Rachel

Attendees at New York Comic Con were given the first peek at Outlander‘s fifth season—and now it’s your turn!

Are they going back to the future again? This is getting more complicated all the time…

Outlander season five premieres on Starz on February 16th, 2020.

Starz released today a new official photo from Outlander season five of Roger (Richard Rankin) and Brianna (Sophie Skelton), plus a small Jeremiah.  This photo came with the news that Richard and Sophie will not be at New York Comic Con this year as they will be filming season five at the time.

Source: Starz

Need an escape? Watch the best Schitt’s Creek episodes from the show everyone keeps telling you is perfect (because it actually is).

In March, co-creator and star Dan Levy revealed that the series would return for a sixth and final season. “We are so grateful to have been given the time and creative freedom to tell this story in its totality, concluding with a final chapter that we had envisioned from the very beginning. It’s not lost on us what a rare privilege it is in this industry to get to decide when your show should take its final bow. We could never have dreamed that our fans would grow to love and care about these characters in the ways that you have.”

The series is the perfect balm to… well… everything.

Here are the best episodes to watch, or rewatch, when you need something to put that bright spot back in your life. While I highly recommend you watch the series in its entirety, there are only so many hours in a day or weekend. Each season should take you four and a half hours. That’s almost as long as you’d spend watching Avengers: Endgame.

Catch up on seasons 1-4 on Netflix and stream episodes from season 5 on either the Pop TV or CBC website.

Best ‘Schitt’s Creek’ episodes:

Season 1:

Episode 1, “Our Cup Runneth Over”

The best place to start any journey is at the start. The season opener is a great introduction to the world of Schitt’s Creek from the perspective of the family stranded there. Eventually the scope of the series widens to welcome in an expansive case of loveable residents, but this episode really cements the Before-Roses against the people we’ve come to know and love by the conclusion of season 5.

Best quote: “It’s almost dark and my son is afraid of moths.”

Episode 5, “The Cabin”

One of my favorite things about this series is the family dynamic that is well-established early on. As the series unfolds little bits of insight into the life of the pre-Schitt’s Creek Rose’s life is revealed by how they interact with one another in the present. The circumstances have tossed Alexis and David unwittingly into the same room in twin beds much to their dismay. But when an opportunity arises for them to spend the night apart, Alexis can barely handle 30 seconds alone and ropes David into a games night that, of course, goes against everything David needs to make this happen in the way he needs it to. (More on that here: How the healing power of Schitt’s Creek helped me to find my paddle )

Best quote: “The fact that we don’t have an ideal number for team style gameplay is not why I’m here.”

Episode 10, “Honeymoon”

David and Stevie’s friendship is one of the best evolutions of the series. It’s not one that is riddled with hurdles of jealousy or loss or betrayal. Instead it involves two people learning who the other is slowly, yet intimately, until they know exactly what to say that will set the other off without consequence. The episode also pushes Johnny and Moira out of Alexis and David’s orbit and into the thriving social scene of the town – and whatever that entails.

Best quote: “I like the wine and not the label does that make sense?”

Season 2:

Episode 2, “Family Dinner”

If Dan Levy and Catherine O’Hara win an Emmy, in my mind it will be for this scene. I know that is not how the Emmy’s work, but David and Moira cooking dinner together is one of the best scenes this show has created.

Best quote: “I don’t know how to fold broken cheese like that.”

Episode 4, “Estate Sale”

The Roses find themselves at an estate sale looking to buy a new mattress, David takes a trip with Roland to pick out clothes for Jocelyn, and two children learn to ride a bike. It’s not the most exciting or memorable episode, but I think it gives the Roses a deep immersion into the things that they did not experience in their other lives – seeing what it’s like to shop at a retail store, fighting for scraps of other people’s living, and witnessing the moments that never happened in childhood. Watch Johnny and Moira’s faces as David rides the bike. It will break your heart.

Best quote: “If I wasn’t so easily swayed by powerful women in a retail environment, I would have been there for you.”

Episode 13, “Happy Anniversary”

Full disclosure, this is my favorite Schitt’s Creek episode of the entire series. The ending never fails to make me cry. Not from sadness, but from pure joy. This family coming together, dancing together, expressing their love for one another (and the town). It culminates two seasons worth of ups and downs, smashed hopes, and, most important of all, acceptance.

Best quote: “We love you both very much.”

Season 3:

Episode 3, “New Car”

The ongoing gag of Johnny presenting (and subsequently failing to manage) a car in the family is brilliant. Watch as Moira and Johnny step into the roles of two people trying desperately to downplay the only part of their wealth they have left – their looks. Meanwhile, David steps into the role of supportive friend as Stevie faces down a snapshot of her future and all the life-defining changes heading her way. While Johnny and Moira’s bit is for fun, it is countered perfectly with the depth of what David tries to help Stevie navigate, which ends up setting the stage for much of what comes next for her and the Rose family. Where Jonny and Moira kind of succeed, David truly rises to the occasion and does not need to pretend to be a good friend – he simply is one.

Best quote: “So, I’m just going to change into my funeral blacks and meet you back here.”

Episode 4, “Driving Test”

From what we can piece together, Alexis and David had very different upbringings. Alexis was very much on her own, David was at once tied to his mother, but also aloof. While they have learned a great deal about one another over the past several months living in the same room, there is so much left to unpack between them. Alexis trying to calm David down before his driving test and David in turn reminding Alexis that someone did care when she went off missing for weeks at a time, is a beautifully intimate moment between the two.

Best quote: “No one cares, David.”

Episode 13, “Grad Night”

After the Schitt’s Creek season one finale, the rest of the series touches on great, “coming together” scenes. In this one, the four members of the Rose clan have each hit a personal milestone – David’s birth coincides with a new business and romantic venture, Alexis graduates, Moira chooses her daughter over herself, and Johnny is back in business. But at the end of the day, what happens outside the walls of their shared living space does not compare with the quiet moments they can share together.

Best quote: *cake reads: Happy Day, Alex and Davis!* “We’ve done the best we can.”

