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Movie Review: Pirate Radio

Ilan Mester — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 05:00:20 +0000

“Pirate Radio” is entertaining, well written — but also forgettable. Directed and written by Richard Curtis (“Love Actually,” “Four Weddings and a Funeral”), there’s no question this movie will appeal to rock lovers and rock dummies alike. However, that doesn’t make it a memorable film.

In theory, this comedy has everything going for it: actors who can actually act (like Philip Seymour Hoffman), a reasonably original plot and a witty, Oscar-nominated screenwriter. The movie is based on the true story of a seafaring group of rock-obsessed DJs who captivated 1960’s Britain with their “pirate radio.” This at a time where rock music was mostly banned from the airways so the group broadcast live-to-air in an old tanker from the middle of the North Sea.

Their radio station helped unify millions across the nation and their story is without a doubt hilarious as told by Curtis. So what’s the problem? It’s just clustered. “Pirate Radio” is an ensemble film, but one with too many characters. While the movie does a fantastic job of developing a handful of oddball DJs, the rest of them are merely props.

There are some fantastic scenes in “Pirate Radio,” but unfortunately they just flit from one to the next. The one thing (or character) who reoccurs throughout many of the scenes and sort of binds them is a teenager by the name of Carl (played by Tom Sturridge), the godson to Quentin (Bill Nighy, the station’s manager). He’s freshly expelled from school and sent by his mother to spend some time on board. Having Carl’s character in the movie is smart to say the least because it makes the film accessible to a much younger crowd (including those who think a record only refers to an achievement).

One thing that’s definitely phenomenal about this movie is its cast. From established actors including Hoffman, Nighy and Emma Thompson to younger actors like Sturridge and “007’s” Gemma Arterton, the movie exudes talent.

The plot is interesting as well. The thing that keeps this movie going is the government’s attempts at sinking the pirates through legislation, along with subplots from some of the DJs. When one subplot is unveiled, another one takes off. The problem is there’s too much filler to get cheep laughs from the audience.

However, with all it’s faults, “Pirate Radio” is still a worthwhile movie. The film may not be a masterpiece (and may be a half hour too long), but the songs it features are without a doubt classics. I mean, you can’t go wrong with a soundtrack that includes The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The Kinks can you?

Owl City Hates Owls But Loves Music

Ilan Mester — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:55:09 +0000

Breaking news: Adam Young, the artist behind the electronic/pop project Owl City reveals exclusively to andPOP that he he hates owls. In the Q&A, Young — whose single “Fireflies” continues to top charts, including the Billboard Hot 100 — dishes on a possible collaboration with Lights, insomnia, Canada and of course, his “intense dislike of owls” (sorry Owl Society).

“I really hate to pop your bubble, but I in fact have an intense dislike for owls,” admits Young. “I mean, honestly. Does anyone really like owls? They eat vermin and puke up nasty pellets. If I owned an owl I’d name it Toilet Face.”

While he may dislike owls, what he does love is music. Young, whose voice closely resembles that of Death Cab for Cutie frontman Benjamin Gibbard, describes his music like so: “It’s like a flock of sweaty sheep in gym clothes at Anytime Fitness relentlessly running on treadmills and eating powdered sugar donuts simultaneously while watching ‘Brady Bunch’ reruns on overhead TVs. It’s also like grass.”

The album “Ocean Eyes” may be his first major label release, but Owl City had already received millions of plays on MySpace before Young signed to Universal Republic. He says there are a few differences with this album compared to his previous work. “It’s bigger, wider, deeper. There’s more meat to it. I’m a vegetarian. Cool.”

Many of his songs reference the ocean but oddly enough, Young grew up in the ocean-less city of Owatonna, Minnesota. He says his obsession with the sea derived from seeing Lake Superior for the first time. “I’m from Minnesota and the Great Lakes are like the ocean in the Midwest. Totally inspiring to a bratty 8th grade babyface. I remember seeing Superior for the first time on a family vacation, my jaw literally unhinging and my mouth hanging open like a freshly opened can of tuna fish,” says Young. “Duluth, Minnesota, is a mighty nice place. I could live there and be happy.”

