Disney’s Hollywood Studios held the grand opening today for its newly revamped Star Wars attraction Star Tours: The Adventure Continues. The festivities included appearances by George Lucas, Darth Vader, Jango and his son Boba Fett, Aurra Sing, Chewbacca, R2D2, C3PO, and some Disney character named Bob Iger.
The new Star Tours attraction is presented in 3-D and features 54 different simulations, among them trips to Tatooine, Coruscant, Hoth, Naboo, and an unfinished Death Star! Along the way, travelers may also encounter familiar faces such as Vader, Yoda, Boba Fett, Princess Leia, Admiral Ackbar, and Chewie.
Also cool: James Earl Jones, Frank Oz, and Carrie Fisher all recorded new dialogue for Vader, Yoda, and Leia respectively.
If you’re from Cali and can’t dig up enough druggats to buy a plane ticket to Orlando, FL, Star Tours: The Adventure Continues opens at Disneyland in Anaheim on June 3.
Argentine actress Mia Maestro (The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn) is set to star in Venezuelan director Eduardo Rodriguez’s abduction thriller The Darkness of the Road. The gorgeous 32-year-old will play a young single mom desperate to find her six-year-old daughter after losing her during a road trip.
The official synopsis reads:
A single mother named Siri (Maestro) and her daughter Eve pull over on a desolated road in a moonless desert. Everything seems to be going according to plan as they resume their trip toward a new home… But after meeting Iris, a young female hitchhiker, Siri realizes that her 6 year-old daughter has gone missing.
As the search for Eve develops, a merciless force begins to attack and torment the two women, unraveling a world of terror. Siri and Iris must survive this hellish nightmare if they are to discover the terrifying truth behind Eve’s disappearance…
Maestro has starred in such critically acclaimed fare as The Motorcycle Diaries and Frida, but is probably best known to us uncultured degenerates for starring in Wolfgang Petersen’s Poseidon and playing Sydney Bristow’s half-sister-turned-spy Nadia Santos on J.J. Abrams’ hit ABC show “Alias.”
She will next be seen as vegetarian vamp Carmen of the Denali Coven in the upcoming Twilight Saga chapters Breaking Dawn 1-&-2.
The Darkness of the Road will be distributed by Maya Entertainment, the same folks behind the psycho-bitch thriller Playing House starring the gorgeous Mayra Leal (Machete).
The CW has released a handful of promo images and a trailer to get folks pumped for the new Kevin Williamson-produced tween-friendly witch series “The Secret Circle.” The series stars Brittany Robertson (”Life Unexpected”) as a California teen named Cassie who discovers she’s a witch when she moves in with her grandmother.
Peep it:
The show’s synopsis reads:
Cassie Blake was a happy, normal teenage girl – until her mother Amelia dies in what appears to be a tragic accidental fire. Orphaned and deeply saddened, Cassie moves in with her warm and loving grandmother Jane in the beautiful small town of Chance Harbor, Washington – the town her mother left so many years before – where the residents seem to know more about Cassie than she does about herself.
As Cassie gets to know her high school classmates, including sweet-natured Diana and her handsome boyfriend Adam, brooding loner Nick, mean-girl Faye and her sidekick Melissa, strange and frightening things begin to happen.
When her new friends explain that they are all descended from powerful witches, and they’ve been waiting for Cassie to join them and complete a new generation of the Secret Circle, Cassie refuses to believe them – until Adam shows her how to unlock her incredible magical powers. But it’s not until Cassie discovers a message from her mother in an old leather-bound book of spells hidden in her mother’s childhood bedroom, that she understands her true and dangerous destiny.
What Cassie and the others don’t yet know is that darker powers are at play, powers that might be linked to the adults in the town, including Diana’s father and Faye’s mother – and that Cassie’s mother’s death might not have been an accident.
“The Secret Circle” is an adaptation of author L.J. Smith’s bestselling novel of the same name. Williamson, the creative force behind the Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer films and the TV series “Dawson’s Creek” and “The Vampire Diaries,” penned the pilot and serves as executive producer.
