News

Killer Collectibles highlights five of the most exciting new horror products announced each and every week, from toys and apparel to artwork, records, and much more.

Here are the coolest horror collectibles unveiled this week!

The People’s Joker Blu-ray from Altered Innocence

After sparking controversy on the festival circuit, The People’s Joker found a home with Altered Innocence. The coming-of-age trans superhero parody will hit Blu-ray on August 13.

Vera Drew makes her feature directorial debut from a script she co-wrote with Bri LeRose. Drew also stars with Kane Distler, Nathan Faustyn, Lynn Downey, and David Liebe Hart. Tim Heidecker, Bob Odenkirk, Maria Bamford, and Scott Aukerman make cameos.

Joe Lipsett’s review raves, “The People’s Joker is an unabashed love letter to Batman properties, to camp, stand-up comedians, and – most importantly – the trans community. It is daring and ambitious and unapologetic.”

Special features include: commentary by Drew; commentary by...

Killer Collectibles highlights five of the most exciting new horror products announced each and every week, from toys and apparel to artwork, records, and much more.

Here are the coolest horror collectibles unveiled this week!

Ed-209 Plush from Toynk

You are now authorized to use physical force on Ed-209 from RoboCop.

Standing 12″ tall, Tonyk’s plush toy costs $39.99. You have 20 seconds to comply.

The Cleanse Blu-ray from Sony

The Cleanse will be released on Blu-ray on May 21 via Sony. The body horror-comedy premiered at South by Southwest under the title The Master Cleanse in 2016 before being released by Vertical Entertainment in 2018.

Johnny Galecki, Anna Friel, Kyle Gallner, Kevin J. O’Connor, Diana Bang, Oliver Platt, and Anjelica Huston star in the film, which marked the feature debut of writer-director Bobby Miller (Critters Attack).

In Joe Lipsett’s review, he called The Cleanse “an interesting, quirky, funny film with solid creature effects and winning performances.

U.K.-based sales and distribution company Blue Finch Films has boarded international sales for select territories to Shudder original film “Oddity.”

Written and directed by Damian McCarthy (“Caveat”), the supernatural film will have its world premiere at SXSW 2024 as part of the Midnighter section. Blue Finch will introduce the title in advance to buyers at the Berlin European Film Market (EFM).

“Oddity” follows Darcy, a blind medium, who uncovers the sinister truth behind her sister’s death with the help of a frightening wooden mannequin. The cast includes Gwilym Lee (“The Great”), Carolyn Bracken (“The Gone”), Tadhg Murphy (“Brassic”), Caroline Menton (“Altar Boys”), Steve Wall (“The English”), Jonathan French (“The Rock in the Sea”) and Joe Rooney (“Harry Wild”).

The film is produced by Shudder, Keeper Pictures and Nowhere Films and is set for a streaming release this summer.

Shudder original “Destroy All Neighbors” will also join Blue Finch’s slate at EFM.

Back in the days of Blockbuster and local video rental stores, there was always that one rack — the one packed with horror flicks with gory-looking covers that scared Eighties and Nineties kids witless. Now, that same vibe has come to Shudder in the form of Josh Forbes’ Destroy All Neighbors, starring none other than Eighties hero Alex Winter.

Winter, star of 1989’s Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure and 1987’s The Lost Boys, has mostly been in his writer-director era for the past few decades — save for a recent appearance as Bill S.

Stars: Jonah Ray, Ryan Kattner, Kiran Deol, Randee Heller, Alex Winter, Jon Daly, Thomas Lennon, Kumail Nanjiani | Written by Mike Benner, Jared Logan, Charles A. Pieper | Directed by Josh Forbes

Revolving around two things many of us know all too well, neighbours from hell and writer’s block, Destroy All Neighbors is an over-the-top exercise in splatstick from director Josh Forbes and writers Mike Benner, Jared Logan and Charles A. Pieper.

William Brown makes his living as a sound engineer at Industrial Sound & Magic, helping to bring other people’s music to life. Currently, it’s the obnoxious Caleb Bang Jansen, “Emerson, Lake and Palmer? It sounds like Emerson getting buttfucked by Lake and Palmer.”

But when it comes to his own Prog Rock album, he’s stuck in a rut. While his girlfriend Emily believes in him, everyone else around him seems to exist only to stifle his efforts.

The arrival of a raucous next-door neighbor (Alex Winter) disrupts the procrastinating life of aspiring prog-rock musician (Jonah Ray Rodrigues) and leads him down a gory new road in director Josh Forbes' new movie Destroy All Neighbors, and with the ambitious horror comedy now streaming on Shudder, Daily Dead recently had the pleasure of speaking with Alex, Jonah, and Josh about getting the band together (so to speak) to rock out creatively and bring Destroy All Neighbors to life in bold and blood-soaked fashion!

You can watch the full interview below in which Alex, Jonah, and Josh discuss the collaborative spirit on the set of Destroy All Neighbors, the shared desire to showcase amazing practical effects throughout the film, and cinematic inspirations (such as Evil Dead II) that came to mind while making their new movie.

Synopsis: "William Brown (Jonah Ray Rodrigues), a neurotic, self-absorbed musician determined to finish his prog-rock magnum opus,...