Season 4:

Episode 2, “Pregnancy Test”

Catherine O’Hara’s performance in this episode is so incredible that is deserves not only your undivided attention, but repeat viewings. Watch it once to take in all the humor, watch it again to see Dan Levy nearly break, and watch it a third time to capture all of O’Hara’s inflections. Watching her is like watching a master class in comedy.

Best quote: “Let the nuns take care of the little stranger!”

Episode 4, “Girls’ Night”

Another great bonding moment, this time between Alexis and Moira. The duo may not have had many shared moments during Alexis formative years – being left at preschool certainly didn’t help – but in this episode, David points out just how disassociated Moira is from her daughter. The pair have attempted to spend some time together in other episodes, but through her advice – hidden as advice directed at Twila – Moira and Alexis eventually find a way to connect on some level, with Moira imparting a piece of her history to her daughter to see and learn from.

Best quote: “I’ve never heard someone say so many wrong things, one after the other, consecutively in a row.”

Episode 9, “The Olive Branch”

Tina Turner’s “Simply the Best” will never be the same again. It was already changed for sure in the episode, “Open Mic,” but David’s rendition for Patrick is not only moving, but perhaps the most romantic gesture he can give to the man he wants back in his life. He is exposed, he is uninhibited, and he is in love. *sigh*

Best quote: “You know people can see you, right?”

Season 5:

Episode 5, “Housewarming”

There is nothing better than watching the 30-somethings of Schitt’s Creek returning to (or fleeing from) their high school personas at Patrick’s housewarming. With alcohol flowing, a game of spin the bottle leads to some hilarious jealousy and bickering among the crowd.

Best quote: “Byeeeeee”

Episode 11, “Meet the Parents”

With so many things going wrong at one time, it would be easy for the series to dive into pain, rejection, and heartache. But Schitt’s Creek is not every other show. It celebrates love, acceptance, and found joy. And there is no better episode to see that than in “Meet the Parents.”

Best quote: “Well you made everything okay.”

Episode 13, “Life is a Cabaret”

There is, of course, one major thing that happens in this episode, but since we’re not here to spoil it for those coming into the show for the first time let’s just go with one of the best moments of this season – Stevie’s journey through Cabaret. Watching her take the stage and sing, “Maybe This Time,” is emotionally crippling in the best way. She is a superstar who beats down all the doubts and reminders of near misses in her life. It’s an escape for her and a reminder of what she can find in this life that she has established.

Best quote: “Easiest decision of my life.”

Schitt’s Creek returns for its sixth and final season on Pop TV in 2020.

The post The best ‘Schitt’s Creek’ episodes to binge any time appeared first on Hypable.

Some of the most popular TV show GIFs on GIPHY come from ‘SpongeBob Squarepants,’ ‘The Office,’ and ‘The Bachelor.’ We explored what exactly makes certain TV shows so GIF-able.

Amy Stoch and Hal London Jr. reprising roles for Bill & Ted Face the Music

Variety is reporting that Amy Stoch and Hal London Jr. will reprise their roles for Bill & Ted Face the Music. Beck Bennett (SNL) has also joined the cast.

RELATED: Anthony Carrigan to Play the Villain in Bill & Ted Face the Music

Stoch’s Missy will join Landon Jr.’s police chief Chet Logan, Ted’s father, in the sequel. Bennett will play Deacon Logan, Ted’s younger brother.

The threequel will also star Samara Weaving (The Babysitter, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) and Brigette Lundy-Paine (Atypical, The Glass Castle) as Bill and Ted’s daughters, respectively. William Sadler is also set to reprise his role as Death, with Anthony Carrigan (Barry, Gotham) playing the villain.

Yet to fulfill their rock and roll destiny, the now middle-aged best friends, Bill and Ted, set out on a new adventure, when a visitor from the future warns them that only their song can save life as we know it and bring harmony to the universe. Along the way, they will be helped by their daughters, old friends, a new batch of historical figures, and a few music legends.

Stars Keanu Reeves (John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum) and Alex Winter (The Lost Boys) recently posted a video message from the Hollywood Bowl thanking fans for their support over the years on getting a third film made and owing them “a huge debt of gratitude” while also revealing production would be beginning this summer.

News of a third Bill & Ted film has been floating around for years. After Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure and Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey, original creators Chris Matheson (Imagine That) and Ed Solomon (Men in Black, Now You See Me) have penned the script, with Dean Parisot (Galaxy Quest, Fun with Dick and Jane) confirmed to direct. Scott Kroopf (Limitless) will produce together with Alex Lebovici and Steve Ponce of Hammerstone Studios, with Steven Soderbergh serving as an executive producer alongside Scott Fischer, John Ryan Jr., and John Santilli.

RELATED: Kid Cudi Joins the Cast of Bill & Ted Face the Music

MGM owns the rights to the film and will release in the U.S. under their Orion Pictures banner. Orion Pictures has set an August 21, 2020 release date for the film.

The post Amy Stoch and Hal London Jr. Reprising Roles for Bill & Ted Face the Music appeared first on ComingSoon.net.

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George R. R. Martin answers the pressing question: Will A Song of Ice and Fire end the same way as Game of Thrones?

The conclusion of Game of Thrones has fantasy fans around the world pondering an old and familiar question. Will George R.R. Martin every finish his A Song of Ice and Fire novels, on which Game of Thrones is based? And when he does, can we expect the endings to be the same?

Martin’s answers, according to a post on his Not A Blog-blog, are yes to the former and variations on “It’s complicated” for the latter.

“I’m writing,” he says “Winter is coming, I told you, long ago… and so it is. The Winds of Winter is very late, I know, I know, but it will be done.”

Martin demurs from providing a predicted publication date (“I’ve tried that before, only to burn you all and jinx myself,” he says.) But in no uncertain terms, he promises, “I will finish it, and then will come A Dream of Spring.”

“How will it all end? I hear people asking,” he continues. “The same ending as the show? Different?”

(Warning: Frustratingly George R. R. Martin-ish answer ahead.)

“Well… yes,” Martin offers. “And no. And yes. And no. And yes. And no. And yes.”

(Okay, cool, so in other words, “Maybe”?)

