Merry Christmas and Peace On Earth

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all :)

The Killing - First Look

AMC released the first two 'The Killing' videos on their site:
http://www.amctv.com/originals/the-killing/about/

US citizens (sniffed by IP address) are able to watch the videos, the rest of the world is excluded unless you use a US proxy to access the site.

Update :: It's on YouTube now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ey5Vj_v0Fx4

Meet Sarah (Mireille Enos), Stephen (Joel Kinnaman), Mitch (Michelle Forbes), Stan (Brent Sexton) and Richmond (Bill Campbell):

Mitch Larsen:





Mitch and Stan Larsen:




Richmond:



Sarah Linden:



Stan Larsen:



Stephen Holder:




Btw, the third and final season of the original Forbrydelsen has been commissioned by DR and ZDF, production starts next year. Airing September 2012.

Miss You

Ekström wants me to post that he sorely misses Michelle:



Update :: I'm so sorry, Ekström. I do have two screencaps of AMC's The Killing, no picture of Michelle though :-(

Wonderland at HULU

For people in the United States Wonderland is now available at HULU:

http://www.hulu.com/wonderland



(Poster premiere, 2000)

Homicide: Life on the Street - Revisited

Some of our readers may have noticed that I've added a page called 'Reviews by Sparky' to the blog some months ago. In November 2009 Sparky Lightbulb startet a project "Trade It in for Twinkies", watching the work of a single actress (Michelle Forbes) and then writing about each piece. Courtesy of Sparky I'm posting excerpts of her latest review, revisiting 'Homicide: Life on the Street'. --chris

"For a viewer who has followed Homicide from the beginning, Season 5 is different. Detectives still work interesting cases, relying more on their brains than on their guns. And the variety of deaths still make a viewer conclude, as Det. Stanley Bolander [Ned Beatty] points out in Season 1, that any human is capable of murder, whether it is a child firing her father's revolver out the window [the stray bullet hitting a woman loading groceries blocks away] to planned executions by drug lord Luther Mahoney [Erik Dellums]. Circumstances, though, have crippled a number of the characters, and Season 5 inserts us into their shoes so well that we understand how badly shaken are their lives.

Sometimes the damage to a character is physical, as is the case with Pembleton, who returns to half-day desk duty until he can pass his firearms test. We immediately notice the lack of precision—in speech, memory, and small physical tasks like punching the correct numbers to return a call to his wife. The contrast is stark, for we remember the competent Pembleton of past seasons whose movement was as meticulous as his dress, whose voice had more agility than the hands of an archeologist as it excavated the truth. We get to see the indignity of his weakness: His wife Mary [Ami Brabson] doesn't trust him with the baby, Lieutenant Giardello [Yaphet Kotto] doesn't want him at investigation scenes, and the office staff sends him on lunch runs. Even after he returns to the streets, his tape recorder—a crutch for his still shaky memory—makes colleagues wonder if he is competent enough to do the job. These trials play out over nearly three months of episodes, which adds to the reality of the injury. And Braugher depicts a stroke victim with such authenticity that we want to believe, as his character does, that "bagel" is that dark brew people enjoy for a jolt of energy. [...]



Season 5 also introduces the new chief medical examiner Dr. Julianna Cox [Michelle Forbes], a character who initially seems the least damaged of the regular cast. In her first episode, Dr. Cox conveys such authority that we never ask how this young snot acquired the medical expertise and political savvy to run a big-city lab, and so we don't question what inadequacies her ambition must be filling. Her authority appears grounded in an appreciation for the big issues in life, not the small stuff too many people sweat. For example, she champions a dead prostitute, firing an established older peer for helping a lazy detective ignore a murder he could pass off as an overdose. She insists on professionalism, disciplining Det. Meldrick Lewis [Clark Johnson] when he moves a body before her arrival at the crime scene, but admits her own fault to another officer as she politely accepts a [deserved] speeding ticket. When she remarks at an exhumation that she likes cemeteries, it's not a goth fascination with death but an evolved recognition that our inevitable demise should inspire better behavior the short time we're alive. Her idealism and edgy beauty attract Kellerman, but when Cox learns the toll of the false accusations against him—his flirtation with suicide and spiral into self-pity—she withdraws, choosing drink and a long-haired poseur over earnest Mike. As many women would rush to fix a broken man, we can only wonder what damage Cox has suffered that makes her retreat in the season finale.

Despite all the crises in the characters' lives, the work still gets done, and done well. The focus of Season 5 might be different, but the stories are still first rate.

Video Teasers
You can view a very moving scene featuring Det. Bayliss and Dr. Cox at YouTube:"



Head over to Trade It in for Twinkies to read the full review.

Hello From Toronto!

Enjoy loranc's report from the FanExpo in Toronto! --chris

Hello from Toronto!

Earlier this month, Chris asked if I would be interested in doing an interview with the creators of Durham County at Fan Expo 2010. Well, how could I say no? The interview was originally with writer Laurie Finstad Knizhnik, but because the show was such a collaborative effort, director Adrienne Mitchell and producer Janis Lundman themselves suggested to be part of it as well, to create a more complete piece.

