Steven R. Monroe is known best for recently directing the 2010 remake of “I Spit on Your Grave”. Steven has also directed a number of films for Syfy Channel i.e. “Ice Twisters” and “Mongolian Death Worth”. Movie Mikes had a chance to chat with Steven to ask him a few questions about his latest work as well and his past films.

Mike Gencarelli: What was the most difficult task in directing “I Spit on Your Grave” remake?
Steven R. Monroe: During the production the most difficult task was making the sure the film was dark, disturbing, raw, upsetting and bleak as it should be for the fans of the original.  Then also trying to address possible new fans, trying to make sure both sides of the audience that would see this film would get what they wanted and then some.  Lastly also trying to be sure I was delivering the film the producers and distributors needed and wanted. Once the film was finished and people were seeing it, the most difficult thing was dealing with people that didn’t get the film at all and probably should never have seen it in the first place and then listening to them making judgments on me personally because they were offended. I don’t care if people take issue with what I have done as a filmmaker, I’ve been at it a long time and you get thick skin, but when people make personal attacks when they know nothing about me or who I am, it can be pretty aggravating and more difficult to just brush off.

MG: Did you feel any pressure to live up to the original?
SR: Yes, absolutely. There are very passionate fans out there of the original and it was my responsibility to do everything I could to be sure they got what they were hoping for or not hoping for. The original stirred up a lot of emotion and a lot of anger, it’s a handful, but a welcome one to try and deliver something that lives up to all that. It’s both a blessing and a curse.

MG: What was your process for casting the lead of Jennifer?
SR: I just wanted someone that was not a name first and foremost. And I wanted someone with a natural beauty, a bit of naivety, a bit of strength. I wanted certain resemblance’s to Camille Keaton in our new Jennifer. As an actress she needed to be fearless and to understand the magnitude of what we were doing and be able to handle what would come at her down the road. Sarah Butler had all of those. She was perfect no matter what anyone says about her, I know the right choice was made to cast her.

MG: Tell us about your film “Complacent”, which you wrote, produced and directed?
SR: “Complacent” is very close to me not only because it is the only film out of 15 that I have directed that I directed, wrote, and produced but also because there are many elements of that film that were inspired by both my life and my wife’s. The film is a study of my perspectives of different events of our lives some that happened together and many that happened to me before we met. A lot of it is very close to her and a lot is very close to me and I wanted to put it all in a dark, sad, funny at times somewhat satirical bag and shake it up together. Most people that have seen it have said to me that they saw part of themselves in the film within at least one of the characters. The cast was amazing and brought all these suburban white Americans to life big time for me. We did the film for literally no money and it was all passion that got it done. I am indebted to everyone that worked on that project.

MG: You have worked with Cerina Vincent on three films now, how did this relationship start?
SR: Cerina is now a very dear friend. My wife and I love her very much. We first met about seven years ago when I was directing a horror film for Stephen J. Cannell and we were trying to cast the lead. He came in the office and said, how about Cerina Vincent from “Cabin Fever”… Without thinking I said “yes”. We hit it off on that shoot, became friends and then she did a Syfy film for me “Devil On The Mountain” (which Syfy changed the title to “Sasquatch Mountain”) then we did “Complacent together”. She is a very underestimated actor, drama or comedy, horror or action or thriller she can do it all.

MG: You have worked with Syfy Channel on quite a few films now i.e. “Ice Twisters” and “Mongolian Death Worth”, tell us about working on those films?
SR: The TV movie world is very different than feature films. For the most part people do not understand that in television directors do not have a whole lot of say in a whole lot of things. Even though I am seriously poked fun at all over the internet for doing TV movies and then “I Spit On Your Grave”, I don’t care because I am actually very fortunate to be able to jump formats like that and shooting a Syfy movie is like being eight years old again and making my sci fi and action films with my super 8 camera. You have creatures, stunts, guns, blood… Come on, it’s a blast. Funny thing with internet critique is that if the people that were goofing on me for the TV movies I did before “I Spit” actually did a moment of research they would see that I have also done six other feature films.

Candy Clark has always been a free spirit. Born in Norman, Oklahoma, the family moved to Fort Worth, Texas, where she graduated high school and then headed to New York City. After scoring a small role in the John Huston directed film “Fat City,” she won the part that she will forever be remembered for, slightly ditzy Debbie Dunham in George Lucas’ look back to 1962 “American Graffiti.” For her performance, Ms. Clark was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Supporting Actress. She finished the decade of the 1970s with roles in such television shows as “Banacek” and “The New Dick Van Dyke Show” while appearing in such films as “The Man Who Fell to Earth” with David Bowie, “The Big Sleep” with Robert Mitchum and Jonathan Demme’s “Handle With Care” (also known as “Citizen’s Band”) which reunited her with her “Graffiti” co-star Paul Le Mat. The two joined forces again for the underseen sequel “More American Graffiti.” In 1983 she appeared opposite Roy Scheider in “Blue Thunder.” Other notable films include “Cat’s Eye,” “At Close Range,” “Radioland Murders” and David Fincher’s “Zodiac.” On television she has appeared in such shows as “Magnum P.I.,” “St. Elsewhere,” “Matlock” and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” where she played Buffy’s mom.

I had the extreme pleasure of meeting Ms. Clark a few years ago at a celebrity event where she very graciously signed a few items for me and shared some stories about her past. I recently had the pleasure of speaking with her again for MovieMikes.

Mike Smith: What led you to pursue a career as an actor?
Candy Clark: Well it was kind of given to me on a silver platter…my first job. And after that it became really difficult. But once I was in the game I got hooked. My first role was in a film called “Fat City.” I didn’t really want to be an actor…I was kind of made to do it. I was given an audition by this casting director…really all I wanted to be was an extra. But once I did that role I was hooked! I was on my own and it took me a year to get my next job. I’ve never been very good at auditioning…that’s always been my weakest point.

MS: Your next feature film was “American Graffiti.” Did you have any idea that this little film would strike such a chord with the public?
CC: I knew that it struck a chord with ME. I really identified with the characters because they were doing exactly what we were doing growing up in Ft. Worth, Texas. In high school we used to drive around…go to Carlson’s Drive In then drive to the Lone Star Drive In then back to Carlson’s then back to the Lone Star. Everyone would just go round and round all evening. It was exactly what we did. So when I read the script for “American Graffiti” I was like, “wow…I get it!” I was really happy to get a part in the film. Like I said, auditioning has always been my weakest point…I had to do a screen test for the film. I didn’t have to audition, thank God, but I did have to do a screen test where I had to memorize a scene. It was kind of a cattle call of all of these actresses. We were all in one room in a warehouse. Charles Martin Smith already had his part so when I met him I thought, “I’m not going to get this…he’s a lot shorter than me. I’m too tall.” But lo and behold I got picked…and I think our height difference made it more funny and charming…and cute.

MS: You received an Academy Award nomination for your performance as Debbie in “American Graffiti.” What was it like being recognized for your work so early in your career?
CC: I highly recommend it to everyone (laughs)….to be nominated for an Academy Award! Two weeks prior to the awards, after never having gotten patted on the back side before, it was flowers, telegrams…that was back in the day when they HAD telegrams. I was the center of attention and I really loved it. I knew I wasn’t going to win so I didn’t prepare a speech or anything. I thought for sure that an actress named Sylvia Sidney was going to win. She’s been around for a long time and she was up for a film called “Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams.” But lo and behold Tatum O’Neal took home the award. She walked away with it…a nine year old! (NOTE: Tatum O’Neal was actually ten years old when she became the youngest actor to win a competitive award for her role in “Paper Moon.” The other nominees that year were Linda Blair for “The Exorcist” and Madeline Kahn for “Paper Moon.”)

MS: So, is it really an honor just to be nominated?
CC: (laughing) I think so! I certainly didn’t mind it.

MS: Why did you wait almost three years to do your next feature (“I Will I Will…For Now”)?
CC: That was my next big role. I also had a great part in “The Man Who Fell to Earth.” But sometimes you have to take little parts here and there for money…I’ve never been averse to receiving money for work, that’s for sure.

