News

Production has wrapped on writer/director Taylor Cohen’s Strobe, a thriller that The Hollywood Reporter describes as being “Edm-focused.” Suzanna Son (Red Rocket), Chace Crawford (The Boys), Laura Harrier (Spider-Man: Homecoming), Mena Suvari (American Beauty), Grace Van Dien (Stranger Things), Rohan Campbell (Halloween Ends), Suraj Sharma (Life of Pi), Steve Howey (True Lies), Bella Murphy (Coming 2 America), Anthony C Garcia (A Holiday Chance), and musician Matt Champion star in the film, which is coming our way from Happy Place and Super Frog.

Strobe sees Son taking on the role of a high school senior who embarks on an obsessive quest to track down a mysterious Edm artist.

Tara Razavi, Nate Matteson, and Hiro Murai are producing the film. Happy Place provided the financing, alongside executive producer Clayton Moore. Happy Place founder Razavi provided the following statement: “We’re incredibly excited to bring Strobe to life as Taylor Cohen’s first feature film.

Edm is set to get another movie moment with the forthcoming feature Strobe.

Suzanna Son (Red Rocket), Chace Crawford (The Boys), Mena Suvari (Rzr), Grace Van Dien (Stranger Things) and Laura Harrier (Spider-Man: Homecoming) star in writer-director Taylor Cohen’s film, which has recently wrapped production. Hailing from production companies Happy Place and Super Frog, Strobe is a thriller centering on a high school senior (Son) embarking on an obsessive quest to track down a mysterious Edm artist.

Rohan Campbell (The Monkey), Suraj Sharma (Life of Pi), Steve Howey (True Lies), Bella Murphy (Coming 2 America) and Matt Champion round out the cast. Tara Razavi (Apple Music’s Up Next), Nate Matteson (The Bear) and Hiro Murai (Mr. and Mrs. Smith) serve as producers, with Happy Place financing the project alongside executive producer Clayton Moore.

Strobe, which does not yet have an announced release, marks the first feature for Happy Place.

Exclusive: Yellowstone star Kelly Reilly and Oscar nominee David Strathairn are in final negotiations to join Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction) and Boyd Holbrook (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny) in Last Meals.

Theo Rossi (Sons of Anarchy) and Joshua Boone (A Jazzman’s Blues) are also joining the drama which begins filming in Atlanta on November 28 with a SAG-AFTRA interim agreement.

Tony-winner Kenny Leon (Fences) is newly aboard to direct.

Jackson will play Walter, a disgraced former White House chef who finds himself 30 years later cooking last meals for death row inmates, forming an unlikely bond with Reed, a prisoner on a hunger strike whose innocence Walter begins to believe in. With the help of Hannah (Reilly), the trio take on a politically motivated prison head (Strathairn), while bringing dignity and hope to their fellow inmates (Rossi among others). Boone will play young Walter.

Phyllis Coates, the first actress to play Daily Planet reporter Lois Lane on television, only to leave the Adventures of Superman after just one season, has died. She was 96.

Coates, who also appeared in Republic Pictures serials and in such films as I Was a Teenage Frankenstein, died Wednesday of natural causes at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, her daughter Laura Press told The Hollywood Reporter.

A native of Wichita Falls, Texas, Coates first portrayed the headstrong Lois opposite George Reeves as the Man of Steel in the dark sci-fi movie Superman and the Mole Men (1951).

The success of that Lippert Pictures film — the first full-length theatrical feature starring the comic-book hero — led to the quick decision to start production on a syndicated show for television.

Coates segued to the series and got into jams as Lois in all 26 episodes of the first season...

The Lone Ranger aired 221 episodes over the course of five seasons, starting on Sept. 15, 1949. Despite there being only five seasons, it aired on ABC for eight years until June 6, 1957. It followed the various adventures of an unnamed masked hero played by Clayton Moore (temporarily replaced with John Hart) and his Native American partner named Tonto (Jay Silverheels). Here’s a look at the top five best episodes from The Lone Ranger over its five-season run, according to fans on IMDb.

5. ‘The Tell-Tale Bullet’ (1955) Clayton Moore as the Lone Ranger | ABC

IMDb Rating: 9.0/10

The Lone Ranger Season 4 Episode 32 – “The Tell-Tale Bullet” aired on April 14, 1955.

Outlaw Cash Nasby (John Cason) is out from jail while the Lone Ranger is visiting the town of Jarvis. However, the titular character doesn’t believe that the criminal simply changed his ways over a short two years. As a result, the Lone Ranger decides to follow...

The Lone Ranger introduced Clayton Moore in the titular role. Despite the fact that the character hid his identity behind a mask made out of his dead brother’s clothing, the actor still became known for the role. Nevertheless, The Lone Ranger Season 3 went ahead without Moore for the year and replaced him with John Hart for very specific reasoning that the actor later opened up about.

