“Hotel Transylvania” is a hilarious must-see movie from start to finish. With an all star cast consisting of Adam Sandler as Dracula, Andy Samberg as Jonathan, Selena Gomez as Mavis, Kevin James as Frankenstein, Steve Buscemi as Wayne the werewolf, David Spade as Griffin the Invisible Man, and CeeLo Green as Murray the mummy, the movie is an absolute treat for all ages.

Mild Spoilers Ahead!

The movie defies “monster” expectations by having humans be the villains and the “monsters” be the victims. The story revolves around Count Dracula building a hotel to be a safe haven for monsters (and his infant daughter, Mavis) in 1895. Dracula’s wife was killed by humans, so he is adamant that nothing will happen to their precious daughter.

The movie jumps forward to the present and is now Mavis’s 118^th birthday. Despite her age, Mavis is, for all intents and purposes, a teenager. As typical teenagers who have overprotective parents, Mavis is eager to explore the outside world, particularly the human world. After Dracula allows her to go to the nearby village, which he has constructed and filled with zombies impersonating humans, Mavis decides that humans are terrible and she never wants to leave the safety of the hotel again. Dracula is now content with the knowledge that humans will never harm Mavis…or at least he is until a human named Jonathan stumbles into the hotel.

Jonathan is the typical young backpacker who wants to see the world while living out of his backpack. He is spontaneous and carefree, which instantly attracts Mavis, who is unaware he is a human. Dracula disguises Jonathan as a monster so his hotel’s reputation will not be harmed by the fact that a human was able to invade their territory. Jonathan takes the monsters on a wild ride to rediscovering the concept of fun and freedom, and ultimately challenges every misconception they have about humans.

Perhaps what makes this movie so great, besides the all-star cast, is the believable and relatable storyline of a father trying to protect his daughter because he loves her so much, while the daughter wants nothing more than to be free. The movie clearly portrays what a parent will do for their child in the name of love, and it shows the sometimes painful side of letting your child make their own mistakes. The movie also challenges against making judgments about others who you do not understand, which is a very important lesson for kids to learn.

“Hotel Transylvania” is a heartwarming, hilarious story that instills important life lessons into kids, which makes this movie an absolute must-see.

Rating: 4.5/5

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‘Frankenweenie’ was an overall disappointment and is definitely not meant for children. It started out strong, but the movie quickly deteriorated with how far-fetched it was becoming and finally crashed and burned in the last scene when it becomes evident that Victor Frankenstein has not really learned anything throughout his journey.

However, the movie was slightly redeemable because of Tim Burton and the voices of the actors, in addition to the references to other horror movies. Tim Burton strikes again with stunning animations set behind a stark black and white landscape. While serious for the majority of the movie, it does have its funny parts, especially when there are references to old horror flicks and characters such as Mrs. Frankenstein, Dracula, Igor, the Invisible Man, Godzilla, and Gremlins. The main characters are voiced by the talented Catherine O’Hara, Martin Short, Charlie Tahan, and Winona Ryder, who all brilliantly portray their characters in the movie.

The story follows elementary school kid Victor Frankenstein trying to find the perfect science fair project when his beloved dog, Sparky, gets hit by a car. Devastated, Victor decides to try to make Sparky come back to life by harnessing electricity and using the wind and lightning storm outside to his benefit. Lo and behold, it magically works and Sparky comes back to life, to Victor’s joy. However, Victor decides to try to hide Sparky. Not surprisingly, Sparky is seen by the Igor-like classmate, who demands to be taught how to bring animals back from the dead. The spreading of this top-secret knowledge brings about chaos as the race to get the best science fair project causes the kids to make less-than-wise decisions about what they wanted to bring back to life.

While the characters are interesting and vivid, the storyline rapidly deteriorates (until the audience is tempted to just get up and leave the theater) because of the immense implausibility, not to mention the depiction of the adults. The parents, especially Victor’s, never have any idea what is going on with their own kids and hardly lift a finger to help when their kids are in mortal peril. All the parents in the movie are passive to the point of absurdity, while the elementary school kids save the day and the town.

Even though ‘Frankenweenie’ is a heartwarming story of how much a boy loves his dog, the intense emotions it portrays is inappropriate for kids. The theater was filled with crying kids when Sparky died the first time and when it looked like he was going to die again. Since the majority of kids have some sort of animal, they easily connect with Victor and how they would feel if their pet died. Since Victor was able to make Sparky come back to life, kids might believe that their pet can come back to life, too. The horror sequences at the end of the movie, when so many scary animals are being brought back to life, is too much.

There is no real lesson to learn from ‘Frankenweenie.’ Throughout the movie, it seems Victor is making progress with understanding death, but he ultimately makes little progress. He is still so obsessed with keeping his dog alive at the end of the movie that kids do not really learn how to healthily cope with the loss of a pet. While ‘Frankenweenie’ is not all bad, it is one of the movies that should be questioned as a “kid’s movie.”

Rating: 1/5

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New York, U.S.A – Matt Braunger brings the funny to Comedy Central, and the awkward comes along for a ride in the world premiere of his original one-hour stand-up special, ‘Matt Braunger: Shovel Fighter,’ debuting Saturday, July 14 at 11:00 p.m. ET/PT.

In his first one-hour special, Braunger enthusiastically brings awkward to a whole new level of funny with his descriptive and inventive wit. In front of a live audience at the Gramercy Theatre in New York, he covers his genius business ideas, from a strip club that women will really want to visit, to a frighteningly realistic frozen dinner, to the world’s most needed new airline. With his expressive style and perhaps a little song, Braunger also imparts key life advice, explaining the one sound everyone should learn to recognize, the importance of trusting one’s instincts to be afraid, and why working in a greeting card store may not quite be the worst job on the planet.

The ‘Matt Braunger: Shovel Fighter’ extended and uncensored DVD, featuring 15 minutes of content not seen in the broadcast, will be released on July 17 by Comedy Central Home Entertainment. The bonus features include commercials for ‘Lonelyman Dinners,’ a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the open, and Braunger’s pitch for the stand-up special.

