'Norm Of The North' In Theaters January 15 2016

A polar bear of many words, Norm’s greatest gripe is simple: there is no room for tourists in the Arctic.  But when a maniacal developer threatens to build luxury condos in his own backyard, Norm does what all normal polar bears would do…he heads to New York City to stop it.  With a cast of ragtag lemmings at his side, Norm takes on the big apple, big business and a big identity crisis to save the day.

Lionsgate presents a Splash Entertainment production.

Cast: Rob Schneider, Heather Graham, Ken Jeong, Gabriel Iglesias, Loretta Devine, Michael McElhatton, Colm Meaney and Bill Nighy

Directed by: Trevor Wall         

Screenplay by: Jack Donaldson, Derek Elliott                

Produced by: Nicolas Atlan, Ken Katsumoto, Mike Young, Liz Young, Steve Rosen 

#NormOfTheNorth

#ShakeYourBearThing

2016 GOLDEN GLOBE NOMINATIONS

The nominations for the 2016 Golden Globe Awards were announced today. Following is a complete list of nominees.

Motion picture, drama

"Carol"
"Mad Max: Fury Road"
"The Revenant"
"Room"
"Spotlight" 

Motion picture, comedy

"The Big Short"
"Joy"
"The Martian"
"Spy"
"Trainwreck" 

Actress in a motion picture, drama

Cate Blanchett, "Carol"
Brie Larson, "Room"
Rooney Mara, "Carol"
Saoirse Ronan, "Brooklyn"
Alicia Vikander, "The Danish Girl"

Actress in a motion picture, comedy

Jennifer Lawrence, "Joy"
Melissa McCarthy, "Spy"
Amy Schumer, "Trainwreck"
Maggie Smith, "The Lady in the Van"
Lily Tomlin, "Grandma" 

Actor in a motion picture, drama

Bryan Cranston, "Trumbo"
Leonardo DiCaprio, "The Revenant"
Michael Fassbender, "Steve Jobs"
Eddie Redmayne, "The Danish Girl"
Will Smith, "Concussion"

Actor in a motion picture, comedy

Christian Bale, "The Big Short"
Steve Carell, "The Big Short"
Matt Damon, "The Martian"
Al Pacino, "Danny Collins"
Mark Ruffalo, "Infinitely Polar Bear"

TV series, drama

"Empire"
"Game of Thrones"
"Mr. Robot"
"Narcos"
"Outlander"

TV series, comedy

"Casual"
"Mozart in the Jungle"
"Orange Is the New Black"
"Silicon Valley"
"Transparent"

"Veep"

Actress in a TV series, comedy

Rachel Bloom, "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend"
Jamie Lee Curtis, "Scream Queens"
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, "Veep"
Gina Rodriguez, "Jane the Virgin"
Lily Tomlin, "Grace and Frankie" 

Actress in a TV series, drama

Caitriona Balfe, "Outlander"
Viola Davis, "How to Get Away with Murder"
Eva Green, "Penny Dreadful"
Taraji P. Henson, "Empire"
Robin Wright, "House of Cards"

Actor in a TV series, drama

Jon Hamm, "Mad Men"
Rami Malek, "Mr. Robot"
Wagner Moura, "Narcos"
Bob Odenkirk, "Better Call Saul"
Liev Schreiber, "Ray Donovan"

Actor in a TV series, comedy

Aziz Ansari, "Master of None"
Gael García Bernal, "Mozart in the Jungle"
Rob Lowe, "The Grinder"
Patrick Stewart, "Blunt Talk"
Jeffrey Tambor, "Transparent" 

Actress in a supporting role in a motion picture 

Jane Fonda, "Youth"
Jennifer Jason Leigh, "The Hateful Eight"
Helen Mirren, "Trumbo"
Alicia Vikander, "Ex Machina"
Kate Winslet, "Steve Jobs"

Actor in a supporting role in a motion picture 

Paul Dano, "Love & Mercy"
Idris Elba, "Beasts of No Nation"
Mark Rylance, "Bridge of Spies"
Michael Shannon, "99 Homes"
Sylvester Stallone, "Creed"

