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This story about Natasha Lyonne and “Poker Face” first appeared in the Down to the Wire: Comedy issue of TheWrap’s awards magazine. All actor interviews in that issue were conducted before the SAG-AFTRA strike began.

In each episode of “Poker Face,” the Peacock series created by Rian Johnson, Natasha Lyonne’s Charlie Cale, a former casino worker on the run from some very bad men, solves murder mysteries in the towns she travels through, aided by her ability to detect when someone is lying. Charlie is no saint, but she lives by a strong moral code.

But let’s let Lyonne explain it in the most Natasha Lyonne way imaginable. “Rian and I have this real shared love of crossword puzzles and puzzles in general — it’s how we pass time together on set between shots,” she said. “So we discovered that Charlie was going to have this...

We’ve got questions, and you’ve (maybe) got answers! With another week of TV gone by, we’re lobbing queries left and right about shows including The Blacklist, Supergirl, Killing Eve and The Voice!

1 | During The Blacklist‘s season finale, did you find those loud, overt transitions between the animation and live-action to be helpful, or too jarring?

More from TVLineSupergirl Star Looks Ahead to Season 6: What's Next for Kara and William's 'Slow Burn' Relationship?Quotes of the Week: The Voice, Run, Listen to Your Heart, Stargirl and MoreThe Voice Champion Todd Tilghman Shares His Joy...

Chicago – For every grand name in history, there are behind-the-scenes performers who contribute to that history just as profoundly. One such person was “Father Ted” of Notre Dame, profiled in Patrick Creadon’s new documentary, “Hesburgh.”

Tuesday, September 4th, 2018 at the Midwest Independent Film Festival

Photo credit: O’Malley Creadon Productions/MidwestFilm.com

Father Theodore “Ted” Hesburgh was a legendary Catholic priest and president of Notre Dame from 1952 through 1987, during a period of monumental religious and social change. Hesburgh was in the middle of it, fighting for social justice, civil rights, free thought at his Catholic University and the growth of the school itself. Director Creadon tells the priest’s story in segments rather than a timeline, but at the heart of those stories is Hesburgh, a man who those grand names of history admired, and who followed up on the tenets of Christianity as a bridge builder in society.

New York's funniest show, Celebrity Autobiography The 2017 Edition has 2 special Hamptons shows on August 25 at Guild Hall and an upcoming NYC show on August 28 at 7pm at The Triad 158 West 72nd Street, which will feature stars of stage andscreen including Brooke Shields, Susan Lucci, Christie Brinkley, Tate Donovan, Crossword Puzzle Editor for The New York Times Will Shortz, Mario Cantone, Tony Award-winner Cady Huffman, Tony Award-nominee Orfeh, Ali Wentworth Nightcap, Lucy DeVito, Grammy-winner Peter Asher, five-time Emmy-winner Alan Zweibel, actorcomedians John Fugelsang amp Scott Adsit, and Drama Desk-winners Eugene Pack amp Dayle Reyfel.

A quick review of tonight's "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" coming up just as soon as they finally get the Annie Lennox tape out of the cassette player after 12 years... Last week's episode featured a trio of stories with funny moments that didn't quite have room to breathe (though Holt and Diaz getting in touch with their emotions was brilliant even in miniature). "The Mattress," on the other hand, had some stories that were less successful individually, but boosted a pair of them by tying them together at the end. Because "Brooklyn" likes to rotate Jake's partner every week, it's been a while since the show has really addressed the issue of Jake and Amy dating while working together. It came up to an extent in the Halloween episode, but "The Mattress" was the first episode really about it since the Vulture left. Unfortunately, the story of their argument about Jake's eponymous mattress felt undercooked and oddly generic,...

