“Pale Blue Eye” - a close to the heart movie that meets more than the eye

“Pale Blue Eye" is a movie written and directed by Keith A. Nixon, which is also the first movie he directed. It is a story about a woman named Norma Redmond, who is a schizophrenic surgical assistant for a crooked doctor. She becomes haunted by the sound of her employer’s heartbeat after she murders him. The story is inspired by "Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe and by a play Keith saw at his school when he was younger.

It all started at St. Elizabeth Elementary School in Bronzeville, which Keith attended and where he saw a theatre company perform a stage play of the story for the students. “The sound of the story is what was horrifying, The story is about a man who murders another man and he could still hear his heart beating after death. For me that was the part of the story I wanted to capture. I started to ask the ‘what if’ questions, like what if the main character was a female. Norma Redman came out of that experience,” said Keith.

The movie is produced by Edwin Ruiz and director of photography is Josh Woo. The casting was done by Casting Peach, LLC.

When the casting director from Casting Peach, Lakita Montgomery, read the script she had to find the right actress to play Norma.  That’s how they found Tiffany J. Curtis. “As we chose talent for the film we wanted to make sure that the actors we chose were able to reach outside the box within their range of acting for this psychological thriller,” said Lakita.

“I thought it was Tiffany when she walked in. I said she looks just like the character in my look book. Tiffany nailed the part right off the bat. She brought something extra to the part that brought it to life. It was no longer just words on a page anymore,” said Keith.

The story also resonated deep and personal with Tiffany who gave it not just a 100 percent but a little bit extra. “I read the script and it grabbed my attention because of the story line, because of the mental illness aspect of it because mental illness touches home in my family and I wanted to be respectful to the character and present it in a way that is respectful to the character. I did my research and I was able to find a voice for the character that resonated,” said Tiffany. “Why is she fragile and broken? I wanted to find the why.”

“Pale Blue Eye” is a great example that it doesn’t take a high budget to make a great movie. More than just a thesis project for Keith and Edwin, this movie turned out to be something very special that has the inspirations to end up in big film festivals, such as Sundance. “Before we had the money we had the love and support of the community, which is what I believe pushed the project further,” said Keith.

“This movie was definitely one of the most unique projects I’ve filmed. The story was so engaging and disturbing that I felt compelled to bring the visuals to the next level. Keith and I, who both have been in the film world for a while now, had very similar visions for this film from the start, it was a mixture between Mr. Robot and Hitchcock. My gaffer, Alex Halstead, who is also very established here in the Chicago community like the rest of us, brought many great lighting ideas to the table. Needless to say, “Pale Blue Eye” was a combination of a whole bunch of creative crew and cast,” said Josh.

It also took Depaul University’s support, community’s support and a great cast to pull off the production of the movie. “This project is Keith’s thesis film and mine as a producer. We are both MFA students at Depaul University. Depaul gave us the cameras and 80 percent of the production we needed for the film,” said Edwin.

But it is the location of this movie project that holds a special place in Keith’s heart. “As I began the search for one of the critical locations for “Pale Blue Eye,” St. Elizabeth immediately came to mind.  I called the church office and set a meeting with the board of trustees. We discussed my plans for the film and their plans to possibly reopen in the future. Later, they unanimously voted for us to shoot our film in the basement of the former church building. The old church was where I experienced "Tell-Tale Heart" for the first time. So, it felt surreal to return to my old stomping ground with the cast and crew of my new movie. The church's basement turned out to be the perfect location. It was a massive unfinished space and had the eerie look we needed to help compellingly tell the story,” said Keith.

“I really thought we had an interesting piece and room for storytelling visually,” said Johnny Griffiths, Production Designer for Pale Blue Eye.

The rest of the main cast: Tiffany J. Curtis, Michael Termine, Chris Colucci, and Arica Gale.

If you would like to help the team out, you can donate here: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/pale-blue-eye-post-production-fundraiser#/.

For more information on the movie: http://paleblueeyefilm.com/.

“Messipes” with actor, father and cookbook author Freddie Prinze Jr.

