REVIEW: Star Wars: The Force Awakens Teasers | The SceneCast

Micah and Beth talk about the two teasers for Star Wars: Episode 7: The Force Awakens, the new film from director JJ Abrams that is a direct sequel to Star Wars: Episode 6: Return of the Jedi, along with advice on how to not let trailers ruin the movie for you.

The SceneCast is the official podcast of Scene Magazine, the entertainment magazine. Find out more at Sceneent.com. Email us at scenecast@sceneent.com.

SHOW NOTES

0:50 – Intro
2:30 – Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens Teaser 1
3:34 – Teaser 1 Review
5:57 – Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens Teaser 2
7:37 – Teaser 2 Review
18:12 – Watching Trailers: How a Bad Trailer Can Ruin a Movie

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IN THEATERS: ‘Child 44,’ ‘Unfriended,’ ‘Monkey Kingdom’

Child 44

During Stalin-era Soviet Union, a member of the military police investigates a series of child murders. Tom Hardy and Gary Oldman star. Rated R. 137 min.

Unfriended

A video of a drunken friend goes viral eventually leading to her suicide. Exactly one year later the haunting revenge will sacrifice her once close knit group of friends. Rated R. 82 min.

Monkey Kingdom

From Disneynature comes a story of a newborn monkey and its mother as they fight for survival amongst the jungle’s predators. Starring Tina Fey, we follow the heirarchy of the Temple Troop, a group of monkeys who live in the ancient ruins of South Asia. Rated G. 81 min.

Mississippi-Shot ‘A Gift Horse’ Lands Walmart Distribution

Shot on location in Jackson, Mississippi, director Teddy Smith’s new film A Gift Horse is now available at Wal-Mart. The megalithic retailer has become an important distribution channel for independent films, especially after video rental and sales stores like Blockbuster began to close a few years ago.

A Gift Horse is a refreshing film about an inescapable bond between a girl and her horse. The girl’s life has hit a rough patch after her mother’s death. But she soon finds solace with an injured horse who’d been cast away from its previous owner. Kyla Kenedy stars as Amanda, the girl who spends her afternoons with the injured horse. Together the two nurse the horse back to health, enter a contest and developed a heartwarming bond that is infectious.

Candi Brooks, John Schneider and Gulfport-native Aiden Flowers also star. Sean Huze wrote the script and Earl Heard and John Zapalac are executive producers. The film is available on DVD at your local Walmart to purchase. Also, check out Scene’s exclusive photos of A Gift Horse.

Pelicans Make The Playoffs!

In front of a red and sold out Smoothie King Center, the Anthony Davis-led Pelicans achieved an incredible playoff berth against all odds. The New Orleans Pelicans punched their playoff party ticket on the final day of the NBA regular season with a 108-103 against the San Antonio Spurs. Pelicans will match-up against the No. 1 seeded Golden State Warriors in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.

In the biggest game of the Pelicans’ young franchise they played with emotion, energy, togetherness and mental toughness. They had a 23 point led at one point during the game and held on to win by a mere five points. It was without a doubt the biggest win of Anthony Davis and Monty Williams’ career as Pelicans. “We went to AD down the stretch and he came through on both ends of the floor,” Monty Williams said. The two were emotional after the victory and Davis expressed his love for his head coach.

Tony Parker had an outstanding first half and scored a team high 23 points and Boris Diaw finished with 20 points. The loss for the Spurs dropped them to the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference playoff standings. If they would’ve won last night, they would’ve knocked the Pelicans out of playoff contention and secured the No. 2 seed.

Anthony Davis finished with 31 points and 13 rebounds. Tyreke Evans played well down the stretch scoring 19 points and dishing out 11 assists. A huge second half shooting performance helped Eric Gordon scoring 14 points. Also, big performance from the energetic Norris Cole both offensively and defensively. The flat-top Cleveland State alum scored a quick 10 points off the bench making his first 5-6 shots. He also did an outstanding job defending San Antonio’s backcourt.

And I’d like to thank Jrue Holiday for coming back and guarding, scoring and ultimately leading on the court. Jrue did a phenomenal job shutting down Tony Parker in the second half limiting him to tough driving lanes and forcing him to pick up his dribble.

I’ll close with the greatest quote I’ve ever heard from future Hall of Famer Tim Duncan, who added 15 points and 10 rebounds, reprinted here from an ESPN interview:

“We’re happy for him, very happy for him,” Tim Duncan said about Monty Williams. “He’s worked his butt off over these past couple years. Obviously, I wanted to win and that didn’t change anything, but I guess I get some solace in the fact that he made the playoffs.”

Actually I’ll close with this:

AMC’s ‘Into The Badlands’ Casts Three More for Series

On April Fool’s Day we received a teaser for New Orleans-shot Into The Badlands. Thankfully the teaser release wasn’t an April Fools hoax. The AMC genre-bending kung fu-drama series stars Daniel Wu. The martial arts drama has also named three more actors including Aramis Knight (Ender’s Game), Madeleine Mantock (The Tomorrow People) and Ally Ionnides (Parenthood).

Aramis Knight will play a young up-and-coming actor who will play the lead opposing Daniel Wu. Knight has had stints on Dark Knight Rises, The Mentalists and Royal Pains. Starring alongside the newly named trio is Emily Beecham, Sarah Bolger, Oliver Stark and Orla Brady.

Into The Badlands is set to premiere this fall with a six-episode freshman season that is loosely based on the Chinese tale Journey To The West. The Badlands are controlled by feudal barons, a great warrior leads a boy across a dangerous land to find awakening. Daniel Wu plays the imposing warrior while Aramis Knight will play the unworldly young boy, M.K., nipping at Wu’s heals throughout the entire journey. With the aid of Sunny, M.K. will become a magician of the martial arts.

