Richard Kiel is known best for his roles as Jaws in the James Bond film, “The Spy Who Loved Me” and “Moonraker.”  He also appeared in the original “The Twilight Zone” series and of course everyone know his from “Happy Gilmore”.  Movie Mikes had a chance to chat with Richard about his amazing career and also what he is currently working on.

Mike Gencarelli:  You are known best for your role as ‘Jaws’ in the James Bond series, “The Spy Who Loved Me” and “Moonraker.”   How was it working on those films?
Richard Kiel:  It was a lot of hard work.  We would generally work one or two days for every minute that appeared on screen.  They were long shoots.  “Moonraker” lasted almost six months.  But the filmmakers wanted everything to be perfect.  They worked very hard at that.  The director (Lewis Gilbert directed both films) was a terrific  to work with, as was Roger Moore. So was the crew.  On “The Spy Who Loved Me” we got to go to the island of Sardania, which is in the Mediterranean.  I had my family with me.  We went to Egypt for the Pyramids…the Sphinx…the Valley of the Kings.  And of course we worked at Pinewood Studios in London, so we stayed in an apartment for a while.  We actually stayed in the stable keepers cottage on Pinewood.  Pinewood used to be an estate so they had a stable keeper.   For “Moonraker” we went to Paris and worked in three or four different studios there.  Then we went to Rio De Janeiro where we stayed in a hotel on the ocean.  So yes, it was a great experience that I really enjoyed.  In fact, one of my sons was born right outside of Paris.

MG:  Tell us about what you like most about that character?
RK:  What I like most is that both the director and Cubby Broccoli, the producer, allowed me to give the character personality traits, such as frustration…vulnerability…persistence and a never give up attitude that made the character appealing to the audience.  I get electrocuted in the train with the lamp and thrown out the window just to get up, brush off my clothes, straighten my tie and go after Bond.  And the same thing happens when the villain’s car goes over the side of the mountain and ends up coming through the roof of an old Italian couples’ villa.  I come busting out the front door straightening my tie and brushing off my clothes.  So by the time they throw me in the tank with the shark, I’m getting huge applause and cheers.  ‘Jaws” became extremely likable.  So when they brought me back in “Moonraker” I had a girlfriend…a love interest.  I turned into a good guy.  There’s an organization in England which is very similar to Netflix in the United States that recently did a poll of all of their customers that purchased the new BluRay versions of the films.  They asked them who, besides James Bond, is the best character in the Bond films.  Over 9,000 responded and ‘Jaws’ got over 30% of the vote.  The nearest competitor was ‘Q,’ who got 16%.  Than Moneypenny and ‘M’ at 10%.  And that was a great honor to me…that Cubby Broccoli and Lewis Gilbet allowing me to do what I did was being validated by the audience.

MG:  Tell us about working on the original “The Twilight Zone” in the episode ‘To Serve Man’?
RK:  There was a lot of heavy duty make up.  To put that big head on me took three or four hours.  They were long hours but they sure were worth it because it became a classic episode.  “It’s a cookbook!” (laughs)

MG:  How was it working with Rod Serling?
RK:  Nobody that I’ve talked to who appeared on “The Twilight Zone” ever met him!  He wrote most of the original stories and teleplays.  I think they filmed most of his hosting appearances at the same time.  He wasn’t there.  And I’ve not talked to anyone who did the show who ever met him.  I’m not saying he wasn’t ever on the set, but I don’t know anyone who was on that show that met him.

MG:  How do you feel about the toys you inspired, including ‘Jaws’ from the Bond films and Kanamit from “The Twilight Zone”?
RK:  That was quite an experience.  Sideshow toys made these articulated figures which were about 14 inches tall and sent them to me in a presentation case.  My wife asked why they took so long to make them, since it had been 40 years since I did “The Twilight Zone” and decades since I did the Bond films.  But it shows the impact those characters have.

MG:  Tell us about working with then unknown Jackie Chan in “Cannonball Run II”?
RK:  I kept wondering why they had this Chinese guy (laughs).  I was the driver of the car and he was my co-pilot.  He was a very nice guy but, as you’ve said, at the time he wasn’t very well known in America.  But I found out why the cast him.  One of the film’s producers was from China, where Jackie Chan was a star.  He was a star really throughout Asia.   The studio sent he and I to Tokyo to promote the film.  And over there he was as popular as Elvis Presley or the Beatles were here.  There were tens of thousands of teenage girls that would show up everywhere we went.  They were all screaming and giggling.  It was very different in China.  The Chinese people make great gamblers because they don’t show any emotion.  They were excited, they just didn’t show it.

MG:  Your role as Mr. Larson in “Happy Gilmore” is almost iconic.  Was it a fun project to work on?
RK:  “Happy Gilmore” is probably the second most popular film with my fans, with “The Longest Yard” coming in at a close third.  The character was great…”your ball struck my foot!…and you can count on ME waiting for you in the parking lot!”  Kids just absolutely love that movie.  They say those lines when they meet me.  It was great working on the film.  Adam Sandler is a Bond fan and, obviously, was a fan of “The Longest Yard.”  He treated me with a lot of respect.  We had some nice conversations.  He’s totally different off screen then his screen characters.  His screen characters are so zany…like Jerry Lewis.  But in real life he’s just a nice Jewish boy who just happens to know how to make people laugh.  But he’s very down to earth.

MG:  How was it voicing the character of  Vladmir in the film Disney film “Tangled”?
RK:  One of the directors was a big Bond fan and the producers knew of me from the Bond films.  They were very, very happy with the voice work that I did.  I had no idea the quality of the film.  When I saw it I was just blown away.  I had no idea it was going to be so spectacular.  The animation…the look of it.  The drama that was achieved with the leading lady and leading man and the stepmother was just fantastic.  I actually wrote a letter to the directors and producers telling them how surprised I was that the film had been done so well.  They said they really liked what I did and want to use me on their next project, which is an animated spy movie.  So I’m excited because now I’ve opened the door to doing voice work.  Since that time I got a gig with Hitachi recording the introduction of all of their corporate executives at a recent convention.  When I first started out as an actor I auditioned for Hanna-Barbera but they wanted the big GIANT voice.  But that’s not me…I’m really unique.  “Tangled” was perfect because it was a more personalized character.