You may know Freddie Prinze Jr. from movies like “Scooby-Doo,” “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” and many more famous titles. But what you don’t know is that in addition to being a great actor (a retired actor unfortunately) and father he is a great cook! He created a series of "Messipes" – a.k.a messy recipes – to help families make mealtime more memorable. He partnered up with Palmolive Ultra Strength to help deliver that message. Palmolive and Freddie's one-of-a-kind twist on traditional recipes were designed to get kids involved every step of the way from recipe prep to taste testing, with handy clean-up tips throughout.

Freddie kicked off his partnership with the Palmolive brand by turning some of his kids' favorite recipes into 'Messipes,' including Mac and Cheese, New Mexico Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas, The Cinnamon Strawberry Pancakes of Power, Shrimp Scampi and The Sauce.

Freddie fondly remembers his mother’s famous recipes and his time spent with her around the kitchen table. He was inspired by her homemade recipes to create his own cookbook “Back to The Kitchen.” There he shares his most memorable meals and also offers parents great tips on kid meals, such as tomato soup add ons. “I wanted to share recipes that I had cooked my entire life,” said Freddie. “I remember my mom’s meals, the soup she would make from scratch, the cigarette smoke, her talks. She would always tell me how good guys don’t get nice girls (laughs).”

He was pushed to follow and do his passion in cooking by his wife, Sarah Michelle Gellar. He is also a father of two beautiful children, Charlotte and Rocky, who absolutely love his cooking! His daughter’s favourite dish is tomato soup, while his son loves stake!

"I love that 'Messipes' are recipes you can prepare, cook and clean up with your kids," said Freddie Prinze Jr. "My favorite memories and moments with my kids not only happen at the dinner table, but when we roll up our sleeves to make dinner together. There is so much fun, laughter and quality time to enjoy, and the best part is we don't shy away from making a mess because we know Palmolive® Ultra Strength™ is there to save the day and make clean-up easier!"

Freddie also encourages everyone, especially fathers, to spend time with the ones they love most because life is full of regrets and he doesn’t want anyone to have the regrets he once did as he also grew up without a father in his life. He was very close with deceased actor Robin Williams with whom he never got to do a project because he would always put it off until it was too late. “Even if you don’t feel like it force yourself to spend some time with the people you love because one day they won’t be there,” he says. Spending time together as a family, making food, is something Freddie and his family not only practice but firmly believe in!

For more on Freddie’s cookbook, visit: http://www.backtothekitchenbook.com.

Famed costume designer Jany Temime talks Harry Potter

I interviewed famed costume designer Jany Temime who designed some of the most amazing costumes for Harry Potter. She shares her secret of using Prismacolor to create her costume designs. Listen to what she had to say and check out her Harry Potter sketches and bio below:

http://www.extranews.net/2017/06/21/famed-costume-designer-jany-temime-talks-harry-potter/

"America the Beautiful" inspired by Colorado's mountains

If there is one place on earth that I can say is almost perfect, this will be Colorado. Set apart from the rest with its impeccable nature, clean air, history and mountains, this state will surely make you fall in love with it, just I fell in love with it!

I visited Colorado Springs in October of last year; a perfect time in fall to see colors and beauty in one. When I was driving through the state I couldn't help but wonder how magnificent this place really is! The fresh air was simply filling my lungs from the car window and with every breath I took I was falling more and more in love with Colorado. The sight in front of me, the mountains it was all majestic and powerful.

During my stay in Colorado Springs, which was only for three days, I experienced more than I had in a lifetime! I realized one of my biggest dreams there - I climbed on the top of the most beautiful mountain peak, 14000 ft above ground- Pikes Peak. What set this mountain apart was not just its beauty but history. A lot of history was in the air in the woods, rocks of Pikes Peak. The majestic sight had inspired Katharine Lee Bates to write "America the Beautiful" as she took the same ride I did many years before me. Even though I didn't climb it on foot, I was going up in the famous Pikes Peak Cog Train, which happened to be the most memorable and inspiring ride of my life! As we were going slowly up the peak I saw colors of red and yellow that were so bright and pretty that my eyes couldn't be taken of them. There were crystal clear lakes as well and it looked like an untouched peace of heaven! And here it was an hour later - we had reached the top and I set foot on the tallest peak of my life, heavily breathing, taking in the sight so high that no flower or grass grew on. This was the sight I was going to remember forever! Moments later I was on the ground again. I had left the beautiful clouds of the mountain only to end a bit dizzy and lightheaded from the infamous ride.

