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Twisted Metal: Save me EV3L1N! 

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Based on a vehicular combat video game franchise of the same name from Sony Online Entertainment, Twisted Metal is a post-apocalyptic nightmare of survival with souped-up cars, modded guns, and crazed other raiders!

So meet the world as it currently is, a good old-fashioned sh*t-show. Awhile ago something big and nasty wiped out computers, and the internet, and then electricity, and civility was left in the dust as everyone began fighting everyone else for whatever was left. The cities that were left walled themselves off and left the bad element of society, the killers and thieves and misfits, all who didn’t fit in with the new societal norms were ousted and left to fend for themselves against other Mad Max-style marauders, with their own modded cars and guns. 

Our protagonist is the Milkman, John Doe (Anthony Mackie), a man with a past he can’t remember and only a photo to remind him, who, as his handle suggests, makes delivery runs of needed supplies between various areas. He is effortlessly charming, cheerfully employs explosive countermeasures against other marauders in his beloved car EV3L1N, bombs epic 90’s nostalgia tunes from her speakers, and is somehow one of the more free people still alive in this post-apocalyptic world. The only thing is, John Doe is lonely, and has no place he calls Home. Then one day, John gets called in to meet the leader of New San Fracisco, Raven (Neve Campbell).  

Life in this world of after-the-disaster is often about appearances, style over substance, and the song and dance Raven sells John Doe about giving him a Home in New San Fracisco, a place to belong amongst the not-at-all-subjugated denizens, with access to meat and sporting things like alive babies and OMGdude toilet paper, sounds very much too good to be true. Because it is. However, the trip all the way from New San Francisco to Chicago to pick up a package for Raven with a ten-day deadline, is right up the Milkmans alley, and it’s unlikely any other delivery man has the audacity to pull it off. 

But the road to Chicago is fraught with peril, especially from the mad murderous clown known as Sweet Tooth that’s taken over the entirety of Vegas, as John Doe’s friend the Mapmaker Tommy (Lou Beatty Jr.) repeatedly warns. 

In this post-apocalyptic world there will likely always be folk who want things to go back to order, with rules and laws and consequences, usually taking a bit too far and murderous in the process. Enter self-proclaimed Agent Stone (Thomas Hayden Church), the head lawman of this brave new world, determined to bring the full force of his version of the law down on the dregs of outcast society here beyond the walls of the cities. He has good old-fashioned executions after long pompous speeches about how he’s doing the new world a favor by cleaning it up, all under the putative protective banner of the badge, and recruits by means fair or foul other would-be ACAB acolytes. And the execution of a sibling pair of car thieves, one very Loud (Richard Cabral) and one dubbed Quiet (Stephanie Beatriz) later, is the perfect example to leave as a message to other would-be lawbreakers. 

Making the run from New San Francisco to Chicago is always better with a co-pilot, or would be if she spoke at all. Somehow Quiet and John Doe are thrown together for better or worse to make this run, John even naively thinks he can convince Raven to allow Quiet’s entrance into New San Francisco too, for helping him. 

You wouldn’t think a killer psychotic clown would need a backstory, much less a semi-relatable one, but Sweet Tooth has one and it’s actually pretty good. The body actor for Sweet Tooth (Joe Seanoa) accompanied by the unexpected affable everyman drawl of Will Arnett for his voice, is a real treat, as he cheerfully lops off arms and heads, all while explaining about the need for closure with his various traumas, often suddenly and violently and all over the place. Despite his penchant for sudden ultra-violence, Sweet Tooth is actually what could be considered a good guy in this post-apocalyptic disaster of a world, where people will quite literally kill you over the last half-bag of doggie chow. Sweet Tooth cares about things like emotional scars and the need for entertainment and lauding your artists, often yes at the expense of several audience member lives, but you can’t make a fantastic omelette without beating the hell out of the eggs! And when Sweet Tooth comes across a down on his luck about to be killed by the supposed cops type of dude, the aptly named Stu (Mike Mitchell), who had so recently been betrayed by his pal Mike (Taj Vaughans), he takes Stu under his fiery wing! 

