This is the Life on MARS: 23 mar 2013

23 mar 2013

Special 'SPARTACUS' WAR OF THE DAMNED ♥

Interview: Dan Feuerriegel Says "It's All About Love" With The Possible End Of Nagron

Will the love between Agron and Nasir be but a memory?

Last night’s episode of Spartacus: War Of The Damned brought some huge losses. Not only did we see the mighty Crixus (Manu Bennett) die at the hand of Tiberius (Christian Antidormi) while his lover Naevia (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) watched, but we also saw Agron (Dan Feuerriegel) part ways with lover Nasir(Pana Hema Taylor) and then fall in battle, which could spell the true end of this beautifully presented and much beloved gay love story.

Feuerriegel, who we profiled earlier this year, jumped on the phone with us yesterday to talk about shooting the “Separate Paths” episode, including the heartbreaking scene where Agron says goodbye to Nasir.

AfterElton: The scene between Agron and Nasir was so powerful and essentially a break-up. Talk to me about filming that.
Dan Feuerriegel: It was probably one of my most favorite scenes to do because it just had so much weight to it, and it was two seasons in the making. The best part about it was that we had plenty of time to work on it and TJ [Scott, the episode’s director] was great. He showed us a couple of days before how it would work and set it all up and how I was going to be off sulking and thinking. All of it was built up, in a sense, since Castus (Blessing Mokgohla) arrived in episode three. When I read the scene [in “Separate Paths”] I thought, ‘Awesome.’ It says so many amazing things about the characters, especially for Agron.

Agron has been known to be just an angry young boy, and this is him finally growing up. Because he’s so in love with this person, he believes the best thing for him is to go off and live his life even if that involves being with Castus. That’s how I saw it. That [Nasir] would be better off with Castus than with me because all I want to do is fight, and I’m going to continue on with Crixus. I believe that Nasir will be happier alive and with Castus. That’s one of the big reasons why I did that. Of course, it will create a lot of tension within the ranks and the Nagron fans, and I’ve already been seeing that online with the theories and how much they hate Castus. It’s a beautiful scene, and I love how Agron becomes so selfless. It’s all about love.

AE: As always, it was really beautiful how Steven [S. DeKnight, creator] handled the Agron/Nasir romance the same as he did with, say, the Crixus/Naevia romance.
DF: Absolutely. That’s the good thing about being on a TV show is you can really watch it grow, which is why TV is so popular.

AE: Without giving too much away, in the next episode, do we see how Nasir reacts to what’s happened to Agron?
DF: It’s a great episode for Pana because you really think he’s going to fall into Castus’s arms, but he blames Castus and himself for Agron leaving, so it’s a great episode for Pana.

Why does Agron leave Nasir, knowing he'll end up in the arms of Castus?

AE: This was also Manu Bennett’s last episode, which was so sad. How was that to shoot since you were in that scene?
DF: The way that they shot it, it was kind of confusing. We needed it to be explained what part of the fight we were doing at the time. TJ was amazing. He’s such a visual director. He would tell us ‘Don’t worry, guys, Everything is in my head. We’ll put this there, we’ll put that there.” But really a long, exhausting day, especially for Cynthia and Manu. Especially Manu, since they focused a lot on him, understandably. His final day was not the day he gets his head cut off, but it was earlier in the fight scene where he kills the guy and takes his medallion. That was his final day. He gave a big speech and everyone gave speeches and it was really lovely.

It was also the beginning of the end, especially the fact that I’ve been on the show from the beginning, as well, and knowing it was concluding and that the episodes were kicking along. The correlation between the show ending and how the show ends is so similar that you were able to draw on those emotions, because they were actually happening in your life, as well. It was the beginning of the end, and it really hit emotionally.

AE: It sounds like you guys were really a family, which I noticed when you were here in Los Angeles for the premiere in January.
DF: We’re one big family, and we still hang out together even though some of us are in Canada or back in New Zealand or Australia we still tweet each other or still Facebook or text message. Even though it was called Spartacus it was a massive ensemble show and we had to work together, and yet there would be times when ten of us would be standing around doing absolutely nothing for ten hours but those are the times when you actually do get close. You goof off and entertain each other. It was a magnificent production to be a part of.

