Blu-ray Review “42nd Street Forever: The Blu-ray Edition”

Directed by: Joe D’amato, Charles B. Pierce, Paul Maslansky, Abel Ferrara
Starring: Tisa Farrow, Christina Lindberg, David Hess, Robert Quarry, Linda Blair
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Distributed by: Synapse Films
Release Date: May 8, 2012
Running Time: 225 minutes

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

I just love the Blu-ray format. The “42nd Street Forever” series has been released before but over various different volumes on DVD. So what is “42nd Street Forever”? Well if you are a fan of grindhouse and exploitation films, then it is your new favorite Blu-ray! This is a best of collection that includes an amazing collection of vintage theatrical trailers. It combines the first two volumes of the series and even adds in with some all-new selections.

No matter what you are looking for sex, violence or monsters, this includes all that and a whole lot more. Being a born New Yorker, I remember walking the streets of the city and being intrigued with the infamous 42nd Street many years ago. Though, I wasn’t around from the late-’50s through the 1970s but thanks to Synapse Films we are able to experience a little piece through these trailers. What is even cooler about this release is that there is over three and a half hours of trailers from all over the world. So sit down get, get your popcorn and get ready to get your blown away with the charm of 42nd street.

Just to give you an idea of some of the trailers included are: The Flesh And Blood Show, The .44 Specialist, Ginger, The Grim Reaper, The Guy From Harlem, Hard Candy, Helga, Hells Angels On Wheels, Honky, I, A Woman, I Disremember Mama/Blood Spattered Bride, Invitation To Ruin, The Italian Stallion, Maid In Sweden, Mark Of The Witch, Ms. 45, Panorama Blue, The Pink Angels, The Pom Pom Girls, The Raiders Of Atlantis, Savage!, Savage Sisters, Secret Africa, Shocking Asia, Shogun Assassin, Spy In Your Eye, Street Girls, Sugar Hill, Super Fuzz, Supermanchu, Taboos Of The World, The Tale Of The Dean’s Wife, The Teacher, They Call Her One Eye, They Came From Beyond Space, The 3 Dimensions Of Greta, The Undertaker Ana His Pals, Welcome Home, Brother Charles, Werewolves On Wheels, When Women Had Tails, Wicked Wicked and Many More!

This release looks absolutely stunning in its remastered 1080p high definition transfer. Of course, some of the trailers are not the best quality but that is just expected especially with exploitation films. Just be warned, keep the kiddies (and maybe even wife’s) away because this is not afraid to offend you at all. If all that isn’t enough, there is also I hope that Synapse will release the future volumes on Blu-ray as well or at least continue to release the films from these trailers on Blu-ray. Keep it up Synapse you guys have never disappointed yet.

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Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: 42nd, bluray, edition, review, street

DVD Review “The Frank Sinatra Film Collection”

Starring: Frank Sinatra
Number of discs: 10
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Distributed by: 20th Century Fox
Release Date: April 3, 2012

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

Who doesn’t love “ol’ blue eyes”? Frank Sinatra is a true Hollywood legend. He did it all, singer…actor…all around superstar. Unlike some musicians who decide to act, Frank actually has the chops and is an Academy Award Winner. This collection includes ten of his signature films, which cover the basis of Sinatra’s acting career. This set has got everything from musicals to dramas to action-adventures and just completely captures the phenomenal range and talent of this amazing man.

The 10 films are: The Pride And The Passion / Kings Go Forth / A Hole In The Head / Can-Can / The Manchurian Candidate (1962) / Von Ryan’s Express / Cast A Giant Shadow / Tony Rome / The Detective / Lady In Cement.  Some of my favorites are Oscar nominees like “Can-Can” and “The Manchurian Candidate”.  “A Hole in the Head” is another classic directed by Frank Capra and is an Academy Award winner for Best Music/Song.    This set has seriously got it all, I just love its range.  The aspect ratios of each film slightly differ but they are still sharp and very impressive.

The film collection consists of two volumes and packaging is very impressive.  Sometimes with box sets, they are just bare bones but these really are impressive with great images and all around classy release just like Frank himself. All Thanks to Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment for releasing this great collection.  Even if you have never seen a single Sinatra movie, this will be a great introduction into his film career.  Of course, upon first look at this set my wife’s first comment was “Wait, no ‘On The Town'”.  Though there is still enough great entertainment here to satisfy your fix of Sinatra.

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Susanna Fournier chats about playing Zoe in Syfy’s “Being Human”

Susanna Fournier is known best for playing Zoe in Syfy’s “Being Human”.  The show recently ended its second season and is already beginning season three production shortly.  Susanna took out some time to chat with Media Mikes about her role on the show and her reflection on season two.

