Tag Archives: FX

Foxtel, FRONT, TV

Pilot Review – Wayward Pines on FX

WAYWARD PINES: Matt Dillon as Ethan Burke. @2014 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Liane Hentscher/FOX
WAYWARD PINES: Matt Dillon as Ethan Burke. @2014 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Liane Hentscher/FOX

“Do not try to leave. Do not discuss the past. Do not discuss your life before. Always answer the phone if it rings. Work hard, be happy, and enjoy your life in Wayward Pines!”

How does one describe Wayward Pines?  A Murder-mystery with plot twists and turns?  A homage to the 90s classic Twin Peaks?  A drama filled with bat-shit crazy characters?  After watching the pilot episode of Wayward Pines, it’s easy enough to state that all of the above apply though the show itself becomes difficult to truly describe without delving into spoiler territory.

Based off the novels by Blake Crouch, produced by M. Night Shyamalan and developed by Chad Hodge, Wayward Pines, more than anything, plays as a very tight, well done and intriguing shout out to David Lynch’s cult series where the ‘who killed Laura Palmer’ mystery is replaced with ‘two missing secret service agents’.

In this ten-part series, Matt Dillon stars as Secret Service Agent Ethan Burke who, following a car accident, awakens to find himself in the sleepy town of Wayward Pines, Idaho.  His phone and wallet are missing, his wife Theresa (Shannyn Sossamon) isn’t returning his calls and no one is able to provide him with answers regarding the two missing secret service agents he’s been sent off to look for.

Well no one except for barmaid Bev (Juliette Lewis) who seems to be the only of-sound-mind resident in this creepy town and secretly leads Ethan to both missing agents…one dead in an abandoned shack, the other, Kate Hewson (Carla Gugino) claims she’s been living in Wayward Pines for 12 years even though Ethan knows he was with her 5 weeks ago.

Instead of making us wait for answers regarding Ethan’s sanity, it’s made very clear early on that all this ‘crazy’ is not in his head and in fact, even after a severe car accident and subsequent beating, Ethan is actually in a proper frame of mind. During the first few episodes, we learn that surveillance equipment is everywhere, and that the townspeople live by a strict set of rules which forbids them from discussing the lives they had before coming to Wayward – but the bigger question remains – who is listening in?

The first four episodes don’t seem to offer much in the way of variety with each one feeling just as similar as the the previous but for those who stick around, the pay-off comes from episode five on when everything ticks into place and sets the wheel going for a crazy season back end.

It’s not far along into the pilot when that familiar Twin Peaks feel kicks in with Pine’s cast of wayward characters (played by an A-list roster) begin to be introduced.  Toby Jones as psychiatrist Dr. Jenkins, Melissa Leo as Wayward Pine’s head nurse Pam and Terrence Howard as ice-cream loving Sheriff Arnold Pope are just some of the questionable residents of Wayward Pines we meet in the first episode.

Check out the trailer below:

For this first outing, Wayward Pines is one to watch and easily become involved with.

Wayward Pines premiere’s Thursday  May 14th 8:30pm on FX (Foxtel)

AHS

Jessica Lange Confirms No Return for AHS Hotel

Lange as witch Fiona Goode from AHS Coven
Lange as witch Fiona Goode from AHS Coven

“Yes, I’m done.  We’ve had a great run here. I have absolutely loved doing these four characters that I’ve had the opportunity to play. In all the madness, I’ve loved the writers, my actors, Ryan and the whole, I mean, insanity of it, shooting here, shooting in New Orleans, the stories, everything.  It was my absolute favorite. We had a great run.”  These are the words uttered by AHS star Jessica Lange confirming that she will not be a part of the cast for the fifth installment of the AHS series.

Insert sad face here

Insert sad face here

Speaking at their annual PaleyFest panel, Lange confirmed her departure from the series while two new cast members were announced – White Collar’s Matt Bomer and 30 Rock’s Cheyenne Jackson who will both be joining Lady Gaga for the new season.

Any other information regarding the AHS: Hotel series was kept quiet.

AHS: Hotel will consist of 13 episodes and begin in October on FX.

AHS, Drama, Fantasy, FRONT, TV

Full Length AHS Freak Show Trailer Revealed

Sarah Paulson as Dot and Bette in a clip from AHS Freakshow
Sarah Paulson as Dot and Bette in a clip from AHS Freakshow

Roll up roll up, get your tickets here!  See the famous bearded lady, the mystical three breasted beauty, the strong man and the two headed woman!  Yes, the American Horror Story: Freak Show official full length trailer is finally here and it’s looking to be like everything we could hope for, for this new series!

Check out the trailer via Vulture.com

AHS Freak Show debut’s October 8 on FX in the US

Freak Show coming soon to Channel 10/Eleven shortly after

FRONT

AHS Freak Show Cast Art Revealed

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AHS_Freak_Show_Cast_Art_Embed

How fantastic!  Hollywood Reporter released the first exclusive look at the cast art for AHS Freak Show and it looks incredible!  Jessica Lange as Elsa Mars front a centre, Sarah Paulson Bette and Dot Tattler, Michael Chiklis as The Strong Man Wendell Del Toredo, Kathy Bates as The Bearded Woman Effil Darling with Angela Bassett and Francis Conroy both featured as well!

