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In George Lucas' 1977 sci-fi flick "Star Wars," there is a scene wherein a cadre of Nazi-like bad guys, in the employ of the evil Empire, gather around a boardroom table and mention that the mysterious off-screen Emperor has dissolved the senate and taken absolute control. The military generals are outraged, wondering how the Empire might survive without a bureaucracy in place. In Irvin Kirshner's 1980 sequel "The Empire Strikes Back," it's established that Darth Vader (David Prowse), a mysterious masked warlock, was actually the Emperor's right-hand man, indicating that the Emperor retains control of the Empire through the sheer force of his villainy.

In "The Empire Strikes Back," the Emperor appeared in holographic form to have a powwow with Darth Vader and plan his next move. In the original cut of the movie, the Emperor was played on screen by actress Marjorie Eaton, outfitted with eerie, alien eyeballs. Eaton was a long-working character performer in Hollywood,...

Despite a union with SAG-AFTRA and increasing attention paid to the very best voice acting performances in the industry, it’s still easy to take those performances for granted. It’s part and parcel of a medium that still struggles with being recognized as an art form, and one where those union protections don’t yet protect the most vulnerable performers.

Voice acting is often the key to whether a story-heavy game sinks or swims. Granted, it is possible for a game’s voice acting to become iconic, even with a crappy dub. The original Resident Evil is still a meme for B-movie lines like the Jill Sandwich, and Shenmue’s English voice acting, respectfully, flat-out sucks. But a truly remarkable job, like the whole of Final Fantasy Xii or Nolan North’s various appearances as Nathan Drake, reminds us why it’s important to remember our roots, appreciate the creators,...

Set in a galaxy far, far away, the Star Wars franchise focuses on numerous characters across different eras of the galaxy as they fight for the balance of good vs evil. One of the most popular eras for many fans is the prequel era, particularly the Clone Wars, which raged from the end of Attack of the Clones to Revenge of the Sith.

The Clone Wars animated projects, including the 2003 micro series, the 2008 movie and the full animated series, followed the Jedi and clones as they battled the forces of the Confederacy. Everything from the internal politics of the Republic to the mythology behind the Force was explored here. However, it was the epic battles of the conflict that kept fans tuning in, helping them get to know the clone troopers and explore the wars across the stars.

Star Wars: Clone Wars

Jedi Knights lead the Grand Army of the...

Classic rockers Foghat have announced their first album in seven years. The 12-song LP, Sonic Mojo, will be released November 10th, and features the first single, “Drivin’ On.”

The new album includes three songs co-written by late Savoy Brown singer-guitarist Kim Simmonds, who passed away in December 2022. One of those songs is the aforementioned single, “Drivin’ On.”

“A song like ‘Drivin’ On’ celebrates the swamp funk blues of Slim Harpo and the cosmic boogie of John Lee Hooker,” said Foghat singer-guitarist Scott Holt in a press release.

Drummer Roger Earl, the lone original member left in Foghat, spoke of recording with the band’s current lineup, declaring, “I love playing and working with this band. During my almost 60-year music career, I have had the honor of playing with some really great musicians. Lonesome Dave, Rod Price, Craig MacGregor, Erik Cartwright, Nick Jameson, Tony Stevens and Jeff Howell to name...

Cult animated series Mission Hill could return for a reboot with creators Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein twenty years after originally airing.

The pair, former exec producers on The Simpsons, are working on bringing the show back with a focus on supporting characters Gus Duncz and Wally Langford.

Oakley posted on a social media that the series is tentatively titled Gus & Wally and the pair are “taking it out to buyers soon”.

The show originally aired on The WB between September 1999 and July 2000 and on Adult Swim in the summer of 2002. It only ran for 13 episodes and was initially cancelled after two episodes due to poor ratings but became a cult classic after repeat airings. Warner Bros Animation is expected to be the studio on the reboot, although Deadline understands that the deal has not closed.

The show followed two brothers Andy French and Kevin French, who did not get...

A scientist invents a technique to enter people's memories deep within their subconscious when their mind is at its most vulnerable state. When he is tasked with entering a convicted criminal's mind to see whether he committed murder, he is faced with his most dangerous and risky memory extraction ever. Extracted is in select theaters and on VOD starting July 26. Escape the prison of a killer's mind with our exclusive first look at the poster.

