Tyron Woodley just put Georges St-Pierre on the spot -- telling the Ufc legend straight to his face ... Let's Fight Already!!! Gsp appeared on "The Hollywood Beatdown" where Tyron congratulated him on his "warm up fight" against Michael Bisping ... and challenged him to "get it in" with The Chosen One! Then, Tyron threw down the gauntlet ... asking Gsp straight up if he's back in the Ufc to solidify his place as the greatest of all...
- 11/10/2017
- by TMZ Staff
- TMZ
As we have known for a few months now, Luke Skywalker was never completely alone on the planet Ahch-to. Through leaked concept art we learned the Jedi Master has some company, and perhaps even friends in the creatures known as the porgs. With their short stature and adorable eyes they are probably the most awe-inducing element of Star Wars since we met the Ewoks in Return of the Jedi.
Though they do not heavily resemble their off screen counterparts, porgs are inspired by real animals that inhabit the real island of Skellig Michael, the island used for the location where Luke Skywalker went into exile. The creatures are called puffins, a seabird that is known to spend its summers on the island. Rian Johnson discussed how they came to be a part of the movie with Entertainment Weekly:
“If you go to Skellig at the right time of year, it’s just covered in puffins,...
Though they do not heavily resemble their off screen counterparts, porgs are inspired by real animals that inhabit the real island of Skellig Michael, the island used for the location where Luke Skywalker went into exile. The creatures are called puffins, a seabird that is known to spend its summers on the island. Rian Johnson discussed how they came to be a part of the movie with Entertainment Weekly:
“If you go to Skellig at the right time of year, it’s just covered in puffins,...
- 8/10/2017
- by Seth McDonald
- LRMonline.com
Angelica Hale may be tiny, but her powerful pipes have earned her a ticket straight to the live rounds on America’s Got Talent.
The 9 year old blew the judges away with a stunning rendition of Alicia Keys‘ 2012 hit “Girl on Fire.” Guest judge Chris Hardwick declared her “The Chosen One” (a.k.a. the recipient of his coveted Golden Buzzer).
Hale described the incredible moment while chatting with People Now via Skype.
“My mind was totally blank like, ‘Oh my gosh, what is happening to me?,’ ” she explains. “It was amazing and then the next moment I knew, I...
The 9 year old blew the judges away with a stunning rendition of Alicia Keys‘ 2012 hit “Girl on Fire.” Guest judge Chris Hardwick declared her “The Chosen One” (a.k.a. the recipient of his coveted Golden Buzzer).
Hale described the incredible moment while chatting with People Now via Skype.
“My mind was totally blank like, ‘Oh my gosh, what is happening to me?,’ ” she explains. “It was amazing and then the next moment I knew, I...
- 8/10/2017
- by Stephanie Petit
- PEOPLE.com
“Buffy the Vampire Slayer” turned 20 today, sending a whole generation of genre geeks into nostalgia nirvana. And Buffy herself — Sarah Michelle Gellar — is feeling understandably sentimental. The Chosen One took to her Instagram to write a long thank-you note to the fans who have kept the “Buffy” love strong for two decades. “20 years ago today, I had the greatest privilege to bring Buffy to your tv screens for the first time,” she wrote alongside a picture of herself on set. “It was a long and challenging road to get there. First the movie, then a passed over pilot presentation, and.
- 3/10/2017
- by Linda Ge
- The Wrap
Grrr arggg! Into every generation an excellent TV show is born: One show in all the world. The Chosen One.
It’s been 20 years since Buffy Summers, Mr. Pointy, The Bronze, and Giles’ always-smudged spectacles graced our small screens, and the world has never been the same (mostly because she saved it… a lot).
There were plenty of quips (“Out. For. A. Walk. B**ch.”), tears (Spike’s undying devotion, sob), and frights (bunnies, plus demons and stuff), but Buffy the Vampire Slayer was so much more than that.
The Joss Whedon masterpiece created several feminist icons, spoke to addiction struggles, portrayed the first lesbian sex scene on broadcast television, showed that vampires were sexy long before Twilight and made it ok to wear pink leather pants in public… well, sort of.
Whether you were Team Angel, Team Spike or kind of just wanted Giles and Joyce to get together, the show had...
It’s been 20 years since Buffy Summers, Mr. Pointy, The Bronze, and Giles’ always-smudged spectacles graced our small screens, and the world has never been the same (mostly because she saved it… a lot).
There were plenty of quips (“Out. For. A. Walk. B**ch.”), tears (Spike’s undying devotion, sob), and frights (bunnies, plus demons and stuff), but Buffy the Vampire Slayer was so much more than that.
