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Hello and thanks for visiting. I am working on a new website so I have not been updating my blog as much as I should. I hope to be launching my website before the end of May.

Sandy

"Stick It" Falls Flat

Screenwriter Jessica Bendinger tries her hand at directing in "Stick It," which attempts to transfer the same spirit that Bendinger created in the cheerleader comedy "Bring it On" to the world of competitive gymnastics. The biggest name in the cast is Jeff Bridges, who isn't exactly teenage fare, but he does his best in this fatherly-type role. Whatever skills Bendinger possessed when she wrote "Bring it On" have completely vanished.

The script for "Stick It" is a sloppy mess of teenage jibe and fake posturing that seems to end in the middle and then start up again as a whole new movie. As a first-time director, Bendinger relies on far too many camera tricks and a strange sense of staging that is not flattering. Actress Missy Peregrym, a relative unknown except for fans of "Smallville", has an eerie resemblance to a young Hillary Swank, plays a rebellious teenage girl who walked away from the World Championships costing her teammates a shot at Olympic Gold in gymnastics. Marked as a pariah in the world of gymnastics,

Peregrym wants nothing to do with the sport and does her best to play down her abilities. It's possible the character as written was such a stereotype that Peregrym had little to work with as an actress. Peregrym doesn't add any breadth to the character. Bendinger's biggest mistake in the execution of this movie is a lack of character development.

Interview clip with the star of "The Pink Panther" Steve Martin

Harrison Ford Gives the Action Genre Something More

Sandra Kraisirideja
Harrison Ford is such a formidable force in American cinema that he’s actually created his own genre.

At least that’s what Paul Bettany, who stars opposite Ford in “Firewall,” opening Feb. 10, thinks.

The Harrison Ford genre, according to Bettany, breaks down like this: “affable, likeable, executive is turned into animal to protect family.”

It’s a good way to describe “Firewall” and “Air Force One,” but what connects those films with Ford’s other thrillers, such as ”Patriot Games” and “Clear and Present Danger” is the actor’s knack for making his characters appear ordinary and superhuman a the same time.

As Jack Stanfield in “Firewall,” Ford plays a security executive at a bank who is forced to transfer millions into the offshore bank account of a calculating thief, Bill Cox (Bettany), or his wife and children, who are being held hostage by the robbers, will be murdered.

The role requires Ford to command in-depth, technological knowledge of networks and computer systems. While his own expertise may not extend that far, Ford has been using computers in his own life for quite some time.

“I’m fairly comfortable with computers. What was important in this case was to test the theory of our technology on people in the banking community and people in the computer world,” said Harrison, who sported a gray, bushy goattee and one hoop earring while at the Regent Beverly Wilshire promoting the film.

There are a few intense physical scenes in the movie, but not enough to label it an action film, Ford said.

“This is not a physical movie. This is a movie that only has brief moments of physical confrontation in it. It’s a movie about suspense and tension. It’s not an action film,” he said.

Ford said he does not set out to do movies within a particular genre. “I want to work with the best dramatic material that I can. And it often happens that when you tell stories of conflict between characters it comes to a physical confrontation. That is the nature of film,” he said.

Ford’s own brand of action is not about having muscles or big guns, but about using internal strength to accomplish what needs to be done.

The little nuances he gives his characters are all part of the storytelling process, he said. Ford doesn’t decide to keep his character’s weaknesses—several times in “Firewall” his character stumbles—but puts them in purposefully.

“That’s the kind of thing that I think is an observation of how people behave under those circumstances. It reflects the reality of that kind of circumstance,” he said.

Ford has a reputation for being a man of few words, but neither Bettany nor Madsen found his demeanor effected the mood on the set.

“Harrison is like a real man’s man…and he reminds me of a lot of the men that I grew up around in Chicago, like he’s almost like a blue collar guy.

“I never found it uncomfortable to be around him because he was never mean, never rude,” said Madsen, who plays Ford’s wife in the movie. “He’s really good to the crew, the crew liked working with him a lot because of his no nonsense attitude. He just comes and he does his job.”

Bettany said he took a part in the film because of Ford and enjoyed working with the veteran actor.

“I think he absolutely fulfills all your expectations. He is very similar to what you think you’re going to get, and that’s probably why he’s such a big movie star,” Bettany said.

