is to be able to distribute it where you choose. Love does NOT oblige. LOVE COMPELS. Duty obliges and duty is what duty is and has its place, but it is not love itself. ROMANTIC LOVE is not love. It is a particular form of illusion based on how we see ourselves. It is no less vital or valid as a level of expression, though in the long run, that is all it is, a noble form of expression, but not the love itself. Face it, sometimes, romantic love is but a scorpion charming and kissing your hand right before it stings it with its deadly venom. Sometimes, romantic love leads to the NEXT door, LOVE. And most importantly, LOVE IS TO EACH AND FOR EACH, AN INDIVIDUAL REVELATION.

My love may bear little or no resemblance to your love, but damn if both of our versions are not real. Love is too vast to be so meekly and timidly defined. Love is not a mouse. Love is a lion. Our visions of Romantic love DO tend to be more unified, as romantic love includes a communal symbolic language which we are mainly attuned to as a culture.

WONDERLANCER: You never stop hearing music in your head and in fact play several instruments, but does your song writing always follow the same flow, do you hear the music before you think of the lyrics or has it happened the other way around at any point? We know you love writing and you do write poems, so we wonder if the latter could be a possibility too…

SANANDA MAITREYA: I never stop hearing music because our dear mother nature never stops singing it. The planets still keep up their daily planetary chatter. The moon still clears her throat, and even a good long winded fart has potential for music in it. This is what I do. This is what I were designed by spirit and nature to do, therefore without fanfare or too many trumpets, I do it. And I have never loved doing it more. It follows a fairly regular pattern (we know each other well) unless in those moments where I feel I need to be shaken up, upon which time I will choose a different process to keep me and the work fresh. At some point our aim is to take some poems or text from scratch and begin from that perspective, much as masters Schubert and Schumann did. In the meantime, my mule takes my tools up the mountain, so while that mule is able and willing, we stick with that mule most of the time.

WONDERLANCER: Do you remember the precise moment in which you realized that you could connect with others through your own musical creations?

SANANDA MAITREYA: Yes, it was in a former life, prior to this one. The age was two. I heard the Beatles, after which time I realized that were my destiny as well. It wasn’t even about me, though the connection was so strong that I felt that they were speaking on my behalf as well. Yes, I have always had a sense, a knowing, that we were meant for this life. And that we were meant to lead. Otherwise, where would all of these ass-whippings be coming from and why?

WONDERLANCER: Which of our favorite songs of yours, listed in the introduction, can you say that have most resonated within your heart, throughout the years?

SANANDA MAITREYA: I don’t have favorite songs, and I do not DO favorite songs. Frankly, I never revisit old work, it is anathema to my essential nature. One day, apprehending the approach of death, I may choose to go over the work I’ve done. I will not and cannot be judged by the length of just one or two jigsaw pieces, when the whole tapestry is still being worked on. I don’t think as much like a songwriter, I think more like a publisher now. Not ‘what have we done?’, but ‘what more do I need?’. Life is too short to gaze at your reflection in the mirror while they are shooting at it.

WONDERLANCER: You moved to Europe from the US in 2001, first to Germany, where you started your own independent record label, and soon moved to Italy, where you have your permanent residence. You have mentioned in other interviews (please correct us otherwise) that you feel America as your mother and Europe as your wife. How did it feel for you the moment you left what you’d known as your first home, to marry this old continent? And are there remarkable differences between their audiences?

SANANDA MAITREYA: The history of music clearly suggests that YES, there is a difference between a European and American audience. For a start European audiences tend to be less politicized as well as more knowledgeable and accepting of different forms and levels of expression. But ultimately my art is where my heart is. My heart is here because the living here is closer to my concept of good living. The freedoms promised to me elsewhere, but stingily doled out and parted with only after punishment, come more easily to me, at this stage of my living, here in Europe. Italy LOVES music and the place and esteem for it and its practitioners are clear. Music and politics are yet far too segregated and mean-spirited for me to ever feel my place within it. Nor did anyone go out of their way there to make me feel a part of it. History would have swaggered a bit more and not stumbled and bled to death had my vision among others, been more included and those I encountered as my daily bread, not so painfully deluded.

WONDERLANCER: “Wildcard!” was the first of your albums released through your own label, and it received raving reviews. In your opinion, can critics break and/or impulse artists or a true artist should pay no attention to critics?

SANANDA MAITREYA: Critics are like stoplights, traffic lights. Regardless of whether ALL YOU CATCH IS RED LIGHTS, you are still bound towards reaching your destination. To never catch a green light can be frustrating, unless by grace you have something important enough to keep your attention away from trivial things while stopped at the red light. Good news is, I am not on the main road anymore, and where I am, there are as of yet no traffic lights. No one can be a tougher critic of my work than myself. I am a major fan and absorber of music for 48 years of life and feel at this point fairly confident in my own taste. I do not worry about OBJECTIVITY, for the simple reason that I am not making ‘objective art’. I make music to move my spirit on, and assume, within reason that if it touches my soul, it may, just may touch someone else’s. Since we no longer have to sleep with corporate accountants in my bed, I am not moved by numbers, but by the facts as they must be, coming through me. I have learned from critics in the past, but learned to avoid reading ANYTHING written about me or my close friends, many many years ago. Also bear in mind, that almost nowhere are there objective critics.

Almost ALL criticism is socio-political. It matters not if the work is great IF THEY FEEL THAT YOU ARE STEEPING OVER A LINE that their minds and systems have already drawn, THEY WILL SLAP YOUR SILLY ASS UP, period. Are you a probable threat to their ICONOGRAPHY? ‘Then smash this motherfucker, and now’. If you wish to have your mind destroyed, a mind carefully built up over time and circumstance, then read criticism. If however, you have not much of a mind, nor much confidence in the one you do have, then PERHAPS THEY ARE DOING YOU A FAVOR IN TEARING IT DOWN and taking it away. A mind is only a terrible thing to waste if there IS something there to waste. Once your mind is made up and oriented towards ITS STAR, listen to nothing or no one but the guiding light, which a VISION is by definition. And be afraid to tell no one to go and fuck themselves. Your vision of the world is just as valid as any other noisy and preposterous fool. Join the list of them and BE HAPPY at all costs.

WONDERLANCER: If each of your released albums represented a predominant feeling, from your debut album to “Nigor Mortis”, what emotional spectrum would result?

SANANDA MAITREYA: The Miami Dolphins between 1970-1973. Those colors would be turquoise, orange and white if not mistaken. It also represents the ascent out of the shadow of the past, or symbolically if you will, ORPHEUS’ finally getting his girl and getting the hell out of Hades.

WONDERLANCER: “The Sphinx”: What inspiring forces drove it and what is its overall message?

SANANDA MAITREYA: Read the blogs concerning the ZOOATHALON: sanandamaitreya.com/the_sphinx .
The animal stories are the archetypal antecedent or parallel to the music, more of which arrives quite excitedly and very soon! The overall message cannot be simpler. We always try, if we can get away with it, to sprinkle a little hubris on top of what inspires us. It attracts arrows. I have grown to accept that by nature and karma, I will attract a few arrows. Arrows attract interest and interest attracts yield. It also attracts yeast, so do be careful! The Zooathalon is a living dimensional reality, albeit a reality which mostly takes place in what we would now describe as more ‘middle earth’.

WONDERLANCER: Your label was one of the first that offered, through its official website, free mp3 tunes, single tracks and whole album mp3 downloads and other digital goodies, as well as tasters (chapters) of your musical works, before releasing them in full. What has the internet meant to you at a professional level and what does it mean at a personal level?

SANANDA MAITREYA: On both levels it simply means A WHOLE LOT LESS BULLSHIT to wade through simply to get to your own mind, period. I have always been attuned to work and working. I am old school in that I trust that work is good for the soul which is fulfillment. That having good preoccupations keeps us safer from the more dangerous or suffocating monotonous ones. Nothing is more important to me as an artist than the work. To be able to give voice and space to the creations and ideas which magnetize to me means everything. I feel strongly that many of my past heroes would have LOVED to be in such a predicament, to rid themselves of the dandruff of mediocre expectation and its apologists, of total predictability and allow themselves to engage more directly with people of like mind and sensibility.

WONDERLANCER: When and where do you think we’ll be able to see you live? Are The Nudge Nudge the band that you normally tour with?

SANANDA MAITREYA: The Nudge are my loyal and faithful live posse, yes. A trio is always a tricky thing, it works or it doesn’t and I love the chemistry we have developed and the musical language we have shared. There are as of yet a real politic that keeps me from your shores as I am now and concerning what I bring. The system has a real hard time absorbing me, (though not in taking from me) so naturally I have a hard time absorbing them. There has also been clandestine campaigning against my rights elsewhere as it pertains to your country and so am reluctant to go anywhere where I need to go through a load of bullshit. Upon correct receipt of timing, I am content to play where the excitement is based on PMR. I’ve nothing left in my tank for the past prior to the new life and process which has gotten and sustained me this far. I love the work of PMR, have waited my entire life to pursue it, have paid in blood many times over for it and loss not a few coins as a result. They have already killed more than a few of my contemporaries, whether it took destroying their minds or their bodies. I’ll be damned if those sulphur breathing dragons are going to drag me back there and attack and ridicule my spirit. Been there, done that, lost a life and a good one to it, and am now working on the book.

Unless of course I can manage to condense it into a really good T-Shirt. We artists come and go, but good merchandising lives on! Mind you we are proud of what history we may have left in the wake of the pursuit of our dream to create a newer expression more suited to my mind and not just my ‘profile’. But it belongs to time now, to Sony and their octopus like existence. For me, they are but a few memories we still remember, though vaguely and much as if it had happened to someone else that I were close to.

WONDERLANCER: Again, it’s been a pleasure have you participating in this interview, Sananda. All the best to you and your family from this team.

SANANDA MAITREYA: Much thanks to you. I hope that it makes some space for itself in your heart. I hope that these replies are according to the template of your needs. May spirit bless you and keep you close to what matters!

Grace Jones tears down Brooklyn with a topless Afropunk set (NSFW)

There wasn't much more than smears of body paint between Grace Jones and the crowd of Brooklyn's Afropunk festival Saturday night.

The 67-year-old singer showed the crowd why she is still unstoppable, performing her whole set in a mix of body paint, headdresses and grass skirts. She also hula-hooped through the entirety of her 1985 hit "Slave to the Rhythm."

The body-paint has been part of Jones' summer routine. She also performed similarly dressed Friday night at the Afropunk Fancy Dress Ball charity event, and earlier this summer at the Parklife Festival in Manchester, England.

Afropunk hosts two days of music at Commodore Barry Park in Brooklyn. Additional headliners Saturday included Lauryn Hill and Kelis, while Sunday night will feature Lenny Kravitz and Gary Clark Jr.

The Weeknd performed at the Billboard Hot 100 music festival at the Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, New York, on Saturday.

Credit: John Lamparski/WireImage

Hey ID Thank & Please start the New Music Thread! Is was locked over the weekend as you know.

^

Straight Outta Compton sequel will focus on Tupac and Snoop Dogg

Dogg Pound 4 Life will depict the rise of Death Row Records in the 1990s

Straight Outta Compton, F. Gary Gray’s biopic about N.W.A., has been a massive box office success. With its $60.2 million opening, the film not only set the record for the best August debut for an R-rated movie, but is the fifth-highest grossing August opener for any film ever. And wouldn’t you know it, there’s already plans for a sequel.

According to TMZ, Dogg Pound 4 Life will reportedly focus on another prominent West Coast rap collective, Death Row Records, specifically the careers of Tupac, Snoop Dogg,Nate Dogg, Warren G., and Kurupt, as well as Death Row head Suge Knight.

Music will be the plot’s primarily focus, according to TMZ, but it “also won’t whitewash gang violence and its impact on the rap industry.”

In terms of casting, TMZ reports that none of the actors featured in Straight Outta Compton are expected to reprise their roles. Instead, Dr. Dre’s son, Curtis Young, will play the role of his father.

Dr. Dre and Ice Cube will not serve as producers either, but TMZ says Ice Cube has already signed off on the project.

The announcement of Dogg Pound 4 means there are now three Tupac-related biopics in the works. Directors John Singleton (Poetic Justice, Boyz n the Hood) and Carl Franklin (Out of Time, House of Cards) are helming competing standalone films about the life of the California MC.

