ANNETTE

 

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to theatres from director Leos Carax is an Amazon Original film about relationships, destruction and caught in the middle is ANNETTE.

Henry McKenry (Adam Driver) is a sarcastic performance comedian who has fallen in love with the beautiful opera singer Ann Defrasnoux (Marion Cotillard). This is a news sensation as the two enough the heights of their careers. Professing their love to one another, they welcome a baby daughter named Annette.

It seems Henry has a dark side, and it begins to become even darker when he cannot deal with Ann's fame and the life of a new father. Deciding to get away for time on their boat, their lives change so dramatically that Henry goes even further down the destructive rabbit hole. Giving Annette a gift, Henry discovers that his young daughter has a stunning talent.

Helping Henry and Annette is the Conductor (Simon Helberg) as the world soon discovers the music as well. As the young girls' father moves emotionally away, Annette (Devyn McDowell) finds herself speaking her truth and coming to terms with the fact that adults can be so destructive.

Driver as Henry has the opportunity to showcase his dark comedy and vocals as a character who is destructive from beginning to end. As Henry faces his emotions, the rift in his life becomes bigger and bigger until every move he makes is towards an endless pit. The continual sullenness is a character Drive is able to pull off and make it totally believable and with this role viewers have the benefit of music to tell his side of it all.

Cotillard as Ann is a soprano that captivates her audiences with the characters she plays. Finding love with Henry gives her a happiness that extends to the birth of their daughter Annette. The audience experiences her vocals filled with longing, sadness and, in a few performances, death. Cotillard's character experiences those same true emotions in life with her husband. There are lovely moments with Annette, but they are too few and far between in her young life.

Helberg as Conductor has his own part to play in the story of Henry and Ann and there comes a time when he shares it all causing unchangeable havoc.

McDowell as Annette is absolutely and extraordinarily stunning as the young daughter of two artists. What is true of her life is that both of her parents are selfish, narcissistic and are focused on what will make them happy. There finally comes a moment where she is able to share her feelings and I am riveted from the first moment she speaks until the last. Her voice is angelic, harsh, emotion filled and angry with each of these emotions totally justified and full of truth. Wonderfully done young lady!

Other cast include Angele, Kiko Mizuhara, Natalie Mendoza as Accusers Chorus, Rila Fukishima and Laura Jansen as Nurses, Nastaya Carax as Nastaya, Leos Carax as Leos Carax and Kanji Furutachi as Doctor.

Amazon Prime offers television shows and original content included in its Amazon Prime subscription. Original programs such as CARNIVAL ROW, THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE, and THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL are hit shows. Coming soon is the next series with GOLIATH starring Billy Bob Thornton and it promises to another successful and intense series.

ANNETTE is a musical about two artists who loved one another but once the sparkle has worn off and real life sets in, neither seems to know what to do with it. Henry is a self-indulgent who is happy being unhappy and Ann seems to blithely allow his behaviors - even when Annette arrives.

I wanted to feel something for these characters, but I just could not, instead I was a mental advocate for Annette from the moment of conception. Driver's portrayal of a "comic" did not do much for me in the slightest. It was almost like watching Leia and Hans’s son try to be funny so we would all forget that he loves evil at heart.

Cotillard's portrayal seemed that of a woman who loved being in love because the characters she consistently performed as on stage did not seem to have much happiness in their life. What an awakening when she realizes art imitated life! Other than her stage performances, I also was not invested in her character. I give both actors props for doing their own vocals.

Annette starts out as an oddity in the life of these two so-called adults and watching the pain through her eyes, it becomes easy to see how she is portrayed. It is in the final scene with Driver that I am thrilled with how strong the young girl's character turned out to be in spite of the adults that surrounded her.

ANNETTE is an interesting bit of watching to say the least and, if one is so inclined to delve into the two hour and twenty-minute rock opera, I'd be curious to hear your thoughts dear readers.

 

Two Sisters Collide in NOCTURNE

 

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Prime Video is an Amazon Original from Welcome to Blumhouse and writer/director Zu Quirke and the tale of NOCTURNE.

Sisters Juliet (Sydney Sweeney) and Vivian (Madison Iseman) were once as close as two sisters could possibly be. That is until music came into their lives, both playing the piano, outgoing Vivian pulls ahead in achievements as the not-so-outgoing Juliet suffers with it in silence.

