New York Comic Con took over the Javits Center in midtown last weekend. Of course it had amazing panels and merchandise booths but the show floor wouldn’t be the same without the tons of costumed fans that flooded in. We’ve highlighted some of our favorites from the floor in the following photosets:
Marvel Universe
DC Universe
“They’ve Got Red on Them”
Random Faves
Photography by: Elizabeth Phillips
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New York Comic Con
Date: Thursday, October 10th – Sunday, October 13th
Venue: Jacob K. Javitz Center, New York, New York
Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars
The annual New York Comic Con kapowed its way into the Jacob K. Javitz center once again this year for 4 days of fandom and craziness. From 10/10-10/14 the massive multi level convention center played host to the annual event which showcases everything from comics and video games, to pop culture icons and informative workshops. With 2012 convention attendance being reported as over 100,000 attendees for the 4 days this year’s events would easily be able to match if not top that number.
This year’s con featured a slightly different layout than that of previous years which proved to be a plus as several high traffic areas which normally wreaked havoc on fans were redesigned allowing for smooth passage to the different areas of the venue. This also included the entrances of the venue which saw expansive security fencing and added staff to help keep fans from spilling over into the bustling streets surrounding the hall. These two changes right off the bat made my time at the convention a lot better and a lot less sweaty. (If you have ever experienced the con you know what I mean). Though the convention seemed smaller than that of previous year there was certainly still plenty to keep fans busy over the 4 days. On the main convention floor fans were treated to impressive booth displays by Nintendo, Ubisoft and New York’s own Midtown Comics which all played host to a number of cool merchandise. As my assistant and I made our through the packed isles we stumbled across a number of different media personalities. Charlie Adlard of “Walking Dead” fame was spotted working commission pieces, Claudio Sanchez of Coheed and Cambria/ Evil Ink was signing for fans as were a number of other guests though out the event. To the left of the main hall was “The Block” which like in previous years was home to a bevy of multi medium artists who were on hand showcasing their newest works and products. Once again you never know who you will run in to as this time around I was lucky enough to meet punk icon Jerry Only of the Misfits who was on hand for the unveiling of the new Misfits Records logo.
Artist Alley was a buzz of excitement as hardcore comic fans filed in to meet their favorite artists and have their most prized books signed. Some of the longest lines on Friday belonged to the likes of artists Aaron Kuder (Amory Wars, Amazing Spiderman), Humberto Ramos (Superior Spiderman, Uncanny X-Men) and David Finch of “The Dark Knight” and “JLA” fame. There was certainly lots of talent on hand in this area of the convention which in my opinion was like a whole other convention in its self.
The Autographing area which much like last year still seemed worlds away from the constant bustle and activity happening on the main floor however a break from the crowd noise is always nice. On this day the longest lines belong to “The Office” star BJ Novak, “Star Wars” Anthony Daniels and “Dr. Who’s” Colin Baker. It wouldn’t be until Saturday/Sunday that the Hollywood heavy weights would turn out as booths laid in waiting for the likes of Sigourney Weaver, Chloe Grace Moretz and Sylvester Stallone who after a bit of research I found out was charging $395 per autograph and an additional $445 for a photo! Yes you read that right.
Also in the same vicinity as the autograph area was the always popular panel viewing rooms. Everyone from AMC’s “Comic Book Men” to the 25th anniversary of “Child’s Play” had events going on in one of the various rooms. Probably two of the biggest events for this day would be the “Comic Book Men” panel hosted by none other than Kevin Smith himself and the 10th anniversary panel for “The Walking Dead” comic which featured creator Robert Kirkman. Featured panels for the weekend included talks with “Robot Chicken”, “The League” and AMC’s hit series “The Walking Dead” which featured a majority of the cast.
Though this year’s event seemed a bit scaled back in the way of big celebrity guests other than the above mentioned and the main floor seemed lacking in several big name companies many of which are on the verge of major releases (Sony PS4 and Xbox 720 where both nowhere to be found) NYCC 2013 was a great time. Both my assistant and I were left shell shocked by all in which we took in and will probably use the time between this year’s event and next year’s event just to re-cooperate we certainly can’t wait to do it all over again in 2014.
