Tonight was the first time Sons of Anarchy made me laugh — and I mean really laugh, hard — in a very long time.  It’s something I’ve been moaning about for ages: yes the show is about a hardcore motorcycle gang, but one of the things that makes it so engaging is its bizarre, dark humor.  But what the scene starring Venus van Damme showed us more than anything was not only that the MC can still have fun despite the truly horrific things that have happened to them recently, but that there are alternatives to Clay’s violent approach to everything.  There are ways to threaten and blackmail that don’t include dressing up Fat Jake (Joe Caniano) from Boardwalk Empire (crossover moment — they’d better watch their backs or Al Capone is gonna get ‘em!) in some kind of S&M scene with a transsexual bouncing on him, sure, but that wouldn’t be as fun.  For more on these shenanigans and some of the darker moments of the week, hit the jump.

This week, Sons of Anarchy gave the club — and us viewers — some time to mourn, regroup, and refocus.  Jax wants to move to club away from “the shit that’s killing us” and try and get back into business with girls instead of guns and drugs.  The dealings with Pope have caused the club to reconsider itself, which is certainly a good thing.  The “blood for blood” retaliation that they were focused on under Clay has seen its day, and it was a great little moment when Chibs and Jax put their guns down to prevent a “hood war.”  As Chibs sagely said, “we’ve got to stop killing each other over a bit of gash.”  Speaking (derogatorily) of women, they were at the forefront of “Stolen Huffy” and did not get the good side of anything, but what else is new in Charming?  It’s a dangerous place to be a bit of a gash.  For more on that and why everyone seems to have a Gemma-sized problem right now, hit the jump.

With only two more seasons left, following this current one, to tell the show’s story, things are getting very, very real on the hit FX drama series Sons of Anarchy.  Never one to shy away from going there when the story calls for it, show creator Kurt Sutter did just that, in the game-changing episode “Laying Pipe,” opening up emotional ramifications for the rest of the season.

During this recent interview to discuss the events of that episode, executive producer Kurt Sutter talked about when he knew the character’s fate and how the actor found out, the motivations for the character’s actions, the mood on set while shooting that scene, how it will affect Jax’s (Charlie Hunnam) leadership and the emotional relationships of the club going forward, what’s to come for Juice (Theo Rossi), whether audiences will ever soften to Damon Pope (Harold Perrineau), whether a confrontation between Jax and Clay (Ron Perlman) is inevitable, and why seven seasons is the right amount of time to tell this story.  Check out what he had to say after the jump, and be aware that there are spoilers.

Since I have to save the heavy, spoilery shit until after the jump I’ll start off by taking a moment to comment on some of Sons of Anarchy‘s lighter fare, which amidst everything else actually got a little screentime in this episode.  Something that has been sorely missing from the series in its last few seasons is the trademark humor that made it so uniquely engaging to begin with.  We got hints of it tonight, with Juice “graduating” and Gemma beating the crap out of Ashley Tisdale from Disney’s High School Musical (file that under dark humor, and how many women has Gemma assaulted at this point?)  Sons continues to get darker and darker, and with it, much of the weird fun has been snuffed out.  Remember when Bobby was really Bobby Elvis?  And Tig was afraid of dolls? (one of my favorite recurring plot points) and Gemma took Half Sack’s girl out with a skateboard?  Those were the days.  Maybe they weren’t as big a part of things as I seem to think, but they made such an impact I remember almost every one.  For other unforgettable moments that you’ll wish you didn’t see, hit the jump.

Things certainly quieted down this week in Charming (if by quiet one means car chases, fights with police and visits to porn sets, and I do).  SAMCRO is still struggling with some of the remnants of last season with Tig’s inadvertent murder of Veronica Pope and the wrath of the Niners, as well as the club’s involvement with the Galindo cartel, the Irish and the CIA.  Then of course there are the new threats of the break-ins and the RICO case that Otto brought upon them (plus whatever Clay has up his sleeve, and you know it’s something).  SAMCRO really can’t catch a break, but just as too many chefs spoil a broth, too many open-ended threats to the club make the show more about running from place to place then about the relationships among the characters we’ve become so invested in.  For more on that and why nothing says true love like capital murder, hit the jump. If you missed our review of season five of Sons of Anarchy, get caught up here. 

Well that certainly opened with a bang. There were many of us in the SAMCRO fandom who feared the series was beginning to lose some of its luster during its meandering third season spent partially in Ireland. But not all who wander are lost — enter Season Four, which had the best cold open of any to date for SOA, and brought things (mostly) local again, focusing on club politics and betrayals (some of them quite severe). The end of the fourth season was compelling (Jax taking the clubs’s reins with a totally badassed-up Tara in support, a direct callback to Gemma and JT), but what made it even better was all that it set up for Season Five. Clay, The King, is not dead, the club is not rid of outside influences (in this case, the CIA via the Galindo cartel); they’re still running guns and drugs, and the members themselves, and their families, are in constant danger. Though there was no time jump from the end of last year’s run to the start of this one, things are already incredibly busy and incredibly dark. For a reminder of where things left off last year and a look at how things kicked off with the new season, hit the jump.

We’re happy to debut three exclusive new images from the upcoming Ferocious.  Directed by Robert Cuffley (Walk All Over Me), the film stars Amanda Crew (Sex Drive) as a popular television actress who returns to her small hometown under mysterious circumstances.  The truth behind her visit  is not shared with her family, the media, or even her manager, but she must revisit her former place of employment—a grungy night club—in order to retrieve something that could put an end to her career.  The trailer is effectively intriguing, promising a creepy performance from co-star Kim Coates (Sons of Anarchy).

