First things first, although everyone knew it already as we included it in the last Veronica Mars movie update, but Max Greenfield has officially been announced as Deputy Leo!
Continue reading SDCC 2013: The Veronica Mars Trailer Has Arrived!
Tag Archives: Kristen Bell
Ben Schwartz Returns to ‘Parks and Recreation’; Kristen Bell to Guest
Veronica Mars star Kristen Bell is scheduled, along with House of Lies Co-star Ben Schwartz, to pop up for a few episodes next season on Parks and Recreation. Schwartz will obviously be reprising a role he’s been shining in since the shows second season, the hilarious Jean-Ralphio. As Jean-Ralphio he is sure to annoy Ron Swanson and make life a little harder for his best friend Tom Haverford.
Continue reading Ben Schwartz Returns to ‘Parks and Recreation’; Kristen Bell to Guest
A Busload of Veronica Mars Movie Updates
So a lot has happened since the Veronica Mars Kickstarter became the Kickstarter poster child. If you aren’t a backer (who isn’t a backer?) and you haven’t been paying attention to Veronica Mars movie updates then you have missed a lot because things are moving along at a rapid pace for our crime solving friend.
So many people are coming back. So, so many. This is probably the most exciting part about a project like this because of course the fans want to see everyone in the show involved in the movie and so far it seems like we are getting our wish.
One of these things is not like the other… we’ve got Ryan Hansen who was Dick Casablancas and Ken Marino of course as no one’s favorite PI, Vinnie Van Lowe. But what of Martin Starr? Was he one of the many actors who had small parts on the original run only to go on to bigger careers? Nope. Actually he’s coming on as a new character, Lou ‘Cobb’ Cobbler, a classmate of Veronica and Co’s. As a huge fan of Party Down this little reunion of Kyle, Roman, and Ron makes me downright giddy.
One of the fun parts of being a backer of this particular Kickstarter has been the ‘reactions’ posted of various actors as part of their casting announcement. I think we can all agree that the Vinnie Van Lowe Blow movie would be something worth watching, hopefully he’s able to get a hold of that Kickstarter guy to give him some money. As for Ryan Hansen? Well I’ve watched the video four times today and I’m not the least bit ashamed about it.
AAAHHHH!!!! It’s Gia and Mac! Tina Majorino had to be in this, it wasn’t even up for debate in my head, but I was a bit surprised to see Krysten Ritter back as Gia Goodman. Pleasantly surprised, for sure, just surprised. Given that Cindy ‘Mac’ Mackenzie was one of my favorite characters of the series, I am so excited to see Majorino making an appearance.
Gia and Mac are in pretty good company when it comes to those returning to Neptune. Jonathan Chesner will be back as everyone’s favorite pot-head, Corny. Kevin Sheridan will be seeing what trouble petty thief and drug dealer, Sean Freidrich can get into. Remember Dick’s bitchy ex-girlfriend Madison Sinclair? Well Amanda Noret will be bringing her back to life. The sheriff’s department is very well represented already with not only Brandon Hillock back as Deputy Sacks, but Max Greenfield (The New Girl) has confirmed that he will be returning as the lovable Deputy Leo!
It would be impossible to have a Veronica Mars movie without these three actors. Francis Capra as the biker gang/jailbird/friend of Veronica, Eli ‘Weevil’ Navarro. Percy Daggs III as Veronica’s best friend Wallace Fennell and of course his Hearst College roommate, Chris Lowell as Stosh ‘Piz’ Piznarski. You have to give Ms. Mars credit because she sure knew how to get just adorable guys to hang around her, even if they were the leader of a biker gang.
Speaking of Piz… what is this?!? Surely, surely, surely Veronica and Piz don’t end up together. I mean come on. Where’s the pictures of Veronica and Logan walking around holding hands? The people behind the Veronica Mars movie twitter account have tried to put people’s minds at ease by saying we shouldn’t judge until we see the movie but it’s just so damn difficult when you see things like this.
