GEORGE LOPEZ TO HOST “TAKE ME OUT” DEBUTING THURSDAY, JUNE 7 ON FOX

Multi-talented entertainer George Lopez will host TAKE ME OUT, the provocative and unpredictable new dating series premiering Thursday, June 7 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. TAKE ME OUT, based on the hugely successful international format, is a fast-paced, dynamic new series featuring 30 single women searching for a match and several brave bachelors who must make the ultimate first impression.

 

With an extensive career that encompasses television series, film, and standup comedy, Lopez will play matchmaker between the 30 female contestants and the men hoping for the chance to take one lucky lady out on an ultimate dream date.

 

“I am thrilled to be hosting such an entertaining new series,” said Lopez. “Anything can happen on a show like TAKE ME OUT and I’m looking forward to the excitement.”

“George’s amazing energy, spirit and incredible comedic timing make him the perfect host for TAKE ME OUT,” said executive producer Jeff Apploff.

 

Filmed in front of a studio audience and comprised of four rounds, TAKE ME OUT begins with a group of 30 beautiful, single women in search of finding a match made in heaven. Every week, the women are introduced to several bachelors one by one. Each woman stands at a lighted podium with a switch that controls her fate for a date: if she thinks it’s a match, she keeps her light on; if her attraction has been short-circuited, then it’s lights out and she waits for the next potential Mr. Right.

 

As the hopeful mate reveals more and more about himself, the women continue to turn their lights out as they lose interest—leaving only the flirty females still fascinated by him.  At this point, the gentleman takes control of the game and eliminates the ladies by turning out the lights of those women he’s just not into. During the last round, the bachelor will pose one final question to the two remaining women and will choose a winner to join him on a romantic fantasy date. Meanwhile, the remaining 29, plus one new woman, return during the next game for another chance at finding the guy who will light up their lives.

 

About George Lopez

Lopez is currently on a national stand-up comedy tour after hosting the late-night cable talk show “Lopez Tonight.” He co-created, wrote, produced, and starred in the groundbreaking sitcom “George Lopez,” which ran for six seasons. The show remains a hit with viewers in syndication, ranking among the Top Five comedies and Top 20 weekly programs in syndication. Lopez recently voiced the character “Rafael” in the animated blockbuster “Rio” and “Grouchy Smurf” in “The Smurfs.” His other film credits include the box-office hit “Valentine’s Day”; “Beverly Hills Chihuahua”; “Swing Vote”; “Henry Poole Is Here”; and “Balls of Fury.”

 

 

In addition to his work in film and television, Lopez has an impressive career in stand-up comedy, with comedy specials “Tall Dark and Chicano” and “America’s Mexican.” His stand-up albums “El Mas Chingon” and “Team Leader” were both nominated for Grammy Awards in the category of Best Comedy Album. Lopez also published an autobiography, “Why You Crying?,” that entered the Top 20 on the New York Times Best Sellers list. Time magazine named him one of the 25 Most Influential Hispanics in America, and the Harris Poll named him one of the Top 10 Favorite Television Personalities. Lopez has made more than 200 television comedy, talk show and hosting appearances, including co-hosting the Emmy Awards and twice hosting the Latin Grammys. Lopez also created The Lopez Foundation to foster positive, permanent change for underprivileged children and adults confronting challenges in education and health.

 

TAKE ME OUT is produced by FremantleMedia North America. Jeff Apploff (“Don’t Forget the Lyrics,” “Million Dollar Money Drop”) serves as executive producer. Jack Martin and Kevin Williams are co-executive producers.

 

The Smurfs (a J!-ENT Children’s DVD Review)

A fun family film that children will love!  Featuring an all-star cast and wonderful CG animation, “The Smurfs” definitely pays its respect to the original comic and animated series in bringing these characters to life.  And as an adult who grew up as a child watching the animated series, I found the film to be quite entertaining!

Images courtesy of © 2011 Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. and Hemisphere – Culver Picture Partners I, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

DVD TITLE: The Smurfs

FILM RELEASE DATE: 2011

DURATION: 103 Minutes

DVD INFORMATION: 1:78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen, English, French, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, English Audio Description Track, Subtitles: English, English SDH, Frencha nd Spanish

RATED: PG (For Some Mild Rude Humor and Action)

COMPANY: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

RELEASE DATE: December 2, 2011

Based on the stories by Maxwell Grant

Directed by Raja Gosnell

Characters by Peyo

Screenplay by J. David Stern, David N. Weiss, Jay Scherick, David Ronn

Story by J. David Stern, David N. Weiss

Produced by Jordan Kerner, Executive Producer: Ben Haber, Paul Neesan, Ezra Swerdlow

Music by Heitor Pereira

Cinematography by Phil Meheux

Edited by Sabrina Plisco

Casting by Richard Hicks, David Rubin

Production Design by Bill Boes

Art Direction by Chris Shriver, Christian Wintter

Set Decoration by Regina Graves

Costume Design by Rita Ryack

Starring:

Hank Azaria as Gargamel

Neil Patrick Harris as Patrick Winslow

Jayma Mays as Grace Winslow

Sofia Vergara as Odile

Tim Gunn as Henri

Mr. Krinkle as Azrael

Jonathan Winters as the voice of Papa Smurf

Alan Cumming as the voice of Gutsy

Katy Perry as the voice of Smurfette

Fred Armisen as the voice of Brainy

George Lopez as the voice of Grouchy

Anton Yelchin as the voice of Clumsy

Jeff Foxworth as the voice of Handy

Kenan Thompson as the voice of Greedy

John Oliver as the voice of Vanity

Wolfgang Puck as the voice of Chef

Paul Reubens as the voice of Jokey

Gary Basaraba as the voice of Hefty

B.J. Novak as the voice of Baker

Tom Kane as the voice of Narrator Smurf

John Kassier as the voice of Crazy Smurf

Joel McCrary as the voice of Farmer

Frank Welker as the voice of Azrael

When the evil wizard Gargamel chases the tiny blue Smurfs out of their village, they tumble from their magical world and into ours — in fact, smack dab in the middle of Central Park. Just three apples high and stuck in the Big Apple, the Smurfs must find a way to get back to their village before Gargamel tracks them down.

Back in the late ’50s, Belgian cartoonist Peyo created the comic strips featuring small blue fictional characters known as the Smurfs.  A big success in France, the Smurfs would receive various adaptations.

The first were in Belgium via TV animated shorts that were  created in 1961-1967, a few of the shorts would be featured in the 1965 in the black-and-white animation “Les Adventures des Schtroumpfs” and then followed by a 1976 animation titled “La Flûte à six schtroumpfs” (The Smurfs and the Magic Flute) which would receive an English version that would inspire more full-length Smurf animated films.

But in America, where the Smurfs gained its popularity is through the 1981 animated TV series which was nominated many times for a Daytime Emmy Award and won the “Outstanding Children’s Entertainment Series” for 1982-1983.  The animated series would broadcast on television through 1989.

In 1997, producer Jordan Kerner has been trying to get a “Smurfs” film created but it wasn’t until 2002 when Peyo’s heirs accepted Kerner’s offer and people were able to get their first look at the film via leaked footage on the Internet in 2008.

