Co-written by Mapi Piña and Vanessa Soto

Red lips emit sinister whispering into the ears of a captive female character. “Oh Allie…” the lips continuously whisper. The fear emanating from the captive is palpable—a perfect opening to a thriller.

Stefanie Scott as Allie

“Caught” throws you into the middle of the storyline —with a kidnapping—and tells you the backstory later. After the opening scene we begin to see the layers of Allie’s life peel away. We learn that the protagonist, Allie (Stefanie Scott) is on her high school’s track team but is kicked off after her coach discovers her grades have been slipping.

The movie proceeds to show us that Allie works after school as a waitress at her mom’s (Mary B. McCann) restaurant, a job she not only detests, but is not particularly skilled at. While her job has its setbacks, the upside was meeting the dapper Mr. Jason (Sam Page) while he was out on a business dinner —an encounter assumed to be a few months prior to Allie’s kidnapping.
On one particular shift Allie goes against her mother’s wishes and leaves work early, practically prancing into the hands of her abductor. We soon discover that there are two abductors: a sister team comprised of Sabrina (Anna Camp) —Jason’s wife, and Paige (Amelia Rose Blair), Sabrina’s sister. As if Allie’s day couldn’t get any worse after getting kicked off her team, she gets snatched by a wife she apparently didn’t know existed and learns that Jason is just another chiseled-face adulterer.

Generally speaking, if you’ve seen one kidnapping-gone-wrong storyline, you’ve pretty much seen them all. One character just wants to teach another a lesson with a harmless prank that goes too far; it’s a genre with very little variation, but screenwriter Marcy Holland shatters those stereotypes in “Caught.”

After tying Allie to a chair in the attic Sabrina bounces through the house with manic glee, spouting lines like “Do you think you could waterboard someone in a Jacuzzi?” The plan quickly goes amiss when Justin (Sam Page) comes home early and Allie kicks her way out of the attic. While a lesser screenplay would drag out this moment until the end of the film, Holland’s writing shakes things up by having the confrontation between all the characters occur within the first act. Thirty minutes into the film, Justin discovers Allie in the house, Allie finds out Justin is married and Justin realizes what Sabrina has done, and having everything out on the table so early on adds a depth to each character’s performance.

In fact, where the film succeeds most is in its character development. Anna Camp’s performance adds dimension to a character that could have easily been played as a flat, vengeful housewife and makes her understandable, almost sympathetic and undeniably hilarious.

Overall, the film has a few suspense-filled scenes, but goes the way of a comedic thriller more than anything and the pacing was sometimes inconsistent. Laughter poured out of the mouths of a few audience members, mainly as a reaction to the difficult-to-believe scenes and the “Did she really just say that?” lines from a few of the characters—mainly Camp.

No spoilers on how it all ends, you’ll definitely want to see this one for yourself.

“Caught” premiered at the LA Film Festival June 12th, 2015

Directed by: Maggie Kiley

Produced by: Jennifer Westin

Written by: Marcy Holland

Starring: Stefanie Scott, Anna Camp, Amelia Rose Blair, Sam Page

Grade: B

As of Sept. 22, it is officially fall and for you TV fanatics out there that means two things, discovering great new shows and watching new episodes of your favorites.

There are so many series premieres this year it’s almost impossible to keep track and even if you know what’s on TV, how on earth do you decide what to watch first? Luckily for me, I have DVR, a Slingbox, and the Internet so I can watch anything and everything, at anytime — I’m a little obsessed with TV. But, if you are limited on time and resources, the staff here at HTS is making things easy for you. We each came up with a list of our must-see shows (new and returning) for the season.

Frances is part of a small group of TV lovers who can say she literally watches EVERY SINGLE PILOT for the fall season. She even sees future episodes in her dreams

Frances’ picks

Sleepy Hollow: The plot for this show is a little ridiculous — Ichobod Crane (Tom Mison) and the Headless Horseman are real, but instead of disappearing after his encounter with the Horseman, Crane is put under a spell and goes to sleep for roughly 300 years. When Crane wakes up he’s in Sleepy Hollow and the Horseman is running amok decapitating people left and right. Of course the local police are not about a gruesome serial killer stalking the town’s residents so they pull all their resources into finding said killer. That’s when Crane meets Lt. Abbie Walls (Nicole Beharie) and she brings him in as a suspect. Of course Crane’s ramblings about fighting in the Revolutionary War and a headless horseman make everyone in the department think he’s a lunatic, but Lt. Walls in inclined to believe at least part of his story since she personally witnessed the horseman kill her boss. Lt. Walls also had her own paranormal experience as a child, so she’s not one to judge. If Crane says he’s from the 18^th century she’s not going to argue. Lt. Walls decides Crane could be a helpful asset and enlists him to help with the case, thus a paranormal crime fighting team is born. On paper it doesn’t like it will work, but Crane and Walls’ fish-out-of-water banter is charming. It also helps that this shows version of Ichobod Crane is a blue-eyed British hunk instead of the lanky nerd we’re used to from the original story.