Mike Gencarelli: How did you get involved with season two of “Being Human”?
Susanna Fournier: I had known about the show from season 1 since it shoots in Montreal. I had read some of the scripts when they were originally casting the show then. I liked the concept and then fell in love with the humor in the writing. I knew this was a show I wanted to be a part of. When I got the breakdown for Zoe I got a really strong sense of her, and felt this was a character I could bring a lot to. I put an audition on tape and within a week was headed to Montreal for the read through.

MG: What did you like most about playing Zoe Gonzales?
SF: I like how weird she is. She’s bad at a lot of things, like any kind of social interaction with another person is a nightmare–especially flirting–she can really kill a buzz. It’s not often you get a chance on tv to play someone so obviously not cool. I love awkward humor so her deadpan approach to life is right up my alley. Yet when it comes to ghosts she’s like a whole other person with confidence, friends, and vulnerability. I liked the challenge of discovering how both of these sides of Zoe are always at play depending on who she’s with.

MG: The cast seems like a big family, was it fun working with Meagan Rath and the rest of the cast?
SF: I had a blast. The whole team is amazingly friendly. Meagan and I had the most stuff together so it was great to get to know her over the 5 months of shooting. She cracks me up and I learned so much from her. The double Sam effect of Witwer and Huntington is quite a combo–their senses of humor compliment one another so well I was sometimes amazed we got any work done cause everyone’s laughing all the time. It really is like a big family (on a really bizarro adventure).

MG: You definitely had some emotional scenes, tell us how you prepared for the role?
SF: Well my job was made a whole lot easier by the writers of Being Human. Everything on Zoe’s journey leading up to Nick’s shredding was all about her learning to open herself up to love and life and risk getting hurt. The whole season really builds up to her allowing herself to really love someone, who in her case happens to be the ghost Nick, and then he’s taken away from her. Learning to love someone and risking getting hurt is a story I can relate to, so when it came time to play out her emotional scenes with Nick I just remember about how vulnerable love makes all of us.

MG: What was your favorite episode this season?
SF: Episode 10! Again the writers totally took me by surprise with the Dream Reaper episode. We shot most of it over one very long week in studio and it began to feel like we were living the episode….trapped in the studio never to see the light of day again…since much of the action took place on the stair case we had to remove walls to shoot certain angles and then there was always the question of which layer of Sally’s consciousness we were in…the whole thing became like a really awesome puzzle we were all in. Plus it was a roller coaster for each character, the stakes were really high and everything was down to the wire. Also, who doesn’t love getting bitten by a vampire?

MG: Any word if Zoe will be back for season three?
SF: I hope so! I think she’s an extremely useful character for Sally, Aidan, and Josh. I mean with the amount of trouble those three get into they need as many people on their side as possible. Who’s gonna rescue Sally the next time she gets all Reaper on us!?

MG: What do you look for in a role when approaching a project?
SF: I definitely track my reactions about a character when I’m first reading a script. I like to see if my first impression remains the same, or if through the story unfolding, I feel differently about the character at the end. People are full of contradictions, quirks, and secrets and I’m interested in playing characters that are written as complexly as humans are. I like to be surprised by a role and I like to risk playing a character I might not at first see myself as. Of course super powers or sword fighting are big draws for me…

MG: What else do you currently have in the works?
SF: I’m also a writer and am developing three new plays at the same time right now (insanity) with theatre companies in Toronto. I’ve also been directing a theatre project with grade 8 students dramatizing the lives and words of famous figures in social justice–it’s an amazing thing to introduce young people to acting and performance and watch them come out of their shells. Most recently I finished an exploratory workshop of Chekhov’s “The Seagull”–it was great to get back onstage again after a year of television and film!

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Filed Under: TV Interviews Tagged With: chats, fournier, human, season, susanna

Blu-ray Review “Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Alpha”

Directed by: Herve de Crecy, Francois Alaux
Starring: Radek Bruna and Mark Ivanir
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Distributed by: New Video
Release Date: May 22, 2012
Running Time: 25 minutes

Film: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3.5 out of 5 stars

A live-action “Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon” film…where do I sign up. This film is a sharp and fantastic attempt to showcase the charm of this series. The only bad thing about short film is that it is a ‘short film’, I would have loved to seen this go feature length. This film will be put out to time with the release of Ubisoft’s “Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Future Soldier” video game for Xbox 360 and Sony PlayStation 3. The film is produced by Little Minx aka Ridley Scott, so you know that you are not getting some cheesy low-budget action. This film contains some great action and impressive CGI. New Video also released last year the brilliant “Assassin’s Creed: Lineage”, live-action prequel as well. What’s next guys? We want more!!??

If you are aware of the “Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon” franchise, you will know that the ghosts are the world’s most highly trained and lethal soldiers. This film is a specifically a prequel to the new video game “Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Future Soldier”. It focuses on what happens when the Ghosts are dropped behind behind lines in hopes to eliminate one of the world’s biggest terrorists. This film also boasts the amazing cinematography from Trent Opaloch, known best for his work on “District 9”.