And in 2011, the first live-action/CG Smurf film of a planned trilogy was released in theaters in 2011.  The film which was budgeted for $110 million received lackadaisical reviews from film critics but the film was popular among the younger viewers and earned over $559 million in the box office ensuring the film as a success for Columbia Pictures. It also helps that the film features all-star talent for the live-action scenes and the voice acting scenes including Neil Patrick Harris (“How I Met Your Mother”), Jayma Mays (“Glee), Hank Azaria (“The Simpsons”), Sofia Vergara (“Modern Family”) and Tim Gunn (“Project Runaway”).  For the voices of the Smurfs, a few of the talent featured are George Lopez, Katy Perry, Alan Cummings, Kenan Thompson, Fred Armisen, Paul Reubens to name a few.  And the film is directed by Raja Gosnell (“Big Momma’s Hosue”, “Scooby-Doo”, “Never Been Kissed”) and a screenplay by J. David Stern (“Shrek 2″, “The Rugrats Movie”), David N. Weiss (“Shrek 2″, “All Dogs Go to Heaven”) and writing duo Jay Scherick and David Ronn (both wrote “Zookeeper”, “Guess Who”, “Norbit”).

And now, “The Smurfs” will be released on Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray and DVD on December 2nd.

“The Smurfs” revolve around life in the Smurf village as the Smurfs are preparing for the Blue Moon festival but Papa Smurf has sees a vision of Clumsy Smurf getting into trouble and making the Smurfs nemesis Gargamel (played by Hank Azaria) quite powerful. Gargamel meanwhile is planning to steal Smurf essence in order to make his power increase.  But he needs to capture them and now knows where they may be located.

So, while the Smurfs are collecting Smurf roots, Papa Smurf tells Clumsy to stay in the village.  Of course, Clumsy doesn’t really listen all that much and goes on his own to collect Smurf roots.   In the process, he is nearly captured and runs away from Gargamel and his cat Azrael.  But what Clumsy ends up doing is leading Gargamel to the secret hidden Smurf village where he tries to capture one of them.

As the Smurfs run into hiding, Clumsy ends up going the wrong way (the dangerous way) and in order to help him, Papa Smurf, Smurfette, Grouchy, Brain and Gutsy go after him.  But Clumsy ends up near a cliff area and falls off, fortunately the Smurfs end up rescuing him but each of them end up being sucked into a huge vortex which leads them to New York City.  Both Gargamel and Azrael jump into the vortex to catch the Smurfs.

Meanwhile, we are introduced to Patrick (played by Neil Patrick Harris), an advertising marketing manager for a major fashion corporation owned by Odile (played by Sofia Vergara).  As Patrick is in charge of coming up with new identity for the company and is under a lot of pressure to deliver, he is also worried for his pregnant wife Grace (played by Jayma Mays), mainly because he is not sure if he’s ready to be a father.

While Patrick is packing up boxes to take back home for work, Clumsy Smurf ends up falling in one of the boxes.   While Grace is sleeping and Patrick is working late on a logo, Papa and the other Smurfs sneak inside Patrick’s apartment and try to rescue Clumsy.  But Clumsy ends up going into the bathroom and creating a ruckus.  Meanwhile, as Grace goes to check on the ruckus, she finds Clumsy, while the other Smurfs are defending themselves against Patrick, who they think is an enemy.

But both Patrick and Grace are freaked out that small little blue creatures are in their apartment and talking to them, they learn that the Smurfs are trapped in New York City and must get home.  But in order to get home, they need a stargazer and a blue moon which will re-open the vortex in order for them to return back to their village and re-build.

Meanwhile, Gargamel has taken control of the Belvedere Castle in NYC and begun using his magic to create a device that will replenish his magic but to also extract the essence of a Smurf to make himself powerful. But now he must find the Smurfs and capture them.

The following morning as Patrick leaves for work, he is unaware that the Smurfs have followed him in hopes of gaining access to a stargazer.  But they end up causing him problems at work and Grace ends up having to bring them home.  But while in the taxi to go home, the Smurfs see a star gazer (a telescope) at a nearby toy department store and leaves Grace inside the taxi.  But with so many people around them and Gargamel not far behind, will the Smurfs survive in the streets of New York City? Let alone many kids who want to buy them at the toy store?

Meanwhile, what will happen to Patrick’s marketing campaign when Clumsy Smurf accidentally gets into a bit of trouble once again?  And what about the vision of Papa Smurf about Clumsy Smurf doing something wrong and making Gargamel extremely powerful?

VIDEO AND AUDIO:

“The Smurfs” is presented in 1:78:1 Anamorphic widescreen and English, French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital (and English-Audio Description Track).  If you want the best presentation of “The Smurfs”, you definitely want to go for the Blu-ray release, especially the Blu-ray 3D release if you have a Blu-ray player and television set capable of 3D playback.  But for the DVD version, you can still see quite a bit of detail from the threaded caps that the Smurfs wear, the strands of hair on Smurfette’s head to the pigmentation on the blue skin of the Smurfs.  Possibly not as detailed as the Blu-ray version but still visible on DVD.  For the most part, on DVD, the picture quality is very good.

As for audio, the audio features a lot of dialogue, music and also special effects for the action sequences.  On Blu-ray, the lossless audio will definitely take advantage of the surround channels but on DVD, the 5.1 Dolby Digital soundtrack is also pretty good as there is good amount of LFE during the bass-driven sequences, the music – may it be the Smurfs singing or even Neil and the Smurfs playing “Guitar Hero Aerosmith”.  The Dolby Digital soundtrack sounds very good but on Blu-ray, you definitely want to go for that version if you want a more immersive soundtrack and to hear the ambiance much more clearly.

Subtitles are in English, English SDH, French and Spanish.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“The Smurfs” come with the following special features:

• Find the Smurfs Game – Featuring a hide-and-seek remote control game in which you are shown a Smurf and with other Smurfs in the village, you need to find out where a certain smurf is hiding.
• Audio Commentary 1 – The first audio commentary features director Raja Gosnell who talks about the challenges of bringing the Smurfs to CG, the shooting process, scouting and shooting on location.
• Audio Commentary 2 – The second audio commentary features producer Jordan Kerner, writer J. David Stern, David N. Weiss , Jay Scherek, David Ronn and VFX Supervisor Richard Hoover.
• The Smurfs: Comic Book to the Big Screen – (8:16) Featuring the challenges in taking the Smurfs for a CG film, creating different personalities for each Smurf and more.
• Going Gargamel – (10:01) Hank Azaria talks about playing Gargamel and we see how much time it took to make the actor into Gargamel and behind-the-scenes footage and also the challenges of playing the role.
• Blu-Pers – (:26) Two very short bloopers.
• Happy Music Montage – (1:51) Short music montage of clips from the movie.

I was a bit skeptical when I first saw the trailer for “The Smurfs” in the theater.  It’s been a long time since I have watched the cartoon on television but I was a big fan of the animated series and owned several of the toys when I was younger.

And while the animated series is dear to me because I watched it from grade school and even when I was in high school, here we are decades later and now I have a child in grade school, who has become interested in “The Smurfs” not so much because of the animated series (which he has never seen) but primarily because he enjoys the iPad video game.

So, it’s quite interesting how the younger generation have found about the Smurfs, may it be the video game or through the Happy Meal toys but needless to say, despite the big names attached to this live-action/CG film, my main interest is how much they writers strayed from the original storyline or in this case, from the cartoon.

And when it was all done, I can say that as a family film and a film for the children, it was a fun film!  My eight-year-old enjoyed it a lot and for me and the wife, I’m a bit more easy on family films especially “The Smurfs” because they are targeted for a younger demographic.  With that being said, my wife was turned off by the “Guitar Hero” scene and I admit, that was possibly the cheesiest part of the entire film.

But for me, there was a lot to love about the film.  First, I think it worked in the favor of producer Jordan Kerner that this film was made in 2011 versus 1997 or in the early 2000′s because CG has developed a lot in the last decade and for the most part, I found the computer graphics to be very well-done.   Loved the detail on the skin of the Smurfs, loved the detail on the knit caps to the thorough planning on the color of the Smurfs to creating living beings via CG on the film (the special feature goes into details about how much the crew wanted the characters to come alive).

