Exclusive: Former ICM Partners agent Justin Ongert has joined APA as SVP, Alternative & Factual Programming. He will be the department’s key liaison with the talent, comedy, and music departments, reporting to Kyle Loftus, Head of Content Development and Hayden Meyer head of Alternative and Factual Programming at APA.
Ongert is the 10th agent/executive and 8th SVP to join APA from ICM Partners amid and following the agency’s acquisition by CAA. That is more than ICM hires by other agencies combined as APA has been the most aggressive pursuing ICM agents and executives who became available because of the acquisition.
At ICM, Justin represented Wanda Sykes and her production company Push It with his longtime producer/director client and Push It co-founder Page Hurwitz, as well as talent including Laverne Cox, Kristin Chenoweth, Bobby Berk, Keltie Knight, Soleil Moon Frye and Elizabeth Chambers, along with production companies and...
Ongert is the 10th agent/executive and 8th SVP to join APA from ICM Partners amid and following the agency’s acquisition by CAA. That is more than ICM hires by other agencies combined as APA has been the most aggressive pursuing ICM agents and executives who became available because of the acquisition.
At ICM, Justin represented Wanda Sykes and her production company Push It with his longtime producer/director client and Push It co-founder Page Hurwitz, as well as talent including Laverne Cox, Kristin Chenoweth, Bobby Berk, Keltie Knight, Soleil Moon Frye and Elizabeth Chambers, along with production companies and...
- 9/8/2022
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: APA has hired veteran unscripted TV Agent Ryan Wackerman as SVP, Alternative & Factual Programming.
Wackerman, who will report to Hayden Meyer, APA’s head of Alternative and Factual Programming, is the eighth ICM agent/executive APA has brought in from the group that left on the eve of CAA’s acquisition. APA has been the most aggressive pursuing former ICM talent as the agency has ramped up expansion following the 2020 investment by Ron Burkle.
Wackerman comes to APA after an 11-year run at ICM Partners, where he worked with non-scripted and documentary production companies, showrunners, directors, producers, and on-camera talent in broadcast, cable, streaming, and syndication, including 3 Ball Productions (Bar Rescue), Big Coat Media (Love It Or List It), Frank (Delicious Miss Brown), Grandma’s House Entertainment (Misery Index), Workaholic Productions (True Terror with Robert Englund), and ZnakTV (Ultimate Tag) as well as executive producers on series such as American Idol,...
Wackerman, who will report to Hayden Meyer, APA’s head of Alternative and Factual Programming, is the eighth ICM agent/executive APA has brought in from the group that left on the eve of CAA’s acquisition. APA has been the most aggressive pursuing former ICM talent as the agency has ramped up expansion following the 2020 investment by Ron Burkle.
Wackerman comes to APA after an 11-year run at ICM Partners, where he worked with non-scripted and documentary production companies, showrunners, directors, producers, and on-camera talent in broadcast, cable, streaming, and syndication, including 3 Ball Productions (Bar Rescue), Big Coat Media (Love It Or List It), Frank (Delicious Miss Brown), Grandma’s House Entertainment (Misery Index), Workaholic Productions (True Terror with Robert Englund), and ZnakTV (Ultimate Tag) as well as executive producers on series such as American Idol,...
- 8/3/2022
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Katie Kolben has joined APA as an agent in the Alternative and Factual Programming department. She will be based in APA’s New York office and will report to Kyle Loftus, Head of Content Development and Hayden Meyer head of Alternative and Factual Programming.
Kolben comes to APA from ICM Partners where she worked for 11 years, the past 7 as an agent in the Alternative Television department. She is bringing with her executive producer, director and production company clients whose credits include Brother vs. Brother (HGTV), Restored by the Fords (HGTV), Raw (Hulu), Roswell: The First Witness (History), Winnebago Man (feature), Family Karma (Bravo), The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City (Bravo), Buried in the Backyard (Oxygen), Finding Andrea (Discovery+), Love and Hip Hop (VH1), Last Cowboy (CMT/Paramount+), Recipe for Disaster (CW), Murders at the Boarding House (Oxygen) and more.
“It is great to have someone with Katie’s...
Kolben comes to APA from ICM Partners where she worked for 11 years, the past 7 as an agent in the Alternative Television department. She is bringing with her executive producer, director and production company clients whose credits include Brother vs. Brother (HGTV), Restored by the Fords (HGTV), Raw (Hulu), Roswell: The First Witness (History), Winnebago Man (feature), Family Karma (Bravo), The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City (Bravo), Buried in the Backyard (Oxygen), Finding Andrea (Discovery+), Love and Hip Hop (VH1), Last Cowboy (CMT/Paramount+), Recipe for Disaster (CW), Murders at the Boarding House (Oxygen) and more.
“It is great to have someone with Katie’s...
- 8/2/2022
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Chris Smith, a 21-year ICM veteran, including the last 10 as a partner, has joined APA as SVP, Global Concerts & Talent.
Smith will work alongside Max Burgos who heads APA’s comedy touring department.
While he has strong background in comedy touring, at ICM Smith worked across departments on deals for his clients in the areas of film, television, touring, branding and digital. Most of those clients are expected to come with him to APA, including Pamela Anderson, Chico Bean, Big Boy, Michael Blackson, Darren Brand, Bruce Bruce, Deray Davis, Rob Dyrdek, Mike Epps, Felipe Esparza, Adele Givens, Jess Hilarious, Evander Holyfield, Martin Lawrence, Loni Love, Floyd Mayweather, Donnell Rawlings, Tony Rock Paul Rodriguez, Paul Rodriguez Jr., B Simone, Rickey Smiley, Bailey Spinn, Director/Producer Mark Ritchie/South Pa Productions and Pretty V.
“We have long admired Chris for his passion and tenaciousness in representing his clients and maximizing their earning potential,...
Smith will work alongside Max Burgos who heads APA’s comedy touring department.
