Dan Allen is the director of the upcoming Bambi: The Reckoning, the editor of Winnie-The-Pooh: Blood and Honey II. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Dan about his new films and the upcoming Poohiverse franchise.
Caitlin Carmichael has been acting since the age of 3 and already has a very impressive resume. Her latest film “Roadkill” was released earlier this year and co-stars scream queen Danielle Harris. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Caitlin to discuss the film and her plans for 2024!
For a scene that lasted around 3 seconds but still has fans discussing it twenty years after its release; Preston Corbell talks about landing the role of the infamous Bunny Man in Cabin Fever films. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Preston about his role and also his stunt work in over 100 movies and TV series, including Daredevil, The Vampire Diaries, and One Tree Hill.
– AdventHealth Broadway in Orlando 24/25 Season brings Girl From The North Country, THE BOOK OF MORMON, Cher, Some Like it Hot, MAMMA MIA!, A Beautiful Noise, MJ The Musical, Mean Girls, Disney’s The Lion King, Shucked and STOMP to Walt Disney Theater –
ORLANDO, Fla. (Feb. 16, 2024) – Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts is excited to announce the lineup for the 24/25 AdventHealth Broadway in Orlando season. The dynamic 11-show lineup in Walt Disney Theater features the return of three blockbuster musicals Disney’s The Lion King, THE BOOK OF MORMONand Mean Girls, along with Broadway sensations, Cher and MAMMA MIA! and the Orlando debuts of Girl From The North Country, Some Like it Hot, A Beautiful Noise, Shucked, MJ The Musical and STOMP.
Dr. Phillips Center and Florida Theatrical Association in partnership with Broadway Across America presents AdventHealth Broadway in Orlando’s 24/25 season. Since opening in 2014, the arts center has become one of the top Broadway markets in the country and it is the breathtaking Walt Disney Theater that has been the home to Broadway for the past eight seasons.
If you are an AdventHealth Broadway in Orlando subscriber, renewals begin at 11 a.m. Join the waitlist at BroadwayinOrlando.com to be among the first to know when new subscriptions go on sale.
Show Descriptions:
About Girl From The North Country – Sept. 24-29, 2024
Girl From The North Country is the Tony Award-winning musical set in 1934 Duluth, Minnesota, where we meet a group of wayward travelers whose lives intersect in a guesthouse filled with music, life and hope. This production is a vividly human experience brought to life by an extraordinary company of actors and musicians. Written and directed by celebrated playwright Conor McPherson and featuring Tony Award-winning orchestrations by Simon Hale, Girl From The North Country reimagines 20 legendary songs of Bob Dylan as they’ve never been heard before, including “Forever Young,” “All Along The Watchtower,” “Hurricane,” “Slow Train Coming,” and “Like A Rolling Stone.”
Media assets here.
About THE BOOK OF MORMON – Oct. 22-27, 2024
The New York Times calls it “the best musical of this century.” The Washington Post says, “It is the kind of evening that restores your faith in musicals.” And Entertainment Weekly says, “Grade A: the funniest musical of all time.” Jimmy Fallon of The Tonight Show calls it “Genius. Brilliant. Phenomenal.” It’s THE BOOK OF MORMON, the nine-time Tony Award® winning Best Musical. This outrageous musical comedy follows the adventures of a mismatched pair of missionaries, sent halfway across the world to spread the Good Word. With standing room only productions in London, on Broadway, and across North America, THE BOOK OF MORMONhas truly become an international sensation. Contains explicit language. For more information, visit TheBookOfMormonTour.com.
Media assets here.
