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.

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!

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.

Pierce Bronson is no stranger to the action genre, he is known best for playing James Bond 007 in “Goldeneye”, “The World is Not Enough” and “Tomorrow Never Dies”. He also stars in comedies like “Mrs. Doubtfire” and “Mamma Mia”. He also played Doctor Fate in last years superhero film “Black Adam”. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Pierce about his new film “Fast Charlie”, which co-stars Morena Baccarin and the late James Cann.

Here is the premise for “Fast Charlie”: For twenty years, Charlie Swift has been a fixer and hitman for a mob boss named Stan. After a rival boss puts a hit on Stan and his crew, Charlie is the sole survivor. Charlie decides to avenge his friend and teams up with Marcie, the ex-wife of a mobster he killed.

Ryan Kwanten is known best for his role of Jason Stackhouse in HBO’s “True Blood”. He also stars in one of my favorite films, “Dead Silence”. Natalia Cordova-Buckley is known best for her role in “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” playing Elena “Yo-Yo” Rodriguez. Ryan and Natalia took out sometime to chat with Media Mikes to discuss their latest film “The Portrait”.

Here is the premise to “The Portrait”: After Sofia causes her husband Alex’s accident that leaves him with a brain injury, she becomes fixated on a mysterious portrait that bears a striking resemblance to his former self. However, as the portrait begins to haunt her, she must determine whether it is possessed or if she is having a mental breakdown

Brett Kelly is known for his work in the shark genre for films like “Jurassic Shark”, “Raiders of the Lost Shark” and even “Puppet Shark”. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Brett about his latest upcoming movie “Kaiju Glam Metal Shark Attack”, which looks amazing and recently just completed a very successful Indiegogo campaign.

Director Tyler MacIntyre is no stranger to horror genre. He has directed films like V/H/S/99 and Tragedy Girls. His latest film, It’s a Wonderful Knife, is a blend between Scream and It’s a Wonderful Life, with great success and a stacked cast incl. Joel McHale, Katharine Isabelle, William B. Davis and Justin Long. It’s a Wonderful Knife is in theaters November 10th! Be sure to check it out!

Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Tyler about the new movie and working in the horror genre.

@FeliciaDay is known best for her web series The Guild and Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog. Some might also know her from playing Vi in the series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Dr. Holly Marten in Eureka. She also had a recurring role as Charlie Bradbury on Supernatural and in Mystery Science Theater 3000. Besides TV work, Felicia has also written two bestselling books over the years.

Her latest audio book, Third Eye, which is only available on Audible, was released in October of 2023 and features a full cast including herself, Neil Gaiman, Christopher Judge, Carolyn Seymour, Laraine Newman, Wil Wheaton, Danny Pudi, Sean Astin, LilyPichu, London Hughes, Alan Tudyk, Janet Varney, Amy Okuda, Phil LaMarr, Steve Agee, Kate Miccuci, Jeff Lewis, Troy Baker, Harvey Guillen and Weird Al Yankovic to name a few.

Media Mikes had a chance to speak with Felicia about this new audio book and what fans can expect ranging from Easter Eggs to bending genres between science-fiction, fantasy and comedy!

Official Premise of Third Eye: Once upon a time, in the magical land of San Francisco, there lived a not-so-ordinary girl named Laurel Pettigrew. She was supposed to be the Chosen One. The plan was simple: She would vanquish the great evil Tybus in an epic battle. But destiny had other ideas, and Laurel’s performance in the whole heroics department was a colossal flop.

Now, instead of being a legendary hero, Laurel’s the resident pariah of the magic realm. And what’s worse, the dark wizard Tybus swooped in, took over the realm, and forced all supernatural creatures to live under his tyrannical rule. He’s even stripped away the magical powers of those who refused to join his wicked cause. Yeah, everyone hates her. Well, everyone except her two roomies—Sybil, the sassiest diva of a fairy, who could throw shade with the flick of a wing. And Frank, the vampire who rocks a bald spot and a serious paunch. They are the real MVPs, the ride-or-die buddies who have her back, no matter how many colossal fails she racks up.

And it’s all about to get even weirder. Along comes Kate, a Normie who somehow knows more about Laurel than Laurel knows about herself. Turns out, she’s got some secrets up her sleeve that might just give Laurel a shot at redemption and a chance to rewrite her destiny.

Third Eye is a side-splitting adventure that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Laurel and her ragtag team of misfits must embark on a wild journey to take down Tybus. It’s a treacherous path, but they’ll have to put their differences aside and work together. Get ready to laugh, gasp, and cheer as they stumble their way toward an epic showdown.

Austrian crossover legends KONTRUST are one of the most extravagant and exciting acts on the scene. On their first album in nine years, KONTRUST present new vocalist Julia Ivanova and new drummer Joey Sebald, who already won over live audiences in the summer of 2022 at huge festivals such as Graspop Metal Meeting, Hellfest Open Air, Barcelona Rockfest and Resurrection Fest.

