 | MARC SINGER TO GUEST STAR ON ABC’S “V” |
November 30, 2010 by J!-ENT · Leave a Comment
Marc Singer, who played freedom fighter Mike Donovan on the original “V” series, will guest star in the Season Two finale. “V,” the thrilling drama series about the world’s first alien encounter that captivated viewers last season, will make its highly-anticipated season premiere on TUESDAY, JANUARY 4 (9:00-10:00 p.m., ET) on ABC.
Singer will be playing a member of a top secret organization comprised of high-ranking military and government leaders from around the globe who have long suspected that the Visitors – despite what they tell us – are very much not here in peace.
Singer is the second original “V” cast member to appear in the new season. Jane Badler, who played Diana in the original series, is a recurring guest star this season as the mother of Anna (Morena Baccarin).
“V” stars Elizabeth Mitchell as Erica Evans, Morris Chestnut as Ryan Nichols, Joel Gretsch as Father Jack, Charles Mesure as Kyle Hobbes, Logan Huffman as Tyler Evans, Laura Vandervoot as Lisa, with Morena Baccarin as Anna and Scott Wolf as Chad Decker.
“V” is produced by HDFilms in association with Warner Bros. Television. The executive producers are Scott Rosenbaum, Steve Pearlman and Jace Hall.
For more information on “V,” visit ABC.com and become a fan of the show on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/V.
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| NEW ABC DRAMA “BODY OF PROOF” TO DEBUT TUESDAY, MARCH 29, 2011 |
November 30, 2010 by J!-ENT · Leave a Comment
The Series Will Air Tuesdays at 10:00 p.m., Following the 18-Episode Run of “Detroit 1-8-7″
“Body of Proof,” the new one-hour drama starring Dana Delany, will premiere TUESDAY, MARCH 29 (10:00-11:00 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network.
Dr. Megan Hunt (Dana Delany) is a brilliant neurosurgeon whose world is turned upside down when an accident puts an end to her time in the operating room. In her new career as a Medical Examiner, she is determined to solve the puzzle of who or what has killed the victims. Along the way, Megan finds that their lives and the lessons they hold can be applied to her own personal journey of redemption and forgiveness.
“Body of Proof” stars Dana Delany as Dr. Megan Hunt, Jeri Ryan as Dr. Kate Murphy, John Carroll Lynch as Detective Bud Morris, Nicholas Bishop as Peter Dunlop, Sonja Sohn as Detective Samantha Baker, Geoffrey Arend as Dr. Ethan Gross and Windell D. Middlebrooks as Dr. Curtis Brumfield.
The series was created by Christopher Murphey and executive-produced by Murphey, Matthew Gross and Sunil Nayar. “Body of Proof” is produced by ABC Studios.
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| “LAW & ORDER” COMES TO LOCAL BROADCAST STATIONS BEGINNING FALL 2011 |
November 30, 2010 by J!-ENT · Leave a Comment
The Flagship Drama Has Been Sold In More Than 80% Of The U.S. For Its Debut In Broadcast Syndication
NEW YORK–November 30, 2010– NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution has sold “Law & Order” to local broadcast stations for weekend syndication beginning Fall 2011, marking the very first time the iconic, Emmy®-award winning drama will be available in broadcast syndication, it was announced today by Sean O’Boyle, Executive Vice President, Syndication Sales, NBC Universal Domestic TV Distribution.
“Law & Order” has been sold to station groups representing more than 80% of the U.S. including FOX, CBS, Cox, Gannett, Hearst and Sunbeam. Stations in the nation’s top markets debuting “Law & Order” next fall include WNYW-TV / WWOR-TV New York, KTTV-TV / KCOP-TV Los Angeles and WFLD-TV / WPWR-TV Chicago from the FOX station group; KYW-TV / WPSG-TV Philadelphia and WBZ-TV / WSBK-TV Boston from CBS; KTVU-TV / KICU-TV San Francisco and WPXI-TV Pittsburgh from Cox Communications; WXIA-TV / WATL-TV Atlanta from Gannett; KCRA-TV / KQCA-TV Sacramento from Hearst; as well as WSVN-TV Miami from the Sunbeam station group.