Aside from Owl City, Young has been working on another project, Port Blue. “Port Blue was the egg and Owl City was the chicken, or visa versa,” he explains. “Port Blue came first. That’s really my true love in art and music — experimental, instrumental, abstract music. Creating it makes me feel like a scientist and for a noob who got Ds in every science class he’s ever taken. It’s somewhat of a satisfying feeling. More Port Blue to come.”

It might come as a surprise (or it might not come as one at all) that many Owl City songs are products of sleepless nights and influenced by video games like “Race 64.” “Some of my tips for falling asleep revolve around the idea of peanut butter and ice cream meeting in my stomach and holding a wild seafood disco party,” Young tells andPOP.

Later this month, he’ll be heading to China and Japan. American fans can catch Owl City in December and then in January when Young goes on tour with Lights. When asked if he’s working on a collaboration with the Canadian synthpop singer, Young hinted to a possible one by responding to the question with “Hmmmmmmmm…”

After all the touring — which includes shows in the UK, France, Germany, and Australia (with Cobra Starship) — Young has a few things to do when he returns. “I plan on raking leaves after tour and smirking at the thought of throwing Baby Ruth chocolate bars into my neighbor’s uncovered outdoor hot tub”.

Movie Review: Inside Hana’s Suitcase

Ilan Mester — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:48:07 +0000

“Inside Hana’s Suitcase” will move anyone and everyone. The film mixes documentary with narrative techniques to tell the true-life story of Hana Brady, a girl who was killed during the Holocaust.

The film was inspired by the 2002 bestselling book Hana’s Suitcase. It retraces a series of coincidences that lead Tokyo school teacher Fumiko Ishioka, to the suitcase that belonged to a Czech Jewish girl, Hana Brady.

Ishioka, who also happens to be the director of the Tokyo Holocaust Education Centre, receives the suitcase with only two bits of information on Hana: her date of birth and the fact that she was an orphan by the time of her wartime capture. It doesn’t take long for the teacher to become emotionally invested in discovering Hana’s story, an investment she shares with her students. After intense research, she discovers that Hana’s brother George, a Holocaust survivor and thriving grandfather who lives in Toronto, is still alive.

Don’t let the documentary aspect turn you away from seeing this movie because it’s anything but dry. Director Larry Weinstein does a fantastic job of combining interviews with George and surviving friends and family with stunning re-enactment footage of Hana and George as kids. The two types of storytelling mesh together so well that sometimes they literally blend (a scene involving Ishioka and a drawing by Hana is simply amazing and unique).

But perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of this movie is its narration. Forget about the stereotypical monotone voice that narrates many documentaries, this one is told by children. And the interest these kids have in Hana definitely adds to the movie. It’s rare to find a kid-friendly documentary that a) captures children’s attention and b) informs them. This one does both.

For Ishioka, the purpose of teaching her students about the Holocaust was to show what can happen when prejudice and hatred are taken too far. The movie does a great job of capturing this. Take the advice of one of the schoolgirls in the documentary. She simply says, “we need to learn from this story” — advice worth taking.

Dirty Talk With Jayde Nicole

Ilan Mester — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 08:49:11 +0000

After reading this headline, you might want to get your mind out of the gutter. While Jayde Nicole may be a Playmate – in fact, she was named 2008’s Playmate of the year – the sexy Canadian model is also involved in a slew of other projects including charity work, poker tournaments and of course, “The Hills.”

If you watch the MTV show “The Hills,” then you know that its former star, Lauren Conrad, said her goodbyes last season and now, “Laguna Beach’s” Kristin Cavallari fronts the show. So how have things changed? Nicole — who first appeared on “The Hills” last season as Brody Jenner’s girlfriend — explains.

“It’s definitely 100 per cent different,” she says (with emphasis on the 100). “It’s been a lot more dramatic and a lot more crazy, and it’s just kind of totally different from what we’re all used to.”