With a list of 16 questions, sent to me by Chris, and a shiny new voice recorder in hand, I set off early Saturday morning for the Metro Convention Centre downtown. When I arrived, I found line ups several blocks long and general confusion everywhere, which pretty much set the scene for the rest of the day. Infact, it was only 15 minutes before the interview that I got confirmation on where and when to set up. And it wasn't until we were actually setting up in the hotel hallway (where our interview was to now take place, instead of the mysterious room 204 that none of us could find) that I was told Laurie could not attend and I only had 10 minutes with Adrienne and Janis. So, I turned to my little entourage of Forbes fans I met along the way that day (Deb from the Miranda Zero blog, a woman from the Propworx forum, and another woman who had travelled all the way from Germany) to assist me in quickly scrapping 11 questions and choosing the best 5 that applied to Adrienne and Janis only.

The result is what you hear on this audio file, lol. That rustling of papers sound was me flipping back and forth between sheets of questions while balancing myself as I knelt on the floor. It appeared the con ran out of chairs. The laughing and clapping in the background was from my little entourage, who were also on the floor, but were very supportive and clearly enjoyed the opportunity to sit-in on the interview.

Despite the initial fluster, it was a great experience and I was inspired by what these two trailblazing women had to say. Many thanks to Chris and the Durham County crew for making all this happen!



Update :: You can find a transcription of the interview here:
--> This Moment Of Tenderness

Note by chris: Sorry, no interview picture of Janis & Adrienne, instead: Michelle Forbes signing autographs for fans at the Anchor Bay booth, taken by loranc:

Anyone?

Anyone interested in continuing, administrating a Michelle Forbes Community Blog?
I.e.: writing articles, creating videos, maintaining a picture gallery, coding the design and much more ...

Let me know: mcnlive@gmail.com

Chris

P.S.: Durham County fans, I've got a surprise for you:
http://durhamcountytv.blogspot.com/

This Weekend, it's Fan Expo Toronto

It’s Fan Expo time in Canada!

Apparently, Michelle Forbes was busy this Friday morning with interviews.

Michelle on Breakfast Television Toronto ...




Source: bttoronto.ca



... and on CBC Radio Q live in studio. You can listen to the podcast tomorrow. Update:: The podcast is already online.

Don't miss the much anticipated Durham County panel and the autograph session tomorrow at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre! More info on our sidebar, and on the official Durham County Facebook page.

Wonderland Revisited Part II

Wonderland, the eight part television series about a fictional psychiatric Hospital in New York City evoked a strong response when the first two episodes aired in 2000, and ABC decided to took it off the air.

Many of the reviews and debates are hard to find on the Internet or apparently lost. Thanks to archive.org it was possible to recover substantial parts of the discussion. This second part of 'Wonderland Revisited' will solely focus on these documents, without any further commentary, pictures or videos.

----------------------------
TV Guide April 8, 2000 issue
Next Stop, Wonderland by David Handelman

Forget the emergency room - welcome to the psychiatric ward. The extreme hospital drama has arrived
It's just another morning on the hospital ward. Doctors Robert Banger (Ted Levine) and Neil Harrison (Martin Donovan) are leading an entourage of medical students on their daily rounds from bed to bed, waking up the patients and assessing their status. Today, there's a patient who says he's "depressed." Banger asks him why. "Something happened," the man says evasively. Turns out he poured gasoline on his mother and set her on fire.

A Nightmare In Suburbia - Durham County Reviews

While I'm looking forward to the third season, in a thrill of anticipation, the Durham County DVD reviews of the second season keep coming in.

Anh Khoi from Montreal writes:

"Despite being the most violent and darkest crime TV series you're very likely to see, Durham County finds a magic way to put substance over grittiness. Besides, the show contains the best performance I've ever seen in crime dramas [...]
Like the first season, the second season of Durham County is magic. The writing is still first-rate. Above all, some will find that the second season's pilot has way less difficulty to set the tone because the "villain" doesn't have a dichotomous personality. Besides, in the second season, the TV series goes way further when it comes to dealing with violence. In fact, while the first season dealt with violence expressed in an extroverted way, the second one talks about people who commit it by manipulating other people [...]
...despite its very heavy topic, Durham County's charms lie in its way it depicts its gallery of disturbed characters [...]
expect to see a performance full of depth from the actors, especially from Michelle Forbes."

Full review here at anhkhoi.blogspot

Gary writes:

"[Forbes] played the role of Verity with such humanity and intensity that you totally understood her actions, even while finding yourself repulsed by them.
You see her doing reprehensible things, and yet much like Ray Prager in Season 1, you can almost see the method to the madness. And with Verity there was a definite sense of madness about her, a result of trauma in her past.
At one moment you find yourself empathizing with what she's gone through and what she's currently going through, and then you see her poisoning some chocolates to harm someone close to Mike and your feelings change, and you see that this same person you're sympathizing with earlier you can see her in her full on evil mode, and then you can STILL feel for her later in scenes where she's falling apart. It takes a special kind of actress to pull that off, and not just make a one dimensional villain."

