STARZ Reteams Sam Raimi, Bruce Campbell and Rob Tapert for a New TV Series Based on Their Classic Horror Film “The Evil Dead”

STARZ RAISES THE DEAD

NETWORK RETEAMS SAM RAIMI, BRUCE CAMPBELL AND ROB TAPERT FOR A NEW TV SERIES BASED ON THEIR CLASSIC HORROR FILM THE EVIL DEAD

RAIMI TO DIRECT FIRST EPISODE OF NEW SERIES, “ASH VS. EVIL DEAD”

BRUCE CAMPBELL TO STAR AS TITLE CHARACTER, ASH

 Beverly Hills, Calif. – November 10, 2014 – Starz announced today the greenlight of the network’s next original series, the long-awaited follow-up to the classic horror film franchise The Evil Dead. The project reteams the original filmmakers, director Sam Raimi, with longtime producing partner Rob Tapert and star Bruce Campbell.

The STARZ Original series officially titled “Ash Vs. Evil Dead” will be 10 half-hour episodes.  Bruce Campbell will be reprising his role as Ash, the stock boy, aging lothario and chainsaw-handed monster hunter who has spent the last 30 years avoiding responsibility, maturity and the terrors of the Evil Dead.  When a Deadite plague threatens to destroy all of mankind, Ash is finally forced to face his demons –personal and literal.  Destiny, it turns out, has no plans to release the unlikely hero from its “Evil” grip.

“Starz first worked with Sam and Rob on ‘Spartacus,’ and we are thrilled to be back in business with them,” said Carmi Zlotnik, Managing Director of Starz.  “With Sam writing and directing and Bruce Campbell returning to the screen, we are certain the show will give Evil Dead fans around the world the fix they’ve been craving.”

“Evil Dead has always been a blast. Bruce, Rob, and I are thrilled to have the opportunity to tell the next chapter in Ash’s lame, but heroic saga.  With his chainsaw arm and his ‘boomstick,’ Ash is back to kick some monster butt. And brother, this time there’s a truckload of it,” said Sam Raimi.

“I’m really excited to bring this series to the Evil Dead fans worldwide – it’s going to be everything they have been clamoring for: serious deadite ass-kicking and plenty of outrageous humor,” said Bruce Campbell.

“STARZ has always been a great creative partner and we are excited to be working with them on this project,” said Robert Tapert.

Raimi will direct the first episode.  “Ash Vs. Evil Dead” was written by Sam Raimi, Ivan Raimi (Darkman, Army of Darkness, Drag Me to Hell) and Tom Spezialy (“Chuck,” “Reaper,” “Desperate Housewives”).  Sam Raimi will also serve as executive producer, along with Rob Tapert (Evil Dead, “Spartacus,” Xena: Warrior Princess”) and Bruce Campbell (Evil Dead, “Burn Notice”).  Ivan Raimi will Co-Executive Produce and Aaron Lam (“Spartacus”) will serve as producer.

The original Evil Dead film followed Ash and his friends who travel to a cabin in the woods, where they unknowingly release demons intent on possessing the living.  The film became an international success and is critically lauded to this day as one of the best horror movies of all time.  It also spawned a media franchise, including two sequels, as well as video games and comic books and a recent reboot that grossed $97 million worldwide.

“Ash Vs. Evil Dead” project was packaged by CAA and Craig Jacobson at Hansen, Jacobson, Teller, Hoberman, Newman, Warren, Richman, Rush & Kaller.  Marta Fernandez will serve as the executive in charge at STARZ.

The series will air on STARZ in 2015.

Starz will retain all domestic and international multiplatform rights including television, home entertainment, and digital.

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Celebrate 4th of July by Entering to Win a Limited Edition “Jaws – Bruce Shark Shakems” [ENDED]

Fourth of July is right around the corner! You know what that means? Time to hit the beaches! Nearly 40 years ago, fans flooded the theaters to be forever scarred by the film “Jaws”. Media Mikes is teaming up with Factory Entertainment and are very excited to giveaway a limited edition Jaws – Bruce Shark Shakem to our readers. If you would like to enter for your chance to win one of this prize, please leave us a comment below or send us an email with your favorite “Jaws” quote. This giveaway will remain open until July 4th at Noon, Eastern Time. This is open to our readers in US and Canada only. One entry per person, per household. All other entries will be considered invalid. Media Mikes will randomly select winners. Winners will be alerted via email.

“This shark, swallow you whole! This Limited Edition Premium Motion format statue is designed to match the ‘Bruce’ filming models seen on screen using the original construction plans as reference. Crafted from heavyweight polyresin and hand painted the integrated, non-electronic motion feature brings the piece to life and creates the illusion of the shark swimming. Each statue is 7.5” long and comes packaged in a full color presentation box.

