Directed by: Alex Gregory, Peter Huyck
Starring: Jason Sudeikis, Leslie Bibb, Lake Bell, Michelle Borth, Nick Kroll, Tyler Labine, Lindsay Sloane
Lucy Punch, Will Forte
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Distributed by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Running time: 98 minutes

Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3.5 out of 5 stars

With a title like “A Good Old Fashioned Orgy”, it is easy to expect a lot from this movie, but at points it really plays it too safe. The film though definitely packs one of the best comedy casts of the year. Jason Sudeikis, Nick Kroll and Tyler Labine definitely rocks the house in the comedy department and Lake Bell is always a pleasure to watch. Will Forte and Lindsay Sloane are a great duo and deliver a few good laughs. If you are a fan of TV show “Children’s Hospital” and its cast, then you will definitely dig this film. The highlight scene though is easily the orgy party with David Koechner and he steals the show like always.

The film follows Eric (Jason Sudeikis) and his group of friends who hold theme-events at his father’s (Don Johnson) house in the Hamptons. When Eric finds out that his dad plans to sell the house, they decide to have one last big party and it would be an orgy. The group spends the next few weeks till Labor Day preparing and getting ready for the big night.  Can the group go through with this or will they chicken out?

The unrated cut of the film adds about 3 extra minutes to the film but doesn’t add too much more to the film. The bonus features included on the disc are a very funny commentary from co-writers/directors Alex Gregory, Peter Huyck and Jason Sudeikis. There is also a bunch of deleted scenes running about 15 minutes and they are decent watches and are really more like extended scenes. There is a very funny gag reel, which I wish was longer. “How to Film an Orgy” is a decent but short 9 minute behind the scenes featurette. Overall I would say I enjoyed this film and would recommend it.

Danny Hicks is known for playing Jake in “Evil Dead II” and Bill Roberts in “Intruder”.  Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Danny about working on “Evil Dead 2”, working with Sam Raimi all these years and what he has planned next.

Mike Gencarelli: What would you say was the most difficult part of working on “Evil Dead 2”?
Danny Hicks: I would say the temperature. It was very hot and when you see close up shots of us that sweat is real it’s not spray on. We were in a gymnasium at an abandon school in North Carolina and they had built a two story long cabin so they could have a basement. We shot on the second floor of the cabin and it was summer time in North Carolina so it had to be 120 degrees in there. They had to keep the air conditioning off because it would mess with sound so that was probably the most difficult part of the shoot. The shoot was also pretty physical as well and we beat each other up. Bruce kicked me in the nads real hard once as we were shooting the scene where I hit him in the head with the shotgun. He fell off the porch and when he did his foot came up right between my legs. He connected really hard. So hard that as soon as Sam called cut I threw up all over everything. That was interesting.

MG: Tell us about working on the film “My Name is Bruce” with Bruce Campbell directing you?
DH: It was fun. We got to right our own parts and pretty much do whatever we wanted to do. Just before we started shooting he asked what I was going to do and I told him but then he decides to throw in that my character was gay. Bruce says action and I was trying so hard not to laugh that I think I peed myself just a little bit. I had worked with Bruce before doing some audio stuff for his books but this was the first time working with him as a film director. He is very focused and serious which is something you wouldn’t guess by watching his movies.

MG: Most of the cast from “Evil Dead 2” also worked on “Intruder”, including Sam Raimi in an acting role, tell us about working on that?
DH: It was fun but for me it was very difficult. It was very physical as I did a lot of my own stunt but it was interesting to work with Sam as an actor. Most people don’t know he is an actor but he is very good. I think the best part of the film was I got to kill half the Raimi family! (Laughs) It was fun.

MG: How was it working with Sam Raimi as he grew from “Evil Dead 2” to “Darkman” to “Spider-Man 2”?
DH: As far as I know Sam hasn’t changed a bit. “Evil Dead 2” was like a $3 million dollar movie and “Spider Man 2” he had some bigger toys to play with but he was same guy on both films. Sam likes to torture his actors and become part of the scene. That scene where spider man is holding the train back Sam instead of watching the monitor was standing in front of the wind machine throwing pieces of wood and gravel into the wind so it’s hitting us in the faces. (Laughs) Sam hasn’t really changed and he is the same guy I met in 1985.

MG: Tell us how you got started working with Michael Kallio on “Paranormal, Burbank” & Koreatown”?
DH: “Koreatown” was not a very good experience for me. We worked really hard for a few days and then I was cut out of the movie by the producer. I guess I am in the DVD version in the deleted scenes section but I have never seen the movie as it was not a pleasant experience. Michael is great to work with though. For “Burbank” Michael called me up and asked if I played guitar. I told him I did but I wasn’t that good and that’s how I got the role. He cut out most of the guitar stuff but it was really fun to do. It’s a wacky series.

MG: What was your involvement with the TV series from early 90’s “Ultraman: The Ultimate Hero”?
DH: They promised me that it would never air in the United States! (Laughs) I grew up on the original version of “Ultraman” but I actually got to say “Ahh it’s a Monster!” which is in every bad Godzilla movie ever made. I did that line with all the grace I could muster.

MG: What do you have currently planned upcoming?
DH: I worked recently with Ted Raimi on his new web series called “Morbid Minutes”. I don’t know when it’s going to come out but it’s supposed to be soon. It’s a series of stories which will be about a minute and a half and they are going to be in 3-D. How they are going to do that I don’t know. Ted really surprised me. He has a different style than his brother but he is very good. I am going to be at a few upcoming conventions such as Comic-Con as well as one in Kalamazoo, Michigan. In late November I am going to start work on Sam’s new movie. From what I am told it’s supposed to be the most expensive movie ever made in Michigan. I really love working with Sam.

