WATCH: New ‘Geostorm’ Trailer Starring Gerard Butler
Global disaster dominates in Warner Bros.’ new trailer for “Geostorm” with plane crashes, tsunamis and massive destruction all portrayed as the result of Earth’s weather getting out of control.
“Geostorm” marks the feature directorial debut of Dean Devlin, who teamed with Roland Emmerich to produce 1996’s “Independence Day.” Devlin also wrote “Geostorm,” which centers on a global satellite system designer — played by Gerard Butler — who pledges before a Congressional hearing, “We can control our weather.”
Unfortunately, one of the satellites malfunctions over Afghanistan, converting the desert climate into an icy landscape, freezing several Afghani to death. The events force the government to send Butler’s Jacob Lawson into space for repairs — only to discover that the destructive weather conditions were not a malfunction, but by design. That forces him to kidnap the U.S. President, played by Andy Garcia.
“The only one who has the kill codes is the president,” he explains.
Abbie Cornish plays a Secret Service agent, Alexandra Maria Lara portays the astronaut who runs the space station and Ed Harris is the Secretary of State.
Warner Bros. has delayed “Geostorm” twice. Devlin’s Electric Entertainment is producing the movie with Skydance Productions. Producers are Devlin, Skydance’s David Ellison and Dana Goldberg, and Electric Entertainment’s Marc Roskin and Rachel Olschan.
Warner Bros. picked up the project after Skydance developed it. The studio opens “Geostorm” on Oct. 20.
Deon Cole Goes Big- Yet Small- With Netflix’s ‘The Standups’!
Deon Cole, one of the strongest voices in the comedy community, lends his cultural perspective to the burgeoning Netflix stand-up family as he takes part in a new original series called The Standups. This series of specials gives each comic only a half-hour to entertain a crowd and leave a lasting impression, and during his episode Cole shows us how it’s all done with surgeon-like precision.
In his episode Cole walks on stage with a piece of paper in hand, as if he’s a beginner trying to work out material for a later act. But he’s anything but a beginner, and that persona he puts out there is all intentional. “That’s something I’ve been doing for my whole career, even on The Tonight Show with Conan when he first hired me,” Cole told me. “It just shows the rawness and realness of it all and invites people to come into our world.” While comedians will often times play a character or show off a larger than life personality on stage, Cole is taking off that mask and just being himself.
Very aware of his role in show business, Cole admits that a majority of people know him more as an actor. “A lot people don’t know that I’m a stand-up,” explained Cole. “They look at that now and they think ‘wow that’s crazy,’ but it’s something that I’ve been doing for over twenty years.” Fans of Cole know him best from his work as DJ Tanner on Angie Tribeca or his breakout role in Black-ish as Charlie Telphy, who became an unexpected fan favorite for viewers of the show. When I asked about how he sees the separation between acting and stand-up he told me they really aren’t related at all. “Acting is more of an escape for me, while me doing stand-up is just me up there as a person. So I don’t mix the two at all.”
A wish of Cole’s, in doing this short episode for Netflix, is that people finish it feeling refreshed and getting a little taste of the cultural envelope being pushed. The Standups is a great way to showcase a variety of comedic voices all under the same umbrella, but each performer needs to give their audience a reason to pay attention to them specifically using their own voice and point of view. For Cole, he’s thinking globally. “That’s all that I’m about,” Cole said. “I’m a big cultural pusher when it comes to hip-hop, disco music, comedy, all that stuff that I love.”
All this ambition could be hard to contain in a special, especially one that’s a little under thirty minutes in length. Cole does this by treating comedy like something everybody can enjoy, no matter your race or background. “It’s very important to do that because comedy is comedy,” Cole explained to me. “It shouldn’t be funny culturally funny, it should just be funny.” He went on to tell me a story about a comedian he once knew who told him that black comedians do “black jokes this or white jokes that, and it’s corny and it’s not thinking.” Cole didn’t agree with that at all. “That’s just our experience we’re sharing up there,” Cole said. “Just because you can’t think that way doesn’t make that joke less than funny. But if you can do that, then why not? No reason to cheat the people out of it.”