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Bruce Kulick talks about playing music with Kiss and Grand Funk Railroad

Bruce Kulick is probably best known for his work with the multi-platinum selling group Kiss during the bands non-makeup years. Kulick spent 12 years with the band prior to the group’s 96/97 reunion tour which featured all four original members clad in their signature makeup. Bruce went on to play in several other projects such as Audio Dog, BK3 and is currently the guitarist for Grand Funk Railroad. Media Mikes caught up with Bruce recently to discuss his career as well as his tour plans with both Grand Funk and former Motley Crue vocalist John Corabi.

Adam Lawton: You joined Kiss while they were still going through somewhat of a transitional period. What was it like for you stepping in to that situation?
Bruce Kulick: I was aware that the band sort of hit their peak in the late 70’s early 80’s. They were still doing good stuff but “Music From The Elder” was a weird time for them. I was always aware of the band as I lived in New York and my brother had done some work with them. After things didn’t work out with Vinnie Vincent I knew that they were looking for people. When I saw that they got Mark St. John it made sense as music was really changing at the time. Bands like Van Halen were very popular on the scene. I think it was important for them to find a guy who was a hot shot, gunslinger type player who could do all of the tricks as opposed to someone like Ace Frehley whose style is rooted in that of Jimmy Page and Jimi Hendrix. When it came time for the Animalize tour to start Mark was having some health issues and wasn’t going to be able to tour. My brother had recommended me to the guys as did Mitch Weissman who is a singer/songwriter. When I first started working with Paul and the rest of the band they asked me not to cut my hair and told me I would need a guitar with a Floyd Rose so I could do some of the tricks that were popular at the time. I went in and played a solo on one song and did some little fills at the end of a couple others. After that is when they asked me to fill in for Mark. I was thrilled that maybe it was just going to be for a few weeks but it turned in to 12 years. When it was all said and done that I was going to be the new guy I remember getting a pep talk from Paul where he told me that he wanted me to be very competitive with my playing and that I should be able to cover both the older material and the new stuff. I was very grateful for the opportunity.

AL: On your website you have done several Kiss album retrospectives that are very in-depth. What was it like looking back on your work for those albums?
BK: For me celebrating stuff like that has always made a lot of sense. I found that if I don’t do it now I’m not necessarily going to remember more if I was to wait longer. The whole thing came out of an offer that came through for me to visit Australia and do some shows. I have always been well received there and this was going to actually be my third time there. The promoter said we needed an angle and it happened to be the 20th anniversary of “Revenge” being released so they asked me if I could do some things from that album. It was like a giant light bulb went off in my head. I was given some DAT tapes of the sessions by Bob Ezrin and I realized that I had a treasure trove of material. Things just started coming back to me from those sessions. The clinics I did over there ended up becoming very long even though I didn’t play much but the fans were mesmerized. From there I decided I would have to write all this stuff down and find a good time to release it on my social media sites. After I did the first one I started realizing the anniversaries for these other albums and followed suit with what I had done with the “Revenge” piece. I had a really great time going through the stuff I collected over the years and thinking back about all those stories. We raided all of my closets and boxes of photos and such to find things related to the particular albums I was writing/speaking about. I am always being asked about doing a book and your basic book talks about this tour or that tour and what you thought about certain people. It’s not my style to throw anyone under the bus so I just didn’t want to do something like that. I would rather do something like what I am doing. I don’t have a title or anything yet but even after things are posted on line I end up finding more stuff that could be included in those stories. Each one of these look backs is sort of a chapter. It’s very exciting to be able to tell these stories from an era of the band that doesn’t get a lot of attention.

AL: Is there a specific piece from your work with Kiss that you are most proud of?
BK: There are highlights from all of it but I would have to say working on the “Revenge” album really said a lot. We spent a lot of time on that album and really paid attention to detail. I thought the “Unplugged” album was another really great piece. I never realized how tight we really were on that show. The band looked great and it was filmed really well. Even though un-beknownst to me that was the catalyst to end my career with the band it was still a great performance. I am very proud of my work on that.

AL: You are currently playing guitar with Grand Funk Railroad. Can you tell us how that opportunity came about?
BK: The industry is actually pretty small and you never know who you are going to meet. Years ago I played with Michael Bolton and we ended up opening for Bob Seger. Don Brewer was Bob’s original drummer and he is actually doing shows with Bob on his current tour. We met then and later on at another music event we met again so I was on the short list when Don and Mel Schacher were looking at putting together a new version of Grand Funk. Once they had a singer in place they reached out to me but I had to think about it for a little bit. They were looking for a guy who could forge his own sound while not hurting the stuff from the past. This was similar to what I did with Kiss. I ended up going to Michigan where Mel lives and we rehearsed in a show room at a nearby casino. Things were pretty easy right away and it’s amazing that here I am 13 years later gigging with Grand Funk.