New splatter-comedy Destroy All Neighbors has more on its mind than bad neighbors run amok. Director Josh Forbes, working from the screenplay by Charles Pieper and Jared Logan, crafts a Frank Henenlotter-inspired comedy full of guts and rock ambition. Nestled at the center is a sugary-sweet story of an artist learning to get out of his own way. While that means it has all the right ingredients in place for an infectiously scrappy horror comedy, it might be too narratively streamlined for its own good.

William Brown (Jonah Ray Rodrigues) dreams of prog-rock greatness. He works as a sound engineer at a low-rent music studio by trade and spends the rest of his waking hours trying to crack his magnum opus that’ll earn him a place in rock Valhalla. Well, almost. William frequently finds himself distracted by everything around him, especially his neighbors. Even more so with the...

Jonah Ray Rodrigues, who is best-known for mocking movies through his hosting gig on Mystery Science Theater 3000, has teamed up with Bill S. Preston Esq. himself, Alex Winter, to star in the splatter horror comedy Destroy All Neighbors, a Shudder Original that’s scheduled to start streaming on the Shudder service this Friday, January 12th. In anticipation of the film’s release, we’ve gotten our hands on an Exclusive clip that shows Rodrigues’s character discussing prog with a severed head! You can check it out in the embed above.

Music video director Josh Forbes, who made his feature directorial debut with Contracted: Phase II, takes the helm of Destroy All Neighbors, which sports a title that’s clearly a nod to the classic Godzilla movie Destroy All Monsters. Forbes was working from a screenplay written by Mike Benner, Jared Logan, and Charles A. Pieper. The story begins when...

Jonah Ray Rodrigues, who is best-known for mocking movies through his hosting gig on Mystery Science Theater 3000, has teamed up with Bill S. Preston Esq. himself, Alex Winter, to star in the splatter horror comedy Destroy All Neighbors, a Shudder Original that’s scheduled to start streaming on Shudder on January 12th. With one week to go until that release date arrives, Shudder has unveiled a batch of characters posters – and you can check them out at the bottom of this article!

Music video director Josh Forbes, who made his feature directorial debut with Contracted: Phase II, takes the helm of Destroy All Neighbors, which sports a title that’s clearly a nod to the classic Godzilla movie Destroy All Monsters. Forbes was working from a screenplay written by Mike Benner, Jared Logan, and Charles A. Pieper. The story begins when William Brown (Jonah Ray Rodrigues), a neurotic, self-absorbed musician...

Shudder aims to get 2024 off to a prog-rockin’ new start with splatter-comedy Destroy All Neighbors, starring Alex Winter and Jonah Ray Rodrigues. Brand new character posters introduce the cast that’s sure to become bombarded with gory mayhem and zany rock hijinks.

Look for Destroy All Neighbors when it releases on Shudder on January 12, 2024.

In the film, “William Brown (Jonah Ray Rodrigues), a neurotic, self-absorbed musician determined to finish his prog-rock magnum opus, faces a creative roadblock in the form of a noisy and grotesque neighbor named Vlad (Alex Winter). Finally working up the nerve to demand that Vlad keep it down, William inadvertently decapitates him. But, while attempting to cover up one murder, William’s accidental reign of terror causes victims to pile up and become undead corpses who torment and create more bloody detours on his road to prog-rock Valhalla.”

Contracted: Phase II‘s Josh Forbes directed Destroy All Neighbors...

Jonah Ray Rodrigues, who is best-known for mocking movies through his hosting gig on Mystery Science Theater 3000, has teamed up with Bill S. Preston Esq. himself, Alex Winter, to star in the splatter horror comedy Destroy All Neighbors, a Shudder Original that’s scheduled to start streaming on Shudder on January 12th. We saw the trailer for this one last week, and now a clip from the film has arrived online to show a preview of a scene where Rodrigues has to deal with a nasty, noisy neighbor. You can check it out in the embed above.

Music video director Josh Forbes, who made his feature directorial debut with Contracted: Phase II, takes the helm of Destroy All Neighbors, which sports a title that’s clearly a nod to the classic Godzilla movie Destroy All Monsters. Forbes was working from a screenplay written by Mike Benner, Jared Logan, and Charles A. Pieper.

Coming to Shudder on January 12th, we have the trailer for Destroy All Neighbors!

"William Brown (Jonah Ray Rodrigues), a neurotic, self-absorbed musician determined to finish his prog-rock magnum opus, faces a creative roadblock in the form of a noisy and grotesque neighbor named Vlad (Alex Winter). Finally working up the nerve to demand that Vlad keep it down, William inadvertently decapitates him. But, while attempting to cover up one murder, William’s accidental reign of terror causes victims to pile up and become undead corpses who torment and create more bloody detours on his road to prog-rock Valhalla. Destroy All Neighbors is a twisted splatter-comedy about a deranged journey of self-discovery full of goopy practical FX, a well-known ensemble cast, and Lots of blood."

Director: Josh Forbes Story: Charles Pieper and Mike Benner Screenwriters: Charles Pieper and Jared Logan Starring: Jonah Ray Rodrigues, Alex Winter, Kiran Deol, Christian Calloway,...

