Posted in New Shows, News, Recommendations, Reminder, Television, TV Calendar on February 2, 2012| Leave a Comment »
Here is a list of the two news shows that will debut as well as the return of one cable series next week:
On February 6 the new NBC series Smash will debut at 10 PM.
The new series The River will debut on ABC at 9 PM on February 7.
On February 12 The Walking Dead will be back on AMC at 9 PM with all-new episodes.
Mark your calendars!
Posted in Books, News, Recommendations on February 1, 2012| 2 Comments »
Here is the next list of modern-day writers who, in their own way, have paid homage to Jane Austen’s legendary stories. The first four authors listed below have written two books while the last author has written three books either inspired by Austen’s characters or based on the author herself.
They appear in alphabetical order:
Persuade Me by Juliet Archer
JULIET ARCHER
“Persuade Me (Darcy & Friends)”
To Be Released On: May 15, 2012
When do you let your heart rule your head? When it comes to love, Anna Elliot is stuck in the past. No one can compare to Rick Wentworth, the man she gave up ten years ago at the insistence of her disapproving family. What if she’s missed her only chance for real happiness? Since Anna broke his heart, Rick has moved on – or so he thinks. Out in Australia, he’s worked hard to build a successful career – and a solid wall around his feelings. The words ‘forgive and forget’ aren’t in Rick’s vocabulary. The word ‘regret’ is definitely in Anna’s. So, when they meet again on his book tour of England, it’s an opportunity for closure. But memories intrude – the pure sensuality of what they once shared, the pain of parting … And she has to deal with another man from her past, while his celebrity status makes him the focus of unwanted attention. With Anna’s image-obsessed family still ready to interfere and Rick poised to return to Australia, can she persuade him to risk his heart again?
The Importance of Being Emma by Juliet Archer
JULIET ARCHER
“The Importance of Being Emma (Darcy & Friends)”
To Be Released on: May 15, 2012
Mark Knightley – handsome, clever and rich – is used to women falling at his feet. Except Emma Woodhouse, who’s like part of the family – and the furniture. When their relationship changes dramatically, is it an ending or a new beginning? Emma’s grown into a stunningly attractive young woman, full of ideas for modernizing her family business. Then Mark gets involved and the sparks begin to fly. It’s just like the old days, except that now he’s seeing her through totally new eyes. While Mark struggles to keep his feelings in check, Emma remains immune to the Knightley charm. She’s never forgotten that embarrassing moment when he discovered her teenage crush on him. He’s still pouring scorn on all her projects, especially her beautifully orchestrated campaign to find Mr. Right for her ditzy PA. And finally, when the mysterious Flynn Churchill – the man of her dreams – turns up, how could she have eyes for anyone else?
George Knightley, Esquire: Charity Envieth Not by Barbara Cornthwaite
BARBARA CORNTHWAITE
“George Knightley, Esquire: Charity Envieth Not”
Publication Date: December 7, 2009
George Knightley is the owner of a considerable estate, a landlord, a magistrate, and a bachelor: a state that his brother John is perpetually prodding him to change. Thankfully, there is no one remotely suitable in his entire circle of acquaintance…or so he thinks. An unwanted interloper, a few romantic mishaps amongst his friends, and the dawning realization that Emma Woodhouse is no longer a child might just change everything.
George Knightley, Esquire: Lend Me Leave (Volume 2) by Barbara Cornthwaite
BARBARA CORNTHWAITE
“George Knightley, Esquire: Lend Me Leave (Volume 2)”
Publication Date: August 19, 2011
A rival for the hand of Emma Woodhouse has brought about George Knightley’s realization of the true nature of his attachment to her. He is determined to win her in spite of Frank Churchill’s charming ways, and he has only to figure out how to make her realize that they were meant for each other. As he joins the ranks of the heart-sore men of Donwell, hope grows ever more faint, but good news sometimes comes at the most unexpected moments.