Grateful Dead and John Mayer announce US tour as Dead & Company

10-date jaunt stretches through the end of the year

While the final chance to see all the surviving members of Grateful Dead jam out together came and went with their epic “Fare Thee Well” reunion concerts, the Dead aren’t exactly done. Band members Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, and Bill Kreutzmann have teamed with John Mayer, Allman Brothers’ Oteil Burbridge and Ratdog keyboardist Jeff Chimenti to formDead & Company. Having already announced a pair of shows at Madison Square Garden, the supergroup/reunion has now revealed a full fall and winter tour schedule.

Dead & Company’s first performance will be on October 29th in Albany, NY, followed by the previously announced Halloween show at MSG. A total of 10 stops are on the docket, culminating in a New Year’s Eve concert at Los Angeles’ The Forum.

Tickets go on sale August 28th, with America Express pre-sales beginning on the 26th. Find the full itinerary beneath the band’s Instagram announcement post.

Dead & Company 2015 Tour Dates:
10/29 – Albany, NY @ Times Union Center
10/31 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
11/01 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
11/05 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
11/06 – Washington, DC @ Verizon Center
11/10 – Worcester, MA @ DCU Center
12/27 – San Francisco, CA @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
12/28 – San Francisco, CA @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
12/30 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Forum
12/31 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Forum

What we learned from Quentin Tarantino’s epic interview with New York Magazine

Legendary director talks Westerns, film franchises, social critics, Kill Bill 3, and why True Detective sucks

In anticipation of his new Western thriller The Hateful Eight, director Quentin Tarantino sat down with New York Magazine for an extensive interview. Numerous topics were covered, from the social commentary found in Hateful Eight, to his thoughts on film franchises, to the possibility of Kill Bill 3.

Regarding The Hateful Eight, Quentin Tarantino said he’s “more than an hour finished” with the film. Asked if he was happy with it, he responded, “I’m not committing suicide yet. It is what it is. We’re rushing and trying to get to the end. Then you go through it and try to make it even better. But first, you just get to the end.”

Tarantino credited Westerns as being the one film genre that truly “reflects the values and the problems of a given decade than the Westerns made during that specific decade.” He elaborated:

“The Westerns of the ’50s reflected Eisenhower America better than any other films of the day. The Westerns of the ’30s reflected the ’30s ideal. And actually, the Westerns of the ’40s did, too, because there was a whole strain of almost noirish Westerns that, all of a sudden, had dark themes. The ’70s Westerns were pretty much anti-myth Westerns — Watergate Westerns. Everything was about the anti-heroes, everything had a hippie mentality or a nihilistic mentality. Movies came out about Jesse James and the Minnesota raid, where Jesse James is a homicidal maniac. In Dirty Little Billy,Billy the Kid is portrayed as a cute little punk killer. Wyatt Earp is shown for who he is in the movie Doc, by Frank Perry. In the ’70s, it was about ripping the scabs off and showing who these people really were. Consequently, the big Western that came out in the ’80s was Silverado, which was trying to be rah-rah again — that was very much a Reagan Western.”

When it comes to The Hateful Eight, Tarantino said, “My movie is about the country being torn apart by [The Civil War], and the racial aftermath, six, seven, eight, ten years later.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Tarantino is asked about franchise filmmaking and whether he agrees with the opinions of fellow filmmakers like Steven Spielberg and George Lucas that the genre could be detrimental to the industry.

“My pessimism isn’t about franchise filmmaking. That’s been going on since I was born. You can talk about Transformers now, but you could talk about the Planet of the Apes movies and James Bond when I was a little kid — and I couldn’t wait to see those. Actually, when we’re done here, I’m going to go see Guy Ritchie’s The Man From U.N.C.L.E.. I don’t know why Spielberg and Lucas would be complaining about movies like that. They don’t have to direct them.”

Asked if there were any franchises he’d be interested in spearheading, Tarantino said he “could have imagined doing the first Scream.” Despite being a comic book nerd, however, he doesn’t believe he would do a super hero film.

Tarantino was asked who he sees himself in competition these days, to which he responded, “This might come across as egotistical, but I don’t really feel in competition with anybody anymore. I’m in competition with myself. David O. Russell can have the biggest hit of the year, and that doesn’t take anything away from me. I couldn’t have been happier that Rick Linklater was at the Oscars this year.”

He added, “The last time that I felt competitive was when I was doing Kill Bill and my competition was The Matrix Reloaded. That was the sword of Damocles hanging over our heads. I saw Matrix Reloaded at the Chinese Theatre the day it opened, and I walked out of the cinema singing that Jay Z song: ‘S-dot-Carter / Y’all must try harder / Competition is nada.’ I was like, Bring it the fuck on. I was worried about that? Ho-ly shit.”

Speaking of Kill Bill, he said a third film in the franchise is “not off the table, but we’ll see.” Tarantino previously said he would consider retiring after his 10th film, which would mean he has just two left after The Hateful Eight. Asked if that was still his plan, he said, “It would be wonderful to make my tenth movie my best movie — go out with a big bang, or with a small chamber piece after a big bang. I think about that every once in a while, but it’s not a real consideration,” adding, “I’ve got to leave myself open for the right story that talks to me.”

Tarantino was asked his thoughts on those who criticize his use of violence and the N-word in movies. “Social critics don’t mean a thing to me,” he replied. “It’s really easy to ignore them, because I believe in what I’m doing 100 percent. So any naysayers for the public good can just fuck off. They might be a drag for a moment, but after that moment is over, it always ends up being gasoline to my fire.”

Lastly, Tarantino offered some not-so-nice words regarding HBO’s hit crime drama True Detective.

“I tried to watch the first episode of season one, and I didn’t get into it at all. I thought it was really boring. And season two looks awful. Just the trailer — all these handsome actors trying to not be handsome and walking around looking like the weight of the world is on their shoulders. It’s so serious, and they’re so tortured, trying to look miserable with their mustaches and grungy clothes.”

Read the full interview here.

Film Review: Digging for Fire

A-

DIRECTOR

JOE SWANBERG

CAST

JANE ADAMS, STEVE BERG, MIKE BIRBIGLIA, ORLANDO BLOOM

RELEASE YEAR

2015

RATING

Note: This review was originally published back in January 2015 as part of our coverage for the Sundance Film Festival.

Something interesting is happening right now in independent cinema — it’s growing up. The leading progenitors of the “mumblecore movement” are now family men, and they like talking about being family men. Mark and Jay Duplass are doing it weekly for HBO with their witty, exceptional new series Togetherness, while Joe Swanberg’s spent the past year cooking home-styled feasts with Happy Christmas and now Digging for Fire. But it makes sense: They’re all pushing 40 (Jay’s actually a healthy 41), and they’ve all made a career on dissecting personal relationships (see: The Puffy Chair, Hannah Takes the Stairs). So, it’s only natural that they’d start issuing films that comment on the modern American family.

Swanberg’s latest, the aforementioned Digging for Fire, examines the corrosive effects that marriage and child-rearing has on a couple. It’s his most accessible work to date, and possibly his strongest, too. There’s a good-humored percipience to the story, which he wrote alongside the film’s star Jake Johnson (also married, also pushing 40), that appears to derive from a personal place within the Midwestern filmmaker. Not only did he cast his son, Jude, as the couple’s child (a trait this film also shares with Happy Christmas), but the dialogue, set pieces, and particular wardrobes all hint at a level of detail that’s near-mathematical by Swanberg’s archetypal standards. It’s even shot in 35mm film! And yet he hardly sacrifices his own rugged naturalism.

Then again, Swanberg doesn’t have much of a choice when his characters are so organic. Set in Los Angeles, the story follows the adventurous exploits of Tim (Johnson) and Lee (Rosemarie DeWitt), a thirtysomething couple who are tasked with housesitting a gorgeous, mountainous estate for the weekend. When Tim stumbles upon a rusty, old gun and a creepy bone in the backyard, something magical awakens inside him. He’s giddy, curious, and excited to uncover the rest of the mystery. Lee, whose client owns the house and the yard he wants to dig up, isn’t so impressed. After all, he has a stack of taxes to sift though, and she is in dire need of a night alone. So, they compromise, and Tim’s left with the house while Lee drops their child off at her nearby parents’ home.

From there, the film splits off into two narratives, though both wrestle with the same themes. Tim indulges in his mysterious quest amongst the dirt by inviting his pals over for an impromptu digging party, while Lee escapes to her own friends and eventually the bustling city nightlife that has been so alien to her as of late. Tangentially, they both express their weighty anxieties on parenting while they desperately attempt to suck out the childless marrow of the weekend. It’s a fascinating character study done well through tantalizing stakes and enlightening discussions that all lead to a graceful landing brimming with emotion.

Part of that success materializes from Swanberg’s scattered visual metaphors throughout the film’s taut 85 minutes. They’re everywhere: from Tim’s looming stack of tax receipts on the dining room table (ahem, marital burden) to Lee’s preferred choice of reading (David Schnarch’s Passionate Marriage). At one point, a neighbor stops by and explicitly warns Tim about his digging, saying: “You don’t wanna find anything down there — believe me.” Some might scoff at these obvious nods — especially after subscribing to years of Swanberg’s muted, inferred messages — but they’re all an intricate part of the film’s thematic DNA.

If anything’s distracting, however, it’s the all-star ensemble, no doubt Swanberg’s most expansive cast to date. His principal leads, Johnson and DeWitt, are also joined by Sam Rockwell, Mike Birbiglia, Anna Kendrick, Orlando Bloom, Brie Larson, Timothy Simons, Jenny Slate, Ron Livingston, Melanie Lynskey, Sam Elliott, and a few others. It would be easy to dismiss their small roles as gluttonous, but Swanberg squeezes in the best of their abilities despite the little time they have, especially Birbiglia, who plays Tim’s moral, schlubby friend. He was exceptional in Sleepwalk with Me, and he’s just as hilarious here.

Though, another strong character is the film’s score. Composer Dan Romer (Beasts of the Southern Wild) elevates each scene with a series of warm, glowing compositions that ensconce the mind with melody and heart. Swanberg really should push for a soundtrack release, preferably on vinyl, because this is the sort of cerebral electronica that could satiate any die-hard fans of Brian Eno, Ulrich Schnauss, or Hans Zimmer. It’s floaty, it’s poppy, eh, you’d never stop listening to it.

Marriage is hard, parenting is impossible, and life will always invite mystery. Swanberg and Johnson know this first hand, and it’s that knowledge that empowers Digging for Fire. Rarely do films accurately juggle the pitfalls and treasures of marriage — in fact, they’re usually reduced to dramatic embellishments — but there’s a tear-jerking wisdom to this film that’s quite remarkable. The writers accept their characters’ faults, and they never appear to shame them. Not once. There’s something strangely cathartic about that. After all, we don’t always need a shovel to do the digging … it just happens.

Note: All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Live Review: Kamasi Washington at Seattle’s Neumos (7/30)

A future legend kicks off his first tour with an inspiring set

Photography by Eric Tra

It’s a hot July night, and a crowd of twentysomethings are dancing unashamedly. They throw their hands in the air and whoop throughout songs. It’s typical behavior these days for a hyped-up hip-hop or DJ set. But this is neither of those. This is jazz.

Tenor saxophonist and composer Kamasi Washington kicked off his first tour Thursday night at Neumos in Seattle. It’s just one of many hallmarks he’s had this year. In March, he drew attention for his contributions to Kendrick Lamar’s critically acclaimed album, To Pimp a Butterfly. Shortly after in May, Washington released his first proper record, The Epic. Clocking in at three hours long, it lives up to its name.

Given his accolades and cosigns from Lamar and electronic wunderkind Flying Lotus, Washington finds himself being embraced by a larger audience. For outsiders, like myself, jazz has appeared to be stagnant over the years. There’s no doubt that there have been brilliant musicians who’ve gone unnoticed, but Washington has a rapt audience. As a large man dressed in robes and dawning a gold medallion, his mere presence commands attention.

Within the opening moments of his set, the band launched into fiery keytar and sax solos. The band’s sound is immediate. It pummels like punk and captures the audience like a hymn. Washington doesn’t so much play the sax as he preaches with it. What starts out as a simple melody quickly explodes into rapid screams and howls. It’s hellfire and love all wrapped together, curdling out of the bell.

Every person on the stage was exceptional at their instrument. Washington was backed by two drummers, a trombonist, a bassist, a keyboardist, and the lovely voice of Patrice Quinn. But that alone isn’t what made the show so compelling. It’s how they deviated from the strict confines the genre has become associated with in recent years. These were bold sonic explorations of their recorded works rather than faithful adaptations. Their playing felt dangerous, hardly ever slowing down or relying on a familiar tune or idea. Bassist Miles Mosley would run his stand-up bass through phase and wah pedals, playing notes that ran right off the neck. Whenever keyboardist Brandon Colerman was given a chance to jump out on his own, he’d bend tones and sounds on his Moog Liberation that verged from West Coast g-funk to space-metal weirdness.

