The Huntsman: Winter’s War went up against week two of The Jungle Book and failed to lure away much of Disney’s live-action/CG film’s audience. The Jungle Book rang up a hefty $60 million domestically during its second weekend in theaters, off only 40% from its opening weekend. Disney’s critically acclaimed action adventure film is almost at $200 million domestically after entering theaters on April 15, 2016 and has brought in $528 overall including its international numbers. Meanwhile, Universal’s sequel to Snow White and the Huntsman didn’t come close to the original film’s opening weekend numbers. Snow White and the Huntsman starring Kristen Stewart, Charlize Theron, Chris Hemsworth and Sam Claflin did $56 million in theaters domestically over its first three days and grossed nearly $400 million overall during its theatrical run. The Huntsman managed only $20 million and likely won’t come close to $400 million before leaving theaters.
The Huntsman: Winter’s War Plot: Charlize Theron stars as evil Queen Ravenna, who betrays her good sister Freya (Emily Blunt) with an unforgivable act, freezing Freya’s heart to love and unleashing in her an icy power she never knew she possessed. Retreating to a kingdom far to the north, Freya raises an army of Huntsmen as her protectors, with the only rule that no two of them should ever fall in love. As a war for domination escalates between the two queens, the hero standing between them is Freya’s most elite Huntsman, Eric (Hemsworth). Alongside fellow warrior Sara (Jessica Chastain)—the only woman who has ever captured his heart—Eric must help Freya vanquish her sister…or Ravenna’s wickedness will rule for eternity.
Bonsoir Mesdames!!! The title pretty much explains the gist of the third episode for the second season of Starz’s Outlander. The deception and intrigue grow deeper and more intense for Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan), as Claire Fraser (Caitriona Balfe) struggles to find something useful to do with her time. Claire is not a woman of that era, and she cannot suppress her need to be useful for very long. This episode is keeping with the spirit of the book but is considerably different than actual events from the book. It accurately moves the main story items along, so I will not focus on the book as much in this recap; the differences are just too extensive.
As the episode opens, Jamie bursts in after being out all night while Claire was sleeping. He runs up the stairs shedding clothes and weapons as he shouts instructions to the servants. Claire meets him at the top of the stairs and Jamie starts enumerating the various activities he has to engage in through this day and the next. He is not going to get much sleep, other than in carriage rides to and from Versailles or rides to and from the brothel as he goes from meeting to meeting. He also has to meet an inspector at the warehouse where Jared’s stock is housed.
Our poor Jamie is a man in high demand as he weaves the web of deception in the effort to stop the uprising. All the while, Claire sits and listens; the wish to be busy herself clearly etched on her face. Of course, Jamie is too distracted to notice, most men do not notice when a woman most needs some attention, especially while being pregnant, but I digress. He acknowledges the fact that constant female tea parties are a drudgery. Thanks for the simple validation, big man!
When next we see Claire she is at tea with the vivacious Louise de Rohan (Claire Sermonne) and the sweet, innocent Mary Hawkins (Rosie Day). Poor Mary is upset about being forced to marry a French nobleman. She is sure that only the French men make a woman take his male member up inside of them. Apparently, no “Birds and Bees” story has ever been bestowed upon our innocent Mary. Louise could not get a bigger kick out of this declaration. All of a sudden Claire remembers where she heard Mary’s name before. She realizes that Mary ends up the wife to Black Jack Randall (Tobias Menzies). Apparently, she is not to wed the French nobleman and have him do those horrible things to her…**giggle-snort** I have no idea where she thinks babies come from, but she is in for a surprise no matter the man she marries. The process is pretty much the same all over, dear girl.
