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TV Review: TRUE BLOOD – Season 4 – “I’m Alive and on Fire”

By ABBIE BERNSTEIN 07/18/2011

Anna Paquin in TRUE BLOOD - Season 4 - "I'm Alive and on Fire" | ©2011 HBO/John P. Johnson

Stars: Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, Alexander Skarsgard, Sam Trammell, Ryan Kwanten, Rutina Wesley, Chris Bauer, Nelsan Ellis, Joe Manganiello, Carrie Preston, Deborah Ann Woll, Jim Parrack, Kristin Bauer Von Straten, Todd Lowe, Kevin Alejandro, Fiona Shaw, Lindsay Pulsipher, Marshall Allman, Jessica Tuck, Dale Raoul, Janina Gavander, Courtney Ford Writer: Nancy Oliver, based on Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse novels Director: Michael Lehmann Network: HBO, Sundays @ 9 PM Airdate: July 17, 2011 “I’m Alive and on Fire” is the fourth episode of TRUE BLOOD’s Season Four. Individually, the various story threads are engaging, but one-third of the way […]Read On »

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Exclusive Interview: BREAKING BAD creator Vince Gilligan breaks down Season 4

By ABBIE BERNSTEIN 07/17/2011

Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul in BREAKING BAD - Season 4 |2011 AMC/Ben Leuner

AMC’s series BREAKING BAD begins its fourth season tonight, Sunday, at 10 PM. Since the show debuted in 2008, Bryan Cranston’s Walt White has gone from a cancer-stricken mild-mannered high school science teacher who starts manufacturing crystal meth to provide for his family to an in-remission criminal drug dealer who is willing to use violence to further his ends. Cranston has won the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for all three previous seasons; Aaron Paul took the Supporting Actor in a Drama Emmy in 2010 for his work as Walt’s former student/current drug partner Jesse Pinkman. […]Read On »

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Movie Review: HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 2

By ABBIE BERNSTEIN 07/14/2011

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 2 poster - Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort | ©2011 Warner Bros.

Rating: PG-13 Stars: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Warwick Davis, Tom Felton, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon, Ciaran Hinds, John Hurt, Jason Isaacs, Matthew Lewis, Gary Oldman, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, Julie Walters, Bonnie Wright, William Welling, Evanna Lynch Writer: Steve Kloves, based on the novel by J.K. Rowling Director: David Yates Distributor: Warner Bros. Release Date: July 15, 2011 You can tell Warner Bros. feels they have something special on their hands with HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 2 from the very beginning. It’s rare (if not unheard of) for the studio […]Read On »

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Exclusive Interview: FRANKLIN & BASH Kevin Falls & Jamie Tarses lay down the law

By ABBIE BERNSTEIN 07/13/2011

FRANKLIN & BASH - Season 1 - "Big Fish" | ©2011 TNT/Trae Patton

On TNT’s new legal dramedy FRANKLIN & BASH, Breckin Meyer plays Jared Franklin and Paul-Mark Gosselaar plays Peter Bash. The two are lifelong best friends who run their ambulance-chasing law partnership from home until they are unexpectedly recruited by Malcolm McDowell’s very upscale Stanton Infeld to bring some new blood to his stodgy but lucrative firm. Executive producers Jamie Tarses and series co-creator Kevin Falls – the other executive producers are Falls’ co-creator Bill Chais and director Jason Ensler – tell us everything it’s lawful to reveal about FRANKLIN & BASH. ASSIGNMENT X: What was the genesis of the show? […]Read On »

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TV Review: TRUE BLOOD – Season 4 – “If You Love Me, Why Am I Dyin’”

By ABBIE BERNSTEIN 07/11/2011

Kristin Bauer van Straten in TRUE BLOOD - Season 4 - ""If You Love Me, Why Am I Dyin’" | ©2011 HBO/John P. Johnson

Stars: Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, Alexander Skarsgard, Sam Trammell, Ryan Kwanten, Rutina Wesley, Chris Bauer, Nelsan Ellis, Joe Manganiello, Carrie Preston, Deborah Ann Woll, Jim Parrack, Kristin Bauer Von Straten, Todd Lowe, Kevin Alejandro, Fiona Shaw, Lindsay Pulsipher, Marshall Allman, Jessica Tuck, Dale Raoul, Janina Gavander, Courtney Ford Writer: Alan Ball, based on Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse novels Director: David Petrarca Network: HBO, Sundays @ 9 PM Airdate: July 10, 2011 The craziness of the previous TRUE BLOOD episode unrolls consequences in “If You Love Me, Why Am I Dyin’.” This is a particularly appropriate question for Jason (Ryan Kwanten), […]Read On »

