David S. Goyer

TV News: ABC’s ‘FlashForward’ Will Move Forward For Full Season

BrianTT — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 20:16:23 -0600

CHICAGO – It comes to no surprise to hear that freshman series “FlashForward” got picked up for a full season by ABC, according to popular blogger Michael Ausiello.

FlashForward
Photo credit: ABC/Ron Tom

Since its series premiere, “FlashForward” has hit the 12 million mark, boosting ABC’s ratings time period 32 percent over last year in its Thursday night time slot. Not to mention that this is the first regular series since “Friends” to beat “Survivor” in the 18-49 demographic.

With the show’s success ABC has ordered an additional 12 episodes, bringing the season one episode total to 25. The announcement was made a few days after ABC picked up “The Middle,” “Modern Family” and “Cougar Town.”

“FlashForward,” which airs on ABC, airs on Thursday nights at 7PM CST. It stars Joseph Fiennes, John Cho, Jack Davenport, Zachary Knighton, Peyton List, Dominic Monaghan, Brian F. O’Byrne, Courtney B. Vance, Sonya Walger, and Christine Woods. It was created by David S. Goyer and Brannon Braga.

By ANGIE RENTMEESTER
Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com

TV Review: ABC’s ‘FlashForward’ Could Easily Be the Next ‘Lost’

BrianTT — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 09:27:20 -0600

CHICAGO – Do you think that if the creators of “Lost” were allowed a glimpse at their futures when their hit show began that they would have seen a montage of all the series that it would inspire? The latest is ABC’s clever and potentially addictive “FlashForward,” a strong genre entry that needs a better time slot and some serious buzz to become the next “Lost” and not the next failed wannabe, but has the potential to be a real breakthrough hit.

Television Rating: 4.0/5.0

I’m sure the creators of “FlashForward,” including David S. Goyer (writer of “Batman Begins,” “Blade,” story credit on “The Dark Knight”) are tired of the “Lost” comparisons, but they’re inevitable and impossible to ignore - a multi-layered cast, a supernatural mystery, a show that uses jumps in time as a storytelling device. And the density of the writing on the show is both what makes it interesting and what could doom the series. For every “Lost” there are a few shows like “The Nine,” series that viewers didn’t commit to every week and that left fans unsatisfied by their early demise.

FlashForward
Photo credit: ABC/Ron Tom

Before we get into what “FlashForward” is about and why it’s one of the most promising shows of the new season, I’d like to speak directly to anyone with power at ABC or any of their friends or relatives. MOVE this show. 7pm on one of the most crowded nights of the week could be a kiss of death for this series. The fact is that “FlashForward” is going to appeal to a young audience, the same fans who write “Lost” fan fiction and I know for a fact that a lot of those people are committed to “Bones” or “Survivor” and the new shows “Community” (which is moving to 7 in a few weeks) and “The Vampire Diaries” have already had strong premieres. Why stick “FlashForward” into such a ridiculously overcrowded time slot. Find an open 9pm slot and put it against “The Jay Leno Show”. This kind of dense, detailed fictional writing is the anti-“Leno”.

FlashForward
Photo credit: ABC/Ron Tom

“FlashForward” even opens like “Lost” - with a disaster. A man crawls from a crashed car to hear screaming and see that a horrible disaster has happened. We flash back just a bit and get to that moment again, where it turns out that the entire world has blacked out for 137 seconds and seen a glimpse of sixth months into the future (which just happens to coincide with the beginning of sweeps…clever.)

Of course, if most people were given a glimpse of six months from now all they would probably see is them eating an Egg McMuffin or taking a shower, but that doesn’t make for good TV. No, all the leads on “FlashForward” see major changes ahead.

Lead character FBI Agent Mark Benford (Joseph Fiennes) sees men with guns and a complex conspiracy; His doctor wife (Sonya Walger) sees herself with another man and one that she hasn’t even met yet; Benford’s partner (John Cho) sees nothing but blackness; and so on.

The premiere of “FlashForward” is crammed with a bit too much plot. It feels like the creators are worried they may not have long on the air and they hit the ground running as fast as they can. We’re introduced to a dozen characters, the main event happens, everyone quickly realizes (too quickly) the connections, and the episode’s final scene leaves audiences wanting more.

FlashForward
Photo credit: ABC/Ron Tom

Because of the “crammed with content” feel of the premiere, it’s hard to tell exactly what “FlashForward” will be. Will every episode be an action-driven one like the premiere? It’s doubtful. The smoke monster may have been cool but fans fell in love with the characters on “Lost” as much as anything else and that’s what’s going to drive the success or failure of “FlashForward” and it’s impossible to grade it with such a plot-heavy pilot.

