Robert Wuhl is best known as the creator and star of the television comedy series Arli$$ (1996–2002) and for his portrayal of newspaper reporter Alexander Knox in Tim Burton’s Batman (1989).
Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Robert about working with Tim Burton on Batman, his appearance in Supergirl and the legacy of Arli$$.
Diane Franklin is an icon from the 80’s having starred in “The Last American Virgin”, “Amityville II: The Possession”, “Better Off Dead”, “Terrorvision” and “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure”.
She is also an author with her latest book titled “Diane Franklin: The Excellent Curls of the Last American, French-Exchange Babe of the 80s”.
Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Diane to discuss her rise to fame and also her current work in “The Amityville Murders”.
Dan Shor is know best for playing the supporting character Ram, in the movie, TRON. He also played the character Roy Kleinberg in the TRON: The Next Day epilogue to TRON: Legacy, a role that was reprised from TRON in which the character was listed as “Popcorn Co-Worker”. Besides being a veteran actor, he is also a director, writer and teacher with a career spanning 28 years.
Dan is also known for playing Billy the Kid in “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure”. He also appeared “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and “Star Trek Voyager” playing Dr. Arridor.
Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Dan about these roles and reflect on the legacy of TRON.
TROMAVILLE, 6/9/20 – Chicago-born hip hop artist and entrepreneur Juan “Big Herc” Hernandez, is gracing Troma fans, horror fans, and sneakerheads alike with another kick-ass pair of kicks. Big Herc and Troma have teamed up for a limited edition run of Toxic Avenger slip ons featuring iconic movie poster artwork from Toxie’s second feature film. “The Toxic Avenger” movieverse that first debuted back in the 80’s, and which currently includes four films, a musical, comic books and a video game.
These slip ons are a very limited with only 300 total pairs available. Each pair will come in a hand numbered shoe box, indicating its numerical order. They will also come with an exclusive trading card that is hand numbered as well and a Toxie shot glass. The shoes have three different color combinations and kid’s sizes are also available. The going price for these sick kicks is $60, and you can only get them at BigHerc.com. Speaking of which, you should make certain to bookmark and visit BigHerc.com often because he’s got some more exclusive merchandise coming our way from both “The Toxic Avengers,” and “Toxic Crusaders” brands, in the very near future. Stay tuned!
ABOUT BIG HERC
Born and raised in the windy city, Chicago, Big Herc is a veteran artist and presence in the hip-hop community. Along with a strong passion for music, Big Herc also has a love for video games, animation and pop culture. Big Herc has worked with some of music’s biggest names including Cypress Hill, Ice-T, Slipknot, Schoolly D, Ras Kass, DAS EFX and DJ Premier. Along with the current “Big Herc x Toxie” line of items, his pop culture merchandising collaborations also include Taito and Square Enix’s 1970’s arcade game, “Space Invaders.”
You may not know Lia Beldam by name but she is forever the Woman from Room 237 in “The Shining” and also recently reprised in “Ready Player One”. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Lia about her role and the legacy of the film celebrating it’s 40th anniversary.
Also be sure to check out our first interview with Lia back in 2013 – https://mediamikes.com/2013/04/lia-beldam-reflects-on-her-role-as-room-237s-guest-in-stanley-kubricks-the-shining/
“Becky” is a film I normally would have never thought to watch but with the stunning cast, I figured it would be worth a try. Lulu Wilson (The Haunting of Hill House) delivers a kick-ass brutal performance. Kevin James plays a Neo-Nazi villain…yes! He plays the villain and really knocks it out the park. James is one nasty son-bitch and his is performance is fantastic. We even have a dramatic take from funnyman Joel McHale. This film is mega gory, fast paced and is a blast to watch.
Official Premise: Spunky and rebellious, Becky (Lulu Wilson) is brought to a weekend getaway at a lake house by her father Jeff (Joel McHale) in an effort to try to reconnect. The trip immediately takes a turn for the worse when a group of convicts on the run, led by the merciless Dominick (Kevin James), suddenly invade the lake house.