TV movie or miniseries

"American Crime"
"American Horror Story: Hotel"
"Fargo"
"Flesh and Bone"
"Wolf Hall"  

Actress in a TV movie or limited series

Kirsten Dunst, "Fargo"
Queen Latifah, "Bessie"
Felicity Huffman, "American Crime"
Sarah Hay, "Flesh and Bone"
Lady Gaga, "American Horror Story: Hotel"

Actor in a TV movie or limited series

Oscar Isaac, "Show Me a Hero"
Patrick Wilson, "Fargo"
Idris Elba, "Luther"
David Oyelowo, "Nightingale"
Mark Rylance, "Wolf Hall"

Supporting actor in a TV series, limited series or TV movie

Alan Cumming, "The Good Wife"
Damian Lewis, "Wolf Hall"
Ben Mendelsohn, "Bloodline"
Tobias Menzies, "Outlander"
Christian Slater, "Mr. Robot"

Supporting actress in a TV series, limited series or TV movie

Uzo Aduba, "Orange Is the New Black"
Joanne Froggatt, "Downton Abbey"
Regina King, "American Crime"
Judith Light, "Transparent"
Maura Tierney, "The Affair"

Animated feature film

"Anomalisa"
"The Good Dinosaur"
"Inside Out"
"The Peanuts Movie"
"Shaun the Sheep Movie"

Director

Todd Haynes, "Carol"
Alejandro G. Iñárritu, "The Revenant"
Tom McCarthy, "Spotlight"
George Miller, "Mad Max: Fury Road"
Ridley Scott, "The Martian"

Screenplay

Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer, "Spotlight"
Aaron Sorkin, "Steve Jobs"
Quentin Tarantino, "The Hateful Eight"
Emma Donoghue, "Room"
Charles Randolph and Adam McKay, "The Big Short"

Original song

"Love Me Like You Do" ("50 Shades of Grey")
“One Kind of Love” ("Love and Mercy")
"See You Again" ("Furious 7")
"Simple Song #3" ("Youth")
"Writing's on the Wall" ("Spectre")

Foreign language film

"The Brand New Testament" (Belgium/France/Luxembourg)
"The Club" (Chile)
"The Fencer" (Finland/Germany/Estonia)
"Mustang" (France)
"Son Of Saul" (Hungary)

Score

Carter Burwell, "Carol"
Alexandre Desplat, "The Danish Girl"
Ennio Morricone, "The Hateful Eight
Daniel Pemberton, "Steve Jobs"
Ryuichi Sakamoto and Alva Noto, "The Revenant"

'Krampus' Hits Theaters On December 4

Synopsis:

Legendary Pictures’ Krampus, a darkly festive tale of a yuletide ghoul, reveals an irreverently twisted side to the holiday. 

When his dysfunctional family clashes over the holidays, young Max (Emjay Anthony) is disillusioned and turns his back on Christmas.  Little does he know, this lack of festive spirit has unleashed the wrath of Krampus: a demonic force of ancient evil intent on punishing non-believers. 

All hell breaks loose as beloved holiday icons take on a monstrous life of their own, laying siege to the fractured family’s home and forcing them to fight for each other if they hope to survive.  

The horror-comedy also stars Adam Scott, Toni Collette, David Koechner, Allison Tolman, Conchata Ferrell, Stefania Lavie Owen and Krista Stadler.

Krampus and his mischievous underlings have been created by the combined efforts of Weta Workshop and Weta Digital, both renowned for their epic work on The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies and King Kong, among many others.  

Written and directed by Michael Dougherty (Trick ’r Treat), Krampus is co-written by Zach Shields and Todd Casey and produced by Legendary’s Thomas Tull and Jon Jashni, Alex Garcia and Dougherty.  The film will be released by Universal Pictures. 

