The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio
The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio |
| Posted: 16 Nov 2012 04:43 AM PST Wedding Band checks its songlist to give audiences a LOL soundtrack. ON June 24 this year, Brian Austin Green and Megan Fox got married on a beach in Hawaii, with only Green's son – 10-year-old Kassius (whose mother is Green's ex, Vanessa Marcil) – in attendance. Reports say that it was an intimate event that took place as the sun was setting. The low-key affair may have something to do with the fact that Green hates weddings. In a telephone interview with the 39-year-old actor, Green confesses that he literally cringes when he is invited to a wedding. "It's all about the after-party at the end of the day, and not about the wedding," notes Green candidly. It is ironic then, that Green is sharing this particular information with a group of journalists while promoting his new series, Wedding Band. The show revolves around a four-member band called Mother Of The Bride that performs at weddings and various other parties. And get this: Green's character is the band's womanising bachelor who knows how to work the crowd – most of the time – to his advantage. As if to pronounce just how very different Green is to his character, his six-week-old baby (with Fox) decides to make some noise as Green is talking. But wanting to be present at the "wildest parties in town" is not a concept that is totally alien to the Los Angeles-based actor, who has had his share of wild bachelor days. He says: "If I rewind my own life back to when I was 17, that's my guy on the show. If I take away any responsibility I have now and throw it away, I get Tommy (his character). He doesn't want any responsibility. It doesn't matter to him where he lives, what he drives, as long as he's alive at the end of the day, that's a good day. That's the most connection I have with myself. "Sometimes I think what a dummy this guy is. When you get married and have a family, you realise what is important in life and what the great things are. And to play a character who has no concept of what is great outside of 'yeah man, I was on stage!', there's just not much in that. His doesn't see very far ahead, he's just very in the moment." Another difference between Green and his character: even though he sings on the show and has had a crash course on playing the guitar, Green says he would not let anyone pay him to be a singer or be a musician. "I love and respect music too much to call myself one." Once upon a time, however, Green harboured dreams of becoming a musician (a drummer, to be specific). He grew up in a musical family – his father was a country musician – and even attended a music school. He even released a hip-hop album in 1996, but his effort was shot down by critics. Hence, acting became his sole occupation – he is perhaps best known for his work in the original Beverly Hills, 90210 – but revels that he gets to do both acting and singing on Wedding Band. "I listen to a lot of alternative and classic rock right now; I sort of go through phases. I listen to hip-hop and then cut back and listen to other stuff. But it doesn't really influence the character. He is a rocker, he likes getting in front of the audience and screaming at the top of his lungs. We couldn't be more different that way," Green shares. To prepare for the musical numbers, he and his co-stars – Peter Cambor (as Eddie, a married guy with two children), Derek Miller (the band's drummer Barry, who wishes he was Jack Black) and Harold Perrineau (Steve, a successful sessions musician who becomes the band's newest member) – do a couple of days of rehearsals before going into a recording studio. "We do that while we're shooting, so it's a lot of work. It's a lot to squeeze into an eight-day shoot." Luckily, Green enjoys the company of his fellow actors and vice versa. According to him, they spend a lot of time together. "To the point, everyone will group-text each other and after my phone has beeped like 35 times in an afternoon because everyone is texting in a group conversation, I will just sit down and send one text out: 'OK. Shut the f*** up. Go be with your family.' (laughs). It's nice. I haven't experienced that in so long, really, since 90210. It's like an extended family." No wonder then, that Green has no qualms about getting his wife, Fox, on one of the show's earlier episodes. She plays a lead actress of a sci-fi series, who tells Tommy a secret subplot about the show. Tommy, not caring about this detail, ends up revealing this subplot which gets him in trouble with the fans. "It's a really funny episode," shares Green. There are nine episodes in the first season and each episode is titled after a name of a song. Typically a "buddy comedy", the hour-long sitcom revolves around these four guys, each with some sort of screw-up issue that they are refusing to address. Inadvertently, each episode sees them in the middle of a crazy situation – say an "Elvish" wedding – that generates the laughs. Also in the picture is an event planner (Melora Hardin), a determined woman who takes no prisoners when it comes to her success, but at the same time has to concede that a wedding band is an important ingredient for an occasion. Which brings us to the question: Would Green have invited Mother Of The Bride to play at his wedding if it had adhered to a traditional setting? "No, never," he answers with no hesitation and a laugh. Wedding Band premieres today on beTV (Astro B.yond Ch720). A new episode airs every every Friday at 8.30pm. |
