Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li (2009)(20th Century Fox)

Source: 20th Century Fox

Powerful forces are converging on the streets of Bangkok. They are warriors, some of whom possess extraordinary abilities, all of whom are determined to see their side prevail. Some fight for us; the others for unlimited power. Now, they are preparing for the ultimate battle - of terror versus beauty, light versus darkness, and good versus evil.

The forces of darkness are led by Bison (Neal McDonough), a crime boss of seemingly limitless power, and whose past holds a shocking secret. Bison's syndicate, Shadaloo, is taking over the slums of the Thai capital, a task overseen by Balrog (Michael Clarke Duncan), a massively built enforcer and killer. Also in Bison's employ is the assassin Vega (Taboo, of the group The Black Eyed Peas), a masked talon-wielding warrior, whose weapon is tailor-made for slashing and stabbing attacks. Bison's attache is the beautiful but deadly Cantana (Josie Ho).

As Bison instigates a wave of violence in the slum districts, grabbing power and land no matter what the costs to its residents, a team of heroes emerges. Chun-Li (Kristin Kreuk) is a half-Caucasian/half-Asian beauty who gave up a life of privilege to become a street fighter, battling for those who cannot fight for themselves. Her kung fu master, Gen (Robin Shou), once a feared criminal, now fights for the forces of good. Equally determined to stop Bison is Interpol cop Charlie Nash (Chris Klein), who has tracked the crime boss all over the world, and Nash's partner, gangland homicide detective Maya Sunee (Moon Bloodgood).

These vivid characters and their world are long known to fans of the iconic videogame "Street Fighter," which Capcom released in 1987. At the time, the 1-2 player game set a new precedent in two-dimensional interactive entertainment. In 1991, Capcom released to arcades, "Street Fighter II," featuring new characters and fighting styles.

The games' action and imaginatively staged fight scenes are a natural fit for a big screen translation, a fact embraced by noted producer and Hyde Park Entertainment chairman Ashok Amritraj - but only after his children, then aged 13 and 10, brought "Street Fighter" to his attention. "They really loved the game and told me I should make a movie based on it," says Amritraj. "I have them to thank for STREET FIGHTER: THE LEGEND OF CHUN-LI."


Retaining the property's action and adventure elements, producers Amritraj and Patrick Aiello wanted to add emotional depth and characterizations to the games' rich world, colorful characters, and web of loyalties and betrayals. To that end, they hired then-newcomer Justin Marks to pen the screenplay, and noted filmmaker Andrzej Bartkowiak to direct.

Now one of the industry's hottest screenwriters, Marks is a longtime videogame enthusiast and a self-described member of the "Street Fighter" generation. He makes special note of the franchise's storied history: "I think the game will always be popular because it is the first 'social' videogame, bringing people into the arcades," Marks explains. "Up until the release of 'Street Fighter,' people played games in their homes, on personal computers, or via text-based games like Atari."

Bartkowiak, formerly an acclaimed cinematographer ("The Verdict," "Terms of Endearment"), is a specialist in helming action films and high-octane thrillers, like "Romeo Must Die" and "Cradle 2 the Grave." Working in a big-action-film template, Bartkowiak infuses STREET FIGHTER: THE LEGEND OF CHUN-LI with a gritty realism, albeit with a twist. "I wanted the movie to look anything but plain," he elaborates. "I was looking for a look that was a little exaggerated at times - a kind of heightened reality with saturated colors. Edgy and a little extended."

The look necessitated that the film's explosive martial arts battles be mostly practical, with CG used in a few instances to enhance the fights, and for environmental extensions. Renowned action choreographer Dion Lam ("The Matrix" trilogy, "Spider-Man 2") worked closely with Bartkowiak to create signature set pieces designed to please "Street Fighter" fans, as well as action-movie audiences new to the franchise.

While Bartkowiak oversaw the main unit that shot the film's dramatic sequences, Lam presided over a team of martial arts and stunt experts that put the cast through their fighting paces. The two units, while producing very different kinds of scenes, worked together seamlessly. "It was important that the characters be consistent from the dramatic scenes to the action scenes," says Bartkowiak. "So, Dion and I developed an individual fighting style for each character. We worked out the fights very carefully before the action unit began work." Producer Ashok Amritraj likens the two units in action to a "choreographed dance," adding that "Andrzej was the 'yin' to Dion's 'yang.'"

One of Lam's star pupils was Kristin Kreuk, who portrays Chun-Li. Kreuk, best known for her role as Lana Lang on the hit television series "Smallville," reported to the set weeks before the start of principal photography, to embark upon a rigorous regimen of martial arts training. Lam devised impressive moves and fights that challenged her each day. "It was a lot of wire work, dives, front kicks, side kicks and fan kicks outward and inward," says Kreuk. "Because it was impossible for me to look like the videogame incarnation of Chun-Li, I wanted to build Chun-Li's strength from the inside. I mean, if she's going up against the likes of Bison and Balrog, she's not going to out-muscle them. She has to have internal strength and fortitude."

While Kreuk was a relative newcomer to the world of "street fighting," her on-screen "master," Robin Shou, as Gen, is an action film veteran and longtime martial arts practitioner. STREET FIGHTER: THE LEGEND OF CHUN-LI is not Shou's first go-around with a videogame adaptation; he brought to life "Mortal Kombat's" Liu Kang in the 1995 box-office hit.

Michael Clarke Duncan was another apt pupil of Lam's. For a fight scene between Duncan's Balrog and famed Singapore-based actor Edmund Chen, as Chun-Li's father, Xiang, Duncan eschewed the use of a stuntman. Duncan was perhaps uniquely qualified to embody Balrog's size, physical prowess, voice and attitude. It might even seem like Duncan was destined to take on the role, having frequently played and enjoyed the "Street Fighter" game. "But the only character I used [in the game] was Balrog," says the actor. "He was always my favorite - and he looked a little like me!"

Neal McDonough enjoyed the physical preparation for his role as Bison - "Dion choreographed some fantastic moves for me," he says - as part of his process in making the character come alive. McDonough strove to make Bison realistic and powerful, but always fun to watch. "Bison is an entertaining villain who enjoys what he is, and what he has. And that is very entertaining to play as an actor."

"But what really makes Bison a great villain is the way he unravels," adds McDonough, providing a clue to the character's arc.

Chris Klein, as Interpol agent Charlie Nash, wasn't required to learn high-flying martial arts moves, but he did undergo training with guns, which became an integral part of his rehearsal period. "Charlie is known [from the game] for shooting it up when the going gets tough, with his Walther P99," explains Klein. "You're never sure what he's going to do next, and that was a lot of fun to play." Many fans of the franchise see Nash as its unsung hero, one who is inextricably tied to its mythology. "Charlie is out there, on the razor's edge, far from where he came," says Justin Marks.

To bring down Bison and his vast syndicate, Nash joins forces with Bangkok homicide detective Maya Sunee. Maya is an American - a foreigner working with the Thai, for reasons that remain mysterious. What isn't a mystery is the strong chemistry that marks her partnership with Nash - and Moon Bloodgood's delight in taking on the role. She particularly enjoyed her special weapons training with an M-16 automatic and a Beretta. "I was actually getting paid to go to Thailand and practice with police officers," she marvels. "I was in heaven." Bloodgood also visited Bangkok prisons and spent time with an undercover detective.

The filmmakers' decision to shoot STREET FIGHTER: THE LEGEND OF CHUN-LI in Bangkok was, among other things, a nod to the videogames, which were also set in the Thai capital. More importantly, Bangkok was a perfect fit for the film's story, characters and action. "Bangkok is unlike any other city in the world," notes Marks. "In some ways, it's a modern-day version of the Wild West, so it's a great place for Bison to set up shop. And it's where his story lives - it's a homecoming for him, and very personal."

As director Bartkowiak wrapped post-production on STREET FIGHTER: THE LEGEND OF CHUN-LI, he took time to reflect on his hopes for the film. "I want audiences to enjoy the film as a ride, because it's designed to be that kind of movie. It's definitely for fans of the franchise, but I also wanted it be more than a typical videogame-to-film adaptation. The characters and emotions will bring in new fans who don't know the game."