Extracted comes to theaters July 26th, 2013 and stars Sasha Roiz, Jenny Mollen, Dominic Bogart, Richard Riehle, Nick Jameson, Rodney Eastman, Frank Ashmore, Brad Culver. The film is directed by Nir Paniry.

A scientist invents a technique to enter people's memories deep within their subconscious when their mind is at its most vulnerable state. When he is tasked with entering a convicted criminal's mind to see whether he committed murder, he is faced with his most dangerous and risky memory extraction ever. Check out the first trailer for Extracted, starring Sasha Roiz, Jenny Mollen, Dominic Bogart and Richard Riehle.

Extracted comes to theaters July 26th, 2013 and stars Sasha Roiz, Jenny Mollen, Dominic Bogart, Richard Riehle, Nick Jameson, Rodney Eastman, Frank Ashmore, Brad Culver. The film is directed by Nir Paniry.

Extraction is a sci-fi thriller that deals with captured memories and criminal activity. In the future, an engineer designs a device that allows a person to retrieve memories from subjects. The Department of Justice wants to use this tool to extract memories involving robberies, and murders to convict criminals. Unwittingly, the engineer becomes trapped inside the mind of psychopath. Now, Thomas (Sasha Roiz) must work with the criminal to find an escape, if escape is possible. The trailer for Extraction is below and this title will release through Signature Entertainment February 25th (UK, DVD). Release Date: February 25th, 2013 (DVD). Director: Nir Paniry. Writers: Nir Paniry, Gabriel Cowan, and John Suits. Cast: Sasha Roiz, Jenny Mollen, Dominic Bogart, Richard Riehle, Nick Jameson, Rodney Eastman and Frank Ashmore. The trailer for Extraction is here: Source: Extracted at Signature Ent.  |  |  Advertise Here - Contact...

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The stage is set for retribution as an eclectic group is lured to a secluded European Castle under the guise of a promised "fantasy weekend." And as they read from an obscure storybook, a nefarious tale of avarice is reenacted for their entertainment. However, they are unaware that they have been gathered for their own personal and befitting executions.

In the course of one night, identities will be revealed, destinies met and a poetic justice of the macabre will be maniacally served, as a merciless Knight resurrects after 700 years to fulfill his vow and bestow a blood-thirst reprisal upon his enemies' reanimated spirits.

They had their time... Now it's His! This is Night of the Templar, from actor, writer, and director Paul Sampson, a new blend of action, comedy, horror and mystery that is set to debut at Cannes on Sunday, May 13th. We have the exclusive poster for you to check out,...

The Movie Pool gets an end-of-the-world vibe from the Jerusalem Countdown Blu-ray!

The Set-up

An FBI agent (David A.R. White) is on the hunt for seven suitcase nuclear weapons, and learns that the plot may be part of an apocalyptic series of events prophesied in the Bible. Also stars Lee Majors, Stacy Keach and Randy Travis. Based on the novel by John Hagee.

Directed by Harold Cronk.

The Delivery

Jerusalem Countdown is a solid action drama that mixes political intrigue with end-time Biblical prophecy. Mixing the Bible with contemporary human drama can be a hit-or-miss proposition, but when done correctly, it can give a film a deeper, more profound foundation to build upon. Even The DaVinci Code (with its twisted take on Christianity) benefited from using religious undertones to create an epic scope, and films like Megiddo used Christianity to craft an effective Armageddon thriller.

Despite its slower pace, Jerusalem Countdown...

SXSW 2012 film review

complete coverage of SXSW Film 2012

Extracted

Director & Screenwriter: Nir Paniry

A scientist is trapped in the memories of a criminal and must solve a crime in order to get back home to his family.

Cast: Sasha Roiz, Dominic Bogart, Jenny Mollen, Nick Jameson, Brad Culver

(World Premiere)

Film Synopsis (from SXSW.com)

Who’S It For?: Fans who are perfectly satisfied by science fiction television shows.

Overall

Extracted has a concept that is perfectly sexy for the lower standards of a cable TV series. With its simple story and lack of magnetic tension, it’s a reminder of the lower attention span asked for by most TV shows compared to any theatrical experience. Most TV shows (especially the ones that look like Extracted) feel like they’re meant to amuse viewers in-between commercial breaks. Viewers can move about their rooms while full episodes play out.

Sound On Sight will once again be covering the SXSW Film Festival this year, making it our second time attending. 130 feature films will screen at the Austin, Texas fest taking place March 9-17, including 65 World Premieres, 17 North American Premieres and 10 U.S. Premieres. As previously announced, Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon’s The Cabin in the Woods will have the honours of opening the festival, and now they have released the full list of films – and it’s looking pretty amazing. Enjoy!