AL: Did you have to spend a lot of time reworking your sound/tone when you first joined the band?
BK: Not at all. I really do what I do well. To be honest I get to play a solo in every song and I am not trying to imitate Mark Farner’s tone in any way. I have always had this talent for picking out signature riffs that people identify with and they want to hear those a certain way so I try to keep things as close as I can. You definitely have to make things your own so you don’t come off too stiff or clone like. I like to take my finesse and add it to the Grand Funk material. They are another one of those iconic bands.

AL: Can you tell us about some of your appearances/tour dates for the coming months?
BK: Grand Funk just keeps adding dates. The site was just revamped and it looks really great. Things are always being added to it so people should definitely check it out. I also have a string of acoustic dates with John Corabi. He and I have a certain chemistry that just works together. When I realized Grand Funk wasn’t going to be as busy this spring due to Don working with Bob Seger I got a little more aggressive with the people I know in Europe who book shows. We tried to work things out so that we could take the Eric Singer Project over but unfortunately Eric couldn’t commit due to various Kiss things that were in the works. The promoters still wanted us to come so John, I and Chuck Garric who plays bass in the Eric Singer Project and who also has his own group happened to have some shows that are double booked with us. During those shows the plan is to do the acoustic thing and also jam as an electric group. There aren’t that many gigs on this run as its set up to fit in between my Grand Funk gigs. I never seem to have the ability to say I am free for two months or something like that but that’s not a bad thing. I am glad the band keeps me busy.

AL: Have you thought about putting out a new album with any of your other projects?
BK: It’s been 3 years since my last solo album “BK3” has come out and it is time for me to get some new material out. I have been writing and compiling some things so I like to think that I can get something out this year. I have mostly been looking at doing some gigs with my brother when time permits. People seem quite excited about seeing a Kulick brother’s thing. We are also looking at a few songs to possibly record for an EP. I am always a phone call or an email away from working on another project. Every day is exciting.

AL: Are there any other things going on with you lately that you can tell us about?
BK: I just got back from Europe where I appeared at large event called “Movie Days”. That was a lot of fun. I get excited myself meeting people who are iconic. Especially sci-fi people as I am a big fan of that genre. I have done many Kiss conventions around the world that are specifically unique to Kiss but this was only my second time I think appearing at a more movie themed event. I like when fans are excited to meet me and I get it because I am a fan myself. Getting to meet people I idolize is really amazing. That’s something I love about the entertainment industry.

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IGN Offers “Evil Dead” Fans a Chance to Meet Bruce Campbell

Media Mikes is teaming up with IGN to offer the chance of a lifetime to the ultimate “Evil Dead” fans. By going to the Facebook link below fans can explain why they are the biggest “Evil Dead” fan. When they do this they will be entered to win prizes from Sony (including a television and Blu-Ray DVD player), a poster and the chance to have an exclusive premiere viewing of the new red band trailer WITH BRUCE CAMPBELL!

Click “here” for more details: http://bit.ly/MeetBruceCampbell

 

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Summer Glau talks about her role on Syfy’s “Alphas”

Summer Glau is known best for her role in TV series like “Firefly” and “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles”.  Last year, Summer appeared on Syfy’s series “Alphas”, playing the role of Skylar.  She returned again for this second season and hopes to continue in the third season as well.  Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Summer about her role in the show and what we can expect.

Mike Gencarelli: Last season when you were asked to guest star on “Alphas”, did you ever think that it was ever going to be on this scale that it’s developed now through this season?
Summer Glau:  Well I was hopeful. I love doing TV and I really like sticking with a character and getting to watch them evolve and contribute to a story line that continues week after week. So I was hopeful. This season I have been so blessed to come back as much as I have. I have love where Skyler has gone and I would be very excited to come back again next season.

MG: What was it specifically about Skylar that was so fascinating and that attracted to you to the role?
SG: The first thing that attracted me about Skylar was the fact that she was a mother. I’ve talked to Bruce about this before too. It was really exciting for me. I hadn’t – I had not played a mother before. One of the most challenging things about Skylar is that she is a mother but it doesn’t come naturally to her. She – in my mind, in the back story that I’ve created, she’s been on her own for a long time. And she’s used to just fending for herself. When it comes to her child she’s very conflicted because she has all of these new feelings that she’s probably never experienced before about loving something so much more than she loves herself. And caring for something and protecting someone else and making unselfish decisions. For me as an actor it just was a very, very fertile story line for me creatively.

MG: Playing a character that is very handy with gadgets, how has that been for you as an actor?
SG: Well I think I’m a pretty good actor because I really can barely program my garage remote. I’m very gadget challenged. So it’s really fun for me when I put on my Skylar clothes and I go on set, I really pretend like I’m in control and like I know what I’m talking about. The man who puts together most of my props is named (Skylar) too. I spend a lot of time under his supervision and guidance so that he can help me get really comfortable with my inventions so that I can really feel like I have a relationship with them. Because they’re always amazing but it doesn’t always come naturally to me. I’m always amazed. Like I’m on set and they hand it to me and say so this is what you built. And then I always take it apart so I know how to put it together and then we’re practicing that over and over again.