Madeleine Mantock will play Veil, a romantic interest with Sunny. She is also a doctor who makes prosthetic limbs for assassins who have lost them on the battlefield. Ally Ioannides will play Tilda, who is trained to kill and becomes a companion to M.K.

Directed by David Dobkin, Into the Badlands starts shooting April 27 in New Orleans. AMC’s newest show will premiere this Fall.

If you want to apply for a job on Badlands, look for contact information and more on jobScene.

Source: Deadline, /Film

REVIEW: While We’re Young | The SceneCast

Win at All Costs: Pelicans Host Spurs in Last Game of Regular Season

Spurs are favored by five points tonight at the Smoothie King Center. They are also fighting for the two seed in the Western Conference. They are also the reigning champs of the basketball world. They have also won 11 games in a row.

But they aren’t fighting for their lives and aren’t one win away from making the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. The complexity of the Western Conference Playoff standings is so difficult that I had to run to Reddit to gather all the scenarios. Simplified, Pels advance with a victory against the Spurs, which is possible, or an OKC loss to the Timberwolves, which is incredibly unlikely.

The Pelicans won Monday night in Minnesota 100-88. Anthony Davis went for 24 points, 11 rebounds and six blocks in the victory. With that win the Pelicans were one step closer to paradise, yet the Thunder managed to beat Portland causing the fate of the playoff dream to come down to one final game.

With a win, the Spurs will finish as the No. 2 seed. With a loss, the Spurs could drop as far as the No. 6 seed. This isn’t necessarily a “must-win” scenario for the Spurs, but this game definitely garners significant weight.

The New Orleans Pelicans have won two out of three meetings with the Spurs this year and the lone loss was when Omer Asik inadvertently tipped in the winning basket in his own basket. In these three meetings, Anthony Davis has averaged 23 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks per game.

This could very well be a “make-or-break” game for perennial hot seat head coach Monty Williams. In an interview with ESPN, Williams said, “We get to play the champs on our home floor, our crowd should be crazy and our guys should have a good time with it.”

Keys to the Game:

Out rebound and out hustle the Spurs. Pelicans front court of Davis and Asik need to grab both offensive and defensive boards and limit the Spurs to one and done possessions in order to win this game. Limit Duncan’s touches and keep San Antonio big men off of the offensive glass.

Keep Tony Parker out of the lane. Tony Parker will get the likes of Quincy Pondexter, Tyreke Evans, Norris Cole and hopefully Jrue Holiday tonight. Monty Williams does a good job of rotating able defenders to neutralize opposing stars. Pels must create physical match-ups with Tony Parker and keep him from getting our bigs in foul trouble or slicing through the lane for easy layups.

Ryan Anderson needs to hit shots early. The Flamethrower has been in somewhat of a shooting slump since his return. He has all the right offensive moves and footwork but needs to cash in with big buckets early to gain confidence. Also, Ryno, if you’re reading this, take a step closer and toe the three point line. There has been way too many opportunities wasted when a wide open three pointer comes up short simply because it is shot from four feet beyond the arc.

The crowd must be in every possession and supporting the Pelicans for the entirety of the game. Don’t get too low, don’t get too high. Know that the Spurs are one of the best teams in basketball. The crowd must have a playoff like atmosphere and will hopefully be close to full capacity.

Come support the Pelicans for their final game of the regular season. They will take on the San Antonio Spurs at 7pm.

TEASER: Louisiana-Shot ‘Joe Dirt 2: Beautiful Loser’

“Home is where you make it.” David Spade made his home in the Big Easy while filming the guaranteed critically  success Joe Dirt 2: Beautiful Loser. I am both skeptical and insanely pumped to see sequel to the 2001 cult classic Joe Dirt. The entire cast is returning including the audibly unique Christopher Walken, beautiful Brittany Daniel, classically funny Dennis Miller, Adam Beach and one of the greatest vocalists of the 90s Sugar Ray’s Mark McGrath. Let’s all just pray to God that Kid Rock will return as the ass-kicking redneck Randy.

In Joe Dirt 2: Beautiful Loser, Joe gets sent back in time and is forced to reconnect with his loved ones who reside in the present. This is already a confusing concept but with the mullet-sporting renaissance man at the helm, I’m sure everything will be ok. David Spade was recently interviewed by EW saying,

“Besides Tommy Boy, this is the most talked-about movie for me. After 10 years of people still asking about a sequel, we finally found a good way to do it. Joe is a fun character to play. I’m stoked for everyone to see it.”

Adam Sandler’s Happy Madison is producing the film. Joe Dirt helmer Fred Wolf returns to direct the sequel from he and Spade’s script. Joe Dirt 2: Beautiful Loser will premiere on the streaming service Crackle this summer.

Source: Entertainment Weekly

Amirah Vann Cast in Baton Rouge-Shot ‘Underground’

About a week ago we received news of Kanye West becoming the musical executive producer for the new Baton Rouge-shot TV series Underground. The newest member of the Underground family is Amirah Vann. She joins the likes of Devon Gummersall (Mad Men) and Mykelti Williamson (Justified) who had previously joined the cast of the Underground Railroad period piece.

WGN America’s Underground is a pre-Civil war drama revolving around the audacious pioneers that traveled underground to freedom. Sony Pictures and Tribune Studios take the journey with a group of slaves who flee a Georgia plantation in hopes of traveling across the country to earn their freedom.

Vann will play Ernestine, the head house slave. Ernestine is a master in navigation around the plantation but will be greatly tested when the slaves she once called family run. You might have seen Amirah Vann in the HBO comedy series Girls. Her other credits include Tracers and And So It Goes.