Maggie Gyllenhaal (The Dark Knight) has landed the female lead in Voice From the Stone, director Eric Howell’s adaptation of Italian author Silvio Raffo’s 1996 novel “La Voce Della Pietra.”
Set in the Italian countryside, the film revolves around a nurse’s (Gyllenhaal) efforts to help the young son of the man she’s sweet on survive the evil spirits that haunt him.
Gyllenhaal played ill-fated Assistant D.A. Rachel Dawes in Christopher Nolan’s Batman sequel The Dark Knight and was cast as Donnie Darko’s sister in the 2001 cult classic. She is best known, however, for her role as emotionally damaged submissive Lee Holloway in the kink-fueled comedy Secretary.
“X-Files” star and geek Goddess Gillian Anderson is set to face the undead in British actor-turned-director Mathew Butler’s zombie period piece The Curse of the Buxom Strumpet. The horror-comedy costars Ian McKellen (Lord of the Rings), Judi Dench (Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides), and Mark Williams (Harry Potter).
Set in a small sea-side town in England during the 18th century, The Curse of the Buxom Strumpet follows a small group of zombie apocalypse survivors as they attempt to reach safe haven in France. Butler and producing partner Tori Hart are shopping the project at Cannes and hope to start shooting in Scotland later this year.
Anderson, best known for her role as Agent Dana Scully on the Fox sci-fi series “The X-Files,” has not been seen near supernatural forces since 2008’s regrettably dull The X-Files: I Want to Believe.
Michelle Williams is set to stir things up as Glinda (The Good Witch of the North) in director Sam Raimi’s Wizard of Oz prequel Oz, the Great and Powerful. The 30-year-old stunner joins a cast that includes Mila Kunis as Theodora (Wicked Witch of the West), Rachel Weisz as Evanora (Wicked Witch of the East), and James Franco as the soon-to-be wizard.
Oz, the Great and Powerful tells the tale of how a lost snake oil salesman and illusionist (Franco) defeats evil witches Theodora (Kunis) and Evanora (Weisz) with the help of their sister Gilda (Williams) to rule the land of Oz. The film goes into production in July and is slated for 2012 fall release.
Williams, who made her genre debut at age 15 as Young Sil in the 1995 sci-fi classic Species, received an Oscar nomination this year for her performance in the relationship drama Blue Valentine. Her horror creds include 1998’s Halloween H20: 20 Years Later and the slightly better-reviewed 2010 Martin Scorsese thriller Shutter Island.
Imagine having the ability to alternately wake up every morning next to either Laura Allen (“Terriers”) or Michaela McManus (pictured above). Sounds pretty fucking sweet right? Such is the reality Jason Isaacs’ character Detective Michael Britten is living on NBC’s much buzzed-about mind-fuck of a show “Awake.”
Peep it:
Of course, a series about a guy who gets to bang two beautiful women for the rest of his life isn’t going to score big ratings from women-folk. Things need to be complicated. He needs to suffer. That brings us to the synopsis:
When Detective Michael Britten regains consciousness following his family’s car accident, he is told that his wife Hannah (Allen) perished but that his teen son, Rex (Dylan Minnette), has survived. As he tries to put the pieces of his life back together, he awakens again in a parallel reality in which his wife is very much alive — but his son Rex died in the accident.
In order to keep both of his loved ones alive at one time, he begins living two dueling realities in parallel worlds, which churns up confusion — in one moment, Michael and his wife debate about having another child to replace their son, while in the other reality, he is attracted to his son’s tennis coach, Tara (McManus), to fill the void from the loss of his wife.
Trying to regain some normalcy, Michael returns to police work and solves crimes in both worlds with the help of two different partners — Detective Isaiah “Bird” Freeman (Steve Harris) and Detective Efrem Vega (Wilmer Valderrama).
So, will Det. Britten end up living his life with his wife or his kid and the hot tennis instructor? It’s quite the dilemma. Thankfully for him, one that can be pondered while having lots of sex with both women.
