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Movies/Television Hollywood News

Goodbye to Walter and Jesse

AMC's Breaking Bad premiered its 5th and final season this summer, and will say goodbye during its final episode on Sunday, September 29.
AMC’s Breaking Bad premiered its 5th and final season this summer, and will say goodbye during its final episode on Sunday, September 29.

Hollywood – Can’t get enough of Breaking Bad? With the imminent series finale you will have to find a way to cope without Walter White and Jesse Pinkman, but to make this closure easier, AMC offered a chance for fans to experience the end together. The final episode of Breaking Bad is going to be screened at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery on Sunday, September 29 at 8pm, presented by Cinespia. The cast and crew are going to be present and all proceeds of the event are going to the Kind Campaign.

The tickets went on sale September 4 and to no ones surprise they are now all sold out. The event is going to be co-hosted by The Embassy and will feature DJ Chris Holmes spinning before and after the showing. All the attendees will also have a chance at a Q & A with the cast and crew immediately following the show. The night will begin with the screening of Breaking Bad’s pilot episode, which will be followed by the final episode.

Breaking Bad had a successful 5 season run with AMC and will be finishing up with countless award nominations. Breaking Bad has been considered the greatest television drama of all times, and millions of fans will come together to watch it come to an end on Sunday, September 29.

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Movies/Television HPC News Glendale News

Burn Notice Leaves its Mark

Burn Notice series finale airs on Thursday, September 12.
Burn Notice series finale airs on Thursday, September 12.

TVM Productions, operating under the umbrella of Fox Television Studios, continues work on its highly successful series Burn Notice. USA Network’s hit cable television show premiered its 7th and final season earlier this summer on June 6th.  Along with celebrating their final season, Burn Notice celebrated its 100th episode on June 13, the second episode of the season. The series finale is scheduled to air on Thursday, September 12.

The series first premiered in 2007, and they have since enjoyed their 7 years of filming. TVM Productions has received critical praise for the television show, which follows an ex-CIA agent who has been ‘burned’ by his former employer. TVM Productions has worked on the successful show for several seasons and has a wealth of television credits to its name.

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HPC News Movies/Television

The 5th Annual Burbank International Film Festival

The Burbank International Film Festival returns to Los Angeles from Wednesday, September 4 through Sunday, September 8.
The Burbank International Film Festival returns from Wednesday, September 4 through Sunday, September 8.

The Burbank International Film Festival is back in Burbank for its 5th year. The festival kicks off in downtown Burbank on Wednesday, September 4 and continues through Sunday, September 8. The first night’s festivities will take place at the Warner Bros. lot for Opening Night as they celebrate their 90th Anniversary. To commemorate 90 years of history, they will be screening their documentary film, The Brothers Warner.

The prestigious film festival represents talent from around the world as filmmakers present their work across various genres. The 5-day film festival will feature over 70 independent films, and will specially honor films with socially conscious themes. The festival has received over 600 film submissions in the past and the 15-person jury panel goes through each one carefully. In addition to exciting events and panels, the Burbank International Film Festival has set itself apart by offering film distribution seminars to help filmmakers gain a profit from all of their hard work.  The festival will conclude with a Closing Night Awards Gala where they will acknowledge the award-winning filmmakers, as well as honor the industry icons and professionals that have shaped and defined the world of cinema today.

For more information about the event schedules and buying tickets, please visit their website at www.burbankfilmfest.org.

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HPC News Glendale News Movies/Television Celebrity News

‘R&B Divas: Los Angeles’ Reunion Special

Field Legend Productions was the producing team on the R&B Divas: Los Angeles Reunion special that airs on September 4.
Field Legend Productions is the production team on the R&B Divas: Los Angeles Reunion special that airs on September 4.

Hollywood Production Center would like to congratulate Field Legend Productions for production of the R&B Divas: Los Angeles Reunion special. The series premiered on Wednesday, July 10 on TV One. The reality television show chronicles the lives of R&B singers Cynthia “Lil’ Mo” Loving, Chante Moore, Kelly Price, Claudette Ortiz, Michel’le Toussaint and Dawn Robinson as they share their musical careers and personal lives with America.

TV One ordered an eight-episode season, with the season finale scheduled for Wednesday, August 28. Part 1 of the Two Part R&B Divas: LA Reunion special will air on Wednesday, September 4. The talk show queen Wendy Williams is the reunion’s special celebrity host.

R&B Divas: Los Angeles is spin-off from the original show R&B Divas: Atlanta, which was wildly successful on TV One. The series premiered on August 20, 2012, and was brought back for a second season, which concluded on July 10, 2013.

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Movies/Television Celebrity News HPC News Glendale News

‘Larrymania’ is Back for its 2nd Season

Larrymania premiered its second season on Sunday, August 18 at 9pm on mun2.
Larrymania premiered its second season on Sunday, August 18 at 9pm on mun2.

Hollywood Production Center would like to congratulate Cinemat for beginning production of their second season of Larrymania. Mun2’s #1 Hispanic celebrity reality series revolves around the fast-paced life of international superstar Larry Hernandez and captures even more of the intensely demanding and chaotic life of the singer/songwriter who balances his roles of father, son, partner, and ultra-busy celebrity life, all while the cameras are rolling.