Plenty of other interesting characters round out our after-world sh*t-show – Watts (Jamie Neumann) and Granny Dread (Peg O’Keef) of the convoy, and Watts’ old herbal hippie lover but still good with poisons Amber (Diany Rodriguez); the trophy-hungry crew of the Orange County Astral Burger, who oh so deserved the comeuppance they finally got; the “everything goes” haunt of Preacher (Jason Mantzoukas) and his ridiculous Holy Men; even the enigmatic Calypso, who clearly has a strained secret relationship with Raven and her ultimate agenda. 

So, what now? It seems that Home, even with it’s toilet paper and meat and potential answers to John’s history to be found, is pretty boring if John is alone. That supposed practice run he did for Raven has soured him a bit on the whole Milkman life, and even if we’re all pretty sure he could absolutely kill the ultimate race Raven is demanding he run next, John has to be in charge of his own life now. Annnd of course that’s right about when family just has to show up, much to Quiet’s dismay! 

Full of cheerful violence, casual cruelty between humans, epic bangin’ 90’s tunes, enough gleeful swearing to make a sailor stammer and a well-understood desire not just to survive but thrive, Twisted Metal is lit on fire on the Peacock channel now! 

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Apple TV+ announces season two for delightful kids and family series “Camp Snoopy

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Today, Apple TV+ announced a season two for acclaimed kids and family series “Camp Snoopy,” based on the classic Peanuts comic strip by Charles M. Schulz and directed by Rob Boutilier (“The Snoopy Show,” “Snoopy in Space”). The complete  first season of “Camp Snoopy” is now streaming globally on Apple TV+.

After discovering their troop is in danger of disbanding, Snoopy and the Beagle Scouts set off to immerse themselves in nature and the Great Outdoors, with the Beagle Scout Manual as their guide. Meanwhile, Charlie Brown and friends enjoy their summer at Camp Spring Lake, crossing paths with Snoopy as they experience hiking, swimming, sitting around campfires and everything summer camp and the outdoors have to offer. 

Produced for Apple TV+ by Peanuts and WildBrain, “Camp Snoopy” is based on the Peanuts comic strip by Charles M. Schulz and is directed by Rob Boutilier (“The Snoopy Show,” “Snoopy in Space”). Executive producers are Craig Schulz, Paige Braddock, Boutilier, Josh Scherba, Stephanie Betts and Logan McPherson.

“Camp Snoopy” joined an exciting slate of new offerings for kids and families on Apple TV+ this summer featuring the second season of beloved animated series “Frog and Toad,” based on the Caldecott and Newbery Honor-winning books; animated adventure trilogy “WondLa,” based on the New York Times bestselling book series “The Search for WondLa” by Tony DiTerlizzi; highly anticipated kids and family series “Yo Gabba GabbaLand!,” inspired by the hit, Emmy Award-nominated cultural phenomenon “Yo Gabba Gabba!”; “Me,” an elevated cinematic coming-of-age story from Barry L. Levy; and, the first-ever television adaptation of the cult classic film, “Time Bandits,” starring Lisa Kudrow.