The Joss Whedon masterpiece created several feminist icons, spoke to addiction struggles, portrayed the first lesbian sex scene on broadcast television, showed that vampires were sexy long before Twilight and made it ok to wear pink leather pants in public… well, sort of.
Whether you were Team Angel, Team Spike or kind of just wanted Giles and Joyce to get together, the show had...
- 3/10/2017
- Entertainment Tonight
LeBron James ate like true king with prime meats on the menu to celebrate his 32nd birthday. The Chosen One hit up Fahrenheit Friday night -- the night of his birthday -- in Charlotte with a bunch of his teammates ... including Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson. We're told he rolled in around 8:30 Pm and the group sat in a private room ... where they ordered $3k worth of food and drinks. LeBron specially...
- 12/31/2016
- by TMZ Staff
- TMZ
Rachel Meaden Oct 30, 2016
Yonderland's third series is its most confident, consistently fun outing yet. Here's our look at the latest episode...
This review contains spoilers.
See related American Horror Story season 6: Roanoke Chapter 6 review The Serial effect: making true crime hot TV property American Horror Story: examining the real lost colony of Roanoke American Horror Story: is there life after Jessica Lange?
After the Ocean’s Eleven spoof of last week we return to a more familiar (but no less great) episode in the shape of The Bird And The Bee.
After being chased out of Yonderland by an angry mob, the Elders are still camped out in Debbie’s loft and The Chosen One is, understandably, getting a bit peeved about it (particularly when they’re eating all her Christmas tree ornaments and trying on her clothes). To test the waters Debbie pops back through...
Yonderland's third series is its most confident, consistently fun outing yet. Here's our look at the latest episode...
This review contains spoilers.
See related American Horror Story season 6: Roanoke Chapter 6 review The Serial effect: making true crime hot TV property American Horror Story: examining the real lost colony of Roanoke American Horror Story: is there life after Jessica Lange?
After the Ocean’s Eleven spoof of last week we return to a more familiar (but no less great) episode in the shape of The Bird And The Bee.
After being chased out of Yonderland by an angry mob, the Elders are still camped out in Debbie’s loft and The Chosen One is, understandably, getting a bit peeved about it (particularly when they’re eating all her Christmas tree ornaments and trying on her clothes). To test the waters Debbie pops back through...
- 10/28/2016
- Den of Geek
Louisa Mellor Oct 22, 2016
Witty, energetic Doctor Who spin-off Class wears its influences well and gets a great deal right for its target audience...
This review contains spoilers.
See related Gotham season 3: Sean Pertwee interview Gotham season 3: Robin Lord Taylor interview Gotham season 3: Cory Michael Smith interview Gotham season 2 episode 22 review: Transference
1.1 For Tonight We May Die & 1.2 The Coach With The Dragon Tattoo
“Where are all the teachers?” screams a girl running into a packed school prom to warn her classmates of their impending death. Thus Class obeys the first rule of any young adult adventure: adults should be absent, useless or evil; the kids are the ones who save the world.
With one exception in this case. As a Doctor Who spin-off, a certain Gallifreyan has licence to pop in and wave his Sonic Screwdriver about from time to time, as he does in For Tonight We May Die.
Witty, energetic Doctor Who spin-off Class wears its influences well and gets a great deal right for its target audience...
This review contains spoilers.
See related Gotham season 3: Sean Pertwee interview Gotham season 3: Robin Lord Taylor interview Gotham season 3: Cory Michael Smith interview Gotham season 2 episode 22 review: Transference
1.1 For Tonight We May Die & 1.2 The Coach With The Dragon Tattoo
“Where are all the teachers?” screams a girl running into a packed school prom to warn her classmates of their impending death. Thus Class obeys the first rule of any young adult adventure: adults should be absent, useless or evil; the kids are the ones who save the world.
With one exception in this case. As a Doctor Who spin-off, a certain Gallifreyan has licence to pop in and wave his Sonic Screwdriver about from time to time, as he does in For Tonight We May Die.
- 10/20/2016
- Den of Geek
This article originally appeared on EW.com.Kanye West responded to rapper Kid Cudi's tweets, in which Cudi called out the Life of Pablo star on Wednesday. "Kid Cudi, don’t ever mention 'Ye name. I birthed you," West said during his Tampa stop on the Saint Pablo tour. "We all dealing with that emo sh– all the time - me, Pat, Don C. Don’t ever mention 'Ye name. Don't try to say who I can do songs with. You mad 'cause I’m doing songs with Drake? Ain’t nobody telling 'Ye who to do songs with! Respect the God!
