Nick Swardson is probably best known for his role in “Grandma’s Boy” and cameo appearances in numerous Happy Madison films, but a quick look at his career shows that he’s an incredibly busy guy. For people who aren’t familiar with Swardson’s work, he started doing stand-up at age 18 and since then has gone on to produce, write and act. Die hard fans have known this for years that he’s constantly writing, acting and working on fresh material for his stand-up. Media Mikes had the chance to catch up with Nick and ask him about the numerous TV and movie projects he’s been working on for 2014, as well as a new comedy special.

Jeremy Werner: It looks like you got a busy year ahead of you…especially this month. Let’s start off with “Back in the Day” which comes out on January 17th. How did you land the role of Ron?
Nick Swardson: Michael Rosenbaum, the director/writer, is a buddy of mine and he just called me up and he’s like, “Man I got this passion project I’m doing. It’s low budget. We have no money.” He goes, “It’s a great character. You’ll kill it. We’ll shoot in Indiana. It’d be fucking great to have you.” So he sent me the script and I thought it was a really funny character and it was something different than what I’ve done in the past. Ya know, it wasn’t a crazy character. It was a grounded, real dude. So I was pretty stoked. So as a favor to Michael too, I wanted to help him out. So I did it.

JW: Was there anything you had to differently than in past roles?
NS: It was just a lot more understated. I didn’t have to come in to the scene and be insane. This role is also based on a real guy so I was kind of interested to play a real dude…and I talked to Michael a lot about what this guy was like. So it was fun to play a real person.

JW: Was it a role that he had you in mind for the entire time he was writing it?
NS: He had the script for like 10 years. He had it for a long time. So I don’t know who he had initially envisioned, but he called me first.

JW: Now also this month, you have a big release on TV. “Chozen” premieres January 13th on FX and you play Troy. What can you tell us about that character?
NS: Troy plays Chozen’s nerdy, minion friend. He kind of saves him from bullies and so they become pals. Chozen shows him this whole world of sex and drugs. It’s pretty funny. The show’s pretty crazy..it’s one of the craziest things I’ve done and I’ve done a lot of crazy shit. Working with Danny McBride is awesome. His company is amazing. I love all the “Eastbound and Down” guys…it’s FX, so they really push the envelope.

JW: As a comedian, does voice acting provide you a lot of opportunities to improvise or are you restricted?
NS: No. I’m never restricted in anything I do. I only do projects where I can bring a lot to the table. I use to get fired just because I improvised a lot. It’s the main thing I do, I love improvising.

JW: I’ve read that usually in voice acting, you’re just kind of in a booth on your own. Who were you able to bounce jokes and ideas off of with your character?
NS: Usually you’re all alone…you’re just sitting in a booth and the producers are in the other room, so you just kind of run with it. They’ll give you a thumbs up if it’s good or they’ll do the heads up and tell you if it works. They’ll just feed you ideas…but it’s a great gig.

JW: Later this year you’ll also be voicing a character in the animated movie, “Hell & Back”. You actually voiced a character in the kid’s movie “Bolt”, but based on the premise I was reading…this is not a kid’s movie.
NS: (Laughs) Yeah, that’s pretty insane. It’s stop motion, so it looks like a kid’s movie. So if a kid saw it on TV he’d be like, “Oh! I wanna see this!” But it’s a hard, hard ‘R’. That’s another project that me and Danny McBride are both in with TJ Miller and Mila Kunis. It’s a great cast and that one’s gonna be really awesome. We’re finishing that up this week. I’ve got like one more record session…we’re really excited about that.

JW: Now with all these projects, are you working on any comedy specials this year?
NS: Yeah, I’ve been developing for the last two years, a new hour special and a new tour. So we’re looking to tour in the Spring…early Summer. Shoot the special maybe sometime in the Summer. It’s definitely in the works. It’s been a long time coming, but I’m really excited..it’s coming together really well.

JW: Anything you can tell us about it?
NS: It’s just more stories, drinking jokes and it’s nothing too out of the box. I’m not all of a sudden really political. If you’re a fan of mine, you’ll be happy with it. The new hour’s going really well. I think the title of it is gonna be, ‘Taste It’.

JW: I know last year you were talking about a show you were working on called “Bro-Sassin”. How is that coming along?
NS: Bro-Sassin’s done. It didn’t fly. The network just didn’t get it. They thought it was gonna be too expensive…so they kind of backed off it, which bums me out, man. I wrote the pilot and it was really funny. People loved it, I’m gonna save the idea for a movie. I sold a new show to FX. My own show with the director of “Grandma’s Boy” and Danny McBride’s producing it. It’s called “Game On”. It’s like the office of a video game company…so we’re developing the pilot right now.

JW: Does that have any connections to “Grandma’s Boy”?
NS: Not really.

JW: Looks like you got a lot of stuff going on, is there anything else you’re working on for later this year?
NS: A lot of it depends on the pilot with FX and shooting that, seeing if we get picked up. That’s the primary focus right now. I’m developing two other feature scripts. So if this FX pilot grows, I’m gonna jump into an idea I sold to Sandler and Happy Madison and I’ll hopefully write that next Fall and start developing that.

Greg Grunberg is best known for playing Matt Parkman in “Heroes”. He also played Sean Blumberg in “Felicity”, the pilot Seth Norris in “Lost” and Eric Weiss in “Alias”. His latest film is “Big Ass Spider!” and it is one hell of a fun movie. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Greg about the film and how he ended up fighting a “Big Ass Spider!”

Mike Gencarelli: Congrats in advance for the early success and positive reactions to “Big Ass Spider!”
Greg Grunberg: Thanks! It one of these films that we just need to get the word out and I know it’s going to have some great legs. People are going to watch it and spread the word. I am so proud of it. Mike (Mendez), the director, did some a great job putting it all together. He let us improv and have fun and it really came together great.

MG: What was your first response when the script for “Big Ass Spider!” lands on your desk?
GG: My initial response is “HELL NO” [laughs]. I read everything and tell people to send me whatever and either I or my manager will read it. I received and this immediately thought that it was so ambitious that it would never work. There are more effects shots in this film then “Hollow Man”…and I was in “Hollow Man”. Kevin Bacon was invisible the entire movie. So I thought how nobody was going to be able to pull this off. So I gave a polite “No” along with a few notes and caveats that I had. They came back to me and just asked me to meet with the director Mike Mendez. He is one of these guys that you cannot say no to him. He has such a singular vision and is such a talented filmmaker. He seemed to have everything planned out in terms of effects etc. He was also willing to consider my casting suggestion for Lombardo Boyar, who I worked with on my movie “Group Sex”. It just all ended up working out and we were all on the same page.

MG: How do you approach a role like this to make it funny without being too cheesy?
GG: No matter what people do in their life, everybody takes what they do seriously. I wanted to approach it that was but not in a cartoony way. I have seen characters like this in movies and they go above and beyond and are really nuts are killer spiders. It is entertaining but if you don’t believe it then you are not going to take the ride. I know that the unbelievable factor is obvious for this film, there is a ten story
spider but you want the characters to be real and relationships between them to be real. I think that is what we did here and it really worked. It was a really fun and I had a great time. Lombardo was fun to work with and I felt like we both stole the movie. It is one of those things that at the end you are talking about Lombardo’s one liner as much as you are the spider.

MG: What was the most demanding aspect of working on a film like this?
GG: It’s funny because when I am approached to do a film like this there always like “Look there’s not going to be trailer, it’s really low budget so…” I say “Who gives a fuck about any of that shit”. I want to make a great movie. I am always on set anyway and never in a trailer. I just love making movies. I love acting in them and every aspect about them. So that stuff doesn’t scare me. The hardest part is making sure that you have good people and they are prepared to do their jobs. Every single aspect and department matters. Mike Mendez is an incredible studied filmmaker and I can’t wait to see what happens when he is given a real budget. He is going to explode like James Wan and hopefully I get to work with him again.

MG: Why do you think sci-fi/horror fans are going to dig this film?
GG: The cool thing about this is that I have three boys, 10, 14, and 17 and all of them can watch it. This is a family movie and nothing in here is inappropriate. The scary parts of fucking scary and the funny parts are funny. It is a great combination in a very relatable way. If shit when down like this in L.A., this is how it would play out [laughs]. Is it the best movie in the world? NO! But it is damn close in terms of low budget spider movies are concerned.

MG: “Big Ass Spider!” was left off nicely for a sequel; any word of that happening?
GG: We have talked about it and are certainly thinking about what that next movie would be but it is all up to the financiers. It is doing well for Epic Pictures and they are pleased so far. Hopefully it will be the type of thing where the fans just demand it. I would love to make another one.

