In the late 1990s, Bandai Entertainment and the Japanese animation studio Sunrise approached young director Shinichirō Watanabe to make a sci-fi action show (mostly so they could sell spaceship toys). Watanabe took that directive and led the creation of "Cowboy Bebop."
This 26-episode show followed down-on-their-luck bounty hunters in the year 2071, when mankind has colonized the solar system and left behind a ruined Earth. It brought Western and noir storytelling together into its sci-fi setting, fused with an existential mood and jazzy music composed by Yoko Kanno.
"Cowboy Bebop" first aired in Japan 25 years ago, from 1998 to 1999, and Bandai Entertainment soon imported it stateside, where it debuted on Cartoon Network block Adult Swim in 2001. If anything, it's become an even bigger (and more enduring) hit in the U.S. than in its homeland. A big reason for this popularity was because the English dub was excellent: The characters speaking the...
This 26-episode show followed down-on-their-luck bounty hunters in the year 2071, when mankind has colonized the solar system and left behind a ruined Earth. It brought Western and noir storytelling together into its sci-fi setting, fused with an existential mood and jazzy music composed by Yoko Kanno.
"Cowboy Bebop" first aired in Japan 25 years ago, from 1998 to 1999, and Bandai Entertainment soon imported it stateside, where it debuted on Cartoon Network block Adult Swim in 2001. If anything, it's become an even bigger (and more enduring) hit in the U.S. than in its homeland. A big reason for this popularity was because the English dub was excellent: The characters speaking the...
- 11/21/2023
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
The first visitor from outer space in the ’50s sci-fi boom is one very curious guy, dropping to Earth in a ship like a diving bell and scaring the bejesus out of Sally Field’s mother. Micro-budgeted space invasion fantasy gets off to a great start, thanks to the filmmaking genius of our old pal Edgar G. Ulmer.
The Man from Planet X
Blu-ray
Scream Factory / Shout! Factory
1951 / B&W / 1:37 flat Academy / 71 min. / Street Date July 11, 2017 / 27.99
Starring: Robert Clarke, Margaret Field, Raymond Bond, William Schallert, Roy Engel, David Ormont.
Cinematography: John L. Russell
Film Editor: Fred R. Feitshans, Jr.
Original Music: Charles Koff
Written and Produced by Aubrey Wisberg, Jack Pollexfen
Directed by Edgar G. Ulmer
One of the first features of the 1950s Sci-Fi boom, 1951’s The Man from Planet X set a lot of precedents, cementing the public impression of ‘little green men from Mars’ and...
The Man from Planet X
Blu-ray
Scream Factory / Shout! Factory
1951 / B&W / 1:37 flat Academy / 71 min. / Street Date July 11, 2017 / 27.99
Starring: Robert Clarke, Margaret Field, Raymond Bond, William Schallert, Roy Engel, David Ormont.
Cinematography: John L. Russell
Film Editor: Fred R. Feitshans, Jr.
Original Music: Charles Koff
Written and Produced by Aubrey Wisberg, Jack Pollexfen
Directed by Edgar G. Ulmer
One of the first features of the 1950s Sci-Fi boom, 1951’s The Man from Planet X set a lot of precedents, cementing the public impression of ‘little green men from Mars’ and...
- 6/16/2017
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
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Castle delivers another head-scratching episode out of left-field in this week's Dead Again...
This review contains spoilers.
8.19 Dead Again
It feels like, only a couple of weeks ago, I was reviewing this same episode. Or at least its type. In Death Wish, we had Castle going off on a flight of fancy over Aladdin’s lamp, and I was pointing out that, every once in a while, the writers on Castle appear to lose their collective minds by penning an episode in which one of Rick’s fantasies crosses the line from a playful-but-not-serious bit of whimsy to a fullblown delusion.
The nice thing about Death Wish, and perhaps I should have pointed it out at the time, is that, in the end, while Castle’s ridiculous theory is never entirely proven to be false—after all, maybe Genevieve really is a genie and Mr. X her...
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Castle delivers another head-scratching episode out of left-field in this week's Dead Again...
This review contains spoilers.
8.19 Dead Again
It feels like, only a couple of weeks ago, I was reviewing this same episode. Or at least its type. In Death Wish, we had Castle going off on a flight of fancy over Aladdin’s lamp, and I was pointing out that, every once in a while, the writers on Castle appear to lose their collective minds by penning an episode in which one of Rick’s fantasies crosses the line from a playful-but-not-serious bit of whimsy to a fullblown delusion.
The nice thing about Death Wish, and perhaps I should have pointed it out at the time, is that, in the end, while Castle’s ridiculous theory is never entirely proven to be false—after all, maybe Genevieve really is a genie and Mr. X her...
- 5/2/2016
- Den of Geek
This week’s episode of Castle was the sort that test some viewers’ patience, diving as deep as “fantasy-augmented” Rick did off the deep end of reality. But if you, like me, are the kind of longtime fan who allows the show a lotta leniency those one or two times a season, you had to appreciate how this episode went all in with the “magic lamp” tale.