While he has strong background in comedy touring, at ICM Smith worked across departments on deals for his clients in the areas of film, television, touring, branding and digital. Most of those clients are expected to come with him to APA, including Pamela Anderson, Chico Bean, Big Boy, Michael Blackson, Darren Brand, Bruce Bruce, Deray Davis, Rob Dyrdek, Mike Epps, Felipe Esparza, Adele Givens, Jess Hilarious, Evander Holyfield, Martin Lawrence, Loni Love, Floyd Mayweather, Donnell Rawlings, Tony Rock Paul Rodriguez, Paul Rodriguez Jr., B Simone, Rickey Smiley, Bailey Spinn, Director/Producer Mark Ritchie/South Pa Productions and Pretty V.
“We have long admired Chris for his passion and tenaciousness in representing his clients and maximizing their earning potential,...
- 7/25/2022
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Mike Hayes, who was an agent with ICM Partners for nearly 17 years, has joined APA as Senior Vice-President, Global Music.
At ICM Partners, Hayes represented a slew of clients, many of whom are expected to make the move to APA, including The Go-Go’s, Belinda Carlisle, Jon Bellion, Ryan Adams, Phantom Planet, Mark Owen, David Duchovny, Gary Barlow, The Libertines, Manic Street Preachers, Good Charlotte, De’Wayne, Phantom Planet, Aly & Aj, L7, Atlas Genius, Billy Talent, The Amazons, Loyle Carner, Baby Queen, Hot Chelle Rae, New Politics, Alison Moyet, The Dandy Warhols, Blossoms, You Me At Six ,Gerry Cinnamon, Matt Maltese, Tommy Cash, Dreamers, Riz La Vie, Babyjake, among others.
In addition to his own roster, Hayes also headed up ICM’s Festival Department.
“Mike is a very well-respected touring agent with a terrific client list, all who are excellent additions to APA, and we can’t wait to get to work for them,...
At ICM Partners, Hayes represented a slew of clients, many of whom are expected to make the move to APA, including The Go-Go’s, Belinda Carlisle, Jon Bellion, Ryan Adams, Phantom Planet, Mark Owen, David Duchovny, Gary Barlow, The Libertines, Manic Street Preachers, Good Charlotte, De’Wayne, Phantom Planet, Aly & Aj, L7, Atlas Genius, Billy Talent, The Amazons, Loyle Carner, Baby Queen, Hot Chelle Rae, New Politics, Alison Moyet, The Dandy Warhols, Blossoms, You Me At Six ,Gerry Cinnamon, Matt Maltese, Tommy Cash, Dreamers, Riz La Vie, Babyjake, among others.
In addition to his own roster, Hayes also headed up ICM’s Festival Department.
“Mike is a very well-respected touring agent with a terrific client list, all who are excellent additions to APA, and we can’t wait to get to work for them,...
- 7/18/2022
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Good Charlotte’s Joel Madden & ICM To Shepherd Emerging Musical Talent In New Artist Rep Partnership
ICM Partners and Good Charlotte co-founder Joel Madden have formed a partnership aimed at identifying and developing emerging artists and brands in the music industry, as well as offering a refreshing level of personal service to already established artists and clients at ICM.
Madden started Good Charlotte in 1996 with this twin brother Benji out of Waldorf, Maryland. Their 2002 album The Young and the Hopeless sold close to 5M copies with their breakthrough single “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.” In 2015, Joel, Benji and their older brother Josh founded Mddn.co, a music company focused on artist development and management, as well as branding and culture.
This new collaboration will parlay the expertise, infrastructure and the broad scope of talent and opportunity at ICM Partners with Madden to bring new talent to the agency, develop business, and offer creative support to the clients at ICM.
“The agents we have worked with...
Madden started Good Charlotte in 1996 with this twin brother Benji out of Waldorf, Maryland. Their 2002 album The Young and the Hopeless sold close to 5M copies with their breakthrough single “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.” In 2015, Joel, Benji and their older brother Josh founded Mddn.co, a music company focused on artist development and management, as well as branding and culture.
This new collaboration will parlay the expertise, infrastructure and the broad scope of talent and opportunity at ICM Partners with Madden to bring new talent to the agency, develop business, and offer creative support to the clients at ICM.
“The agents we have worked with...
- 7/31/2019
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Jaime King is advocating for survivors of sexual assault by bravely sharing her own story. On the heels of Lady Gaga's "Til It Happens to You" Oscar performance, King, 36, took to Twitter and Instagram on Monday, revealing she's a "survivor" as well. "Thank you @ladygaga - I finally felt a true healing from years of abuse as a minor in the industry. Time to be brave," the actress tweeted on Sunday. "Til It Happens to You" was co-written by Gaga and Diane Warren, and was recorded for The Hunting Ground, a documentary about rape on college campuses King also...
- 3/1/2016
- by Karen Mizoguchi
- PEOPLE.com
Jaime King is advocating for survivors of sexual assault by bravely sharing her own story. On the heels of Lady Gaga's "Til It Happens to You" Oscar performance, King, 36, took to Twitter and Instagram on Monday, revealing she's a "survivor" as well. "Thank you @ladygaga - I finally felt a true healing from years of abuse as a minor in the industry. Time to be brave," the actress tweeted on Sunday. "Til It Happens to You" was co-written by Gaga and Diane Warren, and was recorded for The Hunting Ground, a documentary about rape on college campuses King also...
- 3/1/2016
- by Karen Mizoguchi
- PEOPLE.com
WhatCulture.com has learned that a source high-up inside WWE recently let slip the names of five candidates who have been discussed for this year’s Hall of Fame.
While these can only be treated as rumour until confirmed by WWE – and with anything in wrestling able to change at any time – our understanding is that all of the names below are virtually a lock for a spot to join the already announced Sting in this year’s class.
A couple are a surprise, while others were expected and long overdue. Some are relevant to the state of Texas – the host state of WrestleMania – be it for their history competing in the area or having been raised there.
