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The show follows Keira Cameron (Rachel Nichols, "Criminal Minds"), an officer with the Vancouver City Protective Services (CPS). We first meet Keira in 2077, when she's a regular "protector," wife and mother going about her business. When she's placed on guard duty during a mass execution of seven terrorists, she's jolted 65 years into the past when the prisoners deploy a high-tech, time-travel escape. She's disoriented -- to say the least -- when she finds herself in the year 2012.

"To have a big idea that was produce-able, I had to set it in the present," explains Simon Barry ("The Art of War"), the show's creator and executive producer, from behind a remarkably tidy detective's desk on the set. That doesn't mean we don't get to see any more of 2077. We steal plenty of glimpses of the future through Keira's memories, which she's able to download and replay at will. (Future cops don't need to carry notepads in this incredibly plugged-in culture!)

When Keira realizes she may not be able to get back to the future, she devotes all of her energy to hunting down the terrorists who trapped her in the past, including Travis Verta (Roger Cross, "24"). She impersonates a cop, infiltrates the local police department, and gets partnered up with hunky Carlos Fonnegra (Victor Webster, "Mutant X," "Castle").

Keira does wind up with one unlikely confidante in 2012: Alec Sadler (Erik Knudsen, "Scott Pilgrim"), a teenager who created the software she uses to communicate almost telepathically with. (In 2077, Alec is kind of a big deal. Like, Bill Gates or Steve Jobs big.)

A little bit lost? Don't worry. We've compiled a list of the top 12 things you need to know about "Continuum," with a little help from Nichols, Webster, Cross and Barry.

1. In 2077, corporations rule the world instead of governments. Keira thinks this is a good thing, while the terrorists disagree. "We [the terrorist characters] believe the corporations are wrong," says Cross. Adds Barry: "We didn't create a world that's black and white."



2. The escaped terrorists may not be entirely bad guys, depending on who you ask. "[My character] is called a terrorist because he might do a bad thing like kill a few people or blow things up," says Cross, laughing. "I've had to do some nasty things." It's all in the name of preserving democracy, though, so he says you just may wind up rooting for him and his gang.

3. You won't see any flying cars in the 2077 scenes. In fact, you'll hardly see any cars at all, thanks to a fuel shortage.

4. Water is scarce in 2077, too, so running water is almost unheard of. (Which is why Keira is so fascinated by the otherwise unremarkable facet in her drab 2012 hotel room).

5. Alec can "get inside" Keira's head anytime, thanks to the software he created that she has come to depend on in 2077. This can be both helpful and annoying, like when she's trying to get undressed at the end of the day.

6. Keira's special suit is equipped with a HUD, or Head's Up Device, that lets her scan stuff and see through people's eyes (it also allows Alec to see through her eyes). In later episodes, the suit starts to fall apart. "Rachel would like the [very tight] suit to go away, but Keira wants it back!" says Nichols, laughing.



7. Keira is exposed to plenty of things she's never seen before in 2012, like pizza, fresh fruit and even horses. "There's a lot of fish-out-of-water stuff," says Nichols.

8. Carlos knows something is a bit off about Keira, but he doesn't know what. (After all, it wouldn't exactly occur to most people that someone has time-traveled from the future.) "We're still tippy-toeing around a few issues," says Webster. "Carlos is perplexed at times and he's not afraid to show it."

9. Aside from the skin-tight suit, don't expect to see Nichols prancing around in sexy little numbers. "Victor gets to do all the fun eye candy stuff [like a shower scene] and I get to kill people!" says Nichols.

10. Some of the escaped terrorists, like Cross, are genetically enhanced because they formerly served as "super soldiers" for the ruling corporations. "We can kick anyone's butt," says Cross.

11. You can expect to see a lot of intense action sequences on the show. "Our fight scenes are dirty and gritty and real," says Webster. Nichols agrees. "Kimani Ray Smith is our stunt coordinator, and he's fantastic. He can speak stunt-speak to humans and we understand," she says.

12. Cross and Webster disagree about whose character would win in a fight, if such a scene ever came to fruition. "I'm a super soldier. I could pick him up by the neck and snap it!" says Cross. Webster begs to differ. "I would out-smart him!" he says, laughing.

"Continuum" premieres on Showcase on Sunday, May 27 at 9 p.m. ET/ PT.]]> Fri, 25 May 2012 14:19:00 EDT 1545978 Mantracker" fans, it was hard saying goodbye to Terry Grant, the rugged outdoorsman who spent six seasons hunting human prey around the world. But, there's a new cowboy in town, so fans had best make some room in their hearts for Chad Savage.

The veteran woodsman from the tiny town of Caroline, Alberta, beat out 11 other finalists to fill the formidable Mantracker boots. Savage, whose real last name is Lenz, has been a hunting guide since the early '90s, and honed his navigational skills with the Royal Canadian Air Cadets as a young man.

This season, we see him travel to places like Florida, Hawaii and Crowsnest Pass to hunt diverse prey ranging from Toronto Roller Derby girls to a wild boar trapper. We caught up with him to chat about everything from scare tactics and his "aggressive" tracking style to how he got that fierce nickname, Savage.

How did your family react when you were named the new Mantracker?
They're pretty excited. My sister's kid is a really big fan. My wife, of course, is probably my biggest fan. It's still pretty new. We'll see when the episodes start coming out. I'm sure everybody's going to like them. They're pretty good.

What initially made you want to travel and explore?
When I was 10, I started to do some trapping and started to explore. Even though it was my backyard, we lived in the country. I'd drive my mom kind of crazy, I'd take off all the time and she wouldn't know where I was and I'd be off in the woods a couple miles back just taking a look around. I've always really enjoyed the experience of travel and hunting out new adventures.