Full review at searchingforchetbaker.com



The Europeans, and here especially the German TV viewers, are a little late. Season 2 has yet to debut on 8 September (RTL Crime). All the more enthusiastic are the reviews of the S1 DVD set which just has been released in Germany.

dvdrome.com writes (translated by me):

"Durham County is a powerful piece of television, a drama, a thriller, a gloomy reflection of the Western middle class and its moral decline [...]
Durham County is the nightmare of a middle class suburbia. Thousands of nice small houses, surrounded by huge hydro towers which transport the convenience of civilisation to the County. The middle class lives here. Or are they just surviving? You can live here? Or do they merely close their eyes to reality? To the mortgages - for decades at the mercy of the banks? To years without prospects for the adolescents who, though living wealthy, yet don't see a bright future, a youth that generates odd little games whereby sex decays to a commodity and a murder in the neighborhood isn't daunting - but eventually a bit of excitement and variety? [...]
The first 4 episodes directed by Holly Dale are probably the best crime TV ever produced. The director remains an observer and leaves a judgement to the viewer. [...]
(On sound editing) A perfect sound is not a question of booms, it's the orchestration, the mixing, the sound effects ... in this series they are outstanding."

German source at dvdrome.com

Update:: Give away of Durham County DVDs

* "To celebrate the end of summer, the The Cultural Post organizes its first give away of DVDs for fans of Canadian films and TV shows. [...]1rst Prize:
Durham County is a very dark crime drama that takes place in a fictitious suburb of Toronto. There's a killer in the suburb of Durham County and Det. Mike Sweeney (Hugh Dillon) tries to find him/her. Besides, Mike also deal with his inner demons. Note that Michelle Forbes delivers a legendary performance as a manipulator."
Source: anhkhoi.blogspot
"Since both prizes are zone 1 DVDs, the contest is only opened to Canadians and Americans." (quote)
Dear Anh Khoi, all Europeans are perfectly able to watch NTSC and region 1 DVDs. Just saying :)
24 August: Anh Khoi opened the contest to more regions: "... if you don't live in North America but can read zone 1 DVDs, then feel free to participate."

* DVD S1 review in the August issue of the German magazine 'Cinema': (translated by me)
A surreal suburban nightmare and a gloomy character study, with a Making-of well done [...] Suspense on its highest level.

(Original text: 'Surrealer Vorstadtalbtraum und bittere Charakterstudie mit einem gelungenen Making-of [...] Spannung auf höchstem Niveau')

Sunday Pleasure

* Fan ExPo Toronto Update - Durham County Cast and Creators:
- 28 August 12:30, ROOM 104A Panel with Michelle Forbes, Greyston Holt, Adrienne Mitchell, Janis Lundman, Laurie Finstad-Knizhnik (Deluxe Pass required, acc. to the FanExpo site)
- 14:00: Cast and creators of DC S2 will be at the Anchor Bay Booth (#525) to meet fans and sign autographs (must provide proof of panel attendance to guarantee autograph)

We might have a surprise for the blog visitors. The DC gang rocks! I'll keep you posted.

* News from Ekström
He'll be visiting Edinburgh in September. WITHOUT ME. Arrrghh.

I wish you a wonderful Sunday!

AMC Greenlights The Killing

Great news! It's official, AMC is going to produce the US adaptation of Forbrydelsen:

* 13 one-hour episodes
* Production on the series begins this fall
* The series is slated to premiere in 2011
* The Killing is a working title

Mireille Enos as Sarah Linden and Joel Kinnaman as Stephen Holder:


(Click to enlarge)

Sarah: yes! The sweater: check! Jan Meyer (sorry, Stephen Holder): awww!

From the AMC press release:

"New York, NY – August 11, 2010 - AMC announced today a full series order for the pilot that was formerly known as The Killing, from writer and executive producer Veena Sud (Cold Case). Sud has signed on to also serve as the showrunner for the series, which is currently untitled. Set in Seattle, the series is based on the wildly successful Danish television series “Forbrydelsen” and tells the story of the murder of a young girl and the subsequent police investigation. Produced by Fox Television Studios, it is executive produced by Mikkel Bondesen (Burn Notice) for Fuse Entertainment. Fuse’s Kristen Campo co-produces. AMC first announced the pilot order in January 2010 with Patty Jenkins (Monster) directing the pilot. Production on the series begins this fall in Vancouver and season one consists of 13, one-hour episodes. The series is slated to premiere in 2011 on AMC. [...]
“We are thrilled to be moving forward with this stunning piece of television. It is a crime drama, but it is also a gripping character based story that pulls you in and doesn't let go. The storytelling is completely compelling, and the show is visually breathtaking. Veena, Patty, Fuse, FTVS and the cast did a phenomenal job of bringing it to life.” said Joel Stillerman, AMC’s senior vice president of original programming, production and digital content.