For one filmmaker/gamer- screenwriter Marks - the film is nothing less than "a dream come true." He adds: "As someone who grew up on the franchise, I am proud of it not just as a writer, but as a fan."

See Also: The Sexy Women Of Street Fighter: The Legend Of Chun-Li

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Tricia Helfer Talks Galactica And Burn Notice With The Media

Source: Electric Artists

This past week several members of the media were invited to participate in a special 'phone' interview with "Battlestar Galactica" and "Burn Notice" star Tricia Helfer. The interview was conducted in conjunction with the season finale of Burn Notice, which is set to air on the USA Network on March 5th.

Here is the interview in it's entirety provided by the fine folks over at Electric Artists.

Moderator Our first question comes from the line of Alan Blair. Please go ahead.

A. Blair Will there be a conclusion to the number six?

T. Helfer There definitely is, yes. For the first time I find out after five years of filming what that relationship is, so there will be a conclusion by the finale, yes.

Moderator We have a question from the line of Jamie Steinberg. Please go ahead.

J. Steinberg Hello, Tricia. It’s such a pleasure to speak with you. When you joined the cast of Burn Notice, was there instant chemistry when everyone came together, or did it take some time to develop?

T. Helfer I’d say there was instant chemistry, but it was really only, I really only worked with Jeffrey Donovan. I met Gabrielle and I met Bruce and worked with him a little bit. Bruce is just such an easy going guy it’s impossible not to get along with him, and Gabrielle is really sweet. Jeffrey had actually emailed me prior to going down there the first time to welcome me and say he was excited that I was joining the show. So I went down knowing it was going to be a great cast to work with and they didn’t let me down, they were just really wonderful to work with.

J. Steinberg What have you found the most challenging aspect of your role as Carla?

T. Helfer I think the most challenging aspect was actually similar to sort of the first question about Battlestar, it’s kind of not knowing the end. With Carla, I didn’t know who Carla worked for. I didn’t know who management was the entire time I filmed, so you’re just kind of filling in the blanks yourself, but at the same time you don’t really want to say, okay, this is who it is or make too strong of a back story yourself in case it is revealed. But that I’d say was the hardest thing is Carla being pretty much as elusive to me as the actor as she is to the audience.

Moderator Our next question comes from the line of Joshua Maloni. Please go ahead.

J. Maloni Tricia, thanks for your time today. Can you tell us, what is your involvement beyond the season finale next week? Are you on board for next season?

T. Helfer I’m not on board for next season, no. As I like to say, I was the baddie of the second season, so yes, my last two episodes are this week and the finale, March 5th.

J. Maloni Okay, so what can you tell us about those two episodes? What kind of resolution might we get?

T. Helfer I think the first two episodes back from the midseason hiatus definitely showed that Carla had been taken by surprise a bit, she’s been rattled, which she’s not used to. It definitely comes to a culmination in the finale where she’s been trying to get information from Michael Westen about who tried to kill him, who tried to blow up his apartment, and it really comes to a culmination with management breathing down her back. And she’s put her neck on the line in terms of vouching for Michael Westen and Michael hasn’t really fully come up with anything to help her out, so it comes to a culmination point in the finale.


Moderator We have a question from the line of Rachel Bishop. Please go ahead.

R. Bishop Thanks for doing this today. Can you tell us a little bit about how you first got involved with Burn Notice?

T. Helfer I first got involved with the very rare, but very wonderful situation where you get offered a job. I was up in Vancouver filming Battlestar and I was approached by my agent or my manager about the job. I actually hadn’t seen it, the show, because being in Canada a lot in Vancouver filming Battlestar, Burn Notice doesn’t air up there yet, unfortunately. So they sent me DVDs and I was hooked from the first episode and gladly signed on to join in for the second season. But it came in as an offer and I was hooked from the first episode.

R. Bishop How nice. Carla, she’s quite mysterious and so is Vick on Battlestar and they both have this great power and you don’t want to cross them. But I was wondering do you prefer to play these types of characters, or have you found it a little hard to branch out and not be thought of this ass-kicking destroyer of the human race?

T. Helfer I’d rather play an ass-kicking destroyer or a super strong spy or agent than some meek, vulnerable character. But it’s definitely, I don’t want to get type cast as one thing, and that’s certainly some of the other things I’ve been doing in hiatus, doing other roles, although I have one coming up where I’m an ass-kicking spy, so I don’t know about that. I don’t know how well my not being type cast is going, but they’re great shows. I’m super happy to be part of them. I think it’s important as I go to some of my next jobs maybe are a different take, a different type of character, but they’re certainly fun characters to play. They’re smart. They’re strong. Who wouldn’t want to play a strong female character?

Moderator Our next question comes from the line of Anthony Nepal. Please go ahead.

A. Nepal I heard you talking earlier that you’re not going to be in the third season. I’m sorry to hear about that. My question is more about Michael and Carla. I’ve noticed as the series has gone on and she tended to let her guard down and started to trust Michael more. Even though your character is not going to be in the third season, are we probably going to find out more about Carla’s character in that terms about how her and Michael are working together?

T. Helfer You’ll get to see a little bit. You do see her, Carla, soften a little bit. She’s been rattled and she needs to rely on Michael a little bit more and she puts some trust in him. So she’s hoping that he doesn’t let her down. And like I mentioned before, she has management breathing down her back, so she’s definitely putting some trust in Michael and hoping that he steps up to the bar. But you really don’t learn—Carla still stays pretty elusive to the audience even through the finale. She’s certainly not—her whole history is not going to be revealed.

A. Nepal Can you talk about how her organization breathing down her neck, are we going to find out more about what the organization is?

T. Helfer You’re definitely going to get a big clue, a big hint in the finale about who management is. I won’t say for sure if you’re going to find out who, what the organization is, but there will be another piece to the puzzle and you will definitely meet Carla’s higher ups, you will meet management, yes.

Moderator We have a question from the line of Blaine Kyllo. Please go ahead.

B. Kyllo Hello, Tricia. You have a fellow Albertan on the line. I actually want to get a little more higher level and have you talk about how you’ve managed your career from being discovered as a model in Alberta those many years ago and playing the role in Battlestar and having management and agents who are actually seeking roles on shows like Burn Notice and Chuck. So how have you managed that career path?

T. Helfer To be honest, it is the career path that I never thought I would be going down. When I was in high school I thought I was going to university into psychology. As you said, I was discovered by a model scout and I thought I’d give that a try. Cut to ten years later, eight years later, I had a great career, but feeling like I wanted more and definitely something more intriguing for the mind. So I started acting classes just on a whim, thinking it would help with commercial auditions while I modeled for another year or two. And then I figured I’d probably—I was in the finding out stage of what I was going to do and was I going to go back to university or what, and got into an acting class and absolutely fell in love with it from the first class.

I modeled for another two years and took night classes in New York City and then moved out of New York and moved to LA and a year later got Battlestar. So it’s building blocks and it’s a career, I started at the bottom again, a new career and just building your way up. I’m happy that I have agents and managers that believe in me. So it’s a normal process that anyone takes if you’re not born into it or have any kind of dealings with the business, you start out and you work hard and hopefully things fall your way.

B. Kyllo Certainly, your sweat equity has paid off, so what are your aspirations for acting beyond this? You’re doing some guest starring roles and things here and there. What have you got your fingers in that you can look forward to in the future?

T. Helfer Well, I’m right in the middle of pilot season right now. It’s my first year in five years of being available because of Battlestar now being finished. I got Battlestar in my first year of acting, so definitely being on a show, it’s amazing to be on a show, you want to be on a show, but it also limits what you can do with your hiatus when you’re shooting 22 episodes a year of a show.

Now is really the first pilot season and I’m actually in negotiations right now with a pilot that I’m quite excited about, but it’s a little too early to stake my claim on it yet until everyone has signed on the dotted line. But yes, I’m looking, as one of the callers earlier asked about varying roles and I’m definitely looking for my next project to be something that’s a little bit different. First off, I’ll be playing a human and not a spy. But yes, I’ll be looking for something that varies the roles up.