This release not only comes with a Blu-ray disc but also a DVD disc as well. The video looks great in its high-def 1080p transfer. The audio is also very impressive and packed with a fantastic score. There are only two special features but they are very impressive and worth the purchase of this film alone. There is 30 minute making-of featurette, which is longer than the film itself and really dives into all aspects including the special effects, the production and even the score. Lastly there is the 2010 Comic-Con teaser included. If you are fan of the series, this is a must purchase.

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DVD Review “95 Miles to Go”

Directed by: Tom Caltabiano
Starring: Ray Romano, Tom Caltabiano
MPAA Rating: R
Distributed by: Video Services Corp.
Release Date: May 22, 2012
Running Time: 79 minutes

Film: 3 out of 5 stars
Extras: 4 out of 5 stars

With a tagline like “1000 Miles. 8 Days. 7 Cities. 2 Friends. 1 Car. Never Again”, the film sets itself up for a wild ride. Well it delivers for the most-part. The film definitely feels aged, since it was original released back in 2006 and premiered on HBO back in July of 2007. I am a big sucker for Ray Romano though, I am not sure if it is his unique voice or sense of humor but I have always liked his work. This behind-the-scenes documentary on his comedy tour delivers some good laughs, though I actually enjoyed the special features much more than I did the feature itself.

This film follows Ray Romano and Tom Caltabiano as they travel for through eight-day drive on a stand-up comedy tour. The film is a raw look behind the scenes at Ray’s road to bringing his comedy to the stage and Tom being featured as his opening act. We see the real aspects of touring dealing with Ray’s obsessions, phobias, and insecurities. Since this a filmed a long time ago, it is a dated since Ray’s career has survived way past his days on “Everybody Love Raymond” though it is still for the most part entertaining.

The special features is where this release really shines. The film only lasts 79 minutes but there is tons of great additional footage. There is a full 30 minute set for “Ray’s Kansas City Stand-Up Show”. There are two Q&A sessions from South by Southwest. There is a video commentary with both Ray and Tom. There are two commentary tracks included from director Tom Caltabiano, composer Adam Gorgoni, cinematographer Roger Lay Jr. and editor Cheyenne Pesko. There are a bunch of deleted and extended scenes included as well, definitely worth checking out. Lastly there is a photo gallery and theatrical trailer also included.

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DVD Review “Newlyweds”

Directed by: Edward Burns
Starring: Edward Burns, Max Baker, Kerry Bishe, Caitlin Fitzgerald
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Distributed by: New Video
Release Date: May 22, 2012
Running Time: 96 minutes

Film: 2 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3 out of 5 stars

Edward Burns is known for his love of New York and shooting movies in New York, since his first film “The Brothers McMullen”. This film was release as part of Tribeca Film and was shot all in that neighborhood. I give him credit for staying true to his roots but writing, directing and starring in the film proved to be a bit much. He definitely gets props for attempting all three jobs though. The film feels a little long and characters get drab and repetitive after only a short time. I also wasn’t really sure of the film’s direction with switching between its docu-narrative story.

“Newlyweds” follows the a newly married couple and finding the truth behind marriage. The couple think they have a perfect drama free relationship until their whole world quickly gets turned upside down. When the husbands’ wild little sister shows up out of the blue, she creates a lot a problems for the couple. On top of that the wife, is dealing with the failing marriage her sister. The couple strive to fight through this madness and try to come out on top.

The special features are not amazing but worth checking out if you enjoyed the film. There are about six minutes of deleted scenes included. There are also two different interviews with Edward Burns. The first talks about his inspiration behind “Newlyweds” and is presented by American Express. The second interview focuses on Burns’ filmmaking process and long-standing relationship with Tribeca Film.  The interviews are interesting and give some decent insight into Burns’ process and background on the film itself.

 

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Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: dvd, newlyweds, review

Sam Witwer talks SyFy’s “Being Human” & voicing Darth Maul in “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”

Sam Witwer is the star of Syfy’s Being Human, which just concluded its second season.  Sam also recently voiced Darth Maul on “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”.  Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Sam about playing Aiden on “Being Human” and Darth Maul on “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”.

Mike Gencarelli: What seems to be with your character and the women on the show?
Sam Witwer: Don’t date Aidan! [laughs] That’s what it’s about. If you are smart you won’t date this guy. He is dead and death kind of follows him everywhere. It’s too dangerous to be around him.

MG: What was it like working with Dichen Lachman on the show?
SW: Aiden had this strong emotional attachment to Dichen’s character Suren way back in the day. It didn’t really survive the decades. It wasn’t a good relationship. I think that Aiden is relieved in some ways but at the same time he didn’t want anything to happen to her. He has been looking for some solid ground but comes across the wrong solid ground.