Ford had an equal amount of praise for his co-star, whom he described as a skilled and instinctive actor. “You’re playing a game of catch in a lot of the scenes between us and he pays attention. He knows how hard to throw the ball back. He knows how to work,” Ford said.

While the younger generation in Hollywood multi-tasks by branching out into singing, directing and producing, Ford is content to remain an actor.

He has not considered directing and finds acting stimulating because it’s a complicated problem that he has spend his life understanding.

Ford remains an actor because “I get to participate as an actor in filmmaking, which is a group activity and I like working with people on a problem and because they pay me money to do it.”

Is Age a Factor for Indianna Jones 4?

By Sandra Kraisirideja
Anticipation is mounting for the next “Indiana Jones,” but for every year that passes there is some concern that Harrison Ford may not be able to play the role physically.

The 63-year-old actor is frank about his age and doesn’t hesitate to point out that he’s as physically fit as ever.

“I can’t tell you anything about ‘Indiana Jones,’ but I think you’ve just seen a film in which I perform physically to an extent [that will be] sufficient for ‘Indiana Jones,’” he said.

Ford is referring to a specific scene in his latest thriller, “Firewall,” in which he and villain Paul Bettany get into a knock-down, nasty brawl where Ford is thrown through glass and tumbles over a balcony just for starters.

No word yet on when a final script will be approved for “Indiana Jon 4,” but Ford is committed to making the movie.

“The audience is there,” he said, and, “Everybody involved is anxious to make the film again.”

Interview clip - Harrison Ford

Interview clips with Virginia Madsen

Paul Bettany Bats Away Joker Rumors

By Sandra Kraisirideja
Paul Bettany is trying on the villan role in 2006 with the upcoming release of two high-profile films: “Firewall” and “The Da Vinci Code.” Could the role of the Joker in the next Batman movie be far behind?

Responding to rumors on the Internet linking his name to the role, Bettany responded, “Nobody has rung me up officially and asked, ‘Would you like to be in it?’” In fact, the only information Bettany has head has been from friends who have told him they’ve heard the rumor too.

Asked if he was flattered that rumors connecting him to the Batman sequel Bettany said, “Well I’m just wondering if my mother started the rumors.”

Interview clip - Paul Bettany

Beyonce Knowles Get Bit By Acting Bug

Sandra Kraisirideja
Swathed in sparkling jewelry made with combinations of rubies, diamonds, and pink diamonds, Beyonce Knowles looks dazzling in a pink halter dress, but beyond her beauty is an actress hungry to show the world what she can do.

Knowles understands her acting roles have been as eye candy in zany comedies like “Austin Powers 3” and the upcoming “The Pink Panther,” but she hopes to break that typecast this year.

Knowles may have to wait until the release of “Dreamgirls” for that chance, but for now she’s happy to promote her role in Steve Martin’s update of the “Pink Panther” franchise. The film opens Feb. 10.

To play the role of a pop superstar suspected of murder by bumbling French inspector Jacques Clouseau (Martin), Knowles deadpanned she initially turned down the role because she just wouldn’t have the time to do the research.

When she heard from director Shawn Levy, who cast her in the Disney show, “The Famous Jett Jackson,” however, that she would be playing opposite Martin and Kevin Kline, as Clouseau’s power-hungry boss, she changed her tune.

“I'd told myself I would always work with the best people, people I can learn from,” said Knowles, who spent two weeks in New York and one week in Paris filming. “I laughed the whole time on the set and I'm happy I'm in it,” she added.

Knowles, who has taken some acting classes and would like to pursue acting as a real career, said she was able to learn more about the profession from Martin.

“In between takes he goes from being this wacky, unbelievable character to becoming Steve Martin and working with the director and changing things,” because he also wrote the script. “I'm a songwriter and a performer, so I respect that,” Knowles said.

On stage Knowles affects the part of seductress with ease, but when she’s not performing she can appear demure and almost shy.

With acting she’s learning to transfer what she does on stage, to the screen. “I can come out of my shell when I'm on the stage. Now I'm learning in films I can do the same thing with different characters,” she said.

Knowles has high expectations for herself as an actress and hopes to demonstrate what she’s capable of in the upcoming “Dreamgirls,” directed by Bill Condon and starring Jamie Foxx and Eddie Murphy.