Even with this being an important part of his act, Cole knows that you have to have a little bit of everything to entertain a wide range of audience. Having variety in his act means that not every joke will hit the way he’d like it to, but that doesn’t stop him from being able to explore certain areas that others are afraid to touch. This is something he picked up on from touring the country and working with Conan O’Brien.
BLACK-ISH – “Charlie in Charge”
“When we toured the country after that whole NBC thing went down, Conan taught me something that I still use to this day. You can’t always have these magical moments,” explained Cole. “If everything is always magical, then you’ll never have a magical moment. So you have to understand that when it comes to comedy there’s going to be a lot of letdowns, but when that magical moment happens it’s going to be worth all the letdowns. You’ll appreciate the greatness more than you were expecting.” In the special, Cole finds those magical moments in the simple act of just being himself.
As far as the audience reactions go, it would seem that Cole’s magical moments come from the very self-aware elements that others might have thought of as a weakness. How self-aware does he get? He opens by literally explaining to the crowd that he’s there to try out some jokes, “and if they don’t work out then you’ll never see me again.” His closer is him just leaving the stage, purposefully skipping the “big finale” that other comics like to end on. Experimenting with these beats gave Cole those magical moments he was hoping for.
Ultimately, Cole wants his audience to experience something other than what they’re used to, even if that means toning down the theatrics of the comedy specials we’re so used to seeing all over the place. Other comedians push boundaries by going big, but Deon Cole’s approach is to go small, and somehow, it’s just as effective. “I just want people to go away for a minute and see something refreshing and have them go ‘wow I wasn’t expecting that. That was something unique, something different.’”
By Christian Baker/Paste Magazine
Philadelphia Honors Kevin Hart With New Shop Mural
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Standing in front of a new mural of his face painted on a cheesesteak spot around the corner from his childhood home, comedian Kevin Hart celebrated his 38th birthday Thursday in true superstar style: with his very own holiday.
The city’s native son returned to Max’s Steaks in his old north Philadelphia neighborhood for the recently dubbed “Kevin Hart Day,” a block party that drew more than 200 fans who chanted his name as rain showers drenched the crowd.
“There was a point in my life where I needed people to buy me cheesesteaks at Max’s and now when I go to Max’s my face is on the side of the building,” Hart told the crowd.
City officials this year passed a resolution naming the comedic actor’s July 6 birthday to be an official holiday bearing his name. And for good reason, they said, noting Hart’s donation of 500 computers to local schools and organizations as well as the four $50,000 scholarships he gave to high school students.
“I truly do believe that Philadelphia made me into the man I am today,” Hart said. “I eat, breathe and sleep this city, man.”
He has starred in five stand-up comedy specials and will soon appear in an upcoming remake of the film Jumanji. He also was recently named by Forbes as the highest-paid comedian, raking in nearly $90 million from June 2015 to June 2016.
Hart told his fans that he had only one rule for his new mural.
“Don’t nobody pee on my wall or nothing,” he said.
WATCH: The New Trailer For ‘Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle Trailer’ Released
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle Trailer just released: Check out the new trailer starring Karen Gillan, Dwayne Johnson,Kevin Hart, and Missi Pyle!
In a brand new Jumanji adventure, four high school kids discover an old video game console and are drawn into the game’s jungle setting, literally becoming the adult avatars they chose. What they discover is that you don’t just play Jumanji – you must survive it. To beat the game and return to the real world, they’ll have to go on the most dangerous adventure of their lives, discover what Alan Parrish left 20 years ago, and change the way they think about themselves – or they’ll be stuck in the game forever.
Bill Cosby’s Retrial Sets A New Date!
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Bill Cosby will be retried in November on charges he drugged and molested a woman more than a decade ago, after a Pennsylvania jury deadlocked on the question after deliberating over six days.
Cosby, who turns 80 in July, was ordered Thursday to be ready for trial on Nov. 6. He is accused of giving a women he met three pills that knocked her out before sexually assaulting her at his home near Philadelphia. Cosby did not testify at the trial, but in a deposition in the woman’s civil suit called the encounter consensual.
Accuser Andrea Constand testified for seven hours over two days. She said she never gave the actor and comedian consent to engage in sex acts with her. Instead, she said, she considered him a mentor. She was a 31-year-old operations director for the women’s basketball team at Temple University, where he, then 66, was a TV icon and the school’s most famous booster.
