No matter how many years pass, fans of Criminal Minds will forever remember Alex Blake and the impact she had on the show. Looking back at the many characters who have appeared on the procedural but didn't have as long of a run as the original cast, Alex Blake, portrayed by Jeanne Tripplehorn, was definitely a fan favorite and the most welcomed.
Even though the actress has since left the show, longtime viewers are still eager to see her back on their screens. Whether it will be a return to the show or some other project, it will be just as exciting and gripping.
Why Did Jeanne Tripplehorn Leave Criminal Minds?
There was no scandal behind the actress’ decision to leave, but a mutual agreement between her, whose contract was going to end, and the executives of the series. Instead of a big exit, Tripplehorn wanted for Blake to have a nice,...
Even though the actress has since left the show, longtime viewers are still eager to see her back on their screens. Whether it will be a return to the show or some other project, it will be just as exciting and gripping.
Why Did Jeanne Tripplehorn Leave Criminal Minds?
There was no scandal behind the actress’ decision to leave, but a mutual agreement between her, whose contract was going to end, and the executives of the series. Instead of a big exit, Tripplehorn wanted for Blake to have a nice,...
- 5/18/2024
- by virginia-singh@startefacts.com (Virginia Singh)
- STartefacts.com
Image source: Susie Allnutt / Itvx
She wowed fans as Sansa Stark in "Game of Thrones" which saw her nominated for an Emmy, starred alongside Colin Firth and Toni Colette in the eight-part drama "The Staircase", and most recently took on a comedic role in Netflix's "Do Revenge". Now, we've got our first look at Sophie Turner in the gritty upcoming six-part drama,"Joan," based on a true story of the notorious jewel thief, Joan Hannington.
On May 18, ITV released the first photo of Turner as she takes on the lead role of Hannington with her eclectic sense of style and bleached blonde hair, channeling the '80s when the series is set. Alongside the star is actor Frank Dillane, who plays Boisie, a London antiques dealer. They are standing in front of an American-inspired diner and a Ford Capri.
"I'm so excited to be bringing Joan Hannington's fascinating life story to screen in Joan,...
She wowed fans as Sansa Stark in "Game of Thrones" which saw her nominated for an Emmy, starred alongside Colin Firth and Toni Colette in the eight-part drama "The Staircase", and most recently took on a comedic role in Netflix's "Do Revenge". Now, we've got our first look at Sophie Turner in the gritty upcoming six-part drama,"Joan," based on a true story of the notorious jewel thief, Joan Hannington.
On May 18, ITV released the first photo of Turner as she takes on the lead role of Hannington with her eclectic sense of style and bleached blonde hair, channeling the '80s when the series is set. Alongside the star is actor Frank Dillane, who plays Boisie, a London antiques dealer. They are standing in front of an American-inspired diner and a Ford Capri.
"I'm so excited to be bringing Joan Hannington's fascinating life story to screen in Joan,...
- 5/18/2023
- by Kat Romero
- Popsugar.com
Wizards Vs Aliens enters a brilliant new era in series 3, with new characters, foes, and a strengthened bond between Tom and Benny...
This review contains spoilers.
3.1 The Secret Of Room 12
Cbbc’s hit show Wizards Vs Aliens is back for a third year. In case you’ve never seen it before, there are wizards, and there are aliens, and they’re antagonistic towards one another. Got it? But there’s so much more to it than that. The show was created by the minds behind The Sarah Jane Adventures, Russell T Davies and Phil Ford, and they brought with them all of the excitement, adventure and emotion of that show but with a whole new universe to play in. Davies has left for decidedly more adult pastures, leaving Ford to fly solo. Does it measure up? In a word: absolutely.
The Secret Of Room 12 picks up some months after the end of the second series,...
This review contains spoilers.
3.1 The Secret Of Room 12
Cbbc’s hit show Wizards Vs Aliens is back for a third year. In case you’ve never seen it before, there are wizards, and there are aliens, and they’re antagonistic towards one another. Got it? But there’s so much more to it than that. The show was created by the minds behind The Sarah Jane Adventures, Russell T Davies and Phil Ford, and they brought with them all of the excitement, adventure and emotion of that show but with a whole new universe to play in. Davies has left for decidedly more adult pastures, leaving Ford to fly solo. Does it measure up? In a word: absolutely.
The Secret Of Room 12 picks up some months after the end of the second series,...
- 10/27/2014
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
CBS’ Criminal Minds will fill the void left by Jeanne Tripplehorn’s departure with a lotta Love.
TVLine has learned that TV vet Jennifer Love Hewitt is joining the crime drama during Season 10 in a series regular role.
Related Fall TV Preview: Photos and Video From 50+ New Shows
She will play Kate Callahan, a seasoned undercover agent whose stellar work at the FBI has landed her a coveted position with the Behavioral Analysis Unit. The character will be introduced in the Oct. 1 season premiere.
“We’re thrilled to introduce a new special agent by adding the very talented Jennifer Love Hewitt to our amazing cast,...
TVLine has learned that TV vet Jennifer Love Hewitt is joining the crime drama during Season 10 in a series regular role.
Related Fall TV Preview: Photos and Video From 50+ New Shows
She will play Kate Callahan, a seasoned undercover agent whose stellar work at the FBI has landed her a coveted position with the Behavioral Analysis Unit. The character will be introduced in the Oct. 1 season premiere.
“We’re thrilled to introduce a new special agent by adding the very talented Jennifer Love Hewitt to our amazing cast,...
- 7/1/2014
- TVLine.com
Criminal Minds is no stranger to replacing cast members, and everyone knew that there would be someone new joining the team in season 10 after Jeanne Tripplehorn's Alex Blake (somewhat) quietly said her goodbye in the season 9 finale after two seasons.
Well, you don't have to wonder any longer who will be filling that seat, because CBS has announced that Jennifer Love Hewitt is the show's newest series regular. She will be introduced in the season 10 premiere, which will air on Wednesday, Oct. 1 at 9pm.
Well, you don't have to wonder any longer who will be filling that seat, because CBS has announced that Jennifer Love Hewitt is the show's newest series regular. She will be introduced in the season 10 premiere, which will air on Wednesday, Oct. 1 at 9pm.
- 7/1/2014
- by editor@buddytv.com
- buddytv.com
Criminal Minds episode “Angels,” the first part in a two-part finale, promises some frightening suspense as well as a bit of dark humor from the recently released sneak peek and promo.
In the promo, it’s stated that, “Before this episode is over, two agents will go down.” According to the footage, it looks like Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler) will go down during a shootout on the street, while Morgan (Shemar Moore) hits the floor of his apartment. "He thinks he's showing us that he's smarter than we are," says Reid before he gets shot.
The sneak peak for “Angels” provides a glimpse of Alex Blake (Jeanne Tripplehorn) and Davis Rossi (Joe Mantegna) meeting with a coroner who performed an autopsy on a prostitute. It quickly becomes apparent that he didn’t perform a number of routine steps to help them find her murderer. He didn’t do a rape...
In the promo, it’s stated that, “Before this episode is over, two agents will go down.” According to the footage, it looks like Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler) will go down during a shootout on the street, while Morgan (Shemar Moore) hits the floor of his apartment. "He thinks he's showing us that he's smarter than we are," says Reid before he gets shot.