“I am working in a very different medium than David and Dan, never forget,” he says of Game of Thrones creators Benioff and Weiss. “They had eight hours for this final season. I expect these last two books of mine will fill 3000 manuscript pages between them before I’m done… and if more pages and chapters and scenes are needed, I’ll add them.”

In referencing the bountiful space he has in which to tell his story, Martin could be suggesting that The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring will present similar events to those of the Game of Thrones final season. But these events may be presented with vastly more depth, detail, and development than the show was able to provide.

Martin continues, turning his attention away from the tentpole moments and characters to smaller areas of the story that remain his own.

“The butterfly effect will be at work as well; those of you who follow this Not A Blog will know that I’ve been talking about that since season one,” he writes.

“There are characters who never made it onto the screen at all, and others who died in the show but still live in the books… so if nothing else, the readers will learn what happened to Jeyne Poole, Lady Stoneheart, Penny and her pig, Skahaz Shavepate, Arianne Martell, Darkstar, Victarion Greyjoy, Ser Garlan the Gallant, Aegon VI, and a myriad of other characters both great and small that viewers of the show never had the chance to meet.”

“And yes,” he adds, likely referencing the feral Northern island of Skagos, “There will be unicorns… of a sort…”

“Book or show, which will be the “real” ending?” Martin wonders. To answer, he turns to a familiar response, citing the film and book versions of Gone With the Wind. “It’s a silly question. How many children did Scarlett O’Hara have?”

Two in the novel, one in the film. Translation: Facts are malleable when it comes to fiction and its adaptations.

“How about this?” Martin concludes. “I’ll write it. You read it. Then everyone can make up their own mind, and argue about it on the internet.”

The post George R. R. Martin addresses the ‘real’ ending of ‘Game of Thrones,’ promises ‘The Winds of Winter’ appeared first on Hypable.

You’re probably familiar with Dressbarn, despite having never stepped foot in one. They’re always there, plunked dismally in every sprawling suburban shopping complex right between the Ulta and the Old Navy. But on Monday, Ascena Retail Group announced that it’s shutting down all 650 stores to focus on its other…

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Hulu has greenlit a pilot for a series based on Stephen King’s The Eyes of the Dragon. The YA book was King’s first big deviation from horror, and was written for his daughter Naomi. Seth Grahame-Smith is writing the first episode and showrunning.

1. Daenerys walks up to the Iron Throne and sits in it. “This is nice,” she says. “I won.” As soon as she sits in it, everyone in Westeros disintegrates, just like Melisandre did, and Daenerys is the only one left in the world. “Or did I?” she wonders.

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Al Swearengen is back, or as he would probably put it, fucking Al Swearengen is fucking back! Years after getting cut short on HBO, David Milch’s Deadwood has somehow triumphantly returned for a wrap-up movie — don’t think about it too hard, or maybe it will stop existing. HBO released the first trailer for the movie today, which catches us up with Ian McShane, Timothy Olyphant, and Molly Parker as their characters all come together “after a decade to celebrate South Dakota’s statehood.” Per HBO, when the movie premieres on May 31, “former rivalries are reignited, alliances are tested and old wounds reopened as all are left to navigate the inevitable changes that modernity and time have wrought.” Also, probably lots of swearing.

The American Craft Council seeks a qualified candidate to fill a temporary position of Assistant Librarian.  This position is 10 hours per week, starting the end of May through August, 2019.  Reporting to the Librarian, the Assistant Librarian will carry out day-to-day operations and services of the ACC special library of contemporary American art and craft. PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES ·         Acquire and manage the journals, magazines and …

The Magicians season 4 finale was the 52nd episode of The Magicians and the last episode for one of its series regulars per executive producers John McNamara, Sera Gamble, and Henry Alonso Myers.

Spoilers abound.

Yes, that big surprise really happened. Quentin is gone. The producers said in a statement:

“‘The Magicians’ has always been a fantastical show about real life — with a generous dose of magic to keep it all feeling less like bitter medicine and more like raiding a weirdly delicious pantry at 2am (probably while a bit drunk). That has been our approach to Season 4, knowing that we want to explore the most confounding, harsh and messy aspects of adulthood in our story. At the top of that list: facing your own mortality, and experiencing the death of someone you love. Before we began this season, we entered into a creative conversation that included the writers, executive producer and director Chris Fisher, Lev Grossman, our partners at UCP and SYFY, and Jason Ralph. The choice for Jason to leave the show was arrived at mutually, with much respect for the story, fans of the show, and a shared sense of deliberate, essential creative risk. We want ‘The Magicians’ to visit strange and fascinating new places, and we know we can’t get there by treading the same garden path others have before us. So, we did the thing you’re not supposed to do — we killed the character who’s supposed to be “safe.” In real life, none of us are safe.

When we first met Quentin Coldwater, he was in a mental hospital, contending with painful questions of life and death. This season, we saw the rare opportunity to complete his arc, bringing him to a real understanding of the incalculable value of his own life. Quentin and we got to see the truth: there is no such thing as a Minor Mending. The smallest action can ripple out in powerful ways we may never fully know.”

I’ve read the above statement from the producers and Syfy multiple times, and it’s one that I both understand on a deep level and am heartbroken by as a fan of both Jason Ralph and the character he plays. Nothing about this statement leads me to believe this is anything but the complete truth — that there will be no Deux Ex Machina, that we won’t see Quentin in the Underworld, that we won’t see Jason again next season in some form. There’s a finality here and, if I’m being honest, I hope it sticks.

That doesn’t mean I don’t grieve the loss and won’t continue to grieve the loss of both Jason and Quentin for some time. Not just in the sense of what we had, but what we might have hoped to see in the future and where Quentin may have found himself in both life and love in season 5. But isn’t that what we always grieve most? When we lose someone? The possibility of what was to come and our hopes and dreams for their future?

However, just like Julia and Alice, Eliot and Margo, Kady, Penny, and Dean Fogg had to say goodbye, so do I and the rest of the fans who so dearly love The Magicians. It will be different for us all. The time it takes, the way it happens, the emotions involved… all of those will differ. But we will weather this and, like the characters left behind at Brakebills and in Fillory, we’ll work our way through.