We know him as the master puzzle-maker, his New York Times byline synonymous with imminent frustration. But away from the newsprint grid, Will Shortz moonlights as a devoted ping-pong player and the founder of the Westchester Table Tennis Center. After being told by a neuroscientist a few years ago that ping-pong has more cognitive benefits than even crossword puzzles, Shortz decided to intensify his commitment to the game: He set out to play it for 1,000 days straight.On Tuesday night, a crowd gathered at the Wttc to celebrate the completion of that goal. To commemorate the occasion, the filmmakers Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost (the team behind Catfish and Paranormal Activity 3 and 4), screened their new short film about Shortz’s nearly three-year table tennis marathon. Under the filmmakers’ guidance, Shortz shot all the footage himself, using four basic camera angles to document his efforts in cities as far afield...

This nine-letter word can alternately frustrate and enrapture, is capable of taking up an entire Sunday, and typically includes “oleo.”

Ok, the headline gives away the answer: It’s the crossword, and it turns 100 on Saturday. Back in December 1913, New York World editor Arthur Wynne came up with a new puzzle — then dubbed the “word-cross” — and it’s been a newspaper staple ever since.

We don’t expect you to throw a puzzle party for the occasion (though we wouldn’t judge), but we do have some low-key suggestions for celebrating the confounding hobby.

1. Do a crossword puzzle. We’ll...

See 2 clips from The Being Experience which opens on June 25th, and includes Terrence Howard Dave Matthews, Famke Janssen, Questlove, Paz de la Huerta, Temple Grandin, Moby, Jorgen Leth, Rufus Wainwright, Will Shortz, Alan Cumming, Debra Winger, Rosie Perez, Liya Kebede, Aimee Mullins, and riginal vocalizations by Yoko Ono The Being Experience is a collection of films by Jennifer Elster that begins with “... In the Woods,” and features Howard, Cumming, Moby, Matthews, and so many others as they explore the unfamiliar. Unaware of the plot and path, the subjects of The Being Experience...

A week or so ago we posted the trailer for Jennifer Elster's The Being Experience and mentioned the first installment would be available June 25th. Check out "Part Animal" featuring Dave Matthews and Terrence Howard right here.

Synopsis:

The Being Experience is a collection of films that explores the unfamiliar and urges you to dig deep within yourself. It begins with "...In the Woods," Part 1 of a multi-part film series featuring Terrence Howard, Rufus Wainwright, Dave Matthews, Famke Janssen, Gale Harold, Aubrey deGrey, Rosie Perez, Jorgen Leth, Will Shortz, Paz de la Huerta, Liya Kebede, Moby, Aimee Mullins, Kent Cullers, Debra Winger, Marlo Thomas, Alan Cumming, Ahmir Questlove Thompson, Bob Mankoff, Karen Black, and Temple Grandin, Ph.D., with wild vocalizations by Yoko Ono.

A daring walk into the unknown, the series delves deep inside its subjects and ends up in uncharted terrain.

Get ready for an unusual ride.

Watch the trailer for The Being Experience which features Terrence Howard, Dave Matthews, Famke Janssen, Questlove, Paz de la Huerta, Temple Grandin, Moby, Jorgen Leth, Rufus Wainwright, Will Shortz, Alan Cumming, Debra Winger, Rosie Perez, Liya Kebede, Aimee Mullins and original vocalizations by Yoko Ono The Being Experience is directed by Jennifer Elster and starts off with begins with ...In the Woods, a multi-part film series that is a mystery to everyone, even its subjects. A daring walk into the unknown, the film series delves deep inside each subject and ends up in unchartered terrain. … In the Woods errs on the side of risk, penetrating what is often unspoken, and existing outside of the bounds of how we are expected to behave.

A few years back we posted some clips and info about a somewhat mysterious project from Jennifer Elster that included a segment called "...In the Woods," and now finally things are coming together under the banner of The Being Experience, and we have a new trailer to share.

Synopsis:

The Being Experience is a collection of films that explores the unfamiliar and urges you to dig deep within yourself. It begins with "...In the Woods," Part 1 of a multi-part film series featuring Terrence Howard, Rufus Wainwright, Dave Matthews, Famke Janssen, Gale Harold, Aubrey deGrey, Rosie Perez, Jorgen Leth, Will Shortz, Paz de la Huerta, Liya Kebede, Moby, Aimee Mullins, Kent Cullers, Debra Winger, Marlo Thomas, Alan Cumming, Ahmir Questlove Thompson, Bob Mankoff, Karen Black, and Temple Grandin, Ph.D., with wild vocalizations by Yoko Ono.