Timothy Quill is known best for playing the Blacksmith in “Army of Darkness”.  Timothy has also co-starred with Bruce Campbell in “My Name is Bruce”.  Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Timothy about working on the series and what he has planned next.

Mike Gencarelli: Tell us how you became involved with the film “Army of Darkness”?
Timothy Quill: We actually need to take a couple of steps back.  It started in the early 70’s I went to high school with a couple guys you may have heard back, Sam Raimi, Bruce Campbell, Scott Spiegel and Ted Raimi.  Back then we were making those super 8 classics way back then.  I went to business school and you know what those guys did.  It just so happened I shot this movie called “Thou Shall Not Kill” int he 80’s.  I let Sam Raimi know I was interested in coming out to California.  I moved out to California and he brought me to the set of “Army of Darkness”.  He told me “You shave your head and I will give you a role”.  I told him “Sam, I will shave anything to be in this movie.”  I figured it was a couple of days worth of work, so I agreed.  I go to wardrobe and I had this long blond surfer hair.  The girl said maybe we can just grease it back.  Sam said “Nope, off with the hair”.  I thought he was going to shemp me, make me show up on the set and put a helmet on me [laughs].  I showed up on the set and this was a real movie Sam Raimi actually built a castle in the desert.  It was a far cry from those super 8 movies, with a real budget.  Sam is up in his crane and he sees me with my bald head and the prosthetic mustache on.  He comes down next to me and screams “Perfect”.  He shows me this storyboard and it looks exactly the same as I do.  So he says “Your hired!”.  So the next thing I know I was working on the film for two and a half months.

MG: Would you consider the production to have been easy to work on?
TQ: For me it was just a new experience.  I never hung around my trailer.  I was always on the set wanting to learn and see what was going on.  Right in the middle of the movie, he decided he wanted to make it a full blown comedy and wanted to make the movie more campy than it already was.  Sam always has a great attitude on set.  He gets a lot out of his cast and crew because of it.  You learn to take care of cast and crew and the rest falls into place.

MG: Have you seen your character is in the recent “Army of Darkness” video game on the iPhone?
TQ: I just had a gentleman Scott contact me and I just signed like 200 cards. With every purchase of the game you will get a picture of me looking over the death pit, when the hand flies onto the guys face [screams].  So I think I am talking about the same thing you are.  So go out and buy that game and get an autographed picture.

MG: Tell us about working again with Bruce Campbell in “My Name is Bruce”, which he also directed?
TQ: Wow, it was really off the charts.  Danny Hicks and myself play the two tough guys in the film.  We were two farmers.  We didn’t really have any lines Bruce just wanted us to come and work on it.  Bruce is always like that their is a lot of ad libing.  He is a super director and producer.  He would take that hat off and become Ash [laughs].  Dan Hicks and I were just sitting in the courthouse.  We asked Bruce if we could throw in some lines because we really don’t like you in the film.  Danny says “I am going to brag about my character in “Evil Dead 2”.  I said “Hey I want to talk about the Blacksmith.  Of course Bruce says just go with it.  All the sudden Danny screams out “I would have gotten Jake from Evil Dead 2” and I screaming “How about that Blacksmith from “Army of Darkness”, that is one stud”.  Bruce gave this cock to his eye and said “Stud?”.  I gripped Danny’s hand and said “I don’t wanna quit you” and Bruce just started laughing.  Bruce really liked it and said “You guys are going to have more to say…but…you are both gay and walked away”.  So that is how we became gay characters the rest of the movie.  It went from 4 days on the set to a month.

MG: You continued to work with Sam Raimi on his other films like the “Spider-Man” trilogy, what was it like appearing in all three?
TQ: It has been very loyal to me since and I have appear in a few of his projects.  Those were great.  Bruce (Campbell), Scott Spiegel and myself were in all three of those.  If he found a part for you he would bring you back.  We were really fortunate.  I am next hoping to work with him next on “Oz: The Great and Powerful” this September.

MG: How did you get involved with working with Michael Kallio in “Paranormal, Burbank”
TQ: It was really cool.  I have worked with Michael Kallio on and off.  He was a lot of the behind the scenes on “My Name is Bruce”.  As we speak I have a new company called TheGreenManSolar.com, he is actually making our commercial.  We are doing a spot for Time Warner.  After all these years we are working together again on a project.

MG: What do you have planned next?
TQ: I have a script I am working on right now called “The Shemps”.  You know what a fake shemp is obviously.  It is about three gentlemen and all they inspire to do, in their 50’s, is to be a fake shemp.  They want to be just someone in the background or talking the background.  It is a very funny movie.  It is something that Sam is too big to do and Bruce is too busy to do.  So it is left for someone like me to do.  Then in September, fingers crossed, I will be appearing in “Oz: The Great and Powerful”. Shooting that in Detroit right in our home town.

I would venture a guess that many of you reading this just finished watching “A Christmas Story” at least once this week. For almost 30 years, actor Ian Petrella has worked hard to keep the film alive in the hearts of it’s many fans.

I had the great opportunity to meet Ian this past August when I visited the original “A Christmas Story” house in Cleveland, Ohio. I was amazed at how comfortable I felt inside…how everything seemed so familiar. While there were privileged to get to engage in a question and answer session with Ian, who played younger brother Randy Parker in the film. After being asked to extend his arms and comment that “I can’t put my arms down” (a request he gets multiple times a day) he spent the next half hour answering visitors questions.

I spoke again to Ian this week from his apartment in Cleveland, where he is conducting his Q & A sessions through the rest of the year.