It helps to have popular TV talent such as Neil Patrick Harris, Sofia Vergara and Jayma Mays also involved with the film, especially the talent of Hank Azaria who is spectacular as voice talent for “The Simpsons” (and also the ’90s “Spider-Man” animated series) but even before then, he was fun to watch on “Mad About You” and “Friends”.   He did a fantastic job as Gargamel.  And of course, you have a lot of voice talent involved in this film from singer Katy Perry to a long list of talent which include Jonathan Winters, Alan Cummings, Fred Armisen, George Lopez, Kenan Thompson, Jeff Foxworthy, Wolfgang Puck to name a few.  And heck, you have voice acting legend Frank Welker (who also did the voice dub in the earlier Smurf’s animated films and TV series as “Hefty Smurf”) doing the voice of Azrael.

So, I appreciate the dedication of the crew honoring the original animated series and comic books but also giving new life to the characters for this live action/CG film.

With that being said, I know a major criticism by reviewers was that this film was “too kiddy” especially since it’s a rated PG film, not rated G.    But for me, “The Smurfs” was originally conceived for children back in the late ’50s, was targeted towards kids in the ’80s and I never expected anything dark or low-beat for this film.  I was not expecting the writers to stray far off from the original storyline and expected a family film that would feature a lot of laughs and also cheesy moments (I sort of liken it to the live-action/CG animated “Alvin and the Chipmunks” films).

Sure, Neil Patrick Harris and the Smurfs rockin’ it to Aerosmith via “Guitar Hero” was possibly the lowest point of this film for me, but aside from those scenes…everything else was pretty fun and hilarious and for the most part, my son and I had fun watching it (although my wife wasn’t into the film all that much).

As for the DVD release, the DVD release features a good amount of special features and commentary and the DVD does look good.  But if you want the best presentation in sound and audio, you want to go for the Blu-ray release, especially since it contains more special features than the DVD release.

Overall, for those who grew up watching “The Smurfs”, the good news is that the writers did fans a service by not straying to far from the original concept.  Sure, there are some cheesy scenes but as a family film, I’m not going to be overly critical as this film was created for the kids.  And as a fan of the original animated TV series, I had a fun time watching it as well.

With the holidays coming up, if you are looking for a fun family film to keep the kids busy during Winter vacation or even during those long traveling commutes, I recommend give “The Smurfs” a try!

EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION – VETERANS DAY SPECIAL (NOV. 11, 2011)

TY PENNINGTON AND JEWEL HOST
“EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION VETERANS DAY SPECIAL”
BENEFITING VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES FRIDAY NOVEMBER 11

The Entertainment Industry Foundation Enlists Whoopi Goldberg, George Lopez, J.R. Martinez,
Rachael Ray, Sherri Shepherd, Robin Williams and Major League Baseball players Clay Buchholz, Daniel Murphy and Shane Victorino to Participate in the Broadcast
And Encourage Donations Benefiting Veterans Groups

ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” is teaming up with the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) to present a one-hour special, “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition A Veterans Day Special,” airing on Veterans Day, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. Hosts Ty Pennington and singer/songwriter Jewel, will take us back to some of the most heartwarming military stories featured over the years. The “EMHE” crew will also pay a visit to select heroic families to find out what they’ve been up to since the makeover and how they are paying it forward by helping their fellow veterans. The special will culminate in a celebratory event that will feature an audience of active-duty service members and veterans, in addition to a live musical performance by Jewel.

Throughout the episode, celebrities will shine a light on issues veterans face after serving in the military, as well as the strengths and skills returning veterans bring to the work force and their communities. The Veterans Day program will include appearances by Whoopi Goldberg, George Lopez, J.R. Martinez, Rachael Ray, Sherri Shepherd, Robin Williams and Major League Baseball (MLB) players Daniel Murphy of the Mets, Shane Victorino of the Phillies and Clay Buchholz of the Red Sox. The celebrities will encourage the public to donate via phone and web at www.riseandhonor.org.

Net proceeds raised during this one-hour special will benefit the following veteran-serving organizations: Fisher House Foundation, Hire Heroes USA, Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, USO (United Service Organizations), Volunteers of America, and Welcome Back Veterans. These organizations provide vital services and support to our nation’s veterans and their families, including housing, job placement, career readiness, health care, rehabilitation and mental health treatment. This television event is made possible due to the generous support of ABC, The Clorox Company and MLB.

“We are thrilled to partner with ABC and the ‘Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’ team to honor the brave men and women who have sacrificed so much for our country,” said Entertainment Industry Foundation President and CEO Lisa Paulsen. “We hope this inspiring program will rally Americans to give back to our military families and support organizations that provide vital services to our veterans and their families.”

“We’ve highlighted the difficult struggles our veterans often face when returning home. We are so proud to take this a step further with a moving tribute to our nation’s heroes, while inspiring Americans to give back to those who’ve given our country so much,” said George Verschoor, executive producer of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.”

“In 200 episodes, we’ve seen thousands of armed forces volunteer to help us rebuild homes and lives. Now we’re thrilled to be able to honor all veterans with this television special,” said Brady Connell, also executive producer of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.”

Less than one percent of America’s men and women currently serve in our military. For many, the return to civilian life is marked with physical and emotional wounds. As of June 30, 2010, Veterans Affairs treated 594,000 Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran patients. Of those, 295,000 were diagnosed with at least one mental health condition such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). In addition, some face a grim economic reality. As recently as January 2011, the unemployment rate among veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars was 15 percent; that’s nearly double the national average. Furthermore, their sacrifice extends beyond themselves to their families, as more than 700,000 children have experienced one or more parental deployments.

“All across the country, we have talented and dedicated veterans who have been unemployed for far too long,” said Hilda Solis, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor. “These service men and women are right here and ready to get back to work. They just need a little help from all of us to find a good job at a fair wage and successfully transition from military to civilian life. We applaud ABC and the Entertainment Industry Foundation for broadcasting this special show to raise awareness of the needs of our returning veterans and their families.”

EIF, in collaboration with ABC, hopes to raise funds to combat challenges facing our veterans as well as educate Americans on how they can support our heroes through “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition – A Veterans Day Special.” For more information and to make a donation to support veterans and military families, please visit www.riseandhonor.org.

ABOUT THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY FOUNDATION
The Entertainment Industry Foundation, as a leading charitable organization of the entertainment industry, has distributed hundreds of millions of dollars to support charitable initiatives addressing critical health, education and social issues. For more information, visit www.eifoundation.org.

ABOUT “EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION”
The Emmy Award-winning reality program “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” now in its 9th season, is produced by Endemol USA, a division of Endemol Holding. It is executive-produced by Brady Connell and George Verschoor. David Goldberg is Chairman, Endemol North America. The show airs Fridays from 8:00-10:00 p.m., ET on ABC.

ABOUT FISHER HOUSE FOUNDATION
The foundation builds “comfort homes” on the grounds of major military and VA medical centers. These homes enable family members to be close to a loved one at the most stressful times – during the hospitalization for an unexpected illness and disease, or injury. Annually, the Fisher House program serves more than 12,000 families and has provided more than 3 million days of lodging to family members since 1990.

ABOUT HIRE HEROES USA (HHUSA)
HHUSA offers transition assistance, job search assistance and job placement services to those who have honorably served in the U.S. military and their spouses.

ABOUT INTREPID FALLEN HEROES FUND (IFHF)
The Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund is a leader in supporting the men and women of the Armed Forces and their families. Begun in 2000 under the auspices of the Intrepid Museum Foundation and established as an independent not-for-profit organization in 2003, the Fund has provided close to $120 million in support for the families of military personnel lost in service to our nation, and for severely wounded military personnel and veterans.