But it is our understanding the following names will be inducted this year…
WWE.com
The Fabulous Freebirds are considered one of the most important tag teams of their generation for good reason,...
While these can only be treated as rumour until confirmed by WWE – and with anything in wrestling able to change at any time – our understanding is that all of the names below are virtually a lock for a spot to join the already announced Sting in this year’s class.
A couple are a surprise, while others were expected and long overdue. Some are relevant to the state of Texas – the host state of WrestleMania – be it for their history competing in the area or having been raised there.
But it is our understanding the following names will be inducted this year…
WWE.com
The Fabulous Freebirds are considered one of the most important tag teams of their generation for good reason,...
- 1/21/2016
- by James Dixon
- Obsessed with Film
WWE.com
There’s an argument to be made that WWE’s babyfaces almost always have heelish aspects to their characters or their actions. D-Generation X, Ric Flair and Eddie Guerrero would cheat to win whether playing the villain or the hero, and The Rock and John Cena have repeatedly been pilloried for allowing occasional misogynist and homophobic taunts to stay in their heavily scripted promos. In their most celebrated babyface runs, ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin had no friends and a history of assaulting anyone who came within stunning distance, while Cm Punk was a pr*ck to pretty much everyone he met.
In comparison, the company’s heels can often appear to be the more well-adjusted, rational characters on the roster. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing: after all, the best, most believable villains usually have complex motivations. A good maxim for portraying a heel in a...
There’s an argument to be made that WWE’s babyfaces almost always have heelish aspects to their characters or their actions. D-Generation X, Ric Flair and Eddie Guerrero would cheat to win whether playing the villain or the hero, and The Rock and John Cena have repeatedly been pilloried for allowing occasional misogynist and homophobic taunts to stay in their heavily scripted promos. In their most celebrated babyface runs, ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin had no friends and a history of assaulting anyone who came within stunning distance, while Cm Punk was a pr*ck to pretty much everyone he met.
In comparison, the company’s heels can often appear to be the more well-adjusted, rational characters on the roster. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing: after all, the best, most believable villains usually have complex motivations. A good maxim for portraying a heel in a...
- 11/29/2015
- by Ben Cooke
- Obsessed with Film
WWE.com
Switching a wrestling character’s alignment from heel to face or vice versa can be a tricky thing. There are two strategies that most bookers use when doing so. You can either take the temperature of your audience and turn a performer based on crowd response, or you can pull a swerve and switch them with no warning.
It’s a good way to freshen up a talent who has been languishing and gives the creative team the opportunity to utilize an all-new approach.
Unless it’s The Big Show. Then it’s just his usual bi-monthly turn.
It’s easy to look back at instances when a wrestler changed philosophies and became a huge success. Hulk Hogan’s metamorphosis into “Hollywood”, Nikita Koloff choosing to fight in honour of Magnum Ta and Michael Hayes slamming the cage door on Kerry Von Erich are all prime examples of...
Switching a wrestling character’s alignment from heel to face or vice versa can be a tricky thing. There are two strategies that most bookers use when doing so. You can either take the temperature of your audience and turn a performer based on crowd response, or you can pull a swerve and switch them with no warning.
It’s a good way to freshen up a talent who has been languishing and gives the creative team the opportunity to utilize an all-new approach.
Unless it’s The Big Show. Then it’s just his usual bi-monthly turn.
It’s easy to look back at instances when a wrestler changed philosophies and became a huge success. Hulk Hogan’s metamorphosis into “Hollywood”, Nikita Koloff choosing to fight in honour of Magnum Ta and Michael Hayes slamming the cage door on Kerry Von Erich are all prime examples of...
- 11/11/2015
- by Brad Hamilton
- Obsessed with Film
WWE.com
The full content listing for the upcoming WWE DVD and Blu-ray set on the life and death of Owen Hart has been revealed, courtesy of the Wrestling DVD Network. The list includes all chapter titles for the documentary feature on disc one, as well as all extras, including the full list of matches selected for the package.
Bret Hart recently commented on the documentary portion of the set, sounding very pessimistic about the chances that the documentary will do a good job telling the full story of his brother’s life. Bret believes that WWE is having to walk on egg shells to cater to Owen’s widow, Martha, who is not supporting the DVD release.
Bret told the Fight Network:
“I’m looking forward to it but I’m not really optimistic that it’s going to be a great job. Martha handcuffed them so much. I...
The full content listing for the upcoming WWE DVD and Blu-ray set on the life and death of Owen Hart has been revealed, courtesy of the Wrestling DVD Network. The list includes all chapter titles for the documentary feature on disc one, as well as all extras, including the full list of matches selected for the package.
Bret Hart recently commented on the documentary portion of the set, sounding very pessimistic about the chances that the documentary will do a good job telling the full story of his brother’s life. Bret believes that WWE is having to walk on egg shells to cater to Owen’s widow, Martha, who is not supporting the DVD release.
Bret told the Fight Network:
“I’m looking forward to it but I’m not really optimistic that it’s going to be a great job. Martha handcuffed them so much. I...
- 9/14/2015
- by Ryan Droste
- Obsessed with Film
WWE.com
The Fabulous Freebirds are considered a lock to be WWE Hall of Famers in 2016, according to a report from PWInsider. The group consisted of Michael Hayes as the leader along with Terry Gordy and Buddy Roberts with Jimmy Garvin also an ally of the trio.
With next year’s WrestleMania taking place in the Dallas, Texas area, it makes sense to induct the Freebirds there since they were among the biggest stars in the Texas area in the 1980s, often feuding with the Von Erich family. Steve Austin speaks fondly about wanting to be a wrestler because of that feud.
The group’s name came from the Lynyrd Skynyrd song “Free Bird” and they were introduced as residing in Badstreet, USA. WWE is currently using the “Freebird Rule” with The New Day as Tag Team Champions because that means that any two of the three guys can compete...