MG: After working on series like “Firefly”, “Terminator” and now Alphas, what really draws you back to the sci-fi genre?
SG: I have always found in sci-fi that the roles for women are really exciting and dynamic and outside the box. In the finale of Alphas is a perfect example. I remember in – Bruce was there too. We were sitting and discussing a scene that involved every – all the girls. I was sitting there looking at the girls and it was so cool to get to do a scene that involved all of us. And I was looking at the girls and we were all four different and our characters are I feel complicated and fleshed out and dynamic and just it made me realize, I’m really happy to be here. I’m really happy to be in a story that creates this opportunity for all four of us actresses.  That’s why I keep coming back to it. I go for the character that I like.

MG: I really liked how Zoe on the show asked you if you were a Terminator in the second to last episode. I thought that was pretty funny.
SG: Yeah, I know. I looked at her and I’m like she doesn’t even know what she’s asking [laughs].

MG: During Comic-Con, Nathan Fillion joked about a possible animated revival of Firefly as a TV series, can you reflect?
SG: Absolutely. I would take any opportunity to get back together with my whole fam and keep telling the story. I think we’d all love that.

MG: Tell us what other projects you have in the works next?
SG: Well I just finished a Christmas movie. That’s the only other thing that I have that is about to come out. Oh and also “Knights of Badassdom”. So I have “Knights of Badassdom” and “Help for the Holidays”, which is going to be on the Hallmark Channel during the 12 Days of Christmas. So that was really, really fun. Yeah. I definitely enjoyed that one.

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Bruce Davison talks about ABC’s “Last Resort” and “Rob Zombie’s The Lords of Salem”

Bruce Davison is one of Hollywood’s best character actors in the business. He earned an Academy Award nomination for his work on “Longtime Companion”. He is also known for his his role as Senator Robert Kelly in the “X-Men”. movie franchise. He recently directed Barry Williams & Danny Bonaduce in the Syfy creature feature “Bigfoot” and also recently worked with Rob Zombie’s on “The Lords of Salem”. Bruce can also be seen weekly on ABC’s new hit series “Last Resort”. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Bruce about his busy year and also what else he has planned.

Mike Gencarelli: How did you get involved directing the creature feature “Bigfoot”?
Bruce Davison: Well, I had done some directing before for Showtime and few others. But I had done a few projects with David Latt at Asylum, like “Mega Fault”. I told him if he had any directing gigs come up to throw me a bone and that I would love to direct. I missed my chance with (Roger) Corman, back in the days. He calls me up one day and says “I am not giving you a gift, I am giving you a nightmare”. I went to Washington to shoot and I think we had a 14 day shoot that ended up being only 9 days. It was sort of like being the General at Dunkirk, I was trying to run two armies at the same time, shooting whatever footage we could and trying to juggle jello, basically.

MG: Tell us working with the duo of Barry Williams & Danny Bonaduce?
BD: I had the best time working with the two of them. I would just let them riff lots of time. I tried to get Florence Henderson and Shirley Jones to make an appearance at the end but it didn’t work out. They were wonderful and the best. The hours were impossible. The shooting schedule was insane. Danny was doing a radio show every day, getting up at 4am and then coming to shoot. But he was still so professional every moment. I feel that they pulled a lot of stuff together [laughs] out of their butts. We really had to. There was a lot of improvisation. And also at the same time, we were trying to create a Bigfoot. We had one difficulty after another; we had to shoot a raft scene in an afternoon, when we weren’t allowed to shoot in the water [laughs]. It was one thing after another. It was so difficult, it was laughable. If we didn’t have a scene of humor about it we would have probably killed each other. But we ended up having fun.

MG: It is funny how you directed “Bigfoot” and your first job directing was on the “Harry and the Hendersons” TV series.
BD: [laughs] I didn’t think twice. I figured that “Bigfoot” would be like “Mighty Joe Young” and “King Kong”, just another big behemoth monster that goes around biting the heads off pretty girls. We had all that going for us and it was completely different from “Harry”. People have said to be over the years “Wasn’t doing “Long Time Companion” difficult and emotional draining?” I have said “No, “Harry and the Hendersons” was”. Trying to get the Bigfoot on the van was much more difficult than playing something that was so close to the heart.

MG: You are co-starring in the new TV series “Last Resort”; tell us about your role?
BD: Pretty much, what you can expect you will have to wait and see. Admiral Arthur Shepard is the character I play. He is the father to Lieutenant Grace Shepard, the third-in-command on main submarine. He is a character that you don’t quite figure out where he is coming from for a while but things will evolve. He is an intriguing and interesting character and he has been a pleasure to play so far.