MS: In my opinion, “More American Graffiti” is very under appreciated. Do you have any ideas why it wasn’t as well received as “American Graffiti?”
CC: I felt all along that…I did the film because I was the one that pitched George Lucas to make another “Graffiti.” I thought for sure that we would just pick up where we left off. And I think the audience was looking for that too. But the second film got very dramatic…it wasn’t as comical and fun. The Vietnam War…all of that stuff. It was just a little too off the beaten path for most fans. I think if they’d just picked it up where we left off…the film was so complicated because they kept interweaving different years AND different film styles. It became a film you really had to see more than once because it was so complicated. And in my section, it was all split screen—we were postage stamp size. In some of the shots your eyes didn’t know where to go on the screen. It was a very complicated technique they used with that movie. (NOTE: “More American Graffiti” follows the lives of several of the first film’s main characters. The film techniques Ms. Clark refers to is the way the film was shot. For the Vietnam sections featuring Charles Martin Smith’s Terry the Toad character, the film was presented like a documentary. For Ms. Clark’s section, which takes place during the hey day of psychedelic music, the majority of the action was told in multi-screen takes and very bright colors.)

MS: You co-starred with Robert Mitchum in “The Big Sleep.” Were you apprehensive about working with an actor of his, for lack of a better word, stature?
CC: Not at all. I’ve never been “wowed” by meeting or working with someone. I’ve worked with David Bowie…who was a big superstar. Roger Daltrey (lead singer of the Who) was my neighbor for a while. I’ve always approached them as people…not somebody on a pedestal. It’s just a knack that I have…it probably comes from all of the improve classes I went to. He was very nice…very down to earth. He told great stories about “old” Hollywood…back in the day. He was really a very approachable actor. Not at all intimidating.

MS: You appeared with my all time favorite actor, Roy Scheider, in “Blue Thunder.” What are your memories of him?
CC: He was another person that was very down to earth and approachable. He was very easy to work with. He wasn’t as tall as I expected him to be (laughs). He was very wiry. But when he was being filmed he had this bigger than life persona. He was very photogenic…you liked looking at him when he was on screen. He had a great face.

Charles Martin Smith is probably best known to film fans for his role as Terry “the Toad” Fields, everybody’s favorite tag along in “American Graffiti.” The son of animator Frank Smith (“Mr. Magoo,” “A Charlie Brown Christmas”), Smith began his acting career appearing in school productions. His early work includes “The Culpepper Cattle Company,” starring Gary Grimes and his soon to be “Graffiti” co-star Bo Hopkins as well as an appearance as the young man who sells Greg Brady a lemon of a car on “The Brady Bunch.” But it was “American Graffiti” that made him an actor to remember. He spent the majority of the 1970s making guest appearances in most of the popular television series of the time. He also returned to the role of Terry the Toad in “More American Graffiti” and co-starred with Gary Busey and Don Stroud in the Oscar winning bio “The Buddy Holly Story.” In 1983 he starred in director Carroll Ballard’s acclaimed film “Never Cry Wolf.” It was on this film that Mr. Smith tried his hand at writing, composing his own narration for the film. He closed the decade with co-starring roles in “The Untouchables” and the under-rated John Travolta comedy “The Experts.”

In 1986 he entered the next phase of his career when he went behind the camera, directing Gene Simmons and Ozzy Osbourne in the horror-comedy “Trick or Treat.” He continued to direct episodic television programs, including “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Space: Above and Beyond” and “DaVinci’s Inquest” while still feeding the acting bug. In 2003 he wrote and directed the film “Snow Walker,” which starred Barry Pepper and James Cromwell. The film was a film festival success, earning Mr. Smith numerous nominations for Best Director and Best Screenplay. His follow up, “Stone of Destiny,” was equally acclaimed, earning Mr. Smith the Best Director award at the Palm Beach International Film Festival as well as a BAFTA Scotland Award nomination. His current project, “Dolphin Tale,” is set for release this fall.

It was while doing post-production work on “Dolphin Tale” that Mr. Smith spared a few minutes to talk with MovieMikes about his career.

Mike Smith: Your father was a very successful animator. Did his work inspire you to seek an acting career?
Charles Martin Smith: My father was a successful animator, so growing up in Los Angeles I was around films as a child. But not around live action films, so that world still seemed mysterious and inaccessible to me. It was a great benefit, though, to live in LA, and to go to University here, as I did, at CSUN. I had great acting and directing teachers and had access to an agent, etc. My father, more than anything, taught me about art, and his amazing creativity and perfectionism as an artist…he was a sculptor and designer, and did many things besides cartoons…he taught me a lot.

MS: Your first television role was as the young man who sold Greg Brady a junk car on “The Brady Bunch.” Have you ever thought about buying something and then thought “caveat emptor?”
CMS: Caveat emptor? Ha, no not really. That was technically my second TV role. My first was a special also involving the Brady Bunch. It was made by ABC to advertise their new season of Saturday morning cartoons. I got those roles right after my first professional acting job, “The Culpepper Cattle Company”, a western for 20th Century Fox.

MS: You and Ron Howard were the only two actors in “American Graffiti” that were actually close to high school age when it was filmed. Did you have any idea that this little film would strike such a chord with the public?
CMS: “Graffiti” was a low budget film but it had a good pedigree. Francis (Ford Coppola) was the producer, and Universal was behind the film, at least to a limited extent. And George Lucas had a lot of buzz and hype about him. After “THX-1138” he was considered a hot young director. All of the actors in the film (and you’re right, Ron and I were both 18), believed in the movie, and in George. We were thrilled to be part of such a good project, as the script was excellent, and, as I say, George was so talented. We thought the movie would be very good, we just weren’t sure it would get noticed as it was so low budget.

MS: Did you already know how to play bass when you took the role of Ray Bob in “The Buddy Holly Story?” And did you ever meet or speak with Joe B. Maudlin (NOTE: Maudlin was Buddy Holly’s bass player in the Crickets), on who the character was based?
CMS: Yes. I had been a musician since age 8 when I began learning piano, then guitar, and all during my teenage years I was in rock and roll bands, joining my older brother Dan’s band while in high school. We played gigs all around LA. I played guitar mostly in the band. Dan is a bass player, and a very good one, although his career since he got his Doctorate in Public Health has been as a research scientist for the California Health Department. I gave up thoughts of a music career when I began getting acting gigs, but “Buddy Holly” was a natural for me. I had played around with my brother’s bass many times, and as a guitar player, it wasn’t too hard to learn it. I got the stand up bass 2 months before we began filming and taught myself to play. I played all the music in the film live, and sang backup vocals live as well. Great fun. I did meet Joe B at the film’s premier in Dallas. He was very nice…shy, and it was a bit awkward as they had mixed feelings about the movie. They meaning himself and Jerry Allison (NOTE: Allison was the drummer for the Crickets). But it was great to meet him, and I even got his autograph!

MS: In my opinion, “More American Graffiti” is very under appreciated. Do you have any ideas why it wasn’t as well received as “American Graffiti?”
CMS: Well, I think it didn’t strike a chord with people the way “American Graffiti” did. I think George had a better story and grasp of the 50s than he did of the 60s. I loved my role in it and the Vietnam story in the sequel was the best written part of the script, I think. I’m very proud of that movie.

MS: You were critically acclaimed (and deservedly so) for your performance in “Never Cry Wolf.” What are your memories about that production?
CMS: “Never Cry Wolf” was an amazing experience. I spent three years on the film. I could write a book about the experience. We filmed for one and a half years, largely without a script. Carroll Ballard is a very gifted artist, and it’s probably the most wonderful experience I’ve ever had in a film. He invited me to write the narration as well, and I was on the film all the way through post production. I could not have ever directed a film without having had that experience with him. He taught me so much, and I’m extremely proud of that film.

MS: You gave another acclaimed performance in “The Untouchables.” Was your character based on a real member of Elliot Ness’ team?
CMS: My character in “The Untouchables” was a sort of amalgam of a few people in the US Government who went after Al Capone, so no, it was not really based on a real person. It was a fun character though, and the shoot was a great experience. I learned an enormous amount from (director Brian) De Palma, and from Sean Connery. I saw Sean two years ago in Scotland as my film “Stone of Destiny” premiered at the Edinburgh Film Festival. Sean was the host of the evening, so it was a great reunion.