The sneak peak for “Angels” provides a glimpse of Alex Blake (Jeanne Tripplehorn) and Davis Rossi (Joe Mantegna) meeting with a coroner who performed an autopsy on a prostitute. It quickly becomes apparent that he didn’t perform a number of routine steps to help them find her murderer. He didn’t do a rape...
- 5/7/2014
- Uinterview
Criminal Minds episode “Angels,” the first part in a two-part finale, promises some frightening suspense as well as a bit of dark humor from the recently released sneak peek and promo.
In the promo, it’s stated that, “Before this episode is over, two agents will go down.” According to the footage, it looks like Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler) will go down during a shootout on the street, while Morgan (Shemar Moore) hits the floor of his apartment. "He thinks he's showing us that he's smarter than we are," says Reid before he gets shot.
The sneak peak for “Angels” provides a glimpse of Alex Blake (Jeanne Tripplehorn) and Davis Rossi (Joe Mantegna) meeting with a coroner who performed an autopsy on a prostitute. It quickly becomes apparent that he didn’t perform a number of routine steps to help them find her murderer. He didn’t do a rape...
In the promo, it’s stated that, “Before this episode is over, two agents will go down.” According to the footage, it looks like Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler) will go down during a shootout on the street, while Morgan (Shemar Moore) hits the floor of his apartment. "He thinks he's showing us that he's smarter than we are," says Reid before he gets shot.
The sneak peak for “Angels” provides a glimpse of Alex Blake (Jeanne Tripplehorn) and Davis Rossi (Joe Mantegna) meeting with a coroner who performed an autopsy on a prostitute. It quickly becomes apparent that he didn’t perform a number of routine steps to help them find her murderer. He didn’t do a rape...
- 5/7/2014
- Uinterview
Benedict Cumberbatch photobombed U2 on the red carpet at this evening's Academy Awards.
The Sherlock star was snapped larking about behind the rock group, who are nominated in the Best Original Song category for their Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom track 'Ordinary Love'.
#Oscars Photo: Actor Benedict Cumberbatch jumps behind U2 (Reuters/Mike Blake) pic.twitter.com/kXCei8UoGt
— Abs-cbn News Channel (@Ancalerts) March 3, 2014
Cumberbatch, who appears in the Oscar-nominated drama 12 Years a Slave, is one of the Academy Awards presenters at this evening's ceremony.
American Hustle and Gravity lead the field at this year's Oscars with 10 nominations apiece, while 12 Years a Slave is close behind with 9.
Oscars 2014: Academy Awards winners list in full
Oscars 2014: 86th Academy Awards - live blog
Oscars red carpet pictures:...
The Sherlock star was snapped larking about behind the rock group, who are nominated in the Best Original Song category for their Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom track 'Ordinary Love'.
#Oscars Photo: Actor Benedict Cumberbatch jumps behind U2 (Reuters/Mike Blake) pic.twitter.com/kXCei8UoGt
— Abs-cbn News Channel (@Ancalerts) March 3, 2014
Cumberbatch, who appears in the Oscar-nominated drama 12 Years a Slave, is one of the Academy Awards presenters at this evening's ceremony.
American Hustle and Gravity lead the field at this year's Oscars with 10 nominations apiece, while 12 Years a Slave is close behind with 9.
Oscars 2014: Academy Awards winners list in full
Oscars 2014: 86th Academy Awards - live blog
Oscars red carpet pictures:...
- 3/3/2014
- Digital Spy
It must be cool to be a member of U2: They've got boatloads of Grammys, they're Academy Award nominees, they know/are Bono. So it makes sense that someone would try to join their ranks. But did you expect it to be Benedict Cumberbatch?
#Oscars Photo: Actor Benedict Cumberbatch jumps behind U2 (Reuters/Mike Blake) pic.twitter.com/kXCei8UoGt
- Abs-cbn News Channel (@Ancalerts) March 3, 2014
Whether he was trying to get in with Bono and Co. or just make a goofy scene, Cumberbatch certainly made an impression on the Oscars red carpet Sunday night with a hilarious photo bomb of the members of U2 and their respective dates. Cumberbatch -- who was also a presenter at the ceremony -- was probably just trying to have some fun and let off some steam after playing the villain in both "Star Trek Into Darkness" and "The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug" last year.
#Oscars Photo: Actor Benedict Cumberbatch jumps behind U2 (Reuters/Mike Blake) pic.twitter.com/kXCei8UoGt
- Abs-cbn News Channel (@Ancalerts) March 3, 2014
Whether he was trying to get in with Bono and Co. or just make a goofy scene, Cumberbatch certainly made an impression on the Oscars red carpet Sunday night with a hilarious photo bomb of the members of U2 and their respective dates. Cumberbatch -- who was also a presenter at the ceremony -- was probably just trying to have some fun and let off some steam after playing the villain in both "Star Trek Into Darkness" and "The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug" last year.
- 3/2/2014
- by Katie Roberts
- Moviefone
This season on Criminal Minds, we saw the replacing of Emily Prentiss with Alex Blake.
Elsewhere, Reid fell hard for a woman he never met, only to see her get killed at their first face to face encounter; while Erin Strauss got murdered and we witnessed a series of death scenarios re-enacted by a criminal mastermind who was himself a member of the FBI.
Unlike other procedural shows, Criminal Minds decided to end its multi-episode arc on the final episode, instead of carrying it through to the next season.
And with all that build up, now it's time to take a look back at Criminal Minds Season 8 and assess it accordingly...
Best Episode: I would have to say the very last two-part episode pretty much stands above the rest. Of course since the last hour was devoted directly to the team itself, in its fight against The Replicator, it was an easy choice to make.
Elsewhere, Reid fell hard for a woman he never met, only to see her get killed at their first face to face encounter; while Erin Strauss got murdered and we witnessed a series of death scenarios re-enacted by a criminal mastermind who was himself a member of the FBI.
Unlike other procedural shows, Criminal Minds decided to end its multi-episode arc on the final episode, instead of carrying it through to the next season.
And with all that build up, now it's time to take a look back at Criminal Minds Season 8 and assess it accordingly...
Best Episode: I would have to say the very last two-part episode pretty much stands above the rest. Of course since the last hour was devoted directly to the team itself, in its fight against The Replicator, it was an easy choice to make.
- 5/31/2013
- by wolfshades@me.com (Douglas Wolfe)
- TVfanatic
In the "Criminal Minds" Season 8 finale, the identity of The Replicator was revealed -- Mark Hamill guest-starred as Agent John Curtis, an FBI agent who screwed up on the Amerithrax case and was demoted.
He blamed Bau and more specifically Alex Blake. He's been taking his revenge on the team all season. In the finale, he drugged Strauss and forced her to drink, killing her. She was on to him, unbeknownst to the others, so Curtis had to take her out.
But it was her quick thinking that clued the team into his identity, as he carved a figure 8 into her wrist -- which was a planted clue in a Doj report that wasn't actually a replication of anything. The team tracked him down to his Virginia compound, where Rossi managed to get Curtis trapped with his own explosives, taking him out.
The team buried and honored Strauss and now...
He blamed Bau and more specifically Alex Blake. He's been taking his revenge on the team all season. In the finale, he drugged Strauss and forced her to drink, killing her. She was on to him, unbeknownst to the others, so Curtis had to take her out.
But it was her quick thinking that clued the team into his identity, as he carved a figure 8 into her wrist -- which was a planted clue in a Doj report that wasn't actually a replication of anything. The team tracked him down to his Virginia compound, where Rossi managed to get Curtis trapped with his own explosives, taking him out.
