Getting To Know: Shannon Hemmings

Shannon Hemmings

In case you missed episode one, when yours truly chatted Actor Jeremiah Hahn up from filmmaker Robert Hensley's current project Family Affair, well we are now on to episode two.

"Yes" another cast member from the film was also in attendance at the grand opening of Silverback Coffee of Rwanda in Echo Park, CA.

Her name is Shannon Hemmings she portrays Charlie, she has a tale to tell...

MS: So spill who do you play in Family Affair?

SH: Well, I play Charlie. I can't say too much about my character. She's there, she's a happy face, a caring character. Let's just say she was really fun to play.

MS: Nice. How do you know Robert?

SH: I moved to Los Angeles only six months ago...

Shannon
On The Set Of "Nashville"

MS: Where are you from originally?

SH: Atlanta, GA. About two weeks in I was submitting myself for things. I didn't expect anything because they say when you come out here it's hard, it's competitive. So I saw this character and I loved her and I thought "why not" I might as well audition. I was submitted and I was taped, I got the job. I got a little E-Mail, I was like "No Way!" I already booked my first job in LA!

MS: Awesome!

SH: When I went to the table read and got to know who these people were for the first time, it was like "This is really cool." I felt so welcomed in, so excited! It really is who you know and the connections you make, it's a really beautiful thing.

MS: Congratulations! Sometimes it takes forever.

SH: Yeah, thanks! I came here so grounded thinking it would take a whole year to build up my resume, get a manager, what's happened now is mind blowing!

MS: Fantastic! There are so many pitfalls and it's easy to get discouraged.

SH: There were those times where I wondered if it was time to go back home. I wasn't sure if I could do this (laughs) There were time when I felt really alone, it's hard to find community in a brand new place. I'm glad I've stayed strong because everything is really coming together now.

MS: Nice to meet you.

SH: You too! Are you on Instagram?

MS: Yes.

SH: Let's follow each other.

Family Affair on the WWW -
https://familyaffairfilm.weebly.com/

Shannon on IG -
https://www.instagram.com/shanhem1/?hl=en  

R.E.M. The Early Years

So Young! Michael Stipe Begin the Begin: R.E.M.'s Early Years Coming via Verse Chorus Press on May 14    Excerpt HERE courtesy of Dangerous Minds Ever wonder about R.E.M.'s early years? Well wonder no more!!!

Begin the Begin is the first biography of R.E.M. wholly researched and written since they disbanded in 2011. It offers by far the most detailed account of the group's formative years--their early lives, their first encounters with one another, their legendary debut show, early tours in the back of a van, initial recordings, their shrewdly paced rise to fame.  The people and places of the American South are crucial to the R.E.M. story in ways much more complex and interesting than have previously been presented, claims Robert Dean Lurie; he explores the myriad ways in which the band's adopted hometown of Athens, Georgia--and the South in general--shaped its members and the character of their art. The South is much more than the background here; it plays a major role: the creative ferment that erupted in Athens and gripped many of its young inhabitants in the late 1970s and early '80s drew on regional traditions of outsider art and general cultural out-thereness, and gave rise to a free-spirited music scene that produced the B-52's and Pylon, as well as laying the ground for R.E.M.'s subsequent breakout success.  Lurie has tracked down and interviewed numerous figures in the band's history who were underrepresented in, or absent from, earlier biographies--they contribute previously undocumented stories and cast a fresh light on the familiar narrative.Advance Praise for Begin the Begin:  "Meticulously researched and always elegantly written, Begin the Begin is a critical but glorious tribute to its subject." --Christopher Sandford, author of Bowie: Loving the Alien "Hope, yearning, and fear are visceral here, and the portrait painted is of something joyous, mad, and brilliant all at once."  --David Guterson, author of Snow Falling on Cedars "This beautiful, joyful book is more than a biography--it's a deep exploration of art and its bloody relationship with business, a meditation on the South, on youth and love, on family and fame, and an intelligent return to the soundtrack of the 1980s."  --Rebecca Lee, author of Bobcat and Other Stories    Pre-order the book HERE Learn more at www.robertdeanlurie.com and www.versechorus.com

Holiday Cheer With Katy Perry

Santa Baby
Katy Perry & Friends

Did you think I would let the Christmas season saunter by without a visit from whimsical songstress Katy Perry? If you did, you thought wrong!

Here is Katy being hew own Santa Claus and engaging in her personal brand of Holiday cheer by paying a visit to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston in Georgia.

In all honesty if I had to choose someone to be my faux Santa I'd pick Katy. She is the Queen of fun and would for sure put a smile on the face of the most stringent Grinch. Nobody does cotton candy dreams and Unicorn races better than Perry, so her having a crack at reindeer games is a perfect fit.