Their last year of high school brings a final music performance which is especially difficult as one of their classmates has died. As auditions open up, Vivian plays a piece that wow's the judges and Juliet decides to play the same piece of music. Vivian is clearly upset but wants Juliet to know that it won't upset her for long.

One evening as Juliet is practicing, she is distracted by a light and finds a notebook that belonged to the student who died. Becoming more and more interested in what is in the notebook, Juliet starts to change.

Almost overnight she takes on everything that she feels has slowed her down, beginning with teacher Roger (John Rothman) calling him out for his inadequacies and replacing him with teacher Mike (A.J. Tannen). She turns on her own sister to make it clear that Juliet no longer is willing to be second best. Juliet also decides its time to follow her heart and go after Max (Jacques Colimon).

Juliet's opportunity finally comes as she prepares to play for a big school audience. What she doesn't know is that the notebook has other plans for her. 

Sweeney as Juliet is a young girl who just can't seem to find her place. Feeling like she is the failure of the family, her parents try to encourage her. Making things worse is when sister Vivian gets accepted into a prestigious school for music and Juliet does not. That sets things up for the issues that are deep and scaring. Sweeney gives us a performance of a young girl in pain and looking for a way through it all. She thinks the notebook offers that!

Iseman as Vivian is the sister who is outgoing, friendly, has lots of people around her and a relationship. Winning achievements and then accepted into the school she wanted, she sees how it hurts Juliet but doesn't seem to care - until she does. The tug of war between Sweeney and Iseman is deep and these two actresses pull it off well.

Colimon as Max is living his high school life to the fullest but sees that something is happening to both the sisters. Caught up in something he doesn't understand is an understatement for sure. Colimon's performance of Max is quick and filled with regret and that's all I'm going to say.

Tannen as Mike is a teacher who is watching the twists and turns of Juliet and Vivian's relastionship. Discovering that Juliet can actually play, he encourages her in a way that left even my head tilted with question and jaw dropped with intent.

Other cast include Julie Benz as Cassie, Rodney To as Wilkins, JoNell as Ms. Gordon, Brandon Keener as David, Miles McKenna as Alexis, Asia Jackson as Abigail, Philip Wampler as Walter, Stephon Fuller as Joshua, and Ji Eun Hwang as Moira.

Amazon Prime offers television shows and original content included in its Amazon Prime subscription. Original programs such as CARNIVAL ROW, THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE, and THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL are some of their hit shows. Now, Welcome to Blumhouse is bringing their scary offerings to keep us all in the Halloween spirit. 

NOCTURNE is a suspense thriller that isn't full of gore but mainly plans to totally mess with the viewers head. Centered around high school kids, music and the rivalry of sisters (as one would expect of exceptional piano playing sisters), this scenario is ripe for a mysterious notebook to come into play and muck up the works. 

The film is slow paced to tell the story of what is real and what lives in our imagination just as much as Juliet must decide what is real and what is in her imagination. So brush up on your classic music and prepare to be mind bent a little in the process.

In the end - the great reach their potential while the mad surpass it!

Amazon Prime's Original Series UPLOAD

Creator, executive producer and director Greg Daniels
Andy Allo
Robbie Arnell
Kevin Bigley
Allegra Edwards
Zainab Johnson
Moderator Cherlynn Low


A futuristic series where you can upload and become a digital self in the afterlife as Nathan ends up in Lakeview. The world has changed such as no cell phones, and other apps. The idea came from Greg Daniels time as a writer on SNL.

The idea of tech is what UPLOAD is about, tell about the idea?

Greg: This is not a lot like my original idea. The idea came to me from an ad for CD players. I'm a very old comedy writer. The original idea came when you can a gramophone without a wax cylinder. I didn't start this version until 2014 and I was able to include the big tech companies. The last time I did a panel for Comic Con I was doing a panel called People of Earth and people asked me what I was doing there. I told them it was a sci-fi project, well, this is that sci-fi project. It's mostly high-tech companies that merge with fast food and that's what is happening in the future. The show is very much about unfairness because we, as human beings, create our own heaven and it's for profit and not supernatural for this show. It has all the greedy downsides and someone like Nora is struggling to pay for uploads for her dad and wealthy people might not necessarily deserve it, but they are there. I remember reading in a business book that when they make printer, they only make one kind of printer and it’s the fastest one but you have to have others for different price points. So, the slower printers are the fast printer with a chip that slows them down. That's the spirit behind it.

