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[Editor’s Note: “Girl, I must warn you…” this review will make liberal use of New Edition, Bobby Brown, and Bell Biv Devoe song titles and lyrics. Why? That’s “My Prerogative.”]

It may seem like a stretch to compare Bet’s “The New Edition Story” to the critically acclaimed biopic “Straight Outta Compton.” After all, N.W.A.’s gangsta rap courted controversy while New Edition’s lyrics only got salty when they accused “Mr. Telephone Man” of a faulty connection. Nevertheless, just as N.W.A. shaped hip-hop, the miniseries gives rightful context to how influential New Edition was on its own. Styled as a New Edition of the Jackson 5, the group perfected the model for all the boy bands to come, including New Kids on the Block, Boyz II Men, ’N Sync, and the Backstreet Boys. They also successfully transitioned from the bubble gum style of their early songs to becoming pioneers of New Jack Swing.

Read More: Bet Awards 2016: The Full List of Winners

As with N.W.A., the drama of just being in New Edition is part of the story’s trainwreck/bootstrap appeal.

Best Song Oscar 2016 contender 'Fifty Shades of Grey,' with Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan. 74 entries in contention for 2016 Best Song Academy Award 'Tis the season for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to announce the semi-finalists – in some instances, the semi-semi-finalists – for the Academy Awards. Today, the Academy released the list of songs eligible for the 2016 Best Song – or rather, Best Original Song – Oscar. There are 74 contenders, with titles ranging from “Happy” and “I'll See You in My Dreams” to “Hypnosis” and “Bhoomiyilenghanumundo.” Curiously, apart from the inevitable animated and/or kiddie flicks (Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip, Anomalisa, Pan, Shaun the Sheep Movie, Home, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge out of Water, etc.) most of this year's contenders are songs from smaller movies and Bollywood/South Asian releases. Exceptions include Sam Taylor-Johnson's Fifty Shades of Grey, Ryan Coogler's Creed, Kenneth Branagh's...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 74 songs from eligible feature-length motion pictures released in 2015 are in contention for nominations in the Original Song category for the 88th Academy Awards.

The original songs, along with the motion picture in which each song is featured, are listed below in alphabetical order by film title and song title:

“Happy” from “Altered Minds”

“Home” from “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip”

“None Of Them Are You” from “Anomalisa”

“Stem To The Rose” from “Becoming Bulletproof”

“The Mystery Of Your Gift” from “Boychoir”

“I Run” from “Chi-Raq”

“Pray 4 My City” from “Chi-Raq”

“Sit Down For This” from “Chi-Raq”

“Strong” from “Cinderella”

“So Long” from “Concussion”

“Fighting Stronger” from “Creed”

“Grip” from “Creed”

“Waiting For My Moment” from “Creed”

“Don’t Look Down” from “Danny Collins”

“Hey Baby Doll” from “Danny Collins”

“Dreamsong” from “The Diary of a Teenage Girl...

Teenagers become involved in a web of deceit, crime and danger in “Bad Turn Worse,” a presentation by Starz Digital. The film, originally known as “We Gotta Get Out of This Place,” will be available on all major VOD outlets including Amazon Instant Video, Vudu, iTunes, Xbox Video ad cable providers Nov. 14. It will also open in Us and Canadian theaters on the same day. “Bad Turn Worse,” the directorial debut by Simon Hawkins and Zeke Hawkins, stars Jeremy Allen White (“Shameless”, “Afterschool”), Mark Pellegrino (“The Big Lebowski,” “Supernatural”), Mackenzie Davis (“What If,” “Halt and Catch Fire”), Logan Huffman (“Refuge,” “V”) and William Devane (“The Dark Knight Rises,” “24” [ Read More ]

The post Bad Turn Worse Coming to VOD and Theaters This November appeared first on Shockya.com.

Exclusive: Matthew Shreder and James Andrew Felts’ La based Continental Media have reported a strong response to the Cannes slate led by Nobel and Unknown Caller.