The Other Mr. Darcy by Monica Fairview
MONICA FAIRVIEW
“The Other Mr. Darcy”
Publication Date: June 30, 2009
When Caroline Bingley, for the first time in her life, collapses to the floor and sobs at Mr. Darcy’s wedding, she does not think anyone is watching. Imagine her humiliation when she discovers that a stranger has witnessed her emotional display. Miss Bingley, understandably, resents this unknown gentleman very much, even if he is Mr. Darcy’s American cousin. And a year later, when she is forced to travel to Pemberley with him, she still has not forgiven him. But her attempts to snub him fail completely, and, as the Bennets’ descend upon them, she finds herself spending more and more time in his company, with her rigid standards of behavior slipping slowly away. Is there more to the infamous Miss Bingley than meets the eye? And can this other Mr. Darcy break through her reserve?
The Darcy Cousins by Monica Fairview
MONICA FAIRVIEW
“The Darcy Cousins”
Publication Date: April 1, 2010
There are a few surprises in store for that bastion of tradition, Rosings Park, when the family gathers as they have done every year during Easter. Clarissa Darcy, Mr. Darcy’s American cousin, bursts upon the scene and Georgiana Darcy, usually a shy model of propriety, decides to take a few lessons from her unconventional cousin, to the delight of a neighboring gentleman. Meanwhile, Anne de Bourgh, encouraged to escape her “keeper” Mrs. Jenkinson, simply vanishes. But the trouble really starts when Clarissa and Georgiana both set out to win the heart of the same young man.
White Lies And Other Half Truths by Barbara Tiller Cole
BARBARA TILLER COLE
“White Lies And Other Half Truths”
Publication Date: December 9, 2008
Open the pages and take a look at maiden fears, the consequences of white lies, and the hope for redemption. If Fitzwilliam Darcy were alive today he would say, “If Jane Austen had written a Regency Sex Manual, this would be it!” Elizabeth Bennet would have said, “A fun, light, sexy yarn! What I would give to be taught by Professor Darcy!” Take a delightful journey with your beloved characters as you read this delightful farce!
Fitzwilliam Ebenezer Darcy: Pride and Prejudice Meets A Christmas Carol by Barbara Tiller Cole
BARBARA TILLER COLE
“Fitzwilliam Ebenezer Darcy: Pride and Prejudice Meets A Christmas Carol”
Publication Date: October 25, 2011
This crossover story takes the best of both classics and spins them into a delightful Holiday treat. Fitzwilliam Ebenezer Darcy has fallen into pitiful self-loathing and sorrowful angst-ridden despair; all of this due to his belief that he has lost forever the chance to marry the only woman he has ever loved—Elizabeth Bennet. Seeing her son in such a state, the Ghost of Anne Darcy reaches out to him; informing him that three ghosts would visit him and give him hope. Will these Spirits provide him with the courage to try again to win the esteem of his one true soul mate?
A Weekend with Mr. Darcy by Victoria Connelly
VICTORIA CONNELLY
“A Weekend with Mr. Darcy”
Publication Date: July 1, 2011
Surrounded by appalling exes and fawning students, the only thing keeping professor Katherine Roberts sane is Jane Austen and her personal secret love for racy Regency romance novels. She thinks the Jane Austen Addicts conference in the English countryside is the perfect opportunity to escape her chaotic life and finally relax. But then she encounters a devilishly handsome man at the conference who seems determined to sweep her off her feet. Is he more fiction than fact? Or could he be the hero she didn’t know she was looking for?
Dreaming of Mr. Darcy by Victoria Connelly
VICTORIA CONNELLY
“Dreaming of Mr. Darcy”
Publication Date: January 1, 2012
Fledging illustrator and Darcy fanatic Kay Ashton settles in the seaside town of Lyme to finish her book, The Illustrated Darcy, when a film company arrives to make a new adaptation of Jane Austen’s Persuasion. Kay is soon falling for the handsome bad boy actor playing Captain Wentworth, but it’s the quiet screenwriter Adam Craig who has more in common with her beloved Mr. Darcy. Though still healing from a broken heart, Adam finds himself unexpectedly in love with Kay. But it will take more than good intentions to convince her that her real happy ending is with him
Mr. Darcy Forever by Victoria Connelly
VICTORIA CONNELLY
“Mr. Darcy Forever”
To Be Released On: April 1, 2012
Estranged sisters Sarah and Mia Castle have spent a lifetime fighting over the men in their lives. They finally begin to make amends at the annual Jane Austen Festival in Bath, England. During the festival, the sisters realize that they can’t bear to be apart. They discover that their sisterhood forms a bond stronger than their mutual connection as Jane Austen addicts. And in true Jane Austen fashion, they each begin to lose their hearts to dashing gentlemen.
