Category: News

The Point Radio: DIG & THE RETURNED More Must See TV

Two more additions to your TV Must See list should be the USA multi-part event, DIG and the much anticipated remake of the acclaimed French thriller, THE RETURNED on A&E. We talk to the producers and cast of DIG about how they grew their story, then actor Mark Pellegrino explains why all it took was Carlton Cuse to get him onboard for THE RETURNED.

BATES MOTEL opens up for season three in a few days, and Main Mama, Vera Farmiga, tells us just how far the show will go this time – right here in just a few days.
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Shout! TV Adds Stingray, Kentucky Fried Movie, & The Goode Family

stingray-e1425650569201-5558149Shout! Factory TV, now in its second month, has added three more properties to their growing library of streaming content. These include Gerry Anderson’s Stingray, the Supermarionation series from the mid-1960s, the animated Goode Family, and the 1970s comedy Kentucky Fried Movie.

Shout! Factory TV is a premiere digital entertainment streaming service that brings timeless and contemporary cult favorites to pop culture fans. With a uniquely curated entertainment library, the channel offers an unrivaled blend of cult TV shows, movies, comedy, original specials and more – presenting an exciting entertainment alternative to other services.

Shout! Factory TV is available through any browser and has a Roku app.

THE GOODE FAMILY (All 13 episodes)

The Goode Family, from executive producers Mike Judge (King of the Hill, Beavis and Butt-head, Office Space) and John Altschuler & Dave Krinsky (King of the Hill, Blades of Glory), comes to Shout! Factory TV this March.

A hilarious skewering of our better natures, The Goode Family stars Mike Judge, Nancy Carell (The Office), Linda Cardellini (Freaks And Geeks) and Brian Doyle-Murray (Get A Life) with special guest stars Kevin Nealon, Bob Odenkirk, Andy Richter, Johnny Knoxville, Laraine Newman, Julia Sweeney, Elvis Costello, Alyson Hannigan, Dax Shepard and more!

Meet Gerald and Helen Goode, a couple who live by the motto WWAGD (“What Would Al Gore Do?”). Gerald, a college administrator, and Helen, a community activist, are determined to obliterate their carbon footprint on the planet: They’re zealous vegans, they drive a hybrid, and they recycle everything possible. Even the family dog, Che, is vegan. In the words of Helen, all the Goodes want to do is buy organic apples and call minorities by their politically correct names. But despite their best efforts, something always goes haywire with their plans. With standards always changing, no matter how hard you try to be good, it’s virtually impossible these days . . . especially for the Goode family.

Throughout the 13 episodes, the family adopts a bizarre animal named Gutterball, tags a clean park to experience the joy of cleaning up graffiti, take embarrassing pictures of at-risk kids that get them beat up by their gang-banger friends, get in a turf war with an Aryan prison work-gang while doing a highway cleanup, and much, much more.

GERRY ANDERSON’S STINGRAY (featuring 6 hand-picked episodes)

Battle stations! Join the World Aquanaut Security Patrol in a riptide of retro TV when the sci-fi adventure series Stingray is released on Shout! Factory TV.  Created by the television pioneers Gerry and Sylvia Anderson (Thunderbirds, Space: 1999), six hand-picked episodes of the Supermarionation classic are coming to the streaming service only for the month of March. Stingray’s appearance on Shout! Factory TV marks the start of a lineup of exciting limited engagements for Gerry Anderson Supermarionation series.

The flagship of the World Aquanaut Security Patrol (W.A.S.P.), Stingray is the world’s most highly sophisticated submarine, capable of speeds of over 600 knots and the ability to submerge anywhere on the Earth’s ocean floor. Under the command of the square-jawed and heroic Captain Troy Tempest, Stingray explores the most treacherous depths of our waters and protects the world from the perils that lurk undersea.

KENTUCKY FRIED MOVIE (Evan C. Kim, Bong Soo Han, Bill Bixby)

Directed by the legendary John Landis (Animal House, The Blues Brothers), The Kentucky Fried Movie features a lewd, loosely connected collection of skits that spoof blaxploitation films, news shows, TV commercials, kung fu flicks and more!

