The Unstoppable Dolly Parton "A Country Christmas Story"

Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton's career has spanned nearly five decades, basically as long as I have been alive, and deservedly so...

Seriously, Dolly is talented, has charisma, is smart as Hell, sweet and not to mention just so damned lovable. Who else could make the most awesome self-deprecating quote of all time:

"It costs a lot of money to look this cheap" - Dolly Parton 

Well I can not begin to list all of the ways Dolly has entertained me and made me smile since birth, but she is here to bring you her special kind of warmth for the Holidays in the Lifetime movie "A Country Christmas Story" the storyline and air dates go like this: 

Grammy Award winner Dolly Parton (Nine to Five, Steel Magnolias), to star along with Megyn Price (Rules of Engagement), Brian McKnight (American Dreams), newcomer Desiree Ross (Crossing the River) in the upcoming Lifetime Original Movie A Country Christmas Story, Saturday, November 9, at 8:00 pm ET/PT. 

A Country Christmas Story follows a young bi-racial Appalachian Mountain girl (Ross) as she defies her mother (Price) and goes against stereotype when she takes up guitar in pursuit of her dream of becoming a country star.  Her journey to the stage at Dollywood and a singing competition hosted by Dolly Parton reunites her itinerant musician father (McKnight) with her family, as well as uncovering the musical legacy of African Americans in the world of country music.  Mary Kay Place (Big Love, Being John Malkovich) will portray her grandmother.

Yep, Dolly is the bomb!

Dolly is a force of nature, keep up with her at: http://www.dollyparton.com/

Joan Jett, Loves More Than Rock-N-Roll...

Joan Jett

That's right, she loves movies too! What did you think I was going to do? Dish on her love life?! Yeah right...

Joan Jett is developing a new romantic comedy called Undateable John. 

The rocker will executive produce the film under her company Blackheart Films, as well as star in a supporting role. 

The dark romantic film will star Jett as a Venice Beach folk singer who befriends a couple during an AA meeting. 

Estella Warren and John Philbin will play the romantic leads, with the cast also including Daryl Hannah, Margaret Cho, Meredith Baxter, Tom Arnold and Shannen Doherty. 

Jett last executive produced The Runaways, the film about her all-female punk band in the late '70s. Kristen Stewart played her in the film, which Jett described as "Surreal".  

The rocker also recently released a new album called Unvarnished. She's revealed that she will never retire from music. 

Check out the trailer for The Runaways below:

                                                              
                                                               "The Runaways"


Rock-N-Roll with Joan at: http://www.joanjett.com/
                                             
      

They're Back! "PTX Volume 2"

Art: Ken Tanabe

That's right the world's favorite acapella group unleashes their second album just in time for the Holidays, Ho, Ho, Ho....indeed!

Pentatonix Announce November 5^th Release For PTX Volume 2

Exclusive iTunes Album Pre-Order Goes Live On October 15^th  With Immediate Download Of Cover Of  The Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Hit “Can’t Hold Us”

YouTube Channel Eclipses 1.6 Million Subscribers

New YouTube Cover of Lorde’s “Royals” Reaches 8 Million Views In Less Than Two Weeks

“Evolution Of Music” Surpasses 20 Million YouTube Views

Vocal sensations Pentatonix have announced plans to release their second album – PTX Volume 2 – November 5^th, exclusively on iTunes.  The iTunes release will include the group’s cover of Swedish House Mafia hits “Save The World” and “Don’t Worry Child” as an album-only bonus track. 

Watch “Save The World / Don’t Worry Child” Here: http://bit.ly/SHMCptx

Additionally, iTunes is hosting a presale for the album (starting October 15^th), with an immediate download of the band’s version of the Macklemore & Ryan Lewis hit “Can’t Hold Us.”  PTX Volume 2 is released by Madison Gate Records. 

Watch “Can’t Hold Us” Here: http://bit.ly/CHPTX

PTX Volume 2 follows the group’s two 2012 Madison Gate Records Releases – PTX Volume 1 and PTXmas – both debuting on Billboard’s Top 200 and selling more than 100,000 albums to date.  The new release will feature 8 brand new tracks, including 3 original songs, 4 covers and a modern twist on the classic “Hit The Road Jack.”

“Pentatonix does it again with PTX Volume 2,” says Madison Gate Records executive Shelly Bunge.   “With a collection of covers and original songs, the album showcases exactly why Pentatonix is the number one a cappella recording artist in the country.  We couldn’t be happier to be part of this project.”