Also on July 17, Comedy Central Records will release the ‘Matt Braunger: Shovel Fighter’ digital album, recorded live at The Alberta Rose Theatre in Portland, OR. The special also will be available on July 17 in HD exclusively on Xbox LIVE and Sony PlayStation Network, and in SD on iTunes and Samsung Media Hub. Pre-order will be available on iTunes on July 9.

Leading up to the on-air premiere, the Comedy Central Stand-Up Web site will feature preview clips from the special, as well as exclusive clips featured on the DVD.

Braunger’s television credits include a recurring role on NBC’s ‘Up All Night,’ a series regular role on ‘MADtv,’ and various roles on ‘The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien,’ ‘The Late Show with David Letterman,’ ‘United States of Tara,’ ‘Pushing Daisies,’ ‘Carpoolers,’ ‘The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson,’ ‘Acceptable TV,’ and Comedy Central’s ‘Live At Gotham.’ He is also a regular guest on the ‘Chelsea Lately’ roundtable. In 2009, Braunger was named to Variety’s ‘Top 10 Comics to Watch’ and Comedy Central’s ‘Hot 9 in ’09’ lists, and his debut album ‘Soak Up The Night’ was released by Comedy Central Records and named to the iTunes Rewind ‘Top 20 Albums of 2009’ list. His episode of ‘Comedy Central Presents‘ aired in 2010.

Along with touring comedy clubs across the country, Braunger is a regular at the Upright Citizens Brigade in Los Angeles. He also has performed at a variety of prestigious comedy festivals, including the Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal and Chicago, The TBS Comedy Festival Las Vegas, and SXSW. In addition, Braunger won the 2008 ‘Best Of The Fest’ at the inaugural Rooftop Comedy Festival in Aspen and co-founded the popular Bridgetown Comedy Festival, which takes place annually in Portland.

Image Courtesy of  Matt Brunger

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Following months of uncertainty over the future of ‘Cougar Town’, which stars Golden Globe nominee Courteney Cox, it was revealed on Thursday May 10 that a deal has been made which will see the critically-beloved, but low-rated, series move to TBS for a fourth season, set to air in early 2013.

There had been rumors of such a deal in the last week, with initial reports suggesting that TBS would pick-up ‘Cougar Town’ for 30 episodes spread across two seasons. However, as it stands TBS has only renewed it for Season 4, with the actors under contract for Season 5 should it perform well enough for TBS to order an additional season.

This move comes after a difficult life for the series on ABC. Premiering to strong ratings in the fall of 2009, ‘Cougar Town’ was scheduled alongside ABC’s number one comedy ‘Modern Family’ and performed well-enough to stay in that slot for two seasons. However, its ratings weren’t quite on par with ‘Modern Family’, and ABC pulled it from the schedule while it tried out a variety of other comedies, hoping to find a more compatible fit for ‘Modern Family’.

But no such series was found while ‘Cougar Town’ remained off the air, until February of this year. When the series finally did return to ABC, it was scheduled alongside freshman comedy ‘Last Man Standing’, a much lower-rated series than ‘Modern Family’ and one which skews a significantly different audience demographic. The combination of a protracted hiatus and an incompatible lead-in resulted in poor ratings for ‘Cougar Town’, as well as an unlikely chance at renewal on ABC for next season.

However, with 61 episodes under its belt and with it being owned by ABC Studios, the series is too close to syndication for ABC to cancel it altogether. With the new TBS deal, ABC will still benefit financially if the series produces enough episodes for syndication, which it presumably will in light of TBS and ABC coming to this agreement in the first place.

‘Cougar Town’ is not the first series in recent history to switch networks, nor is it the first for co-creator Bill Lawrence (his last series, ‘Scrubs’, aired on NBC for seven seasons before moving over to ABC in 2008).

Yet, ‘Cougar Town’s move does mark a blow to the long working relationship between Lawrence and ABC. Although ‘Scrubs’ aired on NBC for the majority of its run, it too was owned by ABC Studios, while prior to that Lawrence had co-created the sitcom ‘Spin City” which had a six season run on ABC from 1996 to 2002.

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Emmy-nominated comedy series ‘Parks and Recreation’ ended its fourth season on Thursday May 10, with an episode which revealed the long-awaited result in main character Leslie Knope’s election bid for city council.

The episode, titled “Win, Lose, or Draw”, was written and directed by series co-creator Michael Schur. The episode featured Leslie, played by Amy Poehler, waiting to hear if she had beat rival Bobby Newport, played by Paul Rudd, in an election storyline which had been running all season. The initial result showed that Bobby had won by a margin of 21 votes, however, after Leslie’s campaign manager – and love interest – Ben Wyatt, played by Adam Scott, demanded a recount, it was revealed that it was in fact Leslie who had won by 21 votes.

The result of the election had been top-secret since production wrapped on ‘Parks & Recreation’ several months ago. At a Paley Center event in March, Schur revealed that multiple endings had been filmed for the episode so that he could wait until the last moment to decide which ending to air. Poehler admitted to being a fan of both endings, telling the audience:

“It was really touching and moving to do both the acceptance and the concession speeches. Concession and acceptance speeches are about the same until the end. They thank everybody and talk a lot and say congratulations to the other guy … Having to talk to the cast, which were all my friends, and say thank you for this election year. I couldn’t do it without you, cue the waterworks factory.”

Leslie’s win in the season finale means several changes for the series in its fifth season. Until this season, the series had revolved primarily around Leslie’s duties as the Deputy Director of the Pawnee City Department of Parks and Recreation, whereas now the series is expected to feature more storylines involving Leslie’s burgeoning political career.

Also undergoing some changes is Ben Wyatt, who accepted a job offer in the finale to run a congressional campaign in Washington for six months, effectively forcing Leslie and himself to attempt a long-distance relationship for at least some of next season, assuming that it does not skip entirely over those six months.

