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Mira Sorvino, Victor Garber Join Knights Templar Miniseries

BuzzSugar — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 10:29:50 -0800

Mira Sorvino has just signed on to join Victor Garber in an NBC miniseries based on the bestselling Raymond Khoury novel, The Last Templar. Variety continues:

Romantic adventure-themed mini stars Sorvino as Tess Chaykin, a Manhattan archaeologist searching for the medieval Knights Templar. Garber plays Monsignor De Angelis, who helps find the artifact.

Sure, it sounds like some kind of wannabe Da Vinci Code, but the story of the Knights Templar might be intriguing enough to make this production different and interesting. Also: Victor Garber and Mira Sorvino? Sign me up.

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House Rundown: Episode 11, "Frozen"

BuzzSugar — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 09:33:39 -0800

From what I understand, "Frozen" wasn't initially intended to be the post-Super Bowl episode of House: Even guest star Mira Sorvino didn't find out about the episode's prime placement until she was already on set. Considering that, I thought the producers did a remarkable job of making this episode feel special. Practically the whole gang was there (save for Chase), and the case itself was a new spin on the old House formula. Plus, there was some romance - the best part of which we had to wait to the very end to understand. Want to talk more about it? Just read more.

When I first heard the premise of this episode, I was afraid it sounded like "One Day, One Room," another episode where House spent the whole time working on a single, nontraditional case. But as far as I'm concerned, this episode blew that one out of the water. For one thing, Cate had a strong personality - and a pretty serious chemistry with House, especially considering that the two were never physically together. Cate was tough and self-reliant and didn't want anyone's pity; she got a thrill from psychoanalyzing House but also liked him just the way he was. He saw someone in a vulnerable situation who managed to not act vulnerable at all (I mean, she stabbed herself in the chest to reinflate her lung. That's hardcore). Sorvino hinted that she could return to the show, and I would love if she did: There's so much potential there.

The case itself had some dramatic bits, both for the regular viewer and the House newbie - but did it seem to anyone else that it was especially heavy on the gross-out shots? If I didn't already like the show, I'm not sure that leg spurting blood in the opening scene would have been enough to get me to stay, not to mention the skull drilling. But for it all to come down to a broken toe that House hadn't seen out of respect for the fact that Cate didn't like her feet to be cold? That was classic House logic.

The other thing I liked about that: Kutner's personality! Who would have thought Kutner would be the first one to stand up to House? After complaining about the new team not doing much in last week's episode, I now wonder if it was meant to be that way. House clearly wasn't seeing much from them either; that's why he told them to stop being afraid of getting fired. That got Kutner out of his goofily incompetent shell; who will be next?

Oh, and then there's Wilson's girlfriend: Cutthroat B*tch! Who called it? I certainly didn't - I was betting it would be Cameron, actually - but I loved that twist. And good for Amber, or rather for the actress who plays her; I thought she was great during the competition episodes, and I'm glad she's on the show somehow.

Some other thoughts:

When's the last time we saw Wilson and Foreman in a room together? That was so welcome.
Also, Foreman's line after learning how House was courting Cate: "Oh God, he's been wooing me for years!"
Some of the House-Wilson banter seemed to be missing its usual zing (a consequence of the writers' strike?), but this was fantastic:

House: "You're wearing that shirt for someone."

Wilson: "The health department. They frown on topless oncology."
Loved the meta moment when Cameron told House he'd be stuck with broadcast TV: "I'll be fine on Tuesdays."

Did "Frozen" live up to the hype? And what to make of Wilson and Amber, sitting in a tree, apparently k-i-s-s-i-n-g?

Photos courtesy of Fox

Interview: Mira Sorvino on Getting "Frozen" on House

BuzzSugar — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 16:30:46 -0800

House scored the prime post-Super Bowl time slot this year, and to go along with it, the show also scored a big-name guest star: Oscar-winner Mira Sorvino. In "Frozen," Sorvino plays Cate, a psychiatry fellow at Princeton Plainsboro who starts developing symptoms of a mysterious illness while aiding a team exploring the South Pole. Connected to House only via webcam, she and the doctor struggle to save her life.