I must take the opportunity to mention this gorgeous golden dress Claire is wearing. Yellow is a favorite color of mine and this dress uses it so exquisitely, even down to the golden cloak she wears over the gown. Okay, fangirl moment over, moving on…
Claire scares the ladies when she turns white in the face. This reinforces the issue even further that BJR is still alive, and to make things worse, he must remain alive for at least another year. He must be the ancestor to Frank Randall (also played by Tobias Menzies) or Frank will never be born. The book readers know how this all plays out, so get ready show enthusiasts…it is a bumpy ride, to say the least. Claire heads home after this realization. She has to think, and Jamie still knows nothing of Black Jack’s survival at this point.
When she returns home, Mangus (Robbie McIntosh) the butler is explaining the usual household items about social invitations and such. He pulls out a lace hanky that Claire left in the kitchen, or more accurately that her maid left in the kitchen and did not mend as instructed. Claire goes on the hunt to Suzette’s room to ask her why the task had not been done when she walks into an interesting scene. Suzette is in her room all right, but she is not alone. Suzette takes the interruption in stride like you might think a Frenchwoman would do. Lovemaking is almost a social sport for the French. Her companion was not so happy with the interruption.
Claire leaves and as she is sitting in the parlor Murtagh (Duncan Lacroix), yes dashing and curmudgeon Murtagh, comes out to voice his protest for the interruption. They have a brief tense exchange, but as with most things in life, what we pop off about is not the real reason for the argument. The fight doesn’t go very far when Claire apologizes for the outburst and admits she is not herself. Murtagh agrees that she is most certainly not herself and stands there silently waiting to hear her say why. Claire spills the beans about meeting Alex Randall (Laurence Dobiesz) at Versailles to convince Murtagh that BJR is still alive. Murtagh is supportive of Claire not mentioning this to Jamie because he knows the need for vengeance would overwhelm our dashing young hero.
Then we find Jamie at Versailles playing chess with the always entertaining Minister of Finance, Monsieur Duverney (Marc Duret). The sets are just so mind-blowing; sorry fangirled again. The pair conduct their business over an ego-bruising game of chess for the Minister; Jamie the victor, of course. Jamie then gets down to the business at hand. Prince Charles (Andrew Gower) wants to meet with the Minister to discuss support for the invasion. Jamie is asking that the Minister meet with him, but also dissuades him from thinking he can get the funds he desires from the French court. So they go to meet the Prince at the usual rendezvous spot, Madam Elise’s (Michele Belgrand) brothel.
In the meantime, Claire thinks it might be prudent to get something to prevent her maid from getting pregnant given her dalliance with Murtagh. This gives us the pleasure of seeing the enjoyable Master Raymond (Dominique Pinon) again. As she approaches the shop, Master Raymond is wrapping up some business with none other than Le Comte St. Germain (Stanley Weber). Claire tries to turn to go, but Master Raymond sees her. Claire turns to be forced to see Le Comte in the face once again. Pleasant usual words are exchanged, but the dagger throwing from the eyes cannot be mistaken on the part of Le Comte. Here I go again, does anyone else think the wardrobe of Le Comte St. Germain is just incredible? Intricate embroidery, amazing colors, just dazzling. Into the store Claire and Master Raymond go after Le Comte leaves. I could spend hours in this shop; such a wealth of items on the shelves and treasures to entertain in every corner. Okay, I’ll stop with the fangirl stuff!
Claire notices a poison on the counter, and Master Raymond is surprised she knows about it. He explains the deception he actually employs when people come in looking to purchase the poison. He actually uses something that induces vomiting and such, but will not cause death. The deception makes the purchaser happy while not actually killing anyone. Master Raymond is increasingly surprised by her knowledge of his wares and Claire ends up revealing that she is not happy with the conventional role she finds herself in. He asks her if she would be interested in helping at a charity hospital. This puts a genuine smile on Claire’s face, and a much-needed sparkle in her eye for the first time in a long while. She sets out urgently to go to the hospital that Master Raymond suggested so she can offer her assistance, something she has been desiring to do for far too long.