MS: You’ve grown into a successful writer/director. Do you have a preference of being in front of or behind the camera?
CMS: I enjoy both acting and writing/directing. I do love writing, and although it may be a surprise to people, I have actually done quite a bit of work as a writer, without acting or directing. I love making films, writing and directing them, but must confess that it’s much more stressful and challenging. Sometimes it’s nice to be an actor, without having to carry the burden of the whole film, and just to be able to focus on that job. I love being able to trade off.

MS: Can you tell us about your latest project, “Dolphin Tale?”
CMS: “Dolphin Tale” is based on a true story about Winter, a dolphin who was rescued in Florida. She was so badly injured that she eventually lost her tail. This is how dolphins swim of course, so her rescuers finally hit upon the idea of making a prosthetic tail for her. It’s a very heartwarming and emotional story, and in writing it, and directing it, I tried to tell a good story, with humor and heart. I was very honored to be able to shoot it with Winter playing herself! It’s a sweet film, and we will be in the theatres Sept 23, released by Warner Brothers.

Joe Lansdale is author and has written novels and stories in many genres, including Western, horror, science fiction, mystery, and suspense. His stories have been adapted into feature films the most notable being “Bubba Ho-Tep” directed by Don Cascarelli. Movie Mikes had a chance to chat with Joe about that film as well as his upcoming projects.

Mike Gencarelli: How did you get the tag name “Champion Mojo Storyteller”?
Joe Lansdale: Actually, my Webmaster, the great Lou Bank, came up with that tag. It’s worked quite well, but, I’m not so immodest to call myself that.

MG: What is your process when working on a story, does it differ for novella vs. comic vs. film?
JL: It is a different way of thinking, in the sense of how you put it down. You also have to understand it will be interpreted differently, through art, actors, etc. I prefer prose to film and comics by a long shot, even though it’s harder to do, but I love it all and wouldn’t want to have to write only one thing. I like variety. It keeps you interested. I do think comics and film are more designed for someone, where a novel, with exceptions, doesn’t have to be. It might do better on the market place if you do have a certain audience in mind, but I find that’s no fun for me. I became a writer for me, and then I hope the readers like it and follow. With film and comics you are directing it more squarely toward a certain audience, at least most of the time. Short stories and novellas are my preferred form of story telling. They allow more variety, I believe. For me, nothing is as wonderful as a good short story.

MG: Tell us about working on the series “30 Days of Night: Night, Again”
JL: Steve Niles is the man, there. He came up with an amazing concept. It’s the sort of thing when you come across it, you slap your forehead, thinking, “I should have thought of that.” But you didn’t. Niles did. It’s a flexible format as well, and I really enjoyed him letting me visit in his universe. My approach was more akin to the old movies “House of Frankenstein” and “House of Dracula”. I brought different problems into the story beyond the vampires. We’ll see how it works. I think it’s going to be good. Sam Kieth’s art is awesome.

MG: Tell us about your latest novellas, “Hyenas” and “Devil Red”?
JL: “Devil Red” is not a novella, it’s a full blown novel from Knopf. “Hyenas” is a novella from Subterranean Press. They are both about my characters Hap Collins and Leonard Pine. I love those guys, and it was great to write about them. I went nine years, then wrote two novels, “Vanilla Ride” and “Devil Red” about them back to back, and then “Hyenas” and a short story was done somewhere in there about Hap, called “The Boy Who Became Invisible.” The short story is also contained within Hyenas, and it’s brief, but a favorite of mine. I have another novella about Hap and Leonard forthcoming next year titled “Dead Aim”. Film keeps nibbling at the boys, paying me money, hiring me for screenplays, but nothing has yet been done. I remain hopeful.

MG: Tell us about how you came with with the idea for “Bubba Ho-Tep”?
JL: My mother was in an accident and had to spend some time in a rest home. I grew up during the time of Elvis and then the Kennedy assassination. They were all important events to me, and then there was the fact I grew up on Universal Monster movies, as well as others, and I had always wanted to write at least one story about all the different types of monsters I enjoyed seeing in film. This was one of those, combined with the aforementioned elements. I had no idea, however, that it would resonate so well with readers, and then viewers of the film. I didn’t actually realize the story’s worth until some time had passed.

MG: What was your involved with the movie adaption?
JL: Don asked me to adapt it, but I chose not to. I thought it couldn’t be done, and there wasn’t a lot of money in it. When I read his screenplay, except for a couple of minor suggestions, I really liked it and I was amazed he had been able to pull it off. I was still skeptical of the film, but, he made it work, and a lot of people have responded to it positively, so it seems to have something going for it.

MG: You worked with Don Cascarelli again with “Masters of Horror”, tell us about that experience?
JL: Don had optioned the story, and Stephen Romero worked with him on the adaptation. I think it’s a very good adaptation. I was on the set for both films. Not for the entire shooting of either, but for extended stays. My son also visited with me, and he has since gone on to write the screenplay for the forthcoming “Christmas with the Dead”, based on my story of the same name. I think his screenplay is better than my story, actually.

MG: Any word if we will ever see “Bubba Nosferatu: Curse of the She-Vampires”?
JL: I have no idea if anything is happening there. Don is working on that, and except for it being a sequel to my novella, I’m not involved.

MG: Tell us about upcoming film projects, “Christmas with the Dead” and “Cold in July”?
JL: “Christmas with the Dead” is a low budget film shooting here in Nacogdoches, Texas this summer. Yes, a Christmas film in summer. That’s part of the script Keith came up with. That’s not how it was in my original story, but that’s a very nice and funny touch. It is directed by Terrill Lee Lankford and stars Damian Maffei. Supporting actor is Brad Maule, and my daughter Kasey even has a small part in it. Other actors are being cast. I think it’s going to be a hoot. With film, just like any artistic project, you never know, of course. But you always go into with all guns blazing, hoping you hit something. “Cold in July” is still being produced, but I don’t know what the current status of it is. I don’t have a lot to do with that one at this point. I like the screenplay they did on it. We’ll see what happens.

Tommy Wiseau is best known for his film “The Room”. The film has gained an incredible cult status and is a popular midnight screening. Tommy is currently touring with the film all over the world. Some hate the movie calling it “one of the worst movies ever made” and others love it calling it “so bad it is good”. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Tommy about the success of the film and what else he has planned.

Mike Gencarelli: Are you surprised by the cult status that “The Room” has achieved and has become a midnight screening cult classic?
Tommy Wiseau: Oh yeah, with our last screening we had over 900 people show up. I did a Q&A and I love it. We travel a lot with the film. I love talking with the people and I guess they like me too [laughs]. The midnight screenings started because we got thousands of emails demanding to see “The Room” in Los Angeles, which is how everything started. The background to the story started when we submitted the film to the Academy Awards. We were screening it in Los Angeles two a half weeks after that and we received all those emails. We then started screening at Wilshire Screening Room in Los Angeles. We got so many people showing up we had problems with fire marshal and people were literally sitting on the floor. I called the theater and said if we could screen it also at midnight and that is how the midnight screenings started.  Now we have screenings spread out all over the entire world like UK, Canada, New Zealand etc.  So we are very happy with what happened.

MG: Tell us about how you shot “The Room” with both 35mm and HD cameras?
TW: Yep, we used two cameras shooting “The Room”. One was HD and one was 35mm. Some people are blogging about this incorrect, I shot it that way to learn about it. At the time, eight years ago or so there was not enough information about HD. Right now HD is the biggest ever. “The Room” is the only feature movie in the world that is shot at the same time on the same rig with both cameras.  I am very happy with what I did.

MG: Did you find any real challenges shooting “The Room” that way?
TW: Some people think that all this has just happened by accident with “The Room”. You have to prepare to film or a TV show or whatever. It is a process and you have to apply certain things and be organized. It is a lot of work but I enjoy it. Some things take a long time. I have been working on “The Room” almost 15 years before we released. It is not something that just happened by accident. On the set of “The Room” using the process  of working with the two cameras, I changed the crew four times while filming. Some of them quit and some I fired. People tried to tamper with the project and you could write a book about it. Actually, I am writing a book about it between the difference between 35mm and HD. What is the difference? What is the cost? I think my book, which will be released this year, will relate to the simplicity of the industry and how Hollywood embraced HD. From the beginning Hollywood did not want to embrace HD format, the reason was because everything was set on the 35mm umbrella. We find now that a lot of people are changing between the two formats.

