Stand Up Spotlight- Featuring Comedian Tony Woods!
In our stand up spotlight, we feature comedian Tony Woods! Once an HBO’sBad BoyOf Comedy and Russell Simmons’ Def Comedy Jam comedian, Woods has been in the comedy game for over 20 years and is definitely a comedian who has paid his dues. Recently Woods has battled some health issues, but word is he has recovered nicely and back on his grind.
Check out a featured comedy set below:
WATCH: New Shark Horror Film Trailer Titled ‘The Meg’ Starring Jason Statham
Shark movies — these days, they tend to appeal to a certain niche viewer, one who watched “Shark Week” and thought, “I want that, but in a movie theater.” “The Meg,” starring Jason Statham, however, may be able to move beyond that viewer base with its hint at a slightly more meta take on the shark film.
Featuring the just-go-with-it premise that the prehistoric megalodon did not, in fact, go extinct around 2 million years ago, and has instead been discovered off the coast of China, “The Meg” is based on Steve Alten’s 1997 book, “The Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror.”
The trailer, cut to a tone-setting “Beyond the Sea” and with the tagline “Chomp on this,” begins with the occupants of an underwater marine research vessel encountering the meg, and proceeds to preview the inevitable movement of the giant shark towards human-infested beaches, with Statham filling the role of researcher-turned-lead-shark-fighter. Rainn Wilson, as a fellow researcher, delivers plenty of quips, suggesting that rather than kill the fish, the team “just put a tracker on it.”
“Haven’t you ever seen Shark Week?” he asks.
Unsurprisingly, it seems like a tracker won’t cut it.
Ruby Rose, Li Bingbing, Cliff Curtis, Winston Chao, Robert Taylor, and Jessica McNamee also star. John Turteltaub directed the Warner Bros. film from a script by Dean Georgaris.
“The Meg” hits theaters in August 2018.
Watch the full trailer above.
WATCH: John Witherspoon Talks About Ad-Libbing His Lines In Movies, Directors Getting Mad
John Witherspoon opened up recently to VladTV about getting in the entertainment industry, revealing that he found an acting coach in the yellow pages who later encouraged him to do comedy. After living in NYC and getting the late night sets that weren’t ideal, John spoke about driving out West and making his way to Las Vegas. He revealed that he lost all of his money in the first week and when he had only a dollar to his name, Witherspoon reveals that he won $7,000 at a machine and headed out to L.A. that night.
To hear more about John’s family life in Detroit and how he got his start in the L.A. comedy circuit, hit the above clip.
Source: Vlad TV
Kevin Hart Takes On His Own Cheating Scandals In New J. Cole Video
For Kevin Hart, art is imitating life.
The comedian stars in his friend J. Cole’s new video for “Kevin’s Heart,” a song about fighting off the urge to cheat. In the song, the rapper references Hart’s infidelities.
The video alludes to what the famous 38-year-old’s everyday life looked like after one of his cheating scandals broke — from people staring at him in the supermarket and fending off women’s advances, to strangers offering him unsolicited advice in public bathrooms.
While the content of the five-minute video stems from a pretty serious place, Hart manages to inject a good amount of humor into his performance. At the end of the video, the comedian notices something in the sky, laughs and then continues walking. As he exits the frame, it is revealed that the phrase “Choose Wisely” is written in the sky — a nod to Hart’s past bad decisions.
In December, Hart confessed to cheating on his wife, Eniko Parrish, while she was pregnant. Last August, Hart’s ex-wife, Torrei Hart, said that he cheated on her with Parrish, who seemed to confirm this allegation in an Instagram post in August 2017. She said that the two had been together for eight years and married for one.
Source: The Huffington Post
Leslie Jones, Rachel Bloom, Sterling K. Brown Join Voice Cast Of ‘Angry Birds 2’
Sony Pictures and Rovio Entertainment are adding a new flock of comedic talent to its Angry Birds franchise.
Leslie Jones (Saturday Night Live, Ghostbusters) will voice the film’s villain character, while Rachel Bloom (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend), Sterling K. Brown (This is Us, The People vs. O.J. Simpson), Mexico’s breakout Eugenio Derbez (Instructions Not Included, Overboard), Zach Woods (Silicon Valley, The Post), Awkwafina (Ocean’s 8, Crazy Rich Asians), Lil Rel Howery (Get Out), Dove Cameron (The Descendants, Agents of SHIELD), Beck Bennett (Saturday Night Live, Brigsby Bear) and Brooklynn Prince (The Florida Project) have all signed on for roles in The Angry Birds Movie 2.
They will join returning stars Jason Sudeikis as the temperamental Red, Josh Gad as speedy Chuck, Bill Hader as kin of the pigs Leonard, Danny McBride as the volatile Bomb and Peter Dinklage as the legendary Mighty Eagle. The animated film is scheduled to hit theaters on Sept. 20, 2019.
“I’m thrilled about our incredibly talented filmmaking team and the hilarious people we’ve brought together for the sequel,” said the film’s producer John Cohen. “We’re so happy that Jason, Josh, Bill, Danny, and Peter are back for a second adventure joined by Leslie, Rachel, Sterling, Eugenio and this awesome ensemble of new talent.”