Continental has licensed the faith-friendly drama Noble (pictured) to Spain (Avalon), Israel (Shoval) and South Korea (Able Entertainment) and Shreder said a number of other territories were in negotiation.

Action title Unknown Caller has gone for the Middle East (Shooting Stars), France (Omnitem/France Films TV), Israel (Shoval), Poland (Kino Swiat), Brazil (Globo TV), Turkey (Film Medya) and India (Ultra Group).

Ultra Group has also picked up Locker 13 and Solo.

Social media comedy Friended To Death has gone to Japan (Chance In), Poland (Kino Swiat) and Turkey (Film Medya).

Kino Swiat in Poland has also licensed Tensions, Breakaway, Coldwater and Duke.

Film Medya has acquired Turkish rights to Locker 13, Tensions, Coldwater, Refuge, Duke and Solo.

“This market was another large growth surge for the company,” said Shreder...

This weekend, Russell Crowe fights for survival in the Biblical epic "Noah," Arnold Schwarzenegger returns to the screen in the action-packed "Sabotage," and Michael Pena portrays the famed civil rights leader in the biopic "Cesar Chavez."

Shrouded in controversy, "Noah" stars Russell Crowe as the Biblical figure chosen by God to build an ark and save two of every living thing before an apocalyptic flood destroys the world. Directed by Darren Aronofsky ("Black Swan"), "Noah" features Jennifer Connelly, Anthony Hopkins, Emma Watson, and Ray Winstone in supporting roles.

Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, "Sabotage" follows members of an elite DEA task force fighting for their lives after robbing a drug cartel safe house and getting taken down one by one. The action film is directed and co-written by David Ayer ("End of Watch") and stars Sam Worthington, Terrence Howard, Josh Holloway, and more in supporting roles.

"Cesar Chavez" follows the famed civil...

Exclusive: Breaking Glass Pictures and Bounty Films/Monster Pictures will partner on Us, UK and Australian distribution of Coldwater following a deal with Continental Media (Cm) at Afm.

Breaking Glass Pictures and Bounty Films/Monster Pictures have signed a deal with La-based Continental Media in the wake of Afm to partner on Us, UK and Australian distribution of Coldwater.

Christian Meinke of Mfa has picked up the title for German-speaking Europe and plans a 2014 theatrical release. Cm has also closed a South Korean deal with Mania 22 and licensed France to Kmbo.

Vincent Grashaw co-wrote the Coldwater screenplay with Mark Penney and directed. Joe Bilotta of Flying Pig Productions served as executive producer on the SXSW premiere about a remote juvenile prison camp run by a brutal retired military colonel.

Cm closed a number of sales on the romance Refuge starring Krysten Ritter and Brian Geraghty. Signature Entertainment has acquired UK rights, Accent Media Australia...

MTV has cast Victoria Justice in the cyber thriller Eye Candy based on Rl Stine’s bestselling novel. Justice plays Lindy, a beautiful but reclusive hacker whose blog exposes everything from terrorist plots to suspected killers. Convinced by her roommate to begin online dating, Lindy is targeted by a dangerous cyber stalker and believes one of her suitors to be the culprit. When things take a deadly turn, she teams up with the city’s cyber-crime unit to catch the killer. Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke will direct and executive produce the pilot. Justice is coming off her successful Nickelodeon series Victorious which wrapped in 2012. She is repped by UTA. Madeleine Martin has joined Netlix’s Hemlock Grove as a new series regular. She’ll take on the role of Shelly Godfrey, a reanimated child of the Godfreys, played last season by Nicole Boivin. Martin can currently be seen in the feature The Discoverers.

Someone at Strand Releasing’s home vid dept will have a minor “pickle” of a situation when it comes to indexing their library, as the company which a couple of years back picked up François Ozon’s Le Refuge, have now added Refuge by first time helmer Jessica Goldberg. The pic received some indie festival love playing at the ’12 of the Hamptons and Woodstock Film Festivals and we estimate a 2014 release is in the works.