The reality television show premiered its second season on Sunday, August 18 at 9pm on mun2 and will continue into the fall season. The show has gained large popularity from Larry’s fans and continues to grow in followers. Larry Hernandez is an American Regional Mexican singer, musician, composer, and now television star. Larry Hernandez is one of the most recognized faces in the regional Mexican music genre. His many awards and recognitions include three prestigious Latin Billboard Awards in the last three years, and last year’s Premio lo Nuestro award for Regional Mexican Banda Artist of the Year.

Larrymania is produced by Cinemat and Executive Produced by Gloria Medel Solomons for mun2. The series is an original mun2 production, and airs with English language subtitles.

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Celebrity News Music/Concerts Movies/Television

MTV’s VMAs Award Winners

The MTV VMA's took place in Brooklyn on Sunday, August 25 and presented 17 awards for talented work.
The MTV VMA’s took place in Brooklyn on Sunday, August 25 and presented 17 awards for various talented work.

MTV aired the Video Music Awards on Sunday, August 25, and as always, the entire award show was a night to remember. The night was filled with an *NSYNC reunion, a Miley Cyrus and Robin Thicke duo performance, Katy Perry’s performance of her newest single ‘Roar,’ and so much more.

The award show presented awards to amazingly talented individuals in the music industry. The list of winners this year is as follows:

 

 

 

Video of the year: Justin Timberlake, “Mirrors”

Best female video: Taylor Swift, “I Knew You Were Trouble.”

Best male video: Bruno Mars, “Locked Out of Heaven”

Best pop video: Selena Gomez, “Come & Get It”

Best hip-hop video: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Ray Dalton, “Can’t Hold Us”

Best rock video: Thirty Seconds to Mars, “Up In the Air”

Best collaboration: Pink and Nate Ruess of fun., “Just Give Me a Reason”

Best video with a social message: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Mary Lambert, “Same Love”

Best song of the summer: One Direction, “Best Song Ever”

Artist to watch: Austin Mahone, “What About Love”

Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award: Justin Timberlake

Best direction: Justin Timberlake’s “Suit & Tie” (director David Fincher)

Best visual effects: Capital Cities, “Safe and Sound”

Best choreography: Bruno Mars, “Treasure”

Best art direction: Janelle Monae featuring Erykah Badu, “Q.U.E.E.N.”

Best cinematography: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Ray Dalton, “Can’t Hold Us”

Best editing: Justin Timberlake, “Mirrors”

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Movies/Television Celebrity News

Carrie Underwood is the New Maria von Trapp

Carrie Underwood and Stephen Moyer star as the newest von Trapps in NBC's live performance of The Sound of Music.
Carrie Underwood and Stephen Moyer star as the newest von Trapps in NBC’s live performance of The Sound of Music.

NBC has announced their special holiday show this winter: The Sound of Music, based on the original Broadway musical. Carrie Underwood will star as Maria von Trapp in the beloved story of a young woman who falls in love with Captain von Trapp and his seven children. This new version will be the faithful adaptation of the original stage musical, in order to retell the story to a whole new generation. The entire show will be broadcast live, which will add a magical twist to the heartwarming story.

This three hour live event will be broadcast on December 5th at 8pm on NBC. Craig Zadan and Neil Meron will executive produce with their resume including Smash, Hairspray and Chicago. Beth McCarthy-Miller and Rob Ashford will serve as directors. Carrie Underwood will be playing Maria von Trapp, and it was recently announced that Stephen Moyer (True Blood) will appear opposite Underwood as Captain von Trapp. Moyer comes into this role after recently wrapping up his character Billy Flynn in the musical production Chicago at the Hollywood Bowl just last month.

Julie Andrews starred in the Tony Award-winning Best Musical in the film version of The Sound of Music and became one of the biggest worldwide box office hits of all time. It also contains a few of the most famous songs ever written for the stage, such as our favorite “Do-Re-Mi” and “My Favorite Things.”

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Movies/Television Celebrity News

‘Rich Kids of Beverly Hills’ on E!

The "Rich Kids of Instagram" Tumblr will be making its debut on E! on Rich Kids of Beverly Hills.
The “Rich Kids of Instagram” Tumblr will be making its debut on E! on Rich Kids of Beverly Hills.

If you haven’t already seen it, “The Rich Kids of Instagram” is a Tumblr page that compiles the Instagram photos of ridiculously rich kids and the things they do with that money. As the Tumblr page descriptions says, “They have more money than you and this is what they do.” These rich kids are not associated with this blog, but those with their pictures regularly posted will now be making a TV debut. E! has announced that they are developing a new unscripted series called Rich Kids of Beverly Hills. The show will revolve around a group of 20-something year old friends living a life of extreme wealth that got noticed in Instagram. The children of some of Los Angeles’ most elite families and billionaire moguls play together against the backdrop of extreme wealth.