As a LoVe shipper from way back, I can’t even deal with this possibility. So I’m choosing to ignore it for now. Trying to keep an open mind here. I know what will put my mind at ease…
Oh Keith Mars, you might be the best TV dad ever and Enrico Colantoni is just perfect.
That’s a lot of people confirmed so far! Apparently there are more cast announcements to be made but I can’t imagine who else they could fit in one movie. Even Justin Long has been announced as having a role in the film. I’m imagining everyone in Hollywood just showing up to this huge high school reunion party scene and they’ll all have one line. Filming is underway so once we see that all the big names are flocking to one Los Angeles location, then we’ll know my theory is correct. For now, we’ll just have to enjoy the first “official” photograph from the set.
Exciting times Marshmallows!
Trailer Roundup: Prof. X, Sinestro, and the Governor Made a Movie, Plus Hangover 3…
This is Grizzly Bomb’s Trailer Round for April the 12th in the year of 2013…
[tabgroup][tab title=”The Hangover Part III”]
When you saw the first Hangover film, did you think it would make a great trilogy? Someone did. So here it is. The triumphant conclusion to the story that doesn’t appear to have an ending. You know it will be good when it returns back to where the first film has already been. Here we go again, again.
The Wolf Pack returns to Vegas on what appears to be a mission fulfilling the wishes of deceased father in law Sid Garner. Or, at least, that is what I believe the plot to be. The only thing confirmed from the trailer is that giraffe dismemberment is hilarious.
Director: Todd Phillips
Stars: Bradley Cooper, Melissa McCarthy, Zach Galifianakis, Jamie Chung, Justin Bartha, John Goodman, Heather Graham, Ken Jeong, and Ed Helms.
Release Date: May 24, 2013
[/tab][tab title=”Welcome To The Punch”]
Jacob Sternwood (Mark Strong) is an ex-criminal. But like father, like son. Go figure? His son ends up in the hospital after a heist gone wrong, and Sternwood has to get him out. So this should be the perfect opportunity for Max Lewinsky (James McAvoy) to put Sternwood behind bars for good. Wait, no. That would be too simple.They grab my interest when they attach the name Ridley Scott in the opening sequence. Does this mean it will be a great film? No. It just means they have my attention.
Director: Eran Creevy
Stars: James McAvoy, David Morrissey, Mark Strong, Andrea Riseborough, Jason Flemyng, Peter Mullan, Johnny Harris, and Elyes Gabel.
Release Date: March 15, 2013 UK
[/tab][tab title=”Somebody Up There Likes Me”]
This seems to be one of those dry indie comedies that I find difficult to relate to. Though it is considered a comedy, it has evident dark tones. That being the case, I wouldn’t expect our presented “protagonist” to advance or become any better by the films end. Therefore, with no relatable characters, I would fail to have my usual cathartic experience. This is often the case with dark comedies.
Why should you see it? Well, heck. It’s got Ron Swanson in it, now doesn’t it? Not really, but Nick Offerman is in his typical form which I am sure is quite entertaining. The more screen time he gets, the better this movie will be.
Director: Bob Byington
Stars: Nick Offerman, Keith Poulson, Jess Weixler, Stephanie Hunt, Marshall Bell, Kate Lyn Sheil, and Kevin Corrigan.
Release Date: March 8, 2013
[/tab][tab title=”Stuck In Love”]
This seems like an endearing little piece with a large cast that I very much enjoy. The trailer shows what appears to be a great representation of modern love in a divorced society. Selfishness motivates most of our decisions, and because of it, we let things go that we shouldn’t, and we give up on things that deserve our attention.Sometimes, it’s tragic how dependable we can be on other human beings. Love is the overpowering emotion that convinces us many times that the unreasonable is reasonable. I know this description seems complex, but it is all invoked from this trailer. So it seems like a pretty interesting movie.
Director: Josh Boone
Stars: Logan Lerman, Lily Collins, Jennifer Connelly, Kristen Bell, Stephen King, Greg Kinnear, Liana Liberato, Nat Wolff, Spencer Breslin, and Patrick Schwarzenegger.