Related2016 Renewal Scorecard: What’s Coming Back? What’s Getting Cancelled? What’s on the Bubble?
The victim was part-time tomb raider Lars Cross — which in and of itself is a wonderfully shameless...
Related2016 Renewal Scorecard: What’s Coming Back? What’s Getting Cancelled? What’s on the Bubble?
The victim was part-time tomb raider Lars Cross — which in and of itself is a wonderfully shameless...
- 4/12/2016
- TVLine.com
Aside from the fact that The Catch is filling ABC’s Thursdays-at-10 time slot and counts Shonda Rhimes among its executive producers, the show has very little in common with its #Tgit predecessor, How to Get Away With Murder.
That is to say, unlike the Viola Davis drama, The Catch‘s series premiere doesn’t include any mommy issues or corpses in rugs or scales of justice trophies that double as lethal weapons.
In fact, the freshman series might be the most lighthearted fare that Shondaland currently offers, with its Pitbull-fueled soundtrack and brightly colored set pieces. And depending on...
That is to say, unlike the Viola Davis drama, The Catch‘s series premiere doesn’t include any mommy issues or corpses in rugs or scales of justice trophies that double as lethal weapons.
In fact, the freshman series might be the most lighthearted fare that Shondaland currently offers, with its Pitbull-fueled soundtrack and brightly colored set pieces. And depending on...
- 3/25/2016
- TVLine.com
Mireille Enos, who scowled so thoughtfully through all that punishing Seattle rain in The Killing, seems a bit miscast in the pilot episode of ABC's new series The Catch, a stylish little frippery from Shonda Rhimes.
As Alice Vaughan, a chic private investigator in Los Angeles, Enos ought to be confident, fun, a little shallow. But she still projects a kind of obdurate seriousness, despite the sunny weather and lot of minimalist, light-catching décor.
It may be, of course, that I'm just too used to seeing her that way, not only as The Killing's Sarah Linden but Big Love's twins,...
As Alice Vaughan, a chic private investigator in Los Angeles, Enos ought to be confident, fun, a little shallow. But she still projects a kind of obdurate seriousness, despite the sunny weather and lot of minimalist, light-catching décor.
It may be, of course, that I'm just too used to seeing her that way, not only as The Killing's Sarah Linden but Big Love's twins,...
- 3/25/2016
- by Tom Gliatto, @gliattoT
- People.com - TV Watch
Mireille Enos, who scowled so thoughtfully through all that punishing Seattle rain in The Killing, seems a bit miscast in the pilot episode of ABC's new series The Catch, a stylish little frippery from Shonda Rhimes. As Alice Vaughan, a chic private investigator in Los Angeles, Enos ought to be confident, fun, a little shallow. But she still projects a kind of obdurate seriousness, despite the sunny weather and lot of minimalist, light-catching décor. It may be, of course, that I'm just too used to seeing her that way, not only as The Killing's Sarah Linden but Big Love's twins,...
- 3/25/2016
- by Tom Gliatto, @gliattoT
- PEOPLE.com
Mireille Enos, who scowled so thoughtfully through all that punishing Seattle rain in The Killing, seems a bit miscast in the pilot episode of ABC's new series The Catch, a stylish little frippery from Shonda Rhimes. As Alice Vaughan, a chic private investigator in Los Angeles, Enos ought to be confident, fun, a little shallow. But she still projects a kind of obdurate seriousness, despite the sunny weather and lot of minimalist, light-catching décor. It may be, of course, that I'm just too used to seeing her that way, not only as The Killing's Sarah Linden but Big Love's twins,...
- 3/25/2016
- by Tom Gliatto, @gliattoT
- PEOPLE.com
There’s an implicit promise built in to ABC’s #Tgit programming block: You bring the popcorn and the red wine, and megaproducer Shonda Rhimes and her team of writers will show up with wicked, sexy, you-didn’t-see-it-coming twists. You’ll gasp, you’ll (occasionally) cry and (if you can focus on more than one screen at a time) you’ll watch your Facebook and Twitter feeds blow up with your friends’ and co-workers’ color commentary.
RelatedHow to Get Away With Murder Boss on Wes’ ‘Meredith Grey’ Arc, Frank’s Fate and That Riveting Backyard Burial
Which is why...
RelatedHow to Get Away With Murder Boss on Wes’ ‘Meredith Grey’ Arc, Frank’s Fate and That Riveting Backyard Burial
Which is why...
- 3/22/2016
- TVLine.com
If a teasing tango didn’t whet your appetite, maybe the heavy breathing and writhing shadows in a new promo for ABC’s The Catch will float your #Tgit-watching boat.
RelatedThe Catch Promo: New #Tgit Drama Teases Sexy Game of Cat-and-Mouse
Previously only available on iTunes, the above teaser for the Shonda Rhimes production plays up the sexual charge between elite P.I. Alice Vaughan (The Killing‘s Mireille Enos) and her fiance Christopher (Parenthood‘s Peter Krause) — aka “Mr. X,” an elusive con man she and her team of snoops have been unsuccessfully chasing.
