A blog of recent clips, reporting and notions on what's happening in pop culture of interest to me. Written by Cynthia Wang.
My page for current articles and reporting, random thoughts on TV, music, movies, etc.
What is it about James Bond that has kept Daniel Craig in that role for so long, and what special touches has the actor contributed to the legendary character? I explore that in my first story for Foxtel Magazine.
Former People magazine colleague Nicki Weisensee Egan lets her sources tell their stories in their own voices on true crime podcast Chasing Cosby, based on her 2019 bestseller.
It’s been 14 years since I last went on location to cover Survivor, but it was worth all the water landings and achy knees to stand with Jeff Probst on a sandbar for the opening to Winners at War. Writer Thomas Mitchell highlights the key points of my interview in the March 9 issue of TV Week.
Along with an extract from We Can’t Say We Didn’t Know, I speak to Four Corners investigative journalist Sophie McNeill about her time in the Middle East and the brave civilians she has come to know through her work.
Two-time Australian Survivor contestant Luke Toki ended up winning the hearts of Australian fans, and landed a surprising media gig in the process. Luke and his family and friends spoke to me for a profile in Who Magazine’s March 30, 2020 issue.
It’s always a blast to talk to comedian Nazeem Hussain, who now adds fatherhood to his arsenal of jokes for new standup audiences to his latest show, Hussain That!
a-ha. From left: Paul Waaktaar-Savoy, Morten Harket, and Magne Furuholmen. Photo supplied by Frontier Touring.
The song comes on and you picture the story immediately, a hand reaching out of a comic book to a lonely girl in a diner, beckoning her to join him in an animated fantasy land complete with a real-world mirror.
Or, the video comes on and you nod in time with the beat, getting ready to play air keyboards and, when the chorus reaches its crescendo, belt out the highest note, whatever your actual vocal range.
Either way, you smile.
Such has been the legacy of a-ha's 1985 global hit "Take On Me" and the iconic film clip created for it, directed by Steve Barron and animated by Candace Reckinger and Mike Patterson.
"Steve was the man during that early period of music videos," a-ha keyboardist Magne Furuholmen, 57, says. "We were lucky to meet him at the peak of his powers, and I think he enjoyed working with the band as we were new, excited, and perhaps gave him a lot more creative freedom than established artists who were already concerned with their image."
On the eve of their first Australian tour since 1986, the Norwegian synth-pop trio are nearing 1 billion YouTube views for their now 4K-restored "Take On Me" video, currently sitting on more than 985,645,000 views as of Jan. 20. Once they reach that mark, they will be in the same territory as classics such as Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody".
"We knew the hand-drawn rotoscope technique in the video would make it look completely unique," Furuholmen says, "but no one is prepared for something to have such an impact."
Reflecting further, he adds, "We were never ones to sit back and watch our videos, or indeed listen back to our own music, but whenever it comes on randomly, it feels good to see that it still feels really unique and special even 35 years after it was made."
In November, the band released a three-part documentary on their YouTube channel about the making of "Take On Me" and how the song and video have endured in pop culture. Vocalist Morten Harket, 60, who reunites with actress Bunty Bailey, 55, in the second episode, says that "the spirit of the song was also there in that video. That's the key element, really."
The video, which accompanied a revised version of "Take On Me" by producer Alan Tarney, set the stage for the clips that followed it from their debut album Hunting High and Low.
Using the same characters in "Take On Me" for "The Sun Always Shines On T.V." video "was Steve's idea, and we liked it," Furuholmen says.
However, although the filming techniques in "Hunting High and Low" differed from "Take On Me", Furuholmen admits, "We did, at this point, start to worry a little whether the whole animation thing would possibly affect the songs and pigeonhole the band as something 'made' or 'fake.'"
That's why he, Harket and guitarist Pål Waaktaar-Savoy, 58, relish the opportunity to perform Hunting High and Low in its entirety on their 2020 tour, and especially in the Southern Hemisphere. "Coming back to Australia has been a recurring dream within the band for years and years," Furuholmen says.
In regard to modifying or restructuring any of their album tracks for the show, Furuholmen explains, "There is a balance to be struck. Within the band, we might think some of the early demos for the album contain motifs, rhythms or arrangements that were changed or a little lost during recording and have a wish to champion these, whereas for people who bought and loved the album, [they] are, of course, excited to hear the particular album versions live."