John Hart replaced Clayton Moore on ‘The Lone Ranger’ Season 3 Clayton Moore as the Lone Ranger | Online USA

Moore opened The Lone Ranger at the beginning of its television run that started in 1949 with “Enter the Lone Ranger.” As the sole surviving Texas Ranger after a lethal ambush, the titular character must ensure that his foes still believe him to be dead. He joins forces with a Native American named Tonto (Jay Silverheels) to bring justice across the West.

The Lone Ranger saw...

Actor Clayton Moore became an iconic figure in television history thanks to his portrayal in The Lone Ranger. His adventures in this Western drew audiences in for its five-season run that expanded beyond its medium. However, the image of the Lone Ranger’s costume is especially what continues to stick in the mind of its longtime fans. Moore once explained that he designed the costume himself.

Clayton Moore and Jay Silverheels co-starred in ‘The Lone Ranger’ Clayton Moore as the Lone Ranger | Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images

Moore played the Lone Ranger in the television show that came from the radio iteration that first aired in 1933. The drama switched mediums to ABC in 1949, which ran until 1957. Despite the eight years that it remained active, there were only five seasons.

The story follows six Texas Rangers who are ambushed and killed, except for one man. A Native American named Tonto (Jay...

Movie star John Wayne and The Lone Ranger actor Clayton Moore both held a strong foothold in the Western genre. One operated in film, while the other was recognized for his television appearance. Nevertheless, Wayne and Moore strongly agreed when it came to their criticisms of how Hollywood pushed entertainment to meet audience expectations.

John Wayne and Clayton Moore represented a Western era of the past L-r: John Wayne and Clayton Moore as the Lone Ranger | John Springer Collection/Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images, Lmpc via Getty Images

Wayne first entered the scene when he started working in the props department on the Fox lot. It allowed him to cross paths with film directors, such as John Ford and Raoul Walsh. He earned his first leading role in 1930’s The Big Trail, which later granted him 1939’s Stagecoach. Wayne’s popularity went sky-high, becoming the face of the Western genre.

The Lone Ranger is one of the most iconic Western television shows ever to hit the air. However, it certainly didn’t receive the same amount of love when it came to certain audiences. The Lone Rangers only received three awards nominations over the course of its existence, starting in 1949 until its end after season 5 in 1957. The show never earned a single award, but it’ll always have the following nominations under its belt.

The plot follows a former Texas Ranger known as the Lone Ranger, played by Clayton Moore. After his brother and fellow lawmen die in an ambush, a Native American man he once saved named Tonto (Jay Silverheels) returns the favor. Wearing a piece of his brother’s clothing as a mask, the Lone Ranger fights outlaws along with Tonto across the Old West.

Primetime Emmy Awards – Best Film Made for and Viewed on Television in 1949 Clayton...

The Lone Ranger went through an array of iterations before it arrived at its final script. There were moments of brilliance, but also some serious missteps that could have resulted in the show never taking off. The first script of The Lone Ranger was so violent that there was no way that the Western would have made it to the air in any medium.

‘The Lone Ranger’ started as a radio show in 1933 Clayton Moore as the Lone Ranger | ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images

The Lone Ranger became famous for its title character (Clayton Moore) and his Native American sidekick named Tonto (Jay Silverheels). It all started with the 1933 radio show that aired on Wxyz in Detroit, although some test episodes initially aired on Buffalo’s Webr. However, writer Fran Striker didn’t expect the amount of success that would follow.

A series of The Lone Ranger...

The Lone Ranger is an American Western drama that aired on television from 1949 until 1957. It starred Clayton Moore in the starring role, who was temporarily replaced by John Hart, as well as Jay Silverheels starring in the supporting role of Tonto. Here’s a list of five other television shows to watch if The Lone Ranger had you hooked to your screen.

L-r: Clayton Moore as The Lone Ranger and Jay Silverheels as Tonto | Getty Images ‘The Rifleman’ (1958-1963) L-r: Chuck Connors as Lucas and Johnny Crawford as Mark McCain | ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images

The Rifleman follows the various adventures of a Wild West rancher Lucas McCain played by Chuck Connors, who travels with his son, Mark McCain, and a rapid-fire Winchester file in hand. Johnny Crawford starred as his son in what became one of the first primetime television shows to display a single parent raising a child.

Gunsmoke was one of the most popular television shows ever to hit the air. The network, CBS, knew what it had on its hands after its 1955 premiere and milked it for 20 seasons before suddenly canceling it in 1975. The Western genre later died off, as its wave of popularity never quite returned to form. Here’s a list of five other vintage television shows to dig into if Gunsmoke was your jam.