Mom: Quality sitcoms are hard to come by nowadays. Most shows are either over the top and unfunny or people do not recognize how awesome they are and they get canceled after a season or two (I’m still mourning the death of “Whitney”). As a result, I end up watching a ton of comedies I’m just not that into in the hopes of getting at least one laugh out loud moment. Lucky for me (and all you comedy lovers out there), Ana Farris has hit a homerun with “Mom.” The show follows Christy (Farris), a thirty-something mother who got pregnant too young, struggled with alcoholism, and is now coming to terms with the way her life turned out. Christy is trying her best to raise a teenager daughter and young son while working as a waitress and attending AA meetings, but she also has her former alcoholic/drug addict mother (Allison Janney) to deal  with. It may sound more like a tragic drama than comedy material, but Janney and Farris’ chemistry somehow make it work.  This is one I’ll be tuning into all season … and not just because there’s nothing else on.

Nashville: The show’s first season ended with so many cliffhangers and drama, I was literally counting the minutes until the season premiere. In case you forgot where things left off, Rayna and Deacon were in a horrible car crash, Gunnar proposed to Scarlett after acting like a major douche for the second half of the season, and Peggy’s pregnant with Teddy’s baby. Yeah, that’s a lot to fit into one finale, but that’s what makes it so juicy. This season we get to find out if Deacon will be able to recover from his alcohol relapse and deal with finding out Maddie’s his daughter. Also, is Juliette still a giant opportunistic diva? I don’t know, but I can’t wait to find out

Revenge: I generally do not watch soap operas, but soap operas on primetime … awesome! Revenge is my number one guilty pleasure and since revenge isn’t actually sweet in real life, I workout all my evil thoughts towards those who have wronged me through Emily Thorne. Last season ended as follows; there’s a huge bomb at Grayson Global, Declan dies, Victoria’s long lost son shows up, Nolan gets arrested for the bombing, Aiden is tired of Emily’s weird obsession with the Grayson’s, Charlotte is pregnant and Emily tells Jack she’s really Amanda to stop him from shooting Conrad. How can things get more complicated for this messed up group of people? I don’t know, but in all the teasers for the season we see Emily getting shot while in her wedding dress. It’s going to be fun trying to figure out who ends up hating Emily enough to kill her. Victoria already killed someone once, will she find out Emily is really Amanda and take matters into her own hands? Does one of Emily’s allies turn on her? What if it’s all just a bad dream and Emily doesn’t get shot at all? I’m probably going to spend the entire season obsessing over the possibilities, but hey that’s the fun part.

Rosemary likes to take pictures (as she should, she went all the way to NYC to perfect her craft). When she’s not snapping photos she’s probably watching HIMYM

Rosemary’s picks

How I Met Your Mother: HIMYM just started it’s final season. After all this time, they finally revealed who the Mother is at the eight of season eight. Three episodes into the ninth season, and we still don’t know how Ted met The Mother, although we have seen some pretty intense chemistry between the two. The season takes place during the 52 hours before Barney and Robin’s wedding and finally (hopefully?) to the moment they say “I Do,” where Ted finally meets The One, and to see where Marshall and Lily end up. In true HIMYM fashion, we’ll probably see lots of flashbacks and flash forwards. After investing eight years into the lives of The Gang (or a year of non-stop watching thanks to Netflix, like me), fans are ready for the show to end. There may be some crying on my part.

Hostages: CBS has described this show as a “limited series,” which due to the plot line, seems fair. The show centers around Dr. Ellen Sanders (Toni Collette), a doctor who is to perform a surgical procedure on the US President (James Naugton). A group of men, led by Duncan Carlisle (Dylan McDermott), shake up Dr. Sanders’ life when they invade her home and take her kids and husband (Tate Donovan) hostage. Her choices are limited; either participate in a conspiracy that would result in the president’s “accidental” death on her operating table, or risk her family. Although the numbers for the first two episodes have been mediocre, the show, with its stellar cast, could turn out to be an online binge-watching phenomenon.

The Voice: What can I say, I’m a sucker for singing competition shows, as you can probably tell from my weekly X-Factor recaps. After a sort of lackluster last season with Shakira and Usher, it’s nice to have the original four judges back (Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, CeeLo Green, and Christina Aguilera). In a “reality” world where most shows like this focus on bad auditions for entertainment purposes, The Voice showcases different levels of talent, where the amazing succeed, and the mediocre get valuable advice on how to move forward. This season has already proved to have some incredible talent, unlike most reality competition shows. And although we have yet to get a successful artist from the show, it’s fun to see the judges battle it out over who gets who on what team. Also, is it just me, or is Christina Aguilera infinitely more likable now?