Both Nicole and Cavallari make no point in hiding that they’re not friends — to say it nicely — but Nicole says that could very well change one day. “It hasn’t changed as of right now, but you never know. I mean, I try to never say never because you don’t ever know what’s going to happen. If you would’ve asked me eight months ago if I would of been able to handle being around Audrina [Patridge], I would of said ‘no I can’t stand her,’ ” she admits. “But now I don’t mind her and neither one of us really have problems with each other anymore, so I don’t see us being friends in the future, but you never know.”

For those of you who wonder what it’s like working with Jenner (who happens to be Nicole’s boyfriend), she explains. “A lot of the times it’s awesome and a lot of the times it’s not because being in a reality TV show, obviously our entire relationship is put out on TV for everybody to judge and for us to relive fights and arguments and situations and of course, they also take the worst of the worst and put it in an episode,” Nicole laughs.

Speaking of arguments, her lawsuit against “Girls Gone Wild” founder Joe Francis, alleging assault and battery, is still going on. “The legal process takes a lot longer than everybody thinks that it does — and a lot longer than I thought it did, and there’s a lot of steps and processes you have to go through to make sure it’s done right. So it’s still at the same stage it was before, we’re just kind of waiting,” says Nicole.

So what else does she do? It might come to a surprise that charity makes up a huge part of her life. In high school, she was in charge of many of the charity events, which transpired into her adult life. Today, Nicole does a ton of work with the SPCA and recently joined a PETA campaign called “Save the Seals.” She’s involved in walkathons (like the AIDS Walk) and started her own charity called “Lengths For Love,” which is similar to “Locks of Love.”

“I just do as much stuff with charities that I really believe in — and there’s a lot of them so I try and do as much as I can whenever I can,” she says. “I feel like everybody should and I think especially people that are in the public eye…now that people actually see me in the public eye, and some people listen to me…I feel like it’s even more important now for me to continue doing charity work.”

Aside from charity, poker has become a priority for her. Nicole is currently part of PokerStar’s “Million Dollar Challenge” airing on Fox. She’s also the guinea pig for the “All In Magazine Project” which will train her with pro players so that she can be entered into international poker competitions.

And in the long run, she dreams of opening up a spa. “I wanted to own my own spa for a very long time and I definitely want to come out with my own skin care line,” she reveals. “It’s not something that’s happening in the immediate future because I’m still busy with all the things that I have going on right now, but it is kind of my end goal in life,” she tells andPOP. “So once I’m done all the crazy reality shows and traveling and partying and modeling and working, it’s definitely what I wanna settle down doing, 100 per cent”.

Russell Peters Teaches andPOP How To Master Accents

Ilan Mester — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:51:28 +0000

A superstar in his own right, Russell Peters is to comedy lovers what Robert Pattinson is to pre-pubescent girls. The Canadian humorist born to Anglo-Indian parents became the first comedian to sell out the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, and is one in a handful of comedians to perform at the Madison Square Garden to a sold out audience. Peters’ new tour celebrating his 20th anniversary kicks off this January.

Anyone who’s seen him perform knows that one of the many things that distinguishes Peters from other acts is his dead-on accuracy when it comes to accents. What’s his secret?

“I listen,” he tells andPOP. “You’ve got to listen to get the inflections and the intent of what people are saying. That means listening to people when they’re happy, sad, angry. That’s how you learn how they speak. I still can’t do a Scottish accent though – doesn’t matter how much I listen and try it… those tricky Scots!”

Fans can hear him and his array of accents when Peters hits the road with “The Green Card Tour” in celebration of his 20th anniversary. But rest assured the jokes will focus on a variety of cultures as usual, not only on Americans. “The reason it’s called The Green Card Tour, is because I’ll be getting my Green Card in 2010,” he explains.

And if you’ve ever dreamed of opening for Peters during one of his shows, here’s your chance. He’s looking for a Canadian BFF (not a la Paris Hilton) through SIRIUS Satellite Radio and Russell Peters’ Search for Canada’s BFF. “In this contest we’re looking for anybody’s and I mean anybody’s ‘Best Funny Five Minutes,’ ” says Peters. “This is a chance for all those people who watch stand-up and say, ‘Hey! I could do that’, to actually get up on stage and do it, with a chance to open for me somewhere in North America.”