The arrival of a raucous next-door neighbor (Alex Winter) leads an aspiring prog-rock musician (Jonah Ray Rodrigues) down a bold (and very bloody) road in director Josh Forbes' new movie Destroy All Neighbors, and the horror comedy's official trailer promises a mind-bending journey brimming with gory practical effects galore when the film comes to Shudder on January 12th.

Synopsis: "William Brown (Jonah Ray Rodrigues), a neurotic, self-absorbed musician determined to finish his prog-rock magnum opus, faces a creative roadblock in the form of a noisy and grotesque neighbor named Vlad (Alex Winter). Finally working up the nerve to demand that Vlad keep it down, William inadvertently decapitates him. But, while attempting to cover up one murder, William’s accidental reign of terror causes victims to pile up and become undead corpses who torment and create more bloody detours on his road to prog-rock Valhalla. Destroy All Neighbors is a twisted...

Jonah Ray Rodrigues, who is best-known for mocking movies through his hosting gig on Mystery Science Theater 3000, has teamed up with Bill S. Preston Esq. himself, Alex Winter, to the splatter horror comedy Destroy All Neighbors, a Shudder Original that’s scheduled to start streaming on Shudder on January 12th. With that date just one month away, a trailer for Destroy All Neighbors has arrived online and can be seen in the embed above.

Music video director Josh Forbes, who made his feature directorial debut with Contracted: Phase II, takes the helm of Destroy All Neighbors, which sports a title that’s clearly a nod to the classic Godzilla movie Destroy All Monsters. Forbes was working from a screenplay written by Mike Benner, Jared Logan, and Charles A. Pieper. The story begins when William Brown (Jonah Ray Rodrigues), a neurotic, self-absorbed musician determined to finish his prog-rock magnum opus, faces...

"You're a loser and you're gonna die a loser!" Ahahah gnarly! Shudder has unveiled an official trailer for an indie horror comedy called Destroy All Neighbors, arriving for streaming on Shudder in early January. The film follows William, a struggling prog-rock musician who can't catch a break in his struggle to make his own masterpiece album. No one takes him or his music seriously - his girlfriend, his boss, his neighbors - and things come to a head when a new neighbor from hell, Vlad, moves into the apartment next door. In a confrontation with Vlad, William accidentally decapitates him and tries to dispose of the body. As William tries to go about his life and make his album, Vlad’s corpse delights in tormenting William and he soon finds himself falling further into madness and doom... Starring Alex Winter and Jonah Ray Rodrigues, with Kiran Deol, Christian Calloway, Randee Heller,...

Warning: contains spoilers for Mad Men season four.

Everything about Ida Blankenship is a punchline. From the spilt Scrabble tiles clatter of her name, to her gravelly voice and chewed-on Brooklyn vowels, to the old lady wig and post-cataract lenses used to age up and disguise the glamour of actor Randee Heller, the Mad Men character exists purely as a gag. A relatively rare one, in a show mostly fixated on existential emptiness.

The point of Miss Blankenship when she finally appears as comic relief in season four is that she’s not sexually desirable. Ad company office manager Joan billets her at Don Draper’s desk after he’s used up and discarded another in a long line of nubile young secretaries. The braying old woman’s a failsafe; she’s the bromide in Don’s coffee.

Miss Blankenship’s lack of allure is exactly what makes her reputation...

This Cobra Kai article contains spoilers for season 5.

Daniel Larusso (Ralph Macchio), Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka), and Sensei Kreese (Martin Kove) aren’t the only carry overs from the original three Karate Kid films. Far from it, Cobra Kai has been masterfully tapping its source by bringing back cast members from the movies, regularly serving the fans up with colorful Easter eggs.

Some of the original characters, like Lucille Larusso (Randee Heller), Daniel’s mom, have appeared throughout Cobra Kai. She has been seen in seasons 1, 2, and 4, which is more than she was seen in the latter two Karate Kid films. The original Cobra Kai gang from The Karate Kid Part I, Bobby (Ron Thomas), Jimmy (Tony O’Dell), and Tommy (Rob Garrison) were reunited with Johnny in season 2 in one of the most poignant episodes of the entire show – the death of Tommy. It’s an emotional irony when the...

“Cobra Kai” is stirring up some action in the dojo once again as Netflix releases the first official trailer for Season 5.

Following last season’s All Valley Karate Tournament, Season 5 reveals that Terry Silver — who now has complete control of Cobra Kai — is planning to expand the dojo across the San Fernando Valley. If Terry goes unchecked, he and his Cobra Kai teachers will spread their form of brutal karate like wildfire. With Kreese behind bars and Johnny Lawrence setting karate aside to focus on repairing the damage he’s caused, Daniel Larusso chooses to team up with his former nemesis to take down Terry.

“Cobra Kai” follows the lives of Daniel (Ralph Macchio), Johnny (William Zabka), their families and karate students 30 years after the events of the ’80s “Karate Kid” franchise. Actors from the original franchise who reprise their roles in “Cobra Kai” include Martin Kove as John Kreese,...