About Cher – Nov. 12-17, 2024
Superstars come and go. Cher is forever. For six straight decades, only one unstoppable force has flat-out dominated popular culture – breaking down barriers, pushing boundaries and letting nothing and no one stand in her way. THE CHER SHOW is the Tony Award®-winning musical of her story, and it’s packed with so much Cher that it takes three women to play her: the kid starting out, the glam pop star, and the icon. THE CHER SHOW is 35 smash hits, six decades of stardom, two rock-star husbands, a Grammy®, an Oscar®, an Emmy®, and enough Tony Award ® -winning Bob Mackie gowns to cause a sequin shortage in New York City, all in one unabashedly fabulous new musical that will have audiences dancing in the aisles!
Media assets here.
About Some Like it Hot – Dec. 17-22, 2024
Some Like it Hot is a four-time Tony Award® winner, including Best Choreography and Best Costumes, and Grammy Winner® for Best Musical Theater Album. Set against Prohibition-era Chicago when everyone was thirsty for a little excitement, two musicians are forced to flee the Windy City after witnessing a mob hit. With gangsters watching their every move, they catch a cross-country train for the life-changing trip of a lifetime. From the set design to the wig styles, the Broadway musical creates a richly detailed vision of the 1920s and ’30s with a captivating union of heart and laughs, song and dance. Some Like It Hot was named Best Musical by the Drama Desk, The Drama League and the Outer Critics Circle. Featuring music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Shaiman and Scott Wittman, a book by Matthew López and Amber Ruffin and stellar direction and choreography by Casey Nicholaw.
Media assets here.
About MAMMA MIA! – Jan. 14-26, 2025
A mother. A daughter. 3 possible dads. And a trip down the aisle you’ll never forget!
Set on a Greek island paradise where the sun always shines, a tale of love, friendship, and identity is beautifully told through the timeless hits of ABBA. On the eve of her wedding, a daughter’s quest to discover the father she’s never known brings three men from her mother’s past back to the island they last visited decades ago.
For nearly 25 years, people all around the world have fallen in love with the characters, the story, and the music that make MAMMA MIA! the ultimate feel-good show.
Media assets here.
About A Beautiful Noise – Feb. 4-9, 2025
The untold true story of a Brooklyn kid who became a chart-busting, show-stopping, award-winning American icon. Created in collaboration with Neil Diamond himself, A BEAUTIFUL NOISE is the uplifting true story of how a kid from Brooklyn became a chart-busting, show-stopping American rock icon. With 120 million albums sold, a catalogue of classics like “America,” “Forever in Blue Jeans,” and “Sweet Caroline,” an induction into the Songwriters and Rock and Roll Halls of Fame, a Grammy® Lifetime Achievement Award, and sold-out concerts around the world that made him bigger than Elvis, Neil Diamond’s story was made to shine on Broadway-and head out on the road across America. Like Jersey Boys and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical before it, A BEAUTIFUL NOISE THE NEIL DIAMOND MUSICAL is an inspiring, exhilarating, energy-filled musical memoir, that tells the untold true story of how America’s greatest hitmaker became a star, set to the songs that defined his career.
Media assets here.
About MJ The Musical – March 4-16, 2025
He is one of the greatest entertainers of all time. Now, Michael Jackson’s unique and unparalleled artistry comes to Orlando as MJ, the multi Tony Award®-winning new musical centered around the making of the 1992 Dangerous World Tour, begins a tour of its own. Created by Tony Award®-winning Director/Choreographer Christopher Wheeldon and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage, MJ goes beyond the singular moves and signature sound of the star, offering a rare look at the creative mind and collaborative spirit that catapulted Michael Jackson into legendary status. MJ is startin’ somethin’ as it makes its Florida premiere at the Dr. Phillips Center in March 2025.
Media assets here.
About Mean Girls – March 28-30, 2025
Direct from Broadway, Mean Girls is an incredibly entertaining hit musical from award-winning creative team, including book writer Tina Fey (“30 Rock”), composer Jeff Richmond (“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”), lyricist Nell Benjamin (Legally Blond) and original director and choreographer Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon). Don’t be fooled by the pink! Cady Heron may have grown up on an African savanna, but nothing could prepare her for the primal ways of her strange new home: suburban Illinois. Soon, this naïve newbie falls prey to a trio of lionized frenemies led by the charming but ruthless Regina George. But when Cady devises a plan to end Regina’s reign, she learns the hard way that you can’t cross a Queen Bee without getting stung.