Narrative Feature Competition

This year’s 8 films were selected from 1,112 submissions. Each film is a World Premiere. Films screening in Narrative Feature Competition are:

Booster

Director/Screenwriter: Matt Ruskin

When Simon’s brother is arrested for armed robbery, he is asked to commit a string of similar crimes in an attempt to get his brother acquitted.

Cast: Nico Stone, Adam DuPaul, Seymour Cassel, Kristin Dougherty, Brian McGrail (World Premiere)

Eden

Director: Megan Griffiths,...

The 2012 South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Conference and Festival runs March 9–17 in Austin, Texas, and now the full film program lineup has been announced. From a first glance at the list, it's pretty light on horror, but there are a few standouts.

In addition to the world premiere of Lionsgate’s The Cabin in the Woods as the Opening Night Film, which we already knew, here are the horror (and a few horror-ish or just very interesting sounding) highlights:

Killer Joe - Us Premiere

Director: William Friedkin | Screenwriter: Tracy Letts

Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Emile Hirsch, Gina Gershon, Juno Temple, Thomas Haden Church

A garish, Southwestern tale - a violent black comedy about a desperate Texas debtor (Hirsch) who plots to kill his mother with help of his family (Haden Church, Gershon). They hire a crazy Dallas cop who moonlights as a contract killer (McConaughey) to do the job, but Killer Joe...

The South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Conference and Festival is thrilled to announce the features lineup for this year's Festival, March 9 - 17, 2012 in Austin, Texas. We are also pleased to reveal the world premiere of Emmett Malloy's documentary Big Easy Express as our Closing Night Film, which follows a train ride unlike any other with Mumford & Sons, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros and Old Crow Medicine Show. Big Easy Express will screen on Saturday, March 17. The program will also include the world premiere of Columbia Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures' 21 Jump Street, screening in the Centerpiece slot on Monday, March 12. The 2012 lineup continues the SXSW tradition of celebrating ambitious experimentation with risk takers both in front of and behind the camera, and a deep immersion into cultural touchstones. The Midnighters feature section and the Short Film program will be announced on February 8.

"SXSW has long been a haven for bold...

Iggy Pop and Debbie Harry, shot by Bob Gruen in 1977

Rock 'N' Roll Exposed: The Photography of Bob Gruen

screens as part of 24 Beats per Second

SXSW Film has just announced its features lineup for the 2012 edition, running March 9 through 17. We already knew that the Opening Night Film would be Drew Goddard's The Cabin in the Woods. For its Closing Night Film, the festival will host the world premiere of of Emmett Malloy’s documentary Big Easy Express (more below). The lineup, with descriptions from the festival:

Narrative Feature Competition

Booster

Director/Screenwriter: Matt Ruskin. When Simon’s brother is arrested for armed robbery, he is asked to commit a string of similar crimes in an attempt to get his brother acquitted. Cast: Nico Stone, Adam DuPaul, Seymour Cassel, Kristin Dougherty, Brian McGrail. (World Premiere)

Eden

Director: Megan Griffiths, Screenwriters: Richard B. Phillips, Megan Griffiths, Story by: Richard B. Phillips & Chong Kim.

Extracted, the sci fi thriller Sasha Roiz filmed last year, will have its world premiere at the South By Southwest festival in Austin in March. Filmmaker Magazine has the full SXSW lineup, announced earlier today.

Extracted will be screened in the Emerging Visions section. The date/venue info hasn't been posted yet, but it will probably show up on the film's page on SXSW.com one of these days.

This year, the festival runs from March 9 to 17.

Film synopsis, main credits & trailer, from New Artists Alliance:

Thomas Jacobs is a brilliant engineer who invents a device that enables him to enter the mind of a patient and observe them in their memories.

Having run out of funds to complete the project, he reluctantly partners with the justice department who plans to use it to see criminals enact their crimes, But, during the first test on a convict, Tom gets trapped,...

With Sundance 2012 Film Festival over, the next big one on the horizon is South by Southwest, which we’ll be heavily covering. The biggest chunk of the line-up has been announced today, which has some great premieres including 21 Jump Street, Tiff and Sundance hit The Raid, Will Ferrell‘s Casa de mi Padre, the documentary Girl Model (which we liked at Tiff), as well as the next from Broken Lizard, The Babymakers. There are many other promising titles included and you can see them all below. Check back for our coverage for the fest, kicking off March 9th.