The original take-off cult classic from the highly successful team of David Zucker, Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker (Airplane, The Naked Gun), this “uproariously funny [film]” (TV Guide) launched a thousand laughs and serves as a precursor to the raunch-fests of the ‘80s and the blockbuster success of the Farrelly Brothers films.

 

Including well-known stars such as Bill Bixby, Donald Sutherland, Tony Dow, George Lazenby and Henry Gibson, this one-of-a-kind film features over 22 hilarious segments including “Cleopatra Schwartz,” “Catholic High School Girls In Trouble,” “A Fistful Of Yen” and more!

Whether reliving childhood memories or discovering television series, movies and comedy specials for the first time, SHOUT! FACTORY TV will provide an immersive, high-quality viewing experience across a wide variety of screens and platforms, online at ShoutFactoryTV.com and on smartphone devices, tablets and connected TV, with an initial rollout on Roku.

SHOUT! FACTORY TV’s programming leverages a distinctive library of pop culture-defining entertainment curated from Shout! Factory, Westchester Films, Timeless Media Group, Scream Factory, major studios, independent producers and other sources from around the world.

The Point Radio: A Different Path For THE FOLLOWING

Season three of THE FOLLOWING has kicked off and everyone wants to know just what’s ahead for Ryan Hardy. The man who can answer that best is Kevin Bacon, and he talks about why this season is so unique for him and the show. Plus former WWE Superstar Alberto DelRio is now Alberto El Patron and heading up the crew of LUCHA UNDERGROUND on ElRey. He talks about the rich history off wrestling in his native land and just why thing went south at The WWE.

The new USA Event Series DIG is about to begin and we take you to the set for an exclusive you’ll only here with us in just a few days.
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DeNA scores Final Fantasy license, releasing Final Fantasy Record Keeper in the US

With five million downloads in Japan already, mobile game developer DeNA and Square Enix announced a US release for FINAL FANTASY: Record Keeper this spring. It’s touted as “the only game to let players relive favorite moments across all past FINAL FANTASY installments and build a team of classic characters. ”

FINAL FANTASY Record Keeper - Google Play Icon

16-bit style art is So Hot Right Now.

Featuring an all-star cast of characters including Tidus, Lightning, and Cloud, players recruit their favorite heroes from across the entire FINAL FANTASY franchise to form the most dynamic team of all time. With a massive roster of characters, the possibilities are endless! Characters can each be completely customized and equipped to the fullest with iconic gear, powerful spells, summons, and hundreds of weapons to choose from.

This game joins a number of mobile games that have attempted to bring the franchise to the mobile medium.  Unlike games like FF: All The Bravest , the game appears to more closely mimic the classic “Active Time Battle” interface of the early games of the series.

“FINAL FANTASY: Record Keeper delivers the ultimate FINAL FANTASY experience for the dedicated and passionate fans of this franchise and we are excited to work with SQUARE ENIX to bring it to players worldwide this spring,” said Shintaro Asako, CEO of DeNA West.

Square Enix has also released many of their original games for mobile platforms, including several of the FF and Dragon Quest series, as well as classics like Chrono Trigger and Secret of Mana.

FINAL FANTASY: Record Keeper will be available in spring 2015 as a free download in the AppStore and Google Play. Fans can pre-register at FinalFantasyRecordKeeper.com for updates, and unlock powerful in-game content at launch.

A&E sends fans souvenir from the Bates Motel

Select online fans of A&E’s Psycho prequel Bates Motel received an interesting package in the mail today.  As a thank you to the fans of the show, followers of the shows tumblr page were sent a reproduction of the Bates Motel guest book.