Talking about corporate greed, when Nathan says "it's code"…?

Robbie: I never thought about that and now I am. The big thing for me when I was reading that line for the first time and the hundredth time is about how fair it is about the incoming inequality. It's not heaven, its built by corporations and the parts of life are involved in it. He starts off a bit of a shallow douchebag, but you see a different side of him when he sees the 2 gigs and people don't have it as well off as he is.

Greg: There is a line that he says later "I'm a piece of software in a machine but you are a piece of software run by a computer made of meat". I think he might be aware that personality and who you are is like code.

Robbie: He talks a little about the soul and the idea of going to heaven - whether it be real heaven or digital heaven. I love that conversation.

Greg: In a nutshell it’s a show about meat, it’s all about meat.

Nora and Nathan's character, talk about their roles and complexity?

Andy: Isn't that the best thing when you are dating someone, and you shape them into someone that is perfect for you? That is great, I had a hand in creating Nathan. I also get to see all his memories and there is a scene with my dad where he asks if the reason, I like dead Nathan so much is because you've seen his memories. That's partly true. Nora gets a chance to know Nathan first and make judgements. She gets to know Nathan from his point of view.

Robbie: I think one of the really nice things about the Nora and Nathan relationship is because it’s not supposed to work. There is no pressure and we are able to become friends and there shouldn't be a romantic side of things, but you can't deny the chemistry sharing so many experiences. Nathan at the beginning is pretty shallow and self-centered and then this happens, and he thinks his world is over and then he meets Nora. She has real problems and working her butt off to save her father and there is a perspective shift in Nathan. I think Greg is so good at creating these relationships that feel so real because there are what people go through in life in their own relationships.

What about Nathan's real-life girlfriend?

Allegra: I think that the thing that is so fun that we explore in the show is the modern long-distance relationship. There are choices I can make on his behalf with a push of a button and that's all it takes to change his day or make his week worse. In that respect yes there is an abuse of power going on there. I think what made it authentic and close to home as a long-distance relationship. The miscommunication and trying to stay on the same page and trying to stay connected, I think that's the human element that people resonate with because they've experienced it. We are thinking a lot more about long distance relationships because of what is going on.

Robbie: Allegra gets to act a certain way on the show, but she is so kind and sweet in real life. Being in the middle of the love triangle I'm very lucky because I have to pretend I don't like her but she is really so sweet.

Allegra: I think it takes a certain level of adventurous spirit to wiggle into a hug suit. I think it's better than putting it into practice. It's difficult to hear and that was one of the most fun but difficult parts of shooting that scene. I had a layer underneath and then foam and then a scuba suit and then goggles and then a skull cap. No, I don't think I could go the distance but then again, we want to be with the ones you love.

Kevin: I have one.

Zainab: No, you have to own the hug suit to use the hug suit but rent one, no, no, no.

Robbie: I would be the first to try the hug suit and then everyone else can use it.

One of the lines is 'you have to believe it's real or you will go insane' as you tell Nathan, tell us about it?

Kevin: I don't know if Luke deserves something better, Luke is like a hamster that really digs his cage and instead of just accepting it as is, is trying to get creative with it and find certain ways he can enjoy it all the more. You have Allegra and Andy and Robbie, and they have these existential themes and problems and Luke is just the opposite. He is completely rejecting the deeper thought to figure out ways to have earthly pleasures beyond Earth. He has a darker back story and if I can compare him to an animal like a shark that if stops and thinks about it…

Greg: Half shark - half hamster!

Kevin: That would make great fan art and an awesome tattoo. I think Luke if he starts to consider how depressing his life is or how depressing his life is he might implode. It's like quarantine and who hasn't picked up sourdough rolls, everyone is trying to distract themselves from the world tumbling around on them. Trying to figure it out one day at a time, trying to figure out where in my cage is a different corner that I haven't fully explored full of detail or a game.

Talk about Alisha's character.

