ENTERTAINMENT

MONDAY MAY11|2009 | EDITOR MAGGIE LANGRICK 604.605.2101 |[email protected] | ✰ C4 AWALeRDS oroars forStargate empire B.C. film and television awards honour long-running sciencefiction series

BY PETER BIRNIE VANCOUVER SUN

Acontroversial Canada/U.K. co-pro- duction set in Northern Ireland during the worst of what were dubbed “the Troubles” took the top honour for film at Saturday night’s Leo Awards gala, honouring the best achievements in B.C. film and television. Brightlight Pictures won the coveted prizefor FiftyDead Men Walking,di- rected by Kari Skogland and starring Jim Sturgess as astoolie caught be- tween the British Army and the IRA. “It’s wonderful that B.C. has some- thing to help celebrate local film,” pro- ducer Shawn Williamson said. The project, which was shot on loca- tion in Belfast, “was fascinating to work on,” said Williamson, who lauded screenwriter and director Kogland. “It was amarvelous creative experi- ence.” On the television side, Stargate At- lantis swept the top honours. In addition to capturing Best Pro- gram, the popular series also took Leos for best direction (Robert Cooper for the episode titled Vegas), best screen- writing (Alan McCullough for The Queen)and cinematography (Michael Blundell for Vegas). “We did pretty good, we’re pretty happy with our showing,” producer Brad Wright said. “Our cast and our crew for Atlantis is among the best I’ve ever had an oppor- tunity to work with. We were too flum- moxed to say that on stage last night. The producers of the Stargate franchisewere honoured with an outstanding achievement award forStargate SG-1 and the other incarnations of the series. We were shocked. “We’re used to goingtoaward shows captured Leos for Michael Shanks and hearing other shows’ names being (lead actor) and Brad Wright (screen- Leoaward winners, 2009 called.Iguess last nightwas ournight.” writing). Not only did Stargate Atlantis also Other top honours for feature- •Best Program, FeatureLength win aslew of the technical awards, pre- length drama went to Anne Wheeler Drama: FiftyDead Men Walking sented on Friday evening, but produc- for her direction of Living Out Loud, •Best Direction: Anne Wheeler, Living ers Brad Wright and Robert Cooper Attila Szalay for his cinematography OutLoud were honoured with an outstanding in the Canada/China co-production of •Best Lead Performance(male): achievement award for the entire Iron Road and Vancouver actress Michael Shanks, StargateContinuum Stargate franchise. Babz Chula for best actress in Mothers Vancouver’s film and TV community &Daughters. •Best Lead Performance(female): has enjoyed tremendous benefits from Fifty Dead Men Walking was not Babz Chula, Mothers &Daughters this sci-fi monolith, which started (af- only directed by Skogland, but written •Best Supporting Performance ter the initial movie) with Stargate by her as well. (male): Chang Tseng, DimSum SG-1,includes two direct-to-DVD She based the screenplay on the real- Funeral movies (Stargate SG-1: The Arc of life story of Martin McGartland, who •Best Supporting Performance Truth and Stargate Continuum)and has always insisted that the tips he (female): Lauren LeeSmith, Helen carries on after Stargate Atlantis with passed on saved at least 50 lives. He is •Best Program, Dramatic Series: the latest offshoot, aTVseries titled still in hiding. StargateAtlantis Stargate Universe,which debuts in The Leo Awards were first presented the autumn. in 1999. •Best Direction: Robert Cooper, The icing on the cake for the Star- Sun Theatre Critic StargateAtlantis —Vegas IAN SMITH/VANCOUVER SUN [email protected] gate team came in the feature-length With filesfrom Denise Ryan, Vancouver Sun •Best Lead Performance(male): Tyler BabzChula, who wonthe Leoaward forbestfemale lead performance, beams category, as Stargate Continuum also Labine, Reaper —Coming to Grips on the red carpet at the Leofilm and TV awards held at the Westin.

SEE APHOTO GALLERYAND AFULL LISTOFLEO WINNERS AT VANCOUVERSUN.COM

OBITUARY BOXOFFICE Star Trek movie Kitsilano poet remembered forsenseofhumour beams up $72.5 Robin Blaser continued to teach rising poetsafter taking earlyretirement from facultyatSimon Fraser University millioninticket sales

ter accepting aposition at Simon Fras- an English professor in Ottawa who’s BY KELLYSINOSKI er University. Nearly adecade later, in read him.” BY STEVE GORMAN VANCOUVER SUN 1974, he became aCanadian citizen and He described Blaser’s work as chal- met his life partner, David Farwell. lenging and hard work yet delightful, LOS ANGELES —The new Star Trek Robin Blaser, arenowned Kitsilano Bowering, who travelled to San Fran- noting he never wrote straightforward movie beamed up an estimated $72.5 poet whose work was devoted to the cisco in the early ’60s to meet Blaser, sentences and it was as if he “kicked the million in North American ticket sales avant-garde, has died after abattle with said he had much respect for the eru- hell out of the English language.” its first weekend in theatres, dominat- cancer. dite poet with agreat sense of humour. “You’ve got to have alot of nerve to ing the box office and re-energizing a His death, at the St. James Cottage Blaser not only received the Order of dig into [Blaser’s] book and all those es- 40-year-old science-fiction franchise. Hospice in Vancouver last week, was Canada in 2005 forhis contribution to says,” Bowering said. That figure far surpassed the opening just shy of his 84th birthday. the arts, but was winner of the Griffin But when you do, he said, lessons can grosses posted by any of the previous “He took the world with him when he Poetry Prize for lifetime achievement in be learned. And in his short essays, 10 Star Trek films,even when adjusted went,” friend and fellow poet George 2006 and the Griffin Prize for Poetry in Blaser’s “great sense of humour” shines for inflation, and kept up arobustpace Bowering said Sunday. “That’s how I 2008. He was awarded an honorary through, especially in his work over the for the second week of Hollywood’s feel ... he really loved the world alot.” doctorate by SFU in March 2009. past 20 years. summer moviegoing season. Blaser, who was raised in asmall Ida- Bowering said one of Blaser’s major STUART DAVIS/VANCOUVER SUNFILES “He was aguy who could tell you Combined with $4 million grossed ho town, became one of California’s tri- strengths was as ateacher. Despite tak- Kitsilano poet Robin Blaser has died. everything and then tell you ajoke,” from Thursday evening’s preview umvirate poets, along with Robert ing early retirement from SFU in the Bowering said. screenings, Star Trek tallied $76.5 mil- Duncan and Jack Spicer. The trio par- 1980s, he continued to teach rising po- who kept going to see him and for those Blaser is survived by Farwell as well lion in U.S. and Canadian receipts ticipated in what is known as the Berke- ets in his Kitsilano home. who read his books.” as by his sister Hope Samac and broth- through Sunday, according to Para- ley Renaissance, contributing to post- “Students kept going to Robin’s place Bowering noted that even though er Augustus Blaser. mount Pictures studio. modern poetry. instead of to Simon Fraser,” Bowering Blaser was one of Canada’s best poets, In 1966, Blaser moved to Canada af- said.“He wasagreat teacherfor those “you would have to go along way to find [email protected] Reuters

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