The Fabulous Freebirds are considered a lock to be WWE Hall of Famers in 2016, according to a report from PWInsider. The group consisted of Michael Hayes as the leader along with Terry Gordy and Buddy Roberts with Jimmy Garvin also an ally of the trio.
With next year’s WrestleMania taking place in the Dallas, Texas area, it makes sense to induct the Freebirds there since they were among the biggest stars in the Texas area in the 1980s, often feuding with the Von Erich family. Steve Austin speaks fondly about wanting to be a wrestler because of that feud.
The group’s name came from the Lynyrd Skynyrd song “Free Bird” and they were introduced as residing in Badstreet, USA. WWE is currently using the “Freebird Rule” with The New Day as Tag Team Champions because that means that any two of the three guys can compete...
- 9/11/2015
- by John Canton
- Obsessed with Film
WWE.com
WWE announced the chosen 40 finalists for the upcoming Tough Enough series during last night’s Monday Night Raw broadcast.
Here are the 40 names announced on WWE.com:
Adam Ohriner, Long Island, N.Y. Alexander Frekey, Dallas Alexander Galizia, Springfield, Mass. Amanda Saccomanno, Yorktown Heights, N.Y. Ashley Urbanski, Oakland, Calif. Ava Knight-Salicka, Las Vegas Carly Marshall, Los Angeles Chelsea Green, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada Danielle Kamela, Scottsdale, Ariz. Daria Berenato, Los Angeles David Michael Barnes, Mandan, N.J. Dianna Dahlgren, Spokane, Wash. Don Arner, Pittsburgh Gabi Castrovinci, Southington, Conn. Giorgia Piscina, Brisbane, Australia Hank Avery Jr., Macon, Ga. Jason Vazquez, Oak Lawn, Ill. Jeremiah Kingdom, Los Angeles Joshua Bredl, Thornton, Colo. Kahlil Bell, San Jose, Calif. Kevin Penczek, Belle, W.V. Krishany San Jorge, Puerto Rico Larayia Gaston, Los Angeles Lorenzo Davis II, Los Angeles Mada Abdel Hamid, Los Angeles Michael Mio, Staten Island, N.Y. Mike Hayes,...
WWE announced the chosen 40 finalists for the upcoming Tough Enough series during last night’s Monday Night Raw broadcast.
Here are the 40 names announced on WWE.com:
Adam Ohriner, Long Island, N.Y. Alexander Frekey, Dallas Alexander Galizia, Springfield, Mass. Amanda Saccomanno, Yorktown Heights, N.Y. Ashley Urbanski, Oakland, Calif. Ava Knight-Salicka, Las Vegas Carly Marshall, Los Angeles Chelsea Green, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada Danielle Kamela, Scottsdale, Ariz. Daria Berenato, Los Angeles David Michael Barnes, Mandan, N.J. Dianna Dahlgren, Spokane, Wash. Don Arner, Pittsburgh Gabi Castrovinci, Southington, Conn. Giorgia Piscina, Brisbane, Australia Hank Avery Jr., Macon, Ga. Jason Vazquez, Oak Lawn, Ill. Jeremiah Kingdom, Los Angeles Joshua Bredl, Thornton, Colo. Kahlil Bell, San Jose, Calif. Kevin Penczek, Belle, W.V. Krishany San Jorge, Puerto Rico Larayia Gaston, Los Angeles Lorenzo Davis II, Los Angeles Mada Abdel Hamid, Los Angeles Michael Mio, Staten Island, N.Y. Mike Hayes,...
- 6/9/2015
- by John Canton
- Obsessed with Film
wwe.com
WWE are planning on a surprise for tonight’s Raw show in London, UK. One man who will be backstage at the show is Nxt’s Finn Balor.
The writing team and management flew from the Us on Sunday. They’ll meet up on Monday with the wrestlers and other crew who have been touring the UK and Ireland since last Wednesday.
Michael Hayes, production agent and key confidant of Vince McMahon tweeted “Ok London, taking off in about 20 minutes!!!! The Tour is kicking ass, and surprises for TV this week, see ya soon!!!”
This has resulted in a lot of speculation, with some fans even guessing that Mr McMahon could make a special appearance on the show. This is following McMahon tweeting “This Monday #Raw emanates from @TheO2 in London. #ILoveTheUK”
However, just because he loves the UK, doesn’t mean he’ll be showing up on screen.
WWE are planning on a surprise for tonight’s Raw show in London, UK. One man who will be backstage at the show is Nxt’s Finn Balor.
The writing team and management flew from the Us on Sunday. They’ll meet up on Monday with the wrestlers and other crew who have been touring the UK and Ireland since last Wednesday.
Michael Hayes, production agent and key confidant of Vince McMahon tweeted “Ok London, taking off in about 20 minutes!!!! The Tour is kicking ass, and surprises for TV this week, see ya soon!!!”
This has resulted in a lot of speculation, with some fans even guessing that Mr McMahon could make a special appearance on the show. This is following McMahon tweeting “This Monday #Raw emanates from @TheO2 in London. #ILoveTheUK”
However, just because he loves the UK, doesn’t mean he’ll be showing up on screen.
- 4/13/2015
- by Grahame Herbert
- Obsessed with Film
wwe.com
The decision to make Seth Rollins WWE Champion was not a last minute thing, but Rollins only found out towards the end of WrestleMania. Dave Meltzer reports in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that Rollins was only informed of plans when The Rock segment was going on. He was then taken into a room with Roman Reigns, Brock Lesnar, Paul Heyman and producer Michael Hayes. They worked out the new finish to the main event but otherwise kept the structure of the original match that had been designed for Lesnar and Reigns.
Originally, the plan had been for Reigns to win the WWE title from Lesnar. However, WWE changed this sometime in advance. Meltzer believes that Lesnar was fully informed of the new plan before he signed his new contract last Tuesday.
It is unknown when Roman Reigns discovered he wouldn’t be winning, but people in his family...