Zainab: My character has one foot in and out of both worlds. I think that Alisha is kind of thankful for Luke, yes Luke gets on Alisha's nerves but sometimes you are at the jobs where it gets mundane an what allows the job to be interesting is that you lose yourself in helping your friend, like Nora. I think Alisha kind of needs Luke a bit.

Kevin: What animal combination would Alisha to go against Luke's shark-hamsters.

Zainab: I think Alisha would be a tiger-bear.

Kevin: That's not fair, I already gifted you my animals and you pick two formidable beasts that would destroy me.

Zainab: The purpose of this is for me to always defeat you.

Andy: There is a scene in the breakroom where we are talking about Nathan and you tell me to figure it out and I tell you the same. You say, 'no, I work at…' listing five other jobs.

Zainab: I'd like to see how she got those jobs and the reasons for those jobs.

Andy: For Nora it's like this is her job for Alisha it’s one of her jobs.

Zainab: Nora is very transparent and Alisha, I don't know what her life is like, it might be chaotic, but no one knows. Nora lets it be known that this is all I have.

What's your favorite piece of tech in the show?

Zainab: I want printed food; I don't want to cook food anymore.

Greg: I want extra fat cartridges in my printer.

Kevin: That can't be good. I know my printer’s sucks so the food would be bad.

Allegra: I could go for a self-driving car now and then. I don't want the ethical questions but there are days.

Robbie: I love the memory parlor. It's one of the most fantastical things in the show. Just being able to live any memory from any time is really sweet and beautiful and something that was off beat from the rest of the show. Not necessarily used that way in the show.

Greg: I have been working on the show for so long and the memory parlor is cool because you can press enhance and the memories are sharper.

Would you UPLOAD?

Robbie: I think I've spent time thinking about this since the show. I look at uploading as the in between because you can still jump in the torrent and still die. Nathan is young and has family and friends and wants to continue in some version of this life.

Greg: Yes, that's how I look at it too. When it's an option it will be normalized like a medical treatment to keep persisting in the lives of your family when your body is failing. I think when you are a little kid it is so inconceivable that your consciousness wouldn't be around so when you go through life and the body changes you realize that maybe your consciousness is the most important in life. I don't know whether that's enough but it’s an option.

Kevin: If the wealthy have everything and removing the fear of death from them isn't going to make them better people. I don't know. Also, fear of death removed from society entirely also screws with the grieving process and already do it in social media. It's already pretty creepy.

Zainab: I think continuing the consciousness is pretty cool, but I don't trust corporations to do the right thing. It's like when you go to a restaurant and you have to say to please give me a real egg. I can't say the name of the restaurant

(They all yell TEXT ME!)

Andy: I would upload, I love it, I'm there. It's the chance to do all the things I didn't do on Earth.

Zainab: Every upload doesn't end up in Lakeview.

Season Two, are there answers?

Greg: I kept listening and hearing things that are coming up in season two. We are right in the middle of writing it so I don't want to get into too may specifics but I think there is going to be a lot more of new tech and we are going to see Nora and Nathan change Lakeview some. A lot of stuff coming up.

AMAZON PRIME's UTOPIA

Executive Producer Gillian Flynn,

John Cusack

Rainn Wilson, Sasha Lane

Ashleigh LaThrop, Dan Byrd, Desmond Borges, Javon Wanna Walton

Jessica Rothe

What is Utopia and what is it about?

Gillian: It's a It's basically a core conspiracy thriller, its about comic book nerds who think they've uncovered a possible cult graphic novel that has the secrets to what is happening to our world. I think we are on the edge of something dark and wanting to be saved and wanting someone to do something. It appealed to me from the very beginning." What are important things you wanted to keep from the original series? "Dennis Kelly did the original UK version and did the version he wanted to. It's very British and very translatable and beautiful to look at. It takes its cue from graphic novels. My idea was to not only Americanize it and specifically resonate to Americans in a way but to make it gritty, dirty and nasty in a realistic way. I think he took his cue from the graphic novels themselves and I took mine from the 70's paranoia of Watergate and no one trusted anyone and what society and the Government felt like. I wanted that paranoia to feel very real and access that through each character. Each character has a different attitude toward the conspiracy if it is a conspiracy at all. It was the fun of that and the joy of building this world from scratch again. I watched Dennis' wonderful version but had the notes and went from there."

