Published on February 12th, 2013 | by R. O'Donnell
BSG Star Kandyse McClure Talks “Hemlock Grove”
Whether playing Petty Officer Second Class in the Colonial Fleet on the SciFi Channel’s critically acclaimed “Battlestar Galactica”, or starring in Fox’s “Persons Unknown”, a psychological drama series described as a cross between “Lost” and “The Twilight Zone,” Kandyse McClure’s work has always led to the darker side of cinema. Cast as the troubled Dr. Chausser in Eli Roth’s Goth-horror “Hemlock Grove,” a new series on Netflix premiering Friday, April 19th, Kandyse returns once again to a genre that keeps her close at hand.
Born in Durban, South Africa, Kandyse was separated from her mother at an early age and had to flee to Canada to escape apartheid as a refugee. She lived with her grandparents until she was finally reunited with her mother at eleven years old. One can only imagine how this sort of past is why the talented actress has levitated to the roles that require much more than just another pretty face.
Thank you for taking the time to talk with Static Multimedia.
My pleasure, thank you for taking the time to talk with me.
Tell us about Netflix’s new horror thriller “Hemlock Grove”
Well.. it’s based on Brian McGreevy’s novel “Hemlock Grove,” which I did read during the development stages. It revolves around the gruesome murder of a young girl, and my character is brought in to determine the cause of her death. Dr. Clementine Chausser is an animal behaviorist expert, and is eventually brought in to help with the case. You know, they believe some sort of animal is responsible for the killing? She has some pretty solid theories about whom or what is responsible. Dr. Chausser is a complicated character, though, and she needs to immerse herself in her work; keep an order to things as she’s struggling with a lot of her own personal inner demons.
What was it like working with the cast of “Hemlock Grove”
We have very talented cast of younger actors in their early 20’s and then us older folks. I’m 33. [laughs] And I love working with all of them but working with Famke Janssen (“X-men” franchise, “Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters,”) I’ll admit I had a “fan” moment. She’s just wonderful to watch. I had a scene with Famke where I forgot to say my lines because I was too busy watching her.
And Eli Roth?
Eli likes the gore. So they’ll be plenty of that. You know, “Hostel,” “Cabin in the Woods”? Unfortunately, I didn’t get to work with him on the set. Dr. Chausser doesn’t appear until later. But Eli’s done so much behind the camera and in front of it; he’s amazing to talk to. Great stories. I did have lunch with him and he’s a lot of fun to talk to. He’s funny and he really loves his craft.
Do you like horror?
It’s not really something I watch on a regular basis. But I do seem to get cast in the genre a lot.
Why do you think that is?
People like to hear me scream? [laughs] I have a good horror scream. Also, I’ve been told, that people like to watch me reacting to these horrible situations. They enjoy watching me work things out, getting myself out of a tight spot. Over the years, I’ve learned to appreciate the genre more and more. I also went through some pretty dark days as a child fleeing to Canada to escape apartheid. All these experiences tend to shape our lives and the choices we make.
What scares you?
Oh… interesting question. Drowning. Drowning scares me a lot. I’m not your typical girly-girl though. That’s not me. I’m not afraid of insects or snakes or anything like that. As a matter of fact, I’m the person my friends call to get rid of the spider in the house, so… but yes, drowning. That scares me.
Does your beauty ever get in the way of casting opportunities?
I think that’s true with any casting experience: you’re too short for the role or you’re too old for the role… beauty is a blessing that can work either way. It can get you the job, too. I really don’t think about it much.
What about Battlestar Galactica, you miss it?
Yes. I do. It was a wonderful experience that changed my whole life. Battlestar will always be a part of me. I learned so much about myself and about my craft. It gave me a career and for that I’ll always carry the experience everywhere I go.
What do you miss the most?
I miss Dualla. I loved the way she grew from a rather small role into a pretty vital component of the show. I miss her struggles and her triumphs.
Do you still get recognized?
All the time! BSG has a large following and very loyal fans, and I’m constantly having people come up to me to say hello.
Valentine’s Day is approaching, do you celebrate it?
I’ll be traveling on Valentine’s Day, so… I have someone, very special, and we’re not into anniversaries and a lot of gift giving, but we celebrate each other every day.
Anything more you’d like to say about “Hemlock Grove”?
I really like that you can watch all the episodes anytime you want. Power watching episodes are great fun. That’s a real luxury for people on the go.
I just watched all of Netflix’s “House of Cards” starring Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright – brilliant.
Exactly! So I’m very excited to be a part of Netflix’s “Hemlock Grove” for that reason as they’re somewhat ahead of the pack – no pun intended. [laughs]
Sports Illustrated Swimsuit
I Dreamed a Dream : Anne Hathaway
* pity the other actresses in the category. They'll look good on the red-carpet but Anne is the clear winner, hands down. By the way I don't give a sh*t about the Oscars and judging by the ratings, slowly declining into deserved irrelevance.