The Crazy Ones: If Robin Williams’ and Sarah Michelle Gellar’s return to TV wasn’t a draw enough, CBS’s “The Crazy Ones” ‘s pilot episode debuted with 15.6 million viewers. The show follows Simon Roberts (Williams) as a crazy, charming, and unpredictable exec at the Chicago ad agency, Lewis, Roberts & Roberts. Everyone surrounding Simon is quick to laugh at his antics, leaving the task of keeping him in line to his daughter, Sydney (Gellar). If the premiere’s McDonald’s commercial featuring Kelly Clarkson is any indication, the rest of the season will surely feature other big names for laughs. Note: Frances and I completely disagree on this one. She HATED the pilot. We’ll have to see more episodes before we decide who was right.

The Blacklist: NBC’s “The Blacklist” has also seen strong numbers. After a three day DVR playback, the show saw a total of 16.95 million viewers for its premiere episode. The drama centers around Raymond “Red” Reddington (James Spader), one of FBI’s most wanted, after he surrenders to the FBI in D.C. Reddington says he’ll cooperate since “For the moment, our interests are aligned,” but only if he speaks to Elizabeth Keen (Megan Boone). (FOR THE MOMENT? He’s going to go rogue, I’m calling it now. Can you really say a surrendered fugitive has gone rogue?) His interest in Keen won’t be divulged, but he says he’s going to make her famous. Reddington reveals that he has a list of terrorists and criminals he’d like to see caught, his “blacklist.”

Phoebe’s picks

As one of HTS’s most active writers, Phoebe reports on everything from fashion to television

Star-Crossed: Star-Crossed is CW’s latest science fiction romance show. It plays off the classic star crossed tale of Romeo and Juliet except in CW’s case it’s with an alien human twist set in high school surrounding some civil rights issues for aliens. When Matt Lanter, who plays alien boy Roman, and his eight other alien friends are put into a suburban high school 10 years after coming to earth and being put into an internment camp they are less than welcomed into the community. Not a very surprising reaction considering high school is hard enough to get through being human and unpopular without adding the whole different species thing into the mix. Things look pretty bleak for the group of aliens until Roman comes across Aimee Teegaden’s character  Emery, who he is inexplicably drawn to. The show is sure to become a new sci-fi romance favorite with a great looking cast and the classic appeal of forbidden love we can’t get enough of.  For me this new show is on the must watch list because it has all the trimmings of that perfect supernatural human power couple you can’t help but cheer on despite all the obvious obstacles in their way. I have not been this excited about watching a couple develop since my Smallville days of Lana and Clark, and to this day I am still bummed they didn’t end up together. Let’s not forget the teenage angst we all went through (and for some reason can’t get enough of on screen) and feed our guilty pleasures together.

 The Tomorrow People: The Tomorrow People is the CW’s newest action packed series and it has everything from special powers to secret hideouts and a paramilitary group of scientists called, Ultra. The Tomorrow People’s premise is the evolution of humankind where a generation of humans begin to slowly be born with special abilities. Robbie Amell plays Stephen Jameson, your average teenager  up until he begins hearing voices and teleporting in his sleep. When Stephen decides to listen to one of the voices he meets John, Cara and Russell, the Tomorrow People with the special abilities of telekinesis, teleportation and telepathic communication. This opens a whole new world for Stephen who also learns the Tomorrow People are being hunted by a paramilitary group of scientists led by Dr. Jedikiah Price. He is forced between two worlds he is now a part of, not an easy thing for a teenager who is still trying to figure out who he is. Throughout the show we go on a journey with Stephen, who chooses his own way of keeping loyalty to his old world of humanity and new world of the Tomorrow People all while he uncovers all sorts secrets, even some regarding his father’s unexplained disappearance. My only question for this show is why isn’t it on your must watch list? I’ve only seen clips and I’m excited with anticipation of what’s to come. The main character Stephen is not only likable, but interesting and in a way you’re going through some major life changing events with him. If that does not instantly make you feel bonded to him I don’t know what will. Plus the plot line seems nicely paced so you don’t have that overdrawn out feeling that drives me especially insane. The series is also a reincarnation of an old British Sci-Fi series from the 70s and British remakes tend to do pretty good around these parts.