MG:  Tell us about your novel with Pamela Wallace “The True Story of Cassius Clay: Kentucky Lion”?
RK:  I spent about 25 years researching the character.  He was very much like Oskar Schindler in “Schindler’s List” except he was an American.  He put his life on the line much more then Schindler did.  They both took a big chance.  But the plantation owners were worried that Clay was going to try to put a stop to slavery.  They were worried to the point that they put hit men on him twice to try to assassinate him.  They successfully poisoned and killed his son, which ultimately destroyed his marriage.  He paid a big price and went through a lot of grief for standing up for what was right.  He ran for president at the same time as Abraham Lincoln.  He knew he wasn’t going to get the nomination so he threw his support to Lincoln.  He figured he was the closest thing to himself as far as being against slavery.  He took Lincoln’s original Emancipation Proclamation to the state capitol in Kentucky to get it approved by the Kentucky legislature because they were a border/neutral state.  He later became our ambassador to Russia under Lincoln.  He got the Czar, who was a Christian and had just freed some 23 million slaves in Russia, to get on the same page.  Russia wanted the U.S. to buy Alaska for two cents an acre.  Of course during the civil war the country really didn’t have the money to do that.  So Cassius Clay made a deal with him, telling him “if we buy it when the war is over…no money down, we’ll just make payments every other month…if we buy it will you sail your navy into our harbors in Boston and New York as a warning to Europe to stay out of our civil war?  It would be a great help to us if you’d do that.”  The Czar of Russia agreed to that and it kept Europe out of our civil war, which would have made a big difference.  In fact, as he sailed towards Russia President Lincoln had him stop in England and feel out the British as far as them helping out the Confederacy.  They were still smarting from the Revolutionary War.  We had put a navy together that rivaled theirs.  Lincoln was afraid that they would help the Confederacy be free of the Union.  He found that they were really luke warm to the idea. So he wrote a letter to the English people and had it published in the London newspapers.  And that stopped England during the war from coming in and helping the Confederacy.  The book is also being developed as a mini-series and we’ve found a lot of major actors who are going to play cameo roles in it to support the project.  Roger Moore…Christopher Lee…George Kennedy is playing a judge.  Many, many fine actors who are friends of mine.

MG:  What can you tell us about your latest film “The Xeno Factor”?
RK:  Right now that’s the working title.  I’m about 40% done filming my role and it is THE best part I’ve ever had.  The director, James Marlowe, is sensational.  He’s managed to pull out of me a performance the world has never seen before.  I’m really, really proud of it.  I wish I had met this director 20 years ago!

Brendan Fraser, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jessica Alba, Rob Corddry, James Gandolfini and Craig Robinson Provide The Character Voices In This Fun-Filled Alien Break-Out Tale

NEW YORK, NY August 2, 2011 – The Weinstein Company (TWC) and Rainmaker Entertainment announced today the all-star voice cast for ESCAPE FROM PLANET EARTH which includes Brendan Fraser, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jessica Alba, Rob Corddry, James Gandolfini and Craig Robinson. The 3D animated family comedy is currently in full production.

The announcement was made today by Donna Gigliotti, TWC’s President of Production, and Catherine Winder, President and Executive Producer, Rainmaker Entertainment. Both Gigliotti and Winder serve as producers on the animated feature film.

ESCAPE FROM PLANET EARTH is directed by Cal Brunker, best known for his work on the animated feature films DESPICABLE ME, 9 and HORTON HEARS A WHO! Producers Gigliotti and Winder are joined by Rainmaker’s Luke Carroll as a producer on the film. TWC Co-Chairmen Bob and Harvey Weinstein are executive producers. The film was written by Cal Brunker and Bob Barlen based on an original screenplay by Tony Leech and Cory Edwards.

“ESCAPE FROM PLANET EARTH has got it all… explosions, romance and a cast of hilarious aliens….what more could you ask for?” said Brunker. “We are having a great time making it which is coming across on the screen. It will ultimately provide a ton of fun for both kids and their parents.”

“We’re excited to have such a talented group of actors bringing this action-packed comedic tale to life,” said Gigliotti. “I’m also very pleased to be working with Catherine and the Rainmaker team. Their outstanding artistry, storytelling and techniques in CGI animation add a new dimension to this film and ensure a fun movie going experience for the entire family.”

Winder added, “A successful animated movie starts with an imaginative story and appealing characters. The addition of such high caliber voice talent is a crucial layer to the mix. With the amazing array of talented artists and creatives from both The Weinstein Company and Rainmaker collaborating on this production, we have all the right ingredients to make ESCAPE FROM PLANET EARTH a highly entertaining and successful film.”

The 3D animated family comedy ESCAPE FROM PLANET EARTH catapults movie goers to planet Baab where admired astronaut Scorch Supernova (Brendan Fraser) is a national hero to the blue alien population. A master of daring rescues, Scorch pulls off astonishing feats with the quiet aid of his nerdy, by-the-rules brother, Gary (Rob Corddry), head of mission control at BASA. When BASA’s no-nonsense chief Lena (Jessica Alba) informs the brothers of an SOS from a notoriously dangerous planet, Scorch rejects Gary’s warnings and bounds off for yet another exciting mission. But when Scorch finds himself caught in a fiendish trap set by the evil Shanker (James Gandolfini), it’s up to scrawny, risk-adverse Gary to do the real rescuing. As the interplanetary stakes rise to new heights, Gary is left to save his brother, his planet, his beloved wife Kira (Sarah Jessica Parker) and their adventure hungry son Kip!