Mike Smith: Good to talk to you again. I see you’re still doing Q & A’s at the house.
Ian Petrella: Yes I am. It’s great to be able to answer the fans questions. And to say “I can’t put my arms down” over and over and over again! (laughs)

MS: How did you end up with the role of Randy?
IP: I was a child actor. I started when I was three years old. You just go on audition after audition after audition. “A Christmas Story” was just like the other auditions. My agent called me up and said they were casting for a new holiday movie and they need to fill the role of the younger brother. “Go get ’em tiger!” And I basically had the right goofy personality they were looking for and I got the role.

MS: Belated happy birthday, by the way (Petrella turned 37 on December 17th).
IP: Thank you.

MS: Do you think you had some extra help in getting the role being a Christmas baby?
IP: Probably not (laughs)

MS: I saw a workshop production of “A Christmas Story: the Musical” here in Kansas City in 2009. It’s currently running to rave reviews in Chicago. I know Peter Billingsley (Ralphie in the film) has recently signed on as a producer. Have you seen it?
IP: Yes. I saw the one in Kansas City and then I saw the one they did last year in Seattle. That’s when Peter stepped on board as one of the producers. I got to see it in it’s second revamp but I have not seen it in it’s new version.

MS: You’re credited as appearing in Ken Russell’s “Crimes of Passion” but actually aren’t in the film. Can you share the story about this?
IP: It’s funny you mention that because it’s one of those movies that I was in but I WASN’T in. I have a credit. What happened was I was supposed to actually be in it….I had lines…but they didn’t know if they were going to shoot it the day I was on set. That footage was never used. But I still got credit in the movie. When I auditioned for the film I auditioned for Ken Russell and he wanted me for the part of the young boy in the film. But the producers wanted this other boy who was actually a friend of mine named Seth – I can’t remember his last name. And he ended up getting the part in the movie. And out of the kindness of Ken Russell’s heart he wrote some lines for me to give me something to do. That was kind of cool.

MS: Ken Russell recently passed away (Mr. Russell died on November 27 at the age of 84). Do you have any memories of working with him?
IP: My greatest memory of Ken Russell is that he invited me to his wedding. He got married on board the Queen Mary, which is docked in Long Beach, California. It was a huge cruise ship….very Edwardian, like the Titanic. It’s a cruise ship that no longer sails. People get married on it. I’ve seen “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” done on it. (NOTE: film fans will also recognize the Queen Mary as the ship used in 1972’s “The Poseidon Adventure. Today the film is often shown, “Rocky Horror” style, on board the ship). Another cool thing about Ken’s wedding is that Anthony Perkins (who starred in “Crimes of Passion”) was the minister that married Ken. He got ordained so he could marry Ken and his wife.

MS: That’s better then being in the movie.
IP: (laughs) That’s how I got to know Anthony Perkins. I met him at the wedding and he was just a super nice guy. Later on there was a new series that was supposed to come out called “Ghost Dad.” It was going to star Anthony Perkins as a ghost writer. They needed to find someone to play his creepy, oddball son and I auditioned for it. When I met Anthony for the audition he remembered me. And I could tell it was one of those good things….basically I was it. I got excited because I thought I was going to be in this series with Anthony Perkins. And about a week after the audition I met him at the Rose Bowl. I went up and said “hi” to him and he recognized me and said hello. I asked him what was going on with “Ghost Dad” and he said as soon as he heard something he’d let me know. And then shortly after that he passed away (Anthony Perkins died on September 12, 1992).

MS: Wow. Seth Wagerman, by the way, was the young man in “Crimes of Passion.” And I looked that up while we were talking, I didn’t know that off the top of my head.
IP: (laughs) Oh. I wonder what ever happened to him?

MS: According to IMDB, he was the young John Travolta in “The Boy in the Plastic Bubble.” After “Crimes of Passion” he did a couple episodes of “The New Leave it To Beaver” and apparently never worked again!
IP: (laughs) Ah.

MS: You produced and appeared in the documentary “The Untold Christmas Story.” And now you’ve embarked on a project where you attend live screenings of “A Christmas Story” and provide audio commentary. I know you’re hoping the film will be released to theatres again in 2013 for it’s 30th anniversary. Talk about your new endeavor.
IP: It just started off as a quick idea…I thought it would be fun to do. To provide some funny comments while people watch the film. Normally I don’t make it a point to watch the film. I’ve been places where someone has put the film on and said, “I think it would be fun to watch the film with you.” And I thought, all right, let’s go for it. But when I watch it what it turns into is me talking about what went on on the set that day and making little jokes. And everybody always seemed to get a big kick out of it. They thought it was really cool to watch a movie with one of the actors and have him describe what happened in all of the scenes. The behind the scenes secrets and tidbits that went on. People enjoy that. Especially really die-hard movie goers. They love stuff like that. I thought it would be an interesting idea. So last year during the convention in Cleveland they let me try it. They played the movie and gave me a microphone and let me provide my own commentary. It went so well that I thought this is something that I think we could take on the road. I’ve done it again twice this year. Once in Pittsburgh and once in Columbus, Ohio. And the people really liked it. The commentary went the way of doing a bunch of one liners during the film. And that got a better response. But basically it’s just part of the campaign of trying to get the movie back in theatres so people can see it on the big screen. Because that’s what Bob wanted. (NOTE: Bob Clark, the director of “A Christmas Story,” and his son, Ariel, were killed by a drunk driver in a head on collision on April 4, 2007. The driver, an illegal alien with no drivers license, was sentenced to six years in prison and will be deported once his sentence is served. Bob Clark was 67, his son 22). Hopefully we can get the word out, these screenings will grow increasingly popular and will catch the attention of Warner Brothers.

