Heading `Into the Badlands`

Transcription

CELEBRITY
SPOTLIGHTS
FRED SAVAGE
LUCY LAWLESS
SHARON STONE
PHILIP WINCHESTER
Graham Elliot
the story!
Heading ‘Into
the Badlands’
Daniel Wu stars in “Into
the Badlands,” premiering
Sunday on AMC.
WHAT'S FOR
DINNER
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Featured
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“CHICAGO MED”
“Turkey Hollow”
“Hunting Hitler”
movies to
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Matt
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CELEBRITY
“CHICAGO MED”
4 FRED SAVAGE “The
Producer Dick Wolf makes
his Windy City triple play
Wonder Years” alum likes
laying down the law in
“The Grinder”
5 LUCY LAWLESS On
ditching another deal to be
on “Ash vs Evil Dead”
6 SHARON STONE
“Agent X” star appreciates
leading man who’s “not a
jerk”
8 PHILIP WINCHESTER
“The Player” star doesn’t
play around when it comes
to stunts
“Turkey Hollow”
Mary Steenburgen talks
about being “a huge Jim
Henson fan.”
9 Graham Elliot
A restaurateur and
celebrity chef
“The Art of More”
Kate Bosworth’s character has
to “prove herself far more than
anybody else.”
17
7 “Kelsey’s Essentials”
for great dinner table
experiences
SPORTS
the story!
18-19 Matt Johnson
future NFL quarterback?
See for yourself Tuesday
on ESPN2
“INTO THE BADLANDS”
Past meets future in martialarts-driven action series
MOVIES
IN EVERY ISSUE
Review, Our top DVD pick,
and Coming Soon on DVD.
suggested programs to watch
this week!
20-21 Featuring: Theatrical
FOOD
22-23 Featuring: Our top
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REALITY
16 “Hunting Hitler”
Does history stand true or
did he really get away?
Editor's choice
STORY
S
with him, we knew David could bring the American cabledrama sensibility, but he also understood how to work with a
fight unit.”
Millar adds of the participation of fight director Fung,
“There‘s a distinct difference between how you shoot
Western-style action in a traditional movie or TV show, and
how you shoot Hong Kong-style. It’s about seeing your hero
really fight, and that was the key in terms of making this
feel authentic. The action is as important as the drama, and
what really makes the show unique is giving respect to that
element. That’s why the fights are like nothing you’ve ever
seen before.”
AMC goes
‘Into the Badlands’
with contemporary yet
ancient action saga
By Jay Bobbin
In action terms, “Into the Badlands” is a little of this and a little
of that ... and that’s exactly how its creator-producers want it.
Combining modern and ancient elements, the AMC series
premieres Sunday, Nov. 15 – and its mentors, “Smallville” and
“Spider-Man 2” veterans Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, agree
that it’s a mash-up of virtually everything they’ve done before
it. Martial-arts masters Daniel Wu and Stephen Fung also are
executive producers, with Wu starring as well as the ironically
named Sunny, a celebrated Clipper (or warrior) in a desolate
area where he saves young M.K. (Aramis Knight) and then
mentors him at a feudal outpost known as The Fort.
“It’s everything we love put into a blender, and this is what
came out,” Millar allows of “Into the Badlands,” which also was
inspired loosely by a 16th-century Chinese novel (“Journey to
the West”). “Martial arts, superpowers, the society of ancient
Japan ... we put it all together and created something that’s
original in its own way with references, if you’re a movie buff, to
things you know that way as well.”
Aspects of Millar and Gough’s “Shanghai Noon,” which starred
Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson, certainly factor into “Into
the Badlands” – particularly since the director of the sequel
“Shanghai Knights,” David Dobkin, also is involved in the new
series. “When we pitched the show to AMC,” Gough reflects,
“we said that in order to get the martial-arts aspect right, you
needed a full-time Hong Kong fight unit to do it. Having worked
The producers also made that attempt earlier with star
Sammo Hung in the late-’90s CBS series “Martial Law,” and
they knew they had to get their principal “Into the Badlands”
casting just right.
“Daniel was in as an executive producer from the
beginning,” reports Gough. “We sort of wrote it with him in
the back of our minds, but he was like, ‘I’m too old. I don’t
know if I could take the regimen of training.’ He screentested with a couple of other guys, to make sure he could
look legitimate. Then, casting Aramis was a big piece of the
puzzle.”
Indeed, Millar says that turned out to be “a classic thing.
We’d seen him in (the movie) “Ender’s Game” and
everybody liked him, and he was actually the first person
we asked to see. Then we probably saw 400 other kids and
we hadn’t found anybody, and we thought, ‘You know what?
Let’s go back to Aramis.’ He came back in and the chemistry
with Daniel was awesome and great, and it just happened.
You have to see everybody to come back to the first.”
Additional “Into the Badlands” cast members include
Stephen Lang (“Salem”), Marton Csokas (“Sons of Liberty”),
Emily Beecham, Orla Brady (“American Odyssey”) and
Oliver Stark.
Also executive producers of MTV’s forthcoming fantasy
series “The Shannara Chronicles,” Millar and Gough aimed
“Into the Badlands” specifically for AMC, given the cable
network’s track record with series on the order of “The
Walking Dead” and “Hell on Wheels.”
“They bought it in the room (during the initial pitch),” Gough
says. “Honestly, they were all in. They’re a network of big
swings, and they take pride in that – so you bring them your
passion project and tell them, ‘We want to do this martialarts show set in the future with a Hong Kong fight team.’
