Year: 2011

Sarah Allen is currently appearing in SyFy’s “Being Human” as the vampire Rebecca. Her character was a worker on the hospital with Josh and Aidan, until she is supposedly killed by Aidan. Aidan believe that she her body is taken care of but she was turned into a vampire by Bishop and now Aidan has to deal with her. Sarah took out a little time to chat with Movie Mikes to discuss her role in the show and how it is working her cast.

Mike Gencarelli: How did you get involved with the show “Being Human”?
Sarah Allen: I was in Toronto working on a short film that I had written with a couple of friends. My agent in Montreal called and said they were casting for this show “Being Human” and the role of Rebecca. They thought I had a good chance of getting it if I could get down to Montreal the next morning. At first I wasn’t going to go but my agent told me that I had to come. I looked at the script and thought it looked really good and I had to go. I showed up and read for the writers and producers. I found out the next day I got the part. I think I was one of the last casting that they did of the regulars on the show.

MG: MG: Do you enjoy playing your character Rebecca Flynt?
SA: Oh I love playing her. It is awesome. I love playing a character that doesn’t have to make the right choice all the time. She is trying to make good choices and trying to do the right thing but she is just a mess. She is really off balance and her perspective on the whole is completely changed. She also has no one to take care of her at all. She kind of fumbles through everything in life and I just really love playing her.

MG: Tell us about working with Sam Witwer and the rest of the cast?
SA: Most of my scenes were with Sam. It was awesome. He is a really generous and kind actor. He is just such a great guy too. When I arrived on the show, I think they were already shooting for three weeks. When I met Sam, Sammy and Meaghan, it was already clear that they were super tight. I was worried that when I showed up that they would already have their group thing going on but they were all the nicest people ever. It was such a great experience, not just where the other actors awesome but the directors, the producers, the writers and entire crew were all great. There was just such a good vibe on the set. Everyone was really happy to be working on the show and it was just wonderful. I think that it shows in the quality of the show we came up with.

MG: What was the hardest part about working on the show?
SA: Honestly it was just such a joy all of the time but if I had to say something that was hard it was when it came December. We were shooting in some really cold weather. We were out in the middle of a minus 20 snow storm and shooting outside. We are supposed to be vampires wearing our little skimpy shirts and leather jackets but our toes were frozen white and our jaws were almost frozen shuts [laughs]. It was some of the more climax scenes that were shot then.  So I would have to say that was the hardest part for me.

MG: What can we expect from your character and the rest of the season?
SA: She keeps on fumbling through her existence as a vampire. She keeps trying to get involved with Aidan’s life and just keeps messing up. That is really all that I can give away [laughs]. I think that will keep you interested. I feel the show just keeps getting better and better as the series goes on.

MG: What else do you have planned next?
SA: Honestly right now, I have decided to take the winter off and I am spending it in Mexico. So the future is all up in the air.

Burt Young has appeared in over 100 film and television roles since the 1970’s. He is most often known as the gruff brother in-law Paulie Pennino in “Rocky” series.  Movie Mikes had the pleasure of speaking with Burt recently to talk about his career in the film business and a few of his upcoming projects.

Adam Lawton: How did you get into acting?
Burt Young: I was chasing a girl! I was about 28 at the time and this very attractive girl wanted to go to Lee Strasberg’s acting school but she couldn’t get in. At the time I had no idea who Lee was and actually thought he was a girl. I knew I could get into anywhere I wanted with perseverance so I wrote Lee a letter. I guess it sparked his interest as he invited me over and from there I became very involved.

AL: How did your role in the Rocky films come about?
BY: My name was already out there as I was fairly established in the business prior to the first Rocky film. I had worked with the producers of the Rocky film previously and they asked me if I would be interested in the part.

AL: What were your initial thoughts of the original script?
BY: I knew it was a home run and so did the producers. The studio seemed a little leery but the producers really never had any doubt that the film was going to be a hit.

AL: What did you think when it was announced that there was going to be a sequel?
BY: That was very surprising. I didn’t really know sequels at that period of time nor did I wish to do the second film. I told Sylvester that I wasn’t up for it as I was going to be working on a film that I had written. I did tell him that if there was a problem to give me a call. Sylvester ended up calling which led to me being in the second film as well as the others.

AL: What were your feelings towards the latest film “Rocky Balboa”?
BY: I thought it was wonderful. Being set 17 years after the last film which I didn’t think was too good Sylvester took all the flavor of the first film and gave it chronological history resulting in what you saw. I enjoyed myself doing that picture.