Netflix is pulling back the curtain on the fifth season of “Cobra Kai,” releasing a batch of first-look images for the “Karate Kid” sequel series’ new episodes.

The new material provides “Cobra Kai” fans a hint of the events of the upcoming season, which will see Cobra Kai plan to expand its dojo across the San Fernando Valley, under the total control of Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith). Daniel Larusso (Ralph Macchio) and Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) will need to recruit some new and familiar faces to combat the takeover.

Among that group of familiar faces is actor Sean Kanan, who is reprising his role as Mike Barnes from “The Karate Kid III.” The details around how Barnes resurfaces in “Cobra Kai” remain unknown.

“Cobra Kai” follows the lives of Daniel and Johnny more than 30 years after the events of the ’80s “Karate Kid” franchise. When the two decide to open competing dojos,...

There's an episode of "Mad Men" with an especially morbid subplot. The agency is in chaos, a client is in town, and in the middle of an important presentation, Miss Blankenship (Randee Heller), Bertram Cooper's elderly secretary and the entire firm's crotchety grandma, dies. It's played for laughs, but not really. While everyone is concerned, their main worry is getting her out of the building without alerting the clients, except Bert, who both solemnly and grandly sums up her life: "She was born in 1898 in a barn. She died on the thirty-seventh floor of a skyscraper. She's...

The post Robert Morse Was An Integral Part of Mad Men, One Of The Greatest Shows Of The 21st Century appeared first on /Film.

This article contains Cobra Kai spoilers.

The return of Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith) has been a major selling point in promoting Cobra Kai season 4. The teasers have focused on the silhouette of him tying back his signature ponytail like Rambo cinching up his headband. Unlike the season 3 teasers which only hinted at the return of Chozen (Yuji Okumoto), there was no mistaking that Silver was coming back to Cobra Kai.

For anyone new to the Cobra Kai universe, Silver was the main villain in the final film with Daniel Larusso (Ralph Macchio) – The Karate Kid Part III. Only Daniel and Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) return for significant roles. Daniel’s mom Lucille (Randee Heller) and the Referee (martial arts master and choreographer Pat E. Johnson) reprise their roles too but only with minor parts. And while Kreese (Martin Kove) appears, Silver dethrones him as the maniacal caricature villain.

This...

This article contains spoilers for Cobra Kai season 3.

“Are you sure about that?”

Even without seeing who said it, fans of The Karate Kid knew exactly who it was. It had to be Chozen Toguchi (Yuji Okumoto), the nemesis of Daniel (Ralph Macchio) from The Karate Kid Part II. The line whetted our appetites at the end of the season 3 teaser released back in August 2020. In December, Netflix released the full season 3 trailer which confirmed the appearance of both Chozen and Daniel’s love interest, Kumiko (Tamlyn Tomita).

Cobra Kai has made a habit of delivering heartwarming and nostalgic cameos from the cast of the original films throughout the series. In the first season, Randee Heller reprised her role as Daniel’s mom Lucille, and when Martin Kove joined the cast as the notorious Sensei Kreese, everything changed. Season 2 episode 6 reunited several of the original Cobra Kai dojomates: Tommy (Rob Garrison...

Since Netflix picked up Cobra Kai it’s been sweeping up viewership like Johnny on Daniel-san’s leg. When The Karate Kid debuted in 1984, it was a smash hit, delivering returns of $100 million on a modest budget of $8 million. It also earned Best Supporting Actor nominations for the late Pat Morita (Mr Miyagi) from both the Oscars and the Golden Globes. Miyagi was a crowning achievement for Morita whose career spanned 175 roles beginning in 1964.

The Karate Kid was embraced by pop culture, redefining the martial arts genre. It had a profound effect on the practice of martial arts in the United States. The Karate Kid stands alongside Enter the Dragon and Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon as a film that reshaped the way Americans viewed martial arts. Martial arts made an amazing leap, one of the largest in U.S. history, boosting the whole economy. Everyone who ran a Dojo during...

In quintessential Logan Roy fashion, the HBO series “Succession” absolutely dominated Emmy nominations in terms of acting recognition. After an across-the-board snub by the acting branch last year, the Roy family came roaring back with an impressive nine acting bids, over-performing our own high expectations. In addition to the blindside of Cousin Greg (Nicholas Braun) sneaking into the competitive Supporting Actor category, “Succession” also picked up an unexpected nomination for Harriet Walter, who only 222 of our users correctly predicted––this author included.

Though Walter’s nomination indicates just how much the acting branch loved and paid close attention to the second season of the series, her surprise appearance in the category could potentially stymie a “Succession” victory in the Guest Actress category, where two-time Emmy-winner Cherry Jones also competes for her “Succession” turn as media mogul Nan Pierce. Might the surprise, second nomination in this category actually cost “Succession” some Emmy gold?...

A new trailer for the upcoming second season of Cobra Kai – which hits YouTube Red on April 24th – has just been released. It shows Daniel Larusso’s feud with childhood enemy Johnny Lawrence reaching a new level of intensity when he creates his own dojo to take on Cobra Kai. “Inner-peace, focus, balance – you can learn the secrets of Okinawan Karate, true karate, by joining Miyago Do team,” Larusso says in a promotional video shown in the trailer. “Because at Miyagi Do, it’s not about the money. It’s about the karate.