You can call this film an ultra-violent take on Home Alone. That is all I kept thinking when watching. Becky is one tough and creative girl in the film. The kills in the film are so creative and wicked gory that you will have to turn and look the other way. Literally, I was blown away by this film. I can’t wait to watch it again. The film will be released in select theater, drive-in, on demand and digital on June 5th. “Becky” is definitely a film to see with an audience, I would love to hear the reactions from others while watching it.
IOWA: Superior 71 Drive-In, Blue Grass Drive-In
INDIANA: Garrett Drive-In, Tri Way 4 Drive-In
KENTUCKY: Regency 8
MASSACHUSETTS: Mendon Twin Drive-In
MINNESOTA: Long Drive-In
NORTH CAROLINA: Hounds Drive-In, Raleigh Road Drive-In, Badin Road Drive-In, Eden Drive-In
NEW HAMPSHIRE: Milford Drive-In 2
NEW JERSEY: Delsea Drive-In
NEW YORK: Transit Drive-In, Silver Lakes Drive-In, Sunset 3 Drive-In, Vintage Drive-In, Delevan Twin Drive-In
OHIO: Mayfield Road Drive-In, Skyway Drive-In, South Drive-In Twin, Tiffin Drive-In, Starview Drive-In, Springmill Drive-In, Magic City Twin Drive-In, Van-Del Drive-In, Dixie Drive-In, Aut-O-Rama Twin Drive-In, Elm Road Triple Drive-In, Field of Dreams Drive-In
OKLAHOMA: Tower Drive-In
PENNSYLVANIA: Garden Drive-In, Circle Drive-In, Comet Twin Drive-In, Kane Family Drive-In, Riverside Drive-In, Silver Drive-In, Skyview Twin Drive-In
SOUTH CAROLINA: Hi-Way 21 Drive-In
TENNESSEE: Stardust Drive-In
WISCONSIN: Stardust Drive-In
I remember wanting to see “Showgirls” back in 1995 but since it was rated NC-17, I couldn’t get in. I was only 13 years old at the time. But I do remember renting it at Blockbuster once it was on video and I remember falling in love. Yes, I know how bad the movie is but at the same time it is also so good. That is what this documentary, YOU DON’T NOMI, is about. It focuses on the legacy of “Showgirls” and how it has become a cult classic over the last 25 years. Yes, it’s crazy to think that it is 25 years old already.
Official Premise: In YOU DONT NOMI, a chorus of film critics and fervent devotees explore the complicated afterlife of 1995s biggest film flop, Paul Verhoeven’s SHOWGIRLS, from disastrous release to cult adoration and extraordinary redemption. The films features Adam Nayman (Vice Guide to Film), April Kidwell (I, Nomi) and Peaches Christ (Milk).
Even though the main topic of “You Don’t Nomi” is “Showgirls”, the film is also a retrospective of Verhoeven’s directing career from “RoboCop”, “Total Recall”, “Basic Instinct”, “Starship Troopers” and “Elle”, among others. It showcases the themes that unite his films. Verhoeven definitely is a unique director as well as a controversial figure all at the same time. All of Verhoeven’s films have pushed the limits with sexuality and violence.
The documentary is extremely interesting to watch whether you are a fan of “Showgirls” and Verhoeven or not. It features great interviews discusses the fandom around “Showgirls” and how people love this film so much. What is cool about this documentary is that you don’t even need to be a fan of this film to enjoy it. It talks about how people actually have hated it but it grew on them over the years. Whether you believe it or no, this film despite being called trash during it’s release is a piece of art.
“You Don’t Nomi” will be available On Demand and Digital on June 9. I highly recommend checking it out to get an in depth look at the film that was a box office bomb but has since become a huge cult classic.
MediaMikes posted an additional review for the streaming release here!
Analog synths are the unstoppable weapons of the french canadian electronic band from Montreal, Le Matos. Its musical imprint is a powerful dancemachine, mix of pop melodies and melancholic sounds inspired by 80’s movie soundtrack composers such as Vangelis, John Carpenter, Tangerine Dream, Shuki Levy and Goblin.
The band scored films like “Turbo Kid”, “Summer of ’84” and the recently released “EXODE”, the haunting sci-fi web series. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with the men behind the band, Jean-Philippe Bernier and Jean Nicolas Leupi to discuss their music, how they got their band name and what is it was like working on these films/web series.