As the premiere (airing Thursday,...
RelatedThe Catch Promo: New #Tgit Drama Teases Sexy Game of Cat-and-Mouse
Previously only available on iTunes, the above teaser for the Shonda Rhimes production plays up the sexual charge between elite P.I. Alice Vaughan (The Killing‘s Mireille Enos) and her fiance Christopher (Parenthood‘s Peter Krause) — aka “Mr. X,” an elusive con man she and her team of snoops have been unsuccessfully chasing.
As the premiere (airing Thursday,...
- 3/5/2016
- TVLine.com
"The X-Files" is back with a six-episode miniseries. I posted a review of the first three episodes last week, and I have a few specific thoughts on the premiere coming up just as soon as I have to, in the year 2016, use a search engine to get to a website I've previously visited on this computer... Mainly, I'm curious what everybody thinks now that you've seen it, but hitting a few of the larger beats now that I don't have to worry about spoilers: * I know that Mulder wants to believe — as Scully reminded us in that horribly-written, catchphrase-laden scene on his porch — but there is making him a would-be believer and then there is making him someone willing to throw out all of his previous beliefs (and pretty much everything relevant from the original series' mythology) on the basis of a few conversations with Tad O'Malley and Sveta. It's...
- 1/25/2016
- by Alan Sepinwall
- Hitfix
[Originally appeared in Deadly Magazine #5] For nine seasons (and two feature films), fans of The X-Files became engrossed with FBI Special Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully’s search for the truth and along the way, we were introduced to numerous supporting characters that helped them (or did their damnedest to foil their efforts) along the way. Here’s a look back at some of The X-Files’ greatest unusual suspects.
Deep Throat (Jerry Hardin)
Mulder’s first informant when the X-Files division of the FBI was established. A member of The Syndicate who wanted to expose some of the secrets the government had tried desperately to keep hidden, Deep Throat was tragically gunned down while trading an alien embryo for Mulder’s life in the first season finale, “The Erlenmeyer Flask.”
Cigarette Smoking Man/Cancer Man (William B. Davis)
Hands down The X-Files’ greatest villain, Cigarette Smoking Man’s presence dominated over the first season...
Deep Throat (Jerry Hardin)
Mulder’s first informant when the X-Files division of the FBI was established. A member of The Syndicate who wanted to expose some of the secrets the government had tried desperately to keep hidden, Deep Throat was tragically gunned down while trading an alien embryo for Mulder’s life in the first season finale, “The Erlenmeyer Flask.”
Cigarette Smoking Man/Cancer Man (William B. Davis)
Hands down The X-Files’ greatest villain, Cigarette Smoking Man’s presence dominated over the first season...
- 1/23/2016
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
A review of tonight's "The Leftovers" coming up just as soon as I ask about your eyepatch... "Do you want to get out of here?" -Kevin "A Matter of Geography" opens with a scene that almost plays as a scathing parody of Damon Lindelof's body of work, and on the larger swath of TV dramas that lean heavily on secrets and mysteries for conflict. Remember all those times on "Lost" when you wanted to throw a shoe at the TV because two characters who had information that could mutually help each other somehow never had a real conversation about it? Well, we got everything we could have possibly wanted from the impromptu, hilariously candid family meeting, as Kevin told his daughter and girlfriend about what he did with Patti in the woods, while Nora bluntly explained, "I hire prostitutes to shoot me." These four (counting baby Lily) are a...
- 10/12/2015
- by Alan Sepinwall
- Hitfix
Are the literary works of Peter Straub set for a Hollywood comeback? While the acclaimed horror author (and sometime collaborator of Stephen King) hasn't had an adaptation of one of his books hit the screen since 1981's "Ghost Story" starring Fred Astaire, Melvyn Douglas and Douglas Fairbanks Jr., HitFix has learned exclusively that Straub's 1999 novel "Mr. X" has been optioned for a possible feature film treatment by director Josh Boone's Mid-World Productions banner. Boone, who helmed last year's smash hit "The Fault in Our Stars" is also set to write and direct "New Mutants," a new "X-Men" franchise for Fox, and Anne Rice's "Vampire Chronicles" for Universal. "Mr. X" centers on Ned Dunstan, a man who returns to his hometown on the eve of his 35th birthday to discover the terrifying source of the precognitive visions he's been haunted by since childhood. The film will be produced by Mid-World Productions,...
- 10/1/2015
- by Chris Eggertsen
- Hitfix
Writer/director/producer Cristian Comeagă has been previously honored as producer of the ambitious film “The Rest is Silence”, which was Romania’s Oscar® contender in 2008. It also received the Gopo Award for Best Romanian Film and Cristian Comeagă was named Producer of the Year.
The lead actor, Bogdan Stanoevici, a well-known actor in both his native Romania and his adopted motherland, France, was made Deputy Minister of Culture for Romania just after this film was completed. His costar, the gorgeous Laura Cosoi is one of the country’s leading actresses and as well as a recognized chef. In addition, she has just married Cosmin Curticapean, the associate producer of the film.