MG: What was your biggest challenge playing the character this season?
SW: I think trying to maintain the sense that this guy is real. The stuff written was very dark and vampire like. I did my best to kind of fight against that as I don’t think people want to see Aiden sitting there saying a bunch of weird vampire stuff. I tried to bring as much realness as I could to the role this season.

MG: What was your favorite episode from season 2?
SW: I really enjoyed episode 10. That is the one where Sally is sort of stuck in her own head. I loved that situation and the range of that episode.

MG: Can you reflect some on the season 2 finale?
SW: I think that we are going to see a lot of changes. I think the effort that we make is to make each season different. I think you will see the roommates spending a lot more time together in season 3.

MG: Can you tell us about voicing Darth Maul in “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”?
SW: It was awesome! And it continues to be awesome. I was worried about getting the roll and thrilled when I did finally get it. It was a huge challenge. We were trying to reinvent this character. He originally only had two lines so we knew there had to be more to him than that. You still have yet to see who this guy is. As we start to see him in season 5 we see there is more to him and he is a much smoother and dangerous than we originally thought. He was trained to be much more than just a great fighter. The experience is great. I love playing the mad side of Darth Maul. You get to see the face of the dark side.

MG: How has it been juggling both the role of Darth Maul and Aiden?
SW: “Clone Wars” has been very reasonable with my schedule. There is no real conflict. They have been great.

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Filed Under: TV Interviews Tagged With: reflects, sam, season, witwer

Palmer Scott talks about working with Tim and Eric

Palmer Scott is known best from working on the sketch show “Tim and Eric’s Awesome Show, Great Job!” and his Sit on You sketch. He also appears in the “Tim & Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie” as the Shrim God. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Palmer about his work with Tim and Eric and also his new book.

Mike Gencarelli:  Can you tell us about the origin of the Sit on You skit from “Tim and Eric’s Awesome Show, Great Job!”?
Palmer Scott: I have been acting since I was 10. I did a few things before coming to California and getting representation. I got a call from my agent one night to be at this place to read for Cartoon network. I asked if it was voice over but she told me no, it was going to be live action. They wanted comedic actors doing dramatic monologues. I didn’t really have anything like that. I ended up taking a monologue from a play I had done previously and cut it down some. A day or two later they asked me if I would listen to this song and come in a little later and do a dance number for them. I had seen one or two episodes of “Tom Goes to Mayor” but I had never seen “Awesome Show”. I didn’t even know that’s what it was called then. I wasn’t sure what to do so I dressed all in black and did a few different things. Tim and Eric were there watching me and at one point Eric told me what I was doing was not sexy. They asked to try a couple things and if I had a denim shirt. I told them yes and they asked me to come back tomorrow after thinking about it over night. Tim and Eric eventually ended up busting a gut and said that what we are going to film. I had to try and remember what I did after watching myself on a tape. I showed up that day for filming and there was a bunch of people they had brought in. The idea was to go to a park for some of it but I had suggested this small area behind the studio. We ended up doing it basically in their offices. There was only one part that ended up being cut. I was worried though when I had to sit on the guys head. I didn’t want to fall or break wind on his face. I was supposed to sit on this small 14 year girl. I was so sacred I was going to fall on her and break her back. It was sort of a basement like setting and I think it wound up looking to cheesy for Tim and Eric so they cut it.

MG: Have you been surprised with the response this one skit has gotten?
PS: Good god yes! The first job I booked in California was as a guest star on “Frasier” in 1997. I have done “Nip Tuck”, a bunch of commercials as well as Shakespeare in the Park. What do I get known for? This silly little thing. I love it! In 3 months we had 700,000 hits on YouTube. Adult Swim ended up pulling it because they wanted to sell a DVD of the series. I think I would have gotten a lot more hits if the video hadn’t been pulled. There ended up being several different remake versions of the song. It has gotten a variety of responses.

MG: What has been the strangest thing they have asked you to do for the show?
PS: Tim and Eric will ask me to do things and I end up sitting back saying “What the Hell?” I will do it for them. They have been so good to me that I don’t think I could ever say no to them. I really admire what they have done and how they have treated me.

MG: Can you tell us about your role as the Shrim God?
PS: I have not seen the movie. I don’t even know what shrim is. From what I have seen I am assuming it has something to do with kids and diarrhea. They called me about a month before to see if I would do the film. I of course said yes. They ended up changing my shooting day as I guess Ray Wise who I love was there. I had to be in Palm Springs and on my way there it was lightly raining. There is a sharp interchange and I was driving a little too fast, spun out and got a flat tire. What I found out was that about 3 hrs earlier there had been an accident there and I had hit an oil slick from that. About 15 minutes after I had my accident there was another accident. I ended up having to drive the rest of the way on a donut. It was 90 miles in the rain on a donut. It was not a great start to the day. When I got there they had a costume for me. They filmed the scene with Ray and bunch of little boys dressed in burlap sacks first. I could just see where this was going. This whole time I am wandering around in a skin tight costume.