Media assets here.
About Disney’s The Lion King – April 23 – May 18, 2025
On Broadway since 1997, there is simply nothing else like Disney’s The Lion King. Join more than 100 million people around the world and experience the entire Serengeti come to life as never before with awe-inspiring visual artistry, unforgettable music and the uniquely theatrical storytelling of this Broadway spectacular – one of the most breathtaking and beloved productions ever to grace the stage. Winner of six Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Disney’s The Lion King is born from one of the most imaginative creative teams on Broadway. Tony Award-winning director Julie Taymor brings to life a story filled with hope and adventure set against an amazing backdrop of stunning visuals. Also featuring the extraordinary work of Tony Award®-winning choreographer Garth Fagan and some of Broadway’s most recognizable music including “Circle of Life,” “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King,” and “Hakuna Matata,” crafted by Tony Award®-winning artists Elton John and Tim Rice.
Media assets here.
About STOMP – June 6-7, 2025
STOMP is explosive, provocative, sophisticated, startlingly unique and appeals to audiences of all ages. Created in 1991 by Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas, the international percussion sensation has garnered an armful of awards including an Olivier Award for Best Choreography and Drama Desk Award for Unique Theatre Experience. This worldwide phenomenon has performed in over 350 cities in 36 countries, picking up numerous rave reviews along the way and securing several appearances on national television shows. The eight-member troupe uses everything but conventional percussion instruments – matchboxes, wooden poles, brooms, garbage cans, Zippo lighters, hubcaps – to fill the stage with magnificent rhythms. See what all the noise is about.
Media assets here.
About SHUCKED – June 24-29, 2025
SHUCKED is the Tony Award®–winning musical comedy The Wall Street Journal calls “flat out hilarious!” And nobody knows funny like economists. Featuring a book by Tony Award winner Robert Horn (Tootsie), a score by the Grammy® Award–winning songwriting team of Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally (Kacey Musgraves’ “Follow Your Arrow”), and directed by Tony Award winner Jack O’Brien (Hairspray), this corn-fed, corn-bred American musical is sure to satisfy your appetite for great musical theater. SHUCKED is recommended for ages 10+. SHUCKED contains adult themes, moments of adult language and a harvest of corny innuendo.
Media assets here.
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About Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts: Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts is a private nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization in downtown Orlando supported by the City of Orlando, Orange County, the City of Winter Park, the State of Florida and generous donors and sponsors. The 698,312-square-foot venue includes performance spaces like the Walt Disney Theater, the Alexis & Jim Pugh Theater, the Steinmetz Hall and Judson’s Live; and event spaces like the DeVos Family Room, the Rooftop Terrace and the Seneff Arts Plaza. In addition, the arts center’s AdventHealth School of Arts offers performing arts education year-round. For more information, visit drphillipscenter.org. Follow on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X.
About the AdventHealth Central Florida Division: AdventHealth’s Central Florida Division encompasses 17 hospitals and ERs in the four counties in and surrounding metro Orlando. The world-class hospitals, combined with a comprehensive outpatient care network, see more than 3.5 million patient visits annually. AdventHealth also has an expansive research portfolio in Central Florida, with more than 650 clinical trials and studies in progress. The organization has a deep commitment to serving the community and has a local financial impact of more than $1 billion annually. AdventHealth and its employees are responsible for nearly 20 percent of Central Florida’s economy. The division’s flagship campus — AdventHealth Orlando — boasts nationally and internationally recognized programs, and serves as a major tertiary and quaternary referral hospital for much of the Southeast, the Caribbean and Latin America. Quality specialty care is provided through AdventHealth Institutes, which is nationally recognized in numerous specialties. AdventHealth Orlando has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report, Newsweek and the Leapfrog Group. Learn more about the Central Florida Division on our Newsroom.