For the season, ‘Parks & Recreation’ averaged between 3-4 million viewers per week, but strong critical acclaim and consistent Emmy nominations have ensured its survival on the struggling NBC network. Earlier this month, both the series and Poehler won at The Comedy Awards for Best Comedy Series and Best Comedy Actress in TV, respectively, while the series was recently named as the recipient of the prestigious Peabody Award.

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In its final outing, ‘Desperate Housewives’ will wrap up the stories of Susan Delfino (Teri Hatcher), Lynette Scavo (Felicity Huffman), Bree Van De Kamp (Marcia Cross), and Gabrielle Solis (Eva Longoria) in a special two-part series finale, titled “Give Me the Blame”/”Finishing the Hat”. The finale will revolve around the ongoing murder trial which sees Bree charged with the death of Gabrielle’s step-father, that actually occurred at the hands of Gabrielle’s husband Carlos (Ricardo Chavira) in an act of self-defense.

Other storylines expected to be resolved in the finale include the long-awaited reunion between Lynette and her husband Tom (Doug Savant), and a follow-up to Susan’s decision in last week’s episode to sell her home on Wisteria Lane, following the death of her husband Mike (James Denton) earlier this season. The official episode description for “Give Me the Blame” reads:

“Susan plans on selling her home; Trip begs for Bree to come clean to him about the night Alejandro was killed; Gabrielle tries to come up with a way to stop Bree from being convicted.”

Then, the official episode description for “Finishing the Hat” reads:

“Katherine returns to Wisteria Lane and offers Lynette a job, that could end her chances of reconciling with Tom; the ladies agree to take care of Mrs. McCluskey when they discover she wants to die with dignity; Julie goes into labor on the way to Ben and Renee’s wedding; Renee is furious to find out that Ben has been arrested and thrown in jail.”

The return of Katherine in the series finale marks the first appearance by former star Dana Delany since her departure from ‘Desperate Housewives’ two years ago, when her character departed on an extended trip to Europe with girlfriend Robyn (Julie Benz). In real life, Delany took a starring role on her own ABC series ‘Body of Proof’.

Other former stars are expected to return for the final episode, which comes after several years of declining ratings for the once top-rated series. Premiering in the fall of 2004, ‘Desperate Housewives’ was one of two shows (the other being ‘Lost’) credited with revitalizing the struggling ABC network.

In its first two seasons, the series averaged more than 20 million viewers per week, however, that figure has been in a steady decline ever since, with the current season averaging 8-9 million viewers per week. Still, the series has remained one of ABC’s strongest-performing shows and one of its most popular series internationally. For the majority of its run, ‘Desperate Housewives’ was the most-watched comedy series worldwide, reaching 51.6 million viewers in 2009.

‘Desperate Housewives’ has won seven Emmy awards during its run, including one for Outstanding Actress for Felicity Huffman and two for Outstanding Guest Actress for Kathryn Joosten. In 2004 and 2005, it won the Golden Globe for Best Comedy Series, while Teri Hatcher won Best Actress in 2004. Hatcher and Huffman also won Screen Actors Guild awards for their performances (in 2004 and 2005, respectively), while the entire cast won for Outstanding Cast in 2004 and 2005.

The two-part series finale of ‘Desperate Housewives’ will air on Sunday, May 13 from 9:00-11:00pm.

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New York, U.S.A. – “The Comedy Awards” (#comedyawards) are back and better than, well, last year, when the second annual event airs on COMEDY CENTRAL on Sunday, May 6 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Some of the biggest names in comedy, including Chris Rock, Kristen Wiig, Ty Burrell,Tracy Morgan, Will Arnett, Hannibal Buress, Chevy Chase, Louis C.K., Tina Fey, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Annie Mumolo, Chris Parnell, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Adam Scott, and Jon Stewart joined the night’s big honorees Don Rickles and Robin Williams to honor and celebrate the world of comedy.

Highlights from the show include:

• Robert De Niro and Jon Stewart presenting Don Rickles with the “Johnny Carson Award for Comedic Excellence”
• Patton Oswalt presenting Robin Williams with the “Stand-Up Icon Award”
• Politically-themed fun as Tracy Morgan contemplates joining the Secret Service and Key & Peele bring out President Obama’s Anger Translator Luther
• Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo (literally) wrestling over their award for “Best Comedy Film”
• The night’s big winner Louis C.K. wondering if four awards is maybe a few too many
• Chris Rock riffing on whether or not the nominees are actually funny
• And much more…

Fans are encouraged to visit www.thecomedyawards.com to vote for their digital favorites in categories including Best Comedy App, Best Comedy Podcast, Best Remix, Mash-up or Supercut and  Funniest Person on Twitter.  Voting for these categories will be open through Sunday, May 6, when “The Comedy Awards” premieres on COMEDY CENTRAL

“The Comedy Awards” is led by its Board of Directors which include such luminaries as: Carol Burnett,James Burrows, Greg Cavic, Stephen Colbert, James Dixon, Budd Friedman, Jim Gosnell, Rick Greenstein, Brad Grey, Caroline Hirsch, Sharon Jackson, Blair Kohan, Martin Lesak, Steve Levine, Jamie Masada, Adam McKay, Jimmy Miller, Conan O’Brien, Peter Principato, Joan Rivers, Jay Roach, Chris Rock, Ray Romano, Rory Rosegarten, Michael Rotenberg, George Schlatter, Mitzi Shore, David Steinberg, Jon Stewart, Lily Tomlin, Sandy Wernick and Geof Wills.

The Board of Directors is responsible for the selection of the nominees.  The nominees are then sent out to over 1500 working members of the comedy community to determine the winners.

“The Comedy Awards” has once again joined forces with the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) to endow The American Comedy Fund.  Without a union or other protection, many comedians face unique challenges to succeed and survive.

The Fund provides much-needed financial assistance, health benefits and other resources for comedians across the country during times of need, crisis or transition.  The American Comedy Fund is administered by EIF in collaboration with the Motion Picture & Television Fund and The Actors Fund.

Don Mischer, Casey Patterson, EVP, Event Production, Viacom Entertainment Group and Charlie Haykelare the Executive Producers.  Juliane Hare is Producer.  Beth McCarthy Miller, the Peabody and DGA Award-winning and Emmy-nominated Director, directed “The Comedy Awards.”  “The American Comedy Awards” was created by George Schlatter.