MG: You also recently wrapped on two very different films “Burning Dog” and “A Tigers Tale”, tell us about these?
GG: “A Tigers Tale” is a complete family movie. It is really sweet and has these two Bengal tigers in it. I did that because I really wanted to do something different. I mean I got to work with real Bengal tiger cubs and I couldn’t pass up an opportunity like that. It is a straight forward family film but there are some really amazing moments in it. It just mixes things up. Then I also did this film called “Burning Dog”, with Trey Batchelor directing, which was super cool. I produced the film as well. It is like a first person shooter movie. So the main character is the camera and you ride along with these two cops and I play one of the cops. It was awesome. So keep an eye out and spread the word about “Big Ass Spider!”

Related Content

• Interview with Fred Sayeg
• Joseph Russo talks about playing Joe Pesci in Clint Eastwood’s “Jersey Boys”
• Interview with Fred Andrews
• Justin Kirk talks about new film “Last Love” and TV show “The Blacklist”
• Interview with Joel M. Reed

PJ Byrne is known best for his scene stealing roles in films like “Final Destination 5”, “Horrible Bosses” and most recently in Martin Scorsese’s “The Wolf of Wall Street”. He is also the voice of Bolin in Nickelodeon’s hit animated show “The Legend of Korra”. PJ is not only a great actor but also a great personal friend and Media Mikes got to chat with him about about his role in “The Wolf of Wall Street” and his new show on CBS “Intelligence”, which premieres on January 7th.

Mike Gencarelli: Tell us about how you got involved with “The Wolf of Wall Street”?
PJ Byrne: Having gone to Boston College as finance major, this was one of those movies that I had been tracking for a while. I wanted to make sure that I got an audition for this film. Mr. Scorsese wasn’t going to be at the auditions and they would be held in New York not Los Angeles, so I decided to put myself on tape and improvise my own monologue. So I came up with this monologue with me calling up a guy and finding out that he passed away from his wife and I end up selling her like $100,000 dollars’ worth of stock, just to show how manipulative these guys where. Mr. Scorsese saw it, loved it and asked me to come out to New York to audition. So I went there and was freaking out but he is just the coolest guy there is man. He put me at ease, I improvised some more and next thing I know I am in the movie and for the part I wanted, which was even better.

MG: What was it like working a legendary director like Martin Scorsese?
PJB: It was a really special experience. He is this great iconic director that if you are lucky you get to work with as an actor. The thing with these iconic directors is that they are also great communicators. They give you the confidence to go out and do anything you want but at the same time they also prepare you so well during that process. At the end of the day, he realized that he wasn’t in from of the camera we were and he just let us do our thing. That was the greatest gift that he could give. The trust he gave me and confidence he gave me to sort of unleash because a lot of the things I did was improvised, which is a scary world in its own but I have been doing it for a while now. It is also scary in the sense that these guys are extremely unethical and crazy guys, so I have to leave PJ at the door and go in and become this character.

MG: How can you address the reactions about people saying that the film is glorifying these characters?
PJB: You want people in America to know how bad these guys are, so you want really get into these characters and portray them correctly. So if anyone ever calls you on the phone, be aware since these people are out to get your money. This is a great way to tell people to be very aware and to raise your radar and in this film, we do it in an interesting way. Removing the fact that this is an artistic movie, we really break down what these guys are doing and how they are taught to sell. Not saying that all guys that sell you stocks are bad but this movie is aimed to raise your awareness to watch and realize who is handling your money. If I learned anything in college is that, first, there is no such thing as a free lunch and second, no one cares more about your money than you do. I think it is important for people to watch this movie so it is seared into their brain.

MG: How does it feel to be called a “scene stealer” in your films?
PJB: I guess it is flattering to be called that but I do not go into a scene thinking that I am going to steal this scene. I think it is a lot of preparation, especially when you are improvising. I did all my work and I know my character. If you wanted me to sell a cupcake, I was so prepared for this guy and I could have sold anything in that moment, using “Wolf” as an example. So that is one thing, the other is coming armed with not necessarily jokes but different approaches to the role. Let’s say I prepared like twenty things and I only use two, I am still fully armed and ready. The third piece of preparing is being ready to roll with it and see where any of it goes. What you prepared might not be useful at all since the director and actors might be thinking about something else. But since you know the character so well, you are ready to go any which way. In the film, there is a bunch of stuff that I prepared for and then there are other parts we just went with. I had no idea that Jonah (Hill) was going to do the part of “Don’t look him in the eyes” and we ended up just riffing off that. I had that horrible line the first time that we see Margo (Robbie) and the line that came out of my mouth even scared me, which was “She is so hot, I would let her give me AIDS”. As horrible as that line is that is exactly who these guys were though. It is inappropriate because the time period is inappropriate with AIDS but is something that is going to stick in your head. This goes back to the idea of glorifying them; this was there to show that these are bad dudes and to be wary of them. So it is not just about scene stealer, it is about being prepared when going into a role.

MG: Let’s talk about your new TV show on CBS called “Intelligence”, tell us what we can expect?
PJB: After doing “The Wolf of Wall Street” and I have done a lot of comedies, you can’t plan this but I have always thought in the back of my head that I would love to do a drama. This came along and everything worked out and I feel just blessed to be a part of it. Everyone involved is really cool and I love the premise. This show is great mixture of “Homeland” meets “The Bourne Identity”. Being a guy that loved watching James Bond as a kid and in this I get to be the Q character a bit was very appealing. I also have this family relationship since Josh’s character who is considered a brother to me and having that conflict there was also interesting.

MG: Can you give us a run down about your character, Nelson Cassidy?
PJB: I am a computer genius in the show. I can do anything that Josh’s character can do on the computer…except he can do it 1.6 billion times faster because he has a microchip in his brain. So that is very annoying to me. My father created this chip and Josh’s character and he looks to him as his own son as he is a brother to me…except Josh is incredibly handsome and I am not as good looking, so that is a point of contention. I can get into fights but he is a trained Delta Force guy, so he can kick ass better than me…and that is annoying. So there is a lot of that brotherly jealously going on if you will [laughs]. But he is my brother and I have his back and we are always there for each other and that is a cool part of the show. When you have that family aspect when working on a show and you play a scene with a person you know or a co-worker you have to be more delicate. But when it involves your brother you can go from 0 to 10 right away and to me that is much more interesting. Another aspect of the character that I love is that I am not just behind a computer; I actually get to be put into the field. I had to shoot guns, save people and pull bombs out of bodies, so it is awesome from that perspective. The last aspect that I loved about the show is that I am like the person at home watching being thrown into this world where Josh’s character is the complete opposite and trained to be in this world. Meghan Ory’s character Riley is Secret Service, so she is also trained to be in this world. Same goes for the character Lillian, who is played by Marg Helgenberger. I just happen to be this super genius and by default I was just thrown into this world. So I do not know how to be a “super-agent” and I had to slowly transition into it and I found that to be a lot of fun to play out.

MG: What else do you have going on for 2014?
PJB: I’ve got this show right now. So this is the first time that I haven’t had to do pilot season, which is a little scary but still comforting. I get to go off now and go into the movie world. I got something brewing but I can’t say officially yet. I have a little window now to shoot something because if the show gets picked up then we go back to work in June. Then I still have “The Legend of Korra”, which is coming back for its third season and let me tell you…it is awesome! We are currently doing ADR and I have seen it all and fans are going to freak out since it’s that good. I am so proud to be a part of that show. So for now be sure to tune in to “Intelligence” on CBS and watch out for some other great projects in the works this year.

Zoë Bell started off in TV and film by being the stunt double for Lucy Lawless in “Xena: Warrior Princess” and Uma Thurman in “Kill Bill”. Since then she has appeared in every film of Quentin Tarantino’s and even played herself in “Death Proof”. Zoë is taking the next step in her career with taking the lead role in the film “Raze”. She is also in talks to star in “The Expendables” female spin-off “The ExpendaBelles”. Media Mikes had a chance to chat about the film with Zoë and her plans to take over Hollywood.

Mike Gencarelli: Tell us about how you got involved with “Raze”?
Zoë Bell: Ken Gage came up with the concept years ago and then started fumbling around with the idea more recently again. He and Josh Waller are mutual friends and somehow my name got brought up since Josh and I have been friends for a while. Kenny got excited because he knew of my work with Quentin (Tarantino) and my stunt career. So I came in and met the guys and there was just so much energy and the direction how they wanted to go really appealed to me. We did the short first and then people got excited and from there we did the feature.

MG: How was it going from mega budgeted “Oblivion” to low-budget gritty “Raze”?
ZB: There is the budget obviously, the schedule and the fact that I had such a small role in “Oblivion” and a much larger role in “Raze”. I was also a producer on “Raze”. I do love the crafty tables on big budget movies though [laughs]. They both come with their own freedoms and limitions as well. I just love working on films regardless of the size, so I think that once I am engaged in whatever role I am playing, a fit is a fit and its my job.