MS: It would be great to see it on the big screen again at Christmas.
IP: A lot of people think of “A Christmas Story” as a holiday film. I know that Christmas time is when people expect to see it. But this movie has made it’s way into pop culture. As I look out the window at the “A Christmas Story” house I see dozens of people posing for pictures outside. They walk onto the porch and get their pictures taken with the leg lamp. This movie has obviously become a huge part of pop culture. So maybe with that in mind we won’t necessarily have to wait until Christmas time to do it.

MS: I agree, says the guy with the leg lamp sitting on his desk.
IP: (laughs) Exactly. That’s the thing. When you put your leg lamp up you leave it up all year. You don’t take it down after New Years. I want to let people know that you don’t have to wait for Christmas to love this movie. I should also mention a great contest that Warner Brothers is putting on. You just need to re-create on video one of the scenes from “A Christmas Story.” And if you’re one of the winners you receive a two-night stay at the official “A Christmas Story” house in Cleveland, Ohio.

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Starring:  Jeremy Irvine, Emma Watson and David Thewlis
Directed by:  Steven Spielberg
Rated:  PG 13
Running time:  2 hours 26 mins
Touchstone Pictures

Our Score: 5 out 5 stars

Sometimes you know what you need.  And sometimes you know what you want.  This is never more true in the case of Ted Narracott (Peter Mullan) and his family.  Peter is a good man who often finds his judgement clouded by a touch of the grape (or that strange combination of barley and hops).  Ted and his son, Albert (Irvine) have come to town to buy a plow horse.  To describe their farmland as rocky is an understatement and the horse they need must be strong and stout.  Of course, against all reason, Ted bids on and purchases a beautiful thoroughbred.  Fast as lightning and pretty to look at, Ted’s neighbors, as well as his disapproving wife (Watson) just shake their head.  But, as they will all soon discover, this is surely no ordinary horse.

Told with the emotion-gripping style that is a trademark of many Steven Spielberg films, “War Horse” is based on the popular 1982 children’s novel by Michael Morpurgo.  The book is enjoying a great afterlife as it’s also the basis for a popular play currently running on Broadway.  Adapted by British screenwriters Lee Hall (“Billy Elliot”) and Richard Curtis (“Love Actually”), the film captures the emotions of the book perfectly.  Despite his mother’s doubt at the choice of horse, named Joey by Albert, the horse learns to pull a plow, digging rows and rows of rock-packed earth to prepare for planting.  Albert also learns that before his father became the sad, broken man he appears to be, he had fought for England and received several medals.  He finds his father’s campaign ribbon and ties it to Joey’s bridle.  When World War I begins, Joey is “leased” by an officer, who promises to return him after the war.  A war that seems will never end.

Has there been another director in the history of film who could manipulate the heartstrings as well as Steven Spielberg?  Whether it’s Elliot and E.T., Oskar Schindler and the 1100 Jews or Captain Miller saving Private Ryan, Spielberg has managed to pull us into his films, as if we ourselves were the main character.  He is assisted here by a stellar cast and a remarkable animal.  As the bickering but loving Narracotts, Mullan and Watson seem like they’ve been together for years.  After she’s been disappointed for the umpteenth time, Ted asks his wife if she hates him.  “I may hate you more,” she tells him, “but I’ll never love you less.”  Irvine, in his motion picture debut, is equally strong.  His love for Joey has no boundaries and you can understand why he embarks on the mission he does to find him.

As he did on “Saving Private Ryan,” Spielberg takes us in and up close to the horrors of war.  There is one great scene where the mounted troops charge a German outpost, the sound of the horses thundering hooves matching the beating hearts of their riders.  The cinematography, by Spielberg’s long time Oscar winning DP Janusz Kaminski is breathtaking, as is John Williams spot on musical score.  The one complaint I’ve heard about the film is that the battle scenes seem tame.  They are intense but they’re nothing like the ones in “Saving Private Ryan,” toned down, in my estimation, so that the young readers of the book could see the film.

Scott Schwartz is known best for playing the role of Flick in the timeless holiday classic “A Christmas Story”.  Scott also starred alongside Richard Pryor in “The Toy”.  Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Scott about his experience on “A Christmas Story” and revisiting it every holiday season.

Mike Gencarelli: Tell us about your experience working with Richard Pryor in the film “The Toy”?
Scott Schwartz: Richard made the experience ten times more fun than what normal movie making was. He was very gracious and kind and he would let me go to him for advice and to ask questions. Whatever I needed I could always go to him. He was an amazing person and outside of my family Richard was probably one of the most influential people I have ever had in my life.

MG: What is your most memorable experience working on “A Christmas Story”?
SS: I don’t know if there is any one particular moment that stands out other than being out in the cold for the infamous tongue on the flag pole scene. It was about 25 degrees below zero with the wind chill and I was out there for that shoot over the course of a few days. It was great forming relationships with Peter Billingsley, Bob Clark and everyone else on the set. Every movie and experience is different but I had fun shooting in Cleveland and Canada. For kids movie making should not be a job. My Dad would tell me you are making a movie but enjoy yourself. Richard Prior told me the same thing so that’s what I have always done.

MG: How was it working with Bob Clark?
SS: Bob and I got along from the first time I met him during my audition for the film. He didn’t even have me read any lines. Him and I just sat down and shot the bull. He wanted to see if I was a decent guy and if I could carry on a conversation. He told me to do whatever felt right and that if I did something he didn’t like he would let me know. When I did the first take of the tongue on the flag pole scene I was kind of conservative. He told me that I had to bring it up so I did and then it was too much so we brought it down a little and it was great. I had a very easy time working with Bob.

