The Hunters: New on the Hallmark Channel

Posted on October 25, 2013 at 12:00 pm

Tonight on the Hallmark Channel at 8 (7 Central), the wonderful Walden Family Theater has a new movie for the whole family. It is a modern day fairy-tale adventure. The brothers Flynn embark on an international quest to find their parents and save the world from the clutches of evil. Can they find and protect the lost shards from Snow White’s mirror before it’s too late? “The Hunters” stars Victor Garber (Titanic), Alexa Vega (Spy Kids), and Robbie Amell (The Tomorrow People).

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Interview with Ryan Simpkins of “Space Warriors” (and a Chance to Win A Trip to Space Camp)

Posted on May 30, 2013 at 12:00 pm

Space Warriors is the story of a group of extraordinary teens recruited for Space Camp, who battle for their chance to win a seat in the next shuttle to space, and learn the importance of teamwork, dedication and friendship when they get called in to save some stranded astronauts. It stars Thomas Horn (Extremely Loud Incredibly Close), Booboo Stewart (Twilight), Grayson Russell (Diary of a Wimpy Kid), Savannah Jayde (Big Time Rush) and Ryan Simpkins (A Single Man, Revolutionary Road). The movie premieres on Friday, May 31st at 8/7c on the Hallmark Channel. I am proud to present an exclusive clip.

Viewers can win a free trip to Space Camp by signing up now, and tuning into The Hallmark Channel on Friday 8/7c to find the secret keyword on screen.

I interviewed Ryan Simpkins about making the movie.

What’s the scariest part of Space Camp?

Well space camp isn’t really that scary, because everything is super safe and there are people there to help you no matter what. That being said, there was this one simulator that spun you around in a huge circle and it would slowly get faster and faster. It would come to a point where you couldn’t even lift your arms or open your mouth! The only fear I had was the fear of throwing up, and that was just because it was so hot in there.

What’s the most fun?

I really liked the scuba diving. It really feels like you’re just flying or floating. We played basketball with a bowling ball (I accidentally dropped it on Michael’s head, but he didn’t even feel it)! I also lifted a two ton ball above my own head down there. We were doing flips and flying around- it was amazing. I also quite liked our jumpsuits. We didn’t have pockets to put our hands in, so we just held them at our collar as if we were Bane from The Dark Night Rises. We also looked like we were in Starfleet Academy cadets from Star Trek. That was nice.

If you were an astronaut, which job would you want?

I would probably want to be in charge of the robots. I don’t know why, it just seems cool. I have a lot of friends who build robots in school and then go to competitions and compete, and they absolutely love it.

What are the most important things an astronaut has to know?

I think they really have to know how to work together as a team. There is one part of the film where the Warriors get in a huge fight and completely blow a mission. They failed and they had to pay for it. There is another part where the astronauts are making an extremely important decision and they have to draw straws. They don’t fight about who wins the game of straws, or say that it was unfair, they just work together to keep each other safe.

What are the most important qualities an astronaut has to have?

They have to stay humble and know how to work together, or else their egos will get in the way of getting the job done and doing it right.

What surprised you the most in what you learned about the space program?

I had no idea that they had moon buggy races. It wasn’t in the original script and it hadn’t been written in until about half way through the shoot, and no one ever mentioned it because they just assumed everyone knew. It’s actually a huge part of space camp training. I was lucky enough to actually go and see some of the races when I went back for the premiere. It’s pretty intense stuff.

What did you and the other kids do to have fun while you were making the movie?

We did lots of things. Every night after filming, we wouldd go up to the fifth floor where they served food and we would play games like Janga or Uno and watch the Olympics together. When we were done we’d head down to the pool and swim for hours; playing Marco Polo, Football, or just throwing a penny into the pool and searching for it. We all went to see The Dark Night Rises in the Imax Space Center Theater, and I forced them all to see The Avengers (it was my 7th time seeing it. I love that movie). We also went to this Safari that you could drive through and the animals would come right up to your car. On the night of the premiere we had this giant sleepover and stayed up till three in the morning watching The Hobbit, some of the behind the scenes footage, having pillow fights, and eating junk food. We also watched LOTS of Netflix. I love that cast more than anything.

What’s the best advice you ever got about acting?

Acting is always a challenge. A great man told me that. It’s never going to be easy, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t go for it.

What makes you laugh?