Shooting is set to begin on April 13 in Baton Rouge. Cast and crew will travel to Georgia to film as well. Underground will premiere on WGN America next spring. If you’re interested in working on the set of Underground, then visit jobScene for more information.

Source: Deadline

The 2015 MISS USA Pageant Brings The Heat Back to Baton Rouge

The 2015 Miss USA Pageant Will Return to Baton Rouge Sunday, July 12. It will be recorded live from the Baton Rouge River Center and appear on NBC 8-11 pm ET. Below is the Miss USA Pageant Press Release.

New York, NY – April 14, 2015 – NBC, Donald J. Trump and Paula M. Shugart, president of the Miss Universe Organization, announced today that the 2015 MISS USA® Pageant will take place in Baton Rouge, La.  After the success of last year’s telecast, the MISS USA pageant returns to air LIVE from The Baton Rouge River Center Sunday, July 12 (8-11 p.m. ET) on NBC.

“The 2014 MISS USA® Pageant delivered an unprecedented amount of national and international exposure for Baton Rouge, taking its reputation for tourism and business opportunities beyond the local level,” says Trump. “This year’s pageant will be no different. Continuing our partnership guarantees another sold-out show that will provide Louisiana’s capital with another three hours of primetime television coverage,” adds Trump.

“There is always a genuine feeling of true hospitality when visiting Baton Rouge,” says Shugart. “We have created an incredible partnership with the city, and are honored to have the responsibility of sharing what their community has to offer through our worldwide telecasts,” adds Shugart. “Baton Rouge was recently named one of the Top 10 Happiest Cities in America by the National Bureau of Economic Research, which is no surprise to us. We truly cannot wait to go back.”

The Miss Universe Organization will return to the “Capital City” to produce the 2015 MISS USA® Pageant after the tremendous results from last summer. The 2014 MISS USA® broadcast and its events leading up to the show placed Baton Rouge on a world stage, bringing the city unparalleled exposure which vastly increased web traffic and created countless mentions in news and social media. The telecast shared the best of Louisiana’s vibrant culture and featured its lively music scene, unique food and proud people. On the night of last year’s pageant, hotels showed their largest surge in revenue, with an increase of 25 percent from the same day in 2013. Furthermore, it was reported by local news to be a “tourism victory.”

“Last year’s pageant was great exposure for Louisiana. We showed off Louisiana’s unique culture, abundant leisure opportunities and delicious seafood,” Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne said. “We are excited to have the Miss Universe Organization back in 2015 to share our one-of-a-kind hospitality with the contestants and the pageant’s millions of television viewers.”

Mayor-President Melvin L. “Kip” Holden said, “There are so many things about the return of MISS USA to Baton Rouge that are unprecedented, but one of the most memorable from last year which we will again see was the fantastic exposure it gave Baton Rouge and Louisiana as a great tourism destination. There was a national social media buzz about this event all week as the contestants made local appearances. I’m going to predict this year will be even better now that everyone has seen how much entertainment MISS USA brings to Baton Rouge.”

“We are elated that the pageant is returning to Baton Rouge. Visitors, contestants and the nation alike saw the uniqueness of Baton Rouge’s attractions, food and culture last year,” said Paul Arrigo, president and CEO of Visit Baton Rouge. “With so much more to see and do in Baton Rouge, we cannot wait to showcase everything else our great city has to offer.”

L’Auberge Baton Rouge Casino & Hotel will host the Miss USA contestants leading up to the pageant. “We are very excited to once again be the host hotel for the MISS USA event,” says Mickey Parenton, Senior Vice President and General Manager, L’Auberge Baton Rouge Casino & Hotel.  The Miss Universe organization, contestants and staff were tremendous to work with and we look forward to sharing our South Louisiana hospitality with them yet again.”

The Miss Universe Organization will bring on IMG as executive producers of this year’s MISS USA pageant. Recognized as a global leader in sports, fashion and media, the IMG team most recently produced the 63rd Annual MISS UNIVERSE® Pageant in January. The 2015 MISS USA® Pageant will feature contestants from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Contestants will be judged in three categories: swimsuit, evening gown and interview. The show concludes with one contestant ultimately being crowned Miss USA 2015.

Last year’s telecast concluded with Nia Sanchez, Miss Nevada USA, being crowned Miss USA 2014. The MISS USA telecast now reaches approximately 70 countries and territories. For more information, visit www.missusa.com.

ABOUT THE MISS UNIVERSE ORGANIZATION

The Miss Universe Organization (MUO) is a Donald J. Trump and NBCUniversal joint venture which uses its global grassroots reach to empower women to be self-confident and strive to be their personal best.  MUO believes that every woman should be “Confidently Beautiful.” The MISS UNIVERSE®, MISS USA®, and MISS TEEN USA® beauty pageants provide an international platform through dedicated partnerships with charities, sponsors, and brands around the world. During their reign, our winners are given the tools to personally and professionally enrich others by providing humanitarian efforts to affect positive change, all while developing their personal career goals. For more information, and to learn more about Miss USA’s official cause to raise awareness for breast and ovarian cancer education and prevention please visit: www.missusa.com.