Gist: Starring Krysten Ritter in the lead matriarchal role, this is set in a rundown house somewhere in America, and tells the darkly funny and touching story of a young woman, Amy, forced to care for her younger brother and sister after her parents have abandoned the family and fled to Florida for a vacation from which they will never return. In a desperate attempt at connection, Amy brings home a drifter, Sam, for a one-night stand.

Strand Releasing has announced that it has acquired all Us rights to "Refuge," written and directed by Jessica Goldberg based on her own play. The film stars Krysten Ritter as Amy, a young woman raising her brother and sister after her parents skipped town, who brings home a mysterious drifter, dramatically shifting the dynamics of the family. “Jessica and we are great admirers of Strand Releasing through their hard work on sophisticated movies like 'Girlfriend,' 'Tyrannosaur' and 'California Solo.' It is a big win for us as filmmakers to find a distributor like Strand that loves your movie and fights for it to reach the proper audiences,” said Jack Heller and Dallas Sonnier, the film's producers. Ritter was excited to play a character that could have existed in her rural hometown. “She’s a girl with really no hope and no future. It was pretty heavy. For me...

Strand Releasing has acquired all U.S. rights to writer-director Jessica Goldberg's directorial debut "Refuge," which stars Krysten Ritter ("Breaking Bad") and Brian Geraghty ("The Hurt Locker"), the indie distributor announced on Tuesday. Goldberg adapted her own play for producers Jack Heller and Dallas Sonnier of Caliber Media. Gary Cogill and Richard Toussaint executive produced the drama for Lascaux Films. "Refuge," which premiered at the Hamptons Film Festival, is described as a tragic-comic portrait of lost souls in small-town America. Ritter stars as Amy, a young woman who has been raising her brother (Logan Huffman)...

Roadside Attractions has swooped on Us rights to Therese ahead of its Toronto world premiere. Separately, Strand Releasing has acquired Us rights to Refuge.

Charlie Stratton’s romantic thriller Therese will premiere in Toronto on Sept 7 and stars Elizabeth Olsen, Oscar Isaac, Tom Felton and Jessica Lange. Exclusive Media holds international rights.

Ld Entertainment developed, financed and produced the adaptation of Emile Zola’s French classic Thérèse Raquin about a sexually repressed women stuck in a marriage to her sickly cousin.

Roadside Attractions will oversee marketing and distribution in collaboration with Ld Entertainment president of distribution David Dinerstein.

Strand co-president Jon Gerrans negotiated the Refuge deal with Kevin Iwashina of Preferred Content.

Jessica Goldberg wrote and directed the drama based on her play about a young woman who raises her brother and sister after their parents leave town and meets a drifter.

Krysten Ritter, Logan Huffman, Madeleine Martin and Brian Geraghty star.

Jack Heller and [link...

Photos from Safe Haven, Magic Magic, Promised Land, Flight, and the beastly Orc Bolg in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

Posters for The Master, Warm Bodies, Life of Pi, and the cover art for the "Star Trek Into Darkness" prequel comic.

Universal’s awards season website is currently hosting a Pdf of the full screenplay for Judd Apatow’s upcoming comedy "This is 40".

"Warner Bros. Pictures has moved up the release of its 3D Lego movie from February 28th 2014 to February 7th 2014…" (full details)

"Actor Kit Harington says the budget for the third season of 'Game of Thrones' is visibly larger even to those working on the set, and it's an 'impact season' like the first…" (full details)

"Australia's biggest cable provider Foxtel has negotiated a new output deal with HBO that will deliver their shows like 'Game of Thrones' and 'Boardwalk Empire' to screens within hours of U.