Release Date: June 14, 2013
[/tab][tab title=”White House Down”]
I feel like this movie will succeed. Hear me out. Everyone was a bit disappointed with the flat, explosion friendly Die Hard 5. They felt a little bit better when Olympus Has Fallen came out. They felt that their Die Hard void had been filled. So people will enter into the summer movie madness remembering that they enjoyed a film where the White House was under attack from foreign invaders.
So enter White House Down. It is very Red Dawn ish. Which, I love. It cannot be determined if the invaders are foreign or domestic, but judging upon the Lincoln quote, probably domestic. It’s like Red Dawn meets Die Hard 4.
Director: Roland Emmerich
Stars: Channing Tatum, Jamie Foxx, Jason Clarke, Joey King, Maggie Gyllenhaal, James Woods, Richard Jenkins, Rachelle Lefevre, and Jimmi Simpson.
Release Date: June 28, 2013
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All Signs Point to Veronica Mars on the Big Screen…With a Little Help
It’s been almost 6 years since Veronica Mars was canceled by the then still new CW in favor of shows about vampires and other such nonsense. Over that time star Kristen Bell has become a much bigger name in the industry and it appears as though she and show creator Rob Thomas have finally convinced Warner Brothers to let them make a movie. The only catch is, they have to prove fan interest still exists (which is does) and they will do so by raising $2 million in 30 day via Kickstarter. If this goal is achieved the WB has agreed to handle the distribution and marketing for the film.
Continue reading All Signs Point to Veronica Mars on the Big Screen…With a Little Help
Trailer Roundup: Gangster Squad, Lone Ranger, Dark Knight Returns, and More!
[tabgroup][tab title=” Gangster Squad “] 
Inspired by a true story from the 1940s and 50s, Gangster Squad is about the Los Angeles Police Department putting together a small squad of policemen tasked with the goal of keeping East Coast mobs out of their city’s streets.
The cast list is impressive, including the acting veteran Sean Penn and the recent favorites Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone. With a setting and tone much like the video game L.A. Noir, we’re excited to see how this one turns out.
Director: Ruben Fleischer
Stars: Ryan Gosling, Josh Brolin, Emma Stone, Nick Nolte, and Sean Penn
Release Date: January 11, 2013
[/tab][tab title=” The Lone Ranger “]
Tonto and John Reid go back a long way… like to the 1940s. And now they’re making a comeback in Walt Disney’s version of their story with a new twist – Tonto is going to recount the American Old West adventures that made John Reid into the fighting-for-justice legend we all know him to be [SuperHeroHype].
With a winning combination of Gore Verbinski and Jerry Bruckheimer (they made the first three Pirates of the Caribbean films), we’re expecting lots of humorous adventures, entertaining fight sequences, and interesting lore. Also, Johnny Depp’s crow headpiece is pretty wicked.
Director: Gore Verbinski
Stars: Johnny Depp, Armie Hammer, Tom Wilkinson, William Fichtner, Ruth Wilson, and Helena Bonham Carter
Release Date: July 3, 2013
[/tab][tab title=” Broken City”]
New York City’s mayor appears to have done well for the city since he was elected, but he has one personal problem: his wife is sleeping around. So the mayor hires an ex-cop to track down the man she’s cheating with. However, the situation escalates when the ex-cop finds out that there’s more to the mayor’s situation (and his political games) than he’s letting on.
Audiences will undoubtedly be tired of politics by the time this film comes out, but maybe Marky Mark’s ambition to take down a conniving politician will be just what some Americans want at that point.
Director: Allen Huges
Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Russell Crowe, and Catherine Zeta-Jones
Release Date: January 18, 2013
[/tab][tab title=”The Dark Knight Returns: Part 2″] 
After several years out of the spotlight, Bruce Wayne becomes Batman again, this time as a middle-aged man still ready to take on the new criminals that have arisen in Gotham City. But this time Batman’s being called a murderer, and a warrant is out for his arrest. Superman claims he must follow the law and find Batman, but will he?