And they really didn’t blink.”
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C
CELEBRITY
Jay Bobbin’s Q&A
FredSavage
of ‘The Grinder’ Tuesday on Fox
How does it feel to be acting
out courtroom scenarios
opposite Rob Lowe in “The
Grinder”?
In the pilot, I end up in trial – which I
didn’t want to be (in character) – and it’s
probably not something I do very often, so
I was definitely out of my element. I think
that that was definitely an arena where
Rob’s character shined, where the spotlight
was on him; he was making big speeches,
and that was not my comfort zone at all.
I think that my comfort zone is kind of
behind a desk or maybe at a deposition
table, so I think that we’re both going to
be pushing each other out of our comfort
zones a little bit, but he’s definitely going
to be dragging me out of mine. But our
stance has been, and will be, that my
character, he’s a good attorney. He’s good
at what he does, just what he does isn’t
what Rob’s character did on his TV show.
Growing up from the point
when you were Kevin on “The
Wonder Years,” how did you
manage to avoid the pitfalls
that some other young actors
appear to fall prey to?
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I think that a lot of actors at a young
age get kind of a bad rap. You have me
and Rob right here, and our (show) is
sandwiched between Josh Peck and John
Stamos (in “Grandfathered”) on one end,
and Jamie Lee Curtis and Emma Roberts
(in “Scream Queens”) on the other. And I
think that that idea of being a young actor
at an early age as a recipe for disaster
later in life is not really the rule.
CELEBRITY
George’s Dickie
C
LucyLawless
of ‘Ash vs Evil Dead’
Saturday on Starz
What drew you to the character?
Oh, I wasn’t drawn to the character. The
character wasn’t even written. It was a big,
amorphous, inchoate idea of a character
by the time I signed. But I was like, “Oh,
I’m definitely going to play with Bruce and
Rob and Sam on ‘The Evil Dead.’ Whatever
it is, I’m totally there.” So I was actually in
negotiations for something else ... . And
we were probably a couple of days away
from signing, hammering out the exec deal
– maybe one day – and this came up and
I just went “See ya. I have to go do this.” It
was a no-brainer.
Did you get to do your own stunts here?
Oh, hell no. Are you crazy? I never did. No,
it’s dangerous. You can’t have your actors
fighting other actors who maybe have
never done sword fighting or whatever. If
you damage your star, everybody’s out of
work. So I used to do it with fights but only
while the camera was on me. When they
turned around on the guest actor, they’d
be fighting the stunt woman. That’s how it
works.
How is it working with Bruce Campbell?
It’s funny, Bruce is extremely gregarious
and then when he shuts down, it comes
down good. Like after work, leave me
alone, I want my drink, I want my wife. He
goes into full privacy mode. He’s always on
with friends as always. But no, he’s doing
his job. He’s selling. He’s a very excellent
gentleman in real life, away from the noise
of all this.
C
CELEBRITY
Jay Bobbin’s Q&A
Sharon
Stone
of ‘Agent
X’ Sunday
on TNT
As an executive producer
as well as a star of “Agent
X,” you had a big say in
who plays the title role.
What made you decide on
Jeff Hephner?
We wanted someone who had an
exceptional maturity while being
young, and who had that kind of
James Bond-ish, sophisticated
badass-ery ... and he’s got all
that. He’s just so charming and so
interesting, and such a good actor.
And I like that he comes from
the stock he does. His mom’s a
nurse, his dad’s a high-school gym
teacher, he’s married to a woman
who’s a teacher, he’s got three kids
– he’s a guy. He’s not a jerk.
In playing the new U.S.
vice president, you were
administered the oath of
office in the series pilot
by James Earl Jones, as
the Chief Justice of the
Supreme Court. What was
that moment like for you?
Did you already
have a background
on how to play a
vice president?
You know, I was so proud that day. It’s
the kind of thing that a young actress
will never see, where you’re really glad
to be a grown-up and glad to be a lady
who’s been in the business a long time
... when you stand there playing the
vice president, looking into the eyes of
James Earl Jones, who’s been a friend
and a mentor. You have that kind of love
and respect, and I can’t even say how
profound and joyful that day was for me.
Just marvelous.
As the global campaign
chairman of amfAR (The
Foundation for AIDS
Research), I’ve been
working internationally
with politicians. I’ve known
Hillary and Bill (Clinton)
for maybe 20 years, and
I know Nancy Pelosi
and Barbara Boxer and
Dianne Feinstein very
well. A lot of them have
been my colleagues and
compatriots as we’ve
worked through things for
a very long time.
FOOD
George Dickie’s What's for Dinner
F
Art mirrors life
for Kelsey Nixon on
‘Kelsey’s Homemade’
Kelsey Nixon likes to think of her TV shows as mirrors of her life.
For instance, when she created “Kelsey’s Essentials” for Cooking Channel in
2010, she was a newlywed setting up her first kitchen, so she was showing
her viewers how to do the same.
Now a working mom, she’s the host of the recently debuted “Kelsey’s
Homemade,” airing Saturdays on Cooking Channel, in which she’s – yep
– dispensing time-saving tips for the busy working family.
Click or tap on icon
“Where I see ‘Essentials’ is this program where it was all about setting up
for more!
your first kitchen,” she says, “I look at ‘Homemade’ and I think it’s really about
setting up a home. And when I say ‘home,’ I mean that environment where the people that you love come to the dinner
table, you sit down, you break bread together and you have a great experience, and somehow doing that without Mom
losing her mind or Dad losing his mind. Just a really practical solution for every day.”