John: "I was aware of the show in the UK but not super familiar with it. When you get a call from Gillian and she says she's doing a show in Chicago I was really interested in it. I started reading the script at 4 in the afternoon and read till 3 in the morning. I said I was in because of the amazing writing and truly a world that I haven't seen before. It's sophisticated, crude, shocking and funny as hell. I was all in when I read the script. Dr. Christie is a character that I think American's in the world can recognize today. He is one of these people who is at the top of the economic food chain and is trying to make the world better through science. He is the head of a huge multinational corporation and into everything and probably has connections to the foundations and think tanks. He is trying to make the world a better place from the 1% down and it awake about the problem the world faces like food and water shortages. He is working hard everyday to try to make the products he makes to preserve human life and preserve the future. He says 'what have you done to earn your place in the crowded word' and uses it to make people feel the need to be of service to the world. He isn't the normal billionaire but use science to change the world for the better"

Sasha: "I play Jessica Hyde and I feel she is this feral cat who is a bit scraggly and savage but like a feral cat. There is a reason for it. She has spent her entire life just trying to survive. She doesn't know much about where she comes from and the point of everyone is looking at Utopia to save the world but she is this little girl inside. She is looking to find her Dad so she can get the answers about where she comes from. She is a big part of this journey to figuring out what is going on and for her she needs to figure out who she is. I think she is someone you can kind of hate but understand which is why I have this feral cat thing in my head. She's rough and scary but there is a reason why, there is something deeper. She is a part of the answer but also just as lost as everyone else in her own way. She hopes Utopia gives her some answers as well. I saw a bit of the UK and get a feel for the whole world. When I saw myself looking at Jessica from that version I cut myself off. I wanted to have my own take on it and bring my own energy onto it and follow along the lines of what Gillian was doing with it. I took my own way and my own past and how I survived things. How I put a mask on to hide things and that's how I took that on."

Rainn: "I don't want to give to much away but I will say that when I looked at the script I had the same experience as John and had the same reaction. It is outrageous and grounded and has a nice sense of humor running through it which was great to read. I was also drawn into the character of Michael Sterns, he is a basement dwelling, researcher very minor scientist at a tiny university that has been neglected and passed over for grants. Somehow, he ends up connected to a larger global medical conspiracy and gets drawn in. Episode by episode he becomes an unlikely hero and I was drawn by that arc that he takes over the course of the episodes."

Ashleigh: "As Becky is a character who is dying of this debilitating disease and so she is someone that profoundly believes that Utopia might have the answers in how to cure her. It's very much life and death for her and the larger conspiracy is what she is drawn into. "

Dan: "As Ian is basically a super handsome, super charismatic - kidding! He is an outlier in this group of people that are after the comic book Utopia. He is skeptical that it holds real world truths. He is a fan of the comic book for being a great comic book but beyond that he is skeptical, but the rest are very invested in Utopia. For Ian the quest is Becky. His primary motivation is to get some face to face time with Becky, so he gets roped into this whole adventure with that in mind and obviously his position about Utopia evolves as the story unfolds."

Desmond: "As Wilson is a believer and I think that's an understatement. I believe he would allow me to characterize him as the foremost, leading, brilliant conspiracy theorist in the world and specifically around Dystopia which is the prequel to Utopia. Overall, the base of Wilson isn't to far from myself. I grew up in a seven flat gray stone building in Chicago off of Fullerton and Sawyer in the early 80's and Wilson is living in a Chicago suburb etc. As far as the world goes with the nerds as we call them, this is the closest group of friends Wilson has ever had. He has stickies with conspiracy theories all over his bedroom walls and given a voice to the voiceless is pretty cool.

Javon: "As Grant as a whole is a very street-smart boy you lives in the projects raised by a single alcoholic mother. He loves really cool characters and loves Jessica Hyde and he thinks she's really cool. He really just wants a Utopia because he is interested in comics but doesn't know the sacrifices of a Utopia. He uses the nerds to manipulate them and wants his hands-on Utopia. He acts like he's this cool rich guy to act like he's getting Utopia."