MG: Tell us about the physical demands for this film?
ZB: On “Raze” one thing that was difficult is that we didn’t have enough time. We would shoot a fight in the morning and then try and get the next one if possible. The scheduling was very tough. As far as physical excertion, my experiences in the past has always helped me as a stunt woman. A lot of the other girls didn’t come from that background and it was very tough. But everyone just had such amazing attitudes. When I stunt double, I need to make sure the action is seen on the camera through my body not my emotions. So that was the most difficult part for me that I am not used to emoting so much for my roles while still doing stunts.

MG: You are the lead in this film; do you see yourself stepping out from the role of stunt woman to lead actress more in the future?
ZB: Yes, definitely. I would love to. It just feels like the next progression of my career. It is still new to me, scary, challenging and excited all at once. With stepping out of the role of stunt woman, it is hard because it has been my identity for so long.

MG: Would you be against having a stunt woman for yourself in films?
ZB: The reality at the end of the day my job as an actress is the same as my job as a stunt woman, which is to bring whatever I need to bring to the character to make it work. If I am playing a character that jumps out of plane for a living, I will do as much research as possible to participate but I have them bring in a professional skydiver because that is going to make the character more believable. So I am all for making the character as true as possible.

MG: What do you have planned for 2014?
ZB: “Raze” is my main focus for right now but I have a few indie films coming out next year. One is called “Douglas Brown” and another is “Freshwater” in which I play an alligator expert, so that was pretty cool. I have just signed with a new manager and we have been creatively plotting my takeover of Hollywood [laughs]. I have a TV show and a feature that I am really excited about to see if I can get some wheel under.

Rila Fukushima and Tao Okamoto have a couple things in common. Both are very successful models. And both made their future film debut this past year opposite Hugh Jackman in the highly popular film, “The Wolverine.”

As the film makes its debut this week on DVD and Blu-ray, they both spoke with me about their new success, not being intimidated and what a nice person that guy Logan really is.

Mike Smith: You both are very successful fashion models. Before the opportunity to appear in “The Wolverine” came along had either of you aspired to being an actress?
Rila Fukushima: To be honest I never wanted to become an actress but when I was approached I decided to do it because I was going to be Hugh Jackman’s love interest! (laughs).
Tao Okamoto: I’ve always had an interest in getting into acting but I’d never done any feature films. Doing “The Wolverine” was a magical experience.

MS: Were there any nerves, considering the popularity of the “Wolverine” films, on making this film your debut project?
TO: “The Wolverine” is all about fear (laughs) I was very lucky to get the role.
RF: Luckily I didn’t have a lot of time to realize it was a big deal. The audition process took about four months and before I knew it we were shooting. I’m glad I didn’t have the time to realize it was such a big movie. When I finally saw the finished film it hit me that this was a pretty big deal. (laughs).

MS: Being new to the business was Hugh Jackman supportive of you on set?
RF: Absolutely. I think he still remembers his first experiences on a big movie so he could understand how hard it was. He also taught me the “language”…I had no idea what “on camera” was or what “off camera” was. He was very, very supportive.
TO: Everyone was very supportive. From James Mangold, our director, to Hugh. They both gave me a lot of information about my character. And Hugh is so funny! He’s a superstar but he’s also a really, really nice person. He would be on the set when he was supposed to be sleeping. He would film eleven hours a day and spend three hours before he was supposed to shoot working out. He would spend time with his family and take care of his children. I think he really only slept three hours a day! (laughs) But then again, he’s Wolverine…he doesn’t have to sleep.

MS: You both have some pretty intense action scenes in the film. Did either of you have any prior martial arts experience or training?
TO: A little bit. For the movie I took about three weeks of training in sword fighting. I love to exercise and had been taking taekwondo for about two years before I was cast.
RF: We trained for about a month before we started shooting. I learned Karate, how to throw a knife and self defense.

MS: What do you have coming up?
RF: I’m working on a new project but I can’t tell you until its finished (laughs).
TO: I’m shooting a drama for Japanese television right now and hopefully I can return to an American film in the near future.

Related Content

• Steve Lemme talks Broken Lizard, new film “I Heart Shakey” and comedy tour with Kevin Heffernan
• “The Puppet Monster Massacre” Director Dustin Mills talks about new film “Zombie A-Hole”
• Coach Bill Courtney talks about football and Academy Award Winning Documentary “Undefeated”
• BJ McDonnell talks about directing “Hatchet III”
• Edward James Olmos talks about new film “Go For Sisters”

Enthralled with films as a young boy in Hungary, where he made his own Super 8 movies, Tamas Harangi came to America at the age of 19 to study filmmaking. Since then he’s held pretty much every position you can find on a movie set. His first feature film, “The Advocate,” which he both wrote and directed, was a film festival favorite and was recently released on DVD. Tamas sat down with me to talk about his new film and what we can expect next.

Mike Smith: Can you give us a little info on “The Advocate?”
Tamas Harangi: “The Advocate” is a thriller about a defense attorney who has never lost a case in his life. He takes on a case defending a woman accused of murdering her husband and begins to get a bad feeling. He begins to investigate as to whether his client is guilty or not and gets wrapped up in the mystery of it all. He encounters a lot of twists and turns up to the very end.

MS: You also wrote the script. Was it inspired by a real-life event or just something that came to you?
TH: I’ve always liked films that dealt with crime and the legal system. I had an idea for a story and began discussing it with my producing partner, who’s actually an attorney. I picked his brain about the legal system. I started writing the script and would go over certain aspects of the story with him.

MS: You grew up in Hungary. Is that where you first developed an interest in making movies?
TH: Yes. I actually made several short films while I was in high school. I won a couple of awards at various festivals and several of my films were shown on Hungarian National Television. I came out to California to try and break into Hollywood and that’s where I’m living.

MS: Were you exposed to a lot of Western filmmaking as a youngster?
TH: We did get a fair amount of American films, only we wouldn’t get them until a few years had passed. But I grew up on “Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones” like everyone else (laughs). Only we got them a couple or three years after they’d been released. We’d see advertising for these movies in magazines and have to wait years to see them. I watched a lot of those as well as a lot of French movies…great French comedies. Those were my main influences.

MS: Did you have a favorite filmmaker that you wanted to emulate?
TH: Sure. At the time I was, of course, inspired by Steven Spielberg and George Lucas and what they were doing at the time. As I began studying film and learning about the craft of it I was greatly inspired by Alfred Hitchcock. He is what inspired “The Advocate.” A “Hitchcockian” tone is what I was going for. But really, all of the greats…Billy Wilder, Woody Allen…I grew up on their movies and they’re influential as well.

MS: What are you working on next?
TH: I’ve been busy finishing up “The Advocate” and getting it into festivals. I’ve been busy writing as well. I have a new thriller that I’m almost finished with…the first draft is almost complete. I also have a couple other ideas that I’m working on and developing.

Scott Frazelle co-produced and co-wrote December’s House of Bad. Media Mikes had a chance to catch up with the multi-tasker to get the low-down on one of the most buzzed about horror films on the net.  Be sure to check out “House of Bad” when it hits DVD on December 3.

Mike Gencarelli: What exactly does a co-producer do?
Scott Frazelle: In my experience, that title is given to an individual that not only has a specific job, but also brings something to the table in the form of resources or creativity, or both. In the case of House of Bad, our Director, Jim Towns, Producer Dorota Skrzypek, and myself all shared an equal part of producing this feature. Jim brought the script, and a location already in mind. I secured resources and began planning logistics. Dorota found capitol. We equally hammered out the creative details to make it work on screen, and we did the same through the process of post-production. There are plenty of examples where one individual took the lead, but it is absolutely accurate to say we shared this task equally.

MG: How hands-on were you? Was it a case of being on set, doing whatever needed to be done there and then, or was it more a case of making sure the ducks were all in a row before Jim started shooting the movie?
SF: It worked out that Jim asked me to get involved right at a moment where I was between projects for a short time. I was able to do a few weeks of solid prep, then we were off and running. Things were organized pretty well. I stayed on set and was Line Producer through the shoot, as well as another pair of hands wherever needed. I’ve worked in many capacities on Indie features, so its hard for me not to be involved while on set. Plus, I love the culture of being on set. Its amazing to watch complete strangers come together and step into this circus that is filmmaking.

MG: What’s the biggest difficultly doing an indy film?
SF: Overcoming the urge to let enthusiasm overpower good judgement. A lot of Indie projects are a labor of love or a great idea that hasn’t reached the right channels to properly realize them. As a result, the movie suffers, and the people involved suffer. There’s a saying that goes around town, “If you don’t have enough money… you don’t have the right script.” Often times that’s thrown at small projects that are trying make ends meet as a criticism, but really, it should be a mantra that helps guide your judgement. Its not easy, sometimes, to get your start or see your project come to life, but you have to pick your projects in a way that best honors the quality of the project. If you’ve done a budget several times, and you know you really need $250K, it’s going to get rough when you raise only half of that, and decided to do it anyway. Asking people to work 16 hour days for an entire week “for the sake of the movie” is garbage, damaging, and insulting. You can’t do that if you want to work with people again, and you certainly can’t do that if you want what’s on screen to be right. I’m a firm believer in quality, and it begins with EVERYTHING. The script you write or choose, the people you hire, how you treat them, it all has to be guided by doing it right. The best decision you can make could be to NOT proceed with a project…until you’re prepared.