For myself, I wanted to add my own verse to the proverbial goodbyes in “Take On Me” because I loved Quentin Coldwater. Even when he made me crazy. Even when I wanted to grab him and shake him, to show him how much he had to live for, to hug him when he felt alone and kiss his forehead when he thought he couldn’t do one single thing right, no matter how hard he tried.

Once a boy who thought he didn’t belong and that there was no place in the world for him, so much so that he actively looked for ways out of it, Quentin Coldwater left this world knowing he’d found the belonging he always wanted. More than that, he found love and partnership in ways he never expected.

Quentin lived more than one lifetime, which is something most of us don’t get. He loved in two lifetimes. He saved his friends in both lifetimes. He found a sense of peace and contentment many of us only dream of. One Quentin found love with Alice Quinn after years of struggle – a partnership that gave him the strength to take on literal gods.

The other Quentin spent his life with Eliot Waugh, in a love affair that lasted decades. A partnership that taught him what real love is and not to be afraid to put himself out there, even when he was afraid. The Quentin who lived a life in a day returned with a peace and sense of self that continued on.

And it’s that I find solace in even if he and Eliot never got to talk about Eliot’s realization in The Happy Place. In the end, Quentin saved Eliot and Eliot saved Quentin. More than once. They changed each other’s lives for the better.

Quentin changed everyone’s life in some way because he gave his life to save magic and defeat Everett. The boy who thought himself insignificant became a man who gave his life without a second thought for the people he loved. In the end, he even gave Julia her magic back and will be a part of her forever.

I hope Jason Ralph gets to read this because I want him to know how moved I was by his performance. By his vulnerability and his bravery as an actor. By his willingness to be ugly and raw. By his generosity of spirit and his quiet ability to make the other actors he works with the center of the scenes he’s in with them. But even if he doesn’t, the work he did was phenomenal and I know he’ll find himself other places to shine.

In the end, I hope we all take something from Quentin Coldwater as we mourn his passing…

None of us is so broken we can’t be mended. Not a one of us is truly alone. There is magic within us all and no matter how minimal we think that magic may be, minor magics can save the world and the people we love when we believe in ourselves.

Rest in peace, Quentin Coldwater. You will be missed but never forgotten.

The post ‘The Magicians’ season 4 finale review: In Memoriam appeared first on Hypable.

“Schitt’s Creek” stars Eugene Levy, Karen Robinson, Jennifer Robertson, Catherine O’Hara, Annie Murphy, Noah Reid, Dan Levy and Emily Hampshire at the 2019 Canadian Screen Awards.

 

Everyone’s favorite Canadians came out to be fabulous and pick up awards, kittens. We will have to forego our normal bitchy tone here because we love them and we think they all look pretty fantastic.

Some more than others, to be fair.

 

They’re so cute together and they both look great, but we think we’re more partial to Eugene’s more traditional tux. Dan is making it work, but it takes a lot for us to love a double-breasted tux.

 

 

This is absolutely gorgeous and may be the most stylish and fabulous thing we’ve ever seen Catherine O’Hara wear in real life. Moira’s costumes don’t count here. Love the simple design and the beautifully unexpected color story. We tend to think matching bangles look like handcuffs, though.

 

 

We stared at this picture for WAY too long before we realized this was Jennifer Robertson, who plays Jocelyn Schitt. It’s amazing what a good haircut can do for a person. It’s a good look, but she needs a more defined brow and more delicate sandals.

 

 

Love the skirt, but the bodice can have either the plunging neckline or the side cutouts, but not both at the same time. And come to think of it, we’re pretty sure the puffy sleeves are too much for the design as well. That bodice needs more shoulder.

 

 

He’s a cutie, but that’s a piss-poor effort.

 

 

A simple dress and sandals, paired with a killer necklace and sparkly bag. She knows what she’s doing.

 

 

It’s so strange to see her so glam. It’s an okay look but that flounce is way out of proportion

 

 

 

[Photo Credit: INSTARImages]

• Annie Murphy
• Awards
• Canadian Screen Awards
• Catherine O’Hara
• Dan Levy
• Emily Hampshire
• Eugene Levy
• Jennifer Robertson
• Karen Robinson
• Noah Reid
• Red Carpet
• Schitt’s Creek

The post The Cast of “Schitt’s Creek” at the 2019 Canadian Screen Awards appeared first on Tom + Lorenzo.

Happy World Backup Day! To celebrate this rare, actually-useful fake holiday, Amazon’s running a huge one-day sale on everything from microSD cards to SSDs to hard drives to NAS enclosures. Unlike most storage sales, this one includes deals from multiple brands, and all the big names like Samsung, Synology, SanDisk,…

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I started watching Quantum Leap last summer, mostly on a whim. I only knew a little about the premise — Dr. Sam Beckett, played by Scott Bakula, leaps through time and space by briefly inhabiting the body of someone else and fixing something about their lives — and didn’t really know what to expect. I figured there’d be a high cheese factor, and maybe some of that low-budget sci-fi optimism that asks everyone watching to pretend a stack of cardboard boxes is actually an evil robot. It seemed like a recipe for message-of-the-week silliness.

But I was immediately struck by how sincere it felt. Watching Sam leap into new experiences over and over, repeatedly confronting his own preconceptions, battling against the biases of his privilege, trying to measure his inclinations against how he needed to behave to keep his hosts safe? It felt radical. It felt cathartic. I had no idea how much I’d wanted to watch a show like that, where the fundamental premise was simply this: An attractive, thoughtful white guy must repeatedly experience the world in a different way.

Over the course of Quantum Leap’s five seasons, Sam Beckett lives dozens of lives. He leaps into the life of a black chauffeur in the South, a rock star in a glam band, a trapeze artist, a beauty queen, a pregnant woman, a man with Down syndrome, a woman who’s been raped, a blind pianist, a man undergoing electroshock therapy, a man suspected of being gay in the military. And although the show has missteps and moments that do make it a product of its time — especially relating to cultural appropriation and the unrelenting horniness of Sam’s best friend Al — the underlying humanity is still what dominates Quantum Leap.