L-r: Milburn Stone as Doc Adams, James Arness as Matt Dillon, Amanda Blake as Kitty Russell, and Ken Curtis as Festus Haggen | CBS via Getty Images ‘Bonanza’ (1959-1973) L-r: Dan Blocker as Eric ‘Hoss’ Cartwright, Lorne Greene as Ben Cartwright, Pernell Roberts as Adam Cartwright, and Michael Landon as Joseph ‘Little Joe’ Cartwright | Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images

Bonanza first hit the air in 1959, a few years after Gunsmoke first established its legs among Western shows. The story follows...

This pandemic has brought on challenging times, especially in the medical field, and City of Hope is facing it head-on with an end-of-the-year auction of celebrity treasures.

City of Hope, a world-renowned independent research and treatment center for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases, has announced the inaugural Celebrity Sale 4 Hope, a virtual shopping opportunity to bid on unique collectible items and personal memorabilia donated from a wide variety of notable names from the worlds of film, TV, stage, music, sports and more. Sale 4 Hope will begin with a VIP preview event on Tuesday, Nov. 17, hosted by “Will & Grace” star Eric McCormack and featuring appearances by actor Craig Bierko, Grammy-winning songwriter Kuk Harrell, model/actress/philanthropist Megan Pormer, actor/country music artist John Schneider and City of Hope’s Linda Malkas, Ph.D., the M.T. & B.A. Ahmadinia Professor in Molecular Oncology.

Tickets can be purchased to attend...

Gay Talese comparing Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola and Michael Cimino to Italian painters working for the Popes during the Renaissance: "These painters now are directors." Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze

In early 1970, Gay Talese drove up unannounced to the Spahn Ranch. It was less than a year after the murders of Sharon Tate, Voytek Frykowski, Abigail Folger, and Jay Sebring by members of the Manson family that had lived there. The journalistic adventure of meeting George Spahn was turned by Gay into the Esquire magazine article Charlie Manson's Home On The Range. The location is featured in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon A Time … In Hollywood, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt with Margot Robbie as Sharon Tate and Bruce Dern as Spahn.

Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) and Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood

King Vidor's Duel in the Sun, starring Gregory Peck,...

‘Hey Blondie!’ Dagwood, Blondie, Mr. Dithers and a victimized postman return for a stab at a TV revival of the 1940s series from Chic Young’s never-ending comic strip. It’s not bad, with Arthur Lake clowning up a storm and Pamela Britton a charming new embodiment of a character who began as ‘Blondie Boopadoop.’ It’s the entire one-season series.

Blondie The Complete 1957 Television Series

DVD

ClassicFlix

1957 / B&W / 1:33 TV aperture / 26 x 30 min. / Street Date September 25, 2018 / 39.99

Starring: Arthur Lake, Pamela Britton, Stuffy Singer, Florenz Ames, Ann Barnes, Harold Peary, Hollis Irving, Elvia Allman, Lucien Littlefield.

Cinematography: Lothrop B. Wort

Original Music: Mahlon Merrick

Written by John L. Greene, George Beck, George Carleton Brown, Jo Conway, Frank Gill Jr., Gordon T. Hughes, Don Nelson, Jay Sommers, Warren Spector from characters created by Chic Young

Produced by William Harmon

Directed by Hal Yates, Paul Landres, Gerald Freedman

Chic Young’s...

The late Jay Thomas is going to be remembered for a great many things. Children of the 1980s will always see him as Carla's husband Eddie LeBec husband on Cheers. People that came of age just a bit later will remember him as kindly gym teacher Bill Meister in Mr. Holland's Opus, while millennials will always associate him with the Easter Bunny from The Santa Clause 2 and The Santa Clause 3. He was also a disc jockey in the 1970s and a SiriusXM host over the past decade.

But one...

Actor Jay Thomas, who won two Emmys for his guest role on Murphy Brown, died Thursday after a battle with cancer, The Daily News reports. He was 69.

In a statement, Thomas' friend and agent Don Buchwald said, "Jay was one of a kind, never at a loss for words and filled with so much fun and wonderfully whacky thoughts and behavior." Thomas was reportedly surrounded by family at the time of his death.

Thomas amassed myriad credits over the course of his acting career, which began in the early Eighties.

Murphy Brown actor Jay Thomas has died after losing his battle with cancer, TMZ reports. He was 69.

Thomas played Jerry Gold on the ‘90s sitcom and also starred in Cheers and Morky & Mindy. Most recently, the Texas native held a reoccurring role on Ray Donovan and appeared on episodes of Bones and NCIS: New Orleans. He also hosted The Jay Thomas Show on SiriusXM.

His days as a radio DJ inspired his annual appearance on Late Night with David Letterman, where Thomas would tell the story of how a young disc jockey and his older coworker captured The Lone Ranger...