MG: You’re actually a bit of a horror veteran. I see you were in “Creepshow III”! Where and when did the love affair with fright-films begin?
SF: Like all good American kids of the time, through television! I fell in love with classic, and b-movie horror films, at an early age. I remember being fascinated watching The Creature from the Black Lagoon around age 6, followed quickly by Tarantula, Them, The Blob, and re-run after re-run of The Twilight Zone. My father has an affinity for those works, so I was able to catch them on TV with him. Those kinds of horror films really had a fantastic quality to them, they were able to make an impression on me much better than say, Casablanca, would have at that age. I think I saw Whatever Happened to Baby Jane and Psycho when I was about 10, and I no longer needed a monster suit to hold my attention, those were the films that made me realize people are the monsters in our world. My involvement with Creepshow3 was in many ways a dream come true, I got a chance to be a part of the legacy of one of my most favorite movies.

MG: Did the script go through many drafts?
SF: I don’t know how many rewrites Jim went through before he decided to show it to me, but when we both agreed to move forward on it together, there wasn’t the need for a lot of work. I wanted to make some changes, but mostly in the nuances. I thought Jim had some great little moments still lurking in his script, and that the movie would be better served by dragging those things into the light. Jim and I worked together to do that, and it didn’t take much time before we both felt it was done.

MG: When you sold the film to the distributor, were you forced to make any changes – either in the title, how the film was marketed, or otherwise. Was it like handing over a baby to a stranger and just hoping it’d be Okay?
SF: It was! We had been handling everything about the movie from day one-including PR, and generating reviews, and all the stuff it takes to get a distributor interested; so when we made a deal with Osiris Entertainment, there was the relief of not having to do all that any more. At the same time, it was the beginning of a whole new kind of stress because, you know, there goes our baby. But one of the biggest factors in accepting the offer from Osiris was that they genuinely liked the film, and didn’t feel there was a need to change anything about it. Jim, Dorota and myself, all agreed that we’d get the best support from a company that appreciated and enjoyed what we had created, so when they did decided to change the DVD cover, we felt their reasoning was sound and continued to put us in the best position possible.

MG: Was it always called House of Bad? or did you have some alternative titles at one stage?
SF: It’s always been House of Bad. I liked the title when I first read it, I thought there was something just a little spooky about it. It never made me think of a slasher film, or torture porn, or anything like that. There was something unsettling about it, in just the right way. Our cast and crew were one of the best little production families ever, we got along, and there was a lot of fun riffing on the title throughout the production, but nobody ever came up with anything that fit better. Once we began, and started talking about it with friends, everyone seemed to react the same way. The planned sequels, however…

MG: You’re also a book editor. Can you tell us a little bit about that?
SF: My formal education is in writing, and one of my gifts, I believe, is the ability to help a fellow writer improve or refine their ideas. This is different from Punch-Up, where you’re hired to take a script and actually rewrite portions of it to meet certain needs; I feel like when I read another writer’s work, I can see their story through it’s flaws, the most common of which is keeping a particular voice, and pacing. I don’t like to put my words into other people’s work, but I can help another writer see where they’ve gotten off course, or change things to keep to the spirit of their story. Its a little like being a coach; sometimes, because you’re the not the one swinging the bat, or club, or whatever, you can see where a tiny adjustment harnesses the all the power. The first time I’ve officially been named Editor was in 2008, when Dorota began her women’s fiction series Sex, Life, and Hannah. She had this idea for a dating series set in Los Angeles. It was high-energy, and magnetic, and the characters were all very real, but it was still evolving. I’ve been attached to that project for three books now, with a fourth on the way, and it’s been great. I’m also serving as editor on her erotic thriller, The Need, which is going to blow people’s minds (and which I really hope gets realized as a feature)! Its great to work in that creative capacity, being there to help things click.

Related Content

• John Jarratt talks about new film “Shiver”
• Zoë Bell talks about doing stunts and taking the lead in “Raze”
• Sharni Vinson talks about new film “Patrick: Evil Awakens”
• Briana Evigan talks about returning to the “Step Up” series with “Step Up: All In”
• 2015 Tribeca Film Festival Red Carpet Interviews

Julie Adams is known best as the bathing beauty Kay Lawrence in 1954’s “Creature from the Black Lagoon”. She also appeared in the musical comedy “Tickle Me” along side Elvis Presley in 1965. Recently, Adams has authored a book on her life and career called “The Lucky Southern Star: Reflections From The Black Lagoon”, which was published in 2011 and is currently available via her website. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Julie about her role in “Creature from the Black Lagoon” and discuss her outstanding career.

Mike Gencarelli: Why do you think that Creature has resonated with fans for all these years?
Julie Adams: I think it’s a good movie. The script was well-written by Harry Essex and Arthur A. Ross. Jack Arnold was a fine director; he did a beautiful job directing the film. Our ensemble cast helped to make a fantastic story believable. The Creature suit was unique and original, and still captures audiences’ imaginations today with how immaculately it was designed and realized on film. The music also accentuates the suspense and enhances the scary moments. Creature enthusiasts from back in the 1950s watched the movie with their children in the 1970s. Today, people who grew up in the 70s run the film with their kids, so we now have three generations of fans — it is truly remarkable to be a part of this kind of phenomenon.

MG: What was your initial reaction when you first saw the Gill Man costume? Was it on Ben Chapman or Ricou Browning?
JA: I was startled the first time I saw the Gill Man fully realized. I’ll never forget how believable the costume looked. I did the majority of my work in the film with Ben Chapman. Ricou primarily worked with my double, Ginger Stanley, in the underwater sequences that were shot in Wakulla Springs, Florida.

MG: Did shooting the film in 3D cause any issues during production?
JA: Have you seen the new 3D Bluray? Shooting in 3D had very little impact on me throughout the course of the production. That aspect of the filmmaking was left up to our fine camera crew and director. I have seen the new 3D Bluray. In fact, we screened it in Jacksonville, Florida in March at Sun-Ray Cinema with a sold out audience. The entire film has been digitally restored. It’s almost like a new movie. Like a crystal clear window into the past. It is absolutely spectacular!

MG: What was it like swimming knowing that “the creature” was underneath you?
JA: In actuality, it was all an illusion. Because I only did the swimming on the surface at Universal Studios in Hollywood, the Creature was never beneath me at the studio. That was the magic of editing. The stunning underwater photography in Florida was seamlessly cut together with the shots of me on the surface on the studio backlot, creating the effect for the audience that the Creature and I were actually in the Black Lagoon together. I’m still astonished at how well the underwater ballet with Kay and the Gill Man still captivates viewers to this day!

MG: Any interesting stories from shooting in the water?
JA: Probably the most intriguing was from a scene near the end of the picture when I am being carried by Ben Chapman in the Creature’s underwater lair. Someone at the studio had forgotten to heat the tank that day. It was a chilly autumn morning, and the water was quite cold. So when Ben emerged with me in his arms I was trying desperately not to shiver. The goggles on Ben’s Creature mask fogged up and he couldn’t see very well. The cave set was made up of paper mache’ rocks that had a few jagged edges. While carrying me unconscious in his arms, Ben accidentally bumped my head against one of the rocks and my eyes suddenly opened and I raised my head. The director yelled “Cut,” and production was delayed momentarily while a small scrape on my forehead was tended to by a nurse. Of course, the studio made a publicity stunt out of it and pictures were taken of the mishap. I still love seeing the photo of Ben in his Creature suit looking over me solicitously as the nurse tends to my forehead. In the end, it was a very minor incident and production resumed about fifteen minutes later.

MG: Tell why did you decided to write your memoir “The Lucky Southern Star: Reflections From The Black Lagoon”?
JA: It was really the fans’ idea. Over the years a lot of folks who enjoy my work in movies and television asked me about writing a memoir. Finally in 2009, my son Mitch and I decided it was time to sit down and write one! It took us more than two years to complete. We have been delighted with the response to it, movie enthusiasts from all over world have read it, some have even sent nice notes telling me how much they have enjoyed it. There is an entire chapter about the making of Creature from the Black Lagoon, the book is also filled with numerous behind-the-scenes photos form Creature and other films and television shows that I appeared in through the years. It is available exclusively through my website at www.julieadams.biz.

MG: Any plans to release as audio book expanding the original small run?
JA: Due to the popularity of the print book, we released the audio book near the end of 2012. I read the entire story for the production, which was a lot of fun and brought back so many memories. I think my fans have enjoyed hearing me read the story on the audio book. Some even own both the print and audio book, which is wonderful!