The show will be aired on E! and produced by ITV Studios America in association with Leepson Bounds Entertainment. The show is expected to be highly popular, like the other shows that have revolved around Beverly Hills’ wealth, such as Beverly Hills, 90210 and The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Bravo’s Shah’s of Sunset have also set precedent as the well-to-do young residents of the posh neighborhood shared their lavish lives with America.

Haven’t seen the “Rich Kids of Instagram” Tumblr yet? Check it out here: http://richkidsofinstagram.tumblr.com.

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Hollywood News Movies/Television

HollyShorts Film Festival

The HollyShorts Film Festival is takiing place this year August 15-22 at the Chinese Theater and Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood.
The HollyShorts Film Festival is taking place August 15-22 at the Chinese Theater and Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood.

Hollywood – The HollyShorts Film Festival is back in Hollywood for its 9th year! The prestigious film festival represents talent from around the world as they present their short films to a vast audience. The festival showcases the top short films produced 30-minutes or less. The festivities started last Thursday, August 15 and will continue through Thursday, August 22. Activities for the week include screenings, networking events, talent/literary panels and various forums, and will take place at the TCL Chinese Theater and Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood.

One of this year’s projected festival favorites is La Petite Mort, directed by Alex Prager. The short, screened on the opening night, focuses on a woman that experiences the boundaries of her body as she contemplates life, death and love. Another film receiving a lot of audience buzz this year is The Sidekick, directed by Michael J. Weithorn. The short is a comedic take on the ever-popular superhero genre, while touching on the idea of our need to find our purpose in life. This film screened on opening night.

The festival is proud to be presenting over 350 films this year over the course of 8 days, comprised of comedy, animation, sci-fi, horror, music videos and web series. Find out more about the HollyShorts Film Festival online: hollyshorts.com.

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Hollywood News Movies/Television Celebrity News

The Million Dollar Listing Men are Back

Madison, Josh and Josh are back for Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles which premiered its 6th season on August 7.
Madison, Josh and Josh are back for Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles which premiered its 6th season on August 7.

Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles is back just in time for the summer. The reality show returned for its sixth season on Bravo after first premiering in 2006. The trio of real estate agents Madison Hildebrand, Josh Flagg and Josh Altman are ready to lay down the law as they take care of some of the biggest real estate deals in Los Angeles. The real estate ranges between Hollywood, Beverly Hills and Malibu, and there isn’t a single property that we wouldn’t kill to live in.

The hit Bravo show chronicles the professional and personal lives of three extravagant real estate agents as they sell high-end Los Angeles properties. The show also gives viewers a tiny glimpse into the world of high-priced real estate in LA. The real estate agents get into drama with each other and with their rich but crazy clients, all while selling multi-million dollar homes.

The series created the spin-off, Million Dollar Listing New York which premiered in March of 2012. Bravo has another similar television show Flipping Out and Interior Therapy which both star Jeff Lewis, an eccentric real estate guru who is great at what he does. Flipping Out premiered in 2007 and will be starting its 7th season later this year. Interior Therapy is relatively new having only premiered last year, but they are already preparing for its 2nd season later this year.

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Hollywood News Movies/Television

The Toys Return for an Adventure

The Toy Story characters are back for ABC's 30-minute special of Toy Story of Terror in October.
The Toy Story characters are back for ABC’s 30-minute special of Toy Story of Terror in October.

ABC revealed last week that they will be airing Disney-Pixar’s first special-for-television, Toy Story of Terror! on October 16. Tom Hanks and Tim Allen will be back in their roles of Woody and Buzz on the half-hour special of a spooky adventure just in time for Halloween. The spooky new tale of our favorite characters from the Toy Story movies will also be joined by the rest of the gang, including Jessie, Combat Carl, Mr. Pricklepants, Mr. Potato Head, Rex and Trixie.

The toys go on a fun road trip that soon takes a turn for the worst when they get detoured to a roadside motel. Once one of the toys goes missing, a series of mysterious events ensue and they must work together to avoid the same terrible fate in the Toy Story of Terror!

While Pixar has not denied a fourth installment of the Toy Story franchise, the talks of another movie is still a rumor. One confirmed Pixar movie is Finding Dory, the sequel to Finding Nemo that is set to release in 2015. Ellen DeGeneres will be returning for the voice of Dory.

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Movies/Television Hollywood News

Summer Television is Making a Splash

Under the Dome premiered on CBS earlier this year and has been renewed for Summer 2014.
Under the Dome premiered on CBS earlier this year and has been renewed for a second season in Summer 2014.

Under the Dome is an original television series based on the Stephen King novel by the same name. The show premiered on CBS earlier this summer in June and it has since been a hit, proven by CBS’ quick renewal of the show for a second season to premiere in 2014. Scripted programming is rare during the summer months, but CBS may have struck gold with their success this summer.

Earlier this week CBS handed out a straight-to-series order for Extant, a television show that Steven Spielberg will be co-executive producing. Those at CBS believe that this futuristic thriller will be able satisfy peoples’ high-quality programming during the summer, and it is set to play alongside Under the Dome next summer.