A daring walk into the unknown, the series delves deep inside its subjects and ends up in uncharted terrain.

Show of hands: who here works the New York Times crossword puzzle? Okay, put ‘em down. Those of you who raised your hands, and you know who you are (though I don’t) might have a definition for the word “olio,” which has been known to appear in the puzzle now and again, and nowhere else that I’ve ever seen. The rest of you? Well, maybe I just shrugged. (How can you ever be sure?)

Anyway, today’s blatherthon will be a bit of an olio.

Which we’ll begin with an item about, yes, a crossword puzzle. The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart enlisted the puzzle’s editor, Will Shortz, in helping him propose to the lady who’s now Mrs. Stewart. Together, they concocted a puzzle that contained the proposal and gave it to the object of Jon’s affections. You can guess the rest. And is...

Every week, Vulture faces the big, important questions in entertainment, and comes to some creative conclusions. This week we delved into such pop cultural issues as: Who would the people of Dillon, Texas vote for? Can Variety be saved? Of his many crazy parts, which Christopher Walken role was most psychopathic? What's up with Olivia Wilde's vagina? In case you missed them, here are the conclusions we came to on these and more pressing questions.Q: Who or what does Matthew Fox resemble in next weekend's Tyler Perry/James Patterson film Alex Cross? A: Kyle Buchanan dissected Fox’s freakishly ripped bod and posited the various things it looked like. We all exercise to hopefully look like a pumpkin crossed with a peach pit, right? Q: What’s nerdier than crossword puzzles and magic? A: Crossword puzzle magic! Helen Coster profiled David Kwong, a wordplay-based magician. His fans include David Copperfield,...

Crossword's aren't typically a source of controversy, but when they are, they're the most lovable ones, ever. The latest, and possibly only one, ever, comes to us from the apex of all word games -- the New York Times crossword puzzle. The Times' puzzle editor Will Shortz may have made a crucial error when he didn't quadruple check his definition for 'illin', and gave as his clue: "Wack, in hip hop." According to freelance writer Julieanne Smolinski, that clue is wack. She wrote to the Times, "These are not the same things at all!" thereby unleashing the war of words we find ourselves in now. Shortz struck back, defending his definition and citing the Dictionary of American Slang, the Dictionary of Contemporary Slang and Urban Dictionary as his sources. So who do we trust? Luckily, we have Beastie Boys' "head grammarian" Mike D on hand, and Stephen Colbert to ask him "Whatcha,...

As I stared in abject horror at CNN all day Saturday, only one thing could pull my view from the tragedy unfolding before our eyes: the CNN ticker at the bottom of the screen saying "Katy Perry to guest star on How I Met Your Mother.

Before anyone thinks me insensitive, I was mostly drawn to it because I found it so strangely thoughtless. "Yes, yes, this unspeakable nightmare is happening in Arizona. But look! The lady with the boobies!" But with time, I grew to look past the careless tickering toward its message. And its message is that I'm supposed to be interested by the appearance of Katy Perry on How I Met Your Mother. And I am not.

I am an appreciator of a good cameo or guest spot: most, if not all, guests on 30 Rock and Arrested Development, the entire show Extras, Joss Whedon's appearance as Lorne's brother Numfar.

Some really bizarre and interesting videos by director Jennifer Elster have been making the online rounds, and we've been doing some digging to find out just what the hell they're all about. Read on for a bit of info on Itw: Pathway / In the Woods - A walk into the core.

From Jennifer Elster's blog on The Huffington Post:

In the Woods is a mysterious, existential film journey: a walk into the unknown. The experience is a seduction into our own existence. What's the plot? Who knows? The film crawls into and explores the crevices of the minds of its subjects and myself. Hmmm...? Should I go there? I don't know. I kind of want to. Maybe I will. How far can I go? How far can I push it?