The story is nothing new, as superheroes have been called vigilantes and murderers before, and there have been show-downs between Batman and Superman in the past, but judging from the trailer we’re guessing DC Comics isn’t going to drop the ball on this one, especially if Part One was any indication of how good the finale will be.
Director: Jay Oliva
Stars: Peter Weller, Michael McKean, Wade Williams, Ariel Winter, David Selby, and Gary Anthony Williams
Release Date: Winter 2013
[/tab] [tab title=”Movie 43″]
The most we can say about this movie is that it’s a comedy featuring a large, all-star cast that will be “intertwining different tales” [IMDb]. It was also going to be called Red Band at one point. If you’ve seen Love Actually or Valentine’s Day, it’s supposedly something like that, but with a far more adult approach, in all aspects of the word.
Director: PatrikForsberg, Peter Farrelly, Elizabeth Banks, Steven Brill, and several more…
Stars: Chloe Grace Moretz, Emma Stone, Hugh Jackman, Elizabeth Banks, Gerard Butler, Kristen Bell, Kate Winslet, Anna Faris, Richard Gere, Naomi Watts, Halle Berry, Jason Sudeikis, Chris Pratt, and many more…
Release Date: January 25, 2013
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Hilarious Trailer For Writing and Directing Debut from Dax Shepard called ‘Hit & Run’
A lot of people remember Dax Shepard as being that guy who was famous for a little while in the mid 2000s and then sort of fell off the wagon as far as being famous goes. I really don’t know why though. He’s talented, funny, and actually a talented actor. I think that both Without a Paddle and Employee of the Month, and even Let’s Go To Prison are all completely underrated comedies that really showed Shepard’s range as a comedian.
Anyway, after taking some time off from the limelight, Shepard is back with a hilarious trailer for his writing and directing debut. The film is called Hit & Run and it follows a former getaway driver nicknamed Charlie Bronson, who’s in witness protection, and his girlfriend (and real-life fiance), the always lovely Kristen Bell. After landing a dream job in LA, the two plan to make a trip out there, but Charlie’s past gets in the way. An old accomplice played by Bradley Cooper swoops in looking for money that Charlie owes him, explaining that he spent 8 months in prison for this money.
Now, Charlie has to find a way to get the money before things go really bad. Also in search of Charlie is a federal agent played by Tom Arnold who is in charge of keeping him safe at all costs. The whole thing amounts to what looks to be a wild and hilarious ride from the mind of one of the most undervalued comedians in Hollywood. The trailer itself is frenetic and chaotically funny as it goes from one wild scenario to the next. From Tom Arnold accidentally catapulting a bowling ball from his car, to the gang busting in on a hotel room full of naked old people, to seeing Bradley Cooper in a believable set of dreads, Hit & Run seems to have it all and then some.
Check out the trailer right here:
Booyah.
Showtime’s ‘House of Lies’ – Pilot Review
Recently, Showtime decided to give all of us a little nugget and release the entire pilot of their new show, House of Lies, on YouTube. I have been so entirely excited for this show to release. I’ve heard such amazing things about Homeland (I’m new to Showtime and haven’t watched it, don’t judge). Couple that with the cast, and you’re sure to have a winner. Don Cheadle is so versatile and amazing. Kristen Bell is a goddess. Jean-Ralphio is HILARIOUS, he has to be just ripping joke after joke.
These things, I thought, were obvious statements. It turns out obvious statements – straight to camera, no less – are exactly what I got.
I will preface the review I’m about to give with a statement. And that statement is this: this pilot was not terrible. Not a ringing endorsement I realize, but it’s important to remember that a lot of good shows have sprung from awkward pilots (such as America’s version of The Office). Sometimes shows can really hit their stride after a few episodes in, so it’s important not to throw a show completely out the window based on one episode.
However…
There isn’t a lot I feel like House of Lies has going for it. The characters seem overdone and cliche to the extreme. Marty is the asshole. Jeanie is the no-nonsense independent woman. Both are secretly lonely and it manifests itself in completely different ways. She swears they’ll never sleep together, which means they probably will. Marty refuses to be Dr. Phil’d by his retired shrink father when he has hate-sex with his psycho ex-wife, who happens to have his position in a competing consulting firm. He has a gender-confused son who tries to Kurt Hummell his way into a musical. Jeanie, of course, can take care of herself, and has frozen her own eggs to prove it. She is confident, self-sufficient, and married to her job.