The team buried and honored Strauss and now...
- 5/23/2013
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
The Replicator revealed himself in the Season 8 finale of CBS’ Criminal Minds, but not before displaying loads more bravado and, yes, doing some damage.
First, the crime-copying killer — played by out-of-this-world guest star Mark Hamill — targeted Strauss, in her New York City hotel room as she slept, doping her up on Ecstasy before leading her to be found outside on a bench. Hotch got to the boss lady while she was still alive, but she shared few clues before succumbing to her forced Od, dying in Hotch’s arms.
Along the way, The Replicator showed off his intel on the Bau and overall smarts,...
First, the crime-copying killer — played by out-of-this-world guest star Mark Hamill — targeted Strauss, in her New York City hotel room as she slept, doping her up on Ecstasy before leading her to be found outside on a bench. Hotch got to the boss lady while she was still alive, but she shared few clues before succumbing to her forced Od, dying in Hotch’s arms.
Along the way, The Replicator showed off his intel on the Bau and overall smarts,...
- 5/23/2013
- by Matt Webb Mitovich
- TVLine.com
Criminal Minds had been in the news a lot lately for reasons that go beyond mere storytelling, as a Season 9 renewal was delayed due to contract negotiations.
But the entire cast – including Kirsten Vangsness and A.J. Cook – is now on board for 2013-2014.
And following our exclusive chat with Joe Mantegna, TV Fanatic jumped on the phone with showrunner Erica Messer to talk about how these delayed deals could impact next season, along with what we’ll see when The Replicator makes a return in tonight's two-hour episode...
----------------------------------------
TV Fanatic: Do contract negotiations with the cast get in the way of your thinking about next season?
Erica Messer: It definitely affects it... the good news in not doing a cliffhanger finale is that I’m not tied to any particular storyline. We can do what we did at the beginning of this season, which is just pick up and go.
But the entire cast – including Kirsten Vangsness and A.J. Cook – is now on board for 2013-2014.
And following our exclusive chat with Joe Mantegna, TV Fanatic jumped on the phone with showrunner Erica Messer to talk about how these delayed deals could impact next season, along with what we’ll see when The Replicator makes a return in tonight's two-hour episode...
----------------------------------------
TV Fanatic: Do contract negotiations with the cast get in the way of your thinking about next season?
Erica Messer: It definitely affects it... the good news in not doing a cliffhanger finale is that I’m not tied to any particular storyline. We can do what we did at the beginning of this season, which is just pick up and go.
- 5/22/2013
- by jimhalterman@gmail.com (Jim Halterman)
- TVfanatic
It is time for The Replicator to be revealed — but at what cost?
This Wednesday at 9/8c, CBS’ Criminal Minds closes Season 8 with a pair of episodes, the first of which tests one family – the brothers Hotchner – and then the finale proper, which will put the Bau bunch in jeopardy as they close in on their aforementioned season-long stalker.
Showrunner Erica Messer spoke with TVLine about delivering this dire denouement, ruling out one “suspect” while teasing grave consequences for at least two characters.
Related | CBS’ Criminal Minds Renewed for Season 9 After Contract Resolution
Tvline | As we come to this climax in this storyline,...
This Wednesday at 9/8c, CBS’ Criminal Minds closes Season 8 with a pair of episodes, the first of which tests one family – the brothers Hotchner – and then the finale proper, which will put the Bau bunch in jeopardy as they close in on their aforementioned season-long stalker.
Showrunner Erica Messer spoke with TVLine about delivering this dire denouement, ruling out one “suspect” while teasing grave consequences for at least two characters.
Related | CBS’ Criminal Minds Renewed for Season 9 After Contract Resolution
Tvline | As we come to this climax in this storyline,...
- 5/21/2013
- by Matt Webb Mitovich
- TVLine.com
The world of jealousy is fraught with danger and drama at the best of times.
This Criminal episode took an old bit of wisdom ("Can you truly trust someone with whom you've cheated?") several steps past dangerous and into fatal territory.
Once again the viewers went on a ride with the team as they struggled to figure out the puzzling behavior of the Unsub, who at first kidnapped married couples and forced them to cut and then kill each other. He later left them in the trunks of their cars.
But then his methodology changed and he only abducted married women and killed them. I'm not sure the episode explained why this took place, except that perhaps he found a more satisfying approach in substituting himself for the husbands.
The Bau eventually learned that their supposed victim "#6" - Phillip Connor - was actually the Unsub.
They learned some important details...
This Criminal episode took an old bit of wisdom ("Can you truly trust someone with whom you've cheated?") several steps past dangerous and into fatal territory.
Once again the viewers went on a ride with the team as they struggled to figure out the puzzling behavior of the Unsub, who at first kidnapped married couples and forced them to cut and then kill each other. He later left them in the trunks of their cars.
But then his methodology changed and he only abducted married women and killed them. I'm not sure the episode explained why this took place, except that perhaps he found a more satisfying approach in substituting himself for the husbands.
The Bau eventually learned that their supposed victim "#6" - Phillip Connor - was actually the Unsub.
They learned some important details...
- 5/16/2013
- by wolfshades@me.com (Douglas Wolfe)
- TVfanatic
As ghoulish as this week's Criminal Minds episode may have been, it managed to capitalize on its procedural element, feeding the audience with clues and guesses all the way through.
"The Good Earth" featured the lovely Anne Dudek as the hypochondriac UnSub Emma Kerrigan. You may remember her as Annie's sister on Covert Affairs or a certain cutthroat bitch on House.
Here, she abducted four men, and it took the team a while to figure out what she was doing with them and why. Eventually we learned she was providing them with sustenance - through their noses - in order to make them ready as human fertilizer for her garden.
I keep wondering each week if the show's writers have a contest to see how much they can get their viewers to squirm. First, it was the food through the nose thing. Then we got to watch as Emma kidnapped...
"The Good Earth" featured the lovely Anne Dudek as the hypochondriac UnSub Emma Kerrigan. You may remember her as Annie's sister on Covert Affairs or a certain cutthroat bitch on House.
Here, she abducted four men, and it took the team a while to figure out what she was doing with them and why. Eventually we learned she was providing them with sustenance - through their noses - in order to make them ready as human fertilizer for her garden.
I keep wondering each week if the show's writers have a contest to see how much they can get their viewers to squirm. First, it was the food through the nose thing. Then we got to watch as Emma kidnapped...
- 11/1/2012
- by wolfshades@me.com (Douglas Wolfe)
- TVfanatic
"The Pact" featured Mackenzie Phillips as Ellen Russell and Kim Wayans as Darlene Beckett, a pair of mothers whose children were victims of killers.
Ellen's child was hit by a drunk driver and Kim's little girl was murdered by a sex fiend... actually a group of them. The mothers were out for blood and agreed to swap vengeance in the manner of Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train or the more recent Throw Momma from the Train, directed by Danny Devito. Only one of them happened to enjoy the process a little too much, while the other could barely keep from blowing chunks after each episode of their vigilante justice.
This partnership, or pact, formed the theme for the episode, summed up with the Bau's profile of them when it was stated they felt the "justice system has gone wrong and it's up to them to set it right."
Overly lenient...
Ellen's child was hit by a drunk driver and Kim's little girl was murdered by a sex fiend... actually a group of them. The mothers were out for blood and agreed to swap vengeance in the manner of Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train or the more recent Throw Momma from the Train, directed by Danny Devito. Only one of them happened to enjoy the process a little too much, while the other could barely keep from blowing chunks after each episode of their vigilante justice.