- 9/15/2016
- by Jessica Goodman, @jessgood
- PEOPLE.com
This article originally appeared on EW.com.Kanye West responded to rapper Kid Cudi's tweets, in which Cudi called out the Life of Pablo star on Wednesday. "Kid Cudi, don’t ever mention 'Ye name. I birthed you," West said during his Tampa stop on the Saint Pablo tour. "We all dealing with that emo sh– all the time - me, Pat, Don C. Don’t ever mention 'Ye name. Don't try to say who I can do songs with. You mad 'cause I’m doing songs with Drake? Ain’t nobody telling 'Ye who to do songs with! Respect the God!
- 9/15/2016
- by Jessica Goodman, @jessgood
- PEOPLE.com
I'm originally from the Jacksonville area, so it's fun for me to see the Florida city represented (even in a goofy way) in this brand new season 2 trailer for Starz's Ash vs. Evil Dead. The last trailer was super short but extraordinarily bloody, and this one is way longer, shows off tons of new footage, and is still pretty damn Nsfw when it comes to violence and gore: there are beheadings, dismemberments, and all sorts of insane things going on here as we're teased with a bit more information about Ash's backstory.
Kid Cudi, of all people, debuted the trailer on Twitter:
Soo my new favorite show on tv, @AshvsEvilDead and the awesome folks at Starz, have asked a fanboy to help them out w something special...
Kid Cudi, of all people, debuted the trailer on Twitter:
Soo my new favorite show on tv, @AshvsEvilDead and the awesome folks at Starz, have asked a fanboy to help them out w something special...
- 7/19/2016
- by Ben Pearson
- GeekTyrant
There’s no place like home — unless you’re the titular, chainsaw-wielding hero of Ash vs. Evil Dead.
RelatedAmerican Gods: Starz Reveals First Photo of Love Goddess Bilquis
Starz on Tuesday released a red band trailer for the horror series’ upcoming second season, which sends Ash (Bruce Campbell) back to his hometown of Elk Grove, Mich., where he’s forced into an “uneasy alliance” with Ruby (Lucy Lawless).
Watch the trailer, allegedly “too gory for Comic-Con,” below (via Kid Cudi):
.@AshvsEvilDead S2 Too Gory Delicious 4 Comic Con! https://t.co/chImCNcgWF @GroovyBruce @ImDanaDeLorenzo @RealRaySantiago @RealLucyLawless
— The Chosen One (@KidCudi...
RelatedAmerican Gods: Starz Reveals First Photo of Love Goddess Bilquis
Starz on Tuesday released a red band trailer for the horror series’ upcoming second season, which sends Ash (Bruce Campbell) back to his hometown of Elk Grove, Mich., where he’s forced into an “uneasy alliance” with Ruby (Lucy Lawless).
Watch the trailer, allegedly “too gory for Comic-Con,” below (via Kid Cudi):
.@AshvsEvilDead S2 Too Gory Delicious 4 Comic Con! https://t.co/chImCNcgWF @GroovyBruce @ImDanaDeLorenzo @RealRaySantiago @RealLucyLawless
— The Chosen One (@KidCudi...
- 7/19/2016
- TVLine.com
Lousy Smarch is almost here and the debut schedules for all the movies and series that will be hitting Netflix in March have arrived. We also have the Amazon Prime folks covered as well! The second season of Marvel’s Daredevil and the premieres of the fourth season of House of Cards and the first season of the new comedy Flaked, with Will Arnett hit the small screen. Did you forget about the premiere of the Judd Apatow-produced Pee-wee’s Big Holiday? We didn’t.
On the Amazon Prime front, check out below to see what you’ll be able to stream for free and what’s going to have a cost. Let’s watch!
All Title Dates are Subject to Change
Netflix U.S. Release Dates Only
Available 3/1
Adult Beginners (2015)
Ahora o Nunca (2015)
Aldnoah.Zero: Season 2
American Pie Presents: Beta House (2007)
American Pie Presents: The Naked Mile...
On the Amazon Prime front, check out below to see what you’ll be able to stream for free and what’s going to have a cost. Let’s watch!
All Title Dates are Subject to Change
Netflix U.S. Release Dates Only
Available 3/1
Adult Beginners (2015)
Ahora o Nunca (2015)
Aldnoah.Zero: Season 2
American Pie Presents: Beta House (2007)
American Pie Presents: The Naked Mile...
- 2/23/2016
- by Graham McMorrow
- City of Films
March 2016 is a sad month for some Netflix subscribers.
