On October 7, 2019, NBC hosted a fun and interactive press day for the One Chicago franchise. The Wolf Entertainment franchise, started by television legend Dick Wolf, includes Emmy-award winning TV shows Chicago PD, Chicago Med, and Chicago Fire. With over 389 episodes aired as of October 2, 2019, the One Chicago franchise has clearly gained quite a loyal following.
Questions for the talent and producers present at the roundtable discussions revolved around a hot topic: the looming premiere of the 3-hour Chicago Crossover Event. We had the chance to sit down with Chicago Fire showrunner, Derek Haas, to get the inside scoop on the process and inspiration for the epic event.*
.Journalist: So let’s start by talking about the crossover.. I watched the trailer. It looks incredible. What’s the inspiration for it?
Derek: We’re always trying to do something different than we’ve done before. This year we thought “why don’t we get all three shows active in the first hour, so it’s really more like a decide-an-adventure, where it’s this story, this story, this story, and it’s all intersecting and weaving. It was Dick’s idea. He was like “let’s do some weaponized biological agent”. I was like “hm.. let’s run with that!”
So then Dick and I conceived the story over the 3 hours. I was going to write all three but then that became.. unfeasible. So I wrote the first one and then Med and PD took over after. We’re still shooting it, it’s not done yet! We keep realizing “oh, we gotta get more over here..” It airs in a week and a half so we’re cutting it a bit close to the edge.
Journalist: Is it because of what’s happening in the crossover that made scheduling it so hard?
Derek: So what happened is we scheduled it over 3 production weeks. Fire is on episode 5, Med is on episode 6, and PD is on episode 7. And that’s because we have the cast all having to go to the other shows. And then when you cut together action sequences, a lot of the time they’re shorter [in run time] versus page-wise. So if you wrote a 50 page script, typically speaking you would have 46 minutes in an episode and you cut it down to 41. Well, this one had so much action in it that you did a 50 page script and you only have 38 minutes and you’re like “oh man we’ve got to put 3 minutes in”. But what it allows you to do is you find holes in what you were missing. There’s times where we’ll be like “oh wouldn’t it be great if Casey looked over to the right for a second?”
Journalist: Biological terrorism is such an intense thing. Will it have any lingering effects into the rest of the shows individually?
Derek: I wanted to leave it open to Med and PD to do what they wanted to do. There’s a storyline going in the first hour that continues on into the series. We’re not going to make it apocalyptic event that carries over into the rest of the show.
Journalist: How has that process been collaborating with so many different people and different talents and different wants?
Derek: It’s always fun. I have a blast whenever we get the characters from the other shows on Chicago Fire. The very first thing that Dick asked when he was pitching this idea was “what if the first time we see evidence of this biological weapon is at a Chicago Bears game?” I said I went to a tailgate last year and it’s really one of the best tailgates in the country. What if characters from all three shows are tailgating together when this happens? And that was such a fun day to shoot. We were all at Soldier Field, there were 500 extras, with the cast from all three shows.. It was just so fun! They don’t usually get to work in that kind of situation together.
Journalist: Is there a character you’re especially excited to write for this season?
Derek: I really like writing all of them.. The Otis story still affects people. Even when you think oh, they’ve already moved on, you’re going to find that people catch a moment and it stays. That’s been fun to write. I like writing the funny stuff too. I told Dick at the beginning of the year, I was asked by a reporter over the summer, “what’s it like writing chicago fire after 8 seasons? Does it get formulaic?” And I said oh no no, it’s easy. You’ve just got to write action, suspense, romance, comedy, drama, thriller.. all in one hour and make people care! That’s the formula.
Watch the epic, three-hour Chicago crossover event, Wednesday, October 16, starting with Chicago Fire at 8/7c on NBC.
*The following is an edited transcript of the conversation.
Director: Adhik Ravichandran
Starring: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Das, Trisha, Simran
Genre: Action / Crime Drama
Rating: 4.5/5
“Good Bad Ugly” centers on Red Dragon (Ajith Kumar), a notorious gangster who chooses to surrender himself in the hopes of turning over a new leaf and reuniting with his estranged son. However, when unforeseen threats emerge, Red Dragon is forced to step back into the dangerous underworld to protect the only family he has left.
“Good Bad Ugly” plays to the strengths of Ajith Kumar, delivering a fan-pleasing portrayal of both his vintage villainy and his matured emotional depth. Ajith’s powerful screen presence, coupled with his iconic voice, shines against Arjun Das’s brooding and intense new-age antagonist, creating an electric old-school versus new-school dynamic. The nostalgic return of Simran is a clever nod to longtime fans, bringing heart and familiarity. Trisha brings a strong, grounded performance as the moral compass in Red Dragon’s life, helping move the emotional threads of the story. The film smartly balances action, comedy, and sentimental fan-service moments.
While the film delivers on fan expectations, its narrative could have benefited from tighter pacing and deeper character development for its supporting cast. Some plot conveniences and an overreliance on nostalgia may limit broader audience appeal beyond the fanbase. Certain dramatic beats felt rushed, leaving little time for emotional resonance to fully land.
The ambition to blend high-octane action with heavy emotional stakes sometimes leads to tonal inconsistencies. At moments, the shift from gritty underworld drama to lighter fan moments feels abrupt. Additionally, though Ajith Kumar’s effort to showcase his dancing skills is commendable and welcomed by fans, it slightly disrupts the otherwise darker tone the film establishes.
“Good Bad Ugly” is a tribute to Ajith Kumar’s enduring legacy, offering vintage thrills while teasing new dimensions to his craft. It’s a solid entertainer that successfully taps into fan nostalgia while hinting at an exciting evolution for AK. While not without its flaws, the film’s heart, energy, and performances make it a must-watch for fans and a compelling action-drama for broader audiences.