Beauty And the Beast:  Beauty and the Beast what can I say its been a childhood favorite of mine for as long as I can remember. So when I saw previews for this show last year I knew I had to check it out. One episode was all it took and I’ve been hooked ever since. I was skeptical whether this show could do the classic justice with a modern twist and it does on all accounts. The beast is a hunk and Belle is now a bad ass New York City cop named, Catherine — it doesn’t get any better than that. Plus the show gets you invested in the characters and the chemistry between the actors is just intoxicating and I’m seriously counting down the days until I get pulled back into it all. The new season of Beauty & the Beast is set to start on Oct. 7th and just by the way season one ended with some big secrets being revealed you can tell season two is going to be an interesting one. Last season we met dedicated cop Catherine Chandler, who carries the murder of her mother, and circumstances surrounding it, with her. She too would have been killed had it not been for a beast like man who saved her. Despite everyone telling her what she saw isn’t possible she can’t let it go. When the fingerprints of a supposedly dead Vincent Keller show up on the body of a murder victim Cat is investigating it brings her face to face with the beast, Vincent. It becomes clear to her that he was the one who saved her years ago. Catherine and Vincent end up forming quite the connection each one looking out for each other and helping each other more than they realize, and of course feelings arise on both ends. Just when things seem to be heating up between Catherine and Vincent an old girlfriend from his past spots him and shakes things up. Vincent gets carried away in the fantasy of his old life, but soon realizes he isn’t the same and has to win Catherine back. Cat still being hurt wants to keep things strictly business with him and just focus on protecting him from Muirfield. Vincent wins her over but things get complicated when he kills Cat’s boss’ brother to protect her sister. This leads to an all out manhunt of Vincent with assistant district attorney, Gabe helping lead the whole thing. Catherine’s friend Evan finds out about Vincent and in attempt to protect her not knowing the truth teams up the bad guys Muirfield, which leads to his death. It is later revealed Gabe suffers from the beast plague like Vincent, but has a medication that has helped him suppress it until now.By the end of season one Vincent and Catherine are together and stronger than ever, and more people know about Vincent than before including Cat’s partner Tess. We are left watching Vincent captured by Muirfield and learning that Catherine’s dad isn’t the man she grew up calling dad.

Vampire Diaries: If there ever was a supernatural creature I couldn’t get enough of it would hands down be vampires. To say I’m obsessed might be slightly accurate, but in the case of Vampire Diaries is there any way else to feel. The cast is gorgeous, the story is amazing, and every season gets better so if you’re not watching the question is when are you starting. Also if you haven’t got the message this show is awesome and those of you who are worried its just another Twilight don’t its not. I’ve enjoyed my Twilight fan girl moments, but realize its not everyone’s cup of tea, but Vampire Diaries is a whole different ball game that I’ve gotten even my guy friends to get hooked on despite their protest at first. With so many changes and our favorite high school seniors graduating there’s so much to look forward to in the upcoming fifth season of Vampire Diaries. Let’s backtrack a bit a go over some of the craziness that was last season. When we last left Mystic Falls Elena wakes up to find out she transitioning into a vampire  and despite having some hesitations at first she feeds and completes the transition. Elena struggles with the new realities of her life, but Stefan is there to guide her through it even though she is finding herself drawn to Damon. When vampire hunter, Connor comes into town a whole lot of troubles comes along with him. Connor isn’t just any vampire hunter but one of the Five, a 900 year old clan of vampire hunters. Elena eventually kills Connor, but not before it revealed her brother Jeremy is also one of the Five as well. This sets off a vampire killing spree for Jeremy to help him complete the hunter map that leads to a cure to being a vampire. After some roadblocks they manage to find the cure only to have it stolen by Katherine who while awakening Silas kills Jeremy. Jeremy’s death sends Elena spiraling down and in an attempt to help her Damon uses his sire bond to have her turn off her emotions turning Elena cold and uncontrollable. Elena’s emotions are finally turned on when Damon breaks Matt neck killing him luckily he was wearing the ring and survives. Elena’s channel her emotions towards killing Katherine meanwhile Silas is determined to get Bonnie to take down the veil between the dead and the living. Bonnie takes the veil down temporarily with plans of her own for Silas. The veil being down reunites Jeremy and Elena as well as brings back a lot loved ones and supernatural enemies. Bonnie manages to use a spell to turn  Silas into stone and cast another spell to bring Jeremy back to life which kills her before she can complete it. With the veil being down Bonnie is able to come back and graduate with everyone. With their supernatural enemies out for blood graduation is anything but drama free, but Bonnie closes the veil in time while sacrificing herself to bring Jeremy back to life, and asks him not to tell anyone she is dead and instead say she is with her aunt. Elena finally chooses between the Salvatore brothers picking Damon leaving Stefan heart broken and leaving town. Season four ends with Elena shoving the cure down Katherine’s throat ,and Stefan learning he is Silas’ doppelganger right before he is locked in a safe and dropped into a lake by Silas.