MG: How was it working with Rob Zombie on his film, “The Lords of Salem”?
BD: I am so looking forward to that film. I had the best time of my life working with Rob. I just adore him. I think the three girls playing the witches just go through the roof. I think he has a new franchise with them, since they are just outrageous. Dee Wallace, Patricia Quinn and Judy Geeson are great. I have a scene with them and I just chuckle every time I think about it. His wife Sheri Moon Zombie is just a dear. I am hearing that it is quite controversial and going to stir up the pot. I look forward to it. He is just brilliantly talented.

MG: Can you tell us about your role in film?
BD: I play an author named, Francis Matthias. I work at historical tourist traps in Salem, MA. I am like the investigator and trying to solve the mystery of what is going on. It is sort of like Martin Balsam in “Psycho”. It is a wonderful character. Maria Conchita Alonso plays my wife. I try and track down what is going on and well…get more than I bargain for [laughs].

MG: Lastly, tell us about your work the unofficial sequel To Martin Scorsese’s Film “Raging Bull”, “The Bronx Bull”?
BD: It is a whole other cup of tea and is told from a completely different angle. William Forsythe is going to really surprise a lot of people with this. He is a wonderful actor and is so close to Jake LaMotta in character in his later years. It is not so much connected to Martin Scorsese but it is a chapter two in the life of Jack LaMotta.

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Win one of Mimoco’s Bruce Lee MIMOBOT® Designer USB Flash Drives [ENDED]

THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED AND WINNERS HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED VIA EMAIL. PLEASE CHECK BACK EACH WEEK FOR NEW GIVEAWAYS!


Mimoco, creator of the MIMOBOT® line of designer USB flash drives and MIMOMICRO® card readers, is thrilled to release the second in the Legends of MIMOBOT series, Bruce Lee MIMOBOT. Featuring the icons, geniuses, and stars of the human race that have changed our world for the better, the Legends of MIMOBOT series debuted with the release of Einstein MIMOBOT in early 2012. Now, Bruce Lee MIMOBOT continues the series by transforming the most influential martial artist of all time into designer flash drives that hold up to 64GBs of data, and come preloaded with bonus Mimory® such as MimoDesk™ personalization suite of Bruce Lee-themed wallpapers, icons, video, and avatars, and MimoByte™ sound software that plays sound clips each time Bruce Lee MIMOBOT is inserted or ejected from one’s computer.

Media Mikes would like to giveaway THREE of these MIMOBOT® USB Flash Drives. If you would like to win one of these great prizes, please leave us a comment below or send us an email and let us know your favorite BRUCE LEE film. This giveaway will be open until Friday August 31st, Eastern Time and is only open to residents of the United States. Only one entry per person, per household; all other entries will be considered invalid. Once the giveaway ends, Media Mikes will randomly pick out four winners and alert the winners via email.

Bruce Lee MIMOBOT is available now at www.mimoco.com, www.brucelee.com, and at specialty stores all across the world. Get the latest in the Legend of MIMOBOT series before they disappear faster than a nunchuck to the noggin!

 

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Bruce Campbell chats about “Evil Dead” Remake and “Burn Notice”

Bruce Campbell is one of my favorite actors of all-time. His films like “The Evil Dead” series have such a cult following behind them. Bruce is also a series regular on the hit show “Burn Notice”, entering its six season this summer. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Bruce again about the upcoming “Evil Dead” remake to “Burn Notice” to hanging out on Twitter.

Mike Gencarelli: We are all anxious for a sequel to “My Name is Bruce”, what is the current status of “Bruce Vs. Frankenstein”?
Bruce Campbell: On hold. Not sure if I want to make another “meta” movie. I think fans want real action, not “fake” action.

MG: You mentioned it would be the “It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World of horror”, can you let us know who are looking to get in the film?
BC: If we make it, I would try and get as many old/new horror icons as possible.

MG: Season 6 of “Burn Notice” is expected to begin Summer 2012, what can we expect from Sam Axe?
BC: More of the same bad ass action. I don’t know the upcoming plots, but the basic stuff I have been told is really cool.

MG: Anymore spin-off movies planned after “The Fall of Sam Axe”?
BC: Not sure. None planned now, but the ratings were great, so…

MG: Tell us about your experience working on “Cars 2” voicing Rod ‘Torque’ Redline?
BC: It was very enjoyable working directly with John Lasseter, but very short. I just did one session since, technically I get killed off early.

MG: We all know that “Ash” isn’t going to be in the “Evil Dead” remake, why did you decide to assist in producing the film?
BC: I’m a producer on all the Evil Dead films, so it’s only natural. This way, we can stay involved and make sure the fans dig the end result.