AHS Freak Show begins October 8th, 10pm on FX

Drama, FOX8, FRONT, PayTV, Sci-Fi, TV

Taking the Glitter Away from Vampires. The Strain Reviewed

Sean Astin as Jim Kent. Souce: Supplied
Sean Astin as Jim Kent. Souce: Supplied

Without beating around the bush too much, The Strain (airing Wednesday July 30th on FOX8) resembles a horror movie that may have come out in the mid 1990’s – you know, the kind that went straight to DVD.  I’m not saying it like it’s a bad thing, just that, here, The Strain is purely for scares and gore while only slightly relying on a deeper story-line.

Now that deeper story-line is either about ancient vampires coming to New York or lead character Dr. Ephraim Goodweather’s failing marriage…i’m not to sure as to which as we’re drowned with too much personal information about Ephraim, his distant wife and their son right off the bat.

So just like FX’s creepy disease based Helix, The Strain (also from FX) brings us another biological catastrophe involving the CDC and those affected by a mysterious disease, but unlike Helix where all the action takes place in the isolated Arctic, The Strain takes place in heavily populated New York City.

According to FX, The Strain is about “a mysterious viral outbreak with hallmarks of an ancient and evil strain of vampirism” and is based on the series of books from Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan (Guillermo del Toro is also credited as the creator, writer and director) where the central character of no-good is, well, he’s the ancient king of Vampires named The Master.

Now the vampires here in The Strain are nothing like you have ever seen before.  Gone are the tweenie glittery human loving creatures we’ve been saturated with of recent times and in their place, creepy hooded monsters that rely on blood seeking and sucking worms over fangs and del Toro (a master in the field of scares and gore) goes to lengths to create a dark and eerie visual that offers up some jump worthy scares.

The cast is pleasant enough to watch and while some of the acting is a bit kitsch and over the top, it fits perfectly into the theme of what we are being offered up….Lord of the Rings star (or Goonies star to me) Sean Astin is there along with Alias’s Mia Maestro and House of Cards actor Corey Stoll taking the lead as Dr. Ephraim Goodweather.

So in the end, Helix stands miles above what The Strain is, but as a show where you don’t really need to think too much and can get a few decent scares and some gross out gore then The Strain should sit nicely into your weekly viewing.

The Strain begins Wednesday July 30th on FOX8.

Drama, Fantasy, PayTV, The Walking Dead, TV

The Walking Dead Season 5 First Sneak Peek Clip

the-walking-dead-season-5-christian-serratos-alanna-masterson-andrew-j-west-amc

 

Now this is just being mean.  We’re salivating here, hoping for any news or tidbits about what to expect when The Walking Dead returns for it’s fifth season only to be given a very short clip that leaves us screaming WE WANT MORE!!!

During the Talking Dead season preview special that aired on AMC, a small 30 second clip from the premiere episode of season five was shown, smashing us right into zombie territory with Carol (Martina McBride), Tyreece (Chad Coleman) and baby Judith on the run.

 

So we now know that Carol, Tyreece and Judith have not yet made it to Terminus and that obviously, they’ll be blind as to what has happened to Rick, Darryl, Maggie and the rest of the gang – with exception to Beth whom no one knows where she is (or if she is even still alive).

AMC also announced via twitter that the first full trailer for season 5 will drop online July 25th!

 “We’re counting down to the release of #TheWalkingDead Season Five trailer 7/25. RT to win a #20DaysofDead prize pack!” tweeted The Walking Dead AMC.

Sadly, there’s still four months until the show’s return in October.

 

AHS, Drama, Fantasy, TV

AHS Freak Show Gets Really Freaky

Sarah-Paulson

To date, the only thing we really know about any of the characters that will be appearing in the new American Horror Story Freak Show is that Jessica Lange ‘has been practicing her German accent’.  It’s not much to go on, but we have been clinging onto that little piece of info like it’s our last scrap of food.

Now, thanks to AHS regular Sarah Paulson, we have been given something than a little more than a shred of info…

In an interview with E! News earlier this week, Paulson said that her reaction to reading the first script was two words: “Holy shit!“ and the actress described the fourth season as a hybrid between the previous two “AHS” seasons, “Coven” and “Asylum.” “There’s going to be a little bit of a richer and potentially darker tone the way ‘Asylum’ had, but with the humor infused from ‘Coven,'” Paulson said.

So now we can add this little gem to the rest of what we know: “Freak Show”  will be set in Jupiter, Florida in the 1950s, Jessica Lange will play a German ex-pat running a carnival with Denis O’Hare playing her rival collector of freaks, and Kathy Bates, Angela Bassett, Evan Peters, Frances Conroy and other “AHS” favorites are also expected to return.

AHS, Drama, Fantasy, FRONT, PayTV, TV

American Horror Story Season 4 Title Revealed

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You ready for a freak show?!

There were some rumblings of late about the theme of the next American Horror Story and last week, it was revealed that the new season would be set around a 1950’s carnival in Germany and now, co-creator Ryan Murphy yesterday revealed the seasons subtitle via twitter…

https://twitter.com/MrRPMurphy/status/448145257918513153

The carnival circus theme is actually happening just as many fans had hoped it would.  Jessica Lange, Angela Bassett, Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters and Kathy Bates are all on board for the new season!