The Originals: For all the Vampire Diaries’ fans out there you are familiar with the Mikaelson family better known as the Originals, the family that started the whole vampire bloodline. This year the Originals are moving from Mystic Falls and into New Orleans and getting their very own show. The show’s premise was introduced on the Vampire Diaries when it was revealed in New Orleans that werewolf, Haley was pregnant with original vampire hybrid, Klaus’s child. This news leads to Klaus having to work with the witches of New Orleans to take down his protege Marcel, who had taken over running the town after Klaus had to leave to hide from his father who was hunting him. Marcel over the years becomes out of control and in order to gratify his ego, protect Haley and his unborn child Klaus takes back control of New Orleans, and with encouragement of his brother Elijah decides to stay in New Orleans and accept his child. The brothers invite their sister Rebekah to join, but she refuses. The Originals is sure to leave us at the edge out seats and entertained with the mischief and new cast of characters we will encounter in the Mikaelson’s new home in New Orleans. There is a lot to be said about the Mikaelson siblings and boring is not even in the realm of possibilities. From the moment I was introduced to the original family on Vampire Diaries I was intrigued because its been a concept not really ever explored. I’m pretty sure everyone at one point or another has wondered how vampires even came into existence and in comes the originals perfection. They’re flawed, charming, bad ass, and a bit vindictive at times and its great. It’s nice to see time hasn’t mellowed even the oldest of vampires.

If you haven’t heard of Butch Walker, you’ve probably heard his music. At least that’s how the people behind the new documentary “Butch Walker: Out of Focus,” are marketing it. The tagline for the film is, “the music you know, the man you don’t.”

It actually is very fitting because Walker has been in the music industry for more than 20 years. He’s written music for Taylor Swift, Pink, Katy Perry, Fall Out Boy and many others. He’s also headlined several bands of his own. This fall director’s Shane Valdés and Peter Harding are introducing audiences to the man and the music he’s been creating on the down low for many years. We’re not sure why his music never made it to the mainstream, but this documentary is full of great songs and a touching story.

We were lucky enough to attend the premiere for the film on Wednesday and talked to some of Walker’s friends and fans. In attendance were Josh Radnor of “How I Met Your Mother,” musicians Brett Dennen and Tristan Prettyman, actors Hoyt Richards, Jason Dolley, and Skyler Samuels, just to name a few. Walker performed an intimate concert immediately after the premiere. Check out our video and photos below.

Photography by Rosemary Vega
[See image gallery at hollywoodtimessquare.com]

“Rizzoli & Isles” star, Lee Thompson Young’s funeral will be held on Friday afternoon at the Paramount Studios lot where the show is filmed.

The former Disney star was found dead in his North Hollywood apartment Monday morning. Authorities and Young’s manager said the actor died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Young, 29, played detective Barry Frost on the TNT crime drama alongside Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander. On the show, Frost was a computer whiz who became ill at the sight of blood. Young was scheduled to return as a regular on the show, which had just been renewed for a fifth season.

TMZ first reported the location and date of the service, saying hundreds of people are expected to attend. The funeral will be private.

Young’s family is asking that people make donations to Young Storytellers Foundation in lieu of flowers. The foundation helps expose underprivileged kids to the arts.

It is still unclear why Young committed suicide. He did not leave a suicide note and many did not know he was struggling with mental health issues.

Production on “Rizzoli & Isles” has been on hold since news of the actor’s death broke. Executives at TNT have not said how the plan on dealing with Young’s death on the show.

The show paid tribute to Young on this week’s episode. Watch below.

Former “Jett Jackson” star and “Rizzoli & Isles” cast member, Lee Thompson Young was found dead in his North Hollywood apartment Monday. He was 29-years-old.

Police officers were called to Young’s house after he failed to show up for work Monday morning. The LAPD has not released an official cause of death, but Young’s manager, Jonathan Baruch, released a statement saying the actor committed suicide shortly after the news broke.

“It is with great sadness that I announce that Lee Thompson Young tragically took his own life this morning,” the statement said. “Lee was more than just a brilliant young actor, he was a wonderful and gentle soul who will be truly missed. We ask that you please respect the privacy of his family and friends as this very difficult time.”

According to TMZ reports, Young’s body was found with a gunshot wound that appeared to be self-inflicted.

Young first appeared on television at age 14 as the star of the Disney show “The Famous Jett Jackson,” which aired from 1998 to 2001. The show followed a child star that stars in an action show who later decides to move production back to suburban North Carolina from Hollywood so he can resume life with his family.

He later appeared in the films “Friday Night Lights,” and “Akeelah and the Bee.” Young also had a successful run on several TV shows including “Smallville,” “Scrubs,” “CSI: NY, ” “Flash Forward” and most recently “Rizzoli and Isles.”