Earlier this week, I talked with Bakula about the show’s 30th anniversary, his favorite episodes, why he pushed so hard for it to dig into social issues, and what he imagines happened to Sam Beckett all these years later.

Looking back on the show, which episodes are you most fond of? Which kinds of leaps did you enjoy doing the most?
Well, we did a lot of musical stuff. That was a lot of fun. We tackled a lot of social issues, so that was always good. But the show really revolved around the relationship between me and Dean [Stockwell, who played Al], and literally the simple concept of putting yourself in someone else’s shoes and living their life for a while, seeing how their life would affect you and vice versa.

I had favorite episodes that I loved. “The Leap Home” was a good one, when I leaped back into my own life at 16 and was dealing with my father being sick — knowing when he was going to die, what he was going to die of, thinking about what you would do in that situation. Singing “Imagine” on the porch to his little sister. That was a really sweet episode, and very poignant.

That was followed by going to Vietnam in an episode trying to save his brother. We did so many interesting episodes and we kept finding ways to branch out. Any time I was in a woman’s body, that was always fun for everybody. Not always fun for me, because of the clothing!

I don’t think anybody really knew what the show was going to be until we got into it. Because they hired me and I’d done a lot of different things in terms of music and sports, I gave them other avenues to chase because I had some kind of skill or proclivity for those areas. So the show kept opening up. It was a wild ride!

It was terribly difficult to make. We didn’t have any standing sets, any place we could go and flip the lights on. Everything had to be created new and unique to each episode, so it was these little mini period movies, around 53 minutes long back in that day. Everybody worked their tails off, but that also gave us a bonded group. And Don [Bellisario, the creator and showrunner] made everybody be on their game. He insisted that the license plates were the right license plates for the right period of time, and the pants were the right length and the shoes were the right kind. He was a stickler for all that stuff. So when you look at it in hindsight, it’s not sloppy. Every episode is true and consistent.

I’d never seen the show before last summer when I happened to start watching it, and I was expecting there to be more of a goofiness. But I was so struck by how empathetic it felt.
That’s kind of how I try to approach my work in general. I just ran with what felt truthful and what felt honest about each situation. We’d get to the end of the episode where I’m in the life of a young gay man in the military, and the last line is me turning to Dean as he says, “But was he gay or not?” and I say, “Does it matter?” and I leap out in that moment. Those kinds of things were wonderful to try and get right. When you leap into a woman’s body after she’s been raped, and you’re dealing with that whole anger and frustration that Sam and Al were feeling, it wasn’t funny, you know?

There was a certain responsibility to the show that Don never really wanted. His big mantra was, “We’re making entertainment. Our job is to entertain. If somebody picked something up that they wanted to pull out of an episode, that’s up to them. But we’re putting on an entertaining hour of television. That’s our goal.” And then, as the years opened up, all of a sudden we’re doing [an episode about] Lee Harvey Oswald because [Don] is pissed off about Oliver Stone’s movie, and saying that there was no conspiracy. So that was his answer to Stone’s movie. He had an ax to grind.

Had we gone a few more years, we might’ve gotten a little bit wackier. We were talking about an animated episode, we were talking about Sam as a baby and trying to figure out how to shoot those kinds of things. But gosh, we had a lot of fun with the 97 that we made.

I’d read that you and Dean Stockwell pushed Don Bellisario to do more social issues, and it was something he resisted because he was so focused on the show as entertainment. Why was it important to you to push for that?
Initially that came from Dean. He was much more of an activist at the time than I was, and he introduced me to a lot of the things he and his wife had been championing. I’d been in New York for 10, 11 years and I was wrapped up in my theater life and traveling and touring. Dean, coming out of the ‘60s, had a lot of social issues that were front and center to him — quite prominently the environment and the ozone layer, which was a big deal at that time.

So Dean was always looking for an opportunity. We did an episode on Queen Elizabeth II [the cruise ship, not the person]. It was back in the ’50s, and they just opened up the back of the ships and they dumped the trash in the sea. In that episode, I ended up in the trash container. They were getting ready to kill me by turning on the trash compactor, and then I would’ve been pushed out to sea. So whenever Dean would see something like that, he’d find a way to go to Don and say, “Can we just talk about dumping all this trash into the sea?” He’d find a way inside the story to make a little social commentary.

We just got in the habit of looking for it. If I’m in the secretary’s world in the ’60s and she’s being sexually harassed at work — while that’s funny because Sam’s running around in heels — it was serious. Sam wanting to clock the guy on the couch for trying to make a pass at him is funny, but underneath it, there are all of these issues. Certainly there are ways to relate to those episodes that were subtle. It wasn’t like we were doing a Law & Order: SVU episode. But there was a whimsy to the show, and there were definitely underlying elements to the show that lurked in the nostalgia.

As Sam leapt into these other people’s lives, bits of their personalities would emerge in his character. How did that become part of the show?
It’s almost impossible to talk about it, because it was really something I just came up with midway through the run. I didn’t even tell Don about it for a long time. When you’re in a series for a long time, you’re looking for ways to find everything that’s available to you in the character that you’re playing, to keep yourself interested and keep it interesting for the audience. It just made sense to me.

It led to the “Shock Theater” episode, where I was in the insane asylum and I was having literally that effect, these fragments of lives that I’d been associated with over the course of time. It was almost more of a metaphorical physicality, assuming metabolically your molecules are getting mixed up. [Laughs]. Simply put, if we’re at all present and at all open, we are affected by everybody that we come into contact with in our journey on this planet. An accumulation of those experiences define who we are.

If indeed we lived this way, of walking a mile in someone else’s shoes, the planet would be a different place. We could see all sides of the spectrum of life, all different religions and races, all of these things we’re not usually forced to do. And many people don’t ever do that. So if, in the run of the show, we could get somebody to say, “Well, I never thought about it that way …”

You know, I never dreamed this little show could have the kind of legs that it has, in terms of affecting people. It was fascinating to work on. It never got boring — and not just because one week I was hanging upside down on a trapeze and the next week I was a chimpanzee.