MG: Did you get to keep any props or memorabilia from the shoot?
SS: No I have nothing from “A Christmas Story” at all! From “The Toy” they sent me a bunch of stuff like shirts, a jacket as well as the spider man pajamas and military uniform. I think you have to have at least one or two things from every movie you do because it’s yours and down the line it becomes your kids and its now something that Dad used or wore.

MG: This film is such a classic amongst many generations and new fans discover it every year, how can you reflect on that?
SS: That’s an interesting question. That movie was made to not be a generational movie. Yes it was made in the 1980’s however, in terms of a generation that really enjoys the film it’s more those from the 1950’s that enjoy it due to the film being a time piece film set in the mid-west . Most good movies are relationship films. You can say “A Christmas Story” is about a kid wanting a BB gun but when it comes down to it it’s really the father and son relationship between Darren McGavin and Peter Billingsley. At the end of the film when he gives Peter the BB gun you can see the pride in the fathers face because he gave his child the ultimate gift.

MG: Tell us about the development and your involvement with “The Untold Christmas Story”?
SS: We did that so we could have something of ours so that we would never forget this stuff. It’s about five friendships that have developed over the years as well as the back story to the shooting of the film as well as the following that the film has. It really is a multi generational film. Mom and dad grew up in the 40’s-50’s and know about the era Grandma and Grandpa also knew about that generation. Our generation didn’t know what it was like having to go to the radio and listen to our favorite show so the moms and the dads bring this film to us and as we have kids we bring the film to them. It’s a wonderful family movie about relationships and the holiday known as Christmas.

MG: How do you feel when you return to Cleveland each year for the conventions?
SS: I am thrilled that Cleveland is not the same city as it was when we shot the film there 20 or so years ago. Higbee’s square at the time of shooting was very run down and most of the stores were closed and boarded up. To go there now and see stores in places that used to be all boarded up and to see the city is a different light is really nice. Cleveland now has the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame and “A Christmas Story” house.

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Zack Ward is known best for playing the role of Scut Farkus in the timeless holiday classic “A Christmas Story”. Zack has also appeared is various projects including “Transformers”, “Bloodrayne: Deliverance” and TV shows like “Dollhouse”. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Zack about his experience on “A Christmas Story” and revisiting it every holiday season.

Mike Gencarelli: You are known best for your role of Scut Farkus in “A Christmas Story”, which is obviously how we met, do you every look back on that role and say “what if”?
Zack Ward: No. Not with ACS or any other project or any other part of life. I think I used to when I was younger; wishing things were different, kind of like wishing for “mutant powers” when I was the new kid in school. But as my dad says, “you can wish in one hand and shit in the other and see which one fills up first”. So I stopped wishing for things and just started doing. It’s a lot more fun and you don’t waste time complaining.

MG: Working on that film, what is your most fondest memory looking back?
ZW: When Bob Clark directed me and pretty much taught me how to act, not only artistically but as a respectful professional. He was a father figure to me and has shaped the way I live my life.

MG: How do you feel about them making “A Christmas Story” into a musical for stage?
ZW: Ecstatic! I love the show and love watching people enjoy it. I think they should make the bully more important, but that’s just me.

MG: You have worked quite a bit with Uwe Boll, tell us how that relationship start?
ZW:  I auditioned for “Postal” and got the job. While we were shooting he offered me the bad guy role in “Bloodrayne: Deliverance”. I learned a lot about film making from Uwe. Specifically what NOT to do, and honestly that’s just as valuable an education. Do I wish “Postal” was a good movie that had a nation wide launch with rave reviews? Absolutely. But you know my thoughts on wasting my time “wishing”.

MG: Partly due to that you have starred in 4 video game adaptations, are you generally a gamer? Where you familiar with the games prior to working on the films?
ZW: I like video game (just finished “Portal 2”) but it has nothing to do with it. That’s kind of like asking if I’m into books because the film is an adaptation. It doesn’t matter what the source material comes from as long as their is a character I can pursue and play with. As to the specific games; I played “Resident Evil”, loved the story but hated the controller. I thought “Postal” was a boring game. “Bloodrayne” was cool and the avatar was sexy. The other I never tried.

MG: Tell us about appearing on the show “Breakout Kings”?
ZW: Good fun. Shot in my hometown of Toronto. The director was the steadicam operator on “Titus”, so we knew each other. The cast is great. Got to do the big explosion scene, every guys wet dream. Script was intriguing and then got dumbed down in the edit. I like the show and hope they keep pushing envelopes.

MG: You also appeared this year in the TV film “Accidentally in Love”, tell us about working on that?
ZW: I got an offer from the Hallmark Channel to do a comedy and thought, “why not”. Silly fun stuff wearing a giant bunny suit? What’s not to like.

MG: You starred in two of the best episodes of the show “Dollhouse”, what can you tell us about that experience?
ZW: Just a big pile of AWESOME! And then they made comics for the DVD release so I’m in a comic books which pretty much makes all my adolescent fantasies come true. Guns, zombies, lesbians, saving the world….what more do you want?

MG: Are you planning on producing more in the future?
ZW: Yup. Just finishing off “Last Stop” (themovielaststop.com). We haven’t sold it yet but have a bunch of distributors lined up and asking. Not surprised as we’ve got Mena Suvari, Brian Austin Green, Joanne Kelly and Bob Picardo in it. And honestly they are amazing. If you check out the site you’ll see some cool pics and posters. The trailer is a temp done by one of our interns, but still pretty cool for what it is.