“Everyone at Rizzoli & Isles is devastated by the news of the passing of Lee Thompson Young,” TNT, Warner Bros. and Rizzoli & Isles executive producer Janet Tamaro said in a statement. “We are beyond heartbroken at the loss of this sweet, gentle, good-hearted, intelligent man.

“He was truly a member of our family,” the statement said. “Lee will be cherished and remembered by all who knew and loved him, both on- and offscreen, for his positive energy, infectious smile and soulful grace. We send our deepest condolences and thoughts to his family, to his friends and, most especially, to his beloved mother.”

Young often said he cherished his roots as a child star.

“It’s always a really great feeling when I talk to people who watched ‘Jett Jackson,’ because we were the same age,” he told EW.com in 2011. “We were all kids. I was 13 when I started working on that show and that was part of my childhood. And it’s kind of like we have that in common.

Lee Thompson Young was born in South Carolina in 1984.  He started acting when he was 10-years-old.  He got an agent a few years later after traveling to New York.  He auditioned for the lead role in “The Famous Jett Jackson” in 1997 and the show aired in 1998. Young also starred in a made for TV movie based on the show called, “Jett Jackson:  The Movie.”  It was the first time that the Disney Channel made a movie that was based on an original Disney series.

The actor later attended USC’s School of Cinematic Arts on a full academic scholarship and graduated magna cum laude in 2005.

Young is survived by his mother and sister.

Production on “Rizzoli & Isles” has been temporarily shut down. No word on when filming will begin again.

There have been rumors for over a decade, and it is finally happening. Deltron 3030, after releasing a self-titled album in 2000, has released a three-song EP, City Rising From the Ashes. 

It is a teaser to the much-anticipated second album from the alternative sci-fi hip-hop trio consisting of rapper Del The Funky Homosapien, producer Dan “The Automator” Nakamura, and DJ Kid Koala.

Deltron 3030’s newest venture warns against the dangers of technology and what will occur when our dependence on it becomes too great.  Though Del describes the album as a “rock opera,” it is notable that the tracks on the EP appear in the opposite order than they will on the full-length album.  The story told through the EP does flow well, so it will be fascinating to find out the true intention of each track in context when the album is released.

The first song on the EP, “City Rising From the Ashes” is an excellent introduction.  It sets the scene for a sort of post-apocalyptic world that still has traces of its former culture.  The old-school beats and rapping style are a well-chosen juxtaposition against the futuristic sound effects that back the chorus, grounding the listener in history while preparing for the inevitable chaos.

Upon first listen, “The Agony” sounds like it should be playing in the background of a heist or hacker scene in a movie.  There is a strong sense of anxiety and urgency, only exacerbated by the small and defeated voice of the chorus.  “Pay the Price” feels the most theatrical of the three songs and is certainly the heaviest in terms of plot.  While it may be more interesting in context, it is the least interesting musically.

This sampler is sure to whet the appetite of Deltron 3030 fans and will certainly raise expectations for their upcoming album, Deltron 3030: Event II, to be released Oct. 1, 2013.

Check out Deltron 3030’s EP, City Rising from the Ashes here.

Reach reporter Seema Vennam here. 

Over the past twenty years Kate Spade New York (KSNY) developed a formula for pop-culture meets upper east side chic that epitomizes their brand recognition to fashionistas in the know. In honor of their 20^th anniversary Kate Spade has dedicated the month of August to the location of their flagship store in NYC simply titled KSNY x Darcel.

KSNY x Darcel hot dog coin purse (courtesy of Kate Spade New York

If Jeff Koons, Andy Warhol, and Takashi Murakami were to hypothetically walk into a bar in New York, the punch line would be the artist behind the new collection, Craig Redman. His design aesthetic is reminiscent of the pop-culture greats, many of which share a similar admiration to all things NYC.

The seamless collaboration, KSNY x Darcel, sings true to the brand’s quirky design sensibility and celebrates the day in the life of the modern NYC downtown gal on the go named Darcel. In the words of Redman, “Darcel is a downtown gal who’s not afraid to scarf down a hot dog while swigging champagne she’s snatched from an opening. She’s cute, self-aware and in control.”

While the collection may not be suited to all tastes, Kate Spade fans will find delight at every turn while exploring this collection. Specifically campy and kitsch, the designer collaboration fully embraces the melding of his pop culture aesthetic with a brand that does not shy away from its culture of a visually analogous product line.

Standouts in the  latest collection include the donut bangle and the hot dog coin purse. The resin bangle is dripping with a pink enamel glaze that will suffice as a guilty pleasure placebo for those who don’t subscribe to an actual cheat day in their diets. While the hot dog coin purse is irresistibly popping with brightly colored patent faux leather colored red in yellow that will compliment a summer baseball game at your favorite park.