Con Man — “a celebration of sci-fi fandom,” starring Firefly alumni Alan Tudyk and Nathan Fillion — will bring said party to Syfy, which has acquired Seasons 1 and 2 of the web series.

The announcement was made on Friday evening during Syfy’s “Con Man: Cons and Fandom Culture” panel at San Diego Comic-Con, by creator, star and moderator Tudyk.

VideosNathan Fillion, Alan Tudyk Talk ‘Reviving’ Firefly in Con Man, Gunning for Adam Baldwin in Season 2

Set for a September Syfy premiere, the Emmy-nominated, short-form web series is loosely based on the post-Firefly careers of Tudyk and Fillion, following the journey of Wray Nerely,...

On today's episode of the Maxamoo Theater amp Performance Podcast, Lindsay Barenz, Liz Richards, and Jack Moore discuss what they're most excited to see in June at the theater beyond Broadway in New York City. They digress for a brief celebration of Ars Nova, the Off Broadway powerhouse in Midtown, and proper etiquette for eating a lozenge at the theater.

Since the announcement of Comic-Con HQ, the coming streaming platform from Comic-Con International and Lionsgate, we’ve all been wondering what exactly they’ll be streaming. We know they will be streaming Hall H panels from the convention, but what other programming will the paid subscription service be offering? Well, the first answer is Con Man, the web series from Alan Tudyk and Nathan Fillion.

Comic-Con HQ will be the exclusive home of season one of the crowdfunded series beginning this June, with a second season coming this fall. If you are not familiar with the series, here’s a synopsis:

“Loosely based on Tudyk’s and Fillion’s experiences starring in Firefly, Con Man centers on the post-show life of Wray Nerely (Tudyk), the co-star of “Spectrum,” a sci-fi TV series canceled before its time that later became a cult classic beloved by fans. Wray’s best friend, Jack Moore...

Meta upon meta upon meta. That’s one of the best ways to describe “Con Man,” the delightfully self-referential new web series created by “Firefly” alum Alan Tudyk. The series, available to view on Vimeo, is about an actor named Wray Nerely, who, much like Tudyk, played a spaceship pilot in a short-lived sci-fi TV show that got canceled 10 years ago but has a cult following that just grows and grows. Tudyk plays Nerely, who has a much more begrudging attitude toward his life on the fan convention circuit than his real-life counterpart does. Nerely resents the fact that his canceled show (called “Spectrum” in the world of “Con Man,” where, amusingly, “Firefly” also exists) is the best thing he’s ever done. Tudyk’s resume has no shortage of greatness — from the hilarious British comedy “Death at a Funeral” to ABC sitcom “Suburgatory” to voices in “Frozen” and “Wreck-It-Ralph.

Born in St. Louis on May 27, 1911, iconic actor Vincent Price retained a special fondness for his place of origin, and that love was reciprocated with Vincentennial, a celebration of his 100th birthday in his hometown back in May of 2011 (for summary of all the Vincentennial activities go Here). One of the guests of honor at Vincentennial was Vincent Price’s daughter Victoria Price. Because of their close relationship and her access to his unpublished memoirs and letters, Victoria Price was able to provide a remarkably vivid account of her father’s public and private life in her essential book, Vincent Price, a Daughter’s Biography, originally published in 1999. .In 2011, her biography of her father was out of print. but now it’s been re-issued and Victoria will be in St. Louis this weekend (October 9th – 10th) for three special events. In addition to the biography, she will also be signing...

Con Man – Preview from Con Man Web Series on Vimeo.

Yesterday saw the premier of Con Man, and hilariously new comedy from Alan Tudyk and Nathan Fillion. These two are synonymous with critically acclaimed films and TV series such as Firelfly, Serenity, and I Robot. Turdyk is in fact set to become an even more recognisable to Sci-fi fans, when he stars in the Star Wars Rogue One Film which is released in December 2016. Focussing on period between III Revenge Of The Sith and IV A New Hope, Rogue One is a standalone space opera that has every chance of being a massive hit.

Con Man focusses on Tudyk’s character, Wray Nerely, who starred in Sci-fi series ‘Spectrum’. His fame level since the show’s demise is in stark contrast to Jack Moore’s – played by Fillion – who had co starred as the Captain within the series. While Moore...

It can be a pretty disappointing world out there. So often, our real word heroes stumble and reveal they are less than what they appeared to be. We see it all the time with politicians in whom we had once believed, celebrities we had once admired and even with high profile people who may have not even been on our radar until their fall from grace. “He really tweeted that?” “I can’t believe she said that to a parking attendant!” “Didn’t she know there was a camera recording it all?” These are just a few sentences we’ve recently uttered in exasperation around our household.

