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Birdman will fly again: Activision has officially announced the release date for the remakes of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 and 4.

The beloved skateboarding simulators will be available in one package, dubbed Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4, for Xbox, PlayStation, PC, and the Nintendo Switch. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 will be released on July 11, but the Collectors Edition will be available three days earlier on July 8.

The...

Alice Hirson, who played a confidante of Barbara Bel Geddes’ Miss Ellie Ewing on Dallas and the mother of Ellen DeGeneres’ character on the comic’s groundbreaking ABC sitcom, has died. She was 95.

Hirson died Friday of natural causes at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, her son David Hirson told The Hollywood Reporter. She had been there for about a year.

From 1969-93, Hirson appeared on such daytime soap operas as CBS’ The Edge of Night as Stephanie Martin; on NBC’s Another World and its spinoff, Somerset, as Marsha Davis; on ABC’s One Life to Live as Eileen Siegel; on ABC’s General Hospital as Mrs. Van Gelder; and on ABC’s Loving as Dr. Lisa Helman.

On the big screen, she played the wife of Colonel Thornbush (Robert Webber), head of the paratrooper unit known as the Thornbirds, in Private Benjamin...

Mass Appeal, the multimedia company co-founded by hip-hop icon Nas, was hit on Tuesday with a discrimination lawsuit in which a white executive claims she was the victim of “venomous and racist comments about ‘White folk’ and ‘crackers,’” and was subsequently fired.

Filed in a federal court in Manhattan, the lawsuit specifies the races of the parties due to the nature of the allegations. Melissa Cooper, a veteran documentary producer who was head of development at Mass Appeal and is white, alleges that company executives — including Peter Bittenbender, the company’s chief executive who is also white, and Jenya Meggs, its senior vp for partnerships & content acquisition, who is Black — “discriminated against her by removing her from several high value projects, creating a hostile work environment, and terminating her employment.”

Nas is not specifically named as a defendant in the lawsuit, but he is a partner in Mass Appeal, which is named.

2023 marks the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, and YouTube is remembering the big names who have defined the genre since its inception. The leading video platform has launched a campaign called Fifty Deep, which includes an archive of 2,000 music videos that span hip-hop history.

Fifty Deep is bringing several fresh playlists to YouTube Music, including a 50-song survey that includes nearly four hours of hip-hop hits. According to YouTube Director of Black Music and Culture Tuma Basa, the selected songs will celebrate rappers “from Ice T to Ice Spice.”

Basa announced Fifty Deep in a YouTube blog post. “If you’re like me, you watched your favorite music videos on Yo! MTV Raps or BET’s Rap City over and over again. Fast forward to today and YouTube allows us to watch almost any video at any time in almost any place,” Basa wrote. “This year marks a whole half a...

Oscar-nominated producer Lawrence Turman died Saturday at the Motion Picture and Television Country Home and Hospital. He was 96. He had a stellar career not only as a producer of such seminal films as The Graduate (1967), The Great White Hope (1970), American History X (1998) and many more in a producing career that lasted six decades, but he also took a significant turn when he left his partnership with producer David Foster to head the prestigious Peter Stark Producing Program at USC in 1991, an association that continued until his retirement just two years ago.

His son, John Turman, confirmed the death to Deadline. “Our father Lawrence Turman passed away late yesterday,” he said. “It’s sad, but he had a long and storied life, and it’s the passing of an era.” He added that the MPTF is planning a memorial service as well as USC at a later date.

Related: Hollywood & Media...

Mass Appeal and Netflix are billing their new docuseries “Rapture” as a project that “stares directly into the bright light that hip hop culture shines on the world and doesn’t blink.” And if you’re a fan of ESPN’s “30 for 30” films, then you’ll understand why T.I. told TheWrap the streaming service’s new show is basically the same thing — but for his world. “I mean, I think that the way ‘Rapture’ has approached educating people on the many different facets of hip hop, using us as artists, using us as the conduits to get this information out, is kind...

Rapper Nas penned a scathing open letter at Mass Appeal to Donald Trump today, calling the U.S. President a racist. “We all know a racist is in office,” Nas writes in the letter. He goes on to say, “when you have the responsibility of being President and you carry on like that, you send a strong […]...

In celebration of tonight’s highly-anticipated season 4 premiere of the hit HBO series Silicon Valley, HBO has partnered with Mass Appeal Records to release Silicon Valley: The Soundtrack. Curated by Silicon Valley executive producers Mike Judge & Alec Berg, music supervisors Jason Alexander & Rudy Chung, and Mass Appeal Records, Silicon Valley: The Soundtrack features a collection of new, exclusive songs plus highlights from previous seasons and new songs to be featured in Season 4, all performed by an array of legendary and rising artists.