“With its dynamic ensemble cast, high quality story-telling, self-contained episodes and high-profile guest stars, ‘Law & Order’ is a perfect fit for local broadcast stations,” said O’Boyle. “We are thrilled to extend our partnership with the ‘Law & Order’ franchise with FOX and other leading groups. This premiere procedural series has proven itself with viewers, as well as advertisers and continues to work exceptionally well in a variety of day parts.”
“We’ve had success with the ‘Law & Order’ franchise both in syndication and as an important building block for MyNet,” said Frank Cicha, Senior Vice President, Programming, FOX Television Stations. “Acquiring ‘the mothership’ for weekends is a natural extension of this.”
“I am thrilled that ‘Law & Order’ is joining its brand mates, ‘Law & Order: Criminal Intent’ and ‘Law & Order: SVU’ in broadcast syndication—both of which are exceptional performers on local broadcast stations,” said Dick Wolf, Creator and Executive Producer of the “Law & Order” branded series. “We have a lot of momentum with this brand in the marketplace and I am excited for continued success with the flagship drama that started it all.”
“Law & Order,” the longest running crime drama in the history of television, is a classic fan favorite which sparked the most successful television brand in history—“Law & Order: Special Victim’s Unit,” “Law & Order: Criminal Intent,” as well as the new hit series, “Law & Order: Los Angeles.” Currently “Law & Order” airs on TNT cable network where it continues to be a ratings powerhouse.
“Law & Order,” which aired on NBC for 20 seasons, is a Wolf Films production in association with Universal Media Studios. Dick Wolf is creator and executive producer. “Law & Order” is distributed in the U.S. and Canada by NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution.
About NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution:
The NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution division is responsible for the distribution of NBC Universal product to all forms of television within the U.S. and Canada. This includes distribution of current and library film and television product, formats and non-scripted programming in the pay, free, and basic cable television markets, as well as the domestic syndication of first-run syndicated TV programs, theatrical and TV movie packages.
Current first-run strip syndicated programming from NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution includes “Access Hollywood,” “Access Hollywood Live,” “The Jerry Springer Show,” “Maury” and “The Steve Wilkos Show.” Current first-run weekly syndicated programming includes “The Chris Matthews Show,” “The Wall Street Journal Report with Maria Bartiromo” and the off-network distribution of “30 Rock,” “Friday Night Lights,” “House,” “Law & Order,” “Law & Order: Criminal Intent,” “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” “Monk,” “The Office,” “The Real Housewives” franchise and much more.
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| Say goodbye to the Kardashian Prepaid MasterCard |
November 30, 2010 by J!-ENT · Leave a Comment
After Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal warned young consumers of the perils of credit cards last Friday, Blumenthal used the Kardashians as an example. Blumenthal said, “Keeping up with the Kardashians is impossible using these cards — laden with pernicious and predatory fees that swallow card value. These cards are feckless financial tools designed to promptly diminish in value with virtually every transaction — and even when consumers don’t use the card at all.”
The Consumers Union (the nonprofit group that publishes “Consumer Reports”) followed with a statement that Kardashians for promoting a fee-heavy card and cautioned other celebrities against blindly promoting products.
Kourtney Kardashian told ABCnews.com on Tuesday, “We are not working with the bank anymore and that’s all we’re allowed to say.”
Their lawyer Dennis Roach announced that the Kardashians were pulling their name off the Kardashian prepaid Master Card after media bashing for the card’s hefty fees.