Even now, it feels sort of mind-boggling to watch a show where the central premise is “a handsome white dude learns what it feels like to be other people.” It feels like a particularly relevant concept right now.
We are sadly moving at a snail’s pace in terms of making adjustments where we don’t have to watch a farm boy from the Midwest have his eyes opened every week. I’d like to think, but the reality doesn’t back it up, that we’re moving on, that we’re moving faster, that we’re speeding toward a different kind of world. But certainly in the world that we’re living in right now, it seems like we’re paddling back against the current to try to hold onto something that’s not worth holding on to. But I know exactly what you’re talking about. Today, you say, Would they even let that character on the show be a white guy, if they re-created the show today? Not that he would need to be, which is the beauty of the show.

If a reboot ever happened, how do you think it would get cast? I sort of wish it could still be led by a relatively privileged person. It feels like the power lies in watching someone with privilege learning what it’s like to live very differently.
I think that’s part of it. The tricky part is that Sam — because of his genius and because he’d sped through school and gotten to MIT early — his formative years were not out drinking beer with his buddies. He had that naïvete. I don’t know that a jaded person creates that experiment. But certainly, I think the beauty of the show is that you could plug in almost anyone.

Don was talking about rebooting it a while ago, where it’d be about Sam’s daughter and she followed in his footsteps. I thought that was a pretty interesting way to do that, also. Or you could take it to another country and reboot it as a young female physicist in South America somewhere. The possibilities are endless. It still feels like a fresh idea.

What do you imagine happened to Sam Beckett after the show ended?
He’s still out there doing his thing. I like that sentiment that there’s a Sam Beckett out there and he’s doing right by a lot of people. There are a lot of people who make a difference every day, and take time to look at other people and not just assume that they know better. So I like that idea. Is it sad that he never gets home? Yes. But sometimes, there’s greater work to be done.

Science found an excuse to rewatch “The Gilmore Girls” for the 20th time. READ MORE...

They say you should give the devil his due, so feel free to send a congratulatory email to Hell, since this is clearly his handiwork. As announced by series stars Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles and Misha Collins in two Instagram videos Friday, The CW’s longest running show will conclude after its upcoming fifteenth season. “We just told the crew,” an emotional Jensen Ackles says. “Though we’re very, very excited about moving into our fifteenth season, it will be our last.”

Supernatural, which debuted on the WB on 2005, premiered its fourteenth season in October 2018. “I will say this, a little word from Eric Kripke, the creator of this world and these characters,” continues Ackles. “In a show about family, it is amazing and it is the pride of his life that it became family.” Supernatural’s final season will feature twenty episodes and doesn’t have a premiere date as of yet, so you have some time to get ready for your trip to the underworld to kick Satan’s ass on their behalf.

There's a troubling trend over the past few years where new companies try to win the consumer race by showing up at the finish line without having run the track first. What I mean by that is, more than ever, folks are attempting to profit off of the familiarity of somebody else's creation. It happened with Kayla Newman's beautiful invention of the phrase "on fleek." It happened with a wedding company that decided Beyonce's name wasn't actually hers (they were wrong about that), and now, a new company is trying to profit off of the hard work of one of our favorite seasonings.

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I can vividly remember the first time I saw The Princess Bride.

Still in primary school — which, as a child in the U.K., you attend between the ages of four and 11 — we had a free lesson, and had been moved into the music room. This often happened toward the end of term, once tests and exams had wrapped up, or we were winding down before a holiday, particularly Christmas.

The teacher, one that I still remember fondly to this day, wanted to share with us his favorite movie. And, though the rest of the class was restless, with the prospect of having an hour or two to do nothing much, he pressed on, wheeling out the TV on a stand and putting a well-loved copy of The Princess Bride on.

It was hard to hear all the dialogue over the chatter in the room, as not everyone was as transfixed by it as I was, but as a child who devoured fantasy stories of all sorts, I could hardly look away.

As it unfolded, I realized that The Princess Bride had everything I wanted in a story: “Fencing. Fighting. Torture. Revenge. Giants. Monsters. Chases. Escapes. True love. Miracles.” Nothing was quite as straightforward as that list, of course, but it had a broad enough appeal for everyone’s interests.

Unfortunately, we never finished the movie during that free lesson. Right before the scene where Westley is placed on the torture machine, the teacher chose to switch it off, the room having become too unruly to continue on. But I couldn’t let it be. I had to know how it ended.

There was a weekend tradition in my family that, when the weekend rolled around, we would alternate between myself and my younger brother to rent a movie from the store in the village, and watch it together. Choosing The Princess Bride was my next obvious choice and sharing the movie with my family, finally making it through the ending, was more than I could have asked for. It was, perhaps, one of my fondest movie-watching weekends, outside of Star Wars, Star Trek, and other Star-related franchises.

(And, having watched The Princess Bride several times since childhood, know now that its broad appeal stretched across ages, as well as genre interests.)

What I did not know then was what a staple it would become in my life. Much in the way it has seeped into every corner of popular culture, so too did it settle neatly into my day-to-day vernacular. Quoting the movie, from “As you wish” to “Inconceivable!”, came as easily as anything and — as I moved through higher education — signaled to others that we had a similar interest in media.

In fact, I owe to The Princess Bride as much as I do to classic ’80s animation (like Masters of the Universe, Thundercats, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and DuckTales), Star Wars, Star Trek, Harry Potter and Marvel comics when it comes to being the catalyst to so many of my friendships.

But, more than that, it was so hugely formative in how I approached my own writing, and the ways in which I crafted my stories.

What William Goldman did, across all of his screenplays and stories, but most especially with The Princess Bride, was lay out a blueprint for how to tell a compelling narrative. That much was even more evident after I picked up The Princess Bride novelization in my later teens, which expanded even further on the story, as well as his other books — like his memoir, Adventures in the Screen Trade: A Personal View of Hollywood and the Screenwriting. Goldman was, to a fault, unendingly honest about the creative process, and Hollywood, which was a balm to the glitz-and-glamour romanticizations of the industry.

“Nobody knows anything,” Goldman famously wrote in his memoir. “Not one person in the entire motion picture field knows for a certainty what’s going to work. Every time out it’s a guess and, if you’re lucky, an educated one.”