Knowles was born the year “Dreamgirls” made its debut on Broadway and has never seen the musical performed live. While she may have been an ideal candidate for the role vocally, there was some question as to whether she would be able to handle the character’s emotional changes.

“At first they weren't sure if I could play the part because I haven't done anything like it on film. And I knew I could do it. I just never had the chance to do it,” she said.

Knowles will play Deena, who begins the film at age 16 and matures to a 36-year-old woman.

“At the beginning there's nothing glamorous about Deena, and she kind of butterflies into this diva,” Knowles said, which will give her a chance to show her range as an actress.

“I have dramatic scenes and emotional scenes and all these colors, and I'm so excited because people are going to see me act for the first time,” she said.

For now Knowles is busy promoting “The Pink Panther” and is proud to be be able to connect a younger generation to the character, which was made famous by Peter Sellers.

“[There is] something so legendary about that song and that image of the Pink Panther and for me to be the person that represents [the film to others] in 2006 is amazing and for me to be the person who represent Deena is amazing,” Knowles said.

Music is still in Knowles future, but she’s hoping there will be more.

“I just want to challenge myself and learn and I admire people like Barbra Streisand and Dianna Ross who took that risk and are really good at it,” she said.

Interview clip with the stars of "Rumor Has It"

Jennifer Anniston & Shirley MacLaine

Jennifer Anniston is Moving On and Moving Up

Sandra Kraisirideja
It’s been a rough year for Jennifer Anniston, but you wouldn’t know it by looking at her.

Appearing tan and fit in blue jeans and a sleeveless, black sweater top, Anniston was at the Ritz-Carlton Huntington Hotel & Spa recently to promote her newest movie, “Rumor Has It.”

Anniston plays Sarah Huttinger, an aspiring journalist who discovers that her family was the inspiration for the novel, “The Graduate.”

The romantic comedy, directed by Rob Reiner, opens Christmas Day and also stars Shirley MacLaine, Mark Ruffalo and Kevin Costner.

Anniston said she signed on for the role because she wanted to do something light and fun.

“It was the first job after ‘Friends’ so I felt it was a nice little delicate step out of the nest. It wasn’t that complicated and I also really thought, as far as these romantic comedies, go, this was interesting; to have ‘The Graduate’ as a backdrop,’ she said.

This year Anniston fell under intense media scrutiny when her marriage to Brad Pitt ended in divorce.

Anniston has stayed relatively silent about what has been written in tabloid and entertainment magazines and for the most part has emerged unscathed and with more public support than ever.

“I don’t think success has anything to do with making me secure with my life. I think my personal, emotional experiences give me the ability to be more secure with who I am,” Anniston said.

“I’ll tell you, at this point, there’s such a freedom in a weird way. You can just say, ‘Here I am. This is it.’ It was like I was saying to Shirley today, ‘Well, I might as well pull my pants down at this point. They’ve seen everything else.’”

Anniston was going through her separation during filming of “Rumor Has It” and her professionalism impressed MacLaine and Reiner.

“I gotta tell you I have never seen anybody with such grace under fire as Jennifer was. I mean I have such respect for her. I never saw somebody exhibiting the kind of strength that she had. There were times when what she was going through applied, in scenes and she would allow that to happen but for the most part, you have to separate those things and do your work, and so she was extraordinary,” Reiner said.

Added MacLaine: “She has come through what must be one of the most painful and difficult requirements of any human being, much less a young person; to live their life in a spotlight like this is so painful. Her emotional discipline is extraordinary and I really want to compliment her for that.”

Anniston credits her mother, who indirectly showed her how not to behave after a divorce.

“I watched my mother be very bitter and very angry throughout a divorce and never let it go and waste the whole second half of her life. So, I thank her for that unconscious sacrifice of what not to do. I think accountability, taking responsibility,” and not playing the victim are also important, Anniston said.

“That’s the real lesson that she’s teaching everybody,” MacLaine added. “She says so in public and certainly in private, ‘Where is my role in this? How have I contributed to this?’....in a very spiritual way instead of blaming and that’s a huge step and really hard.”

When it comes to choosing her next projects, Anniston said she goes by her gut reaction to material. “I don’t strategize and say, ‘Well, I’ve done this. Now I have to do one of these next’. If it’s good and I think I can do it well, then I’ll do it,” she said.