On the other hand, one of the cool things about fictional characters is that it’s unlikely that they’ll misbehave. It’s no secret in advertising that using a fictional spokesperson relieves a marketer of the fears of using a real-life spokesperson.

Never underestimate the collective power of Firefly fans. On Wednesday, we reported that Alan Tudyk and Nathan Fillion, two of the show’s former cast members, were launching an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign for their new comedic web series Con Man. The duo hoped to raise $425,000 for the project, but donations from a rabid swarm of Firefly fans shot above $1.5 million within 48 hours. With 28 days of funding left to go, EW reports that the project has already become the highest-funded web series in history.

Tudyk and Fillion have enough coin to produce ten episodes of Con Man, which revolves around the humorously weird experiences of a former cult sci-fi series actor as he makes his way around the convention circuit. Tudyk stars as Wray Nealy, the brave conventioneer, while Fillion plays Wray’s friend and former co-star Jack Moore, who has since catapulted to major movie stardom.

To thank those who donated to the project,...

Former Firefly co-stars Nathan Fillion and Alan Tudyk are looking for your help to crowdfund their upcoming web series Con Man.

Their IndieGoGo campaign launched on March 10 with a goal of $450,000. The money raised will be used to make three episodes of the series.

Within hours, the campaign reached its goal, and has now raised over $1 million.

News: Which Old TV Show Will Come Back Next?

Tudyk and Fillion have added additional goals with additional rewards, to make sure people know where their money is going. They've said that the additional donations will be used to make more episodes.

Con Man, a semi-autobiographical comedy, tells the tale of two actors who starred together in a beloved sci-fi series. After the show gets canceled, the two actors enjoy vastly different levels of success.

Fillion will star as Jack Moore, whose career sky-rocketed. Tudyk, the writer and director of Con Man, will star as Wray Nerely who has been...

Joss Whedon's space western Firefly has one of the most passionate fandoms out there, because it's, well, the best show ever. As such, its untimely cancellation (and the network's handling of it leading up to that) is considered to be one of the most unjust treatments of a TV show ever. Joss Whedon and the cast returned for the big-screen continuation Serenity, and there have been a few comic book stories, but fans still clamour for more Firefly.

While Firefly itself may not return to our screens any time soon, due to a number of real-world factors, this new project is probably the closest we'll get for a while. Called Con Man, and created by Alan Tudyk (Wash from Firefly) and produced by Nathan Fillion (Mal from Firefly), it's a web series about the world of conventions and fandom, comprising several 10-minute episodes.

The initial goal was for three episodes,...

Though this is not the Firefly reunion we want this is likely as good as it is going to get for the time being. Alan Tudyk and Nathan Fillion, stars of that cult sci-fi series, are creating a web series called Con Man. They have launched an Indigogo campaign to raise funds for the project. Wray Nerely (Alan Tudyk-Me!) was a costar on Spectrum, a sci-fi series which was canceled -Too Soon- yet became a cult classic. Wray's good friend, Jack Moore (Nathan Fillion) starred in the series and has gone on to become a major movie star. While Jack enjoys the life of an A-lister, Wray tours the sci-fi circuit as a guest of conventions, comic book stores, and lots of pop culture events.  The...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

The Firefly tv series has long been accepted into the group of shows whose cult following has far exceeded their commercial run, as the show’s single season of 14 episodes has seen an enduring popularity that has kept it in the pop culture conversation over a decade after the series went off the air. This has led to various members of the cast to appear in numerous conventions over the year, as they are always a draw. Now, two castmembers are joining together to make a webseries about their convention experiences, called Con Man, and are lookign to the public to raise funds for the project, via indiegogo.

The show, which is billed as a comedy, will revolve around the various personalities that can be seen behind the scenes at numerous conventions, something the duo have plenty of experience in. Nathan Fillion, who played Mal Reynolds in Firefly and can...

Read More: Why 'Firefly' and 'Jeff 1000' Star Summer Glau Loves Making Sci-Fi "Firefly" fans, rejoice.  Alan Tudyk and Nathan Fillion have launched an Indiegogo campaign to raise funds for their upcoming web series, "Con Man." And in less than 24 hours, their efforts have already been monumentally successful -- as of now (11am Pst), it's raised over 60 percent of its goal of $450,000, and seems likely to raise the full amount by the end of its first day.  Tudyk writes, directs and stars in "Con Man," which boasts a deliciously meta premise: Tudyk's character, Wray Nerely, was a cast member on "Spectrum," a sci-fi series which was canceled "too soon" and emerged as a cult classic (sound familiar?). His good friend Jack Moore (Fillion) starred in the series and has gone on to become a major movie star. The series begins with Jack enjoying the life of an A-lister, while Wray...