For the tech savvy fashion forward set, you can get in on the latest collaboration without having to purchase a single item. KSNY has paired with the app Snaps which allows you to pose with virtual versions of your favorite brands.  Now you can pose with Darcel anywhere you can take your smartphone. The collection and the Darcel photo booth are now available online.

Reach reporter Sarah Ledesma here and follow her on Twitter.

Lea Michele made her first public appearance since the death of her “Glee” co-star and real life boyfriend, Cory Monteith, at the Teen Choice Awards on Sunday.

Michele made her way to the stage after winning the award for Choice TV Actress in a Comedy. The actress looked marvelous in a bright pink dress with matching shoes and a necklace that said “Cory,” but it was evident that her win was bittersweet. She was overwhelmed by emotion before she even opened her mouth.

“I just wanted to be here today to personally thank all of you and tell everyone out there how much your love and support had meant to me over the past few weeks,” Michele said through tears.

She went on saying, “Not that I had any doubt before, but we certainly do have the greatest fans in the world. I want to dedicate this award to Cory.”

Monteith and Michele played an on-again, off-again couple on “Glee” and dated off-screen for about a year.

“For all of you out there who loved Cory as much as I did — I promise you we’ll get through this together. He was very special to me and also to the world, and we were very lucky to witness his incredible talent his handsome smile and his beautiful, beautiful heart. So whether you knew him personally or as Finn, he reached out and became a part of all of our hearts. So thank you guys so much,” Michele said.

Monteith, who co-hosted the Teen Choice Awards in 2010, was found dead on July 13 in Vancouver, British Columbia from a heroin and alcohol overdose. Michele and the rest of the “Glee” cast just started shooting for season 5 last week, this time without one of their principle cast members.

The rest of the cast also paid tribute to Monteith while accepting the award for Choice TV Comedy.

“Although we lost someone that we really love and that you guys love too we are very fortunate to come back to a show where we feel the love of family and Cory was like a brother to us,” said actress Amber Riley.

“We know that Cory would want to dedicate this award to you guys,” Jenna Ushkowitz said to the fans.

Monteith won a Teen Choice award for choice TV actor in a comedy in 2011 for his role as Finn Hudson.

The new season of “Glee” begins on Sept. 26.

photo credit: John Shearer, AP

Reach editor-in-chief Frances Vega here.

Celebrities and fans gathered at the Gibson Amphitheater in Los Angeles on Sunday for the Teen Choice Awards. Check out who took home the coveted surfboard on our winners list below.  For those of you that don’t usually watch the Teen Choice Awards, winners are given a surfboard instead of the traditional trophy.

Selena Gomez accepting her surfboard at the Teen Choice Awards (photo credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

MOVIES
Choice Movie: Action
“Iron Man 3″

Choice Movie Actor: Action
Robert Downey, Jr., “Iron Man 3″

Choice Movie Actress: Action
Anne Hathaway, “The Dark Knight Rises”

Choice Movie: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
“The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 2″

Choice Movie Actor: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Taylor Lautner, “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 2″

Choice Movie Actress: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Kristen Stewart, “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 2″

Choice Movie: Drama
“The Perks of Being a Wallflower”

Choice Movie Actor: Drama
Logan Lerman, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower”

Choice Movie Actress: Drama
Emma Watson, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower”

Choice Movie: Comedy
“Pitch Perfect”

Choice Movie Actor: Comedy
Skylar Astin, “Pitch Perfect”

Choice Movie Actress: Comedy
Rebel Wilson, “Pitch Perfect”

Choice Movie: Romance
“The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 2″

Choice Movie Actor: Romance
Robert Pattinson, “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 2″

Choice Movie Actress: Romance
Kristen Stewart, “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 2″

Choice Movie Villain
Adam DeVine, “Pitch Perfect”

Choice Movie Scene Stealer
Kellan Lutz, “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2″

Choice Movie Breakout Star
Nicholas Hoult, “Warm Bodies”

TELEVISION

Choice TV Show: Drama
“Pretty Little Liars”

Choice TV Actor: Drama
Ian Harding, “Pretty Little Liars”

Choice TV Actress: Drama
Troian Bellisario, “Pretty Little Liars”

Choice TV Show: Fantasy/Sci-Fi
“The Vampire Diaries”

Choice TV Actor: Fantasy/Sci-Fi
Ian Somerhalder, “The Vampire Diaries”

Choice TV Actress: Fantasy/Sci-Fi
Nina Dobrev, “The Vampire Diaries”

Choice TV Show: Action
“NCIS: Los Angeles”