FOLLOW MISS USA:

•  Facebook: www.facebook.com/MissUSA

•  YouTube: www.youtube.com/MissUSA

•  Twitter and Instagram: @MissUSA

ABOUT VISIT BATON ROUGE

As the official destination marketing organization for Louisiana’s capital city, Visit Baton Rouge supports the region’s rich and diverse culture by promoting the area to meeting organizers, tour operators, leisure travelers and convention and sports-event planners. Baton Rouge was named the Best Small City for Filmmakers by MovieMaker Magazine in 2015, a Top 10 American City to visit in 2015 by Horizon Travel Magazine, one of the Top 10 Happiest Cities in America by the National Bureau of Economic Research in 2014, and received the 2013 Southern Hospitality City, and 2013 and 2014 Readers’ Choice Awards for “The South’s Best Foodie Cities For Groups” by Convention South magazine. For more information, visit www.VisitBatonRouge.com. #GoBR

ABOUT NBC ENTERTAINMENT

NBC Entertainment develops and schedules the network’s primetime, late-night, and daytime programming. NBC’s quality programs and balanced lineup have earned the network critical acclaim, numerous awards and ratings success. The network finished the 2013-14 season as No. 1 in the 18-49 demo for the first time in 10 years. NBC has earned more Emmy Awards than any network in television history. NBC’s scripted slate is highlighted by The Blacklist as well as Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Grimm, The Night Shift, The Mysteries of Laura, Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D., A.D. The Bible Continues, American Odyssey, Undateable, One Big Happy and About a Boy.

TV Ratings: Dipping 'NCIS' Gives CBS a Tuesday Win

The network tops the night among adults 18-49 with steady outings of 'New Orleans' and 'Person of Interest.'

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TEASER: New Orleans-Shot ‘Scream Queens’

Initially we saw Emma Roberts blowing the now-iconic Scream Queens pink chewing gum bubble. Now we see Emma Roberts holding the knife, using the blade as a mirror and she applies blood red lipstick. Other promos included Keke Palmer (Akeelah and the Bee) cooly blowing a bubble that eventually pops by the force of an inner demon. Also, watch the very first teaser trailer here.

Thus far, Murphy has released four similar teaser trailers for his new horror-comedy series. Scream Queens follows a series of murders that leaves a college campus in shambles. Emma Roberts will star with Keke Palmer, Jamie Lee Curtis, Lea Michele and Ariana Grande and Nick Jonas will have recurring roles in the premiere season.

Scream Queens has been scouting locations in New Orleans and has been filming its fifteen episode order since early March. The show is expected to be released on Fox in late October. Visit the Scream Queens Daily Buzz website here.

Source: TVLine

Sarah Paulson’s Stay at ‘American Horror Story: Hotel’ is Confirmed

Ryan Murphy has taken to his Twitter feed again, this time announcing that Sarah Paulson is checking in to Hotel and she’ll be the baddest bad girl of them all. We received news of Lady Gaga, Chloë Sevigny, Matt Bomer and Cathy Bates joining the cast and now Sarah Paulson will return the the set of American Horror Story for season five.

Paulson’s commitment to Ryan Murphy and his team at AHS will be her fifth stint with the anthology series. According to Murphy, Paulson will be playing a villain in the upcoming horror series. Currently, Paulson is working on Murphy’s other FX anthology series American Crime Story. The baddest bad girl of them all will begin American Horror Story: Hotel following her role on American Crime Story as Marcia Clark.

A couple seasons ago, Paulson earned an Emmy nomination for her lead role in New Orleans-shot Coven. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Paulson said,

“I have never felt so completely seen by another director or producer or person before in terms of his willingness time and time again to give me something to do that I didn’t even think I was capable of doing. I don’t know why in the world I’d want to go elsewhere when I’m getting the best deal in town.”

AHS: Hotel will begin production during the summer and will premiere in perfect time for trick or treating in October. Visit the FX show’s official website here.

Source: TVLine

TRAILER: Georgia-Shot ‘Ant-Man’

The writing of Step Brothers penman Adam McKay shines bright in the most recent trailer for Marvel’s Ant-Man. Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Evangeline Lilly and even the probably villainous Corey Stoll show their comedic sides as the newest Marvel movie looks to be perfect summer fun.

The first trailer for Ant-Man had some impressive visuals but seemed to still be searching for its tone. Marvel’s Kevin Feige has done a wonderful job of producing a slate of film and tv shows that feel tonally similar, while allowing the project to also reflect each superhero’s personality. It seems like the pieces of Ant-Man are finally coming into harmony with the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Ant-Man was shot on location in Georgia at Pinewood Atlanta Studios. Some exteriors were shot in San Francisco.

The film also stars Judy Greer, Hayley Atwell, John Slattery, Bobby Cannavale, Michael Pena, TI, David Dastmalchian and Martin Donovan.It’s directed by Peyton Reed, who famously took over for Edgar Wright just before production began.

Ant-Man opens wide on July 17.

Baton Rouge-Shot ‘Scream’ Unveils New Logo

MTV unveiled their new Scream logo. Scream is a Baton Rouge-shot television series that will be filled with murders, comedy, horror and teenage angst. During Sunday’s MTV Movie Awards, the first full trailer of Scream will be released.

The show will star Bella Thorne (The Duff), Willa Fitzgerald (Royal Pains), Bex Taylor-Klaus (Arrow), John Karna (Premature) and Carlson Young (Key and Peele). Willa Fitzgerald’s character is the popular teenager Emma Duvall. Bex Taylor-Klaus will play a preacher’s daughter Aubrey Jensen. John Karna will play Noah Foster, the logistical student. The beautiful Carlson Young will play the adorable mastermind Brooke Maddox.

John Karna and Carlson Young will re-team as the two starred together in Premature. Carlson Young also played the infamous J-Quellan on the Key and Peele skit “Substitute Teacher.” I wonder if she’ll be on the call sheet when they make that into a feature film? But with her comedic background, MTV’s Scream has great potential to provoke some laughs. Watch the Key and Peele skit below:

PHOTOS: The Thing is Revealed in ‘Fantastic Four’

Thanks to 20th Century Fox, /film and apparently some dude’s Instagram feed, we finally see the industrial strength official photo of The Thing, the rock formation from the new superhero flick Fantastic Four. Along with The Thing photo, we see two other awesome photos from the upcoming film. We can over analyze both photos below.