AL: What was it like working with Ernest Borgnine and Kris Kristofferson in “Convoy”?
BY: That was fun! Ernest Borgnine was already a friend of mine prior to the film. He’s a very sweet man. I met Kris for the first time when we started shooting. I got to know him more throughout the filming and I thought of him as a shy genius. I enjoyed getting to know him. I really like working with director Sam Peckinpah who I had worked with previously. It ended up being a wild time.

AL: Is there anything that sticks out for you from behind the scenes?
BY: There was a little bit of tension on set as Steve McQueen kept jumping around as he and Ali McGraw were not getting along at the time so that was fun. There were 96 trucks in that film so we were bound to have some fun.

AL: How was your experience working on “The Sopranos”?
BY: In my opinion that series was like American Shakespeare. So I was very pleased to be a part of it. The episode I was in actually gave them their first Emmy. Everyone was very swell and gentle to work with. It was really great. The first day I was there James Gandolfini came up to me and said “To work with a master is very much a favor.” I had known some of the cast and crew from previous work but the whole experience was wonderful.

AL: If you had to pick one of your roles as a favorite which one would it be?
BY: That’s a hard question as I have been in over 125 movies. For different reasons there are different movies that I like. Location is always a factor as well as the individuals involved. The creativity of the script is important along with the depth of the character and how far I am allowed to take that character. I really liked some of the work that I have written. I of course love the first “Rocky” film. I also enjoyed some of the episodes from way back of “Baretta” that won Emmys and helped get that show renewed.

AL: Can you tell us about some of your upcoming projects?
BY: I just finished a movie called “Win Win” with Paul Giamatti that will be out soon. I think that movie is going to be really good. Paul was a pleasure to work with. I have a two character play I wrote called “Artists Found in Port Washington Flat” that should go to Broadway with a little finger crossing.

Joan Benedict Steiger started performing at the age 7 and since that time she has appeared in over 40 theater productions and dozens of television and movie roles. Joan’s latest film which will be released this year is titled “Dead Border.” Movie Mikes had a chance to speak with Joan about her new film and her career in show business.

Adam Lawton: What prompted you to become involved with show business at such a young age?
Joan Benedict Steiger: That’s all I ever wanted to do since I was 7 years old. I started out dancing and singing around that age which soon led into acting a short time later. It’s really hard to explain as I had of course seen movies and such before but I think even before that I knew I wanted to act. I guess it’s what I was born to do. Even though I was a shy girl I loved to show off (Laughs).

AL: You took a short break from screen roles in the early 90’s. What prompted that decision?
JBS: My first husband was diagnosed with cancer so a lot of my time was being spent in hospitals during those days. I still continued working as much as I could whenever possible. To this day I have appeared in over 40 plays. I am set to receive an award in the coming weeks from the Women’s Theater Festival for my work in the theater.

AL: Is there a stage role that sticks out for you as a favorite?
JBS: Absolutely! “Leona” which was a play I did in 1993 about Leona Helmsley. It was a one woman show that I put on at the Matrix Theater in Hollywood. I was almost able to take that play to Broadway however the writer and director were married and they seemed like they were always in conflict with each other. The play was very rewarding though.

AL: Can you tell us about your experience working on “The Prize Fighter”
JBS: That was a really wonderful experience. My first husband actually wrote that film with Tim Conway. I played a sort of Miss Kitty type roll. Tim Conway and Don Knott’s were extremely fun to work with and both are great friends. Before Don passed away he and I used to always celebrate our birthdays together as we were both born on July 21st.

AL: Can you tell us about “The Happy Hooker Goes to Washington”?
JBS: That was quite an experience. I played Joey Heatherton’s boss which was a fabulous role. There happened to be a lot of drugs around in those days and thankfully I was never a part of that however I think Joey may have been caught up in those things making shooting a little difficult. George Hamilton was also really great to work with. He was so good. I remember he kept telling me he wanted to do comedy. At the time no one thought he could but, later on in his career he proved them wrong. George is such a nice person.

AL: Were you ever reluctant to be a part of that film because of its title?
JBS: No. The title may have evoked ideas about the film but it was actually the total opposite. There were no people undressing or anything like that. When you think about it compared to today’s standards that film is like a church movie (Laughs).

AL: Can you tell us about your latest feature “Dead Border”
JBS: I play Dr. Charlotte Barnes who is a Government doctor that works in a forensics lab. Without giving too much away I will tell you that certain things start to happen along the Texas border and plenty of murder and mayhem ensues. I have also been attached to the sequel which should start filming soon.

