Good news! Jensen Ackles is scheduled to appear on Live with Kelly and Ryan on October 1! The show features two hosts, Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest, who interview various people and have fun segments, every weekday.
Thanks to Tessa, who shared this information with us! Her local cable provider shows that Jensen will be a guest, but no official confirmation has been made.
The show also lets guests request tickets to be in the audience, however, it looks like tickets for that day are already gone.
Jensen previously appeared on the show last October, and you can see a clip of his interview below.
In case you weren’t able to catch the show on HBO – or if you did and maybe want to give this gripping show another watch – we are going to be giving one of our readers a code for a digital download of the entire first season, courtesy of HBO!
The winner will be announced on Sunday October 7th.
Please fill out the entry form, and keep an eye on our social media for further announcements. We will notify the winner and email you your download code!
We’re back with another fandom photographer spotlight! This spotlight is on Amy of Amy Marie Photography! Read below to see her answers, as well as some of her amazing photos!
Nerds and Beyond: How long have you been doing photography and how did you get started?
Amy: I’ve kind of always been the one who had a camera in her hand…from when I was little. My grandpa was really into cameras and had his own small collection of cameras. I was the one who always took photos at family gatherings and such. I started to go to concerts when I was a teenager and I took loads of photos there and it sort of just stuck with me. I started with disposable cameras back then and the photos are truly …truly horrible. I got my first DSLR in 2011 and have been teaching myself since then.
Nerds and Beyond: What originally inspired you to start doing fandom (cons, concerts, etc.) photography?
Amy: I don’t know that I was ‘inspired’… I really started with concerts when I was young because I wanted memories.. I’ve been chasing that ultimate concert photo since then. Cons sort of evolved from that.
Nerds and Beyond: What fandoms are you most known for photographing?
Amy:Supernatural cons are the ones I get most of my circulation from on Tumblr and Twitter. Concerts have been picking up lately, so mostly the 1D boys solo and such.
Nerds and Beyond: What equipment are you usually using?
Amy: For cons, I’ve used lots of DSLR bodies, the d3000, d90, d5000, and now I’ve moved to the full frame d750. Lenses I used to use the 70-300mm but recently it’s been only the 70-200mm f/2.8. For concerts, I have alternated between the sx50/sx60 but recently have been loving the canon g7x.
Nerds and Beyond: Which events are typically your favorite to photograph?
Amy: I love concerts. I live for them, honestly. I’m not entirely sure I know how to enjoy a concert without a camera in my hand. I imagine that’s why I love shooting the Saturday Night Special, it’s the blend between concerts and cons.
Nerds and Beyond: What would you say right now, is your favorite photo you’ve ever taken?
Amy: My favorite photos right now are probably these two.
Jensen Ackles (left) and Billy Moran (Right) – Courtesy of @AmyMariePhotoSelena Gomez – Courtesy of @AmyMariePhoto
Nerds and Beyond: If given the opportunity are there any celebrities that you’d like to work with?
Amy: I’ve had the chance to work with Briana Buckmaster and she was amazing. Aside from Jensen & Jared, I’d love the chance to work with Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Fall Out Boy, Kelly Clarkson, or Selena Gomez or most any touring band.
Nerds and Beyond: Are there any other photographers who personally inspire you or whose work inspires you?
Amy: Personally, I have looked up to Chris (@chrisschmelke) for a long while. He’s pretty inspiring and a hell of a person too. I have a couple friends that I’ve made in fandom that are fantastic photogs and really encouraging and inspiring. My friend, Brooke Hall (@brookehallphoto) is inspiring and dedicated and extremely talented. And Emily (@emilypixels) is a friend who has been doing 1D photos as a semi-pro fan photographer and she does great work. As for photogs, I really love Christian Tierney’s (@_ctierney) tour work with Niall Horan as well as Conor McDonnell (@conormcdphoto). Ashley Osborn (@ashleyophoto) is currently working with All Time Low on their tour and her stuff is really fantastic.