Moderator Our next question comes from the line Beth Anne Henderson. Please go ahead.

B. Henderson Hello, Tricia, thanks for taking our questions today. We’re big, huge, Chuck fans. We would like to know, you have an episode coming up where you’re going to be in the spy field again. We wanted to know what the similarities and differences between Carla and your Chuck character will be.

T. Helfer I think the differences are really in the tone of the show. Burn Notice is a show that definitely has some levity to it and it’s a fun show, but it’s also, you fully believe, you’re fully invested that Michael Westen does this stuff. You want Michael Westen on your team. With Chuck, obviously it just takes it another step further into the comedy side and it’s definitely a little lighter and fun. So with Carla, obviously they’re both super strong intelligent agents, but I think with agent Alex Ford as my Chuck character, it’s just a little bit more tongue in cheek. She’s much more like Casey. She’s very by the book. She’s very no nonsense, kind of emotional, which sounds similar to Carla, but Carla—they’re both kind of bad asses, I guess, when you’re looking back at it. But Chuck just has a little bit more tongue in cheek.

You’re allowed to be a little bit more—you can be straighter on Chuck, …Alex Ford could be straighter and I worried less about showing dimensions to the character because that was the humor about the character. She is so one note emotionalist. With Carla, my concern with her was making sure that because you really never find out too much about her, making sure that she’s not just super agent bitch spy and that’s it, that you get glimpse into a bit of a vulnerability or a bit of a humanity, other than just being super strong.

Moderator And our next question comes from the line of Tony Flato. Please go ahead.

T. Flato After years of watching you manipulate Gaius Baltar, describe the different and the challenge in trying to manipulate Michael Westen, who resists a little more than Gaius did.

T. Helfer Yes, he does resist a little more than Gaius. They’re both incredibly intelligent characters, but with Gaius, Number Six never had to worry of him outsmarting her. Even though he’s obviously the genius scientist, he’s so genius he’s a little bit socially inept in some ways and Michael Westen isn’t. He’s so adept at becoming other people and other characters for his work that you want to be concerned that you’re not being taken advantage of or that he’s not pulling a fast one over on you, so to speak. Baltar is a little bit more, you see what you get.

T. Flato What was it like when you shot your last episode for Battlestar Galactica?

T. Helfer Shooting the last episode is intense, not only do emotions run really high because obviously this is the last time you’re working with a lot of these people and you become like family over five years, but it’s also very intense because last episodes tend to come in very long. I think we had a four hour script in a two hour time frame to shoot that we were maybe given a couple of extra days. So we really shot incredibly long hours and everybody was kind of like zombies at the end of it. So it’s intense, emotions are really high, but it’s also a wonderful feeling, it’s a great feeling of accomplishment and camaraderie, too.

Moderator We have a question from the line of Lisa Fary. Please go ahead.

L. Fary Professionally as an actor, you said that you made the jump from modeling to acting. What was the biggest challenge you faced in making that transition?

T. Helfer To be honest, to be taken seriously. Models have a stigma that they can’t act. You’re also, to be quite blunt, you’re tall and not a lot of actors are tall and when you are starting out you’re obviously not the first one cast, so you’re trying to fit into a mold. You’re quite often not cast as the quirky best friend, but you don’t have the experience to be cast as the lead. So it can be really tricky. One of the biggest things is just to get your people, so to speak, your agents and managers to take you seriously. That’s one of the issues I had when I came out to LA.

I was with an agency in New York, joined the agency out here and they just wanted to put me up for walk by in a bikini role kind of thing, and that’s certainly not me because I’m not built like Carmen Electra or Pamela Anderson, so I found I was in a weird spot of not getting sent out for the roles that I wanted. That’s when you have to just take charge and you walk into the agency and say, “I want to go on this.”

You just have to be persistent. I think that’s one of the biggest things about this industry and this career is being persistent and believing in yourself and also being ready when the timing is right. So much of it is about timing and luck, so to be ready when you get the opportunity.

Moderator Our next question comes from the line of Suzanne Lanoue. Please go ahead.

S. Lanoue Hello, Tricia, thank you for doing this with us. All of my male friends online are very jealous that I get to talk to you. I was going to ask you, you’re Canadian, which I didn’t realize, and I was wondering if you had to work hard to sound non-Canadian in some of your roles or it just came naturally from all your modeling and traveling around internationally.

T. Helfer I’ve been living, I’ve lived in New York since I was 18 years old and traveled pretty much all over the world. I guess my accent just disappeared on its own. I didn’t consciously do it, but by the time I had started acting, I sounded American. Most people actually guess me as a little bit Southern than Canadian. So I didn’t have to consciously lose it, no. Although when I do go back to Canada, I’m around the Canadian crews for a while or I go back to my parents’ farm for while, I come back sounding a little more Canadian, the out and about starts coming out. My general speaking now doesn’t have any Canadian accent in it.

S. Lanoue Is there anything else you tell us about your last two episodes on Burn Notice without giving too much away?

T. Helfer It’s kind of hard without giving too much away. I will say I’m really excited to see the last episode. There’s a great stunt at the end that I’m just so excited to see. It’s not even my stunt, but I’m really excited to see it and I think it’s going to be a great finale. It really comes to a culmination point and Carla has kind of had it with Michael Westen and she realizes he’s just basically run her around in circles after she’s put some trust into him that he’s going to find the bomber and help give her the name, which essentially is a rogue agent, but she knows it is, and he disappoints her, so it comes to a culmination.

Moderator We have a question from the line of Jim Iaccino. Please go ahead.

J. Iaccino Basically as we still don’t know whether Chuck is going to be renewed for a third season or not, I did want to know if the role that you play, is it sort of open ended, so that if Chuck does come back for a third season you might consider doing another episode?

T. Helfer Oh, definitely, yes, if it does comes back, and I expect it to, it’s a great show, so I hope it comes back, yes, it’s definitely open ended in terms of I could come back. Agent Alex Forrest is alive at the end of the episode and she could always come back, but I don’t expect to come back, certainly not on a regular basis, but I’d certainly sign to coming on again and shaking things up. I think she may have a little thing for Casey at the end of the episode, so if she comes back, it would be fun to come back and explore that because Casey doesn’t get very much action.

J. Iaccino The other question I have is now that you’ve done Battlestar Galactica and Burn Notice, what was it like working with Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell on Battlestar? Were those experiences a little bit different than working with Jeffrey Donovan and Bruce Campbell?

T. Helfer Yes and no. I’d say they’re very similar because they’re all very talented and very professional people, there’s no diva attitudes, and it’s really about the work and the craft and they’re incredibly hard working. Starting, when I started Battlestar, Eddie and Mary had been in the business for a long time and Emmy nominated, Oscar nominated. It was just an incredible experience to be able to work with them. For all of the younger cast on Battlestar it was wonderful to have these two kind of helm the show and you got to really see what two people who are so talented, how their passion to the work goes and how much work they put into it and how much dedication.

It was very similar going down to Burn Notice and you have that same vibe with people that are just—they love the show they’re working on. They’re dedicated to it and they’re really hard workers. So there really wasn’t that much difference, aside from, obviously, the show itself and the type of show.

Moderator Our next question comes from the line of Chelsea Doyle. Please go ahead.

C. Doyle Hello, Tricia, thanks so much for doing this. If Carla did come back on Burn Notice perhaps for next season or after, what are the ways you’d like to see her maybe develop and maybe even become an ally to Michael in the future?

T. Helfer Oh, that would be a lot of fun to become an ally of Michael. It would be great to have that. I’d obviously like to find out a little bit more about what makes her tick and find out a little bit more about her.

C. Doyle Could you ever see her as being a possible love interest for Michael?

T. Helfer Yes, sure. No, I think Fiona and the Michael relationship is too kind of complex. I think, my own opinion, is they’re made for each other and it’s only going to take them time to figure that out. I certainly wouldn’t turn down a relationship with Michael Westen. I don’t think any girl would.