Award-winning all-age offerings now streaming globally on Apple TV+ include celebrated live action animated hybrid special, “The Velveteen Rabbit”; the Academy Award and BAFTA Award-winning animated short film “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse”; Oscar-nominated and BAFTA Award-winning animated film “Wolfwalkers”; the BAFTA Award and Humanitas Prize-winning “El Deafo,” BAFTA Award-winning “Lovely Little Farm,” “Duck & Goose,” “Get Rolling With Otis,” Spin Master Entertainment’s “Sago Mini Friends,” GLAAD Media Award-nominated “Pinecone & Pony,” “Frog and Toad,” The Jim Henson Company’s Emmy Award-winning “Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock,” “Harriet the Spy” and “Slumberkins,” Sesame Workshop’s “Helpsters,” Joseph Gordon-Levitt, HITRECORD and Bento Box Entertainment’s “Wolfboy and the Everything Factory,” Jack McBrayer and Angela C. Santomero’s Emmy Award-nominated “Hello, Jack! The Kindness Show,” Peanuts and WildBrain’s Emmy Award-nominated “Snoopy in Space,” “The Snoopy Show,” Scholastic’s “Eva the Owlet” and Peabody and Emmy Award-winning series “Stillwater.” Live-action offerings include Bonnie Hunt’s DGA and WGA Award-nominated “Amber Brown,” DGA Award-winning “Best Foot Forward,” “Surfside Girls,” WGA Award-winning “Life By Ella,” Sesame Workshop and Sinking Ship’s Emmy Award-winning “Ghostwriter,” Emmy Award and Environmental Media Association Award winning “Jane,” and Scholastic’s “Puppy Place.”

Also included are “Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth,” the Emmy Award-winning television event based on the New York Times bestselling book and TIME Best Book of the Year by Oliver Jeffers, and specials from Peanuts and WildBrain including Emmy Award-nominated “Snoopy Presents: It’s the Small Things, Charlie Brown,” “Snoopy Presents: Lucy’s School,” Humanitas and Emmy Award-nominated “Snoopy Presents: To Mom (and Dad), With Love,” “Snoopy Presents: One-of-a-Kind Marcie,” “Snoopy Presents: Welcome Home, Franklin,” Emmy Award-winning “Snoopy Presents: Who Are You, Charlie Brown?” and “Snoopy Presents: For Auld Lang Syne.”

Apple TV+ offers premium, compelling drama and comedy series, feature films, groundbreaking documentaries, and kids and family entertainment, and is available to watch across all of a user’s favorite screens. After its launch on November 1, 2019, Apple TV+ became the first all-original streaming service to launch around the world, and has premiered more original hits and received more award recognitions faster than any other streaming service in its debut. To date, Apple Original films, documentaries and series have earned 499 wins and 2,262 award nominations and counting, including multi-Emmy Award-winning comedy “Ted Lasso” and historic Oscar Best Picture winner “CODA.”

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Hallmark’s “Holidazed” Brings Laughter and Love with a Fresh Holiday Twist

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Hallmark’s latest limited comedy TV series, “Holidazed,” promises to be the highlight of the holiday season, offering humor, heartfelt moments, and a celebration of diverse traditions. The series follows six families from different backgrounds, cultures, and generations, all living on the same cul-de-sac, as they come together to celebrate the holidays. Each family navigates their unique traditions and eccentricities, ultimately discovering a common bond: love in its many forms.

“Holidazed” features six diverse families residing in the same neighborhood. The series blends comedic and touching moments as these families embrace the joyous chaos of the holiday season, engaging in both humorous and heartfelt celebrations of their traditions. Through the festivities, they uncover the universal thread that binds them all: love.

Meet the Families

Lewin Family:

– Dennis Haysbert (“24”)

-Loretta Devine (“Grey’s Anatomy”)

– Ser’Darius Blain(“Charmed”)

Manetti-Hanahan Family:

– Virginia Madsen (“Witches of East End”)

– John C. McGinley(“Scrubs”)

Lin Family:

– Lucille Soong (“Fresh Off the Boat”)

-Osric Chau(“Supernatural”)

Woods Family:

– Rachelle Lefevre (“Under the Dome”)

-Lindy Booth(“The Librarians”)

Hill Family:

– Ian Harding(“Pretty Little Liars”)

– Erin Cahill (“Red Widow”)

Camerena Family:

– Elizabeth Goodenough

– Noemi Gonzales

“Holidazed” dives into the heart of the holiday season with themes of family, love, and unity. The show’s unique premise of six families celebrating their holiday traditions in a shared neighborhood brings a fresh twist to holiday programming. Viewers will experience laughter, tears, and everything in between as they follow these families.

The stellar cast, featuring Dennis Haysbert, Loretta Devine, Virginia Madsen, John C. McGinley, and more, delivers top-notch performances that bring the characters and their stories to life.