This partnership, or pact, formed the theme for the episode, summed up with the Bau's profile of them when it was stated they felt the "justice system has gone wrong and it's up to them to set it right."
Overly lenient...
- 10/11/2012
- by wolfshades@me.com (Douglas Wolfe)
- TVfanatic
In the season 8 premiere, we were introduced to new agent, Alex Blake (Jeanne Tripplehorn). This week, we learn a bit more about the Bau's newest member as the team tackles two seemingly unrelated murders committed in two different cities.
Alex and her husband
During the investigation, Alex and Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler) talk about Alex's husband. We learn that he is overseas -- he works for Doctors without Borders -- and has a lot of stuff in a storage unit. Alex and her husband communicate via Skype and though it is difficult, they make the best of it. Alex says that whenever they do spend time together, it feels like they are dating and when they don't, Alex uses her alone-time to get things done. That sounds like a pretty healthy approach to a long-distance marriage and it makes me want to see one of those Skype sessions later on this season.
Alex and her husband
During the investigation, Alex and Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler) talk about Alex's husband. We learn that he is overseas -- he works for Doctors without Borders -- and has a lot of stuff in a storage unit. Alex and her husband communicate via Skype and though it is difficult, they make the best of it. Alex says that whenever they do spend time together, it feels like they are dating and when they don't, Alex uses her alone-time to get things done. That sounds like a pretty healthy approach to a long-distance marriage and it makes me want to see one of those Skype sessions later on this season.
- 10/10/2012
- by editor@buddytv.com
- buddytv.com
The season 8 premiere of Criminal Minds showed that it is business as usual for the Bau team as they went from one crime scene to another in pretty quick succession. Tonight they will head to the West Coast and Orange County as crimes have been committed in both Los Angeles and San Diego.
Two seemingly unrelated victims are found hours apart, both killed in the same method and the crime is an unpleasant and sadistic one. It also seems unlikely that one person could have committed both murders due to the distance between the two cities; this seems like a coordinated attack. Half the team will be heading to La and half to San Diego.
Alex Blake's (Jeanne Tripplehorn) introduction went smoothly, well almost smoothly as she has minor issues with Morgan (Shemar Moore) and Garcia (Kirsten Vangsness). Garcia and Morgan missed out on Blake's first case with the...
Two seemingly unrelated victims are found hours apart, both killed in the same method and the crime is an unpleasant and sadistic one. It also seems unlikely that one person could have committed both murders due to the distance between the two cities; this seems like a coordinated attack. Half the team will be heading to La and half to San Diego.
Alex Blake's (Jeanne Tripplehorn) introduction went smoothly, well almost smoothly as she has minor issues with Morgan (Shemar Moore) and Garcia (Kirsten Vangsness). Garcia and Morgan missed out on Blake's first case with the...
- 10/10/2012
- by emma fraser
- TVovermind.com
Things are a little different on Criminal Minds this season, what with the departure of Paget Brewster and the introduction of Jeanne Tripplehorn as the latest Bau member Alex Blake. It’s a scary thing to become a part of a series well in to its lifespan – Criminal Minds just began Season 8 – especially given how the fanbase has shown how it responds to this kind of shake up. You might remember the last time Brewster left the show and what happened to her replacement. In season 6, Rachel Nichols joined the series as Ashley Seaver, only to be almost universally hated and soon fired once Brewster was brought back for Season 7. This does not bode well for Tripplehorn’s chances of being accepted.
“The fan base is huge for this show and I am honestly nervous about what they will think of Alex,” Tripplehorn told TV Guide. “A show bringing somebody...
“The fan base is huge for this show and I am honestly nervous about what they will think of Alex,” Tripplehorn told TV Guide. “A show bringing somebody...
- 9/27/2012
- by Brody Gibson
- Boomtron
With Paget Brewster gone, "Criminal Minds" introduced Jeanne Tripplehorn as her replacement Alex Blake. An FBI linguistics expert, Alex' skills were immediately put to the test in the eight season premiere. An inmate who hasn't spoken in the eight years of his incarceration escaped after an accident in an ambulance.
He continued killing, leaving clues by writing phrases and sticking them inside his victims' sewn-shut mouths. Alex was able to deduce that the phrasing was oral, and specifically from a region of Texas. From there, they were able to first identify who the assailant was -- he was a John Doe -- and ultimately what he was after: peace and quiet.
Deaf as a child, he'd received a hearing implant that was apparently amplifying his hearing above normal levels. When he was captured and told there was no alternative but to put him back in prison, he killed himself instead.
He continued killing, leaving clues by writing phrases and sticking them inside his victims' sewn-shut mouths. Alex was able to deduce that the phrasing was oral, and specifically from a region of Texas. From there, they were able to first identify who the assailant was -- he was a John Doe -- and ultimately what he was after: peace and quiet.
Deaf as a child, he'd received a hearing implant that was apparently amplifying his hearing above normal levels. When he was captured and told there was no alternative but to put him back in prison, he killed himself instead.
- 9/27/2012
- by Jason Hughes
- Huffington Post
The Criminal Minds Season 8 premiere tossed Jeanne Tripplehorn right into the thick of it, as the new cast member - in the role of Bau member Alex Blake - helped the team investigate The Silencer, a murderer who sews the mouths of his victims shut.
Pretty standard for this CBS procedural, really.
What did you think of the show's return? Of the Case of the Week? And of Tripplehorn's debut in particular?
Sound off now on the actress' first appearance:
Note: Do You want to review Criminal Minds on a weekly basis for TV Fanatic? Email me at matt@tvfanatic.com now!
Pretty standard for this CBS procedural, really.
What did you think of the show's return? Of the Case of the Week? And of Tripplehorn's debut in particular?
Sound off now on the actress' first appearance:
Note: Do You want to review Criminal Minds on a weekly basis for TV Fanatic? Email me at matt@tvfanatic.com now!
- 9/27/2012
- by matt@mediavine.com (Matt Richenthal)
- TVfanatic
Since it wouldn’t be Criminal Minds season premiere without an interview featuring the show’s newest cast member (Note: We kid because we love!), the subject of “Today’s TV Addict Top 5″ is none other than actress Jeanne Tripplehorn. Tripplehorn — who ups the show’s female quotient following last season’s exit of Paget Brewster’s Emily Prentiss — joins the show as linguistics expert Alex Blake. We recently caught up with her to find out what attracted her to the role, how her character will integrate herself into the Bau and why playing Agent Alex Blake is a cake walk in contrast to her five seasons spent on Big Love.
Criminal Minds is a very different show from your previous role on Big Love, what attract you to the show?
Jeanne Tripplehorn: That’s why I love being an actor, you get to play all different kinds of characters.
Criminal Minds is a very different show from your previous role on Big Love, what attract you to the show?
Jeanne Tripplehorn: That’s why I love being an actor, you get to play all different kinds of characters.
- 9/26/2012
- by theTVaddict
- The TV Addict
Criminal Minds returns tonight for season 8 with a new addition to the Bau team and a case that they have seen before. Big Love's Jeanne Tripplehorn joins the cast tonight as linguistics expert Alex Blake and it won't be smooth sailing to begin with. Spoilers ahead.