Jessica: "As Samantha she is a passionate activist who believes in doing things more than just talking about them. You see this a little bit when they go to Comic Con to retrieve Utopia because she's surrounded by all these people who are obsessed with comics and the idea of comics and she's saying 'guys, we can't just talk about ideas we have to change the world'. So I think she's kind of selected the people who she brings into the group we call the nerds because they each believe in Dystopia and they believe in the message of this graphic novel and that it can change the world. They believe there are clues that can really change humanity. I think that Sam is someone who wants to make a difference more than anything. When she hears about Utopia and that the comic could exist, she stops at nothing to try and find it. I think she has a big heart, but I think she, like everyone else, is complicated and she can be a little bossy at times. Ultimately she just wants the best for everyone around her".

The first two episodes are set at a Comic Con!

Working with the artist Gillian says, "I had admired his work for a long time. I wondered who is this guy? I knew that I wanted the book to be able to be opened and to be seen and see why these people were so involved with it and tangible. We had to have it completely done and drawn out. Joao Ruas It was a matter of getting him on board because he's based in Brazil. I sent him what each panel would look like and got them back very quickly. It was fun because I was trying to plant different Easter eggs inside the panels and tricks that would come back."

Ashleigh "The artwork was incredible and when you watch it more and more you will pick up on different things. Not only is it stunning but its informative".

Desmond: "Throughout maneuvering through different scenes, it would grab us and lead us down different paths. When you delved into these photos, you'd see how beautifully rich and dark they are. They sent chills down my spine. His artwork is so beautiful, and you are looking into eyes of people going through a tremendous amount of pain."

When you had a comic in front of you were you enthralled?

Ashleigh: "Sometimes you couldn't find them because they weren't glaringly obvious".

Have you played a role that prepared you to play Jessica Hyde?

Sasha: "I don't think so. I think in an odd way what made me want to do this and love so much about this is that it reminded me personally of myself growing up. I was very much like I was always in survival mode, cold and shutting off my emotions. I kind of wanted and what I liked about it unlike my other characters is that I got to say less and be less and have an exterior that induced actions. You see her there but you are looking at hints about how her tone shifts or her eyes, but it brings empathy and compassion for a character that is considered a savage or not to be touched. I thought that was really cool to tap into and really helped me expand a bit. It was nice to kind of use that form of expression versus being so…I like inward more than physical. I enjoyed it and a good way for people to tap into seeing past my knife and that there is a heart.

Set in Chicago, which some have connections to, did it kind of help at all?

Rainn: I went to high school north of Chicago. I just want to say I was so excited to shoot in Chicago. The actors in the Chicago acting pool that came in are amazing. The training in Chicago is crazy good with Second City, Steppenwolf etc. but we didn't actually shoot in Chicago. We were so excited to get apartments in Chicago, yet we ended up filming away from it.

John" Sure, for me it was great because I live here so to shoot here is a real treat. To film her felt so actual and the city is undershot in a way. There are a lot of weird and strange parts of Chicago that aren't known. Even the Harold Washington Library was used somewhere in the dark night but its used specifically in a great way. It was fun to shoot here for me, a dream to come true with a great project, great actors and shooting in Chicago in the spring.

Desmond: It was my first time back since moving away from Chicago in 2009-10, there's just a visceral feeling that I get being back here. A level of confidence that I don't have anywhere else. John and I were chatting about this before, I had the luxury of having Michael Jordan and Oprah Winfrey running the city and at such a high level of greatness that those are your icons. You kind of want to follow in those footsteps in those ways by getting back to the streets. I was rediscovering Chicago again and it was super fun and I'm looking forward to getting back there sometime. I got to take my son to see another Cubs game, but he was enthralled with the hotdog vendor. Overall, it was an exciting experience remembering going to Comiskey Park part with my father and then taking my son. It was a beautiful blessing."

Ashleigh: When we did actually film in the city, we were filming in locations that I didn't spend a lot of time in growing up. So, there was this wonderful feeling of confidence because 'this is my city!' but there is an unsteadiness as well. It's like my character who can be unsteady as well.

Tel us a little more about Sam and the connection with Desmond's character Wilson?

Jessica: I think there is an insane amount of mutual respect between the two of them. These characters have never met before and they had these years long of online debating and researching and pulling apart this comic and getting into the mystery of Dystopia. They meet for the flesh for the very first time and they wonder if they are anything like what they imagined them to be. When Sam meets Wilson there is a connection, I think before she meets Wilson, she admires him and an ally in this world. Even if he wants to use some of his brilliant knowledge more toward conspiracy rather than changing the world, Sam believes she an change him. She looks to him as her second in command and kind of the ultimate resource of Dystopia and Utopia. She is impressed by his bunker.