ABOUT USO
The USO lifts the spirits of America’s troops and their families millions of times a year at hundreds of places worldwide. A private, nonprofit organization, the USO provides a touch of home through centers at airports and military bases, top quality entertainment and innovative programs and services. It also provides critical support to forward-deployed troops and their families, wounded warriors and their families and the families of the fallen.

ABOUT VOLUNTEERS OF AMERICA (VOA)
Volunteers of America is a national, faith-based organization dedicated to helping America’s most vulnerable groups — including seniors, at-risk youth, the homeless and disabled — to rebuild their lives. Responding in particular to the challenges facing female veterans returning from Afghanistan and Iraq, many of whom suffer Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Volunteers of America is building housing villages for female veterans whose families are at risk of disruption. Single mothers and other female veterans who are finding it difficult to transition back in to civilian life are targeted and provided support services on site.

ABOUT WELCOME BACK VETERANS (WBV)
Welcome Back Veterans is a MLB Charities initiative, in partnership with the Robert R.McCormick Foundation, designed to support returning Iraq and Afghanistan veterans and their families in helping them make a successful transition to civilian life. The program is supported by MLB Advanced Media and MLB Network. Welcome Back Veterans has granted $12 million in grants to non-profit agencies targeting veterans’ and their families’ greatest needs, focusing on treatment and research of PTSD and TBI. Beneficiaries include the Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital Home Base Program, which is dedicated to providing free and confidential clinical care and support services to veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Funds have been contributed by MLB and McCormick Foundation, including funds raised through auctions of game-used products and a donation of sales from Stars & Stripes caps.

Rio (a J!-ENT Blu-ray Disc Review)

“Rio” is a highly enjoyable animated film for the entire family!   While “Rio” features fantastic PQ, AQ and many special features, fans of “Angry Birds Rio” will definitely want to pick up this Blu-ray release for the special extra levels code as well.  Fans of both “Rio” and “Angry Birds Rio” will no doubt love this Blu-ray release!  Definitely recommended!

Images courtesy of ©2011 Twentieth Century Fox Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: Rio (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy)

FILM RELEASE DATE: 2011

DURATION: 96 minutes

BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (widescreen 2:40:1), English 5.1 DTS-HD MA, English Descriptive Audio 5.1 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Subtitles: English SDH and Spanish

RATED: G

COMPANY: Twentieth Century Fox

RELEASE DATE: August 2, 2011

Directed by Carlos Saldanha

Story by Carlos Saldanha, Earl Richey Jones and Todd Jones

Screenplay by Don Rhymer, Joshua Sternin, Jeffrey Ventimilia, Sam Harper

Produced by Bruce Anderson, John C. Donkin

Music by John Powell

Cinematography by Renato Falcao

Edited by Harry Hitner, Randy Trager

Casting by Christian Kaplan

Set Decoration by Melanie Martini

Starring:

Jesse Eisenberg as Blu

Lesllie Mann as Linda

Wanda Sykes as Chloe

Jane Lynch as Alice

Rodrigo Santoro as Tulio

Jamie Foxx as Nico

Will.i.am as Pedro

Anne Hathaway as Jewel

George Lopez as Rafael

Captured as a young bird from the wild, Blu (Jesse Eisenberg, The Social Network) is a domesticated Spix Macaw living thousands of miles away from his homeland, Brazil. When his human owner Linda (Leslie Mann, 17 Again) discovers that he is the last male of his kind, they head south to Rio de Janeiro to meet the only other female. But it’s far from love at first sight between the socially-awkward, flight-challenged Blu and the fiercely independent, high-flying female, Jewel (Anne Hathaway, The Princess Diaries). Shortly after Blu’s arrival, the two rare birds are captured by greedy animal smugglers and find themselves lost in the Brazilian rainforest. Unexpectedly thrown together, they embark on a hilarious and clumsy adventure where they learn about friendship, love, courage and spreading one’s wings to fly.

Filmmaker/animator Carlos Saldanha has brought success for Twentieth Century Fox with the various “Ice Age” films and while the films have been popular for FOX, many companies are quite competitive when it comes to theatrical films and when it comes to marketing, especially for a big budgeted animated film, you need all the push you can get.

And Saldanha’s “Rio” (budgeted at $90 million) will definitely need that heavy marketing push.

With probably one of the most ingenuous collaborations in recent memory Twentieth Century Fox’s tie-in with video game company Rovio, the creator of the immensely popular mobile game “Angry Birds”.

Prior to the film, millions of people all over the world got their chance to play “Angry Birds Rio”, a mobile video  game which has been downloaded over 10 million times.

With a successful tie-in with the game and bringing buzz to the animated film, “Rio” went on to make $476 million dollars in the box office.  A successful hit and Twentieth Century Fox and Rovio are back again, teaming up for a Blu-ray and DVD release (set for Aug. 2nd) which not only comes with the film on Blu-ray, DVD and digital copy but also has 15 bonus levels for “Angry Birds Rio”.

“Rio” begins with a blue macaw which was smuggled from Rio de Janeiro to Minnesota  and by accident, a crate containing the bird falls in front of the home of a young girl named Linda.

Linda (voiced by Leslie Mann, “Knocked Up”, “17 Again”, “The Cable Guy”) would eventually grow up along with her blue macaw named Blu (voiced by Jesse Eisenberg, “The Social Network”, “Zombieland”, “Adventureland”).

Linda has always protected Blu but one day, while working at a book store, a Brazilian ornithologist Tulio Monteiro (voiced by Rodrigo Santoro, “300″, “Che”) comes and tells Linda that he needs her help and explains that Blu must be taken back to Rio because it appears his species is nearly extinct and needs Blu to mate with another Macaw in order to preserve the species.

At first Linda is against it but she knows that for the better good of Blu’s species, going to Rio may be a good thing.  And sure enough, Linda and Blu along with Tulio pack their bags and go to Rio.

While visiting the aviary, Rio makes friends with a cardinal named Pedro (voiced by Black Eyed Peas frontman Will.i.am) and a yellow canary named Nico (voiced by Jamie Foxx, “Collateral”, “Ray”, “Dreamgirls”).  He also meets the macaw that he is to mate with, a light blue macaw named Jewel (voiced by Anne Hathaway).

At first Blu, thinks that he is to mate with Jewel but Jewel needs Blu to help them escape from the aviary and go back to the wilderness.    But the two end up fighting, while Linda and Tulio think the birds are actually planning to mate.

But what they don’t know is that here is a boy named Fernando (voiced by Jake T. Austin, “Wizards of Waverly Place”, “Hotel for Dogs”) and his Cockatoo named Nigel (voiced by Jemaine Clement) are working for a group of smugglers led by Marcel (voiced by Carlos Ponce), a once popular performer on TV who has vowed to capture and smuggle exotic birds because he was replaced by a parakeet on the program.

But fortunately, both Blu and Jewel are able to flee from the smugglers and end up in a jungle where they meet a toucan named Rafael (voiced by George Lopez, “George Lopez”, “Beverly Hills Chihuahua”).

Meanwhile, Fernando, the boy who stole Blu and Jewel, after being cheated of the profits he was expecting to get from Marcel, he regrets what he has done and goes to Tulio and Linda and wants to help them find the birds.

As Blu and Jewel spend time with Rafael, Rafael teaches Blu how to fly and also how to survive in the jungle, meanwhile Marcel sends out Nigel, the evil cockatoo to do what it takes to capture the macaws and so Nigel has hired mamoset thieves to capture Blu and Jewel.

Will Blu and Jewel be safe in the jungle and will Linda and Tulio find Blu and Jewel in time before Marcel and crew get their hands on them?