The Princess Bride may have been a fluke — one that Goldman had to battle to get to the screen, and see flourish as a cult hit, though it did not fare so well on its initial release — but it is one that played a part in the way I write, and approach my writing, to this day.

Goldman’s death hit me harder than I expected. He’ll be revered for so many of his movies, not least for the Academy Award-winning Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and All the President’s Men, and rightly so. He shaped so much of the filmmaking landscape and deserves every bit of praise for his influences.

But it is The Princess Bride, and everything surrounding its conception, that I will continue to hold dear to my heart. Every day. And for that, I will remain eternally thankful to Goldman, and to the teacher, all those years ago, who wanted to share a small piece of a story that had shaped him into the person that he was, as much as it did for me.

The post William Goldman’s ‘The Princess Bride’ will always remain a timeless influence on my writing appeared first on Hypable.

Books aren't just the best things to have in your house—your collection can be as cool as you are. And with National Book Lovers Day (Nov 3) today, why not relook at these tomes as decor items, too? Not only does this make your apartment to look great, but it also gives you ample permission to buy as many books as you want! Here are some designer-approved ways to incorporate your favorite books into your home's style:

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While Richard Rankin crashed Sophie Skelton’s interview, we still get a one-on-one interview with Richard courtesy of Entertainment Tonight.  Richard talks about Roger’s “rollercoaster” of a season, the relationship between Roger and Brianna, singing and playing the guitar, and that kilt.  There are at least three new pieces of footage from season four in this interview, so it is worth a watch.  Screencaps of some of the new footage are below the video.

Source: Outlander on FB

(Katherine is our Show-only Sassenach.  She has not read Drums of Autumn.  She was able to attend New York Comic Con for the screening of the first episode of season four, and below are her spoiler-free thoughts. -Sarah)

I want to look like Claire when I’m in my fifties. Seriously.

Season four of Outlander hits the ground running. We don’t pick up right where we left off in season three, but presumably several months after or so. Time has clearly passed, and Jamie (Sam Heughan) and Claire (Caitriona Balfe) seem more comfortable in the colonies, albeit still lacking a proper home. I’ll go into more detail in my episode review when the season premieres, but I’m curious to see how faithful this episode was to the fourth book.

This episode gives us an assortment of characters, both familiar and new. I wasn’t sure what to make of Stephen Bonnet (Ed Speleers) until I heard the entire audience boo and hiss. Is Bonnet a villain that would make Black Jack Randall proud? (Please come back somehow Tobias Menzies, we miss you. You could act the part of a plant and deliver an Oscar-worthy performance.)

I did like the fact that I had a feeling of unease about Bonnet from his first introduction, and I’m scared to see what trouble his future actions will cause our faves. (Seriously, the audience was cheery the entire episode except for when Bonnet showed his shady face. I’m scared y’all!)

On a brighter note, Rollo (Dui) is everything. If anything happens to Rollo, I will set my hair on fire and forget my pain in the fiery conflagration. Protect Rollo. 

We do not meet Jocasta yet. I’m really excited to see Maria Doyle Kennedy’s performance. I loved her in The Tudors, and can’t wait to see her in Outlander!

I LOVED what they did with Young Ian in this episode. We also see cute couple 2.0 Fergus (César Domboy) and Marsali (Lauren Lyle).

As usual, the music did not disappoint. As a violinist I always love being nerdy about scores, and as usual Bear McCreary’s work never disappoints. I liked the new colonial spin on the iconic opening theme.

There was one musical choice in this episode that was a bit jarring. I thought the disconcerting feeling was intentional and fit well with the overall theme of the episode. It was a risky choice, and I think it truly added to the overall intense feeling of the scene in question. (You will know exactly what I’m talking about when you see it. I swear.)

There’s a face Claire makes in the first episode that is so perfect and hilarious following one scene in the first episode. Am I the only one who finds the look on her face funny? The Outlander meme was writing itself!

As if my fellow audience members were listening to my inner monologue, everyone burst out laughing. I even heard a few cheers in the mix.

I challenge everyone to look for this moment in the episode!

And what a pain, Outlander fans. We have to deal with yet another hot and steamy scene between Jamie and Claire. What an absolute bother it is to see this attractive-no-matter-what-age-or-century couple have hot sex.

We have to work so hard to be so dedicated, don’t we?

Overall I found this to be a strong beginning to a new season and a new world. Every scene moved the plot forward, and nothing lagged. The cast is clearly comfortable in their roles by now, and I loved the cinematography in this episode. You get a sense of the scope of how vast America is, and the beauty in the nature that surrounds Jamie and Claire.

There are so many details in the episode that I can’t wait to discuss, but I don’t want to spoil anything for you! Of course, you loyal book readers have a sense of what to expect, but I truly think you’ll enjoy the season four opener. 

However.

I will remind you again to have emergency whiskey on hand.

You’re going to need it.

It's a question that's floated around forever: Are Bert and Ernie gay?

Former Sesame Street writer Mark Saltzman says yes.

In a recent Queerty interview, Saltzman (whose partner is Arnold "Arnie" Glassman) reveals that the Muppet duo were based on his own (gay) relationship:

Ok, so we have to address—that’s the big question, right? In the writer’s room, you’re all adults. Were you thinking of Bert & Ernie as a gay couple? Did that question ever come up?

I remember one time that a column from The San Francisco Chronicle, a preschooler in the city turned to mom and asked “are Bert & Ernie lovers?” And that, coming from a preschooler was fun. And that got passed around, and everyone had their chuckle and went back to it. And I always felt that without a huge agenda, when I was writing Bert & Ernie, they were. I didn’t have any other way to contextualize them. The other thing was, more than one person referred to Arnie & I as “Bert & Ernie.”

That’s telling.

Yeah, I was Ernie. I look more Bert-ish. And Arnie as a film editor—if you thought of Bert with a job in the world, wouldn’t that be perfect? Bert with his paper clips and organization? And I was the jokester. So it was the Bert & Ernie relationship, and I was already with Arnie when I came to Sesame Street. So I don’t think I’d know how else to write them, but as a loving couple. I wrote sketches…Arnie’s OCD would create friction with how chaotic I was. And that’s the Bert & Ernie dynamic.