Image Courtesy of   http://www.comedycentral.com

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“The Comedy Awards,” the annual event dedicated to honoring and celebrating the world of comedy, has announced that legendary comedian Don Rickles will be honored as the recipient of the prestigious “Johnny Carson Award For Comedic Excellence” at this year’s ceremony. “The Daily Show’s” Jon Stewart will present him with the prestigious award.

The “Johnny Carson Award For Comedic Excellence” is presented annually in honor of iconic comedian and talk show host Johnny Carson, to an individual who embodies the same comedic excellence of the renowned and beloved comic powerhouse.

Rickles, who credits Carson for giving him his first big break and was a frequent guest and guest host on “The Tonight Show,” appearing over 100 times during Carson’s tenure, is being honored for more than 55 years of outstanding work in stand-up comedy, paving the way for countless entertainers.

He is the second recipient of this award, following David Letterman, who was presented with the honor by Bill Murray at last year’s inaugural ceremony.

“Don Rickles is an American treasure. Together with the John W. Carson Foundation we are thrilled to be honoring him at ‘The Comedy Awards’ this year,” said Casey Patterson, Executive Producer, “The Comedy Awards” and EVP, Event Production, Viacom Entertainment Group.

Rickles commented, “I’ve been blessed with many highlights in my career but guesting with Johnny Carson on ‘The Tonight Show’ was particularly memorable for me as they were more than just appearances, they became events.  Carson was Mr. Magic. He always made me feel that my talent was something special. To receive an award bearing Johnny’s name means everything to me as he will go down in history as the greatest in his field.”

The “Johnny Carson Award For Comedic Excellence,” the first and only award sanctioned by the Carson family, will be presented during the taping of the second annual “The Comedy Awards” at New York City’s Hammerstein Ballroom on Saturday, April 28.

As the host of NBC’s “The Tonight Show” for nearly 30 years, Johnny Carson became a beloved comedic icon and a welcome guest in the homes of Americans across the country.

His legendary career earned him the title “The King of Late Night,” propelling him to become one of the biggest names not only in comedy but in all of entertainment.  With such a respected position in the industry, the “Johnny CarsonAward For Comedic Excellence” is an honor bestowed upon those that exemplify Carson’s generous, pioneering spirit and love of laughter.

It is befitting that Rickles will receive this special award, in its sophomore year, as one of Carson’s oldest friends.  Although it is difficult to pinpoint the exact moment of his breakthrough, Rickles believes the ball really started rolling on the night of October 7, 1965, during his first appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.”

His freewheeling performance that night became the talk of the show business industry and caused nationwide comment among the press and public. Regarded as one of the world’s top entertainers, Rickles has appeared in top showrooms and concert halls across the U.S. and internationally.

He began his career in the early 1950s and quickly became known as an “insult” comedian for the way he would respond to hecklers in the audience and his undiscriminating way of making fun of people from all walks of life, leading to the monikers “The Merchant of Venom” and “Mr. Warmth” (coined affectionately by Johnny Carson). With support from fan and friend Frank Sinatra, Rickles became a popular performer in Las Vegas, where he first started in 1959 and has been a headliner ever since.

Rickles has been featured in numerous movies, beginning with “Run Silent Run Deep,” which was his first film after graduating from The American Academy of Dramatic Arts. He has graced the silver screen with many memorable roles since, including the cult-favorite “Kelly’s Heroes,” “The Rat Race” and, perhaps most famously, as casino manager Billy Sherbert in Martin Scorsese’s “Casino” and as the beloved “Mr. Potato Head” in Pixar’s “Toy Story” franchise.

He has appeared on numerous television series includingKathy Griffin’s “My Life on the D-List” and “Hot in Cleveland,” and has found success in the publishing world, having written two best sellers for Simon & Schuster. Rickles continues to be very active on the stand-up comedy scene and is still a popular performer in Las Vegas, Atlantic City and other venues around the country.

“The Comedy Awards,” now in its second year, is dedicated to celebrating the art of comedy with an historic, one-night-only celebration honoring the most talented writers, directors, actors and stand-ups, who provided the laugh track to our lives this past year.

The ceremony will take place at New York City’s Hammerstein Ballroom on Saturday, April 28 and premiere on COMEDY CENTRAL on Sunday, May 6. “The Comedy Awards” also will air on COMEDY CENTRAL’s international channels across Europe, New Zealand, India, Israel and Africa.

A full list of previously announced nominees for the 2012 “The Comedy Awards” and more information about the show and its prestigious Board of Directors can be found at www.thecomedyawards.com.  “Modern Family,” “Bridesmaids,” “30 Rock,” “Crazy, Stupid, Love.” and Louis C.K. lead the nominations and fans can vote for “Breakout Performer of the Year.”

Previously, Robin Williams was announced as the recipient of the prestigious “Stand-Up Icon” award, which will be presented to him during this year’s ceremonies.  A complete list of the nominees for the digital categories can also be found at www.thecomedyawards.com and fans can vote for Best Viral Original on “The Comedy Awards” page on YouTube (www.youtube.com/ComedyAwards).

Click here to view a highlight reel from last year’s show.  Follow “The Comedy Awards” on Twitter @TheComedyAwards.

“The Comedy Awards” is led by its Board of Directors, which include such luminaries as: Carol Burnett,James Burrows, Greg Cavic, Stephen Colbert, James Dixon, Budd Friedman, Jim Gosnell, Rick Greenstein, Brad Grey, Caroline Hirsch, Sharon Jackson, Blair Kohan, Martin Lesak, Steve Levine, Jamie Masada, Adam McKay, Jimmy Miller, Conan O’Brien, Peter Principato, Joan Rivers, Jay Roach, Chris Rock, Ray Romano, Rory Rosegarten, Michael Rotenberg, George Schlatter, Mitzi Shore, David Steinberg, Jon Stewart, Lily Tomlin, Sandy Wernick and Geof Wills.