The John Gore Organization is the leading presenter, distributor, and marketer of Broadway theater worldwide. Under the leadership of 20-time Tony-winning theater producer and owner John Gore, its family of companies includes Broadway Across America, Broadway.com, The Broadway Channel, BroadwayBox.com, Group Sales Box Office and Broadway Brands. The company presents shows in 48 cities across North America as well as on Broadway, Off-Broadway, London’s West End, Japan, and China. It has won Tony Awards in every producing category as well as numerous other Drama League, Drama Desk and Olivier Awards. The John Gore Organization is committed to supporting theater access and education programs that introduce Broadway to the next generation of audiences and theater professionals.
Broadway Across America (BAA) is part of the John Gore Organization family of companies, which includes Broadway.com, The Broadway Channel, BroadwayBox.com, Group Sales Box Office and Broadway Brands. Led by 20-time Tony-winning theater producer John Gore (Owner & CEO), BAA is the foremost presenter of first-class touring productions in North America, operating in 48 markets with over 400,000 subscribers. Presentations include Disney’s The Lion King, Wicked, The Book of Mormon, and Hamilton. Current productions include &Juliet, Hadestown, Hamilton, Kimberly Akimbo, MJ: The Musical and Moulin Rouge! The Musical.
Florida Theatrical Association – the non-profit presenter of Broadway in Orlando, Fort Lauderdale and Miami – was founded with the charge of educating and developing new theater audiences and encouraging and preserving the presentation of touring Broadway theater. Since 1989 Florida Theatrical Association has presented over 1,100 Broadway performances and distributed over $1.8 million in scholarships and grants to arts organizations across the state of Florida.
To celebrate your chance to experience your favorite Disney Princess songs performed LIVE by Broadway stars, Media Mikes would like to give our fans a chance to attend one of the following below performances. If you want a chance to win, please SUBSCRIBE to us on YouTube, click here and tell us what is your favorite Disney Princess in a comment below. This giveaway will remain open until March 8th 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.
Cast members for the 2024 US dates of Disney Princess – The Concert, a celebration of the music of Disney’s iconic princesses performed by Broadway and West End stars. Broadway actress Alyssa Fox (standby ‘Elsa’ in Frozen, currently ‘Elphaba’ in Wicked);West End’s Hiba Elchikhe (‘Jasmine’ in Aladdin, currently in The Time Traveler’s Wife); and Syndee Winters (Broadway’s ‘Nala’ in The Lion King, Hamilton) will perform this spring.
Elchikhe and Winters will perform all 40 US dates (pending Elchikhe’s US work visa), and Fox will join the cast on March 12th at Fort Wayne’s Embassy Theatre.
Tony® Award-nominee Susan Egan, Broadway’s original ‘Belle’ in Beauty and the Beast and the voice of ‘Meg’ in Hercules, will perform March 5th-March 10th.
Fans attending are encouraged to dress up in their best royal attire for an unforgettable evening, as these Broadway stars perform 30 iconic Disney songs, including favorites like “Part of Your World,” “Let It Go,” “A Whole New World,” “Colors Of The Wind,” and “How Far I’ll Go.” The 2024 tour includes new arrangements and song additions, adding the music of some of Disney’s newest princesses and greatest heroes and villains. Larger than life animation and theatrical effects accompany the music to immerse audiences in pure Disney magic.