Nathan Fillion and Alan Tudyk are together again in “Con Men,” a new web series written by them and produced by the fans! Funded by Indiegogo donations, the show will start with three episodes and build from there. A decade after the show that catapulted him to cult status was canceled, Wray Nerely (Alan Tudyk)makes a living off his iconic character by traveling around the country to comic book conventions and other pop culture events. Meanwhile, Wray’s buddy Jack Moore (Nathan Fillion) lives the life of an A-list star. The series light-heartedly takes on the personalities and colorful characters that populate the con circuit. HitFix Harpy spoke to Alan Tudyk and Nathan Fillion about this new project and all the convention hijinks that inspired it. HitFix Harpy: Conventions are such a huge part of geek culture these days. Can you describe a little bit what the premise of “Con Men” is?...

If anyone knows the crazy world of sci-fi conventions, it's Nathan Fillion and Alan Tudyk.

The two actors starred together on Joss Whedon's short-lived, but cult-beloved "Firefly" (which went on to spawn the movie "Serenity"). The show and its stars are insanely popular on the sci-fi convention circuit, and it's an experience that Fillion and Tudyk plan to mine in a proposed web series titled "Con Man."

They just launched an Indiegogo campaign to finance the series. The plot is described thusly:

Wray Nerely (Alan Tudyk-Me!) was a co-star on Spectrum, a sci-fi series which was canceled -Too Soon- yet became a cult classic. Wray's good friend, Jack Moore (Nathan Fillion) starred in the series and has gone on to become a major movie star. While Jack enjoys the life of an A-lister, Wray tours the sci-fi circuit as a guest of conventions, comic book stores, and lots of pop culture events.

The upcoming Smosh movie isn’t the only project on which Defy Media and Lionsgate are collaborating. In addition to the film starring the duo behind one of YouTube’s most successful channels (and one of the internet’s most successful young adult brands), the companies just announced the launch of Movies on Break. It's "a curated selection of 200 films from the Lionsgate library” that are ad-supported with pre-roll and mid-roll commercial spots, but otherwise free-to-view onto a section of the Defy Media owned-and-operated Break.com website that draws over 18 million unique monthly viewers.

Movies on Break launches with 80 films categorized into a handful of separate verticals with enticing names, such as They Were In That?, Never Ending Sequels (which currently features Leprechaun 2, 3, 4, Leprechaun In The Hood, and Leprechaun Back 2 Tha Hood), 420 Flicks (which currently features The Stonged Age and Cheerleader Ninjas), Before They Were Famous (which currently features...

Break.com will offer more than 200 Lionsgate films on its free streaming service “Movies on Break,” Defy Media announced Wednesday.

The library currently provides 80 films in eight categories such as “Pulse-Pounding Action,” “Screen Junkies Approved,” “Overlooked Gems” and “Before They Were Famous.” New categories are slated to debut weekly.

The ad-supported feature is available on the web, mobile app for iOS and Android and Roku. The service will soon be featured on the Xbox gaming console. “Winter’s Bone,” starring Jennifer Lawrence, and director J.C. Chandor’s “Margin Call” are featured in the library.

Also read: Break Media, Alloy Digital to Merge

“Increasingly,...

We must not be treating our late-night talk show hosts very well. To lose both Stephen Colbert (or at least the "Stephen Colbert" he plays on "The Colbert Report") and "The Late Late Show"'s Craig Ferguson is a misfortune, but to lose them both within 24 hours smacks of negligence.

There's a lot of mourning, hand-wringing, rending of garments, and gnashing of teeth to be done, what with Colbert's departure on Thursday, December 18, and Ferguson's the next night. To add insult to injury, Friday the 19th also marks David Letterman's last Christmas show, highlighted by Darlene Love belting out "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)," a tradition that dates back to 1986 on Dave's old NBC series.

It feels like the end of an era, and not just because these long-time hosts are all quitting their shows (though Letterman will still be on for another five months), but also for what...

Movie fans around the world have finally been treated to the first trailer for Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens.

An 88-second teaser was unveiled today (November 28), ahead of the December 18, 2015 release for the long-awaited sequel to Return of the Jedi.

In the hours building up to the trailer's release, fans were giddy with excitement and getting impatient. While some were celebrating Thanksgiving and Black Friday, for others, there was only one thing to be planning their day around.

Sadly, things didn't go quite to plan when the internet crashed more than when Kim Kardashian presented her bottom, while others panicked over Quicktime issues.

Thankfully, as the trailer finally started working for everyone, the reaction was generally a positive one. Below is how the majority of us dealt with Star Wars Trailer Day.

Episode I: Anticipation

Right now a nerd is sat at Disney with his thumb over...