The brave cast includes Terrence Howard, Moby, Will Shortz, Famke Janssen, Will Oldham, Temple Grandin, Debra Winger, Jorgen Leth,...

In the Woods is a mysterious, existential film journey: a walk into the unknown. The experience is a seduction into our own existence. What's the plot? Who knows? The film crawls into and explores the crevices of the minds of its subjects and myself. Hmmm...? Should I go there? I don't know. I kind of want to. Maybe I will. How far can I go? How far can I push it? The brave cast includes Terrence Howard, Moby, Will Shortz, Famke Janssen, Will Oldham, Temple Grandin, Debra Winger, Jorgen Leth, Rufus Wainwright, Rosie Perez, Alan Cumming, Marlo Thomas, Ahmir Questlove Thompson, Karen Black and Dave Matthews. For the first time, Yoko Ono has contributed original vocalizations for a film: an unconscious force beckoning us to go further inside. The territories that the film exposes...

No one seems to know much about this film "In the Woods," sometimes referred to as "Itw Pathway" -- other than that in it, a bunch of people with varying degrees of fame trip out in the woods. Indeed the cast which includes Terrence Howard, Will Oldham, Rufus Wainwright, Alan Cumming, and Debra Winger were not told anything before they agreed to the project.

Jennifer Elster, a former fashion stylist turned writer-director brought in Yoko Ono and Rufus Wainwright to score the film so you know shits going to get weird. The message from the filmmakers so far is "Each person agreed to walk into the unknown. The journey will unfold over time. The messages will become clear to the informed viewer as an episodic film experience is unleashed. The delivery will be as unconventional as the experience itself."

The rest of the long, strange cast includes: Moby, Rosie Perez,...

This is a recap for the fifth episode of Season 4 of Mad Men starring Jon Hamm, Christina Hendricks, John Slattery, January Jones, and a slew of other talented actors, on an episode called “The Chrysanthemum and the Sword.” And here is your For Your Consideration Recap: Ripped Right Out Of An Authentic 1965 Highlights For Children Judging by Miss Blankenship’s crossword entries — Leaks, Glee, Burt, Cars, Dogs and soforth — people were reallllly dumb in 1965. Didn’t the producers think of consulting with a 13-year-old Will Shortz? A Different World Indeed She’s like an elderly Dwayne Wayne! (Click for comparison) Roger + Glasses + Granddaddy Issues = ♡ ♡ ♡ I’M Sort Of Feeling Sally’S Modern Do Ok, Fess up time: How many of you cut your hair as a kid? I know I certainly did. I was about 13 years old, and thought I’d look good with a short, chin-length bob. (Ed. Note: I might have been 18. Kidding.

I don’t remember when it started, but at some point in time, Facebook began trying to guess what other things I would like based on the things I had already said I like in my profile. At first, the results were really not great. Here was the first one that I noticed. Holy sh*t, Facebook, not even close. And then a few days later, this happened. Arguably less accurate than the first one. How could they think that was true? “Many people who like crossword puzzles like [country music]?” How are there enough people who like Both country music and crossword puzzles to make a Facebook algorithm think I also like both of those things. Those two things seem a lot more likely to have an either/or style relationship. “Yeah, man, I just like to crank up the Brooks and Dunn and settle down with a Will Shortz Sunday...

Worst Conspiracy Award: Goes to the mysterious fourth branch of the government in AMC's new "thriller" series Rubicon, who apparently send each other messages in newspaper crossword puzzles and by sneaking four-leaf clovers between the pages of the World News section.  Basically, Rubicon wants us to believe that Will Shortz and the paperboy are up to no good.

Wtf Award: Goes to CBS, for suddenly dropping A.J. Cook from Criminal Minds and reducing Paget Brewster's episodes in order to cut costs.  This leaves the show with just one female lead, so now CBS looks cheap and sexist!  Why would they want to alienate fans of a show that's done so well in the ratings that it's getting a spin-off in the midseason?  Why is it they can't pay A.J. Cook and Paget Brewster's salaries but have no qualms when it comes to shelling out $2 million an episode for...