MG: What other projects are you currently working on and have planned upcoming?
ZW: I’m producing and directing my next film which is called “Experimental”. That sucker is gonna blow your mind.

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Starring: Jean Dujardin, Berenice Bejo and John Goodman
Directed by: Michel Hazanavicius
Rated: PG 13
Running time: 1 hour 47 minutes
The Weinstein Company

Our Score: 5 out 5 stars

What a great time early Hollywood must have been like. Then you could turn up at any film studio, get work as an extra and, if you caught the right eye, build a career. It’s 1928 and the reigning king of the movies is George Valentin (Dujardin). We meet him at the premiere of his latest adventure film, a spy film that features George and his trusty sidekick, known to fans as the Dog (Uggie). While mingling with fans afterwards, he poses for a photograph with a female fan (Bejo) who takes the opportunity to give him a peck on the cheek as the cameras flash. The next day the trade papers run the photo on the front page. The photo does not make George’s wife, Doris (Penelope Ann Miller) happy. Of course, as someone who sits about the house reading fan magazines just so she can deface any photo of George she comes across, nothing much does. It also angers studio head Al Zimmer, who blames the photo for pushing the release of the new film to page 5. Yet soon the lives of the star, the fan and the mogul will merge into one of the most original films of this decade.

A nominee for the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, where Dujardin was named Best Actor, “The Artist” is a beautifully photographed story about accepting change even when it frightens you. George is not impressed with the new miracle of talking pictures. He decides he will write and direct his own film, using the skills he’s honed as an actor to tell the story without sound. His studio, however, disagrees. They’ve cast their newest up and coming star, Peppy Miller (the one time photographed fan/film extra), in a talkie. While doing a radio interview Peppy disdains the actors of silent Hollywood, dismissing their acting as “mugging for the camera.” This upsets George, who learns that his film will open the same day as Peppy’s. As George leaves the mostly empty theatre showing his film he finds himself caught in a mob of people. He realizes they are all crowded in front of the theatre playing Peppy’s movie. The public has spoken. But George will not.

In 1981 I had the great fortune to attend a screening of Abel Gance’s silent classic “Napoleon,” accompanied by a full orchestra. It was there that I learned that film is, first and foremost, a visual art form. Minutes could go by without a title card and you never lost a beat in the story. The same is true with “The Artist.” As George and Peppy begin to kindle a relationship their eyes and body language tell a story that words can’t begin to do justice to. The cast is brilliant. Dujardin is sure to earn an Academy Award nomination for his work here and, if he wins, he would be only the second Best Actor winner to win for a silent film role. Ironically the first winner, Emil Jennings, saw his career in Hollywood fade after the invention of talking pictures due to his heavy German accent. Bejo matches Dujardin scene for scene, giving the film an “A Star is Born” feel. Other notable performances are delivered by Goodman, Miller, James Cromwell and Malcolm McDowell. The film is beautifully photographed and the original score, by composer Ludovic Bource, is the perfect accompaniment.

Brett Kelly is known best for his role in “Bad Santa”.  He also had a role in another holiday teamed film “Trick ‘r Treat” and will co-star in the upcoming comedy “High School”.  Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Brett about his films so far and what he has planned next.

Mike Gencarelli: What are your thoughts about “Bad Santa” becoming a classic Christmas time film?
Brett Kelly: I did that film when I was 8 years old and I had no idea what it would become. I don’t think any of us did. To see it years later on TV all the time during the holidays and to have people still coming up to me 10 years after making it is pretty cool.

MG: The film is pretty quotable. Do you have any quotes that stand out to you from the film?
BK: There are so many good quotes from that film so it’s hard to pick just one. I have some scenes that I really enjoyed such as the boxing scene which was really great.

MG: Any word about a follow up film?
BK: I haven’t heard anything other than what I have read online but I would love to do one.

MG: Can you give us some background on “Trick ‘r Treat”
BK: We filmed that right around Halloween times so everyone was sort of in the spirit. I met a lot of great people during that shoot. That film was somewhat different than other holiday films I have been a part of. It was cool having my friends see me die and with all that make-up on.

MG: How was it working with Tom Holland on the “Master of Horror” episode?
BK: That was fantastic! I only had a couple days on set but it was a lot of fun. Coming into that project I wasn’t really a horror fan as they scared me however working on “Masters of Horror” and “Trick ‘r Treat” those sets have been the most fun I have ever had on set.

MG: Can you tell us about working with Colin Hanks in “High School”?
BK: Everyone I worked with on that film was great but Colin and I hung out quite a bit when we were filming in Detroit. John Stalberg who directed the film is probably one the best directors I have ever worked with. I had a really great time meeting new people and everyone was great. Hopefully the film will be released next year.

MG: Do you have any other upcoming projects in the works?
BK: Not a whole lot going on right now. I am just waiting for “High School” to come out and getting ready to attend University of British Columbia. 

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Developer: Frozenbyte
Publisher: Atlus
Platform: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: December 21, 2011

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

“Trine 2? is a platform style fantasy game where you navigate physics based puzzles while utilizing the special skills of all three characters, called “Hero’s”. The first thing that turned me on to this game was its absolute beauty. I love games with a lot of color and detail, especially fantasy games, and this game definitely meets and exceeds expectations in that area. The graphics are skillfully detailed with brilliant colors without going overboard. Characters are simple yet elegant, and nearly everything is interactive. The background and foreground blend so well that I often found myself trying to interact with an object that was only in the background.