Say goodbye to '90s films "American Pie" (1999), "Hackers" (1995), Mel Gibson's "Hamlet" (1990), "Indecent Proposal" (1993) and "Jumanji" (1995) in March. Also disappearing: Will Smith movies "Hitch" (2005) and "Men in Black II" (2002), as well as oodles of TEDTalks that are all expiring next month.
Here's the complete list of what's leaving Netflix streaming in March.
Leaving March 1, 2016
"Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet the Wolfman" (2000)
"American Pie" (1999)
"American Wedding" (2003)
"Atlantis: The Lost Empire" (2001)
"The Babysitters" (2007)
"The Chosen One" (2010)
"Down and Out in Beverly Hills" (1986)
"Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights" (1992)
"Gone in 60 Seconds" (2000)
"Hackers" (1995)
"Hamlet" (1990)
"Hannie Caulder" (1971)
"Hardball" (2001)
"Hart's War" (2002)
"Hitch" (2005)
"Indecent Proposal" (1993)
"Johnny Dangerously" (1984)
"Jumanji" (1995)
"Masters of the Universe" (1987)
"Men in Black II" (2002)
"The Monster Squad" (1987)
"Not Another Teen Movie" (2001)
"Paycheck" (2003)
"Switchmas" (2013)
"The United States of Leland" (2003)
"Wings" (1927)
Leaving March 2, 2016
"Stevie Nicks: In Your Dreams" (2013)
Leaving March 3, 2016
"Night Catches Us" (2010)
Leaving March 4, 2016
"Getting...
Say goodbye to '90s films "American Pie" (1999), "Hackers" (1995), Mel Gibson's "Hamlet" (1990), "Indecent Proposal" (1993) and "Jumanji" (1995) in March. Also disappearing: Will Smith movies "Hitch" (2005) and "Men in Black II" (2002), as well as oodles of TEDTalks that are all expiring next month.
Here's the complete list of what's leaving Netflix streaming in March.
Leaving March 1, 2016
"Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet the Wolfman" (2000)
"American Pie" (1999)
"American Wedding" (2003)
"Atlantis: The Lost Empire" (2001)
"The Babysitters" (2007)
"The Chosen One" (2010)
"Down and Out in Beverly Hills" (1986)
"Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights" (1992)
"Gone in 60 Seconds" (2000)
"Hackers" (1995)
"Hamlet" (1990)
"Hannie Caulder" (1971)
"Hardball" (2001)
"Hart's War" (2002)
"Hitch" (2005)
"Indecent Proposal" (1993)
"Johnny Dangerously" (1984)
"Jumanji" (1995)
"Masters of the Universe" (1987)
"Men in Black II" (2002)
"The Monster Squad" (1987)
"Not Another Teen Movie" (2001)
"Paycheck" (2003)
"Switchmas" (2013)
"The United States of Leland" (2003)
"Wings" (1927)
Leaving March 2, 2016
"Stevie Nicks: In Your Dreams" (2013)
Leaving March 3, 2016
"Night Catches Us" (2010)
Leaving March 4, 2016
"Getting...
- 2/23/2016
- by Sharon Knolle
- Moviefone
By the end of Star Wars: The Force Awakens Rey has become stronger in the Force without any proper Jedi training, but we still are left in the dark about her her lineage.
What we know about Rey:
She was ditched on Jakku by her supposed "family" when she was a young girl.She has been waiting for at least 10 years for them to return.During her years savaging on the harsh surface of Jakku she has gained a complete understanding of how things work (expert mechanic).She becomes aware of her force abilities during her visit to Maz Kanata.While being held prisoner at Starkiller base, she learns how to properly execute a Jedi Mind trick.She uses force pull during the lightsaber fight with Kylo Ren and defeats him with Luke's old saber.She locates Luke Skywalker to presumably start her Jedi training
Here is my theory:
Everyone thinks she is Luke's offspring,...
What we know about Rey:
She was ditched on Jakku by her supposed "family" when she was a young girl.She has been waiting for at least 10 years for them to return.During her years savaging on the harsh surface of Jakku she has gained a complete understanding of how things work (expert mechanic).She becomes aware of her force abilities during her visit to Maz Kanata.While being held prisoner at Starkiller base, she learns how to properly execute a Jedi Mind trick.She uses force pull during the lightsaber fight with Kylo Ren and defeats him with Luke's old saber.She locates Luke Skywalker to presumably start her Jedi training
Here is my theory:
Everyone thinks she is Luke's offspring,...
- 12/28/2015
- by Kristian Odland
- GeekTyrant
Writer/director/producer Cristian Comeagă has been previously honored as producer of the ambitious film “The Rest is Silence”, which was Romania’s Oscar® contender in 2008. It also received the Gopo Award for Best Romanian Film and Cristian Comeagă was named Producer of the Year.