AE: It’s pilot season in LA and you’ve been here auditioning. How’s it going?
DF: Even though I’m on the show and it’s done ridiculously well, I still feel like I have to pay my dues. So, pilot season for me was just all about getting up there and going ‘Hi, my name is Dan. This is what I can do.’ It’s a learning experience and I had to learn how to audition again. It’s been three years and it’s a completely different beast out here. In Australia, I’ll have one a week, maybe two. Over here, you’ll have three or four a day over five days. 12 auditions in three days. That’s insane. I had to learn a whole new set of skills so, for me, it’s been great. I’ve learned so much and I’ve introduced myself to everybody, and now I can start. That’s how it works. I see myself in this for the long haul, so if that requires me to have some time to work on this, then so be it. It’s great be living the dream!

Next Friday, Starz will air a marathon of “Spoils Of War,” “Mors Indecepta” and “Separate Paths” before airing the last two episodes of the series on April 5th and 12th.

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From the @ArtifactTheFilm Premiere at #SXSW 2013

March 23rd, 2013

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MCR Broke Up...

Today is so sad for me...

30 SECONDS TO MARS + MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE are my favourite bands from the beginning.. I have a lot of happy memories connected with them and my love for both literally was born in the same time. I remember again as was yesterday when my cousine told me about Jared and MARS and I told her about Gerard and MCR.. And after a couple of minutes after we were searching them in the web and watching videos on YouTube.. We're felt in love with them instantly. I’ll never forget!

These are some cute message from fans around the web that melted my heart...

THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING!

I'LL ALWAYS LOVE YOU AND NEVER STOP TO HEAR YOUR AMAZING MUSIC!

♫ ♥

Special 'SPARTACUS' WAR OF THE DAMNED spoilers warning! ♥

"Spartacus: War of the Damned" Recap: The End is Near

March 22, 2013

We all knew it would end like this. We all knew what was coming. We all knew the inevitability of how this would eventually all turn out.

And I am sooo not ready for it.

What an episode. What a show! And still two new episodes remain. I’m not sure I can take it. But, as your fearless recapper, I’ll certainly try.

Our scene opens in the swamps of Dagobah. Young Spartacus Skywalker seeks out a short, wizened old puppet for sage wisdom and advice. The withered, wise old creature has a question for you, Spartacus Skywalker:

Wizened Creature: Who your father is know you?

Spartacus: Uhh, the mailman?

Wizened Creature: Batiatus your father is.

Spartacus: Nooooooo!!!!!!!!

Funnily, in a roundabout way, Spartacus gives Batiatus credit for having shaped and created the man and leader he has become, but I’m getting ahead of my self.

We do actually open in a swamp, a warm and squishy respite from the snowy mountains of the last episode. The rebels are fleeing from Crassus, who rides four days behind. There are Romans on their rear (sounds like a White Party I went to once,) and the main fighting force turns and exchanges blows (which also sounds like a White Party I went to once. Okay, I’ve never actually been to a White Party, or any other colored party, for that matter, but sometimes in my imagination these things happen.)

The rebels slaughter the Romans to a man—literally, there is one guy left—and Spartacus wants a few answers from him before he dispatches him to the underworld. The Roman soldier, unsurprisingly, is less than forthcoming. So Spartacus calls on his chief torturer, Dick Cheneyicus, and soon the Roman is singing louder and purer than Kristin Chenoweth on speed. Actually, Crixus puts his sword to good use and gets the Roman to talk about Crassus’ whereabouts before killing the soldier once and for all.

Crassus and his men are catching up—coming upon the slaughter, Tibby uses his heightened mutant sense of smell to determine that, from the foul stench of the corpses, they are three days behind Spartacus. What, is Tibby now the corpse whisperer? You know, he just gets creepier and creepier by the minute.

Caesar argues that Crassus is pushing the men too hard, and that they need to rest, but Crassus is still sore over Kore running away and will not listen. Senator Metellus arrives, seeking an audience, and is none-too-happy that Crassus let Spartacus get away from the ridge. Metellus tells Crassus, “Your taint is named,” and apparently he named it Dandelion O’Brien—no, wait, scratch that, he said, “You name is tainted.” Sorry, just mixing up my subject and my object there.

In response, Crassus pounds the living snot out of Metellus, and, for good measure, pounds some of the dead and dying snot out of him as well. Caesar looks to intervene and Tibby stops him. Caesar does eventually prevent Crassus from beating Metellus to death, but dang skippy! Without his beloved slave (there’s an oxymoron for you,) Crassus clearly has no release valve for his anger issues. Hey, sexy pater—try yoga. Try Xanax. Try Chardonnay (it does wonders for my mother). All this rage is a little unsexy.