As I was walking the streets of Manitou Springs I stopped in the oldest castle full of history and magic. The whole city was magical too with its small shops, singing carolers and colorful historic houses. But its biggest treasure are the Manitou Springs Cliff Dwellings that echo Ancient Native American history and a little peace of historic nature heaven!

As I was driving around Colorado Springs' historic city a beautiful double rainbow crossed my way and made me smile. The positive vibe I got and the happy people I met in the little family owned stores along with its fresh air, made me feel at peace and happy with the universe, which is a feeling I don't get often living in Chicago.

Driving away from Colorado was a painful experience as my heart was sad to leave this state of joy, peace, beauty and history. Warm tears of love came down my face as I didn't know when I will feel like that again! I miss Colorado's happy vibe, friendly people, fresh air and mountains. I know I will
go back some day again but in the meantime the memory of this experience stays true to my heart forever!

Please Tell Me I'm Adopted - Interviews

If there is anything that drives success better that is love and passion. Chris Sobchack and Nichole  Sobchack know this best as the “baby” of their drive and love is the new Amazon Prime comedy sitcom “Please Tell Me I’m Adopted.” Season 1 has been written by Nicole and executive produced by Chirs who has also been working on Elton John’s team for 17 years now as the drum and percussion technician. They funded the production through a successful Indiegogo campaign and handled all of the post production themselves. Series guest stars include TV icon Marion Ross.With a great team behind them they are excited to share their story with you! Listen to my exclusive interview with Chris and Nicole here!

“Please Tell Me I’m Adopted!” follows the life of Tiffany Grant, who loses her boyfriend, job and house in a single day and is forced to move in with her newlywed sister, Emma, and Emma’s husband Bob. When Tiffany decides to regroup, she includes Emma and Bob into her crazy, often culturally current, escapades with outrageous and hilarious consequences. But no matter how hard Tiffany tries, she just can’t help getting lost on the way to finding herself – taking her family and all of us along for the comedic ride. Emma just wanting the best for Tiffany and Bob hoping for his guest bedroom and his sanity back!

Watch this fun sitcom on Amazon Prime now!

"Beyond Caring" premiers in Chicago

If you are looking for a one-of-a-kind theater production that not only makes you feel but let's you be part of the performance then "Beyond Caring" is your show. The show runs until May 7, 2017, at the Lookingglass Theatre in Chicago. It is written and directed by Alexander Zeldin. The press opening was on April 1.

What shook me about this production is how real it felt. Yes it was dark, sad, frustrating but that is because it reflected what happens in real life with people in real scenarios. It explores the working lives of four characters who work as low-wage cleaners at a factory in harsh conditions. With humor and sadness we witness the stress, abuse and struggle for money among these characters who simply want to make ends meet and feed their families.

The play was most recently produced at the UK's National Theater and re-imagined for Chicago by Zeldin who said in a press release that "looking at the lives of those working in the conditions of the temporary economy, the margins of society, says so much about the moral, spiritual, and emotional place that the country is in, much like it did the UK...But it says something else too - here in the US it tells us about race in this country."

The cast of the US premier is: Caren Blackmore (Ebony-Grace), J. Nicole Brooks (Tracy), Keith D. Gallaghar (Ian), Edwin Lee Gibson (Phil) and Wendy Mateo (Sonia). Community partners for "Beyond Caring" include: Chicago Humanities Festival, The Chicago Urban League, Chicago Worker's Collaborative, the Jewish Women's Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago, Latino Union of Chicago, Latinos Progresando, Leadership Greater Chicago, and Women Employed.

"Beyond Caring" is produced in association with Dark Harbor Stories, which is led by David Schwimmer and Tom Hodges. Schwimmer brought this project to Lookingglass Theater and has been working closely with Zeldin on the production.

Beginning in the spring of 2016, a year before the production, the lead artistic team including Schwimmer and Zeldin began conversations with organizations that work with temporary labor force in Chicago. The idea was to create conversations and site vists to staffing agencies, factories and plants where temporary workers were assigned. Lookingglass theater has allocated more than 330 seats to be given at no cost to workers and their families whose lives and experiences are similar to those portrayed in the production.