Nerds and Beyond: Do you have any advice, tips, tricks or words of wisdom for other photographers/aspiring photographers?
Amy: Shoot what inspires you. Shoot for you. There are going to be photos that you take that you absolutely love and you feel immensely proud of or connected to and it may fall flat on your socials or when you post it… don’t let that stop you. Be proud of what you do. Never stop learning or challenging yourself.
Nerds and Beyond: Do you have an online store or website where we can see more of your work?
Do you eat the cookie or the creme first? Nabisco has partnered with Disney in celebration of 90 years of Mickey Mouse!
If you’re a Disney fan, you are going to love this dedication to the one who started it all. We first saw our favorite Mouse in 1928 as Steamboat Willie. Now we are seeing him on our favorite cookie!
Customers who buy these specific Oreos will find three different designs of your favorite mouse – and they’re birthday cake flavored! There are for a limited time only so don’t wait! Take a bite into this magical Oreo and celebrate along with Disney!
“The Scout Collection” featuring art from Scout Villegas – 42 Nerdtastic Place
We here at Nerds and Beyond love to feature fandom artists and creators. One of the coolest products we’ve come across comes from 42 Nerdtastic Place! They make fandom-related candles, from which many of our staff have bought and say they smell amazing.
Now, they’ve partnered with Scout Villegas, for “The Scout Collection” – which feature candles with art from Scout. The candles are paraffin soy glitter candles.
The collection features:
The Flaming Scout – Atomic fireball french toast
Grace of Chuck – Apple White Amber Rosewood
Grace of Gabe – Floral and Sweet Fruit Rosewood Musk
However, candles are not the only thing they have! They also have body/room spray, tea lights, wax melts, lip balm, jewelry, and more. They also include several fandoms, not only Supernatural!
Another amazing thing: they’ve provided us a discount code for our readers! If you purchase anything from them, use the discount code “nerdsandbeyond” at checkout for 10% off your order!
“The House with a Clock in its Walls” released on Friday, Sept 21 and stars Jack Black, Cate Blanchett, Owen Vaccaro, Kyle MacLachlan and Renée Elise Goldsberry.
Friday, Sept 21st saw the release of the Eli Roth-helmed film The House with a Clock in its Walls, based on the 1973 novel of the same name by John Bellairs. The film’s screenplay was written by Eric Kripke, who has created such shows such as Supernatural and Timeless.
The film follows young Lewis Barnavelt (Owen Vaccaro), an orphan who goes to live with his estranged uncle Jonathan (Jack Black) in New Zebedee, Michigan after his parents are killed in a car accident. There, he meets Jonathan’s friend and next-door neighbor Florence Zimmerman (Cate Blanchett), and learns that both of them practice magic and Lewis begs them to teach him how. Together the trio must work together to defeat the powerful warlock Issac Izard (Kyle MacLachlan) and his wife Selena (Renée Elise Goldsberry), who have hidden a clock inside the walls of the house that could spell doom for the world.
With a central message of embracing your weirdness and finding your inner strength,The House with a Clock in its Walls is a fun, at times heart-wrenching and dark, film perfect for the Halloween season. The trailer simply does not do the film justice.
One of the best parts of the film is the cast. Black and Blanchett are terrific together, with their quips and barbs at each other well timed to convince you they’d been friends for ages. They work well in harmony together as Lewis’ mentors, offering him guidance and showing him what is possible while also reminding him of his own worth.
Black gives a well rounded and restrained performance as Jonathan, choosing instead to deliver emotional intensity over physical like his other films. His scenes with Vaccaro are heartwarming and sentimental, much like the ones we see in the Harry Potter films between Harry and his godfather Sirius Black. All Jonathan wants to do is keep young Lewis safe and mentor him in the art of magic, and Black delivers that fear of a parent so well.
Blanchett, true to form, is spectacular in the film, and becomes a sort of mother figure to Lewis, encouraging him when he feels lost. Watching Florence Zimmerman grow over the course of the film was a delight and Blanchett gives her a simultaneously sharp and soft edge to her, and delivers her own emotional intensity to some very heavy scenes in the middle of the film, driving home the importance of found family (a lesson Eric Kripke would later center his television series Supernatural on).