What was your first big hunting trip?
Some of the biggest hunts I went on earlier in my life were hunting bighorn sheep in the mountains close to my home. There were times when I would just get my girlfriend at the time or whoever to drop me off and I'd say, "OK, I'll see you in two weeks!" I'd take off with a backpack and come out of the bush two weeks later.

How did you get the nickname Savage?
I've had that nickname since I was in my early, early 20s. I used to work in the oilfield and guide. It was a pretty rough lifestyle back then and I used to probably drink a little bit too much. I'd get in a few rows every now and then. So I got the nickname from hard living. I did guide a lot, though, and when I took off in the bush for a couple of weeks at a time people were like holy cow, you're a savage. And it's kind of stuck with me!

How has the experience of actually being the Mantracker compared to what you were expecting?
It's been very good. It's been very similar to hunting, which is my passion. The only difference is now I get to hunt people and it's even more of a challenge than hunting animals. It'd be easier if I could shoot them, but laying my hands on them is an extreme adrenaline rush.

How does your tracking style differ the most from Terry's style?
I'd say the biggest difference is I'm a little younger, a little bit hardcore and definitely more aggressive.

More aggressive?
When people want to hide, I'm the kind of guy that might get off my horse and make sure they know the bushes aren't safe.

Who was your most challenging prey this season?
All the prey have been excellent. The first episode that's coming up has the most prepared and most trained military guys.

What about the Toronto Roller Derby girls? Did they give you a lot of trouble?
They were tough girls! If you're going to play roller derby you'd better be prepared for some bruises!

Do you find there's a difference tracking men versus women?
There are differences and similarities. For women, they're probably less predictable than men, so in some ways actually harder to track.

Interesting. How so?
Men are goal-oriented and focused, and sometimes women aren't. Most guys are a little better at navigational skills so their lines are going to be more direct whereas women seem to wander a little more, so it's really hard to read what they're going to do.

Are you still based in Caroline?
Yes. A little tiny town of 300 people. I'm definitely small town.

I read that Caroline is where Kurt Browning is from, is that true?
Yes, it is! We went to school together. He was a grade above me so we didn't spend too much time together. His dad is one of the best-known outfitters in the area.

Is there anything else you think fans would be interested in hearing about?
Hopefully they give me a chance. I was a big fan of Terry's too, so I can understand why some fans aren't so positive towards the new guy. But I tell you what: once they watch the show and see a little more action and get to know me, I think they'll like it.

You can catch Chad Savage on Season 7 of Mantracker on OLN Mondays at 9 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. PT.
]]> Thu, 24 May 2012 16:31:35 EDT 1543494 Will Smith last graced the big screen? That's a long time for fans to go without seeing the freshest actor around doling out smooth one-liners in summer blockbusters.

Thankfully, he's back this week in Men in Black 3. This time, we get to see Agent J hanging out with a young Agent K (Josh Brolin), thanks to the wonders of time travel. Tommy Lee Jones is back for more, too, as the present-day K. The flick is as fun as its predecessors, and Smith and Brolin have a great rapport. And, of course, Smith is as charming and entertaining as always. He's certainly not rusty after his extended absence.

Smith is a rare breed in Hollywood. He has a certain "it" quality that hasn't faded over the years. After decades of being a megastar, he still comes off as incredibly likable, funny and as down-to-earth as a guy with a "mansion on wheels" can be. (Don't judge his mega-trailer. Maybe he just wants a swish pad to chill out with his pals in! Wouldn't you if you could?)

Maybe that's why we all still loyally flock to his movies. After all, who doesn't like seeing their lovable Fresh Prince living the big life in Hollywood? And really, he keeps giving us lots to love. With that in mind, here are the top seven reasons we still love Will:

1. He wrote one of the catchiest songs in the history of the world. Don't act like you don't know all of the words to the Fresh Prince of Bel Air theme song. "Now this is a story all about how my life got flipped, turned upside down..." Go ahead. Try to not sing the next line. That's what I thought.

2. He was brave enough to play a gay character in Six Degrees of Separation, at a time when it may have been perceived as a risky career move. In spite of reports that he insisted that a gay love scene be axed from the flick, it was still a courageous choice for Smith at the time, since he ran the risk of alienating his mainstream Fresh Prince fans. (Also, this was waaaay before Brokeback Mountain and Glee, when even gay kissing scenes still caused uproars, let alone gay love scenes.)

3. He's proven over and over again that he's got the acting chops to pull off serious roles in flicks like Ali and The Pursuit of Happyness, which both snagged him Oscar nominations.

4. Even his critically panned movies, like Wild Wild West and Hitch, are still watchable thanks to his irresistible charisma.

5. His ability to deliver one-liners is almost unmatched. Can you imagine anyone else saying, "Now that's what I call a close encounter" with the same effect? Ah, Independence Day. It's been a while since we've had a decent alien blockbuster (cough, cough, Cowboys & Aliens).

6. Check out how well he diffused the whole Moscow-kiss-slap situation on Letterman. "And that's why his ass got schtuck!" Classic.

7. Parents Just Don't Understand. Nuff said.

]]> Thu, 24 May 2012 14:30:25 EDT 1542864 Missy Peregrym, who plays the idealist Officer Andy McNally on the hit show "Rookie Blue," is joking around with her co-star Matt Gordon (Oliver Shaw) on a rare day off. The cast of everybody's favorite summer cop drama is so tight-knit, they actually want to hang out together when they're not shooting.

This season, the affable cast welcomes a new rookie into its fold: Peter Mooney ("Camelot"), who plays Nick Collins, a newly-minted cop with an army background. Nick isn't the only new cast member shaking up the group -- this season also marks the introduction of Andy's estranged mother (Barbara Williams) as well as a guest spot by William Shatner.