Nixon, a native of Salt Lake City now transplanted to New York City with her husband and young son, invites viewers into
the kitchen as she shares shortcuts and time-saving tools, wholesome recipes and last-minute entertaining ideas. She
even has friends and family appear in the six half-hour episodes shot in a Cooking Channel studio, talking and sharing a
meal. No one has any set lines and everyone just relaxes and dines as cameras roll.
“It basically was like, ‘Alright, we’ve made all this food, you guys just sit there and eat it and enjoy each other’s company
and we’ll just happen to be rolling the cameras in the background,’ ” Nixon says. “So it was really fun.”
And as it turned out, there was a side benefit.
“My little boy, Ollie, I didn’t know how he was going to react, and I didn’t want to do it if it wasn’t going to be fun for
him,” she explains. “But my goodness, he had the time of his life and is still talking about Paul the audio guy at home.
He’ll pretend that he’s the guy who’s putting on the microphone and walking around with a small broom that looks like
boom mike. So we made actually really great family memories in filming this show together and it was such a positive
experience for us all around. And, hey look, we have family home videos that are really high quality, so I got a two-forone deal there.”
What book are you
currently reading?
“I’m currently listening
to podcasts like crazy
and I’ve almost replaced
some of my reading
with podcasts. So I am
really loving the podcast
‘Mystery Show.’ That
would be my answer,
is that I’m listening to
podcasts more than I am
reading.”
What did you have
for dinner last
night?
“Chicken piccata.”
What is your
next project?
“I have a line of
kitchen products
with the Home
Shopping Network
and we’re
launching a few
new products this
upcoming Sunday,
which is really
exciting. So I’m
heading to Florida
to do that.”
When was your last vacation,
where and why?
“Oh gosh, I need a vacation. The last
vacation was me and my husband
and my son went to Los Angeles and
we went to Disneyland. And it was
amazing; it was so much fun.”
C
CELEBRITY
Jay Bobbin’s Celebrity ScooP
Philip
Winchester
“Strike Back” proved to be a fortunate prelude to Philip
Winchester’s equally action-fueled stint in “The Player.”
Though it ended its on-air run on Cinemax after his Thursday
NBC series premiered, Winchester had finished production
as one of the ”Strike Back” troubleshooters much earlier. He’s
brought much of the same physicality to his current role as
Alex Kane, a former Special Forces operative turned security
expert whose potential success in missions is the subject of
bets fielded by Las Vegas casino pit boss Johnson (Wesley
Snipes).
On doing
stunt scenes
for “The
Player”: “We
For the tastes of stunt work Winchester has had in his career,
he acknowledges, “There are rules that let you do things and
don’t let you do other things. With ‘Strike Back,’ we got to do a
lot more stuff when we were in South Africa and Budapest.
were out there the
other day, driving
around in the
desert in a Jeep
and doing all of our
driving ourselves,
and the camera
truck was right
next to me. And
we were bumperto bumper, doing
about 50 mph and
then spinning out
of shots together.
I just pinch myself.
That we get to do
this for a job is
incredible. We are
really fortunate.”
“But having said that, NBC and Sony (the studio behind ‘The
Player’) have been amazing. They said, ‘If you want to get in
there and ride that bike, if you want to do that stuff, go ahead,’
so we’re pushing that out. This is a show where we’re bringing
back ’80’s action and we’re putting it on television, and we’re
having a good time doing that.”
One of Winchester’s most distinctive scenes thus far was in
the pilot for “The Player,” as a gun-carrying Kane engaged in a
foot chase down the Las Vegas Strip, wearing only his briefs.
Much of the sequences actually was filmed in Los Angeles,
but it still was quite memorable for the good-humored actor.
“I mean, they shut down Hollywood Boulevard,” he recalls.
“They shut a stretch of it down, and it was actually really neat,
because we were running around the alleys in Hollywood ... so
they had these toe shoes. We painted them skincolored, and
we stuck those on, and I was running around in those to make
it look like I was barefoot. We probably did it all night.
“And then, we went to Vegas” for location filming, Winchester
adds, “and we ran down Fremont Street – which, actually,
nobody paid attention to because it’s Vegas. They were like,
‘Ah, it’s no big deal. Boxers and a gun? He probably lost
a bet.’ ”
Birthdate: March 24, 1981
Birthplace: Belgrade, Mont.
Current residence: Los Angeles
Marital status: Married; has an infant daughter
Other television work includes: “Strike Back,” “24: Live Another
Day,” “Camelot,” “Warehouse 13,” “Alice,” “Maneater,” “King Lear,”
“CSI: Miami”
Movie work includes: “Undrafted,” “In My Sleep,” “Solomon Kane,”
“The Heart of the Earth,” “Flyboys,” “Thunderbirds,” “The Patriot”
CELEBRITY
CelebritY profile
Gr ahamElliot
C
- Born Graham Elliot Bowles, on Jan. 4, 1977, in Seattle.
- He is a self-proclaimed “Navy brat” who has traveled the world
and all 50 U.S. states.
- Attended culinary school at Johnson & Wales and was off
and running, finding his way into inspiring kitchens around the
country.
- His first position after culinary school was at the Jackson House
Inn & Restaurant in Woodstock, Vermont,
- In his career he has accrued many prestigious accolades
including multiple James Beard Foundation nominations and a
spot on Food & Wine Magazine’s best new chefs in 2004.