This photo looks to be Richard Reed. Miles Teller is laying on some sort of device that will either help or hurt his flexibility. His left arm appears to be stretched more so than his right and it seems that his hands are no pictured or are completely absent. Are those scientists in the green suits? Not too sure if this is a positive or negative photo for Mr. Fantastic but I certainly can’t wait to find out.

The last photo looks like it is right out of a shot from Prometheus or even Interstellar. The shot itself looks superb and the world that is set up is incredibly vast. The setting alone looks to be out of this world and creates a universe that is like no other Fantastic Four film we’ve seen before.

Fantastic Four opens August 7. The superhero picture is written Simon Kinberg and directed by Josh Trank. The film stars Miles Teller, Kate Mara, Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Bell and Toby Kebbell.

Fantastic Four, a contemporary re-imagining of Marvel’s original and longest-running superhero team, centers on four young outsiders who teleport to an alternate and dangerous universe, which alters their physical form in shocking ways. Their lives irrevocably upended, the team must learn to harness their daunting new abilities and work together to save Earth from a former friend turned enemy.

Visit the official website for Fantastic Four here. And watch the trailer here.

IN THEATERS: ‘Ex Machina,’ ‘The Longest Ride,’ ‘Lost River’

Ex Machina

Dredd penman Alex Garland directs from his own script in this Sci-Fi drama starring Oscar Isaac and Domhall Gleeson. A story of seduction and deceit involving a young programmer, a scientific icon and his creation, a breathtaking female artificial intelligence. 108 min. Rated R.

The Longest Ride

From the ink of Nicholas Sparks, the romantic drama unfolds between two complete different time periods. An unlikely couple save an old man’s life and unlock lost love as they traverse back in time. 139 min. Rated PG-13.

Lost River

Ryan Gosling’s directorial debut comes a story of a single mother trying to protect her son from a dark underworld. Christina Hendricks stars alongside Ben Mendelsohn and Eva Mendes. 95 min. Rated R.

Kathy Bates Will Return to ‘American Horror Story’

Kathy Bates will check in to American Horror Story: Hotel, the anthology series’ fifth installment. Ryan Murphy announced yesterday via Twitter that she would be returning. With Jessica Lange out of the picture, Bates could be the new face of the franchise.

Bates joins the new cast consisting of Chloe Sevigny, Lady Gaga, Wes Bentley, Matt Bomer and Cheyenne Jackson. This won’t be anything new to Bates as she has appeared twice before on the horror drama. American Horror Story: Hotel will be the third trip for the Emmy-winner.

The character description hasn’t been released yet but there are endless possibilities for the chameleon actress Bates. She won an Emmy last year in her performance of Madame Delphine LaLaurie on American Horror Story: Coven and played a role in last season’s Freak Show.

AHS: Hotel will begin production during the summer and will premiere in perfect time for trick or treating in October. Visit the FX show’s official website here.

Pelicans Fall To Grizzlies

After an amazing victory at the Smoothie King Center on Tuesday night, the Pelicans fall hard to the Grizzlies 110-74. The Pelicans now sit tied at the eighth spot with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Luckily for the Pels, they own the tiebreaker against the Thunder, which means they can finish the season tied with the Thunder and they will still advance.

Memphis had control of the game from the tip off. It honestly never looked in doubt for the hard-nose Grizzlies. They defend, they battle, the hit shots and they looked fresh and played with energy all game.

Zach Randolph finished with 15 points and 13 rebounds, he actually had a double double going into halftime. Jeff Green and Marc Gasol each had 15 points to match Randolph’s output. The Grizzlies literally dominated in every facet of the game and took advantage of the worn down Pelicans.

Anthony Davis scored a team high 12 points. Only three Pelicans scored in double figures, Tyreke Evans with 10, Quincy Pondexter with 11 and Davis with 12. Eric Gordon struggled putting the ball in the basket going 4-13 (31%) finishing with nine points.

This by no means is the end of the world for the Pelicans. Are we inching closer to the Panic Button? Maybe. Is it time to push said button? No way. The Pelicans now get a day of rest and a day of preparation for the Phoenix Suns. The Suns are on their way out of the Western Conference playoffs as they sit 3.5 games behind the eighth spot.

The Thunder are currently on a four game slide and will play Sacramento Friday night. The Pelicans will host the Suns in a must win scenario. Pelicans finish the season playing at home against Phoenix, on the road at Houston and Minnesota then come home to finish out the year against the reigning champs, the San Antonio Spurs.

The Thunder’s last four remaining games is an easier path as they’ll finish with a home game with Sacramento, travel to Indiana to play the Pacers, come back home to host Portland and then travel to Minnesota to close out the year.

The Pelicans will likely have to go 3-1 in this final four game stretch to make the playoffs for the first time in the franchise’s history. Support the Pelicans Friday night at 7pm at the Smoothie King Center.

Bubble Watch: Which Broadcast Series Are In Danger Of Cancellation

Last season, 12 freshman scripted series made it to Season 2. That number will likely be matched and even surpassed this season, which has been pretty strong for newcomers. Nine freshman series already have been given early renewals, Fox’s Empire, Gotham and The Last Man On Earth, CBS’ Madam Secretary, Scorpion and NCIS: New Orleans, the CW’s The Flash and Jane The Virgin as well as ABC’s How to Get Away with Murder, whose renewal ABC revealed in a promo following the…

Pelicans Hold on to Beat the Top-Seeded Warriors

The spirit of Jackie Moon and the Flint Michigan Tropics were upon us at the Smoothie King Center last night. The race for eighth place has a new front runner and its the New Orleans Pelicans. The Pelicans score 60 points in the second frame to erase a twelve point deficit going into halftime and held on to win 103-100 against the NBA’s best, Golden State Warriors.