"Ever since Mikkel Bondesen brought us this remarkable Danish mini-series, we were determined to bring it to American television,” said David Madden, Executive Vice President, Fox Television Studios. "We are so proud to be working with AMC and our extraordinary cast on this very special series."

As “Sarah,” Mireille Enos (Big Love) portrays the lead homicide detective that investigates the death of Rosie Larsen. Other previously announced castings include: Billy Campbell (Once and Again, Enough) as Darren Richmond, Seattle’s City Council President, running for Mayor; Michelle Forbes (True Blood) as Mitch Larsen, the victim’s mother; Joel Kinnaman (Snabba Cash) as Stephen Holder, an ex-narc cop who joins the homicide division in the investigation to find Rosie Larsen’s killer; and Brent Sexton (W., In the Valley of Elah) as Stan Larsen, the victim’s father."

Source: AMC News

"...for my money, the best news about this announcement is that it also stars Michelle Forbes, one of the best actresses working today."
--> Maureen Ryan, The Watcher

AMC Close to Picking Up The Killing to Series

This just in from deadline.com:

"EXCLUSIVE: I hear that AMC is close to picking up drama pilot The Killing to series, which would extend the network's perfect pilot-to-series ratio.

Based on the successful Danish series Forbrydelsen, The Killing tells the story of the murder of a young girl and the subsequent police investigation through the perspective of the detectives, the grieving family, and the suspects. It centers on Sarah (Mireille Enos), the lead homicide detective that investigates the murder. Billy Campbell, Michelle Forbes, Brent Sexton, Kristin Lehman, Eric Ladin, Jamie Anne Allman, and Joel Kinnaman co-starred in the pilot directed by Patty Jenkins and written by Veena Sud."

WOOOt :)

... I just lost a bet to Ekström. Now, I have to pay for his Kung Fu training program, he's preparing to fight alongside Circe to combat Wonder Woman.

Twitter:

stamos: One of the best pilots I've ever seen. Seriously.
@KateAurthur It is. Super duper amazing.
KateAurthur: I've heard this is amazing.
clairethebelle: Yay! LOVED this script, love Mireille Enos!

Added (5 August) ::

Brendan Sexton III will be playing Belko Royce, Larsen's employee.
Katie Findlay will be playing Rosie Larsen, the victim.

* Forbrydelsen II: The DVD box set went on sale today in The Netherlands. Special offer of 'De Volkskrant' :)
"Een nieuw seizoen van de bloedstollende Deense thriller The Killing is nu op dvd te koop bij de Volkskrant! Sarah Lund onderzoekt een reeks moorden en bijt zich vast in een race tegen de klok."

* At arte.tv (French or German) you can find great videos, behind-the-scenes, character descriptions, interviews, wallpapers and more - of the original Forbrydelsen. Don't go there if you don't want to get spoiled.

First comments@deadline.com:

* Michelle Forbes? I’m there. (Though she would be great as the lead in Prime Suspect, too.)
* I was wondering what was going on with The Killing. I know nothing of the original show, but if it was successful in Denmark, maybe it’ll be successful here, too. Hopefully AMC sticks to its tagline: story matters. I trust AMC at this point.
* It’ll work – in fact, with Vena twisting this tale – the deeper family voyeur perspectives that can be infused over a season, will be like crack – especially with the character dynamics that this cast is capable of. If AMC sticks with this, and the season is strong – you can’t tell me that the speculation for the season 2 plot line will be anything less than monumental. Viewers in the bank, all of whom will be sticking around even if they hate themselves in the morning. I’m in.
* AMC produces great shows – ‘Mad Men’ & ‘Breaking Bad’ are two prime examples. I anticipate they will only set the bar higher with ‘The Killing.’
‘Forbrydelsen’ has proven that following the single crime storyline is successful. I don’t think the plot is dependent upon solving the murder, but more so on the effects it has on the family and the people in the community. It’s a new crime every season, so I don’t think it will be hard to keep the audience intrigued. In fact, I think it’s more impersonal when a series has a different crime per episode. I think this format is what will make “The Killing” a stand out drama this season. - Can’t wait!

Quiz No 7: Gadgets

Due to the busy Canal-Parade-Weekend in Amsterdam I'm presenting the Sunday Quiz on a Friday. Gadgets.

"En gadget er en teknologisk mindre objekt eller dims (apparater - f.eks. et værktøj, udstyr eller en hvidevare), som har en bestemt funktion. Gadget er især geniale apparatpåfund, som kan være brugbare eller måske overflødige ting. Mange gadgets har et smart design og/eller usædvanlig(e) funktion(er). Gadgets er en de ting, som anvendes af mennesker, der gerne vil være "trendy"."

That was Danish :p



It's easy. Do not flinch. Just guess where each picture is from. Comments are open. Have fun!

Summer In The City

So, I have been experimenting with a poll widget for this site.

Looks good. But POLLS, really?