A film from The Weinstein Company, ESCAPE FROM PLANET EARTH is produced in association with Rainmaker Entertainment and will be released in the U.S. in 2012.

Kevin Meaney started his career in the entertainment business as a stand-up comedian in 1979. Since then he has branched out and appeared in such film and television series as “Big” and “Uncle Buck”. Kevin has also appeared on Broadway and has also lent his voice to a variety of cartoons. Movie Mikes had a chance to catch up with Kevin to talk about some of his previous projects and what he currently is working on.

Adam Lawton: You started your career doing stand-up comedy. What made you decide to try acting?
Kevin Meaney: I was doing stand up and got an audition. Once you start doing stand up people start to want to see you for other things and you begin to branch out into different areas of show business such as television, movies, commercials and radio. It wasn’t a conscious decision where I said I am going to go out and do movies. It’s more you get a call from your agent and they tell you that some people would like to see you for a particular part and would you come in and read for them? If it’s something up my alley I will go in and do it. I will go in for just about anything even if it might not be the right role. I do this because there might be another role that is the right one for me.

AL: The first film you appeared in was “Big” with Tom Hanks. Can you tell us about that experience?
KM: That was a terrific experience to be cast in that movie. That film is still being aired all over the world and it was great meeting Tom. He is such a great guy and he is very down to earth. About 10 years later I was covering the Oscar’s for HBO and Tom who I hadn’t seen since the shooting came up and told me it was great to see me again. You wouldn’t expect that from anybody you worked with 10 years ago to remember you. It was a real pleasure working with him and Penny Marshall, Elizabeth Perkins and Jon Lovitz. We had a ball on the set. I had just moved to New York from Boston and it was great to be on the set even though I had no idea what I was doing after being thrown into this new world. Everyone coached me along and showed me the ropes which was wonderful.

AL: You played Buck Russell in the television series of “Uncle Buck”. What do you think was the hardest challenge in recreating the character John Candy who played Uncle Buck in the movie version?
KM: The funny. You really have to keep things funny. I always wanted to make sure I was telling the story as well because that’s what a show is. Each episode had its own story to be told and you had to really stay to that. I had to stay focused even if I had memorized my lines and the writers decided to change something last minute which happens often.

AL: I assume the writers wanted the “Uncle Buck” character similar to the film version however were you allowed to add anything of your own to that role?
KM: No. I came into it as just an actor so I had zero input on anything about the story or casting. I had no experience in that at the time so there was no real reason to have any input in that regard. I come from the world of stand up so what did I know about creating a television show? Now I have a little bit more experience and value than I think I did then but at that time in my career I just did what I was told and hoped for the best.

AL: Can you tell us about the “Pulp Fiction” spoof you appeared in titled “Plump Fiction”?
KM: That was something that was just offered to me and I played the chocolate dealer which took the place of the heroin dealer. They let me do whatever I wanted to do! It was a one day shoot somewhere in Los Angeles and I came in and they dressed me up like a total fucking lunatic. I created this character that was just insane. I think it’s one of my favorite things that I have done.

AL: Can you tell us about working on the Broadway play “Hairspray”?
KM: There is no better feeling than to do a show like “Hairspray” every night. I would always get asked if I got bored doing the same show every night which I never did. I would get tired but never bored. The minute you let your guard down that’s when things would go wrong. Then you’re on the stage forgetting lines and where you’re supposed to be. You always have to be totally ready to go out on that stage every night. Everyone in the cast hast to be because if someone messes up there has to be someone there to pick up the pieces. I remember onetime the person playing the Wilber character never made his entrance. Thankfully I understudied that part and picked up the pieces. The audience didn’t even know but the cast did. I guess the guy was in the back talking to one of the stage hands. He did finally come out though and I told him he was all done and to leave. (Laughs) I would love to get back and do another show it’s just fascinating.

AL: Can you tell us about any other upcoming projects?
KM: I just got back from San Francisco where I did a show with 3 other stand-up comics about repealing proposition 8 in California. There were 2 straight parents played by Dan St. Paul and Mary Ellen Hooper and 2 gay parents played by myself and Vickie Shaw. The show was based around parenting being the same whether you are straight or gay. I did a film called “Heterosexuals” that was done by Robert Spencer who is a great actor. He had an actor drop out at the last minute and asked me if I could play the role of a lawyer? I told him I would love to. It was a little bit frustrating though because I had only gotten the script the night before and didn’t really know my lines but, we got through it. I also have some stand-up dates around the country and I am up for a play in Louisiana but I can’t tell you the name of it just yet.

Phil Rosenthal is the creative mind behind one of America’s most popular shows “Everyone Love Raymond”. He recently took a journey to Russia to help bring the hit show over into Russia. During that process he made the very funny documentary “Exporting Raymond”, which hits DVD August 2nd. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Phil about his struggle through turning his hit show in the US into a hit show in Russia.

Mike Gencarelli: Can you tell us how you were approached to bring “Everyone Loves Raymond” into Russia?
Phil Rosenthal: The head of Sony called me into his office a few years ago and he told me that Sony invented the sitcom in Russia, as they didn’t have them prior to Sony bringing them there. He also went on to tell told that this new form was very strange to the people over there. I was then asked if I would go over there and just observe how we worked with the people on getting sitcoms going. The next part of the task was to come back to the states and write a fictional script about a creator of a show who goes to Russia to have his show translated. I told them that could be good but if this situation really exists then why not take a camera crew and film what’s really happening. They loved the idea and asked if I would go and do a film about bringing “Everybody Loves Raymond” to Russia. I was really excited because this project combined everything that I loved.