Just like many fans out there wish they could be Peters’ “BFF” – and they can enter at www.russellpetersbff.com - he has an ideal celebrity BFF of his own. “Eddie Murphy because I grew up watching him and I want to know what goes on in his head now,” he admits.

His latesest DVD, “Red, White and Brown,” was a huge success but Peters is still not sure when he’ll release new material. “I’m trying to figure that out. We taped a lot of the shows across Canada this past summer, but I’m still not sure what we’re going to do for the next DVD,” he says. “I want to make sure that I’m giving the fans the best possible show that I can when I release my next DVD.”

Aside from the tour – that stops in the U.S. and Australia in 2010 — Peters reveals to andPOP some exciting news. “I’ve got a few things on the go right now. We’re back into developing a sitcom and there are a number of different opportunities being presented to me these days,” he shares. “We haven’t cracked series television yet, but that’s okay because some of the stuff that’s come my way hasn’t necessarily been that good, so I’d rather wait until it’s right. It’s not a race.”

He’s also working on a few other things for Showtime and a book for Canada. “Canada is all about a variety of cultures – it’s one of the things that makes us great,” says Peters. “I wouldn’t be who I am or where I am if I’d have grown up in any other country, including the States.”

For Peters, the best and only way to celebrate his anniversary is to be out on the road doing what he does best: making people laugh. “Just doing what I’ve been doing for the past 20 years, getting on-stage and performing,” he says of how he’s celebrating. “Only now it’s arenas instead of biker bars for 50 bucks in London, Ontario.”

Movie Review: Astro Boy

Ilan Mester — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:34:08 +0000

If you can sit through corny lines such as “everyone has their destiny,” “Astro Boy” isn’t too shabby. While it doesn’t live up to Pixar standards, the movie is quite an engaging family-friendly action flick.

The animated film tells the story of a robotic boy who first emerged in the 1950’s as part of a Japanese manga series. Astro Boy then ventured into television in the ‘60s and today, he can be seen on the silver screen with upgraded CGI animation.

The film starts with Toby (voiced by Freddie Highmore), a brilliant, curious kid who’s the son of an even more brilliant scientist (Nicolas Cage). Unfortunately, he dies in a freak lab accident and his father, stricken with grief and guilt, creates a robot that looks exactly like Toby (memories included).

However, he realizes shortly after bringing the robot home that no one — or in this case nothing — can replace his son. He abandons the robot, who later takes on the name Astro and leaves the gleaming Metro City in order to find a place where he belongs (I apologize for the cheesiness, but that’s literally how he feels).

There’s one catch, Astro is powered by Blue Core energy, a crystalline nugget that’s extremely powerful and that the government, mainly the vicious president, wants to get its hands on.

While the plotline may not appear simple on paper, it’s easy to follow on screen. As a film, “Astro Boy” is quite simple and doesn’t offer much innovation to its animated-action genre. But, it isn’t a completely passive movie. The war-obsessed fictional President in the film (voiced by Donald Sutherland) is an obvious political allusion anyone who sees the movie will pick up on within seconds. Also, the treatment of robots is quite cynical.

As far as the animation goes, it isn’t necessarily realistic per say, but it’s well done — to the point that you really get into the action. One thing the film deserves kudos for is its cast. While Summit Entertainment is relying on big names — including Samuel L. Jackson, Charlize Theron, Kristen Bell, Nathan Lane, Eugene Levy, among others — to draw in the audience, it pays off, because for the most part, their voices suit their respective characters — including Highmore who brings Astro to life.

Director David Bowers (“Flushed Away”), who penned the movie’s screenplay alongside Timothy Harris (“Space Jam”), clearly borrowed certain concepts from films like “WALL-E” and “Robots,” to create this movie. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to make “Astro Boy” unique from them.

Movie Review: A Serious Man

Ilan Mester — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:22:20 +0000

Only great movies require cheesy appraisals, so here it goes: “A Serious Man” is seriously good. Compared to other Coen brother films, it holds its own in a line of classics. And for those thinking you’re going in to see a comedy, note that it’s not just any comedy — it’s a horrific comedy (meant in the best of ways).