Don Mischer, Casey Patterson, EVP, Event Production, Viacom Entertainment Group and Charlie Haykelare the Executive Producers.  Juliane Hare is Producer.  Beth McCarthy Miller, the Peabody and DGA Award-winning and Emmy-nominated Director, will once again direct “The Comedy Awards.”  “The American Comedy Awards” were originally created by George Schlatter.

Image Courtesy of   s_bukley / Shutterstock.com

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‘Cougar Town’, the hit US comedy about a group of friends in their 30s and 40s dealing with love and life, airs Tuesdays at 8:30pm on ABC, and returns to UK television screens this Friday, March 9, at 8:30pm on Sky Living.

Starring Courteney Cox (Friends) and executive produced by Bill Lawrence and Kevin Biegel (Scrubs, Spin City), the series revolves around Jules Cobb (Cox) and her dysfunctional friends who spend their time either at Jules’ house or at a local pub run by Jules’ neighbour Grayson, played by Josh Hopkins.

In this Friday’s season premiere, Jules and Grayson, who have been dating for over a year, take a major step forward in their relationship after Jules spends the episode trying to disprove her friends’ belief that she is a predictable person. Meanwhile, Jules’ son Travis (Dan Byrd) moves into a new student house while dealing with the presence of his silly yet well-meaning father Bobby (Brian Van Holt).

The results of both plots are as hilarious as one would come to expect from this show, which has solidified itself as one of the best-written ensemble comedies on contemporary television. Premiering alongside Emmy winner ‘Modern Family’, ‘Cougar Town’ exemplifies the modern family comedy, with innovative and creative plots which serve to echo the statement of Courteney Cox’s previous hit sitcom ‘Friends,’ that: ‘your friends can become your family’.

Set in an always-sunny cul-de-sac in Florida, the series provides consistent, razor-shop humour while still delivering family-friendly entertainment.

The cast and crew have recently hosted viewing parties across the United States – a move previously covered by Toonari Post – in an effort to trump up promotion for the show after it spent the majority of the last 12 months off the air due to various scheduling delays. But now, the Golden Globe nominated comedy is back on UK screens for a brand new 15-episode run.

Set to guest star in the forthcoming episodes are several actors from ‘Scrubs’, notably Sarah Chalke who portrayed Dr. Elliot Reid on the hit medical comedy for 9 years (2001-2010). Chalke will join ‘Cougar Town’ for four episodes as a love interest for Van Holt’s character, while her former co-star Ken Jenkins – Dr. Bob Kelso on ‘Scrubs’ – will return as Jules’ father for at least one episode.

One of this season’s most high-profile guest stars is David Arquette, real-life husband of Courteney Cox and her co-star in the ‘Scream’ franchise. Arquette and Cox are currently separated, but that has not stopped them from working onscreen once again, following their co-starring roles in all 4 ‘Scream’ films and Arquette’s appearance in a 1996 episode of ‘Friends’. Cox herself will step behind the camera to direct several episodes this season.

‘Cougar Town’ returns this Friday (March 9) at 8:30pm on Sky Living.

Image Courtesy of   https://www.facebook.com/CougarTown

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ABC’s hit sitcom will return for its third season on February 14, following an unprecedented, nationwide promotional campaign. Cougar Town, a half-hour comedy starring Courteney Cox (Friends, Scream), follows Jules Cobb (Cox) and her close circle of friends as they attempt to navigate their way through parenthood, marriage, dating and work.

The series has been off the air in the U.S. since last May after ABC opted against giving the show a spot on its fall schedule, offering only vague assertions that it would return at some point at ‘midseason‘. However, the series’ cast and crew have turned to social media in an effort to maintain public interest and to engage with their fan base in a face-to-face manner.

The main feature of their promotional campaign has been Cougar Town viewing parties, which have been in operation across the U.S. for several weeks now as cast and crew members travelled to various cities to interact with fans, offer special screenings of new episodes, take part in Q&A sessions, and to counteract any waning interest as a result of ABC’s delay in confirming a return date for the series, which had previously been airing alongside the network’s Emmy award-winning series Modern Family.

In a further effort to reignite the old and spark some new interest, series star Courteney Cox joined Twitter in January of this year and has since amassed over 90,000 followers. Cox has sent out over 1,000 tweets, the majority of which have sought to publicise the show and to offer Cougar Town fans exclusive behind-the-scenes footage.

As recently as Wednesday February 8, Cox was overseeing a competition to reward 50 fans with bottles of wine – in partnership with THECULTWINE.COM - provided that fans show proof of their age and make a pledge to watch Cougar Town on Tuesday February 14 at 8:30pm.

This is not the first time that cast-members involved with the series have reached out as a way of rewarding and strengthening their audience’s support. In an April 2011 episode, one character read out a telephone number which viewers could in turn call. If they got through, they could speak to actors, writers, and various others involved with the series.

These tactics have all been designed to keep Cougar Town on the public radar in spite of its middling ratings, with several fans going so far as to display billboards in support of the show during television coverage of this year’s Super Bowl, in the hopes of winning a walk-on role from the producers.

Show-runner Bill Lawrence recently expressed his frustration over the ‘flawed system‘ which monitors television ratings and which will ultimately determine the future of his series beyond this season, explaining that the primary hope of his self-funded campaigning is for:

a Nielsen family [to] … want to keep show alive. Ruining it for the masses or encouraging them to watch on their computer doesn’t matter until the system changes.

While there have been instances in the past of grass-roots campaigns being organised to combat network decisions – for example when Jericho fans persuaded CBS to reverse the series’ cancellation in 2007 – the involvement of the Cougar Town cast in this campaign has been particularly note-worthy, as has the fact the majority of their events have been planned entirely through the use of social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook.

The true impact of Lawrence’s, Cox’s, the audience’s and others’ efforts to promote Cougar Town will be made apparent in the coming weeks when the series returns to ABC’s schedule and everyone involved attempts to lure, and hopefully increase, their 7.3 million weekly viewers from last season.