Sorvino chatted with reporters recently about starring on her favorite TV show, the sparks between Cate and House, and House's underlying good guy. Some excerpts:

On how she came to do House: "Well, I’m a crazy House fan. It’s my favorite show on TV, and it’s funny because once I got pregnant with my first child, I ended up watching a lot more TV than I had for years and I just became absolutely addicted to House and just thought it was so intelligent and thought Hugh is so fantastic . . . So when I met Hugh at the Golden Globe three years ago, and I was five months pregnant and nominated for Human Trafficking and he was nominated for House and we were all seated at the same table, I just started gushing about how much I loved the show. And I think I might have frightened him. But then a few years later they called and said, 'We know Mira loves the show. We think we have one of the best female characters we’ve ever written on it. Would she like to come and do an episode?' I was really excited to do it, entering the world of my favorite show."
On being a TV fan in general: "When you’re a film actor, you kind of reserve TV as the last bastion of suspension of disbelief. You get used to the characters and you don’t really think about the way that it’s made. When I watch movies, I’m a lot more critical about the stunts, the edits, the performances. But on TV that’s my little place where, OK, I’m just watching. I’m like everybody else; I’m just a spectator enjoying this."

I've got lots more from Sorvino - including the possibility of a Cate/House romance - so just read more.

On her character psychoanalyzing House: "She has one line where he says, 'Oh, now you’re going to fix me,' because she’s telling him about some of his issues. And he says, 'And now, I suppose you’re going to tell me I need to be fixed.' She says, 'I never said you needed to be fixed.' So she kind of likes him the way he is with all of his issues, which I think is cool. And everybody else is always trying to change him and they’re always moralizing. I feel like Wilson is always missing the fact that House is actually a good guy - even though he’s a jerk, he’s a good guy anyway."
On the chemistry between her character and House: "At first I think it’s more founded on a little bit of skepticism on both sides. He doesn’t really believe in psychiatry at all and sort of mocks her for that, doesn’t think of her as a real doctor. She is the only medical professional on site to help the whole Antarctic exploring team down there, so she doesn’t want to use up any of the medical supplies on theoretical diagnoses. . . . So it starts out that way, and then as they start communicating, for some reason, I think he feels sympathy for her when she’s really all alone and has to diagnosis herself constantly and things go from bad to worse. They understand each other. I feel that she gets him in a way that none of the actual people in his world get him. They’re similar in that they’re both loners and strong-willed and there’s this nice little subplot, chemistry, sexual tension. . . . You definitely feel that if they were not separated by thousands of miles and glaciers that maybe something would happen."
On whether her character might return: "There’s talk of it, but because of the writers' strike, no one knows what’s going to happen. No one knows the plot lines because the writers have been unable to work since then, and they’re obviously the ones who will decide what happens to this character and to House. But I would love it."

Photo courtesy of Fox

Link Time! 10/18

BuzzSugar — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 15:28:23 -0700

TV Barn wants to know why TV Guide put a major Grey's spoiler on the cover (click the link to see the whole thing).
Popwatch lists the top 22 kick-ass ladies... and then amends the list to include Buffy and Sydney Bristow.
Buddy TV tours Lost locations in Hawaii.
Cinematical talks about the top 15 mis-quoted movie quotes, like "Play it again, Sam."
Ausiello reports on a new addition to Private Practice who could be a love interest for Addison.
Idolator has the fairly unsurprising revelation that online downloaders really, really like Radiohead.
TiFaux worries that 30 Rock might be overdosing on guest stars.
Mira Sorvino tells MTV Movies Blog that she would love to do a follow-up movie to Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion.
Got a burning need to talk about The Hills? Head on over to TV Cocktail for their recap.
The CW has canceled Online Nation, and TV Filter is not at all surprised.
Vulture counts down their top 10 worst movies directed by actors. What's your No. 1?

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