From the press release:

On Monday, April 24th, the season premiere will introduce the soundtrack’s lead song, “Systematic,” featuring Mass Appeal’s label head and partner Nas and iconic producer DJ Shadow. Throughout the season additional tracks will be unveiled and added to the track listing, with all featured songs compiled into a full length soundtrack, available digitally on June 23rd. An exclusive limited edition...

Author: Stefan Pape

In bringing Beauty and the Beast to a more contemporary world, one of the most notable changes made within this universe is through the character of La Fou, played by Josh Gad. Considered by many to be Disney’s first openly gay character, when we spoke to Luke Evans, who plays the aforementioned character’s love interest Gaston (the film’s principle villain) we asked about the Welsh actor about this particular dynamic.

Evans also spoke with us about the joys, and challenges, in portraying a Disney villain on screen, and why he feels that Emma Watson is the perfect choice to take on the eponymous role of Belle. He also speaks about the impact Disney can have through the medium of cinema, and the balancing act in portraying a role who at times is at humorous as he is nefarious.

It’s one thing to play...

Scarlett Johansson does a good Bernard Sumner.

Read More: ‘Ghost in the Shell’ Teasers: Scarlett Johansson Is Locked And Loaded In Cryptic New Footage

The actress and sometimes singer recently recorded a cover of New Order’s “Bizarre Love Triangle” with her four-person band Sugar for Sugar, which includes Julia Haltigan, Holly Miranda, and Kendra Morris. The song will be featured on a charity album due out on October 7 called “The Time Is Now” for amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research. Co-written by Sumner, New Order’s lead singer, “Bizarre Love Triangle” was released in 1986.

Republic Records and Mass Appeal Records will release the album, which will include new versions of 80s songs by several other artists, including Phantogram covering Phil Collins’ “Take Me Home”, Lower Dens covering Hall & Oates’ “Maneater,” and Aloe Blacc covering Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean.”

Johansson covered The Pretenders’s “Brass in Pocket” during a...

When Scarlett Johansson isn't busy starring in box-office hits, she's lending her famously sultry voice to the music industry - and for a good cause. Johansson's all-girl band Sugar for Sugar covers New Order's "Bizarre Love Triangle" in the latest track off of the charity compilation album The Time Is Now, and People has an exclusive first listen. Johansson performs the classic '80s track - set for release this Friday - alongside bandmates Julia Haltigan, Holly Miranda and Kendra Morris. The Time Is Now is a 14-track album of reimagined 1980s hits created specifically for amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research.

TBS is working on a scripted comedy series based on the life and lyrics of the iconic rapper Notorious B.I.G.

The show, titled “Think Big,” follows an inner-city teen trying to earn a living for his young daughter and son. The network did not reveal which lyrics exactly are the basis for the series, but there’s a slew of good one-liners that fans could try and pinpoint.

“Think Big” was created by Mass Appeal, which will produce the series along with Wayne Barrow from Bystorm Films and Biggie’s mother Voletta Wallace for Notorious Big, Inc.

Read More: ‘All Eyez On Me’ Teaser Trailer: Tupac Stays True To Thine Own Self In New Biopic

The “Mo Money Mo Problems” rapper, whose real name is Christopher Wallace, was killed in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles in 1997. Raised in Brooklyn, the hip-hop mogul is known as one of the greatest...

A scripted comedy inspired by the Notorious B.I.G. is in development at TBS, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Think B.I.G. — possibly a reference to a Biggie deep cut of the same name — will track the mishaps of one inner-city teen trying to create a better future for his daughter and infant son. The plot will be loosely based on the Notorious B.I.G.'s vast trove of lyrics.

It's unclear who will write the pilot or serve as showrunner on Think B.I.G., but the project is being...

TBS is going for big laughs with its next project — like, B.I.G. laughs.

RelatedEmpire Season 2: Female Teen Rapper Could Be CEO Jamal’s Next Big Thing

The network is currently developing Think B.I.G., a scripted series about an inner-city teen working towards a better life for his two children, TVLine has learned. According to TBS, the plotlines will be “loosely based on the lyrics of the late rapper The Notorious B.I.G.”

Think B.I.G. is being created and produced by Mass Appeal; Bystorm Films’ Wayne Barrow and Notorious B.I.G. Inc.’s Voletta Wallace are also on board.

TBS is working on a scripted comedy series with plotlines loosely based on the lyrics of rap legend the Notorious B.I.G. New York-based Mass Appeal is working with the cable net on Think B.I.G., which follows the misadventures of an inner-city teen desperately trying to create a better future for his daughter and infant son. The Turner-owned net also announced that it is in production on Storyville, a 10-episode digital series will feature funny, absurd, weird and…...