MG: What was it like working with Elvis Presley?
JA: It was a dream. I’m from the South and Elvis was a true Southern gentleman. One example of this was how he sent all of the actresses in Tickle Me flowers on their first day on the set. I also marveled at how well he performed his singing numbers in the movie, lip-syncing them perfectly. Elvis was a phenomenon, and I cherished my time working with him!

MG: Looking back on your amazing career what were some of your favorite roles?
JA: Naturally, I loved the role of Kay Lawrence in Creature. It was nice playing an educated scientist who goes off on an adventure up the Amazon in search of the origin of a mysterious claw. I also enjoyed portraying Laura Baile in Bend of the River, opposite James Stewart, whom I consider to be one of the silver screen’s finest actors. Later in my career I had great fun as Eve Simpson, the realtor in Cabot Cove on Murder, She Wrote. She was an eccentric character who provided some funny moments on the show. And of course it was a great experience to play comedy with someone as skilled as Angela Lansbury. I also loved performing in the theatre. One of my favorite roles was as Mary Tyrone in Eugene O’Neill’s masterwork Long Day’s Journey into Night. I’ve been fortunate to play a lot of interesting women over the years, and feel blessed to have had so many opportunities in film, television, and on the stage to entertain audiences.

I am a huge fan of film scores, always have been. I am always keeping my eyes open for a new favorite. Well, I have found him…enter Steven Price. Steven has three film scores currently under his belt including “Attack of the Block” and “The World’s End”. His latest score for the hugely successful film “Gravity” is no question the best score of the year! I have a feeling it is going to be winning many awards in the coming months. Media Mikes had a chance to chat about developing the score for this film and his involvement with the film.

Mike Gencarelli: Where you ever concerned about delivering the sound to the soundlessness of space with your score for “Gravity”?
Steven Price: It was one of those things that looking back on it I should have been absolutely terrified. At the time we were so into trying things and experimenting that I didn’t realize what a ridiculous thing that I had attempted to do until I finished it really. This was actually lucky cause otherwise I would have sat frozen to my chair and never written a note. At the time it felt like it was a great opportunity to take on this daunting task but I can see now that it was perhaps now quite an ambitious task to undertake.

MG: I felt like the score was the third member of the cast in the film; was that a goal of yours?
SP: The hope for the music was that it was going to add to this idea of immersion. The camera was floating up in space, weightless like the characters and the music was there to follow through with that. You were up in space with them and you felt like you were immersed in that. For me it is the third character in some ways but I was always closely tied to the character of Ryan. A lot of what the music was trying to do was express her emotions and feelings. The hope was certainly that it would have this immersive feel and the sense that it would really all come together as a whole experience.

MG: What did you use for inspiration to come up with this amazing score?
SP: From the word “Go”, Alfonso (Cuarón) was really clear that he didn’t want this to be a traditional film score. I didn’t go and listen to other film scores about space. I avoided things like that actually. We would listen to all types of different music and draw specific aspects from each. You might be listening to rock music one week and then the next some really extreme electronica. All of these things would trigger off little experiments that I would use to apply during the writing process. Everything was really open and we had a lot of freedom. There was no one telling us how we had to create the sound. We got to make something that really fitted this film well and that was also very distinctive.

MG: I read that the score was mixed to be enhanced with the Dolby Atmos technology; tell us about that process?
SP: Yeah! That was the last thing that we did. We came back this past summer and did a new mix for that. This film really suits with Dolby Atmos and the whole thing about it is that you are completely surrounded by speakers. They are all around you. I based a lot around the knowledge that we were doing that when I wrote it as well. You can take it to another level. So if the camera enters the helmet of Sandra Bullock, then all of the sudden the score can feel like it compressed around your head. We had a lot of fun doing that and it is easily my favorite mix. There are so few Dolby Atmos screens in the UK but it is the one that I recommend to my friends for sure in America!

MG: “Don’t Let Go” is one hell of an emotional 11+ minute track; give us some background on its development?
SP: When I wrote it originally it started as 4 or 5 cues. They all did separate things but were designed to flow together. It became the bit that I was most proud of, so that is why I put it on the album as one continuous track. It just felt like it worked so well. It starts off with the introduction of the most dramatic stuff. You’ve had all this chaos and disorientation in the film for the first 20 minutes and this was the first time when you can take a breath. So it let me do a little bit of that kind of writing style which then went into a really choreographed action section. This idea came along early in the writing process that as the actors move around that I can reflect their movement within the music. I thought that that aspect was sort of a breakthrough and I was very excited during mixing that one. I was just so happy with how it all came together and how the emotions carried through it.

MG: What was your timeline on this film?
SP: I started back in December 2011 and we finished the main film mix November/December of last year but then came back like I said this year and did a little more. So I have been involved for the better part of two years now, which in the great scheme of this project is nothing. There are people that have spent around four or five years working on it. But it was great that since it was in fact so much longer than the typical composing project on a film where you are always in a race against time that with this film you got a chance to go back and try different things. I was also involved with temp mixes with the sound crew, so we all sort of evolved the sound together. It was pretty rare and really great to see the whole project develop over the years.

MG: It’s been a busy year for you with “Gravity” and “The World’s End”, tell us about how ?
SP: I had done a film called “Attack of the Block”, in which Edgar Wright produced a few years ago. So “The World’s End” came from that basically. It was just great to work with Edgar on that film. He is so interested in his music. The whole film is so cleverly structured and the music is a part of that. You get really involved really early. Again, I got a script way before they even shot that one and got to discuss how they were going to do things and how we could adapt the sound. That was great fun and a lot of my role in that was around the energy of how everything happened in one night in the film. We got to play into a bunch of different styles since there were comedy bits, action bits and even romantic bits as well. It was just good fun to be able to press different buttons. From being in this very immersive “Gravity” world, it was great to break out and do something different.

MG: What do you have planned after this film?
SP: There are a few things that I have knocking about. Since I am relatively new to this whole composing thing and I am not one of these people that have done like 50 films, I still feel incredibly lucky to be doing it. But also I feel paranoid that it will stop all of the sudden [laughs]. So there are a few things in the works but I don’t want to curse them by talking about them just yet. But there is definitely some exciting stuff coming up!

Edward James Olmos needs no introduction but I’ll give you one anyway. Born in Los Angeles as a young man he dreamed of being a professional baseball player. However, as he got older he discovered rock and roll and the Dodgers lost an outfielder! As his musical career progressed he was encouraged to give acting a try. He found work with small roles in both film and television. In 1979 he earned a Tony Award nomination for his performance as El Pachuco in Luis Valdez’ play “Zoot Suit,” and reprised the role in the 1981 film version. Roles in films like “Bladerunner” and television programs like “Hill Street Blues” introduced him to new fans and in 1984 he began a seven year fun as Lt. Martin Castillo in the trendsetting show “Miami Vice.” Twice nominated for an Emmy Award for his work, Olmos was the coolest guy on television with the mustache to back it up!

In 1988 he became only the 2nd Hispanic actor to be nominated for the Best Actor Academy Award when he was nominated for his role as real life educator Jaime Escalante in the film “Stand and Deliver.” He went on to star in such films as “Selena,” “Talent for the Game” (one of my favorites) and “American Me,” which he also directed. A second generation of fans embraced him as Commander Adama in the rebooted “Battlestar Galactica” mini-series, television series and films. Earlier this year he starred opposite Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg in the hit film “2 Guns.” He will next be featured as ex-cop Freddy Suarez in the new John Sayles drama “Go For Sisters.”

I had actually been scheduled to speak with Mr. Olmos last year during an appearance in Kansas City. When we met I referred to him as “El Pachuco,” which drew a hearty laugh. Unfortunately a change in his travel schedule put our talk on hold so I was thrilled to speak with him this week about “Go For Sisters,” telling a good story and playing baseball on screen.

Edward James Olmos: Hello Michael.
Mike Smith: Hello, El Pachuco! How are you, sir?
EJO: (laughs loudly) I’m doing pretty good. How are you?
MS: Just fine. I’ve been waiting over a year to talk to you.
EJO: Here we are finally on the telephone. I’m ready!

MS: Give us an introduction to Freddy Suarez and your new film “Go For Sisters.”
EJO: “Go For Sisters” is a film written and directed by John Sayles, and it’s probably one of his best films…it’s up there with “Lone Star” and “Passion Fish.” He has created a wonderful, complex character study about two women in need of help. That help comes in the form of a disgraced L.A. police detective who got caught up in the corruption around him and had to pay the price. He’s forced to retire without a pension. He’s also suffering from a tremendous case of macular degeneration, which is an eye disease. So he not only has to deal with his feelings of self-esteem and self-respect but he has to now deal with his physical inabilities. He’s now a shell of himself. A blind shell. But he takes on a last job in the hopes of gaining back some self-esteem. He’s also hoping to make enough money to pay his taxes so he doesn’t lose his house.