Even by the standards of How I Met Your Mother, "Robots vs. Wrestlers" was over-the-top ridiculous, ran jokes into the ground and often tried too hard to make silly points.

Yet it mostly worked, as it most often does. These factors carried it:

Ted finally admitting that he can be kind of a douche Barney reeling from the rest of the gang growing up

Thanks in large part to fart noises from his friends, the gang has kept Ted's douche quotient mostly contained, kind of like pressing the button every 108 minutes on Lost.

Last night, after a complex series of events landed them at a high-society party, Ted was in his element (pretentious snobs and all their perks) and the fury was unleashed.

As Barney said ... it was the douchepocalypse.

Thinking of the gang breaking up caused Barney much turmoil.

Ted's oft-hidden side ran so amok that he even ditched...

Filed under: TV Previews

Monday, May 10

'How I Met Your Mother' (8Pm, CBS)

Sure, the episode is called 'Robots vs. Wrestlers,' and Ted is involved in a scene that, well, let's just say it's rather reminiscent of an afternoon we once spent at Medieval Times. But tonight's funniest moments come when Ted, Barney, Marshall and Lily crash a super swank New York City soiree, where Ted decides to show his pals just how smart he can be with such a fancy crowd. In fact, Huffington Post editor Arianna Huffington, director Peter Bogdanovich and New York Times Crossword Puzzle Editor Will Shortz guest star as themselves at the snooty party, which is hosted by -- wait for it -- a Mr. Jefferson Van Smoot (guest star Michael York). How can a name like that not lead to hilarity?

'Chuck' - Chuck's got his hands full...

8 p.m., CBS How I Met Your MotherThe gang crashes a party attended by Huffington Post cofounder Arianna Huffington, movie director Peter Bogdanovich, New York Times crossword editor Will Shortz, and other A-list intellectuals.and Ted (Josh Radnor) tries to impress them with his brainy side.

8 p.m., NBC ChuckChuck (Zachary Levi) begins to have nightmares.so he sees the CIA...  More >>...

"How I Met Your Mother" will be visited by a bunch of people expert on their respective fields. The first look of Huffington Post editor-in-chief Arianna Huffington, "The Sopranos" director Peter Bogdanovich and Crossword Editor of The New York Times Will Shortz is released.

Ted, Marshall, Lily and Barney crash a highfalutin party at a swanky New York apartment, Ted gets the chance to mingle with the snooty guests, one being Jefferson Van Smoot (Michael York) and show off his intellectual side. Called "Robots Vs. Wrestlers", the episode airs on May 10 on CBS.

The group of intellects are not the only guest stars in the remaining episodes of season 5. Jason Lewis, Malin Akerman, Chris Kattan and Judy Greer will all jump into one episode airing May 17.

Neil Patrick Harris, the cast of "How I Met Your Mother" who is keen on sharing the first look of guest stars on the show, has just posted a new picture of him and the latest cameo. He gave a clue on his tweet, "Highbrow Himym cameo - ten letters: Death Document + Legless Pantz. I'm a fan. I geeked out."

The word play correlates to the identity of the man beside him. It's Will Shortz, the New York Times crossword editor who will play himself in the half-hour comedy. The show's publicist Lauren Kamm confirmed that the episode Shortz appears in is called "Robots vs. Wrestlers" and it is scheduled to air in May. Shortz will be a guest at a fancy party that the show's gang crashes.

In its fifth season, "Himym'" continues to add guest stars to keep the rating above the water. Two episodes have aired featuring...

Mike Scully, The Simpsons’ show runner from seasons nine through twelve, said something in 2007 that has made me regret the show’s consistent decline in quality even more.

“Lower your quality standards. Once you’ve done that you can go on forever.”