TBS is looking to Notorious B.I.G. for its next scripted series. The Turner-owned cable network announced Thursday that it is developing a scripted comedy inspired by the late rapper. Titled Think B.I.G., the series will chronicle the misadventures of an inner-city teen desperately trying to create a better future for his daughter and infant son. The plot will be loosely based on his lyrics. The comedy is being produced and created by Mass Appeal, in partnership with Wayne Barrow of Bystorm Films and Voletta Wallace for Notorious B.I.G. Inc. Think B.I.

read more...

Director Sacha Jenkins’ feature documentary "Fresh Dressed," an exuberant chronicle of hip hop and urban fashion, and their global influence on pop culture, will premiere as a CNN Films broadcast with limited commercial interruptions on Thursday, Sept. 3 at 9pm Eastern on CNN/U.S., the network announced today. Produced by Peter Bittenbender, Nasir Jones, and Marcus Clarke for Mass Appeal, "Fresh Dressed" traces how fat-laced sneakers, Kangol hats, Cazal sunglasses, and graffiti jackets inspired the style and vibe of rap artists and high fashion designers, through its expression of aspirational swagger that gave voice – and visage – to a culture whose passionate...

Here's a the just-released poster (above) for the Sundance 2015 documentary selection "Fresh Dressed," from director: Sacha Jenkins, which centers on the history of hip-hop fashion, from its birth in the South Bronx, to its rise as a billion-dollar global industry. Supported by plenty of archival materials, in-depth interviews with individuals crucial to the evolution, and the outsiders who wrote about and even admired them (and continue to do so), the film has been picked up for North American distribution by Samuel Goldwyn Films and StyleHaul for a theatrical release and On Demand (at www.freshdressedmovie.com), on June 26, 2015. A Mass Appeal production, in...

Here's a first-look at the Sundance 2015 documentary selection "Fresh Dressed," from director: Sacha Jenkins, which centers on the history of hip-hop fashion, from its birth in the South Bronx, to its rise as a billion-dollar global industry. Supported by plenty of archival materials, in-depth interviews with individuals crucial to the evolution, and the outsiders who wrote about and even admired them (and continue to do so), the film has been picked up for North American distribution by Samuel Goldwyn Films and StyleHaul for a theatrical release and On Demand (at www.freshdressedmovie.com), on June 26, 2015. A Mass Appeal production, in partnership with CNN Films,...

You don’t see a lot of drum and bass tracks on the mainstream market these days, but Rudimental‘s “Never Let You Go” stands a chance of climbing the charts. BBC Radio 1’s Annie Mac premiered it on her show recently and gave it her “Hottest Record In The World” honor. Mass appeal aside, it truly does bring something new to the conversation that is drum and bass.

The warm melody and soulful vocals leading up to the syncopated drum beat evoke much of the same feelings as Aiden Grimshaw’s “Is This Love,” but a horn section tastefully added near the end endows an almost ska-like quality to the anthemic track.

Contemporary drum and bass often feels like a race to the bottom; the image of crate diggers playing dark grooves in basements directly contrasts the bright energy of more festival-friendly music. However, “Never Let You Go” meets...

Read More: Why 'Silicon Valley' Could Be HBO's First Comedy With Mass Appeal in Years The game is on as competition between rival startups Pied Piper and Nucleus heats up in a newly released trailer for the sophomore season of HBO's "Silicon Valley" from Mike Judge ("Beavis and Butthead," "King of the Hill," "Office Space"). The pressure is on for Richard (Thomas Middleditch), Gilfoyle (Martin Starr), Erlich (T.J. Miller), Jared (Zach Woods) and Dinesh (Kumail Najiani) to deliver a finished version of Pied Piper. With the help of a new backer, the Pied Piper team tries to get themselves out there and "create synergy, bitches," which Gilfoyle may or may not fully support. Car windows are smashed, shots are taken, walls are sledgehammered and a lot of people are working on laptops. Watch the trailer above. "Silicon Valley" returns for a 10-episode second season premiering Sunday, April 12 at 10pm on HBO.

Company to handle international sales on Sacha Jenkins’ Sundance title.

Dogwoof has acquired international rights to Fresh Dressed.

Sacha Jenkins’ Sundance title uses archival materials from the 1970s-present day and interviews with the likes of Kanye West and Jay Z to explore the relationship between fashion and hip hop.

The deal was brokered between Dogwoof CEO Anna Godas and Stacey Wolf of CNN Films. Fresh Dressed was produced by Mass Appeal for CNN Films, and will be released later this year in the Us through Samuel Goldwyn Films and StyleHaul.

Godas commented: “We relish the opportunity to work with CNN Films again on this great title, for us it was a no-brainer – broad appeal, fantastic footage and incredible interview access – and look forward to presenting it to our international buyers.”