Look, It's Pentatonix!
Photo: Brandon Lyon

Online, Pentatonix’s YouTube channel boasts over 140 million views, buoyed by more than 1.6 Million subscribers, and is one of the Top 100 most subscribed-to music channels. The group also has more than 490,000 Facebook fans and nearly 135,000 Twitter followers.  The band’s latest video release, a cover of Lorde’s #1 hit “Royals,” has garnered more than 8 million views in its first 2 weeks and is the most-viewed YouTube cover of the New Zealand star’s highly-duplicated indie anthem. 

Watch “Royals” Here: http://bit.ly/RoyalsPTX

Additionally, the group’s a cappella opus – “Evolution Of Music” – has now eclipsed 20 million YouTube views, after gathering nearly 5.5 million in its first week. The video spans 1,000 years of music in just 4 minutes, includes some of the most popular songs from the last dozen centuries and has been featured by The Huffington Post, Mashable and the Yahoo! homepage.

Watch “Evolution Of Music” Here: http://bit.ly/EvolutionPTX

Pentatonix have appeared on countless television shows, including the American Music Awards red carpet show, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and Larry King Now, and have been chosen to appear in an upcoming episode of the new season of “Sesame Street,” which will air on February 7, 2014.

Stuff your stocking with PTX Volume 2 at: http://www.ptxofficial.com/home

Daughter Of Chucky: Fiona Dourif

Fiona Dourif

Hey all of you Chucky Fans no doubt you've heard about the latest and one of the best films in the series "Curse of Chucky".

Of course it is not lost on you guys that the female lead bears the same last name as the voice of "Chucky" Brad Dourif.

Yes, we have the actual "Daughter of Chucky" here for an exclusive Halloween interview - Fiona Dourif!

Fiona actually carries more horror cred than being the female lead in the current "Chucky" movie as well as being his daughter, she has also appeared as "Casey" one of the Witches in Marnie's Coven on "True Blood" and was in Paul Thomas Anderson's Scientology based story "The Master".

You are all in for a treat, hit it Fiona....Happy Halloween!

MS: Hi Fiona. Wow! It's four o'clock straight up!

FD: I am punctual! (laughs)

MS: I like that! Your father used to come into a video store I worked in when I first moved to Los Angeles, when I still was a little on the "star struck" side and I used to get so excited that "Chucky" was in the house.

FD: Oh God! How funny!

MS: I'm surprised this entry into the "Chucky" series went straight to video with all of the great reviews it has gotten.

FD: We weren't really sure it was going to take that direction at first.

MS: The word is it's more scary, than funny like the earlier entries.

FD: Yeah, that was the mission a return to horror.

MS: I've seen you in other things you have done, you are really good,  did they decide to cast you as the lead because of the "Chucky Connection"?

FD: You know I have no idea. I can tell you what Don Mancini (the writer/director) told me. I went up for the role of the bitchy sister, then I got a call three days later, saying I wasn't right for it, but Don thought I might be right for the lead, prepare that. I went in and I met Don, and you know, I didn't think it went that well to be honest. Then I got called back and the studio wanted to make sure I was soft and likable enough. My manager had me go back in with big eyelashes and a flower dress - and then I got it, I was really surprised. Don told me later that they had conflicting theories about me being "Chucky's Kid" they thought it might be confusing, but he thought it might be confusing in a surprising way, it's really an open ended question. I don't think the story in the movie says I'm his kid at all.

MS: Are you a horror fan yourself?

FD: Well, I wasn't one forever and when I was cast in this my boyfriend at the time was a horror writer and told me "You need to figure out what you are doing." So, I went back and watched a lot of the old stuff and have become a fan of the genre. A great horror film is the best, most primal stuff you can watch.

MS: The original "Halloween" is the first horror film my Dad took me to and it scared the shit out of me.

FD: Yeah, totally! My feeling is good writing is good writing, Don is a good writer.

Fiona at the Season 4 "True Blood" Premiere

MS: He is. Let's talk about another horror credit you have you played "Casey" a Witch in Marnie's coven on season four of...

FD: From "True Blood", yeah (laughs) that was really fun! Wait, I'm sorry I'm actually at a restaurant with the "Chucky" doll, because I am taking him to a friend's bar for the next couple of days. What happened while I was talking was the waiter just came up and tried to hit "Chucky" in the back. (laughs) It's probably the most expensive thing I own and I'm like "No"!