Tumbleweeds will screen Friday, November 14th at Webster University’s Moore Auditorium as part of The King Baggot Tribute at the St. Louis International Film Festival. It will be preceded by a 35mm showing of the 1913 version of Ivanhoe featuring live music by The Rats and People Motion Picture Orchestra and an illustrated lecture on the life and career of King Baggot by We Are Movie Geeks own Tom Stockman. Tumbleweeds will feature live piano accompaniment by Matt Pace

William S. Hart (1864-1946) was the first great star of the movie western. Fascinated by tales of the Old West, Hart actually acquired Billy the Kid’s six-shooter and was a friend with legendary lawmen Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson. He entered films in 1914 where, after playing supporting roles in shorts, achieved stardom as the lead in the western The Bargain. Hart was particularly interested in making his westerns realistic and...

We’ll be celebrating the 5th year anniversary of Super-8 Movie Madness at The Way Out Club in St. Louis on Tuesday October 7th with an encore performance of our most popular show. It’s Super-8 Vincent Price Movie Madness in 3D, the show that we took on the road to promote Vincentennial back in 2011. We’ll be honoring the hometown horror hero by showing condensed (average length: 15 minutes) versions of several of Price’s greatest films on Super-8 sound film projected on a big screen. They are: Master Of The World, War-gods Of The Deep, Pit And The Pendulum, The Raven, Witchfinder General, Tim Burton’s Vincent, Two Vincent Price Trailer Reels, Abbott And Costello Meet Frankenstein and The Mad Magician in 3D (We’ll have plenty of 3D Glasses for everyone)

The non-Price movies we’re showing October 7th are The Three Stooges in Pardon My Backfire...

I have a curious habit, maybe you have it too, if you are a real movie geek, film fan, cinema addict, what have you.

A certain number of movies that I have seen and loved with all my heart were losers at the box office or were mercilessly slammed by critics, usually both. This doesn’t happen all the time, mind you. I know a bad movie when I see one. But several times I have seen a movie on opening day and loved it so much I was sure it would be a big hit and be loved by critics and film goers, nope, not all the time.

Here then is my own personal and highly eccentric top ten list, with some honorable mentions, of movies that lost out, yet I love them still, many of them desperately, hysterically, madly do I love these films, well anyway… let me tell you about it.

Early this morning, a 4.4 magnitude earthquake rocked Los Angeles, California and approximately two seconds later the joke began on social media. Originating near Westwood, the quake lasted for approximately ten seconds. Which is more than enough time to reach safety and immediately begin tweeting. Fun fact! Scientists believe 'The Big One' will shake continuously for over two minutes. #1 - Reminder, the police cannot apprehend an earthquake. Please do not call 911 to report the #earthquake. We are well aware of it. Lines need to be kept open for emergencies pic.twitter.com/joEwpfgPnC — Lapd Communications (@911Lapd) March 17, 2014 #2 - Unless you think the earthquake is holding your dad for ransom obviously. Actual txt from my dad: "did U here about. The Earth quake at La Aniz felt it Harris is at VietNam" Is this a ransom note?? — Aziz Ansari (@azizansari) March 17, 2014 #3 - Of course this happened on the best day of the year for an earthquake.

Toms Restaurant A Documentary About Everything Trailer. Gian Franco Morini‘s Tom’s Restaurant – A Documentary About Everything (2014) movie trailer stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Cornel West, Gregorio Sassoli, Jack Moore, and Josh Gondelman. Tom’s Restaurant – A Documentary About Everything‘s plot synopsis: “A documentary about Tom’s Restaurant and the people around it.” Tom’s Restaurant [...]

Continue reading: Tom’S Restaurant (2014) Movie Trailer: ‘Seinfeld’ Doc About Everything...

“Jerry discovers hot young comedian making fun of him on Twitter, gets him a job writing for a new sitcom.”

It sounds like a fake logline straight out of Jack Moore and Josh Gondelman’s popular Modern Seinfeld Twitter feed — but make just a few tweaks, and you’ll get a true story.

Moore confirmed to EW today that he’s been hired for the writing staff of Fox’s upcoming Alexis Bledel/Jason Ritter sitcom Us & Them, an American spin on the U.K.’s romantic comedy Gavin & Stacey. Given the content of Modern Seinfeld, this shouldn’t be...

Minor Spoilers

‘Who is behind the mask, the observer or the wearer?’ a question posed by milliner Stephen Jones, who created a series of masks inspired by The Lone Ranger to tie-in with the film’s release. It is an interesting idea, that we are hidden from view in a mask yet paradoxically more visible than ever. No-one knows for sure where masks came from. We can trace their existence back to man’s earliest ancestors, but for what purpose? Entertainment? Disguise? Protection? In cinema the mask has become visual shorthand for the hero, or more accurately the superhero. The Lone Ranger spins this notion on its head somewhat, because although the man in the mask, aka John Reid (Armie Hammer) is ultimately the victor, he is at first the fool.