“We are thrilled to partner again with Dogwoof – who were tremendous partners for Blackfish - on the international distribution of Fresh Dressed,” added [link=nm...

Here's a first-look at the Sundance 2015 documentary selection "Fresh Dressed," from director: Sacha Jenkins, which centers on the history of hip-hop fashion, from its birth in the South Bronx, to its rise as a billion-dollar global industry. Supported by plenty of archival materials, in-depth interviews with individuals crucial to the evolution, and the outsiders who wrote about and even admired them (and continue to do so), the film has been picked up for North American distribution by Samuel Goldwyn Films and StyleHaul for a theatrical release later this year (specific dates haven't been announced yet). A Mass Appeal production, in partnership with CNN Films, "Fresh...

Sundance: Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions has acquired international rights and The Orchard has picked up North America on Joe Swanberg’s drama. In separate deals, Ten Thousand Saints and Fresh Dressed also sold.

Digging For Fire stars Jake Johnson, Rosemarie DeWitt, Orlando Bloom, Brie Larson, Sam Rockwell, Anna Kendrick and Mike Birbiglia.

Swanberg co-wrote with Jake Johnson and produced with Alicia Van Couvering and Johnson.

The story follows a married couple who head off on separate adventures after they discover a bone and a gun.

Screen Media Films has acquired Us rights to Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini’s comedy-drama Ten Thousand Saints starring Asa Butterfield, Hailee Steinfeld, Emily Mortimer, Julianne Nicholson, Emile Hirsch and Ethan Hawke. Screen Media Films will release in late summer via day-and-date theatrical and VOD after brokering the deal with CAA.Samuel Goldwyn Films and StyleHaul have acquired North American rights to Sacha Jenkins’ documentary Fresh Dressed, about the evolution...

Mass Appeal

This is an official poster that was created for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie as part of a cross promotion with the X Games. The design was done by Mike Johnston, who is a street artist from Austin known for doing wall murals and woking in stencils. His street name is ‘Truth,’ and you can see more of his work here.

It makes sense that the Ninja Turtles would be a part of the X-Games, after all, they do dabble in extreme sports. The movie is set to be released on August 8th, and I'm hoping that it delivers some awesome entertainment for the fans. I'm sure it will, I just don't want it to be stupid in the process.

When HBO first picked up "Silicon Valley," we were all pretty skeptical of the direction the show would take. Fortunately, the network's comedy has proven to be another hit a la "Veep." The 30-minute series has consistently been witty, vulgar and intelligent -- everything we expect from an HBO program. Read More: Why 'Silicon Valley' Could Be HBO's First Comedy With Mass Appeal In YearsIn anticipation for the show's first season finale this Sunday at 10pm, HBO has released a clip that brings our favorite geeks together to discuss the future. It's a glimpse at what is sure to be a memorable finale and a great introduction for the next season -- and it also features actor Zach Woods saying "pivot" almost as much as Ross did on "Friends." Check out the short clip below to see our guys at their weirdest. ...

Star Wars is important not just as a pop culture phenomenon, but also because the original trilogy was so innovative in its storytelling and production. Here is a list commemorating the top 25 aspects of movie making that Star Wars has forever changed.

Movies that usher in a new era of filmmaking are very rare. They exceed expectations not just because they are entertaining or have memorable stories, but because they expand our expectations as far as what movies are capable of. The original Star Wars trilogy is one collection of such films. A New Hope especially was a film that effectively raised the bar as far as what movies were capable of. The following is a list of the most important things that Star Wars has taught us about making movies. Audiences everywhere are forever indebted.

Each month the Cinelinx staff will write a handful of articles covering a specified film-related topic.

Film4

Too often, people don’t watch great films not because they’d be uninterested in the subject matter, but because they have no idea of their existence. This is really the core reason why people go see Hollywood movies: people know of them. Especially having seen the advertisements in between something like the action of the Super Bowl.

There are so many great films that fly under the radar, even when they play to the sensibilities of common audiences. In short, they can do Hollywood better than Hollywood. This list is comprised of upcoming limited-release films that have the subject matter that would fit the taste of any widely-released movie.

It’s important to not only promote cinema most people never get to hear of, but also show them that even in the most narrow of cinematic tastes, there is room for everyone to grow.

10. Boyhood

IFC Films

Shot over a period of 12 years,...