Romania has a long history as a filmmaking country and its recent award winning films has brought the film world’s attention to films that are made in that country.
This one is a political thriller told in a very brightly colored world about Romania’s bleakest days under the dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu, before and after the 1989 Romanian anti-communist uprising. Its tone is odd, leading you to believe it might be a comedy. “The Chosen One” (“Cel Ales”) plays in a non-linear way with the layered storyline gradually revealing itself. It is a careful blend of art and entertainment.
A young student, bound for success as a model citizen who also likes jokes like most teenagers, is tripped up by one joke that he plays on the Party Leader which gets him in front of the comrade who becomes the designer, planner and destroyer of his life. As a messenger of the “Comrades’ Fellowship” he offers to help the boy flee to the “free world” instead of expelling him from high school. This leads to the next thirty years of his life.
To squeeze that many years into two hours leaves “no place for commonplace … no time for time-consuming waiting and no room for insignificant gestures and lines” says the director Cristian Comeaga. And therein lie the odd quality of this interesting story.
The film is truly an indie. It was shot in 37 days, in 56 locations across Romania, France and Belgium. True to form for indies, due to financial difficulties, shooting took more than a year (May 2012 to June 2013), while visual effects and post-production added another 15 months to the schedule.
Cristian Comeagă took no pay for the five jobs he had on the film – writer, director, producer, production designer and costume designer. “Yes, I must admit it didn’t leave me much time for sleep,” he says. He had even less sleep as he worked as a line producer on commercials and television productions, just to keep the bills paid. He also traded camera lenses and tennis rackets on eBay.
“The Chosen One” was a success in its Romanian release on April 24, 2015. During the first screening, half of the audience was government officials who liked it although it was different from most Romanian films. The first public screenings were attended by older people who remembered the times. Younger people then heard about the film and wanted to see what the past reality was. After the house lights went on, the audience did not move. But as they exited, they discussed the film trying to figure it out points in the story. And some tried to stop the film’s screening.
Cristian said that a movie does not exist until the audience has seen it.
While in L.A. for the Golden Globe and private trade screening, actors Laura Cosoi and Bogdan Stanoevici and I had a breakfast interview in which the actors’ lives seemed almost as surreal as the lives of the characters in the film.
Bogdan Stanoevici, who plays Mr. X, has his own life experiences remarkably similar to at least part of his character’s journey. In Romania he had an established career as an actor but was kindly informed in 1989 that he really should leave the country as his outspoken ways were not gaining him friends in the government. He escaped from Communist Romania in its waning days and made a life for himself in France. He didn’t return to his homeland until shortly before filming started on “The Chosen One”. Unlike Mr. X his life’s decisions were his own.
He had not seen Cristian Comeaga in 29 years but received a letter from him saying he wanted one actor who could play all ages from age 20 to 60 years. As a producer, Cristian knew he was right that only Bogdan could play the role and he promised him a beautiful, easy to work with partner (Laura Coisi). Bogdan had seen Laura from TV. Laura, who was born in 1982 knew him from a 1986 film called “Blue Sled” made before he had left Romania. The film had been very successful for the youth audience as there was no idealogy in it, something very rare in Romania. But in her 12 years in the industry she had never met Bogdan.
She wanted to rehearse for the film but Cristian said no. He wanted Laura to meet Bogdan for the first time on the set; he felt that the freshness of the relationship was more true to life and he knew the instincts of both actors and that there would be a chemistry between them. He knew exactly what the characters would be like. He knew Nora so well that her suggestions were not even taken. It was difficult to work like that for Laura, but it was good in that the film worked so well and she learned so much in the course of making it.
Cristian said that he identified most with her role of Nora. He played all the characters on the set it and was amusing to see him playing Nora.
With Bogdan, he counted on his experience. Bogan had spent ten years in Romania, beginning his theater career in 1979 after finishing secondary school in ’77, going into the army in ’78 and university in ’78. By 1989 he had made 18 movies and in ten of them he played the lead role.
He has the ability to disappear into the character he is portraying. In “The Chosen One” he plays just one person over a period of 30 years and does it so well (with the aid of makeup, of course) that it is hard to believe that it is the same actor throughout.
How he got to France
Bogdan was well known enough but he was not allowed to travel. He was well paid (thought not rich like U.S. actors); he had perks. The party leaders kept trying to get him into the system and he refused. He was not a party member which was his way to be free. They advised him that it would be better for him to find a way to leave the country and his family. He met a French girl and got married and the country’s leaders were happy to get rid of him.
Bogdan was almost 30 and yet he needed his parents’ approval to emigrate. However instead of the usual three year wait, it took him only six months to get an exit visa.
He was married for seven years. “Everything in Romania was on a five year plan, and the Romanian Way of Living is To Find a Solution. Everyone in Romania does this, and so I gave myself five years to get into the system in France. I said that if in the first year I was not shooting something (being an extra was not acceptable) then I must think of something else to do. I will be an actor and will not accept anything less than three days of shooting.” And so he found a TV show and he found an agent and casting directors, although nine out of ten would not open the door for him. “This is the Romanian style. You must meet people. If the door is locked, you must find a window.”