The lead actor, Bogdan Stanoevici, a well-known actor in both his native Romania and his adopted motherland, France, was made Deputy Minister of Culture for Romania just after this film was completed. His costar, the gorgeous Laura Cosoi is one of the country’s leading actresses and as well as a recognized chef. In addition, she has just married Cosmin Curticapean, the associate producer of the film.
Romania has a long history as a filmmaking country and its recent award winning films has brought the film world’s attention to films that are made in that country.
This one is a political thriller told in a very brightly colored world about Romania’s bleakest days under the dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu, before and after the 1989 Romanian anti-communist uprising. Its tone is odd, leading you to believe it might be a comedy. “The Chosen One” (“Cel Ales”) plays in a non-linear way with the layered storyline gradually revealing itself. It is a careful blend of art and entertainment.
A young student, bound for success as a model citizen who also likes jokes like most teenagers, is tripped up by one joke that he plays on the Party Leader which gets him in front of the comrade who becomes the designer, planner and destroyer of his life. As a messenger of the “Comrades’ Fellowship” he offers to help the boy flee to the “free world” instead of expelling him from high school. This leads to the next thirty years of his life.
To squeeze that many years into two hours leaves “no place for commonplace … no time for time-consuming waiting and no room for insignificant gestures and lines” says the director Cristian Comeaga. And therein lie the odd quality of this interesting story.
The film is truly an indie. It was shot in 37 days, in 56 locations across Romania, France and Belgium. True to form for indies, due to financial difficulties, shooting took more than a year (May 2012 to June 2013), while visual effects and post-production added another 15 months to the schedule.
Cristian Comeagă took no pay for the five jobs he had on the film – writer, director, producer, production designer and costume designer. “Yes, I must admit it didn’t leave me much time for sleep,” he says. He had even less sleep as he worked as a line producer on commercials and television productions, just to keep the bills paid. He also traded camera lenses and tennis rackets on eBay.
“The Chosen One” was a success in its Romanian release on April 24, 2015. During the first screening, half of the audience was government officials who liked it although it was different from most Romanian films. The first public screenings were attended by older people who remembered the times. Younger people then heard about the film and wanted to see what the past reality was. After the house lights went on, the audience did not move. But as they exited, they discussed the film trying to figure it out points in the story. And some tried to stop the film’s screening.
Cristian said that a movie does not exist until the audience has seen it.
While in L.A. for the Golden Globe and private trade screening, actors Laura Cosoi and Bogdan Stanoevici and I had a breakfast interview in which the actors’ lives seemed almost as surreal as the lives of the characters in the film.
Bogdan Stanoevici, who plays Mr. X, has his own life experiences remarkably similar to at least part of his character’s journey. In Romania he had an established career as an actor but was kindly informed in 1989 that he really should leave the country as his outspoken ways were not gaining him friends in the government. He escaped from Communist Romania in its waning days and made a life for himself in France. He didn’t return to his homeland until shortly before filming started on “The Chosen One”. Unlike Mr. X his life’s decisions were his own.
He had not seen Cristian Comeaga in 29 years but received a letter from him saying he wanted one actor who could play all ages from age 20 to 60 years. As a producer, Cristian knew he was right that only Bogdan could play the role and he promised him a beautiful, easy to work with partner (Laura Coisi). Bogdan had seen Laura from TV. Laura, who was born in 1982 knew him from a 1986 film called “Blue Sled” made before he had left Romania. The film had been very successful for the youth audience as there was no idealogy in it, something very rare in Romania. But in her 12 years in the industry she had never met Bogdan.
She wanted to rehearse for the film but Cristian said no. He wanted Laura to meet Bogdan for the first time on the set; he felt that the freshness of the relationship was more true to life and he knew the instincts of both actors and that there would be a chemistry between them. He knew exactly what the characters would be like. He knew Nora so well that her suggestions were not even taken. It was difficult to work like that for Laura, but it was good in that the film worked so well and she learned so much in the course of making it.
Cristian said that he identified most with her role of Nora. He played all the characters on the set it and was amusing to see him playing Nora.
With Bogdan, he counted on his experience. Bogan had spent ten years in Romania, beginning his theater career in 1979 after finishing secondary school in ’77, going into the army in ’78 and university in ’78. By 1989 he had made 18 movies and in ten of them he played the lead role.
He has the ability to disappear into the character he is portraying. In “The Chosen One” he plays just one person over a period of 30 years and does it so well (with the aid of makeup, of course) that it is hard to believe that it is the same actor throughout.