VIDEO:

“Rio” is presented in 1080p High Definition and is presented in widescreen (2:40:1).  As one would expect from a film that takes place in the jungle and many colorful birds being featured throughout the film, “Rio” looks absolutely vibrant on Blu-ray.  Colors galore!  Wonderful detail on the feathers and beaks of the birds, backgrounds and details of rocks to the buildings and even the interiors of the homes look great.

If there is one word to describe the picture quality of the film, that word would be “colorful”.  Expect to see many colors pop throughout the film and for the most part, be content with its awesome picture quality!

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“Rio” is presented in English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English descriptive audio 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital and French 5.1 Dolby Digital.

The film contains a lot of ambient noises that sound fantastic coming through the surround channels.  It’s one thing to have samba musical sequences that sound crystal clear and lively coming from your home theater as there is good use of instruments from surround channels.  Front and center channels showcasing the dialogue and music is also crystal clear.

But the film does showcasing excellent ambiance and overall “Rio” has a pretty solid lossless soundtrack!

Subtitles are in English SDH and Spanish.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Rio” comes with the following special features:

• Angry Birds Rio Trailer - (1:25) Trailer for “Angry Birds Rio”.
  
• Angry Birds Rio: Nigel Mashup – (2:17) A video featuring Nigel holding the Angry Birds captive.
• Angry Birds: Exclusive Clue Video – (:29) Featuring a video on how people can obtain things online via a code.
• Deleted Scene – Fruit Stand – (1:30) A deleted scene (via sketches) with the voice acting.
• Explore the World of Rio – An interactive tour of Rio (featuring sights and sounds).
• Saving the Species: One Voice at a Time – (24:49) A featurette on the voice acting fr the film, featuring interviews with the cast and behind-the-scenes look at them recording those scenes.
• The Real Rio – (9:31) A featurette on how the filmmakers toured Rio as research for the film and the things they got from visiting Rio.
• The Making of Hot Wings – (8:02) A featurette on Will.i.am and Jamie Foxx recording their scenes for “Rio”.
• Boom Boom Tish Tish: The Sound of Brazil – (13:30) Featuring interviews with Diretor Carlos Saldanha, film crew and also with Sergio Mendes and Carlinhos Brown.
• Carnival Dance-o-Rama – Dance lessons courtesy of the characters from Rio.
• Welcome to Rio Music Video – (1:37) A music video welcoming people to “Rio”.
• Rio de JAM-eiro Jukebox – (8:34) Featuring easy access to the musical sequences from “Rio”.
• Taio Cruz – Telling the World Music Video – (1:55) A short music video featuring Taio Cruz.
• Postcards from Rio – Create your own custom Rio postcard.
• Theatrical trailer – (2:26) Featuring the theatrical trailer for “Rio”.

EXTRAS:

“Rio” comes with a slipcover case but also flyers to access the Rio “Coloring with Blu” app and a secret clue for one to unlock 15 new Rio levels on “Angry Birds Rio” via iPhone, iPad or Android.  “Rio” on Blu-ray also comes with a DVD and Digital Copy edition of the film.

There was no doubt in my mind when news broke out that Twentieth Century Fox would be collaborating with Rovio for “Rio” that the film would be successful.

It hasn’t really been done before but its a true testament how the games “Angry Birds” on iPhones, Android cell phones and iPads have captured so many people’s attention.  My family is absolutely addicted to the game and even to this day, they continue to play “Angry Birds”, “Angry Birds Seasons” and “Angry Birds Rio”.

And for my son and my nephew, because of the tie-in with Angry Birds, before “Rio” was shown in theaters, it’s all they talked about.  They had to see “Rio” and they had to play “Angry Birds Rio”.

So, the collaboration between Twentieth Century Fox and Rovio was fantastic and it’s one thing to say that because the film is from the creators of “Ice Age” that the film would be a success but lately, animated films are becoming much more competitive and even the big studios have had significant misses as of late for films that they would have expected to be a blockbuster hit.

The thing is that with today’s economy and the many animated films that are available, the animated films need some major marketing push beyond fast food “Kids Meals” and the fact that “Angry Birds Rio” is still at this time a continuing game that introduces new gameplay and levels every few months, “Angry Birds Rio” is here to stay for now.

So, it was no surprise that “Rio” did succeed in the box office, it was an incredible collaboration.

And sure enough, Twentieth Fox and Rovio has done it once again for this Blu-ray release.  Not only do you get the Blu-ray, DVD and digital copy, there is also “Angry Birds” content and also a code to get 15 new levels for “Angry Birds Rio”.  In fact, prior to my reviewing this Blu-ray release, once the title came up and Angry Birds was shown on the menu, my son and nephew went crazy and wanted to see all the “Angry Birds” content first.

So, once again, good timing on both companies parts of collaborating once again to grab that “Angry Birds” demographic.

With that being said, the animated film was definitely fun!  Jesse Eisenberg did a great job at providing the voice of the awkward Blu and Anne Hathaway is just a wonderful actress period and she does a great job voicing the role of Jewel.  And you also get quite a bit of talent participating in this film such as George Lopez, Jamie Foxx, Will.i.am, Wanda Sykes, Jane Lynch, Leslie Mann, Jake T. Austin, etc.

The story is fun and enjoyable, colorful and vibrant on Blu-ray.  Also, the audio is wonderful with the music and the use of the ambiance of the environment of the jungle and Rio.

And as for special features, there is a good number of them on Blu-ray but while they are not necessarily long, the addition of the “Angry Birds Rio” extra levels is a significant plus for the millions of hardcore fans of the game.  So, it gives people an extra incentive to purchase this Blu-ray release.

Overall, “Rio” is a highly enjoyable, family fun animated film!  The Blu-ray release is absolutely jam-packed and “Angry Birds Rio” fans are definitely going to want to pick up “Rio” on Blu-ray.

Definitely recommended!

 

 

Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 (a J!-ENT Children’s Blu-ray Disc Review)

An enjoyable, fun and safe family film! The sequel is geared more towards a younger audience but it has a storyline that would interest parents and adult viewers. If your children enjoyed “Beverly Hills Chihuahua” and also enjoy Disney’s “Buddies” or “Santa Paws” films, they will definitely enjoy “Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2″.

Images courtesy of © Walt Disney Studios Entertainment. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2

FILM RELEASE DATE: 2011

DURATION: 84 Minutes

BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (1:78:1), English, 5.1 DTS-HD MA, French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital Subtitles: English SDH, French and Spanish

COMPANY: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment

RATED: G (All Ages Admitted)

RELEASE DATE: February 2, 2011

Directed by Alex Zamm

Written by Dannah Feinglass, Danielle Schneider

Characters by Jeffrey Bushell

Produced by David Hoberman, Brad Krevoy, Todd Lieberman

Executive Producer: Mike Callaghan, Sara E. White

Music by Chris Hajian

Cinematography by Robert Brinkman

Edited by Marshall Harvey, Heath Ryan

Casting by Cathy Sandrich

Production Design by Richard Holland

Art Direction by Charles Daboub Jr.