Moderator We have a question from the line of Kristyn Clarke. Please go ahead.

K. Clarke Hello, Tricia, thanks so much for talking to us today. With this finale of Battlestar Galactica fast approaching, do you think that there’d be any possibility of a spin-off of Battlestar further in the future? I know they’re working on the prequel, but would you see any possibility of a future spin-off, like for the series?

T. Helfer You know, I’ve never really thought about that. Without giving away the finale, I guess there sort of could be. It’s definitely a closing in one respect, but now that you mentioned it, there could possibly be a spin-off. I don’t expect there to be. I really don’t expect there to be and I don’t think that’s their intention, but I guess you can never say never in this business.

K. Clarke Of course. Just to follow up, what have you enjoyed the most about your work on Burn Notice and Battlestar? What are some things you’ve enjoyed the most?

T. Helfer I think really, to be honest, I think just getting to work with who I’ve gotten to work with, they’re really talented people and getting the kind of writing and direction and everything, the people involved, not just the cast. But you’re talking about Ron Moore and Matt Nix and just really great guys, incredible writers. I’m fascinated with how their minds work. It’s just beyond me how they can come up with all this stuff. I’d say getting to work with who I’ve gotten to work with and that kind of level of quality scripts and production that I got to work on.

Moderator We have a question from the line of Ashley Queen. Please go ahead.



A. Queen Burn Notice seems to be doing just so well and your character, Carla, she’s mysterious and so empowering and everything. I just want to know what do you love the most about playing her?

T. Helfer I think that it is empowering and that she’s strong and smart and she’s gotten to where she is by her own gumption, her own dedication. I like the fact that she’s very similar to Michael. Although you don’t get to see her fun side like you do for Michael, but maybe she has a bit less of one. I like being on par with that level of agent, the fact that Michael Westen can pretty much do whatever he wants, as can Fiona and Sam, to some extent.

That’s how I feel that Carla is. Carla is not one to be taken advantage of, which I think is what’s interesting about coming up to the last two episodes is, she doesn’t trust anybody and she’s finally put a little bit of trust into Michael and I think that’s probably backfiring on her. I like the fact that she’s strong and she’s as good at her job as Michael is at his.

A. Queen Then switching gears just a little bit, I know you’ve appeared in so many ad campaigns for so many different designers and you’ve been walking the runways all over the world and been on the covers of L and Vogue and all of that, do you ever think that maybe you’ll make a return to fashion? Or is that something that really inspired you or do you really think that in the future, you’ll probably keep focusing more on your acting and building that resume up?

T. Helfer Oh, definitely. I have no interest in going back into fashion, aside from doing some endorsements or something. I’m certainly going to be open to endorsements, but to me that’s not modeling. Technically I guess you’re modeling if you’re posing for a picture, but it’s a different thing. Besides, I’m getting too old to go back into modeling. But no, I’ve been there, done that. I had a great career at it, learned a lot, but moved on and I’m much more excited to be working on a character or getting into the psychology of a character, that sort of thing, than just posing for a picture.

Moderator We have a question from the line of Alan Blair. Please go ahead.

A. Blair Just a quick question regarding the latest episode of Battlestar Galactica, that was quite an emotional episode. How was that for you to play?

T. Helfer Obviously the episode was an emotional one for Caprica Six. It wasn’t anything I don’t think particularly difficult over just, it’s an emotional scene. I think actually I shot that episode right before I went down and did my first episode of Burn Notice. It’s just work and I was glad—I’ve been fairly light in a few episodes and I was glad to see a strong scene for my character. It was hard to see Caprica lose the baby because she’s wanted one and stemming from people …that she killed the baby in the miniseries and now she has her own baby lost. But throughout that with her relationship with Baltar and now Tigh, she’s really been and connected to Hera in a way, and she’s been really kind of striving for this, so it was hard to film that just in that respect of seeing the character lose that. But I didn’t go home and cry that night. It’s obviously not like you’re not losing your own baby, so it’s hard at work but you have great people around to work with you.

Moderator Our next question comes from Jamie Steinberg. Please go ahead.

J. Steinberg What has been your most memorable moment you’ve had from filming Burn Notice?

T. Helfer Most memorable moment, there’s quite a few. One of my moments that I disliked the most was, I’m not sure if it’s in the next episode coming up or the finale, but we’re shooting a limousine scene where Carla is trying to get a little information, offer a little and get a little from Michael Westen. I had stopped drinking coffee and I’ve been doing green tea, on a personal note I had stopped drinking coffee, but we started early and I just grabbed a cup of coffee off catering and we got inside this limo, which, of course, you can’t have air conditioning on because you’d hear it with the filming, and you’re in a limo with the camera, operator, the focus polar, a couple of other guys. Jeffery is in there. I’m in there. It’s Miami. It’s humid. It’s really hot. I’m in a pantsuit and I got the jitters from the coffee so bad that I could barely speak. I was sweating. Hair and makeup can’t fit in there, so I’m trying to do my own powder and my hair is matted to me and shaking. I had to hand Jeffrey something and I’m shaking in the scene.

And we finished it and I’m like, “Jeffrey, I don’t know what got into me. I had coffee and this is insane and I’ve not been drinking coffee.” And Jeffrey looked at me and he starts laughing. And he’s like, “Yes, you stop drinking coffee for a while and then you drink again and you realize why you shouldn’t be drinking it.” “Yes, Jeffrey, that makes sense.” But I was horrified by the scene while I was shooting it because I was so uncomfortable, but at the same time, I’ve seen it in ADR and it turned out fine. But Jeffrey stayed calm throughout even though I was a mess, so that’s definitely one of my memories from Burn Notice.

Moderator We have a question from the line of Lisa Fary. Please go ahead.

L. Fary Moving forward professionally, what are your thoughts on breaking free of having been Cylon and do you have any concerns about being able to do that?

T. Helfer No, not really, because I have gone on and done a couple of other things. I think people within the business really respect Battlestar. If they’re fans of the show, if they watch the show, they’ve also seen that the Cylons aren’t just cold robotic creatures like maybe a Terminator. It’s not your typical robot. It’s much more like Blade Runner and the Replicants and things like that. So they have a lot more emotion and they’re a lot more human than—I think it would be harder if you were playing much more of a robotic creature than people might think, that you might not be able to do other type of roles. So I’m really not worried about it.

Moderator Our last question comes from the line of Ashley Queen. Please go ahead.

A. Queen In 2002 I had heard that you had done, you had the opportunity to play Eva in that independent film, White Rush. After that, you did a few motion pictures. I just really want to know how you feel about working in film as opposed to working in television and if that’s maybe a medium that you’re hoping to break more into.

T. Helfer Certainly. I think in this day and age, film and TV, before I was in it, you were either film or you were TV and now the lines are so crossed, that I certainly hope to do more film. Again, it’s hard on a television schedule to fit that much in, especially when you’re starting out because you have to audition for things. So to actually fit into that hiatus is very difficult, so it’s certainly something I’m looking forward to doing. I auditioned for some and I have a couple in the pipeline that are possibilities an if financing comes together in this market in this economy, which is a challenge for independent film right now. So hopefully in this market, the independent film still keeps going and hopefully I land a couple of them.

Watch the Burn Notice Season 2 Finale on Thursday, March 5th at 10pm/9c on USA NETWORK! In the explosive season finale, Michael learns some surprising facts about Victor's past, and is forced to take on Carla in a final showdown.