While Under the Dome changed the face of summer television, CBS has assured everyone that they will continue with their regular 22-episode season approach, which continues to be the most popular trend. There is still hope for great television year-round, and hopefully it will not only be CBS that is provides it.

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Hollywood News Movies/Television

Fall TV will Seem Familiar this Year

Fall television is just around the corner and with is comes more spin-offs of our favorite shows.
Once Upon a Time in Wonderland will be one of ABC’s new freshman series that is a spin-off of their current hit,Once Upon a Time.

Fall television is nearing and it is full of great original series. A common trend for networks, however, has been to create spin-offs from previous and current hit series. This trend has been a result of various freshman series that never get a large following, costing the networks thousands of dollars. A spin-off guarantees an already established fan base that will hopefully love the new show as much as they do the original. Here are a few to expect this fall:

ABC premiered Once Upon a Time in 2011 and it is ready to go for its third season later this year, and now to accompany it is Once Upon a Time in Wonderland. The new show takes place in the same magical world as its predecessor, but it will instead be based on the story of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

NBC will be premiering Chicago PD, which is a spin-off of Chicago Fire that premiered last year and was a modest hit. This new show is rumored to include the Chicago Police Department as it airs mid-season.

The CW is joining in this new trend as well, with their current wildly popular vampire drama The Vampire Diaries being the parent of a new show this fall, The Originals. The CW’s Arrow is also bringing in a new spin-off that will be based on DC Comic’s Flash. Supernatural will be joining this group as well as writers plant a spin-off in its ninth and final season.

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Movies/Television HPC News

The Chase is a Hit in the U.S.

"The Chase" premiered Tuesday, August 6 at 9PM on GSN.
“The Chase” premiered Tuesday, August 6 at 9PM on GSN.

The Hollywood Production Center is proud to announce that their very own “The Chase” premiered its new game show last night on the Game Show Network. “The Chase” is a one-hour quiz show based on the British version that has 3-player-teams to earn as much money as possible by answering rapid-fire quiz questions. The contestants have added pressure because of The Beast, the quiz genius that must answer as many quiz questions as he can to deter the teams from banking their money. By the end of the game, it becomes a one-on-one quiz competition between the highest scoring contestant and The Beast himself. The reward of outwitting The Beast is that they get to go home with their bank of money.

The show premiered on Tuesday, August 6 at 9PM and brought in 511,000 viewers. A second new show premiered at 10PM and captivated 461,000 viewers. The show’s set schedule is Tuesdays at 9PM on GSN.

Actress and television host Brooke Burns is the host of this exciting game show. The Beast is Mark Labbett, and this quiz genius is also the veteran from the original U.K. version. While the show just premiered this week, GSN announced last month that they have ordered another 8 episodes for a second season. The show is produced by ITV Studios America.

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Music/Concerts Hollywood News Movies/Television

CityWalk’s 20th Birthday Bash

CityWalk celebrates its birthday in true Hollywood fashion with events going on all summer.
CityWalk celebrates its birthday in true Hollywood fashion with events going on all summer.

Universal CityWalk is turning 20 and bringing it in with a bang. In true Hollywood fashion, CityWalk will be throwing a huge Birthday Bash that lasts all summer. CityWalk will be providing free live music all summer long at the 5 Towers through September 2nd. They are also offering $2 parking when you go to the nearby AMC to watch a movie, and with so many great summer blockbuster hits this is hard to resist.

The first summer concert kicked off on Saturday, June 29 and featured The Ready Set and Kelsi Luck. This Saturday, August 3, Hollywood is in for a treat with Chris Rene, and on Sunday, August 4 the long list of performers includes Angel & Khriz, Sensato, Henry Santos and Maffio. Saturday concerts start at 7PM and go until 10PM, while Sunday concerts can be enjoyed from 6PM to 9PM. The final performance will take place on Labor Day, Monday, September 2nd and will feature The Summer Set and Echosmith.

For $2 summer movie parking, pay for general parking at the CityWalk toll booth, then present your parking stub at the AMC box office to receive your rebate on parking. This offer expires September 2nd. August’s movie releases include 2 Guns, Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, Kick Ass 2 and One Direction: This is Us.

City Walk is located at Universal Studios Hollywood at 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, CA 91608. For more information, please visit http://www.citywalkhollywood.com.

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Hollywood News Movies/Television

Rocky and Bullwinkle leave Hollywood

The Rocky and Bullwinkle statue was first erected on Sunset Blvd in 1951.
The Rocky and Bullwinkle statue was first erected on Sunset Blvd in 1961.

Rocky and Bullwinkle have been inhabitants of Hollywood’s Sunset Strip for 52 years and last week we were sad to see them go. The landmark statue had a large crack in it and needed to be removed in order to attempt to refurbish it. Dreamworks is the current owner of the property and ordered the crane that removed Bullwinkle and his small squirrel friend, Rocky. The statue is said to need some freshening up in true Hollywood style and it will be a surprise where we see our favorite duo pop up next in Hollywood.