MG: What can you tell us about “The Room” in 3-D and the Blu-ray release?
TW: We will be releasing it on Blu-ray before Christmas and I am also working releasing the film in 3D. With HD it is a great format for 3D but so is 35mm. Film is film. You cannot match film by using an HD camera, you can come pretty close but it is not the same. The fact is also when you watch 3D, you have a slightly different experience. I have been experimenting already with some clips from “The Room” and it looks great and that is why I want to do it. I also wanted to show viewer that they have choices. It is very detail oriented work. So first the Blu-ray will be released this year before Christmas and we will be doing “The Room” Blu-ray tour across the country…maybe across the world. The 3D will be between 2011 and 2012. It is definitely the future.

[UPDATE: The Blu-ray is finally arriving on December 28, 2012.  Click here to purchase on Amazon.]

MG: With the huge following of “The Room”, why haven’t you made another feature follow-up?
TW: Well I am not sure if you know but, I am working on this sitcom called “The Neighbors” currently, which will be released this year. I am also working on another movie relating to the economy and then also a vampire movie. If you are referring to “The Room” prequel or sequel, at this time I think we need to get at least 80% of America to see “The Room” first [laughs]. Then I might consider something else with “The Room”.

MG: What can you tell us about the sitcom “The Neighbors”?
TW: It is a TV sitcom I am working on and you can check out the site at http://www.theneighborssitcom.com. We will be releasing the first episode in about 45-60 days on that site. I am acting in the show as a character named Charlie. One of the actors from “The Room” will be connected to the production as well. It is for entertainment and is slightly different from what you are used to on the TV station. When you watch the sitcom people will have a groovy time and enjoy it and that is basically what it is.

MG: How did you get involved with the horror comedy short “The House That Drips Blood on Alex”?
TW: They sent me a script. It was sponsored by Comedy Central and Atom.com and they hired me as an actor. I did not direct the project. My background is an actor. It was a pretty excited project. They could have done a better job but it is what it is.

MG: Tell us about working with showing the movie on Adult Swim and appearing on “Tim & Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!”?
TW: I have been on the show four times now. Tim and Eric are really great people to work with. They have great vision of what they want. They also hired me as an actor, not a director. Some of their stuff is completely off the wall. They are fans of “The Room” as well and are just so fun to work with. I hope I will be working with them again soon. I believe Adult Swim will be screening “The Room” again for the third year in a row on Adult Swim on April 1st. So, I am very happy with that.

MG: What can you say to people that haven’t yet seen “The Room”?
TW: I like people to express themselves. You don’t have to like the whole movie. I want people to have a groovy time and forget the world a little bit. I realize that during the screenings in Los Angeles that people are really enjoying it and that is what “The Room” is all about. The people that give the negative stigma about the film should just grow up. This is just to entertain you and that is what it is. I don’t think that it is the best of the best, [laughs] actually everyone says it is the worst of the worst [laughs]. My job as an actor/director is to make people laugh. When you see “The Room”, people need to forget what is happening at home, at work, in society and just isolate yourself and have fun. What shocked me the most Michael is that people are quoting the script and I love it. It is a compliment to me. I just want people to have fun and enjoy.

Giselle Fraga is an up and coming Brazilian actress, who is making her American film debut in the upcoming “The River Sorrow”. The film also stars Ray Liotta, Ving Rhames & Christian Slater and will be released this June. Movie Mikes had a chance to chat with Giselle about her role in the film and what is upcoming in her career.

Mike Gencarelli: What made you come back to doing feature films?
Giselle Fraga: First of all, I always wanted to live in the USA and work there. I keep saying that, I have an American soul. When I was 18 years old and I was working as a model, I lived for two years in NYC. Unfortunately, I had to return back to Brazil cause my father was sick. By that time I was starting with my acting career. I obtained my first movie role in Brazil and never stopped working there.  So I had to give up of my dream to act in the US.  Now after ‘’The River Sorrow’’ experience I found a manager in LA., Bob McGowan. I believe in him and I want to work in the U.S. but I have a life back here in Brazil.  So I have to try and juggle both my career and personal life. When I have a chance to go there for auditions he will call me here and I’ll jump on the plane and go. I know it’s not easy but I have a lot faith in my heart that I still will do more films there and have a lot of experiences in my acting life. Also, it’s always a big challenge while acting to speak English, but I learn a lot as a human being.

MG: Tell us about your role in the film “The River Sorrow”
GF: Ana is a beautiful character. The writer Steve Anderson told me that she’s the heart of the movie. There’s a lot of violence and in the middle of all those killings, she symbolizes the love. If you see the movie you’ll notice that’s she’s also the light in the end of the tunnel. I had a wonderful experience playing Ana. I think it’s the kind of character that I wanted to portray. I learned a lot with her and I will take this forever with my soul.

MG: What was your biggest challenge while working on the film?
GF: When I read the script, I knew that she was a challenge to go through. Speaking good and understandable English was my biggest challenge. Also to be able to play with my heart and don’t be shy of working with the giants actors from Hollywood. In my humble experience, it was the first time for me as an actress. I left my whole life behind to live this character for real.

MG: How was it working with such a great cast, Ray Liotta, Ving Rhames & Christian Slater?
GF: It was the best experience off my life as an actress. All the cast was amazing to work with. They are all very professional people and it was amazing to see how dedicated they are to their  characters. I learned a lot by watching them everyday.

MG: Tell us about your role in the TV Series “Uma Rosa com Amor”?
GF: It was a great experience. I played a bipolar character. It took me a lot to learn about this subject and how painful it is for someone to leave everyday with no balance in life and taking strong medicines to take control of their own lives. To portray it was really hard and a it is a great experience that helped me to opened my mind and heart to share my love with all those who need a lot of love to keep alive and surviving with this sickness. I love being an actress and having the chance to pretend that I am someone else and to do things that I would have never experienced in my life.

MG: What do you having planned next?
GF: Well for now, I’m waiting for the movie to come out and them I can send my scenes to casting directors. I’ll possible stay in Brazil and act in another soup opera that’s coming up next July.  That is what is amazing about being an actress, is that you never know what comes next.

When you think of actions movies, you should be thinking about Gary Daniels.  He recently co-starred along side Sylvester Stallone in “The Expendables” and Wesley Snipes in “Game of Death”.  Gary took a few minutes to chat with Movie Mikes about working on his films and what he has planned upcoming.

Mike Gencarelli: Tell us how it working with Sylvester Stallone both acting and directing in “The Expendables”?
Gary Daniels: As you can imagine I was kinda excited at the prospect of working with the writer/creator of “Rocky” and the star of “Rambo” and I have to say working with Stallone didn’t disappoint . The man has an incredible energy, whether working out in the gym with him or working on set…the man is full of energy. He is constantly in motion but is very focused.  He knows what he wants, has a clear vision and knows how to get it. As an actor it instills confidence in you when your director is clear about what h e wants and how to go about achieving that result. He is a very intense director but I found him to be very open minded when I had any kind of suggestions about the blocking or the character. I found him to be very inspirational.

MG: What was the most difficult task of working on “The Expendables”?
GD: There wasn’t too much that was difficult about working on “The Expendables”, I have done quite a few action movies now. For me, as someone that has done leads and is used to having a lot of say in the choreography and direction of my fights, I would say the most difficult thing was not having any input in those areas.

MG: Tell us about working on the film “Game of Death”, does Wesley Snipes still have game?
GD: I was hired on “Game of Death” kinda last minute and the script was being re-written as we were shooting…which presented its own challenges. I wasn’t about to turn down the opportunity to work with Wesley Snipes, but I didn’t get to play the character of Zander the way I would have liked to.  But part of being an actor is being mailable and being able to accept direction, so I always give 100% regardless. It’s always fun playing the bad guy, especially one as ruthless as Zander. Plus its always educational when you have a chance to work with such experienced actors as Robert Davi and Wesley Snipes. Wesley was obviously going through turmoil in his life at the time we were shooting, so whether he bought his A game to the film or not I will let the viewers judge for themselves. He is obviously a talented individual or he wouldn’t have reached such heights in his career.