Anniston’s next movie is a smaller independent called “Friends with Money” in which she plays a pot-smoking maid who is the least motivated among her highly successful friends.

“I’m the youngest of the group and everybody’s sort of married and evolved in their lives and I’m pretty much the drifter…and it’s about how we deal with relationships and how money will effect friendships,” Anniston said.

The movie also stars Catherine Keener, Francis McDormand and Joan Cusack. “Friends with Money” is written and directed by Nicole Holofcener, who did “Lovely & Amazing” and will screen at Sundance next year.

“Nicole Holofcener is such a good writer. She captures the human spirit so well on the simplest level,” Anniston said.

Originally posted on ComingSoon.net

Pierce Brosnan discusses the future "Remington Steele" movie

Interview clips with "The Matador" star Greg Kinnear and director Richard Shepard

Greg Kinnear

Richard Shepard

Mexico City steals the spotlight in "The Matador"

Sandra Kraisirideja
Pierce Brosnan and Greg Kinnear may be the most visible stars of “The Matador,” but there’s another character who had as much to do with the look and feel of the movie as them—the location itself, Mexico City.

Writer-director Richard Shepard filmed the entire movie in Mexico City, helping keep production costs under the $10 million budget. At different times the city stood in for Colorado, Budapest, Vienna and Arizona.

“The Matador” addresses the unlikely friendship that develops between an aging assassin, Julian Noble, (Brosnan) and a struggling salesman, Danny Wright, (Kinnear) who meet in a hotel bar in Mexico City. The film opens Dec. 30.

Julian Noble would never be confused with James Bond, but since the two characters handle guns and live dangerously, comparisons are bound to be made.

Brosnan, who also produced the movie under Irish DreamTime, insists he did not latch onto the script hoping to erase his Bond persona.

“I thought it was very play-like and I liked that it was a kind of ensemble of three people. I love the twists and turns and the flamboyance, the sheer vulgarian way of Julian Noble’s mouth. I thought it had good character and I thought it had good heart,” he said.

A matador is the main bullfighter who is given the task of killing the bull. There is a bullfight in the movie, but thanks to some skilled editing, Brosnan did not have to witness one for real.

“I don’t want to see it. Didn’t go near it. The mythology of the bullfighter and the metaphor of it, I thought it was well used in the film by Richard, [but] to actually see one go down, no desire,” Brosnan said.

The production had to take safety precautions while filming because kidnapping is an issue in Mexico City, said Shepard, who had filmed there before. The actors had bodyguards and were discouraged from exploring the city on their own at night.

“It’s a dangerous city in terms of it’s not like you can just walk down the street in the middle of the night and feel free,” Shepard said.

However, the vibrancy and energy of Mexico City had an intangible impact on the set, Shepard said.

“I mean this honestly, I don’t think the movie would have been as good if we shot it in Hollywood,” because of the proximity to the press and the actors’ agents and managers. Shepard said.

“We were down in Mexico. No one wanted to visit us,” and that isolation gave the cast a sense of freedom. “And it was also a story about loneliness and when you’re on location in a strange city it helps,” Shepard said.

“It’s only a three-hour flight, but it feels like a far away place,” agreed Kinnear. “It’s a beautiful, beautiful city, and it’s really a great character in the movie the way David Tattersall shot it, but I think that it felt like, while we were doing it, anything was possible down there,” Kinnear said.

Being in Mexico City certainly had other advantages for the actors.

“By the end of the movie, we didn’t even deal with the margarita mix or any of that stuff anymore; we were just down to the tequila. A couple of Irish guys in a movie together – that’s combustible,” Kinnear said.

While Kinnear and Brosnan were sampling different varieties of tequila, Hope Davis, who plays Kinnear's understanding and supportive wife, was just trying to keep her food down.

“That part was really rough. Thank God I had Greg and Pierce who were so…they made me laugh so many times and really took me out of myself,” said Davis, who was eight weeks pregnant when shooting began.

For scenes in Colorado, Shepard had to create a snowy landscape in a suburban neighborhood.

“You try getting snow in Mexico City in April,” said Shepard, who had a snow making machine driven in from L.A. “We used all the ice in Mexico. You couldn’t get a margarita in Mexico that night,” he added.