With Season 3 set to premiere this week, we grilled Peregrym about everything there is to know about the Sam (Ben Bass) & Andy saga, Andy's suspension and how the new rookie fits into everything. She was pretty tight-lipped, but we did manage to pry a few good nuggets out of her.

What's it like having a new rookie this season?
[Laughs] Sorry, I'm actually sitting with Matt Gordon right now and he's sabotaging me, so I'm going to move. He's putting all of his crumbs on me! OK, so yes, Peter Mooney is playing the new rookie, Nick, who has an army background. He was in -- where was he?

[Gordon shouts from afar: He was in Afghanistan!]

He was in Afghanistan. Matt said he was a pencil-pusher! That's not true. He joins our crew because Andy isn't technically back at the beginning of the season -- she was still suspended. So he fills in.

Will we still see you on the show during these episodes?
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Definitely. I come back in the first episode.

Will the new rookie have any love interests?
Yes. Absolutely. He knows one of the characters already. But I can't tell you any more.

Very mysterious! I know William Shatner guest stars this season, what was it like working with him?
It was really cool. I think we all had to keep our mouths shut and not try to make jokes and get him to say certain lines. He was awesome. For a guy his age he is such a badass. He's really tough. He was getting his ass kicked and kicking other people's asses. It was awesome.

He was kicking people's asses?
Yeah! He was great. He was really strong. In one of the scenes we're making eye contact and all I could think about was 'Oh my God, William Shatner is staring at me!' [Laughs]



Did he travel with a big entourage?
No, just his wife!

Who's going to be playing your mom?
Barbara Williams. She's awesome, I like her so much! I was excited when I met her. She looks like my real mom, and she has a lot of the same features, which is pretty cool. And my mom came to set, and they were totally hanging out with each other, which is strange.

What was it like for you filming this new storyline with Andy's mom?
The way that she comes into my life again is pretty dramatic. Her job is family oriented. It's kind of a kick to me while I'm down because I'm sitting there going, 'You're fighting for other people's families and you abandoned me.' Y'know? There's a lot of things there that you would have no idea what to feel.

What else can we expect from Andy this season? Any more love triangles?
Sam and Andy are trying to work it out, but it's complicated. I think the theme this year is be careful what you wish for. There's obviously this connection with Sam, and then Luke kind of cheats on me and we break up, and at the end of the season last year me and Sam tried to be normal together and have a relationship, but the truth is, when I'm suspended I can't have any contact with him. I'm not supposed to see him. He gets to go back to work earlier than I do because of his position but I can't and I kind of take off. So we start the next season with us really starting over and trying to be together. So there's no love triangle! Andy would be a bit of a flake, I think, if all of a sudden someone else came in and she was like, hey, you, you're cute! [Laughs]

Well, whatever. She's young!
True, we'll blame it on that. And it's TV! [Laughs]

I know some fans feel pretty strongly about Andy's love life. Do people ever stop you on the streets and give you advice?
It's so strange. Yes! People have definitely pulled me aside and told me that I either need to be with Luke or Sam. It's funny because when people say Luke, I'm like -- he cheated on me! And they say 'No, it was just a mistake -- he really loves you!' It's so bizarre to have a conversation about a fake life and something that I have no control over because everything is written. It blows my mind. It's so bad. It's funny how even then there was still a 50-50 poll on who I should be with!

Does Peter change the dynamic as the new rookie?
Yes. Peter changes the dynamic in that Gail and Chris ... I have eight things I want to tell you right now! But I can't tell you because you'll know exactly who I'm talking about. There are a lot of advancements and also we lose somebody this year. I don't want to get in trouble for saying that. Whatever, it's true! And I'm not really telling you anything anyway!

Season 3 of "Rookie Blue" premieres on Global TV Thursday, May 24 at 10 p.m. ET/ PT. Season 3 is just about to get underway in the US on ABC.]]> Wed, 23 May 2012 11:23:37 EDT 1539246 Sacha Baron Cohen dressed up like The Dictator and dumped "Kim Jong-il's ashes" all over Ryan Seacrest's pristine red carpet tuxedo at the Oscars earlier this year, few (if any) cared. While everybody went crazy over Angelina's rogue leg, hardly anyone even batted an eye at Cohen's meticulously planned stunt (with the notable exception of his indignant victim Seacrest, of course).

To be fair to Cohen, it's hard to get a rise out of people after you've already shoved your bare ass into Eminem's face at the MTV Movie Awards or arrived at your own Toronto Film Festival movie premiere in a carriage pulled by a group of women. He has, after all, set the shock bar pretty high.

So the question is, if Cohen has lost the ability to shock people, does that negate his entire appeal? Most of the fun of watching Ali G and, later, Borat and Bruno, was wondering what outrageous stunt Cohen would pull next. If audiences don't think Cohen could possibly top his previous antics, does that take the fun out of the whole thing?

His latest movie, The Dictator, does offer a few hilariously shocking scenes, but it lacks the 'Omigod, I can't believe what I'm seeing' factor that Cohen's previous films had plenty of. Like when Paula Abdul sat on the help in Bruno, or when Borat and Hazmat let it all hang out in Borat's over-the-top nude fight scene.

A big part of what made Cohen's earlier work so fun to watch was seeing his characters interact with real people. Remember Bruno's incredibly awkward chat with Pastor Quinn, the "gay converter"? Or when Borat emerged from the bathroom with a bag of his own feces at an Alabama dinner party?