The pilot leads us down the rosy path of redemption. Each characters flaws are displayed in detail, with a hint that we will get to their cores, learn more about them, grow to understand and care about them. The thing is, I don’t care. I’ve seen these people before, I wanted to see some new ones. So you’ve got a tired plot in one hand, half-ass character development in the other; and then you throw in the commentary. Of course, the common watcher may not know a thing about consulting jargon, so it would make sense to want to explain it. However, I really don’t think everyone watching ER is a doctor, or needs to have someone look into the screen and explain what an aortic dissection is.
I have no problem with Marty talking to the camera. In fact, the one part of the pilot I did really like was the presentation to the bank toward the end. Marty looks at the camera and says, “you’ve got the company that has the US by the balls… by the balls.” That’s the kind of commentary and humor that this show needs and that this pilot lacked. I felt like every time he looked the camera and explained a term like data dump, I was watching a cheesy training video about consulting on my first day at the firm. I don’t think a show needs to be dumbed down to that point. They should be relying on clever writing telling a story and this just felt lazy. Shows walk the line between correct and believable while still appealing to mass audiences.
I will give House of Lies an honest chance, a real one. The potential is just too great for me to ignore. And like I said, the pilot wasn’t terrible. It was just underwhelming. I was disappointed in the lack of depth and intelligence in it.
I give this episode 2.5/5 bears, so your rating glass can be half empty or half full. You pick.
Showtime’s ‘House of Lies’ Premiere Date, and an Interview with Kristen Bell
Not too long ago, we told you all about House of Lies, a new show coming soon to Showtime. The network liked the new show enough to order 12 episodes of the show, which we now know will premiere on Sunday, January 8th, 2012 at 10 pm.
House of Lies will star Don Cheadle as Marty, who every piece of news is describing as a “cutthroat/self-loathing consultant of a top-tier firm.” And also, apparently he’s a real envelope-pusher who threw out his moral compass before he came to work. The show will also star Kristen Bell (Veronica Mars, Forgetting Sarah Marshall), Dawn Olivieri (Heroes), Ben Schwartz (Parks and Recreation) and Glynn Turman (the creepy old black guy from Super 8).
I am super excited! I think this show is going to be majorly awesome. I’ve already fan-girled about the cast; but if the writing is good, it could be a sparkly jewel in the 2012 TV programming crown.
In an interview with the website Zap2it, Kristen Bell talks about her character and about the series:
Zap2it: Are the characters political consultants?
Kristen Bell: Really anything. It’s basically a group of cutthroat management consultants that will do whatever is necessary to get the job and the after-work. It’s murky as to what they actually really do, which I think is the actual description of consultants. If someone has a problem, we come and fix it — you’re downsizing, you need to stop fighting, whatever needs to be done. And their moral compasses are a little bit wonky. … But there’s a dynamic between the four of us — Don Cheadle, me, Josh Lawson and Ben Schwartz — that’s very fun. We travel together all the time, we spend 100 hours a week together.
So it’s kind of our life as traveling salesmen.
Would you call it a comedy, a dark comedy, what?
KB: It’s a dark comedy — a dark dramedy, I’d say actually. Tonally, it’s very Showtime.
What about the role appealed to you?
KB: I’d been searching for the right TV project. I knew I didn’t want anything built around me, for the reason of it’s difficult to be No. 1 on the call sheet. It’s a very different workload than No. 2. But also I wanted to find a writer or creator who had a story to tell, who wasn’t just like, “OK, what can we do with her?” I didn’t want it to be sold on me; I wanted to be part of a good project. And I trust Matthew Carnahan [“Dirt”], our creator, implicitly. I think he’s very funny, he’s very dark, he’s very provocative. I think Showtime also has a lot more they can do with storylines — what they show, the subject matter they broach. And working with Don Cheadle is not a bad thing. He’s pretty exceptional, both as a human being and as an actor, and I just feel like I’m learning a lot from him. I’m trying to absorb how he works.
