Exclusive “The Hunger Games” Giveaway [ENDED]

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Thanks to the good folks at Lionsgate Films, MediaMikes has obtained a couple of rare promotional items to give away to celebrate the new film “The Hunger Games.”

We have (12) sets of “The Hunger Games” lanyards and lenticular Katniss book marks to give away. All you have to do is “LIKE” our Facebook page and then post “HG” and the name of your favorite “Hunger Games” character. If you’re already a fan of our Facebook page, just head over and post “HG” and the name of your favorite character. (12) winners will be randomly selected from all entries. The contest will run until Midnight on Sunday, April 8, 2012. Good luck!

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Planet Comicon 2012 a Huge Success!

Edward James Olmos and MediaMikes' Mike Smith

After two days of packed panels and costumed fans, Kansas City’s Planet Comicon 2012 came to a close this past Sunday.

Not even unseasonably warm weather or the fact that the University of Kansas’ basketball team was playing for a spot in the Final Four (they made it) could keep fans away from the Overland Park Trade Center in Overland Park, Kansas, just outside of Kansas City.

Drawn to the show by such celebrity guests as Edward James Olmos, Billy Dee Williams and a trio of stars from “Buck Rogers in the 25th Century,” Planet Comicon 2012 may have been the best attended show in the history of the convention.

Buck Rogers himself, Gil Gerard, remarked to me, “this is the busiest Sunday I’ve ever seen at one of these events.” Gerard and fellow “Buck Rogers” actors Erin Gray and Felix Silla spent the weekend meeting and greeting their fans. Other guests included Robin Thorsen and Amy Okuda from “The Guild,” graphic artists like Bernie Wrightson and Blair Butler, star of G4’s “Attack of the Show.”

Shane DeMink took home the prize for Best Costume. His Captain Jack Sparrow was spot on, right down to the accent.

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Blu-ray Review “The Bodyguard”

Directed by: Mick Jackson
Starring: Kevin Costner, Whitney Houston
Distributed by: Warner Bros Home Entertainment
MPAA Rating: R
Release Date: March 27, 2012
Running Time: 129 minutes

Film: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 1.5 out of 5 stars

I remember when this film came out, my parents had the cassette of the soundtrack playing on loop for like a whole year. That’s right BTW, I said cassette. The music in this film was so amazing. It also reminds me of how great the late Whitney Houston once was. Even though this is the first time it is released on Blu-ray, I feels like its a real cash-in on her death, especially with the lack of special features. The film does pack a nice Blu-ray presentation though, boasting a sharp 1080p transfer and the audio is notable with its DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. The music really shines though this.

“The Bodyguard” stars Houston as a pop-music diva Kevin Costner as the uptight bodyguard who is assigned to protect her. At first they do not get a long but of course as you all know, they fall in love. Who doesn’t love the song “I Will Always Love You.”? The film definitely reeks of early 90’s cinema though and the romance is a little over-the-top. Though it is all saved by Costner and Houston’s wonderful performances.

The special features are very disappointing and are only presented in standard definition. The first is called “Memories of The Bodyguard”, which runs about 30 minutes and talks about the film’s production. There is also a music video from Whitney Houston for “I Will Always Love You”. Lastly there is also the theatrical trailer. All of these are just left over’s from the last DVD release. I wish they would have put a lot more love into this release.

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Synopsis: She’s safe now. Safe from hordes of screaming, grasping fans. Safe from demanding kooks who pop up unexpectedly. Safe from the unknown killer stalking her every move. She’s in the arms of The Bodyguard. Starring Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston and featuring songs from the #1 soundtrack album (including Houton’s hits “I Will Always Love You” and “I Have Nothing”), The Bodyguard has it all: Suspense. Thrills. Romance. Peril. Passion. And the shining brilliance of two great stars. In her spectacular film debut, Houston plays Rachel Marron, a music/movie superstar at her peak. Fans want to see her, hear her, touch her. But one wants to kill her – and that’s where security expert Frank Farmer(Costner) comes in. Farmer is a professional who never lets his guard down. Rachel’s glamorous life often puts her at risk. Each expects to be in charge. What they don’t expect is to fall in love

 

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DVD Review “Stephen King’s Bag of Bones”

Directed by: Mick Garris
Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Annabeth Gish, Anika Noni Rose, Jason Priestly, Melissa George and William Schallert.
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Distributed by: Sony Home Entertainment
Release Date: March 13, 2012
Running Time: 234 minutes

Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 1 out of 5 stars

Whenever a new Stephen King TV film comes up, they have been hit or miss. This four-hour adaption is definitely a hit and comes back with a great cast. The film packs all its horror in the first hour or so and then it becomes more of a supernatural murder mystery. I still enjoyed the evolution of the film and didn’t feel that it dragged at all throughout its long running time. I have actually read the novel by King years ago and I enjoy them both equally.