DISNEY PRINCESS – THE CONCERT
2024 NORTH AMERICAN TOUR
March 5-March 10: Susan Egan, Hiba Elchikhe, and Syndee Winters
March 12-April 20: Hiba Elchikhe, Alyssa Fox, and Syndee Winters
MARCH
5 – Memphis, TN – Orpheum Theatre
6 – Springfield, IL – UIS Performing Arts Center
7 – Appleton, WI – Fox Cities Performing Arts Center
8 – Cincinnati, OH – Taft Theatre
9 – Kalamazoo, MI – Miller Auditorium
10 – Chicago, IL – Rosemont Theatre
12 – Fort Wayne, IN – Embassy Theatre
13 – Detroit, MI – Fox Theatre
14 – Indianapolis, IN – Clowes Memorial Hall
15 – Milwaukee, WI – Riverside Theater
16 – St. Louis, MO – Fox Theatre
17 – Oklahoma City, OK – Civic Center Music Hall
19 – Denver, CO – Buell Theatre
21 – San Jose, CA – San Jose Civic Center
22 – Anaheim, CA – City National Grove Anaheim
23 – Anaheim, CA – City National Grove Anaheim
24 – Long Beach, CA – Terrace Theater
26 – Eugene, OR – Hult Center
27 – Spokane, WA – First Interstate Center for the Arts
28 – Seattle, WA – McCaw Hall
29 – Boise, ID – Morrison Center for the Performing Arts
30 – Salt Lake City, UT – Eccles Theater
APRIL
2 – San Antonio, TX – Tobin Center
3 – Austin, TX – Long Center
4 – New Orleans, LA – Saenger Theatre
5 – Birmingham, AL – BJCC Concert Hall
6 – Clearwater, FL – Ruth Eckerd Hall
7 – Fort Lauderdale, FL – AuRene Theater
8 – Orlando, FL – Steinmetz Hall at Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts
10 – Greensboro, NC – Tanger Center
11 – Columbus, GA – RiverCenter
12 – Charlotte, NC – Ovens Auditorium
13 – Atlanta, GA – Fox Theatre
14 – Durham, NC – Durham Performing Arts Center
16 – Schenectady, NY – Proctors
17 – Red Bank, NJ – Count Basie Center for the Arts
18 – Providence, RI – Providence Performing Arts Center
19 – Rochester, NY – Kodak Center
20 – Buffalo, NY – Shea’s Buffalo Theatre
To celebrate the release of MIGRATION, Media Mikes would like to give our fans a chance to win a digital copy of the film. If you want a chance to win, please SUBSCRIBE to us on YouTube, click here and tell us what is your favorite Illumination film in a comment below. This giveaway will remain open until March 8th 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.
Filled with Illumination’s signature subversive humor, authentic heart, and unforgettable characters, and hailed as “something the whole family can enjoy” (Collider), MIGRATION is a hilariously funny, feathered family vacation like no other! Fans can join the Mallard family, as they embark on a journey south for the winter to Jamaica via New York City, only for their well-laid plans to go awry, leading to new friends and unknown horizons.
To celebrate the release of Imaginary, Media Mikes would like to give our fans a chance to win a Atom movie tickets to see the film in theaters. If you want a chance to win, please SUBSCRIBE to us on YouTube, click here and tell us what is your favorite Blumhouse film in a comment below. This giveaway will remain open until March 8th 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.
Synopsis: From Blumhouse, the genre-defining masterminds behind FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S and M3GAN, comes an original horror that taps into the innocence of imaginary friends – and begs the question: Are they really figments of childhood imagination or is something more terrifying lying just beneath?
When Jessica (DeWanda Wise) moves back into her childhood home with her family, her youngest stepdaughter Alice (Pyper Braun) develops an eerie attachment to a stuffed bear named Chauncey she finds in the basement. Alice starts playing games with Chauncey that begin playful and become increasingly sinister.
As Alice’s behavior becomes more and more concerning, Jessica intervenes only to realize Chauncey is much more than the stuffed toy bear she believed him to be.
Lionsgate and Blumhouse present, a Tower of Babble production.
ABOUT IMAGINARY
RELEASE DATE: March 8th, 2024
DIRECTOR: Jeff Wadlow
WRITER: Jeff Wadlow & Greg Erb & Jason Oremland
PRODUCED BY: Jason Blum, Jeff Wadlow, p.g.a.