Love Battles [Mes séances de lutte]: Berlin Review
The Bottom Line
Let’s get physical.Venue
Berlin Film Festival (Panorama)Director-screenwriter
Jacques DoillonCast
Sara Forestier, James ThierreeActors Sara Forestier and James Thierree duke it out in Jacques Doillon's Berlin Panorama premiere, in which a budding couple engages in a bizarre form of physical therapy.
BERLIN -- First there’s a tete-a-tete, and then there’s a knee to the nuts, in Love Battles (Mes seances de lutte), veteran auteur Jacques Doillon’s latest tale of amour fight, in which a budding couple engages in a bizarre form of physical therapy, pounding each other in the face before they decide to pound each other in the bedroom. Two parts rough foreplay and one part coitus uninterruptus, yet as chatty as a French film can be, this initially engaging exercise grows tiresome by its midpoint, even if stars Sara Forestier and James Thierree throw themselves into the struggle with an energy usually reserved for Skinemax or WWE SmackDown, but rarely for an art house movie.Indeed, the two actors deserve beaucoup credit for their intense and draining performances, not to mention their fierce and, at times, acrobatic sexual stunts. While anyone familiar with Forestier (The Names of Love) knows that she’s capable of perfectly playing a scene a poil, and usually by a film’s second reel, theatre-performance artist Thierree (Total Eclipse, Prospero’s Books, and also the grandson of Charlie Chaplin) is a particular discovery here.
Both of them are highly convincing in a movie that ultimately fails to convince, and even becomes a bit of a turn-off despite the ample flesh and nonstop booty bouts. Thus, Battles will likely go the route of recent Doillon efforts like last year’s Me, You and Us, with limited Francophone distribution and TV sales, although with some auteur-core marketing a la Michael Winterbottom’s 9 Songs or Patrice Chereau’s Intimacy, it could potentially be carried to wider markets.
The plot is awfully simple: an unnamed girl, She (Forestier), arrives in the countryside to handle her recently deceased father’s estate, and crosses paths with caretaker, He (Thierree), a sort of love interest with whom she once tried to get it on. Distressed by her dad’s death and the iffy relationship she has with her siblings, She takes refuge in her daily conversational ping-pong with He, via several extended dialogs filled with Doillon’s usual floweriness (“You came her to despise pleasure”), until they start getting downright dirty (“You used your boner to ward me off”).
For reasons that only the French could fathom, He decides to push She into a radical therapeutic exercise whereby they engage in a form of light brawling/heavy petting that gets more and more violent with each session (the original title is a pun that translates to “My Wrestling Sessions”). Before long, the film slides into one long and endless scuffle, with He forcing She to come to terms with her daddy issues, and She trying to get into He’s pants, all the while jabbing at his uber-ego.
It’s like an Eric Rohmer movie starring Hulk Hogan and Beth Phoenix, if those two were also horny intellectuals who could quote Proust while trading off piledrivers. And soon enough, the piles get driven harder and harder until clothes are ripped off, belts are unfastened and, naturellement, some mud is thrown into the mix, with the body blows turning into well, blows, plus lots more, in the film’s extended NC-17 finale.
This could all be written off as risibly pretentious – and that often feels like the case -- if it were not for Forestier’s and Thierree’s investment in their roles, with the former delivering her lines and slugs with gusto, and the latter using his circus-trained body to literally bop his co-star into the wall, when he’s not bopping her elsewhere. It’s a crazy whirlwind of a performance piece, one which Doillon and D.P.’s Laurent Chalet and Laurent Fenart capture with soft and well-framed HD imagery, turning the serene provincial setting into a steel cage match of sex and chagrin.
It’s like an Eric Rohmer movie starring Hulk Hogan and Beth Phoenix, if those two were also horny intellectuals who could quote Proust while trading off piledrivers. And soon enough, the piles get driven harder and harder until clothes are ripped off, belts are unfastened and, naturellement, some mud is thrown into the mix, with the body blows turning into well, blows, plus lots more, in the film’s extended NC-17 finale.
This could all be written off as risibly pretentious – and that often feels like the case -- if it were not for Forestier’s and Thierree’s investment in their roles, with the former delivering her lines and slugs with gusto, and the latter using his circus-trained body to literally bop his co-star into the wall, when he’s not bopping her elsewhere. It’s a crazy whirlwind of a performance piece, one which Doillon and D.P.’s Laurent Chalet and Laurent Fenart capture with soft and well-framed HD imagery, turning the serene provincial setting into a steel cage match of sex and chagrin.
Alessandra Ambrosio Break On Through
from Terry RichardsonAmber Channell and Madison Barber Behind the Scenes
from Justin DeBrauxKayla Lyons and Stephanie Knight photoshoot Behind the scenes
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