“A Christmas Story” is celebrating it’s 30th anniversary this Christmas and Zack Ward, who played Scut Farkus in the film is looking to show my appreciation by giving back. “Fark-O-Vision!” is an app that raises money for Bully Prevention programs around the country! Click here to support the campaign and spread the word before November 30th, 2013.
Here is Zack’s pitch from indiegogo.com:
“We’re creating a free app that will allow people to “Fark-i-Fy” their photos. Ya know, you can take your face and mess it up…in a good way. You can then send your photos via text, email, Facebook, Twitter, or hard copy postcard to your friends, family, enemies, or random strangers. The postcard will cost about $1-$2 and that’s where we’ll raise money for Bully Prevention programs. So when it comes to sending out your personalized holiday greetings, you’re all set…and you help some kids at the same time.
The idea of Bullying has changed. Society has gotten smarter and more aware of the short term and long term damage it causes. It effects all races, sexes, religions and ages. It’s time for us to end it. And we can.
You can help us create programs for kids in underserved schools and communities. We can show them, in person, that there is a choice for both the victim AND the bully, to change and enrich their lives, and then pay it forward. We envision a world of young, kind hearted mentors, that find inner strength and gain confidence by helping their peers succeed. A true synergy for our children and our country.”
Media Mikes own Mike Smith will be a guest critic this Friday on the “Central Standard” radio program in Kansas City. The show, airing on KCUR-FM – 89.3, will take a look at some of the films that have opened in the last month and begins at 10:00 a.m. CST.
Mike will join show regulars Russ Simmons and Loey Lockerby as they discuss such recent films as RUSH, PRISONERS and MACHETE KILLS.
Listeners outside the Kansas City area can listen on-line at: http://kcur.org/programs/central-standard
Director Quentin Tarantino recently revealed his “Top 10 films of 2013 so far” with fan site The Quentin Tarantino Archives and some might be surprised by his taste in movies. Although many of his releases include highly (and deliberately superficial) violent sequences with sometimes unconventional story lines, his list illustrates that he appreciates movies of various genres. I guess it isn’t a surprise then that Woody Allen’s celebrated film Blue Jasmine is featured. More surprising however, is his choice to add Disney’s flop blockbuster The Lone Ranger featuring Johnny Depp. Below is the complete list of Tarantino’s Top 10:
As the rankings are in alphabetical order and not order of preference, it is hard to determine which film has made the ultimate #1 spot. Nonetheless, his selection will have an impact on film buffs and Tarantino fans all over the world. There are only a number of other directors like Tarantino that have influenced the cult and pop culture film scene like he has, with masterpieces like Pulp Fiction or his latest, Django Unchained. Iconic images and movie posters to his classics can be spotted at myriad retailers from online stores like posterlounge.co.uk to local video stores.
Quentin Tarantino’s next project still has not been confirmed but with public appearances at the Huading Awards in Macau, there may be a chance that he reveals something in a few days. A third part of Kill Bill is possible or a spin-off mix of Inglorious Bastards and Django. Sounds unfathomable, as have many of his story lines, so maybe it’s wise not to write off this rumor just yet.
Scare-A-Con
Date: Friday, Sept. 13th – Sunday, Sept. 15th
Venue: Turning Stone Casino, Verona, New York
Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Scare-A-Con is an up and coming 3 day movie/pop culture convention which is now in its second year of be held in the upstate NY area. Originally held in Syracuse, NY the event this year has moved to a larger venue which is part of the Turning Stone Casino in Verona, NY. The con hosted a who’s who list of film/music stars, displays and vendors that gave those in attendance plenty to keep busy with over the course of the three day event.