Unfortunately, now that more people are familiar with how Cohen operates (not to mention the lawsuits filed by the real folks who were "duped" into appearing in the flicks), it wasn't feasible for The Dictator to incorporate any real world interactions. The movie is entirely scripted, which definitely dampens the potential for shocking moments (especially since many of the actors are so easily recognizable, it's difficult to suspend your disbelief and imagine these are "real" people The Dictator is engaging with).

The Dictator's plot follows supreme leader Aladeen (of the fictional country Wadiya) as he heads to New York to speak at the United Nations. When his not-so-trusty number two, played by Sir Ben Kingsley, double-crosses him, Aladeen finds himself stranded in New York without any money, power or connections. He meets an earnest hippy chick (Anna Faris), who gives him a job at her earthy organic food shop.

The concept of a foreign dictator stranded in America is quite amusing, and lends itself well to a number of funny moments. Most of the movie's best scenes are at the beginning, when we see The Dictator at home and grossly abusing his power (like when he shoots his competitors during Wadiya's version of the Olympics).

There are plenty of outrageous scenes peppered throughout the rest of the flick, but none come close to outdoing Borat or Bruno.

]]> Thu, 17 May 2012 15:00:14 EDT 1524273 What to Expect When You're Expecting. After all, What to Expect is a chick flick, right? Well, yes and no. It definitely has some major chick flick hallmarks (J-Lo! Matthew Morrison! Babies!), but it also has other elements that indicate it may be something different (Chris Rock! Brooklyn Decker! Jokes about bodily fluids!).

The film's marketers have even set up a Facebook group to attract male fans called The Dude's Group, named after the daddy crew in the movie. The group, comprised of comedians like Rock, Rob Huebel (The Human Giant, I Love You, Man) and Thomas Lennon (Reno 911!) hadn't attracted a ton of dudes. At press time, only 1,382 Likes, including a fair number of ladies, had been registered. However, it did appear to pique the interest of several dude-minded daddies.

Dudes will most likely enjoy The Dude's Group scenes in the movie. (I'm channeling my inner dude here to make such predictions.) After all, dads may be able to relate to the horrifying parenting confessions the dudes nonchalantly reveal within the sanctity of the non-judgmental Dude's Group: Dropping a baby off a changing table, picking the wrong kid up from daycare or discovering their child just ate a cigarette. Or, if the real-life dads can't relate, they can at least feel better about their own parental competence (and find the humor in the outlandish confessions).

Since women obviously aren't the only ones having children (and men are, in fact, a vital component of that whole baby-making equation), maybe it's not so crazy to think that men might actually want to see What to Expect When You're Expecting, too. Right? OK, maybe not.

While What to Expect has thrown in a bit more male-skewing material than its star-jammed predecessors like New Year's Eve and Valentine's Day, it's still not the kind of movie men are likely to excited about. In other words, it's definitely no Bridesmaids. (Although there are some funny scenes with Bridesmaids alumni Rebel Wilson, Wendi McLendon-Covey and Ben Falcone.)

As the movie title indicates, it follows five couples along their journey to parenthood, whether planned, unplanned or through adoption. It certainly doesn't lack star power: the couples are played by a high-wattage cast that includes Glee star Matthew Morrison and a very buff Cameron Diaz; a radiant J-Lo and Love Actually mega-hunk Rodrigo Santoro; 30 Rock funny gal Elizabeth Banks and the loveable nerd Falcone; acting vet Dennis Quaid and bombshell Brooklyn Decker; and Up in the Air sweetheart Anna Kendrick and Gossip Girl heartthrob Chace Crawford.

The subject matter does lend itself well to jokes about bodily fluids -- traditionally the domain of male-skewing movies like The Hangover or There's Something About Mary. Male or female, f you want to see Cameron Diaz puke or Elizabeth Banks fart and wet herself, you're in for a treat.

At the end of the day, What to Expect is definitely a chick flick. But dudes accompanying their ladies to the cinema on date night, fear not. The filmmakers have tried to throw in some relatable characters for you too. And hey, those scenes of Brooklyn Decker strutting around in all her swimsuit model glory probably won't hurt, either.

]]> Thu, 10 May 2012 11:21:51 EDT 1506321 What to Expect When You're Expecting. After all, What to Expect is a chick flick, right? Well, yes and no. It definitely has some major chick flick hallmarks (J-Lo! Matthew Morrison! Babies!), but it also has other elements that indicate it may be something different (Chris Rock! Brooklyn Decker! Jokes about bodily fluids!).

The film's marketers have even set up a Facebook group to attract male fans called The Dude's Group, named after the daddy crew in the movie. The group, comprised of comedians like Rock, Rob Huebel (The Human Giant, I Love You, Man) and Thomas Lennon (Reno 911!) hadn't attracted a ton of dudes. At press time, only 1,382 Likes, including a fair number of ladies, had been registered. However, it did appear to pique the interest of several dude-minded daddies.

Dudes will most likely enjoy The Dude's Group scenes in the movie. (I'm channeling my inner dude here to make such predictions.) After all, dads may be able to relate to the horrifying parenting confessions the dudes nonchalantly reveal within the sanctity of the non-judgmental Dude's Group: Dropping a baby off a changing table, picking the wrong kid up from daycare or discovering their child just ate a cigarette. Or, if the real-life dads can't relate, they can at least feel better about their own parental competence (and find the humor in the outlandish confessions).

Since women obviously aren't the only ones having children (and men are, in fact, a vital component of that whole baby-making equation), maybe it's not so crazy to think that men might actually want to see What to Expect When You're Expecting, too. Right? OK, maybe not.

While What to Expect has thrown in a bit more male-skewing material than its star-jammed predecessors like New Year's Eve and Valentine's Day, it's still not the kind of movie men are likely to excited about. In other words, it's definitely no Bridesmaids. (Although there are some funny scenes with Bridesmaids alumni Rebel Wilson, Wendi McLendon-Covey and Ben Falcone.)