One night the whole neighborhood and the local mayor came out to watch the actors filmed in the snow, recalled Kinnear.

“All these kids were just looking at us in our big fur coats with snow everywhere, and they must’ve just thought Mars had landed on Earth,” he said.

Interview clips with the stars of "Match Point"

Scarlett Johansson & Jonathan Rhys-Meyers

Emily Mortimer & Matthew Goode

Is "Match Point" Woody Allen's Comeback?

Sandra Kraisirideja
Woody Allen’s films are not for everyone and he would be the first to admit he doesn’t have fans (a fact he stated in a recent Premiere magazine interview), but for those who admire his work, the 70-year-old director is a master storyteller.

After 47 films it would stand to reason that Allen would have a few missteps in his career. In the last few years, some of his most devoted followers (like me) probably wondered if he had lost his touch.

Allen’s latest movie, “Match Point,” is a return to darker subject matter for the director and offers his audience some reassurance that he’s still got it.

“Match Point” tackles infidelity and morality, two of Allen’s most-written about subjects. The film opened Dec. 28 and is being distributed by DreamWorks.

A former tennis pro, Chris Wilton, (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) marries the daughter (Emily Mortimer) of a wealthy London businessman (Brian Cox) and shortly afterward begins an affair with a struggling American actress (Scarlett Johansson), who happens to be the former fiancé of his new brother-in-law (Matthew Goode).

Much has been written about the almost entirely British cast and the fact that Allen shot the movie in London instead of New York. What’s interesting is how well Allen’s style works in a London setting. If there is a city that could rival New York in terms of art, culture, music and the importance of social status, it’s London.

Another big change Allen fans may notice is his use of opera arias rather than jazz numbers in the soundtrack.

The setting and culture may be different, but the feel of the movie is similar to the director’s other films.

The people in Allen’s films are always fabulous socialites or intellectuals, but they suffer from the same foibles as ordinary people. That is what makes his films so entertaining.

Watching his movies is a voyeuristic experience, but it goes deeper than that because he shows the weaknesses of his characters and demonstrates that with all their wealth and influence they can be as clueless and helpless as someone without wealth.

Allen doesn’t write characters in strictly black-and-white terms. There is never one completely evil or completely pure person in his films. What is terrific about “Match Point” is that it doesn’t tell the audience how to think about the decisions the characters make.

Allen’s movies are always driven by dialogue and “Match Point” is no exception. I suspect it’s what attracts actors to work with him.

Allen did an excellent job casting the film and the actors nail their parts. Allen was so impressed by Johansson that he cast her in his next project, “Scoop,” which was also filmed in London.

At his best, Allen produces work that is thought-provoking and instant conversation starters after the lights come up in the theater. It’s a rare thing these days when a film provokes discussion beyond judging whether it was good or bad.

Working with Woody Allen

Sandra Kraisirideja
Sitting in an over-stuffed couch and leaning toward each other in a conspiratorial manner, it’s easy to see why Woody Allen cast Emily Mortimer and Matthew Goode as brother and sister in “Match Point.”

The up-and-coming British actors have the distinction of being cast in Allen’s first movie to be filmed in England.

“People are pretty bloody impressed at home,” said Mortimer, who recalled her husband was the first person she told after finding out she got the part. “You never imagine in your wildest dreams that you would ever, ever turn up in a Woody Allen film. It’s a big deal, definitely and a fantastic one.”

“Match Point” also stars Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Brian Cox and Penelope Wilton. The movie opens in New York and Los Angeles on Dec. 28 and nationwide Jan. 20.

Mortimer’s previous films include “The Ghost and the Darkness” and “The 51st State” where she played “the toughest woman in the universe,” and by her own admission was “thoroughly miscast.”

“I had to ride a motor bike and wear leather and wield an enormous gun,” Mortimer said, laughing at the memory. “My arms were buckling [under the weight of the gun] because at the same time I was doing ‘Lovely and Amazing’ where I had to play this very untoned, neurotic frail actress who would never have muscles in a million years.”

Working with Allen for the first time. Mortimer found herself having to ignore certain tenets of acting on camera, such as always saying your lines in frame, because the director is known for filming actors off camera even if they are speaking.

“I think of all the directors I’ve worked with he uses the camera best; more originally [and] more organically as far as it totally married in with the world he’s creating and the vision he has,” Mortimer said.