When you see the opening sequence featuring a Polish peasant and his wife speaking in Yiddish, just note that you’re not in the wrong theatre. The film kicks off with a short horror film, ending with spilled blood. It raises the question: “Has the almighty Hashem blessed them with a visitor? Or cursed them with a soul-stealing dybbuk?” You’ll understand once you see the film.

It then fast forwards to a 1967 Minneapolis Jewish community, of which Physics professor Larry Gopnik (Michael Stuhlbarg) is a part of. And let’s just say his life isn’t one you would envy. Larry’s wife wants to leave him for their lovey-dovey friend Sy Ableman (Fred Melamed), his brother has taken over the family couch and his bathroom, and his kids are constantly bickering with each other.

To top things off, Larry’s opportunity to a life of tenure is being threatened by a student who blackmails him over something he didn’t quite do. Could things possibly get any worse? Apparently they can.

“A Serious Man” raises the question: what did Larry do to deserve all of this? The answer, however, isn’t quite clear, and that’s the point. Joel and Ethan Coen return to their Midwestern routes in this film and you can tell it’s a personal one for them (though to make it clear, it’s not a biopic of their lives). Although they set the film in a Jewish community, the quest for understanding that Larry goes on is universal, anyone can relate. Most of the film’s humour comes from his angst and the fact that everyone surrounding him is too self-absorbed to notice he’s suffering.

The Coens, who wrote and directed the movie, took a big risk when they put together a cast of mostly unknown actors for the black comedy. But they can rest assured the risk paid off. Stuhlbarg is so authentic as the film’s protagonist. Although none of the characters seem to sympathize with Larry, viewers will without a doubt. The entire supporting cast, including Larry’s wife Judith (Sari Lennick), his brother Arthur (Richard Kind), Sy (played by Fred Melamed) and his children (Jessica McManus and Aaron Wolff) are simply incredible (especially his pot-smoking pre-teen son).

Sure “A Serious Man” doesn’t feature the signature violence of “No Country for Old Men,” but it still has that custom-made surrealism only the Coen brothers can pull off.

‘Sanctuary’ Returns Tonight Where ‘Things Fall Apart,’ Says Robin Dunne

Ilan Mester — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 14:06:55 +0000

Season two of “Sanctuary” premieres tonight at 9 p.m. ET on Space and andPOP caught up with one of its stars to talk about one of the most high-speed sci-fi series. Why high-speed? Well, the series actually had its beginnings on the web but “Sanctuary” has since grown into a phenomenon of its own and moved into the small screen during its first season.

“We have a blast. I mean, sometimes we think we’re in the wrong genre, we should be doing comedy because from morning to night we’re laughing the entire time, Amanda [Tapping] leading the chart being the constant giggler,” says Canadian-born Robin Dunne who plays Dr. Will Zimmerman on the show. “If she was a superhero she’d be The Giggler…I hate to use an overused cliche but it really is like a family, that’s how it feels.”

But don’t be fooled, “Sanctuary” — which follows the adventures of scientist Dr. Helen Magnus (played by Amanda Tapping) who shelters a population of strange and at times terrifying beings with the help of Dunne’s character — is far from a comedy, although it has its fair share of tongue-in-cheek moments. This time around, things are about to get darker.

“Because the world is established now, the characters are established, we have the ability to go a little darker now with this…things are falling apart around [the characters],” he says from a hotel room in Vancouver, where the series is shot. “We’re trying to keep the sanctuary from literally falling apart and because of that, there’s a lot of stress between the characters and you’re going to see some things that are definitely darker. I think my best analogy would be if season one was ‘Star Wars,’ then season two is definitely ‘Empire Strikes Back.’ ”

This season, “Sanctuary” is taking viewers around the globe, to locations ranging from the Middle East to Tokyo and the U.K — all made possible by the one and only green screen, which the show has mastered (if you’ve seen “Sin City,” think of those incredible effects and apply them to TV). But when executive producer Martin Wood (“Stargate SG-1”) called up Dunne at his L.A. apartment to see if he’d want to take part in the show, he had his doubts about the infamous green screen.