See Also: USA Launches Second Online Game Based On Burn Notice / Galactica Prequel Caprica To Premiere On DVD / iPhone Users Can Now Download Their Own Cylon Detector / Galactica Brings Record Viewers And Web Traffic To Sci Fi / Galactica Actors Hand Pick Items For Charity Auction / Sci Fi Begins Producion On Galactica Prequel Caprica / Battlestar Galactica Props To Go On The Auction Block In Pasadena / The Galactica Begins Its Final Journey Battlestar Galactica Props Go On The Auction Block / Actress Profile - Grace Park / Galactica's Grace Park Set To Star In The Cleaner / Nothing Brightens Up A Home Like A Life-Size Cylon / Interview - Richard Hatch /Battlestar Galactica (1978-1979) /Sci Fi Begins Production On Caprica

The Trailer For Pat Cerrato's Giant Bug Film Pesticide

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Sources: Pat Cerrato / Avery Guerra

There is one thing that every movie buff should learn, what goes around, comes around. What I mean by that is, certain types of movies that are produced in a certain era will certainly be revisited in another. For the modern movie fan, he should look back to the early 1970s and see that many of the same types of films that were produced way back then, are being made today.

Case in point, two of the films that have been written about here recently at Monster Island News feature either giant rats or giant insects. If you know your film history, than these should remind you of such early 70s classics as "Night of the Lepus" and "Food of the Gods."

Even to further my point, I want to point out all the giant critter flicks that were produced in the late 1950s, including "Them", "Tarantula" and the "Deadly Mantis."

As I said, what goes around, comes back around a decade or so later.

That brings me to Pat Cerrato's latest film, "Pesticide." As you can probably gather from the title, the movie is about giant insects. In this case giant roaches to be precise.

Now, the trailer that we were informed about on Youtube isn't a full-blown 'official' trailer. It is only a clip put together to show potential investors and distributors. According to Cerrato, a better trailer is coming, with improved effects and sound.

The film itself is to centers around the giant bugs taking over New York City (Though I swear I see parts of San Francisco in the clip).

Groovy. I think that I need to go out and get some platform shoes, some polyester threads and some gold chains. Man, I really need to get my head together. You know get with it, man.

It's the seventies all over again.

Peace

Race To Witch Mountain - Creating That Sci Fi Look

Source: Walt Disney Pictures

For Sara and Seth's space craft, production designer David J. Bomba wanted to give the craft an original design yet stay within boundaries of what the public has come to recognize as a flying saucer.

“While we wanted our landing craft to be a sort of flying saucer, I wanted to make it a new variation of what everyone has become accustomed to,” Bomba says. “Andy wanted specific light patterns and movements. I wanted to do away with the usual dials and levers inside the ship, so we went with what we thought a superior intelligence would use, like touch pads and screens. For the Siphon ship, we used a much more angular, stealthy design as would befit a warrior’s ship.”

Another set to challenge the art department was the aliens’ underground lab, a futuristic Garden of Eden used by Seth and Sara’s parents years before to create new ways to grow and oxygenate plant life, a function vital to their parched, globally warmed home planet. The lab was accessed through a secret succession of tunnels, with an entry through an unlikely appliance: the open door of an old refrigerator in the kitchen of an abandoned desert cabin.

“The underground lab was supposed to be an experimental world the kids’ parents created to study the secrets of life on Earth,” Bomba says. “They wanted to discover what was needed to re-grow plant life since their own planet was barren. When one hears the word ‘laboratory,’one thinks of Bunsen burners and beakers. I wanted it to be much more organic. Since these are aliens and using alien methods, I created these huge pulsating pods to serve as their Petri dishes. The idea was that they were using four elements—water, air, earth and fire—to recreate the basics of new life. These are all contained in a balloon-type mechanism that resembles a breathing, glowing plant pod.”

A more familiar, yet no less bizarre, set presented a huge design challenge for the film’s technicians: the colorful and vibrant UFO convention, set in Las Vegas but actually filmed in Pomona, California. In his quest for authenticity, director (and UFO enthusiast) Fickman populated the booths with real UFO celebrities as well as many business people who actually sell their wares at conventions worldwide.

"We did a lot of research on past UFO conventions," Fickman says. "They are truly fantastic and so visual, one part ComicCon, one part science fair, one part space camp. I thought it would be entertaining to have, among all these people dressed as extraterrestrials, two little blond kids who are really aliens walking among them unnoticed."

The production design team, including art director John R. Jensen, set decorator Patrick Cassidy as well as costume designer Genevieve Tyrrell, used inspiration from real UFO conventions and added otherworldly touches of their own. With so many people dressed as lobster men, E.T.s and storm troopers, who would notice a Siphon in their midst?

"We made sure there were so many things to see and so many people milling about in strange costumes that the actors would be able to blend in," Bomba says. Fickman also invited some of the elite members of the real-life UFO hierarchy to attend, including Bill Birnes (publisher of UFO Magazine and host of the popular television series "UFO Hunters") and his wife, Nancy; Dr. Roger Leir (alien implant specialist and lecturer); Giorgio Tsoukalos (editor of Legendary Times Magazine and a paleo-SETI researcher); and Whitley Strieber (author of "Communion," "Wolfen" and "The Hunger," as well as one of the most famous alleged alien abductees).

"Andy convinced my wife, Anne, and me to participate in his film while we all met for lunch," Strieber says. "As it turned out, Andy knew a lot about UFOs and thought it would be funny if Anne and I were manning a booth at the film’s UFO convention. We really enjoyed ourselves."

Through a special association with Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, the movie company set up shop among real-life gamblers and merrymakers for two weeks on the Las Vegas Strip. The film’s design team embellished the interior of the casino with set pieces and video screens, but the majority of what is on screen is pure Vegas. Other familiar Las Vegas haunts were used, such as downtown Las Vegas and the neon cascade known as the Las Vegas Strip (on which Johnson and Gugino filmed late night cab rides).

Back in Saugus, California, production designer Bomba created the majority of the Witch Mountain secret underground government facility, a lair that would eventually house not only the alien teenagers, but their captured spaceship as well.

"We did a ton of research on what Witch Mountain should look like," Fickman says. "We had the opportunity to actually visit the Cheyenne Mountain NORAD facility, which is one of our country’s most guarded locations. We also designed our facility to have the mystery and aura of Area 51, the Nevada base that is the source of so much UFO lore."

Although most of the Witch Mountain construction was in a glass factory in Saugus, many of its tunnels were located just below the street level at a very unlikely, non-secret location:the Walt Disney Studios.

Sci Fi Announces The Cast Of Stargate Universe

Ming-Na (ER, Vanished) is Camile Wray, a human resources executive with the international oversight committee that governs the Stargate program.

Source: NBC / Universal

The SCI FI Channel has confirmed Lou Diamond Phillips, Ming-Na, Elyse Levesque and Alaina Huffman as cast members of the highly anticipated new original series SGU: Stargate Universe, which began production last week in Vancouver. They join the previously announced stars Robert Carlyle, Justin Louis, David Blue, Jamil Walker Smith and Brian J. Smith in the latest adventure of the Stargate franchise produced by MGM television.

Edgier and younger in tone, SGU will take the franchise in a dynamic new direction, appealing to longtime Stargate fans and first-time viewers alike. The two-part premiere of Universe is being directed by Andy Mikita (Stargate Atlantis, Stargate SG-1) and lensed by Rohn Schmidt (The Shield, The Mist). The series is expected to premiere in October 2009.

SGU follows a band of soldiers, scientists and civilians, who must fend for themselves as they are forced through a Stargate when their hidden base comes under attack. The desperate survivors emerge aboard an ancient ship, which is locked on an unknown course and unable to return to Earth. Faced with meeting the most basic needs of food, water and air, the group must unlock the secrets of the ship's Stargate to survive. The danger, adventure and hope they find on board the Destiny will reveal the heroes and villains among them.

The cast includes:

Robert Carlyle (Trainspotting, The Full Monty) stars as Dr. Nicholas Rush, one of the most brilliant scientific minds, whose motives are not what they appear to be.

Lou Diamond Phillips (Che, La Bamba) is Colonel Telford, a proud lifelong military man, who puts his faith in the chain of command. Stubbornly confident, he's highly regarded by his superiors. He is the chosen leader of the ill-fated expedition.

Justin Louis (Hidden Hills, The Fighting Fitzgeralds) portrays Colonel Everett Young, an experienced Stargate team leader. Married, with years of tough decisions under his belt, life has taught him never to take anything for granted. He stays on top of his team so they stay alive.