Murtagh goes with Claire but warns her that Jamie will not be happy with her being around all these very sick people. Claire dismisses the warning and does it anyway. Would we expect anything less? She is shown around and introduced to Mother Hildegarde (Frances De La Tour) and her companion Bouton (Scamp) the dog. Mother Hildegarde thinks that Claire is like other noblewomen who want to donate their time. Long on ‘want to help’ and short on ability to help. So she sets her to doing menial tasks about the hospital. Claire comes upon a woman who she notices has the symptoms of Diabetes, known in that time as sugar sickness. Mother Hildegarde is impressed that she would know how to determine this diagnosis, very few women know what it is. Mother Hildegarde allows her to do more direct medicine after this encounter.
Jamie and Minister Duverney speak with the Prince in the brothel. The Prince mentions that he has English backers who will ensure he comes to the King without empty hands. Jamie shows a distinct expression of shock at this news. The Prince offers an alliance between England and France if King Louis XV (Lionel Lingelser) would join with him in financing the invasion. Jamie takes this news home and is very upset that Claire is not there for him to explain this new little devastating development.
When Claire comes in glowing with exhaustion and enthusiasm about her time at the hospital helping the sick, Jamie is upset and the battle of words ensues. Once Jamie gets slightly out of his pouting mode and starts speaking again he reveals the issue that the Prince presented to him in the brothel. Claire is sympathetic to the stress and situation Jamie is in, but he pushes off her words. He is in ‘all about me’ mode at the moment. He leaves and Murtagh sees him go from the top of the stairs. The maid, Suzette, tells him that the couple has lost their love in the bedroom. I’m sure Murtagh will bring up that subject later given this bit of news and his knowledge of how much Jamie and Claire love each other.
Jamie goes back to the brothel to brew over the situation and notices wee Fergus (Romann Berrux). He notices the lad has sticky fingers and goes unseen in his task of gathering valuables from the clientele. Jamie gets a genius idea to hire the lad to do what he does so well and lift letters from couriers who take messages to the Prince. Jamie is in dire need of information and this boy, with Murtagh’s help, will get the necessary intel. When he takes the boy home and informs Claire of his idea, she is surprised but pleased at the resource. But you can still cut the tension between them with a chainsaw.
Jamie and Murtagh continue to gather information from the letters and Claire continues to work at the hospital under Mother Hildegarde’s eye. Jamie sees through some of the coding in the letters, but they find a piece of music that is in a letter format. What makes it even stranger is that it is in German, sent from an Englishman. It just so happens that Mother Hildegarde’s talents are not just medicinal. Jamie takes the music letter to the hospital to see if Mother can help. He doesn’t want to admit it but Claire taking this work in the hospital is actually a substantial help to their task.
At the hospital, Claire and Mother Hildegarde are looking over a patient. They cannot tell why he still shows signs of infection. Enter the master, the amazing Bouton, to sniff out the issue…literally. The inspection is the cutest little bedside manner at work I have ever seen. He reports that there is a secondary infection well below the skin in the man’s upper leg. This discovery probably saved the man’s life. Claire is able to open an incision that produces a large, and very deeply embedded, piece of wood. Bravo and Merci Bouton! Dog biscuits all around!!!
Enter Jamie with his music letter. I wish the little exchange between Bouton and Jamie that was in the book was in the show. It was a precious, and most hilarious, exchange between the two. Mother Hildegarde does recognize the melody but finds it very odd. She recognizes a work from Bach, who just so happens to be a friend of hers. She recognizes the inconsistencies in the letter version. The key redone in the melody is the key to the encryption that they needed. They discover that the English conspirators are real, and they riddle it out that it is the Duke of Sandringham. They are so excited, but Claire realizes she must tell Jamie now. If the Duke is to return to France, it is likely Jamie will discover that BJR is alive. She almost tells him right then, but can’t crush his newfound happiness at having this breakthrough. What to do? What to do? I bet if Bouton delivered the bad news it would go over much easier…wishful thinking, I know, but a girl can dream!
