We’ve been following Aaron Sorkin’s career since the days of A Few Good Men and Sport Night. Loved that show. Then, of course, he went on to create The West Wing and later win the Academy Award for writing The Social Network.

Now he’s back on TV, at HBO this time around, and preparing to launch a new show called The Newsroom. We brought you the first trailer for the show recently and now, there’s a brand new one we want to share with you today.

In it we get to know the band of optimists and crusaders that will make up the new show and see a bit more of the ironic humor Sorkin is famous for. Sure, some of you may think this looks an awful lot like Sorkin’s Sports Night.

Even if it does have quite a few similarities, that isn’t a bad thing because, as we said above, Sports Night was a pretty great show that we loved. So, let’s just think of this one as Sports Night 2.0 with swearing and the potential for nudity and sex.

Not a bad threesome. Not at all. Check out the trailer after the break. The Newsroom premieres on HBO in June.

Continue Reading →

Let’s start this particular post by admitting Aaron Sorkin is one of my favorite writers. His previous shows, The West Wing, Sports Night and Studio 60 showed how TV is supposed to be written and produced. He’s also done pretty well writing movies including the recent Acadamy Award winner The Social Network.

Now, Sorkin has gone back to TV and landed where he probably should have been all along: HBO. His new show is called The Newsroom and HBO has released a new trailer for it.

The show stars Jeff Daniels as a cable news anchor Will McAvoy who decides to try telling it like it is instead of how his superiors want him to. In short, he’s mad as hell and he’s not going to take it anymore. Look it up.

Around Daniels’ character is an ensamble team including his new executive producer (Emily Mortimer), his newsroom staff (Alison Pill, John Gallagher Jr, Olivia Munn, Dev Patel, Thomas Sadoski), and their boss (Sam Waterston). Jane Fonda is also in the show and yes, I did say Olivia Munn. Guess she’s there to help get the gaming fanboy viewers? I don’t get it either.

Anyway, check out the trailer after the break. Look for The Newsroom to premiere later this year on HBO.

Continue Reading →

Is there a film you’ve tried to watch only to have Fate thwart your efforts again and again? Cat Ballou was on that list for me. I had it recorded on my DVR and lost it, and I don’t know how many times I’ve fired it up via Netflix only to be interrupted or decide I needed a movie with a bit more edge to it. But when I took on Western Wednesdays, I resolved I’d conquer Cat Ballou once and for all.

Perhaps all the build-up and fan enthusiasm (It’s been recommended to me so many times) raised my expectations too high, because Cat Ballou didn’t do much for me. It’s such a classic film I feel like the blame lies with me. I have this kind of abusive relationship with older films, you know. If I don’t love it, it’s my fault. I mean, the AFI ranked it as the tenth best western of all time. It has to be me.

I do have to give Cat Ballou credit for its swinging ’60s enthusiasm. Only in the 1960s could you get away with an action-comedy that features a rousing, continuous sing-a-long by Nat King Cole and Stubby Kaye. I like to picture these production meetings. “How about Jane Fonda as a sexy gunslinger — and she leads a gang — and we’ll have this singing Greek chorus highlighting the action — and Lee Marvin will play two roles!” “Whatever! Sure! Go for it!”

Nowadays, studios freak out when Johnny Depp shows up on a pirate set with gold teeth and dreadlocks. But a silver nose for Marvin? Hell, why not! We may enjoy a lot more sex and violence, but our films have become far more bland when it comes to sheer wackiness.

Continue Reading →