MG: What do you think was your biggest struggle in bringing the show into Russia?
PR: I was told that this was a big deal that I would be going over there and that it was a real honor to have the creator of a show come over, as I was the first. It was an honor for me as there was another country that wanted my little show and they are our countries former enemy. I was very excited and told how welcomed I would be. When I finally got there it turned out that I was sort of lied to and was not as welcomed as you would think. Combined with a kidnap and ransom scare,which was real I was a little nervous. However I was more nervous about what they would do to my show. I just wasn’t sure if they were getting the simple premise of the show, which was to keep it real. Our one rule in the writer’s room was to always ask if something could really happen. I didn’t know if they truly got the premise or if they even wanted to understand it.

MG: Was it difficult for you to make the film as well as make the sitcom at the same time?
PR: What I did to make sure things wouldn’t be insane was before I started the project. So, I made a big decision to bring two cameras. Most documentaries and movies are made with one. I brought two so that I would have coverage and not have to think about it. I knew before going over that the movie was going to be about our reactions to one another. If I brought a camera for each side I figured we would get everything and I would have to worry about directing. I could just go and do my job. In that regard nothing was faked in the movie. I just didn’t think about the filming at all until I got into editing when I had to put a coherent story together. I had about 200 hrs. of film to go through and chop it down to 86 minutes. When you are editing you save all the funny stuff as well as the fascinating stuff which bring people to the film and then you back through and take out all the stuff that doesn’t intersect with the story. On the DVD there is extra footage that is funny but didn’t necessarily fit into the story. I really just forgot the camera was there most of the time except when something so outrageous would happen.

MG: Did you ever think that you would be put in this type of situation with the show?
PR: I wasn’t even sure the show was going to be picked up for a pilot! When you write you’re often by yourself and you have no idea if someone over at CBS is going to like it and cast for it let alone give you money to film it. They don’t like to part with money very often. (Laughs) To become popular and have another country want to do the show and now it looks like from what Sony has told me the show is going to be the most produced show in the world! At the end of the film it tells the show will be produced in Poland.  Before you ask, no I am not going! I now understand the whole European culture and they can send somebody else. (Laughs)

MG: What other projects are you working on?
PR: I don’t you if you have heard or not but business is terrible. (Laughs) Because of that I have to diversify so I am working on many different things. I have a couple screenplays out there that I hope to get funding for and to direct. I am going to be in a film. Someone saw me in this film and asked me to play a Rabi. It’s the film version of the long running off Broadway play “Jewtopia”. I don’t know if the film will take that name but Jennifer Love Hewitt plays my daughter and Wendie Malick is my wife.

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Check out Luke (Freddie Stroma) singing “Knockin” in the all new movie “A Cinderella Story: Once Upon A Song”. Catch this song and more on the upcoming “A Cinderella Story: Once Upon a Song” soundtrack.

“A Cinderella Story: Once Upon A Song”, starring Lucy Hale (TV’s “Pretty Little Liars”) and Freddie Stroma (the Harry Potter franchise), comes to DVD and For Download on September 6, 2011 from Warner Home Entertainment Group.

To see the FULL Opening scene of the all new movie “A Cinderella Story: Once Upon A Song” go to the A Cinderella Story Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/acinderellastory

“A Cinderella Story: Once Upon A Song”, starring Lucy Hale (TV’s “Pretty Little Liars”) and Freddie Stroma (the Harry Potter franchise), comes to DVD and For Download on September 6, 2011 from Warner Home Entertainment Group.

Directed by: Adamo P. Cultraro
Starring: Steve Austin, Michael Jai White, Kevin Jardine
Studio: Vivendi Entertainment
Rated: R
Run Time: 90 minutes

Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2.5 out of 5 stars

When I see Steve Austin starring in a film, I immediately think direct to video action. This is exactly what this is but it is a strong action film. The movie packs some decent action and fight scenes. Steve Austin knows how to kick some ass and he does it quite well in this film. Michael Jai White is also one bad-ass dude, especially with his Red Rider BB-Gun. Michael Jai also knows his martial arts quite well and uses it a bit.

The story is about a LAPD SWAT Team that gets sent to a training exercise in an abandoned hangar and of course things goes terribly wrong. They find themselves up against two rival gangs. Things get out of control and it is up to them to kick ass and save the day. The story is pretty basic but has good pace and doesn’t slow down.

The extras aren’t anything special. The one cool feature that I enjoyed was called “Fight Sequence” which feature every single fight scene in the whole movie into three minutes. Of course they have the film’s trailer and lastly the feature “Inside Tactical Force” was a decent 10 minute feature looking behind the scenes at the film.

Directed by: Edward McHenry, Rory McHenry
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Rosamund Pike, Richard E. Grant
Studio: New Video Group
Rated: Unrated
Run Time: 91 minutes

Film: 3 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3.5 out of 5 stars

The film is described as “Team America: World Police” meets “Inglorious Basterds”. I always jump at the change of watching something different that is not your typical movie. Generally, I am not a fan of war movies but I wanted to see how they would do this with marionettes. They did one hell of an amazing job. Maybe it was me…maybe it was British humor but I didn’t really grasp much comedy out of it like I did with “Team America”. Although this definitely packs on of the greatest voice casts, with Ewan McGregor, Rosamund Pike, Richard E. Grant, Timothy Spall, Dominic West and Tom Wilkinson and Alan Cumming.

The film starts in England and we meet Chris (Ewan McGregor), a young farm worker, who has dreams to join the army to fight for his land. He is thrust as the lead when the Nazis invade England by drilling into the heart of London. Chris leads his fellow villagers along with American pilot Billy Fiske (Dominic West) to help save England and the world!

The bonus features are packed solid. When you have a film with marionettes the most important thing I want to see is behind-the-scenes footage. I like it because it shows how much work actually does into a film like this. We have interesting interviews with the film’s creators. There are also five featurettes including ‘The Swastikas’, ‘Bad Day to Be a Nazi’, ‘Hitler’s Rat Pack’, ‘The Nazi Hotties’, ‘Explosions’, and ‘Voiceovers’. Lastly of course is the theatrical trailer. All in all, ok movie…great extras.