That became the formula for propelling The Simpsons through countless seasons that many devoted fans might say should never have happened. So, here we are at season twenty. If you’ve been avidly tracking Simpsons season releases you’ll know this one was releases out of order, as the next should have been season 13. So what gives? The twentieth anniversary. Did you watch the Morgan Spurlock-led special? Good, because it’s not on this set. No, my dear readers, what we have here is a set supposedly released to celebrate the event plastered on its cover, but which fails to do so with any material on the actual discs.

Chicago-native Patrick Creadon's first feature film, a documentary called "Wordplay," shows us the world of crossword puzzles and the puzzlers who attempt and obsess over them. Will Shortz, New York Times puzzle editor and the NPR Puzzle Master, is one of them. We meet him as well as famous faces, such as Jon Stewart and Bill Clinton, who've fallen for the crossword. The culmination of "Wordplay" is the 2005 Crossword Puzzle Championships. But Creadon's personal high point of making the film might've been seeing his movie on the marquee with "Mission Impossible 3" and the "DaVinci Code." Creadon runs through a list when asked about some of his favorite Chicago things, including: cheeseburgers at Billy Goat, Wrigley Field, 16-inch softball leagues in River Forest, Johnny’s Beef and Duey’s Pizza. He grew up in Riverside and attended Fenwick High School in...

• Wordplay - IFC Films/The Weinstein Company Check out the trailer here. Kinda like spelling bee tournaments, but for old folks. And more embarrassing. 2 + 2 = ?: Congratulations to IFC Films and The Weinstein Company, next to the paraplegic 14-year-old kid's rotting corpse in the city dumpster near my apartment you just made me feel like the dumbest person on earth. My mom did the best she could, and failed miserably. The coach still didn't give me the Ok to take off my helmet. Will Shortz: Evil Mastermind who likes to make dumb people feel even dumber. I hate you and everything you stand for. I Am So Smart. S-m-r-t: The last time I tried doing a crossword puzzle I managed to answer all of 2, you heard me, Two questions... and I remember them like it was yesterday (and no, it wasn't yesterday. It was Wednesday, October 9th, 1996., a breezy autumn day it was,

...

The Weinstein Co. and IFC Films are teaming to co-distribute the crossword-themed documentary Wordplay. Directed by Patrick Creadon and produced by Christine O'Malley, the film explores the passionate puzzle subculture, which boasts such colorful characters as New York Times crossword editor Will Shortz. Wordplay generated buzz at January's Sundance Film Festival.

The Weinstein Co. has acquired all international rights, which it will be selling at the Festival de Cannes, to Patrick Creadon's Wordplay. IFC Films is distributing the documentary in the U.S. and Canada. The film, produced by Christine O'Malley, profiles New York Times crossword editor and National Public Radio puzzle-king Will Shortz. International president Glen Basner negotiated the agreement on behalf of the Weinstein Co. Cinetic Media represented the filmmakers in the sale.

PARK CITY, Utah -- After four days of intense jockeying among distributors, IFC Films announced Wednesday its acquisition of North American rights in all media to Patrick Creadon's crowd-pleasing Sundance documentary competition entry Wordplay. The Weinstein Co. controls home video rights through its deal with Genius. Creadon, a docu cinematographer, and his wife and producing partner Christine O'Malley, are passionate puzzle solvers who one year got three puzzle books for Christmas, including one by New York Times puzzlemaster Will Shortz.

• This year Ioncinema.com is covering the 2006 edition of the Sundance Film Festival Live from Park City, Utah. We’ll be on hand to cover the festival, and while we won’t be able to cover everything from A to Z: here is a comprehensive beforehand look at the selections in each of the festival’s sections. (Note: To access individual preview pages, simply click on the links below) January 19th to the 28th, 2006Counting Down: updateCountdownClock('January 19, 2006'); Docu Competition"American Blackout," Ian Inaba's assessment of the career of U.S. Representative Cynthia McKinney of Georgia and the purported suppression of the black vote historically and in the 2004 election in Florida and Ohio. "Crossing Arizona," Joseph Mathew's mosaic of human stories enmeshed in Arizona's illegal immigration crisis. "God Grew Tired of Us," Christopher Quinn and Tom Walker's account of the culture shock that hits four Sudanese

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