The film stars Pierce Brosnans as Mike Noonan, a novelist who suffers from writer’s block after the death of his wife, Jo (Annabeth Gish). Mike gets drawn to the couple’s lakeside retreat hoping to find answers but he is plagued by nightmares and ghostly visitations from Sara Tidwell (Anika Noni Rose). Sara is a blues singer who was murdered and her spirit is looking for help from Mike to solve her murder. While investigating these murders, Mike realizes that the small town has a few dark secrets of its own.

What I am most surprised about this release is that it wasn’t put out on Blu-ray. The film is available in HD but I do not know why they neglected to take advantage of the high-def release. The special features on the DVD are not impressive at all either. There are just two deleted scenes included with add nothing to the film.

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3D Blu-ray “The Lion of Judah 3D”

Directed by: Deryck Broom
Starring: Ernest Borgnine, Leon Clingman, Georgina Cordova, Scott Reeves, Asunta D’urso Fleming
Distributed by: Warner Home Video
MPAA Rating: PG
Release Date: March 27, 2012
Running Time: 87 minutes

Film: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 1 out of 5 stars

I am not usually a big fan of strong faith themed films. But I am a sucker for 3D and talking CG animals. This film isn’t terrible but it isn’t very exciting either. It feels like one of those films that are sold at the supermarket register. The 3D effects are really good though and I did enjoy its presentation on Blu-ray as well. I thought the 3D was used well and fun for kids as well. I really couldn’t over the mix of modern day dialogue from animals in the time when Christ was alive and taking place in Jerusalem. If this film wasn’t so heavy on the faith, it might have been a lot better but with a title like “The Lion of Judah”, you have to expect that.

The film follows a lamb named Judah and his stable friends as they try to avoid being put up for sacrifice in Jerusalem the week before the crucifixion of Christ. Basically it is the story of Easter told from the perspective of a pig, a horse, a rat, a rooster, a cow and a donkey. The film also has a notable cast including Ernest Borgnine (“The Dirty Dozen”, “The Wild Bunch”), Georgina Cordova (Nickelodeon’s “Winx Club”) Scott Eastwood (“Invictus”, “Gran Torino”) and Michael Madsen (“Kill Bill”).

The Blu-ray presentation is impressive for a film I did not expect much from. The video looked sharp with its 1080p transfer, especially in 3D. The audio packed a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, which worked well with the effects and the music. The only special feature included on this Blu-ray is a short featurette called “The Lion of Judah: Behind the Scenes”.

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Premise; Judah’s new friends, led by Slink the clever mouse (Ernest Borgnine) and Esmay the motherly cow (Sandy Patti) meet up with Jack (Scott Eastwood), a teenaged donkey with an attitude. Jack is less than happy to be part of the crew, but when the furry and feathered band of stable animals get separated and needs saving, it’s Jack who rushes to their rescue. Even the best efforts of Jack and the rest of the stable friends are not enough to save Judah. In this incredible tale of adventure and compassion, it takes the greatest hero of all, The King, to save Judah…and all the other animals, too!

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DVD Review “Tarzan – Season One, Part One & Two”

Starring: Ron Ely, Manuel Padilla Jr.
Distributed by: Warner Archive
Rating: Not Rated
Running Time: 1500 minutes

Season One: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: N/A

Warner Archive is responsible for bringing this classic 60’s TV series to DVD for the first time.  Season one is split into two parts.  The first part consists of a 4-disc collection and contains 15 episodes.  The secon part also consists of a 4-disc collection and contains the remaining 16 episodes in the first season.  Warner Bros did a great job of restoring this TV show and it is presented in full frame. For a show that has never been on DVD before and is nearing 40 years old, it looks really sharp.

I really enjoyed watching the first season of “Tarzan”.  It is a fun show that doesn’t expect too much.  It also includes some awesome guest stars as well such as Nichelle Nicholas from “Star Trek”, Woody Strode, Russ Tamblyn and even the former Tarzan Jock Mahoney.  If you are a fan of this series, you are going to really enjoy the 25 hours of vine swinging adventures of our animal loving friend. My only major complaint about watching this series has nothing to do with Warner’s release or restoration but the terrible stock footage used in some scenes.  I hope Warner Archive is planning on release further seasons of this as well.

You can purchase these DVDs at WarnerArchive.com – http://bit.ly/WAC_TarzanTV

Part One Synopsis:Premiering on NBC in 1966, Edgar Rice Burroughs’ immortal creation, Tarzan, took to the nation’s TV screens for the first time. Still in the capable hands of producer Sy Weintraub, the TV Tarzan (Ron Ely) continued the more recent (and more authentic) interpretation of Lord Greystoke as a sophisticated, articulate jungle adventurer as seen in the Tarzan films of Gordon Scott, Jock Mahoney and Mike Henry. Also carried over from the big screen was young actor Manuel Padilla (Tarzan and the Valley of Gold, Tarzan and the Great River), now playing the jungle lord’s kid sidekick alongside Cheetah, the simian one. The first half of his inaugural season finds Tarzan rescuing seeing-eye lions, endangered leopards, and pampered princes while battling man-eaters, despots and deadly arachnids in this 4-Disc, 15-Episode collection. Guest stars include former Tarzan Jock Mahoney, Star Trek’s Nichelle Nichols, Woody Strode, and Russ Tamblyn.