Emotions were already high at this point, with the crowd enthusiastically devouring every note. Then Washington found a way to up the ante. Before playing “The Rhythm Changes”, Washington told the audience they were in for a special treat. He introduced Quinn, who had been dancing and swaying on the stage for the first few songs. Then he called up the man who he says taught him everything he knows, his father and soprano saxophonist Rickey Washington.

Rickey performed an inspired interlude himself, but perhaps his greatest and most meaningful contribution was as he watched his son deploy a fury of hypnotic tones on his own. After Kamasi finished his solo and the band kept playing, his father gave him an embrace. It was quite literally watching two generation of jazz artists come together and pay respect to one another.

Throughout the two-hour set, the band played select cuts from The Epic. But nearly half the set also included unreleased material from his bandmates that was recorded in the same month-long recording session as The Epic. It was clear that the community between the artists was just as vital as the music they were playing. The crowd was happy to lap up whatever the band wanted to dish. There was no need to call out favorite tracks or requests. The point was to let these master-class artists venture into unknown territory.

Washington is a legend in the making. That’s not an overstatement. This tour is a chance to see a jazz great before he’s immortalized in academic papers and mythology. He’s forging new ground for a genre and redefining what it means to appreciate jazz in 2015. There is no need to have a history with jazz or even a peripheral liking of the music. Washington and his crew will take care of all that. The point is to absorb the music, to let it sit in your chest and satiate your eardrums.

Kevin Mazur/WireImage, Kevin Winter/ACMA2014/Getty Images for ACM

Shakira, Jennifer Lopez, Pitbull, Gloria Estefan and more will appear in The Latin Explosion: A New America, a new HBO documentary exploring and celebrating the historical and cultural impact of Latino music and musicians in the United States.

Narrated by John Leguizamo, The Latin Explosion charts the history of Latin music in the United States as well as the greater cultural, political and economic impact of artists like Desi Arnaz in the Fifties, Carlos Santana in the Sixties, Emilio and Gloria Estefan in the Eighties, and Shakira, Lopez, Ricky Martin, Marc Anthony and Pitbull in the Nineties and beyond. The film will also feature interviews with Anthony, Martin, José Feliciano, Eva Longoria, George Lopez, Los Lobos, Cheech Marin, Rita Moreno, Romeo Santos, Thalía and Sofía Vergara.

The doc premieres November 16th on HBO and HBO Latino, and was directed and produced by Matthew O'Neill and Jon Alpert. The duo earned an Oscar nomination for their 2010 doc China's Unnatural Disaster about the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. Tommy Mottola — the veteran music executive who's worked with Estefan, Lopez, Shakira, Mariah Carey, Carly Simon, Hall and Oates and more — served as the film's executive producer.

"We have assembled the largest array of Latino superstars ever in a film telling a powerful story of their history and immigration, politics, and rise from a small minority population to the most critical demographic in the United States," Mottola said in a statement. “Latinos spend $1.3 trillion a year, making them one of the most powerful groups of consumers today. Latinos played a large part in the outcome of the last election and will certainly be a larger part in the upcoming 2016 election. There is no doubt in my mind that by 2025 we will have a Latino president."

Pharrell, Macklemore, Demi Lovato, A$AP Rocky to Perform at MTV VMAs

Demi Lovato

Jeff Daly/Invision/AP

by Joe Lynch, Billboard

8/25/2015 4:05pm PDT

Tori Kelly and Twenty One Pilots also join the previously-announced performer The Weeknd.

Pharrell, Demi Lovato, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Tori Kelly, A$AP Rocky and Twenty One Pilots have just been added to the lineup of performers for the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards, with more performers and presenters still to be announced.

They join The Weeknd, who will give the first televised performance of his chart-topping hit "Can't Feel My Face" on Sunday's live telecast.

2015 VMAs host Miley Cyrus will be handing out the Moonmen (custom-designed by Jeremy Scott for this year's awards) to the winners.

Nominees include Kendrick Lamar, Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran and Beyonce -- tune in to MTV this Sunday, Aug. 30 at 9 p.m. ET to check out the always memorable awards show for yourself.

Kenny Rogers announces upcoming holiday season album and tour

Robert Rheubottom

Canada Music Examiner

August 25, 20157:46 PM MST

Rogers watches the action at Rod Laver Arena during day 11 of the 2015 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 29, 2015 in Melbourne, Australia.

Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

Kenny Rogers fans will have lots to look forward to this holiday season. The Country Music Hall of Famer will be releasing his first new holiday season set in 17 years titled Once Again It's Christmas. The album will hit shelves Sept. 25 via Warner Bros./Warner Music Nashville and will be accompanied by his 34th annual Christmas and Hits Tour, redubbed the "Once Again It's Christmas Tour."

According to an article posted Aug. 25 via the official website of Kenny Rogers, the multi-Grammy's winner new festive set will be his sixth Christmas album overall since releasing 1981's Christmas. The new album features 11 tracks and numerous special guests, including Alison Kraus, Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles and Jim Brickman, among others. See below for a full tracklisting.

“I can’t tell you how much fun it’s been doing another Christmas album – it’s my favorite time of year,” Rogers said in a statement. “Recording a project like this means I was able to re-live some old memories singing some of the songs I was raised listening to and grew to love as a child.

The Christmas tour will feature Linda Davis and kicks off with a four-night stand in Canada from Nov. 11 - Nov. 14 in Niagra Falls, Ontario, at Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort. The tour will hit theaters and casinos along the east coast, criss-crossing between Canada and the U.S. before wrapping up Dec. 23 in Westbury, New York, at NYCB Theatre At Westbury.

Tickets for select shows are already on sale. VIP packages are available for several dates. For more information, clickhere.

Kenny Rogers's Once Again It's Christmas Tour schedule:
Nov. 11-14 – Niagara Falls, Ontario, Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort
Nov. 17 – Moncton, New Brunswick, The Molson Canadian Centre
Nov. 18 – Truro, Nova Scotia, Rath Eastlink Community Centre
Nov. 20 – Corner Brook, Newfoundland, Pepsi Centre
Nov. 21 – Clarenville, Newfoundland, Clarenville Events Centre
Nov. 22 – St. John’s, Newfoundland, Mile One Centre
Nov. 27 – Northfield, Ohio, Hard Rock Rocksino Northfield Park
Nov. 28 – Merrillville, Ind., Star Plaza Theatre
Nov. 30 – Terre Haute, Ind., ISU Hulman Center
Dec. 2 – Norfolk, Neb., Divots Event Center
Dec. 4 – Bowler, Wis., North Star Mohican Casino Resort
Dec. 5 – Battle Creek, Mich., FireKeepers Casino
Dec. 6 – Windsor, Ontario, Caesars Windsor “The Colosseum”
Dec. 8 – Ashland, Ky., Paramount Arts Center
Dec. 10 – New Brunswick, N.J., State Theatre
Dec. 11 – White Plains, N.Y., Westchester County Center
Dec. 12 – Uncasville, Conn., Mohegan Sun Arena
Dec. 13 – Bangor, Maine, Cross Insurance Center
Dec. 15 – Hagerstown, Md., Maryland Theatre
Dec. 16 – Roanoke, Va., Berglund Performing Arts Theatre
Dec. 17 – Verona, N.Y., Turning Stone Resort Casino
Dec. 18 – King of Prussia, Pa., Valley Forge Casino
Dec. 19 – Englewood, N.J., Bergen Performing Arts Ctr.
Dec. 20 – Concord, N.H., Capitol Center for the Arts - Chubb Theatre
Dec. 22 – Erie, Pa., Warner Theatre
Dec. 23 – Westbury, N.Y., NYCB Theatre At Westbury

Track Listing for Once Again It's Christmas
1. Once Again It’s Christmas
2. There’s A New Kid In Town feat. Winfield’s Locket
3. Here It Is Christmas/Baby, It’s Cold Outside feat. Jennifer Nettles
4. Little Drummer Boy
5. Back To Bethlehem
6. Winter Wonderland
7. Some Children See Him feat. Alison Krauss
8. I’ll Be Home For Christmas
9. Children, Go Where I Send Thee feat. Home Free
10. That Silent Night feat. Jim Brickman
11. The Light

Juan Gabriel Adds Marc Anthony To The List Of Talents To Be Featured In New 'Los Dúo' Album

Juan Gabriel is having a great year! The Mexican singer is clearly alive and kicking after having a major health scare in April 2014. After taking some time off to recoup last year, “El Divo de Juárez” is back delighting his fans on stage and surprising everyone with major projects and collaborations.

JuanGa, who has more than 40 years in the music business and 100 million album copies sold around the world, has won the audience over and over again with his music. With his new album “Los Dúo,” he is proving that you are never too old to own the stage.

The success of “Los Dúo” is due not only to Juan Gabriel’s talent but the addition of some of the greatest Latino artists in the music industry such as: Juanes, David Bisbal, Luis Fonsi, Antonio Orozco,Emmanuel, Marco Antonio Solís, Vicente Fernández, Espinoza Paz, to name a few.

Which is why, Universal Music is planning the release of “Los Dúo Vol.2” and possibly “Los Dúo Vol. 3.” Although we are still confused about which artists will be featured in which album, collaborations with Alejandro Fernández, Luis Miguel, Joan Sebastian, Il Divo, Amanda Miguel, Diego Verdaguer, Angélica María, Enrique Guzmán, and Franco de Vita have already been recorded.

Joining the incredibly talented list is Marc Anthony, who according to TVyNovelas, has been working in the studio with Juan Gabriel and music producer Gustavo Farías. The selected song has yet to be confirmed but rumor has it they will be performing “Hasta Que Te Conocí,” song that Marc Anthony released in its salsa version back in the 90s.

Other singers rumored to be joining the production are, Christina Aguilera, Mario Domm, María Victoria, and Cristian Chávez.

Def Leppard and Styx return to the valley together this September

Traci Baker

Phoenix Concerts Examiner

August 25, 20155:10 PM MST

Joe Elliott still rocks the house!

Jordi Vidal, Getty Images (used with permission)

Thinking about what to do next month? Make sure you keep September 23 open, if you don’t already have a big redDef Leppard marked on your calendar already. Yep, the band is back on tour and making a stop right here in the Valley at Ak-Chin Pavilion. Better yet, they are brining Styx and Tesla with them!

Tickets are on sale this now at www.livenation.com and there are still some really great seats left! Tickets are priced between $25- $109, there is a ticket limit of 8 per household. The summer tour kicked off on June 23 and the 3 bands have been rocking audiences across the country all summer.

Def Leppard has made some of rock’s most memorable and popular music since their inception more than 30 years ago. A personal favorite is “Bringing on The Heartbreak,” – that brings back memories! Then of course there is “Too Late for Love,” “Photograph,” “Rock of Ages,” “Pour Some Sugar on Me” and “Foolin” just to name a few of their mega hits to get you excited about this show. Joe Elliott’s signature vocal sound and the band’s hard-rocking energy have not diminished over the years.

Styx is a touring machine, these guys are on the road all the time—and it seems like they love it. The band brings high energy every time they hit the stage. Their incredible body of songs is like the soundtrack to a generation from “Babe,” and “come Sail Away,” to “Blue Collar Man,” and “Renegade,” Styx music lives everywhere. They have so many hits, that their sets are essentially a ‘greatest hits’ show.

If you have not seen either of these bands in a while or just want to get out and have fun as the summer winds down in the Valley—plan on heading out to this show. Be sure to be on time so you don’t miss Tesla, another great band from this generation of rockers.

Chris Cornell on New Solo Album, 'Scream' Hate and Future of Soundgarden

"Often times, I'm motivated to write by some amount of melancholy," singer says

BY ANDY GREENE August 24, 2015

Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell's new LP 'Higher Truth' is a stripped-back, mellow affair influenced by Daniel Johnston, Bruce Springsteen and Nick Drake. Mat Hayward/Getty

Chris Cornell was in the middle of a seemingly endless Soundgarden tour in 1989 when he started to burn out on hard rock. "We were on the road just incessantly," he says. "Every band we toured with was super loud and aggressive with neck tattoos, black sweatshirts, black sweatpants, black sneakers. That's when I discovered Daniel Johnston's Songs of Pain. I played it over and over again in the van, and then I got into Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska and Nick Drake's Pink Moon. They were great palate cleansers."