The potential is definitely there. Fiennes is well-cast, Cho is interesting, and Brian F. O’Byrne has been a great character actor for years. And the production value of the show is ridiculously impressive. The opening scenes play like a theatrical-caliber action film. And I can’t stress enough the excellence of the final scene, one that will almost certainly force anyone who makes it that far to tune in next week.

David S. Goyer and Brannon Braga have been here before. They tried a supernatural mystery called “Threshold” a few years ago and it never caught on. Will this be the next “Lost” or the next “Threshold”? By the time the show catches up with its characters in April 2010, we’ll know for sure.

‘FlashForward,’ which airs on ABC, premieres on September 24th, 2009 at 7PM CST. It stars Joseph Fiennes, John Cho, Jack Davenport, Zachary Knighton, Peyton List, Dominic Monaghan, Brian F. O’Byrne, Courtney B. Vance, Sonya Walger, and Christine Woods. It was created by David S. Goyer and Brannon Braga.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

David S. Goyer’s ‘The Unborn’ is Unoriginal, Uninspiring Mess

BrianTT — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 08:21:09 -0700

CHICAGO – Odette Yustman stars in David S. Goyer’s “The Unborn,” a poorly conceived and produced horror movie that could have just as easily been called “The Un-scary,” “The Uninspiring,” “The Unoriginal,” or “The Unexciting”. Whatever you do, just un-plan to see it this weekend.

Rating: 1.0/5.0

After his similarly superstitious and sloppy “The Invisible.” it’s surprising that David S. Goyer would go back to a storytelling well that failed him the first time. That film was an ineffective trip to the other side and “The Unborn” is an ineffective film about a trip back.

Read Brian Tallerico’s full review of “The Unborn” in our reviews section.

The poor girl haunted by a visitor from the other side in “The Unborn” is the gorgeous Casey Beldon (Yustman). This Megan Fox doppelganger is haunted by dreams of a young boy, a creepy dog, and a buried fetus. One night, she’s attacked by a neighbor child she’s babysitting and warned that “Jumby is waiting to be born.” “Jumby” was the nickname for the twin that died while Casey was still in utero. And he’s angry about more than just being given a stupid nickname before he was even born.

After the babysitting night from Hell, Casey is haunted by an increasing series of nightmarish events, including ghostly children, waves of potato bugs, and terrifying dreams. And that damn neighbor kid likes to hang out in her yard and look creepy.

‘The Unborn’ stars Odette Yustman, Gary Oldman, James Remar, Carla Gugino, Cam Gigandet, Meagan Good, Rhys Coiro, and Idris Elba. ‘The Unborn,’ which was written and directed by David S. Goyer, opened in Chicago on January 9, 2009.

Continue reading for Brian Tallerico’s full “The Unborn” review.

Rabbi Sendak (Gary Oldman) and Casey Beldon (Odette Yustman) attempt an exorcism.
Photo credit: Rogue Pictures

Slideshow: 20-Image Gallery For ‘The Unborn’ With Odette Yustman, Gary Oldman

BrianTT — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 07:48:02 -0700

CHICAGO – This 20-image slideshow contains official press images for Universal’s “The Unborn,” which stars Odette Yustman, Gary Oldman, Cam Gigandet, Meagan Good, Jane Alexander, Idris Elba, Rhys Coiro, Carla Gugino, and James Remar from writer/director David S. Goyer. The film opens on Jan. 9, 2009.

“The Unborn” is a horror film from the writer of “Batman Begins” and “Blade” about a young woman slowly being possessed by a spirit and her attempt to fight it. The R-rated film opens on Friday, January 9th, 2009.

You can click “Next” and “Previous” to scan through this slideshow or jump directly to individual photos with the captioned links below. All photos credited to Rogue Pictures Copyright: © 2008 Rogue Pictures. All rights reserved.