The decision to make Seth Rollins WWE Champion was not a last minute thing, but Rollins only found out towards the end of WrestleMania. Dave Meltzer reports in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that Rollins was only informed of plans when The Rock segment was going on. He was then taken into a room with Roman Reigns, Brock Lesnar, Paul Heyman and producer Michael Hayes. They worked out the new finish to the main event but otherwise kept the structure of the original match that had been designed for Lesnar and Reigns.
Originally, the plan had been for Reigns to win the WWE title from Lesnar. However, WWE changed this sometime in advance. Meltzer believes that Lesnar was fully informed of the new plan before he signed his new contract last Tuesday.
It is unknown when Roman Reigns discovered he wouldn’t be winning, but people in his family...
- 4/2/2015
- by Grahame Herbert
- Obsessed with Film
WWE.com
One of the most curious nuances in the world of professional wrestling certainly has to be how much attention and detail goes into creating music for each performer. Jim Johnston is often credited as being the go-to guy for crafting excellent wrestling entrance themes – incredibly, Johnston has pieced together thousands of different tracks, spending hours perfecting each one to fit nicely along with the character of each wrestler.
Throughout the 1990’s and early-2000’s, CD compilations featuring various WWF/WWE entrance themes sold like hot cakes, and the company continues to sell items by the truckload via download platforms such as iTunes. It’s interesting just how massive a part of the overall appeal music has become to wrestling, and it’s difficult to imagine the industry without it.
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of truly memorable songs and scores which accompany wrestlers down the aisle, but...
One of the most curious nuances in the world of professional wrestling certainly has to be how much attention and detail goes into creating music for each performer. Jim Johnston is often credited as being the go-to guy for crafting excellent wrestling entrance themes – incredibly, Johnston has pieced together thousands of different tracks, spending hours perfecting each one to fit nicely along with the character of each wrestler.
Throughout the 1990’s and early-2000’s, CD compilations featuring various WWF/WWE entrance themes sold like hot cakes, and the company continues to sell items by the truckload via download platforms such as iTunes. It’s interesting just how massive a part of the overall appeal music has become to wrestling, and it’s difficult to imagine the industry without it.
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of truly memorable songs and scores which accompany wrestlers down the aisle, but...
- 3/3/2015
- by Jamie Kennedy
- Obsessed with Film
For the first time ever, Destruction of The Shield highlights “The Lunatic Fringe” Dean Ambrose, “The Juggernaut” Roman Reigns, and “The Architect” Seth Rollins as they join forces to lay down the law and dish out their own brand of personal justice in WWE. From The Shield’s days as rookies in Nxt, to their shocking debut, to the eventual destruction of The Shield, this set covers the entire journey of the most dominant trio in recent memory. With never before seen interviews and hard-hitting matchups from The Shield’s illustrious run, you will bear witness to what happens when the Hounds of Justice are off their leash!
WWE fans will be very aware of the faction known as The Shield. In the last few years, you would be hard-pressed to find a group of young wrestlers who have been as dominant and successful in the world of professional wrestling and sports entertainment.
WWE fans will be very aware of the faction known as The Shield. In the last few years, you would be hard-pressed to find a group of young wrestlers who have been as dominant and successful in the world of professional wrestling and sports entertainment.
- 2/13/2015
- by Chris Cummings
- Nerdly
WWE.com
The origins of wrestlers using music to enhance their entrances are not clear with Glen Stride often cited as being the first wrestler to do so.
The early 1950s saw female champion Mildred Burke often utilise music while Gorgeous George associated himself with ‘Pomp and Circumstance,’ a song which was later used by ‘Macho Man’ Randy Savage.
However, Freebird Michael Hayes is recognised as the man who took the relationship between wrestling and music to the next level.
Hayes unwittingly changed the wrestling business for the better as he convinced promoters to put a tape of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Freebird” into the P.A. system as they made their way to the ring. Before this, the majority wrestlers didn’t have entrance songs, relying on their standing with the fan base to make their entrance unique and entertaining.
Since then, the MTV age amongst other things has made...
The origins of wrestlers using music to enhance their entrances are not clear with Glen Stride often cited as being the first wrestler to do so.
The early 1950s saw female champion Mildred Burke often utilise music while Gorgeous George associated himself with ‘Pomp and Circumstance,’ a song which was later used by ‘Macho Man’ Randy Savage.
However, Freebird Michael Hayes is recognised as the man who took the relationship between wrestling and music to the next level.
Hayes unwittingly changed the wrestling business for the better as he convinced promoters to put a tape of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Freebird” into the P.A. system as they made their way to the ring. Before this, the majority wrestlers didn’t have entrance songs, relying on their standing with the fan base to make their entrance unique and entertaining.
Since then, the MTV age amongst other things has made...
- 11/25/2014
- by Ross Tweddell
- Obsessed with Film
twitter
It was another crazy week in the wide world of wrestling. Adam Rose turned his back on a man in a bunny costume, Cesaro was fed to Ryback, and Renee Young decided to dress up as a zombie Native American for Halloween, because being insensitive in WWE is always a good career move! If you don’t believe me, just ask Michael Cole (calling Josh Matthews a gay slur on Twitter), Jbl (once insinuated the former governor of New Jersey who is a homosexual likes little boys) and Michael Hayes (Vince McMahon’s favorite old-school racist). Renee, I thought you were different!
In the most confusing and horribly dated statement of the week, Michael Cole said that The Bunny “Twerking” looked like Charlie Chaplin. How does that make any sense? Do Cole and Jbl have a weekly competition to come up with the more outdated entertainment reference? Hey guys,...
It was another crazy week in the wide world of wrestling. Adam Rose turned his back on a man in a bunny costume, Cesaro was fed to Ryback, and Renee Young decided to dress up as a zombie Native American for Halloween, because being insensitive in WWE is always a good career move! If you don’t believe me, just ask Michael Cole (calling Josh Matthews a gay slur on Twitter), Jbl (once insinuated the former governor of New Jersey who is a homosexual likes little boys) and Michael Hayes (Vince McMahon’s favorite old-school racist). Renee, I thought you were different!