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At 51 Kathy Griffin has worn every single hat in the Show Business, the former D-lister, in reference to her Emmy Award winning reality show My Life On The D-List, is now a media mogul who collects Emmy, Grammy, GLAAD Media Award nominations while penning some New York Times best-selling books, hosting events or raising awareness about LGBT issues.

Reading up on her website we find out that she has been making audiences laugh for years discussing Hollywood gossip and celebrity blunders but according to her detractors she’s far from funny. Her act could be described as a commentary on Celebrity lifestyle, Show business scandals, Top-secret spilling and a lot of cursing that will target anyone from Oprah Winfrey to a whole religious group.

Her infamous moments include her Emmy speech mentioning Jesus Christ, her swearing on CNN, open feuds with radio phenomenon Ryan Seacrest or derogatory comments on Sarah Palin and her daughter. She claims to have been banned from most of the shows on National Television, kicked out of A-List events and confronted by celebrities at after-parties.

But is it all valid for a laugh? Where is the line between funny and offensive? Do we take some jokes too seriously? Comedians have always stirred up some, or a whole lot of, controversy in the name of comedy. It worked out just fine for Chris Rock, George Lopez or even Jay Leno.

As for the female headliners Chelsea Handler landed a TV gig that will pay her rent forever and Joan Rivers is one of the busiest artists out there. But what is so different about Kathy Griffin that enrages some so many people and yet maintains a growing loyal army of fans? It seems like no other comedian has been so honest about their social status, fans believe her stories and haters are horrified by her jokes but she seems to be frank to all audiences.

There’s  even more to Kathy Griffin’s enchanting side, she is also one of the biggest LGTB rights advocate, she lent her voice to the Repeal Don’t Ask Don’t Tell campaigns where she would march with the crowds and even perform for the troops in Irak and Afghanistan. Let alone her mother Maggie, whose rising popularity and old-fashioned way of thinking may sweeten  and  smoothen her daughter’s image.

2011 has been a extremely successful year for Kathy Griffin who made a Broadway debut, landed roles on Glee and Drop Dead Diva and by the end of the year Bravo will have aired 4 of her comedy specials. She’ll strut the red carpet on September 18th as an Emmy Nominee and while the world discuss her artistry she will be laughing all the way to the bank.

Funny or not, it seems like Kathy Griffin knows what she is getting herself into. The day after the Emmys her special Kathy Griffin Emmys Aftermath will premiere on the TV Guide Network, just another excuse for spilling all kinds of inside details from a star-studded Show, classic Griffin.
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Rowan Atkinson is back in action once again as Johnny English, the international spy that causes more trouble than he fixes on his escapades to save the world.  With English’s return, comes director Oliver Parker and writers William Davies, and Hamish McColl in this movie about a man who laughs in the face of danger.

Rowan Atkinson is best known for his comedic roles as Mr. Bean, a strange man who falls into many awkward situations along his journeys. His most recent movie was Mr. Bean’s Holiday, a film about Mr. Bean’s accidental adventure with a boy separated from his father and how he finds true love.  Atkinson’s characters are mostly known for their expressive features–wide eyes and a small closed mouth– and their sticky situations.  So with English hitting the screen once again the question is will the clumsy agent save the world for a second time?

Johnny English Reborn follows the secret agent eight years after his mission shown in the original movie.  English was living in a cave after a mission went wrong in Mozambique.  Since the mission, he lived in an abandoned cave in Tibet, filled with bugs and self-doubt.  A head monk of a local monastery decides to train English so he can save the world once more.  MI-7 (a spoof on English secret service MI-6) reaches out to English after his training for a new mission.

Three Southeast Asian countries have developed nuclear arms as well as an assassination plot to kill the Chinese Premier.  So, English must save the Premier while making sure China sides with England and not the rogue nations.

The director Oliver Parker is best known for his 2009 movie Dorian Grey and Othello, but is also known for his comedies like The Importance of Being Earnest, and The Ideal Husband.  Mixing drama and comedy is hard but it seems like Parker has his feet wet in both genres.  His comedies might not be a big hit in the box office so with the job of directing Johnny English, it will really put his skills to the test as an action/comedy director.

The writer Hamish McColl has written two major features both for Rowan’s characters.  The first was Mr. Bean’s Vacation and Johnny English Reborn now being his second.  McColl has mainly acted in shorts like Going Going and Knit Your Own Karma but with a charming script for Mr. Bean’s Holiday and with a similar feel, McColl can most likely pull off Johnny English Reborn easily.

Perhaps better known is William Davis, who has written about 15 scripts, including How To Train Your Dragon, Flushed Away, and the original Johnny English.   Working Title Films recently released a Q&A with McColl about his work on Johnny English Reborn.  Hamish said that he has worked on and off on the script for sometime but had done most of the work last year for it.

When he writes McColl says that he has Johnny English’s voice in his head, “I hear his voice very clearly.  For me, that’s essential, you know… it’s that classic thing that if you took away the character slug, you would still know who was speaking by the way that they were speaking” McColl said.

Johnny English did not do well in the box office in America and got a 43 percent on Rotten Tomatoes between the Top Critics.  However it did gross more than $100 million from its $40 million budget.  With a bad track record, it seems like the original was the last of the franchise but with its new writers, Johnny English has been revamped and being released this August 18^th.

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Adam Sandler’s latest film, Jack and Jill, is set to hit theaters November 11 of this year, and it is already causing a stir with his first ever role in drag. It seemed for awhile that Adam Sandler was branching out with his more serious roles in Punch-Drunk Love, Reign Over Me and Funny People. However, he has started accepting roles that are more in keeping with his comedic background. Jack and Jill is a comedy that is more similar to the films that made him famous when he first started acting in the early 90s.

Jack and his sister, Jill, both played by Adam Sandler, are twin siblings. Jack lives in Los Angeles with his wife and kids, and once a year Jill comes to stay for Thanksgiving. Jack is not very fond of her, since she is often embarrassing and quite passive-aggressive. This year, Jill manages to manipulate her brother into letting her stay for the entire holiday season.