MG: Will you having a cameo the film in any sense?
BC: Can’t say.

MG: Since joining twitter as @GroovyBruce, what do you enjoy most about using the social network?
BC: It’s a great way to see who’s out there, what they like, what they want to know – and it’s also a way to let them know what’s coming up.

MG: Tell about your involvement with Oregon Cultural Trust?
BC: I’m just a big fan of Oregon and a big fan of culture, so it seemed like a good fit.

MG: Can we expect you to make a cameo in Sam Raimi’s latest film “Oz: The Great and Powerful”?
BC: Heck yeah – filmed it last fall. Stay tuned on that!

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Interview with Bruce Spence

Bruce Spence is well known for his various roles including Tion Medon in “Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith” and the Trainman in “The Matrix Revolutions”. He also voices the shark Chum in “Finding Nemo”. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Bruce about his various roles.

Mike Gencarelli: What did you like most about playing the character Tion Medon in “Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith”?
Bruce Spence: Apart from the fact that I was delighted to have the opportunity to be part of the “Star Wars” family of characters, Tion Medon was a completely new character from a completely new world that George Lucas had created. In fact it was possibly one of very few new characters in this episode.

MG: Tell us about your experience working on the film and what was your inspiration for the character?
BS: As I spent quite a number of days before the shoot in makeup and wardrobe I had a fair bit of time to absorb Tion Medon. The dialogue was that of a rather ancient leader with considerable authority, obviously of some stature and experience. However his makeup tended to contradict the dialogue with his fierce simian features and rather nasty teeth. He had the visual appearance of a creature who could be construed as someone who might not have good intentions which gave me the opportunity to challenge that in my performance. However any actor will tell you that contrasts and contradictions like that make for a much more interesting character to play.

MG: How long was the make-up process for the character from beginning to end?
BS: Well firstly we began weeks before the shoot day with the prosthetic department taking a plaster cast of my head and hands. This is not a very comfortable experience as the plaster is quite a weight on your head; you are completely encased apart from a couple of straws protruding from your nostrils to allow you to breathe. This process takes at least a half an hour and the relief of having the cast removed is enormous. The prosthetic folk then take a mold of my head and build up the face of Tion Medon upon that. Often George Lucas came in and contributed advice etc. Eventually, when they were satisfied with the image and they made the prosthetic pieces for my head. I came in to the makeup department for a few tests to see just how it would look on me and to experiment on the makeup. Eventually when everyone was happy we tried it all with the costume. So you can see that there was an enormous amount of thought put into just how the whole appearance of Tion Medon would end up. After about the fourth or fifth visit everyone was happy. We had decided not to use the bottom pair of false teeth as I looked too fierce, and that the marks on the face were now just right. So come the first day of the shoot we knew that it was going to take four and a half hours so I was up very, very early. The hours in the makeup chair while I was becoming Tion Medon on the outside gave me time to become Tion Medon on the inside. One must have a lot of patience. The makeup took more than two hours to come off as well, so it was a long day.

MG: You recently played Lord Rhoop in “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader” and then range to comedies like “Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls”, do you enjoy working in comedy?
BS: I enjoy exploring all sorts and ways of experiencing the human condition. Comedy though can be very difficult. It is a big help to have a good script!

MG: “Dark City” is one of my favorites, how was it working on that bizarre film during its production?
BS: I spent three months with my head shaved. It was only then that I realized that your head is probably the one spot on your body that is unexplored until you shave it off. I found old scars and bumps that brought back a lot of forgotten memories.
I loved working with Alex Proyas, the director, he has a wonderful imagination. Even though I had little to do I loved working on that film. The story concept was fantastic.

MG: You lent your voice to the shark Chum in “Finding Nemo”, tell us about working on that film?
BS: That was also a privilege, the Nemo creative team were an absolute delight to work with. I put down my voice in Sydney Australia while they were live in San Francisco like a giant skype set up. It was the first time I had put down a voice for an animated feature film and I loved it. We had a script but once we had the character down we put down a few little improvised lines in case they needed them. Once you find your character it is hard to stop coming up with new stuff.

MG: Your role of “The Mouth of Sauron” ended in the director’s cut of “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King”, tell us about how you got that role and working on the film?
BS: It was really a last minute thing I seem to recall. I just got a call right out of the blue. The director knew my work but little did I know I would be hidden under that damned helmet that I found impossible to see out of. So there I was, blind as a bat under this helmet after a four hour long makeup, sitting on a horse that hated the armor it had on which led it to keep trying to shake it off. It was not a very comfortable day.

MG: Your character of Trainman from “The Matrix Revolutions” is so notable, how did you get involved with that project?
BS: The directors Andy and Larry Wachowski, knew of my work and I guess they saw something of the Trainman in me. I loved that role; The Trainman was a rather cheeky sort of guy who stood out in the intensely serious world of the Matrix. Mind you the Wachowski brothers are rather mischievous as well. We seemed to see the character exactly the same way. I found it rather easy to fit into that guy and loved the experience enormously.