In the most confusing and horribly dated statement of the week, Michael Cole said that The Bunny “Twerking” looked like Charlie Chaplin. How does that make any sense? Do Cole and Jbl have a weekly competition to come up with the more outdated entertainment reference? Hey guys,...
- 11/9/2014
- by Andrew Soucek
- Obsessed with Film
The second supermoon of 2014 took over the skies Sunday night, supplanting the annual Perseid meteor shower and creating a dilemma for photographers everywhere. It is clear where Google's sympathies lie, at least - the search engine's Doodle for Aug. 11 commemorated the Perseid shower. Check it out in video form below, and read this great interview with doodler Sophie Diao for more info. And while the Perseid shower returns every August, the supermoon's definitely having a great 2014: Its second appearance is dominating social media Monday morning, just as the first one did. Just posted few more pics of the #Supermoon...
- 8/11/2014
- PEOPLE.com
WWE.com
This past Monday saw Chris Jericho make a surprise return to WWE. The news was out on the internet about two hours before the show, but for the most part it was kept a secret. During his Talk Is Jericho podcast released on Wednesday, he spoke about how his return was set up.
Jericho talked about how he always keeps in touch with WWE via text and email about a possible return. He has mentioned that on his radio show for months because he’s obviously a guy that is on great terms with them. He mentioned that a WrestleMania 30 return didn’t work. His ideas involved Daniel Bryan and Bray Wyatt, but obviously WWE went in other directions with both guys by having Bryan wrestle Hhh, then Orton/Batista and Wyatt taking on Cena.
He revealed that even though the WrestleMania 30 return didn’t work out, he...
This past Monday saw Chris Jericho make a surprise return to WWE. The news was out on the internet about two hours before the show, but for the most part it was kept a secret. During his Talk Is Jericho podcast released on Wednesday, he spoke about how his return was set up.
Jericho talked about how he always keeps in touch with WWE via text and email about a possible return. He has mentioned that on his radio show for months because he’s obviously a guy that is on great terms with them. He mentioned that a WrestleMania 30 return didn’t work. His ideas involved Daniel Bryan and Bray Wyatt, but obviously WWE went in other directions with both guys by having Bryan wrestle Hhh, then Orton/Batista and Wyatt taking on Cena.
He revealed that even though the WrestleMania 30 return didn’t work out, he...
- 7/2/2014
- by John Canton
- Obsessed with Film
Fire City: Interpreter of Signs is an upcoming demon fantasy thriller set against the noir backdrop of a shadowy atmospheric world, where demons live among humans who are blind to what they really are.
The story follows Atum Vine, a 700-year-old demon with an attitude. To the humans who live unwittingly alongside him in a derelict tenement building, Vine is just the drug dealer at the end of the hall. But to the demons also living on the floor, Vine is a procurer of human misery, which they need to survive.
After Vine’s flow of addicts shuts off unexpectedly and apparently for no reason, Vine consults Cornelia, an interpreter of signs. She is a fortune teller in the demon world and an enigma even Vine can’t quite figure out.
We got a chance to catch up with Danielle Chuchran, the young actress who plays Cornelia, during our recent set visit for the film.
The story follows Atum Vine, a 700-year-old demon with an attitude. To the humans who live unwittingly alongside him in a derelict tenement building, Vine is just the drug dealer at the end of the hall. But to the demons also living on the floor, Vine is a procurer of human misery, which they need to survive.
After Vine’s flow of addicts shuts off unexpectedly and apparently for no reason, Vine consults Cornelia, an interpreter of signs. She is a fortune teller in the demon world and an enigma even Vine can’t quite figure out.
We got a chance to catch up with Danielle Chuchran, the young actress who plays Cornelia, during our recent set visit for the film.
- 5/6/2014
- by Staci Layne Wilson
- DreadCentral.com
WWE.com
Sunday night, May 4 at Extreme Rules, The Shield will clash with Evolution in the night’s most-hyped bout. It is the culmination of a month-long story that has shined a bright light on the trios and the effect they can have on today’s wrestling world. Add the Wyatt Family to the equation and it has never been a better time to be a competitor in a three-man team.
Wrestling history is littered with great trios who have starred for WWE, WCW, Ecw and several territorial promotions over the last 40 years. The Fabulous Freebirds were the first group of three to have success in the industry. Michael Hayes, Terry Gordy and Buddy Roberts laid the groundwork for what a great trio was. The nearly two decades later, the New World Order showed what was possible when a trio consisted of three legitimate main event stars. As the new Millennium dawned,...
Sunday night, May 4 at Extreme Rules, The Shield will clash with Evolution in the night’s most-hyped bout. It is the culmination of a month-long story that has shined a bright light on the trios and the effect they can have on today’s wrestling world. Add the Wyatt Family to the equation and it has never been a better time to be a competitor in a three-man team.
Wrestling history is littered with great trios who have starred for WWE, WCW, Ecw and several territorial promotions over the last 40 years. The Fabulous Freebirds were the first group of three to have success in the industry. Michael Hayes, Terry Gordy and Buddy Roberts laid the groundwork for what a great trio was. The nearly two decades later, the New World Order showed what was possible when a trio consisted of three legitimate main event stars. As the new Millennium dawned,...
- 4/30/2014
- by Erik Beaston
- Obsessed with Film
Directed by Academy Award-winning special effects makeup artist Tom Woodruff, Jr., Fire City is a movie we’ve been watching very closely from its inception as a short film, during its successful Kickstarter campaign, and right on up to the filming on-set...
Which is where we got all kinds of exclusives on this “hellish fantasy,” which is set against the noir backdrop of Fire City -- where demons secretly live among humans.
When we caught up with lead actor Tobias Jelinek, he was in full-on demon garb as his character, Atum Vine. Right down to his pointy fangs!
Tobias Jelinek: Hi, let me take my teeth out... here.