"Think about the opportunity you're sitting on here." Vertical Entertainment has released an official trailer for an indie crime drama titled A Crooked Somebody, the latest film from director Trevor White (Jamesy Boy). This film originally premiered back at the Los Angeles Film Festival in 2017, but is only now getting a release this fall. A Crooked Somebody stars Richard Sommer as a man whose father was a minister, now working as a cheesy spirit medium. But one day he's kidnapped and realizes there's an opportunity: he sets out to become a celebrity TV psychic by solving the mystery of a high-profile crime in the national spotlight. The cast includes Clifton Collins Jr., Amanda Crew, Ed Harris, Gillian Vigman, Amy Madigan, Randee Heller, and Joanne Froggatt. This looks fun and twisted and interesting, maybe worth a watch. Here's the official trailer (+ poster) for Trevor White's A Crooked Somebody, direct from YouTube...

My new favorite series (and should be yours) is officially getting a second season! Cobra Kai, the sequel series to 1984’s The Karate Kid, is receiving a second season over at YouTube Red.

YouTube’s global head of original content, Susanne Daniels, had this to say in a statement:

“This series had all of the right elements from the very beginning — compelling characters, a storied rivalry, and the talented original stars. The way viewers have embraced the new twist on this beloved franchise has been nothing short of amazing, and we’re thrilled to partner with Sony TV, Overbrook and the extraordinary creative team led by Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg to create a second season.”

Cobra Kai sees Daniel Larusso (Ralph Macchio) and Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) in their adult lives as they deal with life after the All Valley Tournament.

The renewal comes as no surprise...

Author: Zehra Phelan

Surprise news just in, fans of the 80’s classic Karate Kid could be in for a treat as it’s been announced that a TV sequel is being developed for YouTube Red with stars of the original Ralph Macchio and William Zabka reuniting to reignite their onscreen rivalry.

The sequel, titled Cobra Kai, will be a ten episode series, each 30 minutes in length, set thirty years after the original which will see Johnny Lawrence (Zabka) down on his luck and seeking redemption by reopening the Cobra Kai karate dojo in which he learnt his killer moves which couldn’t quite defeat Daniel Larusso (Macchio).

While Daniel has grown into a successful man, he misses the guidance of late mentor Mr Miyagi and with news of Johnny reopening the dojo, old wounds are reopened setting the two men against each other once again.

Those of us lucky enough...

In last night’s episode of Modern Family, Cam and Mitch have to pretend to be unaffectionate toward each other. Big stretch. Also, Jay and Claire visit Closet-Con, and Phil and the rest have their hands full with a pizza boy and module model.

Favorite Moments:

Lily talks country, y’all!

It was great seeing sitcom pros Randee Heller (Jodie’s lesbian roommate on Soap), Celia Weston (Alice), and Ann Guilbert (Dick Van Dyke, The Nanny).

“And what if I told you the love of my life was this man standing right here?” “Then I’d know why God sent us this tornado.”

“After the initial shock, Grams softened a bit. She even agreed to attend the wedding.” “Standing outside with a sign.” “Baby steps.”

I didn’t think this was one of the stronger episodes. And I’m a little irked with the scene of Mitch asking Cam for a kiss,...

A Chrismas movie with Carrie Fisher, Hallmark better let It's Christmas, Carol! reach its potential.

News

Eddie Izzard is joining the list of actors who have participated in multiple Bryan Fuller shows. EW has the scoop that Izzard will play a guest role on Hannibal as a patient at the hospital where Hanibal Lecter will eventually be imprisoned.

TV Guide and Vulture have put together their list of characters they'd like to see one more time before 30 Rock's final act. Who do you want to return? I'm shocked neither list has Kim Jong-Il.

CBS wants even more Elementary. It's ordered two more episodes. There was also bad news for Vegas fans, which will get one less episode to tell its story.

Aaron Sorkin tells Newsweek while he finds the General Petraeus scandal would make for a compelling story, it won't be a part of Newsroom's second season, which was already...

If history repeats itself on September 24, the Primetime Emmys will end with Matthew Weiner and the cast of AMC’s Mad Men thanking the TV Academy for their fifth consecutive award for Outstanding Drama Series. Four stars who probably won’t make it to the podium, though, are Bryan Batt, Maggie Siff, Randee Heller, and Michael Gladis, whose characters have been written off the show. Weiner’s willingness to abruptly dispatch even his most audience-beloved creations — including fired art director Sal Romano, department-store heiress (and dumped Don Draper paramour) Rachel Menken, dead secretary Ida Blankenship, and ousted beatnik copywriter Paul Kinsey — often seemingly smack in the middle of their narrative arcs, has helped make Mad Men one of the most affecting, least predictable series on TV. But it certainly hasn’t been easy on the actors. We conference-called Batt, Siff, Heller, and Gladis for some group therapy.The consensus among...

