Taming Tammy

Taming Tammy the independent film by Tracy D. Smith in which Tahmoh plays Wilson, an arrogant plastic surgeon, has surfaced in 11 parts on You Tube. Part Five, embedded below, includes Tahmoh's scene.

Last chance to see Taming Tammy; Green Chain Praise

Tomorrow, Thursday, October 11th at 12:30 pm is the last screening of the romantic comedy Taming Tammy at the Vancouver International Film Festival. Tahmoh has a small part in the film--a modern adaptation of Taming of the Shrew--as Wilson, an arrogant plastic surgeon (at left).

Also screening at the festival was the logging docudrama The Green Chain, in which Tahmoh plays an underemployed firefighter. Battlestar's Tricia Helfer also stars. Press for the film has been quite positive and the most recent screenings prompted two more reviews:

Vancouver Sun: Capsule review of The Green Chain

Everything you wanted to know about the B.C. logging industry but were afraid to ask, emerges -- in one way or another -- over the course of Mark Leiren-Young's new film. It has the guts to explore the issue in emotional terms without getting bogged down in the endless rhetoric -- or the facile argument of people versus nature. A smart and well-researched film that successfully sees the trees through the forest.

Vancouver Courrier: Review of The Green Chain

All seven characters in this docudrama by Vancouverite Mark Leiren-Young claim to love trees--and surely they all do. But their perspectives on B.C.'s forestry industry vary as much as their positions in life. A second-generation logger, granny protester, underemployed firefighter, cause-championing star, naïve tree-sitter, First Nations forestry executive and long-suffering diner waitress deliver engaging monologues that lay out their views, movingly and convincingly. The technique pulls viewers into their emotional spheres, leading us to abandon presumptions or at least recognize the complexity of the situation. Standout performances include Scott McNeil as a baffled logger facing the realities of less work and fewer trees, and noted stage actress Jillian Fargey as his burdened wife, whose diner job and reflections on family and community reveal the human cost of changing times.

Local up-and-coming actor Brendan Fletcher is also delightful as tree-occupying Dylan, babbling to his Handi-cam 100 feet up a cedar. Leiren-Young's strong and nuanced writing pinpoints these varied personalities, and his background in comedy injects levity (where appropriate) into a generally sombre subject. There may be no easy outs, the film implies, but a good debate can't be off the mark. Aimed at local viewers, Green Chain references real people (most notably Babz Chula as recently freed senior protester Betty Krawczyk) and events. It's more difficult, however, to understand the omission of a treeplanter, or mention of the pine-beetle plague. Still, this film is a timely artifact to inspire discussion.

Tahmoh to appear at Chicago Con on October 7th

In more late-breaking convention news, Tahmoh will now appear at Creation's Chicago Salute to Star Trek, Star Wars and Battlestar Galactica with Katee Sackhoff. Jamie Bamber had to cancel again due to filming commitments.

Here are the event details:

Creation Salutes Star Trek, Star Wars and Battlestar Galactica

CHICAGO, IL area - Fri., Sat. & Sun. October 5 - 7, 2007
Wyndham O'Hare Hotel (6810 N. Mannheim Rd., Rosemont, Il.)

Sunday, OCTOBER 7th
10-11:30 am - Galactica Breakfast & Silent Charity Auction
Noon to 6pm - Katee & Tahmoh on stage

For those in Vancouver, this means that presumably Tahmoh won't be at the Taming Tammy premiere at the Vancouver Film Festival that night... Though he could still show for The Green Chain on the 8th.

Vancouver Film Festival Tickets on sale now

The Green Chain and Taming Tammy will both be screened twice at the upcoming Vancouver International Film Festival. Tickets are on sale now! (Click the film titles below for descriptions and tickets).

The Green Chain (87 minutes)

• Monday, Oct. 8th at 7 pm at the Empire Granville 7. ($9.50)
• Wednesday, Oct. 10th at 12:30 pm at the Empire Granville 7. ($7.50)

Taming Tammy (78 minutes)

• Sunday, Oct. 7th at 7:00pm at the Ridge Theatre. ($9.50)
• Thursday, Oct. 11th at 12:30pm at the Empire Granville 7 Theatre 2. ($7.50)

A new profile of The Green Chain was recently published by Straight.com. No mention of Tahmoh, but director Leiren-Young discusses how the film came to be made. If you haven't already, be sure to check out Tahmoh's recent interview about the film with Galactica.TV.

If anyone here sees either film, please share your reactions by commenting or emailing me a report!

Review of The Green Chain & Vancouver Festival news

The collective blog Indyish recently reviewed The Green Chain at its Montreal premiere:

"The film is a genre-bending journey that can in all truth fit into any of the following categories: character piece, documentary, dramedy, dark comedy, indie, artsy… Oh, forget it! The list is too long! Let me just state for the record that this film is one worth seeing....

The film takes you deep into the longstanding (so much that it’s almost stereotypical) conflict between loggers and environmentalists and sits you face-to-face with opinions from connected individuals you might not have even thought of. The cast includes some of Canada’s most talented actors...."

Read the full review here.

Director Mark Leiren-Young also blogged about the film's premiere at The Green Chain blog. More positive buzz from a Myspace user here.