MS: Jeeze doesn't he know he's not real? (laughs) You were in "The Master" which was controversial as it is based around the beliefs of Scientology.

FD: Paul Thomas Anderson is one of my favorite Directors. I think "Magnolia" is one of the great American Masterpieces. I shot a lot of things most of it got cut out, I ended basically not being in the movie, that happened to so many people that were in that movie. The final cut is pretty much like a skeleton of what the original movie was. It 's OK, I got upset, but I got over it.

MS: What's your take on Scientology?

FD: I am secular, but I have a respect for organized religion. Do whatever you want Scientologists, I don't really think it's a cult, just like I don't think being Mormon is a cult, it's people making beliefs and rituals in their lives. To each his own. I was actually audited by them to prepare for the role, and that was kind of interesting and they never stopped calling me after which was kind of annoying.

MS: Tell everyone, what are you going to be for Halloween?

FD: I still haven't figured it out. God, I don't know yet, maybe I will be a houseplant! (laughs)

Follow Fiona on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/fionadourif

Go beyond "Chucky" on IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1875040/?ref_=fn_nm_nm_1

Speaking Of Ghosts, "Drop Dead Diva" Will Be Back For Season 6

"Drop Dead Diva"

That's right Triple D lovers - after being cancelled after season 4 and then resurrected from the dead for season 5 Lifetime's "Drop Dead Diva" has hit the afterlife jackpot and has been renewed for season 6!

The show for the uninitiated is about: 

"A vapid aspiring model killed in a car crash gets brought back to life as an intelligent, overweight lawyer, hoping to find the meaning of inner beauty"

And stars "Entertain Me" fave Margaret Cho as Teri Lee and Brooke Elliott as the "DDD" herself Jane Bingum.

Margaret Cho & Brooke Elliott

Congrats to the show and the cast - coming back from the dead isn't easy even if you are a ghost - Boo!

The thirteen new episodes will air in 2014.

Raise the dead and keep up with "Drop Dead Diva" at: http://www.mylifetime.com/shows/drop-dead-diva

The Horror: Michael Shinafelt, Satan In Disguise

When Satan Met Me

The above title is the LAST time I will refer to myself in the third person during this post, to me that is more creepy than a Satanic Ritual...

So my fellow writer and horror fan-atic author ME Franco and I had so much fun with my Halloween questions to her, that she decided to ask me some, from one horror loving writer to another, oh but I have taken my love of horror to the next level, that's right, I have acted in a horror film as well as another one due in 2014.

OK, ME I'm all yours!

ME: Being a horror movie lover, I have to say you get major respect points from me for being in one. I watched the trailer for"The Summer of Massacre,"and I can't wait to watch it. What character did you play and how did he die?

MS: The Summer of Massacre is an anthology and I am in the segment "Son of the Boogeyman" I play a cop pursuing the Boogeyman and I start shooting him in the head and he just won't die, you know those Boogeymen, and he grabs my skull and crushes it in, it was awesome seeing my death on a 50 foot screen!

Me and  Scott Barrows Who Played "The Boogeyman" at 'The Summer of Massacre" Premiere

ME:. If you could star in the remake of a popular horror franchise, who would you want to be?

MS: Oh God, OK let me start by stating my ultimate horror role would be Satan, some people already think that about me anyway, ha! But in an existing franchise? Norman Bates from the "Psycho" franchise, I would give him my own spin, but what a fascinating character.

ME: What movie made you a horror fan?

MS: My Dad and I used to watch all the monster movies like Dracula, The Wolfman, Mummy etc. on Sunday afternoons, but it was the first slasher film that he ever took me to, and the only one that has ever scared me that made me a fan. The original "Halloween" I used to see Michael Myers face in the yard outside when it was dark for years.

ME: You do a lot of interviews. Who would you like to have on your blog for a chat - Freddie, Michael Myers, or Jason?

MS: Michael and Freddy are pretty much open books, I would have to go with Jason, try and find out more about the man behind the monster.

ME: Which witch would you not want to make an enemy of on American Horror Story this season?

MS: That's easy, Marie Leveau, I visited her grave site for real in New Orleans once when I went for Halloween, "Yes" I went to NO for HW once.

ME:. What candy do you have in your trick or treat bowl?