Very little of his own music over the next couple of decades reflected the stripped-down sounds of those albums, but about five years ago he felt the need for another palate cleanser after his solo LP Scream was met with scathing reviews and anemic sales. He won back a lot of old fans with a triumphant Soundgarden reunion tour, and to keep his momentum going he followed it up with a series of solo acoustic shows he dubbed the Songbook tour. It featured unplugged renditions of Soundgarden, Temple of the Dog and Audioslave tunes, as well as covers and songs from his solo career. "The tour felt like a really special thing to me," he says. "For the first time as a solo artist, I felt like I had my own specific identity. It allowed me to draw a line through my whole career and make sense of it as one body of work."

When it came time to write tunes for his upcoming solo album Higher Truth (in stores September 18th), he decided to stick with the spirit and vibe of the shows. "I wanted to make an album of original material that serves this Songbook touring thing," he says, "and makes it a living thing as opposed to a nostalgic one that looks into the past."

To help pull that off, he tapped producer Brendan O'Brien, who he'd previously worked with on Soundgarden's Superunknown and Audioslave's Revelations. "I wanted the album to be intimate and small and so I didn't want to hire a band," says Cornell. "I also know how Brendan works. He's very focused and very quick and he always makes the right choices. Some of it was a leap of faith for me, but everything I wanted to get out of our relationship I got and none of the fears I had came to fruition at all. I feel like I got pretty lucky."

Cornell and O'Brien played the vast majority of the instruments on the album themselves, though former Pearl Jam drummer Matt Chamberlain, pianist Patrick Wong and violinist Anne-Marie Simpson contributed to select tracks. "Most of the songs with drums are either loops that I made electronically or that Brendan basically recorded just playing a little drum kit he had," Cornell says. "We just made loops, layered things and played some percussion stuff."

Many of the tracks on Higher Truth, like "Worried Moon" and "Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart," have an undeniable layer of sorrow to them. "That's not unusual for me," says Cornell. "Often times, especially in the context of an acoustic song, I'm motivated to write by some amount of melancholy. I listened to a lot of other acoustic albums going into this. There's a sort of chipper, uptempo nature to a lot of records, like with Jack Johnson, where it sounds great and there's an intimacy to it. But I don't have that in me."

The record is nearly certain to get a warmer reception than Scream. (Trent Reznor spoke for many critics when he Tweeted, "You know that feeling you get when somebody embarrasses themselves so badly you feel uncomfortable? Heard Chris Cornell's record? Jesus.") "I don't think there was any reference for [Scream] at the time," says Cornell. "And obviously the world of recorded and released music is a world that required reference 99 times out of 100. I mean, even for me, I could stand on a soap box and say that art shouldn't require reference and then still make references to you. When I hear a band I'm gonna say something like, 'It's a cross between Abba and the band Swans.' So I get it. The response to the album didn't surprise me. But I do think there is more context for it now."

That said, don't expect to hear many Scream songs on Cornell's upcoming solo tour, which kicks off September 17th in Phoenix, Arizona, and runs through early November before it heads over to Australia. That won't leave a lot of time for Soundgarden, who last played at Big Music Fest in July, but Cornell says the group is alive and well. "We're already working on new material for an album," he says. "And then I've got several other irons in the fire and things going that I won't mention now. There's a lot of things coming in addition to Higher Truth, as well as a new Soundgarden album."

Jon Batiste: How 'Colbert' Visit Became 'Late Show' Job Interview

Bandleader also reveals he and Stephen Colbert will have an "interactive" relationship on late-night program

BY DANIEL KREPS August 26, 2015

Jon Batiste will begin his late-night tenure September 8th when the Late Show With Stephen Colbert premieres, and the New Orleans-born, New York-adopted jazzman recently sat down with Katie Couric and Yahoo! News to chat about his new gig. In this exclusive clip from Couric and Batiste's conversation, the bandleader talks about the Colbert Report appearance that ended up being his job interview and what he and Stephen Colbert have planned for the show.

"We met on-screen at The Colbert Report in July. That was the first time we knew there was an energy," Batiste said. "I felt there was a very, very fun, kind of weird but awkward in a good way... interview. He broke character a bit; very playful, and also spontaneous. And I felt an energy, and he did too. We kept speaking over time, and eventually it became a conversation about the show… the next show."

Rehearsals for The Late Show are underway, and while Batiste admits that he and Colbert are still perfecting their "interactive" host/bandleader relationship, he's got some more work to do before the premiere episode on September 8th. "I've been mostly focused on the music. Figuring out how to put the sounds of social music into the context of a TV show, and figuring out how to make that connect," Batiste said.

Elsewhere in the Couric discussion, Batiste also talks about his favorite artists – Chopin, Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk and Smokey Robinson – and the "incredible musicians" in his Stay Human band. The interview concludes with Batiste and his merry band of revelers hitting the streets of New York to deliver some impromptu performances, including a surprise rendition of Stevie Wonder's "Isn't She Lovely" as played by Couric on Batiste's melodica.

Lenny Kravitz Releasing Live Blu-ray/DVD
August 2015
Link

Lenny Kravitz is coming to your living room in the form of Just Let Go, the rocker's new live video coming to Blu-ray and DVD. Along with live performances from Kravitz and his band, Just Let Go will feature interviews and rehearsal footage.

"I am a solo artist, but Just Let Go reflects on the relationship with my band and the camaraderie that develops between us while out on the road," Kravitz tells Billboard. "The film takes a deeper look into what it's like to be on tour and also gives an intimate perspective into my life with the band, both on and off stage."

Just Let Go includes live performances of 12 tracks, including "Are You Gonna Go My Way," "Fly Away" and "Strut," the title track from Kravtiz's latest album.

Just Let Gowas filmed on Kravitz's 2014 European tour in support of Strut, which means his now-infamous ripped-pants show in Sweden earlier this month won't be included in the movie.

Kravitz currently is on tour through North America, concluding with his set at the Music Midtown Festival on September 19. He tells Billboard that he will have "new music next year for sure."

Just Let Go will be released on October 23. Here's the track list:

"Fly Away"
"Dirty White Boots"
"American Woman"
"Dancin’ ‘til Dawn"
"Strut"
"It Ain’t Over ‘til It’s Over"
"New York City"
"The Chamber"
"Sister"
"Dig In"
"Let Love Rule"
"Are You Gonna Go My Way"

Christopher Guest Gets (Most of) the Gang Back Together for Netflix's 'Mascots' (Exclusive)

Christopher Guest and Jane Lynch

AP Images

by Gravity

by Borys Kit

8/26/2015 7:00am PDT

Jane Lynch, Bob Balaban, Jennifer Coolidge and other familiar Guest faces are set to return, while Catherine O'Hara and Eugene Levy currently are not. Chris O’Dowd also is in talks to join improv-heavy ensemble.

This story first appeared in the Sept. 4 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.

Nearly a decade after his last "mock­umentary" filmmaking outing in For Your Consideration, Christopher Guest is getting the gang back together again — well, most of them, anyway.

Netflix said Aug. 11 that it had signed Guest, 67, to write and direct Mascots, which will premiere in 2016 on the streaming service. What Netflix wouldn't divulge is which of Guest's usual repertory of regular actors would return to the fold. But sources tell THR that Jane Lynch, Parker Posey, John Michael Higgins, Jennifer Coolidge and Bob Balaban are in various stages of negotiations to headline Mascots, set in and around the world of sports mascots. All of these actors were featured in Guest's past three films — 2006's Consideration, 2003's A Mighty Wind and 2000's Best in Show — with Posey and Balaban going all the way back to the writer-director's 1996 community theater sendup Waiting for Guffman.

Two longtime familiar faces, however, are not due to return, according to insiders: Eugene Levy, who also co-wrote the four previous Guest satires, and frequent scene-stealer Catherine O'Hara. It's unclear why neither will be making a fifth Guest appearance, though scheduling could have something to do with it — both are starring on the Canadian television comedy Schitt's Creek, which Levy co-created with his son Daniel Levy (the series, which airs on the Pop network in the U.S., has been picked up for a second season).Mascots is due to start shooting in November in Los Angeles.

Levy and O'Hara might be no-shows, but sources tell THR that Chris O'Dowd, the Irish IT Crowd actor who broke out stateside in Bridesmaids and has appeared in St. Vincent and HBO's Girls, is in talks to join the cast. The experienced comedian should be a good fit for Guest's improv-heavy ensemble, which this time around will be riffing on the off-kilter world of mascots — specifically, "The 8th World Mascot Association Championships, where a group of 'unusual' men and women, with big heads and furry suits, compete to win the prestigious gold fluffy award and be crowned best mascot in the world," according to a teaser poster that Netflix released.

Guest (UTA) never has been a big box-office draw as a director (Best in Showis his highest-grossing effort at $20.8 million), but his style of filmmaking has influenced everything from The Office to Modern Family.

'Scandal' Season 5 Spoilers: Is Mia Maestro Olivia's New Gladiator? Plus 9 Exciting Details

"The Strain" star Mia Maestro has moved on from vampires to the political freakshow that is "Scandal." The actress has joined the ABC drama in a major recurring role for season five, Deadline reports. This marks Maestro’s return to ABC, where she had a heavily recurring role on another popular drama series, "Alias," as Jennifer Garner’s sister.

With most Shonda Rhimes shows, the character Maestro will play is being kept hush hush, but there is a chance that the actress will could be a new gladiator for Olivia (Kerry Washington). Rhimes told TV Line that there will be a “reconstitution” of Olivia Pope & Associates when the series premieres this fall.

We can't wait to find out what role Maestro will have when "Scandal" returns for its fifth season Sept. 24. Until then check out these other nine exciting details about the coming season below:

1. The first important bit of information is the release date! Early this year it was announced "Scandal" had been renewed for a new season and that it would premiere Thursday Sept. 24 at 9 p.m. ET on ABC. So mark your calendars and get ready for more Olivia Pope and gladitors.

2. There are a few character promotions for season five. It had previously been reported that Portia de Rossi was upgraded from recurring character to series regular. Now Shonda Rhimes is bringing back another recurring character as a regular. Cornelius Smith Jr., who plays activist Marcus Walker, will return for season five TVLine reports.

3. As for the main cast as of now we should expect the return of Kerry Washington (Olivia), Darby Stanchfield (Abby), Katie Lowes (Quinn), Guillermo Diaz (Huck), Jeff Perry (Cyrus), Tony Goldwyn (Fitz), Joshua Malina (David Rosen) and Bellamy Young (Mellie).

4. One name is still up in the air and that's Scott Foley who plays B613 operative and sometime boyfriend to Olivia, Jake Ballard. According to Celeb Dirty Laundry Foley will most likely not return as he and the shows star Kerry Washington have a real life ongoing feud.

"Sources say Kerry Washington's tense relationship with on-screen boyfriend Scott Foley is what got his character riddled with stab wounds on the season finale," a source reportedly told Star Magazine. "While Scott has assured fans that he will be back next season, he also has hinted that Shonda Rhimes said the end is near."

"Kerry is a very take-charge gal, but Scott is a veteran actor with his own opinions, and many of them rubbed Kerry the wrong way. Scott knows that Kerry is tight with Shonda, so he sees the writing on the wall. He wouldn't be surprised if he got killed off early this fall."

5. A new gladiator will join the ranks! When the fifth season was announced Shonda also revealed that there will be a new gladiator added to the mix. Rhimes stated that this person will be someone we have seen before. Could it be a gladiator from the past like Stephen Finch (Henry Ian Cusick) or perhaps someone Liv already worked with like Josie Marcus (Lisa Kudrow)?

6. Bellamy Young teases Mellie's next move in a interview with Hollywood Life. The actress shared in a podcast about what she expects to see from Mellie in the new season, as well as her overall hopes for the tough lady.

“I can’t imagine her saying, ‘well I accept,'” Bellamy said about whether she believes Mellie will fight back in the new season. As far as the rest of Mellie’s life, Bellamy wants only the fiercest for her. “I hope ultimately that Mellie is president and Fitz is by her side and he loves her so much again and they’ve weathered that Olivia storm, and now they’re together and it’s happiness,” Bellamy said.

AUGUST 24, 2015 4:21pm PT by Rebecca Ford

Kevin Bacon to Star in Stage Version of 'Rear Window'

Kevin Bacon

Arthur Mola/Invision/AP

by Gravity

by David Rooney

8/24/2015 9:01pm PDT

Playwright Keith Reddin has adapted the Alfred Hitchcock classic, which will be directed by Tony winner Darko Tresnjak.