Over the past few years, the world has been allowed into the eclectic and eccentric world of actress Krysten Ritter as she constantly proves herself to be full of surprises. There are few other actors who could go from a role playing Jesse Pinkman's junkie girlfriend Jane on AMC's "Breaking Bad" to playing the eccentric and outspoken party girl Chloe on the ABC sitcom "Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23" and be believable as both. Even more surprising may be her role in Refuge , written and directed by Jessica Goldberg, based on her off-Broadway play, in which Ritter plays Amy, a woman trying to raise her two troubled younger siblings after being abandoned by their parents, taking dead-on jobs to earn enough to survive. One night, she meets a stranger named...

Which identity is the real you? For Dollhouse star Eliza Dushku, this concept is all too familiar. Dushku joins fellow Buffy veteran Michelle Trachtenberg on the cast of the big screen adaptation of the comic book, The Scribbler, published by Image Comics and written by Daniel Schaffer.

Deadline reports that Katie Cassidy (Supernatural, Taken) , picture center above, has signed on to topline in the film about “Suki, a young woman confronting her destructive mental illness using “The Siamese Burn,” an experimental machine designed to eliminate multiple personalities. The closer Suki comes to being “cured,” she’s haunted by a thought… what if the last unwanted identity turns out to be her?”

Check out the official press release on The Scribbler:

Los Angeles—Katie Cassidy (Taken) will topline as the title character in the mind-bending thriller feature, The Scribbler, which begins production this week in downtown Los Angeles. Starring alongside...

After a break-out turn in Kathryn Bigelow's "The Hurt Locker," where he went toe-to-toe with Jeremy Renner and Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty hasn't exactly risen at the same trajectory as his two former co-stars; his most high-profile roles to date are in the yet-be-released ensemble rom-com "Ten Year" and the universally-panned horror flick "Atm."

We certainly had high hopes for the young actor, even championing him for the lead in 'Captain America' when that role was up for grabs. On the horizon, he has a supporting turn in Robert Zemeckis' "Flight," which should prove another opportunity for him to shine, and the actor remains prominent in the indie scene with a handful of films, including two from helmer Chris Nelson (the classily titled double of "Gay Dude" & "Ass Backwards") and a starring role opposite Krysten Ritter in "Refuge."

Geraghty will now add another interesting string to his bow...

Exclusive: Production has just gotten underway on 3 Nights In The Desert, a drama that stars Amber Tamblyn, Wes Bentley and Boardwalk Empire‘s Vincent Piazza. Gabriel Cowan is directing the Adam Chanzit script in a co-production between New Artists Alliance and Caliber Media Company. Tamblyn, Bentley and Piazza play three estranged friends and former bandmates who reunite to celebrate turning 30. They come together for a weekend in the desert and expose unresolved wounds as they struggle with who they have become and what might have been had they done things differently. Chanzit, who moved to China to live with Daoists, based the tale on his travels. Cowan has the musical experience from his days as a member of the bands Lode and Ear Two Thousand. Cowan’s producing with his New Artists Alliance partner John Suits, and Caliber’s Jack Heller and Dallas Sonnier are the executive producers alongside Kerry Johnson,...

Exclusive: In his first foray into TV, former Columbia Pictures chief-turned-producer Matt Tolmach, who produces the upcoming Spider-Man reboot with Avi Arad, has sold a female-driven drama project to CBS with writer Jessica Goldberg (Refuge). Additionally, CBS has bought a drama project with a female lead from the director of the previous 3 Spider-Man movies, Sam Raimi, which is being written by Sarah Thorp (Hawthorne, The Bounty Hunter). Both projects hail from Sony Pictures TV where both Tolmach and Raimi are based through extensions to their Sony pacts on the feature side. The Matt Tolmach/Jessica Goldberg project is titled Sleepers and centers on a woman who has the gift to save “sleepers,” people who are caught somewhere between life and death. Tolmach, who is executive producing with Goldberg, exited his post as co-president of Columbia Pictures in October 2010 to launch a film production company and take on producing duties for the upcoming Amazing Spider-Man movie.