The Flickcast

USA Sets Winter Season Premiere Dates

Posted on October 8, 2010

Back in the old days of the “Big Three” TV networks we got new shows in the Fall, watched them until just after the new year and then had reruns all Summer until the new Fall season came around again. Now that we have so many other networks and programs to enjoy we pretty much get new shows all year.

Case in point is USA networks Winter season. Today they announced what shows would be starting or returning for the Winter and more importantly, when and what time they would be back. Here’s the scoop:

USA’s newest series Fairly Legal will premiere on Thursday, Jan. 20, at 10 PM. It will follow the Winter season debut of Royal Pains, which will serve as its lead-in.

Original episodes of White Collar will run Tuesdays at 10 PM beginning January 18. In case you were wondering, Fairly Legal stars the very attractive and talented Sarah Shahi (formerly of the gone to early Life) as a lawyer turned mediator. That alone should merit at least watching the pilot. For the rest, we’ll see USA we’ll see.

Fantastic Fest Review: ‘Never Let Me Go’

Posted on October 8, 2010

A trio of schoolchildren are bound by a shocking secret in Mark Romanek’s Never Let Me Go. Although it has been couched as a sci-fi thriller, the movie is actually a beautiful and bittersweet love story between two of the central characters. It’s as poignant and tragic as any great love story out there.

Kathy (Carey Mulligan), Tommy (Andrew Garfield), and Ruth (Keira Knightly) all attended a sprawling English boarding school when they were children. Apparently they were orphans, and they were treated well by their caretakers and teachers.

However, there is a sinister aspect to the school. A “no tolerance” rule is strictly enforced for those for those who wander off the school’s property. They never have any visitors. Broken, discarded toys are brought in for the children to “buy” with currency they have earned. The whole institution seems completely devoid of joy or any emotion, for that matter. It seems like a horribly lonely existence, particularly for a child.

Kathy finds herself drawn to Tommy, a gentle, quirky boy. The two develop a deep rooted friendship, and it is clear that they are destined to be with one another. Kathy’s beautiful friend Ruth feels threatened by their special relationship, and callously drives a wedge between the two. Tommy is easily captivated, and Kathy is easily defeated. The star-crossed children never realize the potential of their feelings for one another.

TV RECAP: ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia: Mac’s Big Break’

Posted on October 8, 2010

The episode opens with Mac and Charlie calling in to a local radio station to correctly answer a question about the Philadelphia Flyers for chance to score two VIP tickets to the station’s private beach house. Pulling the answer out of his ass at the last possible second, Mac now has to score a goal from the center of the rink and in front of several-thousand Flyers fans.

Back at the bar, Frank’s taken to recorded the “Jibba-Jabba-Jibba-Jabba” banter of Dennis and Dee, namely because he likes listening to it when he’s driving. Dennis and Dee get the idea to do their own podcast and set up an impromptu recording studio in the back room but get stuck on their first topic (and Frank’s constant cracker munching).

The dead air spurs Frank to bring in his first special surprise guest, the ever-devolving Rickety Cricket (David Hornsby), his latest ailment being a speech impediment brought on by a throat infection from when Frank hit him with a trash can. (I almost forgot that actually happened.)

Cricket talks about the homeless situation in Philly (and makes some alarming suggestions about his current occupation as…uh…”dog prostitute”?), but the discussion quickly devolves into a barrage of insults (“Ugly Homeless Bitch!”) between Cricket and Dee.

FX Orders A Fourth Season Of ‘Sons of Anarchy’

Posted on October 8, 2010

While shows like My Generation and Lone Star may be suffering on the bigger networks, cable network FX seems to be doing just fine with their lineup. As an example, they have just ordered a whole new season of Sons of Anarchy, rounding it up to a total of four years. An FX press release gives us the full details.

FX has renewed its critically acclaimed hit drama Sons of Anarchy for a fourth season, placing a 13-episode order from Fox 21 and FX Productions, announced John Landgraf, President and General Manager, FX Networks.

Eight all-new episodes remain in SOA’s current third season airing Tuesdays at 10pm et/pt, and beginning in two weeks the encore runs will air Tuesdays at 11pm and 1am, Fridays at 10pm and Sundays at 10pm. The third season finale will air on Tuesday, November 30.

In 2010, Sons of Anarchy ranks as basic cable’s number one scripted series in delivery of Adults 18-49. On a weekly, multi-telecast basis, Sons of Anarchy delivers 8.6 million Total Viewers and 5.9 million Adults 18-49. On a first-run, primary telecast basis, Sons averages 4.9 million Total Viewers and 3.4 million Adults 18-49. It is the highest rated series ever for FX.