The sequel follows on the success of 2016’s The Angry Birds Movie, which opened at No. 1 in 50 countries worldwide including the U.S., and earned $352 million worldwide, becoming the second-highest-grossing video game adaptation of all time.
The film will be directed by Thurop Van Orman (The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack, Adventure Time) and co-directed by John Rice (King of the Hill) from a screenplay written by Peter Ackerman (The Americans, Ice Age). David Maisel and Catherine Winder are executive producing.
Mary Ellen Bauder Andrews is co-producing, while Sean Charmatz (Trolls) is the head of story. Pete Oswald is the production designer, and Linda Lamontagne is the casting director. Sony Pictures Imageworks is handling the animation.
Source:The Hollywood Reporter
Demetrius Shipp Jr., Essence Atkins, Terrence Jenkins, And Edwina Findley To Star In Indie Drama Titled ‘Same Difference’
Demetrius Shipp Jr. (All Eyez On Me), Essence Atkins(NBC’s “Marlon”), Terrence Jenkins (MTV’s “SafeWord”) and Edwina Findley (The CW’s “Black Lightning”) have all signed on to star in the indie mysterious drama titled Same Difference.
Already in production in Los Angeles, the film, produced by Datari Turner for Datari Turner
Productions, was written and directed by Derege Harding. Additional co-stars include: Kandi Burruss, Affion Crockett, Kris D. Lofton, Gabby Douglas, Lew Temple, and Page Kennedy.
Same Difference follows a young woman (Atkins) who is told that her death is imminent by a mysterious group of people who all start dying one by one. The woman becomes compelled to let go of the past and reconcile with her estranged twin sister, also played by Atkins, who is suffering from alcohol addiction.
Making his feature film directorial debut, Harding is a Film Independent Project Involve Alum. His short film “First Date, Last Date” won numerous festival awards and was bought and distributed by HBO. He was the Winner of last year’s 2017 Turner (TNT) / ABFF Pilot Screenwriting Competition.
Terrence Jenkins (repped by WME) serves as an Executive Producer on the film along with
Essence Atkins (repped by Don Buchwald and Associates). Tim Weatherspoon, Louis Steyn, TJ Steyn, Phil Thornton, Jash’d Kambui Belcher, Jamal Chilton, Damone Smith, JP Ramzy, and Shaun Livingston also are Executive Producers. Demetrius Shipp Jr. is repped by CAA.
‘Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle’ Sets A Sequel Date!
At a Sony panel at 2018’s CinemaCon in Las Vegas, Sony Motion Pictures chairman Tom Rothman revealed that 2017’s surprise blockbuster “Jumanji” will be getting a sequel to premiere Christmastime of next year.
“Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,” starring Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart, has been one of the biggest blockbusters of the year, earning over $400 million domestically and with a global tally approaching $1 billion. After coming in second its premiere weekend to “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” “Jumanji” accomplished the unusual feat of climbing back to No. 1 in its fifth weekend, and remaining at the top for the following three weekends. After falling back to second to “Maze Runner: The Death Cure,” “Jumanji” rose back to No. 1 for a fourth weekend.
Rothman acknowledged that the release date would pit it against “Star Wars: Episode IX,” which is set to premiere around the same time.
The action adventure film starred Johnson, Hart, Jack Black, and Karen Gillan as video game characters who adopt the personalities of high school students after the students are sucked into the game.
Source: Variety
Janelle Monae Announces ‘Dirty Computer’ Tour Dates
Janelle Monae dropped a video today for “I Like That,” the fourth song to be released from her forthcoming third full-length album and “emotion picture,” “Dirty Computer,” which drops on Friday. She also announced dates for the tour, which launches June 11 in Seattle. The 27-city tour produced by Live Nation will make stops across the continent before wrapping August 4 in Monae’s home base of Atlanta. Full dates appear below
Tickets will go on sale to the general public beginning Wednesday, May 2 at LiveNation.com; every online U.S. ticket purchased for the tour includes a standard digital copy of “Dirty Computer”; instructions on how to redeem a copy will be sent to ticket purchasers via email on Friday, the day of release. The tour’s opening act will be the soulful duo St. Beauty, who are signed to Monae’s Wondaland label through Epic.
The video is the fourth to be released from “Dirty Computer” — following “Make Me Feel,” “Django Jane” and “PYNK” — and gives a preview of the 45-minute “emotion picture” that accompanies the album. (She released a teaser video for it a few weeks ago.)
The singer/actress doesn’t do anything by half — in the five years since her last album, she’s toured, landed star-making acting appearances in “Hidden Figures” and Oscar Best Picture “Moonlight,” launched her Wondaland label (home to Jidenna, St. Beauty and others) and gave a rousing #TimesUp-themed speech at the Grammy Awards in January. — and the new album is no exception. “Dirty Computer” will also feature a “narrative film project” that will air in select theaters nationwide before screenings of “Black Panther.”