Mad Men's hiatus has gone on so long that it feels like I've missed entire seasons and should queue up a Netflix binge. But nope, I'm all caught up. Over 17 months after we left Don Draper and his dubious new fiancee, Matthew Weiner's Emmy-magnetic series is back for season five. Let's commemorate the series the best way I know how: a rundown of its great moments in actual gayness (as in, same-sex sexiness) and honorary gayness (as in, great fashion, cool women, and memorable shirtlessness). We'll start by recalling one of the best gay roles in TV history, Bryan Batt's deeply closeted character Sal.

1. Sal knows Bye, Bye Birdie really well

Mad Men revels in its characters' unabashed moments of sexism, alcoholism, and ignorance, but there may be no more demonstrative scene in the show's history than when Salvator Romano -- lovely, lonely Sal -- proved to...

Modern Family Emmy 2011 Winners: Downton Abbey, Kate Winslet, Barry Pepper, Maggie Smith Outstanding Drama Series Boardwalk Empire Dexter Friday Night Lights Game of Thrones The Good Wife * Mad Men Outstanding Comedy Series The Big Bang Theory Glee * Modern Family The Office Parks and Recreation 30 Rock Outstanding Actress in a Drama Kathy Bates, Harry's Law Connie Britton, Friday Night Lights Mireille Enos, The Killing Mariska Hargitay, Law and Order: Svu * Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Kelly Macdonald, Boardwalk Empire Archie Panjabi, The Good Wife Christine Baranski, The Good Wife * Margo Martindale, Justified Michelle Forbes, The Killing Christina Hendricks, Mad Men Outstanding Actor in a Drama Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire * Kyle Chandler, Friday Night Lights Michael C. Hall, Dexter Jon Hamm, Mad Men Hugh Laurie, House Timothy Olyphant, Justified Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama * Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones Josh Charles,...

The 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards are being held in the early hours of tomorrow morning, and so in the run-up to the ceremony, we thought we’d give you a run-down of this year’s nominees.

For those able to watch the show (which is also being shown on Five USA tomorrow night at 10), you can look forward to your host for the evening being Jane Lynch, best known for her role as Sue Sylvester in Glee.

And for those unacquainted with the awards, you can pretty much think of them as the television equivalent to the Oscars, with the Primetime Emmy Awards recognising the best talent in primetime television.

A few of the awards were already presented to the winners at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards last weekend, so I’ll do a summary of those categories first, followed by the nominees for tonight’s awards ceremony. There are...

The Emmys have arrived, and and so has our complete list of who who deserves the highest honors in television. We began with the actresses, where "Mad Men" has a fair shot at sweeping the dramas. As for the actors, we're holding out hope for a Peter Dinklage win and some "Friday Night Lights" love.

Today, we have the Big Ones for Outstanding Drama and Comedy series. There are plenty of good contenders, but there can only be one to out stand them all. Read on, and let us know in the comments if you agree. You can find the full list of nominees here.

Outstanding Comedy Series

Should Win: Parks and Recreation

"Parks and Recreation" isn't quite "Arrested Development" yet, but it's getting close. Critics love it, ratings are low, and so it goes. This season ranks as the best so far, with high marks to the weird and perfect Andy/April wedding episode,...

The Creative Arts portion of the 63rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards were handed out in a ceremony held at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles on Sept. 10. An edited version of the show will air on ReelzChannel on Sept. 17, the night before the Primetime Emmys air on Fox. The full list of winners in all categories is posted below.  Drama Best Drama Guest Actor Beau Bridges, "Brothers and Sisters" Jeremy Davies, "Justified" Bruce Dern, "Big Love" X - Paul McCrane, "Harry's Law" Michael J. Fox, "The Good Wife" Robert Morse, "Mad Men" Best Drama Guest Actress Cara Buono, "Mad Men" Joan Cusack, "Shameless" X - Loretta Devine, "Grey's Anatomy" Randee Heller, "Mad Men" Mary McDonnell, "The Closer" Julia Stiles, "Dexter" Alfre Woodard, "True Blood" Comedy Best Comedy Guest Actor Will Arnett, &...

In between bedding one secretary and wedding another during Season 4 of "Mad Men," Don Draper (Jon Hamm) briefly had different kind of executive assistant.

The rasping, lackadaisical and deeply hilarious Ida Blankenship, played by veteran character actress Randee Heller, stole scenes in each of her six episodes up until -- and certainly including -- the moment she fell over dead at her desk.

It's a role that dominated fan discussion and recaps during the series' summer 2010 run and could earn 64-year-old Heller an Emmy when the award for outstanding guest actress in a drama is doled out at the Creative Arts Emmys on Sept. 10.

But Heller, perhaps best known for playing Ralph Macchio's mother in "The Karate Kid," seems to be coming out on top either way.

As she lovingly referred to the character when Zap2it spoke with her on the eve of her big day, "Blankenship" has...

By Jill Serjeant

Los Angeles (Reuters) - Randee Heller is walking the Emmy red carpet for the first time this year, but hoping that her many fans -- some of whom created a Facebook page in her honor -- won't recognize her.

That's because the "Mad Men" actress is nominated for her guest role in the 1960s TV drama as the cantankerous, racist, octogenarian secretary Miss Blankenship -- a character that added 20 years and hours of make-up to Heller's real self.