Ekström says hi to everybody, and wants you to know that he still hates me. Because I refuse to buy an iPad. He has to wait until the first usable Android-based and affordable tablet hits the market. Ekström can't type :(

On a related note, a recap of our talks about the future of this blog.
* Derek (location unknown) enjoys it as it is now.
* Luca (hi, Rome) doesn't care much, but is looking forward to Linux & gadget articles
* Rebecca (NL), Nicole (UK) and iHelix (NL) prefer to keep this site about Michelle and to open the blog to occasional off-topic posts
* Randy (Dublin) is dreaming of being an actor and has a vision of a Global Frequency Network
* Akima (Budapest) suggests a second blog "Aleph and the green bubble"
* Deb (Buffalo) is enjoying the summer and wouldn't mind a second blog
* Chris (Amsterdam) loves Durham County and adds bubbles to the css codebase

I wonder if we qualify as 'a bunch of nutters' as well ...

Have a great weekend. Enjoy yourself!

Cast & Producers of Durham County at FanExpo Toronto

Meet the cast & crew of Durham County season 2 in person at this year's Fan Expo Canada (Toronto, August 27-29 2010).



Featured guests:

* ADRIENNE MITCHELL - Director / Executive Producer
* LAURIE FINSTAD KNIZHNIK - Writer / Executive Producer / Co Creator
* JANIS LUNDMAN - Executive Producer
* GREYSTON HOLT - Ray Prager Jr
* MICHELLE FORBES - Dr. Penelope Verrity (Saturday only)

Update ::
* Panel with Michelle Forbes, Greyston Holt, Adrienne Mitchell, Janis Lundman, Laurie Finstad-Knizhnik : 28 August · 12:30, ROOM 104A (Deluxe Pass required, acc. to the FanExpo site))
* 2:00pm: Cast and creators of DC S2 will be at the Anchor Bay Booth (#525) to meet fans and sign autographs (must provide proof of panel attendance to guarantee autograph)

And for those poor souls who can't make it to Canada, meet the producers of Durham County at their official Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/DurhamCountyTV

Fresh from the Canadian DVD bonus features - 38 minutes, interviews with cast and crew and 'Making Of':





Btw, the DVD includes two tracks, English and French :)

Update :: Quotes from a recent interview:

"Forbes [...] has an interesting take on visiting Canada. "It's funny to think that a very thin border separates the two of us. We look alike (in a multi-cultural sense). We sound alike. And yet it's a completely different feeling when you cross that border."
For her, the feeling is elation because she is fascinated by Canada's unique culture [...] Durham County offered stimulation."

Head over to torontosun.com to read more.

Second Season Durham County on German TV

Excellent news for the German Durham County fans! The German (Pay-for-TV) channel RTL Crime finally airs the second season this fall, of course the uncut and uncensored version, and dubbed in German. After a season one marathon (5 September), 6 new episodes start on 8 September, 20:15.

The official press release, translated by Randy:

"MORE UNCOMPROMISING, MORE THRILLING: THE SECOND SEASON OF "DURHAM COUNTY - IN THE FRENZY OF VIOLENCE" EXCLUSIVELY ON RTL CRIME FROM 8 SEPTEMBER

RTL Crime airs six new episodes of "Durham County - In the Frenzy of Violence." In the second season of the award-winning Canadian series, more terrifying secrets will be unveiled, that must be kept in the dark under all circumstances. New enemies take stage and new conflicts break open.

From 8 September 2010 on RTL Crime viewers will require a particularly strong set of nerves! After serial killer Ray,from the first season, goes to jail, a woman who puts everything in the shade with her behavior takes the stage. Therapist Pen Verrity (Michelle Forbes, known from "True Blood", "24") is a truly seductive opponent to Detective Mike Sweeney (Hugh Dillon, known, among others, from "Flash Point") . Sexy, mysterious, and with murderous intent!

Mike is very depressed following the separation from his wife and easily becomes susceptible to his co-worker Pen's charms, who, a psychologist, acts as an advisor in their current investigation. However, the detective would never think it possible that Pen is very disturbed and poses life-threatening risk to him and his family... The depths of the human soul are opening up. An implacable war of life and death begins.

Michelle Forbes won the prize for Best Actress in the Monte Carlo TV Festival for her performance in the second season of "Durham County - In the frenzy of violence," Hugh Dillon was also nominated for Best Actor in Monte Carlo. The Directors Guild of Canada nominated the new season for Best Direction, Best Picture Editing and Best Production Design.
The series' first season won the majority of TV awards for the 2008 season in Canada, including five Gemini Awards, among others for Best Screenplay, Best Actor and Best Direction. It was also named The Best Prime-Time Series in the field of drama at the "FTPA Indie Awards 2008".

@the RTL PR folks: We're glad our blog served as a prompter :D



* DC Season 2 DVD set went on sale in Canada today. From a DVD review:
"Let’s just say if you can only make room for one new dramatic series in your schedule, let it be Durham County — it’s some of Canada’s finest television work."
Source: tvguide.ca

* I'd love to write about the third season on this blog as well, but haven't found a smart way to assimilate it, mirandazero.blogspot was meant as a site covering the work of Michelle Forbes, after all. And her characters have, as we all know too well, the unfortunate tendency to end up dead. How dead? Ultimately and perfectly dead.