Mike Wolfe is one of the guys behind the hit show on The History Channel, “American Pickers”, along with Frank Fritz. They travel around the United States buying antiques and collectibles or as they call it “picking”. The show is a huge hit and is already well into its third season. Movie Mikes had a chance to grab Mike to answer a few questions about this hit show.

Mike Gencarelli: What made originally think that a show about going through “junk”, so to say, would be something people would watch?
Mike Wolfe: I’d come across these people with incredible stories and their connection with their pieces and I’d come home with all these stories and my friends would tell me you really need to start documenting some of this stuff. So, I started filming myself – traveling around and digging in barns – and when Frank I would travel together we would film each other. It was that footage that we used to pitch a television show. I think people enjoy the celebration of collecting, and the unsung people and their stories that you see in the show. It’s a show about modern day treasure hunting…

MG: Tell us about this upcoming season and what can we expect?
MW: Frank and I will continue to travel around America picking and meeting new and interesting people. We are thinking of hitting up New Hampshire and Vermont soon. I’m pretty sure we will have driven 100,000+ miles picking by the years end.

MG: How can you reflect on the success of the show with more than 5 million viewers?
MW: We never expected the show to be such a huge success. I pitched the concept of the show for years and got turned down because producers would say that no one will ever watch a show about antiques.

MG: On the show you always showcase the items picked and how much you will sell them for versus paid… but they always show an estimated profit, can you think of something in particular you’ve picked over the years that for any unexpected reason didn’t sell nearly near your expectation – and how come?
MW: The collectors market and what people look to buy is driven by trends and the likes of Pier 1 Imports and stores that produce a mass appeal. There hasn’t been an item I’ve ever really regretted buying. There have been items I’ve fallen in love with and definitely paid too much for and barely made a profit from though.

MG: You must keep some items you pick, what is your most prized possession in your collection?
MW: I picked a 1913 Harley in a dusty old barn in upstate New York …and now it’s in my living room back in Iowa as a decorative piece.

MG: What’s one thing you’ve never been able to pick that you’ve wanted most and why?
MW: The “holy grail” of picks would be… a pre-1915 Blackhawk or Hornecker Torpedo motorcycle. If you have one, let me know!

MG: What would you say is the strangest thing you’ve every picked and turned a profit on?
MW: I don’t really have a story I can think of off-hand for this question as a lot of items I buy are for decorative means – so they can be strange to some and normal to others… but how about a story about the strangest item a fan asked me to autograph recently? … Dashboard of car … a guy that picks all the time asked me to sign in his car because he is always in it and considers Frank and me his picker inspiration.

MG: You are going to be expanding Antique Archaeology this year, how can you find the time? What else do you have planned?
MW: We’ve already expanded. Opened the Nashville Antique Archaeology in July 2011. And, the store is doing really well already. Planning to launch a special website for kids soon and we have the “American Pickers Guide to Picking” book coming out in mid-September.

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Directed by: Raja Gosnell
Starring: Neil Patrick Harris, Jayma Mays, Sofía Vergara, Hank Azaria
Distributed by: Columbia Pictures
Rating: PG
Running time: 102 minutes

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

La la la-la la la, Sing a happy song, La la la-la la la, Smurf your whole day long. Now that song will get stuck in your head hopefully like it has mine. I grew up watching “Smurfs” and have always been a fan of the series. But the movie on the other hand…I was very skeptical. I was even convinced that it was going to be terrible and they would ruin my childhood blue heroes. Well all of that was laid to rest as the film was very surprisingly funny and enjoyable.

The film starts with the evil wizard Gargamel (marvelously played by Hank Azaria) as he discovers the Smurfs’ village. The Smurfs scatter into a “forbidden” grotto and due to the fact that it is a blue moon, a magical portal within transports them into present-day Central Park. Once they arrive in this strange place with Gargamel still on their trail, they luckily meet Patrick and Grace Winslow (Neil Patrick Harris and Jayma Mays). With the help of their new friends, The Smurfs needs to find a way back home.

Neil Patrick Harris is very hot right now and I was afraid he was going to ruin his career with this film, but it doesn’t. He is really funny and the film itself has a lot of heart. Hank Azaria has a role that was simply made for him to play…perfect job. The 3D effects are some of the best I have seen all summer and the blend of CG and live-action works so well and seamless. The story is simple like it should be and given it is not perfect but it is fun. That is the best way to sum this film up it is just simple fun…nothing more.

Directed by: Jacob Tierney
Starring: Jay Baruchel, Emily Hampshire, Scott Speedman
Distributed by: Alliance / Myriad Pictures
Rating: R
Running Time: 98 minutes

Our Score: 2 out of 5 stars

This film is a simple low budget serial killer “thriller” (used lightly) but with a decent cast. The film gives too much away too early and doesn’t really deliver in the end. The cast is made up of two well known actors Scott Speedman and Jay Baruchel. Scott Speedman is simply eerie in the film and Jay Baruchel is well…Jay Baruchel. The girl in the film is a Canadian actress not to well known here in the states, Emily Hampshire.

The story revolves of group of people who live in the same apartment building in Montreal. Looming in the background of the story there is a serial killer on the loose. Is it someone in the apartment complex? The trio find themselves questioning each other in hopes to find the killer until other things get out of hand. Overall the film doesn’t have enough thrill to be considered a thriller and falls more into dark comedy.

Overall I found myself having a hard time caring about the characters.  The story was pretty thin and there really wasn’t much back story to add some content to the story.  Which is a shame because this could have been a good film.