Stepping into the shoes of James Stewart in the Alfred Hitchcock screen classic, Kevin Bacon has signed on to play the wheelchair-bound photographer convinced he has witnessed a murder in the stage adaptation of Rear Window.

Based on the same Cornell Woolrich short story that inspired the 1954 Hitchcock film with Stewart and Grace Kelly, the play will have its world premiere this fall at Hartford Stage, running Oct. 22-Nov. 15. The production will be staged by the Connecticut company's artistic director, Darko Tresnjak, who won a Tony Award in 2014 for A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder.

"I read Cornell Woolrich's classic crime story Rear Window in high school, and it made a lasting impression," said Tresnjak. "I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to direct a stage version 30 years later, when the issues of surveillance and voyeurism have become even more pertinent. Keith Reddin'staut adaptation takes place inside of a sweltering, claustrophobic apartment, very much like the addled brain of the leading character, who will be played by Kevin Bacon. I can't imagine finer collaborators than Kevin and Keith in exploring the terrifying psychological landscape of this timeless thriller."

The play is being presented by special arrangement with producers Charlie Lyons, Jay Russell and Jeff Steen. Lyons and Russell first announced the project in 2012 as a vehicle for Broadway, before the writer, director and star were attached. No plans have been confirmed for the production after its Hartford Stage run, though it seems fair to speculate that a Broadway destination is the ultimate goal.

Additional cast is to be announced.

Bacon will next be seen onscreen with Johnny Depp, Benedict Cumberbatch,Joel Edgerton and Dakota Johnson in the Whitey Bulger crime bio-dramaBlack Mass, which has its world premiere Sept. 4 at the Venice Film Festival.

Lea Seydoux Circling X-Men Movie 'Gambit' Opposite Channing Tatum

Lea Seydoux AP Images/Invision

AUGUST 24, 2015 4:21pm PT by Rebecca Ford

Rupert Wyatt is directing the 'X-Men' spinoff.

Lea Seydoux has received an offer to star inGambit, 20th Century Fox’s X-Men spinoff movie,opposite Channing Tatum.

Rupert Wyatt, who directed Fox’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes, will direct the film.

Josh Zetumer penned the script for the film, based on a treatment by Gambit co-creator Chris Claremont. Tatum, Reid Carolin,Lauren Shuler Donner and Simon Kinberg are producing.

Seydoux just has an offer at this point, so there's always the possibility that it won't make. But if it does, she'll play the head of the Assassin’s Guild, a woman named Bella.

Gambit, centering on the card-throwing superhero who can manipulate kinetic energy, is slated for release Oct. 7, 2016.

Seydoux is known for her work in Blue Is the Warmest Color, The Grand Budapest Hotel and Saint Laurent. Her upcoming projects include The Lobster, which premiered at Cannes, and the next James Bond film, Spectre. She’s repped by WME and United Agents.

Keegan-Michael Key, Gillian Jacobs to Star in Mike Birbiglia’s ‘Don’t Think Twice’

MOVIES | By Jeff Sneider on August 25, 2015 @ 1:48 pmFollow @theinsneider

The dramatic comedy follows the bitterness and backstabbing that occur in an improv group

Mike Birbiglia (“Sleepwalk With Me”) has started production on his new dramatic comedy “Don’t Think Twice,” in which he’ll star alongside Keegan-Michael Key (“Key and Peele”), Gillian Jacobs (“Community”), Kate Micucci (“Garfunkel and Oates”), Tami Sagher (“Inside Amy Schumer” writer) and Chris Gethard (“Broad City”).

Birbiglia is writing and directing the film, which will be financed by Cold Iron Pictures and The Film Arcade. Birbiglia is also producing with Cold Iron’s Miranda Bailey and Amanda Marshall, while Ira Glass is executive producing with the Film Arcade’s J. Beck and Andy Bohn. Production is under way in New York.

“Don’t Think Twice” follows an improv group who loses the lease on their home theater at the same time that one of their cast members gets chosen for the biggest sketch comedy show on TV. It’s about the bitterness and backstabbing that occur between friends when they realize that maybe not everyone’s gonna make it after all.

“I don’t wanna give away too much but I’m over the moon about filming this project with this cast, this crew, and these producers,” said Birbiglia. “Miranda Bailey and the team at Cold Iron and Film Arcade are such a creative and thoughtful bunch of folks. This is exactly what I want to be doing and I can’t wait for people to see it.”

“Mike’s first feature was so endearing – I couldn’t get it out of my mind — I knew I had to work with him on his next film. After several meetings & emails of me begging… he finally relented,” added Bailey. “‘Don’t Think Twice’ is a hilarious and moving script, with a terrific cast and I feel so lucky we get to work together. “

In addition to his successful one-man shows, “Sleepwalk With Me” and “My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend,” Birbiglia has acted in Judd Apatow‘s “Trainwreck” and Josh Boone‘s “The Fault In Our Stars,” as well as the acclaimed TV series “Girls” and “Orange is the New Black.”

UTA Independent Film Group negotiated the deal on behalf of the filmmakers with The Film Arcade, which was represented by attorney Greg S. Bernstein.

Birbiglia is repped by UTA, which also reps Key and Jacobs along with Principato-Young Entertainment and Authentic Talent, respectively. Micucci is repped by WME and Principato-Young Entertainment. Sagher is repped by UTA and Thruline. Gethard is repped by APA and AGI Entertainment Media & Management.

Ana De La Reguera Previews Upcoming Netflix Series 'Narcos' And Talks Latino Immigrants

Forest Whitaker Sets Broadway Debut in 'Hughie'

Forest Whitaker

AP

Jennifer Lawrence, Amy Schumer Writing Screenplay Together

Photo

Jennifer LawrenceCredit Mario Anzuoni/Reuters

Photo

Amy SchumerCredit Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images

LOS ANGELES – Lucy and Ethel. Laverne and Shirley. Poehler and Fey. And now … Jennifer and Amy?

On Wednesday, Jennifer Lawrence met with a reporter here to discuss her final turn as Katniss Everdeen in “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2,” arriving in theaters on Nov. 20. But the conversation inevitably turned to more casual subjects, and Ms. Lawrence casually broke some news: She is writing a comedic screenplay with Amy Schumer(“Trainwreck”) and the women plan to co-star in it.

“We play sisters,” Ms. Lawrence said. “We’re almost done writing. It just flowed out of us. We’ve got about 100 pages right now.”

She continued, “Amy and I were creatively made for each other. We have different flavors. It’s been the most fun experience of my life. We start the day off on the phone, laughing. And then we send each other pages. And we crack up. I’m flying out tomorrow to see her in Chicago. We’ll write a little bit with her sister, Kim, who worked with Amy when she was writing ‘Trainwreck.’”

Ms. Lawrence said that she only met Ms. Schumer a couple of months ago.

“I emailed her after I saw ‘Trainwreck’ and said, ‘I don’t know where to get started. I guess I should just say it: I’m in love with you,’” she recalled. “We started emailing, and then emailing turned to texting.”

In early August, Ms. Schumer invited her new friend to go jet skiing and the resulting photos lit up the Internet. “We really hit it off, to say the least,” Ms. Lawrence said.

She picked up her phone. “Let me just text Amy and tell her that I told you,” she said, beginning to type. Ms. Schumer responded immediately. Ms. Lawrence glanced at the message, and threw her head back in laughter.

“I wrote, ‘I just spilled the beans to The New York Times. Is that O.K.?’” she said. “And Amy wrote back, ‘That you’re gay? Totally! It’s exciting!’”

‘Martin’ Star Tisha Campbell-Martin Returns to Primetime TV!

Mercedes Mason on the 'bowl of colors' diversity ofFear the Walking Dead

BY DALTON ROSS

Posted August 21 2015 — 12:19 PM EDT

In the last in the series of our on-set interviews with the cast of Fear the Walking Dead (which debuts Sunday night at 9 p.m. ET on AMC), we speak with Mercedes Mason, who plays Ofelia — daughter of Rubén Blades’ Daniel Salazar. We chatted in between takes about the importance of an ethnically diversity cast, being a huge fan of the original Walking Dead, and having to play a little dumb when it comes to zombies.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: I asked the producers about all the characters, but you probably have your own take on Ofelia. So tell me about your character.
MERCEDES MASON: She’s a musical theater star! No, I’m kidding. So Ofelia is very much a child of immigrant parents. She’s a little bit sheltered, a little bit naïve. She’s been very protected. However, she is unaware of this, so she thinks she’s protecting her immigrant parents who struggle a bit with the language at times — especially her mother Griselda doesn’t speak much English. So she feels protective. She needs to make sure that she can provide a good life for them so she’s started working and she’s helping them any way she can.

As things start progressing and the apocalypse starts coming in, the rules start reversing. She starts figuring out a lot more about her father that she was completely unaware of. Her mother and her father have a secret that she hasn’t been let in on, so she’s constantly feeling like an outsider, and eventually something happens that forces her to do a 180. It’s like fight or flight. Sometimes when something dire happens, you either crumble and die or you step up and become strong. I think Ofelia has a lot of strength in her but until this moment, until the apocalypse hit, she hasn’t really been able to exercise that. I think she’s now faced with all the demons of the world and she’s gotta step up. Or fade away and then I’m off the show.

This is a really diverse cast, which you don’t see everywhere on television, but it’s something theWalking Dead world seems intent on exploring.
One hundred percent. Our show specifically takes place in east LA, which is very much a diverse place. It’s like a bowl of colors, for lack of a better word. And yeah, I think if nothing else, not to get political, but you have things happening like the shooting at the church that recently happened, and we need to have more diversity on TV. We need to have everybody represented. It’s small thinking to have just the small group of people represented on TV. I really appreciate that they expand and are able to bring in a lot of cultures, a lot of beliefs, especially when you put it in the mindset of the apocalypse. It really forces people to view themselves and view each other, create families, create bonds that a lot of shows don’t have the ability to do.

“Family” is something I keep hearing about with this show. So it’s a zombie show, sure, but also more a show about these families dealing with a tragic situation that could be relatable in a lot of different ways.
To me, the walkers are more of a catalyst. They sort of represent humanity and our fears. They force everything to the surface immediately as opposed to a slow burn. When you’re faced with death, when your neighbor you had coffee with yesterday tries to eat your face off, you’re forced into this mindset of fight or flight, Lord of the Flies-type of concept, and I think it’s so apropos to have people forced into understanding what family is because it’s such a changing dynamic. The traditional mother-father-child is no longer the concept of a family. There’s so much more going on, and I love that they’re allowing us to go into that and reestablish what family even means, and break out of the traditional norms.

How familiar were you with the Walking Deadworld when you signed up for this?
Huge fan. I lost my s— when I got this. They’re very secretive, but I sort of got wind of the fact that they were looking for this. I must’ve harassed my agents. I called them at home crying. [Laughs] I definitely pushed hard for it, and AMC is such a wonderful network to work for. We’re very lucky. I was a hugeWalking Dead fan, and I sort of had all the same questions that I know all the other fans did: What happened to Rick Grimes before he woke up in the hospital? What was the world like? And we’re exploring all that now. It’s perfect.

It’s funny because your character doesn’t know what you as a fan of The Walking Dead know about zombies, so you have to play dumb a little bit.
I know! It’s really fascinating because some of the other actors, because of their own choices, didn’t want to watch the other show. I just happened to be a fan to begin with. The fan in me knows way more than Mercedes the actor and way more than Ofelia. With Ofelia, I almost have to use two different parts of my brain. Or just act dumb. Especially because none of our characters even know what this is. We think it’s just a riot, civil unrest. We have no idea what’s up against us. So it’s a fascinating study, if nothing else.

It’s tricky, though. You have to be careful because it’s exciting to show that, but you don’t want the characters to seem too dumb.
It’s very tricky. But I have to say, it goes back to the pressure about whether people are going to like the show. Personally, if we were going to come in and take the other show over or kick them out, I think there would be civil unrest. But the fact that we’re running parallel — and while you’re not watching one you’re watching the other — it’s perfect. You get a Walking Dead throughout the year, instead of taking these big hiatuses. I’m going to use all the five-dollar words I have, by the way. “Plethora!”

Was it cool when you started seeing zombie extras just kind of hanging out on set?
My dog lost his mind this morning. I took him here to just get out and we’ll sit in the sun whenever I can and I’m going through my sides or reading a book or whatever. We’re walking back and there’s a guy with a full hood, like something out of Halloween, and his face obviously scary as can be. I wasn’t paying attention. I looked up at the last second, he was standing there, and just out of normal human reaction cause I haven’t seen a lot of them, I squealed a little bit and my dog went bananas — like, assumed this guy’s here to kill his mommy, and he went after him. The guy’s like “Aah! Aah!’ It’s been amazing.