Bogdan says he did well enough in France though not on the same level as in Romania and his dream was to get to Hollywood. He is equally at home in France, where he has appeared in almost 30 movies and television programs, some of them American/French co-productions. He speaks English and French fluently and can get by in Italian, Russian and Bulgarian.
His American films include “Counterstrike” (1995), “Highlander” (1997) and “Quick Sand” (2000). But he feels that this film “The Chosen One” is his first step into the real U.S. He needs the film to be seen so that he can get roles.
Laura Cosoi on the other hand became an actress by chance. Laura Cosoi is a multi-talented actress, dancer, blogger and author. Though this is her first lead role for a feature film she is a successful television and theater actress. Her acting career actually started at the Cannes Film Festival when the 2001 short “Calatorie la Ora” took second place in the “Cinefondation” category at the 2004 festival. She appeared in a number of other short films, including the lead role in “Un Film Simplu”.
She was a professional ballroom dancer (which is actually an Olympic sport!). She trained as a social worker. But 12 years ago she visited a studio where they were shooting a Hallmark TV movie called “James the First”. She went with a talent agent who was a friend of her mother’s and who had a modeling school. As she waited for the agent, a man approached her and said in British, “You’re so pretty, do you want to play in my movie?” She didn’t understand but said yes and she went for a fitting. Her friend called asking where she was. The TV producer heard about her and wanted her as well, so on the same day she chose the TV sitcom. “James was not a success and the rest is history.”
Twelve years later, she has been in lots of sitcoms, TV series and telenovelas. She never had a goal; it all just happened. She loves casting auditions and that alone is enough. She said, “Now I’m just an actress, but when I have time, I love to cook for my friends”.
When she does interviews, she is always asked how she keeps in shape; they ask her about food and fitness, and so she wrote a book so they won’t keep asking. It’s a very personal project. Will You Stay for Dinner has been translated into eight languages (but not yet English) and won the international Gourmand Cook Book Award, the most important prize in the cook book industry started 20 years ago by Eduard Cointreau. She won the prize to participate in this year’s Frankfurt Book Fair and in China where the awards for Gourmand were held this year, she won the prize for “Best TV Chef Cookbook”.
Laura has many personalities and she wants to explore them all, from Nora in “The Chosen One” to cooking…she loves to express different personalities. It is like therapy. It opens doors and she is surprised to see what she can do.
This movie was made out of passion. It is one of the few Romanian films made on a low budget with large teams struggling to complete it. They are happy to show it outside of Romania. The film is a slice of life about which we have heard much but seen very rarely and never understood. It is a lesson in history about Romania and a whole system that could and does unfortunately happen everywhere in the world. Very few people know outside what Romania is like. It is more than “Dracula”. The public’s appreciation of this film is key to its success and both Bogdan and Laura hope it will be distributed and seen widely.
The lead actor, Bogdan Stanoevici, a well-known actor in both his native Romania and his adopted motherland, France, was made Deputy Minister of Culture for Romania just after this film was completed. His costar, the gorgeous Laura Cosoi is one of the country’s leading actresses and as well as a recognized chef. In addition, she has just married Cosmin Curticapean, the associate producer of the film.
Romania has a long history as a filmmaking country and its recent award winning films has brought the film world’s attention to films that are made in that country.
This one is a political thriller told in a very brightly colored world about Romania’s bleakest days under the dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu, before and after the 1989 Romanian anti-communist uprising. Its tone is odd, leading you to believe it might be a comedy. “The Chosen One” (“Cel Ales”) plays in a non-linear way with the layered storyline gradually revealing itself. It is a careful blend of art and entertainment.
A young student, bound for success as a model citizen who also likes jokes like most teenagers, is tripped up by one joke that he plays on the Party Leader which gets him in front of the comrade who becomes the designer, planner and destroyer of his life. As a messenger of the “Comrades’ Fellowship” he offers to help the boy flee to the “free world” instead of expelling him from high school. This leads to the next thirty years of his life.
To squeeze that many years into two hours leaves “no place for commonplace … no time for time-consuming waiting and no room for insignificant gestures and lines” says the director Cristian Comeaga. And therein lie the odd quality of this interesting story.
The film is truly an indie. It was shot in 37 days, in 56 locations across Romania, France and Belgium. True to form for indies, due to financial difficulties, shooting took more than a year (May 2012 to June 2013), while visual effects and post-production added another 15 months to the schedule.
Cristian Comeagă took no pay for the five jobs he had on the film – writer, director, producer, production designer and costume designer. “Yes, I must admit it didn’t leave me much time for sleep,” he says. He had even less sleep as he worked as a line producer on commercials and television productions, just to keep the bills paid. He also traded camera lenses and tennis rackets on eBay.