How he got to France
Bogdan was well known enough but he was not allowed to travel. He was well paid (thought not rich like U.S. actors); he had perks. The party leaders kept trying to get him into the system and he refused. He was not a party member which was his way to be free. They advised him that it would be better for him to find a way to leave the country and his family. He met a French girl and got married and the country’s leaders were happy to get rid of him.
Bogdan was almost 30 and yet he needed his parents’ approval to emigrate. However instead of the usual three year wait, it took him only six months to get an exit visa.
He was married for seven years. “Everything in Romania was on a five year plan, and the Romanian Way of Living is To Find a Solution. Everyone in Romania does this, and so I gave myself five years to get into the system in France. I said that if in the first year I was not shooting something (being an extra was not acceptable) then I must think of something else to do. I will be an actor and will not accept anything less than three days of shooting.” And so he found a TV show and he found an agent and casting directors, although nine out of ten would not open the door for him. “This is the Romanian style. You must meet people. If the door is locked, you must find a window.”
Bogdan says he did well enough in France though not on the same level as in Romania and his dream was to get to Hollywood. He is equally at home in France, where he has appeared in almost 30 movies and television programs, some of them American/French co-productions. He speaks English and French fluently and can get by in Italian, Russian and Bulgarian.
His American films include “Counterstrike” (1995), “Highlander” (1997) and “Quick Sand” (2000). But he feels that this film “The Chosen One” is his first step into the real U.S. He needs the film to be seen so that he can get roles.
Laura Cosoi on the other hand became an actress by chance. Laura Cosoi is a multi-talented actress, dancer, blogger and author. Though this is her first lead role for a feature film she is a successful television and theater actress. Her acting career actually started at the Cannes Film Festival when the 2001 short “Calatorie la Ora” took second place in the “Cinefondation” category at the 2004 festival. She appeared in a number of other short films, including the lead role in “Un Film Simplu”.
She was a professional ballroom dancer (which is actually an Olympic sport!). She trained as a social worker. But 12 years ago she visited a studio where they were shooting a Hallmark TV movie called “James the First”. She went with a talent agent who was a friend of her mother’s and who had a modeling school. As she waited for the agent, a man approached her and said in British, “You’re so pretty, do you want to play in my movie?” She didn’t understand but said yes and she went for a fitting. Her friend called asking where she was. The TV producer heard about her and wanted her as well, so on the same day she chose the TV sitcom. “James was not a success and the rest is history.”
Twelve years later, she has been in lots of sitcoms, TV series and telenovelas. She never had a goal; it all just happened. She loves casting auditions and that alone is enough. She said, “Now I’m just an actress, but when I have time, I love to cook for my friends”.
When she does interviews, she is always asked how she keeps in shape; they ask her about food and fitness, and so she wrote a book so they won’t keep asking. It’s a very personal project. Will You Stay for Dinner has been translated into eight languages (but not yet English) and won the international Gourmand Cook Book Award, the most important prize in the cook book industry started 20 years ago by Eduard Cointreau. She won the prize to participate in this year’s Frankfurt Book Fair and in China where the awards for Gourmand were held this year, she won the prize for “Best TV Chef Cookbook”.
Laura has many personalities and she wants to explore them all, from Nora in “The Chosen One” to cooking…she loves to express different personalities. It is like therapy. It opens doors and she is surprised to see what she can do.
This movie was made out of passion. It is one of the few Romanian films made on a low budget with large teams struggling to complete it. They are happy to show it outside of Romania. The film is a slice of life about which we have heard much but seen very rarely and never understood. It is a lesson in history about Romania and a whole system that could and does unfortunately happen everywhere in the world. Very few people know outside what Romania is like. It is more than “Dracula”. The public’s appreciation of this film is key to its success and both Bogdan and Laura hope it will be distributed and seen widely.
The lead actor, Bogdan Stanoevici, a well-known actor in both his native Romania and his adopted motherland, France, was made Deputy Minister of Culture for Romania just after this film was completed. His costar, the gorgeous Laura Cosoi is one of the country’s leading actresses and as well as a recognized chef. In addition, she has just married Cosmin Curticapean, the associate producer of the film.
Romania has a long history as a filmmaking country and its recent award winning films has brought the film world’s attention to films that are made in that country.
This one is a political thriller told in a very brightly colored world about Romania’s bleakest days under the dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu, before and after the 1989 Romanian anti-communist uprising. Its tone is odd, leading you to believe it might be a comedy. “The Chosen One” (“Cel Ales”) plays in a non-linear way with the layered storyline gradually revealing itself. It is a careful blend of art and entertainment.