Heller, 64, talked and laughed with Reuters ahead of the Creative Arts Emmy ceremony on Saturday about the brief life (and hilarious death) of Miss Blankenship, and how 10 years ago she almost gave up working as an actress.

Q; What were you told about the character of Miss Blankenship when you were first cast on Season 4 of "Mad Men"?

A; "Literally nothing. (Creator) Matt Weiner approached me and said, 'first...

Randee Heller has never been to an awards show, and when she walks the Emmy red carpet for the first time on Sept. 18 for her nominated performance as Don Draper's crass, aging secretary Miss Ida Blankenship in "Mad Men," many won't recognize her. She'll shed the 1960s cat's-eye, Coke-bottle glasses and dowdy wig. Her makeup will enhance her distinguished beauty rather than age her, and there won't be a trace of her television persona's exterior. But she might give herself away when she opens her mouth. "You can't take the New York out of the girl," the Gothamite turned Angeleno says in a phone interview, a hint of her alter ego's thick accent betraying her Long Island roots. "It's like a little country girl coming to the big city."Although her career has had peaks (she played Ralph Macchio's mom in the original "Karate Kid") and valleys (she practically dropped.

On the three time reigning Emmy-winning drama, in a season that features the downward alcoholic spiral of TV's most dashing leading man, the rising specter of the Vietnam War, and the continued fight for women's rights, it was perhaps the semi-comic death of a newly introduced bit character that generated the most shocking and talked about moment in the last season of "Mad Men."

Only on television can there be so much love for a cranky, racist, octogenarian.

Working as comic relief on such a serious show, Mrs. Blankenship, the elderly secretary assigned to Don Draper, was a season four sensation, delighting fans with her quick wit and wisecracks toward her boss and the rest of the office. Newly introduced for the season, the character's quirks and preposterous lines came just as much a surprise to Randee Heller, the actress who put on pounds of makeup and prosthetics to play her,...

Filed under: Emmys, Celebrity Interviews, The Show Girl

The offices of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce got a little shake-up last season on 'Mad Men' with the help of a sassy secretary who -- shocker! -- Don and the guys had zero interest in sleeping with.

Ida Blankenship, Bert Cooper's veteran desk jockey who was talked about but never seen, was given the reassignment of a lifetime: front and center working Don Draper's desk. Then (spoiler alert for those who haven't seen Season 4!) her lifetime ended right there in the office.

Not that Blankenship wasn't ever a looker or worthy of an office tryst -- Roger Sterling even referred to her as the Queen of Perversions when reminiscing about his long-past fling with her -- but in her final months on the job, she was much more valued for the comic relief she offered.

That delivery was courtesy of Randee Heller,...

The nominations were announced on Thursday for the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards which will air on September 18 on Fox. Glee's Jane Lynch, nominated for her role as Sue Sylvester on Glee, is hosting.

Below is a list of nominations in the major categories. We will dissect these nominations in another post.

Lead Actress In A Comedy Series

Laura Linney as Cathy Jamison - The Big C

Edie Falco as Jackie Peyton - Nurse Jackie

Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope - Parks And Recreation

Melissa McCarthy as Molly Flynn - Mike & Molly

Martha Plimpton as Virginia Chance - Raising Hope

Tina Fey as Liz Lemon - 30 Rock

Lead Actor In A Comedy Series

Matt LeBlanc as Matt LeBlanc - Episodes

Jim Parsons as Sheldon Cooper - The Big Bang Theory

Steve Carell as Michael Scott - The Office

Johnny Galecki as Leonard Hofstadter - The Big Bang Theory

Louis C.K....

Raising Hope is Wacky. So is the definition of "Guest Actor"Now that this morning's Emmy nominations have sunk in here's a few things we didn't cover earlier or didn't dig deep enough into in the earlier rundown, largely inspired by your comments.

Guest Actress in a Comedy Series

This is where we are reminded that the Emmys have too many categories and category fraud adjusts to include all of them. How on god's green earth is Cloris Leachman a "guest actress" on Raising Hope when she's a member of the main family and in every single episode? I see her winning with that unfortunate advantage given that the Glee nominees (Gwyneth Paltrow, Kristin Chenoweth, Dot Marie Jones as "Beiste") may cancel each other out and Tina Fey (as host of SNL) is already buried in Emmys. Since I am adamantly opposed to category fraud and since Gwynnie's follow up...

The 63rd Primetime Emmy Nominations were announced bright and early today in Los Angeles by Joshua Jackson and Melissa McCarthy. Looking through the nominations, there was plenty of good and plenty of bad.

Since I am a mostly positive person, let’s start with the positives. While not nabbing a nomination for Best Drama Series, Justified, Sound on Sight’s favorite show of the year, racked up acting nominations in almost every single eligible category including Timothy Olyphant (Best Actor in a Drama), Margo Martindale (Best Supporting Actress in a Drama), Walton Goggins (Best Supporting Actor in a Drama), and Jeremy Davies (Best Guest Actor in a Drama). All are deserved, especially Martindale, whose frightening performance as Bennett matriarch Mags was the best on television this year. Olyphant is overdue for an nomination, being snubbed for both Deadwood and Damages, so it’s nice to see him get recognition for...