Bad puns. I’ll go back and watch Avatar: The Last Airbender and Sokka will tell a joke that I thought was the dumbest thing when I was little but I’ll die from laughter watching it now. I don’t know why but bad jokes just make me cry from laughing. Also Edgar Wright movies. I will laugh the entire time while watching one of those.

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Bindi Irwin Stars in Hallmark Channel’s “Return to Nim’s Island”

Posted on March 9, 2013 at 8:00 am

Bindi Irwin, the 14-year-old daughter of wildlife enthusiast Steve Irwin, stars in “Return to Nim’s Island,” a Hallmark Channel Original Movie World Premiere on Friday, March 15 (8 p.m. ET/PT, 7C).

“Return to Nim’s Island” kicks off Hallmark Channel’s new Walden Family Theater, created by Walmart, P&G, Walden Media and ARC Entertainment. “Return to Nim’s Island” is based on the novel Nim at Sea by Australian author Wendy Orr and is the sequel to the 2008 action-adventure international box office hit “Nim’s Island.” In “Return to Nim’s Island,” Nim (Irwin) and her father Jack (Matthew Lillard; “The Descendants,” “Scream”) discover that greedy resort developers plan to buy their beloved Nim’s Island and turn it into a tourist destination, endangering the local wildlife. So Nim takes it upon herself to recruit some animal allies in her battle against the forces who care more about profitability than morality. One of her assistants includes Selkie, a savvy sea lion and Nim’s best pal. Selkie winds up getting kidnapped by a fisherman and his sons (John Waters, Sebastian Gregory, Jack Pearson) who intend to sell her. Nim realizes she can’t depend on her animal cohorts alone and relies on her first human friend, Edmund (Toby Wallace), to help save her home. Along with Jack’s intern, Felix (Nathan Derrick), Nim and Edmund work together and try to defeat the developers and save the beloved island and its endangered species.

Who Let the Dogs Out — New Hallmark Series About the Skateboarding Dog

Posted on January 31, 2013 at 8:00 am

Tillman the Skateboarding Dog, who surfs and snowboards, too, rolls onto the Hallmark Channel in the new original series “Who Let the Dogs Out,” premiering Friday, Feb. 1 (1 p.m. ET/PT, 12C). “Who Let The Dogs Out” is the story of a very special, hugely adventurous bulldog named Tillman who has a taste for outdoor recreation. The Hallmark Channel Original Series chronicles Tillman and his owner Ron as they travel the nation in search of the most spectacular, high-flying canines, while running into some celebrity guests along the way, including Betty White, Florence Henderson, Gary Sinise and many more.

Named after the great U.S. Army Ranger Pat Tillman, Tillman the dog is described by Ron as less a bulldog and more “a ballerina, in the shape of a pot roast.” Tillman learned skateboarding because Ron’s other pooch, a Rottweiler, had a thing for small wheeled contraptions, pushing them around, but never actually riding them. However, when Tillman saw the skateboard, it was love at first ride. Ron picked up Tillman his very own board, and the rest is history.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlYylzcGdMs

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Interview: Ted McGinley of “Notes from the Heart Healer”

Posted on May 3, 2012 at 8:00 am

Ted McGinley talked to me about re-teaming with Genie Francis for the third in the Hallmark series of films about an advice columnist known as “The Heart Healer.” In The Note, Peyton (Francis) discovers a note she thinks is from someone who was killed in a plane crash. Struggling with her own grief, including the loss of her husband, she tries to find the intended recipient of the note. The movie was Hallmark’s top rated for 2007 and led to a sequel, The Note II: Taking a Chance on Love, which brings Peyton closer to writer King (McGinley). Now in chapter three, “Notes from the Heart Healer,” the couple care for an abandoned baby. McGinley spoke to me about what he likes best about his co-star, filming in Victoria, Canada, and about his first real acting job replacing the star of the top television series of the decade. It will be on the Hallmark Channel Saturday May 12 8/7c & 10/9c and Sunday May 13 12/11c & 8/7c.

How does it feel to come back to this story and these characters?

I was excited to revisit it myself. First, to work opposite Genie is fantastic. We have a strange chemistry. Like an old glove, we just fit into each other. I loved this script, the best of the three. And every time we do these movies we go somewhere. It’s like an adventure. King’s a nice guy to put on, a nice guy to hang out with.

What is it like to work with Genie Francis?