Part Two Synopsis:Ron Ely continues his memorable run as Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Tarzan in the second half of his first season. This 16-Episode, 4-Disc collection sees the Lord of the Jungle and his stalwart second bananas, Jai the jungle boy (Manuel Padilla) and Cheetah the chimp, facing off against some of their most formidable challenges alongside a bevy of powerhouse performer guest stars. Stage and screen legend Julie Harris makes her first appearance as the imperiled, imperious missionary Charity Jones and Maurice Evans makes his memorable debut as Sir Basil Bertram. And the action continues to heat up with volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, phantom dinosaurs and more fantastic jungle menaces. Adding their talents to the drama and the dangers are Susan Oliver, Chips Rafferty, Gia Scala, Sally Kellerman and Jack Elam.

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Blu-ray Review “Casablanca: 70th Anniversary Limited Collector’s Edition”

Directed by: Michael Curtiz
Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid, Claude Rains, Conrad Veidt
Distributed by: Warner Home Video
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Release Date: March 27, 2012
Running Time: 102 minutes

Film: 5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Warner Bros. is becoming know for releasing these amazing Anniversary Limited Collector’s Edition Blu-rays. They did it last year with both “Ben-Hur” and “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory”, both which were two of my favorite releases of the year. This 70th Anniversary Limited Edition Blu-ray release of “Casablanca” comes packaged in a large rectangle box and is jam packed with amazing collectibles. Inside the box, you get 3-disc Digipak with two Blu-rays and a standard DVD. There is a simply breathtaking 62-page hardcover book with rare production notes and really great behind-the-scenes photos and drawings. There are four drink coasters included but not just loose, they come in a sweet faux-leather collectable box. Lastly there is a 21 x 15-inch 1942 French theatrical mini movie poster. All that amazing stuff is just inside the box, we haven’t even talked about the more than thirteen hours of special features and the amazing Blu-ray transfer yet.

The video presentation of this 70 year old film looks beyond fantastic and really shines on Blu-ray. You can thank this stunning 1080p transfer to an all-new 4K scan and a very in-depth frame by frame restoration. The audio a decent DTS-HD Master Audio Mono 1.0 track. Even though it is a restored single-channel mix, I felt that the audio was great but just a little lacking with the dialogue. Overall still very impressive audio and visual, nonetheless.

The special features are split over two Blu-rays and the main downfall to this otherwise amazing release is that most are in standard definition. There are two commentaries, though none with principal cast or crew. The first with film critic Roger Ebert and the second with historian Rudy Behlmer. Both are still very interesting though and informative. The only HD feature on disc one is “Casablanca: An Unlikely Classic”, which runs about 35 minutes and is a newly produced documentary. Many notable talent speak about the film, its impact including like Steven Spielberg, William Friedkin and Rudy Behlmer. There is an introduction by Lauren Bacall speaking about Casablanca’s enduring appeal. “Warner Night at the Movies” runs just under an hour and dives into the 1940s experience of “Casablanca”. “Great Performances: Bacall on Bogart” runs just over 80 minutes and is a solid documentary on Bogart. “You Must Remember This: A Tribute to Casablanca” runs about 35 minutes and carries a bit of repeat from the last documentary on the film but still worth a watch. “As Time Goes By: The Children Remember” features Stephen Bogart and Pia Lindstrom as they discuss their parents and the effect the film has had on them. There is about 75 minutes of audio-only content including a 1943 “Lady Esther Screen Guild Theater Radio Broadcast”, a “VOX Pop Radio Broadcast” from 1947, a series of “Scoring Stage Sessions” featuring alternate versions of the a few songs. There is some additional footage included along with some deleted scenes, as well as outtakes, “Who Holds Tomorrow” (a “Casablanca” television remake), and “Carrotblanca,” a Looney Tunes parody of the film. Lastly on disc one there are the film’s original theatrical trailer and theatrical re-release trailer as well.

The second Blu-ray of special features contains less features but more content. “The Brothers Warner” is an hour and a half feature on Harry Warner and his brothers. It really goes behind the scenes about the brothers and about their process for creating films. It is also presented in high definition. The next feature is a real zinger racking in at almost five hours. “You Must Remember This: The Warner Bros. Story” is a five-hour documentary from director Richard Schickel and narrator Clint Eastwood. It focuses on Warner Bros, obviously. It is split over a few chapters include “A Rising Power (1923-1937),” “War and Peace (1937-1949),” “Age of Anxiety (1950-1969),” “Starting Over (1970-1990)” and “A Living Tradition (1988-2008)”. Lastly there is a feature, which runs about an hour called “Jack L. Warner: The Last Mogul” and looks into this legacy.