| Bruce Boxleitner lends voice in Tron: Uprising Posted: 16 Nov 2012 04:44 AM PST Bruce Boxleitner lends his voice to animated series Tron: Uprising. THIRTY years ago, Bruce Boxleit-ner was in Tron, a science fiction movie about a computer programmer who is taken prisoner in the virtual world of the computer mainframe called the Grid. Actor Jeff Bridges was cast as the lead, Kevin Flynn (whose digital world character is Clu), while Boxleitner played his sidekick Alan Bradley, another programmer (whose character is called Tron in the cyber world). Tron proved to be a sleeper hit: Ideologically, it was decades ahead of its time – handphones didn't yet exist and the Internet was still undiscovered but here was a movie about real-life programmers getting lost and fighting for their survival inside a digital arena "where love and escape do not compute" (that's a line from the trailer to the original movie). Acting in a science fiction movie wasn't exactly in Boxleitner's career trajectory at the time. In fact, according to a 1982 report in People magazine, the tall handsome actor was being groomed (by then manager Jay Bernstein) to be "the next Clark Gable and Alan Ladd". But Boxleitner accepted the role because he found the concept intriguing and it gave him the opportunity to work alongside Bridges, someone Boxleitner had "admired for years". Tron has since become a cult classic to science fiction fans across generations (Pixar's John Lasseter has said that "without Tron there would be no Toy Story") and has since spawned a series of video and computer games (Tron 2.0, Tron 2.0: Killer App), a movie sequel, Tron: The Legacy (2010), and most recently an animated TV series, Tron: Uprising. "Well, I am surprised (at how popular Tron still is) and I think everyone who did (the movie) is, as well. I'm very happy that it is a hit. It is very rare that you have a project that lives on past a couple of years. I've done so many other different things over the years and yet Tron seems to be the one that still resonates with newer audiences. I think it is because of its subject matter – the younger generation uses technology as their language and that's basically what Tron was about. In its own sweet, naive way, it was about computers and technology and ... look how far we've come," says the 62-year-old actor in a telephone interview from Los Angeles, California. The latest incarnation, Tron: Uprising, is the best so far, says Boxleitner enthusiastically. "It takes place seven years after the original Tron and just before Tron: Legacy (in which Flynn's son Sam goes into the Grid in search of his father). Our scriptwriters – very wisely, I thought – took Tron to a darker place. This is an older, scarred, battle-weary Tron who is bent on Clu's destruction. Our writers have given me such a range (to portray), which is very exciting for an actor." In a career that has spanned 40 years (Boxleitner first arrived in Hollywood in 1972 where he guest- starred in The Mary Tyler Moore Show), he has played the whole gamut of TV and movie roles – acting in westerns (How The West Was Won, The Gambler series), sitcoms (Scarecrow And Mrs King, GCB), horror (Area 51) and science fiction (Tron, Babylon 5). Boxleitner revels in new and challenging roles, and he didn't hold back when approached to reprise his role as Tron, whom he reckons is "the ultimate video game character". "I'm selfish," he declares. "I don't want anyone else doing it. And why shouldn't I (reprise my role)? I was part of creating that character and creating that film … it is part of me and part of what I have done in my life. Besides, I do like the character. I like that he keeps evolving. I am just continually interested in where they take the characters and the story." Stellar voice cast Although Tron: Uprising is an animated TV series, Boxleitner cautions fans against assuming it to be just a cartoon. The series introduces Beck, a young programmer who goes all out to free his friends from the villainous Clu. Beck is trained by Tron who shapes him from an impulsive fighter into a courageous and powerful warrior, worthy of becoming the next leader. "It's not a kiddy show. It's not a cartoon. It's a show all Tron fans will enjoy. It has a great deal of style and action and our writers have done a great job in tying the story together. It's part of the whole saga," he says. Tron: Uprising is directed by Charlie Bean (who directed TV's Robotboy and was the storyboard