KEY CAST: DeWanda Wise, Tom Payne, Taegan Burns, Pyper Braun, with Veronica Falcon, and Betty Buckley
Singer, Actor, Producers & Performer Bo Bice was 2005 runner-up season of America Idol. He has performed around the World as a solo artist and spent 5 years fronting Blood, Sweat & Tears since his then. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Bo again to discuss his new song “Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man”, his upcoming writing plans and new album details!
Miami – Feb 12 AMC Aventura 7:30pm
http://gofobo.com/xLreQ73707
Orlando – Feb 12 Regal Waterford Lakes 7:30pm
http://gofobo.com/xTTQX40991
Tampa – Feb 12 AMC Westshore 7:30pm
http://gofobo.com/EoOEi53940
West Palm Beach – Feb 12 Cinemark Boynton Beach 7:30pm
http://gofobo.com/kKXUj55861
SYNOPSIS:
BOB MARLEY: ONE LOVE celebrates the life and music of an icon who inspired generations through his message of love and unity. On the big screen for the first time, discover Bob’s powerful story of overcoming adversity and the journey behind his revolutionary music. Produced in partnership with the Marley family and starring Kingsley Ben-Adir as the legendary musician and Lashana Lynch as his wife Rita, BOB MARLEY: ONE LOVE is in theatres February 14, 2024.
Monday, February 5th: MIAMI – AMC SUNSET – 7:30PM
A coming of RAGE love story from acclaimed writer Diablo Cody (JENNIFER’S BODY) about a misunderstood teenager and her high school crush, who happens to be a handsome corpse. After a set of playfully horrific circumstances bring him back to life, the two embark on a murderous journey to find love, happiness…and a few missing body parts on the way.
THE UNDERDOGGS Advance Screening
Wednesday, January 24th
AMC Aventura
7:30PM
DOWNLOAD YOUR PASSES HERE: https://mgmscreenings.com/UDMMMIA
If asked to input a code, it is UDMMMIA
Jaycen “Two Js” Jennings (Snoop Dogg) is a washed-up ex-professional football star who has hit rock bottom. When Jaycen is sentenced to community service coaching the Underdoggs, an unruly pee-wee football team in his hometown of Long Beach, California, he sees it as an opportunity to rebuild his public image and turn his life around. As Jaycen works to transform the foul-mouthed Underdoggs into top-notch champions, he reconnects with his past, including an old flame and few of his ex-teammates and rediscovers his love of the game.
Jason Isaacs is known best for his roles including playing Colonel William Tavington in “The Patriot”, Captain Hook in Peter Pan, D.J. in Event Horizon and of course everyone’s favorite Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter film series. He also worked on TV series like “Star Trek: Discovery” and 2012’s “Awake” on NBC. Jason returns to TV with his new show on BritBox called “Archie: The Man Who Became Cary Grant”. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Jason about his role in “Archie” and his love for playing a villain.
Official Premise: He was one of the twentieth century’s most iconic figures, who touched the world with his charm, wit and grace. Yet, few truly knew him. Jason Isaacs stars as Archie Leach, who would go on to become Hollywood’s greatest leading man, in this remarkable, little-known story from BAFTA-winner Jeff Pope.
Dermot Mulroney is known best for his role of Michael O’ Neal in “My Best Friend’s Wedding”. He has also appeared in horror films like “Insidious: Chapter 3” and “Scream VI”. Dermot also has well known TV appearances in shows like “New Girl” and “Shameless”.
Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Dermot about his latest thriller called “Ruthless” as well as the upcoming “Anyone but You” starring Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell, he also commented on his hopes for “My Best Friend’s Wedding 2”.