Fantastic Fest Review: ‘Mother’s Day’

Posted on October 8, 2010

Mother’s Day, directed by Darren Lynn Bousman (Saw II, III, IV), is loosely based on a horrific, true story that took place in Wichita, Kansas 10 years ago – as well as the 1980 Charles Kaufman film by the same name. The setting changes from an ill-fated camping trip to a tale of home invasion in the remake – we meet the Koffin brothers when they return to their mother’s house after their attempt to rob a bank goes horribly wrong, leaving the youngest brother seriously injured from a gunshot wound.

Upon their arrival to their childhood home, they quickly discover that their mother is no longer living there (having lost her house to foreclosure) and end up crashing what will become The Worst Birthday Party Ever, which is being thrown by the new inhabitants, Beth and Daniel Sohapi.

The brothers hold the home-owner’s and their guests hostage – alternately beating them, threatening to rape them and robbing them of their money, belongings and dignity as they attempt to gain control of their situation. It doesn’t take long for Mother (Rebecca De Mornay) and their little sister to arrive on the scene, at which point things swiftly make the shift from being merely terrifying to unfathomably shitty.

New Red Band Trailer For Dwayne Johnson’s ‘Faster’

Posted on October 8, 2010

Many things can be said about Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and his career choices, but if one thing is true, it’s that he’s not playing it safe. Much like countless action stars before him, he could have done a few franchise flicks, then stuck to something safe like Kindergarten Cop or The Pacifier, but instead, he’s returning to his bad ass roots with Faster.

Johnson made plenty of money with his two successful family films, Tooth Fairy and The Game Plan, but it looks like money isn’t all that matters, as the newest trailer for Faster just hit, and there is no way this film can be construed as “family friendly”

In the film, The Rock plays “Driver”, a man who sets out to take personal revenge on the bank robbers who killed his brother. The trail of bodies and adversaries that Driver comes across include names like Carla Gugino, Maggie Grace, Tom Berenger, Moon Bloodgood, and Billy Bob Thornton.

The film comes from director George Tillman Jr. (Notorious) and writers Joe Gayton (Bulletproof) and Tony Gayton (Murder By Numbers).With ths newest, hyper-violent red band trailer, this film could take the place of The Rundown as Johnson’s most intense action film.

Check out the newest red band trailer after the jump, and be sure to catch Faster in theaters on November 24th.

DC Lowering The Price Of Comics to $2.99 Starting January

Posted on October 8, 2010

Need proof that major comic book publishers fear that print comics are a dying commodity? News from DC’s camp may just be that. Word has recently come in that the megapublisher will be changing all current comics that are priced at $3.99 to be slashed down to $2.99 starting in January of 2011.

From a DC press release:

“As Co-Publishers, we listened to our fans and to our partners in the retail community who told us that a $3.99 price point for 32 pages was too expensive. Fans were becoming increasingly reluctant to sample new titles and long term fans were beginning to abandon titles and characters that they’d collected for years.” said Dan DiDio, DC Comics Co-Publisher.

“We needed a progressive pricing strategy that supports our existing business model and, more importantly, allows this creative industry to thrive for years to come. With the exceptions of oversized comic books, like annuals and specials, we are committed to a $2.99 price point.”

When taking into account mini-series, annuals and specials, more than 80% of DC’s comic books will be priced at $2.99.

This effects many of the major titles and ongoing stories such as American Vampire, Batman: The Dark Knight, Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors, and JSA All-Stars as well as many licensed titles like Gears of War, God of War, Kane & Lynch, and Ratchet & Clank. All of those titles will now be slashed down to $2.99.

Marvel Unveils New York Comic Con Signing Schedule

Posted on October 7, 2010

New York Comic Con is coming up this weekend and we will have a team of crack reporters on the ground to bring you all the action. In the meantime, to get things started off right, Marvel has sent us their complete signing schedule for the event.

So, if you want to get a chance to rub elbows and pens with your favorite Marvel writers and artists, here’s your chance to find out when and where to show up. All of the fun will take place in the marvel Booth (#1843) and will feature talent such as Stan Lee, Joe Quesada, Jeph Loeb, and Brian Michael Bendis.

With the convention right in Marvel’s backyard, you can expect to see pretty much anyone who’s ever worked at Marvel attending. Well, maybe not everyone.

Click through to check out the entire schedule. New York Comic Con starts tomorrow and runs through the weekend at the Jacob K. Javits Center.

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