The Lookingglass Theater is located inside Chicago's historic Water Tower Water Works, 821 N. Michigan Ave. For more information visit www.lookinglasstheatre.org.

Academy Award Winner Jonathan Sanger talks about new movie, Hollywood and what it takes to make it big

I had the great pleasure to speak with writer and producer Jonathan Sanger who is currently working on a new movie production "Stentorians." It follows the remarkable story of six African American firefighters working in the Los Angeles Fire Department as they embark on a one-year odyssey to win basic labor protections from a racist system that had been the culture of the Los Angeles Fire Department since its inception. Currently Sanger has produced "Chapter and Verse," which is in the theaters now and the highly anticipated "Marshall" movie starring Chadwick Boseman, Josh Gad, and Kate Hudson to be released in Fall of 2017. Among his other endeavors, his new book entitled "Making The Elephant Man: A Producer’s  Memoir" was recently published and is  available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle and the author’s website www.JonathanSangerProductions.com.

In this interview Sanger talks a bit more about the new production, his book and what it took for him to make it big in Hollywood as an independent movie producer and writer. Enjoy!

Listen to Part 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the interview in this article.

In search of your Ruby Slippers straight from a therapist’s couch

Life is definitely not easy and we can’t do it alone. Life can throw some pretty harsh lessons at us and we must take it as we go. But if we had some sort of a guide to help us ease life’s lessons we would be better prepared to handle it. Even though therapy is great and has a lot of benefits it can be pretty expensive and not for everyone. What if you had a therapist book/journal that you carried with you every step of the way that helps you understand yourself and those around you better? One such book I found is “Finding Your Ruby Slippers: Transformative Life Lessons From the Therapist’s Couch” by psychotherapist Lisa Ferentz.

Some of the issues that these self-help book deals with are abuse, eating disorders, self-worth, self-esteem, negative thoughts and poor choices. Having over 30 years of private practice and as the founder of The Ferentz Institute, Ferentz empowers those struggling with personal and professional obstacles with the strategies they need to grow and thrive, and provides compassion and guidance to overcome the issues, struggles and symptoms she’s been addressing in traditional therapy throughout her career. What she found out through her work is that while most people expend tremendous amounts of energy wondering and worrying about what others think or say about them, the most powerful messages are the ones that come from yourself about yourself.

Some of the important points that the therapists points out in the book are the practice of journaling for self-growth, positive self-talk and more. A lot of people struggle with addiction and it’s easy to reach for the alcohol, drugs, food, relationships, anything to make you forget the real problems you have to deal with. But addiction creates more problems rather than solves them. That’s why having a friend like this book is a great way for self-support in these difficult times.

“It is important to know that it is not your fault,” says Ferentz. “You have to fill in the blanks with an important information. Everyone deserves a long term therapy to heal the harm and wounds.”

Ferentz emphasizes the importance of self-talk in the relationship with yourself. She says you have to pay attention to how often you criticize yourself, self-blame and shame yourself and turn it around into a positive self-talk. Negative talk is “pervasive.”

“When you have a negative thought, stop and take a breath and say something kind to yourself. Can I say that in a kinder way, with less criticism. Think about someone who really cared about you and loved you. They gave you this loving inner wisdom inside of you. Access that loving positive voice. You have the answers - creativity, resilience and strength,” encourages Ferentz.

Dealing with abusive family, friends or partners is challenging and causes a lot of harm, self-harm because we tend to trust the words of those we love and are closest to us. The therapists suggest that in situations like that you can still love the person who causes the abuse but you have to create boundaries and choose not to accept the harm they cause with their words and actions. “You have to keep in mind that the person who does the abuse is limited and might has his own agenda. Limit your time spent with them. It’s part of being a grown up.”

Ferentz says that when self esteem is harmed we are more vulnerable in choosing toxic relationships and unsupportive work environments. We simply make poor choices. “You are not alone. Stay away from being isolated and connect with people who can relate to you. Connect with social groups. You need the right kind of help. There is nothing more powerful than the way you talk to yourself. In your own head you are beating yourself up and that voice can crump up the positive around you,” she says.