We 'could' rename the blog title to:

You Are On The Global Frequency
Formerly known as: Michelle Forbes Community Blog

... and write about all the great stuff we love. What do you think?



(Alex Cardillo on set of Durham County)

UPDATE :: From the Durham County S2 DVD - Extras:



(Click to enlarge)

Michelle Becomes Circe for DC Universe Online

Great news for all gamers & comic fans! Michelle is lending her unique voice to the iconic supervillain Circe, for the upcoming online action game, DC Universe™ Online, reports Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE).



"We’ve hit the jackpot with a full cast that are veterans of all the movies, TV shows, and games that our fans are crazy about,” said Sony Online Entertainment Vice President of Development John Blakely. “Several of these actors are recognized as the definitive voices for these characters, and will help us in creating an authentic and exciting experience for fans when they get in the game.”

The "triple-A cast of voice actors" also includes Mark Hamill (The Joker), Kevin Conroy (Batman), Adam Baldwin (Superman), Gina Torres (Wonder Woman) & James Marsters (Lex Luthor).

Michelle Forbes (Circe) – One of the industry’s most prolific actors, Forbes brings an intense quality to every role she tackles. She has appeared in such independent films as Kalifornia and Swimming with Sharks. Last year she made her debut in the groundbreaking HBO series True Blood starring as Maryann, a wealthy local who has mysterious intentions. She has also appeared as Kate Weston in the critically acclaimed HBO series In Treatment. In 2005, Forbes received rave reviews when she starred as Admiral Helena Cain in the intelligent and politically charged series Battlestar Galactica.

In DC Universe Online, players will be thrust headlong into an action-packed online world based on the heroes, villains and landmarks of the DC Universe. In the game, players step into the role of the next legendary superhero or villain and are given the choice to save or conquer the universe online. Along the way, players will be fighting alongside or against iconic DC characters as well as other players for the fate of the DC Universe.
Source: blog.eu.playstation.com

Circe is, of course, inspired by the Greek goddess. An immortal sorceress, she can turn objects and people into animals, seduce and manipulate; she is a powerful arch-enemy of Wonder Woman.

*Images from Who is Wonder Woman?

Update! Exclusive 'Who Do You Trust' video. It's quite awesome, I must say.
We catch a glimpse of Circe. Watch closely just past the 2 min mark. Delicious!

DCU Online release on November 2, 2010 for PS3 and PC. However, you can sign up for the beta right now! To register for beta access (both PS3 and PC) visit the game website at www.dcuniverseonline.com and click on the beta registration link.

And finally, the game will have a special collector’s edition available for PC only that will include a bitchin’ Batman statue designed by game director and artist extraordinaire Jim Lee. Also included will be a 56 page art book going over the making of the game, concept art and “insight into some of the iconic characters players will encounter.” Collector’s Edition buyers will also get a copy of the DC Universe Online: Legends issue #0 comic, written by Tony Bedard (Green Lantern Corps) and illustrated by Oliver Nome, Michael Lopez and Livio Ramondelli, with a variant by Jim Lee.

Source: craveonline.com

Circe screencaps added. Amazing! --chris





(Click the pics to enlarge)

Saturday's Bits and Pieces

* A reader who wants to stay anonymous writes us:
"I'm seriously missing the quizzes and giggle postings, bring it back!"

Uh ah, yeah that was fun, wasn't it? But, you know, we're a tad understaffed atm. Randy is enjoying life in the countryside, and my skills in writing something funny are fairly limited. Did you ever try to be humorous in your third language :p
We could introduce a sort of "The five most crack-ups Or: When fangirling goes wrong". A la cracked.com.
Btw, I've heard that Michelle called a few of her fans 'a wonderful bunch of nutters'. How sweet is that?

* Do you remember Kalifornia? A Blu-Ray edition has been released in Europe, and is expected in the US next month. More details on the sidebar.



Apropos. It would rock my (virtual) world if you would join us and submit a Revisited article. Come on, guys and gals, it can't be that hard. Homicide - Life on the Street, anyone? Kalifornia, Alias - anything but True Trash!

* German TV will finally air the second season of Durham County, it starts on RTL Crime 8 September 2010, 8:15 pm.

* On the sidebar you can follow the few things and updates I know about the FanExpo in Canada.- I'm still knitting and customizing the new blog template. You may have noticed that we can now create static pages (up to 10), apart from the normal postings, take a look at the tabs. Nice summer job for me :) I'm broke this year, thus no travelling, why not doing something useful on this site, hehe.

Wish you all a pleasant and sunny weekend!

Dandelion 2004 - Revisited

Subtlety is a forgotten art. Nature and landscapes have their own tales. Silence is not just another word. Melancholy can be beauty. I loved Dandelion.

