AOLR Weekly Wrap-Up #33

March 7, 2010 By mizzoh 5 Comments

Let’s start with the latest updates for The Back-up Plan:

  • It’s Oscar night! So be on the lookout for The Back-up Plan TV spot and Jennifer Lopez, who will be one of the presenters. For various tips on how to watch the Oscars online, check out Moviefone or go to SpoilerTV.
  • In case you missed it earlier, the MPAA has given The Back-up Plan a PG-13 rating for “sexual content including references, some crude material and language”. This is actually great as it means that the movie will be available to bigger audiences!
  • Lakeshore Records will be releasing the movie soundtrack on April 13! Keep an eye on them on Facebook as more details will follow.
  • As most of us won’t be able to go to Grauman’s Chinese Theatre for the premiere on April 21, here’s some good news. Grauman’s has three webcams so that you can at least catch some images of the arrivals, so make sure you save this URL:
    http://www.manntheatres.com/webcam/index.php

There are also a couple of items from the Hawaii Five-0 front to share:

  • According to The Hollywood Reporter, Will Yun Lee will be guest starring in the pilot as the local crime lord. The cast for this pilot is turning out to be really hot!
  • We’ve heard from various sources now that CBS will be keeping the Hawaii Five-0 theme (how could they not?) There’s a really cool version also performed by The Ventures that you really should listen to – it’s available at We7. Thanks to Gothmyst for the tip!
  • Tim Ryan recently reported that CBS has declared the pilot off limits for the media. Apparently the network was more open with the press in 1997 when the previous pilot with Gary Busey was filmed on the islands. Although it would be great if CBS would allow interviews, there was actually very little media coverage when the Three Rivers pilot was shot in Pittsburgh last year, so it’s not really a big deal. Hopefully some information will still filter through via Twitter or Facebook. Filming kicks off tomorrow and should last for approximately 17 days, which means they should be done around 24/25 March.
  • Speaking of Twitter, Quito Olegario, a local graphic designer, was tasked with the transformation of a white Grand Marquis into a Honolulu PD car for the pilot. When he was done, he tweeted “First thing in the morning. 6 cops checking out the Hawaii 5-0 cop car. Hafta move it or cover it up. Lol.” You can check out the results of his work on Twitpic, where he posted the before and after photos. Jack Lord’s Steve McGarrett drove a black Mercury, by the way.
  • David Blue recently tweeted: “Stoked for my buddy Alex’s new show. It has so much potential with that cast. Best of luck to ya, mate!!!”
  • The production is apparently still looking for Hawaii residents who are interested in working as an extra on the pilot. More details can be found at Extra-Casting.com or check out Wayne Harada’s blog.
  • From a recent Q&A The Hollywood Reporter had with Nina Tassler:

THR: “Hawaii Five-O” will be Alex O’Loughlin’s third series on CBS in three years. So I assume you’re thinking, “Right guy, wrong shows so far”?

Tassler: We definitely think he’s the right guy. He’s certainly an incredibly talent, but we’ve also watched him develop and evolve. In our business, actors being given opportunities usually bodes well. George Clooney did well with all the chances he was given.

In case you’re wondering why I used an image from Mary Bryant for this particular post, it’s because I’ve added 343 large screencaps from the mini-series to the gallery! And because Alex looks cute with the straw hat… :D

[tags]alex o’loughlin, alex o’lachlan, hawaii five-0, hawaii five-o, steve mcgarrett, the back-up plan, mary bryant[/tags]

Filed Under: Weekly Wrap-Up Tagged With: Hawaii Five-0, Mary Bryant, Pilots, The Back-Up Plan

“Mary Bryant” Featured in Portuguese TV Guide

January 26, 2010 By mizzoh 3 Comments

The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant aired in Portugal on one of the public television channels, RTP2, on December 27, 2009 and Notícias TV published a great two-page spread in their December 25-31 issue, including two stills of Alex O’Loughlin as Will Bryant, Mary’s husband! The role earned him an Australian Film Institute nomination in 2005 for Best Lead Actor in Television as well as a Silver Logie nomination in 2006. The TV guide is a supplement of Diário de Notícias, a national newspaper.