IMAG0086 (more…)

Legendary Pictures announces Electra Woman and Dyna Girl remake

Legendary Digital Media and Fullscreen have partnered with YouTube phenoms Grace Helbig and Hannah Hart in an updated version of Sid & Marty Krofft‘s classic 70’s TV series Electra Woman and Dyna Girl, bringing the property to a new generation of viewers. Fullscreen will debut and exhibit Electra Woman and Dyna Girl in the U.S. with Legendary Television Distribution overseeing global distribution. Sid & Marty Krofft will executive produce the project.

The reboot will start internet superstars Grace Helbig and Hannah Hart as the seventies icons (shut up, this is my article).  The series, comes on the heels of Helbig’s crossover from YouTube fame to television as the host of a late night talk show for E! which premieres in April. Both Helbig and Hart have large social media followings with a combined total of over 10 million subscribers and followers over all of their YouTube and social media platforms. This series also follows Helbig’s and Hart’s recent digital feature film success, Camp Takota, which was executive produced by Helbig and Hart and produced by Fullscreen’s Chief Content Officer Michael Goldfine, and picked up by Netflix last year.

Electra Woman and Dyna Girl was one of the tentpole shows of The Krofft Supershow, which also featured Wonderbug, Magic Mongo and Dr. Shrinker. (and if you’ve got the theme for the last one in your head now, you’re welcome.) Deidre Hall (Days of our Lives) and Judy Strangis (Room 222) played the title characters as well as their secret identities as reporters for NewsMakers magazine.  With the assistance of technical genius Professor Frank Heflin (Norman Alden) they fought “Electra-Villains” like Glitter Rock, The Pharaoh and the Spider-Lady.

Am I gonna insert the theme? Oh you KNOW I’m gonna insert the theme…

Of course, the synopsis of the new series certainly suggests that we may not see the same level of action and special effects as the original…

Electra Woman and Dyna Girl follows two superheroes as they move from Akron to Los Angeles in hopes of making it big in the crime fighting world, only to find competition with other vigilantes and infighting amongst themselves.

So there’s that.

Sid and Marty Krofft are responsible for some of the most memorable children’s entertainment of the seventies, and some of the most over the top variety programming in the years to follow. Starting off with classics like H.R. Pufnstuf, Lidsville and The Bugaloos, the Kroffts ruled the roost of Saturday mornings.  Breaking into prime time programming, they produced the Donny and Marie variety show, as well as ones for the Brady Bunch, the Mandrell Sisters, and God help us, <a href=”

target=”_blank”>Pink Lady (and Jeff).

We’ve seen a number of remakes of their shows over the years – ABC presented a new version of the Land of the Lost, which Marty Krofft, in an interview with yours truly, suggested was indeed connected in some way to the land as seen in the original series.  There was a <a href=”

target=”_blank”>pilot for a new version of Electra Woman in 2001 with Markie Post and Anne Stedman.  Several years ago they announced that Dreamworks had obtained the right to Lidsville to produce an animated feature, a project still in development, if it hasn’t already fallen into the Shampoo River.

For more information on the new series, sign up for updates at www.ElectraWomanDynaGirl.com,  follow their twitter, @ElectraDyna, or just follow me around, cause I’m not gonna stop talking about this, ever.

The Point Radio: BLACK SAILS Still A TV Treasure

Season two of the Starz high seas drama, BLACK SAILS, is sailing along and series regulars Hannah New, Toby Stephens & more talk about where the trip will take them over the next few weeks. Plus Kevin Bigley and Kevin Daniels show us why the USA Network comedy SIRENS is scoring some pretty big laughs.

THE FOLLOWING returns to primetime TV in a few days, and Kevin Bacon joins us to talk about what makes the show’s third outing so drastically different.
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Leonard Nimoy: 1931-2015

Leonard Nimoy, best know to the world for his role as Mr. Spock in  Star Trek, died on Friday morning at his home in the Bel Air section of Los Angeles from end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. He was 83.

Our thoughts and condolences go out to his family, friends, and fans.