Also I love seeing people, yes not just celebrities, taking time out to make children in need of some Holiday cheer smile. Even though I have never wanted kids, I still like them, and bringing them joy is a priceless gift.

Ho, ho, ho...and all that jazz, TGIF! 

Katy on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/katyperry/?hl=en  

Coming Soon: "Madhouse"

Those F@cking Evil Twins!

Madhouse [Blu-ray + DVD] (6/13)

MANY PEOPLE VISIT ... NO ONE EVER LEAVES.

Helmed by legendary producer/director Ovidio Assonitis, the man behind such cult favourites as The Visitor and Piranha II: The Spawning, Madhouse is a crimson-soaked tale of sibling rivalry taken to a terrifying and bloody extreme. 

Julia has spent her entire adult life trying to forget the torment she suffered at the hands of her twisted twin Mary... but Mary hasn't forgotten. Escaping hospital, where she's recently been admitted with a horrific, disfiguring illness, Julia's sadistic sister vows to exact a particularly cruel revenge on her sibling this year - promising a birthday surprise that she'll never forget.

An Italian production shot entirely in Savannah, Georgia, Madhouse (aka And When She Was Bad and There Was a Little Girl) fuses slasher elements with the over-the-top excess of '80s Italian terror - resulting in a cinematic bloodbath so gut-wrenching that the British authorities saw fit to outlaw it as a "video nasty".

FEATURES

- Brand new 2K restoration from the original camera negative

- High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition presentations

- Original Stereo Audio (Uncompressed PCM on the Blu-ray)

- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing

- Brand new audio commentary with The Hysteria Continues

- Brand new interviews with cast and crew

- Alternate opening titles

- Theatrical Trailer, newly transferred in HD

- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Marc Schoenbach

FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Booklet featuring new writing on the film

Pre-order at the MVD SHOP or on Amazon  

January Is The New October

Pretty In Black
January Jones

After last night's episode of  The Twilight Zone aka The Presidential Debate in which we got to witness Donald Trump again show what a piece of sh!t he is I thought it would be nice to enter another alternate reality. One where January takes over October, Actress January Jones that is.

This pic of her at the Hammer Museum Gala in Los Angeles is hotter than Georgia Asphalt!

It also gives me some Mad Men yearning. Honestly it's the only TV show I have ever really missed once it went off the air. 

So I am satiating myself with this image of the former Betty Draper today in an attempt to cleanse my, and your mind of last night's debacle and start your week off on a high note.

Have a terrific day, and watch out for falling poll numbers Trump!

January on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/januaryjones/?hl=en  

Mash Up Monday With KC + Ceelo !

KC & CEELO SET FOR MASH UP ON JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE!
ON MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22ND


'KCeelo and the Sunshine Band' to Perform
As Part Of #MashUpMonday 

They did the mash, they did the Mash Up Monday mash, oh yeah!!!

 

This week’s #MashUpMonday on ABC Network's Jimmy Kimmel Live! will feature two of music’s most identifiable – yet different artists with the collaboration of KC and the Sunshine Band and CeeLo. In the episode, which will air on February 22 at 11:35/10:35c on ABC, the two performers will join up for what has become one of the most-anticipated segments on the comedian’s popular talk show. During the month of February, the series has paired up Panic at the Disco and Sisqo, Weezer and ZZ Top, alternative band Haim with Morris Day & The Time, and Blackstreet along with Aloe Blacc. Founded in 1973, KC and the Sunshine Band carved out one of the biggest musical careers of all time with their feel-good anthems "That's the Way (I Like It)", "(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty", and “Please Don’t Go.” Under the leadership of front man Harry Wayne Casey, the band also became one of the biggest touring draws of all time – a mark they still hold over four decades later. Their music has also been featured in box-office favorites as Blow and Roll Bounce, in addition to a successful series of video games titled Dance Dance Revolution. Born Thomas DeCarlo Callaway in Atlanta, Georgia, CeeLo Green has carved out one of the most varied careers in the world of entertainment. As an artist, he’s enjoyed success with the Hip Hop group Goodie Mob, and later as a member of the duo Gnarls Barkley. He also enjoyed a huge international hit in 2010 with “Fuck You!” He has guest-starred on series such as Anger Management and Parenthood, and is also well-known to audiences for his four seasons serving as a celebrity coach on NBC’s The Voice. In 2013, he released his autobiography Everybody’s Brother. Casey said he is very much looking forward to the collaboration. “KC and the Sunshine Band has always tried to incorporate a variety of sounds in our music – while being true to ourselves musically. Being able to collaborate with someone like CeeLo will definitely give us a chance to stretch and get those creative juices flowing – and it will make for one hell of a party.” For more information on KC and the Sunshine Band, please visit heykcsb.com. # # #

Frivolous Friday: Scott Eastwood

The Ocean Looks So Enticing: Scott Eastwood

With the 4th of July Holiday weekend in full swing, it's time for some summertime frivolity.

