TV

“Under the Dome,” the ambitious series adapted from Stephen King’s 2009 novel, isn’t set to debut on CBS until June, but the network, maybe wisely taking advantage of the apocalyptic mania stoked by Sunday’s season finale of “The Walking Dead,” has released a teaser promoting the new show in which King promises that viewers’ eyes will “bug out of their heads” when they see it. The novel centers on what happens when a giant transparent dome suddenly seals off the small Maine town of Chester’s Mill from the rest of the world. It became a bestseller earning King rave reviews — writing for The Times, critic Jedediah Berry hailed the 1,000-plus page tome as “the work of a master storyteller having a whole lot of fun.” The series ensemble features a number of familiar faces, including “Breaking Bad’s” Dean Norris, […]

“Vikings” star Travis Fimmel had a simple message at the series’ WonderCon panel in Anaheim on Saturday when reminded that some members of the audience may have been under 18. To those, he said: “Get out!” The Australian model-turned-actor was joking, as he had been about “Viking foreplay” and, in referring to a scene in which his character and wife invite a monk taken as a slave to join them in bed, telling costar George Blagden, “The offer’s still on the table, George.” Amid audience cries of “Ragnar!” and laughs, Fimmel, Blagden, actress Katheryn Winnick and History channel executive Dirk Hoogstra discussed the characters, teased their futures, and took audience questions — including one about the network’s plans for any future seasons (the gist from Hoogstra, despite goading from the cast: Can’t say yet) — before showing a sneak peek […]

Superman is turning 75. When Superman first leaped (not flew, mind you) onto the pages of “Action Comics” No. 1 in 1938, the Man of Steel heralded the beginning of the superhero comics genre, paving the way for Batman, Spider-Man and many more spandex-wearing crime fighters. But there is only one Superman. His super-speed, super-strength and a noble devotion to truth, justice and the American way have helped make Superman the most enduring figure in comics, inspiring several landmark portrayals in television, on stage and in film, including the upcoming “Man of Steel,” in theaters June 14. “It’s precisely because we have so many dark heroes (Batman), and fraught ones (Spider-Man), that we’re aching for a big blue Boy Scout who knows right from wrong instinctively, and never wavers from the light or is sidetracked by anxieties,” said Larry Tye, who wrote […]

International Women’s Day is being honored today with that singular cultural touchstone: a Google Doodle. The doodle drawing of faces of women around the world artistically honors the advancement of women’s rights — one of the chief goals of International Women’s Day — and the fact that a woman’s work, it seems, is never done. Hero Complex is celebrating International Women’s Day in the best way it knows how: with a photo gallery of women from film, TV, games and comic books who embody female empowerment and, let’s face it, kick booty. (Yes, we said “booty,” but only because the L.A. Times censors made us.) Beyoncé as Wonder Woman? Now we know there’s a long list of complaints about women in genre. Chiefly, that they are hyper-sexualized sidekicks who do little more than bust out of their curve-hugging costumes. And, […]

Zombie-lovers and “Walking Dead” fans were divided over a “Saturday Night Live” send-up of the cult hit AMC series. Some felt the skit was absolutely hilarious and others slamming it as absolutely horrible. The zombie parody dove into some dicey racial politics as the skit depicted “Walking Dead” characters crossing paths with Lyle, played by this week’s host, Kevin Hart. MORE: The plight of the black zombie The group fears allowing Lyle to join their ranks — he’s acting like a zombie, after all — but Lyle uses those fears to prey on white guilt. What did you think? Did the skit go too far? Were you thrilled to see the comedy sketch show tackle “The Walking Dead” and zombies? Or did you find it to be one of this week’s less-than-funny sketches. (That Z-shirt thing? Would have been much […]

“Game of Thrones” fans, HBO has a message for you: Don’t take your downloading tips from director David Petrarca. The premium pay channel issued a terse statement Wednesday morning countering Petrarca’s comments suggesting that “Game of Thrones’” distinction as the most pirated show on TV is actually a good thing. “’Game of Thrones’ is sold worldwide, available legally on a large variety of viewing platforms and is one of HBO’s most popular series,” the statement said. “With that kind of success comes a great amount of social media chatter so can’t say we see an upside to illegal downloads.” QUIZ: Test your “Game of Thrones” knowledge Petrarca comments were pinging around the blogosphere this week after he suggested that piracy can contribute to a show’s “cultural buzz” and added: ”That’s how they survive.” The comments were documented by the Sydney Morning Herald […]

Edward Gorey, an artist who injected glee into gruesome and mirth into the macabre, is the recipient of a Google Doodle. Gorey, who would have been 88, was known for his offbeat artistry  — he won a cult following with his eerie, yet droll pen-and-ink drawings, writing and illustrating dozens of his own books. Animation of his work introduced the PBS show “Mystery!” for decades, and he won a Tony for costume design in 1977 for a Broadway production of “Dracula.” Gorey was also known for his eccentricities — which began at an early age. As a 5-year-old, he read Bram Stoker’s “Dracula,” he told author Ron Miller in 1996. As a youngster, he also taught himself how to draw.  From a young age, “his passion was creating his own bizarre stories and illustrating them.” Gorey was an admitted fan […]

Cowabunga! A ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” remake is on the way. But perhaps the bigger news is this: Actress Megan Fox and director Michael Bay are reuniting for the “TMNT” redo. The director took to his website Thursday night to announce the news: “TMNT: We Are Bringing Megan Fox Back Into the Family” Bay and Fox famously clashed while working on the first two “Transformers” movies. At one point during an interview with a British magazine, Fox compared her director to Hitler.  Bay lashed back with some tart words of his own, questioning Fox’s work ethic: “I’m sorry, Megan. … I’m sorry that I’m making you show up on time.” Shia LaBeouf wages Twitter war They parted ways for the third installment in the series, “Transformers: Dark of the Moon,” with Rosie Huntington-Whiteley stepping in to play the part of […]

Academy Awards host Seth MacFarlane has a message for the Oscars: Be careful what you wish for ’cause you just might get it. The raunchy-minded creative genius behind TV’s “Family Guy” and “American Dad” and the summer box office hit “Ted” says the 85th annual Academy Awards on Sunday will be “a very thin-skinned room” for his ribald sense of humor. “It’s a really bad match,” MacFarlane told CNN. “I’m the wrong guy to do this.” Oscars 2013: Complete coverage What do you think? Is MacFarlane a good match for the Oscars? Will the Academy Awards regret turning over the reins to him? Will he push the envelope? MacFarlane was joking, of course, in his comments to CNN. Or was he? Let’s not forget MacFarlane’s surprising appearance at the announcement of the Academy Awards nominees last month. (MacFarlane is the only […]

Nicolaus Copernicus has received that highest of modern day honors, a Google Doodle, marking what would have been his 540th birthday. Copernicus doesn’t come up in day-to-day conversations, but perhaps he should: He is considered the founder of modern astronomy and single-handedly changed the way we think about our place in the universe by positing that the Earth revolved around the sun, and not the other way around. He remains a patron saint to those who like to question the rules. And, let’s face it: The plots of sci-fi movies and TV shows such as  ”Prometheus” and “Star Trek” are all the more fascinating because of our understanding of this great galaxy of ours — and the galaxies beyond. And we have Copernicus, among others, to thank for that. ‘DJesus Uncrossed’: Most controversial skit in ‘SNL’ history? Copernicus was born […]