- At the age of 27 he was the youngest Four Star Chef to be
named in any city, also earning him a spot on Crain’s Chicago
Business list of 40 Under Forty.
Click or tap on
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Graham Elliot is a restaurateur and
celebrity chef who can currently be seen
as a judge on the latest “Junior Edition” of
“MasterChef” on Fox.
- In May 2008, he opened his first solo project Graham
Elliot in Chicago, a “bistronomic” restaurant that combined
four-star cuisine with humor and accessibility, to another
round of critical acclaim. The restaurant closed at the end
of 2013.
- In summer 2009, his passion for music led him to be the
culinary ambassador at Lollapalooza, a three-day music
festival, a position he still holds.
- As a current co-host and judge on the Fox hit cooking
competition, “MasterChef,” he offers his expert advice to
the show’s contestants.
- In July 2013, he underwent a sleeve gastrectomy after
nearly hitting 400 pounds. After losing more than 150
pounds, he ran his first-ever full marathon in October of
2014 in Chicago. He and his wife Allie ran together for
Smile Train, a charity that has provided cleft surgery for
children in 87 countries. Their son Conrad was born with a
bilateral cleft lip.
- In addition to his regular TV work, he also oversees
his current restaurant, Graham Elliot Bistro, located in
Chicago.
- A few weeks ago, his first cookbook “Cooking Like
a Master Chef: 100 Recipes to Make the Everyday
Extraordinary” was published.
- Currently he resides in Chicago with Allie and his three
boys, Mylo, Conrad and Jedediah.
C
CELEBRITY
“I’m doing these
little independent
films, and the whole
industry is just
being reinvented
before our very
eyes, so you have
to go with the flow.
I guess I’ve always
been trained all
my life that it’s just
not going to be
easy. I’ve never
been inundated
with offers, even
when I was at my
prime ... so I’m
not fantasizing or
holding my breath.”
– Two-time Oscar
winner Sally Field
of “The Essentials”
on Turner Classic
Movies
“This show offers
a certain ease and
comfort. There’s nothing
tense about it. It’s not a
wacky children’s show.
It isn’t zany. It’s about
everyday life, but in
an interesting way. It’s
obviously not going to
be boring. It’s always
going to be interesting.”
– Rita Moreno of “Nina’s
World” on Sprout
“He’s awesome. He’s like Charlie in ‘Charlie’s
Angels.’ He’s the voice. ... So it’s kind of like he
sends down the assignment and we say, ‘Yes,
Charlie.’ But it’s great because it lets us know
that even in the midst of all that he has to do,
that he is on it in terms of watching the show,
lending his notes, lending what ideas and
thoughts that he has about driving the show
and keeping it moving, and it’s actually pretty
awesome.” – Erica Ash on having LeBron
James as a boss and executive producer of
“Survivor’s Remorse” on Starz
CELEBRITY
S
ON DVRs
Aidan Quinn of
“Elementary” on CBS
“Well, I just got (a
DVR) and I don’t
record anything except
‘Elementary’ because
I need to watch that
for work, and my wife
records that. And
‘Sesame Street’ for my
daughter. And I record
occasional sports
things.”
Beth Behrs of “2
Broke Girls” on
CBS
“ ‘Shark Tank’ and
‘Chopped’ are
always on there
(the DVR), and
‘Kingdom’ and
‘Mr. Robot.’ And
my dear friend is
Tommy Sadoski
on ‘Life in Pieces,’
so I’ve been
watching that, and
it’s so cute.”
Ben Daniels of “Flesh & Bone” on Starz
“I binge-watch. I just finished ‘Sense8’ on Netflix, which I loved. I’ve also just
finished Season 3 of ‘The Americans,’ which I’ve watched in two days. I love
that show. You can tell I’m not working at the moment (laughs). I’m halfway
through ‘Extant’ and at the same time I’m watching a British robot show
called ‘Humans.’ So I’m watching a lot at the moment. And also, I’ve just
recently finished the last season of ‘Mad Men,’ which I sort of saved up and I
went on holiday and I was like, ‘Right, now I’m going to sit down.’ I loved it.”
Sharon
Stone of
“Agent X” on
TNT
“I am
currently
watching all
the Swedish
television
series. I’m
into it to the
point where I
just ordered
the Swedish
version of
Rosetta
Stone.
I’m very
attracted to
Scandinavia
right now. And
I’m obsessed
with
‘Wallander.’
I think he’s
(Kenneth
Branagh)
really a hot
guy ... and
it’s so wellwritten.”
S
STORY
Checking into
‘Chicago
Med’
S. Epatha Merkerson stars in
“Chicago Med,” premiering
Tuesday on NBC.
Story on next page
STORY
S
‘Chicago
Med’
officially opens
its doors on
NBC
By Jay Bobbin
The characters and actors of “Chicago Fire” and “Chicago
PD” have spent a lot of time on each other’s shows, and
now, there’s another series for them to share.
Executive producer Dick Wolf scores a Windy City triple
play as “Chicago Med” makes its NBC debut Tuesday,
Nov. 17. Some of its players already have turned up on
the other dramas – a “Chicago Fire” episode last season
served as the new show’s backdoor pilot – but due to
casting changes and expanded plans, others also will
be introduced as the filmed-on-location, hospital-themed
spinoff officially gets going.