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Synopsis: Casablanca: easy to enter, but much harder to leave, especially if you’re wanted by the Nazis. Such a man is Resistance leader Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid), whose only hope is Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart), a cynical American who sticks his neck out for no one – especially Victor’s wife Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman), the ex-lover who broke his heart. Ilsa offers herself in exchange for Laszlo’s transport out of the country and bitter Rick must decide what counts more – personal happiness or countless lives hanging in the balance. Winner of three Academy Awards including Best Picture, Casablanca marks its 70th anniversary as a beloved favorite with so many bonuses that no matter how often you’ve seen it, this beautiful 70th Anniversary (Limited and Numbered) Edition looks like yet another beginning of a beautiful friendship with an unforgettable classic.

 

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Blu-ray Review “South Park: The Complete Fifteenth Season”

Created by: Matt Stone & Trey Parker
Distributed by: Paramount Home Entertainment
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Release Date: March 27, 2012
Running Time: 308 minutes

Season: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3.5 out of 5 stars

I remember watching the very first night that “South Park” premiered on Comedy Central. I wouldn’t say that I am huge fan of the show, since I stopped watching around 2000. Now I have seen a dew episodes here and there in the last 12 years but I would have never thought that this show would reach its 15th season. It is such an unbelievable success and they show is still relevant and funny. I do feel that it does a little over the top and too far on some occasions but that is the beauty of the show. Since reviewing this, I have found a few love in this show and I have started watching “South Park” again, which just returned for its 16th season this month.

This Blu-ray contains the complete fourteen episodes from this season and are completely uncensored as well, which is a plus. “HumancentiPad” is a take on The Human Centipede and features Kyle who is involved in the development a revolutionary product. “Funnybot” is where Jimmy hosts the Special Ed Department’s First Annual Comedy Awards. “Royal Pudding” focuses on Ike’s is obsessed with the Royal Wedding.In “T.M.I.”, Cartman goes into anger management therapy after their penis sizes are posted on the school bulletin board. In “Crack Baby Athletic Association”, Kyle gets involved with Cartman’s latest business venture. “City Sushi” features when Butters is diagnosed with multiple personality disorder. “You’re Getting Old” follows after Stan’s 10th birthday, his worldview starts to change and so do his friendships. In “Ass Burgers”, Cartman finds a unique way to cope with Asperger’s Syndrome. In “The Last of the Meheecans”, Cartman joins the U.S. Border Patrol. “Bass to Mouth” focuses a gossip site that leaks the kids’ most scandalous secrets. “Broadway Bro Down” follows Randy as he becomes Broadway’s biggest fan. “1%” features The 99% is ganging up on Eric Cartman. The boys try to discover the truth about the first Thanksgiving in “A History Channel Thanksgiving”. Kenny ends up in the foster care system after his parents are arrested in “The Poor Kid”

When it comes to special features this Blu-ray is not lacking in that department at all. It comes with an amazing documentary called “6 Days to Air: The Making of South Park”. It gives the first-ever look behind-the-scenes at South Park Studios and an in-depth looking to creating an episode. The next extra “6 Days to Air: Behind the Scenes of ‘City Sushi'” is similar to the first feature but focuses on the one specific episode. There are also about five minutes of deleted scenes from the season, nothing amazing but worth checking out. Lastly, the best feature is mini-commentaries by creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone on each episode. They each run about 5 minutes and are a lot of fun.

If that isn’t enough of a bonus each Blu-ray or DVD will come with a free download of the new “South Park: Tenorman’s Revenge” Xbox Live game. It’s first come, first serve for the first 5,000 to enter their code in order to get a download of the game, an exclusive “South Park” theme and a 48 hour trial of Xbox Live Gold Membership. The following 70,000 entries will get an exclusive “South Park” Xbox theme and a 48 hour trial of Xbox Live Gold Membership. So this is a really cool added bonus.

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Interview with Elfar Adalsteins

Elfar Adalsteins is the writer/director of the amazing short film “Sailcloth”, which stars John Hurt.  Elfar was able to tell an amazing story through this short without any dialogue.  Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Elfar to chat about the short and what he has planned next.

Mike Gencarelli: Tell us about the origin of the short “Sailcloth”?
Elfar Adalsteins: The idea presented itself couple of years after my grandfather passed away and revolved around the bedsheets transforming into the sail that allow the old man to go on a last great journey. I guess it you can say it’s my farewell vignette to him.

MG: How did John Hurt become on board?
EA: I simply sent his agent the script with a personalized note to John stating why I thought he would be perfect for the role. A week later his agent called and told me John wanted to meet to discuss the script. That was surprising and scary in equal measures but that soon passed after meeting him as I could feel we were on the same page. After talking things through John said “Elfar, let’s go make a film” and we did.

MG: The short is wordless, yet it says so much, tell us about that?
EA: There wasn’t any need. The Man wants to go unnoticed, to vanish without a trace. The only bump in his road is when he sees the young boy on the beach. But he swallows hard and keeps going. It’s one of my favourite scenes in the film, so wonderfully portrayed by John and my son.