MG: Tell us about how you became involved with both “Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior” & “Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome” playing different roles?
BS: I had acted in a few low budget films in Australia before Mad Max and had met George Miller on a few occasions. Once again it was a sort of last minute thing. I had heard they had been auditioning actors for quite a while and was beginning to think I had missed out. Then I got a call, hurried over to pick up a script, went away for about an hour and came back for the audition. As the world of Mad Max was so unique and George wanted something different from the first Mad Max I just acted on instinct. Boy when I heard I had got the role I was delighted but I had no idea at all just how big a part it would play on the future of my career. “Beyond Thunderdome” was also very last minute. The shoot was well underway when I was approached to play Jeremiah the pilot. Apparently they had put off casting the role as they kept thinking of actors to play the role but still seem to lean towards me. The stumbling block was finding a character that was like me but not me, as it was another story. Anyway I got the call and it was described to me as being sort of like the character I played in “The Road warrior” but not like him – if you see what I mean.

MG: What do you have planned next upcoming?
BS: I have just been on tour doing a bit of stage work. Who knows what is around the corner?

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Filed Under: Film Interviews, Interviews Tagged With: bruce, interview, spence

Interview with Bruce McGill

Bruce McGill is known best for his role of Daniel Simpson Day, “D-Day”, in “Animal House”. After that role he has appear in over 65 other films and various TV series ranging from “MacGyver” to “The Cleveland Show”. Bruce is currently co-starring in TNT”s hit show “Rizzoli & Isles” playing Sergeant Vince Korsak. Movie Mikes had a chance to chat with Bruce about his show and also what else he has planned upcoming.

Mike Gencarelli: What do you like most about playing Detective Vince Korsak in “Rizzoli & Isles”?
Bruce McGill: Outside of the obvious, which is steady work in a tough time. The fact that I am working with such sharp aware people is great. Everybody likes the show and everybody wants to do the best we can to realize the good writing. There is nobody slowing down the process. It is an impossible amount of work but we all try and do the best we can.

MG: How is it working on the show with two female leads?
BM: I will say this. They are hard not to look at…so pretty good. [laughs] You know what I mean. They are just great. Most of my stuff is with Angie (Harmon). I have known her along time and she is just remarkable. She is so sharp and with it. When we have time to prepare and know it well enough, it is like playing music with a good musician. She sees everything I do and I see everything she does and we toss it back and forth. Sometimes when you work this fast, you are lucky if each actor knows there own lines, much less pays attention to what the other character is saying. That is the only way it is really vital and alive when it is that connection and the characters are paying attention to what each other does and responds to it.

MG: What can we expect from Korsak in season two?
BM: In this season starting around the third or fourth episode you start to see a lot of him. They suddenly realized “Hey that guy learns all his lines, give it to him”. So my work load increased and I was promoted to Sergeant, so Detective Frost and Detective Rizzoli and I can work as a three man team. So Frost and I are interchangeable in our Detective work. Although I am the superior officer to the two of them, but I do not like to pull rank…put I could [laughs].

MG: Tell us about your “Animal House” reference in the first season?
BM: [laughs] Well they were making fun of me because my character is the blue collared guy in an episode. He didn’t go to college. They are all college educated and smart, so they said something to me about it in the show. I said “Well I did see “Animal House” [laughs]. Janet (Tamaro), the executive producer asked me first if I would have a problem making the reference to the movie. I said “Are you kidding?” Being in that movie is something that never looks bad on your permanent record. I never mind when people bring that up.

MG: The film was big on the 80’s and still to today, What would you say is the “Animal House” of this generation?
BM: I think you will have to give it to “The Hangover”. It makes sense. If I was a young guy again, I would think that would be the movie that I would like to be in, as much as I liked being in “Animal House”. Although compared to what we were doing which we thought was so racy and crazy, there are off the charts now. We can even say things now on cable TV, like on TNT in “Rizzoli & Isles” that you could never say when I was doing “MacGyver” for example. You couldn’t even think about it.

MG: How does working on a show like this differ for you then working on a show like “MacGyver”?
BM: Obviously, the huge difference is there used to be three networks and PBS. Now it has fractured and splintered and there is literally hundreds. To distinguish yourself in a crowd is now much more difficult. You get flushed down the toilet much quicker if you do not find an audience right away. On the other side, there is a lot more pieces of the pie about the same size. It is just tougher to get a big chunk of it.