More lists coming soon…
Posted in Movies, News on January 28, 2012| Leave a Comment »
Based on information provided by the Dark Horizons site and internet research, here are just some of the movies you can expect to see in the movie theatres in February:
Big Miracle
Opens: February 3
The real life 1988 international effort to rescue three gray whales trapped in ice near Point Barrow, Alaska is recounted in this fact-based film that stars Drew Barrymore as a Greenpeace volunteer and John Krasinski as news reporter. The cast also includes Kristen Bell, Vinessa Shaw and Ted Danson.
Chronicle
Opens: February 3
The film is about three high school friends who gain superpowers – namely telekinesis – and how, as their powers grow, one of the three begins to embrace a darker side. The cast includes Michael B. Jordan, Dane DeHaan, Alex Russell, Michael Kelly and Ashley Hinshaw.
House at the End of The Street
Opens: February 3
A mother (Elisabeth Shue) and daughter (Jennifer Lawrence) move in to a new community and find themselves next door to a house with a terrible past. Years ago, in a notorious incident, a psychotic young girl murdered her parents. While the locals insist the girl vanished after the brutal murders, the new arrivals quickly discover the sinister house’s story is far from over and the daughter may become part of its dark legacy. This horror flick also stars Max Thieriot and Gil Bellows.
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island
Opens: February 10
Josh Hutcherson returns in this sequel to Journey to the Center of the Earth with his character setting out in search of his missing grandfather (Michael Caine). Dwayne Johnson and Vanessa Hudgens have stepped in to play the stepfather and love interest respectively. Kristin Davis also stars.
Perfect Sense
Opens: February 10
The film deals with a couple (Eva Green and Ewan McGregor) falling in love as the world falls victim to a pandemic that causes people to slowly lose their sensory perception. The cast includes Connie Nielsen and Stephen Dillane.
Return
Opens: February 10
This indie drama follows a wife and mother (Linda Cardinelli) returning from a tour of duty in the Middle East and her readjustment to regular suburban life. Co-stars include Michael Shannon, John Slattery and Talia Balsam.
Safe House
Opens: February 10
The film follows a group of rebel soldiers from a nearby region destroying a CIA-operated safe house. The facility’s young house-sitter must work to move the dangerous former operative gone rogue who is being temporarily stored there to another secure location while avoiding his escape or both of them getting killed. The film stars Denzel Washington, Ryan Reynolds, Joel Kinnaman, Brendan Gleeson and Robert Patrick.
The Vow
Opens: February 10
A newlywed couple recovers from a car accident that puts the wife in a coma. Waking up with severe memory loss, her husband endeavors to win her heart again. The cast includes Rachel McAdams, Channing Tatum, Sam Neill, Scott Speedman and Jessica Lange.
This Means War
Opens: February 14
The story has two best friends and veteran spies (Chris Pine and Tom Hardy) falling for the same woman (Reese Witherspoon). They end up fighting for her affections using their black-ops warfare tactics, a fight which literally demolishes much of New York City along the way. Chelsea Handler and Til Schweiger co-star.
Act of Valor
Opens: February 17
What first began as a recruitment video for the U.S. military’s NSWC division is now a full-fledged feature with a few actual actors having small roles, but the rest are actual real-life active duty Navy SEALs. Among the few actors in this film are Rosalyn Sanchez and Nestor Serrano.
Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance
Opens: February 17
This is the sequel to the 2007 film with Nicolas Cage back as Johnny Blaze with Johnny Whitworth playing the main antagonist, Blackout, who is a servant helping the Devil (Ciaran Hinds) who wants to take over his son’s body. Christopher Lambert also plays as a bald sword-fighting monk. Idris Elba co-stars.