AL: Was this a role you had auditioned for?
JBS: Barb Doyon who is a producer/director on the film was a fan of my previous work and contacted me to see if I would be interested in the role. I didn’t have to audition at all. I was very intrigued by the part of the story that I am leaving out. I want everyone to be surprised when they watch it.

AL: Do you have other upcoming projects we can be looking for?
JBS: Besides “Dead Border” and its sequel, I get a lot of calls to come in for auditions. Unless it’s a part that really strike’s me I don’t generally take everyone. I am fortunate enough to not have to do that. There are a lot of new TV shows coming out that I would love to be a part of.

Brett Rickaby stars as Graham Sutter in Stevan Mena’s newest film “Bereavement”.  This is Brett first leading role and also his most intense and dark.  Brett is also know for his role in the recent remake of  “The Crazies”.  Movie Mikes had a chance to chat with Brett about his new film and working with such an intense character with “Bereavement”

Mike Gencarelli: Tell us about how you prepared for such an intense role of Graham Sutter in “Bereavement”?
Brett Rickaby: Everything just sort of aligned.  I was at this point in my career where I was trying to expand my abilities as an actor.  I was really practicing emotional availability and it was a big thing I was working on in front of the camera.  Sometimes acting is like landing a jet on the head of a pin, you got the camera going and you got to deliver on the spot.  What is really important for an actor is to have quick access to their emotions and to a full range of emotions.  I had been practicing that and I felt like I could take on anything.  Next thing I know I get a call for this role and I thought it was perfect.  When I read the script, I never read anything that was as emotionally voliatle as this role was.  A lot of people buy into the fact that an actor has to go crazy to play crazy.  To some degree it is true…while you are on, you need to be in it and living it, but you don’t have to stay there for good.  That is something I have been practicing with the attachment and really getting into it.  I have seen the movie three times now and there are points where I say to myself “I wonder want I was thinking there?” There is some crazy stuff going on with my face and I have no idea what I was thinking at that time.  It is fun on that level to go back and look at it watching it again. It was really my first lead in a film.  I felt like it was written for me as from the moment I finished it.

MG: Where you familiar with “Malevolence” prior to shooting?
BR: No, I had no idea.  The suggestion to watch the first film kind of came hand in hand with my first call.  They came me the script and then said “here this is what we are going from” with the first movie.  Stevan had hopes to really outdo his first film.  He had a bigger budget and more to work with and was trying to improve on the work he did with the first one.

MG: What was the hardest scene you had to shoot for the film?
BR: There are two that comes to mind.  My death scene was really hard.  It took a long time to shoot the scene.  It was so brutal to do that and after shooting it for a while we all had to kind of take a break.  We all were kind of shakey and was like “Wow this is awful”.  The whole crew was messed up from that scene, but it works for the film.  The other scene is, in what I feel is the climax, when I am in the bedroom with the little girl.  Although I love the way it actually turned out and looks.  Due to labor laws, we didn’t start shooting till 1am that day and the little girl had to leave by 2am, so we only had an hour to shoot that climatic scene.  It was my first role and since it was the climatic scene of the movie and I was all upset. Firstly I had to be in crazy mode and then personally I am actually upset and I am wailing.  Everyone thought I was actually going crazy [laughs].  Stevan edited that scene really well. Since non of us were really happy with what we got when we shot that scene originally.  But it turned out really well.

MG: How was it working with Stevan Mena?
BR: Stevan has very particular and strong ideas for the film.  If I felt that there was something I had to fight for I would push for it.  So there times when we would rub up against each other.  He and I both believe it is about the work and we realized we are working towards the same goal.  When you have two strong creative people come together that is going to happy.  We understood that and both have tremendous respect for each other. Both of us put in a lot of loving making this movie.  It is almost like a survival thing between us.

MG: You are no stranger to intense roles, tell us about working on “The Crazies”?
BR: “Bereavement” is the hardest role I have ever done…in terms of preparation.  I have learned so much about myself and there was some really big challenges. “The Crazies” was the easiest role I have ever done.  One of the things that happened was I got Ramsay Hunt syndrome, which is shingles of the ear, the year before “The Crazies” was shot.  Breck Eisner was talking about the different various stages of the virus. It starts from low energy and then he said the next is when your worst thoughts became your prominent thoughts. When I had Ramsay Hunt syndrome, I went to bed at night and I was haunted from my negative and bad thoughts. It was an interesting experience but perfect for “The Crazies”.  I was already through that.  So when the house burns down I am sitting on the back of the truck whistling.  The camera come around in close and I just had to think bad thoughts. How easy was that?  The only thing was difficult was the physical part of throwing my arms through the jail cell.  Arms are not made to go through those and I had bruises up and down my arm.