Her lawyer said she took the deadlock “better than anybody” and is not afraid to confront Cosby in court again.
“She will be absolutely ready,” said Dolores Troiani, Constand’s lawyer. “She wants to see justice done and she wants to see this through. She was in the courtroom (after the deadlock) comforting everyone else.”
Prosecutors found themselves back to square one June 17 after the judge declared a mistrial. The jury failed to reach a verdict in more than 52 hours of deliberations.
Cosby, in his deposition, acknowledged giving a string of young women pills or alcohol before sexual encounters over the past 50 years.
District Attorney Kevin Steele, who pursued the case after an earlier district attorney declined to press charges in 2005, is determined to put Cosby on trial again. Constand went to police in January 2005 to say Cosby had drugged and violated her a year earlier. She left Temple in March 2004 to return home to suburban Toronto. She is now a massage therapist.
“In my head, I was trying to get my hands to move or my legs to move, but I was frozen,” Constand, now 44-year-old, said in their long-awaited courtroom confrontation. “I wasn’t able to fight in any way.”
Defense lawyers Brian McMonagle and Angela Agrusa declined comment Thursday on whether they would be aboard for the retrial. Cosby’s publicist did not immediately return a call for comment.
The Associated Press does not typically identify people who say they are sexual assault victims unless they give permission, which Constand has done.
Chris Rock Featured In New Doc From Jay Z On Tidal ‘Footnotes For ‘The Story Of O.J.’
JAY is dropping some gems for the younger generation.
Following the release of his new album ‘4:44’, JAY-Z has released the first episode of for his new documentary ‘Footnotes For ‘The Story Of O.J.’
The eight-minute clip, featuring Kendrick Lamar, Will Smith, Chris Rock and JAY-Z, sees the group discuss race, power, injustice and more.
“We tend to, as black people—’cause we never had anything, which is understandable—we get to a place and we just think we separate yourself from the culture,” says JAY-Z.
“Like O.J. will get to a space where he’s like, ‘I’m not black, I’m O.J.’ Like Tiger Woods will get to a space and think, ‘I’m above the culture.’”
Kendrick talks about witnessing a black man being murdered in front of his house when he was 5-years-old.
“The disrespect and the manner that this officer—he was a bad officer, I would say that for sure—that he approached my mother with was completely out of line,” he describes.
“I’ve never had an inferior complex ever,” continues JAY-Z. “I had a sense of who I am. From my mom, I had a strong belief in my talent, so I didn’t defer to anyone.”
The video ends with a short preview of the official ‘4:44’ visuals, which will be released on Friday at 4.44pm.
JAY-Z’s new album is available now exclusively on TIDAL.
EXCLUSIVE- Lil Rel Howery Joins New Season Of HBO’s ‘Insecure’!
Last weekend we interviewed comedian and actor Lil Rel Howery on the red carpet of the 2017 BET Awards, and over the past week, we had no idea of how many things would have happened since then!
First, a couple of days after the interview, we discovered the news that The Carmichael Showon NBC would not be renewed. That may not come to a surprise to some, but according to our sources over at NBC, the cancellation came as a shock to tons of staffers because of how well the show did. The folks who weren’t surprised are the resident local “industry insiders” because we were told that as long as the network took to officially renew the show, they expected as much. This might be one of the reasons why the news of star Jerrod Carmichael quitting the show surfaced later on the same day didn’t shock those “insiders”. Who knows?
Later in the same week, we heard that comedian Howery, the co-star of the show and the surprise star of the hit film Get Out has definitely made some moves. As he told us on the red carpet, he has some projects coming out, including some new movies (see the video below). We also discovered from our sources that he’s joining the new season of HBO’s Insecure. We aren’t sure what his new role will be, but we do know for certain that he will be along for the ride with Issa Rae and the cast.
Stay tuned for more news as this develops!
Comedian Louis C.K. Releases ‘Check It,’ A Documentary About A Black LGBT Street Gang
Louis C.K. has released an interesting documentary on his website in what could be his first foray into film distribution.