Narrative Feature Competition

This year’s 8 films were selected from 1,112 submissions. Each film is a World Premiere. Films screening in Narrative Feature Competition are:

Booster

Director/Screenwriter: Matt Ruskin

When Simon’s brother is arrested for armed robbery, he is asked to commit a string of similar crimes in an attempt to get his brother acquitted.

Attendees of South by Southwest 2012 are in for a treat. 130 feature films will screen at the Austin, Texas festival taking place March 9-17. Among them are 65 World Premieres, 17 North American Premieres and 10 U.S. Premieres. The organization already announced [1] Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon's The Cabin in the Woods would open the festival (the movie is phenomenal [2]) and today the majority of the remaining line up has been revealed. One of the highlights is the unbelievably smart and hilarious 21 Jump Street, directed by Phil Lord & Christopher Miller. Both of those are World Premieres. Other highlights include The Hunter, Killer Joe, The Babymakers, frankie goes boom, God Bless America, The Imposter, The Raid, Bernie and Casa de mi Padre just to name a few. After the jump, read descriptions of all the films that have been announced so far. Before I copy and paste the rest of the list, a few minor notes.

In the beginning there was a man, his wife…and their daughter. Seemingly mild-mannered at first, we quickly learned that this man was far from quiet or reserved; the antitheses of what a family man is presumed to be. Before long, his daughter was kidnapped and his life plunged into a 24 hour race to find her, save a president, and expose a conspiracy.

He did. With cunning, efficiency, guts…and a shocking compunction about putting down whomever stood in his way.

But despite his lethal inner id, CTU agent Jack Bauer (played relentlessly by Kiefer Sutherland) still found he was too late to protect his wife from being murdered by one of the very people he trusted the most, in a sickening act of betrayal that set the stage for a series that could only have been born of our post-9/11 world.

So began the legacy of 24, which I described...

Get up to speed as Jack Bauer races against the clock for Monday's two-hour series finale.

By Josh Wigler

Kiefer Sutherland in the series finale of "24"

Photo: Ray Mickshaw/Fox

Jack Bauer has been tortured by terrorists, imprisoned in a foreign country, addicted to heroin, infected with a deadly virus, electrocuted to death and subsequently brought back to life. But on Monday night (May 24), he'll go through an entirely new kind of trauma: an ending.

After eight action-packed days of foiling terrorist plots, killing the bad guys and losing plenty of sleep, Jack Bauer's time on the small screen finally runs out with Monday's series finale of "24." It hasn't always been an easy road for the former Counter Terrorism Unit operative — indeed, many would argue that the show is far from its glory days of seasons one and two — but with the end of "24" comes the end of a television era,...

Jack got himself all Iron Manned up this week. I wonder if he's trying to get in on that franchise - after all, he and Robert Downey Jr. came up through the ranks together. But Jack, man! You got the Walmart version of the suit; if you didn't have that huge gun they might have been laughing at your Halloween costume. Next time go big. Get yourself invited to a Favreau shindig, pull one of your Oh-that's-just-Kiefer-throwing-back-a-few-and-having-fun-again stunts, and you'll be the next Mickey Rourke! Oh and take Gregory Itzin with you, that man is a national treasure.

Logan is watching the news yet again, adjusting his tie as President Taylor's press secretary announces the former president's involvement in the peace process. He smiles his Grinchy smile. An advisor alerts Logan that his transportation to the helipad is almost ready and that Russian President Suvarov's plane is near touchdown. Jason...

While the final season's series regulars are undoubtedly some of the most important characters on "Lost," they aren't the only people that fans have come to know and love. One of the show's greatest attributes is its wealth of worthwhile characters that weave in and out of the Island's bountiful mythology with varying degrees of regularity.

After the jump, we've highlighted the sixteen recurring characters that we're hoping to see in the final season of "Lost" — the ones that are still alive, at least. We'll get to the corpses soon, we promise. Stay tuned to MTV for the rest of this week and into the season premiere, as we'll be running a series of features pegged directly to the show's trademark number sequence: 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42. Needless to say, spoilers for season five and earlier lie ahead.

1. Aaron Littleton

Played By: William Blanchette

Occupation: Baby / Toddler

First Appearance: Born on the Island and greeted by Charlie Pace,...