At the end we are our own best friends. We make the choice to accept or deny the negative that comes in. If you are in a toxic and abusive relationship you must get out because no one should say anything negative about your body or yourself. Stop sabotaging your own self as others are already doing that for you. Be safe. Stay safe. Go get your own Ruby Slippers as you might find that “you have been wearing them all along.”

Blend of country and Spanish with Danny Shain’s original music

If you thought that country and Latino can’t mix together, thing again! Danny Shain is a US born singer/songwriter from Oregon who currently lives between the States and the Peruvian Amazon. Danny is white American but he loves the Latino heritage and music and spreads the love through his country music in Spanish!  “As far as I know there are no other non-Latino, country boys doing what I am doing,” said Danny.

Danny came in touch with the Latino world through childhood friendships and his career, which has given him a much better understanding of the Latino culture and lifestyle. It is because of his long time history and appreciation of life ¨south of the border¨ that he decided to write country music with a Latin touch. ¨I dream to play a part in improving the mutual understanding and appreciation between Spanish speakers and non-Spanish speakers through our unique musical and lyrical style that blends both cultural flavors, highlighting the best of all of the Americas,” said Danny.

In his music he uses a poetic blend of English and Spanish in order to allow Spanish speakers to connect deeper with the meaning of his songs and the country musical expressions. Since very young Danny loved music and at the age of 13 he started his first band. Over the past 30 years he has played with various groups developing his skills as a singer/songwriter, guitar and bass player in the California, Oregon, Central and South America.

Danny was named Nashville Universe Nominee Best Singer of the Year in 2014 and Best Composer of the Year 2015, with his music playing at over 40 radio stations in six countries. He is making an impact worldwide with his unique style of country music in English and Spanish. Three of his songs continue to be counted among various Indie charts and his new album title song, “Two Good Friends” spent a record 52 consecutive weeks on the Top 40 Chart of VRadio Nashville.

You can get in touch with Danny and hear his music through social media:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/danny.shain.1

Website: www.dannyshainmusic.com

You Tube: ¨Danny Shain¨ channel

Twitter: DannyShain1

"Before I Fall" shines in Sundance Film Festival, hits theaters with positive messages

It is rare to see a movie on the big screen that moves you so much and provokes your thinking that you are left thinking about it over and over again until the messages that come with it become deeply embedded in you. That’s the reaction I had watching “Before I Fall”, which was released in theaters March 3, based on the best selling novel by Lauren Oliver. What each one of us takes from this movie can be different and very personal but what I took away was the message to live each day as it is your last and to make every relationship in your life count as you never know when one day it can all be taken away from you.

“Before I Fall” stars Zoey Deutch, Halston Sage, Logan Miller, Kian Lawley, Elena Kampouris, Cynthy Wu, Medalion Rahimi, Diego Boneta and Jennifer Beals. Samantha Kingston (Zoey Deutch) has everything: the perfect friends, the perfect guy, and a seemingly perfect future. Then, everything changes. After one fateful night, Sam wakes up with no future at all. Trapped reliving the same day over and over, she begins to question just how perfect her life really was. As she begins to untangle the mystery of a life suddenly derailed, she must also unwind the secrets of the people closest to her, and discover the power of a single day to make a difference, not just in her own life, but in the lives of those around her--before she runs out of time for good.

“This is a story with so many beautiful messages. I feel like there are so many fantastic themes. It felt like a love letter to my sister and not to take someone for granted. What you say does have a meaning and does matter to people,” said Deutch.

The movie created a big buzz in this year’s Sundance Film Festival and it rightfully earned his high acclaim and rating among critics. “The script and the book are incredibly emotional and unexpected. I found myself incredibly moved,” said Halston Sage who plays Lindsey, Sam’s best friend in the movie.

I definitely recommend you go see this movie for yourself as it is by far one of the best movies I have seen come out this year!

Legend Jimmy Smits shines in new role as president in “24: Legacy”

Jimmy Smits continues to move effortlessly between film, TV and stage. His versatile acting has garnered him critical acclaim and 41 award nominations, including wins for both Emmy and Golden Globe Awards.  Smits can be seen in the music-driven drama series “The Get Down,” from creator Shawn Ryan (“The Shield”) and director Baz Luhrmann (“Moulin Rouge”) and the new hit FOX show “24: Legacy.”