In these uncertain times, you can’t beat a good old-fashioned horror movie. Unfortunately, Presence is not an old-fashioned horror movie. Yet, as I discovered, this is a good thing!
When I heard about the premise of this movie, I was intrigued. The stylishly subtle trailer was, appropriately, haunting. And was that Lucy Liu? A haunted house movie from the perspective of the ghost? As a seasoned horror movie buff, I was all in!
Like the majority of people I missed the films brief theatrical release. Luckily I was able to catch it on streaming. Visually the film is easy to enjoy from your own home, as it’s rather cosy looking. I never thought I’d be describing a horror movie as ‘cosy’ looking but it’s true! This is not a James Wan type creepy, dusty, decrepit house harbouring a haunting. No, this is a 100 year old jewel toned, oak finished colonial style home.
Despite this the story follows the beats we are all familiar with: troubled family of four move into a new house. The big deviation from the trope is we, the audience, are seeing events unfold from the POV of the ghost or presence.
Director Steven Soderbergh (Ocean’s Eleven) chose to film the entire piece using a small (14mm) hand-held digital camera. Soderbergh himself acted as the ‘presence’ following the actors around. From the audiences perspective it is like watching the family through a barrier or pane of glass. Cleverly, windows and mirrors are hugely prominent and integral throughout.
The presence mainly follows and tries to interact with the daughter of the family, Chloe (Callina Liang), who has recently suffered the trauma of her best friend dying suddenly. Through Soderbergh’s experimental filming, we feel the dysphoria and frustration the ‘ghost’ is feeling at trying to affect the world around it, particularly during the anxiety-inducing final scene!
However, in what could be yet another mismarketing of a film, the trailer promised to be the ‘scariest movie you will see this year’ and ‘terrifying’; instead, they delivered this subversive, character-driven, family drama. If you are expecting jump scares and dramatic music stings, this is not your movie. I could understand if someone was disappointed that the only seemingly scary thing is the mother’s and son’s relationship, right up until the gut-punch of the final scene.
Presence is definitely a slow burn, tension building until the final scene, and the unveiling of the ‘presence’ giving us a new understanding of the whole story. The ending is disturbing and stays with you as you re-analyse earlier scenes.
My one complaint is that the character Ryan (West Mulholland) with his Chesney Hawkes hair, perhaps needed more subtlety. The rest of the cast was completely solid and believable as a family with so many unspoken issues.
I wouldn’t recommend this film for everybody but maybe be as so bold to say it’s a horror movie for people that don’t like horror movies. It’s well-lit and cerebral with realistically flawed characters.
Presence is available to stream.
Three and a half stars.
Genre: Action, Fantasy, Martial Arts, Historical
Runtime: Each episode runs approximately 20-30 minutes
Director: Lin Hun (also the Creator)
Studio: Samsara Animation Studio
Main Voice Actors (Chinese Cast):Liu Zhi Shi as Wen Ren Yu Xuan Zhou Qi as Shen Nong Fang Yuan as Xuan
Overview
Fog Hill of the Five Elements is a breathtaking Chinese anime (donghua) that merges traditional Chinese ink-painting aesthetics with high-intensity martial arts action. Created and directed by Lin Hun, this series delivers a spellbinding visual experience that rivals, and in many ways surpasses, mainstream Japanese anime. Produced by Samsara Animation Studio, the anime is a labor of love, known for its hand-drawn animation and meticulous detail.
Set in a mythological world where elemental beasts roam free, the series follows the Five Elemental Envoys tasked with protecting humanity. The story focuses on Wen Ren Yu Xuan, the Fire Envoy, whose actions set off a chain of events threatening the delicate balance between humans and beasts. The tale is steeped in Chinese folklore and myth, weaving a complex narrative of duty, power, and sacrifice.
Without question, Fog Hill of the Five Elements is one of the most visually stunning animated series in recent memory. The blend of traditional Chinese ink wash painting with modern dynamic action scenes is masterful. Every frame looks like a moving scroll painting, with fluid character movements and kinetic fight choreography that puts many mainstream series to shame.
The characters are deeply tied to traditional archetypes found in Chinese legends but are fleshed out with emotional depth and conflict. Voice acting by Liu Zhi Shi, Zhou Qi, and Fang Yuan brings authenticity and gravitas to their respective roles. The dialogue is steeped in poetic language, enhancing the mythic feel of the story.
The soundtrack complements the epic visuals with traditional Chinese instrumentation mixed with modern elements. The sound design heightens the impact of every battle and emotional moment.
Rating: 9/10
Fog Hill of the Five Elements earns a 9 out of 10 for its groundbreaking animation style, deep mythological storytelling, and heart-pounding action. The only downside is its limited number of episodes and slow release schedule, which leaves fans craving more.
Pros
- Unparalleled hand-drawn animation
- Unique art direction inspired by traditional Chinese painting
- Rich mythological lore
- Epic fight choreography
Cons
- Sparse episode release
- Story pacing can be uneven at times
Final Verdict 9/10
If you’re an anime enthusiast or a fan of animation artistry, Fog Hill of the Five Elements is a must-watch. Its fusion of stunning visuals, martial arts action, and mythological storytelling makes it one of the standout titles in modern animation. Whether you’re into Japanese anime or Chinese donghua, this series deserves a spot on your watchlist.
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Presence: A Horror Movie For People That Don’t Like Horror Movies
Anime Review: Fog Hill of the Five Elements (Wu Shan Wu Xing)
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Review of “Good Bad Ugly”
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