The Sesame Workshop responded to the news, saying the pair are simple "best friends": https://twitter.com/SesameWorkshop/status/1042117602678587395

Frank Oz concurs: https://twitter.com/TheFrankOzJam/status/1042118820142436352 Read: Are Bert & Ernie a couple? We finally have an answer…

Supernatural season 14 poster released on Supernatural Day

The CW has released the Supernatural season 14 poster featuring stars Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles, and Misha Collins on Supernatural Day, the 13-year anniversary of when the pilot first aired on September 13, 2005. You can check out the poster in the gallery below!

The 14th season of the longest-running sci-fi series in the U.S. will find Sam (Padalecki) and Castiel (Collins) trying to figure out how to save Dean (Ackles) who was possessed by the archangel Michael in the season 13 finale and is now missing. As Jack (Alexander Calvert) struggles with who he is now that his powers are gone, Sam is not only faced with how to get his brother back but how to protect a now vulnerable Jack while also dealing with the group of hunters that were brought over into our world from the alternate universe.

RELATED: Wayward Sisters Will All Return In Supernatural Season 14

In season 14, Supernatural will also hit 300 episodes, which showrunner Andrew Dabb has said will be a love letter to the show and to the Winchesters. As Dabb explained during the Supernatural pressroom at SDCC (which you can check out in the video below), we’ve never seen what the citizens of Lebanon, Kansas — where Sam and Dean live — think about these two guys who “come to the bar” and who go to “the laundromat but their shirts are covered in blood.” Basically, the episode will be about Sam and Dean told through the eyes of outsiders.

Supernatural follows brothers Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) Winchester. The thrilling and terrifying journey of the Winchester brothers continues in Supernatural‘s 14th season. Sam and Dean have spent their lives on the road, battling supernatural threats that include everything from the demon that killed their mother to the usual vampires, ghosts, shape-shifters, angels and fallen gods rampaging over the land. They’ve come out on top with the help of allies, both human and supernatural, but every victory comes at a price.

Supernatural season 14 is set to return on Thursday, October 11, on The CW.

The post Supernatural Season 14 Poster Released on Supernatural Day appeared first on ComingSoon.net.

10 best Keanu Reeves movies

Is there any other actor out there as casually cool as Keanu Reeves? An enigma both on the screen and in real life, Reeves continues to captivate audiences with both his stellar performances and his frequently-memed personal life. Starting first as a chill burnout and evolving into an action movie staple, Keanu Reeves is one of the most consistently interesting and truly compelling actors around.

John Wick

Who would’ve thought that Keanu Reeves’ most incredible role would come so late in his career? Long after all the other roles that made him famous, he managed to score his best gig yet: John Wick, the best hitman known to man. There have been two movies so far with a third film and a spinoff series on the way, so it goes without saying that Reeves has found one of the most lucrative roles of his career in John Wick—but, more importantly, he’s given audiences some of the best action movies of the 21st century.

Purchase both films in one set now on Amazon for $39.95.

The Matrix

Before there was John Wick, Reeves was known best as Neo: the sunglasses-wearing, trenchcoat-sporting computer hacker who helped spawn countless spoofs and parodies of all kinds across three films. The films haven’t aged as well as you might think, but there’s no denying that Reeves’ performance still manages to astound.

Purchase the entire trilogy now on Amazon for $16.15.

Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure

The role that started it all for him still manages to be pretty funny. Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure is the kind of adventure comedy we don’t see much of anymore, and Reeves’ slightly stupid Ted makes this film as charming as it is goofy. There’s no telling if he and Alex Winter will ever return for a third film, but that doesn’t mean you can’t give this one a rewatch.

Purchase now on Amazon for $2.99.

My Own Private Idaho

Praised as one of the greatest LGBTQ films of all time, My Own Private Idaho stars Reeves and River Phoenix as two friends living in Portland as they figure themselves and their relationship out. It’s emotional and delicate and insightful and easily his best dramatic performance.

Purchase now on Amazon for $2.99.

A Scanner Darkly

Based on the Philip K. Dick novel of the same name, Richard Linklater’s strangely-animated adaptation of A Scanner Darkly has Reeves giving one of the most interesting performances of his career. It’s a sci-fi drama, a dark comedy, a neo-noir tribute, and an aminated movie all rolled into one—and Reeves anchors the whole thing.

Purchase now on Amazon for $9.99.

Speed

What an exciting movie Speed is. It’s original, too. Keanu Reeves is the perfect casting when you consider how effortless his coolness is. You can’t be a hothead when dealing with a bomb on a city bus, and Reeves’ character keeps things as relaxed as one possibly could when trying to maintain a speed of 50 miles per hour through busy city streets.

Purchase now on Amazon for $14.99.

Point Break

This was one of the first times audiences saw how good Keanu Reeves could be in an action movie. Sure, it’s a little cheesy and sure, it’s a little over-the-top, but Reeves absolutely nails every single mark needed to deliver a solid action film.

Purchase now on Amazon for $12.99.

Parenthood

Like Bill and Ted, Parenthood is one of the lighter entries in Reeves’ filmography—that’s not to say it’s not good, though. Parenthood is excellent and Reeves is one of many additions to a pretty solid ensemble cast. He’s an essential and charming addition to an already pleasing film.

Purchase now on Amazon for $13.40.

River’s Edge

It’s a heavy movie, but Keanu Reeves is no stranger to heavy lifting: River’s Edge stars him and Crispin Glover as two friends in a group of high school buddies who are let in on a horrible act that one of them committed. Their lives start to unravel, of course, but Reeves’ early work here is a real indication of the sheer talent he was harboring all along.

Purchase now on Amazon for $14.99.

Dangerous Liaisons

Reeves comes in as a supporting character in this period drama based on a play, but that doesn’t mean he’s not pretty great in it. The movie’s stars are Glenn Close and John Malkovich, but Reeves is in it enough that he deserves some recognition for his dramatic chops.

Purchase now on Amazon for $10.34.

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The post 10 Best Keanu Reeves Movies appeared first on ComingSoon.net.