MG: You reunited with “Expendables” cast Eric Roberts and Steve Austin, in “Hunt to Kill”, tell us about working working on that film and with them again?
GD: Most of my scenes in “The Expendables” were with Steve and Eric, so we spent a lot of time together.  They are both very down to earth and funny guys, so we had a blast together. It was Steve that called me and asked me to work on “Hunt to Kill”, so it was an easy choice to say “Yes”. I didn’t have any scenes with Eric in “Hunt to Kill” but was with Steve most of the time. For a bloke that looks so big and intimidating he is one of the nicest guys you can hope to work with on and off the set. On this film I got to choreograph and shoot a fight between us. It is always a challenge to choreograph for the different kinds of athletes, actors, martial artists that you work with in films and this was no different trying to highlight both of our strengths as we are obviously from very different backgrounds.

MG: How was it working with Steven Seagal in “Submerged”, any cool set stories?
GD: ‘Submerged’ was not one of my favourite experiences, my character was originally very pivotal , but Mr Seagal had other ideas and in the end.  They might as well of hired a stuntman to play the role as all the dialogue and relationship between his and my character was cut. Well every actor has their own vision for their films and being the star of the film you will usually get your way so for me I just get on with it and do the best I can under the given circumstances. Actually most of the cast and crew were from England,  so we all had a blast on and off the set. Nuff said!

MG: Tell us about playing Kenshirô in “Fist of the North Star” and working with Tony Randel?
GD: I was a fan of the anime before I was asked to do the film. So I knew it was gonna be very difficult to translate the anime to live action, especially back in 94 before CGI had been so developed. But I loved the character that I wasn’t about to turn it down. The first challenge for me was the physical one, Kenshiro (like most anime characters) has an awsome, huge physique. So I began a regime of training lifting heavier weights than I had worked with before and went from 180 to 192 lbs. Trouble is we were working such long hours during the summer in a sweltering sound stage with no air conditioning, that as the shoot progressed I slowly lost all that weight as I couldnt get in the gym to maintain. I think Tony had a good vision for the film but he certainly wasn’t into martial arts and didn’t like to shoot the fights. He felt the heart of the story was the love triangle between Kenshiro, Shin and Julia and that by focusing on that it would elevate the film above being a mere ‘martial arts’ film. Personally I think the fans wanted to see Kenshiro kicking ass. Again different visions, but overall I like the film and the way it turned out. The trouble when making an adaptation of an anime or video game is that you have to try to make a film that appeases the hardcore fans but also makes sense to viewers that have no idea about the original source material…not easy.

MG: What has been the most difficult film that you have work on to date?
GD: Every film presents its own challenges. Coming from a martial arts background my hardest challenge is trying to convince producers/directors to take me seriously as an actor so sometimes I end up trying too hard. Then when I choreograph action its tough getting the powers that be to let me control how it is shot and edited. When I do the lead in smaller films, I  wish I could work on bigger films that get more exposure. When you get on bigger films but playing smaller roles,  I miss being involved in the film making process.  The grass is always greener on the other side. Some films you get along with everybody but some there is a clash with other cast members, as I say every film presents their own challenges.

MG: Tell us about some of your upcoming projects?
GD: I just spent three months in Thailand working on the 1st two parts of a trilogy , “The Mark – Light 777” and “The Mark – Bangkok Rising” with Craig Scheffer and Eric Roberts…yes Eric again. The 3rd part will be shot in Europe this summer. Next up will be the lead in a MMA project called “Forced to Fight”. I am also waiting to hear on a bigger project that goes this summer but its not locked so I don’t wanna say too much right now. I am training hard and reading scripts ,so as always in this business the future is never easy to plan.

Chaske Spencer is known best for playing his role of Sam Uley in “The Twilight Saga”. Chaske is currently preparing to start filming “Breaking Dawn Part 1 & 2”. Movie Mikes had a quick chance to ask Chaske a few questions about working on the series.

Mike Gencarelli: Tell us about what you like most about your role Sam Uley in “The Twilight Saga”?
Chaske Spencer: I like that he looks out for the rest of the wolf pack…like a big brother figure.

MG: Did you read the books before your work on the series?
CS: Yeah, I read them once I booked the role.

MG: What was be the most memorable part of working on the series for you?
CS: Meeting all the fans has been the biggest thing. Everyone is so amazing and traveling to places I never would have gone to like Australia, Berlin, New Zealand has been so great.

MG: When do you start filming “Breaking Dawn”?
CS: Not sure yet. Everything is pretty hush hush [laughs].

MG: How do you feel that “Breaking Dawn” is going to satisfy its fans?
CS: I am sure it will be awesome and the fans will love it. Each film gets better and better.

MG: Tell us about your other upcoming film “Shouting Secrets”?
CS: “Shouting Secrets” is a real family character driven story. The thing I love most about it is anyone can relate to the story, it is not specifically Native.

MG: How did you get started with your production company, Urban Dream?
CS: My manager Josselyne Herman and I decided to create the company, so we could produce our own projects. She knew Ted Kurdyla and his resume is pretty impressive. So we decided to find projects to develop. “The Block” is the first one we are working on and we are trying to get that funded.

Matthew Senreich & Zeb Wells are the co-creator and writers of “Robot Chicken” (respectively).  Matt created the show with Seth Green back in 2005 and has since been writing for the show.  Zeb joined the show for season three and since then has been writing for the show as well.  Movie Mikes had a chance to chat with Matt & Zeb at the 2011 MegaCon in Orlando, FL and had a chance to chat about the show and get some cool stories from the guys.

Mike Gencarelli: Matt, in the beginning for the series you directed a bunch of episodes, why did you stop?
Matthew Senreich: [laughs] It was a lot of work.  We realized very quickly to write, direct and produce all aspects of the show was self-destructive. We ended up in our third season bringing Chris McKay on board to direct, so that way he could focus on making it look pretty on screen at all possible times.

MG: Zeb, you joined the show beginning in season three, how did you that come to be and what was your biggest challenge coming in?
Zeb Wells: Well it came to be because Matt used to work at Wizard magazine.  They used to have a video making contest there and I won that contest a bunch of times with making superhero parody videos.  So he brought me in to do a test drive on season three…
MS: To see if he was still funny [laughs].
ZW: [laughs] Yeah.  I think the biggest challenge was your first day you come in and have all these questions you used to have about your toys.  “What if G.I. Joe’s did this?” and so on… At the end of the first day you used up all of those and have to keep coming up with ideas every day one after another. It gets hard. After my first five week cycle, I realized these guys were going to go back and start again next week and I have no idea how anyone could do that.  There is always another idea.
MS: [laughs] There is always something.

MG: What is the timeline for an episode of “Robot Chicken” from idea to finished product?
MS: Oh my God, I always like to use “Star Wars” as an example because it is kind of self-contained. It is usually two to three weeks of writing for a half hour episode.  From start to finish it is like fourteen weeks.  You go from writing it…to doing the storyboards and voices at sametime…and then putting together what is called an animatic…from the animatic it is handed over to animation…through animation to post production…and then sound…and visual effects.  It is a wirlwind process.

MG: Is there an episode or skit that stands out as your favorite?
MS: Everyone always asks that question [laughs].  It is like choosing your baby. I mean it depends on the day and what your feeling on what sketch you like.  If someone says a sketch that you remember and your like “Oh yeah, I love that one”.
ZW: I do like Fumbles.  I think it is my favorite.
MS: [speaking to Zeb] Of all time?…All time?
ZW: I don’t know it has a lot of good lines in it [Laughs]. I might be but yeah on a different day it might be another one.
MS: It always shifts for me.

MG: Matt, how do you feel that the show has changed since it started over 5 years ago?
MS: I think it has gotten a lot better.  when we first started it was just us not knowing what we were doing.  As we got into this fifth season, the production value is really higher. The writing is as sharp as ever. For the first season, I don’t think we realized that it was going to go further that one season.  But now we look at it as we are a family that is just goofing around and having fun.

MG: Did you ever think you had an Emmy winning show on your hands?
MS: [laughs] Yeah it is crazy! It is still weird that we won an Emmy, it has been a crazy year!

MG: Do you have any notable rejected ideas that never made it?
MS: I think there is a lot of stuff that we reject. I always say 99% of what is pitched in the room probably falls by the waist side.  It is a brutal writers room.  People hate each other in that writers room [laughs].
ZW: My favorite sketch that didn’t get in is a Zune getting hit by the Allspark…realizing it is a Zune and then shooting itself in its head.  I tried to get in a few times.
MS: [speaking to Zeb] You are pitching that sketch left and right.
ZW: I got to get it in there [laughs].