Desmond: As gentlemanly as he can be he is not suited for that. He lets her believe she is the leader so he can keep doing things behind the scene. He can't be a leader and still do his thing.

Jessica: He is generous letting her call the shots. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, but they are such an unlikely group that will save the world. They have heart.

Asking Rainn about the younger cast members of the show?

Rainn: What was it like working with these young whipper snappers? Is that the question? I think I am the OG nerd and they are all pretty darn cool in real life. I don't know what I can say but getting to work with these actors was fantastic and one of the great things about the project is all these different worlds. You have the conspiracy world, nerdy world, academic science worlds and then John's billionaire world and they all collide. That's what makes the show so special.

Javon has accomplished a lot as a gymnast and Olympic boxer, and now actor?

Javon: You guys got to see me throw a few punches in scenes and using some gymnastics in there. I'm excited for people to see that.

Dan: I became a punching bag at a certain point. I guess I deserved it.

Ian's main goal in searching for Utopia is getting close to Becky, What was one of your favorite scenes?

Dan: Probably, for me are all the crying ones. I got to get things off my chest. It was very cathartic for both of us. I can't point to a specific scene without giving something away. I think my favorite scenes where the whole nerd crew was involved. Those were the easier ones to slip into this alternate reality and forget what we were doing (in a good way) and forget we were actors on a set of this world. These were my favorites.

Gillian: One of my key fear when I was putting together this core group of people was the idea of how they come together and feel viable and have each other’s backs. I felt so lucky with these guys. I had auditions separately and didn't get to see them all together till they came to the set and we started filming.

John: The secret is that whoever is running the show is that if they are super cool then everything is super cool. The vibe was like a great adventure for everybody and as you got into and the drama kicked in the sense of adventure had a sense of danger and the macabre. It was such a fully conceived world that everyone got to drop into. I can't imagine any actor not having a fun time on the set and with the material.

Why people should watch

Gillian: It is dark, chilling, charming, resonate and occasionally touches the heart.

John: You should watch it because it's like nothing you have seen before and I think that's a bold statement, but I think it’s true.

Sasha: There isn't anything like it and we have real cool people and gnarly things with a good laugh in it.

Rainn: It’s got the conspiracy thriller aspect and a wicked sense of humor with a lot of heart.

Javon: Because there are a lot of twists and fun turns.

Jessica: Everything will have watched everything that's on tv but watch it because this world is filled with incredibly strong badass woman.

Desmond: You should watch is because Javon will come and take you down and B because the world is so vibrantly beautiful and thrilling and darkly funny. You owe it to yourself to sit down with a ice old drink and drop right in.

Ashleigh: You should watch it because it's dope and you'll love it.

Dan: I agree with what everyone else said. It’s a completely unique and distinct experience and in today's overcrowded television landscape that is a feat in itself. On top of that it is full of rich characters filled with a conspirator story filled with these lovely faces.

AMAZON PRIME: Truth Seekers

From brilliant masterminds Simon Peg and Nick Frost along with James Serafinowicz and Nat Saunders comes an eight-episode series about a paranormal investigating team who look for ghosts around the U.K. The panel moderated by Chris Hewitt of Empire Magazine gets the scoop.

Nick says what the show is about, "It's about a man seeking - lets look at another clip! I think its about Gus, he's lost I think and he's looking for some truth in many aspects of his life. He gets put together with a lovely man at work and together they form a wonderful alliance and pick up lovely friends along the way."

Simon says, "I think you have to not make fun of the horror. It's fairly easy to parody something and you can fold your arms and go 'naaww'."

James "We started talking about this, me and Nick, along time ago. We've always been interested in ghosts and UFO's and all paranormal stuff. We are always texting each other stuff we've seen. So we thought how could we harness our obsession with the paranormal with the show. We started just talking about it. We tried to couple the world of fascinating broadband with ghosts".

Nick, "Simon and I talked about how it would be cool to have a ghost hunting job. This has all been building for a while really".