For more Fear the Walking Dead intel, follow Dalton on Twitter@DaltonRoss.

CREDIT: Getty Images

On the 14th anniversary of the sudden and tragic passing of Aaliyah, friends, family and fans share their remarks and memories about the beloved singer who died in a plane crash in 2001. As her closest collaborators Timbaland and Missy Elliott share messages of love on social media, one person who never got to work with Aaliyah also had a message: Janet Jackson.

Taking to Twitter with a handwritten note, Jackson penned a short and sweet tribute to the fallen star:

“What I shared with u ever sacred everlasting N it’s pure + it will endure
I love u Aaliyah
#RIP
J”

While Aaliyah got the chance to express that she–among a slew of other young artists–was influenced by Jackson, the two never fulfilled plans of a joint song. In an interview in 2006, Jackson recalled the only time she got to hang out with Aaliyah, and highlighted her beauty inside and out.

“This is someone that I had the opportunity of meeting only once in my life because of Missy, and we hung out one night. And I really felt like we were gonna become really good friends,” Jackson said. “What a sweet girl, and one of the most stunning looking women I have ever seen in my life in person, just absolutely gorgeous.”

Follow

Janet JacksonVerified account‏@JanetJackson

I know u r there shining down on me. #ConversationsInACafe

TV Review: ‘Fear the Walking Dead’

COURTESY OF AMC

AUGUST 4, 2015 | 09:08PM PT

Brian Lowry

TV Columnist@blowryontv

The wisdom of situating “The Walking Dead” spinoff in a different place (Los Angeles) and time (at the very beginning of the apocalyptic outbreak) sounded like a shrewd move, and might still be. Yet the 90-minute premiere for “Fear the Walking Dead,” the eagerly anticipated offshoot of AMC’s megahit, initially feels too much like a snore, narrowly following a single, not-terribly-interesting family, and leaning heavily on musical cues to stoke a sense of suspense. A second episode begins to propel the story forward, thankfully, but for starters, anyway, it’s more a snack than a feast.

Created by “Dead’s” comic-book patriarch Robert Kirkman and Dave Erickson, the new show can’t help but be a hit given the built-in demand and curiosity, which affords the creative team the latitude to proceed at its own pace. That said, the introduction ambles along too leisurely – dare one say zombie-like? – with a fair amount of fabricated tension but precious little that actually quickens the pulse.

The opening is certainly a grabber, with a 19-year-old junkie, Nick (Frank Dillane), awakening to a sight that, while familiar to “Dead” heads, should be enough to put any character that survives on a path to the straight and narrow. The experience lands Nick in the hospital, leaving his mother Madison (Kim Dickens) and her boyfriend Travis (Cliff Curtis) at their wits end.

Even Nick isn’t entirely sure what to believe, although evidence gradually begins to mount that something is very, very wrong, including a disturbing encounter caught on video by the local news. That said, through the pilot “Fear” is more concerned with the micro – and indeed, this single family, including Madison’s daughter Alicia (Alycia Debnam-Carey) – than the macro, as if an episode of “Parenthood” suddenly had to deal with the zombie apocalypse.

A second episode, fortunately, improves matters considerably, mostly in charting how the uncertainty of what’s happening begins to break down society, from civil unrest to rampant fear of the unknown. This hour points in a more promising direction, although as yet the characters still seem a little malnourished, particularly compared with the original, which niftily wedded a horror motif to an ongoing, evolving soap opera where no one is completely safe (OK, maybe just a few key people).

For “Walking Dead” fans, “Fear” does tap into a fertile vein, since the earlier show’s main protagonist, Rick, slept through humanity’s fall in a coma, leaving flashbacks to putty in only some of the gaps. Watching social norms collapse clearly plants an uncomfortable foot in reality, although Erickson, Kirkman and company have a long way to go in terms of conjuring anything approaching that sort of emotional investment in these characters.

Granted, the obvious goal was to see these extraordinary events unfold through ordinary people, but Dickens and Curtis, both fine actors, are left to dine on a too-thin gruel.

Strictly in pragmatic terms, AMC was savvy about scheduling the show, launching it in a relatively dead window that will only help pound the drums for the mother ship’s annual landing in October. In success, this second series — already renewed for another season — has plenty of room to grow without intruding on that other universe, while offering the opportunity to strategically help fill the gaps in the original’s lengthy hiatuses.

Because “Walking Dead” is such a juggernaut, AMC can easily ride those coattails, at least for a while. Yet when it comes to the longterm future of this new program, the network might discover that the only thing it has to fear is, ultimately, “Fear” itself.

TV Review: 'Fear the Walking Dead'

(Series; AMC, Sun. Aug. 23, 9 p.m.)

Production

Filmed in Los Angeles by Circle of Confusion, Symbound and Valhalla Entertainment.

Crew

Executive producers, Dave Erickson, Robert Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, David Alpert, Greg Nicotero; co-executive producers, David Wiener, Adam Davidson; producers, Ron French, Craig Forrest, Bill Johnson; director, Davidson; writers, Kirkman, Erickson; camera, Michael McDonough; production designer, Michael Bolton. 90 MIN.

Cast

Kim Dickens, Cliff Curtis, Frank Dillane, Alycia Debnam-Carey, Elizabeth Rodriguez, Lorenzo James Henrie, Ruben Blades, Patricia Reyes Spindola, Mercedes Mason

Tracy Morgan Marries Longtime Fiancee In “Emotional” Ceremony

News

Iyana Robertson @sincerely_iyana / August 24, 2015

CREDIT: People Magazine

Tracy Morgan has officially tied the knot with his longtime fiancee, Megan Wollover. The 46-year-old comedian wed his 26-year-old mate after crediting her for his recovery following the fatal car crash that claimed the life of his friend James McNair. The “emotional” ceremony took place on Sunday (Aug. 23), People confirms. Wollover released a statement to the website on the nuptials.

“After almost losing Tracy last year, I am so grateful to finally be married to the love of my life,” Wollover said.

Morgan and Wollover were engaged since 2011. The couple have a two-year-old daughter named Maven. During his first interview following the six-car crash, Morgan shared that his family kept his spirits while dealing with the loss of McNair. “I’ve been down. I have my family, my wife, Megan – we’re about to be married – and my daughter and my son,” he told Matt Lauer. “So they keep my spirits up.”

Things are looking up for Morgan, who will be making his return to Saturday Night Live on Oct. 17. Congratulations to the newlyweds.

CREDIT: Getty Images

[img:$uid]http://i.imgur.com/zDBeet0.jpg[/img:$uid]





On newsstands now.

Luis Gomez

CHICAGO TRIBUNElgomez​@chicagotribune.com

Amy Schumer and Jennifer Lawrence made a surprise guest appearance at Billy Joel's Wrigley Field concert in Chicago on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2015.

Amy Schumer was reunited with Billy Joel’s “Uptown Girl” on Thursday at Wrigley Field.

Schumer and pal Jennifer Lawrence danced on Joel's piano during his concert, according to video from the show, as he performed his classic song, which is featured prominently in Schumer’s film “Trainwreck."

“Inside Amy Schumer” writer Kyle Dunnigan posted video on Instagram of Schumer and Lawrence rehearsing with Joel earlier in the day. “Rehearsals a little rough,” wrote Dunnigan, who also posted a group photo that included the two actresses with the caption, "Get ready for a bunch of billy joel photos. Me amy schumer and jennifer lawrence are going on stage tonight.”

(Dunnigan has since deleted both the video and photo, for some reason.)

Lawrence told The New York Times on Wednesday that she and Schumer met just a couple months ago and have been writing a comedy together.

“We play sisters,” Lawrence said in the interview. “We’re almost done writing. It just flowed out of us. We’ve got about 100 pages right now. … Amy and I were creatively made for each other. We have different flavors. It’s been the most fun experience of my life. We start the day off on the phone, laughing. And then we send each other pages. And we crack up. I’m flying out tomorrow to see her in Chicago. We’ll write a little bit with her sister Kim, who worked with Amy when she was writing ‘Trainwreck.’”

Schumer has been in Chicago as of late visiting her brother and Chicago resident Jason Stein. She performed with his band, Jason Stein Quartet, at Constellation in the Lakeview neighborhood Aug. 18 and again on Tuesday, only this time the siblings were joined by rapper Talib Kweli. On Saturday, Schumer will take part in the Oddball Comedy Fest at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre in Tinley Park.

ELISABETH MOSS MAKES 'QUEEN OF EARTH' VITAL

Elisabeth Moss Sean Price Williams

Sometimes a face is enough to anchor a movie. In writer-director Alex Ross Perry's Queen of Earth, Elisabeth Moss plays Catherine, a young city-dweller who, after recently suffering both her father's death by suicide and a crushing breakup, treks to the country to spend a week with her best friend, Ginny (Katherine Waterston). We're not sure, at first, if Ginny is Catherine's closest ally or her most threatening saboteur — there are times when even the most loyal friend can show aspects of both. But either way, the trauma Catherine has endured is bound to have consequences. Moss leads us, gently, through Catherine's creeping descent into what we all-too-casually call madness. Almost everything she is feeling can be read in Moss's eyes: Unnervingly matte or shining with blank, eerie joy, they're the windows to a soul that's clearly coming apart at the seams.

Catherine's the woman who shows up to a party in smeared lipstick, saying and doing strange things, deeply uncomfortable with making chitchat over plastic cups full of overly acidic wine. She's a woman we can relate to, though definitely not one we want to be. Yet Queen of Earth is also a semi-comedy, often funny in an intentionally bleak way. And that, besides Moss, is what makes it work.

FILM DETAILS

Critics' Pick

Queen of Earth

Rating:NR Genre:DramaRunning Time:90 min.

That isn't to say Perry doesn't take his lead character, or her intense pain, seriously. But he also knows the power of a deeply pleasurable movie cliché: The picture is framed as a Seventies genre exercise — we're tipped off to that by the opening title card, on which the words "Queen of Earth" are splashed in a flourish of pink script, with "2015" spelled out in Roman numerals at the bottom of the screen. But even if Queen of Earth is presented with something of a sly wink, it's far less gimmicky and self-conscious than Perry's last film, Listen Up Philip, in which Jason Schwartzman played an unbearable young writer emulating an unbearable old one. Moss also appeared in that movie, as the girlfriend Schwartzman ditches in his state of depressed self-regard. Philip hit its truest notes when it showed her drifting through New York, trying to heal her heartbreak using the patented method of JWA (short for Just Walking Around). If only the whole picture had been about her.

With Queen of Earth, Perry gives Moss the vehicle he clearly saw she deserved. It's the sort of movie that, had it actually been released in the Seventies, would have been passed off as throwaway drive-in fare — you might have gone to it with a bunch of friends on a lark, only to find its deep chilliness following you home in the night. Perry finds some acute, expressive visuals to map the extent of Catherine's crackup, some of them very simple: In one sequence she sits, a terrified captive lump bundled into a life jacket, in the center of a canoe paddled by Ginny and her sniggering, vaguely menacing boyfriend (played by Patrick Fugit). The water is exceedingly calm; the passenger is anything but. She barely moves, but she's ready to capsize any minute.

There's a lot going on in this modestly scaled movie: It's a meditation on the rickety foundations on which even close friendships can be built, and on the notion of whether or not nature — even with all its soothing sounds and comforting greenery — is really our ally. It's also a teasing admonition that we shouldn't believe everything we see, as well as a stylish, whispery love letter to psychological horror studies like Repulsion, Persona, and possibly Brian De Palma's Sisters. Waterston — so quietly effective as a California dream babe in Paul Thomas Anderson's Inherent Vice — walks a deft line here: Ginny is part self-absorbed feline, part horrified witness to suffering. Waterston's performance is sturdy and understated, a generous support for all the things the movie asks of Moss. Perry opens the film with a Falconetti-style close-up of Catherine, a woman whose makeup has been blurred by tears just as her eyes have been blurred by pain. In the movie's flashback sequences, she seems normal, whatever that is, and happy, whatever that is. But in Queen of Earth, we're never sure which reality to trust. The only thing we can be sure of is our perception of Catherine's gradual, painful unspooling. To look away from it is everything we wish for. It also happens to be impossible.

Queen of Earth
Written and directed by Alex Ross Perry
IFC Films
Opens August 26, IFC Center

Written and directed by Alex Ross Perry. Starring Elisabeth Moss, Katherine Waterston, Patrick Fugit, and Kentucker Audley.

