Pop culture Q&A

August 6, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

By Rich Heldenfels

McClatchy Newspapers

Q. When “CSI: Miami” started years ago, there was a young actor named Rory Cochrane who played Tim Speedle. He left to do movies. I saw him in one with Keanu Reeves — then nothing. Is he doing anything now?

A. An interest in other roles and weariness with TV work prompted Cochrane to leave the series after two seasons. He told the Web site CSI Files at the time: “I felt [the show] was never-ending and the grind was a lot. It’s nice being on a hit show and the viewers are very supportive, but I couldn’t really take it anymore.” But he still had a contractual commitment to the show and was brought back for an episode during its sixth season.

He has also been in the movies “A Scanner Darkly” (the Keanu Reeves movie you mentioned), “Public Enemies” and “Right at Your Door.” He is in “Passion Play,” an upcoming movie with Bill Murray, Mickey Rourke and Megan Fox. He played a Russian spy in “The Company,” a TNT miniseries about the CIA, and was on “24” for part of a season.

Q. On “America’s Got Talent” this season, there was a 24-year-old opera singer by the name of Carlos who was eliminated from the finals by the judges. That was a shock to me! Did any opera group pick him up? Has he been selected by any talent agent? He was really a star. Some of my friends and I would love to know what has become of him.

A. That was Carlos Aponte, a singer from Puerto Rico. I have not seen anything about his plans, but his prospects look good. A YouTube video of his appearance has been viewed more than 800,000 times, and numerous blogs have talked him up.

Q. I am trying to find the name of an old black-and-white vampire movie. The only info I can give you is at the end a young man and a young lady get into a horse-drawn sleigh and there is snow everywhere. And I believe an old man waves goodbye to them. That’s all I can remember.

A. Well, it wasn’t in black-and-white, but this sure sounds like “The Fearless Vampire Killers, or Pardon Me But Your Teeth are in My Neck,” a 1967 movie by director Roman Polanski. The movie, which Polanski wanted to call “Dance of the Vampires,” was heavily edited before its theatrical release in the U.S. But it has been more recently visible in Polanski’s original version, including on DVD.

Q. Can you please tell me if “The Tudors” will be on again? Really a good show. The actors did a fine job. I think it was on Showtime.

A. The final episode of the series about Henry VIII aired in June. Three seasons are also on DVD. The fourth and final one is available for preorder on Amazon.com, but I have not yet seen a release date.

Q. I recall years ago, seeing a PBS show called “Mother-in-Law,” starring Diana Rigg. At the time, I was remiss and did not tape it. Unfortunately, I have never been able to obtain a copy of it. I had just about given up, when I saw your column recently, and thought: “Why not give it a try, and contact Rich and see if he can help?”

A. I suspect you are remembering “Mother Love,” a delightfully nasty miniseries starring Rigg as a woman whose need to control her son leads to some extreme behavior. It aired on public television in 1989, and the cast also included David McCallum of “NCIS” as Rigg’s ex-husband. Unfortunately, as far as I can tell, it has not found its way to home video.