Set Decoration by Don Diers

Costume Design by Kristin M. Burke

Starring:

Marcus Coloma as Sam Cortez

Erin Cahill as Rachel

Susan Blakely as Aunt Viv

Lupe Ontiveros as Mrs. Cortez

Castulo Guerra as Mr. Cortez

George Lopez (voice of Papi)

Odette Yustman (voice of Chloe)

Miguel Ferrer (voice of Delgado)

Ernie Hudson (voice of Pedro)

Zacharary Gordon (voice of Papi Junior)

Chantilly Spalan (voice of Rosa)

Emily Osment (voice of Pep)

Madison Pettis (voice of Lala)

Delaney Jones (voice of Ali)

Tom Kenny (voice of Sebastian)

Loretta Devine (voice of Delta)

Bridgit Mendler (voice of Appoline)

Alyssa Milano (voice of Biminy)

Jon Donahue (voice of Antonio)

Jon Huertas (voice of Alberto)

Elaine Hendrix as Colleen Mansfield – Appoline’s Owner

Brian Stepanek as Mr. Kroop

Morgan Fairchild as Female Commentator

French Stewart as Male Commentator

From the creators of Beverly Hills Chihuahua, everybody’s favorite talking Chihuahuas are back in a comedy that’s a pack of outrageous fun for the whole family. Puppy mayhem turns the lives of newlywed Chihuahua parents, Papi and Chloe, upside down when their playful puppies present one challenge after another. But, when their human owners find themselves in trouble, the tiny pups will stop at nothing to save them—because in good times and hard times, the family always sticks together. Papi, Chloe and the puppies embark on a heroic adventure, proving once again that big heroes come in small packages.

Mud Slide

French Poodle

The Beverly Hills Chihuahuas are back!

Papi and Chloe return for another adventure in the sequel to the popular children’s movie “Beverly Hills Chihuahua”.

Since the ’90s, Walt Disney Home Entertainment has successfully bringing talking (voice-over) canines to live action films which began with the “Air Bud” films to its “Buddies” and “Santa Paws” films and the fun continues with this direct-to-video film which features the return of many of the canine characters from the first film.

In the sequel, both Papi (voiced by George Lopez) and Chloe (voiced by Odette Yusman) have just gotten married. Hardcore dog lover, aunt Viv (played by Susan Blakely) has thrown a luxurious party to celebrate the wedding of both dogs and now Sam Cortez (played by Marcus Coloma) and Rachel (played by Erin Cahill) are talking about marriage.

But with aunt Viv and Rachel planning a trip to the rainforest, Sam and Rachel can discuss it later but for now, the celebration is for the marriage of Papi and Chloe.

Four months later and we see that Papi and Chloe are parents of five young chihuahua: One boy, Papi Jr. and four girls, Rosa, Pep, Lala and Ali.

Chloe is starting to get upset with Papi because he acts more like a playmate to his kids than a father and she wants him to show authority, since the kids are starting to pick up on their father’s bad habits.

But Papi feels that being a father is quite difficult but he’s ready to try, in order to make Chloe happy.

Sam then takes Papi, Chloe and the kids to meet with his family in Los Angeles to meet with his parents and their dog Pedro (voiced by Ernie Hudson).  Upon arriving, the little ones are afraid of Pedro because of his menacing smile but Papi let’s them know that his brother is a nice dog.

As for Sam, he finds unpaid bills at his parent’s home and is very concerned.  Mr. Cortez tells Sam that they are unable to pay their bills and now they are in danger of being evicted.  Because Mr. Cortez threw his back, he is unable to work and through the landscaping business, and with the economy so bad, the only employee left is Sam.

Unfortunately, the Cortez are behind by $40,000 and if they don’t pay it, they will lose the house. At first Sam considers asking Viv (because she is wealthy) but Mr. Cortez will not allow it because it is a family affair.  And if they lose the house, Sam’s parents would have to move to Arizona to live with Mr. Cortez’ sister.

Meanwhile, as for Papi, Chloe and their kids, Chloe is starting to get upset that Papi tells them stories and the kids acting out on it.  As Papi loves telling the stories of the chihuahua warriors, Papi Jr. jumps on the window ledge to pretend his fighting a snake.  But he falls off the ledge and before he crashes down on the pavement, he is rescued by a familiar friend, the German Shepard Mexican police dog, Delgado (voiced by Miguel Ferrer).

Delgado has come to Los Angeles in hopes that Chloe can help him out.  Delgado tells her a story that he had two children but while on a case, a criminal threatened to kills his two German Shepherd pups and in order to prevent them from getting hurt, Delgado took them to the LAPD and dropped them off anonymously and to save him from being hurt, he never said goodbye.  His two pups have now grown up to become part of the K-9 division of the LAPD and he just wants to talk to them, but his two dogs are still hurt about their father abandoning them.

As Sam and his family try to get the bank to give them time enough to raise money to pay for the house, unfortunately the bank won’t wait.  As the bank visits the house the next following day, they try to inspect the house but Papi and friends will not allow it.  They prevent the employees from staying in the house and it angers the bank rep even more and tells them that instead of getting two weeks, now they are expected to leave immediately by nighttime.

Stressed and not knowing what to do, Sam gets a call from Rachel and he explains to her the problem but Sam will not allow her to help or talk to her Aunt Viv.  Sam tells her that it is a family problem but Rachel tells him that she is family as they are supposed to get married but still, Sam won’t allow it and Rachel is heartbroken.

Not sure what they can do, Chloe sees her rival Appoline in the newspaper and reads that there is a dog show that night and the winner can win $50,000.  More than enough money for the Cortez to save their home.

So, Papi, Chloe, Delgado and Pedro decide to take part in the dog show to win the money and Sam and the Cortez are hoping one of them will win.

Can they win the dog show and get the money needed to save the Cortez’ home?

VIDEO:

“Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2″ is presented in 1080p High Definition (1:78:1 aspect ratio) and the PQ is great!  The colors are vibrant and while the costume design are not as super-detailed like the first film (as there was impressive costume designs in the previous film), the sequel still manages to hold up by its frequent daytime shots.  Colors really pop out for this film and the detail on the chihuahua is well-done.

It’s important to note that as the last film would focus on many locations, the primary focus of this second film is inside the home of the Cortez family or at Viv’s mansion ala indoors.  While the outdoor shots are typically outside of the home until you get to the dog show and with the puppies roaming around Los Angeles.

Blacks are nice and deep, the flashbacks show effective lighting and skin tones, pigmentation, stubble, fabric, grass, dirt to the hairs of the dogs are well-detailed.  There is a good amount of grain, but you tend to see some low-light noise at ties.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2″ is presented in 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital.  The film is primarily center channel and front channel driven.  There are times during the film especially the scene with the dog show in which you hear crowd ambiance, cameras taking pictures of the dogs but the film is primarily center and front-channel driven, dialogue is absolutely clear while the film also tends to showcase quite a bit of music.

Subtitles are presented in English SDH, French and Spanish.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2″ features the following special features:

• Music Video: “This is My Paradise” By Bridgit Mendler – (2:37) The star of “Good Luck Charlie” and “Wizards of Waverly Place”, Bridgit Mendler sings “This is My Paradise”.
• Blooper Faux Paws – (3:22) Bloopers from “Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2″.
• Beverly Hills Chihuahua Challenge – interactive game show led by Papi.  A Q&A multiple choice game in which you use your Blu-ray remote (or keyboard) to select the right answer.
• Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure Sneak Peak – (1:57) A sneak peak of Ashley Tisdale’s “High School Musical” spinoff film.

EXTRAS:

“Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2″ comes with a slip over case plus a DVD featuring the film and the special features.  The DVD is presented in widescreen (1:78:1 – enhanced for 16×9 televisions), audio is presented in English, French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital.  Subtitles are in English, English SDH, French and Spanish.

“Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2” is a fun and enjoyable family film!  If your children loved the first film or if they loved Disney’s “Buddies” or “Santa Paws” films, they will definitely enjoy this sequel!

There was no doubt that there was going to be a sequel to “Beverly Hills Chihuahua”.  As the first film grossed over $29 million in its opening weekend and $117 million worldwide, similar to the “Air Bud” films from Disney during the the late ’90s, you pretty much knew there would be direct-to-video sequels and to capitalize on the future of original film and have future installments, the main characters would have to produce children and sure enough, similar to how “Air Bud” spun off to having “Buddies” films, I wouldn’t be surprised if we started seeing films starring these little chihuahuas.