The Walking Dead fans who’ve analyzed the season six finale don’t believe it’s Norman Reedus’ Daryl – a fan favorite – who dies after being beaten to a pulp by Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan). And, there is the whole “If Daryl dies, we riot” fan campaign that’s held strong since the first season so killing off Reedus character wouldn’t be a smart move on AMC’s part. However, the ‘is he dead or isn’t h3’ discussion has nothing to do with AMC’s new Norman Reedus announcement. The network’s just announced his non-fiction show Ride with Norman Reedus will premiere on June 12, 2016 at 10pm ET/PT. In addition to announcing the premiere date, AMC also revealed the new teaser trailer will debut during the April 24th episode of Fear the Walking Dead.
Ride with Norman Reedus will air after the new dramatic series Preacher starring Dominic Cooper. Reedus’ new show’s first season will consist of six one hour episodes.
The Plot:Ride with Norman Reedus follows The Walking Dead fan-favorite star and motorcycle enthusiast as he hits the open road to explore local biker culture and celebrate the best and brightest collectors, mechanics and craftsmen around the country. Each one-hour installment of Ride with Norman Reedus will feature Reedus with a riding companion – notable guests include Peter Fonda, Robert Rodriguez and Balthazar Getty – as they journey to new destinations throughout the United States, including North Carolina, Florida, California, Nevada, Texas and Louisiana. Reedus and friends stop by various locales such as custom bike shops, tattoo parlors, collector’s warehouses, or a roadside smokehouse. The series is produced by Left/Right Productions.
The soundtrack to the romantic drama Me Before You will arrive in stores on the day of the film’s release in theaters. Interscope Records is releasing the soundtrack on June 3, 2016, however a new music video from X Ambassadors featuring clips from the film has already been unveiled on Youtube. The soundtrack to the movie based on Jojo Moyes’ bestselling novel also includes songs from Ed Sheeran, Imagine Dragons, The 1975, Jessie Ware, and Jack Garratt. New tracks from the film include X Ambassadors’ “Unsteady”, Imagine Dragons’ “Not Today” and Jessie Ware’s “Till the End.”
Moyes adapted her book for the screen with first time feature film director Thea Sharrock directing. Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones) and Sam Claflin (The Hunger Games franchise) lead a cast that includes Charles Dance, Jenna Coleman, Matthew Lewis, Vanessa Kirby, Stephen Peacocke, Brendan Coyle and Janet McTeer.
The Plot: Louisa “Lou” Clark (Clarke) is quirky and creative, but her cheery outlook is put to the test when she meets Will Traynor (Claflin), a once adventurous young man whose whole world changed dramatically in the blink of an eye. The now cynical Will has all but given up…that is until Lou determines to show him that life is worth living, and that love can take you where you never expected to go.
Me Before You Soundtrack Song/Artist List
Max Jury – “Numb”
HOLYCHILD – “Happy With Me”
X Ambassadors – “Unsteady” (Erich Lee Gravity Remix)
Jessie Ware – “Till The End”
The 1975 – “The Sound”
Jack Garratt – “Surprise Yourself”
Cloves – “Don’t Forget About Me”
Ed Sheeran – “Photograph”
Imagine Dragons – “Not Today”
The annual Summer Movies Survey found that Captain America: Civil War, which has been receiving positive advance reviews, is this year’s most anticipated summer action film. Disney/Pixar’s long-awaited Finding Nemo sequel, Finding Dory, edged out the competition in the animated film category. And it was the female-driven reboot of Ghostbusters that earned the top spot among comedy releases.
“According to our survey, fans will be spending more time at the multiplex this summer,” says Fandango Managing Editor Erik Davis. “Last year’s record-breaking movie line-up has inspired fans to return to theaters, and this summer there is truly something for everyone.”