Brian J. Smith (The War Boys, Hate Crime) is Lt. Matthew Scott, a junior member of the Stargate team. Green and rough around the edges, he is thrust into the role of leader well before he's ready for the responsibility and must learn to command, earn respect through action, and manage the diverse personalities aboard the ship.

Elyse Levesque (Smallville, Men in Trees) stars as Chloe Armstrong, the daughter and aid of a U.S. Senator. Politically savvy, but with a wild side, she is considering following in her father's footsteps, until she finds herself trapped on the ship. As tensions rise, her character will be tested and her place among the group revealed.

David Blue (Ugly Betty, Moonlight) stars as Eli Wallace, a total slacker, who just happens to be an utter genius with anything he puts his mind to - mathematics, computers, video games. A lack of confidence has left him with an acerbic sense of humor.

Alaina Huffman (Smallville, Painkiller Jane) portrays MSGT. Tamara Johansen. Unable to afford medical school, the Air Force was the best option for the strong-willed field medic. Faced with the mounting pressure and a lack of in-depth experience, she will be forced to rise to the extraordinary occasion of needing to treat the seriously wounded.

Jamil Walker Smith (Waynehead, Sister, Sister) portrays MSGT. Ronald Greer, a Marine with a temper you don't want to mess with. His past is mysterious but it's clear something dark formed the hard shell around him.

Ming-Na (ER, Vanished) is Camile Wray, a human resources executive with the international oversight committee that governs the Stargate program. Now the highest ranking member of that division left stranded on the ship, she carries herself with a misguided sense of superiority over the other military and civilian survivors.

Brad Wright and Robert Cooper, of Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis, will serve as executive producers and writers on the new series.

Stargate Universe will debut as a two-hour movie event on SCI FI and will be distributed by MGM Worldwide Television Distribution.

See Also: Sci Fi To Premiere Stargate Movies This Spring / Atlantis And Sanctuary Finales Score Big For Sci Fi / Top Ten Hottest Women Of 2008 / Robert Carlyle Has A Date With A Stargate Not A Tardis / Sci Fi Orders Another Season Of Sanctuary / Sci Fi To Premiere Two Stargate Movies In 2009 / Sci Fi To Air Stargate Universe In 2009 /Sci Fi To Produce A New Two Hour Stargate Atlantis Movie / Actress Profile - Grace Park / Amanda Tapping To Star In Sanctuary

Knights of Bloodsteel Is Four Hours Of Dragons And Heros For Sci Fi

Source: NBC / Universal

SCI FI will premiere the two-night movie event Knights of Bloodsteel (formerly titled Mirabilis) on Sunday, April 19 at 9pm ET with the second half of the four-hour fantasty adventure airing on Monday, April 20 at 9pm ET. David James Elliott (JAG), Natassia Malthe (Elektra) and three-time Emmy winner Christopher Lloyd (Taxi, Back to the Future) star in the movie event set against the backdrop of knights, sorcerers and dragons where heroes battle the forces of darkness.

Knights of Bloodsteel is produced by Reunion Pictures (Lisa Richardson, Matthew O'Connor, Tom Rowe) with RHI Entertainment, (Robert Halmi, Sr. and Robert Halmi, Jr.) distributing the project internationally. Reunion Pictures acquired the rights to the property from Industry Entertainment's Keith Addis and Andrew Deane. Emmy-nominated Sam Egan (Sanctuary, Jeremiah, The Outer Limits) wrote the script.

Mirabilis is a world dependent upon the rare metal called "bloodsteel," a precious element that is the source of all magical power -- and now the bloodsteel is running out. The forces of evil, led by the ruthless and powerful Dragon Eye, are descending on Mirabilis to take control of the remaining bloodsteel. Acting on an ancient prophecy, the elf wizard Tesselink (Lloyd) recruits four ordinary people to save Mirabilis. A human vigilante John Serragoth (Elliott), an elf bounty hunter Perfidia (Malthe), a goblin with extrasensory powers Ber-lak (Dru Viergever), and a young conman Adric (Christopher Jacot) become the Knights of Bloodsteel. They undertake a quest for the mythical Crucible, reputed to be the source of all bloodsteel. Dragon Eye and his army are also looking for the Crucible, as whoever finds it first will have unlimited power.

See Also: Grove And Firestone Want To Rival Rings With Gathering Of Heroes

Bikini Girls And A Monster Invade Phoenix

Written By: Ken Hulsey

Sources: Christy Savage / Avery Guerra

The independent monster flick "Monster From Bikini Beach", which was produced by the same people who bring you Sacramento's "Trash Film Orgy", will have a special screeing in the Pheonix area. The screening will be held at the Chandler Cinemas, which is the last independently owned theater in the region.

Synopsis:

From the folks who have brought Sacramento eight years of the finest in Unbelievable Midnight Movie Entertainment, comes the Ultimate in Monster Thrills! Produced right here in the River City, MONSTER FROM BIKINI BEACH is an Action-Packed Exploitation Film, combining your favorite elements of 50s Monster Movies and 70s Drive-In Flicks into an All-New Cinematic Thrill-Ride of Hot Go-Go Action, Shocking Crime Violence and Lurid Monster Mayhem.

MONSTER FROM BIKINI BEACH is the story of a primordial fiend who rises from the murky depths to quench its insatiable lust for Bikini-Clad Beauties. One man dares suspect a truth too terrifying to believe, while a crooked cop tries to cash in on the score of a lifetime! Thrown together by destiny, the two find themselves locked in the final bloody battle to defend Bikini Beach. Will they be in time to save the Lovely Ladies of Camaroville from the Beast’s Wanton Rampage of Total Terror or will they die trying?!

There will be a limited number of screenings, so fans need to get their tickets fast!

WHERE:
Chandler Cinemas
2140 N. Arizona Ave, Chandler, AZ 85224

Click here for a Map.
Phone: 480-821-1605.

WHEN:
Friday March 13 at 9 & 11PM
Saturday March 14th at 5pm., 7pm., 9pm. & 11PM

MONSTER FROM BIKINI BEACH is not rated, but it does contain scenes of shocking bloody violence and gratuitous nudity. It is recommended for mature audiences. Children should be accompanied by a responsible adult.

See Also: Trash Film Orgy 2008! / Two More Big Reasons To Go To The Fangoria Weekend Of Horrors / Monster From Bikini Beach - Limited Engagement In Sacramento / Girls Girls Girls! Celebrate Spring Break With The Trash Film Orgy / Donate Trash So That The Queen Of Trash Can Make Her Music Video Debut / Mr Lobo To Receive Lifetime Achievement Award At The B Movie Celebration / Interview: Sara Dunn (Queen of Trash)

Brett Kelly Resurrects 1940s Comic Book Hero Scarab For His Latest Film

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Sources Brett Kelly / Avery Guerra

Director Brett Kelly is out of control. He is pumping out one movie after another. He doesn't even finish one film before he starts another one. Presently he is working on the remake of "Attack of the Giant Leeches", the sci fi based "Iron Soldier", the adventure film "Pirates: Quest for Snake Island" and now the superhero driven "The Scarab."

You can't blame Kelly for wanting to get into the Superhero market. Just about everyone is doing it, and it is big business.....at the box office that is.

Even the most 'hard-core' comic book fans may have trouble remembering the hero Kelly has chosen to make a film about. The Scarab first appeared in Neo Comics 'Startling Comics' series #34 way back in July of 1945.

In fact the character fell into the public domain before Alan Moore revisited The Scarab in 2001 for the 12th issue of his "Tom Strong" series and in the spin-off "Terra Obscura". Before these rare, later appearances, the character hadn't been seen since the 20th issue of "The Black Terror" in 1947.

Here is some historical info on "The Scarab" from Wikipedia:

The Scarab was the secret identity of Egyptologist Peter Ward. Ward was actually the reincarnation of an ancient Egyptian high priest; by rubbing his magic scarab ring Ward would instantly transform into the super-powerful Scarab.