While the first film had star power, the direct-to-video does feature a good number of talent especially the return of George Lopez and Odette Yustman to provide the voices of Papi and Chloe, as with Miguel Ferrer returning as the voice of Delgado.  We have a new Aunt Viv, a new Sam Cortez and a new Rachelle for this sequel and for the most part, these three do a good job and one can only hope that for future installments, to keep things consistent, hopefully Disney uses these same talents for the next film.  It was one thing about the “Air Bud” films that would get out of hand, you had the same kid but always different talents playing the parents or sister.  Hopefully, we see Marcus Coloma, Erin Cahill and Susan Blakeley return in the near future.

Also, what makes this sequel different aside from one having a larger budget and was a film as opposed to a direct-to-video release, the first film tend to balance a storyline between Sam and Rachel’s growing relationship and Papi and Chloe’s relationship to appeal to both parents and children.  While “Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2″ does tend to focus more on the dogs, especially the puppies and thus targeting a younger demographic, there is a storyline for adults that is relevant and that is how the downward economy is hurting family’s and in this case, Sam’s parents are losing their home.  So, while children may not understand this, it is a storyline that adults can understand and also share interest in this film, so “Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2″ appeals to audiences of all ages.  But this sequel is definitely more geared for the younger children.

As for the Blu-ray release, parents will get the best of both worlds as the Blu-ray release does come with a DVD, which is perfect for family’s on long commutes, especially before Spring Break and the Summertime.  This film will definitely keep children busy.  Picture quality is very good for this Blu-ray, as the lossless audio is very good but not too immersive but still clear and understandable.  And there are a few special features which are once again more targeted for a younger demographic.

Overall, “Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2″ is different from its predecessor but still family-geared.  While I do enjoy the first film much more (primarily because it was a film, higher budget, various locations and had a romcom storyline between Sam and Rachel, I do feel that the younger audience and their parents will still enjoy this film.

The sequel is more geared towards the young viewers and if you have children who enjoyed the first film, the “Buddies” or “Santa Paws” films, they are definitely going to enjoy this movie as well. In fact, I recommend this film to parents who are looking for a safe family film to watch with their children.

George Lopez wants to run for Mayor of Los Angeles

During an interview with FOX’s “Good Day L.A.”, when comedian George Lopez was asked what he would like to do after the comedy, he told the hosts of the show that he wants to run for “Mayor of Los Angeles” possibly eight years from now. So, mark your calendars folks… 2018-2019, George Lopez for Mayor!

Lopez Tonight Opens Second Year with Strong Young Adult Deliveries

TBS’s Lopez Tonight, starring George Lopez, opened its second year Monday with outstanding deliveries of adults 18-34 (571,000) and adults 18-49 (883,000).  Overall, last night’s premiere – which featured Grammy®-winning musical artist and actress Janet Jackson, musical guest Rooney and online sensation Antoine Dodson –was watched by 1,352,000 viewers.

“We’re excited that George’s devoted fans followed him to his new time,” said Steve Koonin, president of Turner Entertainment Networks.  “With the combination of Conan O’Brien at 11 p.m. and George Lopez at midnight, we’re confident TBS will be a top late-night destination for young adults.”

Tonight, Lopez will be joined by Oscar®-winning actor Jamie Foxx, Glee star Jayma Mays and San Francisco Giants infielder Freddy Sanchez.  Upcoming guests include Howie Mandel and Juliette Lewis on Wednesday and Denzel Washington, Hilary Duff and Russell Peters on Thursday.

Lopez Tonight is produced for TBS by 2.2 Productions, Panamort Television, paraMedia Inc. and Telepictures Productions, with Lopez and Robert Morton serving as executive producers.

About TBS
TBS, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., is television’s top-rated comedy network and is available in 100.1 million households.  It serves as home to such original comedy series as Are We There Yet? and Tyler Perry’s House of Payne and Meet the Browns; the upcoming original comedy Glory Daze; the late-night series Conan, starring Conan O’Brien, and Lopez Tonight, starring George Lopez; hot contemporary comedies like Family Guy and The Office; special events, including star-studded comedy festivals in Chicago; blockbuster movies; hosted movie showcases; and championship sports.

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.

Back From Hell: A Tribute to Sam Kinison (a J!-ENT DVD Review)

If you grew up watching Sam Kinison and loved his comedy, this is one hell of a documentary featuring today’s top comedians paying respects to Kinison nearly 20-years after his death.  Featuring past comedy clips, his “Wild Thing” music video and live performance and more.  “Back from Hell: A Tribute to Sam Kinison” is definitely for fans of his comedy and an awesome Comedy Central DVD release!

Images courtesy of © 2010 Robert Small Entertainment. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: Back From Hell: A Tribute to Sam Kinison

YEAR OF DOCUMENTARY: 2010

DURATION: 60 Minutes

DVD INFORMATION: Widescreen, Dolby Digital

RATED: Parental Guidance: Explicit Content.  Warning: This program is recommended for mature audiences only.  It contains adult language and situations.

COMPANY: Comedy Central/Paramount

Released Dated: November 16, 2010

Directed by Robert Small

Executive Producer: Robert Small, Bill Kinison, Bill Schwartz

Executive Producer for Worldwide Biggies: Albie Hecht

Produced by Carrie Weprin

Co-Producer Pat Buckles

Consulting Producer: Sue Flinker

Editors: Matt Davis, Steven Rosenthal

Assistant Editor: Sharon Perlman

Starring:

Sam Kinison

Denis Leary

Chris Rock

Norm MacDonald

Ice-T

Lenny Clarke

Jay Leno

Kathy Griffin

George Lopez

Richard Belzer

Lewis Black

Paul Profenza

Ron White

Pauly Shore

Carol Leifer

Bill Kinison

Craig Gass

Marc Maron

Rodney Dangerfield

Judy Tenuta

John Lovitz

A star-studded cast of comedians including Chris Rock, Jay Leno, Ron White, Kathy Griffin and Denis Leary gather to pay tribute to the man who turned rage into an art form. Filmed in part at Sam Kinison’s familiar Los Angeles stomping ground The Comedy Store, this documentary weaves performance footage and interviews to offer some fresh perspective on a truly original voice in comedy.

Sam Kinison is one of the most well-known comedians who tackled on subjects and wouldn’t hesitate to tell audiences how he felt about them.  Known for comedy of screaming and delivering controversial humor, Kinison was among one of the few people at the time during the late ’80s who would take subjects that were sensitive to a lot of people and rip on them.

From his jokes on marriage, religion, homosexuals, AIDS… nothing was off-limits, Kinison would take on these subjects without giving no care of what people thought.  A style that made him popular among many comedians and also his love for rock music, he would also earn the respect of the rock stars of the ’80s.

Sam Kinison was one of the most respected comedians who lived life the way he wanted, wild and crazy and there probably will never be a comedian like him ever again.  He was truly an original comedian and with such a long life ahead of him, while things were going great for the comedian, Sam Kinison and his newly married wife Malika Souiri were struck by a 17-year-old drunk driver in April 1992.  While his wife survived, Kinison was killed.

A life cut short 18-years-ago, Comedy Central will be celebrating Kinison’s life in a special titled “Back From Hell: A Tribute to Sam Kinison” in which his comedian friends and celebrity friends share their memories of Sam Kinison and what they loved about him.  The special tribute documentary features comedians and talents such as Denis Leary, Chris Rock, Norm MacDonald, Ice-T, Lenny Clarke, Jay Leno, Kathy Griffin, George Lopez and many more.

