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The final two seasons of "Community" were a painful affair, as the beloved comedy series fought valiantly against its own inevitable decline. The show losing its original showrunner, Dan Harmon, after season 3 was the first strike. Harmon returned to "Community" in season 5, but then the show had to deal with the departure of two major cast members, Chevy Chase and Donald Glover. Strike two. 

By the end of season 5, there was still some hope that the show might have plenty of years left in it. The departure of Troy and Pierce was handled gracefully, and the quality of the writing itself had returned to pre-season 4 quality. Then "Community" was canceled, and then brought back to viaa little-known streaming service run by Yahoo, and then a whole other round of cast departures was announced. Not only would Buzz Hickey (Jonathan Banks) and Professor Ian Duncan (John Oliver) not be in season...

Abed Nadir is one of the most beloved characters from Community, but certain episodes really allow his character to shine in the best way. Throughout Community's six seasons, Abed is known as the one in the study group who is obsessed with film and pop culture in general. Despite all his quirks and inability to pick up on social and emotional cues, Abed is extremely intelligent and has a knack for observation.

Community episodes that are Abed-focused are often the most revered and have the most memorable lines and scenes. Often, these episodes are the ones that most challenge the show's form of storytelling, which makes for exceptionally unique and memorable moments. In many ways, Communitys knack for experiential episodes is largely because of Abeds imagination and creativity, without him and his vast film knowledge these episodes seemingly wouldnt have worked or connected to the audience nearly as well.

At one point, NBC's Thursday night comprised of The Office, 30 Rock, Community, and Parks and Recreation all in a row. Picking a favorite out of this all-star lineup is seemingly impossible, but given the circumstances, Community might be the most impressive. While Community eventually became one of the greatest sitcoms to ever grace the air, it didn't get there easily. Through 6 seasons and 110 episodes, Community faced more growing pains than any other television show in recent memory. Community survived network cancelation, creative team changes, and main cast members leaving. Dan Harmon's masterpiece faced it all.

One of the prevailing mysteries of the show, however, was the departure of Chevy Chase. Chevy Chase portrayed Pierce Hawthorne on Community, and while he wasn't the show's lead, he was easily the biggest star in the cast. In Season 5, Chevy Chase is written off the show with an off-screen death. While...

Community was one of the most creative sitcoms of the 2010s, but the show suffered with key members of the original cast departing the project throughout the seasons. Created by Dan Harmon, also known for the hit animated series Rick & Morty, Community goes through the chaotic academic life of a suspended lawyer and his study group at Greendale Community College.

Harmon himself attended a community college in his younger years, collecting personal experiences that formed the basis of his comedy series. Community aired for six seasons and has a movie on the way, finally accomplishing the prophecy of "Six Seasons and a Movie" uttered by Abed, one of the main characters, in Season 2. Filled with great pop culture references and memorable theme episodes, Community was also known for its stellar cast, which unfortunately withered away as the show went on.

John Oliver Left Community in Season 3 to Focus on...

The following contains mentions of suicide.

Character exits should be handled with respect, but many shows fail to do so, leaving characters with frustrating and unrealistic departures. Some shows don't give proper explanations for character departures, leaving fans unsatisfied. Characters should stay true to their established personalities and relationships when they leave, but some shows make them act out of character for the sake of the plot.

An actor's exit is a sensitive topic, and it is important to treat their character with respect until the very end, which is often not the case. The reason for the cast member's departure from the show can play a big role in how their character is written off. If a conflict has led the actor to quit or be dismissed, the character might end up getting all the heat. However, even without any disagreements, the character can get the short end of the stick,...

The first episode of Community describes Greendale Community College as being "three blocks from your home," and this phrase carries a deeper meaning that sets up the show's premise. Community never explains the meaning of this line after it appears over the very first establishing shot of the series. However, Community's Greendale location actually has a lot of meaning, and there is a more interesting backstory behind the "three blocks" line.

Community's Greendale Community College is the main location of the series, with it being the school that the main cast of characters attends throughout Community's six seasons. Although Community's pilot episode may keep Greendale's location vague, the show is later revealed to be set in the fictional city of Greendale, Colorado. Much of Community is based on Dan Harmon's real life, which makes it an odd choice for him to set Greendale in a fictional city.

The Community movie is finally happening after all these years, to the excitement of many, but this massive time gap also causes a major problem for the film. "Six seasons and a movie" has been the longstanding moniker for Community fans for a while, with many holding out hope that the study group would reunite for a movie after Community's season 6 cancelation. Luckily, the crew is finally managing to pull off the Community movie, and while most of Greendale's iconic characters will return, there is one major cast issue that the film will have to deal with.