Alan Moore revived the Scarab, along with many other Nedor Comics characters that had entered the public domain, for his Tom Strong series. In Tom Strong #12 (June 2001), the Scarab was revealed to have been one of the members of SMASH that had been placed in suspended animation after an alien invasion from the moon in 1969. Awakened 30 years later, the Scarab joined his former comrades in the fight against the alien. SMASH disbanded shortly thereafter, but reformed three years later. The Scarab is a member of the reformed group.

In the Terra Obscura spin-off series, the Scarab allows himself to be bonded with the ancient Egyptian god Thoth in order to control one-time superhero Mystico (who is himself bonded with the god Seth).


At this time it is unknown if Kelly plans to use any of these prior stories in developing the plot for his film.

By choosing a very obscure comic book character Kelly certainly will be able to avoid 'fanboy' backlash if he strays away from the original plot from the 1940s. I doubt very seriously if there are many Scarab fanatics out there that need to be worried about when developing this one.

See Also: The First Look At Brett Kelly's Iron Soldier / Brett Kelly Is Remaking Corman's Leeches / Brett Kelly Talks About His Latest Film "Attack Of The Giant Leeches"

Watchmen - World Premiere - Photo Gallery

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Source: Getty Images

Malin Akerman and Carla Gugino pose for the mass of photographers located just off the symbolic 'yellow carpet'. (Above)

Most fans never get a chance to go to a 'world premiere' for a movie. I'm lucky, I was invited to one once. So I thought it would be cool to feature some photos from the premiere of "Watchmen" which took place Monday night in London.

Enjoy!

Malin Akerman (Laurie Jupiter/Silk Spectre II) arrives at the Watchmen, World Premiere at the Odeon, Leicester Square on February 23,2009 in London, England. Most of the actors took the time to sign a few autographs before entering the theater.

The entire cast came together to pose outside the Watchmen, World Premiere

Matthew Goode (Adrian Veidt/Ozymandias) looks surprised as he signs some autographs after arriving.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Edward Blake/The Comedian) on the Yellow Carpet.

Paul Greengrass, who was originally was slated to direct the film, arrives with his wife.

Jonathan Ross and his wife Jane. Hopefully he will give the film a favorable review.

One of the many Watchmen banners at the Odeon, Leicester Square

The Yellow Carpet. More appropriate than red.

Malin Akerman flashes her million dollar smile for the fans in attendance.

See Also: Watchmen - Malin Akerman As Silk Spectre II / Watchmen - Rorschach's Transforming Mask / Exclusive Watchman Footage Available On iTunes / Wizard Magazine Announces Their Best Of 2008 Winners / Warner Bros - Comic Con Preview - Watchmen And More! / Warner Bros - Comic Con 2008 Sneak Previews

Viz Makes Blue Dragon Available On iTunes

Source: MediaLab

VIZ Media has announced today the availability of its popular animated series BLUE DRAGON on the iTunes® Store (www.iTunes.com) in US and Canada. As a special launch promotion, the first episode of BLUE DRAGON will be available for download for free on the iTunes Store until March 10th and can be found at www.itunes.com/tv/bluedragon.

BLUE DRAGON animated series, based on the popular Xbox 360 role playing game (RPG), is a classic adventure story of magical Shadow powers, flying air fortresses, and unbounded heroism! Brought together by fate, Seven Soldiers of Light must awaken the Shadow within themselves in time to overcome a despotic power and bring peace to their land. Their ensuing journey through a rich fantasy world is also an internal journey to awaken the great power within each of them. Journey with them into the world of BLUE DRAGON!

The Xbox 360 game “BLUE DRAGON” was developed by Hironobu Sakaguchi (the creator of Final Fantasy). The game and animated series feature memorable characters designed by Akira Toriyama, the creator of the best-selling DRAGON BALL series of manga (also published in North America by VIZ Media and featured in SHONEN JUMP Magazine). The animated series debuted in Japan on TV Tokyo on April 7, 2007 and is produced by Studio Pierrot, which is well known for its work on NARUTO and BLEACH, also licensed by VIZ Media and available on iTunes.

"We are excited to add the beloved BLUE DRAGON animation to the growing library of VIZ Media titles now available on the iTunes store.” says Ken Sasaki, Sr. Vice President of Strategy & Business Development, VIZ Media. “VIZ Media is committed to giving fans the best in animated entertainment and we are thrilled to provide the best options in delivering exciting animated content in a high quality digital way.”

For more information on BLUE DRAGON please visit the dedicated website at Bluedragon.viz.com, which currently features anime series trailers, character descriptions, artwork from the animation, and a news section that will be updated regularly with announcements regarding the anime series.

See Also: Viz Showcases New Anime At The Licensing International Expo / Blue Dragon Finds A Home On Cartoon Network / Viz Media To Unleash A Unique Variety Of Anime Titles At NATPE

G-FEST XVI To Host Kenji Sahara

Kenji Sahara To Guest At G-FEST XVI

Actor Kenji Sahara, who appeared in many Godzilla movies for Toho Co., Ltd., will be this year's special guest at G-FEST XVI on Independence Day weekend in Rosemont, Illinois (outside of Chicago).

Sahara appeared in several Godzilla movies including Godzilla (1954), King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962), Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964) and Destroy All Monsters (1968). His most recent Godzilla appearance was in Godzilla Final Wars (2004). He also appeared in Rodan (1956).

From IMDB:

Kenji Sahara (佐原 健二 Sahara Kenji) (born May 14, 1932) is a Japanese actor. He was born in Kawasaki City, Kanagawa. His real name is Masayoshi Kato (加藤 正好 Katō Masayoshi). Initially he used the name Tadashi Ishihara before changing it when he secured the lead role in Rodan (1956).

Above, Kenji Sahara in his memorable role in "Rodan."

For additional information on G-FEST XVI, go to www.g-fan.com.

Galactica Prequel Caprica To Premiere On DVD

Source: NBC / Universal

Caprica, the highly anticipated prequel to "Battlestar Galactica," will enjoy its world premiere exclusively on DVD on April 21, 2009 from Universal Studios Home Entertainment. In a groundbreaking move sure to delight fans of the long-running television phenomenon, the feature-length prequel will be available on DVD as a limited-edition uncut and unrated version before the series' broadcast premiere on the SCI FI Channel in 2010. Caprica is executive produced by Ronald D. Moore and David Eick ("Battlestar Galactica") and Remi Aubuchon ("24"). Exclusive bonus features that take viewers behind the scenes of the creation of Caprica make this DVD a landmark event for any fan of "Battlestar Galactica." The film will also be available at selected online destinations for digital download transactions.



As "Battlestar Galactica" wraps its gripping final season on SCI FI on March 20, 2009, Caprica begins a brand new epic saga that continues the franchise's commitment to thought-provoking storytelling and extraordinary characters. Set over 50 years before the events of "Battlestar Galactica," Caprica is a world at the peak of its power, grappling with new science and technologies and the issues they create. The series will star Golden Globe nominee Eric Stoltz (Mask, Pulp Fiction), Esai Morales ("Jericho," "NYPD Blue"), Paula Malcomson ("Deadwood" "ER") and Golden Globe® nominee Polly Walker ("Cane," "Rome") in a story laced with passion, intrigue and family conflict.

"We are thrilled to take the groundbreaking step of offering the world-premiere of the Caprica feature-length extended pilot episode on DVD prior to the new series' television debut," said Hilary Hoffman, Senior Vice President, Brand and Digital Marketing for Universal Studios Home Entertainment. "This innovative distribution model will serve to satisfy 'Battlestar Galactica' fans' appetites for a new content while building excitement for the franchise's next great adventure."

"Ever since fans first caught wind of the 'Battlestar Galactica' prequel Caprica, they have been eagerly following its development," said Mark Stern, Executive Vice President, Original Programming for SCI FI & Co-Head Original Content, Universal Cable Productions. "We wanted to give them a chance to see the pilot in its original form and experience the prequel to the BSG story while that series' finale was still ringing in their ears. It also affords the creative team an unprecedented chance to get viewers feedback before production on the Caprica series begins this summer."