My Favorite "Dracula"!

MS: Mini Snickers bars.

ME: Love that more horror shows are coming out on television. What show are you most looking forward to this season?

MS: I'd have to go Team Dracula with this one, when I was a kid I used to want to be a Vampire when I grew up.

ME: Classic monster fight between Dracula, Frankenstein, and the Mummy. Who would you put your money on?

MS: Frankenstein is strong, but not too bright, the Mummy what's he going to do. put a band aid on it? I'd say Dracula, intelligent, supernatural powers and sex appeal, a winning combo.

ME: Do you have any plans to star in more horror movies?

MS: I shot another one this past summer that is due out in 2014.

ME:. If you could sit down and have a beer/coffee with anyone involved in the horror genre, real or fictional, who would you choose?

MS: Hmmmmmmmmmm....Miriam Blaylock from "The Hunger" that would be an interesting conversation, and encounter.

ME: Last question: What's your zombie apocalypse weapon of choice?

MS: The biggest shot gun I could find. It would be awesome to make their living dead heads explode!

Follow Me On Twitter at: https://twitter.com/MShinafelt

Check Me Out On IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm4466735/?ref_=fn_nm_nm_1

Find Out More About ME at: https://www.facebook.com/MEFrancoAuthor

American Horror Story: Coven

In honor of this time of year I always post about the current season of "American Horror Story" or as I used to call it prior to this season; "The Jessica Lange Show".

Well "AHS" has upped the acting/diva ante this year with the addition of two other acting legends: Kathy Bates and Angela Bassett. Along with a trio of talented young actresses Emma Roberts,
Gabourey Sidibe and Taissa Farmiga, yeah say those names together three times fast.

Seasoned acting divas vs. young acting divas! Of course while the veterans are the most interesting but the young ones hold their own in what so far is working itself out to be an interesting entry into the "AHS" anthology now in it's 3rd season.

Kathy Bates & Jessica Lange

Two episodes in I feel like the season is really just getting started and we are in for something that is going to blow our collective cauldrons off!

One of the cool things is how "AHS" pays homage to other horror films with a wink and a nod, yet makes it their own. My personal favorite so far? The well deserved tribute to my favorite vampire film of all time, the late Tony Scott's "The Hunger". All of you "Hunger" fans know the scene of which I speak the one with First Lady Jessica Lange in the laboratory with the experimental aging drugs on a monkey, oh yes!

The demented Kathy Bates and her love of pancreas blood from her slaves to keep her young and Ms. Angela Bassett so good as a fictionalized version of Marie Laveau, the Voodoo Queen of New Orelans, whose grave I have actually been to, Marie's not Angela's.

Angela Bassett as "Marie Laveau"

Yes, you are engaging with one hardcore horror fan, someone who is so much one I visited the location of this seasons story, New Orleans, LA for Halloween one year, make of it what you will, or be well and carry on.

That being said fictionalized Marie Laveau so far is the scariest of the witches to me, even Bassett's line delivery of: "She done messed with the wrong witch" sends chills up my spine. Kathy Bates making a Minotaur out of one of her Black slaves that slept with her lily White daughter is pretty unnerving too.

But Ms. Lange takes the top prize as usual as her eternal youth seeking and sucking "Fiona" who will stop at nothing in a cocaine induced rage to get her some, Fountain of Youth, that is...

Emma Roberts as a half assed actress "Madison" who killed someone on set with a hanging light because he told her to hit her mark, takes top prize as my favorite of the young Witches, not to mention her destroying a whole bus of fraternity boys who gang raped her, way to go "Madison"!

Gabourey Sidibe takes best line of the season thus far for referring to one of her only witch role models growing up as "Sabrina, The Teenage Cracker" - love it!

Gabourey Sidibe: "Sabrina The Teenage Cracker"

And Taissa Farmiga as the Witch who has a "vagina that kills" gotta love a Killer V!

Interestingly enough the show really brings horror into a realm where the last two seasons have gone, but more so, it makes horror an estrogen game. Most horror is male dominated, but every season of "AHS" has really made the female characters the powerful ones, the ones who have driven the story, not the passive victims they are in standard Hollywood fare.

That, for me as a huge horror fan has always been one of the more interesting things about "AHS" - it really is all about the estrogen...can't wait for more of "Coven"!

Go "Coven" at: http://www.fxnetworks.com/ahs/