TBS Lands Chad Pilot from SNL Alum Nasim Pedrad

TBS Lands Chad Pilot from SNL Alum Nasim Pedrad #1 Comedy Network Continues to Attract Diverse Creative Talent

LOS ANGELES – February 11, 2019 – TBS has picked up Chad to pilot, a single-camera comedy that follows a 14-year-old Persian boy (played by Nasim Pedrad) during high school as he desperately tries to fit in, cope with his mother’s dating life, and reconcile his cultural identity.   The teenaged boy in the throes of puberty is played by Pedrad, who made her mark on Saturday Night Live. The Iranian-American actress is also creator, writer, executive producer and co-showrunner. Hayes Davenport is executive producer and co-showrunner. Oly Obst (3 Arts) andRob Rosell serve as executive producers. Production on the pilot will begin this spring.   “I’m so grateful to TBS for believing in Chad and giving an adult Middle-Eastern woman the opportunity to play a teenage boy while also running the show behind the camera,” says Pedrad, whose relationship with TBS goes back to People of Earth.   “Nasim embodies this role so perfectly, you forget you’re watching a woman playing a young boy,” says Thom Hinkle, TBS’ Executive VP of Original Programming. “It’s such a funny, endearing script that evokes a modern-day Wonder Years centered around a Middle Eastern family. We can’t wait to shoot it.”   TBS, which leads the TV industry with more top comedies than any other network, continues to attract fresh, award-winning talent. The #1 comedy network’s series include Miracle Workers, a heaven-set comedy that premieres February 12, and The Last O.G., both of which star diverse, powerhouse casts.

The 1998 Monster Spectacle Returns! GODZILLA® The Action-Packed Event Film Debuts on 4K Ultra HD™ May 14

The 1998 Monster Spectacle Returns!

 

GODZILLA^®

 

The Action-Packed Event Film Debuts on 4K Ultra HD^™ May 14

 

 

CULVER CITY, Calif. (February 11, 2019) –GODZILLA^®, the action-packed 1998 monster spectacle from Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin, the filmmaking team behindIndependence Day, debuts on 4K Ultra HD^™May 14 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Matthew Broderick 

(Ferris Bueller’s Day Off) and Jean Reno (Léon: The Professional) team up as the unlikely heroes out to save New York City from the giant, fire-breathing monster and its babies hatching in Madison Square Garden. Fully remastered in 4K from the original camera negative with High Dynamic Range, GODZILLA^® on 4K Ultra HD also includes new earth-shaking Dolby Atmos sound. The 4K Ultra HD disc also includes three trailers, including the original iconic teaser!

 

Synopsis:

Following French atomic bomb tests in the South Pacific, an unknown creature is spotted passing through the Panama Canal. Scientist Niko Tatopolous is called in to investigate the matter, and he quickly arrives at the conclusion that a giant, irradiated lizard has been created by the explosions. Godzilla^® then makes its way north, landing in Manhattan to begin wreaking havoc in the big city.

 

Bonus Materials on Blu-ray Include:

§  Visual Effects Commentary

§  Behind the Scenes of Godzilla with Charles Caiman

§  All-Time Best-of Godzilla Fight Scenes

§  “Heroes” Music Video by The Wallflowers

 

GODZILLA^® has a run time of approximately 139 minutes and is rated PG-13 for sci-fi monster action/violence.

 

Overlord 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital Set Review

I think Overlord was originally going to be the fourth Cloverfield anthology movie, but after the straight to Netflix film was released, they removed any references to Cloverfield, which is a good thing because this movie did not need it.

Basically Overlord is sort of like From Dusk Till Dawn in that film the first half is a crime thriller and the second half was a vampire schlock flick. Only here Overlord never goes over the top and plays it straight throughout.

The effects are top of the line as the first half is a WW2 D-Day invasion film in that paratroopers land in France with a mission to take out a German radio tower in a church so the allies can land on the beach with air support.

After about 45 minutes to an hour it turns into a horror film where the Nazis had found a mysterious substance deep beneath the church and have been using it to create super soldiers that don't die easily and can reanimate. The film has a definitive ending that explains why this story is not in the history books and that is that. Overlord is a solid flick worth seeing.

This combination 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc + Blu-ray Disc + Digital Copy Set features virtually more language options for both the 4K BD and the BD versions than I can list because some are listed in the language they are spoken in and I simply cannot tell what they are so if I left out some options, I am sorry. Both versions feature English Dolby ATMOS Soundtracks as well as an English DSV Track for the visually impaired. I believe a German Dolby ATMOS Soundtrack as well as Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese, Polish and Brazilian Portuguese Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Soundtracks. English Subtitles and English Subtitles for the Deaf and Hearing Impaired are also encoded onto both discs along with Malaysian, Cantonese, Dutch, Danish, Spanish, Latin American Spanish, French, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Suomi Language Subtitles are encoded as options. 