The Rocky and Bullwinkle statue first went up in 1961 in front of what was then Jay Ward Productions, who produced the animated show. “The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show” was an animated television series that first premiered in 1959 and ended in 1964. The two main characters were Rocket “Rocky” J. Squirrel and his best friend Bullwinkle J. Moose. The flying squirrel and dim-witted, but good natured moose went on adventures together and became a great duo that America fell in love with.

The statue was located on Sunset Boulevard, on the cross street Marmont Lane. Cement disks surrounded the statue that displayed signatures and elbow prints of the cartoon’s writers in a “Walk of Fame”-style.  

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Movies/Television

Shark Week is Back for the Summer

Shark Week starts on Sunday, August 4th on the Discovery Channel.
Shark Week starts on Sunday, August 4th on the Discovery Channel.

With the recent obsession over Syfy’s “Sharknado” in social media, the Discovery Channel’s Shark Week has come at just the right time. The network’s yearly Shark Week starts on Sunday, August 4th and will include 7 days of television programs purely about sharks. This fun-filled week of sharks first started in 1987 and this weekend will mark their 27th year. This year’s slogan is “It’s a Bad Week to be a Seal” and has been promoted through their Snuffy the Seal campaign on YouTube.

Shark Week will include 11 hours of new programming made just for Shark Week, with sensational titles such as “Megalodon: The Monster Shark Lives,” “Sharkpocolypse” and “Voodoo Sharks.” Discovery Channel has also expanded the programming to include a new late-night live talk show that will recap highlights each night. This new addition, “Shark after Dark,” will be hosted by comedian Josh Wolf who will infuse humor into America’s much anticipated week of sharks. In 2011, Shark Week was hosted by Andy Samberg who was a big hit because of his comedy and high profile. Last year’s host was Philip DeFranco, but this year’s official host has not been announced yet.

Shark Week takes place every summer and was originally developed to raise awareness and respect for sharks. People are intrigued by these dangerous marine animals, and Discovery Channel has made an outlet for people to learn more about them and enjoy a lighthearted humor that surrounds the entire event. Last year, Shark Week brought in a cumulative 21.4 million of viewers, up from the 18.6 million in 2011. Last year, Discovery Channel also took the 18-49 demographic for non-scripted cable networks that week.

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Glendale News Movies/Television

ABC Television Screening at The Americana

ABC presents Sneak Peek Night at The Americana at Brand.
ABC presents Sneak Peek Night at The Americana at Brand.

One of the largest television networks, ABC will be hosting an event at The Americana at Brand. On Saturday, August 3rd, ABC will present Sneak Peek Night, which will include free outdoor screenings of three brand new ABC comedies before their premiere dates this fall. The event starts at 7:00PM on The Green and the screenings include new series Back in the Game, The Goldbergs and Trophy Wife. The event is free and open to the public, and the screenings are scheduled to start at 8:00PM.

Back in the Game’s series premiere is September 25th and will continue to air throughout the fall on Wednesdays at 8:30PM. This show is a sitcom that follows a former All-Star softball player whose promising professional sports career comes to an end when she has a son, loses her college scholarship and dumps her loser husband.

The Goldberg’s will first premiere on television on September 24th and will be a Tuesday night show that airs at 9:00PM weekly.  The show is a comedy that is set in the 1980s and follows The Goldberg family as they try to survive in a decade filled with bright colors, no computers and over-sized sweaters.

Trophy Wife is scheduled to air on Tuesday nights at 9:30PM after The Goldberg’s and will make its first debut on September 24th. The sitcom will revolve around a reformed party girl who marries a guy she meets at a karaoke bar and who must now learn to deal with his two ex-wives and their children.

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Movies/Television Hollywood News

Cinespia Continues Strong in Hollywood

Cinespia's screening take place every Saturday during the summer at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.
Cinespia hosts screenings every Saturday over the summer at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

Hollywood – Visit the Hollywood Forever Cemetery and you will see 62 acres of famous men and women of the entertainment industry laid to rest, but it is also home to Hollywood’s cemetery summer movie screenings, Cinespia. Screenings are held on Fairbank’s Lawn, a grassy field within the cemetery that allows movie goes to enjoy the summer night sky while watching a classic movie. Every Saturday throughout the summer, Cinespia puts up a screen in the cemetery to show a film at night with live musical entertainment to kick it off as patrons set up their blankets and seating in the grassy lawn. Both hardcore and amateur movie goers alike can enjoy this night of relaxation, and take a moment to bond with fellow Angelinos in the great outdoors of Southern California.

Classic movies in this summer’s lineup include “Pulp Fiction,” “Princess Bride” and “Scream” to name a few. Organizers suggest bringing snacks, wine and beer to enjoy throughout the night, as well as coming early to save a spot. These nights have grown in popularity as more Angelinos want to embrace the beautiful city they live in and enjoy everything it has to offer. In 2008, “Los Angeles” magazine named Cinespia on the “16 Best Things about L.A.” list.  

Cinespia’s movie screenings first started in 2002 with the showing of Alfred Hitchcock’s “Strangers on a Train.” They showed 4 films that first summer and have since grown their number to 25 movie screenings each season. To learn more about Cinespia and see the full list of movies that will be screening this summer, please visit www.cinespia.org. Hollywood Forever Cemetery can’t wait to welcome you!