VIDEO:

“Back From Hell: A Tribute to Sam Kinison” is presented in widescreen.  Picture quality differs as you get a combination of modern interviews and old clips of classic Sam Kinison live performances from the ’80s.  But for the most part, this is a pretty cool documentary/tribute in which picture quality is for the most part pretty good.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“Back From Hell: A Tribute to Sam Kinison” is presented in 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround and 2.0 Stereo.  The DVD is center and front channel driven.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Back From Hell: A Tribute to Sam Kinison” comes with the following special features:

• Stories from the Comedy Store – (12:33) Featuring a celebration of Sam Kinison’s life by Bill Kinison, Craig Gass, Marc Maron and Pauly Shore doing standup at the Comedy Store.
• Music – (10:06) Featuring Sam Kinison performing “Wild Thing” Live and the original music video of Kinison’s “Wild Thing”.
• Additional Stand-Up – (17:06) Featuring Sam Kinison stand-up comedy routines for: Bigger than Me, Donating to Aids Research, Extended Cocaine Bit, Friends When You’re High, Jesus’ Wife, Leper Whore, Sam’s Moving Idea and Swallowing

When I was a teenager, Sam Kinison was a comedian that I absolutely loved watching.  This man was not afraid to tackle subjects that may be too taboo for the masses but he did and the audience gravitated towards his comedy because a lot of what he does say is quite logical while others who dislike his comedy look at him as insensitive and comedy of hatred.

But this was how things were during the ’80s and ’90s.  Unlike today in which a comedian can easily be scrutinized for talking about things that are wrong or not politically correct, back then, comedians didn’t touch those subjects but Kinison did.  And he did it with a style that no one can ever copy with the same amount of flair, this man would literally scream his head out and audiences would be wide-eyed and surprised.  This is Kinison’s comedy and his delivery was well-paced, starting off slow until he launches his tirade on the audience and you can’t help but laugh.

I remember one of my favorite HBO young comedian special in which Kinison took part of and he was talking about the kids that were starving in Africa and Kinison would talk about how the kids starving and are very depressed and seeing the commercials of how cruel.  He starts off sincere But then he slowly begins his tirade of how he wished the film crew could at least give the kid a sandwich.  And then starts screaming how the director would want to make sure these kids look hungry while shooting and telling his crew not to feed them and literally getting the audience laughing.

He then goes into world hunger and says if you want to stop world hunger, stop giving them food.   You hear this awkward silence and he continues that the drivers would continue to drive U-HAULS full of food to those countries for 34 years and then Kinison would unleash and start screaming that it would occur to the drivers that world hunger wouldn’t happen if these people would just pack up and move where the food is.  Kinison would then start screaming “YOU LIVE IN A DESERT!  YOU LIVE IN A FU**IN DESERT!  UNDERSTAND YOU LIVE IN A DESERT! NOTHING GROWS OUT HERE!  NOTHINGS GONNA GROW OUT HERE!” and then he would become sincere again and crouch down and say, “see this here.. it’s sand.  This is sand.  It’s sand.  You know what it’s going to be in 100 years…. IT’S GOING TO BE SAND!  YOU LIVE IN A FU**ING DESERT!  GET YOUR KIDS, GET YOUR SH*T, WE’LL MAKE ONE TRIP AND TAKE YOU TO WHERE THE FOOD IS!  WE HAVE DESERTS IN AMERICA, WE JUST DON’T LIVE IN THEM ***HOLE!”.

It was trademark Kinison style and I can’t think of anyone who can replace him.  And that’s what I love about this tribute to Sam Kinison, seeing all these comedians complimenting, thanking Sam Kinison for what he contributed to comedy.

Comedian Chris Rock would talk about how when he was just starting out and doing comedy acts at 1-2 am, he could hear Sam Kinison laughing and how the comedian took him out for dinner and would tell him how he loved his act.   Kathy Griffin would compliment his comedy and although she wouldn’t vote for him if he ran for office, she loved his comedy. And there are many comedians on this tribute that pay their respect to Sam Kinison and very rarely do you see top acts all taking part in a documentary.

I can also remember in his comedy acts, he would be joined by two beautiful women (scantily clothed) and then he would go on a tirade by calling the ex-girlfriends of guys who had been cheated on and join them in a screaming tirade on the women.  Because Sam Kinison has had marriages in which the woman would cheat on him, his thoughts on marriage would play out in his comedy acts.  It was insane but the crowd loved it and definitely a memorable moment.

The documentary also touches upon how Sam emulated televangelist and how religion would be part of his act.  And he would unleash on religion especially these televangelist which were on the forefront in the ’80s and ’90s due to the Jim Bakker scandal (interesting enough, he dated Jessica Hahn, who had an affair with Bakker and she even appeared scantily clad in his “Wild Thing” music video).

And speaking of the music video, we also get to learn in this tribute of how he got involved in the rock n’ roll world and he was introduced to a world of excess.  At that time of his life, he would drink a lot and was quite hardcore in doing drugs.  And the comedians who knew him talked about his involvement.  Also, we learn some details of those who did drugs with him and also some details of what took place behind-the-scenes of that “Wild Thing” music video which shocked even me because I always thought how awesome it was to see a music video with Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, Skid Row, Billy Idol and other rockers together cheering on Sam Kinison singing and getting down with Jessica Hahn.

But the tribute would also go to discuss his sobriety but also when he got clean after he was arrested for substances.  Or so you thought.  This was an interesting part of the tribute because even more myself, I believed he was clean and sober but learning from this tribute and learn that it was part of his sentence where he had to give anti-drugs messages.  Chris Rock even talked about how he would talk about being clean on stage, he would catch Kinison snorting coke and look at Chris Rock and tell him “The important thing is that they think your clean”.

And “Back From Hell: A Tribute to Sam Kinison” also includes a segment of his two ladies Sabrina and Malika (who he eventually married) and how he was a man who literally got a lot of sex, to a man who could care less about being politically correct and wanted to be outrageous and wanted people to be shocked by what he would say but still laugh at his comedy.

For me, that’s what I loved about Sam Kinison’s comedy.  Taking topics that people would dare touch and make humor out of it.  From world hunger, drug use, religion, homosexuality, serial killers going after rappers, he didn’t care and he knew that there would be people protesting his comedy acts but he could care less.  It was a different time from today, where comedians are now held accountable for what they say and are targeted by people on the Internet and the media watchdogs but back then, that was what made his comedy acts so special and so unique and he is definitely a comedian that could never be duplicated.

As for this tribute documentary, I absolutely loved it!  I grew up watching Sam Kinison and there are a lot of things I didn’t know about the man but the documentary definitely gives us an idea of how he was on stage and also off-stage.  Comedy Central also includes some of his performances in the special feature but also the music video and his live performance of “Wild Thing”.

If you grew up during a time when Sam Kinison was around delivering his style of comedy, looking back, you realize how unique this comedian really was.  And as mentioned, rarely do you see many top comedians coming together for a tribute documentary, from late night hosts/comedians Jay Leno and George Lopez, Dennis Leary, Chris Rock, Kathy Griffin and many, many others who have had a chance to work with Sam Kinison or had that opportunity to get to know him and to pay their respect to him nearly 20-years-later after his death.  It goes to show how special of a comedian Sam Kinison truly was.

Definitely recommended!

George Lopez and wife Anna Serrano filing for divorce

PEOPLE Magazine is reporting that George Lopez and wife Anna Serrano are ending their marriage. The publication received the following statement from Lopez’ rep:

“George and Ann Lopez have made the decision to end their 17-year marriage. The decision is amicable and by mutual agreement.  They remain dedicated parents, and committed partners in business and their philanthropic organization, The Lopez Foundation.”

George Lopez unveiling his wax version of himself at Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum in Hollywood

Comedian George Lopez (L) unveils his wax likeness at Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum on April 1, 2010 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)
Content © 2010 Getty Images All rights reserved.

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