Genre: Horror-Comedy      

Cast: Adam Scott, Toni Collette, David Koechner, Allison Tolman, Conchata Ferrell, Emjay Anthony, Stefania Lavie Owen with Krista Stadler

Directed by: Michael Dougherty

Written by: Michael Dougherty & Zach Shields & Todd Casey

Produced by: Thomas Tull, Jon Jashni, Alex Garcia, Michael Dougherty

Executive Producer: Daniel Stillman

'Creed' Delivers A Convincing Knock-Out

Sylvester Stallone and Michael B. Jordan

By Darlene Donloe

Michael B. Jordan is quickly becoming one of those “go to” actors that steps up his game with each performance.

He made audiences sit up and take notice with his powerful and emotive portrayal of Oscar Grant in Fruitvale Station.  This summer he was Johnny Storm in The Fantastic Four and also appeared in the film, That Awkward Moment. In 2012 he starred in the supernatural thriller Chronicle.  On television he played Wallace in HBO’s hit series, The Wire and appeared in both Friday Night Lights and Parenthood.

Right now he is appearing in probably his most visible role to date.  He’s Adonis Johnson in the drama, Creed, currently in theaters. He stars opposite none other than Sylvester Stallone who reprises the Rocky Balboa role that made him a star.

The film is helmed and written by Ryan Coogler who directed Jordan in Fruitvale Station.

In the film Adonis Johnson is an executive at a company, who can’t stop thinking about boxing. He quits one day, packs his bag and heads for Philadelphia where he hopes to make his mark as a boxer – like his father, Apollo Creed.

So here’s the storyline.

Adonis Johnson (Michael B. Jordan) never knew his famous father, boxing champion Apollo Creed, who died before Adonis was born. However, boxing is in his blood, so he seeks out Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) and asks the retired champ to be his trainer. Rocky sees much of Apollo in Adonis, and agrees to mentor him, even as he battles an opponent deadlier than any in the ring.

With Rocky's help, Adonis soon gets a title shot, but whether he has the true heart of a fighter remains to be seen. Adonis puts his training into overdrive.

Director Ryan Coogler has assembled a believable and accomplished cast.  The direction is hot and the acting on point. 

Stallone, who for this first time is acting in a Rocky film he didn’t write, gives one of the best, heartfelt performances of his career.

Michael B. Jordan and Sylvester Stallone

You can’t help but get nostalgic when Rocky and Donny train in the ring.  The moments watching Rocky whip Donny into shape, are priceless!

Jordan holds his own up against the veteran – delivering a memorable performance.  Jordan’s body transformation into a boxer is impressive

Tessa Thompson is a gem to watch. She’s powerful and vulnerable as Bianca.

Coogler’s Rocky spin-off is one of the best films of the year. It’s tinged with comedy and drama, it’s moving,  it’s well-written, it’s smart, it’s powerful and is well-paced.

This is the seventh installment of the iconic Rocky franchise.  It would seem the franchise is in good hands.  Coogler, 29, has written a winning and believable story. He is clearly one of the best young writer-directors working in the industry today.

Creed is a winner!

Creed, directed and written by Ryan Coogler, stars Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson, Phylicia Rashad, Anthony Bellew and Graham McTavish.

Creed is rated PG-13; Running time: is 2 hours 13 minutes.

On the DONLOE SCALE: D (don’t bother), O (oh, no), N (needs work), L (likeable), O (oh, yeah) and E (excellent), Creed gets an E (excellent).

Maya Rudolph Feels Left Out In Comedy, 'Sisters'

John Leguizamo and Maya Rudolph

By Darlene Donloe

  

Maya Rudolph knows funny. She does it very well. Whether she’s cutting up on Saturday Night Live (SNL) – where she was a featured player for seven years, or she’s displaying her comedic chops in such films as Bridesmaids – she delivers the hilarity.

On SNL Rudolph’s memorable portrayals included Whitney Houston, Donatella Versace, Beyonce and Oprah Winfrey.  In 2014 Rudolph starred in the comic-variety show special The Maya Rudolph Show.

Up next for the versatile actress is a turn in Tina Fey and Amy Poehler’s latest film, Sisters, set for nationwide release December 18.  Yes, December 18!!! The same day as the Star Wars release. Bold move. In anticipation of the beloved and iconic sci-fi flick doing well at the box office, Sisters has initiated the hash-tag  #YouCanSeeThemBoth.

