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Meteor's Marla Sokoloff knows why we love watching the world end
It's up to Marla Sokoloff (The Practice) to save the world in the upcoming NBC miniseries Meteor. That's because a giant meteor named Kassandra has been struck by a comet and knocked out of its orbit. This thing is three times the size of Mount Everest and it's hurtling towards Earth. Showers of meteorites are destroying cities, no matter how many the military intercepts with missiles.
In Mexico, scientists Imogene O'Neil (Sokoloff) and Dr. Lehman (Christopher Lloyd) are the only ones who know the trajectory coordinates, and they must get them to the military before Kassandra destroys the planet.
[Note: Spoilers follow.]
Sokoloff told SCI FI Wire a bit about her role. "She's an incredibly smart scientist, who I was incredibly pleased to play. She's handed the very tricky task of saving the world." Imogene loses her mentor, Lehman, early in the story, and she's forced to make her way to JPL Labs in California by herself, in an increasingly militarized world.
She comes up against almost insurmountable obstacles, including being nearly raped in a Mexican police station. "That was definitely my hardest day ... these were actual stunt guys that they cast ... they weren't actors, and they were really tough. We had a safe word, because we wanted them to actually make me uncomfortable."
There are some big names in the miniseries, from Lloyd to Jason Alexander, Stacey Keach and Billy Campbell. Sokoloff talked about working with the star of Back to the Future. "It was insane. My very first day of work was with Christopher Lloyd, and I just remember feeling ... so intimidated and awestruck, but so impressed with how sweet he was. He's such a nice man, and really funny. ... I was actually sad because he didn't get to stick around very long."
Disaster films seem to be pretty popular lately, and Sokoloff speculated why. "I think there's just a general panic that has filled the world as far as natural disasters. Living in Los Angeles, you're waiting for the big earthquake, more fires and whatnot. And I think people, if they have four hours to sit and watch a disaster movie, kind of take their minds off the reality of their lives. ... People obviously have the desire to watch them."
About whether this could really happen, Sokoloff laughed, "I try to not even think about that, but evidently, yes, this could happen, and don't come calling me when it does, because there's nothing I'm going to be doing except for hiding somewhere with my dog."
Meteor airs Sunday, July 12 and 19, from 9 to 11 pm on NBC.
By Marko-Polo at 3:07 PM ON 06/26/09
Whats with the handbag? Bill Campbell has his shotgun and Maria has her Handbag?
By varyar at 3:11 PM ON 06/26/09
Maybe the pistol is in her handbag?
Anyhoo. The cast will probably lead me to watch this. I hope it's entertaining bad, not just boring. (A genuinely good disaster movie? I'm not getting my hopes up!)
By Marko-Polo at 3:19 PM ON 06/26/09
varyar:
'Maybe the pistol is in her handbag?'
Thats right, thanks.
I DVR'd that other Meteor Movie with natasha from last week, I have yet to see it. I'll have to tape this one too.
Wasn't there another Meteor movie 5 or 10 years ago with Dean Cain or someone else? It hits the mid west. Kansas I think? I think I'm getting my disaster movies confused.
By mc2714 at 3:32 PM ON 06/26/09
Its her Jack-sack
By Marko-Polo at 3:42 PM ON 06/26/09
That right her Jack-sack.
Shes got C-4, machine guns and a nuclear warhead to destroy the 'Meteor'.
By Bluesman at 3:46 PM ON 06/26/09
Wow! Stephanie Tanner's little "bad girl" buddy grew up NICE!
By CRDFilm at 5:00 PM ON 06/26/09
Is this actually a remake of METEOR starring Sean Connery and Natalie Wood???
By Critic 2100 at 5:38 PM ON 06/26/09
Oh c'mon. This, like every other summer film on TV is going to be badly written, poorly filmed, and badly produced. And it's from NBC, who has a bad rep for bad SF films. I challenge any of you out thre to give forth a GOOD SF film from this network. The basic science in IMPACT was just wrong!!! Meteor will be just as bad. Read a Book, you sheep.
By cifaretto at 5:40 PM ON 06/26/09
and then nobody will care about the meteor because omg! the sexy smart scientist with the bag will make out with the manly white hero.
By Critic 2100 at 5:45 PM ON 06/26/09
Oh c'mon. This, like every other summer film on TV is going to be badly written, poorly filmed, and badly produced. And it's from NBC, who has a bad rep for bad SF films. I challenge any of you out thre to give forth a GOOD SF film from this network. The basic science in IMPACT was just wrong!!! Meteor will be just as bad. Read a Book, you sheep.
By Erik Kolacek at 6:07 PM ON 06/26/09
I would pay money to watch Marla Sokoloff read the phone book. She is gorgeous.
By digitalworlds at 7:04 PM ON 06/26/09
Oh well - been here...done this...NBC did "Asteroid" back in '97(http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118261/) ... so what's so special about this..except is been 12 years later - do they think we forget these things!
By Gill Avila at 1:56 AM ON 06/27/09
Maybe that's her MaGuyver / Indiana Jones bag. In film school I had a magic bag--whatever you needed was in it, from aspirin to duct tape.
By DaveM at 8:39 AM ON 06/27/09
TO Critic 2100:
A good sci-fi movie from NBC?
The first "v" mini-series.
By dragos at 9:27 AM ON 06/27/09
The answer is obvious. At the last second, shift the meteor into hyperspace and let it pass through the earth without hitting it.
You know this show is going to be a retread on a theme that has been done many times over.
By TheDrizzt at 3:20 PM ON 06/27/09
Oh, my. This sounds awful (though I'd probably enojy watching Sokoloff read the phonebook). When did NBC start airing SciFi Saturday night movies?
By Riker at 4:56 PM ON 06/27/09
Marla is hot, nice rack. :D :D
By AlwaysSayNever at 3:53 AM ON 06/28/09
I'll never watch another bloated NBC disaster movie, not after watching Asteroid on NBC and watching 30 minutes of the parents simply calling a kid's name. No other dialogue. nothing happening. just searching and yelling the same boy's name over and over. Could have been a 90 minute movie but it was stretched over days. Just like the Beast (the squid movie). I will pass.
By scoob958 at 9:59 PM ON 06/28/09
Finally another Marla Sokoloff sighting, I may have to check this out just for that reason alone.
By TearEmUp at 8:15 AM ON 06/30/09
Yes sir, three more screen shots to pass along. You, of course, realize your only adding fuel to the fire don't you? This makes you look pathetic and narrow minded....
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TearEmUp:
Yes sir, three more screen shots to pass along. You, of course, realize your only adding fuel to the fire don't you...More »