Photo by State Library and Archives of Florida

The Point Radio: Jason Hervey Playing Both Sides Of The Law

By sight, you know Jason Hervey as big brother Wayne from the classic WONDER YEARS, but in the decades since he’s been behind his desk helping create some exciting TV and movies projects. His latest is OUTLAW COUNTRY (premiering this week on WGN America), taking a unique reality look at both sides of the law in a small town. Jason fills us in on the show and more, plus we are on the set of the VH1 series HINDSIGHT. Time travel saga or soap opera? Stars Laura Ramsey and Craig Horner weigh in.

In a few days,we go to the set of the USA Network hit series SIRENS, plus a look at this season of BLACK SAILS from Starz. Be sure to follow us on Twitter @ThePointRadio.

Marc Alan Fishman: Selling Out

richie-rich-8523452The other afternoon, whilst sipping on a cool beverage and shooting the breeze with a comic book making cohort, I stumbled upon a most interesting What If scenario. You see, this pal of mine loathes Kevin Smith (of Jay and Silent Bob, and a dozen other ventures). Knowing this, I pressed:

“What would you do if Kevin Smith got a hold of your [Amazing Indie Book I’ve Plugged Before], and decided he just had to turn it into a film. Would you make a deal with him?”

A little bit of hemming and hawing later, the answer was a resounding yes – pending a considerable amount of money was put on the table, as well as some subsidiary rights. It ultimately got me to question myself: Would I put aside my integrity as an artist if it meant a more lucrative life? Well, as much as I’d love to be able to side with the staving artists of the world, I’m a fat dude who loves a good Faberge egg omelet far more than resting on a pile of unsold ideas.

It’s oftentimes the pipe dream of the indie creator, is it not? Certainly Banky and McNeil of Chasing Amy had courted selling out as means to better ends, and no one looked down on them much. The fact is that we barnacles on the S.S. Comics may enter into the endeavor or making pulp for the masses with nothing more than good intentions to entertain, but there’s only so long that one can sustain the hobby without lucrative backing.

As I’ve detailed time and again: each issue of my Samurnauts series represents roughly 250 work hours from concept to completion. Three guys working full time jobs and maintaining contact with loved ones – like our fiancés, wives, and kids – put in those hours. While there’s no greater feeling in the world than seeing a complete stranger plunk down his hard earned cash for my comic, there’s no bigger dream then being able to sustain a career actually making the next issue.

If there were to be a fly on the wall when Shuster and Siegel were pitching Superman, do you think they were contemplating points on the backend when they signed their names on the dotted line? I doubt it. They sold the rights for $130 and a contract to produce more material, to the tune of $150,000 a year for the pair. Superman, of course, went on to become a radio show, a newspaper strip, a cartoon, a television program, and countless cartons of collectable crap. The creators would end up suing DC and other respective owners for a fairer cut for the rest of their natural lives. The notion was clear from the start: putting food on the table will trump a stiff upper lip every time.

When an artist is given carte blanche to see their truest work come to fruition, I’ve no doubt it will always be better than had it been built by a focus group. But there’s a reason why DC and Marvel hire known names to helm their biggest titles. They’re not in the business to take leaps of faith. In the best cases, one could argue that a collaboration between art and commerce leaves the most people happy. See The Avengers. And when it goes wrong, well, funny enough, no one is exactly blaming Eastman and Laird over Bay’s Ninja Turtles now, are they.

The notion of selling out was always troublesome to me. The thing is, the Million Dollar Man was right: Everyone has a price. But there will always be those creations we hold nearest to our hearts and feel the need to protect. I believe for most of us indie creators, our ideas are always on the table for sale because we pride ourselves in the ability to create more where they came from. The hope is when we’re well off enough we can afford to give life to those new ideas without the slimy hand of an unwanted third party. Left to their own devices, Green Day became Foxboro Hot Tubs and without any focus groups to get in the way… ended up sounding like Green Day (from 1968).

So, I say unto all those amidst the Artist Alleyways! You are free and clear to seek that big payday without fear of repercussion. For you see… the artist that pays his bills, and lives to see another day has plenty of integrity in my book.