I’ve uploaded a larger version of the article to the gallery, where the stills are also available.

[tags]alex o’loughlin, alex o’lachlan, will bryant, mary bryant[/tags]

Filed Under: Alex O'Loughlin, TV Tagged With: Alex O'Loughlin, Mary Bryant, Will Bryant

The Varied Faces of Alex O’Loughlin

October 25, 2009 By mizzoh 5 Comments

Here’s a lighthearted look at Alex O’Loughlin’s movie and TV career to date*. He has chosen very diverse roles, playing the good guy as well as the villain, participating in both indie films and international productions. “I love playing different roles, the more variety the better. Once I’ve played a role I don’t want to play it again,” he told TVAddict.com in April 2009.

Even though the humble Alex feels he’s only a medium talent, even believing at one point that he wasn’t good enough to pursue acting as a career, his fans and the entertainment industry know better. Alex doesn’t think of himself as a star and doesn’t take himself too seriously — qualities that add to his growing popularity, but he does take a serious approach to acting: “I walk in the shoes of the character 24 hours a day.”

*One missing role is that of Ian Mack in the Australian TV series White Collar Blue, episode 2.01.

Who: Stan
Where: The Back-Up Plan
When: March 2010
Why we love him: Farmer Stan makes any John Deere hum smoothly.
Bummer: We have to wait till March 2010 to get further acquainted.
On the bright side: A happy ending awaits us and Alex won’t know what hit him once this movie is unleashed upon millions of unsuspecting females around the world.
Who: Andy Yablonski, M.D.
Where: Three Rivers
When: Now
Why we love him: This brilliant transplant surgeon fixes broken hearts and doesn’t take no for an answer.
Bummer: Dr. Andy has an uncertain future, but we live in hope.
On the bright side: You rock our world, Alex!
Who: Russell Haden
Where: Whiteout
When: Sept. 2009
Why we love him: This Aussie pilot is a bad, bad boy.
Bummer: Russell buys it.
On the bright side: He looks marvelous in just the hat ‘n boots and pours a mean scotch on the billion-year-old rocks.
Who: Vincent Rowlings
Where: Criminal Minds: The Big Wheel
When: April 2009
Why we love him: He’s the only serial killer we ever cried for.
Bummer: Vincent buys it.
On the bright side: He totally rocks the nerdy glasses and long johns.
Who: Mick St. John
Where: Moonlight
When: Sept. 2007-May 2008
Why we love him: This stylish vampire stole our hearts with his strong principles, soulful looks, romance novel hair and unrequited love.
Bummer: Alas, only 16 episodes and no second season.
On the bright side: Mick got his Beth and we got our DVD.
Who: Marshall Connelly
Where: August Rush
When: Oct. 2007
Why we love him: He’s a rock musician, nuff said!
Bummer: His role was way too short.
On the bright side: He’s in the DVD extras.
Who: Detective Kevin Hiatt
Where: The Shield
When: May 2007
Why we love him: We’ll never look at wooden chairs the same way again.
Bummer: He’s only in seven episodes in season 6.
On the bright side: Great DVD, plus extras.
Who: Marcus Bohem
Where: The Invisible
When: April 2007
Why we love him: Alex does criminals so well.
Bummer: Oops, he buys it again…
On the bright side: Hair grows back.
Who: The Kissing Couple (no kidding)
Where: The Holiday
When: Dec. 2006
Why we love him: He gives us the best 25 seconds of the movie.
Bummer: Don’t blink, or you’ll miss him.
On the bright side: It was Alex’s first role in a US production.
Who: Will Bryant
Where: Mary Bryant
When: Oct. 2005
Why we love him: Other costume dramas pale in comparison and men in tights never looked so good.
Bummer: He buys it again, and does it in style.
On the bright side: The role earned Alex an AFI and Silver Logie nomination for Best Actor in a Lead Role.
Who: Jack Flange
Where: Oyster Farmer
When: June 2005
Why we love him: No one wears the edible balaclava better and the dock scene is worth rewinding.
Bummer: The movie should have been a little longer.
On the bright side: It got Alex international attention and eventually led him to LA.
Who: Michael Carter
Where: FEED
When: May 2005
Why we love him: He’s totally off his rocker and loving it.
Bummer: Michael meets a fate worse than death.
On the bright side: There’s so much information available on how this movie was made in the UK and US DVD extras.
Who: Deputy Eric Fraser
Where: Man-Thing
When: April 2005
Why we love him: Hats off for the southern accent!
Bummer: He dies a painful death.
On the bright side: No point watching the rest of the movie after Eric is gone.
Who: Luke Anderson
Where: BlackJack: Sweet Science
When: Nov. 2004
Why we love him: Another bad boy with criminal intent.
Bummer: He ends up in prison.
On the bright side: Luke has an Aussie accent!
Who: Dave
Where: Love Bytes: Net Nanny
When: Feb. 2004
Why we love him: A fresh, young Alex in only his second role.
Bummer: Not available on DVD.
On the bright side: It’s (partially) available on YouTube.