D.J. MacHale is a writer, director, executive producer and creator of several popular television series, including Nickelodeon’s “Are You Afraid of the Dark?”. As an author, his ten-volume book series: Pendragon: Journal of an Adventure Through Time and Space became a New York Times #1 bestseller.
Other notable television writing credits include the ABC Afterschool Specials, the pilot for the long-running PBS/CBS series Ghostwriter; and the HBO series Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective for which he received a CableAce nomination for writing.
Media Mikes had a chance to chat with D.J. about “Are You Afraid of the Dark?”, “Ghostwriter” and “Pendragon” via Zoom and the video is posted below! Please enjoy and leave comments below of your favorite episodes of “Are You Afraid of the Dark?”.
To celebrate the 4K Blu-ray Combo release for “The Invisible Man”, Media Mikes would like to give our fans a chance to to win one of two 4K Blu-ray combo pack copies. If you want to win this great prize, please leave a comment below or email us with your favorite Blumhouse film. This giveaway will remain open until May 25th at Noon, Eastern Time. This is open to our readers in US only. One entry per person, per household. All other entries will be considered invalid. Media Mikes will randomly select winners. Winners will be alerted via email.
THE INVISIBLE MAN follows a modern tale of obsession inspired by Universal’s classic monster character. Cecilia Kass (Elisabeth Moss) slowly begins to rebuild her life after the death of her abusive ex-boyfriend (Oliver Jackson-Cohen). But before long, she begins to question whether or not he is truly gone. In addition to the feature, THE INVISIBLE MAN delivers up twenty minutes of exclusive bonus content, including a chance to better get acquainted with the film’s leading actress: Elisabeth Moss, feature commentary with the writer/director and deleted scenes you won’t want to miss.
If you passed Robert Bronzi on the street you would definitely do a double take thinking that you have just passed the late actor Charles Bronson. Bronzi has taken Hollywood by storm recently and has starred in films like “Death Kiss”, Once Upon a Time in Deadwood” and most recently the horror film “Cry Havoc”. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with the Bronson doppelganger to discuss his films and likeness to Charles Bronson.
Mike Gencarelli: How does it feel to be called “The Hungarian Charles Bronson”?
Robert Bronzi: In my home town people know me as Robert or Bronzi because that is my stage name. Also, when I’m traveling in the country a lot of people want to take a photo with me, they congratulate me and wish me luck. I have to say it’s a very good feeling.
MG: When did you first get confronted about your likeness to Charles Bronson?
RB: As young man, pretty much my whole life. So I cut my hair and moustache like Bronson. Many years ago in Hungary I worked as a horse breeder and horse trainer. At the horse breeding center we had a lot of visitors every day, people told me “hey boy ! you know you look like Charles Bronson? ” I worked with my very good friend Peter, he would always say that I looked like him and he began to call me Bronzi. So he gave me my nick name . After that everyone called me Bronzi and it became my artist name.
MG: Give us some background on your life before you started making movies in Hollywood?
RB: I’m an actor, musician and stuntman. I have done a lot of different and interesting things in my life. I worked in Hungary as a horse breeder and horse trainer. I performed at western shows in Hungary and Spain in different pieces. I’m an accordionist, I played music in bars, at festivals, weddings and private parties.
MG: Tell us what was it like filming in Western Leone, near Almeria, Spain, which was the site of much of the filming of the famous Sergio Leone/Charles Bronson western ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST?
RB: Well, I really enjoyed filming in Almeria as I worked there for quite a few years in the western village of TEXAS HOLLYWOOD TABERNAS as a stunt performer. There I met some of my acquaintances, my old colleagues, and a few of them are also featured in the film, and my acting partners are also wonderful and talented people. Every time I go to Almeria I feel like if I am going home. I really like that place and Spain too.
MG: How was it going from a revenge western to a horror movie like CRY HAVOC?
RB: My first western style movie was shot some years ago, also with Rene Perez . The name of the film was From Hell To The Wild West .This is a western movie with horror elements. CRY HAVOC is a horror and action movie without western elements. For me that was a new challenge, a new role what I tried to do with my best ability as an actor.