The rebels are not faring much better. Their supplies are running low (again!) and Crixus is grousing about not being bathed in Roman blood up to his armpits and using Roman entrails to make more braids for Naevia’s pretty hair, blah blah blah. Seriously, the guy has a major woody for violence at this point, and Spartacus will not be able to hold him back for long.

The rebels make camp, and Nasir and Agron share a smiley moment, one that is disrupted when Castusarrives with some extra wood—extra firewood, that is, meant to be a peace offering. Agron spies Laetahaving trouble popping a tent, and Agron, being an expert at popping a tent, goes off to her aid, but tells Castus he still has his eye on him. Castus, still in full flirt mode, tells Nasir that he knows that Nasir has hiseyes on Castus as well. Oh, you roguishly handsome pirate. You never quit making us blush!

Laeta expresses gratitude for Agron’s help in popping a tent (okay, okay, metaphor now officially dead,) and Agron says that he does so because, “Spartacus carries affection toward you…[and] Spartacus deserves some small measure of happiness” in this life — at least in the remaining three episodes left. Wow! That’s pretty direct of Agron. Laeta looks thoughtful but just then Kore interrupts, needing help.

There is a happy event in the slave camp: a baby is born. Kore delivers the baby with Laeta’s help, while Spartacus stands by, calming the mother. Kore is shown to be proficient in delivering children, and she says that she did so many times in her former dominus’ home. Laeta then asks, “Did I know your dominus?”

Was it me, or was that just an incredibly tacky question to ask? It’s like running into Kore at a party and saying, “Your face is so familiar…didn’t you once hold the chamberpot while I dropped fudge logs at your former owner’s house?” I have to imagine asking a runaway slave about their former owner is a seriousDear Abby no-no. (Or, I suppose, we could just “Ask JT” about it. Hey! Way to afterelton/backlot.com cross-promote!) Kore hesitates, making up some story about an owner named Pompo, but Spartacus sees the mark of Crassus and is immediately suspicious. He believes she is a spy, but she swears that she has left because of the ill treatment she received at the hands of her dominus’ son. Spartacus is apprehensive, but Laeta speaks up for Kore, and Spartacus eventually leaves Kore under her care, safe for now.

Tibby is eating with his aides when Caesar storms in. Tibby is not happy to see him, but Caesar ignores him and says he is worried about Crassus. Caesar frets that Crassus is out of control and urges Tibby to talk reason to him. Tibby rounds on Caesar, suggesting that he is trying to cover his own (muscular and perfect) derriere over the whole Kore fiasco. Caesar eyes Tibby and says, “What did you do to her, boy?” and, when Tibby does not respond, he says, “Did you force that tiny tallywhacker inside her?” Actually, Caesar doesn’t use the word “tallywhacker,” but anytime I can get a shout-out to the seminal 1980s flickPorky’s, I am happy to do so (besides, I’m pretty sure Meat made me gay, so I owe the flick a solid!) Caesar threatens Tibby: either talk sense to Daddy, or he’ll figure out what really happened between him and Kore and tell Papa everything.

Crixus sees the newborn babe and does as he always does when shown anything cute, happy, or carefree: he scowls (I swear, even a koala bear could make Crixus foam into an uncontrollable rage.) Naevia smiles, though, saying the child is born free to this world, and that is a marvelous thing. Crixus softens, and the two share a beautiful scene, where Crixus talks to Naevia about a future he can never provide her: one with a home, three squares a day, and perhaps a child of her own. Naevia says to Crixus to never mind that. He was the one that saved her from the mines, he was the one who pulled her out of her depression, he was the one who made her strong. She says, “I choose to walk by your side, in this life, and the one that follows…” It’s a beautiful scene made even all the more poignant by the fact that, when Crixus is summoned to Spartacus, Naevia looks back at the mother and child with a wistful tear in her eye.