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| “CAR 54, WHERE ARE YOU?” COMPLETE FIRST SEASON – on DVD 2/22/11 |
November 30, 2010 by J!-ENT · Leave a Comment
Complete First Season of TV Show to Debut on DVD – February 22, 2011 from Shanachie Entertainment
Comedy Series from the Great Nat Hiken, Released to Celebrate its 50th Anniversary, includes Bonus Extra of Cast Member Round Table Hosted by Robert Klein
November 22, 2010 – Many critics and comedians believe that CAR 54 Where Are You? is one of the best comedy series ever to appear on television. Leonard Maltin calls it “one of the funniest TV shows of all time.” Carol Burnett, who worked with the show’s creator Nat Hiken, called him a comedy genius. In Carl Reiner’s words, “All comedy writers of Hiken’s day agreed that he had no peer.” Long out of circulation, this brilliant show can now be discovered by new generations who will have a chance to view it for the first time. In celebration of the series’ 50th anniversary, Shanachie Entertainment will be releasing all 30 episodes of the first season as a 4-disc DVD package on February 22, 2011 (SRP: $39.98). This is the first time the shows have ever been on DVD, now newly remastered from the only known set of 35 mm fine grain prints.
Specifically shot as a bonus extra for this release is a brand-new free-wheeling round table conversation between Bronx-raised comedian Robert Klein and two of the regular cast members –Charlotte Rae, who played Sylvia Schnauser, and Hank Garrett, who played Officer Ed Nicholson, one of the cops of the 53rd precinct. Rae and Garrett share stories, anecdotes and memories with Klein (a fan of Hiken’s work) that shed light on what went on behind the scenes.
Nat Hiken was already famous for his highly acclaimed Sgt. Bilko show, and when the opportunity to do another TV series came up, he threw himself into the task – writing, producing, casting and directing. Drawing on his 25 years of writing experience for top comedy shows on radio and television (Fred Allen, Milton Berle, Martha Raye), the result is one of his greatest creative achievements — a comedy rich with New York humor and filled with offbeat characters in scripts that were polished jewels of comedy.
The show is set in the Bronx’s 53rd precinct, where the cops depicted are all great comedic characters, as are the residents of the neighborhood they patrol. The central figures of the show are the Mutt & Jeff squad car team of Toody and Muldoon, played by Joe E. Ross and Fred Gwynne. In real life the actors were also an odd couple for the ages – the crudest burlesque comedian from the lower rungs of show business paired with a trained Harvard-educated actor. Muldoon plays the long-suffering voice of reason who invariably reins in his short stocky partner’s dimwitted schemes and patiently listens to his hilariously inane prattle.
The ensemble of supporting actors was perfectly cast. With a naturally shrill voice, Beatrice Pons was ideal as Toody’s domineering shrew of a wife. Circus veteran Al Lewis, blessed with a face that could find a contortion to accompany every passing thought, was the irascible Officer Leo Schnauser. Charlotte Rae, who stole the show with her pitch perfect comic performance in an early episode, was written in by Hiken as Schnauser’s moody, hot-tempered wife and became one of the most memorable characters on the show.
To fill out each episode, Hiken drew on a wealth of New York talent – seasoned film and TV veterans, borscht belt comedians and some of the brightest young talent from the Broadway stage. Regulars Paul Reed, Fred Gwynne and Al Lewis were on the set during the day and appearing in Broadway shows in the evening. Episodes in the first season featured show business pros Wally Cox, Jan Murray, Molly Picon, Maureen Stapleton, Jake La Motta and many more.
November 30, 2010 by J!-ENT · Leave a Comment
One-Hour CBS Entertainment Special Hosted by LL COOL J Will Announce Nominations for the 53rd Annual GRAMMY® Awards Live from Club Nokia in Los Angeles
Actor/Singer Selena Gomez, seven-time GRAMMY® winner Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters), singer/songwriter Hayley Williams (Paramore) and 25-time GRAMMY winner Stevie Wonder have been added as presenters for THE GRAMMY® NOMINATIONS CONCERT LIVE! – COUNTDOWN TO MUSIC’S BIGGEST NIGHT®, which takes place live at Club Nokia in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Dec. 1 (10:00-11:00 PM, live ET/delayed PT) on the CBS Television Network. GRAMMY-winning band Train will also perform during the one-hour special, which also features previously announced performances by pop star Justin Bieber, rapper B.o.B, country artist Miranda Lambert, singer/songwriter/producer Bruno Mars and singer/songwriter Katy Perry. Two-time GRAMMY winner LL COOL J is set once again to host the one-hour special.