In August, Maker Studios announced a deal with photographer Estevan Oriol and Sanctioned TV, his channel about La life. With its newest partnership, Maker is continuing its commitment to urban-themed programming. The multi-channel network has reached a deal with Mass Appeal, the Brooklyn-based magazine and channel run in part by rapper Nas. Mass Appeal started as a graffiti mag (with Oriol among the roster of regular columnists) before a $1.4 million investment from Nas and others resurrected it as a more general urban publication earlier this year. In its current form, Mass Appeal's YouTube channel features plenty of guest appearances and interviews, especially with figures from the rap community. Through Maker's partnership with Mass Appeal, the McN will use it as a platform for specific branded series and original creations while also connecting it to appropriate pre-roll advertisers and increasing its YouTube presence. “They see us as filling a void in their music space,...

Mass Appeal, a graffiti magazine turned online video company, has partnered with online video giant Maker Studios to make shows about urban culture, the two companies said Tuesday. Mass Appeal suspended publication in 2008, but several investors, including rappers Nas and Pusha T, contributed to a $1.3 million Series A round to resurrect it. Mass Appeal now produces shows about music producers, skating and other elements of modern culture. See video: Maker Studios Chief – What Viacom Is to Cable We Are to Video It will work with Maker to producer branded content for advertisers and produce a new show taking viewers behind.

R.A. the Rugged Man

R.A. The Rugged Man is a Hip Hop artist from Long Island NY. He has worked with Mc’s such as The Notorious B.I.G., Mobb Deep, Chuck D of Public Enemy, Jedi Mind Tricks, Tech N9ne, Hopsin, Talib Kweli, Masta Ace, Kool G Rap, Wu-Tang Clan, Rakim, Killah Priest, and producersTrackmasters, Erick Sermon, DJ Quik, Buckwild, Alchemist, and Ayatollah. He was featured on all three of Rawkus’s Soundbombing albums, as well as the platinum-selling WWF Aggression album, performing the theme song for Chris Jericho. The Notorious B.I.G. was once quoted as saying, “I thought I was the illest,” when referring to R.A.

In 2004 he released the album Die, ”Rugged Man, Die” on Brooklyn based label Nature Sounds. The October 2006 issue of The Source featured R.A.’s verse on “Uncommon Valor: A Vietnam Story” as its “Hip-Hop Quotable” of the month...

War is never pretty, especially if it involves an alien invasion.

After a far-off solar system is destroyed, several remaining extraterrestrial races, collectively known as Votans, venture to Earth seeking a fresh start. Unsympathetic to their plight, the planet's nations turn them away, sparking a devastating battle that leaves the globe and environment drastically changed forever. Thirty-four years later, the two sides have called a ceasefire and are trying to coexist in this hostile new frontier. That's the premise behind the ambitious sci-fi drama "Defiance" (premiering April 15 on Showcase and SyFy).

The series finds anti-hero Joshua Nolan (Grant Bowler, "Ugly Betty"), a reluctant lawkeeper, attempting to keep the peace in the small town of Defiance, where cultures clash and internal, as well as external, conflicts jeopardize their existence. To make matters worse, a tremendous amount of technology has been lost. There's still functioning electricity, but no satellites, internet or air travel.

New York — The Irish actor Milo O'Shea, whose many roles on stage and screen included a friar in Franco Zeffirelli's "Romeo and Juliet," an evil scientist in "Barbarella" and a Supreme Court justice on "The West Wing," has died in New York City. He was 86.

Ireland's arts minister, Jimmy Deenihan, said in a statement announcing O'Shea's death on Tuesday that the Dublin-born actor would be remembered for "ground-breaking" roles, including a performance as Leopold Bloom in the 1967 film adaptation of "Ulysses."

O'Shea also acted on Broadway, playing a gay hairdresser in 1968's "Staircase." He was nominated for Tony Awards twice.

The public knew O'Shea best as a character actor. His bushy eyebrows and white hair made him a favorite of casting directors looking for priests. He played a drunken one on the TV show "Cheers," a pedophilic one in the 1997 film "The Butcher Boy," a charming one in the 1981 Broadway play "Mass Appeal,...

Irish stage and screen character actor who appeared in Barbarella, The Verdict and the BBC's 1969 sitcom Me Mammy

For a performer of such fame and versatility, the distinguished Irish character actor Milo O'Shea, who has died aged 86, is not associated with any role in particular, or indeed any clutch of them. He was chiefly associated with his own expressive dark eyes, bushy eyebrows, outstanding mimetic talents and distinctive Dublin brogue.

His impish presence irradiated countless fine movies – including Joseph Strick's Ulysses (1967), Roger Vadim's Barbarella (1968) and Sidney Lumet's The Verdict (1982) – and many top-drawer American television series, from Cheers, The Golden Girls and Frasier, right through to The West Wing (2003-04), in which he played the chief justice Roy Ashland.

He had settled in New York in 1976 with his second wife, Kitty Sullivan, in order to be equidistant from his own main bases of operation, Hollywood and London. The...

