Describes the film as “mythic”
Talking about a film like Pandorum, Overture’s September 25 release produced by Paul W.S. Anderson and Jeremy Bolt, has been a bit of a challenge for stars Ben Foster, Antje Traue (interview) and Cung Le (interview). When I accepted an invite to get on the phone with leading man Dennis Quaid to talk about Christian Alvart’s film (without being given an advance screening), I figured I’d get more details than previously offered.
Alas, the actor – who has starred in some of my childhood faves like Enemy Mine and Dreamscape – had to keep mum as well. The experience of shooting Pandorum? That he was happy to get into.
Quaid says he was thrilled with Alvart, someone he describes as a “34-year-old wunderkind”. Alvart’s credits include Antibodies and the upcoming Case 39. In the director’s latest effort, Quaid plays Payton. “Ben [Foster] and I wake from hyper sleep and one of the effects is you don’t remember who you are,” the actor explains. “I go to my locker, that has a uniform and a few pictures, I think it’s who I am. But as it turns out, I’m not who I think I am.”
Not only that, but Foster, Traue and Le are being menaced by what appears to be humanoid creatures. So, when pressed to describe the film, Quaid says, “It’s sci-fi, a psychological thriller, a horror movie with a creature feature aspect.” He adds that he was equally impressed with Alvart’s attention to detail. Especially when it came to creating the 10-mile-long spaceship featured in the film. “500 years from now, which is when the film is set, what would we need to go into space? Christian created this whole world from scratch. It’s not a romantic view of space. What would we need there?”
“When I read a script, it’s my only chance to be an audience member,” he continues. “It’s a first time experience. This was a real page-turner that was unique and original. I just loved the story. The focus is really on the human beings. It’s mythic in a sense that it points to a turn you have no words for. Christian Alvart did a wonderful job telling the story with the look of the story. He elevated the story from the script in the look of it and how he created the suspense and atmosphere. It’s amazing.”
Genre fans will next see Quaid in Legion which opens on January 22, 2010. We’ll be catching up with him again then. For Pandorum clips, TV spots and trailers click here.
Source: Ryan Rotten, Managing Editor