Alison Eastwood, daughter to Hollywood icon Clint Eastwood, is starring in a creepy new indie thriller currently being shopped at Cannes. Directed by some guy named Matthew Arnold, Shadow People follows a CDC doctor (Eastwood) as her research on SUNDS (Sudden Unexplained Nocturnal Death Syndrome) leads her to a supernatural conclusion.
The official synopsis reads:
Shadow People is a psychological thriller that explores the rare medical phenomenon known as SUNDS (Sudden Unexplained Nocturnal Death Syndrome). Millions of people across the globe have had encounters with what they describe as dark, shadowy creatures that visit them at night.
Sometimes horrifying, sometimes deadly, these nocturnal intruders have been described as early as man’s first recorded writings. But what are they? And what do they want?
Small town radio personality Charlie Crowe (Dallas Roberts) is thrust into the mystery when a strange caller relates a terrifying experience during Crowe’s late night call-in show. At the same time CDC Public Health Agent Sophie Lancombe (Eastwood) is hot on the trail of the cause of the rare medical condition known as SUNDS.
Her investigations entwine her with Charlie’s own discoveries and take them both into a dark world and a decades old cover-up about the phenomenon we now call The Shadow People. Once you open the door to the mystery…you’ll never sleep soundly again.
Personally, I have had those moments when I’m in bed, counting sheep, and suddenly the room seems to go especially dark, as if shadows were caving in on me and I can’t move. I always figured these instances to be mild heart attacks due to my over consumption of booze and burritos. But, maybe, it really is just monsters. Talk about dodging a bullet! Goodbye diet!
ABC has released a clip from their upcoming supernatural adventure-drama “The River.” Produced by Paranormal Activity writer/director Oren “one-trick-pony” Peli and his partners, Jason Blum and Steven Schneider, the shaky-cam series will premiere mid-season this fall.
The show’s synopsis reads:
“The River” follows the story of wildlife expert and TV personality Emmet Cole (Bruce Greenwood). Emmet set course around the world with his wife, Tess (Leslie Hope), and son, Lincoln (Joe Anderson), while filming what would become one of the most popular shows in television. After he goes missing deep in the Amazon, his family, friends and crew set out on a mysterious and deadly journey to find him.
The pilot episode was directed by Jaume Collet-Serra (Orphan, Unknown) from a script by Peli, Michael Perry (Paranormal Activity 2), and veteran scribe Michael Green (“Heroes”), who was brought in to rewrite the original draft.
Gotta admit, this show looks like a lot of fun. Guess I’ll have to keep a puke bucket next to my Lazy Boy.
By Eddie Muertos on May 17th, 2011 at 10:36 am
Category: Uncategorized /
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IFC Midnight has unleashed a trailer for German director Dennis Gansel’s cheesy-but-fun-looking all-girl vampire flick We Are the Night. The film stars Karoline Herfurth (Perfume: the Story of a Murderer) as a thief turned reluctant bloodsucker after a one-night-stand with a 250-year-old vampire queen.
Peep it:
The film’s synopsis reads:
We Are the Night is an edgy tale of a provocative gang of female vampires living large, making their own rules and leaving a merciless trail of blood.
The film centers on a 20-year-old Berlin native Lena (Herfurth) who gets by as a petty thief. On one of her nightly job runs through an underground club, she meets 250-year-old Louise (Nina Hoss), the owner of the club and leader of an unusual all-female vampire trio – the other two members being wild child Nora (Anna Fischer) and elegant Charlotte (Jennifer Ulrich).
Louise falls head over heels in love with the scruffy Lena and bites her during their first night together. Once bitten, LENA discovers the curse and the blessing of her new, eternal life. She revels in the glamour, parties and infinite freedom, but quickly discovers that the endless blood thirst and murderous appetite of her new girlfriends come at a steep price.
I am definitely taking my penis to see this flick.
We Are the Night will play selected theaters on May 27. It will also be available nationwide On-Demand starting on May 25th.