In addition to the conflict between siblings, there is also a romantic sub-plot played by Al Pacino, as himself. The fact that Jill is actually just Sandler has a number of people wondering if there is any physical contact between Pacino and Jill, and if so, just how much.

Famous comedians dressing up in drag is a common occurrence among comedians, but this is the first time Sandler is starring in a film in which he plays a woman for any length of time. What makes this film a little different from most in this genre is that Jill is really supposed to be a woman. She is not just Jack in drag, she is her own character. Technically, another actor entirely could have played Jill, but the decision to have Sandler play both roles is intended to add to the humor of the film.

Sandler has starred in dozens of films, and usually the ones that make him the most money get the worst critical reviews. He has been nominated for a number of Razzies, which are basically the Oscars for the worst films of the year, instead of the best. In Sandler’s case, his films that get nominated for Razzies are usually the highest grossing, such as I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, Big Daddy, and The Waterboy.

If he keeps up with this trend, he has little to worry about when it comes to money, especially since there has been talk of Jack and Jill being nominated for next year’s Razzie award for worst film of the year. Whether or not this film manages to wow audiences, it should be interesting to see how Sandler does playing both lead roles.

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The sitcom started out as a show documenting the love life of Ted by way of flashbacks from the future. Ted, played by Josh Radnor, recollects to his children in the year 2030 of how he met their mother years earlier (remaining effectively faithful to the series’ distinctive title).  At the show’s core, it recounts how exactly Ted fell in love combined with the array of Ted friends, which include, Lily Aldrin (Alyson Hannigan), Marshall Eriksen (Jason Segel), Robin Scherbatsky (Cobie Smulders) and Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris) (Wikipedia).

When Ted’s best friend, played by Segel announces that he will propose to his girlfriend of many years portrayed by Hannigan.  With that declaration Ted feels a sense of urgency showing is desire to pick up the pace on his life.

With his best friend proposing, Ted hopes to discover love and makes it his pursuit of what the show ultimately centers around. With the aid of his friend, bachelor Barney (Harris), Ted is on a journey wherein he eventually meets who he believes to be his true love (Smulders).  Nonetheless, the comedy gains increasing momentum when it becomes apparent what Ted believes to be a romantic destiny isn’t exactly the most fitting conviction.

Coupled with this buffet of recollections and characters is the voice of Bob Saget who narrates the show in the past tense in order to portray the show’s comical happenings.

Beginning production in 2005, How I met Your Mother, has proven itself to have all the ingredients for an enduring television comedy having captured five Emmy Award wins over the years and maintaining solid ratings throughout its production.  The CBS show is such a grand success that the program station has recently stated that the comedy has been renewed for two more seasons.

This fall, September 19^th, the seventh season is scheduled to air, unquestionably a fact keeping viewers satisfied.

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ABC adds to the lineup of comedies this fall with a new television series, Man Up. Christopher Moynihan, Mather Zickel, and Dan Fogler star in this comedy about three guys living adult lives but still figuring out what it means to be men.

Will (Mather Zickel) plays video games, and fusses over little things like the type of creamer used for his coffee. Kenny (Dan Fogler) is a pharmaceutical rep still in the process of getting over his divorce while their other friend Craig (Christopher Moynihan) is an ‘emotional basket case’ still hung up on his college ex.

Their lives may not compare to men like Will’s father who was a war veteran and fought in what one would consider a real battle, but life changes and along with that so do the standards and expectations of a ‘real man’.

Through the jokes and outrageous comedic situations they deal with, these men continue to get in touch with their inner tough guys and are ultimately forced to man up. This amusing and relatable comedy gives viewers something to look forward to Tuesday nights, it premieres on October 18th.

Image Courtesy of  http://abc.go.com/shows/man-up

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After 12 years, there is a new Muppet movie coming to theaters this Thanksgiving. The Muppets, directed by James Bobin (Flight of the Concords), is coming out soon and some trepidation is felt as audiences wait for its release this fall. After the mixed reviews of Muppets in Space, and the general dissatisfaction with the Muppets few T.V. appearances over the last decade or so, audiences are looking for a return to the classic Muppet films. Screenwriters, Jason Segel (Forgetting Sarah Marshall) and Nicholas Stoller, have promised to deliver.

Because the Muppet franchise was bought by Disney in 2004, many fans have been worried that the clean adult humor would be lost in this latest film. However, Segel wants to remain true to the Muppets and in a recent interview with Total Film Magazine, Segel assures his impending audience that he wants to get back to the feel of the original Muppet films. “It harks back to the late ‘70s, early ‘80s. That’s the Muppets we grew up with.” Segel has stated his passion for this project on numerous occasions, and he knows he is not the only one who wants to see a new Muppet movie that is both funny and is in keeping with Jim Henson’s original vision for the Muppet cast.

The Muppets storyline centers on Muppet Theater from The Muppet Show. Money hungry, Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) wants to tear down Muppet Theater so he can make millions off of the oil nestled beneath the building. Walter, the world’s biggest Muppet fan who just so happens to be a Muppet himself, discovers this fact while vacationing in Los Angeles with his roommate Gary and Gary’s girlfriend Mary. In order to save the theater, they need to raise 10 million dollars, and what better way is there to do that than a telethon fundraiser?  As a part of the telethon, they need to get the cast back together, and so they go on a journey across the country to find the Muppet gang. Most of the original cast is back including Miss Piggy, Gonzo, Animal, Fozzie, and, of course, Kermit the Frog. The plotline is a familiar one, but Segel wants to bring the old Muppets to a new generation and he is doing this by reforming an old idea into a brand new film, while still trying to keep that same Muppet magic.

As a part of trying to make this film a success, Bret McKenzie, also of The Flight of the Concords, is writing most of the songs that will be featured throughout the course of the movie. As an artist known for his fun and humorous music, this seems like a good choice for the Muppet franchise. Additionally, Segel has written some of the songs, and some older Muppet music is scheduled to be included as well, such as the classic “The Rainbow Connection”.