The Lone Ranger’s mask is fashioned from the leather waistcoat worn by his brother Dan (James Badge Dale...

It's not like anyone had especially high expectations for "The Lone Ranger." Given the movie's poor pre-release buzz and its positioning opposite the sequel to a wildly popular animated family film, pundits expected "Ranger" to do just modest business; only the might of Johnny Depp's name and the Disney marketing machine were expected to carry it to a domestic gross of about $40 million from Friday to Sunday and maybe $60 million over the whole July 4th five-day weekend.

But the movie didn't even do that well. According to estimates, it earned just $29.4 million over the three weekend days and just $48.9 million over the five days since it opened on Wednesday, July 3. Given the film's production cost, reportedly between $225 and $250 million, that weak opening makes "Lone Ranger" a flop the size Disney hasn't seen since last year's "John Carter."

Why was this Western so slow on the draw? After all, despite...

"I guess that my life has been a series of flukes in the record business. The first thing I ever did was the biggest record that I'll ever have." – Alex Chilton

Greetings from the apocalypse! It's a weekend full of westerns, cool bands and two movies with Steve Carell. That helps to ease the pain of yet another extended Johnny Depp mugging session masquerading as a popcorn film. I'm on to you, Depp …

Friday, July 5

Pow! In Theaters

"A fiery horse with the speed of light, a cloud of dust and a hearty 'Hi-ho, who gives a s**t?'" "The Lone Ranger" returns us to those thrilling days of yesteryear via the thundering hoof-beats of audience apathy as Disney throws a cool $200 million on the fire betting on a brand name that hasn't been relevant since when JFK was still alive. Wannabe Cherokee Johnny Depp does his usual postmodern...

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Something startles the dusty crowd, and they look to the rooftops where a masked man astride a white stallion imposingly stands. The William Tell Overture triumphantly storms in on the soundtrack, and like a match striking a fuse, ignites the action onscreen. What follows is awash in shimmering, glorious insanity that feels ported directly from the adolescent daydreams of an Eisenhower-era pre-teen boy.

Twin trains hurtle down parallel tracks as outlaws, marshals, cavalrymen and railroad barons engage in gun slinging across a yawning ravine. Meanwhile, the titular hero rides Silver across the boxcars, his compatriot Tonto crawling up improbable ladders as if he were Buster Keaton or Harold Lloyd. The scene keeps going and going, upping the ante at every breathless turn and executed with the frantic, captivating energy of a silent-era madman. Anyone worried that modern sensibilities would sink the Lone Ranger can be relieved...

The latest big screen version of The Lone Ranger has descended upon the movie going public in the year 2013 A.D (or B.C.E). Regardless of what abbreviation you assign to the year, it’s the 21st Century. The Lone Ranger was a television serial in the late 1940′s and early 1950′s that spawned two films during that time frame. The series and films starred Clayton Moore as the iconic masked lawman and Jay Silverheels as his riding buddy and ally Tonto. Together on their trusted steeds Silver and Scout respectively, they righted wrongs and brought the guilty to justice in the American Old West. Jay Silverheels was of Native American ancestry. In the new version, the...

Resurrecting the Lone Ranger with Johnny Depp must’ve sounded like one of the all-time Hollywood no-brainers when it was pitched to Disney in 2011. After all, the mysterious masked man used to be the all-American icon with the greatest chase-music (“The William Tell Overture”), the greatest sidekick (Tonto), and the greatest catchphrase (“Hi-yo, Silver, away!”). Plus, though Depp is playing a boldly reimagined Tonto opposite Armie Hammer’s Ranger, he was reuniting with producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Gore Verbinski, the creative triumvirate that made Disney billions with the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. But getting The Lone Ranger into...

There's a limit, it turns out, to how much Johnny Depp and a bucket of makeup can accomplish.

In "The Lone Ranger," Gore Verbinski's flamboyant re-imagination of the hokey long-running radio show and `50s cowboy TV series, Depp eagerly attempts to recreate the extravagant magic of his similarly farcical Jack Sparrow of Verbinski's "Pirates of the Caribbean."

With cracked white and black streaks down his face and a dead crow atop his head, Depp's Tonto (whose look makeup artist Joel Harlow took from the Kirby Sattler painting "I Am Crow") appears more witch doctor than warrior. One would think that a so-costumed Depp careening through the Old West with Buster Keaton aplomb would make "The Lone Ranger," at worst, entertaining.

But Verbinski's film, stretching hard to both reinvent an out-of-date brand and breathe new life in the Western with a desperate onslaught of bloated set pieces, is a poor locomotive for Depp's eccentric theatrics.