Elsewhere, Gannicus and Lugo have scouted ahead and come across a series of largely unprotected villas—or, as the rebels call them, Easius Pickingus. Spartacus lays out his his plan: to cross the Alps (with or without elephants?) and emerge into the broad territory north of Rome. There, he reasons, the slaves can scatter, and Crassus could never round them all up, ensuring that some will remain forever free. Crixus disagrees. He argues that west of their position is Rome itself, guarded only by one legion, headed by some doofus named Arrias. Spartacus shakes his head. Will it never end? he wonders. He tells Crixus that the Romans will never let them go if they don’t flee. Crixus replies, “You opened my eyes to this,” and Spartacus eventually agrees that he will not stand in Crixus’ way. The two make a decision: to forge their own paths in this journey.

Before departing, though, the rebels attack the villas in the valley and then indulge in feasting and an orgy (I scanned as best as I could in the background, but could not find any man-on-man action. Of course, I was also taking notes on the action I did find, so I might have missed it.) Gannicus and Sibyl drink and giggle, and he kisses her openly. Oh, and then he decides maybe he should break up with Saxa first. Total douchebag move, Gannicus! Saxa appears nonchalant about the whole thing, telling Gannicus that he’ll come crawling back before she goes hot tubbing with another bodacious beauty. I suspect she minds a bit more than she lets on, but no way is Saxa showing any of that to Gannicus.

Nasir brings his love muffin a drink, and Agron, looking disconsolate, confesses to Nasir that he is not staying with Spartacus, but going with Crixus. Nasir takes this news without flinching, and says, Okay, then we leave with Crixus in the morning…but Agron says no. Agron wants Nasir to stay with Spartacus. And yes, every collective heart watching the show now begins to crack (at least any watching who have a heart). Nasir, holding back tears, says, “My place is forever with you,” but Agron does not want Nasir to undertake such a dangerous journey. Nasir replies, “Do not ask me to turn from you,” and Agron says, “I ask only that you live.” They hug, and kiss, and yes, they go their separate ways.

Oh man. Oh Spartacus, why you got to play me like this? But it is a beautiful scene, incredibly poignant, and amazingly acted (I do have one quibble, though: how about one more go around of man-on-man humping before they part? Just for old times’ sake?)

Elsewhere, Spartacus and Crixus talk, finally, as brothers. They have made peace with each other, and feel their bond has deepened as a result. Now, go on you two, kiss and make up. Go ahead, kiss. We’ll wait.

Meanwhile, Tibby does go to talk to Crassus, though not to placate Caesar, but more to cover his own pert bottom. He mentions Kore and Crassus snaps at him not to bring up her name ever again. Crassus is clearly heartbroken: “Why would she risk all to fly from loving arms?” he asks. Tibby just shrugs and tries to throw the blame on Caesar. Oh, you dastardly bastard, Tibby…

Agron tells Spartacus that he will not be accompanying him to the Alps. Seeking comfort, Spartacus turns to Laeta. The two spar romantically, and I would have a flashback to Moonlighting, if I had ever seen the show in the first place:

Spartacus: Your wounds must be all but healed. You return to difficult woman of old.
Laeta: One cannot turn from truest nature.

Spartacus seems to find that last bit of advice particularly wise, but before he can ponder it further, Laeta is all over him like the fat Elvis on a fried peanut-butter-and-banana sandwich. Spartacus says something about not being able to give up his heart, and Laeta replies, “It is not your heart I am after this night.” Oh, snap! The two then make some very gyrotastic love-making. Good for them. Now why couldn’t we see Agron and Nasir do the same?

The next day Crixus asks Gannicus to accompany him, but he demurs, and Crixus, looking to Sibyl, seems to understand why. I want to barf. Crixus says to Gannicus, “I will always hold you as my brother,” but frankly, I haven’t see any “brother-on-brother” holding, if you know what I mean, and it’s making me a little cranky.

Crassus, meanwhile, has devised what the rebels are up to. Those generally unable or unwilling to fight head for safety, lead by Spartacus and protected by a small force; the bulk of the army, lead by Crixus, heads for Rome. Caesar is nervous; Rome is practically undefended! But Crassus really wants to get Spartacus now. He seems to be perfectly content to let Rome fend for itself. Not cool.

We then move to a scene I can best describe as “oh-my-God-I-can’t-believe-I-just-saw-what-I-saw-but-i-am-pretty-sure-i-did-see-it-so-O-M-F-G.” Before I describe the next scene, I’d like to tell you how my hubby experienced it, listening to my reactions from the other room:

“Holy crap.”

“Ho-lee crap.”