The win last night catapulted the Pelicans into the eighth spot of the Western Conference playoffs. The match-up last night could’ve potentially been a preview for the first round of the playoffs. The Pels are perched just a .5 game ahead of the Oklahoma City Thunder who lost 113-88 against the San Antonio Spurs last night.

Anthony Davis led all scorers with 29 points, 23 of which came in the second half. Curry led the Warriors with 25 points and had a chance to tie it at the buzzer but thankfully rimmed out. Draymond Green dominated the Pelicans scoring 24 points and grabbed 14 boards. For the Pelicans, the unsung hero Quincy Pondexter played an incredible game and had the crowd whipped into a frenzy with every big three pointer hit or every big defensive play. Q Pon finished with 20 points shooting a perfect 4-4 from beyond the three point line.

The game did not start pretty for the Pelicans as Andrew Bogut blocked layups and dunk attempts for the entire first half. Bogut would finish with nine blocks. Curry got hot, as usual scoring 16 of his 25 points in the first half. Anthony Davis had an abysmal first half as his plus/minus was -11. Then, the third quarter happened. The booze must’ve kicked in just at the right time for the home crowd as every basket was followed by a united roar. The comeback was on.

Davis went 5-6 in the third quarter alone to score 13 points. It didn’t stop there as Eric Gordon and Quincy Pondexter both knocked down consecutive threes to pace the Pelicans to a 79-78 lead going into the fourth.

Jump to about 3:00 remaining in the fourth quarter after a Steph Curry layup. Pelicans down 95-92 looking to be in a world of trouble. Defiantly the young Pelicans channel an 8-0 run and turned the Warriors over three times and ultimately hold on to victory.

Keys of the Game:

Pelicans got out on the break in the second half and poured in 60 second half points alone. They hit timely threes and defended and rebounded when they needed to. Davis and Asik both recorded 10 rebounds in the win.

Steph Curry made the game close going 5-8 from three point range. The Pelicans frantically chased him around the three point arc but Curry’s quickness and insane ball handles created jumpers that sent “ooo’s” and “ahh’s” throughout the crowd.

Final key is the defensive job of Tyreke Evans, Dante Cunningham and Eric Gordon on Team USA Gold Medalist Klay Thompson. Thompson was held to only seven points shooting 2-10 from the field. Thompson was also forced into making four turnovers.

Next up for the Pelicans is the rugged Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night. The race for the eighth spot continues as the Thunder will host the Sacramento Kings on Friday night.

Kanye West, Devon Gummersall & Mykelti Williamson Go Underground in Baton Rouge

Kanye West will serve as musical executive producer for the new Baton Rouge-shot TV series Underground. West’s initial involvement with the slavery period piece drama was rumored in February. But as of yesterday, the rumors were put aside as the fish stick loving rapper signed on to bring his genius music to television.

Underground is created by Joe Pokaski and Misha Green. The script was penned by The Da Vinci Code’s Akiva Goldsman. WGN America ordered a ten-episode season following the tales and tribulations of the Underground Railroad. Underground follows Salem as the second series shot in Louisiana for WGN America. Some filming will also take place in Georgia.

The cast of Underground includes Jurnee Smollett-Bell (Friday Night Lights), Christopher Meloni (Special Victims Unit) Aldis Hodge (Leverage) and Jesse De Gouw (Arrow). Recently, Underground added two new players to the cast in Devon Gummersall and Mykelti Williamson.

Gummersall has a stint in the final season of Mad Men and will play the role of John Hawkes. Hawkes is a lawyer and a man trying balance the torn world that he now lives in.

Mykelti Williamson, (better known as the co-owner of Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.), will play Moses, a passionate preacher who joins the slaves and takes his own family on the run. Williamson has held recent roles on Justified, Hawaii Five-O, Nashville and 24.

Shooting is set to begin on April 13 in Baton Rouge. Cast and crew will travel to Georgia to film as well. Underground will premiere on WGN America next spring. If you’re interested in working on the set of Underground, then visit jobScene for more information.

Source: Deadline

It Follows, Going Clear, Bloodline, Nightcrawler, Home, Me and Orson Welles, Cinderella, Johnny Carson: King of Late Night | The SceneCast

Micah, David and Beth discuss the film and television shows they’ve seen recently, including It Follows, Going Clear, Bloodline, Nightcrawler, Home, Me and Orson Welles, Cinderella and Johnny Carson: King of Late Night.

The SceneCast is the official podcast of Scene Magazine, the entertainment magazine. Find out more at Sceneent.com. Email us at scenecast@sceneent.com.

SHOW NOTES

0:50 – Intro
2:03 – Johnny Carson: King of Late Night
5:01 – Heathers
14:32 – Me and Orson Welles
18:02 - Nightcrawler
33:24 – David’s Thoughts on Cinderella
41:39 – Dreamworks’ Home
46:40 – It Follows
59:35 – Netflix’s Bloodline
1:07:15 – Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief

SPONSOR:

This episode of the SceneCast is brought to you by On Screens Custom Wardrobing by Baudier Marketing.  Whether you are a company seeking great promotional products, a film that needs crew shirts and wrap gifts , embroidered patches, or screen printing, Baudier Marketing does it better. When you need it, they deliver it FAST. Call us at 504-734-FAST. That’s 504-734-FAST.