“I mean, I had worked with green screen in pieces here and there on other things, but never to this extent,” admits Dunne. “And I just couldn’t really get my head around it.”

That all changed after he witnessed with his own eyes the final product of a scene he filmed with Tapping and the show’s creator, Damian Kindler. “I was completely blown away and totally at that point just a complete believer in what we could do,” says Dunne. “And the thing about ‘Sancuary’ is, because we use so much green screen, the possibilities are limitless, we can do anything.”

Dunne refers to “Santuary” as “innovative,” and with its top-notch special effects and use of the RED camera, it’s clear why the series is innovative and nominated for six Gemini awards this year (including a nomination for Dunne).

“I’ve actually never been nominated for anything before so it was a real honour, not in a selfish kind of way in terms of me, but just for the team,” he tells andPOP. “It’s great to be recognized as a team…apart from working on the show we’re such great fans of it that it’s really great to be recognized for something that you love so much.”

Dunne (also known for his recurring role on “Dawson’s Creek” and for co-writing the made-for-TV film franchise “Roxy Hunter”) revealed some of the guest stars this season on “Sanctuary.” Michael Shanks who along with Tapping “have some really great stuff to do together” according to Dunne, will be appearing on the show, as will Callum Blue (“Dead Like Me”), as well as Erica Cerra and Chris Gauthier.

Aside from “Sanctuary,” Dunne has a Robin Hood TV-movie called “Beyond Sherwood” currently in post production, where he stars alongside “Smallville’s ” Erica Durance, as well as a a few projects of his own that are still in development but for now, all he wants to do is take a vacation while he waits to hear about a possible third season for “Sanctuary.”

“We have no official word but we’re optimistic,” says Dunne. “So right now honestly, I’m just excited for the launch of the show and then I’m going to take a vacation and just recharge the batteries”.

Stargate Universe Takes An Edgier Turn With Louis Ferreira As Its Colonel

Ilan Mester — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 19:08:21 +0000

Louis Ferreira and I share more than one thing in common: we both speak Portuguese aside from English and both of us were not Sci-Fi kind of guys before Stargate Universe — the latest entity in the space-themed franchise, which premiers today at 9 p.m. exclusively on Space.

Ferreira’s resume includes an impressive amount of TV and film work. His characters range from The Donald himself in a Trump TV-movie, to lead roles in shows like “Trinity” and “Missing,” guest spots on “24” and “CSI Miami,” among tens of other TV series and films, including a a role in this year’s “Grey Gardens” with Drew Barrymore. Still, Sci-Fi remained unexplored territory for the actor (aside from a very short stint on “Star Trek”).

So how did he wind up on one of the most successful Sci-Fi franchises of all time? It’s actually quite a serendipitous story which Fereira (formerly known as Justin Louis) shared with andPOP.

Side story: when the Portuguese-born, Toronto-raised actor kicked off his career in the late ‘80s, early ‘90s, Vancouver was a booming destination for film productions so he’d go there whenever work would dry up in Toronto. “I remember being in my twenties and being like, ‘If I could have the ultimate lifestyle, it would be the farm in Toronto, the apartment in New York’ and I said, ‘a boat!’ If you could live on a boat like “Miami Vice” you would want to do it in Vancouver,” shared the Gemini winner.

Fast forward a decade and Ferreira got himself an audition for the part of Colonel Everett Young in a new ‘Stargate’ series, but he wasn’t too sure if it was a role he’d want to take on. “I was like ‘Sci-Fi: I don’t know enough about it,’ and I operate in a very strange way in that I sometimes ask the universe for signs. Like, ‘am I supposed to do this?’ It’s a strange thing that I ask,” he admits.

Ferreira remembered his adolescent dream of owning a boat in Vancouver and put it out there, asking for a sign. Sure enough, days before his test, an old boat attached to a trailer showed up right in front of his house. He then said if the boat would stay there until his audition, that meant he should take part in the show. “The boat stayed there for not only the test, it stayed there for another month,” he said with awe. “I had no idea what happened, someone just dropped off this old boat in front of my house.”