DAVID HYDE PIERCE AND CLAYNE CRAWFORD SET THE TABLE FOR SUSPENSE IN THE INTRIGUING PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER

From The Producers Of Saw and Poltergeist, The Dark Comedy Arrives On Blu-ray Disc And DVD On August 30 From Magnolia Home Entertainment Under The Magnet Label

“Black humor turns comically darker in twisty quasi-suspenser The Perfect Host.” – The Hollywood Reporter

A dinner party crasher learns manners the hard way in the “fun, minimalistic thriller that piles on the suspense” (Slash Film), The Perfect Host arriving on Blu-ray Disc and DVD August 30 from Magnolia Home Entertainment under the Magnet Label. With standout performances from David Hyde Pierce (“Frasier”) and Clayne Crawford (“24”), The Perfect Host takes viewers on a suspense-filled ride revealing just how far people are willing to go to satisfy their needs.

From the producers of the Saw franchise and Poltergeist, The Perfect Host, follows Warwick Wilson (Pierce), in a performance described “as delicious as the duck Warwick serves at dinner” (Twitch Film), the meticulously perfect host who receives an unexpected dinner guest in John Taylor (Crawford), a bank robber on the run. Yet Taylor gets more then bargained for when he rings Warwick’s doorbell. As the night wears on, secrets are revealed and it becomes clear that nothing is quite as it seems.

An official selection at the Sundance Film Festival, Fantasia International Film Festival and the Sitges Film Festival, co-writers Nick Tomnay and Krishna Jones have created “a seamlessly crafted story that keeps you guessing with every scene” (Slug Magazine). Loaded with special features, The Perfect Host Blu-ray Disc and DVD will be available for the suggested retail price of $29.98 and $26.98, respectively.

Synopsis
Warwick Wilson is the consummate host. The table is set and the duck is perfectly timed for 8:30 p.m. John Taylor is a career criminal. He’s just robbed a bank and needs to get off the streets. He finds himself on Warwick’s doorstep posing as a friend of a friend, new to Los Angeles, who’s been mugged and lost his luggage. As the wine flows and the evening progresses, it becomes clear that appearances can be deceiving.

Larry Kenney is known best for his role voicing Lion-O in the original “Thundercats” series.  Larry is also the voice of Count Chocula and Sonny, the Coco Puffs bird.  Larry is returing to “Thundercats” on July 29th for its reboot playing the character King Claudus, Lion-O’s father.  Movie Mikes had a chance to chat with Larry about his voice work and what we can expect from the new “Thundercats” series.

Mike Gencarelli:  How did you get involved with “Thundercats?”
Larry Kenney:  Well, I’m a voice over actor and, like every other job you get in this business, you get a call from your agent.  I got a call from mine back in 1983.  He told me that, “tomorrow, at such and such a time you’ll go to such and such address and ask for this person.”  It was for a new cartoon series called “Thundercats” and I went in to audition.  When I got there all of the walls in the studio were covered with pictures of the characters.  They handed me a synopsis of what the series was about and also a brief synopsis of each character.  They said to pick a few characters you’d like to read for.  So I picked Lion-O and I also picked Jackalman and a couple others.  In voice acting it’s first come, first served so I waited until they called me in.  When they did they asked me what I thought Lion-O might sound like.  They gave me a little information…what his characteristics were.  And then you do what you do.  Whether it’s for a cartoon series or for Dawn detergent.  You do the audition and you leave.  When you’ve been doing this as long as I have you don’t sit around the house thinking, “gee, I hope I get it…I hope I get it.”  But you DO hope you get it. (laughs)  And then you either get a call from your agent in the next couple of days saying “you booked it” or you never get a call.  Fortunately I got the call.  And a couple of months later we started recording.

MG:  How was it working for the legendary Rankin/Bass team?
LK:  That was the first thing that struck me.  I didn’t know it was for Rankin/Bass until I got to the audition and saw the Rankin/Bass logo on the script.  I’m 63 years old and I grew up watching “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” with Burl Ives and  Fred Astaire in “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” and “Frosty the Snowman.”  They were classics.  At the time there were no animated shows being done in New York City.  Everything was being done out in California because of Disney and Warner Brothers.  In fact another one of my first thoughts was “wow, why are they doing it in New York?”  Then when I got the job I was glad they were doing it in New York.  (laughs)

MG:  What is your inspiration in creating the different characters?
LK:  Well, they wanted Lion-O to not be so “charactery.”  But they always wanted them to have a hint of animal (he speaks in Lion-O’s raspy voice)…of course he doesn’t sound like a lion.  My first thought…he was young when he started.  He was naive’ and kind of cocky.  So I went with a lot of vulnerability with him, but still authoritative.  I didn’t want him to come off like he knew everything, though he thought he did.  I mean the voice is really the same voice I’m using to talk with you.  Of course it’s a little more dramatic because it’s a television show.  But if I was just sitting here talking to you I’d say, “the sword of Omens come into my hand…I, Lion-O, command it.”   But on tv it’s (much more dramatic) “Sword of Omens…come into my hand!   I, Lion-O, command it!”  Interestingly enough I’m playing Lion-O’s father in the new series.

MG:  What can you tell us about that?  It’s right around the bend.
LK:  I know.  July 29th.  For King Claudus it’s really just Lion-O’s voice but older.

MG:  Was it a thrill returning to the series?
LK:  Being on an animated series is a great thrill for an actor.  You’re playing fantasy figures.  And every actor wants to play a villain.  Every screen actor wants to be in “Batman” and play the Joker.  It gives you the chance to really stretch…to be wild and crazy with the character.  First of all just doing an animated series is a lot of fun.  But what made it even greater is that it’s”Thundercats”…it’s SilverHawks and TigerSharks and Karate Kat.  And it’s the same cast…all the people I worked with.  We became a real close family over the years we worked together on the different series and they were a blast to work with.