MG: Zeb, besides Robot Chicken, you also work/have worked on various comic books, how do you find it differs for you?
ZW: Writing comics is such a soliterary experience, which has its pros and cons. You are more in control of what goes in, but you are also able to get hung up on certain things. But when you are in a room with a bunch of dudes, if you get stuck on something you can all just attack it together.

MG: Do you find that the writing for “Robot Chicken- Star Wars” differs from the TV series?
MS: It is a little more focused which I like better.  You can tell a little more of story and get more into character development. I always find that more interesting to do rather than just being more sketch based. As far as process goes it is just working with the people you like and that is what I love.
ZW: Everytime a “Star Wars” starts I think it is going to be easier. Then I think by the end of the “Star Wars” the regular “Robot Chicken” will be easier”.  It is all hard. [laughs]

MG: When can we expect the next installment of “Robot Chicken- Star Wars”?
MS: We are working on the DVD for “Star Wars: Epsiode III” right now and then after that still to be determined.

MG: What can you tell us about the new episodes set to air in October?
MS: Yes, it is the last ten episodes from season five.  We are going to go have episode 100, so it is going to be epic. So the chicken will be loose [laughs].

James Wan & Leigh Whannell are the director and the writer of “Insidious” (respectively).  The started their career by creating the “Saw” franchise.  Since then the guys have worked together on various other projects including “Death Sentence” and “Dead Silence”.  James and Leigh took aside some time during their very busy press day for “Insidious” to chat with Movie Mikes about the new film and working together again on this project.

Mike Gencarelli: James, Tell us about how you became attached to “Insidious”?
James Wan: This is a project that happened when I met with one of the producers of “Paranormal Activity”, we hit it off.   I met with the rest of the gang and introduced them to my partner in crime Leigh Whannell.  We said “Guys we want to do a project together”. We all got along so well, we decided to go out there and work on a film together.  That marriage became “Insidious”.

MG: Leigh, Tell us about coming up with this idea for the script?
Leigh Whannell: This idea, like all, James and I came up with it together, even before we came up with “Saw”.  We were trying to find something that we could shot in a really low budget way.  We had a goal for a $5,000 budget for a film and we were trying to come up with idea that would suit that budget.  The core idea at the heart of “Insidious” is what we came up with.  I don’t want to give anything away to the readers but the end is what we essentially came up with.  We thought it was pretty good and almost went with it.  But one day James called me and said he had the idea of two guys chained up in a public toilet.  I thought that was a better idea and I am glad we went with that.  So we filed the idea for “Insidious” in the file cabinet in the back of your brain. When James had the meeting with Steven Schneider, one of the producers of “Paranormal” that he was just talking about… we came to the belief that we would be pretty foolish by not making this film.

MG: You guys have worked together on every project now, would you consider this project to be you’re most difficult?
JW: I think this actually has been the most fun project that Leigh and I have working together on.
LW: I agree, but not easiest in terms of coming up with the idea, writing the film and directing it.  That stuff is hard…and it is definitely hard to do those things on a small budget. But the ease came from great people.  The cast and crew were just so easy to get along with.  The producers were so great and stayed true to there word by letting us make a film we wanted to make, while also giving us great ideas and thoughts.  They were true collaborators. Everything was just so great.  I definitely have had the most fun working on this, the same as James.

MG: Since the film was low budget, did you feel still feel you were able to achieve everything you wanted?
JW: Oddly, this film actually cost less to make than “Saw” and “Saw” was very low budget.  Yet the ironic thing is I managed to pretty much make the movie I wanted to make.  I think this is the reason why, “Saw” was my first film and  I didn’t have a filmmaking infrastructure around me.  I didn’t have the support or a crew that I knew.  Fast forward to four films later… “Insidious” is my fourth movie, even though it is less money, I have brought in a really great team of people and crew.  I got a cinematographer that I love…an AD that is brilliant…costume and production design…hair and makeup…everyone came to work on this film because they wanted to work with me again. I managed to get an A quality film for basically a no-budget movie.

MG: James, Why did you take on the task of editing as well as directing?
JW: Purely because I love editing [laughs].  It is a simple as that.  I love editing just as much as directing.  I have always edited my own stuff back in film school.  When you get to Hollywood people do not want you to wear yourself too thin.  So usually you have to give up the editing aspect of it.  Due to this being such a small movie and in some way real garage filmmaking for me, it was very experimental.  I got to shoot digital for the first time, which I loved.  It allowed me to do a lot of things that I couldn’t do with film.  I cut it myself in my bedroom on my little Macintosh Apple computer.  It was very liberating.  I thought only I would be able to crop the scare sequences because I shot it knowing how I planned to edit it.  That is the only way I would be able to get around shooting a film in only 22 days. I had a very strong specific way on how I was going to cut.  For me, I felt the scare scenes needed to be very effective and that all comes from how the film is edited and how the sound interacts with that footage.  If you are one second off, then your whole scare sequence is thrown off the curve.

MG: This film looks quite scary especially for PG-13, tell about working within that rating?
JW: Particularly, I know for Leigh he was just setup to write the script and it just so happened to fall into the PG-13 world.  For me it was definitely more conscious.  I didn’t want swearing, I didn’t want blood and guts.  I honestly believe that a lot of it has gotten lost in the last few years.  I think in a big part thanks to the franchise that Leigh and I have created.  People have forgotten that you can make a very scary movie without blood and guts.  You can make a very suspenseful with out throwing buckets of blood at the screen and you can do it this creepy atmosphere that gets into your head.

MG: How was it working with horror genre favorite, Lin Shayne?
JW: I have known Lin Shayne for a while now and there was only one person I wanted to cast for the role.  Most people know here for some of the over the top stuff that she has done but for me I know her and she is more than capable of doing the drama.  She is really great at it.  I really I wanted to give her the chance to do that on this film. Since she comes from a comedic background there is a great quirkiness to the role, which I think is fantastic.

MG: Leigh, did you right the part with Lin in mind?
LW: James told me very early on that he wanted that character set for Lin Shayne to play.  I have worked with her and I was able to write the character for her, which is awesome.  It is always easier to write a character for somebody you know.  You can take years of life experiences, quirks and habits and put it into the character.  That is actually how I build from the ground up. I always like to base characters on people I know because it is the easiest access point.  It was great writing the character having her in mind.  I also wrote the ghost hunters characters for myself and Angus Sampson.  With Rose Byrne and Patrick Wilson’s characters, I didn’t know them so I based the characters on people I know in my life.

MG: Leigh, you not only started the “Saw” franchise but also starred in it, were you always planned to take on both roles?
LW: Yeah, that was our plan! As I said before we were trying to make a film for $5,000 dollars. That was our post film school plan. James wanted to direct something and I wanted to act in something. We were frustrated, so we came up with the idea and went out and did it.  I love acting.  I just enjoy it as much as I do writing.  I am not afraid to say that if I write a film I love to put myself in it, that way I can still be involved in the filmmaking process after the writing is done. The writing is where it all starts.  These are the plans for the house and you can’t build anything without the blueprints. Once I start I want to be there on the building site.  I want to be hammering some nails and helping out.  So the best way to do that is to be acting.

MG: What do you guys have planned next together?
JW: We have separate things we have been working on that we always check with each other about.
LW: Together as the team the Wan/Whannell brand…we are talking about doing a Sci-Fi.  We have come up with an idea and we really like it.  We ran the idea past some investors and they really liked it.  So that is definitely upcoming.

MG: Do you feel nervous going up against this weeks new films?
LW: Yeah for sure! We are always nervous about going against big films.
JW: Our film is a small little film and it is hard to compete with big studio films, “Hop” and “The Source Code”.  Those are big studio films, with huge marketing behind them.  We are here to nip at the hills.

Christopher Lennertz is known for his diverse scores ranging from “Alvin and the Chipmunks” to TV’s “Supernatural” to “Vampires Suck”.  Chris recently completed work on the new film “Hop” and is also working on a projects that is very important to him which is called “A Symphony of Hope: The Haiti Project”.  Movie Mikes had a chance to chat with Chris about his new film “Hop”, as well as his upcoming projects.