2012 has been, so definitively, the year for huge teeming male casts (Argo, Lincoln, Zero Dark, Magic Mike) of stars and character actors playing anxious determined men that I felt an extra pang of sadness to hear about the passing of Charles Durning on Christmas Eve. He was 89 years-old.

Charles Durning at the SAG ceremony in 2008 accepting his lifetime achievement award

Had any of those movies (well, not, Magic Mike) been made in the 1980s, he would with certainty have popped up -- 100% -- growling great lines in a suit or stove pipe hat.

Since the seeds of my movie mania were planted in the early 1980s, Charles Durning was one of the very first actors that embodied and defined the term "Character Actor" for me. I absolutely loved him in Tootsie (1982), one of the all time great movie comedies, as Jessica Lange's widower dad who took an unfortunate shine...

Tags: Morning BrewSyd tha KidJane LynchGLEEGirl in a ComaIMDb

Morning!

Seimone Augustus was on Espn's Outside the Lines this week and discussed coming out.

I was on such a high note, as far as being happy with who I am, it didn't really matter what anybody else thought. ... It really was a non-issue. Every text, every call, every email, any time of communication I received has been positive.

Photo from Getty

As it should be, Seimone!

Marlene King says we will find out who killed Maya on the August 28 finale of Pretty Little Liars. She told TV Guide:

I actually like to think of this episode as justice for Maya.

Melissa Etheridge talks about hew new album, 4th Street Feeling, with VH1. Also her feelings about Chik-fil-a.

Girl in a Coma have a new video for their song "One Eyed Fool." They're preparing for a tour with Cursive and Minus the Bear,...

Most people assume the only way to measure intelligence is with a good old-fashioned I.Q. test. Well, think again, because "Canada's Smartest Person" is about to redefine that notion.

Airing this Sunday, March 18, the two-hour television special will put contestants through a series of brain-teasers, with each competition designed to assess a specific mental aptitude. Up for grabs are bragging rights and the prestigious title of Canada's Smartest Person. Executive producer Rob Cohen spoke exclusively to The Huffington Post TV Canada about the groundbreaking event.

Mass Appeal

Sorry "Jeopardy" champ Ken Jennings, but "Canada's Smartest Person" probably wasn't conceived for someone like you. The show isn't about randomly naming off little-known historical facts, remote geographical locations or some scientific hypothesis no one has ever heard of before, much less understands. Instead, it celebrates the well of knowledge and abilities of viewers who could be plucked off the street right now.

by Jason Lees, MoreHorror.com

Between writing for this site, work, and being a poor college student and single father, I don’t have much time for variety when it comes to my personal entertainment. I love movies, especially my horror movies, so if I’m going to take the time to watch something, it’s almost always in my genre or something that my kid likes. Having said that, I’m also a huge Kevin Smith fan. I was in college (the first attempt) when his Clerks came out and it was the eye opener to indie cinema that changed the way lots of people saw film. Whether he wanted to or not, Smith became the poster boy for indie cinema.

A few years later Smith established a mini-empire with such comedy flicks as Clerks 2 and Dogma. He made movies pretty much for his fans, almost always showcasing...

Singer/songwriter Jordan Knight is launching his own label, Jk Music, with the release of a new single "Let's Go Higher," from his upcoming album "Unfinished."

Through a joint venture deal between Jk Music and Marcus Siskind of Mass Appeal

Entertainment, "Unfinished," Knight's first solo project in nearly five years, will be distributed through eOne Music. He'll be shooting the music video in Los Angeles on Friday.

Most recognized as the lead singer of New Kids on The Block,...

Why don't more rappers draft one producer to take care of the beats for an entire album? Some of the greatest hip-hop albums in the history of the genre sound that way because they have such a cohesive sound, with themes that can be revisited and sonic markers that can work with the lyrics, not just next to them. Think about the greatness of Run-dmc (whose Jam Master Jay handled all the beats), Public Enemy (with the Bomb Squad matching Chuck D's aggression note-for-note) or the insular worlds created by the early work of the Neptunes (like Clipse's Lord Willin') or Timbaland (like Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott's debut Supa Dupa Fly). For the best proof that it's a system that works, look no further than legendary tag team Gang Starr, whose critically-acclaimed smash album Hard to Earn was released on this day in 1994.

Gang Starr consisted of rapper Guru and producer DJ Premier.

Gloria Stuart, the elegant actress who found fame late in her seven decade Hollywood career when she earned an Oscar nomination for her role as the elderly Rose in 1997's Titanic, passed away on Sunday in her West Los Angeles home. She was 100 years old.