33,520 Louisiana Jobs and Nearly $4 Billion in State Economic Output From Film & Entertainment, Says New Study

The long-awaited results of a new film and entertainment economic impact study, funded by LFEA’s “Here’s My Two Bucks” Kickstarter campaign, are finally in. Yesterday, the new study conducted by HR&A Advisors were made public and the results are impressive, including the economic impact of international tourism induced by film and television shows like Focus and American Horror Story that are set in Louisiana (although because the most recent data was from 2013, it excludes the impact of NCIS: New Orleans, the new show which is now one of the most popular worldwide).

You can read the report in its entirety here.

Here is the joint press release from LFEA and the MPAA. More to come as we closely review the study.

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WASHINGTON, DC – Today, a new statewide economic and fiscal impact analysis by HR&A Advisors, Inc. (“HR&A”) reveals that the Louisiana State Motion Picture Investor Tax Credit supported up to 33,520 jobs, generating up to $1.2 billion in personal income, and up to $4 billion in economic output in 2013.

These figures include both production spending and visitor spending attributable to motion picture- and- television- induced tourism.

Since the inception of the credit in Louisiana in 2002, Louisiana’s motion picture and television industry has flourished, attracting major productions to the state and creating long-lasting ancillary benefits. From 2002 to 2013, total Louisiana motion picture and television production employment increased by over 5,000 jobs, with estimated full credit/calendar year 2013 production spending topping $1 billion. Significant infrastructure investment has supported the growth of the industry, with three large purpose-built studios—Second Line Stages (New Orleans), Celtic Media Centre (Baton Rouge), and Millennium Studios (Shreveport) — established across the state.

In 2013, production spending associated with the Credit significantly benefited the Louisiana economy, supporting 10,800 jobs, generating $471.2 million in personal income and $1.6 billion in economic output. This high-level of production introduces Louisiana to audiences across the nation and around the world, increasing tourism that benefits local businesses and workers. In fact, based on a survey of 1,381 recent visitors to Louisiana, the HR&A study finds that 14.5% of domestic, out-of-state, leisure visitors can be considered motion picture- and/or television- induced tourists. In 2013, visitor spending attributable to motion picture- and television- induced tourism in the state supported up to 22,720 jobs in Louisiana, generating up to $766.6 million in personal income and up to $2.4 billion in economic output. These figures come on the heels of an announcement from Lieutenant Governor Jay Dardenne that 2014 was another record year for Louisiana tourism.

Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne, who is a candidate for governor, authored the legislation that created the Motion Picture Tax Credits in 2002. “The credits have created jobs for creative young people and sparked the growth of many small businesses who service moviemakers in Louisiana,” he said. “It is no coincidence that Louisiana has suddenly gained widespread visibility, from a host of movies and reality shows set in Louisiana.  The industry has made significant contributions to the success of our tourism efforts and the three successive record-breaking years we have enjoyed,” Dardenne said.

Will French, President of the Louisiana Film and Entertainment Association, stated, “Our product is beamed directly into hundreds of millions of living rooms around the world. When our culture, people, locations, and images are featured in film and television, we naturally affect vacation decisions. For the first time, we have been able to quantify the impact and incredible benefits for the Louisiana economy.”

“Locally filmed movies and TV shows bring New Orleans’ best qualities to the top of viewers’ minds, attracting visitors from around the country that positively affect our entire state. The Motion Picture Investor Tax Credit keeps our hotels booked, our small businesses busy, and continues to inspire new activities and attractions. I’m glad this study provides a clear picture of the direct link between productions and tourism,” said Stephen Perry, President and CEO of the New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau.

“These latest figures are a demonstration that Louisiana’s motion picture incentive program is not only working to encourage in-state productions, but it is also developing a booming and diverse state-wide economic sector,” said MPAA’s Vans Stevenson, Senior Vice President, State Government Affairs.

Key figures from HR&A’s analysis of the Louisiana State Motion Picture Investor Tax Credit:

• Overall, in 2013, including both production spending and visitor spending attributable to motion picture- and television- induced tourism, the Credit supported up to 33,520 jobs in Louisiana across all industries, generating up to $1.2 billion in personal income and up to $4 billion in economic output in Louisiana.

• In 2013, production spending associated with the Credit supported 10,800 jobs in Louisiana across all industries, generating $471.2 million in personal income and $1.6 billion in economic output in Louisiana.

• In 2013, visitor spending attributable to motion picture- and television- induced tourism in the state supported up to 22,720 jobs in Louisiana across all industries, generating up to $766.6 million in personal income and up to $2.4 billion in economic output in Louisiana.

A link to the newly released analysis of the Louisiana State Motion Picture Investor Tax Credit is available here.

To accompany the new report, HR&A also prepared a review of the most recent economic impact analysis of the Credit completed by Loren C. Scott & Associates. While both reports find that the Credit has supported industry growth and generated significant in-state economic impacts, the Loren Scott report underestimates the Credit’s full economic and fiscal contributions to Louisiana:

• The Loren Scott report underestimates the economic impacts of the Credit by excluding the impacts of motion picture and television- induced tourism.

• The Loren Scott report applies an unwarranted reduction to resident wage payments in order to produce “adjusted economic impacts.”

• The Loren Scott report underestimates tax revenues generated by the Credit by failing to account for taxes on non-resident earnings. Non-resident earnings are taxed in Louisiana, and a full accounting of fiscal impacts should include the revenue generated by these taxes.