“The Chosen One” was a success in its Romanian release on April 24, 2015. During the first screening, half of the audience was government officials who liked it although it was different from most Romanian films. The first public screenings were attended by older people who remembered the times. Younger people then heard about the film and wanted to see what the past reality was. After the house lights went on, the audience did not move. But as they exited, they discussed the film trying to figure it out points in the story. And some tried to stop the film’s screening.
Cristian said that a movie does not exist until the audience has seen it.
While in L.A. for the Golden Globe and private trade screening, actors Laura Cosoi and Bogdan Stanoevici and I had a breakfast interview in which the actors’ lives seemed almost as surreal as the lives of the characters in the film.
Bogdan Stanoevici, who plays Mr. X, has his own life experiences remarkably similar to at least part of his character’s journey. In Romania he had an established career as an actor but was kindly informed in 1989 that he really should leave the country as his outspoken ways were not gaining him friends in the government. He escaped from Communist Romania in its waning days and made a life for himself in France. He didn’t return to his homeland until shortly before filming started on “The Chosen One”. Unlike Mr. X his life’s decisions were his own.
He had not seen Cristian Comeaga in 29 years but received a letter from him saying he wanted one actor who could play all ages from age 20 to 60 years. As a producer, Cristian knew he was right that only Bogdan could play the role and he promised him a beautiful, easy to work with partner (Laura Coisi). Bogdan had seen Laura from TV. Laura, who was born in 1982 knew him from a 1986 film called “Blue Sled” made before he had left Romania. The film had been very successful for the youth audience as there was no idealogy in it, something very rare in Romania. But in her 12 years in the industry she had never met Bogdan.
She wanted to rehearse for the film but Cristian said no. He wanted Laura to meet Bogdan for the first time on the set; he felt that the freshness of the relationship was more true to life and he knew the instincts of both actors and that there would be a chemistry between them. He knew exactly what the characters would be like. He knew Nora so well that her suggestions were not even taken. It was difficult to work like that for Laura, but it was good in that the film worked so well and she learned so much in the course of making it.
Cristian said that he identified most with her role of Nora. He played all the characters on the set it and was amusing to see him playing Nora.
With Bogdan, he counted on his experience. Bogan had spent ten years in Romania, beginning his theater career in 1979 after finishing secondary school in ’77, going into the army in ’78 and university in ’78. By 1989 he had made 18 movies and in ten of them he played the lead role.
He has the ability to disappear into the character he is portraying. In “The Chosen One” he plays just one person over a period of 30 years and does it so well (with the aid of makeup, of course) that it is hard to believe that it is the same actor throughout.
How he got to France
Bogdan was well known enough but he was not allowed to travel. He was well paid (thought not rich like U.S. actors); he had perks. The party leaders kept trying to get him into the system and he refused. He was not a party member which was his way to be free. They advised him that it would be better for him to find a way to leave the country and his family. He met a French girl and got married and the country’s leaders were happy to get rid of him.
Bogdan was almost 30 and yet he needed his parents’ approval to emigrate. However instead of the usual three year wait, it took him only six months to get an exit visa.
He was married for seven years. “Everything in Romania was on a five year plan, and the Romanian Way of Living is To Find a Solution. Everyone in Romania does this, and so I gave myself five years to get into the system in France. I said that if in the first year I was not shooting something (being an extra was not acceptable) then I must think of something else to do. I will be an actor and will not accept anything less than three days of shooting.” And so he found a TV show and he found an agent and casting directors, although nine out of ten would not open the door for him. “This is the Romanian style. You must meet people. If the door is locked, you must find a window.”
Bogdan says he did well enough in France though not on the same level as in Romania and his dream was to get to Hollywood. He is equally at home in France, where he has appeared in almost 30 movies and television programs, some of them American/French co-productions. He speaks English and French fluently and can get by in Italian, Russian and Bulgarian.
His American films include “Counterstrike” (1995), “Highlander” (1997) and “Quick Sand” (2000). But he feels that this film “The Chosen One” is his first step into the real U.S. He needs the film to be seen so that he can get roles.
Laura Cosoi on the other hand became an actress by chance. Laura Cosoi is a multi-talented actress, dancer, blogger and author. Though this is her first lead role for a feature film she is a successful television and theater actress. Her acting career actually started at the Cannes Film Festival when the 2001 short “Calatorie la Ora” took second place in the “Cinefondation” category at the 2004 festival. She appeared in a number of other short films, including the lead role in “Un Film Simplu”.
She was a professional ballroom dancer (which is actually an Olympic sport!). She trained as a social worker. But 12 years ago she visited a studio where they were shooting a Hallmark TV movie called “James the First”. She went with a talent agent who was a friend of her mother’s and who had a modeling school. As she waited for the agent, a man approached her and said in British, “You’re so pretty, do you want to play in my movie?” She didn’t understand but said yes and she went for a fitting. Her friend called asking where she was. The TV producer heard about her and wanted her as well, so on the same day she chose the TV sitcom. “James was not a success and the rest is history.”