Hit the jump to check out the images.  Ferocious is slated for release sometime this fall.

Season 5 of the FX drama series Sons of Anarchy, premiering on September 11^th, is sure to have big shifts in dynamics, as the new leadership for the club will certainly lead to some questions of loyalty. While the characters re-evaluate and find their new places among their SAMCRO family, they will also have the usual outside forces to deal with.

While at Comic-Con for a presentation in Hall H, co-stars Kim Coates, Ryan Hurst and Theo Rossi talked about where there characters will be when the season starts off, the new kinship and bond between Juice and Clay (Ron Perlman), how Damon Pope (Harold Perrineau) will come into play, what the new guest stars have been like to work with, and why they think the show is so popular in the States. Check out what they had to say after the jump, and be aware that there are some spoilers.

The first trailer for the hockey comedy Goon has gone online.  The movie centers on a sweet, simple-minded guy (Seann William Scott) with the talent for being the ever-loving piss out of people, which makes him ideally suited for the occupation of hockey thug.  I caught the flick at TIFF and thought it was painfully funny, and I’m glad that it’s coming to a wider audience.  The trailer does a good job covering the plot, showcasing Scott’s terrific performance, and it doesn’t give away too many of the great jokes.  Hit the jump for more. [Update: The red band trailer for the film has just been released, so we've included that after the jump as well.]

A number of actors are set to star in the action thriller The Truth. Andy Garcia, Forest Whitaker, and Eva Longoria are poised to star in the pic, written and directed by Damian Lee (King of Sorrow). The story centers on an ex-CIA operative (Garcia) who is now working as a political talk show host. He’s approached by a corporate whistle blower to “expose her company’s cover-up of a massacre in a South American village.” Deadline reports that the cast also includes Kim Coates, Deborah Kara Unger, Kevin Durand, Devon Bostick, Lara Daans, and Steven Bauer. Garcia, Coates, and Jeff Sackman are executive producers on the project. Production begins later this month in Ontario and Puerto Rico. Whitaker is currently filming the actioner The Last Stand alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The hit FX drama Sons of Anarchy is back for Season 4, with the boys of SAMCRO fresh out of jail after a 14-month stint and arriving back in Charming, California to find that their town not only has new, no-nonsense law enforcement, but a mayor who is determined to change things. While the club is faced with a decision that could challenge everything they’ve always stood for, Jax (Charlie Hunnam) is forced to start thinking about what’s best for his family.

During this recent exclusive interview with Collider, co-stars Kim Coates (“Tig”), Ryan Hurst (“Opie”) and Theo Rossi (“Juice”), who also play three of the most intriguing club members, talked about what it’s been like to collaborate on the development of their roles for four seasons now, how the strength of the acting makes the viewers want to know absolutely everything about the characters, what makes bikers so attractive and interesting to people, how they’ve loved taking the journey that show creator Kurt Sutter and the writing staff has led them on, and how the crew dedicates everything to helping make the show the #1-rated series in FX history. Check out what they had to say after the jump:

Last year I got to visit the set of Resident Evil: Afterlife when the movie was filming in Toronto.  Now that Screen Gems has lifted the embargo, my goal is to post my set report and a few of the onset interviews later tonight.  Since the studio has only released a few official images from the movie, I decided to grab a bunch from the trailer to add to my interview articles and you can check them out after the jump.  Look for a lot more on Resident Evil: Afterlife later tonight:

The first trailer for Screen Gems Resident Evil: Afterlife has hit the net and if you’re a fan of the Resident Evil franchise, you’re going to like the trailer as it features a lot of action.  Also, unlike some movies that say coming to you in 3D at the end, the RE: Afterlife trailer makes a huge point to let you know it was filmed in 3D using the cameras James Cameron created and used on Avatar.

I actually did a set visit on Resident Evil: Afterlife last year and got to see the cameras up close, as well as talk to the people making the film.  There is no doubt in my mind this movie is going to look very cool in 3D and be loads better than the post converted movies like Clash of the Titans and Alice in Wonderland.  Hit the jump to check out the trailer and look for my set visit and interviews very soon:

With Sony Screen Gems premiering the 3D red band trailer for Resident Evil: Afterlife this Friday night at Wonder Con, it’s no surprise the promotional machine has ramped up with the release of the first images from the movie (thanks to MySpace).  Starring Milla Jovovich, Ali Larter, Spencer Locke, Wentworth Miller, Shawn Roberts, Boris Kodjoe, Kim Coates, Norman Yeung and Kasey Barnfield, RE: Afterlife continues the adventures of Alice in the world of the undead.

While many films made in 2D are getting released in 3D, Resident Evil: Afterlife was filmed using 3D cameras.  What that means is…this thing is going to look awesome in 3D!  Hit the jump to check out the first images and look for the trailer this Saturday at 2:15pm.

Screen Gems and Constantin Film has sent out a press release announcing that “Resident Evil: Afterlife,” the next installment in the “Resident Evil” franchise, has begun production in Toronto, Canada with Paul W. S. Anderson writing, directing and producing. The fourth film will be shot and released in 3-D. While story details are being kept under wraps, they did provide us with a tease by saying, “Alice’s battle with The Umbrella Corporation isn’t finished. Last time we saw Alice, she let them know she was coming after them. It’s time to settle the score.” They also confirmed the cast and it’s Milla Jovovich, Ali Larter, Spencer Locke, Wentworth Miller, Shawn Roberts, Boris Kodjoe and Kim Coates. Who they play and the full press release after the jump: