Interview with Nancy Allen

Though Jamie Lee Curtis often is referred to as the “scream queen” of the late 1970s and 80s, there was an actress who earned that throne by not only starring in some of the greatest horror films of that time, but in some of the best films period! That actress is Nancy Allen.

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Ms. Allen first came to my (and most of my 16 year old friends’) attention with her performance as bad girl Chris Hargensen in Brian De Palma’s adaptation of Stephen King’s novel “Carrie.” This was her first of four films with De Palma, who she later married (they have since divorced). She did a complete turn around in her next role, a crazy Beatles fan, in “I Want to Hold Your Hand.” It was on this film that she met fellow actress Wendie Jo Sperber. The two began a friendship that would grow and last until Ms. Sperber’s tragic death from breast cancer at the all too young age of 47. After appearing in Steven Spielberg’s “1941” and De Palma’s “Dressed to Kill” (which earned her a Golden Globe nomination for “New Star of the Year” in a Motion Picture) Ms. Allen reunited with her “Carrie” co-star John Travolta for the film “Blow Out.” Dumped into theatres in the summer of 1981, the film was poorly marketed, with the studio practically ignoring the audience it was meant for. Despite rave reviews by such film critics as Roger Ebert, Vincent Canby and Pauline Kael the film came and went in a matter of weeks. However, thanks to home video, 30 years later the film is recognized as one of the greatest political thrillers ever made.

In 1987 she starred as police officer Anne Lewis in the futuristic “RoboCop” and has also starred in films like “The Buddy System,” “The Philadelphia Experiment” and “Out of Sight,” as well as the two “RoboCop” sequels and numerous television programs (“JAG,” “Judging Amy”). Today she devotes the majority of her time and energy to weSPARK, the cancer support center founded by Wendie Jo Sperber. Over the holidays Ms. Allen graciously took time out from her busy schedule to talk with MovieMikes about her career and her determination to carry on her friend’s work:

Mike Smith: You attended the New York High School of the Performing Arts, which was featured in the film “FAME.” High school is hard enough. Was it tough to compete with your classmates both academically and talent wise?
Nancy Allen: It was tough on a lot of levels. Through the ninth grade I had attended an all girls private school with the same group of girls. A very small group. And all of a sudden I’m in a co-ed school. It was wild… there was a lot of pressure. But I think more than anything…I had danced my whole life because I loved it. And it suddenly became something that I was graded on. It really took the joy out it for me. And more importantly it revealed to me that dancing wasn’t my path. I didn’t know what my path was at that point but you have to be so disciplined and so dedicated and such a hard worker…I danced because I loved it. I didn’t have the obsession with it you had to have. So even though it was a one year foray it was fun.

MS: You made four films with Brian De Palma, who you later married. Did you find it easier or harder to work on a project with someone you’re basically spending 24 hours a day with?
NA: We met working on “Carrie,” so my initial relationship with him was a professional one. And quite honestly we didn’t spend a lot of time together on the set because he and I had different responsibilities. So you’re not really together 24 hours a day. Maybe you find time to grab a bite to eat afterwards but you’re so tired that it’s almost like you’re not there. And that, I think, is the challenging part… to find the moments. Because whether you’re working together or not working together, you have to find those moments. On a professional level, there’s a kind of short hand you develop because you really do know each other so well. The communication is much simpler. He knew me and he knew how to get the performance he needed from me and I trusted his direction. Of course, the toughest part is everybody else’s conversations about it! (laughs)

MS: You had the rare opportunity of working with John Travolta just as his career was beginning to take off and then immediately after he exploded onto the scene. Did you notice any difference in the way he approached his work?
NA: No. John is very particular and meticulous about his work. His career actually started exploding at the end of filming “Carrie.” His show (television’s “Welcome Back, Kotter”) had just started airing. I hadn’t seen it but I could sense things on the set. The week we shot the car crash scene the police had to put up barricades. He and I drove to the set together and I was like, “Oh my gosh, who are all of these people waiting for?” On “Blow Out” I had a little trepidation because it had been a few years and a lot had happened. He had already had some high highs but also a few low lows so I really didn’t know what to expect. But the minute he came in we sat down, had something to eat and talked about the movie…started doing some improv. We always had great chemistry and John was John. He was still fun. He was still adorable. I loved working with him. He’s really one of the favorite people that I worked with in my career.

MS: You were both brilliant in “Blow Out.” It kills me that the film was virtually ignored when it came out and is so under appreciated.
NA: It’s actually become a phenomenon in France. People there are crazy for that movie. And I think over the years that people have caught on to it. But it had so many problems. How it was released was a problem and when it was released was a problem. Back then you had summer movies and fall movies. Films were really released a specific way then. Brian tried to convince them that the film wasn’t a big summer block buster. But because the studio had John Travolta they wanted to try and make it a summer blockbuster. And it didn’t work. But it’s got a great cast, an amazing script…it’s a piece I’m really proud of.

MS: You followed “Carrie” with two very strong comedy performances in “I Want To Hold Your Hand” and “1941.” Do you have a preference between drama and comedy?
NA: I love them both. Comedy seems easier because you’re getting the chance to be funny and have fun. When you’re doing a dramatic piece, a lot of times you have to go to those dark places so when you’re doing the work it’s a lot more taxing on your spirit. And a lot of it is the tone…the tone of the set is certainly affected by the piece. Though I have to say that on “Blow Out” we laughed an awful lot. You have to. It’s exhausting to bring up those tears and all of that. So sometimes you have to just be silly.

MS: Like “Blow Out,” I personally think “1941” is underrated. Steven Spielberg was coming off the one/two punch of “Jaws” and “Close Encounters” when it was released. Was there any sense on the set that Spielberg felt uncomfortable doing such a broad comedy?
NA: I think one of the problems was that even though there were “producers” on the set there were no producers on the set. Steven had been so successful that nobody would say no to him. I think the script we started with (written by Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis) was darn near perfect. But people kept saying to Steven “I want to be in it” and they kept re-writing it and creating new parts and story lines. And from a cast perspective we would ask each other “this is funny, right? I mean it’s Steven Spielberg…he knows what he’s doing, right?” I know a lot of us sensed that things were a little bit off the track. I mean, we started with a fourteen week shooting schedule. Everyone was booked for fourteen weeks. We shot for six months! So that will give you a little idea of things having gone a little bit off the beam. I think there are some really good things in the movie…things that had been in the original script. I’m happy that you enjoy the movie. I have a hard time watching it myself (laughs).

MS: You co-starred in both of those films with the late Wendie Jo Sperber, who sadly passed away five years ago this month (Ms. Sperber died on November 29, 2005). What are your memories of working with her? Are you still active in promoting her weSPARK Cancer Support Center?
NA: That is what I do. That is what my life is dedicated to. I’m there, I run it. I’ve created the whole program format… I fund raise. It is my life’s work. When I first met Wendie we were immediately kindred spirits. I loved working with her. I didn’t get to work with her enough. We just had the best time working together. Especially on “I Want To Hold Your Hand.” In “1941” even though we’re in the same movie we really didn’t work together. She was the kind of friend…everybody has one of them…that even if you don’t see each other for months when you finally talk to them you pick up…it’s almost like you never skipped a beat. Knowing her changed my life. Her asking me to participate and help launch her weSPARK Cancer Support Center came at a time in my life where I was not really happy with the work that I was doing. I didn’t like the projects that were coming my way. I was very unfulfilled. And I had a lot of changes in my family life, my perspectives had shifted. And lo and behold! If someone had told me ten years ago that this is what I would be dedicating my life to now I would have said, “are you kidding? I don’t know anything about this stuff. I don’t know how to do that!” (pauses) I miss her dearly.

MS: Going back to the comedy or drama question, do you think that because you may have been perceived as a certain type of actress – lots of screaming, lots of suspense – that you may have been typecast in some filmmakers’ opinions?
NA: I think it’s something that just happened. “I Want to Hold Your Hand” is a fantastic movie. It just wasn’t a big hit. I think that when you’re successful in a certain genre – more so even then than now – and if you’re a woman, they think “that’s what she’s successful at…let’s get her to do more of that.” You have no idea how many of those kinds of scripts I was sent after I did “Carrie.” I mean I waited a year and a half before I did “I Want to Hold Your Hand.” I think it’s a case where some people don’t even think of you along those lines. Even on “1941.” Steven had cast almost the whole movie and pretty much everybody I knew was in it. And they’d tell me “there’s a perfect part for you in it.” And I’d tell them, “well, Steven knows me. I’m sure he’d be calling me if he thought that.” He finally did call and when I went in to meet with him he said, “I don’t know if it’s because I know you from your work or because I know you personally but I didn’t think of you and you’re perfect for this. I don’t even have to read you.” So there’s a case of someone who knew my work and knew me personally and professionally and didn’t think of me. So I think we remember people for what they’re successful in and we want them to repeat it. Then we beat them up for it…“why do you always do this…it’s not as good as the last one!” (laughs)

MS: Kind of like Jim Carrey. He’s done some fantastic dramatic work and, unless he’s talking out of his butt, he gets panned for it
NA: If you are great at comedy you can do anything. Comedy is THE hardest…really the hardest. It’s unfortunate because he’s really good.

MS: You appeared in all three of the “RoboCop” films? Any talk of making an appearance in the proposed reboot?
NA: I’ve heard about it through fans but no one has approached me. I hate that they’re re-doing the first one. The second and third one I don’t care about but the first film is such a perfect movie, why re-do it? Find something else that didn’t work and fix it.

MS: You recently appeared as a guest at the Chiller Theatre convention? Do you enjoy having the opportunity to meet your fans?
NA: Yes! A group of us (who appeared at the convention) were heading to the airport afterwards and talking about that. There is something so sweet…people have collected things…it’s their memories. They would talk to me about films and certain scenes or certain movies and it’s really a sweet experience. I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed it. I really did. I love when the share their memories.

MS: I was 16 years old and a theatre usher when “Carrie” came out and I can remember a woman fainting and falling out of her seat at the end of the first show. We were sold out the entire weekend and I can still remember the applause and cheers from the audience when the car explodes and Chris and Billy meet their end. You certainly convinced everyone that Chris was not a good person.
NA: (laughing) She actually was. She was just misunderstood! (laughs)

MS: Are you currently working on anything?
NA: Right now I’m doing a lot of fundraising for weSPARK. I get sent things and I read them but it will have to be really something absolutely fabulous. And I don’t mean it has to be for a ton of money. It has to be something really, really good to take me away for a period of time.

Check out the weSPARK website: http://www.wespark.org/

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Interview with Janelle Ortiz

Janelle Ortiz is featured in Disney’s upcoming film “Prom”, playing the character Alejandra.  This is Janelle first feature role and she is really excited to be working with Disney.  Movie Mikes had a chance to chat with Janelle about working on first film role in “Prom”.

Mike Gencarelli: Tell us about what made you want to get into acting?
Janelle Ortiz: Originally, I was an athlete and I had no intentions of being an actress whatsoever. What happened was that I was in my junior year of high school, I played softball and I was a catcher, and when I needed me to perform I was injured and I couldn’t play ever again. I was even been looked at by college recruiters. So I was freaking now because I was playing since I was eight years old. It was like your identity was kind of taken away from you. I started taken acting classes since I liked the idea of playing different characters each day. I ended up falling in love with it and I have kind of been doing it ever since.

MG: How did you get involved with the film “Prom”?
JO: I trained for about a year and half prior because I didn’t want to go and meet casting directors, not be ready and burn bridges. Once I felt comfortable, I went out for the audition for “Prom”, it was actually my second audition, and out of 1,500 I got the role.

MG: Tell us about your role in film “Prom”?
JO: My characters name is Alejandra but they call me Ally. I am 18 years old. I am the best friend of Aimee Teegarden’s character. I am the gossip girl of the school. I know everything about everybody [laughs].

MG: What was the best part for you working about the film?
JO: The best part since this was my first film was that I got to work with Disney. They were so accommodating and helpful. It was cool working with Joe Nussbaum, our director. He was great. I didn’t know a lot of the lingo and techniques. Everyone, the cast and the director, really helped me understand everything.

MG: Besides acting, what are your other interests?
JO: I am very into music. I still try to play a little sports. I play tennis sometimes. I give softball lessons to little girls.  Mainly though, music is my obsession. I listen to it 24/7. I even write a few songs myself, so it’s great.

MG: Who is the actor and director you would like work with most?
JO: I think the actresses I would love to work with most would be Sandra Bullock. Everyone says I look somewhat like her. I think the way she has taken her career and the characters she has played are fabulous. I have always been a fan of the mobster movies so for director, I would have to say Martin Scorsese.

MG: What is the next project you are working on?
JO: I do not have anything lined up right now. We are still working with a few things with “Prom” right now. I have two younger siblings and I am just helping out and spending time with them before all the publicity starts for “Prom”. But hopefully there will be something soon.

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Interview with Charlie McDermott

Charlie McDermott plays Axl Heck on ABC’s new hit series “The Middle.” He has also been in movies such as “Hot Tub Time Machine” and “”Sex Drive” Adam Lawton had a chance recently to speak with Charlie his role on the hit show and some of his film projects.

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Adam Lawton: What made you want to get into acting?
Charlie McDermott: My neighbor had showed me “Star Wars” when I was about 5 years old. Ever since then I knew it was something I wanted to do. I wanted to be involved in not only acting but movies in general. Even though I was so young I knew it was something that I wanted to do.

AL: How did your role on “The Middle” come about?
CM: I had moved to Los Angeles about four years ago from Philadelphia. When I first got out there I auditioned for the original pilot. After a few auditions I didn’t end up getting the part. The original pilot went on to be shot however it was never picked up. Two years later I auditioned for the same role and show. It was a little weird. I went in and auditioned knowing that Patricia Heaton was attached to the project, so I really wanted the role. I did about five or six auditions before I got the part and was very fortunate that everything worked out and that the show got picked up.

AL: How is it working with such a great cast which includes actors like Chris Katan?
CM: Awesome! It’s really cool.  Chris was always one of my favorite SNL guys growing up so getting to work with him was really great. Patricia Heaton and Neil Flynn are such great people.  They have both been in the business so long that working on the show is really a fun time.

AL: How well do you get along with your brother and sister on the show played by Atticus Shaffer and Eden Sher?
CM: Great! Eden is actually my neighbor as we live in the same apartment complex. We share a wall (Laughs).  Atticus is like having a little brother. For seven months out of the year we spend twelve hours a day with each other shooting. We have gotten pretty close and have some of the same interests.

AL: Do you have a favorite episode so far?
CM: I really liked the Christmas episode. However we did just finish filming an episode where my character Axl starts a band. It’s a good possibility that I may like that one the most!

AL: Are we going to get to see another season?
CM: Hopefully. We haven’t heard anything yet but the show has been doing progressively better in the ratings, so I really hope so.

AL: You have some classics lines in the film “Sex Drive” were those all scripted or did you get to improvise
CM: It was actually a little bit of both. They had given us some scripted lines but then we were allowed to go from there. Each take would just start with the scripted section and then add our own lines in. Usually they would just keep rolling until we ran out of material (Laughs).  That has been one of the most fun times I have had on set. Playing that character was really great.

AL: Any funny behind the scene stories from that shoot?
CM: I was there for about two weeks in this really weird section of Florida which is a story to itself but the whole cast was just really funny to be around. There’s a bunch of really great stuff on the bonus section of the DVD.

AL: Do you have any upcoming projects?
CM: Right now I am booked through March doing “The Middle.”  I have been attached to a few projects that are awaiting a green light. I really hope everything comes together as both I think are going to be really good.

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Interview with John Kawie

John Kawie is a Comedic Performer and Writer who has worked with Bill Maher, Dennis Miller and Howie Mandell to name just a few. After recovering from a recent stroke John has emerged with a new DVD titled “Brain Freeze.” John recently took the time to speak with Movie Mikes about his upcoming DVD release and also what it was like working with Robert DeNiro.

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Adam Lawton: What made you decide to get into comedy?
John Kawie: I was in the Aerospace industry for almost 20 yrs. At age 40 I decided that it wasn’t for me anymore and I had to get out. It was at the point where if I didn’t go out on my own the industry was going to make me go. I really hated it. It had been a family business that I got into after college and after my father passed away suddenly I took the company over. I just never wanted to be there and one day left and moved to New York City to pursue stand-up, which I was something I had always loved. Things started to move fairly quickly and I was making my way around to all the popular clubs. I then got a Comedy Central special and shortly after that I had a stroke. This put me on hold for awhile.

AL: How was it working with Bill Maher and Dennis Miller?
JK: It was really great! Bill Maher and I didn’t get to work with personally.  I would send material to him to use. However, I worked with Dennis personally in concert. He was great, just a really nice guy.

AL: Did getting to work with such big names early on in your career help ease your mind as to whether or not getting into comedy was a good idea?
JK: It did. It was validation. I was doing a lot of writing which was very important for me. I wanted what I was doing to be very sharp and smart similar to Dennis but with my own take. I had always looked up to Dennis so it was very helpful getting to work with him.

AL: Can you tell us about your DVD “Brain Freeze”?
JK: I was doing stand up prior to my stroke and then the stroke happened and it was devastating. I did not think that I would ever be doing stand up again. I was going through rehab at the Rusk Institute in New York and had some really great therapist. I wanted to still do stand up somehow. When you have a stroke it’s not just physical but cognitive as well. So during the whole recovery process no one ever said no to me about what I wanted to do which was really helpful. The people at the institute just kept telling me to keep pursuing it. They actually allowed me to tell a joke at the beginning of each session which was really cool. This allowed me a safe place to perform as I worked on a new joke each week. It was really amazing. When I would get the laugh from the others in therapy it gave me that jolt that I always loved. I started writing the show and being funny again which was amazing because I wasn’t funny for so long as a stroke isn’t very funny. I used a lot of my daily experiences and if something happened to me that was a negative I was able to write about it and make it positive. This was really great therapy for me! So I wrote the show as a one man type of Bogosian show. It’s a real roller coaster ride. I do all the characters in the show.

AL: What made you decide to do this type of project?
JK: It mostly all stems from my stroke however I had always wanted to do a one man solo show. Stand up is made up of shorter pieces with set up punch lines. I was getting into people like Spalding Grey prior to my stroke and I really admired their solo shows which took you on ride but still had that humor. I wanted to get away from the club scene and be able to do something more theater based.

AL: During your recovery you had a chance to work with Robert DeNiro can you tell us about that experience?
JK: It was fantastic. Robert is a very nice guy. The film is called “Flawless” and also stars Phil Seymour Hoffman. Robert filmed me during my recovery doing various things such as walking. He was really trying to learn everything he could about a stroke. Robert is amazing in the movie. He did a really good job.

AL: How did that opportunity come about?
JK: I think Joel Schumacher had gone to the Rusk Institute knowing that they had a rehabilitation center in New York.  I think Rusk knew kind of my back ground and suggested me to Joel. They came to me and asked if I wanted to work with Robert and I said of course!

AL: Was it difficult to get back on stage and perform?
JK: It was. I started doing sets again at The Improv after my rehab was done. The owner had me go up on Saturday nights and at first I would go up there and I would forget my material! I would just stand there and people in the audience would just stare at me. It was terrible. I was having just a real tough time getting jokes to land and to make people laugh. I had met with one of my therapists at Rusk and told them about wanting to do the show. She suggested that I contact my acting coach. I called her and she invited me to a workshop. I would write monologues but I couldn’t memorize them. One day after class I called my coach and asked if she had wanted me to drop out. She said of course not you’re just going to have to work differently to memorize your material. She said if you really want to do this show then you’re going to have to find a different way that works for you. I started recording the monologues and playing them over and over until eventually I learned them.

AL: What do you have planned next?
JK: I am working on the book version of “Brain Freeze” right now. I also have had thoughts of making this a movie. As for right now my focus is on the book which is turning out to be very visual. I think this could help with a screen play in the future.

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Interview with Art LaFleur

If you’re a fan of baseball movies then you have to be a fan of Art LaFleur.  He’s appeared in three of my favorites:  “The Sandlot,” “Mr. Baseball” and, of course, “Field Of Dreams.”  After college Mr. LaFleur, an Indiana native, moved to Chicago until a friend convinced him to try his luck in California.  He slowly built a resume that continues to grow today.  Mr. LaFleur took time out recently to speak with 日本のオンラインカジノ.com:

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Michael Smith: You played football at the University of Kentucky.  Any thoughts of going pro?
Art LaFleur: I was too small, even then, it seemed to me.  I was about six foot and weighed 210 pounds.  Halfbacks were bigger then I was! (laughs)  I held my own but they just kicked the hell out of us.  It was one of those things where I just knew it was not going to happen as far as the pros were concerned.  And actually I’m glad about it now because I can still walk.  There are guys I know that played pro ball, especially back then, that had their knees messed up.  Not a good thing.

MS: What made you decide to pursue acting?
AF: I came out to California in 1975.  I was 32 years old.  A friend of mine convinced me.  I thought I wanted to be a writer and the only person I knew out here was an actor that I had known in Chicago.  He convinced me that an acting class would help my writing.  So I started studying acting with that in mind.  And after about six months I just got more interested in the acting side of it.  In 1978 I got into my first union, which was Equity.  I did an Equity play at the Mark Taper Forum.  And within a couple months of that I got my SAG card and my AFTRA card, so by the end of 1978 I was in all three unions.  I was a working actor.

MS: You studied under Gordon Hunt (father of Oscar winner Helen Hunt).  What is the best advice he gave you that has benefited you most?
AF: Gordon gave us a lot of good stuff but I think one of the most positive things that Gordon did was…every once in a while Gordon would be talking to somebody on the stage…actors who had just done a scene or a monologue.  And every once in a while he would turn around to us, the class, and say, “Remember.  Acting is fun.  And an audition is a chance to act.  It’s not adversarial, because the people at the audition are hoping you’re going to be the one, because if you are the one that they’re looking for…their job is solved.”  He really introduced a very positive attitude toward acting that was great.  And it’s served me well through the years.

MS: You had a brief part in “Any Which Way You Can,” which starred Clint Eastwood.  Later you worked with him in “City Heat.”  Did he remember you?
AL: I’ve worked with Clint on three different films and he’s always been very nice.  But because I had small parts I didn’t really know him that well.  It’s not like I could walk up and say, “Hey, Clint, how are you?” and he’d say, “Hey, Art, how are you?”  Finally on “City Heat” I had a little bit more to do.  Clint kept to himself and of course I didn’t want to bother him.

MS: You worked with Stallone on both “Cobra” and “Oscar,” two very different films.  How was his approach to the two roles?
AL: When we worked together on “Oscar” we had already done “Cobra.”  When we did “Cobra” he was nice.  He was aloof…he was falling in love.  His girlfriend at the time (later Stallone’s wife, Brigitte Nielsen) was appearing in the film so he of course had his own agenda.  But then when I did “Oscar” I walked onto the set the first day and he was sitting at a table, in between takes.  I saw him from a distance and when he saw me he said (in a great Stallone voice), “Arthur.  How you doing, man?”  (laughs)  He’s always been very nice to me.  I like Sly.  He’s a very intelligent guy.  You know, we had just finished the first week of “Oscar” here (California) at Universal when they had a big fire on the back lot.  It completely burned the whole set.  We were shooting on “New York” street, where they had all kinds of antique cars.  They lost everything.  So I was put on “force majeure” for about a week and then we moved the production to Universal and Disney in Florida.  (Readers, “force majeure” is a clause in a contract that covers unexpected problems, including “acts of God,” which the fire would be classified as.  In this case, had the production of “Oscar” been cancelled due to the fire, the studio would not be liable to pay the actors or filmmakers the balance of money owed).

MS: You played Chick Gandil in “Field of Dreams.”  Did you have any sense about the effect the film would have on the public when released?
AL: You know, it was a really great script.  I mean they didn’t change hardly anything.  There was one scene, where James Earl Jones gets ready to go out into the corn, where they changed the lines a little bit to make the scene work better.  But other than that, as far as I know, it was pretty much shot as written.  It was such a good script that we knew it really had a chance of doing well.  But did we know it was going to be as well received as it was?  No.  We didn’t know that but we knew we were doing something special.  When I went to audition for the film, after I read for the part, they had all of the guys that were being considered to meet at a park at nine in the morning and try out…play some baseball so they could see how we handled ourselves.  There were maybe 10 or 12 of us and they were looking for three or four actors…Ray Liotta was already cast as “Shoeless” Joe so they were looking for another three or four guys.  They gathered us up on the infield and told us to go the base that we felt most comfortable at.  They hit us some ground balls and had us throw the ball around so they could see how we could play.  I immediately ran over to first base and there was one other guy, who was younger than I was…he was going to be my competition.  There was just the two of us at first base.  They hit a ground ball to me and I fielded it and threw it back.  They hit another ground ball and I fielded it and threw it back.  Then it was his turn.  They hit him a ground ball, he fielded it…but the guy couldn’t throw.  It was like he never played baseball before.  And I remember standing outside the baseline watching and thinking to myself, “I think I’m going to get this job!”  (laughs)  We got to use modern day gloves then but for the film they had us report to Iowa about ten days before we were supposed to start shooting and we practiced using the older stuff.  Wood bats and older gloves.  And the old gloves were like holding a piece of leather.  Someone threw a ball to you and it was like putting a piece of leather between you and the ball.  So we put these big foam pads inside the mitts.  Chick Gandil was known as “Iron Hands” because, in order to make ends meet, when he wasn’t playing baseball he was a fighter.  There were times when Chick would be at first base and there would be a ground ball to the infield.  He’d go over to cover first base and the ball would be thrown out of reach of his glove hand.  But by stretching he could catch the ball barehanded in his other hand.  Of course, everyone back then had to have iron hands because the mitts were nothing.

MS: Another film that is cherished by baseball fans young and old is “The Sandlot.”  Were you nervous about stepping into the Babe’s spikes?
AL: When I went to read for the part…I had just read “The Babe,” a biography of Babe Ruth.  So when I went into the audition I went in “as” Babe.  I wore a newsboy kind of hat.  I went in with a cigar…the Babe always had a cigar.  Babe Ruth, when he would see kids, he would always say, “hi keed.”  He would always use the word “keed” for kid.  And he had a habit of slurring his words.  When he would talk about baseball he would say “baysh-baw.”  I went to read for Mickey David Evans (the writer/director of the film) and about halfway through he said, “he’s the guy!”

MS: What film gets you recognized most: “Field of Dreams” or “The Santa Clause?”
AL: It used to be “Field of Dreams,” then later “Santa Clause” but lately it’s been “The Sandlot.”  You know it’s funny, every once in a while someone will come up and say, “Hey, you’re Art LaFleur!”  They’ll use my real name.  And I’m so shocked at that.  I can understand somebody recognizing me from one of those films we’ve talked about but knowing my actual name?  When they say, “you’re Art LaFleur, aren’t you,” I’m always surprised.  I’m always recognized for “The Sandlot.”  In fact, just yesterday, I had somebody say, “Hey, Babe Ruth!  How ya’ doing, Babe?”  I was at Wrigley Field in Chicago with my family many years ago.  It was like one of the hottest days ever in Chicago.  The Cubs had won that day, thank God, and we were downstairs after the game in one of the men’s room.  Inside there is a big circular hand washing trough and people were putting their heads underneath the spray of water because it was so hot.  So I put my head under and when I take it out I start drying my dripping face with paper towels.  And I look into the doorway and catch three guys all looking at me.  Finally, one of them says, “Hey, you look just like that guy from “Field of Dreams.”  And with a dripping head I look up at him and say, “well, I was in that movie.”  And the guy says, “Nah!  But you look just like him.”  (laughs)

MS: You worked on “Hill Street Blues.”  The producers never revealed what city the show was set in, though I’ve always thought it was Chicago.  Any idea?
AL: No.  I’ve always assumed it was more like Los Angeles but it’s interesting that you say that because that’s an aspect I never really thought about.  It never came up.  Interesting.

MS: You appeared in my all time favorite episode of “The John Larroquette Show.”  Which do you prefer doing: comedy or drama?
AL: I like comedy and, if it’s the right script, I like drama.  I think when playing comedy you have to play it just a little more broadly.  You need to really be assertive and convinced that you’re the person when you’re playing comedy.  And the more sincere you are…that makes you a little more broader.  But the more sincere you are and the more convinced you are doing the right thing…if it’s funny it’s funny and if it’s not it’s not.

MS: Would you prefer to spend several months on one film role, developing the character or to have several television roles in the same period?
AL: Obviously I think that the more time you have to spend with a character the more you find out about him.  When I did the movie “Air America” I had time before each audition…I did like three or four auditions for that film…and finally, on the last one I read with Robert Downey, Jr.  and I got the part.  But I had three auditions leading up to the last one and each time I had the time to explore the character…to make it my own.  And then when I got the part I had a few weeks prior to us going to Thailand.  Then we did the cockpit stuff in England for five weeks.  So I think the more time you have the better.  You can make the character more interesting.

MS: As a former football player did you give the cast any tips on “The Replacements”?
AL: No. (laughs)  Alan Graff was the second unit director and also the football coordinator and adviser on the film.  When all of the good hits happened on the field, he was the guy behind them.   Alan had played for USC and was on one of the national championship teams of the early 1970s.  I had known Alan because I had seen him on commercial auditions for the past 15-20 years prior to shooting the film.  So one day Alan asked me if I’d like to come out with the second unit.  So we went out and he had all of the different outfits that were worn depending on the team that we played.  Alan would have me get in wardrobe and stand on the sidelines with all of these extras and he would have me go through all of these different gyrations…the ones a defensive coordinator would go through.  Sending signals, that kind of thing.  They would have me throw my hat down…I was elated…I was pissed off.  So I’m in these different outfits and he shot almost little vignettes of me doing different stuff on the sidelines.  The only thing I asked was that he make me look like I knew what the hell I was doing!  Because playing football is one thing.  Being a coach is another.  I’ve always thought I was a good football player.  Football coach…I’m not so sure.  But I was very committed to looking like I knew what I was doing.  We worked on some hand signals and had fun with it.  And when the final film came out they used a lot of it.  During the games they would cut to me and I’d either be happy or sad or whatever.  I was very grateful to Alan for that because he made me look like I knew what I was doing. Having played the stuff where I’m on the sled and yelling at the players…I already knew how to do that!

MS: What do you have coming up?
AL: I just did a pilot presentation called “The Guy Suave’ Project.”  What they are doing more and more is something called a pilot presentation.  Rather than having a $15 million budget to shoot an actual full hour pilot, what they do is take a couple million bucks and have a three day shoot where they shoot a 10-12 minute version…a short scenario of what the show could be like.  “The Guy Suave’ Project” is for the Cartoon Network.  It was a four day shoot and it’s a live action spoof on the spy genre…the 007 genre.  When I first read the script I saw there was a lot of foul language.  The first scene has Guy Suave’ parachuting into some compound and as he’s landing he’s shooting the guards.  And as he shoots the first guard he says, “F*** you!”  Boom.  “Asshole!”  Boom.  And when I read it I thought, “what the hell is this?”  This is never going to make prime time…”Pussy!”  Boom.  (laughs)  There was all of this foul language.  So I called my agent and said, “What is this?”  And he told me it was a legitimate thing for the Cartoon Network.  It will only run late at night for adult viewing.  So I went and auditioned for it and then I did the call back and I got the job.  So I’m waiting to hear on that.  And I’m also getting ready to do a webisode project…a short scenario that the writer/director will take and try to sell.  And I’m still auditioning for commercials and whatever comes up.  I’m looking for work!

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Interview with Whitney Able

Whitney Able is starring in this fall’s sci-fi drama “Monsters”. She is co-starring in the film with her husband Scoot McNairy. Whitney really shines in this film and she is going to have a fantastic career in this business.  Movie Mikes had a chance to chat with Whitney about working on the film and her adventures in Mexico during the shoot.

Click here to watch “Monsters” right now on Video on Demand

Mike Gencarelli: Tell us about how you got involved with the film “Monsters”?
Whitney Able: Scoot told me about it, he got an email from Vertigo. They said that they have a script and they want a real couple to go down to Mexico and shoot this film. We were looking at the treatment and they told us that they wanted us for the film. It was really exciting.

MG: What was the most difficult part of working on the film?
WA: Initially the hardest part was how we were going to film it. We basically had a treatment and everyday we will show up and try and figure everything out. We didn’t know how to approach it. Neither of us have ever done anything like this. We have done improv before but with this we just had free range. We just developed a back-story for our characters and worked on that for two months before we left. We did some exercises together. Pretty much we just had to be exactly who we were and understand our story arc, try and hit those points in order to keep the story moving. With the exception of Emelie Jeffries everyone in the movie was locals. So they were just people we sort of found and approached in the film. Emelie played the homeless woman at the end. Emelie flew down to help us work on our back-stories for the characters. She is my mentor. I grew up watching her in the theater in Houston, TX. I was so excited to be working with her.

MG: How was it working with your husband Scoot McNairy?
WA: Even though we were a couple, we had a fear of what kind of strain this would put on our relationship. We were just newly dating at the time, about five months or so. We wanted to be sure this wasn’t going to be the kiss of death by working with each other in this strenuous environment. Scoot said if we can do this and get through it and still love each other, we should get married. So we did. It was great working with Scoot. He has a wonderful charisma about him. I am not sure if I would have been able to do it anybody else. I think so much had to do with me knowing Scoot and knowing his abilities. He is just a great improv actor. He is very outward and I am very inward, it really helped create these dynamic characters.

MG: What was it like shooting in Mexico?
WA: I have been to Mexico many times before the shoot but I loved seeing it during the shoot. We weren’t going to touristy places. We were going to small towns that nobody goes to. It was really inspiring.

MG: You worked in a few other genre films “Unearthed” & “All the Boys Love Mandy Lane”, are you a fan of the genre?

WA: I am new fan of the genre. I was movie-goer as kid. My dad loved the classics like “Jaws”. I remember watching “Nightmare on Elm Street”. I didn’t really know how to identify a genre when I was younger. Later I realized I like intense dark films. I am not really a comedy person. I realized after working on this I am a big sci-fi fan. I started watching more sci-fi films. I am actually even writing a sci-fi script right now which won’t be done for like five years probably [laughs]. I am not a blood and guns girls. I like also like action films with guns and fast cars.

MG: Tell us about some of your recent TV projects?
WA: I just wrapped an episode of “Criminal Minds”. That is pretty dark stuff. I worked on an episode of “Nikita” that just aired recently. That was really cool. I got to shoot guns and be a bad guy. I even had a Ukrainian accent. I really love accents and doing deep character studies. The problem with TV is that it is so fast. I like to build a library. I take a tape recorder wherever I go in different countries. I am slowly building library of accents and dialects.

MG: I guess that came in handy for you shooting in Mexico for “Monsters”?
WA: Yeah, I lived in Spain for a year, when I was younger. I learned to speak Spanish there. When I came back to Texas which is where I am from, nearly half the population speaks Spanish. I got to speak Spanish throughout my teens and into my twenties, especially living in LA.

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Interview with Tyne Stecklein

Tyne Stecklein, who made her memorable debut starring alongside one of her greatest mentors in Michael Jackson’s documentary film “This Is It”, has spent her life dedicating her mind, body, and soul to the art of dance. November 24th all of her hard work will pay off when she co-stars in the star-studded film “Burlesque” along with such greats as Cher, Kristen Bell, and Christina Aguilera. Movie Mikes had a chance to chat with Tyne about her love for dancing and her upcoming roles.

Click here to purchase “This Is It” on DVD/Blu-Ray

Mike Gencarelli: Have you always wanted to be a dancer?
Tyne Stecklein: Yeah, I started dancing when I was three. My mom was a dance teacher. I have done it my whole life. I think by the time I was twelve that I knew it was what I wanted to do professionally.

MG: How did you end up mentoring with Michael Jackson?
TS: Well that was a dance audition I got through my dance agent. The audition was by request only. There was dancers from all over the world there. I think there was like 400 girls auditioning for it.

MG: How was it working on the film “This is It”?
TS: It was really amazing working with Michael (Jackson). While we were working with him, we knew that he was filming but it was originally just suppose to be for his own personal collection. We never thought it will be made into this giant feature film. He was great to everyone. He was really just such a nice guy, very professional and knew exactly what he wanted. He was very hands on with all of us working on the show. Just getting to work around him was just amazing.

MG: Tell us about your role of Jesse in this fall’s “Burlesque”?

TS: I play Jesse, she is one of the lead dancers at the “Burlesque” club. My character is pretty sweet and innocent but me and the other girls that work there are not a big fan of Christina Aguilera’s character when she arrives. We do not like her being a new person there. But the club is going downhill at this point so she ends up having this hidden talent that could help the save the club. One of my funny traits is my character wears big frame glasses throughout the movie, even when I am dancing so that was fun.

MG: What was it like working with Cher and Christina Aguilera?
TS: Yeah, it was amazing. I actually had worked with Cher before for a year in Vegas. I danced at her show in Caesar’s Palace. It was really cool for me to work with her again but in a different setting. That was her as an artist and this is her as an actress. She is incredible at both. It is really inspiring because I would also like to be an actress. It was really cool to be around such amazing talent like that. I had a little scene with her and Stanley Tucci, which was awesome to be apart of. Christina is talent is so many different areas as well and this is her first acting role. She is such a great job with it. That was really inspiring to be around as well.

MG: Tell us about your upcoming film “Friends with Benefits”?
TS: In that film, I play the role of Victoria. Aston Kutcher is one of the leads, he works on the production set of television show. The TV show is has a high school setting and my character is the head cheerleader. She is the brat of the group. I actually auditioned for that as a dancer and then the director Ivan Reitman asked me if I would read for a role as role. I got to do both things, which was really cool.

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MovieMikes’ "Hatchet II" Interviews

*UPDATE* 10-14-10

We have a new entry to our “Hatchet II” interviews. Movie Mikes was able to chat with Tom Holland, who plays the role of Bob in the film. This actually marks Tom’s first acting role in a film since 1982 (despite cameos). Thanks to Robert Galluzzo, director of the amazing documentary “The Psycho Legacy” for making this happen!

Like always, Movie Mikes love their horror films. With October now started, this month is sure to be packed solid with horror flicks. This week Adam Green is releasing “Hatchet II” which is a follow-up to his already cult classic “Hatchet”. Being a fan of the first “Hatchet. I was really excited to have seen the follow-up. Thanks to Adam Green the film was actually in fact better than the first unlike most slasher sequels. Movie Mikes was lucky enough to be able to interview the director Adam Green and the star of “Hatchet”  Kane Hodder, who plays the new horror icon Victor Crowley.

Enjoy and please leave comments!

Click here to read Mike G.’s review of “Hatchet II”

HATCHET II INTERVIEWS:

 

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Interview with Tom Holland

Tom Holland is well known in the horror industry for his work throughout this fantastic career. He wrote the script to for “Psycho II”, the sequel to one of horror’s beloved films. Tom has also written and directed such great films such as “Child’s Play” and “Fright Night”. Tom was recently featured in Robert Galluzzo’s must see documentary “The Psycho Legacy” which chronicles his work on “Psycho II” and celebrates one of horror’s greatest series. Movie Mikes was able to chat with Tom about his fantastic career and his return to acting in the recently released “Hatchet II”.

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Mike Gencarelli: You wrote the script for “Psycho II”, you must have been nervous creating a sequel to one of the most beloved horror films?
Tom Holland: I was a nervous wreak. I may have never been scared in all my life. I have also never worked so hard in all my life on a script. You knew walking in the reviewers were going to kill you no matter what. Everyone was saying at the time “How can you make a sequel to the greatest horror film ever made?”. I did everything I could to remain faithful to the original. I think that there is nothing in the sequel that doesn’t logical fit in with the original. We wanted to do something intelligent. It was based on creating a part for Tony Perkins that allowed Norman Bates to be sympathetic at the same time he was a serial murderer. We couldn’t have gotten it made without Tony. It started out as a cable movie for Oak Communication in San Diego.  Since we got Tony Perkins to say “Yes”, the worldwide publicity was so high it convinced Universal to make it into a feature film. This was done before they had all these sequels or remakes or anything like that. We were doing an original movie standing on the shoulders of the greatest film in the horror genre. It was an enormous success and spawned two sequels. It has grown and grown over the years on cable and DVD. It has really been an amazing experience.

MG: Tell us about revisiting “Psycho” in Robert Galluzzo’s “The Psycho Legacy” documentary?
TH: You have someone like Rob Galluzzo who comes along and has this amazing love for the “Psycho” series.  This is really a brilliant documentary. It is also an act of love on Rob’s part. I think he spent four or five years working on this film.  He really did such a beautiful job. The editing on the project is amazing, it was done by a guy named Jon Maus. It is a real labor of love.

MG: Most of the films you directed also came from your own scripts i.e. “Fright Night” and “Child’s Play”, did you find it easier to direct from your own scripts?
TH: Yes, if you write a strong script you have already taught yourself so much about what you will have to know to direct it.  You have already fought half the battle but it all depends on if the script is strong.  That is a key factor.

MG: How do you feel that “Fright Night” appeals to even non-horror fans?
TH: Fright Night is really an homage. It is a love letter to horror films. I think that people pick up the warmth, the good feeling and the humor from the film. I think it is a horror film about horror films.  I am glad that it is able to appeals to people outside the genre.

MG: How do you feel that your films “Fright Night” and “Child’s Play” are now being remade?
TH: OH, God bless them. What do I say at this point. I think it is terrific and I will take it as an homage. If not to be personally then to at least to my commercial instincts. On the other hand, I think it is bankrupt creatively. I would rather them do originals. This is where we are right now and this is how they lessen the risk. I feel that if you keep on doing these reboots or sequels, it doesn’t offer as much room for new guys coming up.

MG: You recently are in front of the camera in “Hatchet II”, how was it working on that film?
TH: Adam Green met and I became friends at the Mick Garris’ “Masters of Horror” dinners. Since the show went off the air, a bunch of us get together for an occasional dinner at Mick’s behalf. Adam asked me if I would want to act in “Hatchet II”. I was a fan of his work.  You could have knock me over with a feather. I started out as an actor, but I haven’t had a paying acting job since “The Winds of War” in 1982. I’ve done some cameos but this is the first time in 28 years that I had a real part. I had a ball doing it. I was terrified during the big dialogue scene but I had Danielle Harris to get me through it. I felt much more confident acting in the action scenes because as a director, I know what Adam needs to cut it together.

MG: Tell us about being honored at the 2010 Reaper Awards?
TH: I won a Grimmy for Lifetime Achievement. I want to thank Steve Barton, Dread Central and Home Media Magazine. They did a beautiful job at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. You go to a horror function and everyone is very supportive and wonderful, it is so different from normal Hollywood events. It was a really pleasant experience for me.

MG: Are you currently working on any projects now?
TH: Yes, I am currently working on “Tom Holland’s Twisted Tales”. I am actually working on it with Rob Galluzzo. In one story, we got William Forsythe and Danielle Harris. In another I have A.J Bowen, who is becoming a big genre star. I like casting within the genre. We are in production now and hope to have them distributed some time next year.
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Interview with Alan Ritchson

Alan Ritchson is the star of Spike TV’s hit show “Blue Mountain State”, which is returning for season two this month. Alan also has a recurring role on The CW’s “Smallville” playing the character of Aquaman. Also little known fact, but he provided the facial image and movement for the title character in Robert Zemeckis’ “Beowulf”. Movie Mikes had a chance to chat with Alan about his roles and his love for what he does.

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Mike Gencarelli: Tell me about your role in Spike TV’s “Blue Mountain State”, you play Thad Castle?
Alan Ritchson: Thad Castle is the overzealous captain of the team. People think he is crazy when they watch the show. I find the character as somebody that has a different set of logic. He cares about the football team and leading them, just in a different way. That is where a lot of the hilarity ensues. It is funniest character I have ever had a chance to play. Before we even shot the pilot, I am reading the script and I thought this is the funniest thing I have ever read. I thought there was no chance they would be able to keep some of the stuff in the show that made it so funny. There is no way you are going to be able to have a cookie race with oreos in your butt-cheeks and running down field. But there we were shooting the episode and I asked “How are we going to do the cookie race?”. They told me “You are going to wear a jock strap and run down the field”, [laughs] I was shocked. We are waiting to get to the point where the writers come up with an idea that basically is a challenge for Spike’s standards department. We haven’t been able to get to that point yet.

MG: With the show entering its second season, what is in store for this season?

Photo by: Philippe Bosse/Spike TV

AR: Oh man, there is some good stuff. It is a more explosive season. Some episodes we did were just so epic. I do not want to give away what happens but some of the situations we get into are just so crazy. All I can say is it is a hard hitting season.

MG: What has been the hardest part of working on the show?

AR: That is a great question. I do not think anyone has ever asked me that. It is such a fun show. It has such a great cast and crew, it is such a collaborative effort. We have so much input in the show. If I were to complain about something on the show, I have to be the worst person alive because there is really nothing to complain about. As far as difficulty, there was a scene we did where we were tunneling out of a facility in the ground. We are shooting this scene where we are coming out of the mud. They built this giant mud stage. It was physically insane. I was wondering if I was going to die in this mud. I had no idea how I was even going to get out. The rain was like two degrees, it was freezing. It had to be the most physically demanding thing I have had to do on the show. It was still fun though. I slept like a baby that night.

MG: Tell about about working on the show “Smallville” as Arthur Curry/Aquaman?
AR: It has been a really cool run for me. I started out as a little guest star. It has been really well received. I mean a show that has been on for ten years, are you kidding me? It is so rare.  As far as coming back for this last season. I think this is where is it going to get really exciting. They are finally starting to take some of those layers off and you are really getting to the gritty stuff. That is exciting for me as an actor. It is going to be really cool.

MG: Tell us about your involved with the film “Beowulf”, your were the character model?
AR: What you were looking at on the screen that was me. I didn’t get to do the voice though.  I was fresh into LA and would have loved to have been a part of that though. You have someone like Ray Winston to come in and voice it, which is great. The main difficulty for them is that he was the only actor voicing the part who didn’t look anything like their character. They brought me in to be Beowulf. It was great for me since it was one of my first projects. Getting to work on a Zemeckis film and getting to be around all the great talent. It was a really cool start. The process is so insane. They are photographing you moving, not moving, with clothes and without clothes. It was unbelievable.

MG: What else are you currently working on?
AR: I have worked on a couple of projects that have yet to hit. There is a comedy called “Spring Break ’83”. I do not know exactly when it will be done. That was a fun project to work on. It was sort of a Thad-esque character but in the 80’s. It is like a throwback to “Animal House” and “Revenge of the Nerds”.