This marks the third consecutive year that nominations for the annual GRAMMY Awards will be announced live on primetime television, setting the stage for the annual GRAMMY Awards telecast.
The road to Music’s Biggest Night begins with “The GRAMMY Nominations Concert Live!!” and culminates with “THE 53rd ANNUAL GRAMMY® AWARDS” at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles live on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2010 (8:00-11:30 PM, live ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.
THE GRAMMY® NOMINATIONS CONCERT LIVE! – COUNTDOWN TO MUSIC’S BIGGEST NIGHT® is produced by AEG Ehrlich Ventures, LLC and John Cossette Productions. John Cossette and Ken Ehrlich are the executive producers. LL COOL J is a producer.
About The Recording Academy
Established in 1957, The Recording Academy is an organization of musicians, producers, engineers and recording professionals that is dedicated to improving the cultural condition and quality of life for music and its makers. Internationally known for the GRAMMY Awards – the preeminent peer-recognized award for musical excellence and the most credible brand in music – The Recording Academy is responsible for groundbreaking professional development, cultural enrichment, advocacy, education and human services programs. The Academy continues to focus on its mission of recognizing musical excellence, advocating for the well-being of music makers and ensuring music remains an indelible part of our culture. For more information about The Academy, please visit http://www.grammy.com/. For breaking news and exclusive content, join the organization’s social networks as a Twitter follower at www.twitter.com/thegrammys, a Facebook fan at www.facebook.com/thegrammys and a YouTube channel subscriber at www.youtube.com/thegrammys.
 | Glee: The Music, Volume 4 (a J!-ENT World Groove Album Review) |
November 30, 2010 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment
The best “Glee: The Music” album thus far! A good balance of upbeat tracks, slow jams… “Glee: The Music, Volume 4″ has everything you have come to love about the show and the characters. Definitely recommended for Glee fans!
ARTISTS: Glee Cast
ALBUM: Glee: The Music, Volume 4
LABEL: Columbia
DURATION: 1:05:23
RELEASE DATE: November 30, 2010
- Empire State of Mind (Glee Cast Version)
- Billionaire (Glee Cast Version)
- Me Against the Music (Glee Cast Version)
- Stronger (Glee Cast Version)
- Toxic (Glee Cast Version)
- The Only Exception (Glee Cast Version)
- I Want to Hold Your Hand (Glee Cast Version)
- One of Us (Glee Cast Version)
- River Deep, Mountain High (Glee Cast Version)
- Lucky (Glee Cast Version)
- One Love (People Get Ready) (Glee Cast Version)
- Teenage Dream (Glee Cast Version)
- Forget You (Glee Cast Version feat. Gwyneth Paltrow)
- Marry You (Glee Cast Version)
- Sway (Glee Cast Version)
- Just the Way You Are (Glee Cast Version)
- Valerie (Glee Cast Version)
- (I’ve Had) The Time of My Life (Glee Cast Version)
Having reviewed the previous “Glee: The Music” albums and DVD’s and having outed myself as a “GLEEK”, the albums have typically been good with some songs I can easily relisten to and some that I just listened to once and that was it.
But since the premiere of the second season of “Glee” and the addition of the newer cast members and pretty much a feeling that the cast are much more confident with their vocals and being part of a hit show, listening to “Glee: The Music, Volume 4″, I have to say that the cast has definitely has delivered with this latest album but at the same time, I felt there were some unfortunate omission of songs from the series that did not make it on this album .