The film embraces the book’s 50s aesthetic, from the costume design, to the sets, to the props and the music chosen for the scenes. The eponymous house is exquisitely designed to both enthrall and unsettle the viewer, with furniture that moves, stained glass windows that change scenes, and mechanical mannequins that creep you out. The decor even plays into the plot, with the books in Jonathan’s study, the clocks on every surface and even the drawings on the walls of Lewis’ bedroom. The set is beautiful and well worth a second (or even third) viewing just to take in all the details put into it.
The plot does not take long to ramp up, the film well utilizing every minute of its 102-minute run time. Even the scenes of young Lewis struggling to fit in at his new school and his subsequent friendship with young Tarby Corrigan (Sunny Suljic) dovetail nicely into the main plot. The story also manages to keep a delicate balance of wonder, suspense, action and whimsy, and finds a way to convey foreboding without relying on too many jump-scares, making it a bit more of a kid/family-friendly film. However, while it is considered a family-friendly fantasy film, the story and action pull no punches, and do their best to avoid the pitfalls of other fantasy film adaptations (looking at you, The Golden Compass). The film embraces its dark themes and believes in its audience’s ability to handle those themes and stick with our heroes to the very end.
The House with a Clock in its Walls is well worth the price of admission, and is a film clearly made with love and respect to its source material. If you’re looking for a fun, suspenseful film with a lot of heart this fall, this is one you’ll want to see in theaters.
As we tend to celebrate a lot of some of our favorite’s birthdays here, we thought we’d take another fun spin on it. Born on September 23, is Jason Manns. Jason is an incredible musician, having released his own albums, as well as taking on as a mentor for many others and helping produce their own debut albums for people such as Gil McKinney and Briana Buckmaster. Jason is also a part of The Station Breaks. Jason Manns came into most of our lives through Supernatural conventions. He has been there since the beginning, entertaining fans with his laid back, amazingly crafted music and his stellar personality.
To celebrate his birthday today, members of our staff and some of our readers wrote their favorite Jason moments. Read them below!
I have so many amazing memories with Jason. One that sticks out is at the brunch with him and Blake Lewis in Atlanta recently. I spent the last few days going to their East Coast tour, from Virginia to North Carolina to Georgia. Jason and I got to spend a fair amount of time talking and it was like the small group of us were just buds hanging out. I was kind of amazed at how relaxed the atmosphere was, and how much Jason spoke to me like an equal. I really felt heard and respected as an individual. I will never forget those few days. They will forever be some of my favorite memories in my entire time in this fandom, and indeed in my lifetime. I’m so grateful for Jason as a musician and a person.
Em
My niece and I were at his autograph table last year at the Supernatural con in Nashville. We were each getting a CD signed. He asked her name (Delainey) and then asked her to spell it for him. So she began “D-e-l-a-i…” and he suddenly stops her and goes “wait, what was that?” “I?” He looked completely confused and she looked confused at his confusion. He then asked “Which letter is that?” I almost fell out laughing right there because poor Jason could not understand her thick southern accent and she could not figure out why he did not know the letters of the alphabet. He was very good natured about it once the confusion was cleared up but I do not think she will ever try to have him spell her name again!
Jennifer M. (@macd1982)
Back in 2015, I was absolutely convinced that I was never gonna get a chance to meet Jason Manns in person (this was before he was really doing CE cons). During one of his Stageit shows, he offered everyone who tipped over a certain amount a 30 minute Skype call with him so I decided to get one. It was the most awkward 30 minutes of my life but it was also utterly fabulous. I asked him for some tips on learning guitar and he demonstrated a few things for me and gave me some really good advice that I still think about when I’m playing my guitar today.
Little did I know then… I have since seen Jason in person at 5 different SPN cons (soon to be 6) as well as at Louden Swain’s ‘No Time Like The Present’ album release party in LA. He is always so sweet and kind to me.