Most Anticipated Family Film of the Summer:
1. “Finding Dory” (June 17)
2. “The Secret Life of Pets” (July 8)
3. “Alice Through the Looking Glass” (May 27)
4. “Ice Age: Collision Course” (July 22)
5. “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows” (June 3)
Most Anticipated Summer Comedy:
1. “Ghostbusters” (July 15)
2. “Central Intelligence” (June 17)
3. “Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising” (May 20)
4. “The Nice Guys” (May 20)
5. “Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates” (July 8)
The world is once again under attack by invading aliens in the long-awaited Independence Day sequel, Independence Day: Resurgence, heading to theaters on June 24, 2016. Fox has just released a new trailer for the sci-fi action film directed by Roland Emmerich and starring Liam Hemsworth, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, Judd Hirsch, Vivica A. Fox, Brent Spiner, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Jessie Usher, Maika Monroe, and Sela Ward.
The Plot: We always knew they were coming back. After Independence Day redefined the event movie genre, the next epic chapter delivers global spectacle on an unimaginable scale. Using recovered alien technology, the nations of Earth have collaborated on an immense defense program to protect the planet. But nothing can prepare us for the aliens’ advanced and unprecedented force. Only the ingenuity of a few brave men and women can bring our world back from the brink of extinction.
Snowpiercer director Bong Joon Ho has begun work on his new dramatic film Okja in Seoul, South Korea. Netflix announced the start of production along with confirming the cast is led by Tilda Swinton, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Paul Dano. Joining the cast are The Walking Dead‘s Steven Yeun (who might not have survived the season finale), The 100‘s Devon Bostick, The Mortal Instruments‘ Lily Collins, and The Host‘s Byun Heebong. The cast also includes Shirley Henderson, Daniel Henshall, Yoon Je Moon, and Choi Wooshik.
The film is co-written by Bong and Jon Ronson (Frank). Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Lewis Taewan Kim, Dooho Choi, Woo-sik Seo and Bong Joon Ho are on board as producers. In addition to South Korea, the sci-fi thriller is shooting in Canada and the United States. Netflix is planning a 2017 premiere on the streaming service as well as a limited theatrical release.
“With Okja I want to show the beauty that can exist between man and animal, and also the horror between them,” said director Bong.
The Plot:Okja follows Mija, a young girl who must risk everything to prevent a powerful, multi-national company from kidnapping her best friend – a massive animal named ‘Okja’. Mija will be played by Seohyun An.
The Huntsman: Winter’s War is advertised as a prequel to 2012’s Snow White and the Huntsman, which it is for a very short while before it transforms into a live-action Frozen spinoff morphed with a sequel to Snow White and the Huntsman. The prequel/sequel brings back Chris Hemsworth, Charlize Theron, Sam Claflin (for all of five minutes) and the backside of someone who is not Kristen Stewart playing Snow White for a blink and you’ll miss it scene. What this return to the world of huntsmen and evil queens fails to bring back is any sort of a cohesive story.
Emily Blunt joins the fairy tale adventure as The Huntsman’s version of Frozen’s Elsa, complete with white hair, the ability to freeze whatever she touches, and her own ice castle far away from her sister. The only thing the writers forgot was to give her a talking snowman as her closest friend which, now that I’m thinking about it, would have greatly improved the story. How anyone connected with this offspring of Snow White and the Huntsman could possibly have thought going the Frozen route was the right path to take is incomprehensible. And if the writers didn’t take into consideration that comparisons would be drawn between this overwrought CGI spectacle and Disney’s beloved Frozen, then they’re obviously out of touch with movie audiences.
I can honestly say I’ve never heard anyone asking when there would be a prequel/sequel to Snow White and the Huntsman, but we’re being served up one anyway because of the first film’s respectable box office take. The original film’s popularity was driven by fans of Twilight’s Kristen Stewart, but with the behind the scenes shenanigans between Stewart and director Rupert Sanders the sequel moved on without either the first film’s star or director. Stewart’s not really missed as Emily Blunt and Jessica Chastain more than make up for her absence, but Sanders’ absence is felt. Visual effects supervisor Cedric Nicolas-Troyan makes his feature film directorial debut and despite his visual effects background, fails to make The Huntsman as visually attractive as Sanders’ Snow White.