Blake has been working for the FBI since she was in her mid-twenties, but thanks to an incident a while ago she has been sidelined. This incident involved Strauss (Jayne Atkinson) and is a source of conflict between Blake and Strauss all these years later. Strauss let Blake take the blame for a case that went bad and because of this her career stalled.
Alongside her work for the FBI, Blake is also a linguistics professor at Georgetown and it is through her academic work that she is already friends with one of the Bau team. Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler) has also guest-lectured...
Blake has been working for the FBI since she was in her mid-twenties, but thanks to an incident a while ago she has been sidelined. This incident involved Strauss (Jayne Atkinson) and is a source of conflict between Blake and Strauss all these years later. Strauss let Blake take the blame for a case that went bad and because of this her career stalled.
Alongside her work for the FBI, Blake is also a linguistics professor at Georgetown and it is through her academic work that she is already friends with one of the Bau team. Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler) has also guest-lectured...
- 9/26/2012
- by emma fraser
- TVovermind.com
You could say that Jeanne Tripplehorn is feeling Big Love for her new TV role, on CBS’ Criminal Minds — this despite the at-times grisly subject matter at the heart of a series about serial killers and those who track them.
Making her debut in the Season 8 premiere (airing tonight at 9/8c), Tripplehorn plays Agent Alex Blake, a forensics linguist expert who, when the action picks up, has already been with the Bau for several weeks. She’s got Hotch’s vote, knew Reid before boarding the team and enjoys a difficult past with Strauss. Now there’s just the matter of winning over Garcia,...
Making her debut in the Season 8 premiere (airing tonight at 9/8c), Tripplehorn plays Agent Alex Blake, a forensics linguist expert who, when the action picks up, has already been with the Bau for several weeks. She’s got Hotch’s vote, knew Reid before boarding the team and enjoys a difficult past with Strauss. Now there’s just the matter of winning over Garcia,...
- 9/26/2012
- by Matt Webb Mitovich
- TVLine.com
On TV this Wednesday: Premiere week continues with the returns of Modern Family, The Middle (supersized!), Criminal Minds, Svu, CSI and Key & Peele. Phew! In addition, ABC introduces us to new Neighbors and South Park takes a lickin’ and keeps on killing Kenny tickin’. Here are 10 programs to keep on your radar tonight.
8 pm The Middle (ABC) | In the hour-long Season 4 premiere, Mike accidentally reveals that he likes Axl best. Perhaps as a result, Sue tries to get her dad to spend some quality time with her.
8 pm Animal Practice (NBC) | Regular timeslot premiere: Doug tries to convince George to operate on his dog,...
8 pm The Middle (ABC) | In the hour-long Season 4 premiere, Mike accidentally reveals that he likes Axl best. Perhaps as a result, Sue tries to get her dad to spend some quality time with her.
8 pm Animal Practice (NBC) | Regular timeslot premiere: Doug tries to convince George to operate on his dog,...
- 9/26/2012
- by Kimberly Roots
- TVLine.com
Jeanne Tripplehorn just wants you to like her — or her Criminal Minds character, at least.
The Big Love alum will return to TV Wednesday on the CBS drama (9/8c) as new Bau member Alex Blake, and all she can think about is what will happen after the episode is over.
"The fan base is huge for this show and I am honestly nervous about what they will think of Alex," she tells TVGuide.com. "A show bringing somebody new in on the ...
Read More >...
The Big Love alum will return to TV Wednesday on the CBS drama (9/8c) as new Bau member Alex Blake, and all she can think about is what will happen after the episode is over.
"The fan base is huge for this show and I am honestly nervous about what they will think of Alex," she tells TVGuide.com. "A show bringing somebody new in on the ...
Read More >...
- 9/26/2012
- by Joyce Eng
- TVGuide - Breaking News
"Criminal Minds" returns for its eighth season with new regular cast member, "Big Love's" Jeanne Tripplehorn, who fills a spot vacated by Paget Brewster. But it was a much older casting shakeup that made headlines this weekend, when Mandy Patinkin, who abruptly quit "Minds" in 2007, called the show's violent storylines "very destructive to my soul and my personality."
When Zap2it asked Tripplehorn whether she had any similar reservations about her new role as FBI profiler Alex Blake, she said:
"Not so much reservation. I had to think twice about whether this was a subject matter I wanted to deal with every day."
"The violence was not one of the most attractive aspects of the show," she admitted, "but it's all around us. I can't turn on the news in the morning because my 10-year-old is around."
"I can understand how somebody wouldn't want to work with that," she continued.
When Zap2it asked Tripplehorn whether she had any similar reservations about her new role as FBI profiler Alex Blake, she said:
"Not so much reservation. I had to think twice about whether this was a subject matter I wanted to deal with every day."
"The violence was not one of the most attractive aspects of the show," she admitted, "but it's all around us. I can't turn on the news in the morning because my 10-year-old is around."
"I can understand how somebody wouldn't want to work with that," she continued.
- 9/20/2012
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
Got a scoop request? An anonymous tip you’re dying to share? Just want to say hi? Send any/all of the above to askausiello@tvline.com
Question: Grey’s Anatomy fan here — any hope for Cristina/Owen? —Amanda
Ausiello: Yes, but there will be darkness before the dawn. “Initially, it’s going to be very unsettling,” previews exec producer Shonda Rhimes of the couple’s Season 9 trajectory. “And then it’s going to get fairly romantic as we watch them find their way back to one another.” But Rhimes is quick to stress that their road to reconciliation will...
Question: Grey’s Anatomy fan here — any hope for Cristina/Owen? —Amanda
Ausiello: Yes, but there will be darkness before the dawn. “Initially, it’s going to be very unsettling,” previews exec producer Shonda Rhimes of the couple’s Season 9 trajectory. “And then it’s going to get fairly romantic as we watch them find their way back to one another.” But Rhimes is quick to stress that their road to reconciliation will...
- 9/19/2012
- by Michael Ausiello
- TVLine.com
Whereas CBS’ Criminal Minds has ended previous seasons by detonating SUVs, depositing killers in agents’ living rooms or treating us to blasts from the past, Season 7 wrapped up on a comparatively modulated note, as Jj tied the knot and Prentiss (played by exiting series vet Paget Brewster) prepared to say a proper goodbye.
Related | Fall TV Spectacular: Spoilers on Criminal Minds and 46 Other Returning Shows
“That was a choice made early on,” says showrunner Erica Messer. “I think by Christmastime [2011], I said to the writers and producers, ‘Guys, we’re not doing a finale where we wonder who’s coming back.
Related | Fall TV Spectacular: Spoilers on Criminal Minds and 46 Other Returning Shows
“That was a choice made early on,” says showrunner Erica Messer. “I think by Christmastime [2011], I said to the writers and producers, ‘Guys, we’re not doing a finale where we wonder who’s coming back.
- 9/17/2012
- by Matt Webb Mitovich
- TVLine.com
CBS has released the first official promo for Criminal Minds Season 8.
Teasing the premiere of new Bau member Alex Blake (Jeanne Tripplehorn), the trailer gives us a look at "The Silencer," an UnSub who leaves victims behind by sewing their mouths shut. Ouch!
Criminal Minds returns with new episodes and this new agent on September 26. Feast your eyes on upcoming footage from the drama now:
Criminal Minds Promo: "The Silencer"...
Teasing the premiere of new Bau member Alex Blake (Jeanne Tripplehorn), the trailer gives us a look at "The Silencer," an UnSub who leaves victims behind by sewing their mouths shut. Ouch!