Synopsis
In a small town of rolling fields and endless skies, isolated 16 year old Mason lives in a world where families exist in fragmented silence and love seems to have gone missing. Then Mason meets Danny, a sensitive and troubled girl, and their tender bond is soon tested after a fatal accident and a series of complications takes Mason away for something he didn't do. Upon his return, the two find what they're looking for - but with tragic consequences.



The audience about Dandelion
Source: user comments IMDb

"The movie is rich with symbolism so subtle that it manages not to slap you in the face with obvious, cheesy links between each character and/or event, all while still pulling everything together, leaving no annoying loose ends to tie up in the end. The music was written for the movie, so it compliments the movie instead of distracting from it, and the scenery (as you'll read in many more reviews) is stunning."

"For all of those who have yet to see this, the movie opens with a very teary Vincent Kartheiser placing a .357 in his mouth and pulling the trigger. I was so amazed that I sat completely still waiting to see what would happen next.
I'm not typically a drama-movie guy. I like action, explosions, nudity, horror and just plain disgusting things in movies. This movie has very little if any of the afore mentioned things. What this movie does have though is amazing sense of compassion and real life circumstances that draw the viewer (this viewer at least) into this hypnotic trance where you just can't take your eyes off of the screen...
Let me also say that every character in this film is played fully and believably by the actors portraying them. The scenery from upper Washington and Idaho where it was shot adds so much to the film itself that I find it impossible to imagine this film being as believable and prolific if it were set anywhere else."

"Hauntingly Beautiful Portait of Love, Hope and Tragedy Will Capture Your Heart
Debut director/co-writer Mark Milgard masterfully makes the long hot summer of the lovely Idaho and Washington landscapes redolent with both the magic of young love and the dread of violence in a very "Days of Heaven" fashion. The perceptive camera fills in the silent gaps of the inarticulate characters, between parents and their teens, between parents and between teens. The sins of the parents are literally visited on the children. The action is moved along not by theatrically explosive explication but by the existential choice that each character makes, even as one gently points out that his passivity at a key point was a choice. Using cinema as a storytelling technique, the director unveils these choices visually."

Michelle Forbes as Mrs Voss in Dandelion:



"From the beautiful shots of Idaho fields to the perfectly understated acting, Dandelion is its own greatest compliment. The editing, although only using very few techniques succeeds in making the most powerful transitions possible. As well, for a movie of its length and bare bones story it is amazing that the film never feels boring. Most directors would have felt like making Dandelion a short, but in its full length one can see its true colors. Anyone who watches independent film will not be surprised by the plot, but the beauty with which Dandelion executes the simple story is a testament to artistic film making."

"I found this film to be intriguing. I relate to these characters and the place they find themselves stuck in. I appreciate the use of metaphor (guy at the train tracks, the beating a tractor with a shovel)and found the cinematography to be beautiful. The actors did a fantastic job of telling the story of these characters. I found each to develop through a series of emotions. Hurting, Angry, Happy, Good natured, fearless in the face of difficulty, honest, frightening, dangerous, under pressure, heart broken, in love, and many more I can't list here. This film is nothing like any other film and cannot be grouped with any other, it stands along in its expressiveness and investigation of the human condition. I think they have really created and captured something here and it takes someone with the ability for sensitive and artistic observation to catch it, slow down otherwise you won't get it."

"The cinematography is breathtaking."



What the critics are saying

"A Search for Human Connections in a West Where the Land Is Bleak and the Lives Are, Too
In a movie filled with long, pensive silences as the camera slowly pans over the land and sky, the characters' reluctance to speak borders on affectation. The cinematographer Tim Orr finds a bleak magnificence reminiscent of the cosmic melancholy evoked by Nestor Almendros's camera in Terrence Malick's "Days of Heaven." The teenage protagonist of "Dandelion," Mason Mullich (Vincent Kartheiser), is a milky-skinned John-Boy Walton type mired in hopelessness. The film's opening scenes observe him alone in a field putting a gun into his mouth and rehearsing his suicide."
Source: nytimes.com

"Dandelion is one of those rare movies about and for teenagers that's driven by real human drama rather than by ancillary sales of soundtrack CDs and videogames. Milgard and his uniformly excellent team of actors invest the story with such emotional richness that, early on, we sense these characters are worth spending time with."
Source: variety.com

"There's nothing particularly earth-shattering about this gentle drama — there are no shocking revelations, no sudden explosions of violence — but Milgard has an unerring sense for the quietly dramatic. He's also got excellent taste in music — the soundtrack includes songs by Cat Power, Sparklehorse and Doves — while Tim Orr, who captured the real grit of New York City's Lower East Side in RAISING VICTOR VARGAS, and brought grace and beauty to David Gordon Green's otherwise overrated GEORGE WASHINGTON and ALL THE REAL GIRLS, just might be the best young cinematographer working today."
Source: tvguide.com



Director: Mark Milgard
Writers: Mark Milgard, Robb Williamson & Richard Murphy
Original Music by Robb Williamson
Cinematography by Tim Orr
Film Editing by Amy E. Duddleston