As administrators, Wolf-series veterans S. Epatha
Merkerson (alias Lt. Anita Van Buren through most of the
run of “Law & Order”) and Oliver Platt reprise their roles,
as does Yaya DaCosta (“Whitney”) as a nurse who’s a
longtime friend of “Chicago Fire’s” Casey Severide (Taylor
Kinney). Direct lineage to another established character
is supplied by Nick Gehlfuss (“Shameless”) as the doctor
brother of “Chicago PD” detective Jay Halstead (Jesse Lee
Soffer). Colin Donnell (“The Affair”), Torrey DeVitto (“The
Vampire Diaries”), Brian Tee (“Jurassic World”) and Rachel
DiPillo also play medics dealing with the fast-paced, highpressure work environment.
“The aim here is every week, if you watch the show, you
will get at least one piece of medical information that
you probably don’t know,” Wolf says. ”And that can be
something that is in the consciousness of the country, in
the zeitgeist. The Ebola story was obvious because it was
a matter of concern, but there are other medical stories in
terms of the right to life, and how everything from organs
is transmitted and what that leads to, to sex education for
kids in school. Everything that touches on our medical or
our physical lives is fair game for us.”
While DaCosta’s character largely has been seen up to
now in relation to “Fire’s” Severide, the actress maintains
her April Sexton is established quickly as someone who’s
her own person and “usually in charge. She’s the nurse
that the doctors turn to when something needs to get
done. She’s the liaison between all the other nurses and
the doctors, as well as the patients when the doctors are
too busy to speak to the patients in a calm, compassionate
way and explain things. So she’s the person that kind of
keeps the hospital running, generally.”
That may come as a surprise to Chicago Med operations
chief Sharon Goodwin, Merkerson’s new character. “It was
a no-brainer for me,” the Emmy-winning actress reflects
of signing up for another tour of duty with Wolf. “I love
working with Dick. I love the productions that we’ve done
together. I love the people that he surrounds himself with.”
Stage and screen veteran Platt (“Bulworth,” “The West
Wing,” “The Big C”) also returns to Wolf’s company, having
done the NBC journalism drama “Deadline” with him in
2000-01. “I’m incredibly excited about shooting in Chicago
and getting to know Chicago better,” the New York-based
talent says, “but the community that I’m actually excited
about joining is the community of these three shows. What
is really remarkable – and I speak for myself, and I think I
speak for the rest of the cast – is the sense of community
that exists on ‘Chicago Fire’ and on ‘Chicago PD.’ They
made us feel so welcome.
“They clearly enjoy each other so much, and I think it’s
palpable on the screen,” Platt adds. “And in a larger sense,
the idea of what Dick is doing is actually pretty exciting. I
mean, franchises have spun off shows before ... but never
into a sort of an active matrix, if you will, of these shows
that are being aired. And that’s the community that I’m
excited about.”
S
STORY
Creature
feature
Mary Steenburgen stars in “Jim Henson’s Turkey
Hollow,” premiering Saturday on Lifetime.
Story on next page
STORY
S
Henson creatures
come out to play in Lifetime’s ‘Turkey Hollow’
By George Dickie
W.C. Fields once had a well-documented aversion to
working with children and animals. But he never shared a
set with the creatures from The Jim Henson Company.
you going to say your line like that?’ And their characters
eat rocks, so at one point he just turned the puppet
toward me and goes, ‘Boy, I could go for a glass of sand
right now.’ ”
And they figure prominently in the family-friendly Lifetime
original movie “Jim Henson’s Turkey Hollow,” premiering
Saturday, Nov. 21. The film tells the tale of recently
divorced dad Ron Emmerson (Jay Harrington, “Benched”)
and his two children (Graham Verchere, Genevieve
Buechner), who head to the bucolic burg of Turkey Hollow
to spend a rustic Thanksgiving with their eccentric Aunt
Cly (Mary Steenburgen, “Last Man on Earth”).
The story was written in 1968 by Jim Henson and
writing partner Jerry Juhl, a selling point that enticed
Oscar winner Steenburgen into coming aboard.
With no Internet connectivity, the kids are forced to
entertain themselves in other ways, such as investigating
the local legend of “the Howling Hoodoo,” a monster
dismissed as myth by residents. As the family heads into
the woods to check things out, the Henson creatures
come out of the woodwork, forcing the actors to put on
their best poker faces.
“The biggest challenge is that they are very funny and ...
they’ll one-up you,” says Harrington with a laugh. “These
(puppeteers) were amazing ... they’re contortionists. I
mean, I don’t even know how they don’t go take an ice
bath after every long day.
“But they’re so funny and quick. Their dialog in this was
obviously burbles and squeaks and things. They don’t
speak. But as soon as they say, ‘Cut!’ at one point, Robbie,
one of their puppeteers, looked over at me and (said), ‘Are
“I’m a huge Jim Henson fan,” she says, “and so this
obviously was something he created in the first place
and he had done the original designs for the creatures.
“And it was almost like one of those kind of treasures
where you got to work with someone that’s not around
anymore but yet someone who you admire so much. But
that was such a kind of wonderful idea to me. And then
the fact that (daughter and Henson CEO) Lisa Henson
has so much integrity and cared so much about the
Henson brand and the fact that she even remembers ...
her dad taking her outside and (photographing her) with
the original versions of these creatures. ... And he was
exploring, expanding from a sort of indoor puppet world
to a much more expansive idea, and ‘Turkey Hollow’ was
a vehicle for that.