MS: What attracted you to the project?
EJO: (laughs) The story I just told you! It was so well written…I couldn’t believe it. John had actually called me and asked me to produce the film. I’ve known John for over thirty years but I’d never worked with him. I told him it would be my honor and asked him to send me the script. I read the script and I was like, “wow.” It was so original. He asked me if I liked Freddy Suarez and I told him I loved him. “Would you play him?” “Of course I would.” So that’s how the whole thing started.

MS: As a director yourself, when you’re on set with someone like John Sayles or Ridley Scott or Michael Mann, do you spend your time when you’re not performing studying their techniques…seeing how they run a set?
EJO: When I’m on a set, moment to moment, my first priority is to build my character to help tell the story…be it theater, a motion picture or television. It’s important to pay attention to the story. But we’re all story tellers. All of us. From the grips to the lighting people to the director…the producers…the actors…we’re all story tellers. We’re all there to tell a story. When I’m acting I’m there for one reason and one reason only. To tell a story. And the story of “Go For Sisters” is one of the most original pieces of work I’ve done in a long time.

MS: You were in the big budget film “2 Guns” earlier this year and now you’re in “Go For Sisters,” which is a much smaller independent project. Do you have a preference when you choose a film project?
EJO: Not really. Again, it begins with the story. If the story is worth telling then I’m interested.

MS: Since we both love baseball, here is one of the questions I’d hoped to ask you last year: In the film “Talent for the Game” you portray a former ball player who gets the chance to catch one more time in the big leagues. As someone that once dreamed of being a professional ball player was it a special moment being able to portray one on film?
EJO: (almost like a purr) Oh yeah. It was probably one of the most memorable experiences I’ve had in filmmaking. I love that movie. It’s just the most unusual little film that more people are seeing now then when it came out.

MS: What do you have coming up next?
EJO: I’m working on a film now called “El Americano,” which is an animated film that should be out in March. It’s a co-production between the United States and Mexico and it stars the voices of Lisa Kudrow, Paul Rodriguez, Cheech Marin, Rico Rodriguez (Manny on “Modern Family)….myself. It’s a handful of great artists lending their voices. It’s an animated film for children but adults will enjoy it. It’s not like PIXAR, where the films are made for adults but children go to see them also. I’m really looking forward to it.

Related Content

• Takashi Miike talks about making “Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai”
• Eric Jacobus talk about playing Stryker in “Mortal Kombat Legacy 2”
• Julie Adams reflects back on her role in “Creature from the Black Lagoon”
• Matt Thompson talks about writing, directing and starring in “Bloodline”
• Julianne Moore and Michael Angarano Discuss “The English Teacher”

If you walk away from December’s rather tense House of Bad a little shaken and stirred, the man to send your letters of complaint to is Jim Towns. Media Mikes had a chance to talk to the talented up-and-coming filmmaker about one of the most daunting films you’ll see this year. Be sure to check out “House of Bad” when it hits DVD on December 3.

Mike Gencarelli: How far back does the story of House of Bad’s conception go?
Jim Towns: All the way back in college I’d had a vague idea for a story about three sisters on the run with a stolen suitcase of drugs. I thought I’d someday do it as a graphic novel or a prose story, and at one point I wanted to do it as a black box theatre play, but I’m glad I held onto it for a while until it could be realized on film.

MG: Were you a horror/thriller fan growing up? Is that what stemmed the interest in doing a genre film? Or is it because horror seems to be an easier sell these days?
JT: No, I’m an old-school, dyed-in-the-wool horror fan. Scooby-Doo, The Munsters, and Abbott & Costello meet Frankenstein pretty much sealed my fate at an early age. I think it’s pretty apparent when “mainstream” filmmakers try to exploit the horror genre in order to get a film made and sold and bolster their reputation. I’ve been sent a few of those scripts and I think those films – and we’ve all seen them- come across as very hollow and half-hearted. Horror fans are smart, and they know when someone’s trying to exploit the genre. Also, I’m not sure horror is actually that easy of a sell these days either, because there’s a helluva lot of people making a helluva lot of horror films right now. It’s pretty hard to rise above the white noise of all that and land a good distribution deal, it takes something unique.

MG: You co-wrote the script. We picture two guys on computers, side-by-side, madly writing something by moonlight. Is that how it worked?
JT: Not really. I had a rough draft done before Scott [Frazelle]came on. We never actually sat together in a room with duelling laptops or anything, it was mostly emailing each other scenes and revisions and working in tandem to hone in on the best structure and the most compelling character moments to give the film the most impact for the viewer. Scott’s a great writer with a natural instinct for what makes a story work, and that was a huge benefit for the movie.

MG: Are the people involved in the film – particularly behind-the-scenes – all friends? Or was this a case of ’rounding up’ the best for the job?
JT: Scott and I have each worked in just about every capacity on films and TV at some point over the years, so it really was a matter of tapping our combined talent pool. Luckily we knew just about everyone we needed for the crew, and the jobs we didn’t have anyone for, someone we knew would know someone who was perfect. When you basically have no time for pre-production, you have to find people you know aren’t going to let you down, because lost time is lost money and that’ll sink you, so you simply cannot afford to pick the wrong person. I look at the finished film now and I see the amazing look our DP Chad Courtney and art director Nikki Nemzer gave it. The great makeup by Jennifer Jackson. The seamless blend between Anthony Eikner’s SFX and Gregg Deitrich’s VFX work on many of the blood gags. Nina Lucia’s razor-sharp editing. The incredible score by Terry Huud, and on and on. So yes, they were all friends, and yes we got the best for the job. It’s nice when that works out.

MG: Who is the audience for the film, in your opinion?
JT: House of Bad has all the signature moments of a good horror film- building suspense, big scares, great gory effects, so I’m not too surprised that horror fans have responded so favorably to it. What has surprised me is how well it’s connected to non-horror viewers. I think the dramatic setup of the movie, the dynamic of the three sisters dealing with the ghosts of their past, connects with a much larger demographic beyond the horror fanbase– so to answer your question, I think the film is for anyone who enjoys a good story, but can handle a few scares, too.

MG: Complete the sentence. ‘You’ll love House of Bad, if you liked…’
JT: Indie films, ghost stories, and films that don’t suck.

MG: The movie seems to be getting a lot of publicity online. How important is the internet in terms of marketing a film like this?
JT: It’s absolutely critical when you can’t afford to buy ad space or billboards. Online critics, reviewers and bloggers are a vital component in getting the word out about your movie, and I’m really thankful for everyone who’s taken the time to watch and review HoB and for the interviews, especially since the reaction has been so overwhelmingly positive. I’ve never had any of my films get such good press across the board and it’s been a pretty awesome few months, I can tell you. To my peers out there with a film project in the works I’d say put aside a few bucks aside and try to hire a good PR company like ours (October Coast) to raise your film’s awareness. Social media is great but it can only reach so far.

MG: What’s your next movie?
JT: There’s a few things coming up for me right now, which is exciting. There’s a supernatural western called A Man with a Gun, which is about this gunfighter with a dark past who travels through Purgatory to rescue the souls of his murdered wife and son. I wrote and am producing it, and it will feature Dani Lennon (Bite Me) and Tony Todd. Getting a call on your cell from the Candyman is a pretty cool thing, I gotta say. I’m also set to shoot 13 Girls next year, which is sort of a cross between Rosemary’s Baby and Law & Order. Sadie Katz and I will be reuniting on that one, as well as another little film we’re developing called Invasive, which will be really scary and really really sexy, too. Maybe even more sexy than scary, I don’t know. But it’ll be a lot of fun to watch, without doubt.

Five-time World Champion and Hall of Famer, Randy Couture came to spotlight with his fighting skills in Mixed Martial Arts and Ultimate Fighting Championship. Besides fighting, Randy has appeared in films like “The Expendables”, “The Expendables 2” and “The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior”. Randy also reunited with “The Expendables” co-star Dolph Lundgren in the film “Ambushed”, which will be released on November 12th. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Randy about that film and also get a sneak peak into “The Expendables 3”.

Mike Gencarelli: How did you end up reuniting with “The Expendables” co-star Dolph Lundgren in “Ambushed”?
Randy Couture: It was actually more like an “if then” type of deal. We have become good friends over the years. We heard about this project and they were thinking about him and wanted to know if I would be interested. I said if Dolph was going to do it then I was absolutely interested. He said the same thing that he was in if I did it. We were looking forward to the opportunity to work with each other again outside of “The Expendables”.

MG: You also co-starred with Vinnie Jones in last year “Hijacked”. Was this Accident or propose?
RC: Actually that was an accident. I didn’t know that that was coming and I was very excited to find out that he was going to be part of this film.

MG: Tell us about your role Jack Reiley and how you prepared?
RC: Jack Reiley was a challenge for me to play such a nasty character. It was very outside of the box. Part of the acting process is figuring out how to relate to the character and figuring out who they are. I had no real basis in my stream of experience to give to him, so I had to create a back story. He was doing the things that he was doing in my mind and perspective to get ahead and provide for his family and keep them in his life. Once I wrapped that frame of mind into the things he did that I felt like I was able to find him and tell the truth, which is the process in acting.