As the movie title indicates, it follows five couples along their journey to parenthood, whether planned, unplanned or through adoption. It certainly doesn't lack star power: the couples are played by a high-wattage cast that includes Glee star Matthew Morrison and a very buff Cameron Diaz; a radiant J-Lo and Love Actually mega-hunk Rodrigo Santoro; 30 Rock funny gal Elizabeth Banks and the loveable nerd Falcone; acting vet Dennis Quaid and bombshell Brooklyn Decker; and Up in the Air sweetheart Anna Kendrick and Gossip Girl heartthrob Chace Crawford.

The subject matter does lend itself well to jokes about bodily fluids -- traditionally the domain of male-skewing movies like The Hangover or There's Something About Mary. Male or female, f you want to see Cameron Diaz puke or Elizabeth Banks fart and wet herself, you're in for a treat.

At the end of the day, What to Expect is definitely a chick flick. But dudes accompanying their ladies to the cinema on date night, fear not. The filmmakers have tried to throw in some relatable characters for you too. And hey, those scenes of Brooklyn Decker strutting around in all her swimsuit model glory probably won't hurt, either.

]]> Thu, 10 May 2012 10:50:38 EDT 1497468
It's easy to wonder how one person (or, in some cases a small group) can talk others into a blind adoration. That's probably why cults are such popular subject matter for the big and small screen alike. Last year, we saw a psycho hippie cult leader creep out Elizabeth Olsen in Marcy Martha May Marlene. Another cult-focused flick, Sound of My Voice, has been generating buzz since it opened at Sundance. The movie, which is opening in limited release now, tells the story of a couple that tries to infiltrate a suspected cult to sneakily make a documentary about it.

And, later this year, the much-anticipated movie Manson's Girls is set to hit theaters. It imagines the infamous story of Charles Manson and his followers from the perspective of the girls and Bobby Beausoleil, who'll be played by Eric Balfour (Haven, Six Feet Under).

Of course, cults quite frequently pop up on the small screen, too, in everything from procedural crime shows to HBO dramas like Big Love. One of my favorite cult-related TV episodes is "True Believer" from Season 1 of Dollhouse, when Echo becomes a blind woman to infiltrate a creepy cult.

With cult leaders on the brain, I decided to compile a list of my own favorite fictional cult leaders -- from both movies and television. These characters all have the gift of gab, if you will, and can talk their minions into pretty much anything.

1. Lord Summerisle (Christopher Lee) in The Wicker Man. This Lord Summerisle guy really knows how to keep his flock happy. As long as they have their weird delicious fruit and groovy parties, they'll go along with whatever he wants. Even if that means concocting an elaborate conspiracy to lure a virginal policeman over from the mainland. Diabolical!

2. Isaac Chroner (John Franklin) in Children of the Corn. Young Isaac had a good run while it lasted. He whipped all the town's kids into a murderous frenzy, and successfully convinced them to kill off all the adults to appease the local demon lurking in the cornrows. Not bad for a boy preacher.

3. Roman Grant on Big Love. In spite of his evil ways, Roman's followers (for the most part, anyway) actually believed he was a good guy with their best interests at heart. Maybe it was his love of creepy folk songs. Or his bitchin' cowboy hat.

4. Abin Cooper in Red State. His speeches may have been lengthy, but his followers always ate up every word. Even when he wanted to do super crazy stuff like kill teenagers in front of the "congregation," he was able to rationalize it in such a way that made his followers say, "Yeah, this doesn't seem crazy at all. Let's do this!"

5. Boyd Crowder on Justified. Even as his ideals shifted, Boyd was still able to attract followers. Now that's the mark of a charismatic leader. Whether he was leading his neo-Nazi gang or his reformed band of born-again Christians in the woods, Boyd could talk anyone into almost anything (except that tenacious cowboy Raylan Givens, of course).

]]> Thu, 3 May 2012 16:01:26 EDT 1474368 Jason Segel and Emily Blunt are so impossibly cute together in The Five Year Engagement, it's hard to believe they've never been paired together on-screen before. (And no, Blunt's brief cameo in The Muppets doesn't count.)

In The Five Year Engagement, the two complement each other perfectly. Segel is the silly to Blunt's sassy. He's comically earnest while she's sarcastic-yet-goofy. Neither outshines the other. This is not a Segel vehicle in which he gets to be funny and the female lead is simply window dressing (as Katherine Heigl famously accused another Apatow production, Knocked Up, of doing.) Instead, Blunt wields her comedic process adeptly, resulting in a refreshing flick with two strong, equally matched leads.

Since you've likely been inundated with various incarnations of Engagement trailers by now, you probably know that the flick follows the extended engagement of Tom (Segel) and Violet (Blunt), who put their nuptials on hold while Violet pursues a career opportunity out of state. Their relationship is tested as they deal with family and work-related pressures, but never to the detriment of their endearing banter.

Segel and Blunt's perfect pairing got me thinking about other memorable movie couples who had amazing on-screen chemistry (and solid scripts that took full advantage of each of the performers' strengths). I'm not just talking about "Oh, they're cute together!" couples. I mean a "Wow, I want to watch them banter forever!" kind of movie couple.

(Now, I'm not saying that all of these couples represent perfect relationships, because a couple of them definitely don't. I've chosen the following movie couples as my top five favorites because a) they're incredibly entertaining, and b) each couple is comprised of strong, compelling characters who don't just exist to serve the lead -- cough, cough -- generic male love interests in Reese Witherspoon/Kate Hudson/Jennifer Aniston movies -- cough, cough).