Starting in 2009, the comedy sitcom show Community follows the misadventures of the zany students and staff at Greendale Community College, with the sitcom telling far more fantastical stories than many of its predecessors. The show went through many ups and downs, with showrunner Dan Harmon being fired after season 3, and the show...

Community has become a cult sitcom that has such a strong legacy, and fans are now officially getting the movie that has been promised for years, with several characters are already confirmed to return to Greendale College. The actors who play Jeff, Britta, Abed, Annie, Chang, and Dean Pelton have all signed on to the movie, but as the series is full of unique and weird characters, fans are waiting for so many more confirmations.

There are a couple of glaring omissions in the announced movie cast, but fans have done a deep dive and called to memory some of the show's more obscure characters as well as fan favorites. Whether it's the world's worst therapist, the most famous Greendale graduate, or a kleptomaniac monkey, they all deserve the spotlight in the upcoming movie.

Ian Duncan

Robro604 wants to see Ian Duncan (John Oliver) return for the Community movie. The Redditor posits,...

“Boardwalk Empire’s” Jack Huston will star in a new action/thriller series inspired by “The Count of Monte Cristo,” Alexandre Dumas’ timeless novel. It is being developed by Constantin Film and will be directed by Stephen Hung (“Into the Badlands”).

Huston will play a broken man who, upon escaping his imprisonment, sets out to find justice in an increasingly corrupt world.

The series will be set in Asia and the US. As well as appearing on screen, Huston will write and executive produce the show, alongside his partners Ian Duncan and Simon Boyes.

“It has long been a dream of ours to take what we consider to be one of the great works of literature and present it to a modern audience in a unique and compelling way,” said Huston, Duncan and Boyes. “We couldn’t be more excited to have partnered with Constantin, Stephen, and Tea Shop to...

Jack Huston is leading the latest take on The Count of Monte Cristo.

The Fargo star, who recently wrapped production on House of Gucci and is set as the male lead in Amazon drama series Expats, is to star in and write the package, which is now being taken out to buyers by Shadowhunters producer Constantin Film.

The project, which has been in development for a while, will see Huston play Nicolas Cristo, a man broken, betrayed and locked away for over a decade, fighting to bring justice to a world even more cruel and corrupt than the one that was taken from him.

The twist for the latest adaptation of the classic Alexandre Dumas novel? It will be set in Asia and the U.S.

Into The Badlands and Wu Assassins director Stephen Fung is on board to direct and exec produce. Huston will also exec produce along with...

Beverly Hills-based production and finance company Enderby Entertainment is expanding into Canada with the launch of a film and television production office.

Enderby Entertainment CEO Rick Dugdale said on Wednesday (November 4) that screenwriter Todd Ireland will serve as executive vice-president for Enderby Entertainment Canada, based in Kelowna, British Columbia.

Dugdale also announced the new division has acquired effects house Chariotdrive, which is in the process of relocating operations to British Columbia and will be run under the auspices of Enderby Entertainment Canada.

“We’ve fortunately been able to see the growth of the Okanagan region and all the work Jon Summerland...

Community was filled with interesting and offbeat characters, most of whom were not redeemable in any fashion. They were all terrible when they arrived at Greendale Community College, and somehow Greendale only succeeded in making them worse. But at least they had each other. The only people worse than the students were their teachers, in particular Professor Ian Duncan and Señor Ben Chang.

Related: Community: 5 Reasons Why Fans Were Right To Hate Season 4 (& 5 Why It Was Underrated)

Neither of them was particularly good at their respective jobs, though one was a far more frightening human being than the other. Still, both men were the absolute worst in their own special ways.

It was a dark and stormy night at Greendale Community College when "Community" was terrorized by the A**-Crack Bandit in "Basic Intergluteal Numismatics." Not even the returns of Professor Ian Duncan (John Oliver) and Star-Burns -- plus a brief cameo from Ben Folds -- could alleviate the dim mood.

"Dark," by the way, is a literal thing in this "Community" episode. With a blue filter on the camera and a whole bunch of mood lighting, the show takes on a new identity. It might be "The Killing." We could be watching a David Fincher movie like "Fight Club" or "Se7en."

This makes sense though. When a criminal is sticking coins where the sun don't shine, there can be no true sunshine for anyone.

Greendale's worst criminal returns

Star-Burns the meth dealer wasn't the worst criminal Greendale ever saw. Similarly, Chang's reign of terror paled in comparison to the...