MG: What made you also take on the role of producer for “Amushed”?
RC: It was due to the relationships that I have been lucky to build. I was able to throw my name in that hat and get some credit under my belt. It was nice being able to pull the entire piece together and I have a great group of guys to help me out. Sam Spira, my manager, was great in putting me in a position to be a part of that.

MG: Do you see your taking on that role again or even stepping behind the camera?
RC: Absolutely, I am already producing a few TV shows for Spike. I am definitely looking for more opportunities in that regard. In terms of directing, it is definitely something I see myself doing. I am learning more about cameras, film speeds and all those sorts of things as I am around guys like Sly (Stallone) and other guys that I have been getting to rub elbows right. So I will definitely want to try that out at some point in the future.

MG: Tell us what we can expect from “The Expendables 3”?
RC: Actually we just finished it. It is all in the can now. I am sure that they are organizing it and getting it line out. I am hearing net August probably for a release. I will be excited to see how it comes together.

MG: Give us a rundown on some of the new additions to the cast?
RC: We have a very interesting story. It puts an interesting twist on “The Expendables”. Wesley Snipes joined the crew and how that unfolds is very cool. We add some new younger guys to the group Kellan Lutz (“The Twilight Saga”), Victor Ortiz (Former WBC Welterweight Champion), Ronda Rousey (UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion) and Glen Powell (“The Dark Knight Rises”). I think that storyline – the young vs the old – the tech savy vs. us older guys who are like the Planet of the Apes when it comes to techical stuff [laughs]. It is a pretty interesting juxtaposition and creates some interesting conflicts and I think people are going to dig this story.

MG: Besides acting, tell us about your work with Xtreme Couture MMA?
RC: The gym is going very well. We just picked up a new MMA coach, Robert Follis, who has changed a little bit of the atmosphere and energy in the gym. Some of the top pros are starting to come back into the gym setting. We have a great group of young guys. Our amateur team has been great and is kicking butt under the training of Dennis Davis. I am very exciting about the things that are happening now. We have just started an affiliate program. We have two in New York and Colorado Springs. So keep an eye out!

Related Content

• Interview with Nathan Baesel
• Lynn Shelton talks about directing “Your Sister’s Sister”
• Oliver Robins talks “Poltergeist” and working with Steven Spielberg
• Scoot McNairy chats about roles in “Argo”, “Killing Them Softly” & “Promised Land”
• Paul Sorvino talks about new his film “Precious Mettle”

The first time I saw Justin Kirk perform he was naked! Of course, to be fair, I should note that all of the performers were naked. It was 1995 and I saw Kirk and a stellar cast, including Nathan Lane, John Glover and Anthony Heald, in the Tony and Drama Desk Award winning play, “Love! Valour! Compassion!” One thing that stood out about Kirk (no pun intended) was his bio in the Playbill in which he noted, among his credits, that he was “Michelle Pfeiffer’s dead brother in WOLF.” If truth be told, it was actually a PICTURE of Kirk portraying Ms. Pfeiffer’s dead brother but still, to say your first film starred Jack Nicholson and Michelle Pfeiffer does look good on a resume.

Since then, Kirk has worked steadily, in both film and television. His real first feature was the film version of “Love! Valour! Compassion!” in which the entire cast, less Nathan Lane and Anthony Heald, recreated their roles. Lane was replaced by Jason Alexander while Stephen Spinella subbed for Heald. He has also appeared in popular television series like “Everwood” and had a recurring role in the Showtime series “Weeds.” He can also be found occasionally on the Emmy Award winning “Modern Family,” where he plays Mitchell’s boss, Charlie Bingham. He can also be seen in upcoming episode of the new show “Blacklist.”

On the big screen, Kirk has appeared in “Angels in America” (made for HBO), “Vamps” and can now be seen in the recently opened “Last Love.” Mr. Kirk took some time out of his schedule to sit down with me and talk about his new film, working with James Spader and how his photo got screentime.

Mike Smith: I’m not sure if the rep told you when I scheduled this interview but I had the great opportunity to catch you in New York in “Love! Valour! Compassion!” And if I didn’t say it then, let me say thank you for signing my Playbill.
Justin Kirk: Wow! That’s going back some. Talk about déjà vu…I just did an episode of the “The Blacklist” with…not one of the original cast but in the second string…an actor named Richard Beacon. I hadn’t seen him in 18 years. And I just got a text from Stephen Bogardus, who was in the original cast. I’ve managed to keep in touch with all of those guys over the years.

MS: Can you give us a brief introduction to your new film, “Last Love”?
JK: Sure. Well, an introduction from my perspective is that Michael Caine and I are an angsty father and son. It’s a movie about some lonely people trying to reach out to each other.

MS: What attracted you to the project?
JK: Well, right off the bat you’ve got Michael Caine…that’s a tough one to turn away. (laughs) I enjoyed the writer/director’s (Sandra Nettlebeck) first movie, “Mostly Martha.” I was a big fan of it. It was a great script. It all just came together and I decided I’d better haul my ass to Europe for a couple of months.

MS: You’ve done a lot of film and television work. Do you have a preference? And do you have to prepare for a role differently for film vs television?
JK: Not really. I think in this day and age the lines between the two are blurring. A lot of people will probably see “Last Love” on the same box they watched “Weeds” on. The difference pretty much is that in television there’s a different script every week…you don’t necessarily have your characters beginning, middle and end when you sign on to do the job. You don’t know what it’s going to be. Other than that it’s pretty much the same. They turn on the camera, look at the other actors and try to remember who the person is that you’re playing…what they do…and start talking.

MS: Do you know yet if you’re going to be back on “Modern Family” this year?
JK: Wow! Thanks for asking (laughs). I did two episodes for this year. The first has already aired where I hit on Haley. That was a lot of fun. And then there’s one more that hasn’t aired yet. That’s been a good one over the years. They usually have me back at least once a season or so. It’s not a bad show to be a part of.

MS: One of the things I remember most about you and “Love! Valour! Compassion!” was that in the Playbill you’re claim to fame was that you were Michelle Pfeiffer’s dead brother in “Wolf.” You’re actually just a PHOTO of Michelle Pfeiffer’s dead brother. How did that come about?
JK: (laughs) Someone actually sent me a shot of that scene and I was shocked at how young I was in the picture. That came about because I was doing a play on Broadway and the costume designer for the show, Ann Roth, is also Mike Nichol’s costume designer (NOTE: Oscar-winner Roth has designed the costumes for all of Mike Nichol’s films since “Silkwood”). I had never met him. One day she told me that she and I were going to take a ride about 45 minutes out of town and take some pictures. And later on, there it was in the movie. It pops up on the screen and Jack Nicholson says, “Nice face.” I rode that one for awhile! And then years later I worked with Mike Nichols on “Angels in America” and I continually had to remind him that I had worked with him before. He was fairly unaware of that. (laughs). But you know, you never know where things like that will lead.

MS: That’s like Bruce Willis trying to convince Paul Newman on the set of “Nobody’s Fool” that they had worked together before because Willis was one of the galley members during the courtroom scenes in “The Verdict.”
JK: Really? I didn’t know that. That’s a good piece of trivia.

MS: What else do you have coming up?
JK: I just did a pilot for FX called “Tyrants.” We’ll see what the life of that one turns out to be but it was a pretty crazy experience in Morocco. I just got home yesterday from doing an episode of “The Blacklist,” which is a hot new show with James Spader. That was a lot of fun, being a bad guy. And that should air fairly soon…they have a fast turnaround there because the show is doing very well so they have to make them quickly.

MS: I think it’s because of the characters he plays but I’ve always imagined James Spader would be the worse person you could ever want to spend time with. But having just said that I’m guessing James Spader is pretty cool.
JK: He’s super cool. I’ve been a fan of his since I was a teenager in Minneapolis and went and saw “Sex, Lies and Videotape” at the local art house. He’s been for me, and a lot of my generation of actors, much like Michael Caine. When the opportunity came to work with James I was like, “I’ve got to go act with Spader for a second!”

MS: That’s really all I had. Thanks again for signing my Playbill. Everybody at the stage door was mobbing Nathan Lane when you came out so I don’t know if I got to say thank you.
JK: (laughs) That’s great. I’m glad. Maybe we’ll get the chance to do it again in the future.