[tags]alex o’loughlin, alex o’lachlan, oyster farmer, mary bryant, moonlight, mick st. john, three rivers, andy yablonski, the back-up plan[/tags]

Filed Under: Alex O'Loughlin, Movies, TV Tagged With: Alex O'Loughlin, CBS, Criminal Minds, Dr. Andy Yablonski, Mary Bryant, Mick St. John, Moonlight, The Back-Up Plan, The Shield, Three Rivers, Whiteout, Will Bryant

AOLR Weekly Wrap-Up #6

August 15, 2009 By mizzoh 3 Comments

So what’s been happening this past week?

  • On the Whiteout front, two new international release dates have been announced: Singapore on September 17th and Belgium on October 21st.
  • The premiere date has been changed from September 8th to September 9th and the venue has been moved from Grauman’s Chinese Theater to  Mann’s Village Theater in Westwood, which has a larger seating capacity than the Chinese.
  • The movie still opens on September 11th.
  • Eight hi-res stills with Alex O’Loughlin from Mary Bryant have been added to the gallery.
  • Three promos for Three Rivers have surfaced, including one featuring a song by Jack’s Mannequin. There’s a great human interest story connecting the band’s lead singer to the show too, so if you haven’t read about it yet, check it out here.
  • Ten stills with Alex O’Loughlin from episode 1.01 of Three Rivers are now in the gallery.
  • Buddy TV started a poll about CBS’ premiering Fall shows back in June. Three Rivers is trailing behind NCIS: Los Angeles, so if you haven’t yet picked which CBS show you’re most excited about, please head over there and cast your vote!
  • If the information is correct and Alex O’Loughlin is filming in Pittsburgh next week, keep an eye on the daily filming locations in case more details pop up. You may also want to contact the Pittsburgh Film Office to check if they have any further information.
  • If you liked Michael Slezak’s amusing piece on a shirtless Alex O’Loughlin riding a tractor, then you should also read Mandi Bierly’s Open letter to showrunners of procedurals starring actors we’d like to see shirtless.
  • Lastly, The Insider caused some excitement with the publication of some photos of a star riding a chopper. In a couple of the images, he does look like Alex O’Loughlin, but on closer inspection, I would say it’s not him. The bike is just too new and shiny, Alex’s bike has red handlebars and no wheel guard over his front wheel and there are probably more discrepancies. His legs are also longer ;-) and he’s not normally targeted by the paparazzi. Go take a look and see for yourself at The Insider! [Update: I've been given proof that the person in question in actually Justin Timberlake.]

To make sure that you haven’t missed anything, check out the Latest News section!