Criminal Minds returns with new episodes and this new agent on September 26. Feast your eyes on upcoming footage from the drama now:
Criminal Minds Promo: "The Silencer"...
- 9/2/2012
- by matt@mediavine.com (Matt Richenthal)
- TVfanatic
Criminal Minds Season 8 Premiere Photos: Welcome the New Team Member
Criminal Minds returns to CBS for season 8 in a month and we've got photos from the premiere that feature a new member of the Bau team.
Last season's explosive two-part finale saw Paget Brewster's Emily Prentiss leave the Bau team (though she left under happier circumstances than her previous departure). After all the drama of hostage situations, bombs and near death experiences there was also a wedding as Jj (Aj Cook) married Will (Josh Stewart).
When we return in September, Emmy award nominee and former Big Love star Jeanne Tripplehorn will be joining the Bau team as Alex Blake. Alex is a linguistics expert and will be bringing a new perspective and area of expertise to the group.
In the premiere the team travel to Texas as a prisoner who escaped during a transfer leaves behind victims with the...
Criminal Minds returns to CBS for season 8 in a month and we've got photos from the premiere that feature a new member of the Bau team.
Last season's explosive two-part finale saw Paget Brewster's Emily Prentiss leave the Bau team (though she left under happier circumstances than her previous departure). After all the drama of hostage situations, bombs and near death experiences there was also a wedding as Jj (Aj Cook) married Will (Josh Stewart).
When we return in September, Emmy award nominee and former Big Love star Jeanne Tripplehorn will be joining the Bau team as Alex Blake. Alex is a linguistics expert and will be bringing a new perspective and area of expertise to the group.
In the premiere the team travel to Texas as a prisoner who escaped during a transfer leaves behind victims with the...
- 8/30/2012
- by emma fraser
- TVovermind.com
The "Criminal Minds" Season 8 premiere will introduce viewers to Alex Blake, the newest Bau member. Played by "Big Love" veteran Jeanne Tripplehorn, Alex will meet some of the other characters for the first time in the premiere episode titled "The Silencer."
In "The Silencer," a Texas prisoner escapes during a transfer and he's got a unique signature: sewing his victims mouths shut.
Tripplehorn's character is a linguistics expert and professor at Georgetown.
Take a look at photos from the premiere in the slideshow below.
"Criminal Minds" Season 8 premieres Wed., Sept. 26 at 9 p.m. Et.
In "The Silencer," a Texas prisoner escapes during a transfer and he's got a unique signature: sewing his victims mouths shut.
Tripplehorn's character is a linguistics expert and professor at Georgetown.
Take a look at photos from the premiere in the slideshow below.
"Criminal Minds" Season 8 premieres Wed., Sept. 26 at 9 p.m. Et.
- 8/27/2012
- by Chris Harnick
- Huffington Post
Criminal Minds exec Erica Messer has admitted it would be "fantastic" if Paget Brewster returned to the show. Brewster quit her role as Emily Prentiss in February and will be replaced by new regular Jeanne Tripplehorn, playing FBI agent Alex Blake. "It would be fantastic [if Paget came back], but it's too early to make those decisions," Messer told TV Guide. "It takes a lot of people to sign off on things like that." However, the producer promised that the Prentiss character will be referenced frequently in the show's eighth season. "In the premiere, we learn that Morgan (Shemar Moore) and Garcia (Kirsten Vangsness) visited with Prentiss while they were in London," she explained. "We'll (more)...
- 8/8/2012
- by By Morgan Jeffery
- Digital Spy
Criminal Minds executive producer Erica Messer wants to assure you that Jeanne Tripplehorn's Alex Blake will not stir up trouble in the Bau.
Criminal Minds scoop: Reid is getting a girlfriend!
Tripplehorn will make her debut on the Season 8 premiere, filling the void left by Paget Brewster's Emily Prentiss, who exited in the season finale. And though Messer previously described Alex as a "threat" to the team, she clarifies that it's merely a case of a newbie joining a tightknit group.
"Anytime there's a very close coworker environment, as we have here, it's hard," Messer tells TVGuide.com. "There's just a natural hesitation to accept, but in that friendly way. She certainly doesn't have an ulterior motive or anything."
What else can we expect from Alex? Get the scoop on her and more below.
Read More >...
Criminal Minds scoop: Reid is getting a girlfriend!
Tripplehorn will make her debut on the Season 8 premiere, filling the void left by Paget Brewster's Emily Prentiss, who exited in the season finale. And though Messer previously described Alex as a "threat" to the team, she clarifies that it's merely a case of a newbie joining a tightknit group.
"Anytime there's a very close coworker environment, as we have here, it's hard," Messer tells TVGuide.com. "There's just a natural hesitation to accept, but in that friendly way. She certainly doesn't have an ulterior motive or anything."
What else can we expect from Alex? Get the scoop on her and more below.
Read More >...
- 8/8/2012
- by Joyce Eng
- TVGuide - Breaking News
Featuring one new cast member and at least two anticipated returns, Criminal Minds kicks off Season 8 on Wednesday, September 26.
What can fans of the CBS drama expect from upcoming episodes? Producer Erica Messer shared the following scoops and spoilers with EW at last week's Television Critics Association press tour...
Jeanne Tripplehorn's Alex Blake will share a history with Strauss, one that dates to a case during which Strauss allowed Blake to take the blame when things went awry.
Bellamy Young will appear on at least three episodes as Beth, with Messer saying she and Hotchner will engage in a "long-distance relationship."
Someone from Hotchner's past, who viewers have seen before, will show up for an episode. That's the only tease we get for this storyline.
Who could it be? Let the theories fly and visit EW's Spoiler Room for more on Criminal Minds and many other shows.
What can fans of the CBS drama expect from upcoming episodes? Producer Erica Messer shared the following scoops and spoilers with EW at last week's Television Critics Association press tour...
Jeanne Tripplehorn's Alex Blake will share a history with Strauss, one that dates to a case during which Strauss allowed Blake to take the blame when things went awry.
Bellamy Young will appear on at least three episodes as Beth, with Messer saying she and Hotchner will engage in a "long-distance relationship."
Someone from Hotchner's past, who viewers have seen before, will show up for an episode. That's the only tease we get for this storyline.
Who could it be? Let the theories fly and visit EW's Spoiler Room for more on Criminal Minds and many other shows.
- 8/6/2012
- by matt@mediavine.com (Matt Richenthal)
- TVfanatic
Happy Friday, nuggets! (Don’t ask; it just felt right.)
Ready for some more neat infos I gathered while in Los Angeles for TCA? I’ll take your silence as a resounding Yes! Thanks as always for your questions. Got as many as I could in this week and everyone else should check back next week! And if you didn’t send any, tisk. Get with it: spoilerroom@ew.com or find me on Twitter: @EWSandraG. (Tonight, most tweets will be Olympics related. Just a warning.)’Criminal Minds’: Four Teases For The New Season
Can’t wait for the premiere of Criminal Minds?...
Ready for some more neat infos I gathered while in Los Angeles for TCA? I’ll take your silence as a resounding Yes! Thanks as always for your questions. Got as many as I could in this week and everyone else should check back next week! And if you didn’t send any, tisk. Get with it: spoilerroom@ew.com or find me on Twitter: @EWSandraG. (Tonight, most tweets will be Olympics related. Just a warning.)’Criminal Minds’: Four Teases For The New Season
Can’t wait for the premiere of Criminal Minds?...