David Keith is known for his breakthrough role of aspiring Navy pilot Sid Worley in “An Officer and a Gentleman, for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award. He also played Elvis Presley in the 1988 film “Heartbreak Hotel”. Keith’s latest movie is “Walden” co-starring Emile Hirsch. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with David about his new film “Walden” and what he has planned next for 2024.
Considered a ‘lost’ Linnea Quigley movie, “Scream Queen” now enjoys it first ever wide release on home video. This super obscurity was shot in 1998 by indie horror stalwart Brad Sykes, and finally finished in 2002. “Scream Queen is not only a solid 1990s Shot-on-Video slasher that borrows from the Italian Giallo sub-genre, but also takes swift jabs at the US independent horror movie scene of the time. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Brad about the release of “Scream Queen” and his plans for 2024.
MG: Let’s start with the upcoming Blu-ray release of ‘Scream Queen’; how do you feel that this film is finally getting a release after 25 years?
BS: I’m thrilled! I honestly had given up hope that it would happen, after an attempted DVD release back in 2012 that fell through at the last minute. But in some ways, it’s for the best, because this release is better quality and has way more special features than we would have had ten years ago.
MG: How did you get involved with Visual Vengeance?
BS: I’ve been working with Wild Eye Releasing, Visual Vengeance’s parent company, since 2013 when they released my anthology movie Hi-8: Horror Independent Eight. Since then, Wild Eye has released my films Hi-Death, Plaguers, and, this past July, Hi-Fear. I like working with them so when they contacted me about Scream Queen back in 2020, I was happy to hear that they’d be releasing it through their new label, Visual Vengeance.
MG: Was Linnea Quigley always in mind for the role of Malicia Tombs? Tell us about your experience working with her?
BS: I literally wrote the character with Linnea in mind, but I didn’t think we’d actually get her. But thankfully my friend Courtney Joyner, who also has a small part in the film, made a phone call and set up a meeting between me and Linnea. It went well and after reading the script, she agreed to do it.
I had a great time working with Linnea on the movie. In fact, many of my favorite memories of the shoot involve working with her, and just hanging out before and after the shoot, and later directing a music video for her song “This Chainsaw’s Made for Cutting”, which you see in the film.
MG: Tell us about the inspiration with the Italian Giallo sub-genre in the film?
BS: Giallos and Eurohorror in general are two of my favorite genres, so it was fun to incorporate elements from both into the script. I tried to add these kinds of touches wherever I could (and if the budget would allow). The location is a house is Glendale, but we tried to treat it like the type of “old dark house” you’d find in a movie like The Devil’s Nightmare, with sconces on the walls and Gothic costumes and props. For example, the killer has the black gloves and “faceless” look of the killer in Bava’s Blood and Black Lace, and one of the murders is fashioned after scenes in Tenebre, where the girl has pages of a book shoved down her throat (in our film, it’s pages of a script). Scream Queen was always intended to be a murder mystery as opposed to a Halloween-type slasher, so the giallo homages fit well into the film.
MG: Tell us about your decision to release the film on Blu-ray with a 480p SD master?
BS: The producer and original distributor didn’t have any usable masters, so I provided the masters I had for this release. It wasn’t my “decision”, I just offered up the best elements I had available.
MG: The Blu-ray is jam packed with a ton of special features; give us a hint of what we can expect?
BS: My favorite special feature on the disc is “Once Upon a Time in Horrorwood”, which was produced through Nightfall Pictures, the production company I run with my wife/producer, Josephina. It’s an all-new, very comprehensive, half hour doc during which I take you through the entire process of making the movie, from the script to its rocky journey to finally getting released. There are interviews with Linnea and one of the editors, an audio commentary, behind the scenes stills and press materials, etc. which all give different perspectives on the making of Scream Queen. I had a hand in just about all the extras and it was nice to be so involved in the release of my first ‘pro’ movie.
MG: I am a big fan of the Witchcraft series; how did you get involved to write/direct the 12th installment in the series, Witchcraft XII: In the Lair of the Serpent?