Goode also found Allen’s camera style refreshing. “There are so few close ups and you really don’t know when you’re on camera it’s the most relaxed I’ve ever actually been in front of the camera. One of the first times the camera is so your friend,” he said.

Working on character development without any input from Allen proved challenging, but both Goode and Mortimer came to appreciate the director’s reticence to talk about their characters.

“Sometimes when you have a really hands-on director who shouts a lot it’s just so not good for your confidence and what’s great about the way [Allen] works is you don’t block your instincts,” Goode said. “You have total faith in him. You start to trust yourself as an actor and you come away from it incredibly fulfilled and you totally trust him an that really doesn’t happen that much. You come away thinking, ‘I’m alright at this.’”

Added Mortimer: “That’s what nice about working with someone who is a tried and tested brilliant person at their job. You know you’re in safe hands. I’m sure the same must be true if you work with Robert Altman or any of those guys. You can’t really fail,” she said.

Film reviews opening Sept. 30

The Greatest Game Ever Played
I have been a big fan of Shia LaBeouf’s ever since the Project Greenlight season where he filmed “The Battle of Shaker Heights.” Before that, LaBeouf starred in the Disney Channel’s “Even Stevens.” LaBeouf plays likeable characters and he uses this skill to his advantage in the period sports drama, “The Greatest Game Ever Played.”

LaBeouf plays Francis Ouimet who grows up caddying at the golf course across the street, but is considered of too low a class to actually play the game. Ouimet defies the class structure that is set on keeping him in his place and goes on to become the first amateur player to win the U.S. Open.

There is some beautiful cinematography in this movie and LaBeouf’s performance is only a slight hint of better things to come. I was concerned that the special effects used to draw the audience into the game of golf would be too distracting and seem out of place in a period drama, but director Bill Paxton, who last directed the spiritual, supernatural mystery, “Frailty,” uses the effects sparingly.

A History of Violence
OK, I admit it, ever since the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy I will go see anything with Viggo Mortenson. In “A History of Violence,” Mortenson, as Tom Stall battles bad guys with his fists and whatever else he can get his hands on. Trouble is, he’s supposed to be a quiet husband and father of two in a small Kansas town. The ever-reliable and interesting Maria Bello plays his wife, Edie, who discovers the man she married may not be who she thinks he is. Ed Harris and William Hurt in a very uncharacteristic role as Tom’s brother, round out the cast.

As its title suggests, there is violence in this film and director David Cronenberg also chooses to make the sex just as violent as the beatings that Tom dishes out to some Philly mobsters who have come to get their revenge. The sexuality is not violent as in “Girls Don’t Cry,” but more animalistic and passionate. I’m sure Cronenberg is going for some parallels between sex and violence, but I’ll let the intellectuals figure that out.

Oliver Twist
Roman Polanski follows up his Oscar-winning “The Pianist” with his cinematic interpretation of Charles Dickens’ classic rags to riches tale, “Oliver Twist.” The films stars a bunch of British actors that are largely unrecognizable to American audiences. Perhaps the only name that may be familiar is Ben Kingsley, but he is barely visible beneath all of the prosthetic makeup. Polanski showed he knows how to film filth, grime and poverty in “The Pianist” and his take on “Oliver Twist” definitely has its bleak moments. Newcomer Barney Clark plays the title role and he does it with such a sweetness and innocence that you can’t help but root for him even if you know how the story is going to end. Polanski has managed to breathe new life into “Oliver Twist” and film in such a way where it feels fresh. I won’t be surprised if Jamie Foreman, who plays the sinister Bill Sykes, is considered for Best Supporting Actor.

Serenity
No, you do not need to have been a fan of “Firefly’ in order to enjoy this movie. It’s funny, entertaining, and has flesh-eating humans called Reavers. What more could you want in a sci-fi western from Joss Whedon, the man who resurrected “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” from being just another bad teen comedy. [See articles below].

Joss Whedon's Magic Touch

Sandra Kraisirideja
Writer/director Joss Whedon was able to take a mediocre movie called “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and turn it into a huge television success, but can he do it in reverse?

As a third generation television writer and Emmy-nominated creator of “Buffy” and its spin off “Angel,” it seemed Whedon could do no wrong.