Influences are, for Nat, "A mixture of X-files and pulling from different places and like Simon was saying we wanted to take the horror seriously and make the comedy funny. There might be things that you recognize from films and other television shows but hopefully we have put a spin on them and add some laughs to it. James brought this collection of leather paranormal books and we spent hours pouring over these books looking. There is spontaneous human combustion and an old ladies foot charred in a fireplace.

Simon, "I thought it was amazing that those images of people who died of spontaneous human combustion but they were always near a fire. There was always a telling thing next to a fire or something."

James, "They were always these silly names of people Arthur C. Clark and mysterious powers."

Nick, "Like watching exorcisms on YouTube and you get a chill wondering if that is real."

Pegg, "There are a couple of good scares that you might find in a horror movie that look real but they are not."

The character Gus is a YouTuber, "Gus with his YouTube he just likes it and not bothered about followers. He is desperate to be taken seriously but Gus is alone. He lost someone very close to him and his love of the paranormal came from her and when she died he picked up the reigns so to speak for a chance to see her or hear her again in another realm. That's his drive, he has to get up and go."

Simon as Dave is Gus' boss, how is that, "I was the one deal breaker for me in playing Dave is that I wear a terrible wig that made me look like a mannequin. There are reasons for everything in TRUTH SEEKERS and there is truth behind every façade. It was a lot of fun. He is relentlessly positive. I crop up in a few scenes every episode and gives Gus their assignment for the episode which is usual to install broadband somewhere. He works for a company called Smile, a multinational broadband provider which may or not be nefarious in their deeds."

Nick, "That wig cost us eight grand!"

What was it like reuniting on this? Pegg, "It was alright".

The old time horror show feel to it says James, "There was going to be a lot of practical effects versus CG. We looked for haunted places, and even the lens' were used on Return of the Jedi and Raiders of the Lost Ark. It's got an old feel and there is something really authentic about it".

"It's always fun, its like coming home. I always feel cozy when we are on set together. It's very easy. I didn't do my bits till the end of the shoot so Nick and the gang were very much ensconced and it was like walking into a new school. Him being there made it very easy. It's my baseline."

Nick, "It's like wearing an old pair of pants and sliding right in. It's always nice to have Simon on set. It's always nice to see him. I love to look on the call sheet and see that Simon is in because you are always going to have a laugh and chat and work with my best mate."

There are other characters like Elton, Malcom McDowell, Emma Darcy who plays Astrid, Susan Macoma as Helen playing an agoraphobic slightly tense sister of Elton's character - everyone is great says James. Doing strange and weird roles is something they are proud of and won't say more because they want it all to be a surprise. "Everyone bought into the spooky, creepy fun of the show and brought something special to their part".

Nat, "It was a joy working with Malcom McDowell to listen to his stories."

Pegg, "Me and Malcom bonded over Star Trek and he told me a funny story about William Shatner from Generations. It's not repeatable."

Nick on stories on the set, "Once Simon came in we did some comedies. We got to shoot in great places. There was a ladies house with a Tudor interior and we shot a lot of stuff there."

James, "We shot in a bio-lab once and the terrifying chilling clinical cages and gas chambers within was strange.

Simon and Nick went ghost hunting, did you find any? Simon, "We'd go to an Abby or church and knock on the door saying 'hello ghosts'.

Nick, "There was a place where a bell rang constantly and there have been a lot of thing. The one where we found the station in the forest."

Simon, "It was like we stepped into this unknown world. It was like Brigadoon, it just appeared".

Nick, "It was just waiting for us".

Simon, "Nick knocked himself out and I left him there, he's never forgiven me for it. I thought he's really committed to it. I left and he came knocking on the door saying 'You left me!'."

Do you believe in ghosts and the paranormal?

Pegg, "No, well I believe in aliens but if an alien died I don't believe he'd come back as a ghost. Nick and I went to Area 51".

Nat, "I believe in UFO's and aliens. A friend and I saw a UFO landing at an airbase and we recorded it as proof and found out if was an FO".

James, "I've seen a UFO. Me and my friend and these two girls went down to the beach to look at the moon and it was all overcast on the sea and couldn't see anything but this big shining light. It was almost like it was strobing and lightening up the sea. It went faint and then came right back and went over our heads. It was like a big rectangle and had domes on the side and lights. Not only did I see it but all the people there saw it. It was a shared experience. That's why I believe in it.".