Junkie Trailer, Junkie Poster. Adam Mason‘s Junkie (2012) movie trailer, movie poster stars Robert Lasardo, Daniel Louis Rivas, Tess Panzer, Tomas Boykin, and Andrew Howard. Junkie‘s plot synopsis: “Junkie is a black comedy about two drug addled brothers, Danny

(Daniel Louis Rivas) and Nicky (Robert Lasardo).

When Danny wakes up one morning and decides he’s going clean, Nicky’s not taking it lying down, and drives Danny from one insane experience to another as a whole host of bizarre, surreal characters descend on their sprawling, dilapidated mansion, all with grievances to bear, debts to reclaim or trouble to cause.

As Danny’s life spirals out of control he must fight tooth and nail to kick the habit and rescue himself from the personal hell Nicky has consigned him to, whilst simultaneously attempting to repair the deeply damaged relationships with his increasingly bizarre friends and family.”

The Junkie movie...

After years on the shelf, Adam Mason's pretty great Blood River, which reteams Mason with actor Andrew Howard and co-writer Simon Boyes, is now available in various On Demand platforms. The psychological thriller, which explores the destruction of a young couple's seemingly perfect marriage, can be watched instantly on Netflix and even on Amazon! "Scratch beneath their smooth yuppie surface and a wealth of secrets emerges after husband and wife Clark (Ian Duncan) and Summer (Tess Panzer) encounter car trouble and find themselves injured and stranded in the Nevada desert. Salvation -- they think -- comes in the form of a ghost town named Blood River and the gospel-spewing itinerant they encounter there. But soon they realize that the helpful stranger might not be so helpful after all."...

Director John Murlowski’s Next Stop Murder will be heading our way soon. The film is a bus ride gone wrong action/thriller that stars Brian Krause, Rosa Blasi, Ian Duncan, Jordan Baker and the awesome Lin Shaye. There are no dates set for this film but you can check out the synopsis below.

Synopsis:

Two women from completely different backgrounds, one rich, one struggling law student, and each with their own problems, who meet by chance on a city bus. Afterwards, their lives will never be the same. Molly is a recently married working-class woman who rides the city bus to attend law school. Molly’s problem is Heather, her husband Jeff’s ex-wife and the mother of eight-year-old Gracie, with whom Molly is desperately trying to forge a bond. Heather is an irresponsible, drug-addict who is allowed supervised visitation of her biological daughter, but is nothing but trouble,...

Blood River Poster*Here be spoilers.

Director: Adam Mason.

Writers: Adam Mason and Simon Boyes.

Blood River is a film from long time writing Simon Boyes and Adam Mason. These two filmmakers have collaborated on The Devil's Chair, Broken and this latest effort Blood River. This film was recently released in the UK on DVD as of July 19th, with a release on video-on-demand through Gravitas Ventures now e.g. At&T, Charter and Verizon (a full list below). Blood River was shot in and around the deserts of Los Angeles and Mason, with Boyes tackle existential questions like: what qualifies as a sin, and what is a suitable punishment for an identified sin? Taking scripture from the Old Testament, the film turns one couple against each other in a tense test of right and wrong.

Clark and Summer are two holiday travellers en route to Summer's parents house. Here they will announce her pregnancy.

Director: Adam Mason. Review: Adam Wing. Appearances can be deceiving, especially in the case of Adam Mason’s psychological thriller Blood River. You’ll be forgiven for expecting something along the lines of Wolf Creek and The Hitcher, but after an all too familiar set up, Blood River turns into a worthier proposition. A successful young married couple are on their way to visit family when they pass a drifter walking cross-country. After a blowout on a desolate stretch of highway in Nevada, they head to the next town only to discover it long abandoned. That’ll be The Hitcher and Wolf Creek covered then, Adam Mason successfully avoids any further comparisons when his plot takes a devilish twist. It’s not long before Joseph joins them, the mysterious stranger they passed on the roadside. He takes an immediate shine to Summer (Tess Panzer) and gets on the wrong side...

Adam Mason's Blood River is a slippery beast, consistently playing with genre, tone, and misplaced expectations. Starting off as an almost painfully conventional riff on any number of The Hitcher-esque horror/thrillers (Breakdown and Wolf Creek in particular spring to mind, whilst the yuppie-in-peril movies of the 80s are also owed a debt) it slowly evolves into a far more complex and altogether more interesting film that tackles some rather weighty themes.