artist for shows like The Powerpuff Girls and Dexter's Laboratory) and boasts a stellar voice cast which includes Elijah Wood, Emmanuelle Chirqui, Mandy Moore, Lance Henricksen and Paul Reubens (aka Pee-Wee Herman). "Charlie was really the driving force behind this. Voice acting is very different. You have to try to 'physicalise' emotions and actions with just the voice. In the fight scenes, I have to .. well, I don't want to say grunt ... but exhale and bring that level of emotion and exertion into the voice. Sometimes, we act along with the animation, but a lot of the times, we don't see what is happening. Thank God we have Charlie because he is really good at telling us what we need to bring to a line or a scene. With Tron, I had to sort of bring a fatigue to my voice while maintaining a sense of command because he is tougher here and he's bent on destroying Clu. I had to add a huskier quality to my voice, if that makes sense. Of course, I am older and have a huskier voice so that worked out well," Boxleitner shares. What took some getting used to, however, was seeing himself as an animated character that's somewhat physically different. "The first time I saw (myself) I went: 'Whoa!' I wish I had a jaw like my animated character has. Gosh, what a strong jaw," he says with a laugh. "But, that's part of the stylisation of the series. I love the look of it. I think it's phenomenal how we've expanded the Grid to include all these cities, different landscapes, oceans. It reflects a darker, more dangerous and realistic game grid, which in turn reflects the type of games we have now. The original Tron almost seems sweet and innocent in comparison." Boxleitner is game to reprise his role once more should a third Tron movie materialise: "I hope there will be one. I know that there is a story in development but I don't know when that will be out." He, however, isn't too keen on many more remakes; except perhaps of the 1980s hit Scarecrow And Mrs King. Boxleitner reveals that after Tron, Scarecrow is possibly the character he is best known for, particularly among women "of a certain generation". "I would love to (reprise Scare-crow) if someone had a terrific storyline that could work at our ages," he says, adding that he had re-connected with Scarecrow co-star Kate Jackson a couple of years ago and the two had laughed about the possibility of a remake. "But there is one problem with that," he adds. "I don't want to relive my whole career again … an older, creakier version at that! I'm still interested in doing new things. I've got a lot yet to give." Tron: Uprising premieres on Disney XD (Astro Ch 617) and Disney HD (Astro Ch 637) tomorrow at 2pm. |
| Posted: 15 Nov 2012 11:28 PM PST Red FM loves rewarding its listeners with amazing prizes. RED FM is the official radio station for the Miss Universe Malaysia pageant. With this, Red FM is offering you the opportunity to be as stylish as the contestants. Starting Monday and for the next four consecutive Mondays, The Red Breakfast Show will be giving away prizes in conjunction with the five-episode Miss Universe Malaysia reality show aired on 8TV. Simply answer a question regarding the episode aired the night before and you can win yourself merchandise worth RM500 from Oris and RM200 shopping vouchers from Fashion Valet. Red FM is also the official radio station for the Penang Island Jazz Festival. For the next two weeks, The Red Hub (Mondays to Fridays, 1pm-4pm) and The Red Room (Mondays to Fridays, 10pm-1am) will be giving out passes for you to experience great music on the gorgeous island. It's the end of the year, so win these passes for a well-deserved getaway. The much-anticipated last instalment of the Twilight saga is finally here and Red FM is offering you a unique viewing experience. Red FM is the first radio station to give you The Twilight Saga Movie Marathon, thanks to Cathay Cineplex e@Curve in Petaling Jaya, Selangor. On Nov 23, from 8pm to 8am the following day, all four movies will be screened back-to-back. Calling all Edward Cullen and Jacob Black fans, here is your chance to get your fix of these two hotties. Come in your best Twilight outfit to take part in the Best Dressed competition. There will be other prizes to be won during the breaks between movies. For more information, check facebook.com/redfm.my. So don't miss out on the opportunity to listen to great jazz music, ogle at good looking vampires and werewolves while being dressed stylishly. Keep yourself tuned to Red FM. For more information, log on to red.fm. Join the Red FM Malaysia Facebook fan page on facebook.com/redfm.my and follow them on Twitter @iloveredfm. Red FM is owned and operated by The Star. Red FM's station frequencies: Taiping, Kedah, Perlis and Pulau Langkawi: 98.1FM; George Town and Seberang Prai: 107.6FM; Ipoh, Perak: 106.4FM; Klang Valley, Negri Sembilan and Tapah: 104.9FM; Kuantan, Pahang: 91.6FM; Batu Pahat and Malacca: 98.9FM; Johor Baru and Singapore: 92.8FM. |
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