Unborn01: (L to R) Rabbi Sendak (Gary Oldman), Casey Beldon (Odette Yustman) and her boyfriend, Mark Hardigan (Cam Gigandet), investigate an abandoned mental hospital in a supernatural thriller that tells the story of a young woman pulled into a world of nightmares when a demonic spirit haunts her and threatens everyone she loves: The Unborn.
Unborn02:Rabbi Sendak (Gary Oldman) and Casey Beldon (Odette Yustman) attempt an exorcism in a supernatural thriller that tells the story of a young woman pulled into a world of nightmares when a demonic spirit haunts her and threatens everyone she loves: The Unborn.
Unborn03: Odette Yustman as Casey Beldon in a supernatural thriller that tells the story of a young woman pulled into a world of nightmares when a demonic spirit haunts her and threatens everyone she loves: The Unborn.
Unborn04: Cam Gigandet as the boyfriend of Casey, Mark Hardigan, in a supernatural thriller that tells the story of a young woman pulled into a world of nightmares when a demonic spirit haunts her and threatens everyone she loves: The Unborn.
Unborn05: Gary Oldman as Rabbi Sendak in a supernatural thriller that tells the story of a young woman pulled into a world of nightmares when a demonic spirit haunts her and threatens everyone she loves: The Unborn.
Unborn06: Meagan Good as the best friend of Casey, Romy Marshall, in a supernatural thriller that tells the story of a young woman pulled into a world of nightmares when a demonic spirit haunts her and threatens everyone she loves: The Unborn.
Unborn07: Casey Beldon (Odette Yustman) is rescued from her exorcism by boyfriend Mark Hardigan (Cam Gigandet) in a supernatural thriller that tells the story of a young woman pulled into a world of nightmares when a demonic spirit haunts her and threatens everyone she loves: The Unborn.
Unborn08: Casey Beldon (Odette Yustman) questions Matty Newton (Atticus Shaffer) about his odd behavior toward his baby sister in a supernatural thriller that tells the story of a young woman pulled into a world of nightmares when a demonic spirit haunts her and threatens everyone she loves: The Unborn.
Unborn09: An unspeakable evil has possessed Eli Walker (Michael Sassone) in a supernatural thriller that tells the story of a young woman pulled into a world of nightmares when a demonic spirit haunts her and threatens everyone she loves: The Unborn.
Unborn10: Casey Beldon (Odette Yustman) studies the ancient Book of Mirrors in a supernatural thriller that tells the story of a young woman pulled into a world of nightmares when a demonic spirit haunts her and threatens everyone she loves: The Unborn.
Unborn11: Casey Beldon (Odette Yustman) tells her boyfriend, Mark Hardigan (Cam Gigandet), there is something behind the mirror in a supernatural thriller that tells the story of a young woman pulled into a world of nightmares when a demonic spirit haunts her and threatens everyone she loves: The Unborn.
Unborn12: Casey Beldon (Odette Yustman) swears she is not alone in a supernatural thriller that tells the story of a young woman pulled into a world of nightmares when a demonic spirit haunts her and threatens everyone she loves: The Unborn.
Unborn13: (L to R) Casey Beldon (Odette Yustman) tells best friend Romy Marshall (Meagan Good) about her nightmares in a supernatural thriller that tells the story of a young woman pulled into a world of nightmares when a demonic spirit haunts her and threatens everyone she loves: The Unborn.
Unborn14: (L to R) Casey Beldon (Odette Yustman) is rescued by boyfriend Mark Hardigan (Cam Gigandet) and best friend Romy Marshall (Meagan Good) in a supernatural thriller that tells the story of a young woman pulled into a world of nightmares when a demonic spirit haunts her and threatens everyone she loves: The Unborn.
Unborn15: Casey Beldon (Odette Yustman) sees unspeakable evil in a supernatural thriller that tells the story of a young woman pulled into a world of nightmares when a demonic spirit haunts her and threatens everyone she loves: The Unborn.
Unborn16: Rabbi Sendak (Gary Oldman) reads from the Book of Mirrors while Casey Beldon (Odette Yustman) hangs on for dear life in a supernatural thriller that tells the story of a young woman pulled into a world of nightmares when a demonic spirit haunts her and threatens everyone she loves: The Unborn.
Unborn17: Casey Beldon (Odette Yustman) convinces boyfriend Mark Hardigan (Cam Gigandet) evil is near in a supernatural thriller that tells the story of a young woman pulled into a world of nightmares when a demonic spirit haunts her and threatens everyone she loves: The Unborn.
Unborn18: (L to R) Gary Oldman as Rabbi Sendak and writer/director David Goyer on the set of a supernatural thriller that tells the story of a young woman pulled into a world of nightmares when a demonic spirit haunts her and threatens everyone she loves: The Unborn.
Unborn19: Barto (Ethan Cutkosky) unleashes his evil rage in a supernatural thriller that tells the story of a young woman pulled into a world of nightmares when a demonic spirit haunts her and threatens everyone she loves: The Unborn.
Unborn20: Barto (Ethan Cutkosky) possesses Father Arthur Wyndham (Idris Elba) in a supernatural thriller that tells the story of a young woman pulled into a world of nightmares when a demonic spirit haunts her and threatens everyone she loves: The Unborn.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com