The album kicks off with the Glee Cast most notably the characters of Artie, Puck, Finn, Mercedes and Santana doing a cover of Jay-Z and Alicia Keys “Empire State of Mind”. A pretty cool GLEE cover and dig the chorus.
The second track “Billionaire” features new cast member Chord Overstreet as the character of Sam doing a cover of Travie McCoy (and Bruno Mars) “Billionaire”. When I first heard this song on the episode, I was pretty impressed with Overstreet’s vocals and definitely the character of Sam has begun one of the better male vocalists of the show. Pretty good cover and also rhymes by Artie and Puck.
The third track “Me Against the Music” features the characters of Brittany and Santana doing a cover of Britney Spears hit song. And I absolutely loved this episode and felt the performance by Brittany (Heather Morris) and Santana (Naya Rivera) was absolutely fantastic. I love the arrangement and I have to admit that I have listened to this version of this song much more than the original.
The fourth track features Artie’s version “Stronger” along with Finn and Puck. Although, I felt the scene on the show with the guys in their football gear and the football team singing this song was a bit corny but I definitely enjoyed the guys cover of this song and it has become a song on the album that I have listened to a lot.
The fifth track “Toxic” featuring the Glee cast primarily Will Schuester, Rachel and Brittany was probably one of the coolest scenes from the Glee “Brittany” episode and I absolutely loved how the cast perform this song on the series and also brought that glee version to this song. Another awesome track on the album!
The sixth track features the character Rachel (Lee Michele) singing her cover of Paramore’s “The Only Exception”. And when it comes to Hayley Williams vocals, I have always felt her vocals are just immaculate and love her voice. And when I first heard this song, I absolutely loved Michele’s cover. Lee Michele is a fantastic vocalist and her cover of this song was well done!
For the seventh track, we know that Paul McCartney has become a big fan of Glee and wanted to contribute songs to Glee and “I Want to Hold Your Hand” sung by Kurt (Chris Colfer) was well-done and how it was used for the show was quite emotional (in the show, Kurt’s father had a heart attack and was unresponsive in the hospital and Kurt was reminiscing of all the times he had with his father while holding his father’s hand).
For the eighth track, “One of Us”, a humorous “Grilled Cheesus” episode and featured the cast (primarily Tina, Finn, Kurt, Rachel, Merceds & Quinn) singing the popular Joan Osborne song. Another song that was well sung!
For the ninth track, the characters of Mercedes and Santana performed their cover of Ike and Tina Turner’s “River Deep, Mountain High” and Amber Riley is a fantastic vocalist and at first when I was watching this episode, I was wondering how Naya Rivera would compliment Riley in their duet and for the most part, these two worked magnificently together! Loved the cover!
For the tenth track, another duet featuring Sam & Quinn. As mentioned with “Billionaire”, Chord Overstreet has become one of the top vocalists of the show and it was great to see Dianne Agron (Quinn) singing more. Both did a wonderful job doing the cover of Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat’s “Lucky”. Well done!
For the eleventh track, the duet features Artie and Puck doing a cover of Bob Marley’s “One Love (People Get Ready)” and one thing we don’t see much of this season so far is Mark Salling (Puck) and so it’s good to have a track featuring Salling perform because he can sing. So, for the most part, he and Kevin McHale (Artie) do a pretty a cool job with this Marley classic!
The twelfth track features Blaine (Darren Criss), the new regular of “Glee” performing a cover of Katie Perry’s “Teenage Dream”. Interesting is that this is the highest downloaded track of Glee and which didn’t feature any of the regular Glee members singing. It’s a pretty cool Glee cover especially guys singing Katy Perry’s lyrics without any revisions.
The thirteenth track features Gwynneth Paltrow as the character Holly singing Cee-Lo’s “Forget You” (joined by Mercedes and Artie). It’s an OK cover by Paltrow but of the Holly sung songs on “Glee”, only one is featured on this album (while the others can be purchased separately on iTunes).