1. Dudley Moore and Liza Minnelli in Arthur and Arthur 2: On the Rocks. Aren't Dudley and Liza the best movie couple ever? He's hilarious, she's hilarious. They get up to goofy shenanigans. They banter constantly. They're both fun, eschewing the typical "fun man/wet-blanket woman" couple archetype. And they really do seem to actually like each other.

2. Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan in When Harry Met Sally. Now this is a movie couple that grows on you. At first, Harry and Sally seem completely unsuited for each other. She's young and pretty, he's crusty and neurotic. But the more they cross paths, the more they challenge each other and realize they just might be more than friends.

3. Nicolas Cage and Holly Hunter in Raising Arizona. Hi is a goofy criminal, Ed is a serious policewoman, and yet they make so much sense together. They really do bounce ideas off of each other quite well, like when they rationalize their plan to kidnap one of the Arizona Quints, and then hilariously carry out said plan.

4. Robin Wright and Cary Elwes in The Princess Bride. It's inconceivable to think of any other two actors filling these now-classic roles. Buttercup, the beautiful farm girl, proves she's feisty and clever enough to get herself out of tricky situations -- and shows us why she's worthy of the dashing farmhand Westley's undying love.

5. Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis in Natural Born Killers. There's no shortage of movies about killers out there. What made Natural Born Killers so fascinating was Mickey and Mallory's volatile, passionate and enduring relationship with each other. Harrelson and Lewis played off of each other perfectly, masterfully capturing each of their respective characters' complex layers.

What'd I miss? I'd love to hear your favorite movie couples.

]]> Thu, 26 Apr 2012 15:02:29 EDT 1455843
Canadian TV channel Space has confirmed that it won't be renewing cult hit "Todd and the Book of Pure Evil" for a third season. The news comes as quite a shock, given the show's accolades from critics and fans alike. It was recently picked up in foreign markets like Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Germany, where fans were heard crying out "ingen!""nei!"and "kien!" upon hearing that their new favourite show won't be back.

The show's creator, Craig David Wallace, revealed the news last night at the Writers Guild of Canada Screenwriting Awards, where, ironically, he was being honoured for his work on "Todd." In a state of disbelief, we reached out to a Space rep who confirmed that yes, it is indeed true. Nooooo!

Great writing, a plethora of zany shenanigans and an awesome cast (including Alex House, Chris Leavins and Jason Mewes) all helped the show attract a legion of devoted fans.

In this time of loss, sharing memories can help. Our favourite "Todd" episode is "Deathday Cake," when a killer cake went on a rampage (and totally ruined a birthday party!) What's yours? Commiserate with us in the comments section!
]]> Tue, 24 Apr 2012 14:52:19 EDT 1449838 Steven Seagal is one complicated dude. Thankfully, Seattle-based film critic Vern has crafted a weighty tome dedicated to making sense of Hollywood's favorite ponytailed action hero. The book, aptly titled "Seagalogy: A Study of the Ass-Kicking Films of Steven Seagal" analyzes each and every one of Seagal's movies at a painstakingly granular level.

The book first came out in 2008, and is being re-released this month to incorporate further analysis of Seagal's more recent endeavors, like, y'know, his reality show about patrolling the streets of New Orleans, Steven Seagal: Lawman. (Who knew Seagal's been a secret cop for 20 years?)

Like any scholar worth his weight in high-front kicks and shiny dragon shirts, Vern breaks his analysis down into eras, spanning from Golden (which includes Above the Law) to Direct-to-Video to the present Chief Seagal Era.

Whether you're a Seagal fanatic or just a casual admirer, Vern's acerbic humor and surprisingly illuminating analysis make "Seagalogy" an incredibly entertaining read. Our only lament is that the book doesn't have any Seagal-tastic photos to go along with it. To be fair, though, Vern's poetic descriptions like "a dude in a ponytail and shiny shirts going around breaking wrists and throwing people through windows" really do paint quite the picture on their own.

At 485 pages (without pictures!) "Seagalogy" is nothing if not comprehensive. In addition to the detailed analysis of each Seagal film, the book also explores the complicated man behind the public persona. Indeed, Seagal wears many hats. Here are a handful of them.

1. Advocate. Vern begins by pointing out that Seagal often says in interviews that his movies aim to "bring people forward into contemplation." Yes, that's right. Seagal flicks aren't for zoning out. You'd better be picking up on his important spiritual, environmental and political subtext.

2. Badass Auteur. Vern's "Badass Auteur Theory" asserts that while many directors put their own stamp on their movies like an author would in a book, Seagal's movies all have a uniquely "Seagal" quality. It is Seagal who carries the themes across his movies, not the directors.

3. Lawman. As evidenced on the A+E show Steven Seagal: Lawman, Seagal takes his duties as a reserve officer for the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office pretty seriously. Vern pinpoints exactly what makes the show so perfect when he writes that Seagal makes for a "celebrity cop still surreal to see on patrol, but maybe a little more convincing in uniform than La Toya Jackson." (The latter, of course, being a reference to the ill-fated show Armed & Famous.)

4. Entrepreneur. In 2005, Steven Seagal Enterprises rolled out some tasty energy drinks called Lightning Bolt, so you too can have the energy to toss bad guys through windows. Vern acknowledges that he was "under the influence" of the Cherry Charge flavor while writing.

5. Blues guitarist. Seagal is a spiritual Renaissance man of sorts, so it should come as no surprise that he likes to express himself through song, too. Vern's reviews of Seagal's musical stylings conclude that he's "better than you'd expect" at singing, songwriting and playing the guitar.