The Lady
Opens: February 17
Michelle Yeoh stars as Aung San Suu Kyi lead the National League for Democracy (NLD) party to a landslide election win in Burma (Myanmar) in 1990. But, the win was never recognized by the country’s ruling military junta, who had been in power since a coup d’état in 1962. They kept her incarcerated for most of the past two decades. She was freed in late 2010 after seven straight years of house arrest at her lakeside mansion in Rangoon. General elections that year also lead to various reforms including the dissolving of the junta in March 2011. David Thewlis also stars.
The Secret World of Arrietty
Opens: February 17
This is a new adaptation of the Mary Norton novel “The Borrowers” that follows Sho, a boy who moves into his great aunt’s house and soon discovers the presence of tiny people, the Borrowers, living there. He develops a friendship with a 14-year-old Borrower named Arrietty, despite it breaking the cardinal rule that humans must not know about the Borrowers’ existence. The cast includes Bridgit Mendler, Moises Arias, Amy Poehler, Will Arnett and Carol Burnett.
Gone
Opens: February 24
The film stars Amanda Seyfried as Jill, a young woman whose sister has disappeared. Jill believes the disappearance is the work of a serial killer who kidnapped her two years ago and has returned. She sets out to once again face her abductor. The film co-stars Jennifer Carpenter, Wes Bentley and Sebastian Stan.
Tyler Perry’s Good Deeds
Opens: February 24
The story follows an affluent man (Tyler Perry, of course), groomed from birth to take over his family’s multinational business, who develops complicating feelings for a single mom (Thandie Newton) on the eve of his wedding. The cast includes Brian J. White, Rebecca Romijn and Jamie Kennedy.
Movies coming out in March will be posted at the end of February.
Enjoy!
Posted in Breaking News, News, Online Series, Video, Web Series on January 27, 2012| Leave a Comment »
Dating Rules for My Future Self
The new online series Dating Rules from My Future Self from Alloy Entertainment – the company behind such shows as Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars and The Vampire Diaries – has released the season finale today via Facebook.
The new online series stars Shiri Appleby (Life Unexpected and Roswell) as the newly single 29-year-old Lucy who gets text messages from herself 10 years in the future. The notes serve as warnings that she has to change her dating tactics quickly or she’ll end up alone and unhappy. Among the cast are Taylor Kinney (The Vampire Diaries), Bryce Johnson (Pretty Little Liars and Popular), Alison Becker (Parks & Recreation) and Mircea Monroe (Episodes).
Here is the season finale entitled “ U Can Get It If U Really Want”.
NOTE: The series has received over 3 million views and is Alloy Entertainment’s most viewed web series to date.
Posted in Breaking News, Convention/Event, News, Paley Center, Television on January 26, 2012| Leave a Comment »
The news broke this morning that the FOX drama Bones has been added to the Paley Fest 2012 line-up.
The panel will be held on March 8 at 7 PM.
Tickets to members of the Paley Center for Media will go on sale on February 1 at 9 AM (Pacific Time) while tickets for the general public will go on sale on February 3 at 9 AM (Pacific Time)
Mark your calendars!
Posted in News, Television on January 26, 2012| 1 Comment »
Chuck Season 1
Tomorrow night a big event is going to take place on television: Chuck is coming to an end. After spending five epic seasons on NBC, the action-comedy/spy-drama that debuted to wild fanfare on September 24, 2007 will come to a close with two back-to-back episodes this Friday (January 27), ending what has been an unbelievably funny and exciting series about an average computer-whiz-next-door who received an encoded email from an old college friend who works for the CIA, embedding a copy of the greatest spy secrets of the U.S.A., known as the Intersect, into his brain.
What could have easily been a crazy concept for a TV show turned into a favorite of the critics as well as the fan-obsessed fans who fell for the antics of Chuck and his co-workers at the local Buy More; think Best Buy with green shirts and an even cooler car for the members of the computer service department known as the Nerd Herders.