For the fourteenth track, the Glee cast performs their cover of Bruno Mars “Marry You”. And it’s a track that features the majority of the cast performing together which was pretty cool. A fun cover!
For the fifteenth track, Will Schuester (Matt Morrison) does his marimba cover of Michael Buble’s “Sway”. Morrison is a great vocalist although compared to the other upbeat pop tracks, I guess it’s all subjective to the listener if they enjoy the music for this track or not (especially for the younger listeners).
The sixteen track “Just the Way You Are” features Corey Monteith who plays the character of Finn singing the cover of the Bruno Mars track. This is probably one of my favorite Finn-based solos featured on a Glee album and glad they chose to use this solo song instead of his cover of R.E.M’s “Losing My Religion” for “Glee: The Music, Volume 4″.
The seventeenth track features Santana performing Amy Winehouse’s “Valerie”. I believe this is the first solo track featuring Santana on a Glee album which was pretty cool. Naya Rivera has really showed us her vocals in this second season and it’s a solid, upbeat cover!
The final track on the album features Sam & Quinn singing “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life”. And like how I enjoyed their cover of “Lucky”, these two have great chemistry together musically and onscreen. Another solid cover on the album!
Overall, “Glee: The Music, Volume 4″ is probably my favorite Glee album thus far! I love the music selection, the vocals were very well done and for the most part, if you are a Glee fan, the second season has turned out to be a fantastic season musically and yes, the last season, especially the latter half was wonderful but I really enjoy the music for this season, especially with the addition of the newer cast members and also giving the characters of Brittany and Santana more onscreen time and literally giving another cast members a chance to shine musically.
If there was anything that I had a problem with for this album, it was the lack of including the wonderful “Singing in the Rain/Umbrella” track (which I had purchased online separately iTunes) featuring Matt Morrison and Gwynneth Paltrow. That was an awesome cover and wish it was included on this album. And although it was a long shot, I actually enjoyed “SING!!” (from “Chorus Line”) by Tina and Mike. I also enjoyed Gwynneth Paltrow and Lea Michele’s cover of “Nowadays/ Hot Honey Rag” (from “Chicago”).
But overall, “Glee: The Music, Volume 4″ is a pretty wonderful album but at the same time, I know as the Gleeks continue to grow, as do the dissenters who will never understand the popularity of the show. Especially those who hate cover songs. But I’m not expecting anyone who is not a Glee fan to purchase the tracks or the album but the Glee fans themselves and overall, this album has a good balance of upbeat tracks, slow jams and everything you have come to love about the show and the characters.
Once again, I am a biased towards “Glee” because I do love the show and the music but comparing “Glee: The Music, Volume 4″ to the previous albums, this one is the best so far! Definitely recommended!
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| Addicted to Love: The Kardashians and Rachel Uchitel on The Joy Behar Show |
November 30, 2010 by J!-ENT · Leave a Comment
It was a MAJOR night on The Joy Behar Show, Kim, Khloe and Kourtney Kardashian dropped by to discuss their new book, “Kardashian Konfidential.” The sisters talked about losing their virginity – Khloe was 14, Kim 15 (we think) and Kourtney was 16 – as well as sibling jealousy, but according to Kourtney, “Kim and Khlow know I’m the smartest!” Check it out:
Kardashian Sisters:
Also on the show, Dr. Drew Pinsky – who just announced he will be getting his very own HLN show – along with “Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew” cast member Rachel Uchitel (well known for her connection with the Tiger Woods scandal). Uchitel learned from Dr. Drew that events in her life made her “addicted to love.” On joining the show, Rachel let viewers know that “she said no up until the last second…” Well, there’s always a first time for everything:
Dr. Drew and Rachel Uchitel:
Tune into The Joy Behar Show weeknights at 9 PM ET on HLN.