MG: What can you tell us about your upcoming book?
PS: I am a working actor. One of the biggest problems for an actor is when you do work and people take their time paying you. I have had a couple people who have waited up to 90 days to pay me for my work. That put me behind on bills. I got into a bind and ended up asking for some help. A talked with a couple writers who said they couldn’t help me financially but they thought what I had to say was pretty funny. We started putting together stories about my work and my life. I also am I cat person so there is stuff in the book about that as well as the things I have done for Tim and Eric. It’s been quite a collaboration. We were hoping to get it out for the general release of the film but it may end up coming out a week or so after that.

MG: What other things do you have going on this year?
PS: I just finished a family movie called “The Stray” that is being released in Europe this month and in the States in August. I really enjoyed playing the spooky janitor role in the film. I also will be performing in a stage performance of “A Mid-Summers Night Dream” in Semi Valley.

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Filed Under: Interviews, TV Interviews Tagged With: adult swim, awesome show, awesome show great job, billion dollar movie, shrim, shrim god, ...

Comedian Ralphie May talks about new special “Too Big To Ignore”

Ralphie May is a comedian, who recently released his special “Too Big to Ignore” on DVD. Ralphie is constantly touring and took out some time to chat with Media Mikes  about the new special.

Mike Gencarelli: Do you feel your latest DVD “Too Big to Ignore” differs in any way from your previous releases?
Ralphie May: Yes. I think the content of the material is a lot deeper. I think it’s the best stuff I have ever done. It shows me as a family man, a thinker and a motivational speaker. It’s very raw and there are a lot of elements to it. It’s big.

MG: How long does it take you to prepare for each show?
RM: It takes me about 2 years to get 2 hrs. of solid material. Most comedians in 2 yrs. Might get 30-40 minutes of material and I get 2 hrs.

MG: Are you afraid to touch on any certain subjects?
RM: I don’t think so. If I have I just haven’t gotten to that subject yet.

MG: What do you enjoy talking about most when you are on stage?
RM: My babies. I like talking about my kids because I get to relive those moments which are true stories.

MG: Did you feel restricted in any way with your Comedy Central special?
RM: Of course. There were some restrictions. There were accommodations for image to sell me in other ways. I work within those boundaries and try to respect them. I want to help them by making the product as good as I can.

MG: Do you feel DVD live shows are the future of comedy?
RM: Audio albums are definitely out. You can get the audio via iTunes but then most people are watching it on their iPhone’s or iPad’s.

MG: What do you like most about touring?
RM: I don’t. It’s work now that I have children. People think they pay for the jokes well they don’t. They pay for me not being at home. The jokes are on the house. I will tell them to anybody.

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Filed Under: Interviews, TV Interviews Tagged With: big, comedian, ralphie, special, talks

John 5 talks about Solo Album and Rob Zombie’s “Lords of Salem”

John 5 has played guitar for many notable acts in variety of music genres. He is probably best known for his work with Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie. John 5 is set to release his 7th solo album titled “God Told Me To” in early May. Media Mikes was very fortunate to be able to talk with John 5 recently about his work on the new album as well as his work on the new Rob Zombie film “Lords of Salem”.

Adam Lawton: What can we expect from the new solo album “God Told Me To”?
John 5: What I wanted to do with this album was to make something a little different from my previous releases. I wanted to do a half electric and half acoustic album. I was really into doing some cool Spanish style acoustic songs. I also wanted to incorporate some rhythmic styles played on the body of the guitar. The idea was do something more than just your standard strumming techniques. I was really into that style of playing on the album. The other cool thing about this album is that it is going to come with a DVD as well. The DVD will have clips of me in the studio recording the songs as well as some footage from being on the road. It even will have its own horror host hosting the DVD. It’s really a cool CD/DVD package which is something I personally love. I am very excited for the album’s release.

AL: Are there any guest performers on the album?
J5: No. I did a lot of this while I was on the road or writing with other people. I didn’t really have a chance to do anything like that. I did everything on my own when I had some free time. Maybe for the next album I will do a bunch of guest appearance type things.

AL: Do you plan to make a guitar tablature book to accompany the CD?
J5: I don’t think so. I did put out a book recently titled “The Book of John” which shows a bunch of my techniques. I don’t think we will be doing that for this album because there is a lot of transposing which is a lot of work. We will have to see.