The clock ticks again with “24: Legacy” the next evolution of the Emmy Award-winning “24.” The series chronicles an adrenaline-fueled race against the clock to stop a devastating terrorist attack on United States soil – in the same real-time format that has propelled this genre-defining series.

“ The bottom line is that we have to do things that are for the good of the country, that’s what the characters are going through, and again that’s the parallel of what’s happening now as well, I guess,” said Smits in a phone interview with CelebrityXO.

“I have to frame it with regards not just to my character but the pairing of Miranda’s character and what I do because we are joined at the hip in that regard, so what we talked about is that we wanted to explore this whole thing about a power couple. The reality that we deal with on the show has to do with politics, but just in our conversations not only with the director and between us as actors and the writers have been how do people when they are in the same industry at high levels negotiate their work and the kind of contracts that they have to have that sometimes you have to make sacrifices for the other person so that they can take two steps forward.  During the course of the 12 episodes that we are doing that’s going to become very, very evident and it plays in terms of their relationship. Having now shot the final couple of episodes, there was a real emotional rollercoaster that both of our characters, well that all of the characters in the show really have to go through.  But I didn’t realize that we were going to go through it from A through Z, to ZZ with my guy, not this season, but that’s where we’re headed,” added Smits.

Six months ago in Yemen, an elite squad of U.S. Army Rangers, led by Sergeant ERIC CARTER (Corey Hawkins, “Straight Outta Compton”), killed terrorist leader Sheik Ibrahim Bin-Khalid. In the aftermath, Bin-Khalid’s followers declared a fatwah against Carter, his squad and their families, forcing them into federal witness protection. But a recent attempt on Carter’s own life makes it clear to him that his team has been exposed.

To thwart further attacks, Carter enlists REBECCA INGRAM (Miranda Otto, “Homeland”), who quarterbacked the raid that killed Bin-Khalid. She’s a brilliant and ambitious intelligence officer who has stepped down from her post as National Director of CTU to support her husband, SENATOR JOHN DONOVAN (Emmy and Golden Globe Award winner Jimmy Smits, “NYPD Blue,” “The West Wing”), in his campaign for President of the United States. Decades of sleepless nights and missed anniversaries landed her at the top.

24: LEGACY is a production of 20th Century Fox Television in association with Imagine Television, Teakwood Lane, Rego Park Film and Television and Borderland Entertainment. The pilot was written by Coto and Katz and was directed by Stephen Hopkins. “Like” 24: LEGACY on Facebook at facebook.com/24fox.  Follow the series on Twitter @24fox and join the discussion at #24Legacy. See photos and videos on Instagram by following @24onFOX.

Hot new cops show hits FOX in February - EXCLUSIVE interviews with the stars

Inspired by the New York Times Magazine article “Who Runs the Streets of New Orleans,” by David Amsden, APB is a new police drama with a high-tech twist from executive producer/director Len Wiseman and executive producers and writers Matt Nix and Trey Callaway.

After billionaire engineer Gideon Reeves (Justin Kirk) witnesses his best friend’s murder, he takes charge of Chicago’s troubled 13th District and reboots it as a technically innovative police force, challenging the district to rethink everything about the way they fight crime. Gideon finds help from Detective Theresa Murphy (Natalie Martinez), an ambitious, street-smart cop who is willing to give Gideon’s technological changes a chance. With the help of Gideon’s gifted tech officer, Ada Hamilton (Caitlin Stasey), he and Murphy embark on a mission to turn the 13th District – including a skeptical Captain Ned Conrad (Ernie Hudson), and determined officers Nicholas Brandt (Taylor Handley) and Tasha Goss (Tamberla Perry) – into a dedicated crime-fighting force of the 21st century.

After spending a whole day on the production set of APB, I met with the the main stars of this fantastic production who had a lot to say about filming in Chicago, the script, their characters and life itself.