"If 'Battlestar Galactica' offered us a way to shatter the conventions of space opera, Caprica will be a show which will challenge the conventions of science fiction storytelling as a whole," said Ronald D. Moore, Executive Producer/Writer.

"Part sweeping soap, part meditation on the dangerous moral ramifications of artificial intelligence, this is a truly unique opportunity to continue telling stories which will be as daring and shocking as the best of 'Galactica' -- and yet will be altogether different from 'Galactica,'" said David Eick, Executive Producer.

Universal Cable Productions will begin production on the "Caprica" series in the summer of 2009 in Vancouver for a 2010 television premiere on the SCI FI Channel. The DVD of Caprica is priced at $26.98 S.R.P. Preorder close is March 3, 2009.

BONUS FEATURES:
• Feature Commentary with Director Jeffrey Reiner and Executive Producer/Writer Ronald D. Moore and Executive Producer David Eick
• Deleted Scenes
• Video Blogs
• What the Frak is Caprica?
• The Director's Process
• The V Club
• The Birth of a Cylon

SYNOPSIS
Set 50 years before Battlestar Galactica, Caprica follows two rival families and their patriarchs – Daniel Graystone (Eric Stoltz) and Joseph Adama (Esai Morales) – as they compete and thrive in the vibrant world of the 12 Colonies, a society recognizably close to our own. Enmeshed in the burgeoning technology of artificial intelligence and robotics that will eventually lead to the creation of the Cylons, the two houses go toe-to-toe blending action with corporate conspiracy and sexual politics.

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A Batch Of New Photos From Archangel Alpha

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Source: Avery Guerra

Okay, I have to admit that the more and more I see of the upcoming movie "Archangel Alpha" the more excited I become. I just looks like a awesome film. I mean, come on, there are giant, Anime inspired, robots, beautiful woman, post-apocalyptic war action and......giant robots....did I mention that?!

Well, as you probably already know, I have been writing a lot about this one, and the folks over at Chance Studios have taken notice. As a reward for remaining faithful to their film, even when it looked like the money was going to run out, they have sent us a batch of exclusive images.

Granted, there are no pics of the giant mechs in this batch, (fear not, they promise those are coming) there are some great images that illustrate the general feel of the film.

That is the point, though, there is more to this movie than just giant robos. There is a really good story here. That is what has gotten me all geeked up about "Archangel Alpha" from day one!

Here is a snippet of the overall story:

Three friends (Elena, Alexandra and Grigori) have their relationship pushed to the breaking point when they find themselves on opposite sides of a devastating war. In the midst of the final deciding battle, Grigori is killed by Alex. Elena and Alex are both shot down. They confront each other just as The Beast, a merciless AI weapon, is released onto the battlefield. The Beast goes rogue and turns against both sides, annihilating both armies and initiating a nuclear launch between the warring nations. In the aftermath, Elena and Alex must escape the killing grounds while coming to terms with their actions.

Doesn't that sound cool?

Now, lets check out the new photos:

To find out more information please visit: Archangel Alpha Project Info or The Archangel Alpha Official Website

See Also: Archangel Alpha - New Poster And Production Photos / Archangel Alpha Needs Your Help / Post Apocalyptic Love And Robots In Archangel Alpha

The Legend Of Boggy Creek (1972)(Charles B. Pierce)

UPDATE: “The Legend of Boggy Creek” Director Charles B. Pierce Dead At Age 71

Written By: Ken Hulsey

I was inspired to go into my DVD collection this weekend and pull out my copy of "The Legend of Boggy Creek" after I had watched the "Monster Quest" episode on the "Fouke Monster" or "The Swamp Stalker of Boggy Creek" as it was referred to on the program, earlier in the week.

Monster Quest showed several scenes from Charles B. Pierce's movie during the episode, so I dusted off my copy a put it the DVD player for the family to enjoy. I always thought of the film a great scary movie, but after I went and did some research about it, I gained even more respect for Pierce and the movie he created.

In 1972 Charles Pierce, an ad salesman from Texarkana, borrowed $160,000 from a friend who owned a car dealership, to make a movie about a local legend in Arkansas, that he had heard about growing up. Armed with a hand-held camera, and the local residents, who played themselves, Pierce set out to create a pseudo-documentary about recent encounters with a Bigfoot-like creature in and around the small town of Fouke.

Amazingly enough, Pierce, with no experience at making movies, was able to create a very believable and scary movie. His amateur actors, who obviously drew inspiration from their real-life encounters, display such fear, that the viewer really gets taken in by their raw emotion.

Pierce's camera work and editing really creates a genuine feeling of terror. His wisdom in only showing the monster from a distance, and in the shadows, adds to the mystery and the overall eerie feeling of the film.

It is amazing that an amateur film maker, like Pierce, was able to master so many truly scary film techniques in his first attempt at making a movie.


The movie starts out, documentary style, explaining the history of the town of Fouke, and its past run-ins with the monster.

There are several scenes that show the swamps around Boggy Creek. This really works well in setting the mood for the film, because the area is truly creepy looking. In fact I would dare anyone to find a scarier looking area in the United States.

As the film proceeds there are several reenactments of past encounters with the Bigfoot-like "Fouke Monster." Most of these are fairly benign, chance sightings by hunters mixed an occasional animal attack. Despite looking for a meal the monster stays hidden and avoids any human contact.

For the most part, the monster doesn't do anything to menace anyone.....well....that is until a young boy shoots it a couple of times. That's when the creature starts to view the residents of Fouke as adversaries.

Hunting parties are organized to try and kill the creature, but all they do is drive the beast away from the area for eight years.

It is at this point the Pierce makes his only error in producing the film. Two of the most awful country songs ever composed are added to stretch the length of the film. One is a ballad about how, "lonely", the monster is, and the second is about a local boy who likes to go camping and fishing in the swamp. These tunes sound like John Denver at his worst. I strongly recommend hitting "fast-forward" at this point.

Don't worry the film gets better after that.

When the monster returns, he returns with a vengeance. Animals once again begin to disappear and people begin to be attacked. It is obvious that the monster no longer has any fear of man.

A group of young High School girls are terrified when the monster interrupts their slumber party by rocking their mobile home and thrashing everything in sight.

The young ladies, again the actual victims, truly look terrified as they all try to load a shot-gun to protect themselves. Again another scene that was pulled off flawlessly by Pierce.

The film comes to a climax with the story of two young families that move into a house that is located near Boggy Creek together.

When the husbands go off to work the night shift, their wives are harassed by the monster, who tries to break into the house.

The next day, two visiting relatives discover giant tracks on the edge of the creek while fishing.

Later that night the creature returns and attacks one of the women by grabbing her through an open window. When the two men return from work, they find their families in a state of panic.

Armed with shot-guns, the men go out to find the monster. They mange to shot the creature several times. Believing that they have killed the beast they head for home. On the way back to the house one of the men is attacked by the creature, suffering several gashes and head trauma.

The family promptly rushes him to the hospital and moves out of the house the next morning.

Pierce's amateur monster movie would gross over $20 million at the box office. That may not seem like much compared to today's numbers, but to put it in perspective Fox's "Escape From The Planet Of The Apes" grossed only $12 million the year before.

In fact, the film was such a hit it spawned two sequels, "Return to Boggy Creek" in 1977 and "The Barbaric Beast of Boggy Creek, Part II". "Return" was not produced by Pierce and was a purely fictitious tale about a group of people who get lost in the swamp and are rescued by the monster. The film starred famed television actresses Dawn Wells (Gilligan's Island ) and Dana Plato (Diff'rent Strokes).

Whether you believe in Bigfoot or not, "The Legend of Boggy Creek" is a great scary movie. It may even make a skeptic think twice about the subject. Charles Pierce was able to create a truly iconic film, one that has been coveted by both monster movie fans and cryptozoolgy enthusiasts for decades.

Here are some never before published photos from "The Legend of Boggy Creek":

See Also: “The Legend of Boggy Creek” Director Charles B. Pierce Dead At Age 71