Another favourite memory I have was at his m&g in Toronto last year. I asked him why he never plays the song “Weary Man” anymore because it’s my absolute fave of his. He then proceeded to play it for me (or … most of it anyways). It was a moment I will never forget because it meant so much to me and he didn’t have to do it but he chose to try to make my request come true, despite any misgivings he may have had about playing a song he hadn’t played in a very long time.
Jason also opened for Louden Swain at their album release party in 2017. I got to hear him play “Stand By Me” in person for the first time and it was so beautiful. I also got to hear Jason, Rob [Benedict], and Billy [Moran] perform “Hallelujah” together for the first time that night and it gave me chills. Those experiences are moments that I am so grateful for and I will cherish them forever.
Sam (@honeybeemish)
I’ve been lucky enough to interact with Jason multiple times. Each memory makes me smile, he’s always so sweet. One of the ones that stands out the most was when he played my favorite song of his, “When Did I Stop Believing”, at Manns Cave. He would begin the song and stop to say something, and look at me for my reaction. When he eventually played it I don’t think I stopped smiling. It’s impossible to put into words how amazing it felt to hear a song that I love so much played only feet away from me. That weekend was so great. Happy Birthday Jason! Love you.
Lori (@SPNZookeeper)
My favourite memory of Jason is a memory from The Sandwich and Jason tour last July. I’d decided on a whim only a few weeks earlier to travel to Frankfurt, Germany from Scotland to go and see them. I was having a pretty rough time at that time and was really looking forward to seeing the gig and seeing Jason again. Half way through Jason’s set he asked for song requests and when I requested one he replied with “well, why don’t you just come up and sing it yourself!” After a loooot of persuasion, and Jason finally singing my initial request I did get up on stage. In the end it turned out to be one of the most exhilarating/terrifying/wonderful experiences ever and I can’t thank Jason enough for it. He’s always been so encouraging when it comes to me singing and playing guitar. I could never thank him enough for that experience!
KathleenP.
My number one favorite memory of Jason is during Pittcon last year, I was walking through the vendor room talking on the phone with my mom, and I saw him talking to a group of people. I told my mom I saw him, and she jokingly said “tell him I say hi” and I walked by and said “Hi Jason Manns, my mom says hi” and kept walking and he gets all excited and goes “HI MOM!” And he waved and I go “Jason Manns says hi” and I heard him laugh.
Sebastian (@firebucklemming)
I’ve got a lot of good memories with Jason but one in particular stands out to me because it really shows who he is as a person. I think about it all the time when I’m feeling down about a certain thing.
It was Pittcon 2017, it all started when I was at Gil Mckinney’s table and Jason was leaving the area… he had backed into me with his backpack and knocked me on the ground. Jason is a pretty large guy compared to me, I’m only 4’10. He apologized and made sure that I was alright. Later that day, at his panel I was his last question and had mentioned the situation and Jason remembered my name and stuff. He misgendered me by calling me she on stage. At the time I didn’t want to say anything obviously because he was ending his panel. But, later that day…Jason asked me about it. I had told him that my pronouns were he/him and he asked questions about it. He was so sincere about the whole thing. I felt so validated. And to top it all off, at karaoke later that night I had been chosen to sing and Jason said, “Wow he’s the fastest” or something along the lines of that. But he used to right pronouns. It made me feel so good and I will never forget it. He has been so good to me and many others. I feel that this mere incident reflects on the person that he is. Kind hearted, curious, and just plain awesome. I hope that he has a great birthday. I am so thankful for Jason and all that he’s done.
Conny (@unfenced_fire)
I have a lot of favourite memories connected to Jason, from sitting in front of a computer watching Stageit performances in my PJs, texting my fandom friends and feeling like I was part of a concert crowd, to actual concerts at cons, tours, with bands or without. Jason always makes me feel happy and his music makes me feel at home. If I had to pick my favourite memory though, it’d have to be the concert at Jib two years ago, where I was sat in front of the stage, surrounded by my best fandom friends.