Twelve years later, she has been in lots of sitcoms, TV series and telenovelas. She never had a goal; it all just happened. She loves casting auditions and that alone is enough. She said, “Now I’m just an actress, but when I have time, I love to cook for my friends”.
When she does interviews, she is always asked how she keeps in shape; they ask her about food and fitness, and so she wrote a book so they won’t keep asking. It’s a very personal project. Will You Stay for Dinner has been translated into eight languages (but not yet English) and won the international Gourmand Cook Book Award, the most important prize in the cook book industry started 20 years ago by Eduard Cointreau. She won the prize to participate in this year’s Frankfurt Book Fair and in China where the awards for Gourmand were held this year, she won the prize for “Best TV Chef Cookbook”.
Laura has many personalities and she wants to explore them all, from Nora in “The Chosen One” to cooking…she loves to express different personalities. It is like therapy. It opens doors and she is surprised to see what she can do.
This movie was made out of passion. It is one of the few Romanian films made on a low budget with large teams struggling to complete it. They are happy to show it outside of Romania. The film is a slice of life about which we have heard much but seen very rarely and never understood. It is a lesson in history about Romania and a whole system that could and does unfortunately happen everywhere in the world. Very few people know outside what Romania is like. It is more than “Dracula”. The public’s appreciation of this film is key to its success and both Bogdan and Laura hope it will be distributed and seen widely.
- 8/25/2015
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
2015 may not have started off on a good note for Fox, what with Bombay Velvet turning out to be the biggest disaster of all times. Their association with Bhatts didn’t pay much dividends either with Hamaari Adhuri Kahaani, Mr. X and Khamoshiyaan not quite raking in numbers that were expected out of them. However, a good opening for Brothers has brought back excitement all over again for the corporate house.
With 15.2 crore on the opening day, Brothers is their biggest success story of the year which has quite a few other films lined up in months to come.
First to arrive would be Shandaar which has Dharma Productions and Phantom Productions. In a strategic partnership with the production houses, Fox is pitching the film to the youngsters and family audiences alike, which are in lookout for wholesome entertainment. Since the film has a hot pairing of Shahid Kapoor and Alia Bhatt,...
With 15.2 crore on the opening day, Brothers is their biggest success story of the year which has quite a few other films lined up in months to come.
First to arrive would be Shandaar which has Dharma Productions and Phantom Productions. In a strategic partnership with the production houses, Fox is pitching the film to the youngsters and family audiences alike, which are in lookout for wholesome entertainment. Since the film has a hot pairing of Shahid Kapoor and Alia Bhatt,...
- 8/15/2015
- by Joginder Tuteja
- Bollyspice
The most entertaining animal story since Babe, Shaun The Sheep Movie is this summer’s sleeper for kids and their parents, a terrific and hilarious movie that takes a lot of risks and makes them all pay off. The modelmakers and stop-motion animators at Aardman studios have created a witty, high-spirited adventure literally out of clay with lovingly rendered detail and the same type of visual hijinks that made their Wallace & Gromit shorts such classics.
Shaun the sheep and his farmyard pals at Mossy Bottom Farm have settled into a dull routine. One day, Shaun decides things need to liven up, so he distracts sheepdog Bitzer (clearly from the same litter as Grommit) and traps the farmer in a trailer with the intent of allowing his entire flock to take a day off from their mundane lives. But disaster on a steep hill leads to the farmer being hospitalized with amnesia.
Shaun the sheep and his farmyard pals at Mossy Bottom Farm have settled into a dull routine. One day, Shaun decides things need to liven up, so he distracts sheepdog Bitzer (clearly from the same litter as Grommit) and traps the farmer in a trailer with the intent of allowing his entire flock to take a day off from their mundane lives. But disaster on a steep hill leads to the farmer being hospitalized with amnesia.
- 8/4/2015
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Out goes the black leather, in come the bright primaries.
"X-Men: Apocalypse" director Bryan Singer has essentially confirmed that the classic colourful costumes are being slipped into by his mutant heroes in the upcoming film. Speaking with Yahoo Movies at Comic Con on the weekend, Singer was asked about the chances of the original costumes coming back:
"I will say that in 'X-Men: Apocalypse,' there is a chance -- without giving anything away -- that you may get closer to seeing what I think, Mr. X-Men News, you are interested in seeing. I know it's something I've been interested in, I just always wanted to do it the right way."
He also talked about handling the younger versions of fan-favourite mutants from the earlier series like Storm, Jean Grey, Nightcrawler and more:
"Young Jean, young Scott and young Storm -- and frankly, young Nightcrawler. These are very...
"X-Men: Apocalypse" director Bryan Singer has essentially confirmed that the classic colourful costumes are being slipped into by his mutant heroes in the upcoming film. Speaking with Yahoo Movies at Comic Con on the weekend, Singer was asked about the chances of the original costumes coming back:
"I will say that in 'X-Men: Apocalypse,' there is a chance -- without giving anything away -- that you may get closer to seeing what I think, Mr. X-Men News, you are interested in seeing. I know it's something I've been interested in, I just always wanted to do it the right way."