MG: Tell us about the wonderful score in the short?
It was written by Richard Cottle, a close friend of mine who I had worked with on numerous occasions. He was on board from the offset and as soon as the rough cut was ready we began testing things out. I wanted an accordion, double bass and cello, which was our starting point. Richard plays dozens of instruments and played the piano on the soundtrack along with masterfully conducting the string section. He was pure joy to work with.

MG: Where you involved with the cinematography in the film?
EA: The relationship between the director and DP is probably the closest on set. I had story-boarded the script so Karl had a good idea of what we were aiming for. He has a great eye and offered up some interesting angles. Shooting is like everything else in filmmaking, it’s a collaborative exercise.

MG: How long did short take to complete from script to finished product?
EA: It was a good six months, mainly because there was a couple month delay before I got an editor. The editing process was quite arduous for such a short film, because the scenes on the ocean were hard to assemble. But after a few sleepless nights we eventually got there.

MG: Was the short a success during its festival tour?
EA: Rhode Island International Film Festival put us on the map by awarding us with the Grand Jury Prize for Best Short. That automatically qualified us for the Short Film Oscar where we progressed to the last ten, or the Oscar Shortlist. Unfortunately we didn’t make the final nominations, so no tuxedo this year. We also got a Cinematic Achievement Award at the Thessaloniki Short Film Festival, so I’m really pleased with how well the film has done.

MG: We have had inquires of where people can see “Sailcloth”, any plans of releasing?
EA: It will be distributed for TV to begin with, then released as a download on iTunes or similar in a year’s time. I’m happy to hear that people have been asking for it. Hopefully it will secure us a few downloads next year.

What do you have planned next? Any features?
I’m finalising my first feature script that I’m attached to direct, backed by a US based prodction company. It’s still early days so I don’t want to say to much… I’ve probably jinxed it already.

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Filed Under: Film Interviews, Interviews Tagged With: adalsteins, elfar, interview

Jaleel White talks about “Dancing with the Stars” & Syfy’s “Total Blackout”

Jaleel White known best for his role of Steve Urkel on “Family Matters” though 2012 is shaping up to be one spotlight year for him.  He is one of the contestants on season 14 of “Dancing with The Stars”, dancing with Kym Johnson. He is also the host of the upcoming SyFy’s reality show “Total Blackout”, which premieres April 25th.  Jaleel took out some time to chat with Media Mikes again about his work on “Dancing with the Stars” and to encourage his fans to vote for him at 1-800-VOTE4-12.

Mike Gencarelli: So tell us how you got involved with “Dancing with the Stars”?
Jaleel White: They never formally asked me before until this past year.  ABC’s casting department got in contact with my manager properly and asked for a meeting. [laughs] I didn’t want to take the meeting but my manager let me know it was the right thing to do. So I did the meeting and everyone was very nice. After that it was just a the process of working on me. I am not going to lie, there was tremendous trepidation since it is one thing to learn how to dance, that was daunting enough, I had to commit to practice four hours a day and put my ambitions of being a writer to the side. My mom though just keep working on me and here we are today.

MG: Any fun behind the scenes stories so far?
JW: Oh yeah! I got a good one with Tony (Dovolani), one of the pro-dancers, who is dancing with Martina (Navratilova) this season. The couples got gathered together with the producers and they told us the rules and things they expect on show night. Tony raises his hand and said “I got one thing I want to share with all of you, ok?!, no matter how you dance is going you don’t leave your pro out there on the stage. You don’t walk off on them. If you get lost in your dance, you look into your dancers eyes and we will guide you through it.” I love Tony, he is a great guy. I guess he had some problems in the past with people freezing up on him. I thought that was particular funny. I come from a performers background and I know you never run off the stage.

MG: First week of the show you tie for the top spot, does that create and pressure going forward?
JW: Actually I really don’t. I tell everybody, I still see life in five day sitcom blocks. So if you give me five days to learn something, I should be proficient enough to shoot it. That is just the way I see preparation in general. The first episode for me was just such a validating experience. You put in the work and you can deliver the performance based on your work. Kym and I ran that dance into to the ground, as we must have done it at least 523 times. We weren’t just in there chit-chatting. We worked until we had to change our shirts and take two showers.

MG: You seemed to really feel natural on the dance floor, Any prior dance experience?
JW: I have zero dancing experience. Other than dancing as a kid during parties, school dances, church and camp. I just listed all my dance experiences there.

MG: What do you like or fear most about being out on the dance floor?
JW: At this point, my fears are slowly starting to go away. My biggest fear though is injury. I want to keep my body in good shape. I can feel certain areas getting tighter and I can feel my body adjusting. Every dance has it own personality and hopefully you can gel with that personality of the dance. Some people try to fight against that but I just go with it. Luckily for me, when I dance I smile naturally. Some people just have this perpetual panic on their face while they are dancing. I am exactly the opposite. As soon as I start moving I am smiling away [laughs]. The more I get into the dance the more I start enjoying it and that’s when the rehearsal process kicks in.