His winning streak came to an abrupt end in 2002, however, when his TV series “Firefly,” a science-fiction western Whedon created for FOX TV, was cancelled after only 11 episodes.

Determined to bring the show back in some form Whedon made the impossible happen. He got Universal to pay an estimated $40 million to turn “Firefly into a feature-length movie called “Serenity.”

Amazingly, Universal agreed to the deal based solely on the strength of DVD sales of “Firefly’s” first and only season, and relentless fan support.

It’s why Whedon calls “Serenity” the project he is most proud of. “If there was ever something people said couldn’t be done, it was this,” he said.

“Serenity” is set in the distant future after a galactic civil war and involves a scruffy band of space bandits who eke out a living pulling off small crimes and working as transport-for-hire.

The movie features relative unknown actors—Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres, Alan Tudyk, Jewel Staite, Morena Baccarin, Summer Glau, Sean Maher, Chiwetel Ejiofor, David Krumholtz—and some veterans, Adam Baldwin and Ron Glass.

When casting a project Whedon said he looks for “somebody who is sane and is going to be able to play well with others.” What he’s looking for is the actor to bring an element of humanity to a role.

“I do think people do have a quality and you can’t always get it, but when they care about the things around them it makes a great difference in the kind of performances they get,” said Whedon, who has a boyish face that is balanced out by a dry, self-deprecating humor.

While the movie and the TV show share elements of plot and character, Whedon considers “Serenity” separate from “Firefly” because they use different formats.

“You really have to respect the different needs of the two mediums,” said Whedon. “There has to be a reason to make a movie that has to be worth all the money that is different than the reasons to make a TV show.”

Now that he’s gotten his chance to direct his first movie, is Whedon secretly glad that “Firefly” went off the air?

“Obviously it was wonderful to work with my friends again and I love the idea of them on the big screen. I think…they are incredibly charismatic and it is a great opportunity, but nothing will make me say, ‘Oh, I’m so glad ‘Firefly’ was cancelled.’"

The challenge for Whedon when writing the script for “Serenity” was to find a way to not alienate those who had not seen an episode of “Firefly.” The movie had to stand on its own.

“Obviously there are certain things that require closure that come from the show, but if you’re making a glorified last episode of a TV show, shame on you,” said Whedon, who could not recall a movie based on a TV show that he liked.

For his first full-length feature Whedon made sure he could have a bit of fun.

For one scene he mapped out a four-and-a-half minute continuous shot through the ship. It took about 46 takes to complete, but Whedon is glad he got a chance to do it.

“It’s not there to announce itself. A lot of people didn’t even notice it was one shot. It’s just there to serve a purpose, but it’s still kind of cool,” he said.

Whedon is also proud of one of the final shots in the movie featuring Glau. “I waited my whole career to do that shot. We built the entire set based on that shot,” he said.

Those who have seen the movie call the image “Buffy-esque,” and Whedon does not deny the similarities.
“It’s just something that speaks to me. It’s an obsession of mine that ain’t going away. The young woman with enormous power resonates with me.”

It’s fitting that Whedon has been tapped as the director for “Wonder Woman.”

“I think I have a particular perspective; something to say about the world that hasn’t been said in a comic book movie just yet and ‘Wonder Woman’ is the perfect person to say it. I’m excited to work with her.”

Whedon said the story will be set in present day and it’s likely Wonder Woman will get into her invisible jet at some point. “I gotta make sure I can fit it into the plot, but that’s the plan,” he said.

“‘Wonder Woman’ is another movie where the last thing I would ever hope is that somebody would think it was based on the TV show. It’s got to be it’s own creature.”

Whedon will not be bringing any of the TV show’s campy qualities to the film.
“Campy is sort of self-awarily goofy” to the point of being cynical, he said. “It knows that it’s making fun of something and it doesn’t take itself seriously,” said Whedon, who agreed “Buffy” may have been melodramatic, over-the-top and silly, but not campy.

While Whedon has his hands in a few projects, the script for “Wonder Woman” is front and center.

“The actual writing process is a very small part of writing for me. I don’t sit down to write until I know pretty much how everything is going to turn out already. I’m like a vulture. I circle and circle before I dive,” he said.

Original: Entertainment Today

"Firefly" — The Little Show That Could

Sandra Kraisirideja
Word is spreading about the sci-fi western “Serenity,” based on the television show “Firefly” and its uncharacteristic journey to the big screen.