Mike Gencarelli: Tell us about your score for the film “Hop.” What was your inspiration?
Christopher Lennertz: It’s definitely a family film. I knew it had to have a lot of heart and magic to it. But the other thing that makes it really interesting is that the Easter Bunny wants to be a drummer. In the very first scene when you finally meet him he’s playing drums. So we knew there would be a big element of percussion. So we wanted to give him the personality of this really cool rock and roll drummer. And since it’s Russell Brand it made a lot of sense. (NOTE: Brand provides the voice for E.B. in “Hop”).

MG: When you were composing did you rely on any footage or just character ideas?
CL: We had a lot of footage, but the animation wasn’t finished. We had a lot of footage of the live action characters – James Marsden and those guys. But a lot of the animation wasn’t done…it was blocked out in very rough terms. So I had to imagine. And Tim Hill, the director, would tell me “this is what it’s eventually going
to look like.”

MG: Which score was harder to compose, “Hop” or “Alvin and the Chipmunks”?
CL: I felt it was definitely easier this time around because it’s my second time working with Tim Hill. I know what Tim likes and I feel we have a real comfortable relationship. I feel free to try new things and to look at things in a slightly different way. He lets me try it. We had a great time on this movie…we had a lot of fun. It really was a great
creative experience. We both knew what kind of movie we were trying to make but we both wanted to have the most fun while making it.

MG: You have done quite a few parody films, including “The Comebacks”, “Meet The Spartans”, “Disaster Movie” and the recent “Vampires Suck.” How did you get involved with these films?
CL: “Disaster Movie,” “Meet the Spartans” and “Vampires Suck” were all from the same directing team. We really get along. They like to use me because I know they like their music really BIG! Very over the top. It really plays their comedy well. And Tom Brady, who directed “The Comebacks,” and I really got along well because we both love sports movies and that was the kind of movies the film was parodying. I think I was the right fit for those kind of things. And I like doing comedies. Comedies are really hard to score. People don’t think so, but the comic timing has to be perfect or you can kill a joke. So it’s fun for me to help people tell their jokes.

MG: Is the process any different for creating scores for those type of films?
CL: Well comedy is harder because you have to be part of the joke. It’s like a comic that doesn’t tell the punch line right. If the music is not right on timing right you can actually make the joke not funny. And you certainly don’t want to do that. I love being a part of that. One of my greatest teachers and mentors was Elmer Bernstein, who wrote the music for “Stripes,” “Caddyshack,” “Animal House,” “Airplane!”…all those great comedies…”Ghostbusters.” For me he was the guy that revolutionized scoring for comedies in terms of really having the music be in on the joke. That’s what I really try to do with my comedy music as well. (NOTE: Elmer Bernstein was a 14 time Academy Award nominee who composed the scores for such classic films as “To Kill A Mockingbird,” “The Magnificent Seven,” “The Great Escape,” the original “True Grit” and “The Age of Innocence.” He won the Oscar for his score for “Thoroughly Modern Millie”).

MG: Do you enjoy going from a film like “Hop” to something like the television series “Supernatural?”
CL: I do actually. I’m sort of an ADD guy so it keeps me from getting bored (laughs). I love being able to do different styles of music. Just when I’ve done some really nice family stuff…really sweet themes…I can jump right in and do something scary for “Supernatural.” Get that out of my bloodstream (laughs). I love being able to mix it up.

MG: What has been your hardest score to compose to date?
CL: The one that was probably the hardest score to do, even though it was a short score, was the movie “Adam,” which came out last year. It was a much more serious score. It had comic moments but it was a pretty serious indie movie. It was about a guy that had Aspergers and fell in love. The thing about that movie that made it really rewarding – but also made it difficult – was that it was such an intimate movie. You couldn’t hide behind any visual effects or big explosions or scares…anything like that. You had to be out in the open. It wasn’t a big score. It wasn’t a big orchestra or anything. It was mostly guitars and pianos and cellos. It was about really being subtle and touching on the emotions that the characters were going through. Sometimes it’s hard to do that…to be really exposed and put it out there. We spent a lot of time working on it but in the end it really came out great.

MG: You have done quite a few video game scores. How do you feel that compares to film or TV?
CL: The only major difference is how the score is constructed. You have to write it in such a way where the music has to change depending on how good the player is. But an action piece in a video game will work like an action piece for a movie except where in the movie the character is played by an actor in the game he’s played by the player. I try to approach it in the same way because that’s what people play video games for in the first place. They want to be able to fantasize about being in another world, or the pilot of a ship or a soldier. People play video games for that escapist entertainment. So what I want to do is make them feel like they’re in the middle of that movie…of that battle. That’s what I try to accomplish when I write for video games.

MS: Tell us about your latest project, “A Symphony of Hope: The Haiti Project.”
CL: We actually recorded it last week at Warner Brothers. It was a project that I worked on for a year and three months. I came up with the idea after the earthquake hit. I had been working with a charity in Haiti that is run by a family friend of ours, Tom Hagen. The charity is called Hands Together. They build schools and they feed people and they build wells for clean water and teach people how to farm…they do all of this amazing stuff. When the earthquake hit it just broke my heart. I realized how lucky we were to be where we were and to be safe and healthy. There is so much to do in Haiti…so much catching up to do. I realized that we in the film music community had to do something. So I came up with the idea of inviting a lot of my colleagues and other composers to conceive and write a symphony that is a compilation of all of our work. It’s based off of a Haitian folk song called “Wongolo.” It ended up being a full 50 minute symphony that we recorded with a full orchestra and chorus at the Clint Eastwood scoring stage at Warner Brothers. By the summer we will have a CD out and a DVD documentary about the project. We’re going to try to really raise a lot of money to give back to this foundation so they can build more schools as well as fix the ones that were destroyed in the earthquake. We want to try and bring the people of this country along and give them something to hope for.

Like Video Games? Like Web Series? Well then “The Guild” is definitely for you!! This web series started in 2007 and since then has aired four seasons.  The series is extremely popular and even spawned two hit songs and music videos on iTunes.  With season five on its way this summer, Movie Mikes wanted to speak with the cast of this series to discuss working on it and the upcoming season.  Hope you enjoy these interviews!

THE GUILD CAST INTERVIEWS:

Robin Thorsen is known for her funny and lovable character Clara on the web series “The Guild”.  The web series is entering in season five this summer and is hotter than ever!  Movie Mikes had a chance to chat with Robin about working on the series and about her character.

Mike Gencarelli: How did you get involved with “The Guild”
Robin Thorsen: I found the casting call online on Actors Access and it just said “The Guild: Pilot”.  The role of Clara [laughs] actually said “ex-cheerleader, fairly ditsy, kind of neglectful mother in an enduring way”. I said say “Hey I can play that!” [laughs].  I went to the audition and there were a lot of older women there, and I was the youngest person.  But I just went in and I guess I did something to make Felicia (Day) like me. It was actually my first big audition since I graduated college, so it was pretty sweet!

MG: What is the thing about Clara that you love the most?
RT: I think the best is… let’s face it she is a neglectful mom [laughs].  She does it though in such a funny endearing way..you have to like her. I loved playing a character that is almost borderline taboo.   She is a mom and she drinks.   She also chooses the game over her kids but at the end of the day, she is this lovable character.

MG: Do you have a favorite season to date?
RT: I think the past two seasons have been quite fun.  We got a bigger budget.  I got to work with Amy (Okuda) in this past season.  It is always best to get to act with the rest of the cast then oppose to trying to act in front of a computer.  I think season four was written exquisitely.  It was so much fun and we got to see how Clara deals with her pregnancy and kind of forgets about it for the first half [laughs], then realizes she shouldn’t do that. Every time we get to work together it is a lot of fun.

MG: Do you find it easy or difficult working on the web series?
RT: “The Guild” has really been the only thing I have done.  I have a done a few guest spots on other web series and a little tiny movie.  It is a little stressful because we have to do so much in such a small amount of time but I love it.  I love being able to go to work and flushing out two or three episodes.  You also kind of at that borderline stress mentality because…you don’t wanna fuck up. Sean (Becker), our director is amazing.  Felicia is so great.  Everything we film I get worried if I am doing the lines right and Felicia always says we wouldn’t move on if it wasn’t good or you didn’t look good.  It is really nurturing and always a good experience filming.  It great to see how this show has come along from being produced from a PayPal account to now being produced by Microsoft.