“And so just the history of it and the look of it and the
kind of quirky, old-fashioned kind of charm of it and the
fact that I would get to work with the creatures,” she
says, “all that is what made me want to do it.”
S
STORY
History’s
‘Hunting
Hitler’
offers up
plenty of
doubt
By George Dickie
As a retired CIA agent, Bob Baer considers himself a
man of reason.
He needs empirical evidence to back up conclusions,
and he knows that chasing conspiracy theories can
end careers in the U.S. government.
search for them made by (then-FBI Director J. Edgar)
Hoover and the military ... they truly believed there
was a good possibility he got away. So the fact of the
absence of forensics and then on top of it he had the
U.S. government looking for him for a couple of years, I
thought it was just a great story.”
But something about the information – or rather lack of The search in the eight-part series takes Baer, war
it – presented to him for the History investigative series crimes investigator John Cencich and a team of
international sleuths and experts to South America,
“Hunting Hitler,” airing Tuesdays, gave him pause.
where an extensive fortress deep in the Argentine
History books tell us that German dictator Adolf Hitler jungle was built by Nazis as a sanctuary in the event
Germany lost World War II.
committed suicide with wife Eva Braun in a Berlin
bunker on April 30, 1945, as Soviet troops closed in
on their location. His body was then burned in a bomb Could that have housed Hitler in the postwar years?
Ultimately, Baer isn’t ready to concede that. But he
crater and all that remained was part of his skull. But
does point out that no insurance company in the world
American tests conducted in 2009 on the remains
would pay off on this death claim, given the reasonable
the Soviets believed to be Hitler’s revealed it actually
doubt surrounding the case.
belonged to a woman of about 35 years of age.
And then there were other things that got Baer’s
attention.
“Which is pretty astounding considering the importance
of that war and how it created the world we have
today,” Baer says. “And there’s no history that I feel
comfortable with.”
“We’re just missing big pieces of this,” he says. “In my
mind, it catches. How do we know he did that in the
bunker? I assume he did like everybody else. But I had “I think the fact that there are no answers is the story,”
just accepted the traditional narratives. And then on top he continues. “We can live without certainties but if we
had to bet on it, it’d be an iffy bet.”
of it when I saw the FBI documents, this out-and-out
STORY
S
Crackle
enters the
original
programming
arena with
‘The Art of
More’
By George Dickie
Pictured: Dennis Quaid and Kate Bosworth
Sony’s streaming service Crackle joins the fray of original
series this week with a look at a world seldom portrayed on
television.
“The Art of More,” dropping with 10 episodes on Thursday,
Nov. 19, delves into the surprisingly cutthroat world of
premium art auction houses, one filled with hustlers,
smugglers, power mongers and collectors of the exotic and
the esoteric.
The story is told through the experiences of Graham Connor
(Christian Cooke, “Magic City”), a blue-collar Brooklynite and
junior executive at leading Park Ave. auction house ParkeMason, whose connections to an artifacts smuggling ring he
encountered while a soldier in Iraq gained him entry into this
exclusive arena. Mentoring him is antiquities collector Arthur
Davenport (Cary Elwes, “The Princess Bride”), who sees
potential in this diamond in the rough. Self-made millionaire
Sam Brukner (Dennis Quaid, “Vegas”), who sees himself in
Graham, also takes a liking to the upstart. Kate Bosworth
(“Beyond the Sea”) plays Roxana Whitman, Graham’s
competitor at rival auction house DeGraaf.
“We both come from lower middle class backgrounds,”
says Quaid, also an executive producer, of his and Cooke’s
characters. “We were both in the Army. We’re both rough
around the edges yet we’re playing in a society that we
always feel like doesn’t really want us.”
“And I think that’s why Graham feels that he can secure
the Brukner account for Parke-Mason,” Cooke says, “is
because he can relate. He knows that Brukner can relate
to him, that they have comparatively similar backgrounds.
So I think he uses that to try and lure him to the firm.
That’s his in, the Army connection.”
“And Arthur,” Elwes adds, “his relationship is sort of like
Pygmalion in a way. He sort of sees this guy who’s a little
rough around the edges and likes the idea of teaching
him about art and the art world. He comes knowledgeable
but he wants to help refine him and help him build himself
up the ladder of the auction world. And he also sees an
element of danger in this guy. He’s a guy who definitely
has an edge to him and I think he’s attracted to that. He
suddenly brings some excitement into Davenport’s life that
wasn’t there before.”
But while all are plying the waters of this sea of exclusivity
for their own ends, none feels very comfortable on it, no
matter the size of their bank accounts.
“I think all the characters,” says Bosworth, “what’s maybe a
little bit connecting is that I think there’s something about
them that all feels like an outsider. Like she’s a woman in a
man’s world. You know, she has to prove herself far more
than anybody else, and I think that there’s that feeling of
insecurity in probably everybody in that sense. And I think
that’s why they’re all drawn to each other.”
S
SPORTS
Falcons’
Matt
Johnson
soaring
toward NFL
career?
Story on next page
Story on next page
Full Name: Matthew Quinn
Johnson
Height/Weight: 6 foot/215pounds
Team: Bowling Green Falcons,
2011-present
Born: Sept. 9, 1992
Position: Quarterback
Birthplace: Harrisburg, Penn.
No.: 11
Honors and Achievements:
MAC Championship game MVP,
2013; fourth best passing yards in a
season for Bowling Green (3,467),
2013.