As for the plot, basically Ravenna (Theron) activates her sister Freya’s nasty powers by killing her baby. That sends Freya into full-on Frozen mode and off she goes to set up her own ice castle and then conquer all of the surrounding lands. Freya decides that if she can’t have love, then no one in her kingdom is allowed to experience that particular emotion. She also figures out the best way to create her army is by rounding up all of the children in her land and training them to be huntsmen or huntswomen. Of course two of the children grow up to be adults (played by Hemsworth and Chastain) who fall in love, and of course those two huntspeople are the best of Freya’s army so she’s doubly angry about the betrayal. The mirror of “mirror, mirror on the wall” fame enters the picture with The Huntsman transforming from prequel to sequel at that point, and then it’s all a matter of keeping the mirror out of Freya or her evil sister Ravenna’s hands for the rest of the movie.
There are many, many battles and occasionally it’s even possible to tell who is fighting who. There’s also a batch of dwarves played by Nick Frost, Rob Brydon, Sheridan Smith, and Alexandra Roach who turn out to be the best part of the whole story. Even the discussion over their enjoyment of water is better than most of the dialogue given to Hemsworth, Theron (who is absent for most of the film), Blunt, and Chastain. And speaking of the dialogue, I’m still stumped as to what accent Hemsworth and Chastain were attempting to wrap their tongues around.
The costumes are gorgeous and, as noted above, the dwarves were entertaining, but overall The Huntsman: Winter’s War feels like just a cash grab by the studio. Hemsworth and Chastain have decent chemistry and Blunt and Theron are impressive as evil sisters/queens, but there’s only so much they can do with a story that’s unnecessarily convoluted and characters that are completely one-dimensional. Stick an arrow/axe/your weapon of choice in it, this franchise is done.
GRADE: C
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for fantasy action violence and some sensuality
Fox is set to premiere the new dramatic series Houdini & Doyle starring Michael Weston as Harry Houdini and Stephen Mangan as Arthur Conan Doyle on May 2, 2016. The series follows the legendary magician as he and his reluctant partner, Sherlock Holmes author Doyle, help New Scotland Yard solve crimes that may involve the supernatural. Houdini’s the skeptic while Doyle is a believer in the otherworldly. Together, they attempt to determine if the crime was committed by a human or some sort of supernatural being.
Series star Michael Weston appeared at the 2016 WonderCon in Los Angeles in support of the show’s upcoming premiere and I had the opportunity to speak with Weston before Fox presented the Houdini & Doyle panel to find out the behind-the-scenes scoop on how he prepared for the role of Harry Houdini. He also shared his own ghost story, even though he still insists he’s a skeptic just like his character.
Michael Weston Interview:
How much torture did they put you through filming Houdini & Doyle?
Michael Weston: [Laughing] “There was a lot of torture. First, we were living in Manchester, which is not torture, but it is definitely north of London. It was cold and I was often wet and in weird situations, like off the docks and in weird rivers, and hanging upside in tanks and buried alive. But I signed the fine print, so I knew what I was getting into. If you’re going to play this guy, you have to be willing to do that.”
How much research did you do into Harry Houdini? Did you want to learn as much as possible about him?
Michael Weston: “I had a sort of very light working knowledge of Houdini, so I didn’t really understand who he was in terms of the place he held in our history and in our culture. I knew people say, ‘Hey, he pulled a Houdini,’ but he held this place in people’s hearts. My wife told me, she said, ‘Oh my god, I love Houdini!’ I’ve been with her for 10 years and I had no idea. He holds a place in people’s sense of wonder and their imagination. And then probably even deeper in that thing of being able to free yourself from whatever oppresses you, whatever shackles are in your life – your religion to your family to whatever it is pulling you down – I feel like this guy, at his time especially, was a tangible symbol of freedom and that sort of American dream. He sort of actualized it before anyone else did. So, I did, I learned a lot going into it, but I literally got this part a week before we started shooting.”