MG: You have worked with director Rene Perez on four films now; tell us about how this collaboration started?
RB: Rene Perez saw my photo on the Saloon wall in Spain in the western village where I worked as a stunt performer. He thought it was a photo of Charles Bronson years ago hand asked the owner about the photo. When Rene found out it wasn’t Bronson, it was me, he told the owner, “I want to meet this guy”.
MG: I read you train in judo and Muay Thai; tell us about how you keep in shape?
RB: I work hard to keep my body in shape. In Hungary I have some good friends that help me get ready for the movies. They teach me martial arts such as judo and Thai boxing, and three times a week I visit the gym.
MG: What do you do when you are not acting?
RB: I have got some preferred hobbies. For example: Riding, archery, fishing, playing on my accordion and walking in the forest. I would also like to mention that I ‘m a member of a traditional preservation team in Hungary. When I have time I go with them to attend the traditional festivals where I use my sword, my replica firearms and of course my bow in the live show. Also I have different costumes from the very old times.
MG: What films do you have planned upcoming after CRY HAVOC?
RB: Currently I’m working on a few new projects. I can’t say much but in the near future you will see a lot of Bronzi action films .
Who knew that we needed a remake of the 1983 Nicolas Cage starred cult classic “Valley Girl”, let alone a musical remake of it…but very glad we did. This long delayed film which was originally scheduled to be released in 2018 finally gets a release date available in select Drive-Ins and on Digital on May 8, 2020. Packed with 80’s nostalgia, great songs and a solid cast, this film definitely did not disappoint.
Official Premise: Julie (Jessica Rothe) is the ultimate ’80s Valley Girl. A creative free spirit; Julie’s time is spent with her best friends shopping at the Galleria mall and making plans for senior prom. That is, until she falls hard for Randy (Joshua Whitehouse), a Sunset Strip punk rocker, who challenges everything the Valley and Julie stand for. Despite push-back from friends and family, Julie must break out of the safety of her world to follow her heart and discover what it really means to be a Valley Girl.
Jessica Rothe, known best for the “Happy Death Day” horror franchise, stars in this musical remake. She does have musical experience after co-starring in “La La Land” and definitely can sing. Also co-starring singer/actress Chloe Bennett (“Marvel’s Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.”) and even Alicia Silverstone (“Clueless”) makes an appearance in a “Princess Bride” story-telling role. Wrapping up the cast, Judy Greer (“Jurassic World”) and Rob Huebel (“Children’s Hospital”) play Julie’s parents.
The songs in the film include Queen “Under Pressure”, a-ha “Take on Me”, The Go-Go’s “We Got The Beat” and Cyndi Lauper “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” just to name a few. They are backed by fun all-out dance sequences with choreography by none other than Mandy Moore (“This is Us”, “Tangled”). The music is so fun, fresh and gets you re-living the 80’s.
“Infinity Train” is a new show created by Owen Dennis (former writer and storyboard artist from “Regular Show”) which aired on Cartoon Network. The show was split into two books, the first book will take you on a journey will all 10 episodes from the first season. Also included with Book One is an hour of epic bonus features including commentaries, documentaries, animatics, and more! I love the animation style from this show, it is simple yet extremely complex. The colors are so vibrant. I can’t wait to see what season two will bring as each episode literally draws you in deeper and deeper into the mystery of the show.
Official Premise: Join Tulip on a mind-bending journey aboard the mysterious Infinity Train, alongside her companions Atticus, the canine king of Corginia, and One-One, a robot with dueling personalities. With puzzles and perils awaiting them in every car and the relentless Steward on their trail, will Tulip ever find a way off the train and return home?
The voice cast is also very impressive Ashley Johnson aka Chrissy Seaver in “Growing Pains” and tons of other voice over projects including “Teen Titans” and the video game “The Last of Us”. Also included is Ernie Hudson aka Winston Zeddemore in the Ghostbusters film series. Reocurring characters include Kate Mulgrew aka Captain Kathryn Janeway on Star Trek: Voyager, Lena Headey aka Cersei Lannister on Game of Thrones and Dee Bradley Baker from Phineas and Ferb, SpongeBob SquarePants and 100’s of other shows.