Because as the very wise Robert Palmer once said, “You might as well face it, you’re addicted to love,”
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| Anne Hathaway attends IFP’s 20th Annual Gotham Independent Film Awards in New York City |
November 30, 2010 by J!-ENT · Leave a Comment
Actress Anne Hathaway attends IFP’s 20th Annual Gotham Independent Film Awards at Cipriani, Wall Street on November 29, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images for IFP)
Content © 2010 Getty Images All rights reserved.
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| Interview with Jay Baruchel of “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” – J!-ENT Interviews and Articles |
November 29, 2010 by J!-ENT · Leave a Comment
With the upcoming Blu-ray and DVD release of “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment on Nov. 30th, J!-ENT will be featuring interviews with cast members, producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Jon Turteltaub. In our third featured interview, we feature Jay Baruchel (“Tropic Thunder”, “Knocked Up”, “How to Train Your Dragon”, “Nick and Norah’s Infinity Playlist) who plays the sorcerer’s apprentice Dave.
Here is a short Q&A interview with Jay Baruchel:
How does it feel to be involved with The Sorcerer’s Apprentice?
It’s a great honor to be part of The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, but it’s also very stressful because Fantasia is cherished and beloved by so many people around the world. The sorcerer’s apprentice sequence of Fantasia is one of the most iconic and important sequences in film history, so I didn’t want to screw this up. If you were going to create a retrospective of great film moments, I think the Fantasia sequence would be up there alongside Cary Grant being chased by the crop duster in North By Northwest. It has been exhilarating to get the chance to do something so important to so many people, but there’s a lot of weight on our shoulders and I didn’t want to get it wrong.
How do you deal with the stress of working on such an iconic project?
There are two possible outcomes. You can either let the stress get the best of you and wilt in the face of adversity, or you can let the stress push you to work harder than you’ve ever worked before. The only other time in my career where I felt a similar weight on my shoulders was when I got to work for Clint Eastwood. It was tough. There’s a great sports analogy that comes to mind when I think about this. If you get drafted into the NHL and you get to play on the same line with the guys that made you want to start playing hockey in the first place, are you going to mess up under the pressure? Or are you going to show everyone the reason why you are standing there next to these amazing athletes? I had to bring my A-game to this project. I wanted to prove to everyone that they made the right decision in hiring me.
What was your highlight to the filming of The Sorcerer’s Apprentice?
Shooting plasma bolts out of my hands has been a lifelong ambition of mine. Ever since I played Street Fighter II when I was a kid, I’ve been waiting to shoot energy out of my hands. For years, nothing happened. My hands finally get to work in The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.
What was it like to work with Nicolas Cage on the movie?
Nicolas Cage is an amazing man and I have a great deal of affection for him. I love the man and I count him as a good friend of mine. He and I are cut from the same cloth. We’re kindred spirits who both march to the beat of our own drum. We’re both outsiders and we’re interested in the same things. We both love comic books, we like a lot of the same music, we like a lot of the same movies for the same reasons, and we’re both incredibly punctual. It was a real thrill for me to work with him because I can remember sneaking into Con Air when I was 15 years old.
What makes Nicolas Cage such an iconic actor?
He has such a unique, distinct presence. To be on set and shooting scenes with him or even having conversations with the guy has been mind blowing for me. There would be moments throughout the six months of filming where I would almost step outside of my body and realize that I was talking to Nicolas Cage. That was really cool for me.
What was it like working with Teresa Palmer?
Teresa is awesome. We have a very similar background and we have similar views on a lot of things. She’s kind, beautiful and easy to fall in love with on camera. I gained another best friend by working with her on The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.
How much of Fantasia do we see in the new movie?
Well, we do our own version of the Mickey Mouse mop sequence in The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, which was a very fun scene to work on. I make the mops come to life, which is a sequence we shot over a week. While filming that, it was abundantly clear to me that I had to do the best I’d ever done. I certainly had to bring the A-game for those scenes.
