Final Destination 5, so gory its funny - arrives in theaters August 12, 2011
By Eunice Moseley

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"Making you laugh is intentional," said Craig Perry director of the Warner Bros' presentation of Final Destination 5, which arrives in theaters August 12, 2011.

Final Destination 5 is the second film of the Final Destination franchise shot in 3D, which added to its "shocking," but expected, string of deaths. I've seen previous Final Destination films but this is my first 3D version, as a result the only word the film provoked for me was "gore." The gory deaths were so violent, for some reason, it had the audience laughing - including me. It may have been the 3D bringing the gore right in your face until how they die becomes ridiculously funny.

Nicholas D'Agosto ("Heroes") leads the cast as Sam who has the "premonition" of the doom to come on a bus trip to a corporate retreat. The group he saves - for the moment - are Emma Bell ("Gossip Girl"), Sam's girlfriend Molly; Miles Fisher ("Mad Men"), his friend Peter; Arlen Escarpeta ("Friday the 13th") as Nathan , a company manager; company staff members P. J. Byrne ("Horrible Bosses ") as Isaac and Jacqueline M. Wood ("The Bold and the Beautiful"), as Olivia; Courtney B. Vance ("Flash Forward") stars as FBI Agent Block, the one investigating the accident, and Final Destination franchise icon Tony Todd (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen) as coroner Bludworth.

"People remember me from Law and Order," Courtney B. Vance said when questioned why his roles are always someone in authority. He continued on when asked about the 3D filming experience, "3D is a longer process. Fortunately Steve (Quale) did 3D before...I was shocked at how massive the camera was."

Steve Quale, the producer of Final Destination 5, said he wanted a nice escalation to the death scenes at times the suspense was more than I could handle. Eric Heisserer, the screenwriter, said he was challenged on how far to push the death scenes because it was the fifth installment.

"I can't walk down the street with out thinking of ways to kill people," Heisserer laughed.

Final Destination 5 will surely scare you and fascinate you at the same time because of the many ways the cast meet their demise, but it will also make you laugh at how bizarre the deaths are. The Rated-R Warner Bros.' 3D/2D presentation arrives in theaters August 12, 2011 (www.FinalDestinationMovie.WarnerBros.com).

NBCUniversal unveils 2012 season line-up and several television production deals (Part I of II)
Robert Greenblatt, chairman of NBC Entertainment, recently unveiled the 2012 season of its' NBCUniversal shows. Greenblatt hosted the two day media junket in Los Angeles that introduced new/renewed shows, as well as television production deals.

"We're no longer owned by GE...we're now owned by Comcast," Robert said to the hundreds of media outlets present. "Comcast is into investment and patience. There will be staff changes...We are waiting for people to become available to build the best team."

Universal Media Studios (NBCUniversal's production company) will be entering into animation and celebrity game nights. It has a two-year agreement with Emmy Award winning producer/writer Greg Daniels ("The Office") to provide live-action, animated and reality shows to the network. Headed by Bela Bajaria (Executive Vice President), Universal Media Studios also entered into a development deal with Gary Sanchez Production Television (a Will Ferrell and Adam McKay company) to produce comedy shows.

Shows that were renewed include "The Voice," "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" and "Community." New shows include the night-time soap opera "The Playboy Club" which cast members include Naturi Naughton and Jenifer Lewis; comedic/drama "Free Agents" with Kathryn Hahn and Hank Azaria; comedy "Whitney," which is shot in front of a live audience; comedic/drama "Up All Night" with Christina Appleagate, Will Arnett and Maya Rudolph; suspense/drama "Grimm" starring Russell Hornsby and Silas Weir Mitchell; mystery/drama "Prime Suspect" with Maria Bello and Aidan Quinn; Sunday Night Football, Super Bowl XLVI, a new musical/drama "Smash," which stars Tony Award nominee Christian Borle and Emmy Award winner Debra Messing, and the one-hour Michael Buble' television variety special, produced by Ben Silverman and Lorne Michaels.

For more information on the 2012 NBCUniversal season long onto www.nbc.com.  

Brian McKnight takes two-disk album on the road with the ‘Just Me Tour'
"What I write about is passionate...about love. You find it...loose it," said multi-platinum selling Brian McKnight about his style of writing. "If not love...then what?"

McKnight recently released his 14th album titled "Just Me" (eOne Music) and is currently on tour with brother Claude McKnight (Take 6) and sons BJ and Niko. McKnight offers a two-disk album with 30 live tracks of his hits and 10 new songs written/produced by C.A.T.S. (a Brian McKnight, Brian, Jr. and Niko company).

"They been around it (music) their whole lives," Brian said about his sons' interest and talents in music. "They're frustrated...I tell them I use to play behind someone else too. They want to do their own thing."

Well his sons have the best mentor/teacher they could ever ask for. On "Just Me" not only do McKnight offer a new side to himself musically, but to hear him live singing his masterpieces was truly a treat.

"I'm back to what I love best being on stage doing what I love most," Brian confessed when questioned about his radio/reality show and stage-play experiences verses being on tour.

My favorite cuts on the "Just Me" release include "Temptation," featuring Brian McKnight, Jr., an old-school homage to the legendary Temptations; "One Mo Time" a sweet love song where Brian hits some impressive high notes; his cover of "Careless Whisper," for his very sultry delivery, and the title track "Just Me," a heart-felt lovers' plea and I love the piano support too.

For more on Brian McKnight's "Just Me" tour, which has dates until the end of September, log onto www.BMcKnight.com.