Other than not being in every scene, what’s different about being part of an ensemble vs. being the star of a series?
KB: Then you’re No. 1 on the call sheet, when you completely represent a show, there’s so much more that’s required of you. You’re in every frame of the show, but there’s also the publicity aspect that’s a reality for us. There’s just a lot more on your shoulders, a lot more pressure. There’s a lot more pressure when you’re the main component of a show, and I didn’t want that pressure. I wanted to have fun, and this has actually been really fun.
Can you talk more about your character?
KB: I don’t know if I can. A lot is revealed in the first three episodes. She’s very compartmentalized. She has a lot of issues.
I’d imagine that in a show called “House of Lies” the people probably aren’t squeaky-clean.
KB: Yeah — she’s very flawed. All the characters are kind of flawed. So the dynamics are a little bit deeper — no one is exactly what you think they are. That’s partly because their line of work bleeds over into their personal lives. They’re chameleons. They transform into whatever the client needs them to be and do whatever they need to get the job. If you need us to be firm, we’re firm. You need us to be soft, we’re soft. You need us to rub your back, we’ll rub your back. The ability to transform to get what you want is what bleeds into my character’s personal life.
It almost sounds like you’re getting to play several different characters.
KB: There are many facets to my character’s personality, and every time they come up with a new one they’re like, “Oh yeah, and she’s this, and she believes this. Which could be directly contradictory to something we’ve already established, but that’s what they’re asking me to do, and it’s really exciting as an actor.
I look forward to DVRing this in January!
Showtime’s ‘House of Lies’ – Coming Soon to a Boob Tube Near You!
Summer is still in full swing, but one thing is captivating the minds of TV execs – Fall TV programming! With so many shows crashing and burning in the last year (The Event, Camelot, Detroit 1-8-7) and so many veteran programs having seen their last (Friday Night Lights, Smallville, Rescue Me), there are some large spots to fill. Showtime promises to provide some interesting heavy hitters under the regime of new president, David Nevins; including an order for 12 episodes of House of Lies, written and executive-produced by Matthew Carnahan (Dirt).
House of Lies is loosely based on the novel House of Lies: How Management Consultants Steal Your Watch and Then Tell You the Time by Martin Kihn, a satirical commentary that attempts to break down the fluffy misconceptions of the consulting business. His stance is that consulting is mostly a joke that became profitable; and that anyone will listen to an Ivy Leaguer with an MBA who wears a nice suit and uses fancy-pants words like “paradigm” and “granular.” Even if this finely pressed suit is spooning you information that you already know and taking credit for a success that isn’t theirs.
House of Lies (the TV show) will be a dark comedy that follows the career of consultant, Marty (Don Cheadle), who is described as “cutthroat,” without a moral compass to guide him as he does anything and everything necessary to succeed. The show will also star Kristen Bell (that native Detroiter that we love!) as Jeannie, a razor-sharp Ivy League grad, who is alleged to act as a voice of reason.
The show will also star Ben Schwartz (Jean-Ralphio from Parks and Recreation) who is about twelve shades of hilarious, and Josh Lawson, who has been in only B-movies and crappy TV shows.
I think this show has the power to premiere to strong numbers. Not only does it have an all-star cast lineup, but it sounds pretty darn interesting and hilarious. Having worked for a consultancy firm, I’m curious to see how much steam they take from Martin Kihn’s book. I’ve heard he really tears the whole institution apart in it. Which is funny in my book, because consultants are all self-righteous stuffed peacocks who think that the ground they walk on turns to gold and that they shit sunshine and rainbows. If the show makes fun of consulting as much as I hope they do, I will be a fan for life.
[Editor’s Note: I’ve included an interview with Bell that has almost nothing to do with the show. How can you not like her?!?!]
House of Lies has started production and will begin filming soon. Look for it to hit Showtime in the Fall 2011 or Spring 2012 lineups!
Grizzly Bomb 