Join the conversation and share your excitement about “Holidazed” using these hashtags: #Holidazed2024, #HallmarkHolidays, #FamilyTraditions, #HolidayLove, #ComedySeries, #DiverseFamilies, #HallmarkComedy, #HolidaySeries.

“Holidazed” is set to be a heartwarming and entertaining addition to Hallmark’s holiday lineup. With its blend of comedy, diverse cultural celebrations, and the theme of love, this limited series is sure to become a holiday favorite. Tune in to experience the magic and joy of “Holidazed” this holiday season.

Stay connected and share your thoughts using the hashtags above, and get ready to be “Holidazed!”

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The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic: Not like that!

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The unneeded third wheel in the classic isekai trope, Ken Usato is stunned to discover that while he may not be the Hero the Kingdom of Llinger summoned, he can be heroic with his newfound ultra-rare healing magic! 

So, the classic eternal battle between the human Kingdom of whomever, against the current Demon Lord and his multitude of minions, features a whole cast of well-known characters – the King of course, his family with at least one Crown Prince/ess, his Royals and Nobles, usually a whole bunch of badass Knights, Mercenaries, Magic-users of every color of the rainbow, archers and expendable foot-soldiers and the like. What most adventuring isekai actually tries to veer away from, is the realities of the battlefield, the stench and the horror, the dead and dying everywhere, and the very real danger any good healer has to face in order to do their duty as a healer. 

And this is where Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic absolutely shines, somehow mixing the reality of the battlefield healer’s situation with the almost innocent adventurous joy of your favorite isekai. So, let’s dive headfirst into this! 

The head kids of the Student Council back on Earth, Suzune Inukami and Kazuki Ryuusen, along with the ride-hitching Ken Usato, are transported to the Kingdom of Llinger by summoning a circle, to fight the inevitable demon lord attacking the kingdom. And while the Kingdom, even willing to use forbidden magic to summon these new Heroes as they are, is thrilled at the enthusiasm of Inukami and perhaps even the reluctance of Kazuki, they are absolutely terrified at Usato’s advent of healing magic. It’s all suddenly and rather violently explained with the introduction of Rose, a healer herself, head of the Rescue Team battlefield healers, and known to be an exceptionally brutal and eccentric trainer. Much to his chagrin, Rose gleefully scoops Usato up and deposits him into the most grueling training regimen of his entire young life! 

And thus the training from hell, because that is quite possibly literally what it is, begins in earnest. Usato groans about the severe physical aspect of the training, as there is almost no magical training involved at all; he gets tossed into the Darkness of Llinger, a forest known for killing monsters and carnivorous plants, only to come out of it boasting a new blue grizzly companion; Blurin, as the large grizzly cub is named, instantly becomes a very large part of Usato’s running and training regimen. 

All of this is effectively useless without actual battlefield experience, and monsters are fleeing the forest because the demon lord and his kin are encroaching, so we the Rescue Team really have to hustle! Rose has every intention of training a “subordinate who will never die”, haunted as she is by underlings she couldn’t save in her head of the Kingdom of Llinger’s army Knight past, and she dubs Usato eventually fit for the job, informing the King of such herself.   

But what happens when the war, or at least the first major skirmish, begins in brutal violence, and the Rescue Team has no choice but to wade in? As it turns out, not only is Usato blessed with super strong healing magic and the training to now use it pretty well, he begins to use these powers in ways no one’s ever thought of before, offensively even. Imagine, using healing magic to create such things as what Usato unimaginatively names the Ultimate Healing Punch, but to save the Black Knight, an enemy combatant who Usato firmly believes is actually worth saving and converting. 

And who’s to say Usato’s wrong? Rose, despite never coming up with such a thing on her own, is nevertheless extremely proud and considers her trust and faith in Usato and his wrong ways of using healing magic completely well-placed. 

Find out what other wrong ways Usato and pals will use his healing magic, on Crunchyroll now! 

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