In Sisters, Rudolph plays Brinda with an “i,” a woman Rudolph describes as a “dickhead.”   It’s a role she relished playing, especially alongside her fellow SNL alums.

Fey and Poehler have solidified their place in the annals of comedy history, both as individual talents and as an exceptional comedy team.

Everyone knows them from Saturday Night Live and most recently as the dynamic duo that brought the house down each time they hosted the Golden Globes.

The chemistry between Rudolph, Fey and Poehler is palpable. It’s electric! It’s magic!

(l-r) Maya Rudolph, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler

I caught up with Maya Rudolph recently to discuss the film and her friendship with Tina Fey and Amy Poehler.

Q: In describing your character, you called her a “dickhead”.

MR:  I stand behind my description.  She’s a delightful dickhead who has held onto the feeling of being left out.  She wants and wanted to be let into the party of life.

Q: Were you a Brinda – meaning a dickhead?

MR: I was not a Brinda. I was a theater rat. I’d wear a Fedora or captain’s hat. I was friendly, a nerd. Maybe I smoked a little pot.  

Q: Describe your working relationship with Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. Also describe your friendship with both ladies.

MR: Actually, I just met these two ladies. (laughter)  No.  We’ve known each other since 1985. Actually the year was 716.  I was trickling in when Tina was doing Weekend Update.

Q: What about Amy?

MR: When I met Amy, I said, ‘she’s going to be good.’  I feel very spoiled because I get to work with the funniest people I could ever meet in my life. We are family.

(l-r) Tina Fey and Amy Poehler

Q:  Anything else?

MR:  We’re fucking smart and shit. We have a bond that’s insanely unbreakable.

Sisters, written by Paula Pell and directed by Jason Moore, stars Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, Maya Rudolph, Ike Barinholtz, James Brolin, John Cena, John Leguizamo and Dianne Wiest.  Amy Poehler, Jeff Richmond and Brian Bell executive produce.  Tina Fey, Jay Roach and John Lyons produce.

On the DONLOE SCALE: D (don’t bother), O (oh, no), N (needs work), L (likeable), O (oh, yeah) and E (excellent), Sisters (Universal Pictures) gets and O (oh, yeah).

Guitarist Rob Tardik Has His 'Moments'

Following the successful launch of his fifth album in the U.S., the award-winning contemporary jazz artist turns his attention to his native Canada with Tuesday night’s CD release concert.

TORONTO, Ontario (1 December 2015): The holiday season means celebrating special moments with family and friends, which is exactly what guitarist Rob Tardik has planned for Tuesday evening at the Jazz Bistro in Toronto. A full house and special guests are expected to join the diverse musician-songwriter-producer to fete the release of his fifth album, “Moments,” which was issued on the Guitardik Music label. A festive Southern California crowd was on hand November 13 at Spaghettini for the American CD release party and now Tardik shifts his focus north to the fan base in his homeland that propelled him to being named the Canadian Smooth Jazz Guitarist of the Year in recent years. 

Tonight Tardik will march his seven-piece band through a generous set list of tunes from “Moments” along with fan favorites and some of the Billboard top 10 singles in his repertoire.

For the uninitiated, there are two things to keep in mind before spinning a Tardik disc or catching a live show. First, he doesn’t color neatly between the lines. It’s just not his style. He likes getting messy by mish mashing an array of colorful melodies, rhythms and grooves from various genres – contempo jazz, alluring Latin, souled-out R&B/funk, percolating pop and rollicking rock – that are knitted with the common thread of Tardik’s nifty fretwork – impassioned and precision play on electric, nylon and acoustic guitar. Second, Tardik is an eternal optimist, an uplifting artist who lives his mission of preaching positivity through music. 

Tardik’s well-received new offering is comprised of all original material inspired by the pivotal moments in his life, songs that he wrote and produced with accomplished collaborators Steve Oliver, Nate Harasim and Gabriel Mark Hasselbach. Noted saxmen Will Donatoand Walle Larsson are each featured on a pair of tracks. While the first single from “Moments” - the relentless Latin-singed fiesta starter “Sip and Salsa” - continues to garner airplay, a second single will be selected and serviced to radio stations after the New Year. 