6. Thespian. He may not be a Shakespearean actor, but when he says ridiculous stuff like "I'm gonna take you to the bank, Senator Trent. The blood bank!," you believe it.

7. Spiritual dude. Seagal takes this Buddhist thing seriously. He's been recognized as a tulku, which is a high-ranking lama. Trés zen.

8. Spokesperson. Aside from hocking his own shiz, Seagal has appeared in an array of commercials over the years, including some hilarious ads for Australian beer co Carlton Dry.

9. Director. Seagal's foray into directing -- On Deadly Ground -- wasn't exactly critically acclaimed. Even Vern describes it as "the corniest, most unintentionally hilarious movie of his career, up there with Roadhouse as a classic goofy action movie done with a straight face." At least it's an entertaining vehicle that gets his environmental message across; there's definitely way more ass-kicking than An Inconvenient Truth.

10. Aikido master. Did you know Seagal was the first foreigner to own an aikido dojo in Japan? You will if you dare to foray into "Seagalogy 101."
]]> Thu, 19 Apr 2012 15:50:55 EDT 1432135 Sandra Rinomato, best known for managing the lofty expectations of first-time buyers on "Property Virgins," is back. This time around, she's helping single gals find the perfect place to nest on the new show "Buy Herself."

After 130 episodes of "Property Virgins," Rinomato felt it was time to move on. Over the years, she's noticed that more and more single women are buying homes on their own. In fact, one of four buyers today are single women, while single men represent only one in ten buyers. With that intriguing stat in mind, Rinomato decided to craft a new house-hunting show around it.

HuffPost TV Canada sat down with Rinomato at Yorkville's chi-chi Hazelton Hotel to chat about everything from her unlikely fans (including random marriage proposals from smitten male viewers) to her stylin' new look (buh-bye, pantsuits!) to which nit-picky house-hunting complaints drive her the craziest.

The concept reminded me of that episode of "Sex and the City" where Miranda buys her own condo and then starts having panic attacks because she thinks it's an admission that she's going to die alone. Are you finding that women you're working with are having similar anxieties?
There are a lot of things that women are afraid of, and a lot of this is self-imposed. I dealt with one woman who's East Indian, with a very traditional upbringing. She was raised to believe you be a good girl, get married, have children and make your husband happy. That's how I was raised too. So if you find yourself at a certain age and it didn't work out for you, it can be very difficult to try to find yourself.

When you don't have a role model to emulate or someone to clear the path for you it's that much more difficult. She's not a trailblazer in that she's the first person to ever do this, but she's the first woman in her family who's ever been in this situation. She was one of those women that had self-imposed guilt, so she couldn't bring herself to say the words, "I want to buy a home!" until she heard me on the radio talking about "Buy Herself" several months ago. But her question was, "What if I meet a guy tomorrow?" So what? You can sell it, you can keep it, he can move in with you, you can take the equity out and buy something together.

On "Property Virgins" and "Buy Herself" you have to work hard to manage unreasonable expectations. What's the biggest thing that buyers have trouble looking past that drives you the craziest?
There are two. I think that they overestimate how much space they really need to be happy in their home and to serve their lifestyle. The other thing is, we showed a house yesterday where the walls were painted very distinct colours. And this girl could not get past it. I was really hard on her because I was trying to tell her there's gold in these walls. All you have to do is fix the walls, because it was original plaster in one of those old Victorians. Bring a guy in to fix the plaster and paint it properly. Prime it then paint it, and you've already increased the value of the house!

I noticed you have a lot of pretty fabulous outfits on "Buy Herself." Is that because you're working with these stylish young women?
That's part of it. Sometimes I dress for the buyer. If I'm working with somebody a little bit younger I might bring out my leather jacket. [Laughs] But if it's somewhere rural it's not going to be my five-inch heels. [Laughs] But I'm trying to stay away from the suits because I just wanted a change. My hair isn't straight anymore because I just happened to go to a salon and I told them to just do whatever they wanted. It's really a lot of fun to be able to go to the wardrobe every day and pick something to wear.

House-hunting shows are so hugely popular. Do you watch them, too?
This morning I was watching "House Hunters International" and this guy was buying in Bali and I thought "Wow! You can get that in Bali?" Every house had this beautiful in-ground pool in a courtyard. I think I've got to go to Bali!

You have such a diverse fan base. I noticed a couple of years ago you were even named Dlisted's Hot Slut of the Week!
Yes! That was very flattering. My husband didn't like it, but I did! [Laughs]

What kinds of things do fans say to you? Has anything surprised you?
The most surprising thing were the marriage proposals. Some of them send a picture. No dirty pictures yet! Those were fun. I'm surprised to get email from young viewers, like eight years old. Last week a mother wrote that her eight-year-old daughter doesn't want to be Barbie, she wants to be me! She talks to the fake camera and tells viewers where her "versions" went wrong. [Laughs] I think it's fabulous.

"Buy Herself" premieres on HGTV Canada on Monday, April 16 at 10PM. ]]> Mon, 16 Apr 2012 10:44:20 EDT 1428390 Joss Whedon is no stranger to scary stuff like demons, vampires, werewolves, outlaw space cowboys and creepy corporations that pimp out programmed humans, but this week's release of The Cabin in the Woods marks his first foray into the world of the big-screen horror flick.

In an age where scary movies are endlessly one-upping each other to achieve the goriest of gory kill scenes, a flick written by Whedon (and directed by Lost alum Drew Goddard) promises to be a bit heavier on the smart plot twists and witty one-liners than the cheap gross-outs (not that there's anything wrong with that). After all, that's part of why we love him so.