Clark (Ian Duncan) and his pregnant wife Summer (Tess Panzer) are on their way through the Nevada desert to visit her parents, when a massive blowout sends them off the road. Without a spare, they doggedly head to the nearest town on foot, bloodied and thirsty. When they arrive at the titular Blood River, it's a ghost town with only rotting animals and endless flies for company; until cowboy-styled drifter and all round religious zealot, Joseph (Andrew Howard) appears,...

Blood River UK DVD ArtAdam Mason's psychologically tortuous Blood River is being released by Revolver Entertainment in the United Kingdom July 19th. Seminal Films will be releasing the film in North America, with a release date unannounced. The DVD art for this horror feature can be seen here (United Kingdom) and Mason's story tells a tale of a relationship between a newlywed couple and a very dangerous drifter. The tension mounts as this couple becomes stranded in a "deserted ghost town" (Revolver). More details on a North American release date are sure to follow shortly.

The synopsis for Blood River here:

"From the director of Broken and The Devil's Chair comes a new vision of terror as a newlywed couple’s relationship is pushed to the limit during a chance encounter with a mysterious drifter in a deserted ghost town.

After a near-fatal car crash in the middle of the desert,...

You can see the influence of the Southern Gothic greats Flannery O’Connor and William Faulkner in Blood River, and while one could note the former’s short story “A Good Man is Hard to Find” and novel Wise Blood as specific references, I think the MacBeth soliloquy that inspired the title of one of Faulkner’s masterpieces is more apropos: Blood River (screened at this year’s Fantasia festival) is “full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.” Harsh words, indeed, but at least I left out the “It is a tale told by an idiot” part.

Let me take a step back for a moment. Blood River is a decent movie reminiscent of The Hitcher that’s disastrously derailed by a terrible conclusion that had me leaving the theater frustrated and shaking my head in irritated disappointment. But let me take another step back and give you the story setup.

• British writer/director Adam Mason's previous films, Broken and The Devil's Chair, have been described as many things, but subtle is not one of them.  With Blood River, Mason and regular writing partner Simon Boyes have done a complete one-eighty (well, maybe one-forty) from the brutality and gore of their prior efforts and have delivered a psychological thriller with religious undertones. Clark (Ian Duncan, Creep) and Summer (Tess Panzer, in her first starring role) are a young couple on a road trip through the Nevada desert on their way to tell her parents that Summer is pregnant.  When one of their tires has a blowout and the only soul around is a hitchhiker (Andrew Howard, The Devil's Chair) they had rather rudely brushed off earlier, the table is set for an intense tale of sin and retribution that leaves the audience wondering who the true hero of the movie is.

...

It's been a while since we got an update on Adam Mason's Blood River, which Andrew rated quite highly after catching at last year's Afm. But we now have the final trailer up for your viewing pleasure below.

In case you're a little foggy on the plot, Blood River, which stars Andrew Howard (who was so great in Mason's The Devil's Chair - review here), Tess Panzer, Ian Duncan, and Sarah Essex is a psychological thriller following a married couple on their way to visit family. After a blowout on a desolate stretch of highway in Nevada, they head to the next town but discover it is abandoned. Here they meet a mysterious stranger that changes everything.

Keep it here for more Blood River news as it comes in.

Blood River - Final Trailer

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Year: 2008

Release date: Unknown

Directors: Adam Mason

Writers: Simon Boyes / Adam Mason

IMDb: link

Trailer: link

Review by: agentorange

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

I've never used the phrase "tour de force" in a review before. I never liked it. I always felt it was one of those phrases reviewers held in their pocket and threw out there whenever they couldn't really get to the bottom of why they thought a film or a performance was great. And yet now, after watching Blood River, I feel compelled to use that darn phrase to describe it. I even looked it up to make sure I was indeed using it correctly; "expression meaning an exceptional creative achievement." Well that is indeed Blood River. A film where the writing, acting, directing, and cinematography, all work together to create a *gulp* a tour de force in every sense of the phrase.

It's weird too because in...

**Please Note: This will be at the top for a while; be sure to scroll down for updated news stories!** Horror may currently be in a slump, but the 2008 American Film Market has shown a huge light at the end of the tunnel. This year showcased a record number of horror titles and Dread Central was on hand to catch a great deal of them. Some were good, some were bad but all showed that this genre still has plenty of lifeblood left. Many exhibitors were also kind enough to show us movie promos, while others coldly showed us the door (Lesbian Vampire Killers, I’m looking at you). The most promising show previews were easily Night of the Demons and Clive Barker’s Dread, with plenty of new projects being announced. Check out our full Afm '08 coverage here.

So without further ado, we present you with our yearly...