SPORTS
S
By Dan Ladd
In the world of college football
there’s sometimes little conversation
about teams or players that sit
outside the top 25, at least until
draft day. When two Mid-American
Conference powerhouses, Bowling
Green and Toledo, square off
Tuesday, Nov. 17, on ESPN2, fans of
both college and NFL football should
pay attention.
Bowling Green’s Senior quarterback,
Matt Johnson, has been quietly at or
near the top in passing yardage for a
good part of the season, surpassing
the likes of TCU’s Trevone Boykin.
Many major college programs that
passed on Johnson as a recruit are
now wishing they had the pro-style
quarterback running their offense.
Johnson is surely NFL bound and
is being compared to the likes
of Drew Brees, who he could
potentially succeed in New Orleans.
It’s anyone’s guess where a top
quarterback could wind up but teams
like Dallas and Denver would be
wise to consider Johnson as a future
successor to their star quarterbacks.
Johnson, meanwhile, is enjoying the
year he’s having in Bowling Green.
Since losing to Tennessee in their
opener, the Falcons have only lost
one other game as of press time,
which was a disappointing one to
Memphis. Throughout, Johnson has
put up stellar numbers with multiple
touchdown games that will likely
see him top his 2013 passing yards
total of 3,467, fourth best in school
history.
MattJohnson
As for the Toledo game, the 19th
ranked Rockets will be more than a
formidable foe. It is quite possible
these two teams could meet again
in the MAC championship game in
December.
M
MOVIES
JAY BOBBIN's Theatrical movie review
review
Tom Hanks
crosses a ‘Bridge’ that he comes to
Steven Spielberg is the king of movie entertainment for
the masses (see “Jurassic Park”), but when he chooses
to deal with weighty issues (see “Schindler’s List”), he’s
every bit as effective a filmmaker.
The latest proof is “Bridge of Spies,” an involving Cold
War-era drama that reteams him with Tom Hanks,
now playing a lawyer assigned to defend a suspected
Russian spy. That part goes to stage veteran Mark
Rylance, seen recently as Thomas Cromwell in the PBS
drama “Wolf Hall” and every bit a star of this picture as
Hanks is.
Taking the defense for an alleged traitor, at the
behest of a boss played by Alan Alda (who’s always a
pleasure to see on the big screen), ultimately confirms
the attorney’s worries as he finds his loyalties under
suspicion as well – even from his own family.
The case takes a major turn with the Soviet capture of
U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers (played by Austin Stowell)
– a well-remembered chapter of international history
– making the Hanks character sort of a spy himself
as the CIA asks him to arrange a trade of his client
for Powers. It doesn’t stop there, since the lawyer also
wants someone else in exchange.
Two other major players of “Bridge of Spies” are Joel
and Ethan Coen, who co-wrote the screenplay (with
Matt Oberman, who worked up the original script for
this true story). Anyone who knows the “Fargo” siblings’
work knows how smart it is, so they inevitably offer a big
creative boost here.
Hanks and Rylance get the lion’s share of screen
time, but they get solid support from a supporting cast
typically well-chosen by Spielberg and also including
Amy Ryan, the wonderful character actor Dakin
Matthews (as the judge overseeing the case) and
Eve Hewson, a daughter of music star Bono who has
appeared on TV’s “The Knick.”
Additionally, Spielberg is wise to call upon several of
his frequent collaborators behind-the-scenes again
– such as cinematographer Janusz Kaminski and editor
Michael Kahn – in burnishing a look and feel that are
both domestically familiar and globally uncertain.
“Bridge of Spies” is not casual viewing. It draws you in
and makes you think ... and from talents like Spielberg,
Hanks and the Coens, that is no surprise. It’s also very
welcome.
MOVIES
JAY BOBBIN's movie review
movies to watch
M
“THE MAN FROM
U.N.C.L.E.”
The movie version of the classic 1960s
television series lacks the Robert VaughnDavid McCallum charisma as Henry Cavill
and Armie Hammer assume the roles
of (reluctant, in this case) spy partners
Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin, but
director Guy Ritchie (“Sherlock Holmes”)
gets the atmosphere of the time right as
the agents launch a Cold War pursuit
of the sinister masterminds behind a
global nuclear threat. Alicia Vikander
plays a scientist’s daughter who could
help the duo in their mission. Hugh Grant
appears as U.N.C.L.E. chief Waverly, and
Elizabeth Debicki and Sylvester Groth have
their moments as villains. Jared Harris
also appears. DVD extra: “making-of”
documentary. ››› (PG-13: AS, N, V) (Also
on Blu-ray and On Demand)
DVD
Pictured: Henry Cavill
Top Pick
upcoming DVD releases
Coming Soon on DVD...
“AMERICAN ULTRA” (Nov. 24): Not
realizing he’s a CIA operative with
deeply implanted spy skills, a slacker
(Jesse Eisenberg) is targeted for
elimination. (R: AS, P, GV)
“NO ESCAPE” (Nov. 24): A
businessman (Owen Wilson) tries
to protect his family during a violent
rebellion in Southeast Asia.
(R: AS, P, V)
“RICKI AND THE FLASH” (Nov.
24): A would-be rock star (Meryl
Streep) is summoned home to deal
with her troubled daughter (Mamie
Gummer, Streep’s actual offspring).