• The Loren Scott report evaluates the economic and fiscal impacts of production spending based on the year in which the spending was finally certified, and is therefore examining economic activity that occurred potentially years earlier. The HR&A study evaluates the economic and fiscal impacts of production spending based on the year in which the spending actually occurred and generated an impact to the State’s economy.

• Finally, though, it’s extremely important to note that despite some of these issues, the Loren Scott report does not call for any significant change to the Credit.

A link to HR&A’s review of the Loren Scott report is available here.

HR&A Advisors, Inc. prepared the report and review of the Loren Scott report for the Louisiana Film and Entertainment Association (LFEA) and the Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. (MPAA).

About the Louisiana Film and Entertainment Association

The Louisiana Film & Entertainment Association is a professional trade association created to grow the entertainment industry in the State of Louisiana. LFEA plays a substantive role in the long term prosperity of the Louisiana’s entertainment industry; an industry defined by various sectors including film, music, digital media and live performance. The association works to bring together the individual working in the entertainment industry with businesses invested in Louisiana. LFEA’s goal is to speak with one voice regarding the positive economic impact the entertainment industry provides to Louisiana.

About the MPAA

The Motion Picture Association of America Inc. (MPAA) serves as the voice and advocate of the American motion picture, home video and television industries from its offices in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. Its members include: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures; Paramount Pictures Corporation; Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc.; Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation; Universal City Studios LLC; and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. 

PREVIEW: Pelicans Host The Warriors

“Her life is in your hands, Dude. Mr. Lebowski asked me to repeat that: Her life is in your hands, Dude.” That’s what Coach Monty Williams is telling Anthony Davis about the Pelicans’ season-ending stretch. Every game counts as the Pelicans control their own destiny to make that coveted eighth spot in the Western Conference Playoffs.

Tonight the Pelicans will host the three-point assassins of the NBA, the Golden State Warriors. Led by the best shooting back court in NBA history, the Warriors are sitting pretty atop the Western Conference throne with an astonishing record of 63-14.

A little over a week ago, the New Orleans Pelicans were slotted 3.5 games behind the Russell Westbro– I mean, the Oklahoma City Thunder. Now the birds from the Crescent City are a mere .5 game back and own a tiebreaker over the Thunder, thanks to a buzzer beating, three point heroic shot from a mint condition Anthony Davis.

Luckily for the Pels, Oklahoma City has lost three in a row and have dropped five of their last six games. Another reason to count our blessings is the fact that the reigning champs and the golden godfathers of the NBA, the San Antonio Spurs, visit Oklahoma City tonight. We’ve all just become Spurs fans and fans of all teams that oppose the Thunder for the remainder of the season.

Now let’s get to the juicy preview. Pelicans will have to learn how to defend the quick hitters and the three point bombardment that will inevitably take place tonight at the Smoothie King Center. The Warriors won the last meeting between the two 112-96. This doesn’t come as a surprise as the injury-ridden Pelicans were without Anthony Davis, Ryan Anderson and Omer Asik.

The long anticipated wait for Jrue Holiday is still a mystery. The young guns will undoubtedly have to sink deep down and defend well on the perimeter in order to win against the Warriors. The game will be played at a fast pace but the Pelicans will likely want to slow down and take the air out of the ball to limit fast break or quick shot opportunities for the Warriors. Steve Kerr has his guys trained to get open looks on the run and shoot at will when they’re falling. Match-up issues will be present on both ends of the court tonight as an undersized Eric Gordon might have to guard Klay Thompson, and an undersized Steph Curry might have to guard Tyreke Evans. This is where the key signing of Dante Cunningham and the acquisition of Quincy “Q-Pon” Pondexter come into play.

These two, along with Norris Cole, were absolute dynamite moves on the defensive side of the ball for Dell Demps and the Pelicans. Offensively, Pondexter has showed an amazing improvement to his outside game and has done an excellent job filling the role that Ryan Anderson has given the Pelicans time and time again. But defensively, Cunningham and Pondexter can guard everyone on the court except the center. They have done remarkable jobs keeping quick guards at bay and are able to defend and rebound in the same possession. Also the hustle is what makes them both so insanely likable. Both utility swing-men will play pivotal roles tonight as they both could guard anyone from Steph Curry all the way to Harrison Barnes and Draymond Green.

Keys to the Game:

Play fast. But not too fast. Pelicans have the ability to run up and down with almost anybody in the NBA, but they don’t want to bite off more than they can chew with the Dubs from Golden State. If the Tyreke-led break can result in a quick layup or a penetrate and kick to Pondexter or Anderson trailing the break I say take it. Not only does Golden State have the most efficient offense in the league but they defend better than anyone in the NBA in the half-court.

Hedge high on every ball screen. The defensive rotation must be flawless when Steph Curry orchestrates the pick and roll. Defenders must hedge high and force Curry off the three-point line and force him to make plays dishing to rolling big men. We must make David Lee and Andrew Bogut beat us rather than letting MVP-candidate Curry to get going. Anthony Davis and Omer Asik must get quality interior rotation to limit free lanes to the basket and create difficult shots at the rim.

Feed Anthony Davis early and often. Whomever Steve Kerr puts on Anthony Davis is a match-up issue in my opinion. I don’t think anyone on the Warriors has the ability to lock down Davis. I can’t imagine David Lee trying to guard Davis 20 feet from the basket. Blowing by defenders is what Anthony Davis needs to do and then obviously knock down open jumpers. When the fourth quarter comes around, hopefully the fans will be on their feet chanting “MVP, MVP, MVP” when Anthony Davis steps to the line to solidify the much needed home victory.

Come support the Pelicans tonight at the Smoothie King Center at 7pm. After tonight, the Pelicans travel to division rival and currently third seed in the West the Memphis Grizzlies.