LES MISERABLES Cast Member Kyle Jean-Baptiste Dies at 21

BroadwayWorld.com is devasted to report the news thatLes Miserables cast member Kyle Jean-Baptiste died last evening at the too young age of 21 after an accident at home, falling off his mother's fire escape.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends, loved ones and castmates.

The company has just released a statement to BroadwayWorld.com, telling us that "The entire LES MISERABLES family is shocked and devastated by the sudden and tragic loss of Kyle, a remarkable young talent and tremendous person who made magic - and history - in his Broadway debut. We send our deepest condolences to his family and ask that you respect their privacy in this unimaginably difficult time."

LES MISERABLES history was made earlier this month when the 21-year-old African-American actor went on as Jean Valjean.

Jean Valjean understudy Kyle Jean-Baptiste, who usually played Constable and Courfeyrac, was not only the youngest Jean Valjean to appear on Broadway, but he is also the first African American one to do so. Besides making history, Jean-Baptiste fulfilled a personal goal.

"Today I go on as my dream role," he tweeted on the night. "No words. Guna remember this night."

A recent graduate of Baldwin Wallace, Jean-Baptiste also recently portrayed Enjorlas in Idaho Shakespeare Festival's Les Miserables. Regionally, he appeared in a number of shows including THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR (Idaho Shakespeare/ Great Lakes Theater Fest), MURDER BALLAD THE MUSICAL (Playhouse Square), LOVE STORY THE MUSICAL (Playhouse Square), LES MISERABLES, SINGIN' IN THE RAIN and MUSIC MAN (New London Barn).

HAMILTON writer/star and outspoken Les Miserables fan Lin-Manuel Miranda tweeted his support in the form of parodied lyrics,

Remember Kyle with a coll...formances.

"RED:THE BLOOD OF ANGRY MEN
BLACK:OUR BWAY JEAN VALJEAN
RED:MAKE HISTORY AGAIN
BLACK:THE BARRICADE LIVES ON
Congrats!"

The young star later performed with Miranda during the HAMILTON #HAM4HAM lottery show, with video available here.

Jean-Baptiste concluded by tweeting his appreciation to his fans, "Thank you for all the love ! Last night was one of the best nights of my life. Thanks to all who came. C U at the barricade@LesMizBway."

Watch Kyle sing with
Lin-Manuel Miranda

Writing on his web site, Kyle revealed how he found his passion and entered the world of musical theatre. "If you would of asked me what I wanted to be growing up I'd have said a cardiologist. I grew up in Brooklyn New York and had always sung, but never took it seriously. I decided to audition for Fiorello LaGuardia for vocal performance and got in(miracle) and the rest was history. Getting thrown into the world of musical theatre was terrifying and at first I didn't know if I could handle it, but through hard work and perseverance it all came together. Acting and singing have become an extension of who I am, and I strive to use my gift to influence and inspire others. I am now shooting for the stars and trying to reach my goal of becoming the best stage and screen actor that I can be."

Wes Craven, Horror Maestro, Dies at 76

Wes Craven

by Duane Byrge

8/30/2015 6:18pm PDT

He wrote and directed the first 'Nightmare on Elm Street' film, helmed the first four 'Scream' movies and guided Meryl Steep to an Oscar nom in 'Music of the Heart.'

Wes Craven, the famed maestro of horror known for the Nightmare on Elm Street and Scream franchises, died Sunday after a battle with brain cancer. He was 76.

Craven, whose iconic Freddy Krueger character horrified viewers for years, died at his home in Los Angeles, his family announced. Survivors include his wife, producer and former Disney Studios vice president Iya Labunka.

Craven was a longtime summer resident of Martha’s Vineyard, where he moved permanently three years ago before returning to L.A. for work and health reasons.

Craven claimed to have gotten the idea for Elm Street from living next to a cemetery on a street of that name in the suburbs of Cleveland. The fiveNightmare on Elm Street films were released from 1984-89 and drew big crowds.

Similarly, Craven's Scream series was a box-office sensation. In those scare-'em-ups, he spoofed the teen horror genre and frequently referenced other horror movies.

Craven’s first feature film was The Last House on the Left, which he wrote, directed and edited in 1972. A rape-revenge movie, it appalled some viewers but generated big box office. Next came another film he wrote and helmed,The Hills Have Eyes (1977).

Craven re-invented the youth horror genre in 1984 with the classic A Nightmare on Elm Street, which he wrote and directed.

He conceived and co-wrote Elm Street III as well, and then after not being involved with other sequels, deconstructed the genre a decade after the original, writing and directing Wes Craven’s New Nightmare, which was nominated for best feature at the 1995 Spirit Awards.

His own Nightmare players, Robert Englund, Heather Langenkamp and John Saxon, played themselves in that film.

In 1996, Craven reached a new level of success with the release of Scream. The film grossed more than $100 million domestically, as did Scream 2 (1997).

Between Scream 2 and Scream 3, Craven, offered the opportunity to direct a non-genre film for Miramax, helmed Music of the Heart (1999), a film that earned Meryl Streep an Academy Award nomination for best actress in the inspirational drama about a teacher in Harlem.

“We had a very difficult time getting an audience into a theater on my name,” he said in an interview with writer-director Mick Garris in October. “In fact, we moved toward downplaying my name a lot on Music of the Heart. The more famous you are for making kinds of outrageous scary films, the crossover audience will say, ‘I don't think so.’”

Also in 1999, in the midst of directing, he completed his first novel, The Fountain Society, published by Simon & Shuster.

Craven again pushed the genre boundaries with the 2005 psychological thriller Red Eye, starring Rachel McAdams, Cillian Murphy and Brian Cox. And in 2006, he wrote and directed a romantic comedy homage to Oscar Wildefeaturing Emily Mortimer and Rufus Sewell as a segment in the French ensemble production Paris Je T’aime.

Craven then produced remakes of The Hills Have Eyes (2006) and The Last House on the Left (2009).

His most recent written and directed film, My Soul to Take (2010), marked his first collaboration with Labunka, who also produced Scream 4.

Craven directed several other thrillers and horror movies during his career, including Swamp Thing (1982), Deadly Friend (1986) and The People Under the Stairs (1991).

Craven had recently signed an overall television deal with Universal Cable Productions and had a number of projects in development, including The People Under the Stairs with Syfy Networks, Disciples with UCP, We Are All Completely Fine with Syfy/UCP, and Sleepers with Federation Entertainment.

He also was executive producing the new Scream series for MTV. The season finale of the series will pay tribute to the writer/director, an MTV spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter.

Craven had recently written and was to direct the Thou Shalt Not Kill segment for The Weinstein Co.'s Ten Commandments miniseries for WGN America. And he is listed as an executive producer of The Girl in the Photographs, a horror thriller directed by his protege, Nick Simon, that will premiere at the Toronto Film Festival next month.

Wesley Earl Craven was born Aug. 2, 1939, in Cleveland. His father died when he was 5. Raised in a strict Baptist household, he graduated from Wheaton College with degrees in English and psychology, then earned a masters in philosophy and writing from Johns Hopkins.

He briefly taught English at Westminster College and was a humanities professor at Clarkson College, where he served as a disc jockey for the campus radio station.

Craven had an eye for discovering talent. While casting A Nightmare on Elm Street, he discovered Johnny Depp. He cast Sharon Stone in her first starring role, for Deadly Blessing, and he gave Bruce Willis his first featured role in an episode of the 1980s version of The Twilight Zone.

He wed Labunka in 2004, his third marriage. Survivors also include his sisterCarol, son Jonathan, daughter Jessica, grandchildren Miles, Max and Myra-Jean and stepdaughter Nina.

Craven was a nature lover and committed bird conservationist, serving as a longtime member of the Audubon California Board of Directors. He penned a monthly column, “Wes Craven’s The Birds,” for Martha’s Vineyard Magazine.

“I come from a blue-collar family, and I’m just glad for the work,” Craven said in his chat with Garris. “I think it is an extraordinary opportunity and gift to be able to make films in general, and to have done it for almost 40 years now is remarkable.

“If I have to do the rest of the films in the [horror] genre, no problem. If I’m going to be a caged bird, I’ll sing the best song I can.

“I can see that I give my audience something. I can see it in their eyes, and they say thank you a lot. You realize you are doing something that means something to people. So shut up and get back to work.”

Pascal Chaumeil, French director of 'A Long Way Down,' Dies at 54

Pascal Chaumeil

AP

by Rhonda Richford

9/1/2015 2:43am PDT

The director, who also helmed the French hit 'Heartbreaker,' started his career as an assistant under Luc Besson and Regis Wargnier.

French director Pascal Chaumeil died Thursday in Paris after a battle with cancer. He was 54.

His wife Camille Chaumeil made the announcement Monday, as reported by AFP.

Chaumeil had finished post-production on his latest film, Un Petit Boulot (A Little Job), a crime drama starring Romain Duris and Michel Blanc. The film will be released in January as planned, his wife said in the announcement.

An established director in France, Chaumeil only just directed his English-language debut, the Nick Hornby adaptation A Long Way Down starring Pierce Brosnan, Toni Collette and Aaron Paul. The film premiered in Berlin last year.

Chaumeil started his career as an assistant director - working with Regis Wargnier on Je Suis le Seigneur du Chateau (1988) and with Luc Besson on The Professional (1994), The Fifth Element (1997), and The Messenger (1999).

After several television projects and short films, the director helmed his first feature with 2010’s Heartbreaker, starring Duris and Vanessa Paradis, which was a huge hit in France. Heartbreaker earned five Cesar nominations including in the best film category. He followed up the success with the comedy A Perfect Plan, starring Dany Boon and Diane Kruger in 2012.

Chaumeil had remained active in television, most recently directing episodes of the Canal Plus English-language series Spotless earlier this year.

Robert Rodriguez 'El Marichi' Anniversary: Director Celebrates 25 Years With Another $7K Film

In 1992, Robert Rodriguez premiered "El Mariachi," an action film about a traveling guitar player with the desire to play music for a living. The film also marked the debut of Rodriguez as a writer and director. "El Mariachi," which was done under a $7,000 budget and is the first installment in the "Mexico Trilogy" (followed "Desperado" and "Once Upon a Time in Mexico"), was originally intended for the Mexican home video market. However, execs at Columbia Pictures enjoyed the flick so much that they bought the American distribution rights.

The Mexican-American director, who has filmed renowned movies such as "Sin City," "Machete" and "Spy Kids," is now celebrating 25 years since the release of his debut flick. His idea of an awesome party is to producer yet another film with the same budget, $7K.

“I’ll have no crew; I’ll just use friends — I’ve got some pretty cool friends I can put in front of the camera — but still no crew, no money,” said Rodriguez in an interview with Nerdist Podcast. We wonder what friends he has in mine, Salma Hayek, George Clooney or Antonio Banderas, perhaps?

Rodriguez also mentioned that he plans to document the whole journey to show aspiring film students how to make a $7,000 movie in 2015. “When I made ‘Mariachi’ out of my apartment and sold it, I wanted to go tell everybody that it was possible because I would have wanted to know that. I know how many other people thought the same thing: ‘Oh I’m very creative and I have a talent for this sort of thing — but I don’t live in the right city, that I don’t know the right people — so I shouldn’t even dream about that,'" he said.

Though times have changed, we don't doubt that his upcoming flick will be just as successful as "El Mariachi," which with a short budget, managed to nab the filmmaker a two-year deal with Columbia Pictures and an audience prize at Sundance.

AUGUST 31, 2015 6:54pm PT by Kate Stanhope

'Jane the Virgin' Enlists Kesha for Guest Appearance

AP Images

The singer will play a rocker in the second episode of season two.

Another pop star is checking into the Marbella this season.

Kesha is set to guest-star on an upcoming episode of Jane the Virgin, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.

The "Tik Tok" singer will play Annabelle, a rocker – natch – who moves next door to Jane (Gina Rodriguez). She will make her debut in episode two.

“We are so thrilled Kesha will be appearing on Jane!” said showrunner Jennie Snyder Urman in a statement. “We are all huge fans of hers, and we are so excited to welcome her to the Jane the Virgin family.”

Kesha joins fellow songstress Britney Spears, who play herself in the fifth episode of the season.

Kesha's other TV credits include her MTV reality series, Kesha: My Crazy Beautiful Life, and a voice appearance on Robot Chicken.

The new season of Jane the Virgin premieres Oct. 12 at 9 p.m. on The CW.