“No way. No way. HOLY CRAP!”

“HOLY BY JUPITER’S C**K CRAP!”

Upon hearing this, my hubby paused, listened, and then, as I heard him mutter, “Oh. Spartacus.”

So here’s what brought out the “holy crap” in me. Caesar goes to Tibby. By now he knows exactly what Tibby did, because a “working woman” saw him exiting Kore’s tent and saw a battered Kore immediately afterward. Caesar will keep his secret, if Tibby convinces the old man to turn to Rome. Tibby knows he is busted, but instead of giving in, he smashes Caesar across the face with his wine jug. Stunning the man, Tibby has his men grab Caesar and then he proceeds to demonstrate in person exactly what he did to Kore. I said it before, I’ll say it again: “HO-LEE CRAP” I did not see that one coming, and judging from his position, neither could Caesar. As he is doing the deed, Tibby spits at Caesar, “Speak what you know to anyone and I shall spread tale of the mighty Caesar taken like a woman!”

Ho.

Ly.

Crap.

We turn to images of war, as we get an awesome 1980s-inspired movie montage of Crixus, Naevia, Agron, and others at war with Romans while carving a path toward Rome (I’m pretty sure that was “Eye of the Tiger” playing in the background. Right?) Before the gates of the city, only Arrias and his legion stand between the rebels and Rome itself. Crixus gives a mighty speech, though his war cry—“Shall we begin?”—isn’t exactly “Once more unto the breach, old friends!” But it gets the job done. The rebels send flaming balls of fire into the Roman army to disrupt them (big deal, my hubby can do that every time he eats Mexican food,) and, after a short battle, Crixus and company prove victorious. It was easy.

Perhaps too easy.

After a quick shot of Spartacus making his way north, we cut back to Crixus parleying with Arrias, though it turns out Arrias has very little to say (mainly because Crixus shoves a sword in his mouth.) The rebels celebrate—but all too soon. Crassus and his ranks arrive, and it is clear the rebels are vastly outnumbered.

Before attacking, Crassus notices Caesar’s bruises, and asks, “Reason you are not astride horse?” Caesar sulks, and Tibby provides an answer, telling his father that it was his idea (no duh!) so that Caesar can lead his men to battle on foot. Oh, Tibby. Your uppance will cometh soon, and I suspect it will cometh hard when it cometh.

The two sides clash, and Crassus is pulled from his horse. Still, the rebels are outnumbered vastly, and Crixus tells them to fall back and reform. Agron spies Caesar and wants some revenge for deceiving the rebels, but Tibby slashes at him from behind, and Agron falls. No! Crixus and Caesar fight. Naevia tries to help her man but Caesar tosses her aside. Crixus and Caesar battle again, and Crixus seems to get the better of him when Tibby runs Crixus through with a spear. Naevia screams (frankly, so did I.) Crassus comes to Crixus and sneers and gloats before giving Tibby the signal. We watch—literally reflected in Naevia’s eye—as Tibby decapitates Crixus.

End scene.

Oh, man. I think we all know television shows enough to know that until death is confirmed, we can never count our chicken nuggets until they are hatched. But Crixus is gone. Agron is down. Naevia is in big trouble. The army is decimated. Time is not on the rebels’ side. Only two episodes remaining? I’m not sure I can take two more episodes of this!

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Jared Leto: A Fan Sent Me An Ear

22 March 2013

The 30 Seconds To Mars frontman tells Xfm about the strangest gift he received…

30 Seconds To Mars fans are quite keen, it would seem. Frontman Jared Leto has been telling Xfm about the weirdest "gift" he's ever received from a fan… a human ear.

Speaking to Xfm's Phil Clifton, the musician and actor paid homage to the band's fans, who call themselves The Echelon. "The fans are an incredibly committed and passionate group of people. Going to a show is kind of like visiting Japan, you expect gifts on your arrival. You get all kinds of wonderful things."

However, not all of them are so wonderful.

"Someone cut their ear off once and sent it to me, that was very strange. A whole ear. The Van Gogh move. The note just said, are you listening? I never knew who it was, who's missing their ear out there. I poked a hole in it and wore it as a necklace!"

He's joking, of course. "Just don't put your entire body in a case and send it to us."

Jared also spoke to Xfm about the band's new album Love, Lust, Faith And Dreams, sending their music into space. Listen to the whole interview below.