Why did you get it a week before it started shooting? How did that come about?
Michael Weston: “You know, I think it’s just this process of being an actor where sometimes you just never know. I was doing a play [in Los Angeles] with my buddy Scott Caan, and I was running lines with my mom in my living room when I got a call, ‘They need you to audition in London.’ I was like, ‘When?’ ‘Today.’ So I got on a plane that night and I flew to London, and then the next morning I auditioned. I had done an audition months before…something like that. So, it’s this weird process and then suddenly everything comes to a head and then you’re shooting and here you go.
The thing about this series is that we steer history a little bit for our own purposes. Houdini is a great character and a great backdrop for this, and so is [his] friendship with Arthur Conan Doyle. And then Adelaide Stratton, the first female Constable, wasn’t a real person necessarily, but there was a first female Constable somewhere and it was pulled from something that these guys read. They compressed it all into this turn-of-the-century period piece. Finally, it’s sort of Houdini but then it’s me and Stephen [Mangan] too, whoever we are in this time. I feel like the series plays on our nostalgia and some of who we are today. I feel like it’s very present day.”
Were you able to quickly get on the same page with Stephen Mangan?
Michael Weston: “That’s the magic of this stuff. I definitely think as the series goes on our rapport and our comfort level gets deeper and better as friends, on and off set. When you work with old friends, you have this sort of immediate thing. But these guys in the series are searching each other out. They find each other in the first episode. And even though it’s an embattled friendship and they don’t really agree on anything, they gradually over the course of time, I think they find a really deep friendship and need each other. I feel like that’s the deepest and most fun elements of the series, besides all of the adventure and supernatural. There’s a really fun, deep friendship between these guys that are also sort of bitter enemies.”
Houdini was a skeptic. Are you a skeptic?
Michael Weston: “Yeah, I’m pretty pragmatic. I think of myself as a realist and then I have weird doubts about it. No one can really just put that period on it, except maybe David Shore thinks he can. There’s always a question mark. Anyone who says they have it all figured out, there is no proof of it. I think there’s enough out there in the world that breeds uncertainty. And then I’ve had a couple weird experiences in my life that I’ve never really talked about except now with this series. [Laughing] I didn’t want to admit it, but I’ve had a couple of those things where I’m like, ‘I have no idea how you’d explain that.’ Even though I’m a cynic about that stuff, it breaks you down a little bit.”
Can you say what the experiences were? You can’t leave us hanging!
Michael Weston: “My grandma lived in this old house in Paris. It was there for hundreds of years, and it was occupied by the Gestapo. They fled to America at the time but then when they came back, the house was stripped of everything. It has this very sinister other side of it, as well as being a great old house. She passed away there and my grandfather passed away there, and right after they did I went there with a friend of mine, just to say goodbye to it. We were standing in this hallway and we were looking at these old pictures that hadn’t been taken down yet which were of our family from youth…my grandfather, my father, and ancestors. I was with my big friend Jess from New York and you couldn’t convince him to do anything, especially that there’s a ghost. He’d laugh you out of the room. So, he’s standing there and he turned his head [waving at something by it] and I was like, ‘What?! I didn’t feel anything.’ He was like, ‘Something just brushed my head,’ and he was freaking out.
And then I went there about a month later with a girlfriend of mine and I was going to the bathroom. And as I went to the bathroom just down the same hallway I came back and at the very end of the hallway there was just this weird, amorphous, globe. I was half asleep, but I was like [scared] and I’m like, ‘Okay, whatever, I’m going to go in.’ I go into the bedroom and my girlfriend at the time is sitting up. She’s pale and she’s hyperventilating. I went in there and was like, ‘Did you just see…?’ and she was like, ‘I just saw a ghost. There was a ghost. I swear to god, there was a ghost.’ Even after that we were like, ‘All right, we’ll go to sleep now,’ and we just sat there staring at the ceiling for a while. I haven’t been able to explain that or get over it. Even though your life goes on and I sort of buried that deep in the recesses of my imagination, yet it’s still there. So when I’m asked about it I guess I have to admit that, even though I’m still not sure.”