It was a magical night and sometimes I miss these solo shows a lot. But I’ve also made so many great memories seeing him play with The Station Breaks – I’ll never forget the 2017 EU tour – and I’ll never forget Jason’s face when my friend and I walked into the photo op room at VanCon, where he definitely didn’t expect us. Thank you for being you Jason, you’ve brought so many great things into my life.
Paige (@lightinmychest)
My favorite memory is a more recent one. I’m always super nervous whenever I go up to talk to him. I don’t know why since he’s such a down to earth guy! But it was at his show with Blake Lewis in Atlanta after the show. We were all waiting around for the guys to hopefully come out and chat and when they did my friend, Anje, literally pushed me up to him and explained that I was nervous (even though I had met him a few times prior). He gave me the biggest hug and I so appreciate that. I thanked him for the show and we took a photo.
Mandy (@BandagedLetdown)
I’ve only met him once, so one is an in person favorite moment, one happened over Snapchat and was probably a bit odd, but hopefully made him laugh a little.
The first was when I met him at his table during Houscon 2017; we chatted, I was SUPER nervous, and he was incredibly sweet and told me he liked my smile, I don’t even remember if I was able to respond other than to smile even bigger.
The second happened a few months ago over Snapchat after I completely misread a message from someone. The initial message, regarding a conversation with Jason at a con, said “we talked about lots of things,” which I read as “we talked about lobster things.” I ended up messaging him and telling him about it and after a few back and forth messages in which he admitted to not knowing much about them, I told him I’d give him some good lobster facts at the end of the year when I see him.
Brec Bassinger, the nineteen-year-old actress from School of Rock and Bella and The Bulldogs, has officially been cast as Courtney Whitmore, aka Stargirl. In this new series, Courtney finds out her father used to be a superhero’s sidekick and decides to follow in his footsteps, using a magic staff that gives her superhuman abilities.
Judging from her tweet, this Texas native is ready to get rolling!
We will be seeing more Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) in DC movies, including one based off of the Birds of Prey comic book.
DC revealed that the movie was going to be made back in 2016, but the release date and title are still unknown.
In an interview Robbie did with Collider she described it as an
“R-rated girl gang film including Harley, because I was like, ‘Harley needs friends.’ Harley loves interacting with people, so don’t ever make her do a standalone film. She’s got to be with other people, it should be a girl gang. I wasn’t seeing enough girl gangs on screen, especially in the action space. So that was always a big part of it.”
It is also being referred to as an “all-female variation on Suicide Squad.”
The group will be comprised of Harley Quinn, Black Canary, Huntress and Renee Montoya. It will be directed by Cathy Yan (Dead Pigs) and the script is by Christina Hodson (Unforgettable).
This is the summary currently on IMDB:
“After splitting up with The Joker, Harley Quinn and three other female superheroes — Black Canary, Huntress and Renee Montoya — come together to save the life of a little girl (Cassandra Cain) from an evil crime lord”
The Birds of Prey comic was created by Jordan B. Gorfinkel and Chuck Dixon and released in 1995; the first one was called “Black Canary/Oracle: Birds of Prey.”
What are your thoughts about this movie? Let us know in the comments below!
HBO has announced that Funko will take over their official shop in New York from October 4th through October 7th. The Official HBO Shop, located at 42nd St. and 6th Ave. in Manhattan, will host a wide array of highly collectible Funko products, including Pop! Vinyls, Pop! Keychains, Pop! Tees, and more. Game of Thrones, Westworld, Silicon Valley, and Veepare just some of the HBO series that will be featured on the Funko products.
This limited time event coincides with New York Comic Con and will first place fans can purchase the next wave of GOT Funko figures before they become available at other retailers. Limited quantites of the NYCC exclusive “Metallic” Game of Thrones Funko Children of the Forest Pop! figure will also be available!
For the duration of the Pop Up shop, the HBO Shop will be open with extended hours from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday-Friday and from 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. on Sunday.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