Chuck Season 2
Despite a lot of support from fans and critics alike, as the show came to a close at the end of its second season, ratings for Chuck put it in danger of cancellation. That is where the fans came into play with a successful campaign to encourage NBC to renew the show. Using the product placement from the show – specifically the Subway restaurant chain – fans mobilized a worldwide effort to shop at Subway, ordering “tens of thousands” of foot-long sandwiches. This effort, of course, caught the attention of the restaurant chain AND the network, who worked out a major sponsorship deal that helped to cover costs of the third season.
Each subsequent season since that time has been a nail-biter for the series and its devoted fans; but despite the biggest odds being stacked against Chuck, the series kept coming back. And while Chuck is coming to a close – just a little short of its 100th episode triumph – the 91 episodes that have been filmed and will be aired by this Friday will leave an indelible mark on TV viewers and the history of television itself.
Chuck Season 3
During those amazing five seasons, viewers have seen Chuck (Zachary Levi) go from a clumsy, somewhat clueless computer tech worker at the Burbank Buy More with a crazy computer stuck inside his head being protected by sexy CIA agent Sarah Walker (Yvonne Strahovski) and NSA Major John Casey (Adam Baldwin) slowly turn into an adept spy in his own right, winning the girl of his dreams. Fans have also been introduced to a unique collection of co-workers; including Chuck’s best friend Morgan Grimes (Joshua Gomez), the scheming team of Lester Patel (Vik Sahay) and Jeff Barnes (Scott Krinsky) and store manager Big Mike (Mark Christopher Lawrence) as well as Chuck’s sister Ellie (Sarah Lancaster) and her boyfriend-sans-husband (Ryan McPartlin) and Brigadier General Diane Beckman (Bonita Friedericy).
Over the years, the viewers were also introduced to an eclectic group of guest stars who played spies, family, friends and co-workers to our merry band of spies, family, friends and co-workers. Among those great appearances included the following:
Chuck Season 4
Actor Matthew Bomer (White Collar) as CIA Agent Bryce Larkin, Chuck’s former college buddy and the on-again, off-again boyfriend to Sarah;
Horror-master/Actor Tony Todd (Candyman) as CIA Director Langston Graham, Sarah’s supervisor who recruited her into the agency after her father was arrested;
Actor Scott Bakula (Quantum Leap) as long-missing dad Stephen Bartowski, who was involved in the creation of the Intersect;
Actress Linda Hamilton (Terminator franchise) as Mary Elizabeth Bartowski, Chuck and Ellie’s estranged and long-lost mother who turns out to be a deep undercover boss;
Chuck
Actor Gary Cole (Midnight Caller and Office Space) as Sarah’s estranged father Jack Burton, conman extraordinaire who frequently involved Sarah in his cons as a young girl;
Actor Brandon Routh (Superman Returns) as CIA Agent Daniel Shaw who worked with team Bartowski but later became Chuck’s greatest nemesis;
Actor Timothy Dalton (James Bond franchise) as Alexei Volkoff, an international arms dealer and leader of Volkoff Industries, who was actually a scientist name Harley Winterbottom, who became the first test subject for the Intersect; and,
Actress Mekenna Melvin (a relative newcomer) as Alex McHugh, the daughter of NSA Agent John Casey and eventual girlfriend to Morgan Grimes.
The show has not only been a hit with critics and viewers, but it has also been the recipient of about a dozen award nominations, and from those nominations a handful of wins, including a 2009 Emmy win for Outstanding Stunt Coordination for Merritt Yohnka; a 2010 Teen Choice Award for Action Actor and Action Actress for both Zachary Levi and Yvonne Strahovski and a 2010 IGN Award for Best Villain for Brandon Routh.
So, whether you are a long-time fan who has watched the show since the very beginning or perhaps you gave up on the show over the past few seasons, you owe it to yourself to check out the two-hour finale of Chuck tomorrow at 8 and 9 PM and be a part of television history.
Posted in News, Recommendations, Reminder, Television, TV Calendar on January 26, 2012| Leave a Comment »
Here is a list of the shows that will be back on the air after a short break and one new show that will debut next week:
The new series Luck will debut on HBO on January 29 at 9 PM.
On January 31, Ringer will be back with all-new episodes on The CW at 9 PM.