A young student, bound for success as a model citizen who also likes jokes like most teenagers, is tripped up by one joke that he plays on the Party Leader which gets him in front of the comrade who becomes the designer, planner and destroyer of his life. As a messenger of the “Comrades’ Fellowship” he offers to help the boy flee to the “free world” instead of expelling him from high school. This leads to the next thirty years of his life.
To squeeze that many years into two hours leaves “no place for commonplace … no time for time-consuming waiting and no room for insignificant gestures and lines” says the director Cristian Comeaga. And therein lie the odd quality of this interesting story.
The film is truly an indie. It was shot in 37 days, in 56 locations across Romania, France and Belgium. True to form for indies, due to financial difficulties, shooting took more than a year (May 2012 to June 2013), while visual effects and post-production added another 15 months to the schedule.
Cristian Comeagă took no pay for the five jobs he had on the film – writer, director, producer, production designer and costume designer. “Yes, I must admit it didn’t leave me much time for sleep,” he says. He had even less sleep as he worked as a line producer on commercials and television productions, just to keep the bills paid. He also traded camera lenses and tennis rackets on eBay.
“The Chosen One” was a success in its Romanian release on April 24, 2015. During the first screening, half of the audience was government officials who liked it although it was different from most Romanian films. The first public screenings were attended by older people who remembered the times. Younger people then heard about the film and wanted to see what the past reality was. After the house lights went on, the audience did not move. But as they exited, they discussed the film trying to figure it out points in the story. And some tried to stop the film’s screening.
Cristian said that a movie does not exist until the audience has seen it.
While in L.A. for the Golden Globe and private trade screening, actors Laura Cosoi and Bogdan Stanoevici and I had a breakfast interview in which the actors’ lives seemed almost as surreal as the lives of the characters in the film.
Bogdan Stanoevici, who plays Mr. X, has his own life experiences remarkably similar to at least part of his character’s journey. In Romania he had an established career as an actor but was kindly informed in 1989 that he really should leave the country as his outspoken ways were not gaining him friends in the government. He escaped from Communist Romania in its waning days and made a life for himself in France. He didn’t return to his homeland until shortly before filming started on “The Chosen One”. Unlike Mr. X his life’s decisions were his own.
He had not seen Cristian Comeaga in 29 years but received a letter from him saying he wanted one actor who could play all ages from age 20 to 60 years. As a producer, Cristian knew he was right that only Bogdan could play the role and he promised him a beautiful, easy to work with partner (Laura Coisi). Bogdan had seen Laura from TV. Laura, who was born in 1982 knew him from a 1986 film called “Blue Sled” made before he had left Romania. The film had been very successful for the youth audience as there was no idealogy in it, something very rare in Romania. But in her 12 years in the industry she had never met Bogdan.
She wanted to rehearse for the film but Cristian said no. He wanted Laura to meet Bogdan for the first time on the set; he felt that the freshness of the relationship was more true to life and he knew the instincts of both actors and that there would be a chemistry between them. He knew exactly what the characters would be like. He knew Nora so well that her suggestions were not even taken. It was difficult to work like that for Laura, but it was good in that the film worked so well and she learned so much in the course of making it.
Cristian said that he identified most with her role of Nora. He played all the characters on the set it and was amusing to see him playing Nora.
With Bogdan, he counted on his experience. Bogan had spent ten years in Romania, beginning his theater career in 1979 after finishing secondary school in ’77, going into the army in ’78 and university in ’78. By 1989 he had made 18 movies and in ten of them he played the lead role.
He has the ability to disappear into the character he is portraying. In “The Chosen One” he plays just one person over a period of 30 years and does it so well (with the aid of makeup, of course) that it is hard to believe that it is the same actor throughout.
How he got to France
Bogdan was well known enough but he was not allowed to travel. He was well paid (thought not rich like U.S. actors); he had perks. The party leaders kept trying to get him into the system and he refused. He was not a party member which was his way to be free. They advised him that it would be better for him to find a way to leave the country and his family. He met a French girl and got married and the country’s leaders were happy to get rid of him.
Bogdan was almost 30 and yet he needed his parents’ approval to emigrate. However instead of the usual three year wait, it took him only six months to get an exit visa.
He was married for seven years. “Everything in Romania was on a five year plan, and the Romanian Way of Living is To Find a Solution. Everyone in Romania does this, and so I gave myself five years to get into the system in France. I said that if in the first year I was not shooting something (being an extra was not acceptable) then I must think of something else to do. I will be an actor and will not accept anything less than three days of shooting.” And so he found a TV show and he found an agent and casting directors, although nine out of ten would not open the door for him. “This is the Romanian style. You must meet people. If the door is locked, you must find a window.”