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Movies/Television HPC News Hollywood News

“The Originals” are the New Vampires in Town

"The Originals" is a new television series that is based on The CW's "Vampire Diaries."
“The Originals” is a new television series that is based on The CW’s “Vampire Diaries.”

The Hollywood Production Center is once again proud to house a new television series. “The Originals” will be airing on The CW Television Network for its fall 2013 season. The supernatural show is a spin-off of The CW’s popular television series, “The Vampire Diaries.” “The Originals” will take place in New Orleans and is centered around the Mikaelson siblings, the Original vampires in the vampire world. This dangerous and seemingly unstoppable family of vampires has their own agenda when it comes to surviving in a supernatural world, and they take to Louisiana to sort it out.

Julie Plec is the executive producer on “The Vampuire Diaries” and will take on the same position on “The Originals.” Julie presented her backdoor pilot on the April 25th episode of “The Vampire Diaries” and it will serve as the jumping point for the real pilot that will air in the fall. While “The Originals” is a spin-off, it is also meant to feel like a new series that people who haven’t already been following the gang of vampires can jump right in and start watching.  

“The Vampire Diaries” first premiered in 2009 and just completed its fourth season in 2013. The fifth season is set to air in fall 2013. Other new television series to air alongside the vampire gang is “The Tomorrow People,” “Reign” and “Famous in 12.” Other new CW television series that will be working out of the Hollywood Production Center are “The 100” and “Star-Crossed.”

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Movies/Television Glendale News

Glendale Dancer Competing in “So You Think You Can Dance”

Glendale's Paul Karmiryan will be competing in this season's "So You Think You Can Dance."
Glendale’s Paul Karmiryan will be competing in this season’s “So You Think You Can Dance.”

“So You Think You Can Dance” is back on Fox this summer for its 10th season, and this year a Glendale resident will be dancing for the top title. Paul Karmiryan is a 21-year-old Glendale resident that started learning Latin ballroom at the age of 17. He is among the Top 20 dancers chosen to move on to the regular competition after surviving the Vegas Week callbacks. Paul will be up against 19 equally talented and professionally trained dancers from across the United States.

The first Live Show of the season premieres tonight, Tuesday, June 25th at 8:00PM as a 2-hour episode on Fox. Each week, dancers will be coupled up and randomly given a genre to dance to. They will have one week to practice before performing at the live competition. One couple will be eliminated each week until the final winning couple is chosen at the end of the season. As the couples begin to dwindle, the dancers will also be performing solos.

Paul may have an advantage in this season’s competition because he competed in and won the Armenian version of “So You Think You Can Dance” two years ago. Paul entered into the competition while visiting the country for the first time since he left, and he quickly won over their hearts with his dancing. While the experiences will be completely different, Paul was able to grow as a person and dancer while competing on the show, and hopefully will be able to use that to his advantage.

Paul came to Glendale from Armenia at the age of 6 and his only previous dance experience was traditional Armenian dancing. With only 5 years of professional dance experience, Paul will have to work hard to compete with the dancers who have been dancing since a very young age.

This year’s judges will include Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy and Adam Shankman, and the show will be hosted by Cat Deeley. The weekly live shows are filmed in Los Angeles.

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Glendale News Movies/Television

DreamWorks Animation Now Producing for Television

A scene from DreamWorks Animation TV show, "Dragons: Riders of Berk."
A scene from DreamWorks Animation’s TV show, “Dragons: Riders of Berk.”

Glendale – Glendale is home to DreamWorks Animation SKG. Up until now, DreamWorks Animation has focused primarily on making animated movies, but this week they have become a multifaceted media company. They signed deals this week with Netflix and a German leading children’s television channel to produce animated television shows for them. With the decline in DVD sales everywhere, DreamWorks has decided to expand their horizons in order to not have to rely solely on box office revenues from their animated features.  

The Glendale company will be creating over 300 hours of programming for Netflix. DreamWorks Animation has already produced several animated television shows based on their character from previous films, such as “Dragons: Riders of Berk,” which airs on Cartoon Network and is based on the 2010 movie, “How to Train Your Dragon.” By creating animated programming for Germany’s children’s channel, they are also guaranteeing that their franchises will continue to grow and be enjoyed by children all over the world.

DreamWorks Animation’s first animated film was “Antz” and was released in 1998. To date they have released 26 movies, and they have all been very successful. Most notably, “Shrek,” “Madagascar,” and “How to Train Your Dragon” have been the most successful, as well as their sequels. DreamWorks Animation is preparing for their next premiere, which will take place next month for “Turbo.” This movie will tell the story of an ordinary garden snail whose dream is to become the fastest snail in the world. “Turbo” is scheduled to be released on July 17th.

DreamWorks Animation was spun-off from DreamWorks Studios in 2004 and is headed by one of the original founders, Jeffrey Katzenberg.

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Movies/Television HPC News Glendale News

IDA, Inc. to Animate New Feature Film

'Tailchaser's Song' will begin production later this year.
‘Tailchaser’s Song’ will begin production later this year.