The documentary, titled Check It, is a look into the culture a black LGBT gang, following four young adults in Washington, D.C. who form a street gang to combat violence against them. It premiered last April at the Tribeca Film Festival, where C.K. viewed it. It later was screened at several other film festivals over the year. The film is directed by Dana Flor and Toby Oppenheimer and executive produced by Steve Buscemi. (Note: In a rebooted trailer, Louis C.K. is also credited as an executive producer now.)
In an email to subscribers, C.K. said, “It knocked me right over. It was an amazing emotional ride. It was funny and moving, I learned a lot and it gave me a lot to think about after. They started this gang to protect each other. They made a family where they didn’t have one. It’s not an easy film. It takes on life right where the rubber hits the road. What made me love it was just the kids themselves. They are like any kids, like anyone’s children. They are trying to cope against terrible odds, they are funny and full of hope and life. Their lives are difficult and complex. They are very generous in sharing this with the filmmakers and you, if you watch the film.”
Answering any type of question on why he’s distributing the film, he wrote, “Look, I know this isn’t what you’re expecting from me. Nor am I the guy you’re expecting to get this film from. I guess that’s why I’m doing this. When I saw this film, I knew that no one I know will ever see it. Documentaries are MUCH harder to make than the things that I do and they are FAR more expensive to the filmmakers in terms of their time and their lives and their emotional energy. And nobody much watches them. Those who do watch documentaries are usually people who are likely to be interested in the subject they cover already. But what a great value there is in showing people films about something that just isn’t on their radar. So that’s why I asked Steve, and Wren Arthur, who produced the film, if I could host “Check It” on my site so that lots of people can see it who may not have had it put in front of them.”
You can watch a trailer for Check It below and purchase the full film on Louis C.K.’s website for $5.
Source: Shadow & Act
Netflix Orders 1990’s Coming-Of-Age Comedy Series Titled ‘Everything Sucks!’
Netflix has ordered ten episodes of a new period dramedy series titled “Everything Sucks!” which is described as a quirky, funny coming of age story that follows two groups of high school misfits – an A/V club and a Drama club – who collide in 1996 Oregon.
The series stars Jahi Winston (he played a young Ralph Tresvant in BET’s “The New Edition Story” and will co-star with Taraji P. Henson in “Proud Mary”) and Peyton Kennedy (“American Fable,” “The Captive”) as students Luke O’Neil and Kate Messner.
Joining them are actors who will play their respective parents: Claudine Nako (“Grimm”) and Patch Darragh (“Boardwalk Empire”).
The series also features Sydney Sweeney (“Emaline”), Elijah Stevenson (“Oliver”), Quinn Liebling (“Tyler”) and Rio Mangini (“McQuaid”).
Claudine Nako
The 10-episode, half-hour dramedy is created by Ben York Jones (“Like Crazy,” “Newness”) and Michael Mohan (“Save the Date,” “Pink Grapefruit”), who will both serve as executive producers. Mohan will also serve as director for the bulk of the series, with Ry Russo-Young directing episodes as well.
Jeff Pinkner (“Lost,” “Fringe”), Scott Rosenberg (“October Road,” “Life on Mars”), Josh Appelbaum (“Alias,” “October Road”) and André Nemec (“Alias,” ‘October Road”) from Midnight Radio will also serve as executive producers.
Said Jones and Mohan, “Some of our favorite shows of all time — ‘The Wonder Years,’ ‘Happy Days,’ ‘That 70s Show,’ ‘Freaks and Geeks’ — looked back at bygone eras with 20 years of hindsight. We think this is a great time to take a look back at high school and relive the fashion, music, and attitudes of the mid-’90’s the way we remember it. Not sensationalized, not watered down; but desperate, heartfelt, awkward, and exciting.”
“We’re looking forward to spending some time back in the ’90s,” said Cindy Holland, Vice President, Original Content for Netflix. “Whether you were in A/V, drama, sports or band, we think everyone will find something to relate to in this coming of age story about the one thing that sucks above everything else — high school.”
“Everything Sucks!” is a Netflix production and will premiere in 2018.
Source: Shadow & Act
EXCLUSIVE-On The BET Awards Red Carpet, Lil Rel Howery Talks ‘The Carmichael Show’ And More!
Comedian Lil Rel Howery stopped by to talk with us while we were on the red carpet for the 2017 BET Awards and talks about The Carmichael Show and more!
Claudine Nako