BS: I had made three movies for Vista Street Entertainment before that: Babes in the Woods, Mad Jack and Lord of the Vampires. When they started moving ahead with Witchcraft XII, they approached me to write and direct it, which was funny, because I had a Witchcraft II poster on my wall when I was growing up. Be careful what you wish for! I honestly hadn’t seen all the films and I don’t think it mattered because there is very little connective tissue outside of one character, Will Spanner, who I had to bring back. But otherwise, I was allowed to take the series in a more crime/noir direction, because I’m a big fan of those types of films.
MG: It’s unbelievable that this series has lasted 16 films over 30+ years; why do you think it has stood the test of time?
BS: Everyone loves a good horror franchise, I guess. I haven’t seen any of the ones made after Part XII. I’m kind of amazed they’re still making them. I’ve also been on the other side of the table, with several films of mine, including Camp Blood, Death Factory and Zombie Chronicles, getting sequels. I also recently completed my own “Trilogy” with Hi-Fear, which is the third film in the Hi-8 series.
MG: Camp Blood was also a great franchise; how do you reflect working on the first couple of films in that series?
BS: Camp Blood was the third movie I directed, but the first to get released. The biggest challenge on that film was the 3D technology we had to use. There was a big learning curve involved and it posed restrictions on how we could shoot things. I wanted to make a simple slasher film like the ones I had always enjoyed, with a few twists. It was a short shoot, with some challenges for sure with shooting outdoors with inclement weather, but we had fun, too.
I never thought we would make a sequel, but we did the following year based on the first film’s success in foreign territories (it was especially popular in the UK for some reason). For Camp Blood 2, I went in a more comedic/satirical direction, like I had for Scream Queen. Both films are essentially satires of the movie business using my experiences I had up till that point. I didn’t have as good a time making the movie, but the FX came out great and we had a professional stuntman playing the Clown, which made things easier.
Camp Blood 3, which was later retitled Within the Woods by the distributor, was made a few years later and was the first film produced by my wife Josephina and I’s production company, Nightfall Pictures. So, there was a lot of pressure to deliver a good movie for our first time out. Again, I used the slasher genre to satirize the entertainment world, in this case reality TV which was getting big at the time (and has gotten bigger since). Very ambitious film for its budget but I loved the cast and the DP did a wonderful job. I like all three Camp Bloods for different reasons, and the fans seem to feel the same way, everybody has their favorite.
MG: What would you say has been your most difficult project to date?
BS: I had an awful experience making Loving Angelique, an erotic thriller in the Poison Ivy vein. It should have been fairly simple, with one main location, a limited number of characters, a decent schedule, etc. And I had made a movie for the production company before, Demon’s Kiss, which was also an erotic thriller (but much more ambitious), so I thought I knew what they wanted. But it was just one of those films where nothing and nobody clicked…the actors didn’t want to be there, the DP was a burned out veteran with a lot of credits but who didn’t give a damn about anything, the executive producer was hanging around trying to give ‘notes’ all the time, and the producer didn’t have my back. I gave it my best shot and the movie honestly didn’t turn out too bad, but it was a very unpleasant shoot and I had little involvement in the editing. I’ve made much more complex movies that were way more fun to make, despite the challenges.
MG: What do you have planned next for 2024?
BS: 2023 has been a big year with a lot of projects I’ve worked on for years, some dating to before the pandemic, finally getting released. Currently I am also promoting my book “Neon Nightmares: L.A. Thrillers of the 1980s” (available from BearManor Media, Amazon, B&N, etc.) and my anthology movie Hi-Fear, which is on DVD and can be streamed on iTunes, Amazon Video, etc. These both came out just a few months ago. Josephina and I are also producing special features for other upcoming Visual Vengeance releases of my films. And I have a new movie I plan on shooting next year. So, plenty going on at Nightfall Pictures right now and into 2024.