Glendale Tenant News – Hollywood Production Center is proud to announce that their very own IDA, Inc. will be working on the new animated feature film, ‘Tailchaser’s Song.’

IDA, Animetropolis and EFG-Renascence recently announced at the Cannes Film Festival that they will be teaming up to animate the feature film, ‘Tailchaser’s Song.’ The stereoscopic 3D CG-animated family film will begin production later this year. The director of ‘Rise of the Guardians’ (2012), Peter Ramsey, will be joining the team as Executive Producer, along with the author of this fantasy-adventure novel, Tad Williams, as Co-Executive Producer.

‘Tailchaser’s Song’ is an adaptation of Tad Williams’ acclaimed bestselling novel of the same name. ‘Tailchaser’s Song’ was the first novel this fantasy and science-fiction author had written, first published in 1985. This story follows the adventures of a tom cat, Fritti Tailchaser, as he journeys to find his missing friend. Williams’ ‘Otherland’ series was optioned by Warner Brothers last year.

IDA, Inc. has offices in Los Angeles and Japan. They were the first Japanese studio to be nominated for a Visual Effects Society Award for animation.

Congratulations again!

Categories
Hollywood News Movies/Television

The Monsters Take over Hollywood

Monsters University hits theaters on June 21st.
Monsters University hits theaters on June 21st.

The Monsters are back after 12 years, and they are coming back with a bang. The ‘Monsters University’ premiere took place Monday night in Hollywood at the El Capitan Theater. Before the screening, there was a monstrous college tailgate that included the Monsters U marching band and cheerleaders. The blue carpet was filled with monsters, along with attendees that all wore the Monsters U royal blue school colors. Children and parents alike flooded the blue carpet to enjoy the newest edition of universities in Los Angeles.

‘Monsters University’ will come out in theaters Friday, June 21st, and it is a prequel to ‘Monsters, Inc,’ which was released in 2001. As a prequel, Mike Wazowski and James P. Sullivan, commonly referred to as Sully, are just starting out at college as they try to figure out what kind of ‘scarers’ they are going to be. By going back a couple of years, producers were able to add new lovable monsters to the storyline and explain how Sully and Mike came to be the monsters that we knew and loved in the original ‘Monsters, Inc.’

There has been a lot of marketing promotions around this movie as children and adults had the chance to make their own Monsters U student ID badges and we saw trailers for the movie that played out just like a college promotional commercial. There is a lot of fun and excitement surrounding this movie, and the next generation of children will be able to enjoy the monster gang as well.

Mike Wazowski is voiced by Billy Crystal, John Goodman is the voice of Sully, and Randy is played by Steve Buscemi. ‘Monsters University’ is produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. If you want to check out some of their fun interactive games, go to www.disney.com/Monsters-University.

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Movies/Television

‘The Purge’ Goes Beyond a Thriller

'The Purge' is out in theaters June 7th.
‘The Purge’ is out in theaters June 7th.

Written and directed by James DeMonaco, ‘The Purge’ is a speculative thriller that takes place in a future America where one night a year people are allowed to take part in any act of crime without punishment. In 2022, ‘The Purge’ America has been reborn with unemployment and crime rates at an all-time low. This can be attributed to the yearly Purge. In this 12-hour period, from 7:00 PM to 7:00AM all the law-abiding citizens can address their pent up anger and attack and kill anyone without consequence. A wealthy family readies themselves for yet another Purge, which they personally do not participate in, but regardless, hoards of murders come to their home ready to attack. DeMonaco’s film is overflowing with ideas about social class, race, and violence and he has found a horror/thriller story line in which to address them.

DeMonaco’s film was screened at the Stanley Film Festival this year, which showcases classic and contemporary independent horror cinema at the haunted Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado. While there is plenty of bloodshed and violence, the most disturbing part of the movie is the actual concept of this Purge. ‘The Purge’ has been criticized for not delving deep enough into America’s issues, but just touching on the ideas of aristocracy and race is enough to get the audience thinking. It is hard to ignore the idea that in this world America has saved itself from destruction by killing themselves off. The Purge allows them to kill anyone in general, but what what becomes a reality is that they are killing the people that are not contributing to the betterment of society; in essence, the poor and homeless.

This movie was released on June 7th and has made nearly $52 million to date domestically. ‘The Purge’ stars Ethan Hawke, Rhys Wakefield and Lena Headey. ‘The Purge’ received a B- from Entertainment Weekly’s ‘Movie Review’ and a 37% on Rotten Tomatoes’ ‘Tomatometer.’

Categories
Movies/Television Celebrity News

Kim Kardashian Gives Birth to a Baby Girl

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West welcome home a baby girl on June 15th.
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West welcome home a baby girl on June 15th.

The Kardashians have a newest addition to their family with the birth of Kim Kardashian’s baby girl on Saturday, June 15th. The little girl was born at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles to 32-year-old reality show star Kim Kardashian and 36-year-old music artist Kanye West. Their baby comes a little early with their announced due date not until July. While the name of the baby has not yet been released, the family is happily tweeting congratulations to the new mother.

