Obi-Wan Kenobi dropped in on Silver Lake this week.
Traveling far from his starring role in "Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith," Scottish actor Ewan McGregor has joined Christopher Plummer and "ER" actor Goran Visnjic in a low-budget independent movie called "Beginners" that has begun filming on the streets of L.A.
In the movie, which is set in the Silver Lake area, McGregor portrays a young man whose world is shaken when his father, played by Plummer, reveals a double whammy -- that he has terminal cancer and is gay. In a far cry from his role as the heartthrob doctor in "ER," Visnjic is cast as Plummer's partner.
The $3-million film, directed and written by Mike Mills, is among about 50 projects that received approval for tax credits under the state's new film incentive program.
The city figures prominently in the film. So far, the production has shot at Griffith Park, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and on Monday will move to Highland Park to film a Halloween party scene. The crew will also spend several days downtown filming at the Biltmore Hotel.
Even the city's Silver Lake dog park will have a bit part in the movie, location manager Chris Miller said.
Despite the movie's small budget, Miller is especially grateful for the local storyline. His last job, working on the remake of the musical "Fame," ended seven months ago.
"There's so little work out there, I'm just fortunate to be working right now," he said.
-- Richard Verrier
Talking 'V' with Morena Baccarin, plus 5 clips from Tuesday's fall finale
Usually it's the aliens who say "Take me to your leader."
Anna (Morena Baccarin) is beautiful and well-spoken, and she's literally the face of the V invasion, which kicked off when giant ships arrived and began hovering over 29 Earth capitals.
Hoping to avert widespread panic, the visitors, or "Vs," broadcast Anna's reassuring messages from the undersides of their ships. Then they set up clinics doling out free health care and also began allowing small groups of humans on carefully orchestrated visits to the aliens' serene-seeming ships.
But have they really come to Earth to make friends, borrow some minerals and be on their merry way? What do they really want? Something in Anna's steely gaze says she knows. But all she'll say publicly is that the aliens "are of peace, always."
Hmm, that claim doesn't quite jibe with the fact that under those attractive skins, the Vs look like lizards. The few humans who know that definitely aren't buying Anna's well-orchestrated P.R. campaign.
Though it's still quite promising, "V" has not been flawless. Since its well-made pilot, it has had some pacing problems and has featured a few subplots that are downright clunky, especially the one about the teen with a crush on a blonde V. And ABC has got to start throwing some money "V's" way; though it should have an epic feel, the drama sometimes has less style and scope than a middle-tier cable drama. As they so often do, Tom and Lorenzo of "Project Rungay" said it best when they wrote that the drama "suffers terribly from a 'Canada passing for New York' aesthetic that sets our teeth on edge."
But then there's Anna, and Baccarin, a veteran of Joss Whedon's "Firefly," simply owns this role. Though "Lost's" Elizabeth Mitchell is compelling as Erica Evans, an FBI agent who is certain the Vs are up to something shady, the most consistently enjoyable part of this drama has been watching Anna play the humans' fears and sympathies like a well-tuned violin. Whether she's selecting another sleek outfit, revealing her manipulative side to a journalist or heading off a wave of bad publicity for the aliens, every one of Anna's actions is coolly calculated.
But unlike other ladies bent on world domination, who often favor frumpy pantsuits and drab officewear, Anna looks simply fabulous as she crisply executes her secretive agenda.
In a recent interview, Baccarin said that Anna's signature pixie haircut was the coiffure the actress had when she arrived for her "V" audition. The producers and Baccarin both thought the look worked for the role, so the trim, stylish cut stayed.
Baccarin has also consulted with the show's producers and costume designer, Maya Mani, about Anna's pared-down, elegant look.
"We talked about it a lot and the most important thing was that Anna look very sleek and together, but not overbearingly so," Baccarin noted. Success: Anna looks professional and slightly cutting-edge, but there's also a sensuality and a gracefulness to the expensive-looking, well-cut clothing she wears.
Fashion aside, there are bigger concerns on the actress' mind, such as what happens next between the humans and the aliens.
"I'm dying to know everything. No matter how much I ask, they won't tell me," Baccarin said. "I read the [script for the fourth] episode and I was like, 'Damn it, I have to wait?'"
Yes, she will have to wait, and so will viewers. New episodes of "V" go production in January, and the show won't return to ABC's schedule until March (when it may air alongside the final season of "Lost").
"V" has a new executive producer as well. Scott Peters, who helped conceive the remake of the 1980s series, is still working on "V," but Scott Rosenbaum, formerly of "Chuck" and "The Shield," has joined "V" as its executive producer and showrunner.
"My goal is that in every single episode, there will be an 'Oh my God, I can’t believe that happened' moment, or a 'Wow' moment," Rosenbaum recently told Sci Fi TV Zone. "And I think that would not only be a mythology plot reveal, but also a character reveal. ... I don’t want people to watch this show and ever be able to guess what’s going to happen next, because that’s the problem with some of the TV I watch."
There are some intriguing reveals in Tuesday's episode, and viewers will also see more of Anna's chillingly efficient leadership style. As for what'll happen in March? Baccarin said she can't wait to find out.
"It's really hard to get a script and see a huge plot twist and ask them, 'What does this mean? What's going to happen?' [And get told,] 'We can't really tell you that,'" she said. "It certainly makes for an interesting day at work. It's a little frustrating but it's also fun, because we're getting the information [not long before] the audience is getting it."
Additional clips from "It's Only the Beginning," Tuesday's episode of "V," are below, as well as a description released by ABC. Spoilers ahoy.
Episode description: "Erica works with newly-formed allies to uncover a biological threat they suspect the Visitors have been plotting. Aboard the Mothership, Anna meets with a special guest while managing the investigation into the murder of a V. And Chad [Scott Wolf] does a segment on the V Healing Centers, demonstrating their amazing medical abilities, but then finds himself conflicted by some of his findings."Envoys spice up Lamu cultural festival
Nine foreign ambassadors and high commissioners were in Lamu at the weekend to show support for the conservation of the Swahili cultural heritage.
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THAILAND: ‘Media’s Election Coverage: Numbers High, Quality Low’
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