Dread Central: The writer-producers Michael and Brian were telling me that they had seen 80 people for your role; you must feel really privileged to have been selected.
Tj: I am certainly thrilled. Just from the get go, when I read the description of this character,...
Which is where we got all kinds of exclusives on this “hellish fantasy,” which is set against the noir backdrop of Fire City -- where demons secretly live among humans.
When we caught up with lead actor Tobias Jelinek, he was in full-on demon garb as his character, Atum Vine. Right down to his pointy fangs!
Tobias Jelinek: Hi, let me take my teeth out... here.
Dread Central: The writer-producers Michael and Brian were telling me that they had seen 80 people for your role; you must feel really privileged to have been selected.
Tj: I am certainly thrilled. Just from the get go, when I read the description of this character,...
- 4/11/2014
- by Staci Layne Wilson
- DreadCentral.com
Tom Woodruff, Jr., is a celebrated and award-winning special effects makeup artist, and now he’s stepping into the directorial arena with Fire City: Interpreter of Souls. Dread Central was lucky enough to get an exclusive look-see on a special day. (There were demon fights!)
At the lovely location (an art deco building and mini-campus) in Los Angeles, we not only got a chance to interview everyone and watch filming – we even got a bunch of cool photos you won’t see anywhere else!
Dread Central: You have been with this project for a while, right?
Tom Woodruff Jr.: Through a couple different iterations. The first time I was ever made aware of it was when (the writer-producers) Brian and Michael came to me a couple of years ago with a script, I believe it was Fire City: Demon in the Darkness. And the script was honestly hard to...
At the lovely location (an art deco building and mini-campus) in Los Angeles, we not only got a chance to interview everyone and watch filming – we even got a bunch of cool photos you won’t see anywhere else!
Dread Central: You have been with this project for a while, right?
Tom Woodruff Jr.: Through a couple different iterations. The first time I was ever made aware of it was when (the writer-producers) Brian and Michael came to me a couple of years ago with a script, I believe it was Fire City: Demon in the Darkness. And the script was honestly hard to...
- 4/10/2014
- by Staci Layne Wilson
- DreadCentral.com
Does this mean social media has arrived? In what appeared to be an unrehearsed moment, Ellen got down on the floor with Meryl Streep for a selfie and things just spiraled from there. Soon the likes of Jennifer Lawrence, Lupita Nyong'o, Jared Leto, Brad Pitt, Kevin Spacey, photographer Bradley Cooper, and more were piling in for this glorious image. Photo Credit: Ellen And from the non-selfie angle, you can clearly see J-Law has a prime seat on the legendary Meryl Streep's lap. How the entire theater didn't implode in a talent event horizon is a miracle. Selfie x 1000 pic.twitter.com/u542lghMqn — Mike Hayes (@michaelhayes) March 3, 2014...
- 3/3/2014
- by Donna Dickens
- Hitfix
The History of WWE: 50 Years of Sports Entertainment begins with Vince McMahon getting out of his car at WWE headquarters in Connecticut and greeting employees as he makes his way to his office on the top floor of what was once known as TitanTowers.
The documentary portion of this release begins at the beginning, with information about Jess McMahon and Vince McMahon Sr, and how they began what we now know as WWE. Jess McMahon was a boxing promoter, his son Vince, turned it into a traditional regional professional wrestling promotion, and his son, the current head of WWE, Vince McMahon Jr, turned it into the multimedia conglomerate that we know today.
The talking heads are extremely relevant and well picked, it is nice to see the big names from wrestling’s history on here, talking about the history of WWE as a company and the wrestling business as a whole.
The documentary portion of this release begins at the beginning, with information about Jess McMahon and Vince McMahon Sr, and how they began what we now know as WWE. Jess McMahon was a boxing promoter, his son Vince, turned it into a traditional regional professional wrestling promotion, and his son, the current head of WWE, Vince McMahon Jr, turned it into the multimedia conglomerate that we know today.
The talking heads are extremely relevant and well picked, it is nice to see the big names from wrestling’s history on here, talking about the history of WWE as a company and the wrestling business as a whole.
- 11/30/2013
- by Chris Cummings
- Nerdly
Feature Andrew Blair 19 Nov 2013 - 06:39
In this week of Doctor Who celebration, Andrew salutes just a few of the individuals whose talent and hard work made the show what it is...
In the history of Doctor Who there are many names in the end credits that always seem to stand out. For some reason, I always look out for Alec Wheal in Eighties Who credits or, since 2005, the Script Editor. Over the years there have been hundreds of unsung contributors behind the scenes, and this article seeks to celebrate a handful of those who put in one helluva slog for our benefit.
Oh, and in researching this article I discovered that Dorka Nieradzik – who worked on Logopolis, Revelation of the Daleks and Silver Nemesis to name but a few – now appears to be Clive Owen's personal Hair and Make Up Artist.
It's not really relevant or anything, but...
In this week of Doctor Who celebration, Andrew salutes just a few of the individuals whose talent and hard work made the show what it is...
In the history of Doctor Who there are many names in the end credits that always seem to stand out. For some reason, I always look out for Alec Wheal in Eighties Who credits or, since 2005, the Script Editor. Over the years there have been hundreds of unsung contributors behind the scenes, and this article seeks to celebrate a handful of those who put in one helluva slog for our benefit.
Oh, and in researching this article I discovered that Dorka Nieradzik – who worked on Logopolis, Revelation of the Daleks and Silver Nemesis to name but a few – now appears to be Clive Owen's personal Hair and Make Up Artist.
It's not really relevant or anything, but...
- 11/19/2013
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
The WWE creative process has entertained fans for decades with tales of heroism and conflict… but that hasn’t always been the case. What should in essence be a story about a hero chasing down a villain and the treasure of championship gold, WWE creative sometimes warps into the most bizarre storylines ever seen on broadcast television.