Rick Astley. Photo by ShootTheSound for 5050 Media House
a-ha will share the bill with English crooner Rick Astley. "We may have met randomly once or twice years ago," Furuholmen says, "but no, we have never been within each others’ orbit before.
As I understand it, Mr. Astley is a much loved artist in Australia, and with the 80’s as the common denominator, I would expect many fans to be able to relate to both our musical oeuvres for a wider concert experience."
Thinking back on Hunting High and Low, Furuholmen says, "Each song carries a set of memories and circumstances. For us, they are markers of the time and our shared experiences on this crazy ride of 35 years we have had together."
a-ha with special guest Rick Astley will tour Australia and New Zealand starting February 19.
My last written piece for TV WEEK as features editor. After this, interviews from my set visits will be put together by other talented scribes. Glad to go out with one of my faves, Tim Minchin.
Forgot to add this one earlier in the list of articles from 2019, but here is my assessment of the Game of Thrones finale.
This week, we look at Rian Johnson’s whodunnit Knives Out and other faves of the genre (who doesn’t love Murder By Death?), and offer a preview of the ARIA Awards.
Grateful for a chance to speak to Christos Tsiolkas about his latest novel, Damascus, and journalist Annabel Crabb on the ABC special Australia Talks. I also take a look at the end of Total Control’s first season. For my interviews with Rachel Griffiths and Grant Denyer, check out their separate entries on this site.
Charlie’s Angels gets updated! I also commission David Michael Brown to look into gearhead biopics with the release of Ford V. Ferrari. Freddie Highmore breaks down the new season of The Good Doctor. Also, I talk to the Veronicas about their first reality series, In My Blood, and Debbie Cuell about her show, One Born Every Minute Australia. Teasers for The Mandalorian, Catherine the Great, and Total Control.
This week, I speak to Australian Actor Remy Hii about his work in Spider-Man: Far From Home, and preview Years And Years, Total Control, Catherine the Great (with a brief Richard Roxburgh chat) and His Dark Materials.
This week, I spoke with Mike Bullen about his show Cold Feet, wrote up Ready or Not in Entertainment along with a few other films, and tease new episodes of Total Control, Frayed and Morning Wars. My interview with Harry Richardson sits with the Total Control teaser, and I have a separate profile with Deborah Mailman.
I spoke with Doctor Doctor’s Chloe Bayliss on her memoir, receive answers from Ellise Chappell on Yesterday and Lizzy Caplan on season 2 of Castle Rock, talked to Jane Hall about narrating One Born Every Minute Australia, and tease Total Control and early seasons of The X-Files.
We start with a preview of new ABC series Total Control, then go into an interview with John Turturro about The Name of the Rose, plus a few entertainment blurbs. Then a chat with Georgina Haig about Secret Bridesmaids’ Business.
We start with my chats with Julia Zemiro on her latest season of Home Delivery and Alexander England on Secret Bridesmaids’ Business. Then I spoke with Lindsay Lohan and Dave Hughes for The Masked Singer Australia. Then Nash Edgerton for Mr Inbetween, and Callan McAuliffe for The Walking Dead. I know, it’s not the final TWD season —they announced a new one the week this came out! Then Harlots.
Lots this week! I talk to Dave Hughes about The Masked Singer Australia, get a peek at new Seven drama Secret Bridesmaids’ Business, salute the end of Glitch, preview Rachel Griffiths’ Ride Like a Girl movie, talk to Russel Howcroft on How Australia Got Its Mojo and tease a new season of Love It or List It Australia.
I had fabulous chats with Ben O’Toole and Kiah Roache-Turner for Nekrotronic. For more with Ben, click here, and for more with Kiah on his casting Monica Belucci, click here. I also previewed The Goldfinch and this week’s episode of Glitch, and tease the arrival of Survivor: Island of the Idols. To read my interview with Sarah Snook for Succession, see her separate entry.
This week, I spoke with Australian Survivor contestants Luke Toki and Pia Miranda on secrets of the fourth season, then continue to tease the latest episodes of Glitch and Disenchantment. For my interview with Australian Survivor host Jonathan LaPaglia, please go to the TV Week tab under Telling Stories on this site.