MG: How does it feel to be compared to a young Gregory Hines by one of the judges?
JW: I mean that is huge man, really. It is a long stretch from being compared to Steve Urkel [laughs]. It is nice to be able to show people that I can do different things. Growing up I never understood the importance of being different. I thought I would just excel at whatever job I was given. I didn’t know at the time that if people only thought of you in one way they will only give you one job. Everything about this experience with “Dancing with the Stars” has been so positive for me, so far.

MG: Do you and Kym Johnson have any special dances planned for the show?
JW: I definitely have a dance that means a lot to me. I obviously need to survive the eliminations to get to it. I told you though I obey the dance, I do not force anything. As much as I love music, you have to understand that not every song works for the dance. I think though the dance I have in mind could make some real noise…if I can nail it. But you have to vote for me though if you want to see the dance. It’s 1-800-VOTE4-12. We are team #12.

MG: Besides “Dancing with the Stars”, you are also hosting “Total Blackout” on Syfy this April, what can you tell us about that experience?
JW: It was a great experience. They are actually still tinkering with the show right now. I have been going in and doing some last minute tweaks and changes. The SyFy people have been over the moon about me participating with “Dancing with the Stars” also. People are really going to love this show. I am calling it ‘guinea pig TV’, it is that thing that you are flipping through and you find yourself watching two episodes back to back without even realizing it. I also think it would be a really fun show to do on the road.

MG: What do did you enjoy most about hosting a show?
JW: The best thing I like about hosting is that this stuff is not happening to me in the dark [laughs]. I am serious. I have test contestants in foam rubber suits, I give my instructions and then go back to my dressing room, watch the live feed and eat some Doritos [laughs]. They can have the tarantulas crawling up their hands. I am all set.

MG: Just recently you also appeared on “Psych” again, is Tony going to be seen again soon?
JW: Who knows man. I always have such a blast with the “Psych” boys.  It is one of my favorite shows that I have ever guested on. James (Roday) and Dulé (Hillare) are excellent actors and we get in some good trouble. I have been on two episodes…so hey, why not make it three.

MG: So after you win “Dancing with the Stars”, what you got planned next?
JW: Right now, I need some votes for team #12 on Dancing with the Stars, it’s 1-800-VOTE4-12. Supposedly you can’t text votes in unless you have AT&T, so a lot of people don’t know that. There is also the option to vote online at http://vote.abc.go.com/shows/dancing-with-the-stars/vote.  This is going to be a fantastic season for sure.

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Filed Under: Featured, Interviews, TV Interviews Tagged With: dancing, interview, jaleel, stars, white

Interview with Nathan Baesel

Nathan Baesel plays the lead character Leslie Vernon in the cult horror classic “Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon”.  Horror fans will hopefully get to see Nathan play the fantastic role about soon in the planned sequel.  Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Nathan about his iconic role in the film and its sequel plans.

Mike Gencarelli: How did you get involved with “Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon”?
Nathan Baesel: I got the script from my agent and, given that I hadn’t had that much professional acting work at the time, attending the audition was a foregone conclusion. I was very excited however when I began reading the script because everything clicked for me and I was able to envision the whole world very clearly. Scripts usually have at least a few moments where you’re left thinking, “I’ll have to fix this because it just doesn’t work”. The script for BTM didn’t have any of those moments! In addition, I’ve always enjoyed playing characters who are completely self-revolving, where “it’s all about me”. Those characters are a huge source of fun playing but also poking fun at. Like the way Jack Black or Will Ferrel play ego maniacal asses. Leslie thinks enough of what he’s doing that he has a camera crew following him around documenting his every move for Pete’s sake! I saw a lot of potential humor in making Leslie so serious that he’d be the last guy to see how absurd he is.

MG: Tell us about working with Scott Glosserman?
NB: I can’t say enough good about Scott. From the audition till now he’s been a laugh waiting to happen and I always felt as though I could do no wrong because it seemed as though the laughs kept coming. As long as he was pleased the path seemed clear. And he’s really easy to please! Scott is also the most industrious person I know. He’s never at rest, always with an eye on the next task at hand. That’s a priceless commodity when you’re the producer, director, co-writer and even actor (though his scenes didn’t make the final cut unfortunately). Scott was endlessly cheerleading us all on and reinvigorating the cast and crew whenever energy or enthusiasm dipped. He put so much of himself into making the film that by the time the shoot had completed he was sick and exhausted. You know how mushy your brain gets when you’ve stayed awake for 2 days? I don’t think he got more than 4 hours sleep a day during the 5 or so weeks we were shooting. Scott completed the shoot as a laughing, smiling, mushy-headed mess!

MG: Leslie Vernon has now become a horror icon himself, tell us about how it feel to play that icon?
NB: It’s incomprehensible to me that people have responded as well as they have. I was just running around, having fun, playing hard and thrilled to be payed for it. Leslie was the most fun I’ve had as an actor, the closest I’ve come to realizing the value of actors in our culture and the most fully lived-in character I’ve had the opportunity to play. I don’t think I’ll ever have another opportunity like it so in a real way I feel like I’ve done what I set out to do in my career and can leave Leslie behind as my legacy.