By that I mean posting some skin baby! 

This weeks celebrity skin belongs to Clint Eastwood's hotter than Georgia asphalt son, Scott Eastwood.

I believe Scott has been in some movies and has a role in the upcoming super villain film Suicide Squad. 

But hey does any of that really matter when one looks like this?

Get frivolous and enjoy the view!

Great Scott! On IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2207222/?ref_=nv_sr_1

For Immediate Release: Conspirator Is On The Road Again

Conspirator

ROCKING THEIR WAY ONTO YOUR STEREO, THE DANCE FLOOR AND YOUR HEARTS:

CONSPIRATOR (FEATURING MEMBERS OF THE DISCO BISCUITS) PREPARE TO UNLEASH UNLOCKED: LIVE FROM THE GEORGIA THEATER APRIL 10 WITH CROSS COUNTRY TOUR DATES TO SUPPORT THE RELEASE

Conspirator features Aron Magner and Marc Brownstein (The Disco Biscuits keyboardist and bass player) as an outlet to channel their electronic mad scientist personae. Formed in 2004 with New York DJ/producer DJ Omen, Conspirator has taken on many forms through the years. With the recent addition of virtuoso guitarist Chris Michetti and a rotating cast of some of the country's best drummers – Darren Shearer (the New Deal), Mike Greenfield (Lotus), KJ Sawka (Pendulum) and Adam Deitch (Break Science, Pretty Lights) – Conspirator has reached another level.

2011 was a seminal year for the group with groundbreaking performances at the Ultra Music Festival, Nocturnal Festival, Electric Forest Festival and Camp Bisco 10 as well as sold out shows at the Gramercy Theatre in NYC, Pearl Street in Northampton, MA, the Fox Theater in Boulder and the Bluebird Theatre in Denver. As a full band, the music is hitting new highs and killing in the live show. With the addition of an arsenal of new material, more crowds across the nation have begun to embrace this remarkable outfit.

Unlocked - Live from the Georgia Theatre (release date April 10, 2012) captures the spirit of these true genre blenders. The collection is a smorgasbord of electronic rock bliss, delving, twisting and diving effortlessly between house, dub-step, drum and bass, and electro. Coming off of break-out performances at Ultra Music Festival and Nocturnal Festival, Conspirator has begun to catch the eye of electronic music aficionados everywhere. Upcoming tour date highlights will include headlining shows at Irving Plaza, The Trocadero, The Orange Peel, Georgia Theater, the Fox Theater and more as well as supporting slots with Lotus at the Congress Theater and The Pageant.

Yes, it is the Year of the Dragon but barring the Mayan prediction coming true for 2012, this should be Conspirator’s year as well.

Tour dates are as follows:

2/15/12 Turner Hall Milwaukee, WI
2/16/12 The Cabooze Minneapolis, MN
2/17/12 The Congress Theater Chicago, IL
2/18/12 The Pageant St. Louis, MO
2/19/12 Bell’s Brewery Kalamazoo, MI

3/01/12 Toad's Place New Haven, CT

3/02/12 Sherman Theater Stroudsburg, PA
3/03/12 Wescott Theater Syracuse, NY
3/08/12 The Note West Chester, PA
3/09/12 Mr. Smalls Pittsburgh, PA
3/10/12 Town Ballroom Buffalo, NY

3/16/12 LIFT Festival Enfield, NH

3/22/12 Belly Up Solano Beach, CA
3/23/12 Roxy Theatre Los Angeles, CA
3/24/12 The Independent San Francisco, CA
3/25/12 The Arcata Theatre Arcata, CA
3/26/12 Crystal Bay Casino Ballroom Crystal Bay, NV
3/31/12 Rock and Roll Resort v2 Kerhonkson NY

4/01/12 Rock and Roll Resort v2 Kerhonkson NY
4/18/12 Pour House Charleston, SC
4/19/12 Wanee Music Festival Live Oak, FL
4/20/12 Georgia Theater Athens, GA - 2 SET SHOW
4/21/12 Orange Peel Asheville, NC - 2 SET SHOW
4/27/12 The Trocadero Philadelphia, PA - 2 SET SHOW
4/28/12 Irving Plaza New York, NY - 2 SET SHOW

http://www.conspiratorband.com/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Conspirator-Official/171350712892526