In keeping with Segel’s vision of creating a Muppet movie similar to the originals, a number of cameos are set for the film. Artists and actors such as Jack Black, Niel Patrick Harris, Katy Perry, Rashida Jones, Whoopi Goldberg, and Danny Trejo are scheduled to be in the film. Bobin was hoping to get Elmo from Sesame Street, but according to Stoller “There’s too much money resting on that guy.” It would have been nice to see a Sesame Street character in the new movie, since the Sesame Street characters appeared in the first three films, but even with the absence of Elmo, there are sure to be numerous funny celebrity appearances.

The question on everyone’s lips is will it be the classic Muppets we all grew up with and love, or will it mirror the failures of recent memory? Only time can tell if this really will be the greatest Muppet movie ever made, or simply another shadow of times past.

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After surprising many by winning two awards for best original screenplay and best actress at the 36^th annual Cesar Awards Ceremony (the French equivalent to the Oscars) this past February, The Names of Love will soon be moving from the French cinema to U.S. screens. In preparation for its June 24^th release, critics have already begun extolling this charming film starring Sara Forestier and Jacques Gamblin in this French romantic comedy about falling in love despite your differences.

Arthur Martin (Gamblin), which is coincidentally also the name of a popular French washing machine brand, is a forty-something Jewish scientist who studies dead animals, while Baya Benmahmoud (Forestier) is a young free-spirited half French-half Albanian liberal who sleeps with conservatives to convert them. She boasts an average conversion rate of two weeks, and even shows Arthur her book of conquests, complete with photos and descriptions for each man. There are 15,207 people in France with the name Arthur Martin, and it is the commonness of his name that first inspires Baya to try to convert Arthur to her liberal agenda. Little do they know that neither one is what the other first expected.

While the premise of putting together two opposites who inextricably fall in love anyway has been done many times before, this film adds several unique elements to its 100 minute viewing time. The Names of Love offers social commentary on many events that have been going on in France lately, but with a humorous twist.  Immigration from North African nations such as Algeria, Tanzania, and Morocco, has increased the Muslim population in France to approximately 8% (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4385768.stm). Conflict has arisen between some native French and Muslim immigrants and this film uses these conflicts as a springboard to create some very funny and touching moments on-screen.

In addition, the director brings up Arab-Jewish history, as Arthur is Jewish and Baya’s father is a non-practicing Muslim. This is especially prominent in a scene in which Baya meets with Arthur’s family for dinner and Baya unwittingly uses the term “oven” several times when describing her cooking in front of Arthur’s Jewish mother. What makes this scene even funnier is Arthur’s insistence at the beginning of the evening that she mention nothing related to the Holocaust. How hard she tries to follow his instructions and fails anyway results in a hilarious scene of situational comedy.

Harvey Karten on movieweb.com points out, “that given enough time, humor can emerge from tragedy” and this film demonstrates that quite adeptly. Despite the horrible things that have happened because of intolerance and hatred, this film points out that things do not have to stay that way.

While U.S. audiences will most likely miss some of the specifically French humor that is present in the film, themes of love, overcoming differences, and learning to let go and open up are familiar enough to be understood by many different cultures. When heading to the theaters this summer, don’t forget to place The Names of Love on your list of movies to see.

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Is your boss a slave-driving mad man? Overly sexual and less than ethical? How about an outright sleaze? According to Warner Brother’s summer hit ‘Horrible Bosses’, more often than not the blue collar workers of the world have at least one of the three writing their paycheck.

Friends Nick (Jason Bateman), Kurt (Jason Sudeikis) and Dale (Charlie Day) live ordinary and uneventful lives, with the exception of their extraordinarily intolerable bosses. The three dutifully work and contribute to society while suffering the orders of professional bullies, sexually aggressive dentists and ignorant superiors. While many average citizens feel that their bosses have no real purpose to their existence, these three friends decide over beer and bar food that they have been driven to the edge and must kill each others bosses. Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Aniston and Colin Farrell are the head honcho menaces stripping our three protagonists of their sanity and happiness, one day at a time. Dave (Spacey) corporate pressures Nick into Scotch chugging—at 8:15 am. Julia (Aniston) repeatedly fondles unconscious patients as well as Dale, Bobby (Farrell) constantly discriminates against the overweight and handicapped while putting Kurt in the middle. Turning in their two weeks notice is not an option for the gang, so instead they venture into the shady world of suburban homicide. There they meet Jamie Foxx as Motherfucker Jones, who mentors the harmless middle class citizens looking to pull off the perfect crime with absolutely no weapons, no training, no clue.

Packed with crude and sexual content, which is in large part thanks to Aniston’s man eating role as Dale’s dentist boss, this R rated comedy stands to prove it’s a bit spicier than what viewers usually encounter. Director Seth Gordon, who’s other movies include, “Four Christmases” and “The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters”, said that there is, “No redeeming message” to the movie, rather that it is,”just for laughing and laughing hard.”

So, why should we?

With an all star cast of established favorites and again, Jamie Foxx playing a character named Motherfucker Jones, the simplicity of the initial premise provides something that all viewers can relate to and few hopefully have had the chance to live out. With the plan of killing each others bosses and attempting to make it look like an accident, the successful outcome of all three murders is anyone’s guess. However, while Horrible Bosses has the disgruntled and poorly treated workers of the world go up against the few which hold all of the power, they are still merely blue collar workers, making their means of espionage counterproductive mayhem.

Here in lies the promise of the movie and why it is worth seeing amidst a sea of many comedies which all, frankly, have no redeeming message. If it can give us the laughs we want but provide them through plot development instead of a completely typical ending, then why not enjoy it for enjoyments sake? Do we want to see a successful stake out, or the gang settle in for a day of surveillance only to realize come nightfall that no one checked to see if anyone was actually home? Would we like the murders to just be taken care of in suave and technologically savvy manner or watch as Dale hands Spacey a peanut butter sandwich which he has a deathly allergic reaction to—only to have Dale stab him with an EpiPen and save his life? We want to see this story play out because the truth is that there are a lot of bad bosses out there, and we want to see our own beer and bar food loving doppleganger employees win.

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