He also talked about handling the younger versions of fan-favourite mutants from the earlier series like Storm, Jean Grey, Nightcrawler and more:
"Young Jean, young Scott and young Storm -- and frankly, young Nightcrawler. These are very...
- 7/14/2015
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Unlike Warner Bros., it doesn't appear as if Fox have any plans to officially release the footage which was leaked from their panel on Saturday. That's understandable in the case of X-Men: Apocalypse, especially as they were using footage from the first five weeks of production, but what we did see in the bootleg version was definitely impressive. To get fans even more excited, director Bryan Singer has teased the appearance of some very familiar costumes in X-Men: Apocalypse. "I will say that in 'X-Men: Apocalypse,' there is a chance -- without giving anything away -- that you may get closer to seeing what I think, Mr. X-Men News, you are interested in seeing," Singer revealed in an interview with Yahoo! Movies when they asked about the chances of the heroes getting their classic colourful costumes. "I know it's something I've been interested in, I just always...
- 7/14/2015
- ComicBookMovie.com
With quite a number of offbeat films taking centre stage at the box office this year, Dharma Productions who are gearing up for their share of huge releases this year, has inked one of the biggest deals. Renowned producer Karan Johar has collaborated with Fox Star Studios for a deal worth Rs. 500 crore.
According to the said deal, Dharma and Fox Star will jointly co-produce and distribute nine films over a period of three years which involves some popular directors like Karan Johar himself, Ayan Mukerji, Karan Malhotra, Abhishek Verman among others. Also, the said films which are a part of the deal will be high on star power which includes cast like Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Shahid Kapoor among others. While of late, Fox Star Studios has been facing tremendous setbacks with films like Khamoshiyan, Mr. X and Bombay Velvet failing at the box office, the...
According to the said deal, Dharma and Fox Star will jointly co-produce and distribute nine films over a period of three years which involves some popular directors like Karan Johar himself, Ayan Mukerji, Karan Malhotra, Abhishek Verman among others. Also, the said films which are a part of the deal will be high on star power which includes cast like Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Shahid Kapoor among others. While of late, Fox Star Studios has been facing tremendous setbacks with films like Khamoshiyan, Mr. X and Bombay Velvet failing at the box office, the...
- 6/4/2015
- by Bollywood Hungama News Network
- BollywoodHungama
Just like a couple weeks back, it was yet again Hollywood which dominated Bollywood in the lean phase where no A- lister projects are on release.
Obviously we are referring to Avengers: Age Of The Ultron which dominated the proceedings in a big way with all the Bollywood releases lagging far behind, in fact nowhere in sight!
It was a one horse race with Avengers expected to grab around 10 crore on the opening day, though it may fall well short of Fast and Furious 7's 12-13 crore opening day record; still a creditable performance indeed by Avengers: Age Of The Ultron .
While on the Hindi releases, none of the films, including Jai Ho Democracy, which was the best bet, could muster substantial footfalls and have more or less been rejected from the first show itself.
Meanwhile, last week's Bhatt-Emraan venture, Mr. X, along with its 3D version, could not...
Obviously we are referring to Avengers: Age Of The Ultron which dominated the proceedings in a big way with all the Bollywood releases lagging far behind, in fact nowhere in sight!
It was a one horse race with Avengers expected to grab around 10 crore on the opening day, though it may fall well short of Fast and Furious 7's 12-13 crore opening day record; still a creditable performance indeed by Avengers: Age Of The Ultron .
While on the Hindi releases, none of the films, including Jai Ho Democracy, which was the best bet, could muster substantial footfalls and have more or less been rejected from the first show itself.
Meanwhile, last week's Bhatt-Emraan venture, Mr. X, along with its 3D version, could not...
- 4/25/2015
- GlamSham
Bobbie Weiner, Aka Bloody Mary, is an FX artist with her own line of specialty makeup for literally any kind of transformation. If you're wondering where you might have seen her work, try the Oscar-nominated romace-catastrophe flick Titanic; she was the special effects make-up artist who transformed hundreds of actors into blue-lipped, icicle covered corpses. She also was in charge of the makeup for the horror films Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings and Voodoo.
Bobbie's got a whole lineup of her own FX supplies and original makeup; scary stuff, of course, but also any kind of makeup anyone might need. And you can read the comic she created, Tales of Bloody Mary, in any comic book store. Bobbie shares her recent work with Pretty/Scary's staffer Andrew Shearer...
Have you, or do you ever encounter situations where an individual is clearly put off by what you do?
Bw: Yes. Definitely. I...
Bobbie's got a whole lineup of her own FX supplies and original makeup; scary stuff, of course, but also any kind of makeup anyone might need. And you can read the comic she created, Tales of Bloody Mary, in any comic book store. Bobbie shares her recent work with Pretty/Scary's staffer Andrew Shearer...
Have you, or do you ever encounter situations where an individual is clearly put off by what you do?
Bw: Yes. Definitely. I...
- 11/1/2009
- by andrew_shearer
- Planet Fury
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