JANELLE MONÁE WITH SPECIAL GUEST ST. BEAUTY ‘DIRTY COMPUTER TOUR’ DATES:
DATE
CITY
VENUE
Mon Jun 11
Seattle, WA
King County’s Marymoor Park
Tue Jun 12
Vancouver, BC
Queen Elizabeth Theatre
Wed Jun 13
Portland, OR
McMenamins Edgefield Amphitheater
Sat Jun 16
San Francisco, CA
The Masonic
Wed Jun 20
San Diego, CA
Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre at SDSU
Tue Jun 26
Phoenix, AZ
Comerica Theater
Thu Jun 28
Los Angeles, CA
The Greek Theatre
Sat Jun 30
Salt Lake City, UT
The Complex
Sun Jul 01
Denver, CO
The Paramount Theatre
Tue Jul 03
Minneapolis, MN
State Theatre
Thu Jul 05
Chicago, IL
The Chicago Theatre
Fri July 06
Milwaukee, WI*
Summerfest*
Sat Jul 07
Grand Rapids, MI
20 Monroe Live
Mon Jul 09
Detroit, MI
Fox Theatre Detroit
Tue Jul 10
Cincinnati, OH
Taft Theatre
Wed Jul 11
St. Louis, MO
The Pageant
Fri Jul 13
Nashville, TN+
Ryman Auditorium+
Sat Jul 14
Indianapolis, IN
Murat Theatre at Old National Centre
Mon Jul 16
Toronto, ON
Rebel
Wed Jul 18
New York, NY
Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden
Fri Jul 20
Washington, DC*
The Anthem*
Sat Jul 21
Boston, MA
Blue Hills Bank Pavilion
Mon Jul 23
Raleigh, NC
The Ritz
Tue Jul 24
Charlotte, NC
The Fillmore Charlotte
Thu Jul 26
Tampa, FL
Jannus Live
Fri Jul 27
Miami, FL
The Fillmore Miami at Jackie Gleason Theater
Sat Jul 28
Orlando, FL
House of Blues Orlando
Sat Aug 04
Atlanta, GA
Tabernacle
Viola Davis’ Documentary Series ‘The Last Defense,’ To Premiere On ABC
Executive producers Viola Davis and Julius Tennon have teamed up with XCON Productions and Lincoln Square Productions for the powerful, new documentary series, “The Last Defense,” premiering TUESDAY, JUNE 12 (10:00 – 11:00 p.m. EDT), on The ABC Television Network. The seven-episode docu-series explores and exposes flaws in the American justice system through emotional, in-depth examinations of the death row cases of Darlie Routier and Julius Jones. The series will seek to trace the path that led both Routier and Jones to their places on death row, while taking a deep look into their personal stories.
In 1997, Darlie Routier, wife and mother, was sentenced to death for the brutal stabbing murder of her two young sons, a crime she insists she did not commit. Now 20 years on death row in Texas, the contentious debate over the fairness of her trial is more polarized than ever.
In 2001, Julius Jones, a 21-year-old African-American college student with an academic scholarship, was sentenced to death for the carjacking murder of a white father of two, in Edmond, Oklahoma. Twenty years later and having exhausted his appeals, Jones maintains his innocence.
As previously announced, the world premiere of “The Last Defense” will screen at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival, on Friday, April 27, with the first hour of the Julius Jones case followed by a panel discussion with executive producers Viola Davis, Julius Tennon, Christine Connor and attorney Dale Baich.
“The Last Defense,” executive produced by Viola Davis, Julius Tennon and Andrew Wang for JuVee Productions; Christine Connor and Lee Beckett for XCON Productions; Vanessa Potkin, Aida Leisenring and Morgan Hertzan for Lincoln Square Productions, will air on The ABC Television Network.
WATCH: ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ Debuts Its First Trailer
The first full-length trailer for “Crazy Rich Asians” arrived in style on Monday.
The footage opens as Rachel Chu’s (Constance Wu) boyfriend Nick, played by Henry Golding, invites her to a wedding in Singapore to meet his family.
“We’ve been dating for over a year now, and I think it’s about time people met my beautiful girlfriend,” he says.
When she arrives, she finds out his family is “crazy rich.” She is suddenly thrown into Nick’s glamorous lifestyle, attempting to impress his classy relatives.
“You really should have told me you’re like the Prince William of Asia,” Wu’s character says. “That’s ridiculous,” Golding’s responds. “I’m much more of a Harry.”
It quickly becomes clear Nick’s mother (Michelle Yeoh) isn’t the biggest fan of her son’s girlfriend. At one point she tells Rachel outright, “I know you’re not what Nick needs.” Later she says, “I know this much. You will never be enough.”
The trailer ends with Rachel confronting the tension between her and Nick’s mother. “If Nick chose me, he would lose his family,” she says. “And if Nick chose his family, he might spend the rest of his life resenting you.”
The film, based on Kevin Kwan’s 2013 novel, also stars Gemma Chan, Ken Jeong, and Awkwafina. Jon M. Chu is directing from a screenplay by Peter Chiarelli and Adele Lim.