MG: Do you have any plans for anything upcoming?
BR: I am working on a couple of short films.  I have a lot of people asking me to do different projects.  So I take a look for the following things, 1: Is there something I can do for this? and 2: Is it something I haven’t visited yet?.  If I could bring something unique it catches my interest. I am definitely interested.

Stevan Mena is the director of “Malevolence” and his latest “Bereavement”.  Both films are part of a trilogy that Stevan is creating.  I have known Stevan for many years personally and he is a really talented filmmaker.  His films reach a different level in the horror genre that a lot of filmmakers usually overlook.  Movie Mikes had a chance to chat with Stevan again, rehash and chat about working on his latest and my personal favorite film “Bereavement”.  The film hits theaters on March 4th and should be checked out by all genre fans and it will surely become a cult classic.

Mike Gencarelli: Tell me about the process of making “Bereavement”?
Stevan Mena: We started shooting in 2008 and were really excited to get guys like Michael Biehn from “The Terminator”. I was thrilled he liked the script and decided to come on. Alexandra Daddario, who since I cast her has blown up in the scene. She just was in “Hall Pass” and “Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief”. She is really taken off. It was a tough shoot going back to the original location. It is a very precarious place to make a movie. I wouldn’t say it is a dangerous location but I do not think it will be standing for much longer. We got out of there in the nick of time. I wanted the film to explore all the things I did not get to do with “Malevolence”. I had things I wanted to shoot and explain and got to expand on all that stuff with this film, which is great.

MG: When did “Malevolence”, was this film always planned for you?
SM: Yeah, actually the whole thing was a conscious decision. Shooting “Malevolence” first was premeditated because I wanted to make sure the killer was as mysterious as possible. If I did “Bereavement” first where it is all about his torture by Graham Sutter and how he becomes a serial killer, then you kind of diminish the scare factor because everyone knows who he is in. Where in “Malevolence”, the first time around he is a complete mystery and that is always more scary.

MG: Are both the films able to be watched in sequence?
SM: You certainly can watch “Bereavement” and then “Malevolence” right afterwards. In fact if you stick around after the credits in “Bereavement”, there is a scene from “Malevolence” that you never saw before and it is really cool.

MG: Did you find it hard to work with such dark subject matter?
SM: It definitely was rough. I knew it was going to be a really dark film to make. There definitely were times, especially with the hook scene it was grating on all of us to listen to the screams over and over. That is the price you pay if you want realism. So, I think reaction when a lot of people watch the film is it feels so authentic and that is what I was shooting for. But to get it like that it is a very laborious process to get everybody up to speed and get ready to do that…then to watch it unfold. It feels real, so you wouldn’t be a human being, or you would be a slightly demented human, if you didn’t get upset doing it.

MG: What would you say was the most difficult part for you working on the film?
SM: I would have to say getting out of the car everyday [laughs]. You do not sleep at all when you are shooting six to eight weeks. You get up at 4am…get to the set by 5am…you are prepping and blocking the shots for the next two hours…then you shooting for twelve hours…then you come back and you are watching dailies for three or four hours…and then you have to sit and plan your next day and your shot list. Maybe you will get one hour of sleep but there was points where I was going 72 hours with no sleep. You have to get the actors up and motivated to hit their marks and get their lines right and also keep the crew going. I think the hardest part is keeping the momentum going and your energy up.

MG: “Bereavement” had quite a larger budget than your first two films, did that make it easier for you?
SM: No, not really. Same problems…more money just equals more problems sometimes. The good things are you can get the equipment you want for your shots and you can get the actors you want. That is what makes it better. As far as the day-to-day grime, it is all the same stuff.

MG: The score in “Bereavement” is so haunting and well-done and even reminds me of classic 80’s horror scores like John Carpenter and Goblin, tell us about working on the score?
SM: Well, I actually hired a couple of different composers but I wasn’t getting what I was looking for. So I ended up jumping in and doing it myself. It is really just me by myself. The orchestra is me and my computer. I have learned how to write music and then program it into the computer to basically play what I want. Then part of it is actually me playing, since I play piano and I can do a lot with keyboards. I love the old Goblin and Carpenter scores myself, so of course that is a huge influence for me.