For more information, please visit www.RobTardik.com. 

Video Description To Be Added To 'The Wiz Live'

Program Will Be The First Live Entertainment Show In U.S. Broadcast History 

To Be Accessible To People With Visual Disabilities

PHILADELPHIA, PA. – December 1, 2015 – Comcast will include a national video description pilot program with NBC’s broadcast of the hit Broadway musical The Wiz Live! on December 3, making it the first live entertainment program in U.S. history to be accessible to people who have a visual disability.  Video description is a narration track that is included between the natural pauses in dialogue that describes the visual elements of a show or movie like facial expressions, settings, costumes and stage direction.

“Comcast’s commitment to include video description with the performance of The Wiz Live! is ground-breaking,” said Kim Charlson, President of The American Council of the Blind (ACB). "The path to accessibility is a journey of inclusion of all audiences. Just like the yellow brick road is the path to the heartfelt wishes of Dorothy and her friends, the blindness community is very happy to travel on this new path with Comcast and NBC.”

The described broadcast of The Wiz Live! is a national pilot program that is available across the country, wherever SAP (Secondary Audio Program) audio feeds are available.  To deliver the service, Comcast and NBC are partnering with Descriptive Video Works, an industry leader in the delivery of quality described video and audio description for people with a visual disability. The company has provided more than 1,000 hours of Live Description, including the Olympics, Paralympics, and the Royal Wedding.

In addition to providing accessible content like The Wiz Live!, Comcast also has developed technologies that help people with disabilities enjoy entertainment independently. For example, customers who have the company’s X1 platform now have access to a talking guide, a voice-enabled TV menu and interface, and a voice controlled TV remote control, a device that simplifies the search process.

“The combination of accessible content and technology is powerful,” said Tom Wlodkowski, Comcast’s Vice President of Accessibility.  “We’re working hard every day to make a positive impact in the lives of millions of customers by making our products and services more accessible and opening new doors to independence for people with disabilities.  The broadcast of The Wiz Live!represents a real milestone in how people with visual impairments experience television.”

“Earlier this year, I attended a theater production ofThe Wiz and without description, found it very difficult to follow the characters and action of the play,” said Carl Augusto, CEO of the American Foundation for the Blind.  “This nationally described television broadcast will not only be a godsend to people with vision loss, but also to those who describe action to people with vision loss, and the general public, who will learn about the importance of audio description."

The Wiz Live! is adapted from “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” by L. Frank Baum, with a book by William F. Brown, and music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls. The production opened on Broadway in 1975 at the Majestic Theatre and won seven Tonys, including best musical.

The Wiz Live! stars Queen Latifah (The Wiz), Mary J. Blige (Evillene), Shanice Williams (Dorothy), David Alan Grier (Cowardly Lion), NE-YO (Tin Man), Elijah Kelley (Scarecrow), Amber Riley (Addaperle), Stephanie Mills (Auntie Em), Uzo Aduba (Glinda) and Common (The Gatekeeper).

Craig Zadan and Neil Meron (“The Sound of Music Live!,” “Peter Pan Live!,” Oscar-winning “Chicago”) will executive produce. Kenny Leon (Tony winner, “A Raisin in the Sun”) is stage director and Matthew Diamond is TV director, with Harvey Fierstein (three-time Tony winner, “Torch Song Trilogy,” “Hairspray” and “La Cage aux Folles”) providing new written material. 

Esteemed choreographer Fatima Robinson (“Dreamgirls,” “Ali”) is also on board, along with music producer Harvey Mason Jr. (“Dreamgirls, “Pitch Perfect 2”) and Stephen Oremus (“The Book of Mormon,” “Kinky Boots”) as music director, orchestrator and co-producer of the music.

“The Wiz Live!” is produced by Universal Television in association with Cirque Du Soleil Theatrical.

The Wiz Live! premieres Thursday, Dec. 3 at 8 p.m. ET.  December 3 is also the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.