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DVD Review: MIDNIGHT MOVIE: THE KILLER CUT

By ABBIE BERNSTEIN

MIDNIGHT MOVIE - THE KILLER CUT DVD | ©2011 Bigfoot Ascendant

Stars: Rebekah Brandes, Daniel Bonjour, Greg Cirulnick, Mandell Maughan, Justin Baric, Brea Grant, Lee Main, Arthur Roberts Writers: Mark Garbett and Jack Messitt Director: Jack Messitt Distributor: Bigfoot Ascendant Release Date: June 14, 2011 It would be easy from the title to mistake MIDNIGHT MOVIE: THE KILLER CUT for a sequel to the original 2008 MIDNIGHT MOVIE. It is instead a director’s cut of the film, with a new commentary track from director/co-writer Jack Messitt and some enlivening extras, including a good behind the scenes look at the film’s copious makeup effects. Unless one has seen the first cut very […]Read On »

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Exclusive Interview: FALLING SKIES actor Will Patton isn’t skittish about the Skitters

By ABBIE BERNSTEIN 07/10/2011

Will Patton in FALLING SKIES - Season 1 | ©2011 TNT/Frank Ockenfels

In TNT’s new series FALLING SKIES, the survivors of an alien invasion of Earth band together to fight the marauding extraterrestrials. Sometimes, dealing with fellow humans can be almost as challenging as battling the ETs, as evidenced by the interactions between teacher-turned-freedom fighter Tom Mason, played by Noah Wyle, and experienced soldier Captain Dan Weaver, played by Will Patton. The South Carolina-born Patton has appeared in a huge amount of feature films and television series, including NO WAY OUT, 24, THE CLIENT, VR.5, REMEMBER THE TITANS and THE MOTHMAN PROPHECIES, as well as many stage roles. In person, the actor […]Read On »

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Book Review: WAKING NIGHTMARES by Christopher Golden

By ABBIE BERNSTEIN 07/09/2011

WAKING NIGHTMARES by Christopher Golden | ©2011 Ace Mass Market

Writer: Christopher Golden Price: $7.99 Publisher: Ace Mass Market Paperback Original Novelist Christopher Golden began the series collectively known as THE SHADOW SAGA with OF SAINTS AND SHADOWS, published in 1994. There has been a substantial gap between the fourth tome, 2003’s THE GATHERING DARK, and the present. Now Golden has brought forth a new installment, WAKING NIGHTMARES, which should appeal equally to fans of what has come before and readers plunging into this world for the first time. Peter Octavian is a former vampire and current wizard whose successful efforts to save the world have ironically led to a […]Read On »

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Movie Review: HORRIBLE BOSSES

By ABBIE BERNSTEIN 07/08/2011

HORRIBLE BOSSES movie poster | ©2011 Warner Bros./New Line

Rating: R Stars: Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis, Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Aniston, Colin Farrell, Jamie Foxx, Julie Bowen, Donald Sutherland Writers: Michael Markowitz and John Francis Daley & Jonathan Goldstein, story by Michael Markowitz Director: Seth Gordon Distributor: Warner Bros./New Line Release Date: July 8, 2011 Just in case you don’t remember STRANGERS ON A TRAIN, the 1951 Alfred Hitchcock movie based on the Patricia Highsmith novel, HORRIBLE BOSSES provides a name check. If you have that confused with the 1987 parody version, THROW MOMMA FROM THE TRAIN, that gets name-checked as well, with a helpful differentiation between the […]Read On »

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Exclusive Interview: Bill Pullman antagonizes TORCHWOOD: MIRACLE DAY

By ABBIE BERNSTEIN 07/06/2011

Bill Pullman in TORCHWOOD: MIRACLE DAY | ©2011 Starz

TORCHWOOD: MIRACLE DAY, the latest miniseries of the world-saving adventures of Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman), premieres Friday on Starz, in a co-production with the BBC. Bill Pullman plays antagonist Oswald Danes. This is far from the New York-born Pullman’s first foray into genre – one of his first film roles was starring in Wes Craven’s voodoo horror movie THE SERPENT AND THE RAINBOW, and he went on to play the U.S. president in INDEPENDENCE DAY – but this is one of the actors few forays into series television. Here’s what the actor had to say about his new gig. […]Read On »

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