- 8/3/2012
- by Sandra Gonzalez
- EW - Inside TV
When "Criminal Minds" Season 8 kicks off this fall, Jeanne Tripplehorn will be a major presence. The "Big Love" actress is joining the series as a replacement for Paget Brewster. The actress, who played Emily Prentiss, left at the end of Season 7.
According to CBS, Tripplehorn will play Alex Blake. Executive producer Erica Messer told TV Guide Tripplehorn's character has a history with the bureau, her specialty is linguistics and she has a history with Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler).
"In addition to being a supervisory special agent, she also is a professor at Georgetown University, and Reid has even guest-lectured at her forensic linguistics class before," Messer said. "So they have a nice professional history together."
Look for "Criminal Minds" Season 8 to kick off a few months after the Season 7 finale. Prentiss has transferred and the premiere will see Morgan (Shemar Moore) and Garcia (Kirsten Vangness) meeting Alex Blake for the first time.
According to CBS, Tripplehorn will play Alex Blake. Executive producer Erica Messer told TV Guide Tripplehorn's character has a history with the bureau, her specialty is linguistics and she has a history with Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler).
"In addition to being a supervisory special agent, she also is a professor at Georgetown University, and Reid has even guest-lectured at her forensic linguistics class before," Messer said. "So they have a nice professional history together."
Look for "Criminal Minds" Season 8 to kick off a few months after the Season 7 finale. Prentiss has transferred and the premiere will see Morgan (Shemar Moore) and Garcia (Kirsten Vangness) meeting Alex Blake for the first time.
- 7/10/2012
- by Chris Harnick
- Huffington Post
There will be a new face joining Criminal Minds' Behavioral Analysis Unit this fall.
Jeanne Tripplehorn joins the cast in Season 8 as Alex Blake, a veteran FBI agent who specializes in linguistics. She fills the void of the departing Emily Prentiss after Paget Brewster opted to leave the series at the end of last season. Some viewers may be suspicious of the new character, but executive producer Erica Messer tells TVGuide.com that that's just fine — apparently a few of the team members will share that feeling.
Jeanne Tripplehorn joins Criminal Minds as series regular
"When we meet Alex Blake, it is also Morgan [Shemar Moore] and Garcia's first time meeting her because they have actually been away on...
Read More >...
Jeanne Tripplehorn joins the cast in Season 8 as Alex Blake, a veteran FBI agent who specializes in linguistics. She fills the void of the departing Emily Prentiss after Paget Brewster opted to leave the series at the end of last season. Some viewers may be suspicious of the new character, but executive producer Erica Messer tells TVGuide.com that that's just fine — apparently a few of the team members will share that feeling.
Jeanne Tripplehorn joins Criminal Minds as series regular
"When we meet Alex Blake, it is also Morgan [Shemar Moore] and Garcia's first time meeting her because they have actually been away on...
Read More >...
- 7/10/2012
- by Adam Bryant
- TVGuide - Breaking News
As previously reported, Jeanne Tripplehorn has signed on as a Criminal Minds series regular.
Now, thanks to TV Guide, we have more intel on just what character the veteran actress will portray...
Tripplehorn will take on the role of a FBI linguistics expert named Alex Blake. Look for her to possess some history with Reid.
"People like Reid learned from [her]. She is also a professor at Georgetown and Reid has guest-lectured at her forensic linguistics class before," executive producer Erica Messer tells the magazine, adding of her personal life: "She is in a relationship. When you get your heroes involved romantically, it just changes the show so much. I feel pretty strongly about that as a rule."
Criminal Minds returns for Season 8 in September.
Now, thanks to TV Guide, we have more intel on just what character the veteran actress will portray...
Tripplehorn will take on the role of a FBI linguistics expert named Alex Blake. Look for her to possess some history with Reid.
"People like Reid learned from [her]. She is also a professor at Georgetown and Reid has guest-lectured at her forensic linguistics class before," executive producer Erica Messer tells the magazine, adding of her personal life: "She is in a relationship. When you get your heroes involved romantically, it just changes the show so much. I feel pretty strongly about that as a rule."
Criminal Minds returns for Season 8 in September.
- 7/2/2012
- by matt@mediavine.com (Matt Richenthal)
- TVfanatic
New details have been revealed about Jeanne Tripplehorn's role on Criminal Minds. Tripplehorn will join the CBS drama as a new regular for season eight, replacing the outgoing Paget Brewster (Emily Prentiss). The Big Love actress will play FBI linguistics expert Alex Blake, who has a past connection with Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler), TV Guide reports. "People like Reid learned from [her]," executive producer Erica Messer revealed. "She is also a professor at Georgetown and Reid has guest-lectured at her forensic linguistics class before." Messer also ruled out Blake becoming romantically involved with any of (more)...
- 6/27/2012
- by By Morgan Jeffery
- Digital Spy
As someone who went to Comic-Con three years in a row until she realized all the cons had started to outweigh the pros, I had mixed feelings when I read that the pop culture extravaganza could be moving to Anaheim. Comic-Con's contract with the San Diego Convention Center ends in 2012 and Anaheim is taking advantage of the growing dissatisfaction about overcrowding, parking problems, and expensive hotel rooms by putting in a bid to host the event. Those issues are certainly no small matters. Overcrowding makes for ridiculously long lines, which require you to queue up hours in advance for a panel.
- 2/26/2010
- by Vlada Gelman
- EW.com - PopWatch
Chicago – HollywoodChicago.com recently interviewed Edward Norton on the new HBO documentary “By the People: The Election of Barack Obama” along with co-directors Amy Rice and Alicia Sams. Edward Norton served as a producer.
Question: What did this campaign and this candidate do to motivate kids (like 9-year-old Lorenzo Rivera) in such a way that they would hit the phones for Barack Obama in support?
Edward Norton.
Photo credit: Dimitrios Kambouris, WireImage.com
Producer Edward Norton: It’s interesting because in some ways that’s what made us want to start this (project) in the first place. When Amy (Rice) first proposed it to us, it wasn’t a campaign film.
The idea was to chronicle this junior senator as he entered into the battle of government and politics. I think what drew us to him in the same way it drew everyone else was that he was so much younger.
Question: What did this campaign and this candidate do to motivate kids (like 9-year-old Lorenzo Rivera) in such a way that they would hit the phones for Barack Obama in support?
Edward Norton.
Photo credit: Dimitrios Kambouris, WireImage.com
Producer Edward Norton: It’s interesting because in some ways that’s what made us want to start this (project) in the first place. When Amy (Rice) first proposed it to us, it wasn’t a campaign film.
The idea was to chronicle this junior senator as he entered into the battle of government and politics. I think what drew us to him in the same way it drew everyone else was that he was so much younger.
- 11/13/2009
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Empire Pictures
NEW YORK -- There's a certain authenticity of feeling in this film, written and directed by Duncan Roy, about a young man who insinuates himself into the world of the upper class by posing as one of their own. That's because Roy performed a similar stunt between the ages of 17 and 22 and went to prison for his troubles.
Unfortunately, this film based on his experiences is not quite as compelling as the filmmaker's own story might have been, due somewhat to its lackadaisical pacing and jarring shifts of tone but mainly because of the unfortunate decision to present the entire film in a triptych format, with three separate images onscreen at the same time. As it was in recent similar efforts like Mike Figgis' "Timecode", the technique is needlessly distracting and off-putting, and this intimate story is hardly in need of such a device.