AL: What can you tell us about your work on “Lords of Salem”?
J5: I did the musical scoring for the film. I love challenges and scoring is definitely a challenge. You are dealing with music that sometimes does not have a time signature or even a certain key. You are also dealing with a variety of instruments and musical styles. It was so much fun. I actually just finished it and it turned out great. I am very proud of it. I saw some of the movie and it is going to blow people away.

AL: Did you provide all of the instrumentation on the score?
J5: I and Griffin Boyce did everything. It was just me and him. I did a lot of the stuff on guitar using an Ebow or a violin bow. It’s really cool.

AL: Do you see yourself doing more scoring in the future?
J5: I don’t know. I worked so hard on the project but it’s kind of just background music. There is a lot of work for that. I love Rob’s movies and I was very honored to be a part of the project. If Rob does another movie of course I will do it. I don’t know if I will venture off.

AL: How is it working with Rob in a band setting compared to a directorial setting?
J5: We have a great time just hanging out with each other. However when its business its business. He gives me clear ideas of what he wants and as long as that’s what I deliver we have no problems. I have always listened to talk about how certain people don’t listen to what he is saying. I have made sure to always listen. A lot of times when he is explaining something I will record the conversation and I will tell him that I am doing so. By doing that I will have exactly what he said and I will go from there. This has worked out amazingly for us. A lot of times you can forget what somebody says during conversation so this has really helped.

AL: Can you tell us about this summer’s tour?
J5: We are going to be touring this summer with Megadeth. I am really excited about this because they are a band I love. It’s great being on tour. It’s like heavy metal summer camp. There is nothing better to me than touring in the warm weather in the United States. I love it!

AL: What will the bands lineup be for the tour?
J5: It will be me on guitar, Piggy D on bass and then Ginger Fish from Marilyn Manson on drums. Ginger has a really great groove. I played with him for sometime in Marilyn Manson as well and we are really happy to have him on board.

AL: Do you have any other plans in the works?
J5: I wrote some music for the next Lynyrd Skynyrd album as well as for the next Rod Stewart album. We also will be starting the recording of a new Rob Zombie record in June after the tour ends.

AL: This will be the second time you have worked with Lynyrd Skynyrd. How did that all come about?
J5: I did 6 songs on the bands last album. I did “Storm”, “Gifted Hands”, “Skynyrd Nation”, “Floyd” and a bunch of other tracks.  I got involved with the band through my publisher who asked if I would be interested in writing some tunes. I love Skynyrd more than anything else in the world!  I am very educated in the bands catalog so writing with them was an honor and a treat.

For more information on John 5 be sure to check out his website at www.john-5.com

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Filed Under: Interviews, Music Interviews Tagged With: 5, album, john, lords, rob, salem, ...

Blu-ray Review “Rampart”

Directed by: Oren Moverman
Starring: Woody Harrelson, Robin Wright, Steve Buscemi, Sigourney Weaver, Ben Foster, Ned Betty, Anne Heche, Ice Cube
MPAA Rating: R
Distributed by: Millennium Entertainment
Release Date: May 15, 2012
Running Time Time: 107 minutes

Film: 3 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3 out of 5 stars

Woody Harrelson is one hell of an underrated actor. He needs some props because the man can deliver an intense performance. This film is dark and gritty and he nails his role as an cop ready to burst. The supporting cast in the film is very notable including Anne Heche, Ben Foster, Ice Cube, Ned Betty, Sigourney Weaver, Robin Wright, Steve Buscemi. Some of them have small roles but overall they are all great and add to this ensemble. The film is a little slow moving overall and backed by fantastic cast and performances, it doesn’t really win my praise as entertaining.

The story follows Officer Dave Brown (Harrelson) who follows his own code of law and somethings takes things a little too far.   Brown is not only dealing with his complicated family issues, but also investigators at his precinct .  He falls head first into a downward spiral of bad situations following a brutal unnecessary beating of a civilian. Overall great acting, decent movie.

The film gritty itself but the Blu-ray is sharp and delivers its 1080p transfer well. The audio is also impressive packing a whopping Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track. The extras are like a film a little bit a let down. Oren Moverman delivers a decent audio commentary. There are a few cast/crew interviews also included, with a cast like this it is worth checking out. Lastly there is a decent behind-the-scenes featurette included. Overall decent but nothing spectacular.

 

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Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: bluray, rampart, review

Andy Milonakis talks about new CD with Three Loco

Andy Milonakis is known best for his TV series “The Andy Milonakis Show” on MTV. Andy also loves rapping as seen in the movie “Waiting…”, which he co-stared and provided a single to the film. Andy has teamed up with MTV alumni’s Riff Riff and Dirt Nasty (aka Simon Rex) to form Three Loco. Andy took out some time to chat about this new group and their upcoming album.