We have seen it all over the years, regardless of the era, inappropriate storylines have always excited Vince McMahon. The creative team is in constant flux in the WWE, but Vince is the one constant, and his lust for car crash TV knows no bounds. The likes of Michael Hayes, Bruce “Brother Love” Prichard and Stephanie McMahon have also been on board with inappropriate WWE storylines, and you pretty much have to get on board with Vince’s ‘taste’ if you are to survive as a WWE writer. Wrestling’s mad professor Paul Heyman...
We have seen it all over the years, regardless of the era, inappropriate storylines have always excited Vince McMahon. The creative team is in constant flux in the WWE, but Vince is the one constant, and his lust for car crash TV knows no bounds. The likes of Michael Hayes, Bruce “Brother Love” Prichard and Stephanie McMahon have also been on board with inappropriate WWE storylines, and you pretty much have to get on board with Vince’s ‘taste’ if you are to survive as a WWE writer. Wrestling’s mad professor Paul Heyman...
- 11/14/2013
- by Grahame Herbert
- Obsessed with Film
There’s no doubt there was a lot of outrage on the internet following the conclusion of WWE SummerSlam. There were a lot of questions with Triple H, Randy Orton and Daniel Bryan as Raw rolled into Anaheim. In the city of the Anaheim Angels, was there a devil on the shoulder of The Game? What’s next for John Cena and is Daniel Bryan’s big push over? About a month ago, I asked the question is Daniel Bryan the new Stone Cold Steve Austin? Judging from this weeks episode It definitely seems like that’s the case. While he may not swearing or lewd he seems to be set up to be the main protagonist against the new McMahon-Helmsley regime.
The show begins with John Cena who comes out and explains that he is just as disgusted by the actions of Triple H. Cena says that Bryan deserves to be champion.
The show begins with John Cena who comes out and explains that he is just as disgusted by the actions of Triple H. Cena says that Bryan deserves to be champion.
- 8/20/2013
- by Paul Jordan
- Obsessed with Film
It was announced today that Sega CEO Mike Hayes is leaving the company to take on an advisory role with Sega and a couple of other unannounced companies. The current chief operating officer or COO Jurgen Post will be taking over for Hayes in America and Europe.
Here is the statement from Sega:
”Mike has achieved a huge amount during his time at Sega and we thank him for the amazing things he has accomplished. Mike is a great character and very passionate about the industry; he helped steer the extraordinary growth of Sega and has built an exceptional team of professionals that will stand us in good stead for the future.”
Hayes had been productive in both moving Sega towards digital distribution and bringing over Total War developer The Creative Assembly. However, with all that has been going wrong with Sega these past few months there is some speculation...
Here is the statement from Sega:
”Mike has achieved a huge amount during his time at Sega and we thank him for the amazing things he has accomplished. Mike is a great character and very passionate about the industry; he helped steer the extraordinary growth of Sega and has built an exceptional team of professionals that will stand us in good stead for the future.”
Hayes had been productive in both moving Sega towards digital distribution and bringing over Total War developer The Creative Assembly. However, with all that has been going wrong with Sega these past few months there is some speculation...
- 4/30/2012
- by Matt Mann
- Obsessed with Film
Dread hit the Get Lit Summer Celebration at the swanky Rolling Stone Lounge in Hollywood, CA Monday night, June 20th, and brought back some video from the event. Read on for the goods and the ocular candy!
Thrown by the Los Angeles post-production facility Lit Post (the company has in the past handled post production for such films as Frozen, Hatchet II and Ti West’s upcoming The Innkeepers (review here), to name a few), Mpi Media and Glass Eye Pix, this second-of-many events served as an industry mixer to celebrate independent filmmaking, in particular Ti West (director of House of the Devil and The Innkeepers), on whom was bestowed the 2nd annual Persistence of Vision Award in Cinema, in recognition of his innovative spirit in independent filmmaking.
The genre-centric crowd included, among others, filmmakers Will Clevinger (Automaton Transfusion and the recently wrapped Under The Bed), Matt Zettell (Resurrection County...
Thrown by the Los Angeles post-production facility Lit Post (the company has in the past handled post production for such films as Frozen, Hatchet II and Ti West’s upcoming The Innkeepers (review here), to name a few), Mpi Media and Glass Eye Pix, this second-of-many events served as an industry mixer to celebrate independent filmmaking, in particular Ti West (director of House of the Devil and The Innkeepers), on whom was bestowed the 2nd annual Persistence of Vision Award in Cinema, in recognition of his innovative spirit in independent filmmaking.
The genre-centric crowd included, among others, filmmakers Will Clevinger (Automaton Transfusion and the recently wrapped Under The Bed), Matt Zettell (Resurrection County...
- 6/23/2011
- by SeanD.
- DreadCentral.com
This coming Monday, June 20th, Lit Post, Mpi Media and Glass Eye Pix will present a Summer Celebration and Get Lit Event in Hollywood, CA, in honor of horror director Ti West (on the occasion of his Laff screening of The Innkeepers), and Dread has passes for ten lucky fans and their plus ones! Read on to get yours!
Commencing at 9pm and running to close at a swanky location in Hollywood (venue will be disclosed to the winners upon notification), free drinks will be served for the first hour, followed by food, an award presentation (guest of honor West will receive the second annual Lit Post 'Persistence of Vision Award in Cinema' in recognition of his innovative spirit in independent filmmaking) and, in true Hollywood fashion, more partying. A DJ will be on hand to spin 70’s and 80’s rock, followed by a live music performance by Mike Hayes...
Commencing at 9pm and running to close at a swanky location in Hollywood (venue will be disclosed to the winners upon notification), free drinks will be served for the first hour, followed by food, an award presentation (guest of honor West will receive the second annual Lit Post 'Persistence of Vision Award in Cinema' in recognition of his innovative spirit in independent filmmaking) and, in true Hollywood fashion, more partying. A DJ will be on hand to spin 70’s and 80’s rock, followed by a live music performance by Mike Hayes...
- 6/17/2011
- by SeanD.
- DreadCentral.com
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