The 4K widescreen has an impressive color palette with deep blacks and lush greens despite the at times monochromatic nature of the film given the setting and so forth. When bursts of red occur whether it is blood, gun fire, flames and military machines blowing up they take up an even more impressive look that just pops on screen. Unconverted the 1080p edition might have certain viewers preferring it over the 4K HDR version if only for what it lacks in deep color saturation it make up for in brightness that for some might be preferential over the more shadow evocative 4K Disc presentation. 

Within the black 4K Ultra HD single size Two Disc BD Case is an insert with a limited time only numeric code allowing for the redemption of a digital copy of the film for iTunes or select other providers. The Blu-ray Disc also features a series of featurettes that can be viewed individually or as one reel (51:28) and covers in impressive detail the development of the story, the visual effects, which were mostly practical and casting as well as the experience the actors had working with each other. While Mr. Abrams says the casting choices were not for historical accuracy so much as to find the best person for the part, which I find to be admirable, Wyatt Russell, who looks and sounds so much like his father it is uncanny, stated the film takes place in an alternate universe, which made me wonder again about whether or not this was going to be a part of the Cloverfield Anthology of films even though I have read that when J.J. Abrams was asked at SDCC 2018 regarding the connection, he said it was not. Personally I do not think it matters because the film stands well by itself and yet I hope they never try and make a sequel because having watched this film three times now, I have noticed so much subtle touches and clues that create a sense of wonder in that as I have stated, less is more, I don’t want to see someone take this up in twenty or more or less years and make an unnecessary sequel. Overlord is a gem. Please enjoy it, but leave it alone.  I love the soundtrack by Jed Kurzel. It sounds like what I imagine Goblin and Carmine Coppola working together might sound like if they had ever collaborated.

While both films are very, very different in their approach and style, I want to mention Richard Raaphorst’s Frankenstein’s Army as a film that might make for a good splatter filled double feature in part because I think Frankenstein’s Army deserves to be viewed beyond the cult audience it has attracted as an independently produced WW2 period horror film, but the films share similar themes as well as I like seeing a film that tells a story of Soviet soldiers entering Germany toward the end of the Second World War because there are not a lot of English language films that cover this and they were allies instrumental in the defeat of the NAZIs in WW2 so they deserve their due just as the American and British Soldiers do because it could not have been down without any of them and make no mistake, the AXIS powers were in my opinion some of the most vile and malevolent threats to humanity the world has ever faced.

Anyway, Frankenstein’s Army is available on Blu-ray and streaming and has been for five years now, but the Overlord: 4K + Blu-ray + Digital will debut along with a Blu-ray and DVD edition sold separately and on Tuesday, February 19, 2019 at retailers on and offline courtesy of Paramount Home Media Distribution.

(C) Copyright 2019 By Mark A. Rivera

All Rights Reserved.

TNT PROGRAMMING ALERT Week of March 3, 2019

I Am the Night – Series Finale "Queen’s Gambit, Accepted” Monday, March 4 – 9:00p.m. ET/PT When Fauna (India Eisley) hears what happened to Jimmy Lee (Golden Brooks), she frantically searches for a way home. As Watts explodes around her into chaotic riots, Fauna’s way out harbors a nightmarish trap. Jay (Chris Pine) stews in a cell that overflows with rioters, his options diminishing as the hours pass, until he hatches a desperate plan. Directed by Carl Franklin Written by Sam Sheridan Created by Sam Sheridan Drop the Mic "Danielle Brooks vs. Jussie Smollett & Clay Aiken vs. Ian Ziering"  Wednesday, March 6 –10:00p.m. ET/PT Danielle Brooks, Taystee from Orange Is The New Black, attempts to make Empire’s Jussie Smollett crumble. Then American Idol’s Clay Aiken aims to come in better than second place against 90’s heartthrob Ian Ziering. Snoop Dogg Presents The Joker’s Wild “What You Know Gets The Money To Flow”  Wednesday, March 6 –10:30p.m. ET/PT Biz Markie’s got a (song about) disease, Xzibit talks “chick flicks,” and Cheech & Chong discuss “who’s highest.” A paramedic and a small business owner must choose between “Yeezus or Jesus,” and the winner gets a chance to play for $50,000 on Snoop’s big-ass slot machine.

Win a Blu-ray Disc Copy of The Cloverfield Paradox. Enter Today!

I am giving away two Blu-ray Disc copies of The Cloverfield Paradox two two winners selected at random. Just email me a a United States mailing address to GenreOnline@gmail.com. Put Cloverfield Paradox in the subject line and enter. The deadline is Wednesday, February 13th 2019. Good luck!

The Cloverfield Paradox Blu-ray Disc Review

A year ago, towards the end of the Super Bowl Netflix announced the surprise premiere of the third installment in what has become an anthology of weird tales with The Cloverfield Paradox. Now Blu-ray Disc collector’s can add the film to their libraries with this new release courtesy of Paramount Home Entertainment. The Cloverfield Paradox is a convoluted way to give a pseudo scientific explanation for everything we have seen in the previous films as well as this film and films to come. The problem is there was no need to explain why these things were occurring and in an attempt to connect the previous films to this one and that is because no reason can compete with whatever the viewer’s imagination creates. In other words, less is more. Now looking at the events of the first two films, one could reason they both were happening on the same Earth because if you take the amount of time between the theatrical release of the first two films and where they take place, it is reasonable to assume that people in crisis during 10 Cloverfield Lane would probably not have any reason to mention the events of the first film anymore than New Yorkers discuss the destruction of the World Trade Center during the news coverage of the recent wild fires in California or the Tsunamis that hit Fukishima in 2011. It does not belittle any of these events, but if aliens attacked tomorrow, how many people would start talking about the giant monster that attack New York City? Realistically I just do not believe those things would be referenced in the context of the second film and even if you disagree with me, can anyone honestly say that the answer they got in The Cloverfield Paradox was satisfying?

Another problem with The Cloverfield Paradox is it is not really a paradox in the classic sense. A paradox tends to be a mysterious occurrence that defies rationality. While there are events in the film that seem strange, they do not really add up to much and the fact that things that occur in one r laity effect all realities might sound clever, from the point of view of the characters in Cloverfield, 10 Cloverfield Lane and The Cloverfield Paradox, none of these events seem paradoxical because no one is aware of what is going on in the other realities. The Cloverfield Paradox tries to be a spooky and thought provoking sci-fi thriller, but other films like the original Alien and Event Horizon have done it much better. I would recommend anyone who wants to create a truly spooky and thought provoking feature film that should be akin to a haunted house in space should study some of classics intensely so they realize that it is not the presence of the extraordinary that is scary, but rather the atmosphere it creates regardless if the characters are aware or not. So look at Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining and the low budget haunted psychiatric hospital film Session 9. A great example of a b-movie that has a surprise ending is Planet of the Vampires. A film that is much an inspiration of sorts to Alien as it is the works H.P. Lovecraft. In fact Lovecraft was a definite inspiration in the writing of Alien and I have to believe after reading some of his stories that Lovecraft and the idea of cosmic horror has had a profound impact on all the subgenres within sci-fi, horror and fantasy as the early tales of Gilgamesh has had on mythology throughout history.

Now despite everything I have stated above, I would still recommend The Cloverfield Paradox for completists who have to own all three movies on Blu-ray Disc, curiosity seekers and film students to compare for themselves and discover why what doesn’t work in The Cloverfield Paradox worked in the others and why the first two Cloverfield movies are generally better genre films as a whole. Unconverted to 2160p, The Cloverfield Paradox looks fantastic and spotlessly clear on Blu-ray Disc with a nice widescreen aspect ratio and a very good English Dolby ATMOS Soundtrack. French, Spanish and Portuguese Dolby Digital 5.1 Soundtracks as well as an English Descriptive Audio Track are encoded onto the Blu-ray Disc along with English Subtitles for the Deaf and Hearing Impaired as well as English, French, Spanish and Portuguese Language Subtitles provided as options.

Actually there are more audio tracks and subtitle track options listed on the Blu-ray menu that includes, but is not limited to Danish, German, Latin American Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Polish and Thai too. I spun this disc on both an Xbox One S and an LG 4K Blu-ray player and found that the Xbox One S featured preview trailers for Overlord, A Quiet Place and 10 Cloverfield Lane, but the LG completely skipped over these trailers for reasons I am not sure about. A making of featurette (14:24) and a short about the ensemble cast (14:49) wraps up the bonus materials and options found on this Blu-ray Disc.

The Cloverfield Paradox is available now at retailers on and offline on Blu-ray Disc as well as sold separately on DVD individually or packaged with the first two films in the series now courtesy of Paramount Home Entertainment.

(C) Copyright 2019 By Mark A. Rivera.

All Rights Reserved.

TBS PROGRAMMING ALERT WEEK OF FEBRUARY 24

TBS PROGRAMMING ALERT WEEK OF FEBRUARY 24

CONAN   Monday Feb. 25 through Thursday Feb. 28 at 11:00pm ET/PT American Dad! 250TH EPISODE   "Persona Assistant" Monday Feb. 25 at 10:00pm ET/PT In the show's 250th episode, Stan has to take over Roger’s different personas after a tumor takes him out of commission. Principal Lewis pressures Steve and the school choir to do whatever it takes to win. Miracle Workers   "12 Days" Tuesday Feb. 26 at 10:30pm ET/PT A troublesome human complicates Craig and Eliza’s plan, while Sanjay attempts to burnish his credentials.