MG: How was it working with horror legends Robert Englund and the late Zelda Rubinstein?
NB: Both Robert and Zelda were so gracious both to me and to the movie. They lent not just their talent but their legends built with their blood, sweat and tears. People may sometimes have wanted them in their films because of the associations they brought with them but in our case we NEEDED those legendary associations to make our film work in important academic ways. Yes, they gave great performances but their presence alone makes it possible for some BTM fans to pause the film mid-view and say, “Holy shit, my mind has just been blown!”

MG: Tell us about the film’s prequel/sequel “Before The Mask: The Return of Leslie Vernon”?
NB: I don’t know how much about B4TM I can say but I’ll tell you that what I’m looking forward to most, besides getting the band back together, is exploring all of the ways that Leslie’s path and mine continue to intersect. He’s chosen a rough road to go down but it’s one of integrity. There’s a million reasons why he didn’t hit the big time and there’s a million ways that he could have sold out to try to make it happen anyway. But he stayed true to himself and his friends and he’s going to take another stab at making a legend the old school way. That’s about as close to an autobiography as a film is going to get for me.

MG: What can fans do to assure that this film get’s made?
NB: Look, even if you’re not a hard-core fan and just enjoyed BTM and would enjoy watching another film like it you can make it happen for less than the price of a ticket to the theater. We’re taking pledges on our Before The Mask Facebook page and in exchange for a commitment of whatever dollar amount you choose you’ll get in return a poster, a DVD of the new film once it’s released, a Blu-ray, the opportunity to get killed off in a scene of B4TM. If everyone who has “liked” the page committed $10 we’d be able to start shooting within a couple months! Behind The Mask has had the life that it’s had only because of the love, support and enthusiasm of the fans. This sequel fundraising is continuing with that dynamic. Check out the Facebook page. Surf around. There’s a number of fun things to explore and a ton of information about how people can help B4TM get made. And you can even come away with some pretty sweet swag.

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Filed Under: Film Interviews, Interviews Tagged With: baesel, interview, nathan

Blu-ray Review “Recoil”

Directed by: Terry Miles
Starring: Steve Austin, Danny Trejo, Serinda Swan
Distributed by: Vivendi Entertainment
MPAA Rating: R
Release Date: March 6, 2012
Running Time: 93 minutes

Film: 3 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2.5 out of stars

When it comes to Steve Austin, the guy knows action and can definitely kick some ass. He never got the mainstream attention like The Rock but he deserves it. Of course then you thrown in Danny Trejo, who is known for amazing roles like “Machete”. He is one scary son bitch but he is also just an awesome baddie. The film itself is nothing special and falls into the cheesy action genre.  Luckily the film has a key cast and is worth watching just for that and also a few great action sequences.

The film follows Ryan Varrett (Austin) who is on a revenge mission to find the criminals who murdered his family. Ryan takes it upon himself to punish those responsible…and anyone who gets in his way. When he meets the killer Drayke (Trejo), the two go head to head in an all out blood vendetta.

For a low-budget action film, the video is very impressive with its 1080p transfer especially with its kick-ass action scenes. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is also impressive with the action.

The special features included are short but not completely terrible. There is a brief but interesting featurette “The Making of Recoil” looking into the film’s production. There are also a few deleted scenes, which run about 5 minutes and focus on Steve Austin’s character. Lastly there is the film’s trailer included.

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

Blu-ray Review “Lost Keaton: Sixteen Comedy Shorts 1934-1937”

Starring: Buster Keaton
Distributed by: Kino Lorber
MPAA Rated: Not Rated
Release Date: March 20, 2012
Run Time: 306 minutes

Shorts: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 1 out of 5 stars

In 1934, Buster Keaton signed a contract with Earle W. Hammons Educational Pictures which focused on comedy short subjects. This Blu-ray release is very impressive and includes over five hours within its 16 educational shorts. In fact, the reason why this is amazing set is because 14 of these shorts have never been available. Fans of Buster Keaton needs to check this out as it is one very cool set.

The video looks great with its 1080p transfer. These shorts were remastered in HD from 35mm negatives, so they are high quality but some of the shorts still show their age. The audio includes an LPCM 2.0 Mono track, which works well with the content but is really nothing special.

The films included are “The Gold Ghost”, “Allez Oop”, “Palooka From Paducah”, “One Run Elmer”, “Hayseed Romance”, “Tars and Stripes”, “The E-Flat Man”, “The Timid Young Man”, “Three on a Limb”, “Grand Slam Opera”, “Blue Blazes”, “The Chemist”, “Mixed Magic”, “Jail Bait” and “Ditto and Love Nest on Wheels”.