Born Gloria Frances Stewart on July 4, 1910 in Santa Monica, California, she grew up in southern California and attended Santa Monica High School and the University of California at Berkeley, where she first became interested in acting. After dropping out of college and marrying Blair Gordon Newell in 1930, she continued to explore acting in productions at the Pasadena Playhouse. Hollywood studios began to take notice of the petite blonde actress, and she soon signed a contract with Universal Studios, but not before changing her surname from "Stewart" to "Stuart" as she believed it would look better on a theater marquee.

Her first appearance at Universal was in 1932's Street of Women, the same year in which she was named one of WAMPAS Baby Stars (young women the industry believed had the most potential for movie stardom.) She appeared in varied roles assigned to her by the studio, but it was her new friendship with director James Whale that led to her most memorable roles from this era, in the horror/thrillers The Old Dark House, Kiss Before the Mirror and The Invisible Man. Underutilized at Universal, she moved on to Warner Brothers, where she would work regularly through the end of the decade, with notable movies including Gold Diggers of 1935 and Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm.

In 1934, she divorced Blair Gordon Newell, and in the same year married screenwriter Arthur Sheekman, who wrote movies for the Marx Brothers. It was at dinner one evening with Harpo and Groucho Marx that Ms. Stuart learned about a new group that they and other actors were forming - the Screen Actors Guild. She believed actors needed protection from working too many long hours and joined their cause, becoming one of SAG's founding members. In 1935, Gloria and Arthur welcomed a daughter, Sylvia, and in 1939 the family left on a tour around the world, only returning home to California when World War II began. It was during this time in Europe that Ms. Stuart became interested in art, and in the years that her acting career waned she focused instead on creating furniture, decoupage, painting and eventually fine art printing.

Ms. Stuart retired from acting in 1946, and remained so until 1975, when she resumed her career with a role in the TV movie The Legend of Lizzie Borden. After the death of her husband Arthur in 1978, she appeared in a variety of roles through the remained of the 1970s and 1980s, including "Murder, She Wrote", "The Waltons", My Favorite Year, Mass Appeal, and Wildcats.

It was her role in James Cameron's 1997 epic Titanic, however, that gained her massive stardom, with her portrayal of the 101-year-old Rose DeWitt Bukater remembering the final hours of the Titanic as intertwined with meeting her first love, captured the public's imagination and affection. Her performance earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. At the age of 87, the nomination - her first - made her the oldest person ever nominated for an Oscar. She received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2000, and detailed her more than 70 years in the film industry in her biography "I Just Kept Hoping". Her work in Titanic was followed by a steady stream of roles in TV and film, most notably two films with director Wim Wenders: The Million Dollar Hotel in 2000, and Land of Plenty in 2004.

DJ Premier, Redman, Jeru the Damaja, Joell Ortiz and many others join Mc onstage at Sob's.

By Shaheem Reid

Fat Joe

Photo: Walik Goshorn

New York — Fat Joe welcomed all to his concert at Sob's Tuesday night (actually, early Wednesday morning) on one condition. Don't expect any of his radio hits.

"I told y'all n---as, you want 'Lean Back,' get the f--- out!" Joe said halfway through his show. "You want 'We Thuggin',' get the f--- out! You want 'Make It Rain'? Get the f--- out. Y'all must've forgot."

Joe took it all the way back to the underground essence of his career at his concert. He's been around since 1993, been nominated for Grammy Awards and VMAs, and has had big hits. But during this concert, it was just street bangers, classic album cuts and new songs. He also paraded out a series of guests that were reigning...

'Who you know, 10 albums later, get better than he's ever been before?' Joey Crack asks Mixtape Daily.

By Shaheem Reid

Fat Joe

Photo: E1

Don't Sleep: Necessary Notables

Independent Album: The Darkside, Vol. 1

Headliner: Fat Joe

Key Cameos: The Clipse and Cam'ron on "Kilo"; R. Kelly on "How Did We Get Here"; and Lil Wayne on "Heavenly Father."

Essential Info: When Fat Joe says that this is just the first volume of The Darkside, the Bronx veteran means it. He's already started recording the follow-up to the LP, which officially dropped Tuesday (July 27).

"The Darkside, Vol. 2, we already started the intro," Joe said with a grin when he stopped by 1515 headquarters recently. "We're just trying to make The Darkside its own brand. It's Fat Joe, but it's The Darkside. We come with Vol. 2, make it crazier than Vol. 1, by the time Vol. 3 come, we got a problem on our hands.

'Who you know, 10 albums later, get better than he's ever been before?' Joey Crack asks Mixtape Daily.

By Shaheem Reid

Fat Joe

Photo: E1

Don't Sleep: Necessary Notables

Independent Album: The Darkside, Vol. 1

Headliner: Fat Joe

Key Cameos: The Clipse and Cam'ron on "Kilo"; R. Kelly on "How Did We Get Here"; and Lil Wayne on "Heavenly Father."