I attended day two of the 2013 Scare-A-Con event which after a soft opening on Friday was in full swing by the time I entered the main floor of the convention. After making my way through the admission line the first thing I noticed was the sprawling layout which allowed guests some costumed and some not room to mingle freely amongst the guests and vendors. For me this is something I always notice as it’s nice to have some room to breathe when taking things in. Everything from horror house exhibits to comics and several steam punk exhibits could be found while making your way to the various celebrity signing tables which were located throughout the venue. On hand were legendary television actors like Felix Silla and Butch Patrick to more recent actors like Scout Taylor Compton and Naomi Grossman. The longest lines of the day belong to former Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley and the lovely Linda Blair who is still capable of turning heads other than just her own. Other notable celebs in attendance who also garnered quite a bit of attention throughout the day were Tony Todd, Ernie Hudson and Sean Whalen of “People Under the Stairs” fame.
Though some of the prices being charged by celebrities in attendance were a bit high and several celebs listed were MIA I still had a good time taking in all Scar-A-Con had to offer. A lot of times with the newer conventions you see celebrity no shows or prices being a bit higher than some of the larger conventions however that’s just the way things are. All in all Scare-A-Con was a fan/family friendly event that had a little something for everyone. My only hope is that they continue to grow and expand on all of the good things the event has going for it.
For more information on Scare-A-Con you can visit the official website at www.scareacon.com
iHip Unveils “Snooki Couture” by Nicole Polizzi
Probabilities of Winning in Computer Games
We all know that when we’re playing our favorite video game, all that we want is to win. When we’re playing our favorite strategy games, fighting games or RPGs, winning rests on our skill and knowledge of the game. However, casino games are another thing altogether – here the rules of probability can help us a bit when we’re trying to win. But how does probability work in different casino games?
It isn’t called gambling for nothing you know – of course there’s never a guarantee, or else casino or bingo sites would never make any money! Although this is the case – there are definitely some probabilities that if you are aware of could tip some of the bets in your favor!
Bingo Probability
Online bingo fans, we all know you have asked yourselves how much you could win whilst playing your favorite bingo and slot games, right? At an established online bingo site – the average return to a player is somewhere between 40 and 50%. Essentially that should tell you that bingo should be played as a pastime rather than as a way to win money. As the probability of you leaving a bingo site with a profit is low – it’s a good idea for you to spend only what you can afford.
Dice Probability
When playing a dice game it’s definitely a good idea to try and figure out the probability of each throw to allow you to make an informed decision when betting. There are a total of 36 combinations and the probability ranges from 2.78% up to 16.67% – as you can see there is quite a difference there – so it’s best to swot up! What is also handy to calculate is the “House Edge”. For example in Craps the field bet is even money, however on the next throw if a 3, 4, 9, 10 or 11 comes out – it would double the bet on a 2 and treble the bet on a 12. The average probable return for craps is quite low as for every $1 a player spends – they can expect to lose 28 cents – and of course whatever the player loses – the house gains.
If you think that this is complicated, think about the different probabilities in D&D games, where the dice have up to 20 sides. This article offers more information regarding the probabilities when dealing with such dice. You can also use an online calculator.
Casino and Table Games
A common technique used when playing Blackjack is what is known as card counting. It tends to be very experienced gamblers that do this and it’s a way for them to try and gauge the probability of a winning card coming out the pack. The object is to get your hand as close to 21 as possible without boing “bust”. To count cards – you would need to keep track of the cards that are already dealt – to see what could be coming next. This could be useful as the probability will change depending on the cards that are dealt.
Roulette is completely different. There are 38 spaces and after the wheel is spun a ball will be dropped into one of them. You can bet on colours, numbers, combinations, odd and even and ranges. The safest bet would be to bet on a colour or odd and even as they are evens.
One thing both video games and casino games have in common is the ability to find help online. There are hundreds of thousands of sites out there that give you cheats and walkthroughs of the video game you’re obsessed with. Maybe you’ll be surprised to learn that there are similar casino and bingo sites, that offer advice on your favorite games. You can check this out on bananasforbingo.com, for instance. Good luck, and remember that playing online games isn’t all about winning – it’s also about enjoying the game.
Beware, horror fans: Famous names and faces from “The Exorcist,” “The Addams Family,” “Child’s Play” and “The Walking Dead” are coming to Central New York this fall.