Tamberla Perry who is originally from Chicago was wearing a cop-like jacket filled with awesome gadgets and was extremely enthusiastic to share her experience on the set. “Tasha is a tough cop, compassionate, wants to get the job done, wants to fight crime, and make neighbourhoods as safe as they can be. Playing this has been extraordinary. APB is like an uber for crime - we respond within three minutes. The technology in this show will bring the viewers back week after week. It is amazing to be back in my hometown. ”

As I took a photo with Perry and said goodbye, I was joined by Taylor Handley was also wearing a super cool cop-like jacket: “We started shooting in August. The show is action packed with car chases, stunts, fire, underwater. I get to get real sweaty and bloody and it’s a great part of the job. My character is an ex military and now he works for District 13. He doesn’t embrace technology right of the bat. He thinks that too much technology can ruin a good thing. Brandt likes to get stuff done and I can relate to that. When I read the script at first I was like that never happens but when I turned on the local news I saw it, which made crimes in APB seem not so crazy. What I love about Chicago is how easy it is to get around here and I haven’t gotten lost (laughs). Great city!”

Legendary actor Ernie Hudson (“Ghostbusters”) joined the discussion but on a bit more personal note sharing his thoughts on the African-American communities for the first time in public: “I had a niece who was killed three weeks ago in Chicago. She had a three month old baby. I don’t know her but when it came time for the funeral (pauses)...everyone hears about the problems in Chicago that affect the whole country. I have never said that in public before, my feelings are we as humans have our tribes. We all embraced integration in the African-American community but we gave up our communities. We need to support them, go home. I grew up in Michigan in the projects. Everybody was forced to live in the communities and when integration came everyone who had resources left. People who were left behind were the ones who couldn’t get out and they became desperate. After a couple of generations I am afraid to go back. I have a cousin who is in rehab for drug use here in Chicago. She is trying to pull herself together. But what happens when she gets out? Poor people don’t demand they just survive. I think that we made such an effort to be inclusive as we are that we let go of everything that was of a value to us. When you are so far behind like some of this communities are it’s very hard to turn around. I grew up believing in the American dream and that I can do anything. You have to care about your tribe. It’s time for a change and we have the ability to make these changes. We can do a lot more than we have done. I want to make sure that as a positive figure I have said anything that I have to say. My character is not politically correct. He makes mistakes, more wins then loses. I can’t imagine what it is like to be a policeman in real life, that kind of pressure but when you takes the job personally I would like to see change.”

I was fortunate enough to see a bit behind the scenes of APB - the smoky atmosphere, big screens and tons of cops. There I met sitting on their actor chairs, Justin Kirk and Natalie Martinez who were chit chatting and getting ready before their scene. “There is a smokey blue look to our show. At the end of the day my right eye starts to give out from all that smoke,” laughed Kirk. “My character is used to solving problems with money. I think he is a great character, thoughtful and smart and a combination of socially awkward and confident; a lot of different things with the best intentions,” continued Kirk. “We are an entertaining cop show with drones and chasing bad guys. Tune the fuck in!” Martinez joined in the conversation briefly before she was called in for her scene: “It is one of those things where technology makes things complicated and fun. It is a fun way to see what would happen if someone approached it at a different angle.”

Every good cop show needs a good tech intelligence team. This is where the tech brain of Caitlin Stasey's character steps in. Dressed in a cozy, warm, almost blanket like grey coat she joined us to discuss her odd character and the show.  “Ada was a hacker but now she is using her powers for money. She is monitoring the technology and has a team of hackers and nerds. She is in charge of tracking cops, crime, and the main connections. I say a lot of complicated words and people do them. Ada could be a communist in a Stalin regime (laughs). She is trying to be a force for good. Initially David Stack, the creator of the show, and I had a long conversation about this complicated concept, the idea of  privatize law enforcement, but from a benevolent dictatorship. I liked the idea of being part of it. We use drones to track people. There is no right answer in this show. I think people will be excited to see it. My husband is from Chicago originally.  LA is great but doesn't have an aquarium or museums like Chicago,” said Stacey and left us with a warm, charming smile.

APB premiers Feb 6 at 9/8 Central on FOX. Like APB on Facebook at facebook.com/APBonFOX. Follow the series on Twitter @APBonFOX and join the discussion at #APBonFOX. See photos and videos on Instagram by following @APBonFOX.

Natalie Martinez and Justin Kirk

Ernie Hudson and I 

On the set of APB