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Action

First photos from upcoming Starz adventure drama “Da Vinci’s Demons”

Today, Starz released these first-look photos from its upcoming adventure drama series Da Vinci’s Demons, premiering on the network in Spring 2013. Da Vinci’s Demons is written by David S. Goyer, the co-writer of Batman Begins and writer of next year’s Man of Steel. Goyer is also serving as showrunner on the series. While the launching point of the character in this series is in real-life — the “Da Vinci” of the title is Leonardo Da Vinci — creative license certainly appears to take over, as the plot synopsis of the program tells us that it is a historical fantasy, […]

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Drama

“La Llorona” legend featured in two spooky Halloween TV episodes

I had been unfamiliar with the Latin American legend of “La Llorona” (“The Weeping Woman”) until compiling our list of this year’s Halloween programming. In doing so, I came upon two episodes of TV series that will feature this ghost story that apparently has deep roots in Latino culture. The legend of La Llorona tells of a distraught mother who drowned her children and then herself. The ghost of the mother emerges from the water and is forced to return to haunt and terrorize the living — mainly children, from the sounds of the descriptions of these two episodes featuring […]

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Drama

Winter Ave Zoli talks life after Opie on “Sons of Anarchy”

(Note: Do not read if you haven’t been watching this season of Sons of Anarchy and don’t wish to know some pivotal information regarding the death of a major character.) As sometimes happens in Hollywood, back in March Winter Ave Zoli randomly ran into her Sons of Anarchy costar Ryan Hurst at an audition for a different project. Zoli was happy to see the actor who has played her husband for the past four seasons on FX’s hard-hitting biker drama — someone she considers to be a friend — but when she heard the shocking news he had regarding his […]

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Drama

“Chicago Fire” puts its title city at center stage

We think it’s safe to say that Chicago is officially back on the film and television map. The city’s always been an attractive place to shoot — rich in history and architecture, and possessing an abundance of patina. But until the tax incentives put in place a few years back, it was sadly underutilized as a setting. Now the city finds itself frequently at center stage, from the hit series Boss to NBC’s burning new drama, Chicago Fire. We talked with series regular David Eigenberg (Sex and the City) and executive producer and location scout Joe Chappelle about the new […]

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Drama

“Sons of Anarchy” recap: “Orca Shrugged”

As usual, lots of juicy stuff happened in tonight’s Sons of Anarchy, but let’s jump right to the heart of it, shall we? WALTON GOGGINS AS A TRANSGENDERED HOOKER!!! (That oughtta help the old search-engine optimization, right? Pardon me if I repeat that phrase a few times going forward.) So yes, the Justified star — that would be Walton Goggins, playing a transgendered hooker — shows up about halfway through the episode as part of SAMCRO’s blackmail scheme aimed at a local politician. A morbidly obese, diabetic local politician who passes out after eating a cupcake surreptitiously brought to him […]

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Comedy

If Mitt Romney fires Big Bird, he has other TV options

If Mitt Romney fires Big Bird, the lovable Sesame Street character has other TV options. (Photo via Mashable) Presidential candidate Mitt Romney ruffled feathers during this week’s debate when he said he will cut funding to PBS if elected, leaving many Sesame Street fans across the country wondering what would happen to the beloved characters they grew up with – especially Big Bird, whom Romney mentioned by name. Regardless of whether it’s Romney or President Obama residing in the White House next year, we think this controversy has raised our feathery friend’s star power exponentially. In fact, we would be […]

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Drama

Lifetime’s “Steel Magnolias” puts a new twist on the classic film

By John Crook The jury may be out as to whether the world really needed a remake of Steel Magnolias, the hit Robert Harling stage comedy that became an all-star 1989 film with Sally Field, Julia Roberts, Shirley MacLaine and Dolly Parton, among others. We now have one, however, thanks to Lifetime. And it’s a beauty. With Harling’s blessing, Sally Robinson has discreetly updated his play and screenplay for this remake, in which all of the principal characters are played by black actresses, led by Queen Latifah in Field’s former role of M’Lynn. Steel Magnolias on Lifetime premieres Sunday, Oct. 7, […]

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Lifetime’s “Abducted: The Carlina White Story” based on true events

On Saturday, Oct. 6, Lifetime will present the world premiere of Abducted: The Carlina White Story. The original film, starring Keke Palmer (True Jackson, VP), Aunjanue Ellis (The Help), Sherri Shepherd (The View) and Roger Cross (24) tells the stunning true story of White, who was abducted from a New York hospital in 1987 when she was just 19 days old, then solved her own kidnapping more than two decades later. Shepherd and Cross portray Carlina’s parents, Joy White and Carl Tyson, who took their infant daughter to Harlem Hospital seeking treatment for her fever. Shortly after the baby was admitted, she […]

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Comedy

VOD Spotlight: In the shadow of “Dark Shadows”

It’s always a dicey venture taking a bit of revered pop culture and turning it into a new, full-blown film. Not only do you risk alienating the cult audience that found the original work so endearing, but also you risk souring a new generation on the brand overall even before they may have heard of what you’re basing your film on. Director Tim Burton kept all of this in mind when working on his update of the ’60s vampire soap Dark Shadows. His take on the story — about a man who betrayed the love of a witch only to […]

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Drama

“Sons of Anarchy” recap: “Stolen Huffy”

Some Sons of Anarchy episodes are meant to shock you, others make you want to pump your fist in excitement, or throw stuff at the screen in bloodlust. But there are some that flat out make you want to cry. “Stolen Huffy” is unapologetically a tear-jerker, even if it saves it for the end. Opie is dead, but Ryan Hurst gets to make one last appearance (until the inevitable flashback, I suppose) as the big guy’s corpse, which finally looks at peace. Jax says a mouthful when he opines that Opie seemed to be looking for a way out ever […]