On behalf of Michelle Collins, the entire internet and every last one of you who think Mad Men is the best thing on TV since thirtysomething The Sopranos, we want you to know your day has arrived! Not only have Jon Hamm, John Slattery, Christina Hendricks, and Elizabeth Moss been nominated for Emmys (as of this morning), but two Guest Actresses from the show have also garnered a nod. So congratulations to Cara Buono and…Omg…Omg!!! Yes, Randee Heller, you read that right! Miss Blankenship!!! Miss Blankenship Was Nominated For An Emmy!!!!!!!! Honestly, we just want to lend our warm wishes to Heller, who managed to turn out a hilarious performance on a show that so often depends on the bleak, tragic, and often disturbing pathos of demented nostalgia. Since Mad Men is considered among those shows that have helped usher in another “golden age” of television, it’s...

Mad Mend and Mildred Pierece were the top contendors today when Melissa McCarthy and Joshua Jackson announced the 2011 Primetime Emmy nominations in Los Angeles today. There were a number of suprises, predictable nominees and a few disappointments.

Jane Lynch will be hosting the 63rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, September 18. For the full list of nominees head over to the Emmys website. I am happy to see Parks & Recreation and Modern Family on the list of comedy nominees. I am hopeful that Mireille Enos wins for The Killing, which is underrepresented on the list.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series:

Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory

Johnny Galecki, The Big Bang Theory

Matt LeBlanc, Episodes

Louis C.K., Louie

Steve Carell, The Office

Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series:

Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire

Michael C. Hall, Dexter

Kyle Chandler, Friday Night Lights

Hugh Laurie, House

Timothy Olyphant,...

Nominees for the 63rd Annual Emmy Awards were announced this morning, and once again AMC's Mad Men is leading the way with 19 nominations. However, this year the show has some serious competition in the form of HBO's Boardwalk Empire, which received 18 nods, and Game of Thrones, which had 13. Elsewhere, Modern Family looks poised to repeat its success in most of the comedy categories, while the HBO miniseries Mildred Pierce starring Kate Winslet earned more nominations than anything else with a total of 21. Breaking Bad is notably absent this year due to the fact that the show took a break in between seasons, and some people seem to be upset that David Simon's Treme did not get a single mention anywhere. Are you happy with this year's nominees? Are there any other major snubs? Check out the full list of Emmy nominations after the jump. Drama Boardwalk Empire (HBO) Dexter...

The nominations have been announced for the 2011 Emmy Awards. HBO's miniseries "Mildred Pierce" leads all programs with 21 nominations, followed by "Mad Men" with 19. "Boardwalk Empire" received 18 nods and "Modern Family" got 17.

In its final season, "Friday Night Lights" finally scored some nominations, while newcomer "Game of Thrones" also earned some nods.

Here is the full list of nominees:

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series

"The Big Bang Theory," Jim Parsons as Sheldon Cooper

"The Big Bang Theory," Johnny Galecki as Leonard Hofstadter

"Episodes," Matt LeBlanc as Matt LeBlanc

"Louie," Louie C.K. as Louie

"The Office," Steve Carell as Michael Scott

"30 Rock," Alec Baldwin as Jack Donaghy

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series

"Boardwalk Empire," Steve Buscemi as Nucky Thompson

"Dexter," Michael C. Hall as Dexter Morgan

"Friday Night Lights," Kyle Chandler as Coach Eric Taylor

"House," Hugh Laurie as Dr. Gregory House

"Justified," Timothy Olyphant as Raylan Givens

"Mad Men,...

[1] The 2011 Primetime Emmy Award nominations were announced this morning in Los Angeles by hosts Melissa McCarthy and Joshua Jackson. As always, the list contained a few surprises and a few disappointments, as well as many more predictable choices. Among the pleasant surprises were outstanding series nods for Parks & Recreation and Friday Night Lights, both excellent (and personal favorite) series that the Emmy folks have overlooked in the past. On an unhappier note, Nick Offerman's singular performance as Ron Swanson was overlooked, and neither Treme nor Community made a single appearance in the list. Meanwhile, Modern Family picked up four of the six Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy nominations, which... I like the show and all, but surely we could've bumped one or two of those men to make room for Offerman, Danny Pudi, Ted Danson, etc.? Read the list of nominees after the jump, and leave your questions,...

July 14, 2011: Los Angeles: The nominees for the Primetime Emmy Awards were announced this morning at a ceremony hosted by Melissa McCarthy and Joshua Jackson (Rip). Emmy Award-winning actress Jane Lynch will host the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards airing live from Nokia Theatre L.A. in Los Angeles on Sunday, September 18, on Fox.

Great news for a some Pajiba favorites, like "Friday Night Lights," which finally got its due in the drama category. For the second year in a row, it also received nominations for Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton. "Game of Thrones" was also represented in the best drama category; Peter Dinklage likewise got his deserving supporting actor nod. Timothy Olyphant also received a much deserved nomination for Best Actor, and Margo Martindale and Walton Goggins joined him from "Justified" in receiving a supporting acting nod. "Justified," however, did not land a best drama nomination. I'm also pleased to...