Mike Gencarelli: How did you get together with Riff Riff and Dirt Nasty?
Andy Milonakis: Dirt Nasty showed me Riff Raff on YouTube. Riff gave out his number on some funny video and Dirt called it. We both met up with Riff Raff, we stopped by the weed shop first to make sure he had a warm welcome. We met up with him and got fucked up and started recording videos. My favorite thing that riff raff did was off camera. We got burgers and I threw my lettuce on the ground, he got mad at me and was like “ahh man why did you waste that, I love lettuce”

MG: Who is the leader of the group?
AM: We don’t really have one, Dirt is good at organizing real life shit, like studio sessions and all that good stuff, he also is the only producer out of us 3… I’m the internet geek and I’ve been giving a lot of cool sample ideas to producers. Riff Raff is the funniest, I never thought I would play the straight man, but I feel like my rhymes are the most normal and least funny out of all of us. It kinda pisses me off but for some reason I’ve been writing less jokey shit lately.

MG: Are you jealous that you partners have all cool stage names?
AM: A little bit, I mean, a cool thing that goes along with rapping or being in a band is coming up with a cool name, and I just made it a choice to keep my own name, I thought it was cool. Also fuck those guys, I came up with the name Three Loco, so I have something to hold on to..

MG: What kind of fresh rhymes can we expect from this album?
AM: Super fresh, Riff Raff has been killing it with the hooks and we’ve been working with all kinds of dope producers. IDAP, Diplo, DJA, Rich Skillz, Sinden etc, sorry if I missed any, my brain is tired.

MG: Where they all freestyles or scripted songs?
AM: Mostly written, we did a few freestyle bits here and there, not sure what will make it on the album yet.

MG: How long did it take to complete and when is the second album coming out?
AM: Most of the work was done in 1 month. Not sure about the second album yet, damn, why are you rushing us [laughs].

MG: Is there going to be a remix album?
AM: We might, we’ll at least have people remix some of the songs, but possibly the whole album.

MG: How can we purchase this album when it drops? iTunes? Vinyl?
AM: iTunes definitely, we’ll probably print a few hard copy ancient shiny disc things and Vinyl would be cool just for the fuck of it.

MG: The band is all alumns from MTV, have you ever considered pitching reality show for Three Loco?
AM: Prob more interested in developing it as a sketch show more than reality

MG: Can we get you to record a song about MediaMikes.com?
AM: For about 10K we can make it happen. Thanks, and look out for our first video and live performance, should be both happening on Cinco De Mayo.

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Filed Under: Interviews, Music Interviews Tagged With: andy, cd, loco, Milonakis, talks

Municipal Waste’s Tony Foresta talks about new album

Tony Foresta is the lead singer for the thrash band Municipal Waste. The band just released their 5th studio album titled “The Fatal Feast: Waste in Space”. Media Mikes caught up with Tony prior to the bands show in Syracuse, NY to talk about the new album.

Adam Lawton: What can you tell us about the band’s latest album?
Tony Foresta: We basically took a year and a half off and just started writing. We spent quite a bit of time prepping and getting everything from the layout to the art work all in order. It’s probably the hardest we have every worked on a record. We wrote around 20 songs however only 17 made the album. We wanted to write as much as we could and then go in the studio and pick our favorites. I think everything worked out really well and we have gotten some real positive feedback so far. We worked our butts off on this album.

AL: What is the writing process generally like for the band?
TF: It varies. Sometimes Ryan and Phil will come up with riffs and we will just knock around different ideas. A lot really just depends on the type of song. We usually will practice between tours and during that time write a couple songs here and there. What seems to happen most often is when we start getting tired of playing the same songs out on tour we then decide to start working on some new stuff. You start to have a feeling when it’s time to do a new record.

AL: Did you approach things differently with the new album since changing labels?
TF: I don’t think we did on purpose but, there definitely was more fresh air. Things had started to get stale with our previous label so we wanted to branch out and do something different. It has been kind of like dating a new girlfriend. The band really needed that to help us be more creative and have fun.

AL: Are you guys going to be doing any video shoots for any of the songs off the new album?
TF:  We just shot two prior to leaving for this tour. We knew we were going to be out on the road for awhile so we figured we better bust some out. We shot one video for “Repossession” and one for “Fatal Feast”.  We worked with Josh Speed who did our “Sadistic Magician” video. That video has been one of our more popular ones so we decided to go with Josh again.

AL: What are the bands plans for the summer and fall?
TF: We are going to do a full US tour which will last about a month. We plan on bringing out some cool bands with us on that one. After that wraps up we will be going to Europe and then Australia. We definitely will not be staying home for any length of time.