Joss Whedon, creator of the highly successful “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Angel” television shows, was caught off guard in 2002 when the FOX TV network cancelled his latest venture, “Firefly,” after only 11 episodes.

It was a particularly hard blow for Whedon, who cast “Firefly” with the intent of keeping it on the air at least as long as “Buffy” or “Angel,” which lasted for seven and five years, respectively.

Driven by his own desire to do right by his cast, Whedon pounded the pavement to find a way to bring the show back.

What he got was something bigger than he or anyone on the cast anticipated—the chance to bring “Firefly” back as a feature-length film through Universal Pictures.

“Serenity” is set in the “Firefly” universe, but Whedon wants to make it clear that it is not the TV show on a bigger scale.

“I worked for a long time to come up with something epic enough to be a Universal movie and not just a glorified episode of ‘Firefly.’ I wanted to make a movie that made me feel or made people feel the way I felt the first time I saw the first ‘Star Wars.’”

It’s not necessary to be familiar with the “Firefly” series in order to understand the plot of “Serenity,” which revolves around a rag-tag group of space outlaws who discover that a passengers on their ship is harboring a secret that the existing government will do anything to hide.

The movie’s title comes from the name of the ship.

The entire cast of “Firefly” is back in “Serenity” and many believe Whedon more than lived up to his promise to keep fighting for them.

“We’ve had a long ride back from a cancellation of a short-lived television series to the release of a major motion picture. I don’t know if there’s any other story equivalent to that in Hollywood history,” said Adam Baldwin, a veteran of “Angel,” who plays the wise-cracking, gun-toting Jayne.

Sean Maher, who plays Simon, hoped “Firefly” would continue, but he didn’t expect it to become a full-length movie for Universal.

“It’s extraordinary and it still surprises me to sit here today and talk about the movie. Now that it’s done and people are loving it, and it’s getting this wonderful response, it continually surprises me. It’s like we’re this little show that could,” he said.

Nathan Fillion, who plays the ship’s captain, Mal, said re-creating the “Firefly” universe for the big screen was easy. “We had more time and more room to swing our arms. It didn’t feel like we had bit off too much. It felt real,” he said.

Gina Torres, who plays second-in-command, Zoe, said the larger format just felt right. “We didn’t have to meet anything that we hadn’t in some way, shape or form, experienced in the series. It was all part of this world that we had come to know. In that way it was organic,” she said.

With the movie completed Whedon and the cast must wait for the box office receipts to roll in to see if they will return to Serenity once more.

“It could potentially be something big but come what may, we have closure on a very sad chapter of our lives when the show was cancelled. Now we have this movie that stands on its own and hopefully we’re all part of something special and I think we are,” Baldwin said.

Original: ComingSoon.net

Writer/Director Joss Whedon on his first feature film "Serenity"

CAPTION: From left to right are crew and passengers of Serenity, a transport-for-hire ship caught between warring forces out to dominate the galaxy: Alan Tudyk as Wash, Gina Torres as Zoe, Jewel Staite as Kaylee, Nathan Fillion as Captain Malcolm Reynolds, Morena Baccarin as Inara and Sean Maher as Simon.
Credit: Sidney Baldwin

For the "Serenity" junket at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills Joss wore a navy blue, knit shirt, checkered golf-style pants and sneakers. During the one-on-one interview his knee was constantly moving up and down. I got the feeling he doesn't like to sit still for long. A word of caution, the audio is not very good because Joss talks really low at times. I'm thinking of hooking a mic right onto them in the future.

PART 1

Nathan Fillion as Captain Malcolm Reynolds and Adam Baldwin as Jayne rush out with weapons at the ready from Serenity, a transport-for-hire ship. Credit: Sidney Baldwin.

Part 2

Clockwise (from the top), the crew and passengers of Serenity prepare for a dangerous trip off ship: Adam Baldwin as Jayne, Summer Glau as River, Nathan Fillion as Captain Malcolm Reynolds and Gina Torres as Zoe. Credit: Sidney Baldwin.

PART 3

The Island

Producers Laurie MacDonald and Walter F. Parkes talk candidly about the summer slump and what went wrong with The Island.

PART 1

PART 2

PART 3

Reese Witherspoon interview snippets from Just Like Heaven