Katherine Heigl Cast in CBS Legal Drama ‘Doubt’ for Pilot Reshoot

JIM SMEAL/BEI/REX SHUTTERSTOCK

AUGUST 24, 2015 | 02:00PM PT

Elizabeth Wagmeister

@EWagmeister

Katherine Heigl is joining CBS’ legal drama “Doubt” for the reworked pilot, which is getting a second go at the network.

Heigl has been cast as Sadie Ellis, a smart, chic and successful defense lawyer at a boutique firm who gets romantically involved with one of her clients who may or may not be guilty of a brutal crime.

The pilot from “Grey’s Anatomy” duo Tony Phelan and Joan Rater did not make the cut for a series order this past May, and Variety reported the project was poised for a reshoot this fall, after the script was rewritten and various roles were recast. With the changes, insiders say “Doubt” will be put on the fast track for series contention.

SEE MORE: CBS Preps For Reshoot of Legal Drama Pilot ‘Doubt’ (EXCLUSIVE)

In the first pilot shoot, Heigl’s role was previously filled by KaDee Strickland (“Private Practice,” “Secrets and Lies”). Teddy Sears, who has since been cast in “The Flash” season two as Jay Garrick, co-starred opposite Strickland in the original “Doubt,” though insiders tell Variety his role will also be recast.

Original cast members Dulé Hill, Dreama Walker, Elliott Gould, Kobi Libii and “Orange Is the New Black’s” Laverne Cox will still star in the repiloting of “Doubt” with Cox playing Cameron Wirth, a trans Ivy League-educated lawyer who’s both competitive and compassionate. Described as fierce and funny, Cameron’s own experience with injustice causes her to fight even harder for all of her clients.

Hill will play Albert Cobb, Sadie’s (Heigl) law partner and close friend who is working with her on a very high profile case; Walker will play Tiffany Simon, a smart, hard-working second year associate from Iowa who reports to Cameron (Cox); Gould will play Isaiah Roth, the head of the boutique go-to criminal defense firm in New York; and Libii will play Nick Brady, a smart, ambitious and enterprising recent law school graduate who is determined to work with the best criminal defense attorney in New York.

Phelan and Rater serve as writers and exec producers, along with the original creative team, exec producers Sarah Timberman, Carl Beverly and Adam Bernstein, who will also direct the new pilot.

“Doubt,” hailing from CBS TV Studios and Timberman/Beverly Productions, reunites Heigl with Phelan and Rater, who were producers on “Grey’s Anatomy,” while she starred on the ABC medical drama.

Following “Grey’s Anatomy,” Heigl has held a slew of film roles and returned to TV last season with NBC’s political thriller “State of Affairs,” which was cancelled after one season. She is repped by WME, Nancy Heigl and Silver Lining Entertainment.

Spanish Writers Guild ALMA Joins Hollywood’s The Black ListSEPTEMBER 1, 2015 | 06:43AM PT

Nick Vivarelli

International Correspondent@NickVivarelli

Spain’s writers’ guild ALMA Sindicato de Guionistas as of today has become officially partnered with The Black List, marking the second non English-language writers’ org after Italy’s Writers Guild Italia whose members’ scripts will have the opportunity to appear on the prestigious Hollywood-based online scripts database.

The agreement, which will open up new avenues for Spanish scribes, follows similar partnerships The Black List has with the Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW), the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE), the Writers Guild of Great Britain (WGGB), the Writers Guild of Canada (WGC), and The Writers Guild of Ireland (WGIR).

All ALMA members will now be able to list their scripts online in The Black List, adding their script titles, loglines, tags, and representative information, and also monitor their work’s ratings and user traffic.
They will also receive a 20% discount on all Black List paid services, which are script hosting and evaluations.

The partnership was brokered by Italian writer-producer David Bellini, president of Los Angeles-based Elsewhere Works, a rapidly growing literary/talent agency that promotes non-American writers and directors on the U.S. market and also American writers and directors in the rest of the world.

The Elsewhere Works stable includes hot Spanish helmer Manuel Martin Cuenca (“Cannibal”) and scribe Curro Royo (“The Art of Dying”).

Watch 'Fear The Walking Dead' Season 1 Episode 2 Online: What Will Happen In 'So Close, Yet So Far'?

By Latin Times | Aug 30 2015, 07:00AM EDT

AMC's "Fear the Walking Dead." AMC/Fear the Walking Dead

Tonight is an all-new episode of "The Walking Dead" spinoff, "Fear the Walking Dead" and all hell is breaking loose in the city of Angels. From the promo trailer and sneak peek clips revealed by the network we know the zombie virus is spreading and the downfall of a great city is starting.

The promo trailer doesn't tell us much about the coming episode specifically but we do know chaos is coming. In the video the zombie virus is spreading like wildfire and people are getting violent. We see the government step in to help but only causes more chaos as we see rioting, looting, shootings and much more.

Furthermore, in a sneak peek clip released by AMC we see Tobias (Lincoln A. Castellanos) and Madison (Kim Dickens) desperately running through the school hallway with canned goods on a cart when they are suddenly brought to a halt by the schools principal Artie (Scott Lawrence), who appears to have caught the deadly virus.

"Fear the Walking Dead" episode two, "So Close, Yet So Far" will air on AMC Sunday Aug. 30 at 9/8c and will be available the next day on VOD, amc.com, iTunes, Amazon, Google Play and Xbox. AMC does offer a live stream service via its webiste but you must be a subscriber to the network through your cable provider and you must sign in.

If all else fails and you don't happen to subscribe to AMC you can watch the brand new episode of "Fear the Walking Dead" here, here and here.

‘Under the Dome’ to End After Season 3 on CBS

COURTESY OF CBS

AUGUST 31, 2015 | 03:10PM PT

Elizabeth Wagmeister

@EWagmeister

“Under the Dome” will wrap up with its current season, as the season-three ender will serve as the series finale, Variety has learned. The drama, based on Stephen King’s novel, has been cancelled and will not return for a fourth season.

“Two years ago, ‘Under the Dome’ broke new ground in the summer and became an instant hit onCBS, as well as with viewers around the world,” said Nina Tassler, chair of CBS Entertainment. “‘Dome’s’ event storytelling and multiplatform business model paved the way for more original summer programming with the successful rollouts of ‘Extant’ and ‘Zoo.’ We’re excited to present the final chapter in Chester’s Mill as the story comes full circle, with the dome coming down as dramatically as it went up.”

The season-three finale on Sept. 10 will answer many questions about the dome’s origin and power, as two groups of residents will engage in one final conflict that some won’t survive.

First premiering in June 2013, “Under the Dome” opened to some of the best numbers for any summer series in years, but has consistently declined over the past two years. In live plus same-day, it averaged a 2.7 rating in adults 18-49 and 11.2 million viewers overall in its first season, but fell to a 1.6 in the demo and 7.2 million in season two and is currently averaging a 1.0 in 18-49 and 4.9 million total viewers.

This summer, “Dome” remains among the higher-rated scripted shows, and spikes on average by 80% in 18-49 (to 1.8) and about 60% in total viewers (to nearly 8 million) when going from same-night to “live plus-7,” according to Nielsen.

At the time of its first season premiere, CBS inked an SVOD licensing deal with Amazon Prime Video, and after the finale, all three seasons of “Under the Dome” will continue to stream on the service.

Last month at the Television Critics’ Assn. summer press tour, Tassler responded to reporters’ questioning the future of the series and though she teased the dome coming down, she kept the door open for discussion.

“Well, what I’ll tell you is the dome is coming down at the end of this season, but that opens up a host of other storytelling opportunities,” she said. “You just don’t know what will happen when the dome comes down. So we are not making a decision just yet.”

Mike Vogel, Rachelle Lefevre, Dean Norris, Eddie Cahill, Alexander Koch, Colin Ford, Mackenzie Lintz and Kylie Bunbury star in “Under the Dome,” which is produced by CBS Television Studios and Amblin Television with exec producers Steven Spielberg, Neal Baer, Justin Falvey, Darryl Frank, Stacey Snider, Tim Schlattmann and Peter Leto.

TV Land Renews ‘The Jim Gaffigan Show’ and ‘Impastor’ For Season 2

COURTESY OF TVLAND

AUGUST 31, 2015 | 01:30PM PT

Cynthia Littleton

Managing Editor: Television@Variety_Cynthia

TV Land has handed second-season orders to original comedies “The Jim Gaffigan Show” and “Impastor.”

Both series have performed respectably for TV Land this summer. Both are part of a rebranding effort by the Viacom cabler to take its original series in an edgier direction with serialized elements in half-hour series.

“We’re really proud of these shows that represent the new TV Land,” said Keith Cox, exec VP of development and original programming. “They have quality writing and great casts, and we’re excited to move on to season two for both.”

“Gaffigan” in an autobiographical vehicle for the veteran standup comedian. Gaffigan and Peter Tolan exec produced with Jeannie Gaffigan and showrunner Jeff Lowell. Alex Murray and Sandy Wernick of Brillstein Entertainment Partners were also EPs. The show has to date delivered an average of 4 million viewers for TV Land across three airings each week. It’s set to wrap its 11-episode season on Sept. 23.

“Impastor” stars Michael Rosenbaum as a man on the run from gambling debts who takes over the identity of a small-town pastor. Christopher Vane created the series and exec produces with Rosenbaum, Eric and Kim Tannenbaum and Rob Greenberg. “Impastor” has averaged 2.8 million viewers, with its 10-episode season to conclude on Sept. 16.

TV Review: ‘The Carmichael Show’

COURTESY OF NBC

AUGUST 25, 2015 | 07:45AM PT

Brian Lowry

TV Columnist@blowryontv

Network sitcoms have avoided being topical for such a long time that they have seemingly forgotten how. Perhaps that’s why NBC’s “The Carmichael Show” feels so ungainly, seeking to achieve a balance between tackling timely issues regarding race while allowing plenty of time for jokes about, say, extramarital sex when the central character’s church-going mom strongly objects to it. Over the course of three episodes, some funny moments do emerge, but too often the writing feels as if it’s veering out of its lane to make points instead of doing so organically.

Written by Jerrod Carmichael and Nicholas Stoller (who directed the comic in the movie “Neighbors”), the series stars Carmichael as Jerrod, who has just taken up residence with his girlfriend Maxine (Amber Stevens West). The two are wildly happy, except that he hasn’t broken the news to his parents (David Alan Grier, Loretta Devine), who have strong opinions about everything, almost none of them expressed at anything less than a shout.

SEE MORE:NBC Orders Jerrod Carmichael Comedy to Series

Broadly speaking, there’s an Archie-arguing-with-Mike quality to Jerrod’s generational debates with his dad — who doesn’t always toe the progressive line — but this isn’t “All in the Family,” and juggling the sillier comedy with the political messages feels like dealing with serious issues in once-over-lightly fashion, as if the show is name-checking stories like the deaths of Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Fla., or Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., without having a real conversation about it.

Subsequent episodes are slightly stronger, with Maxine showing up to Jerrod’s birthday in a “Black Lives Matter” T-shirt, triggering a debate about the value of such protests. Dad, the iconoclast, doesn’t want his wife to go — only because he sees such rallies as hotbeds of sexual lust — and at one point hails Oprah Winfrey as “the reason black people wake up in the morning.”

Featuring a premiere directed by “The Big Bang Theory’s” Mark Cendrowski, “Carmichael” is an improvement over “Mr. Robinson,” the sitcom that has been keeping the time period warm the past few weeks. Still, its nobler aspirations are ultimately drowned out by its chronic hysteria, as if somebody didn’t trust the show (or the audience) to ratchet down the volume long enough to have a genuinely earnest moment.

REVIEW:‘Mr. Robinson’

Granted, network comedy is in such a sorry state of retreat right now that trying to dial back to the days of Norman Lear represents a rather logical gamble. Yet after watching “The Carmichael Show” mostly stumble through that process, the primary feeling that NBC’s latest sitcom stab evokes is a sense that for topical comedy, anyway, those really were the days.

TV Review: 'The Carmichael Show'

(Series; NBC, Wed. Aug. 26, 9 p.m.)

Production

Filmed in Los Angeles by Universal Television and Twentieth Century Fox Television.

Crew

Executive producers, Jerrod Carmichael, Nicholas Stoller, Ravi Nandan; director, Mark Cendrowski; writers, Carmichael, Stoller; camera, Gary Baum; production designer, John Shaffner; editor, Kirk Benson; casting, Jeanne McCarthy, Nicole Abellera. 30 MIN.

Cast

Jerrod Carmichael, David Alan Grier, Amber Stevens West, Loretta Devine, Lil Rel Howery

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