Set in the late 1970s, "AKA" presents the misadventures of Dean Page (Matthew Leitch), a handsome and articulate 18-year-old from a lower-middle-class family who has long suffered both the constraints of his upbringing and the often violent abuse of his stepfather. Inspired by his mother's rather deluded notion of being friends with the upper-class customers she waits on at the restaurant at which she works, Dean approaches one of the haughtier ones, Lady Gryffoyn (Diana Quick), and snags a job as an assistant at her gallery.
Soon, Lady Gryffoyn has taken the personable young man under her wing, even inviting him to live temporarily in her house because he has nowhere else to go. But things don't go quite as well with her jealous son, Alex Blake Ritson), and Dean, taking the advice of his American friend Benjamin (Peter Youngblood Hills), hightails it to Paris, where he, a la "The Talented Mr. Ripley", assumes Alex's identity. He finds himself living with Benjamin and his rich lover (George Asprey), eventually taking Benjamin's place in the older man's affections and home. Meanwhile, his audacious spending on stolen credit cards has attracted the interest of the local police.
Telling his tale at a sluggish, attenuated pace, the director-screenwriter doesn't help matters with his screenplay's often artificial-sounding dialogue and stereotypical characterizations. Also problematic are the shifts in tone -- from realistic drama to comedy of manners to would-be thriller -- and the highly uneven performances. Although Leitch is quite convincing as the duplicitous Dean, several of the supporting players are allowed to indulge their character's more exaggerated traits too often.
But most deleterious is the split-screen approach, which reduces the widescreen image to three small boxes. Inconsistently shifting from framing the action from a variety of angles to simply repeating certain images to presenting other visuals entirely, the technique adds little in the way of illumination and a lot in terms of inducing a migraine. the film suffers from an overeagerness to make the action compelling, with uncertain camera placement and frantic editing at times serving to distract rather than enhance. The choreography by Laurie Ann Gibson (who has a small part as Honey's evil rival) ranges from a baffling and lifeless Tweet video, with its robotic moves and incongruous Flying by Foy, to the exuberant freestyling of the kids in Honey's class. The highlight is the kids' rehearsal for a Ginuwine video: Shot simply, the scene boasts terrific dancing and the story's most powerful dramatic moment.
HONEY
Universal Pictures
A Marc Platt/Nuamerica production
Credits:
Director: Bille Woodruff
Screenwriters: Alonzo Brown, Kim Watson
Producers: Marc Platt, Andre Harrell
Executive producer: Billy Higgins
Director of photography: John R. Leonetti
Production designer: Jasna Stefanovich
Music: Mervyn Warren
Costume designer: Susan Matheson
Editors: Mark Helfrich, Emma E. Hickox
Cast:
Honey Daniels: Jessica Alba
Chaz: Mekhi Phifer
Benny: Lil' Romeo
Gina: Joy Bryant
Michael Ellis: David Moscow
Mrs. Daniels: Lonette McKee
Raymond: Zachary Isaiah Williams
Katrina: Laurie Ann Gibson
As themselves: Missy Elliott, Jadakiss & Sheek, Shawn Desman, Ginuwine, Harmonica Sunbeam, Rodney Jerkins, Silkk, 3rd Storee, Tweet
Running time -- 94 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13>Emma: Dina Waters
Michael: Marc John Jefferies
Megan: Aree Davis
Running time -- 88 minutes
MPAA rating: PG...
NEW YORK -- There's a certain authenticity of feeling in this film, written and directed by Duncan Roy, about a young man who insinuates himself into the world of the upper class by posing as one of their own. That's because Roy performed a similar stunt between the ages of 17 and 22 and went to prison for his troubles.
Unfortunately, this film based on his experiences is not quite as compelling as the filmmaker's own story might have been, due somewhat to its lackadaisical pacing and jarring shifts of tone but mainly because of the unfortunate decision to present the entire film in a triptych format, with three separate images onscreen at the same time. As it was in recent similar efforts like Mike Figgis' "Timecode", the technique is needlessly distracting and off-putting, and this intimate story is hardly in need of such a device.
Set in the late 1970s, "AKA" presents the misadventures of Dean Page (Matthew Leitch), a handsome and articulate 18-year-old from a lower-middle-class family who has long suffered both the constraints of his upbringing and the often violent abuse of his stepfather. Inspired by his mother's rather deluded notion of being friends with the upper-class customers she waits on at the restaurant at which she works, Dean approaches one of the haughtier ones, Lady Gryffoyn (Diana Quick), and snags a job as an assistant at her gallery.
Soon, Lady Gryffoyn has taken the personable young man under her wing, even inviting him to live temporarily in her house because he has nowhere else to go. But things don't go quite as well with her jealous son, Alex Blake Ritson), and Dean, taking the advice of his American friend Benjamin (Peter Youngblood Hills), hightails it to Paris, where he, a la "The Talented Mr. Ripley", assumes Alex's identity. He finds himself living with Benjamin and his rich lover (George Asprey), eventually taking Benjamin's place in the older man's affections and home. Meanwhile, his audacious spending on stolen credit cards has attracted the interest of the local police.
Telling his tale at a sluggish, attenuated pace, the director-screenwriter doesn't help matters with his screenplay's often artificial-sounding dialogue and stereotypical characterizations. Also problematic are the shifts in tone -- from realistic drama to comedy of manners to would-be thriller -- and the highly uneven performances. Although Leitch is quite convincing as the duplicitous Dean, several of the supporting players are allowed to indulge their character's more exaggerated traits too often.
But most deleterious is the split-screen approach, which reduces the widescreen image to three small boxes. Inconsistently shifting from framing the action from a variety of angles to simply repeating certain images to presenting other visuals entirely, the technique adds little in the way of illumination and a lot in terms of inducing a migraine. the film suffers from an overeagerness to make the action compelling, with uncertain camera placement and frantic editing at times serving to distract rather than enhance. The choreography by Laurie Ann Gibson (who has a small part as Honey's evil rival) ranges from a baffling and lifeless Tweet video, with its robotic moves and incongruous Flying by Foy, to the exuberant freestyling of the kids in Honey's class. The highlight is the kids' rehearsal for a Ginuwine video: Shot simply, the scene boasts terrific dancing and the story's most powerful dramatic moment.
HONEY
Universal Pictures
A Marc Platt/Nuamerica production
Credits:
Director: Bille Woodruff
Screenwriters: Alonzo Brown, Kim Watson
Producers: Marc Platt, Andre Harrell
Executive producer: Billy Higgins
Director of photography: John R. Leonetti
Production designer: Jasna Stefanovich
Music: Mervyn Warren
Costume designer: Susan Matheson
Editors: Mark Helfrich, Emma E. Hickox
Cast:
Honey Daniels: Jessica Alba
Chaz: Mekhi Phifer
Benny: Lil' Romeo
Gina: Joy Bryant
Michael Ellis: David Moscow
Mrs. Daniels: Lonette McKee
Raymond: Zachary Isaiah Williams
Katrina: Laurie Ann Gibson
As themselves: Missy Elliott, Jadakiss & Sheek, Shawn Desman, Ginuwine, Harmonica Sunbeam, Rodney Jerkins, Silkk, 3rd Storee, Tweet
Running time -- 94 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13>Emma: Dina Waters
Michael: Marc John Jefferies
Megan: Aree Davis
Running time -- 88 minutes
MPAA rating: PG...
- 12/16/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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