MG:  “Thundercats” ran for 130 episodes.  How did you manage to keep the characters fresh?
LK:  It was easy for the actors because we only worked two days a month, two shows each time we worked.  We’d work a Thursday and a Friday in the middle of each month.  We’d only do four shows a month.  Now when the show was first sold we worked five days a week.  But once the show was on the air…after the first thirteen or twenty episodes, we actually had to take a break to allow the writers to come up with the scripts.  Because they sure hadn’t written 130 episodes at the beginning, only the initial thirteen or twenty six.  Once they sold those shows and we knew they wanted more..they needed the time to write the scripts.

MG:  You’re also the voice of Count Chocula and Sonny, the Coco Puffs bird.  How did those roles come about?
LK:  The exact same way.  I’ve been doing both of them for over 40 years.  Both of them have been long standing characters.  I grew up myself watching CoCo Puffs commercials.  It was exciting getting those jobs because they were something I watched when I was growing up.  In those two cases, though, they had established voices and they told each actor that they wanted us to come as close to the original voice as possible, because the kids were used to them.

MG:  What are your feelings on the possible new live action “Thundercats?”
LK:  Warner Brothers had announced a few years ago that they were going to do a movie.  Live with CGI. They hired a director and screenwriter, but they later decided to do another series. Who knows, if the series if a hit, and I think it will be, they’ll do a movie too!

John Pinette is one of the funniest comedians in the business.  He is most well known for this Chinese Buffett bit.  His first Comedy Central special was titled “I’m Starving” and his follow-up which premiers on July 29th, 2011 is titled “Still Hungry”.  Movie Mikes had a chance to joke around with John and also chat about his new special.

Mike Gencarelli: Tell us about your latest special/DVD “Still Hungry”?
John Pinette: The first special was “I’m Starvin'”…so “Still Hungry”, seemed like an appropriate name.  It is appropriate though in two ways, one obviously being a sequel but the other it is a double entendre.  I have been on the road 25 years.  I like performing more than ever…and am I still hungry to get on the stage and make people laugh? Yeah more than ever!  I like to say that I have set higher standards for myself that I did when I was a young kid and didn’t really know how to do this.  I learned by error and it is a tough road to learn.  You build over the 25 years, you are either going to love it more or you fade.  I feel like I love it more, so I definitely feel like I am still hungry.

MG: Tell us about the bits we can expect in this special?
JP: Oh yes, it has evolved.  It has evolved as my life has evolved.  It is not the comedy it was 5…10…15 years ago.  It is current. It progresses pretty naturally.  In 1998, I did “Show Me The Buffett” CD and it did well but everyone said “Well, he talks about food all the time”.  Well now I am watching “Man vs. Food”, this guy is eating a steak and cheese sandwich like size of an actual WWII submarine.  They are complaining about me?  All I did was mention that I happened to like a buffet or two.  There is the Food Network and they have food competitions….in Japan, they have the Iron Chef, if you don’t win they kill you [laughs].  There is food now all over the place.  You know you got a lot of food shows when you got me saying “Enough with the food, isn’t there an exercise show on” [laughs].  I do not mind poking fun at myself but I think done in pretty good taste and also all in good fun for this show.

MG: The only way I am watching this special is if it’s in 3D [laughs].
JP: Listen when we get me in 3D, that’s going to be something else.  Imagine me reaching through the screen and offering you a rib and then not letting go and pulling you through the screen [laughs].

MG: Being a comedian, you always are exposed to many funny jokes…do you adapt jokes that you hear to your sets?
JP: Definitely get aspects from Buddy Hackett, as a storyteller.  I think Billy Cosby is also a great storyteller.  There are a lot of comics that express angry like I do.  I once toured with Howie Mandel a long time ago.  He is a real practical joker and he really pissed me off a bunch of times.  He is a really nice guy but he likes his practical jokes.  Well it is 3am and I want to go to sleep.  He told me you need to be angry more on stage because it is really funny when you are angry.  I told him “No no no, I am really fucking angry…I am going to throw you through that window” [laughs].  But he has OCD, so you only have to cough on him to get him back.

MG: What do you like most about getting on stage? You ever get nervous?
JP: I get nervous before man.  I get tense sometimes.  I try not to think too much about the show until I start it.  Everyone has self doubt…but it also keeps you sharper if you use it the right way.

MG: Acting in Broadway shows, like “Hairspray”, how do you feel it differs from stand-up?
JP: I think one borrows from the other.  I think doing Broadway makes you stronger as a stand-up and stand-up gives you some tools to do Broadway, as far as being in front of an audience.  Singing and dancing was like climbing Mt. Everest, but as far as my relationship with the audience, that was pretty natural.  It was the hardest thing I have ever done but also one of the best things I have ever done.  At that stage in my life I didn’t think I could learn something like that all over again.

MG: How was it working with Frank Sinatra in the early days?
JP: He thought I was (Jackie) Gleason and I didn’t tell him different.  [laughs]  We got along very well.  There was a number of comics that got to work with him and I was lucky enough to be one of them.  I was walking around on a cloud.  It just blew my mind.  I was 29 years old and it did open a lot of doors for me.  In Vegas, unlike now there was a different headliner for every show and every headliners had opening comics.  It was great.  I did one of the last shows at the Desert Inn.  It is funny I started at Vegas in 1988, at the old Comedy Store in the Dunes.  They blew up the Dunes.  I headlined at the Sands…they blew that up.  Sahara…that got blown up.  They may be tacking dynamite around my place right now as we speak [laughs].

MG: Are you currently touring and if so where?
JP: We are doing a theater tour around October/November.  We will hit theaters throughout the east coast, midwest etc.  We will still be doing the clubs also though…just less.  I have had the same manager for 20 years and we have come to a point where we are a little bit better in booking more strategically.  So you’ll definitely be hearing from us.

Related Content

• Interview with Mindy Sterling
• Interview with John Garvin
• Interview with Larry Kenney
• Interview with Jon Chu
• Interview with Mason Gamble

Production Begins on Hyde Park on Hudson, Starring Bill Murray and Laura Linney

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NEW YORK and LONDON, July 28, 2011 – Academy Award nominees Bill Murray and Laura Linney star in the historical tale Hyde Park on Hudson, which began filming this week in the U.K. for co-producers and co-financiers Focus Features and Film4. BAFTA Award winner Roger Michell (Film4’s Venus) is directing from a screenplay by Richard Nelson. Focus CEO James Schamus made the announcement today.