Related Content

• Interview with Tracey Walter
• Denis Villenueve talks about directing “Prisoners”
• Interview with Elfar Adalsteins
• Antoni Stutz talks about directing his new film “Rushlights”
• Darren Lynn Bousman talks about remaking “Mother’s Day”

Val Lauren has done very well for himself, carving out an impressive career while staying just below the radar. That is all going to change thanks to his bravura performance as Sal Mineo in director James Franco’s bio film, “SAL.”
A longtime member of Playhouse West, Lauren is a frequent collaborator with his friend, Scott Caan, on various film and stage projects. He made his film writing and directing debut with the well received short film, “Help,” which I recommend you give a look at http://www.openfilm.com/videos/help

While getting ready for the release of “Sal,” which opened last week, Lauren took time out to speak with Media Mikes about Sal Mineo, changes in Hollywood and why James Franco has his cell number.

Mike Smith: How did you get involved with “Sal?”
Val Lauren: James Franco offered me the role out of the blue. I got a text from him saying that he would like me to play Sal Mineo. I had no idea the offer was coming so it really took me by surprise. That’s simply how it all started. I stared at my phone for a while and then I texted back “cool.” And the next thing you know we had jumped in feet first.

MS: Nice. The first thing I would have wondered is how James Franco got my cell number.
VL: (laughs) James and I are friends. We’ve had a collaboration as actors for many years now. We’re both part of the same theater company, Playhouse West, an acting school and repertory theater company in Los Angeles. That’s where we first met over a decade ago. We’ve collaborated together on characters we’ve played in our individual movies as well as on scenes in plays for the theater. It’s an ongoing joke that we’re regarded as the James Dean and Sal Mineo of the theater company. In fact, when James did the movie “James Dean” I worked with him for a couple of months helping to research the part and that’s where we both learned a lot about Sal Mineo. We considered writing a play about James Dean and Sal Mineo so that topic has always been there. After James read Michael Gregg Michaud’s biography about Sal he decided he wanted to tell a story about Sal Mineo and that’s what we did.

MS: In researching the part where you able to speak with any members of Sal Mineo’s family or his last partner, Courtney Burr?
VL: I was. I spent a wonderful afternoon with Courtney Burr. Michael Gregg Michaud is a friend of Courtney’s and one day he asked me if I wanted to meet him. Of course I said yes. So we went over to Courtney’s home and spent the day together. Courtney told me some great stories about Sal and about their experiences together. He had a chair…a beautiful chair…in his house that Sal had given him as a gift. He let me sit in it, which I was very nervous to do. I didn’t want to knock it over or break it. He told me about their time together. We really just talked a lot about Sal. I can really see why Sal loved him. I can also see why Courtney loved Sal. He was great in helping to inform and reinforce me about the man that I had been given the responsibility to represent.

MS: Though he didn’t flaunt his sexuality, Sal Mineo never shied away from the fact that he was gay, even in an industry that, almost four decades after his death, people do their best to stay closeted. Do you think that affected his later career choices? I mean, his last movie was “Escape from the Planet of the Apes.”
VL: It absolutely demolished him. Technically he was the first known actor to come out. He didn’t make a big thing out of it but he did not make any efforts to really hide it. He would do interviews with gay publications, which at the time were relatively unheard of. He would not stay undercover. This absolutely destroyed him in the business. Friends of his that were actors and actresses and directors were afraid to even hang out with him because they would not want to be guilty by association. And I found that just appalling that it happened. I’m very happy that, almost forty years after his death, we don’t have to hide ourselves. Not only in Hollywood but in life. People have finally started to wise up and say, “what’s the big deal here?” There has been a lot of growth since then. Although there are always pockets of people that are slow to catch on I think we’re on our way to sanity.

MS: As a writer/director yourself can you give us a critique of James Franco as a director?
VL: (laughs) I think he has a very interesting and specific lens through which he views things. I think he has a very unique perspective on how he likes to tell stories. I think he’s brave to venture out and try new things at a time when we often see the same kind of movies told in the same kind of format. He has very specific ideas on what he wants to explore, which is an attribute I find in the greatest directors that I admire. I applaud him for exploring areas that, frankly, other people are too afraid to touch.

MS: There had been some talk about you making your short film, “Help,” into a feature film. Is that still the plan?
VL: I believe that the story in that short film was told in full. We may make it as a feature and we may not. I’m still not sure. I’m really proud of the film as it is and I think that I’d like to make other movies now and tell other stories and let “Help” be what it is. Yes, it’s a short film. It is 40 minutes long. But I believe that the story I wanted to tell has been told.

MS: What else are you working on?
VL: Right now I’m directing a play that just opened called “One Hundred Days of Yesterday” that was written by Scott Caan. We’ve done about a dozen plays together….ones he wrote…ones I directed…ones we starred in. This is one that he wrote that I’m directing with two great actors. My next movie coming out is called “The Last Knight” and it’s based on this great Japanese tale of the 47 Ronin, who were a group of warriors that set out on a mission to avenge their master.

MS: I’ve got to end this by saying I thought your performance in “Sal” was brilliant. I’m making sure I use that word in my review as well. I think it’s so hard to play a real-life person that is so well known because people go into the film with a preconceived notion of how that person is. I think you captured Sal Mineo perfectly.
VL: You just made my day, man! Thank you so much. That really means a lot to me.

Today actor David McCallum is probably best known for his role as Donald “Ducky” Mallard on the long running television series “NCIS.”  If you’re my age you probably remember him best as the smooth secret agent Illya Kuryakin from “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.”  As someone who had, in the 3^rd grade, been scolded often by teachers for continually saying “Open Channel D” into his ink pen, it was a great day when I had the chance to speak with Mr. McCallum about the 50^th Anniversary of one of the most popular movies of the 1960s, “The Great Escape.”

To help celebrate this event, Mr. McCallum will be appearing at a benefit screening of the film this coming weekend, November 9, in Omaha, Nebraska as part of Bruce Crawford’s on-going classic film salute.  For information on the event head over to http://www.omahafilmevent.com/upcoming.htm

Recently Mr. McCallum took some time to talk to me about “The Great Escape,” why he enjoys voicing video-games and another upcoming 50^th Anniversary he looks forward to celebrating.

Mike Smith:  First off, a belated “Happy Birthday!” (Mr. McCallum turned an incredible 80 years old this past September 19).
David McCallum:  (laughs) Thank you.

MS:  How did you get involved with “The Great Escape?”
DM:  Way back then I had an agent in England by the name of Derrick Marr.  I hadn’t been with him long.  I had been doing an awful lot of television…live television, and working in the theater.  He called me and said that I’d gotten a request to meet with the casting director of the film.

MS:  At the time it was probably the biggest film production you’d been involved with.  As a young actor what were your thoughts when you realized you would be working with such international stars as Steve McQueen and James Garner?  Was it overwhelming?
DM:  Well, thankfully, life has never been able to overwhelm me.  I tend to enjoy and take great pleasure in all of the work that I do.  And back then it was no different.  When you’ve decided that your whole life is going to be as an actor, when you get opportunities to do a wonderful thing, like “The Great Escape,” it’s just a colossal pleasure that you look forward to with great anticipation.  And then you start preparing, of course.  You have to learn all about the character…all of the things necessary.  It’s not about just turning up and saying the words.  And the whole thing was such a beautiful experience.  I knew Donald Pleasence.  We had been very good friends for some time.  And you can imagine how it was for the young actors.  Being able to work with all of those people.  I’m not usually star-struck.  I’m fascinated by the number of people I’ve met working in this profession over the years.  That film was a great beginning.

MS:  Both of your parents were very well known and classically trained musicians (his father, David Sr, was the first violinist for the London Philharmonic – his mother, Dorothy, was a cellist).  Were you ever encouraged to make music your profession?
DM:  My father was a professional musician, my mother, who was a cellist, gave it up early to take care of my father.  I played the Oboe from about the age of eight or nine.  I went to the Royal Academy of Music for a short while but then I gave the whole thing up to go on the stage.

MS:  You’ve done a lot of voice work in video games.  Does that take a different kind of preparation as an actor?
DM:  The best thing about that kind of media is that you get to over-act outrageously.  To me that’s the greatest pleasure.

MS:  “NCIS” isn’t your first hit television show.  What, in your opinion, is the biggest difference in working in television between “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” and now?
DM:  I think the ability to record sound and the size of the camera and the fact that it’s now digital and not film.  Other than that nothing’s changed.

MS:  Final question, and I understand if you can’t answer it:  next year marks the 50^th Anniversary of “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.”  Do you have any involvement in the upcoming “U.N.C.L.E.” film?
DM:  No, right now I have nothing to do with that.  It’s a whole new venture.  But now that you tell me it’s the 50^th Anniversary next year I’ll have to set aside a nice bottle of wine and open it.  Maybe I’ll save it until the movie comes out.

A FANS NOTE TO DIRECTOR GUY RITCHIE

Mr. Ritchie:

I hope by the time you read this you will have contacted both Mr. McCallum and Robert Vaughn and found a place for them in your film.  Both men are in great health and acting today.  I don’t care if you have them walk past Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer in the hallway, you must recognize them.  It is their chemistry that made “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.”  the show it was.  As Leo G. Carroll has passed away more than 40 years ago I will not lobby for his appearance!