[tags]alex o’loughlin, alex o’lachlan, whiteout, three rivers, mary bryant, andy yablonski, the back-up plan[/tags]

Filed Under: Alex O'Loughlin, Movies, TV, The Back-up Plan, Three Rivers, Weekly Wrap-Up Tagged With: Alex O'Loughlin, CBS, CBS Films, Dr. Andy Yablonski, Mary Bryant, The Back-Up Plan, Three Rivers, Whiteout

A Closer Look at “The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant”

February 22, 2009 By mizzoh 3 Comments

Alex O'Loughlin as Will Bryant

I’m not really a fan of period pieces, although I do have to remind myself that I have two versions of Pride and Prejudice in my DVD collection! Recently I expanded it with The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant and I’m very glad I did.

Set in the late 18th century, this three-hour Australian miniseries from 2005 chronicles the trials and tribulations Mary Bryant experiences over the course of several years. It is based on actual events. Caught stealing, the young woman from Cornwall is one of the first group of convicts sent to the British penal colony at Botany Bay, an area that is now part of Sydney, Australia. During the horrendous nine-month journey, she draws the attention of Lt. Ralph Clarke, a marine traveling on the same ship to help establish and oversee the penal colony as well as that of Will Bryant, a young fisherman caught smuggling. Under the same appalling conditions all convicts face, she also gives birth to her first child, a daughter she calls Charlotte, who is the result of a rape by a prison guard.

At the time of filming, The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant had the largest budget ever for an Australian miniseries. It was shot in Australia on 22 different locations.

Romola Garai is excellent as Mary, who is an incredibly strong woman who is first and foremost a survivor and a mother who puts her children first. Children, you ask? Yes, when the ship finally makes it to Botany Bay, she and Will marry and they later have a son together, Emmanuel.

Will Bryant is, of course, portrayed by Alex O’Loughlin. We know he does a flawless American accent and now we also know he does a great Cornish one as well, but then I may not be the right judge… the last Cornish accent I recall is that of Ross Poldark :-). Although Will is certainly no wimp, it really is Mary who is the driving force behind their family. When crops fail yet again, and the threat of starvation looms, she convinces Will that they have to escape and that they should do it in the governor’s cutter. The objective is to reach Timor, an island then governed by the Dutch and that is now part of Indonesia, lying north-west of the Australian continent. It’s a daunting journey to say the least and the prospect of traveling 3,000 miles in an open boat in the open seas with two children on board or risk being hung if they are caught, is enough to stop anyone in their tracks. Everyone except for Mary: “If we do nothing, we’re already dead.” In order to make preparations, she calculatingly moves with the children into Lt. Clarke’s cottage. The lieutenant has never lost interest in her and takes her in willingly.

marybryantposter What then follows is the roller coaster ride of their escape, which takes place with the help of others although not all are friends. The harrowing journey to Timor starts with six adults and two children, but only four adults and the children make it to the island. Lt. Clarke and his intrepid marines remain close on their heels throughout the journey.

Because some of the scenes are very graphic, the miniseries would probably not be considered suitable for the entire family in all countries. The only criticism I have is that there are no extra features on the DVD and living in The Netherlands myself, I also noticed that the actors portraying the Dutch in Timor are not native speakers.

That’s all I’m going reveal about The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant as anything I add would be a spoiler. I found it to be a gripping and moving tale of courage and determination as well as love, friendship and betrayal. And it’s certainly no hardship to watch Alex O’Loughlin in period clothing, even if he doesn’t get to go shirtless :-). That Alex is wonderful as Will Bryant goes without saying. Proof of his acting skills are his Australian Film Institute and Silver Logie nominations for the role. I would have still enjoyed the DVD even if he wasn’t cast, but lucky for us he was and he gets plenty of screen time… More Alex for us to enjoy!

[tags]alex o’loughlin, alex o’lachlan, mary bryant, will bryant[/tags]

Filed Under: Alex O'Loughlin, TV Tagged With: Alex O'Loughlin, Mary Bryant, Will Bryant