Bogdan says he did well enough in France though not on the same level as in Romania and his dream was to get to Hollywood. He is equally at home in France, where he has appeared in almost 30 movies and television programs, some of them American/French co-productions. He speaks English and French fluently and can get by in Italian, Russian and Bulgarian.
His American films include “Counterstrike” (1995), “Highlander” (1997) and “Quick Sand” (2000). But he feels that this film “The Chosen One” is his first step into the real U.S. He needs the film to be seen so that he can get roles.
Laura Cosoi on the other hand became an actress by chance. Laura Cosoi is a multi-talented actress, dancer, blogger and author. Though this is her first lead role for a feature film she is a successful television and theater actress. Her acting career actually started at the Cannes Film Festival when the 2001 short “Calatorie la Ora” took second place in the “Cinefondation” category at the 2004 festival. She appeared in a number of other short films, including the lead role in “Un Film Simplu”.
She was a professional ballroom dancer (which is actually an Olympic sport!). She trained as a social worker. But 12 years ago she visited a studio where they were shooting a Hallmark TV movie called “James the First”. She went with a talent agent who was a friend of her mother’s and who had a modeling school. As she waited for the agent, a man approached her and said in British, “You’re so pretty, do you want to play in my movie?” She didn’t understand but said yes and she went for a fitting. Her friend called asking where she was. The TV producer heard about her and wanted her as well, so on the same day she chose the TV sitcom. “James was not a success and the rest is history.”
Twelve years later, she has been in lots of sitcoms, TV series and telenovelas. She never had a goal; it all just happened. She loves casting auditions and that alone is enough. She said, “Now I’m just an actress, but when I have time, I love to cook for my friends”.
When she does interviews, she is always asked how she keeps in shape; they ask her about food and fitness, and so she wrote a book so they won’t keep asking. It’s a very personal project. Will You Stay for Dinner has been translated into eight languages (but not yet English) and won the international Gourmand Cook Book Award, the most important prize in the cook book industry started 20 years ago by Eduard Cointreau. She won the prize to participate in this year’s Frankfurt Book Fair and in China where the awards for Gourmand were held this year, she won the prize for “Best TV Chef Cookbook”.
Laura has many personalities and she wants to explore them all, from Nora in “The Chosen One” to cooking…she loves to express different personalities. It is like therapy. It opens doors and she is surprised to see what she can do.
This movie was made out of passion. It is one of the few Romanian films made on a low budget with large teams struggling to complete it. They are happy to show it outside of Romania. The film is a slice of life about which we have heard much but seen very rarely and never understood. It is a lesson in history about Romania and a whole system that could and does unfortunately happen everywhere in the world. Very few people know outside what Romania is like. It is more than “Dracula”. The public’s appreciation of this film is key to its success and both Bogdan and Laura hope it will be distributed and seen widely.
- 8/25/2015
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Stars: Ashley Lynn Caputo, Caitlyn Dailey, Lilly Dickenson, Eigh8t The Chosen One, Scott Gabbey, Lucio Giovannelli, David Hood, Curse Mackey, Rogan Russell Marshall, Jim Van Bebber | Written and Directed by Stephen Biro
“Japan’s darkest secret has become America’s newest nightmare.”
I am a massive fan of the original Guinea Pig series (ギニーピッグ Ginī Piggu). As an aspiring (yet ultimately procrastinating) filmmaker, I found the series of shockers to be crude, yet ultimately influential. I rank the series up their with the early films of Richard Kern (Thrust in Me). When I found out that we were getting an American revival of the series, I was skeptical. Then, as the Indiegogo campaign began and I started seeing names like cult director Jim Van Bebber (The Manson Family), special effects maestro Markus Koch (100 Tears) and Youtuber / acclaimed rapper Eigh8t The Chosen One attached to the project, I thought...
“Japan’s darkest secret has become America’s newest nightmare.”
I am a massive fan of the original Guinea Pig series (ギニーピッグ Ginī Piggu). As an aspiring (yet ultimately procrastinating) filmmaker, I found the series of shockers to be crude, yet ultimately influential. I rank the series up their with the early films of Richard Kern (Thrust in Me). When I found out that we were getting an American revival of the series, I was skeptical. Then, as the Indiegogo campaign began and I started seeing names like cult director Jim Van Bebber (The Manson Family), special effects maestro Markus Koch (100 Tears) and Youtuber / acclaimed rapper Eigh8t The Chosen One attached to the project, I thought...
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- by Mondo Squallido
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