The music is very beautiful, changing smoothly and often so as not to become too monotonous, but it also doesn’t overpower the game play. The music segway is perfect when game play changes from puzzle exploration into combat with an enemy without distracting you. Overall the soundtrack is not very notable, however I think it is a terrific compliment to “Trine 2?. The game controls and learning how to navigate was at first a little bit of an effort, but once you get the hang of it you can move smoothly through the game. Other than a very slight lag in the controls when jumping around, you can easily overcome it with a little practice. “Trine 2? controls remain basic throughout the game, keeping it simple enough that should you go an extended period of time without playing you should be able to pick it up again with ease and jump right into game play.

The story line keeps to the basics as well, giving you little more than the necessarily information needed while loading the next level. While it does have a warning about “fantasy blood and violence” when you first load, I don’t see any reason why it wouldn’t be perfectly fine for children 7 and up to play since what blood there is during battles is very subtle and the violence is very minimal.

The main characters are Amadeus the Wizard, with the power to conjure boxes and planks, and to move objects and enemies; Pontius the Knight that fights off enemies with a sword and shield, and a hammer that he can also smash some objects and obstacles; and Zoya the Thief with a grappling hook for easier navigation through areas by swinging from wood objects.

To be honest I had never heard of this game or it’s predecessor before but for the low price, amazing graphics and details, smooth game play and puzzles, I think it is definitely worth it. The puzzles do tend to get a little frustrating at times but with persistence you can often find multiple solutions to move on. I played both the full version on XBOX and the demo version on the PC and I would have to say I proffered it on the XBOX; navigation seemed easier, but then that could be because I personally favor console games to PC anyway.

I give this game 3.5 out of 5 stars; I would give it a higher rating but the slight delay in controls was frustrating, adding a bit to the difficulty I had with some of the puzzles. For anyone who likes puzzle games I would definitely recommend “Trine 2?, the puzzles are intricate and detailed, leaving several solutions available to the player.

Born in New Zealand, Wayne Stables turned his interest in computers into a computer science degree. His first foray into the field was the creation of education software that encouraged a more graphics-oriented approach to learning. In 1994 he joined the staff of Peter Jackson’s WETA Digital Company, where he worked on such films as “Contact,” “The Frighteners,” “Avatar” and, of course, the Academy Award winning “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. His work can also be seen in “Shrek 2” and several films in the “Harry Potter” series.

His work can currently be seen in the new Steven Spielberg film, “The Adventures of Tintin” on which Stables served as a visual effects supervisor. As the film neared it’s opening date Mr. Stables took the time to talk to Media Mikes from his office in New Zealand.

Mike Smith: What time is it there (as the conversation begins it’s currently 6:00 pm Monday evening in Kansas City)?
Wayne Stables: It’s one in the afternoon on Tuesday. We get Christmas before you do. (laughs)

MS: That’s something to look forward to if you’ve been a good boy! You get your presents earlier.
WS: Of course it also means I get to work earlier on Monday morning (laughs)

MS: You obviously worked with motion capture on the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. Is there a difference in your approach to the process for an animated film versus a live action feature?
WS: That depends on who’s making the movie. With Steven Spielberg on “Tintin” he created the motion capture process with the actors as if he was shooting live action. Shot for shot for shot. Directing them in a very traditional process. But the way James Cameron directed them in “Avatar” was slightly different. But the technology itself doesn’t really change. I suspect it’s more what the director is comfortable with…how it fits in the way they work.

MS: After college you created educational software. What drew you to filmmaking?
WS: My first job was working on PCs….back when PCs almost didn’t exist. They would run four megahertz if you were lucky. And the educational software I was involved with was all based on graphics and sound. Even then, when I was writing software, graphics were a big part of my life. As for how I ended up in the film industry…the film industry at the time in New Zealand, at least at WETA Digital, was only a couple of people. You either came to it from a purely art background or a software background. And I came to it from a software background.

MS: Did you have any influences? Any visual effects people you admired?
WS: There were several people who I found amazingly inspirational. For me it started when I was very, very young with a movie called “Star Wars.” And then as I was growing up I saw movies like “Blade Runner.” And those movies played a fantastic part to me in my career. Getting to work with people from Industrial Light and Magic and other companies. There’s a huge list of people whose work I admire and respect. All of the people that came before I did, whose work has inspired me to do what I do today. There are so many but I really should mention Joe Letteri. The first time I saw his dinosaurs in “Jurassic Park” was one of those life moments when you think, “oh my God, this is amazing!” And to work with Joe, who had helped design the look of those dinosaurs, was pretty great.

MS: Steven Spielberg is a very visual director. Was he easy to collaborate with?
WS: He was fantastic to collaborate with! He was very, very clear in his direction. He was very open and welcoming to ideas. I had a great time working on the film and working with him. The director is very, very visual. And he obviously knows his craft very, very well. He can look at something and give you very precise…very clear feedback on it.

MS: You are identified as Wayne “Taz” Stables in the end credits for the “Lord of the Rings” films. Any significance in your nickname?
WS: It’s from the Tasmanian Devil (the Warner Brothers cartoon character). It came from playing ball many, many years ago. There was another guy on my team also called Wayne as well. But I always wore a cap that had Taz on it and for some reason it stuck as a nickname. There are large numbers of people that use it that have no idea what my first name is. (laughs)

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Starring: Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis and Daniel Craig
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Rated: PG
Running time: 1 hour 47 minutes
Paramount

Our Score: 5 out 5 stars

In 1981, after reading a review that compared his recent “Raiders of the Lost Ark” with the illustrated adventures of a young man named “Tintin,” director Steven Spielberg began reading the various comics detailing the escapades of the diminutive Belgian investigative journalist. In 1983 he purchased the rights to make a film. The saying goes that all good things come to those who wait. After almost 30 years the wait is over. And well worth it.

