Alice (2009)

Caterina Scorsone
Alice
(also Callie in tv show Crash)

Alice (2009)
an original tv mini-series on Syfy

Directed and written by: Nick Willing

Tagline from imdb: Everything you know will be turned on its head.

Excerpt from SyFy:
Using the classic Lewis Carroll books Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass as a jumping off point, writer/director Nick Willing has created the modern-day story of Alice Hamilton, a fiercely independent twenty-something who suddenly finds herself on the other side of a looking glass. She is a stranger in an outlandish city of twisted towers and casinos built out of playing cards, all under the rule of a deliciously devilish Queen who's not very happy about Alice's arrival.

My two-bits:
In this re-telling grief is a theme that hits home. How to deal.

This story has a grown up Alice who at the start of the show is presented as a martial arts instructor. Already you know she is a kickin' character.

References to the original Alice in Wonderland appear, but in their own special ways.

In one scene, Alice approaches a table with a bottle partially filled with a mysterious colored liquid. I knew what it was and chanted "Drink Me, Drink Me, Drink Me."

But when Alice lifted the attached tag on the bottle it said

Curiosity

then she flipped the tag over to read

killed the cat

then she put the bottle down and walked away

HUH? Hey! no drinking or eating involved in this Alice.

And, the flamingoes used to play croquet with in the book - they were super cool pink flying contraptions (steampunked - i think).

Oh yeah, a bit of romance in this story too ;-D

What I really enjoyed was the cast. It was such a treat to see a mix of knowns and unknowns (to me).

Andrew Lee Potts
Hatter
(also Connor in tv show Primeval)

Matt Frewer
White Knight
(also Max in tv show Max Headroom)

Philip Winchester
Prince of Hearts - Jack
(also Robinson Crusoe in tv show Crusoe)

Colm Meaney
King of Hearts
(also Chief O'Brien in tv show Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)

Kathy Bates
Queen of Hearts

Harry Dean Stanton
Caterpillar


Zak Santiago
10 of Clubs
(also Pann in the upcoming Syfy show Caprica)

*Not pictured but of interest to me:

Alessandro Juliani - 9 of Clubs
(also Gaeta in Syfy show Battlestar Galactica)

Tim Curry - Dodo

*if you missed this little gem, definitely Netflix it!


Did you watch it? What did you think?