Infinity Train: Book One is available to own on Digital. Digital purchase allows consumers to instantly stream and download all episodes to watch anywhere and anytime on their favorite devices. Digital movies and TV shows are available from various digital retailers including Amazon Video, iTunes, Google Play, Vudu and others.
SPECIAL FEATURES
10 EPISODES
On September 22, 1994 the first episode of Friends aired on NBC, and since then the series, characters and its infamous taglines have become a global phenomenon. After 236 episodes and its ten season run on-air, the beloved series went into syndication episodes on a number of networks, and in 2015 Netflix acquired the exclusive rights to stream the original broadcast episodes; eventually becoming one of most watched shows on the platform, until the close of 2019!
So where have your “Friends” been, now that its 2020? According to Ross and Rachel, “We Were On A BREAK!” from streaming – but have no fear, you can still get all of your favorite original episodes commercial free on Digital, Blu-ray and DVD today! All individual seasons and compilation sets of Friends are available to purchase here: www.OwnFriendsTV.com. All seasons are also available to own at all major digital retailers; including iTunes, VUDU, Amazon Prime, and Google. DVD and Blu-ray sets can be purchased from all major retailers – including Amazon, Target and Walmart.
If it hasn’t been your day, your week, your month…or even your year…we are here for you with an amazing offer for you or your readers! In honor of the iconic series, and our #OwnFriendsTV campaign – we wanted to offer you or a lucky reader of choice a Blu-ray set of Friends: The Complete Series. This collector’s set is for the ultimate fan, and features over 110 hours of content – including all 236 original broadcast episodes, plus 20 hours of special features. All 10 seasons have been completely remastered in stunning 1080p high definition video with a 16×9 widescreen format and 5.1 audio. The Friends: The Complete Series Blu-ray box set is presented in highly collectible packaging consisting of a lenticular box cover, a hard-cover book that holds 21 Blu-ray discs, plus a 32-page episode guide!
The only way to get Friends: The Complete Series commercial free is on Digital, Blu-ray and DVD today! All individual seasons and compilation sets of Friends are available to purchase here: www.OwnFriendsTV.com. All seasons are also available to own at all major digital retailers; including iTunes, VUDU, Amazon Prime, and Google. DVD and Blu-ray sets can be purchased from all major retailers – including Amazon, Target and Walmart.
You can never get enough of Friends! Own them today – own them forever!
Impractical Jokers: The Movie
Starring: James “Murr” Murray, Brian “Q” Quinn, Joe Gatto, and Sal Vulvano
Directed by: Chris Henchy
Running time: 92 mins.
Rating: PG-13
truTV
I have been fan of Impractical Joker since Season 1 but this movie falls flat and doesn’t really bring the laughs that I expected. If you aren’t familiar with Impractical Jokers, the TV show has been airing for years and stars real-life friends, James “Murr” Murray, Brian “Q” Quinn, Joe Gatto, and Sal Vulvano, that make each other play pranks with hidden camera challenges and whoever “loses” has to take a punishment. It’s a very funny TV series but the film fails to capture any of the shows magic.
With the fan base of the show as big as it is I was hoping for something on a much bigger scale. Instead the film feels like they threw a cheap narrative together mixed with the show’s practical jokes and punishments. It just doesn’t fit together. I also expected to see some bigger cameos from other celebrities, who we got instead are Paula Abdul, Jaden Smith, and Joey Fatone (for about 3 seconds at the end). I would have loved to seen the films narrative mixed in better with the hidden camera challenges.
Official Premise: Impractical Jokers: The Movie stars James “Murr” Murray, Brian “Q” Quinn, Joe Gatto, and Sal Vulvano, also known as the comedy troupe The Tenderloins, playing themselves in a fictional story of a humiliating high school mishap from the early nineties. Featuring appearances from Paula Abdul, Jaden Smith, and Joey Fatone, the movie combines the fictional narrative with real life footage of over-the-top punishments and callbacks to classic moments from the series. Once the Impractical Jokers hit the road, they compete in hidden camera challenges for the chance to turn back the clock and find redemption.
If you are interested to check out this film, it is available now on all VOD sites including VUDU.