Scare-A-Con 2013 is set for September 12-15 at the Turning Stone Resort and Casino Event Center in Verona, N.Y. Previously known as Scare-A-Cuse and hosted in Syracuse, the growing horror and sci-fi convention relocated in 2012 and was officially renamed Scare-A-Con this year.
This year’s celebrity guests include former KISS guitarist Ace Frehley, “Exorcist” actress Linda Blair, ex-WWE wrestler Greg “The Hammer” Valentine, “Candyman” star Tony Todd, “Starship Troopers” actor Jake Busey, original “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” scream queen Marilyn Burns, and Margot Kidder, who played Lois Lane to Christopher Reeve’s Clark Kent in “Superman” and “Superman II.”
The lineup also boasts small screen icons like Butch Patrick, who played Eddie Munster on “The Munsters,” Lisa Loring and Felix Silla, the original Wednesday and Cousin Itt on “The Addams Family,” and Priscilla Barnes, the controversial replacement for Suzanne Somers on “Three’s Company” in the ’80s. Younger TV fans will also recognize Kylie Szamanski, who played the Governor’s zombie daughter Penny on “The Walking Dead.”
The four-day event will also feature several reunions, including “Ghost Hunters” paranormal investigators Jason Hawes and Britt Griffith, “Mystery Science Theater 3000” funnymen Trace Beaulieu and Frank Conniff, “The Blair Witch Project” stars Heather Donahue and Michael C. Williams, and “Human Centipede” actresses Ashlynn Yennie and Ashley C. Williams.
The 2013 convention also is launching the first-ever R.I.P. Awards for “Recognition of Inspired Performance,” and the creation of a Scare-A-Con Horror Hall of Fame. Fans will vote on annual nominees and awards will be presented during the event.
For tickets and more information, visit www.scareacon.com.
www.scareacon.com
NEW YORK, NY – June 26th, 2013 – Star Wars™ fans are preparing for yet another epic journey this year as the 2nd annual Course of the Force lightsaber relay prepares for its launch July 9th through the 16th. This time, Her Universe™, a leader in female genre merchandise, and founded by actress and voice of Ahsoka Tano on Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Ashley Eckstein, will be the apparel merchandise partner for the event. Her Universe will be selling this brand new merchandise for both men and women at the COTF “conival” events in San Francisco, Santa Monica, Huntington Beach and Oceanside Pier as well as at the Her Universe booth at San Diego Comic-Con International where the relay concludes. $5.00 from the sale of each shirt and $10.00 from the sale of each hoodie will go to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
The Course of the Force is an Olympic torch-style relay that all aspiring Jedi Knights can take part in. The week long journey, which begins in San Francisco and ends in San Diego, benefits the Make-A-Wish Foundations of California. Renowned artist Russell Walks designed the 2013 look for Course of the Force that is featured on the merchandise.
“Since I began working as an artist with Lucasfilm, a lot of my childhood wishes have come true,” said Walks. “Designing the key art for the Course of the Force relay allowed me, in a very small way, to help some kids realize THEIR dreams, through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and I consider myself very lucky to have been asked to help.”
In addition to providing the apparel for this year’s Course of the Force, Eckstein is also returning, for the 2nd year in a row, as co-host with The Nerdist’s Chris Hardwick and other talent for the exclusive coverage of the relay.
“It’s an honor to return as a co-host and merchandise partner for Course of the Force,” said Eckstein. “This is truly a magical and Force-filled event. It was also a pleasure to work with Russell Walks. We are so lucky that he donated his time and talent to create this amazing design!”