Throughout their two decade-spanning career, the Austrian based outfit has gained millions and millions of YouTube views with their exciting music videos, with over 15 million views on the electrifying hits “Hey DJ!” and “Bomba” alone. With their new album, madworld, KONTRUST prove their standing as an unpredictable force in the scene – ready to exceed everything they have achieved so far!

Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Kontrust members Manuel Haglmüller & Julia Ivanova about the new album and what fans can expect next from the band.

Dennis Paoli is the writer of films like Re-Animator, From Beyond, Dagon and Castle Freak – to name a few. He is a long time collaborator with the late Stuart Gordon. He recently teamed up with Joe Lynch (Mayhem, Chillerama) on the new film, Suitable Flesh, starring Heather Graham and Barbara Crampton. Media Mikes had a chance to chat about his career adapting H.P. Lovecraft’s work and his new film Suitable Flesh.

It’s the greatest novel ever written (ok, that’s just my opinion but prove me wrong) that became a beloved film.  Sixty-three years later, Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” has been adapted into a play by Oscar and Emmy Award winning writer Aaron Sorkin.

The play features Richard Thomas as Atticus Finch and Mary Badham, who played Scout in the film, earning an Academy Award nomination for her performance, as the Finch’s cranky neighbor, Miss Dubose.  In this production, the role of Scout is played by Maeve Moynihan.  Ms. Moynihan recently took time while on the road to talk with Media Mikes about the show, her role and her journey to the stage.

MICHAEL SMITH:  How did you come to be cast in “To Kill a Mockingbird?”

MAEVE MOYNIHAN:  Its been kind of a wild journey for me.  I auditioned for the show in 2019 and went through a few rounds of auditions.  And then they offered me the tour.  I didn’t even know there was a tour so I was thrilled.  It was my first year in New York so it was really exciting.  I was cast in the ensemble and I was supposed to understudy Scout and Mayella as well.  Then COVID happened and I didn’t have an industry.  I waited two years to do the tour.  It was surreal that it even happened because I kept thinking it would never happen.  They would cancel it, then they kept changing the dates.  They kept everything on pause.  So, just to be in rehearsals in the room in New York was thrilling.  I toured with the show for a year and a half and then they offered me Scout.  It was super exciting.  It still doesn’t feel real. 

MS:  What drew you to acting?

MM:  I grew up with three siblings and our parents gave us free reign to try multiple things out,  Whether it was sports or the arts, they really wanted us to be exposed to things.  When I was about eight I enrolled in a theater class and I loved it.  That was at the Minneapolis Children’s Theater Company.  They were holding auditions for “The wizard of Oz” for the Munchkins.  My parents asked me if I wanted to audition and I told them “no.  But then I did it.  I didn’t think much of it but they offered me a role as one of the Munchkins and that was my first play.  Growing up I was so exposed to so many great theater companies, so in addition to being in some great productions I was also able to see a lot of them.  That had a huge impact on me as a young adult. 

MS:  Prior to being cast in the show had you read the novel or seen the film?

MM:  I had read the novel, I think in ninth grade.  I had never seen the film but once I got cast I watched it.  Then I showed up at the table read, where we all sit down and read the script for the first time with each other and Mary Badham, who played Scout in the film and plays Miss Dubose in the play, was sitting across from me at the table.  I looked over at her and I thought, “Oh my gosh…that’s scout!”  I literally had just realized it.  I hadn’t put two and two together. 

MS:  I have not yet seen the show so the answer to this question may be revealed during the show.  At the end of the novel, Scout is eight.  You obviously are not.  How is that addressed in the show?  Or is it?

MM:  In our production, what Aaron Sorkin has done, is create this theatrical device for the three kids:  Scout, Jem and Dill.  They are all played by adult actors playing children and they serve as the narrators of the story.  They look on the audience as their confidant.  What I think is particularly  interesting about Scout is that you get to see her as a young child and you get to see her as an adult lawyer reflecting on her life and reflecting on the choices her father made.  I also think that with an adult actor you’re able to create a deeper sense of vulnerability that maybe as a child actor you can’t access.  You can also delve into certain areas that may be hard to explain or hard for a young actor to grasp. 

MS:  Any tips from Mary Badham?  Any notes after a show?

MM:  No, but she is really supportive and really encouraging.  She’s told me about her time with Gregory Peck and what it was like experiencing all that she did as a child.  I can’t even imagine being Oscar nominated at her age.  And she has such a great humility about her.  What I have really appreciated is that she has allowed me to make the role my own.  Obviously she’s there as a wonderful resource but she has also given me the time to figure it out myself.

MS:  Do you have a dream role?  Is there a role that, if they called you and sakd “would you like to play this?” you’d jump at it?

MM:  Oh my gosh, that’s such a hard question  (laughs).  Scout is pretty much a dream role, I must say.  It’s pretty fantastic.    I kind of feel like I’m already living out my dream now.  The classics, I guess.  Juliet.  Any of the Tennesse Williams plays.  Any of the really great writers.  There are some great roles you’d like to grow into, like Martha in “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf.”  That’s the kind of role I someday hope to play.  But right now, this is definitely a dream. 

“To Kill a Mockingbird” opens at the Music Hall in Kansas City on Tuesday, October 24th.  For tickets and more information click HERE