There are very few special features but I feel that the shorts are enough to make this release worth purchasing.    On the first disc, there is a photo gallery with sixteen stills.  On the second disc, there is a funny but short feature called “Why They Call Him Buster”, which features Buster falling. Inside the Blu-ray case, there is a booklet with overviews of each film in the set.

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Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: 19341937, bluray, comedy, keaton, lost, review, ...

Blu-ray Review “The Sitter: Totally Irresponsible Edition”

Directed by: David Gordon Green
Starring: Jonah Hill, Sam Rockwell
Distributed by: 20th Century Fox
MPAA Rating: R
Release Date: March 20, 2012
Running Time: 81 minutes

Film: 2 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2.5 out 5 stars

Recently Jonah Hill is a hit and miss when it comes to comedy. After “Superbad”, he seemed like a sure bet for laughs but this totally feels like him going from A to F and seems a very sad role. I do not believe he really deserved an Oscar nomination for “Moneyball” but I think he looks hysterical in “21 Jump Street”.  The film features a supporting case that is funnier including a crew performance by Sam Rockwell. David Gordon Green is a great director but he doesn’t really show up in this film at all. Lastly, the film barely runs 80 minutes and I am all for short comedies but it feels like a 2 hour movie easily.

Jonah Hill stars as Noah, a slacker with no drive that ends up doing his mom a favor by babysitting his neighbor’s children (Max Records, Landry Bender, Kevin Hernandez). He is completely unqualified but get’s overtaken by the kids. While sitting, his girlfriend (Ari Gaynor) promises sex if he brings her some cocaine to a party. This causes him to take the kids out on the town and get caught up with crazy drug dealer (Sam Rockwell).

The Blu-ray release is well packaged and contains not only the Blu-ray but also a DVD and a digital copy. It also includes both the theatrical and unrated versions of the film, even though neither work. The 1080p transfer on the Blu-ray is impressive and looks good especially for a comedy. The same goes for the audio DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, it works with the music and action scenes the best.

The special features included are good but run very short and seems like one long gag. There are ten deleted/extended scenes, which run about 25 minutes. There is a gag reel, which I always love. “Sits-N-Giggles” is a collection of the film’s improvised lines, which is also very funny. These two features are funnier than the whole film together. “For Your Consideration” is a waste of time joke about Blake beat-boxing. “The Making of The Sitter” is a basic/decent behind-the-scenes featurette. “Jonah the Producer” features Jonah trying to teach kids. Lastly there is the theatrical trailer included.

 

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Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: bluray, edition, irresponsible, review, sitter, totally, ...

Interview with Kristanna Loken

Kristanna Loken is probably best known for her role as the super sexy Terminator in “Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines”. Media Mikes had a chance recently to talk with Kristanna about the upcoming DVD/Blu-Ray release of her latest film titled “The Legend of Awesomest Maximus”.

Adam Lawton: Can you tell us about your character in “The Legend of Awesomest Maximus”?
Kristanna Loken: I play Hottessa. The character is very loosely based on the character Lady Macbeth. She is a princess who will use her powers of female manipulation to get what she wants. Ultimately she wants to be queen. She is a crafty character whose prince is played by Mr. Will Sasso. The film came about from me wanting to do something different. A broad spoof was something I had yet to really tackle. I have done comedy in the past but nothing like this type of spoof. Since then I have done some other comedy work and have really enjoyed it. I thought the script was really funny and that it would be great working with Jeff Kanew.

AL: How was it working with such a diverse cast?
KL: The group was very eclectic and diverse. Ian Ziering was in super great shape and really dedicated to his role. Will was awesome! He is just so quick and funny. Everyone had a really great time. We shot the film in Salt Lake City, Utah which was a really unlikely place. It was fun!

AL: What was it like behind the scenes of the film?
KL: We all stayed friendly after making the film. Will likes to throw parties where we all would convene. It was nice that we were all able to keep in touch. A lot of times you are not able to do that but, Will really made an effort to get everyone together.

AL: What other projects of yours can we be watching for?
KL: I started a production company with a couple of partners called Loken Man Productions. One of those partners is my father. He wrote a script called “Love Orchard” and another partner Farhad Mann who I worked with on “Painkiller Jane” and I collaborated on this film which is inspired by actual events. The film deals with the immigration crisis in America. Bruce Dern plays my dad in the film. We are really looking forward to getting the film out. We hope to get it into some of the larger film festivals. I will also be back for the new season of “Burn Notice”.

AL: Is it hard working with family members?
KL: It’s been a really amazing experience. The project is something that is very close to all of our hearts. I grew up on the farm where we shot the story. My parents have had this farm for 43 years. It was an amazing opportunity to go back there and to the town where I grew up to shoot this film.

AL: How was the experience of working on “Burn Notice”?
KL: It’s a fun show to be a part of and Miami is a great city. The people involved with the show definitely know what works and what doesn’t. The show has had a lot of success and is going into its 6th season. It’s a well oiled machine. I had fun being a part of the cast.

 

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Filed Under: Film Interviews, Interviews Tagged With: interview, kristanna, loken
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