You can still sign up for Course of the Force, the lightsaber relay from Skywalker Ranch to Comic-Con International in San Diego July 9-16, 2013 benefiting the Make-a-Wish Foundation, by clicking here:
About Her Universe
Her Universe was launched in 2009 by actress and entrepreneur Ashley Eckstein, and her partner, The Araca Group, known as one of the most innovative theatrical production and merchandise companies in the world. Her Universe was created to directly address the expanding market of female fans by entering into its first agreement with Lucas Licensing to develop and produce a line of female-centered Star Wars apparel and accessories. The success of that line was followed up with a collection for the Syfy network including such shows as Battlestar Galactica and with BBC America for Doctor Who and with CBS Consumer Products for Star Trek. You can learn more about Her Universe and purchase the current line of fangirl apparel and accessories by going to www.heruniverse.com and by following Eckstein on Facebook (facebook.com/HerUniverse) and Twitter (twitter.com/HerUniverse).
About Russell Walks
Illustrator Russell Walks began drawing before he could speak. He lives in Montana, where he spends his days drawing, painting and counting himself lucky that he actually gets paid for doing what he loves. twitter.com/russellwalks russellwalks.tumblr.com
STAR WARS™ and related properties are trademarks and/or copyrights, in the United States and other countries, of Lucasfilm Ltd. and/or its affiliates. TM & © Lucasfilm Ltd. All rights reserved. All other trademarks and trade names are properties of their respective owners.
This amazing Course of the Force design, created by artist Russell Walks, is available for both Men and Women. For every t-shirt purchased, $5.00 will be donated to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
$10.00 will be donated to the Make-A-Wish Foundation with the purchase of every hoodie. This super comfortable sweatshirt features the new Course of the Force crest created by Russell Walks on the back and logo on the front.
James Gandolfini, whose performance as mob boss Tony Soprano in HBO’s seminal series “The Sopranos” earned him multiple Emmy Awards, has passed away in Rome after an apparent heart attack. He was 51.
The New Jersey born actor first made an impression when he made his Broadway debut in the revival of “A Streetcar Named Desire” in 1992. I was fortunate to see the show during it’s limited run and Gandolfini more than held his own against top billed stars Alec Baldwin and Jessica Lange. Film fans will remember him as the hit man assigned to kill Patricia Arquette in Tony Scott’s adaptation of Quentin Tarantino’s “True Romance.”
Memorable supporting performances in films like “Get Shorty,” “A Civil Action” and “Fallen” led him to what would be the role he will most be associated with, Tony Soprano. His work earned him six Emmy nominations (and three awards) as well as four Golden Globe nods (with one win). He took advantage of his new popularity by getting lead roles in such films as “The Last Castle,” “The Taking of Pelham One, Two Three” and last year’s Best Picture nominee “Zero Dark Thirty.” He also gave an amazing performance (my words) giving voice to the character of Carol in the film adaptation of “Where the Wild Things Are.” He also returned to Broadway in 2009, earning a Best Actor in a Play Tony Award nomination for “Gods of Carnage.”
He was seen on screen earlier this year in the Steve Carell comedy “The Incredible Burt Wonderstone” and, according to the Internet Movie Data Base, has two more film projects being released posthumously.
Spending all day texting, on your computer, or gaming over time can lead to the dreaded “Blackberry Thumb” or carpal tunnel issues. To relieve stiffness and pain naturally try Arnicare.
Arnicare Gel by Boiron, world leader in homeopathic medicines, works with your body to help reduce muscle aches and pains. Arnicare doesn’t mask the underlying problem, but works with the body to relieve pain naturally. It is made from Arnica Montana, Latin for Mountain daisy and is unscented, non-greasy and absorbed immediately. It doesn’t interact with any other drugs.
Arnicare is safe for all ages and is the ideal solution to the aches and pains your body is feeling from an overuse of technology.
To learn more about Arnicare visit http://www.arnicare.com/
NEW YORK, NY – MAY 13th, 2013 – The Force is back at Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park as Star Wars Weekends returns May 17th through June 9th. Fans from all over the world come to share their love of all things Star Wars and Disney during this special event. Returning for the fifth year in a row is actress Ashley Eckstein, the voice of Ahsoka Tano from Star Wars: The Clone Wars and founder of the popular sci-fi merchandise line for fangirls, Her Universe™. As with previous years, Eckstein will be bringing an all-new, unique range of Star Wars by Her Universe designs to the month-long event at Disney’s Hollywood Studios including fashion tops, tunics, tanks and dresses located in Darth’s Mall. Eckstein will be meeting fans and signing autographs every day during the event and she will also be returning as host for Behind the Force: Star Wars Voices each weekend.