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Filed Under: Interviews, Music Interviews Tagged With: foresta, interview, tony

Hot Topic and Her Universe Team Up For Launch On Star Wars Day

May The 4th Be With You
Hot Topic and Her Universe Team Up For Launch
On Star Wars Day

On May 4th, Star Wars fans celebrate George Lucas’ revered space saga to show that the Force is truly everywhere. They refer to this day as “May the 4th Be With You.” This year, clothing retailer, Hot Topic, is celebrating with the fans in a big way by offering, for the first time, new Star Wars fashion tops and hoodies from Her Universe, the female sci-fi genre line created by actress Ashley Eckstein, voice of Ahsoka Tano on the hit animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars. The Star Wars By Her Universe line will debut on Hottopic.com and in select Hot Topic stores on May 4th with the first 50 customers who purchase a Her Universe item online at Hottopic.com receiving a FREE Star Wars Tote Bag. This will be the first time fans can get this exclusive new tote bag from Her Universe featuring a custom pattern using Star Wars symbols, a $20.00 value for free, as a gift to the first 50 fans. In addition, all day on May 4th Hottopic.com will be offering 20% off all Star Wars merchandise and will have special Star Wars features and content on their Hot Topic Facebook and Twitter pages.

“Hot Topic has always been my personal retailer of choice when it comes to fangirl fashion,” said Her Universe founder Ashley Eckstein. “Together we would like to thank the fans for their loyalty and support on this special day with these new designs and promotions.”

Close to half of all Star Wars fans are female which is why Hot Topic and Her Universe will have a number of new styles and designs for those fans to look “Geek Chic” – from racer back tank tops and fashion tops to a unique Princess Leia hoodie. One of the most anticipated pieces is by popular Star Wars artist and designer, Denise Vasquez, whose stunning new Darth Vader dolman top utilizes design elements inspired by the Mexican holiday, Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). “My T-shirt design for Her Universe was inspired by my love for my Latin culture and my love for Star Wars,” said Vasquez. ” I incorporated one of my favorite Darth Vader quotes in my design, which shows a positive message for Geek Girls like me who will wear this shirt with pride. ‘La Fuerza es fuerte con este’ …’The Force Is Strong with this one!’

Her Universe was launched in 2009 by actress and entrepreneur Ashley Eckstein, and her partner, The Araca Group, known as one of the most innovative theatrical production and merchandise companies in the world. Her Universe was created to directly address the expanding market of female fans by entering into its first agreement with Lucas Licensing to develop and produce a line of female-centered Star Wars apparel and accessories. The success of that line was followed up with a collection for the Syfy network including such shows as Battlestar Galactica. Visit www.hottopic.com to purchase the new Her Universe Star Wars collection. You can learn more about Her Universe by going to www.heruniverse.com and by following Eckstein on Twitter and visiting the Her Universe Facebook page.

Photo credit: Kelsey Edwards – Kelsey Edwards Photography

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Filed Under: Film Headlines Tagged With: day, hot, launch, star, team, topic, ...

DVD Review “Happiness Is…Peanuts: Team Snoopy”

MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Distributed by: Warner Home Video
Release Date: May 1, 2012
Running Time: 48 minutes

Our Score: 2.5 out of 5 stars

I love Peanuts as much as the next person but this DVD release is aimed at sports, which is not my favorite subject.  This is also the 4th DVD in the “Happiness Is…Peanuts” series, though unfortunately not the best one.  Still watchable if you are a fan of Peanuts and definitely recommended if you like sports and Peanuts.

The DVD only runs a short 48 minutes.  The special included is this DVD is called “Lucy Must Be Traded, Charlie Brown”.  It is cute but when it comes down to it, I am not a sports fan even for cartoons.  Besides the special there is also a show section of “The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show” called “Snoopy’s Brother Spike”.  Whenever I think about Peanuts, I always think about their holiday episodes, which are always my favorites.  I am not sure what the next Peanuts special Warner Home Video will be releasing but I still will look forward to it.

Synopsis: Batter up with Peanuts and celebrate their greatest sports moments in this all-new collection. For Charlie Brown, a new baseball season equals new hopes of winning. Unfortunately, one player just isn’t measuring up, which makes the team decide that Lucy Must Be Traded, Charlie Brown. Then suit up for a triple-header of laughs with The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show. In The Pelicans, Charlie Brown gets stuck with mascot duties while Peppermint Patty is on the road to victory with her baseball team. Great Pumpkin finds the Peanuts gang visiting the bowling alley in hopes of teaching Charlie Brown a new sport with hilarious results, and it’s game on as the neighborhood cat meets his match when Snoopy’s older brother Spike trots into town. It’s time to catch the winning spirit and share these tales with your teammates, since happiness is what Team Snoopy is all about!

Happiness is… Peanuts ™: Team Snoopy is available on DVD on 5/1: http://bit.ly/IIUnNc
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Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: dvd, happiness, ispeanuts, review, snoopy, team, ...
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