Did you want to wear Mickey Mouse’s wizard hat for the magical mop scenes?
No, I was very thankful that I didn’t get to wear Mickey’s hat. Mickey can rock the hat. He looks neat wearing it, but it doesn’t look as cool on my head. It’s pretty hard to look cool with a pointy hat.
What’s your earliest memory of Fantasia?
I was a little kid when I saw Fantasia for the first time and I’m pretty sure I had Fantasia sheets or a blanket on my bed back then. When I was a kid, everything I owned was either Winnie The Pooh or Fantasia. It was huge in my life.
Do you remember the first time you saw the movie?
There are moments in your life when you remember seeing or hearing something for the first time. But when it comes to Fantasia, I don’t remember a life without it. It’s always been there for me. I can’t pinpoint my first viewing, but it’s been thrilling to pay homage to something that’s been in my life forever.
There is a scene in the movie where your character gets beaten up in a bathroom and he says, “Oh, God… This is just like high school all over again.” Did you have a tough childhood like your character in the movie?
Yes and no. I think high school is a mix of the happiest memories of your life and the most miserable memories of your life. I had some real great times at school. House parties haven’t been as fun as they were when I was a teenager. That’s when a party at someone’s house is the most fun thing in the universe. However, that’s also the time of your life when you’re at your most awkward and you can’t stand the way you look. I went to a tough high school in Montreal and the cops were there every single week. Sure, I had my fights back then, but my parents eventually transferred me to a fine arts school. I went from the most dangerous high school to the artiest place ever. It was a strange transition, but it’s all been a great learning process for me.
Many people remember you for your role in Tropic Thunder. How much fun did you have shooting that movie?
Tropic Thunder was sweet. It was real fun and an amazing experience. Between takes, Brandon Jackson and I would time ourselves and see how quickly we could unload and reload our guns with our eyes closed. I could do it in four and a half seconds. I had the record on set.
How did the Tropic Thunder set compare to other movies sets you worked on?
It was very, very, different to my experience on Knocked Up where I was going to set every day with people that I had known for a long time. I lived with Seth Rogan for two years and I stayed with his parents in Vancouver, so he’s like blood to me. In that sense, filming Knocked Up was like a family reunion. I had an amazing mix of love, loyalty and impatience with the people on set there. Tropic Thunder was very different because I went away to a far off place with Jack Black, Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr. and Steve Coogan. I found myself shooting guns in the middle of the jungle with all these guys that became my friends, but they were untouchable icons that I didn’t know at the start of the film shoot. I knew Ben and Jack a little bit, but by spending six months in the jungle with them, I formed some real bonds.
Which film set do you prefer?
I love both experiences equally and I would do either of them again in a heartbeat. Seth Rogan is one of my best friends in the whole world. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for that kid, and I can call him kid because I am five days older than him. Tropic Thunder and Knocked Up both changed my life, so I have equal affection for them. However, I also have a huge affection for The Sorcerer’s Apprentice because it has become a project I’m extremely proud of.
What would you be doing if you weren’t an actor?
My main ambition in life is to direct horror movies in Montreal. Long before I started acting, I knew that’s what I wanted to do with my life, so if I wasn’t acting I would be making an effort to direct horror movies. If not, I would probably be working at a video store or a record store and talking a lot of rubbish because I know a little about a lot of things. I’m a nerd and I read a lot. I have a head full of useless knowledge.
Where does your passion for horror come from?
I’ve always had a passion for horror, but I don’t know where it came from. The two movie genres that excite me the most are action movies and horror movies – and that’s what I want to spend the rest of my life doing. When I was seven years old, I wanted to be a writer. When I was nine years old, I decided that I wanted to make movies. My mother videotaped me when I was seven years old and there’s a tape of me saying I want to make stuff that scares Stephen King out of his underpants. That’s my next goal. Let’s see if I can make that dream come true.
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