“As a lifelong Disney fan, it’s a dream come true for me to return to Disney’s Star Wars Weekends and debut my new Her Universe merchandise,” said Eckstein. “It’s been an honor to work with Disney to create designs for this event. We have an assortment of new items for female fans of all ages, including our new exclusive Return of the Jedi necklace in honor of the 30th Anniversary!”
Her Universe has only made 1,250 necklaces to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of this beloved movie. This extremely limited edition piece will come with an autographed certificate by Eckstein and will only be sold at select Her Universe events debuting at Star Wars Weekends. Only 500 necklaces will be available for sale at Disney starting on May 17th. They are available on a first-come-first-serve basis. Also debuting at the event will be will the highly anticipated Rogue Squadron dress and X-Wing Pilot tank top. Other items premiering will be matching youth and adult R2-D2 tunic tops, an adorable youth Princess Leia tunic top, retro women’s fashion tops and a limited edition Asajj Ventress costume top.
Photo credit: – Kelsey Edwards Photography- http://www.kelseyedwardsphoto.com/
About Her Universe
Her Universe was launched in 2009 by actress and entrepreneur Ashley Eckstein, and her partner, The Araca Group, known as one of the most innovative theatrical production and merchandise companies in the world. Her Universe was created to directly address the expanding market of female fans by entering into its first agreement with Lucas Licensing to develop and produce a line of female-centered Star Wars apparel and accessories. The success of that line was followed up with a collection for the Syfy network including such shows as Battlestar Galactica and with BBC America for Doctor Who and with CBS Consumer Products for Star Trek. You can learn more about Her Universe and purchase the current line of fangirl apparel and accessories by going to www.heruniverse.com and by following Eckstein on Facebook (facebook.com/HerUniverse) and Twitter (twitter.com/HerUniverse).
About Disneys Star Wars Weekends
Running every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from May 17th through June 9th, Disney’s Star Wars Weekends is an annual event at Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park celebrating all things Star Wars. In addition to offering fans a unique opportunity to join Jedi Masters, Sith Lords and Star Wars celebrities for special shows, presentations, memorabilia and the all-new Star Tours attraction: Star Tours The Adventures Continue. For more information on Star Wars Weekends, visit: disneyworld.com/starwarsweekends or disneyparks.com/blog.
STAR WARS™ and related properties are trademarks and/or copyrights, in the United States and other countries, of Lucasfilm Ltd. and/or its affiliates. TM & © Lucasfilm Ltd. All rights reserved. All other trademarks and trade names are properties of their respective owners.
Many of you are familiar with the name Bruce Crawford because Media Mikes helps promote his benefit classic film screenings. Bruce was blessed to have been able to call the great Ray Harryhausen a friend. Here is a brief tribute he composed for him:
I am still dealing with the fact that I will not hear his booming baritone voice again, and his puckish sense of humor.
I know it isn’t common at all for someone to have been a childhood fan of such an artist, and then become such close friends. Even Ray would comment on that. When I would stay at his house in Kensington I would get the mail for them at the front door and, my God, there would be letters for him from around the world. And this for a special effects filmmaker, not Tom Cruise!
We would walk to the grocery store and pick up brook trout that his wife would prepare and was it ever good! I have dozens of stories I could share, but he was so much more than a great and legendary filmmaker to me. We had so much fun together. He would jokingly call me his illegitimate son! At my “King Kong” event, he addressed me as “Sid” Crawford, after the greatest showman in Hollywood history, Sid Grauman. Praise from Caesar.
We went on a dinosaur dig in Canada with paleontologists… how amazing is that? Digging dinosaur bones with Ray! And he taped it on his hand held video recorder. I still have that tape today. Only a handful of people in the entire world had the kind of relationship I had with Ray and his wife and daughter and I knew it at the time. It seemed so normal and actually expected…like I always knew, even as a kid, that this would happen the way it did.