Cast
Mason Mullich - Vincent Kartheiser
Danny Voss - Taryn Manning
Luke Mullich - Arliss Howard
Layla Mullich - Mare Winningham
Eddie - Blake Heron
Mrs. Voss - Michelle Forbes
Uncle Bobby - Marshall Bell
Arlee - Shawn Reaves

Durham County Nominated for three DGC Awards

The Directors Guild of Canada (DGC) announced the 2010 DGC Awards nominees. Durham County scored three nominations:

* BEST DIRECTION - TV SERIES
Adrienne Mitchell for Durham County - "Little Lost Children"



* BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN - TV SERIES
Donna Noonan for Durham County - "Little Lost Children"

* BEST PICTURE EDITING - TV SERIES
Teresa De Luca for Durham County - "Little Lost Children"

Congrats to the Durham County gang :)

The ceremony takes place Saturday, September 25, 2010 at the regal Fairmont Royal York Hotel in Toronto.

On Set of Durham County

On set of Durham County Season 2, Alex Cardillo (Mark Verrity), shooting with screen mom, Michelle Forbes (Pen Verrity):

Durham County DVD Edition

* The DVD cover of the Canadian S2 edition (release date July 27, 2010), as it appears on amazon.ca:



* Adrienne Mitchell and Janis Lundman wrote on their facebook site that we'll get "some great behind the scenes interviews".
I compiled for ye'll a little teaser picture, taken from the (meanwhile taken down) extra features videos on the official durhamcounty.ca web site.
I'm in fact clueless about what we might see on the DVD:



Btw, Australia has already released a S2 DVD of Durham County if I'm not mistaken.

* A short overview of S1 DVD editions in other regions: Canada, USA, France (multilanguage English and French), Australia. Germany (multi-language English and German): release date 6. August 2010.

And finally, Amazon customers about the S1 DVD:
* A brilliant piece of storytelling. This is extremely intelligent, bleak, thrilling noir, with a great deal of subtext into dynamics between men and women, and male violence toward women. The writing is exemplary, as is the cinematography and performances. ... The best piece of television storytelling I've seen since The Wire.
* It's a great crime drama that I am really surprised hasn't had any advertising on any other channel. It has great characters with depth, mystery/crime plots, along with some family drama, great sets, slightly creepy, sometimes super creepy, great acting...what can I say, I love the show. I am so thrilled to have a second season coming out...
* A "killer" series!

Update :: DVD releases Season 2:
* Canada: 27 July 2010 (NTSC, amazon.ca)
* Europe: 20 October 2010 (PAL, amazon.fr)
* USA: November 2010 (NTSC, amazon.com)

Michelle Forbes - Durham County - Golden Nymph in Monaco

Tonight at the Monte-Carlo TV festival, Michelle Forbes won the Golden Nymph Award - Outstanding Actress - Drama TV Series, for her performance in Durham County season 2. In absentia.
The annually held Monte-Carlo TV festival honours the best in international TV programming, on a magnificent location, the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco, at the French Riviera. And she wasn't (t)here :((



Congratulations to Michelle Forbes and to the creators of Durham County!

More winners:
Outstanding drama series Europe: Forbrydelsen II/ The Killing (woohoo!!)
Oustanding drama series international: Mad Men (AMC)
Outstanding actress mini-series: Noomi Rapace as Lisbeth Salander - Millennium Trilogy



Friday update by Chris&Ekström@airport, list of Golden Nymph winners 2010:

CATÉGORIE FILMS DE TELEVISION
Meilleur Film de télévision : Goldfish (NHK Japan Broadcasting Corporation) - Japon
Meilleure Mise en scène : Vera Glagoleva pour One War - Russie
Meilleur Acteur : Pierre Vernier, dans Farewell De Gaulle, Farewell - France
Meilleure Actrice : Julie Walters, pour Mo - Grande-Bretagne

CATÉGORIE MINI-SÉRIES
Meilleure Mini-Série : Once Upon a Time The City of Fools - Italie
Meilleure Actrice : Noomi Rapace, dans Millenium - Suède
Meilleur Acteur : Fabrizio Gifuni, dans Once Upon a Time The City of Fools - Italie

CATÉGORIE SÉRIES DRAMATIQUES
Meilleur Acteur : Michael C. Hall, dans Dexter - Etats-Unis
Meilleure Actrice : Michelle Forbes, dans la saison 2 de Durham County - Canada
Meilleur Producteur International : Lionsgate, pour Mad Men - Etats-Unis
Meilleur Producteur Européen : Danish Broadcasting Corporation, pour The Killing II - Danemark

CATÉGORIE SÉRIES COMIQUES
Meilleur Acteur : Steve Carell, dans The Office - Etats-Unis
Meilleure Actrice : Diana Amft, dans Le Journal de Meg - Allemagne
Meilleur Producteur International : NBC Universal, pour 30 Rock - Etats-Unis
Meilleur Producteur Européen : BBC Productions, pour The Thick of It - Grande-Bretagne