MG: Do you know what you will be working on next?
SM: I do…I actually have a lot of different projects coming up. I will be focusing on the third film in this trilogy to end Martin’s story. So all of that is on the burner. As a filmmaker it is always, “What have you done for me lately”…so hopefully this film will perform and people will continue to back me. Then I will be able to make movies as long as people come out and buy a ticket.

Meaghan Rath is the star of SyFy’s new hit show “Being Human”.  Adapted from the British series, Meaghan is playing the character Sally, living in a house with a vampire and a werewolf.  Movie Mikes had a chance to chat with Meaghan about her character on the show and what we can expect the rest of the season.

Mike Gencarelli: Tell us how you got involved with Syfy’s “Being Human”?
Meaghan Rath: I got the script and audition material from my agent.  I haven’t heard of the British show before.  I went home and read the scripts and immediately fell in love with them.  I really connected to the characters, the people that they were and the struggles that they were going through.  I just knew I had to be a part of it.  I auditioned a couple of times and read for the casting agent.  Next, I work-shopped the audition with Adam Kane, the executive producers and director of the first two and finale episodes.  Then they flew me to screen-test and that is where I met the guys for the first time.

MG: Tell us how you prepared for your character Sally Malik?
MR: I wasn’t trying to play her as a ghost…I was playing her as a real person.  I think that is the whole trauma of our show.  We are not playing the stereotypes of a vampire, a ghost or a werewolf.  We are playing them as real people.  It wasn’t too hard for me because I really saw a lot of myself in her and connected with that she was going through.  It wasn’t much preparation.  When people ask me “What type of research did you do to be a ghost?”, I have always believed in the supernatural my entire life…I didn’t have to research that much.  Sally is really new, so I am going through everything she is going through at the same time.  I am learning as she is learning.

MG: In the show you actually forget that she is a ghost until she disappears or something, that is planned right?.
MR: Exactly and that is great that you say that because that is sort of what we are going for. The show is a character based show and it is about their relationships but on top of that we have this element of the supernatural that makes the stakes higher.

MG: Since being a part of the show, did you go back as check out the British version?
MR: I watched maybe two episodes during the audition process just to get a sense of the tone.  We made the conscious choice not to watch anything while we were shooting because we wanted to just bring ourself to it and not be influenced by what we were seeing, or we didn’t want to see something we really liked and then not be able to do it.  We wanted to completely put it out of our minds.  Since we stopped, I haven’t seen any more but I think Sam Witwer bought the DVDs, so maybe we will all watch it.

MG: We recently found out a big secret about your character and your killer, can you tell us a little about that?
MR: It was a really intense episode to shoot.  I had a feeling of what it was though from the beginning.  The writers were very secretive about our character arcs and plot lines. I was really happy to see that they were going to go there pretty early on in the season and now that leaves a lot of room for development for my character.  I found in the first couple of episodes, I didn’t want Sally to just be mourning and luckily they got the death thing out in the open.  By the end of the season, Sally ends up in a completely different place then when she started and it is really exciting.  It is not necessarily a happy place. It is really exciting for an actor to be place to play that kind of thing.

MG: Tell us about working with such a great cast?
MR: It has been amazing to work with Sam Witwer, Sam Huntington and even Mark (Pellegrino).  The Sam’s are the two of the most talented people I have ever worked with.  They are so generous on set.  We never have to worry when we are doing scenes together, the three of us, we have so much friendship and history already to bring to these characters.  We find our ways through scenes and discover new things as we go along and it is really nice to work with them.  It is like going to work with your best friends.

MG: What has been your favorite episode to shoot so far?
MR: I have a couple of favorites.  You know that flying sequence we did, that was one of my most amazing times ever spent on the set.  There was something really special about it.  I also really love episode five, a lot of shit goes down in that episode.  I think that is really a pivotal episode of all of our characters.  It is where stuff really kicks into gear.  Also episode seven, it is just really good.  We are all just finding our grooves really well and it is working.  I think it just gets better every week.  I have only seen to episode ten and I am telling you each week  gets better and better and more dark and more funny.  It is amazing.

MG: What can you tell us about your characters’ storyline in the upcoming episodes?
MR: Expect to see a more darker Sally.  I am more sober…in the beginning of the series, she is kind of bubbly and excitable.  She does retain a lot of that during the season but I think she is constantly hitting these new rock bottoms.  She is now brought into this supernatural world.  I think that, especially with the reveal of how she died, she is dealing with a lot of feelings of revenge and she has a darkness to her that grows.  She is struggling and sort of on the fence of being on the light side of things to the dark side of things.  She is trying to find her way.  It is really cool.