One of the most influential filmmakers in history…an artist, genius and for me someone who has been a part of my life…. all of my life…. and will always be so.
Based on Matthew Jones’s 1996 novel of the same name, A Single Shot stars Sam Rockwell as a down and out hunter who accidentally kills a young woman. Having found money in her camp, he decides to hide what he’s done and use it to try and put his life back together leading to an escalating cat-and-mouse game with the owners of the money. Having made its debut at the Berlin International Festival, the film held it’s US premiere at Tribeca on Friday April 26th.
Actress Heather Lind plays Mincy in the film whom she describes as a “free spirit, impulsive woman that tries to befriend Sam’s character and bring him out of his funk”. Lind is a familiar New York face coming from Boardwalk Empire as well as a long list of Broadway credits, I asked her what it meant to have the Film Fest in the city:
Heather Lind: “It’s a great question, I’ve been in New York for about twelve years, I grew up up in Albany but I’ve been in the city for twelve years. I just love this city, I think anything that happens, that appears in the city is a good thing. Working on this film was kind of surreal enough and then getting to come to the premiere here in New York was, you know great.”
The atmospheric film, though set in West Virginia, was shot in Vancouver, Canada. Director David M Rosenthal discussed this choice:
David M Rosenthal: “I was looking for a place to shoot that had, you know this kind of gray weather and that provided this fog layer and this mist layer. And there’s not that many places where you can find that and Vancouver has it in spades and also has great crews and great secondary actors. It seemed to make a lot of sense.
Rosenthal went on to praise his ensemble cast: “It was so wonderful for me to get all of these people together because you know, there’s so many actors in this movie that I got to work with who I absolutely revere. I’m not even talking shit, I really revere these actors like Sam Rockwell and Jeffrey Wright and Bill Macy and Jason Isaacs and Kelly Reilly. Really I just walk around feeling just blessed about the fact that I got to work with them.”
The director was particularly excited to see Sam Rockwell take on the part of John Moon: “Sam Rockwell is one of the most versatile actors in America. He’s maybe one of the very best actors of his generation. I don’t think many people could argue with that. So the list gets short when you’re thinking of someone of a specific age, it’s like ‘okay, maybe we could get x, maybe we could even get this guy, maybe we can get this guy, maybe we can get Sam Rockwell. Let’s get Sam Rockwell.’ ‘Sam Rockwell read it, he likes the script.’ ‘Really?’ Fantastic!”
British actress Kelly Reilly plays Rockwell’s wife in the film and added to Rosenthal’s enthusiasm for their lead: “I had probably six days on this movie, all-in-all and I just remember working, just having a blast with Sam. He’s such a fun down-to-Earth man. So I really enjoyed working with him.”
Considering the film begins with John Moon carrying out a murder, I asked writer Matthew F. Jones if he could see John Moon in a sympathetic light:
Matthew F Jones: “I always look to John as a very noble, upright guy in a very tough situation and part of the, I think part of the interesting of this movie…was that anyone of us could put ourselves in John situation. The life he was living and then what happens to him in a single shot and the decisions that he had to make and so…I don’t look at him as a shady character, I look at him as a noble guy in a tough situation.”
Sam Rockwell was in agreement with Jones regarding his character: “I do sympathize with him, but you know, that’s–I hope that everybody does. I think he’s really isolated and a lonely guy, he’s trying to reconnect with his family and stuff.”
Lauren Damon: Are you drawn to isolated characters like John?
Rockwell: Well, I don’t know, maybe. I’m drawn to those guys for some reason but I like them all.
LD: A lot of this movie is physically grueling, how was that?
Rockwell: Yeah, a lot of cramps! Waking up in the middle of the night with a lot of cramps and stuff.
Rockwell was also on the red carpet at TFF this year supporting other films he was in, Trust Me and A Case of You.
LD: Was it by accident you wound up with three films premiering at Tribeca?
Rockwell: Well, that was a fluke. That was a fluke.
You can read our review of A Single Shot here!