MG: Tell us about working on the music videos, was it a blast?
RT: Yeah! Of course…What would happen if I actually said, No they were awful, I can’t believe I am part of that [laughs].  No, they were tons of fun to do.  The Bollywood “Game On” video was a little long for me, I was there all day.  Vincent (Caso) and I had to shoot our porition at night.  So our call time was really early and then we were just hanging out.  It was really neat though because I got to see everyone else film.  I really [laughs] don’t have a lot to do in these videos.  I am usually sitting down drinking something [laughs].  That is the extend usually of my participation.  I love being part of them. It just more exposure for the show…and us for that matter. People have come up to me and said “Oh my gosh, your in that music video” and I am just shocked.

MG: What can let us know about upcoming season five?
RT: Oh my gosh, I am stocked about it.  I wish I had information to tell you but I am in the dark. I know they are doing pre-production now.  I am thinking we are going to do some sort of a convention thing due to the end of season four. I can’t wait to get the script and read it and find out what crazy antics we get into.

MG: What else do you have upcoming?
RT: I actually just guest starred on another web series called “Awkward Embraces”.  It is really funny and witty. Jessica Mills is the brain child behind it. It is another kind of nerdy geek girl centered web series, which is awesome.  In the TV world you don’t get many of those.  I am excited to be apart of it.

Sandeep Parikh is known best for playing the high energy character, Zaboo in the web series “The Guild”.  The web series is incredibly popular and is entering its fifth season this Summer.  Movie Mikes had a chance to chat with Sandeep about the series as well as his other projects.

Mike Gencarelli: How did you get involved with “The Guild”?
Sandeep Parikh: We all sort of hung out in the same improv circle and were in a group together. I’m now shooting a bunch of shorts for Channel101.com which is a kind of independent on-line festival of television pilots.

MG: What is the best part of playing Zaboo?
SP: I really have a good time with Zaboo, he’s such a ridiculous guy. It’s easy to characterize him…to bring the energy for him. I think that one thing people notice is that when I improvise I like to play really high energy characters and do a lot of physicality. Because I’m not as witty as everybody else I have to rely on being silly and more comedic. Zaboo is just that usual high energy, enthusiastic, impish, funny guy. I like that he’s sort of pure of heart, even if he’s inappropriate. It’s a fun character to play and, out of all of them, he’s the one that’s evolved over the course of the seasons of the show. Every season he’s had a real distinct arc…him becoming a man in season two and this past season him becoming her best friend. He’s always having new experiences. He’s evolving and changing and that’s always fun. It’s a fun challenge every season.

MG: You have been apart of various other web series. Do you enjoy working in that format?
SP: I’d be lying if I said I came out to L.A. to create web series. They didn’t really exist when I came out here in 2004. I started out to be a writer/director and actually shot an independent television pilot myself. That was my aim. The acting was sort of an accident. I took improv because I wanted to feel what it was like on the other side or on stage. To feel the experiences an actor goes through. As for the web series thing…when I came out here I did that pilot. That got me representation at William Morris. It didn’t do well but I traveled around with it. Not that I didn’t do well…I ended up at one of the top five agencies in L.A. But it didn’t get picked up. I went around and pitched it and everybody seemed to like it…”it’s funny but it’s not for us.” I wasn’t famous enough. When I became involved with Channel101 I realized that I could continue to make new projects. But also I learned not to fall in love with my one sole project and put my eggs all in one basket. The whole thing is that you make a new show every month. And when the show gets cancelled by the audience…the audience votes on what show it wants to see come back with another episode…as soon as the show is cancelled you make another one. I made one called “The Legend of Neil,” which is about a guy who gets sucked into “The Legend of Zelda” video game. That show was shot for Channel101 but ultimately it didn’t run on Channel101. Then someone told me they loved the show and had put it on YouTube where it got half a million hits. I mean my in box exploded it was awesome. Later I went to all of the offices where I had pitched my first pilot to. I told them “here is my next show…it’s already got a fan following and they want to watch more. Of course most of the comments that said “more” were spelled “m o a r” but I was like “this is a no brainer for you guys.” And every meeting when I walked out I had an offer. And that showed the power of the internet…of being able to generate your own fan base. It’s great to be a part of something new…to be on the cresting wave of the web revolution. It’s pretty radical, as Charlie Sheen might say.

MG: Any chance you guys will shoot another song for new season?
SP: We’re already talking about giving them a special video. I don’t know if it’s going to be a music video or what but most likely I’ll just be acting in it since they rotate the other opportunities through the cast. The last one was my idea. I love “Avatar” and thought wouldn’t it be great to make a “Bollywood” version. Bollywood and Indians are so hot right now. “Slumdog” had just won the Oscar. That idea hung around for a while and then, during season four, I got a call that said “hey, do you remember that Bollywood thing?”

MG: What other projects do you have in the works?
SP: Right now I’m just doing a lot of writing. The success of “Legend of Neil” led to a pilot deal with Comedy Central. I’m hoping that will be successful. I hope it shows that there is a real upside to making contact on the web. I’m not saying that making contact on the web will always lead to television but being successful on the web has to lead to more
success in order for this to be a viable project. It just happens to be television. I’m convinced that the web and television are going to collapse soon any way (laughs). But it proves to me that having my own audience is invaluable. I’ve also just started to pitch a digital project that will be coming out. It’s still in the early stages. Then “The Guild” starts shooting in May. I’m also going to be in my first feature film, called “Leash.” which is a thriller. I’ll be shooting that over the next couple of months. I’m also writing a feature film with my co-writer/co-star of “Legend of Neil” and writing the Zaboo origin comic for “The Guild” for Dark Horse comics.

Jeff Lewis is known best for his role of Vork in the incredible successful web series “The Guild”.  The series is already approaching season five this summer.  Movie Mikes had a chance to chat with Jeff about his role in the show and how is it working on the web series.

Mike Gencarelli: How did you get involved with “The Guild”?
Jeff Lewis: I was in an improv group with Felicia Day called the Empty Stage. We had been doing improv for quite some time and had a lot of fun. Felicia called me one day with a part in the show that she thought I would be good for. I had never played that type of character before but Felicia thought I could do it.

MG: What is the best part of playing Vork?
JL: I really enjoy being able to play a character that is different from the other roles that I have played. I often play shy characters however this one is very much the opposite. I just really enjoy being able to act out different emotions.

MG: Do you find it difficult to work on a web series?
JL: I find it much more freeing. I think in other mediums like movies and television I wouldn’t have the chance to just throw out different ideas due to time and money constraints. Working on this web series has allowed me to offer different ideas as well as the directors to take their time and really get the shots that they want. It’s really great to know that once we move onto another scene the directors have exactly what they want and they aren’t just moving on due to certain restrictions. There just seems to be a lot more latitude in the web series medium.

MG: Outside of the show are you really into any MMORPG?
JL: I used to play a lot of World of Warcraft up until my son was born. Felicia and I used to have a Knight of Guild on the World of Warcraft server (Laughs).  Lately I have been playing games that have more of an ending like Call of Duty: Black Ops or some sports games.

MG: What is the best part of shooting the music videos?
JL: It was kind of a pain to have eight arms but really funny at the same time. Ten years ago I would have never thought that I would be doing a music video where I had eight arms (Laughs). It was another great experience and again it was just one of those things that I had never done before. I really have no singing ability but to be a part of music videos is great.

MG: What can you tell us about season five?
JL: I know some stuff that they are thinking of doing however I don’t think I can really say anything about it.  I do know that there will be a season five. I think we will probably start shooting it here in the next few months.

MG: Tell us about “The Jeff Lewis 5 Minute Comedy Hour”?
JL: I shot that during a break from “The Guild”. Our director came to me and asked if I had anything I wanted to shoot as he had some free time. I had a bunch of older sketches that I presented to him and he thought they were great. I got some of my friends to be in it and it’s really been great. We have two episodes left to shoot for season one and we hope to get some sponsorship so we can start shooting season two.

MG: What other projects do you have in the works?
JL: I have a stage show with a few people from “The Guild” called “Hammer Don’t Hurt’Em” that we do on a monthly basis in Los Angeles which is really great! If people are in the area they should definitely come and check it out.