Ironically enough, “Stargate: Universe” is filmed in Vancouver. Aside from that, there were two other factors that drew Ferreira into the project; one was that he admired the creators Brad Wright and Robert Cooper and the fact that “Universe” is quite different from previous “Stargates” according to Ferreira, who says the new series is much darker and edgier. The other reason is that Emmy nominee Robert Carlyle was involved.

“I saw Robert Carlyle’s name attached to the project and I was like ‘oh boy, that’s an actor, he’s my kind of actor.’ Personally, I was like ‘I’m a big fan of his work’ and so those two things for me were the reason I was drawn to it,” said Ferreira.

He added that this time around, “Stargate” is much more grittier, realistic and ultimately “good drama that’s set against the sort of Sci-Fi backdrop.” “It seems to be the right sort of evolution if I could use that word for the franchise, and I think that it bridges the gap nicely,” he said. “I think there’s something there for all the old ‘Stargate’ fans…and then hopefully what it can do is bring all kinds of new viewers as well who might watch the ‘Houses’ or the ‘Fringes.’ ”

It’s worth noting that the effects in this one are fantastic. Ferreira revealed that the special effect guys behind “District 9” are involved in the series as well. He plays Colonel Everett Young, one of the lead roles in the new series.

“We start with Young on a sort of leading base but the bigger picture is that he’s made that decision that his relationship with his wife is sort of in jeopardy, and that’s where his heart is right now,” said Ferreira. “He doesn’t want to lose his wife and he knows he’s in trouble so his whole thing is to finish this last mission and get back home. So when this mishap, we’ll call it happens, the demons that are in there become part of it.”

The actor is still filming “Universe” through October and after that he plans on “sleeping.” “I really don’t have any plans but to just sort of love my family and then see what happens next.”

“Stargate Universe” airs Fridays at 9 p.m. ET on Space and today you can also catch Ferreira on the new Space show “InnerSpace” where he’ll be talking about the series.

Movie Review: Coco Avant Chanel

Ilan Mester — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 02:53:48 +0000

At the end of the day, “Coco Avant Chanel” doesn’t do justice to one of the world’s most iconic fashion figures. It leaves you wanting to see more of the avant (before) and the après (after) of Chanel’s rise to fame.

As suggested by the title, the film focuses on Coco’s early years, before she hit it big in the global fashion scene. We first meet her as an orphaned girl, with no sight of the glamour and celebrity endorsements that are associated with today’s Chanel brand. The movie then fast-forwards to a twenty-something Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel (played by “Amelie’s” Audrey Tautou) who’s involved in a French cabaret act with her sister (Marie Gillain). She dreams of becoming the next theatre starlet of Paris, but that dream slowly slips from her hands.

One older, wealthy man (Etienne Balsan played by Benoît Poelvoorde), promises to try and get her an audition and while she doesn’t make the cut, Gabrielle continues a brief fling with him. She comes off as opportunistic when she arrives at Etienne’s mansion unannounced and stays there as she decides what to do with her life.

Is designing for women in theatre enough to satisfy her dream of becoming one? Well that answer we already know, but most people don’t know how she got to that level and that’s what this film is about.

Don’t be fooled, “Coco Avant Chanel” isn’t a biopic. It focuses more on a snapshot of Chanel’s life instead of sticking strictly to her unique sense of style and design, making the film enjoyable for everyone as opposed to just fashion lovers.

The idea that a once mistress with nowhere to drop dead became one of fashion’s household names is truly astounding. The movie will definitely make you feel for Coco’s harsh upbringing but not necessarily with her character in the film. As usual, Tautou delivers a strong performance, but her Coco comes off as stern and at times narcissistic.

It’s clear that director Anne Fontaine was more interested in Coco’s youth and while her story is engaging, it would have been nice to see more of Coco the designer. In honesty, this film isn’t bad. With France as its backdrop, the movie is visually attractive and at times stunning. But for an unconventional woman who revolutionized the industry and proved she could make it despite all odds, it sure is conventional.