While visiting the local market Tintin (Bell) is captivated by a model ship, the Unicorn, being offered for sale. The seller seems eager to move it and the sale is made for the whopping price of one pound. Moments later another buyer identifying himself as Mr. Sakharine (Craig) attempts to buy the ship, offering much more than the original asking price. But a sale is a sale and, despite his best offer, Mr. Sakharine watches Tintin walk off with the ship. Intrigued by Sakharine’s urgent insistence on obtaining the model, Tintin, with the help of his dog Snowy, does what he does best. Investigate.

I will make no secret here that if Hollywood was heaven Steven Spielberg would be my god (little “g” of course). His film “Jaws” is the reason I began my interest in movies and that interest has guided me both personally and professionally, up to and including being able to write film reviews. That being said, I would be remiss if I didn’t say that even if Steven Soderbergh had directed “The Adventures of Tintin” I would still rave about it.

Presented in the format known as motion capture, where the actions of the actors are digitally transferred to a computer, “The Adventures of Tintin” is an adventure film that carries you away in its magic. As Tintin and Snowy begin their quest they run into Captain Haddock (Serkis), whose ship has been chartered by Sakharine for a journey to Morocco. When Sakharine attempts to cause a mutiny, Haddock, Tintin and Snowy escape and make their way by land and air to the African country where they encounter another model of the Unicorn. And a clue that could lead them to a fantastic treasure!

I have never read a “Tintin” comic. In fact, if I hadn’t grown up with a few friends that collected comic books I most likely wouldn’t have heard of them. And I say this because, Tintin fan or not, if you like adventure you will like this film. Director Spielberg has given us sharks and U.F.Os and aliens and dinosaurs. His vision, of course, but helped by brilliant special effects people. And the same goes here. This is the best motion capture film I’ve ever seen. The attention to detail is incredible, so much so that you can even see the small flecks of dust when they are reflected by a flashlight. My biggest complaint about motion capture films had been that no matter how “natural” the characters appeared their eyes always looked creepy. Credit Spielberg and team, which includes “Lord of the Rings” director Peter Jackson, for clearing up that problem. The characters appear as lifelike as a digitally created person can. Especially one who bears a striking resemblance to Spielberg. And, as he has for over twenty films with the director, John Williams provides a brilliant score that captures the on screen story beautifully.

Click here to check out our interview with Wayne Stables, Visual Effects Supervisor for “The Adventures of Tintin”

Starring: Jodie Foster, John C. Reilly, Kate Winslet, Christoph Walz
Director: Roman Polanski
Running Time: 1 hr 19 min
Studio: Sony Pictures Classics

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

Billed as a “new comedy with no manners”, Roman Polanski’s “Carnage” casts four Hollywood stars with incredible clout – Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, John C. Reilly and Christoph Walz – and lets them go at it with all of the unbridled fury that they can muster. And over the course of a brief yet potent 80 minutes it’s a joy to see each of them contribute to the wild chaos that unfolds.

Based upon Yasmina Reza’s wildly successful play, “God of Carnage”, the premise of the film is a fairly simple one: two sets of parents meet up in a rather small apartment in New York City to discuss a playground altercation between their two sons.  Tension is evident from the onset and eventually forced civility and proper manners transform into sharp-tongued rage and physical outbursts that result in decimated coffee table books, smashed tulips and a drowned cell phone.  But the overall effect of their verbal carnage runs far deeper than destruction of each character’s prized possessions.  The venom that each spits at the other, be it through sarcasm or interrogation, strikes at each other’s core beings and true beliefs.  Despite this inherently vicious drama, the film manages to play as a dark comedy because – let’s face it – it’s a guilty pleasure to vicariously watch adults devolve into the sandbox bullies that are just as vicious as the children that they are ostensibly there to protect.

The quick and edgy rhythmic dialog by which the film achieves this is nearly identical to Reza’s script for her stage play – which is not altogether surprising given that she and Polanski collaborated on the screenplay.  And because the film takes place almost entirely in the living room of Foster and Reilly’s apartment, the confined space increases the pressure of the volatility of the situation through sheer claustrophobia.  While this largely works throughout the majority of the film as each character builds up to detonation, it somewhat neuters the explosions that a more spacious set would have allowed for.  As such, Winslet’s final act of floral cruelty plays as more of an anti-climatic coda than a dynamic tantrum and the film ends abruptly and somewhat flat.

As one would expect from such an all-star dream team, the performances are consistently excellent both individually and as a collective.  Foster plays the role of the humanitarian Penelope with a more even-keel than Marcia Gay Harden did in the Broadway production (one for which Harden won a Tony Award) but it works well within the ensemble.  Reilly once again demonstrates his amazing comedic ability as Michael, the everyman father that, while simplistic in his ways, often delivers some of the film’s most brutal observations.  It’s a true testimony to his versatility as an actor that he can pull off both modes seamlessly and believably.  Winslet’s ever-expressive face serves her well in the role of the refined yet unsatisfied Nancy.  With a twitch of her dark eyebrows, we know exactly which gear she’s shifted into.  But as Alan, the conniving and cell phone-encumbered lawyer, it’s Walz who serves as the film’s catalyst by stirring the entire volatile group while maintaining a quiet – albeit sharply sarcastic – composure. The vicious subtlety that won him an Oscar for his portrayal of Colonel Hans Landa in Tarantino’s “Inglorious Basterds” is gloriously on display here and could easily earn him another nod from the Academy and quite possibly another gold statuette.   When he states in deliberately soft yet biting tones “I believe in the god of carnage who has ruled the world uninterruptedly since the dawn of time” we’ve come to sense the presence of that chaotic deity and are all the better for watching his disciples exorcize their demons.