Choice TV Actor: Action
LL Cool J, “NCIS: Los Angeles”

Choice TV Actress: Action
Lucy Liu, “Elementary”

Choice TV Show: Comedy
“Glee”

Choice TV Actor: Comedy
Jim Parsons, “The Big Bang Theory”

Choice TV Actress: Comedy
Lea Michele, Glee

Choice TV: Animated Show
THE SIMPSONS

Choice TV: Reality Competition Show
THE X FACTOR

Choice TV: Reality Show
“Keeping Up with the Kardashians”

Choice TV Villain
Janel Parrish, “Pretty Little Liars”

Choice TV Personality – Male
Simon Cowell, THE X FACTOR

Choice TV Personality — Female
Demi Lovato, THE X FACTOR

Choice TV Female Reality Star
The Kardashians & Jenners, “Keeping Up with the Kardashians”

Choice TV Male Reality Star
Kevin Jonas, “Married to Jonas”

Choice TV Male Scene Stealer
Chord Overstreet, GLEE

Choice TV Female Scene Stealer
Miley Cyrus, “Two and a Half Men”

Choice TV Breakout Star
Blake Jenner, GLEE

Choice TV Breakout Show
“The Fosters”

MUSIC

Choice Male Artist
Justin Bieber

Choice Female Artist
Demi Lovato

Choice Music Group
One Direction

Choice R&B Artist
Bruno Mars

Choice Hip-Hop/Rap Artist
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

Choice Rock Group
Paramore

Choice Electronic Dance Music (EDM) Artist
David Guetta

Choice Male Country Artist
Hunter Hayes

Choice Female Country Artist
Taylor Swift

Choice Country Group
Lady Antebellum

Choice Country Song
“We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” Taylor Swift

Choice Single: Female Artist
“Heart Attack,” Demi Lovato

Choice Single: Male Artist
“Beauty And A Beat,” Justin Bieber, featuring Nicki Minaj

Choice Single: Group
“Live While We’re Young,” One Direction

Choice R&B/Hip-Hop Song
“Can’t Hold Us,” Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, featuring Ray Dalton

Choice Rock Song
“Radioactive,” Imagine Dragons

Choice Love Song
“Little Things,” One Direction

Choice Break-Up Song
“Come and Get It,” Selena Gomez

Choice Music Breakout Artist
Ed Sheeran

Choice Music Breakout Group
Emblem3

FASHION

Choice Female Hottie
Selena Gomez

Choice Male Hottie
Harry Styles

Choice Smile
Harry Styles

SPORTS

Choice Female Athlete
Gabby Douglas

Choice Male Athlete
David Beckham

OTHER

Choice Comedian
Ellen DeGeneres

Choice Web Star
Cimorelli

Choice Social Network
Twitter

Candie’s Choice Style Icon
Demi Lovato

Choice Twitter Personality
Justin Bieber

Celebrity trainer and creator of the popular fitness craze BUTI, Bizzie Gold, launched her high-end fitness studio, The Butik, on Thursday.

The opening was a huge celebration for fitness enthusiasts. Friends and fans of her classes were invited to come check out the new studio while enjoying OM organic vodka cocktails and listening to great tunes courtesy of DJ La Muerta. Guests also got a little taste of what Gold’s nutrition plan is like. Organic and natural foods chef T. Porter served delicious grain free snacks from Gold’s system throughout the night.

As the night came to close, guests got to take home a lovely gift bag full of healthy swag. The tote bags were full of Lara Bars, Blue Monkey Coconut Water, mason jar water bottles, protein powder, and Gold’s complete BUTI workout dvd.

Gold and her signature workout plan BUTI first came to the media’s attention in 2012. BUTI is a female empowerment lifestyle brand based on a combination of yoga, plyometric and dance movement. It has garnered wide-spread media praise in the last year and was even rated one of the Hottest Workouts of 2013 by both the TODAY show and SHAPE magazine. Gold’s methods have even reached the ears of celebrities. She’s trained a handful of A-List clients that have taken their bodies to the next level using the BUTI format to build long, lean muscle and achieve optimum health.

The new studio, located in Santa Monica, will provide her most dedicated fans with the same personalized nutrition and fitness plans her celebrity clients get. The Butik is designed for women looking to experience a “TOTAL transformation.” Gold will personally help every client restructure her workouts, nutrition, and overall wellness strategy. Her plans include private and small group training, monthly meal plans, body fat testing, nutritional consulting and you can add on meal deliveries or a personal chef. Yes guys, Gold has handpicked chefs to deliver your food to you. Failing isn’t even an option with this program because Gold has thought of everything.

Gold’s plan starts at $850 a month for small group classes four times a week.

[See image gallery at hollywoodtimessquare.com]