'Tin Man' puts a different spin on the Oz story (article)

[c-regalis.livejournal.com]

Callum Keith Rennie has had a career of interesting roles, but one that stands out is a sort of modified flying monkey in "Tin Man."

"Yeah, I'm a leather-clad flying monkey," he says with a chuckle. "It was fun, sinister and creepy."

The three-part miniseries is a "reimagining" of "The Wizard of Oz."

Made two years ago for the U. S. Sci Fi Channel, it's just now coming to Canada. Space: The Imagination Station is airing it on three consecutive nights, Saturday through Monday, Aug 1-3.

This adaptation of the L. Frank Baum classic is set in a parallel Earth called the O. Z., for Outer Zone, which has fallen under the domination of the evil sorceress Azkadellia (Kathleen Robertson), supported by an army of thugs called longcoats.

They're partly a parallel to the wicked flying monkeys of the original -- though Azkadellia also has an air force of uncommonly ugly creatures that spy for her.

And Rennie plays the leader of the longcoats, Zero, a sort of smirking, post-punk careerist who does bad things often just for the fun of it.

"He does things out of jealousy and not being No. 1 and having to listen to a woman," Rennie says. "But he fully enjoys his role as the guy who never had that position until now and is totally abusing it and taking as much fun out of power as he can."

As all this implies, "Tin Man" is -- to steal a phrase -- not your parents' "Wizard of Oz."

It stars Zooey Deschanel as DG (Dorothy Gale), grown up and bored silly on the Kansas prairie -- until a tornado sucks her up and spits her out in the O. Z., where she teams up with a man who has had his brain removed (Alan Cumming), a former lawman (or Tin Man, for his badge) played by Neal McDonough, and a hairy, timid psychic (Raoul Trujillo).

"Tin Man" was shot in and around Vancouver and features a number of Canadians, notably Robertson and Rennie, who head up the rogues gallery.

Not only is he torturing innocent civilians in 'Tin Man," but he played killer John Wakefield on "Harper's Island," in which people assembled for an island wedding were killed off week by week.

"I'm not allowed to talk about that," he says, chuckling. "But it's me typecast as another bad man."

(This was before the series had run its course, and he was tied to a "confidentiality agreement.")

It was one strange performance. At first Rennie appeared uncredited and only in faded photographs and old newspaper clippings.

As if that weren't enough, he also can be seen on the big screen in the thriller "Case 39" -- as a man who tries to kill his young daughter -- and as the cunning Cylon mystic Leoben Conoy in the upcoming Battlestar Galactica TV movie "The Plan."

And soon he'll take on his first starring role in a series, as a police detective with multiple personalities, in the drama "Shattered," due to air on Showcase in the new year.

"He's a good cop and bad cop rolled into one," Rennie says. "It will be a great experiment."

Posted By BRIAN GORMAN

Found here on July 28th, 2009.

Comments

[laylee.livejournal.com]

"He's a good cop and bad cop rolled into one,"

Lets hope he's more good than bad, cos you know? Good would be a nice change.

[c-regalis.livejournal.com]

*hopes hard*

But I think he will be. More good than bad cop. I really do.

[surya74.livejournal.com]

New article, yay! \o/

And how great is it that Callum is so busy! Shattered! And more Leoben! <3 I really hope he has a siginficant amount of screentime in The Plan. His appearance in the movie trailer was only about a femto-second (or even shorter?). Hmpf.

[c-regalis.livejournal.com]

And there just popped yet another one up. The Canadians apparently haven't seen Tin Man yet. That would explain the enthusiasm.

But yeah, it's great that he's busy. Also 24. Until now I wasn't sure if that one was really true. But it seems it is.

I don't really have high hopes for The Plan. Like you said, the trailer. Or, well, trailers. I think a few days ago another one showed up. And they are all exactly the same, except for the 1.3 seconds of a new scene at the beginning and a single new frame there and there. They are playing with my patience here. And always the same one nano-second of Callum. (Or maybe even femto. I am not sure I still CARE, BSG. Give me a real new trailer. With Callum. Please.

[bluebelle789.livejournal.com]

"But it's me typecast as another bad man."

I wonder if he's getting fed up with that... Not that I don't love me a bit of bad!Callum, but when he's good? He's really good. *g*

[c-regalis.livejournal.com]

According to the next article that showed up today, he thinks it's just great. I don't believe him. Hmpf.

but when he's good? He's really good. *g*

Yes. I WANT THAT ONE PLEASE.

[neu111.livejournal.com]

This one is definitely for keeps \c/

"Yeah, I'm a leather-clad flying monkey," he says with a chuckle. "It was fun, sinister and creepy."
I bet that if he had blog, that first sentence could be the title. I'm seriously thinking about stealing it!
And the second one is a good sum-up of his performance in some of his roles as a villain (Zero, but Wakefield also), where he manages to give real sinister and creepy characters, while maintaining an undercurrent of tongue-in-cheek humor (I'm Eeeeevil and you're all going to die, mwa ha ha ha-like - he doesn't need to say it to convey the feeling!)

"He does things out of jealousy and not being No. 1 and having to listen to a woman,"
Zero in a nutshell! Plus: having to listen to a woman, poor thing!

Shattered
Yes, please!

"He's a good cop and bad cop rolled into one," Rennie says. "It will be a great experiment."
Makes the mind boggle, considering that he plays a cop like he plays a bad guy (another interview to post!), and bad guys like they may / might have been good guys, to some extent...

[c-regalis.livejournal.com]

I bet that if he had blog, that first sentence could be the title.
Hehe. I think you are right. *cackles* And yes, steal it! I stole his sandals, you take the flying monkeys.

Zero in a nutshell!
Well, he should know. He probably had to dig out his old notes. Must be weird being interviewed about something that happened two years ago.

And yes, please. I want Shattered too. It'll be a nice change. Plus, okay, it sounds awesome.

plays a cop like he plays a bad guy
Ha! Should make it easier, no? Or... harder. I... I don't know.

(Oh, right, that one and the Halo one, and probably a lot of other stuff too. As soon as the Canadians have actually watched a couple of episodes of Tin Man. That should curb their enthusiasm. Ahem.)

[nessreader.livejournal.com]

Shattered sounds like it could be so very good - he plays villains brilliantly but how utterly fab would a CKR lead role with buckets of screentime be.. *crosses fingers along with the rest of you*

[c-regalis.livejournal.com]

but how utterly fab would a CKR lead role with buckets of screentime be

AND not a bad guy. Like, not a serial killer at least. I am all for it.