And, Grimm (on NBC) and Nikita (on The CW) will both be back with new episodes starting on February 3.
Mark your calendars!
Posted in Movies, News, Recommendations, Reminder, Television, Tidbits on January 25, 2012| Leave a Comment »
A Smile as Big as the Moon
The Hallmark Hall of Fame movie A Smile as Big as the Moon will debut on ABC at 9 PM on January 29.
John Corbett (Sex and the City and Northern Exposure) stars as a high school football coach and special-education teacher who worked to achieve an impossible dream — to take a class of special-education students to NASA’s Space Camp.
The cast includes Jessy Schram (Falling Skies) and Cynthia Watros (Lost).
Here is a trailer for A Smile as Big as the Moon.
Posted in Breaking News, News, Online Series, Recommendations, Video, Web Series on January 25, 2012| Leave a Comment »
Dating Rules for My Future Self
The new online series Dating Rules from My Future Self from Alloy Entertainment – the company behind such shows as Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars and The Vampire Diaries – has released its 8th episode today via Facebook.
The new online series stars Shiri Appleby (Life Unexpected and Roswell) as the newly single 29-year-old Lucy who gets text messages from herself 10 years in the future. The notes serve as warnings that she has to change her dating tactics quickly or she’ll end up alone and unhappy. Among the cast are Taylor Kinney (The Vampire Diaries), Bryce Johnson (Pretty Little Liars and Popular), Alison Becker (Parks & Recreation) and Mircea Monroe (Episodes).
Here is the 8th episode entitled “ Time 2 Intervene ”.
The next episode will be available at Facebook on Friday, January 27.
Posted in News, Paley Center, Television on January 24, 2012| Leave a Comment »
Timothy Olyphant and Elmore Leonard
Last week the critically-acclaimed FX series Justified aired the season premiere of its third season; and on that same night at the Paley Center for Media, a special panel was held featuring lead actor Timothy Olyphant, series creator Graham Yost and legendary author Elmore Leonard for whom wrote the story on which Justified is based.
Before the panel got underway, the audience was given the opportunity to screen the season premiere and then was greeted by moderator Andrea Grossman, founder of Writer’s Bloc, a 16-year-running non-profit organization dedicated to the written word.
Throughout the night, the three gentlemen were asked a series of questions ranging from how the series came to fruition on FX; what was it about Raylan Givens that sparked with TV viewers more than any of Mr. Leonard’s other characters and what the audience can expect from Raylan this season (among other topics).
The evening was filled with interesting tidbits, including the inspiration behind Mr. Leonard’s well-known character Karen Sisco, who was based on a real female Marshal who left an impression on Mr. Leonard during a visit to Miami; that Mr. Yost uses Elmore’s words in a lot of his scripts; that FX was very interested in the show and that the network didn’t require stand-alone procedural stories, but instead wanted big stories where time could be spent with the “bad” guys; and that Mr. Olyphant has never worked harder on a show like he does on Justified.
Graham Yost and Timothy Olyphant
Some of the talk was also focused on the new book for which Mr. Leonard wrote entitled “Raylan” that is not only on bookstands (and available online) right now but also copies of which Mr. Leonard was to autograph that night at the end of the panel. Some of the storylines featured in the book will also be worked into the series, including some gruesome “do-it-yourself” surgeries.
Before the panel ended for the night, the audience had their chance to ask questions which ranged from asking about the accents used by the cast members, many of whom are actually from the South, learning that Timothy worked with a professional dialect coach; if there was any chance of Margo Martindale coming back to the show (she played Mags Bennett who died in the season two finale episode) [she won’t be unfortunately as Mags storyline played out as it was intended in season two]; if there have been any actors who have asked to be on the show, with the reveal that Jeremy Davies did just that and that is how his character – Dickie Bennett – came to be and a brief talk about the impact the women on the show will have in this new season, including a guest appearance by actress Carla Gugino (who played Karen Sisco in the failed TV series of the same name) who will appear as a different character, who has a past with Raylan.
The next new episode of Justified will air tonight on FX at 10 PM.
Rueben's Ramblings 