Focus will release Hyde Park on Hudson in the second half of 2012. Focus holds worldwide rights – excluding U.K. free-TV rights, which are held by Film4 – to the movie. Filming is taking place in the U.K. on the Free Range Films/Daybreak Pictures production. Kevin Loader (In the Loop) and David Aukin (Endgame) are producing the feature with Mr. Michell. Focus executive vice president, European production Teresa Moneo is supervising Hyde Park on Hudson.

In June 1939, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (played by Mr. Murray) and his wife Eleanor (Olivia Williams of Focus’ Hanna) host the King and Queen of England (Samuel West of Mr. Michell’s Persuasion and Olivia Colman of Film4’s The Iron Lady) for a weekend at the Roosevelt home at Hyde Park on Hudson, in upstate New York – the first-ever visit of a reigning English monarch to America. With Britain facing imminent war with Germany, the Royals are desperately looking to FDR for support. But international affairs must be juggled with the complexities of FDR’s domestic establishment, as wife, mother, and mistresses all conspire to make the royal weekend an unforgettable one. Seen through the eyes of Daisy (Ms. Linney), Franklin’s distant cousin, neighbor, and intimate, the weekend will produce not only a special relationship between two great nations, but, for Daisy – and through her, for us all – a deeper understanding of the mysteries of love and friendship.

The cast of Hyde Park on Hudson also includes Elizabeth Wilson (The Birds), Elizabeth Marvel (True Grit), and Eleanor Bron (Help!). Simon Bowles (Centurion) is the film’s production designer; Dinah Collin (The Ghost Writer) is the costume designer. The cinematographer is Lol Crawley (Film4’s Four Lions).

Mr. Schamus said, “Filmgoers will be intrigued by this unique exploration of the all-too-human side of one of history’s great men. Roger is an actor’s director who will guide Bill and Laura through their playing of Richard’s script, which beautifully encompasses satire and drama.”

Film4’s Tessa Ross said, “This promises to be an extraordinary film; we have our dream cast and a great crew on board, we’re partnering anew with our friends at Focus, and we’re working once again with the exceptional Roger Michell. What a privilege for Film4 to be on this journey with them all.”

Film4, headed by Ms. Ross, is Channel 4 Television’s feature film division. The Company develops and co-finances film productions and is known for working with the most innovative talent in the U.K., whether new or established. Film4 developed and co-financed Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire, which won 8 Academy Awards. Film4 has partnered with Focus Features on such films as Martin McDonagh’s In Bruges, for which star Colin Farrell won a Golden Globe Award; Kevin Macdonald’s The Eagle; and Lone Scherfig’s soon-to-be-released romance One Day, based on the bestselling novel, starring Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess. Film4’s recent and forthcoming releases also include Joe Cornish’s directorial debut Attack the Block; Richard Ayoade’s Submarine; Andrea Arnold’s Wuthering Heights; The Iron Lady, directed by Phyllida Lloyd and starring Meryl Streep; and Steve McQueen’s SHAME, with Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan.

Focus Features and Focus Features International (www.focusfeatures.com) comprise a singular global company. This worldwide studio makes original and daring films that challenge the mainstream to embrace and enjoy voices and visions from around the world that deliver global commercial success. The company operates as Focus Features in North America, and as Focus Features International (FFI) in the rest of the world.

In addition to Hyde Park on Hudson and One Day, both with Film4, current and upcoming Focus releases include Mike Mills’ Beginners, starring Ewan McGregor and Academy Award nominee Christopher Plummer; John Madden’s espionage thriller The Debt, starring Helen Mirren, Sam Worthington, and Jessica Chastain; writer/director Dee Rees’ contemporary drama Pariah, which world-premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival; Welcome to Suck City, written and directed by Paul Weitz and starring two-time Academy Award winner Robert De Niro and Paul Dano; Lorene Scafaria’s pre-apocalyptic comedic romance Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, starring Steve Carell and Keira Knightley; Moonrise Kingdom, the new feature from Wes Anderson, starring Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, and Jason Schwartzman; Sam Fell and Chris Butler’s ParaNorman, the new 3D stop-motion comedy thriller from animation company LAIKA; and Tomas Alfredson’s thriller Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, starring Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, and Tom Hardy.

Starring: Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford and Olivia Wilde
Directed by: Jon Favreau
Rated: PG 13
Running time: 1 hour 58 mins
Universal

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

An action, sci-Fi Thriller set in the Wild West, “Cowboys and Aliens” surprises with a plot that combines both the wild west genre with the sci-fi genre while sticking true to the expectations of both styles.

The movie grabs your attention right away with Jake Lonergan, played by Daniel Craig, waking up in the middle of the desert with no memory, a photo of a pretty girl, and a strange metal brace on his right arm that he can’t remove. The story moves on in to your typical wild west story of man against man for self gain and then surprises you with the sudden introduction of aliens in the wild west, swooping in and boldly abducting people. Enemies join together for a common goal, to get their family and friends back and save the world as they know it. And of course what movie wouldn’t have the few surprises along the way.

Daniel Craig is perfect playing the bad boy turned hero Jake Lonergan, Harrison Ford is bold and brilliant as the rich Cattle Rancher and local bully Woodrow Dolarhyde, and Olivia Wilde is alluring as the svelte Ella Swenson.

Although the movie lacks in a memorable soundtrack, the music fit well. “Cowboys and Aliens” makes up for it in its spectacular acting and well delivered lines. This definitely surpassed my initial expectations. The cinematography was beautiful, casting was absolutely perfect, and the story worked well combining two completely separate genres.