In other festival news, the Vancouver International Film Festival Sneak Peek Guide is now available (PDF). Here are the entries of the two films featuring Tahmoh and a first look at the poster for Taming Tammy:

Taming Tammy (Canada, 78 min.)
This spirited modern-day adaptation of The Taming of the Shrew is a romantic comedy from Tracy D. Smith about Tammy, a feisty sex-toy party organizer who is happily single—much to her ailing father’s dismay. An entertaining secret scheme is soon orchestrated to find Tammy a match...

The Green Chain (Canada, 87 min.)
These seven monologues from different perspectives on the logging industry and the environment will challenge your perspective regardless of your stance. Writer/director Mark Leiren-Young presents a nuanced and engaging look at one of BC’s biggest and most controversial industries.

Vancouver-area fans: Two chances to see Tahmoh!

On the big-screen at least. The Vancouver International Film Festival (September 27 - October 12, 2007) will be screening two of the independent films that Tahmoh has starred in in the past two years. According to their official release:

Canadian films already confirmed this year include TAMING TAMMY, a lively modern adaptation of Shakespeare's “Taming of the Shrew”, by Tracy D. Smith; GREEN CHAIN from director Mark Leiren Young, where nothing is ever clear-cut in the battle between loggers and environmentalists.

Tahmoh has a small role as Wilson, an arrogant plastic surgeon (at left) in Taming Tammy, directed by Tracy D. Smith who also helmed a short film starring Tahmoh, Sandra Goes to Whistler.

He stars as Brett Hall, a firefighter in The Green Chain (above right), which also features Tricia Helfer as Leila Cole. (For more on both projects, see the related posts linked at the bottom of this post.)

Of course, it's quite possible that Tahmoh will attend one or both of these screenings as he'll be in town to film Battlestar...

Tickets go on sale September 8th.

If any Vancouver-area fans are planning to go, please let me know.

Trailer for Taming Tammy (2006)

A short preview for this upcoming adaptation of Shakespeare's "Taming of the Shrew," in which Tahmoh plays Wilson, an arrogant plastic surgeon has been posted to MySpace. You might recognize one of its stars, Aleks Paunovic, who played Sgt. Fischer (killed on the Algae planet) on Battlestar.

Tahmoh's only in the trailer very briefly, but here's a screencap:

Watch the trailer.

You can see a different, higher res photo of Tahmoh on the set as well as find out more about the movie, in my previous posts about Taming Tammy.

Here's a synopsis of the plot:

A lively modern day adaptation of Shakespeare’s “Taming of the Shrew” which takes the battle of the sexes to the extreme with ex-champ boxer, Sy “The Bruiser” Balkovich, and feisty sex toy seller, Tammy “The Shrew” Taylor.

Tammy has moved back home to take care of her ailing father, Burt, also an ex-boxer. Her brother, Tristan, a strong, quiet, athletic gay man, lives at home and is dating Lucas, a sweet, flamboyant restaurant manager. Burt has resigned himself to his son being gay but he would prefer that his son he be with someone who can take care of him when he’s gone and he thinks Lucas is an unsuccessful deadbeat. Burt also wants Tammy to have her life in order before he passes so he introduces her to Damon, the VP from his company, hoping that they would hit it off and she would be taken care of and happy when he’s gone.

Unfortunately, Damon is in the ‘closet’ and finds himself more attracted to Tristan than Tammy. On top of this, Lucas is determined to prove to Burt that he’s good enough for Tristan so Burt makes an ultimatum: no one can be with Tristan until they find someone to be with Tammy!

This is no small task since Tammy’s shrewish reputation has preceded her at every turn and Damon and Lucas can’t find a single willing match. That’s until Lucas turns to his roommate, ex-champ boxer Sy “The Bruiser” Balkovich who desperately wants a chance to showcase his songwriting at Lucas’ bar. Lucas tells him if he can get Tammy to go out with him, he’ll put him on stage.

Only question is, will the toughest guy in town be tough enough for Tammy?

Tahmoh in independent film Taming Tammy

This past May, Tahmoh played Wilson, an arrogant plastic surgeon, in Tracy D. Smith's Taming Tammy. Smith also directed Tahmoh in the 2005 short film, Sandra goes to Whistler, in which he starred as Conrad.

Taming Tammy is "a lively modern day adaptation of Shakespeare’s “Taming of the Shrew” which takes the battle of the sexes to the extreme with ex-champ boxer, Sy “The Bruiser” Balkovich, and feisty sex toy seller, Tammy “The Shrew;” it stars Aleks Paunovic (Sgt. Fischer on Battlestar) as Sy and Sarah Jane Redmond as Tammy.

Aleks Paunovic, Sarah Jane Redmond and Tahmoh Penikett on set

Tahmoh's sister, Stephanie Penikett, also participated in the production. ("Susan Penikett" is also credited, but is likely meant to be "Sarah Penikett," Tahmoh's other sister).

A longer synopsis of the film can be found here.

For more, see also the Province profile of the film and filmmakers, "Taming Tammy on their own terms: These people are having the times of their lives bankrolling and filming."

Thanks to Michelle of Aaron Douglas Fans for the head's up!