Essential Info: When Fat Joe says that this is just the first volume of The Darkside, the Bronx veteran means it. He's already started recording the follow-up to the LP, which officially dropped Tuesday (July 27).

"The Darkside, Vol. 2, we already started the intro," Joe said with a grin when he stopped by 1515 headquarters recently. "We're just trying to make The Darkside its own brand. It's Fat Joe, but it's The Darkside. We come with Vol. 2, make it crazier than Vol. 1, by the time Vol. 3 come, we got a problem on our hands.

Stacy Shane and ManUnderdog Productions will have on Monday, June 21st a reading of the new play, "The Sex King" by Bill C. Davis ("Mass Appeal") with David Morse and Julia Stiles at The Clurman Theatre (Theatre Row). It will be directed by Jonathan Silverstein, the director of this seasons "The Temperamentals." and "I Never Sang For My Father." The production is planned for next season. Mr. Shane is the original producer of the critically acclaimed and award-winning new American play, "The Tempermanetals."...

Stacy Shane and ManUnderdog Productions will have on Monday, June 21st a reading of the new play, "The Sex King" by Bill C. Davis ("Mass Appeal") with David Morse and Julia Stiles at The Clurman Theatre (Theatre Row). It will be directed by Jonathan Silverstein, the director of this seasons "The Temperamentals." and "I Never Sang For My Father." The production is planned for next season. Mr. Shane is the original producer of the critically acclaimed and award-winning new American play, "The Tempermanetals."...

At first, I assumed that this would be a story on the return of the urban culture magazine Mass Appeal, but after reading the fine print, it appears it’s about a video game called “Mass Effect” and Deadline reports that this video game is being turned into a feature film.

Legendary Pictures, the production company behind some of your favorite films like The Dark Knight, The Hangover, and, Inception (Alright, I’m assuming that we’re all going to love Inception) has acquired the big screen rights to the Electronic Arts game. Warner Bros will help finance and distribute the sci-fi action epic.

Mark Protosevich, the writer behind The Cell and Marvel’s upcoming Thor is in talks to pen the big screen adventures of Commander Shepard and his battles against Saren Arterius. It will be quite a daunting task for Protosevich since it seems like video game to...

By Christopher Stipp

The Archives, Right Here

Check out my new column, This Week In Trailers, at SlashFilm.com and follow me on Twitter under the name: Stipp

Robin Hood - Free Passes

Who lives in Arizona and wants to see Russell Crowe dispatch dirty peasants with a bow and arrow?

I sure do. After loving every last morsel of the last Russell Crowe/Ridley Scott team-up this film at least gets an emotional buy-in simply because lighting may very well strike twice.

For those that would like to see this film Tuesday, May 11th, at 7:00 at Harkins Fashion Square please shoot me a line at Christopher_Stipp@yahoo.com and let me know you’re interested in winning some tickets. I don’t have many so get those entries in quick.

And, for those that need an explanation of what this movie has in store for you, read...

'He was a nice, cool, humble dude,' Joe says of recently passed Mc.

By Shaheem Reid

Guru

Photo: Johnny Nunez/ WireImage

Fat Joe says he lost more than a friend when Guru passed away on Monday. He says hip-hop lost an incredible performer and ambassador of purity in the art form.

A very young Joe appears in the video for Gang Starr's "Suckas Need Bodyguards" and the Bronx Mc said he knew the duo at the very start of their careers.

"I knew them before rap," Joe told MTV News about Guru and DJ Premier. "Showbiz brought them through the 'hood. When I was running the streets of the Bronx, crazy, they was already rappin'. First day I met [Guru], I showed him a [gun] I had in my waistline. He was like, 'Ah sh--! Joey Crack?' I was like, 'Yeah n---a, I got you.' He was the coolest n---a.

'I'm not big on funerals, so this is my way of going to the funeral,' Nore tells MTV News of tribute track.

By Shaheem Reid

N.O.R.E.

Photo: Ray Tamarra/Getty Images

N.O.R.E. released a tribute freestyle Tuesday (April 20) with Iman Thug called "R.I.P. Guru." Nore said he was scheduled to go in the studio and wanted to pay homage to the Gang Starr Mc after hearing about his death.

"I didn't even think about being the first one," Nore told MTV News about putting out a Guru tribute record. "I had to do a freestyle for [producer] Clark Kent, and I said, 'What's more appropriate?' Handle two birds with one stone ... and send a rest-in-peace shout-out to Guru at the same time.

"I just came back from Vegas," he added. "I wasn't by a phone or a computer. I wasn't using it.