The man behind cult favorites like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly and Dollhouse rarely disappoints his legions of devoted fans. That's probably why Titan Books can get away with publishing "Joss Whedon: The Complete Companion." There are few people I'd want to read dozens of essays about and interviews with, but Whedon is certainly among them. Fans like myself just can't get enough Whedon.

There are dozens of reasons why Joss Whedon is the best, but I've amassed ten of them. Did I miss yours? Share your own Joss-love in the comments section! (Haters, beware of devoted citizens of The Whedonverse.)

1. He turned a campy movie cheerleader named Buffy into one of the most badass-yet-relatable heroines TV has ever seen.

2. He gave us Angel, the most swoon-worthy vampire in recent memory (sorry, Lestat).

3. He wrote Toy Story. Toy Story! With Woody! And Buzz! And Mr. Potato Head!

4. He helped make the amazing Nathan Fillion (Castle) a star by casting him as the suave outlaw captain Mal Reynolds on Firefly. A very wise casting choice indeed, as I'm sure all Browncoats would agree.

5. He stays loyal to his favorite actors, like Eliza Dushku and, well, Fillion (Buffy, Firefly).

6. He had Neil Patrick Harris singing (and getting wedgies from Nathan Fillion!) in Dr. Horrible's Singalong Blog.

7. He almost always has a sassy sexpot around who's quick with the one-liners like Cordelia and Anya on Buffy, Inara on Firefly and Adelle Dewitt on Dollhouse.

8. He was way ahead of the "nerds are cool" trend, with Buffy's nerdy cool role models Willow and Xander.

9. He's always thinking of his obsessed fans who want more by doing things like the Buffy spin-off Fray or the companion book to The Cabin in the Woods.

10. He directed the who's who of superheroes in The Avengers.

]]> Thu, 12 Apr 2012 14:48:27 EDT 1421552 Mary Harron ("American Psycho") brings the tribulations of an all-girls' boarding school to life as you've never seen it before in the big-screen adaptation of "The Moth Diaries," which hits theaters (in limited release) this week.

Sarah Bolger ("The Tudors") stars as a bright young student named Rebecca who can't wait to get to boarding school with her BFF Lucie (David Cronenberg's new favorite, Sarah Gadon, from "A Dangerous Method"). Unfortunately, Rebecca's dreams of a fun, carefree boarding school experience are dashed by the creepy new girl, Ernessa (model-turned-actress Lily Cole). Rebecca knows there's something not quite right about the new girl who's stealing her best friend, but nobody believes her. Even her hunky English teacher, Mr. Davies (Scott Speedman) thinks she's crazy!

Moviefone Canada caught up with Bolger and Speedman at the Toronto Film Festival to chat about boarding school, mean girls and what it was like working with Mary Harron.

Check out the Bolger interview (above) and the Speedman interview (below).
]]> Thu, 5 Apr 2012 14:20:29 EDT 1406013 American Pie first came out, and people couldn't get enough of "It" girls Mena Suvari, Shannon Elizabeth and Tara Reid? Thirteen years later, those three lovely ladies have largely fallen off the map (unless you count Reid's frequent mentions in gossip mags for her, um, unusual antics). Meanwhile, endearing nerd Alyson Hannigan has been steadily building a rather impressive career to become, arguably, the most successful of all the American Pie alum.

Hannigan had already built up a loyal fan base when Pie came out in 1999, thanks to her role as Buffy's trusty sidekick Willow on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She showed fans a completely different side of her as the sex-crazed band geek Michelle in American Pie. (Shy Willow would never throw herself at Jason Biggs like that!)

Since Pie (and Buffy), Hannigan has had memorable guest spots on shows like the cult classic Veronica Mars and That '70s Show before landing the role of lovable Lily Aldrin on the hugely popular How I Met Your Mother. She may not have decorated countless covers of men's mags like Elizabeth, or starred in one of the most memorable scenes in contemporary movie history like Suvari's sultry rose fantasy sequence in American Beauty, but Hannigan has proven that sometimes slow and steady does win the race.

While Elizabeth, Suvari and Reid may have all sizzled then quickly fizzled, Hannigan isn't the only Pie alum to go on to enjoy a long and steady acting career. With that in mind, we've compiled a completely unscientific ranking of the most successful American Pie alumni. (Assuming that success is measured by actually working, and not just getting media exposure that may or may not be related to acting. Based on pure exposure, Reid would win, no contest.)

1. Alyson Hannigan. As outlined above, Hannigan's ability to bring memorable characters to life has served her well over the years, from Buffy to Pie to How I Met Your Mother.

2. John Cho. Even after finding huge success as Harold Lee in the Harold & Kumar movies, Cho made the time to reprise his role of "MILF Guy #2" (not even #1!) in American Reunion. With roles in Star Trek, Kitchen Confidential and Total Recall also under his belt, Cho should probably rank higher than Hannigan on this list. He was bumped to the #2 spot only because his role, while memorable, was so fleeting in the original American Pie.

3. Eddie Kaye Thomas. Since bedding Stifler's mom in American Pie, the suave Mr. Finch has been popping up everywhere from the Harold & Kumar movies to 'Til Death to How to Make it in America. (Bonus points for playing Steve's nerdy pal Barry for eight seasons and counting on American Dad.)

4. Seann William Scott. Ah, Stifler. When Pie first came out, Scott probably got the most buzz out of all the male co-stars. Since then, he's gone on to have some pretty memorable roles in flicks like Old School, Role Models, and, most recently, the critically revered Goon. His brief stint in rehab was just a bump in the road.

5. Chris Klein. Klein's role in the cult classic Election helped him narrowly edge out Jason Biggs. His recent role as the meathead boyfriend on hilarious Tv show Wilfred didn't hurt, either.

]]> Thu, 5 Apr 2012 11:22:22 EDT 1405714