She’s so skilled that you could lay out a deck of cards and read through all 52 as quickly as possible and have her read it back to you. She’s that sharp. She’s just a very open soul. That’s what she has in common with her character. When she first started doing this she had done the soap and had not had much experience with single-camera filming, but now she can move into this different formula. She is like silk when she works, so smooth. She is so in control of her emotions and how she uses them. I like her because she is very giving and very honest. The chemistry is good and it’s a fun place to be.

And what is it that draws people into these characters?

It’s a great story. I think the shame is that it is not a week to week series — Hallmark should make it a show you could sit down to watch with your family and get a heartwarming story every week, like “Touched by an Angel.” We are all touched by the fantasy of “what if.” Peyton reaches out through the newspaper to uncover stories. Each one is a fun little fantasy and it’s okay by the end. All you have to do is read the newspaper and there are 20 stories every morning that you could write an episode around. The first one was such a fun journey and very well done. The second one was not as well thought out. The third is the best. The relationship between King and Peyton is so strong, like she’s the dock he is heading for. The story is compelling and the guest cast is amazing. It felt like a little piece of magic up there.

Tell me about playing King.

King had a family previous to this and was addicted to his work. He just got old enough to realize that just having work and being successful at work and being a Pulitzer prize winner doesn’t do anything for your soul. You have to have a more well-rounded life. He lost his marriage and ruined his relationship with his son. He had climbed into this cave and was trying to do his work but had lost the passion of his life. He had blinders on. When he ran into Peyton, she had been in her own cave to protect herself and felt guilty. They were two wounded warriors who worked near each other but never knew each other, so it is a very healing process as they come together. He’s an easy person to be around. Not highly judgmental. I’m a sports fanatic and he is a sports writer but we never delve into that. All of that has to be in his background. Sometimes there are characters that are fun because they are nasty and shoot people but some are fun and comfortable and easy to get into, and that’s King; he’s a trustworthy, reliable, decent, smart character.

This chapter adds some new characters.

Laci J. Mailey stole the movie, just phenomenal, as the baby’s mother. The twins who took turns playing the baby were so great. When I’m away I miss my family so much and it was so great to have these babies to hang onto.

Where was it filmed?

Victoria. I spent half my time looking for places to live if I didn’t live where I do now. We were in Brentwood Victoria, and it is just spectacular. It is one of the great family vacation spots. You can do 50 different things almost every day, watch the planes come in and land on the water, whales, museums, the Community Gardens.

How did you decide to pursue acting?

I was playing water polo at USC, and a girlfriend told me I should do some modeling. I didn’t know what that was. I started modeling and someone was there casting a movie called “Valentine” with Jack Albertson and Mary Martin and they needed a guy to run on the beach. It was supposed to be a one-day deal and they paid my modeling fee. It rained for 13 straight days and I ended up being the 3rd highest paid, because they had to pay me for all those days. I spent 13 days hanging out with Jack Albertson and watching him. This is a fun job, and exciting job. I still thought I was going to go into commercial real estate or having my own advertising company. But this kept tugging at me and I ended up on “Happy Days” while I was still doing commercials, without any training. I had on-the-job training — with the Fonz. Ron Howard left because they wouldn’t let him direct, so I call it “the Chachi years.” It was a great learning ground. I made a lot of mistakes, publicly, coming from being very successful in polo to being a beginner. I’m never the guy who got in for the attention; I still don’t like getting up in front of a crowd. In some ways Roger on “Happy Days” was my most challenging role because I didn’t have a clue what I was doing. I didn’t know timing, rhythms. I played a murderer/rapist in a TV movie and that was very challenging. But there’s always a couple of moments in every show — the key is to find those moments and allow them to be challenging. There’s a lot of jobs you can’t say no to, and you say, how am I going to do this, to get through those kinds of scripts and live with yourself.

What are some of your family’s favorite movies to watch together?

“Kicking and Screaming,” the soccer movie with Will Ferrell — we love that as family. My house is that house that all the kids go to. We still howl laughing at it. On the way to a soccer tournament, we’ll watch it, too. And “Elf” — it’s fun when you watch it with a group of teenagers and watch them laugh hysterically. That’s the best.

STAY TUNED FOR AN INTERVIEW WITH MCGINLEY’S CO-STAR, GENIE FRANCIS, COMING NEXT WEEK.

Is your mom a heart healer? Hallmark Channel is looking for inspirational, poignant or funny stories about moms who have healed a heart. Post your tributes to Facebook.com/hallmarkchannel

#HeartHealer #HallmarkChannelCountdown

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