MG: How did you get involved with Seth MacFarlane and voicing characters on “Family Guy” & “The Cleveland Show”?
BM: I was doing Mr. Waterman on “The Cleveland Show” and as I was walking out I was singing some song. One of the casting directors ask “Do you sing?”. I said “Well, I am singing aren’t I” [laughs]. She asked me to play the role of Santa Clause in the Christmas episode of “Family Guy” and of course I said yes. They sent me the sheet music. I thought it was going to be an easy three cords of Silent Night. It was really challenging and I am musician. I sat at my piano, worked it out and sang it. So I went down and recorded it. I think the last time I broke a sweat singing when was I was on Broadway in the 80’s. I broke a sweat singing this stuff for Seth MacFarlane. I think everyone thinks that Seth is back in some Captain Kirk like console running the world, but he actually came out to see who this guy was doing this big vocal production for two hours. Seth was very impressed. Work gets work and I have always felt that way.

MG: Tell us about working on the film “FDR: American Badass” and its great cast?
BM: Oh that was counter culture programming [laughs]. It was to help out out young filmmakers who cannot afford to pay me. It is pretty radical. I haven’t seen it fully yet. Once I even had to leave the set, I thought it was too gross for me. At the same time though, the guys were really great and hard working, everyday I laughed at something. I mean actually laughed. So I do not know if it will translate but it was a whirlwind 10 or 11 days.

MG: Tell us about your involved with Steven Spielberg’s “Lincoln”?
BM: I am playing the Secretary of War, Secretary Stanton. I will be shooting that in two chucks as soon as I finish “Rizzoli & Isles”. I haven’t read the whole script because it is double secret probation, as I use an “Animal House” reference. They will not even give me the whole screenplay. I have the scenes I am in though. It is an examination, as I understand it, of the friction in the presidency and the legalities of the war. I know we will carry it through until Lincoln has been shot. That is literally all I know of it. I know it is going to be shot in the Fall and be done in Virginia.

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Filed Under: Film Interviews Tagged With: bruce, interview, mcgill, with

Interview with Bruce Campbell

Bruce Campbell is know for his role of Ash from the Evil Dead films. He is currently starring in USA Network’s Burn Notice and directing his latest film “Bruce vs. Frankenstein”, a follow-up to “My Name is Bruce”. Movie Mikes recently had the opportunity to catch up with Bruce Campbell briefly for some quick questions:

Mike Gencarelli: Let’s start out with a hard one, What has been your favorite moment in your career to date?
Bruce Campbell: I don’t have a fave because I’m not done yet! Top 5: Evil Dead trilogy, Bubba Ho-Tep, Running Time, Brisco, Burn Notice.

Mike Gencarelli:You’ve been starring in “Burn Notice” since 2007, the show was renewed for a fourth season starting in summer 2010, Anything you can spill about what Sam Axe will be up to?
Bruce Campbell: I never know until the season starts. TV shows are like old slippers – you want that same comfortable feeling every time you put them on, so there won’t be any huge changes.

Mike Gencarelli:You have an developed such outstanding following over the year, fans admire you more than any A-list celebrity in the business. How do you feel about your success? Anything you want to say to your fans?
Bruce Campbell: I talk to fans all the time, so they hear from me plenty. As always, I’m grateful for 30 years of support.

MG:You’ve done a lot of voice work for various video games and movies > with the most recent being last year “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs”. Do you enjoy doing voice work?
BC:I love voice work. You don’t get your hands dirty.

MG:You voiced a character in “Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters”, are you involved with the planned sequel “Death Fighter” set for release summer 2012?
BC:Sorry, but I don’t know anything about it.

MG:I know you made a documentary back in 2004, titled “A Community Speaks” about modern-day, land stewardship issues. Any idea if that will ever see the light of day?
BC:Not sure. When I have the time, I have no money. When I have the money, I have no time. It was still a great learning experience for us.

MG:Ted Raimi has a new web series called, “Playing Dead”, Any involved with that? What is it like always working with your friend?
BC:Not involved, but it looks funny. Ted and I will be working together on my next flick, “Bruce Vs. Frankenstein”.

MG:Since Sam Raimi is not doing the next Spider-Man film. do you think you will be involved with the reboot? What are feeling about Raimi’s exit?
BC:I’m fine with it. He’s done 3 of those flicks – that’s plenty for anyone. We had a great time working together on that series.

MG:Your work has an author with “If Chins Could Kill” & “Make Love the Bruce
Campbell Way” are classic literature, please tell me you have plans for another book in the near future?
BC:I’m gonna put out another book in a few years, called Vagabond: An Actor’s Gypsy Life.

MG:Can you tell me about you recent trip to Iraq?
BC:The trip was everything you might expect: weird, sad, cool, outrageous, etc.

MG:Do you find it hard to juggle both directing and acting?
BC:I’ve done that for years, starting with the Hercules and Xena TV shows. It’s a lot more homework, but it’s manageable.

Click here to purchase Bruce Campbell’s Books & Movies

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