(PG-13: AS, P)
Pictured: Jesse Eisenberg
“MINIONS” (Dec. 8): The animated
“Despicable Me” characters get their
own movie, taking them to 1960sera New York and London; voices
include Sandra Bullock and Jon
Hamm. (PG: AS)
“MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – ROGUE
NATION” (Dec. 15): Ethan Hunt
(Tom Cruise) is an agent without an
agency after the CIA shuts down his
team. (PG-13: AS, P, V)
“TED 2” (Dec. 15): The talking
teddy bear (voiced by Seth
MacFarlane) runs into trouble in
becoming an adoptive parent; Mark
Wahlberg also returns.
(R and unrated versions: AS, P)
S
FAVORITE SHOWS
Melissa Benoist stars in
“Supergirl”
Oliver Platt stars in
“Chicago Med”
SUNDAY
2:30 p.m. on NBC
NASCAR Racing
A field of eight will become four after
today’s Quicken Loans Race for
Heroes 500 as NASCAR’s Chase for
the Sprint Cup sets up for next week’s
season finale. The 1-mile low-banked
tri-oval of Phoenix International
Speedway is the scene as contenders
Joey Logano, Jeff Gordon, Kurt Busch
and Carl Edwards will do battle with
an eye toward racing for the series title
next week in Homestead, Fla. Gordon,
Edwards and Busch have all taken
trips to Victory Lane here in the past.
Gabrielle Dennis stars
in “Rosewood”
Joey Logano competes in the Quicken
Loans Race for Heroes 500
MONDAY
8 p.m. on CBS
Supergirl
Dual identities can lead to colliding
obligations, as Kara (Melissa Benoist)
finds in the new episode “How Does
She Do It?” Bombings wreak havoc
throughout National City at the same
time Kara is enlisted to mind Cat’s
(Calista Flockhart) son (guest star Levi
Miller) — forcing a decision on which
is the bigger job for Supergirl. James
(Mehcad Brooks) is unsure about exgirlfriend Lucy Lane’s (Jenna DewanTatum) desire to renew their romance.
Jeremy Jordan also stars. New
TUESDAY
9 p.m. on NBC
Chicago Med
Many of the characters have had trial
runs on sister shows “Chicago Fire”
and “Chicago PD,” but the third piece of
executive producer Dick Wolf’s Windy
City triple play gets its official premiere
with “The Green Branch.” An accident
involving one of the metropolis’
elevated trains floods the hospital with
victims and stretches the staff and
facilities to their limit. Oliver Platt, S.
Epatha Merkerson, Yaya DaCosta and
Nick Gehlfuss are among the stars.
Series Premiere New
continued on next page
FAVORITE SHOWS
WEDNESDAY
8 p.m. on FOX
Rosewood
Hornstock’s (Domenick
Lombardozzi) former partner (guest
star Kurt Fuller), now a bounty
hunter, works a murder case
with Rosewood and Villa (Morris
Chestnut, Jaina Lee Ortiz) in the
new episode “Bloodhunt and Beats.”
At the same time, Villa attempts a
reunion with her mother (guest star
Lisa Vidal). Pippy (Gabrielle Dennis)
has a chance to put her musical
pursuits into high gear. Lorraine
Toussaint and Anna Konkle also
star. New
THURSDAY
9 p.m. on FOX
Sleepy Hollow
Here comes the Hidden One
(played by guest star Peter
Mensah): The residents of Sleepy
Hollow are in greater danger than
ever in the new episode “Novus
Ordo Seclorum.” Abbie (Nicole
Beharie) has additional problems,
since Reynolds (Lance Gross)
is far from pleased with her after
the recent encounter Jenny and
Joe (Lyndie Greenwood, Zach
Appelman) had with Sophie (guest
star Jessica Camacho). Bill Irwin
also guest stars. Tom Mison also
stars. New
9 p.m. on CW
The Originals
Thanksgiving isn’t exactly a joyous
occasion in the new episode “Out
of the Easy,” as Klaus and Elijah
(Joseph Morgan, Daniel Gillies) use
the holiday to try to broker a truce
with Lucien, Tristan and Aurora
(guest stars Andrew Lees, Oliver
Ackland and Rebecca Breeds).
The effort may require help from
Hayley and Freya (Phoebe Tonkin,
Riley Voelkel). Marcel and Vincent
(Charles Michael Davis, Yusuf
Gatewood) take a risk to help
Davina (Danielle Campbell). New
FRIDAY
8:30 p.m. on NBC
Truth Be Told
An incorrectly sent text makes Mitch
and Angie (Mark-Paul Gosselaar,
Bresha Webb) lunch mates in the
new episode “The Ecosystem.” The
conversation that results makes
them determined to break through
boundaries they’ve maintained.
Tracy (Vanessa Lachey) comes to
regret offering Russell (Tone Bell) an
unoccupied work space at her office,
since his knack for stand-up comedy
becomes a huge distraction. Melanie
Paxson and Jerry Lambert guest star.
New
Matthew McConaughey
hosts “Saturday Night
Live”
S
SATURDAY
11:29 p.m. on NBC
Saturday Night Live
All right, all right! Yes, that’s probably
the most expected thing anyone can
say about Matthew McConaughey
returning as guest host of this new
episode, but ... there it is. Likely to be
on the agenda here is a parody of the
stylized car commercials the “Dallas
Buyers Club” Oscar winner has become
known for. The musical guest also is
an “SNL” returnee and Academy Award
recipient: Adele, performing tunes from
her long-awaited third studio album.
“25.” New
Mark-Paul Gosselaar stars in
“Truth Be Told”
Lyndie Greenwood
stars in “Sleepy
Hollow”

Heading `Into the Badlands`

Transcription

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