The couple is not married, as Kim was still officially married to Kris Humphries only 11 days before the birth. The NBA player married Kim in 2011 and they filed for divorce only 72 days later. The divorce filings were long and difficult, and the courts finally announced the official divorce of Kris and Kim on June 4, 2013.

The baby will be Kim Kardashian’s first child, and the third grandchild of Kris Jenner. Kim’s sister Kourtney Kardashian, 34 years old, gave her mother the first two grandchildren, Mason and Penelope. Kim’s pregnancy was highly publicized, along with pregnancy partner Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge. The Duchess’ baby is due in mid-July, and has been closely followed in the media. The two women were expected to have both their first babies be girls.

The Kardashian family has become a spectacle in media with their family being famous for various things. Kim gained her fame as a model, actress, business woman, and reality television star. Her two sisters, Kourtney and Khloe followed her into various business ventures as well. Their brother Rob graduated from USC and recently launched a sock line. Their father was the legendary Robert Kardashian who served as the defense attorney during O.J. Simpson’s murder trial in 1995. Robert Kardashian passed away in 2003. Kris Jenner remarried Bruce Jenner, the gold medal winner for the decathalon in the 1976 Montreal Olympics. Kris and Bruce Jenner had two more children together, Kendall and Kylie. The entire family stars in Keeping Up with the Kardashians, an E! reality television series that follows the lives of the Kardashian/Jenner family. The series’ success led to the spin-offs Kourtney and Kim Take New York, Khloe and Lamar, Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami, and Kourtney and Kim Take Miami.

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Movies/Television

The Much Awaited ‘Man of Steel’ Releases this Weekend

'Man of Steel' comes out in theaters Friday, June 14.
‘Man of Steel’ comes out in theaters Friday, June 14.

With “Iron Man 3” released last month, “The Wolverine” to be released next month, and “Thor: The Dark World” set to be released in November, 2013 is far from lacking in superhero movies. However, June came with anticipation and excitement as “Man of Steel” was debuted to the world today. “Man of Steel” had a limited release of midnight showings last night, for which they were able to collect $21 million. This surpasses “Iron Man 3,” which was released earlier this summer and was only able to bring in $15.6 million on its midnight opening. While the box-office is expecting “Man of Steel” to collect $85-100 million domestically, the distributors at Warner Brothers are staying conservative and projecting $80 million.

Directed by Zach Snyder and produced by Christopher Nolan, “Man of Steel” follows the life of Clark Kent in the original tale as he tries to hide his superpowers and live a regular everyday life. Here we see Clark Kent played by British actor Henry Cavil. Amy Adams stars as Lois Lane and Michael Shannon plays the role of the menacing General Zod.  

There is a lot of hype surrounding this superhero movie, especially after Christopher Nolan wrapped up the final movie in the Batman trilogy last year. Although this weekend is dead in terms of new releases, “Man of Steel” will have to compete with last weekend’s batch of releases such as “The Internship,” “The Purge,” and “This is the End.” Only time will tell whether this superhero will be able to fly away with this weekend’s box office.  

We last saw Zach Snyder directing “Sucker Punch” in 2011, and his counterpart, Christopher Nolan, was directing “The Dark Knight Rises” in 2012.

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Movies/Television

The Los Angeles Film Festival is Back

The LA Film Festival kicks off in downtown on June 13th and ends June 23rd.
The LA Film Festival kicks off in Downtown on June 13th and ends June 23rd.

Downtown LA – The Los Angeles Film Festival is back for its 19th year. Following the heels of the Sundance Film Festival, South by Southwest Film Festival and Cannes Film Festival, there is a lot of excitement surrounding the films to be seen in Southern California this year. The festival kicked off with some pre-festival excitement on June 12th with the pre-screening of much awaited “Man of Steel.” The next night, however, was the official opening night of the festival where they debuted “I’m So Excited” by Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar. Tonight the festival continues on with 11 screenings, the first one starting at 7:10 PM and the last one starting at 10:00 PM.

What sort of things do you have to look forward to these next 10 days? While the movies are still the main attraction, there has also been a particular emphasis on providing out-of-the-theater events that add to attendees’ movie experience. These include conversations and panels with actors, directors and writers. The festival is also offering a great opportunity for families with kids to enjoy the big film culture through Family Day. Family Day is an event free to the public that will be celebrated with activities the entire family can enjoy thanks to their sponsors at Hasbro Studios. This fun day of family-friendly adventure will conclude with the world premiere screening of “My Little Pony Equestria Girls.” Family Day will take place Saturday, June 15 at the Nokia Plaza at L.A. Live from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

While most of the screenings will be taking place at L.A. Live’s Regal Cinema, there will also be screenings at the LA County Museum of Art (LACMA), JW Marriot – ION Rooftop Bar, GRAMMY Museum and Grand Performances and Arts Brookfield at FIGat7th Plaza. Starting Thursday, June 13th, the festival will run until Sunday, June 23rd. For more details about the festival and the schedule, visit their website at www.lafilmfest.com.