How can you not be sure?
Michael Weston: “I don’t know! I never got to grab the glob and be like, ‘Who are you?!’ And that’s what the series is about. These guys want to get their hands on it and prove it. Until they can really prove it with science and they have the evidence in their hands, there are so many question marks and there continues to be. Even though they solve the crimes sometimes, there’s still a sense of, ‘I don’t know. I’m not sure,’ even with the biggest skeptic Houdini, which I love because he’s a magician and yet he’s the one who doesn’t believe in any of this stuff.”
Is it fun to get to do the big performances or is that all so technical you can’t have fun?
Michael Weston: “I did the Chinese water torture one and they literally hang you upside down and there’s these two I wish they were stronger looking, relatively strong looking guys holding a rope on an old pulley, and you trust them with your life. I was sort of cocky about it. I was like, ‘Yeah, I’ve got this,’ and as they do it, they’re lowering you into this water and you’re completely out of control. It was the most terrifying thing I’ve ever done. The sense of joy sort of came when you’re doing this and we were actually shooting in the old theater where Houdini did his performance a hundred years ago, almost to the day. I was looking at this gorgeous old theater that had been there called The Palace Theatre in Manchester, and you see all of the extras dressed up. You have this moment as an actor that you rarely get where it’s so beautifully done and you’re in it enough and scared out of your mind enough that you’re just sort of there and so present in it that you believe it for a second. There’s a little bit of magic in that.”
Is one of the benefits of doing the show that it is a short season and you don’t have to commit to it for so long?
Michael Weston: “The terrain of TV has changed so much and maybe people’s appetites with it. I know that I binge-watch a show and I’ll watch 10 episodes in a weekend or something like that. I think it changes the way that people write and it changes our lifestyle as actors. I love that that you get to do 10 episodes of something and you get to concentrate. 25 episodes is a lot to ask of anyone. My friends who have been on those shows for years it’s like athletes. They’re exhausted and they’re just wired for that. It’s a luxury actually to be able to do that for six months and then have six months off. I just had a baby, so I’ve just been staring at my kid for the last four months.”
Were there any cases featured in the episodes that you found particularly fun to delve into?
Michael Weston: “The scripts are so dynamic for me because the friendship really grows each time, and the triangle between these three deepens and the repartee is more fun. To me, we were shooting in these amazing places. We got to go to Derbyshire. We were shooting entrenched in the cities most of the time, but we went out to the country to these gorgeous green meadows, extending hills [going on] forever and spotted with fluffy sheep. You’re like, ‘This is what I imagine England to be!’ So, I had those moments when you sit in a pub and you’re like, ‘I’m into this! This is lovely!'”
Episode 11 of The 100 season three did feature the death of another supporting character, but at least this time it wasn’t someone most viewers were emotionally connected to or rooting for to survive. The death had a devastating impact on Monty (Christopher Larkin) and it’ll be interesting to see how he deals with it in upcoming episodes and, hopefully, he’ll have time to grieve before someone else he’s close to dies.
Airing on April 21, 2016 at 9pm ET/PT, the episode titled ‘Demons’ was directed by P.J. Pesce from a script by Juel Gillmer. Pesce also directed 2014’s Murphy’s Law and Many Happy Returns episodes as well as 2015’s Coup de Grace episode.
The Season 3 Episode 12 Plot: JAHA RETURNS TO POLIS — Jaha (Isaiah Washington) returns to Polis, and Murphy (Richard Harmon) has a surprise encounter. Meanwhile, Octavia (Marie Avgeropoulos) uncovers a clue. Eliza Taylor, Bob Morley, Devon Bostick, and Lindsey Morgan also star.