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Interview with Erin Gray

Erin Gray is well known for her role in the short lived but cult classic sci-fi series “Buck Rogers in the 25th Century”.  Erin also starred in the TV series “Silver Spoons”.  Movie Mikes had a chance to talk with Erin about her feelings on the shows popularity still after decades and what she is currently working on.

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Mike Gencarelli: How did you get involved with the show “Buck Rogers in the 25th Century”?
Erin Gray: Where do I begin?  I have just made the transition from being a model in New York and moved to Los Angeles.  Within a couple of months, I started working with Universal Studios.  Shortly after, I was starring in mini-series called “Evening in Byzantium” with Glenn Ford.   Once I finished production on that I was asked to come in and do a screen test for a project called “Buck Rogers”.

MG: Although any lasting two seasons are you supposed that the show was such a cult classic, how do you feel about that?
EG: It absolutely amazes that it has become such a cult classic.  We certainly did not know at the time that it would resonate for so many more decades.  Obviously “Buck Rogers” had a great history to begin with.  A lot of fans were familiar with the comic books and the previous TV series.  We brought a new look, feel and humor to “Buck Rogers”.  It still blows my mind that after 30 years it is still in the hearts of minds of so many fans.

MG: How was it switching gears from sci-fi “Buck Rogers” to “Silver Spoons”?
EG: It was a major shift.  As a matter, I didn’t realize what a shift it was until I meet fans and they don’t put the two shows together.  It is the same girl.  I guess it is a bit different.  For me I guess the idea of learning comedy was different.  I am more of a method actor and more comfortable in the world of drama. Comedy has its own beat, rules and process.  I really loved it.  I loved the live performances.  I loved my cast and crew I worked with.  It was a really enjoyable 5 years of my life, a really enjoyable mix of work and family.

MG: Tell us what it was like working on the film “Jason Goes to Hell”?
EG: It was fun.  “Friday the 13th” was a fun to work on due to the exuberant feelings of the cast and the crew. Working with Sean Cunningham was great.  He brings a certain sense of humor and a ‘don’t take life too seriously’ attitude to the set as well.  He talked me into doing “Friday the 13th” by telling me it was a dark comedy [laughs].  I usually don’t go to horror film or act in them for the reason that I am so easy to scare.

MG: What can you tell us about “Buck Rogers Begins” and your involvement?
EG: Yeah, that project was put together by James Cawley.  He put together the “Star Trek New Voyages: Phase II” webisode series that has had a certain amount of success.  He got the rights to “Buck Rogers.  He raised enough money.  The wrote a  beautiful script but we were able to complete half of it.  They are trying to raise more money to finish it.  It was a wonderful opportunity.  It was fun for Gil and I to play Buck Rogers parents.  I also got to work with my daughter, who played Buck Rogers girlfriend.  This was a prequel to the TV series.  It leads up to the start of the comic book.  This is who Buck was in the late 1900’s before he went into the cave.  It is a period piece and it was great.

MG: What else do you have currently in the works?
EG: I just finished an independent movie called “Nesting”.  I play a business woman who owns real estate.  She gets annoyed by a couple that nests on her property, let’s put it that way.  That will be coming out shortly.  I also have a couple of television commercials floating around.  My primary focus is my talent agent company “Heroes for Hire”.  I also teach Tai Chi 5 days a week.

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Interview with Michael McDonald

Michael McDonald is best known for his role in “MadTV” for almost a decade. He has created so many amazing characters for the show including Stuart Larkin. Michael is currently working behind the scenes writing and directing for ABC’s “Cougar Town”. Michael also has a stand-up comedy special on Showtime which premieres on Saturday October 9th called “Michael McDonald: Model.Citizen”. The special will also be hitting DVD on Tuesday October 12th. Movie Mikes had a chance to chat with Michael about his days on “MadTV”, his work on “Cougar Town” and his upcoming stand-up special.

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Mike Gencarelli: What was it like working on a show like “MadTV” for almost ten years?
Michael McDonald: It is so rare that you get a job that lasts that long on television. A lot of people asked me “Didn’t you get tired of it”. For me I came to the party late. It took me a long time to get a big break and I wasn’t anxious to throw it away. I had an awesome time doing it and ten years seemed like a nice round number. My scalp actually just couldn’t take the wig glue any more and I had to give it up.

MG: How did you come up with such notable characters like Stuart Larkin?
MM: A lot of the characters I did on “MadTV”, I originally developed on stage at a local improv theater in LA called Groundlings. Stuart, to name one, was what I like to call little dark windows from the past. The relationship between Stuart and his mother played so brilliantly by Mo Collins, was based on the relationship I had with my mom. I would often just take things that happened and put that into sketches. When I originally gave the script to Mo, she read it and said “Michael, this is really sick” and my response was “Well, the year was 1975”.

MG: How did you get a cameo in every “Austin Powers” movie?
MM: I actually met Mike Myers at the Groundlings theater. He did a guest spot during an improv night.  He very nicely asked me if I would like to be in the first “Austin Powers”. It was a very funny but memorable part.  I was the guy that gets run over by the steamroller. Rather than run away from it, I sat there and screamed for five minutes until it finally ran me over. Mike was kind enough to ask me if I wanted to be in every one of them. All of them were small kind of inconsequential parts. I think it was his sort of inside joke.

MG: Tell us about working behind the camera in the TV series “Cougar Town”?
MM: Well I am actually calling you from the set of it now.  The creator of the show is Bill Lawrence. He also created “Scrubs”. I worked with him on “Scrubs”, I directed and acted in about five or six of them. He asked me if I wanted to try “Cougar Town” last year. I was hired to just direct one episode. I was so nervous because Courtney Cox is so famous.  She is actually really kind. I was just nervous because she was Courtney Cox from “Friends”. I kept calling her Monica the whole week. I would say “And Monica you are standing over here” and she would go “Monica? What going on?”.  She just ended up teasing me about it all the time. We ended up hitting it off really well and now I am full-time. I write and work on the show full-time and I do stand-up on the weekends or on the hiatus.

MG: Do you enjoy behind the scenes more than in front of the camera?
MM: I have always written and directed along with acting. In the early days, it was really hard for me to get a job as an actor. So I needed to write myself into parts in order to get jobs and then hire myself. I always did that, even on “MadTV”.  I actually really like doing a little bit of everything. I think it is kind of an advantage for me because I am able to talk to actors because I am one. Most of them know what I do, so they trust me. I like that part of it a lot. I think in a couple weeks, I may be playing a small role in “Cougar Town”. It is that of a wine vendor. Which wine is a big part of the show, so I am really happy about that.

MG: Tell us what we can expect from your Showtime special “Michael McDonald: Model.Citizen”?
MM: I am really excited about it. After I left “MadTV”, I hit the road and did the clubs. I missed performing live. I thought it would be a fun new thing to get under my belt. So after a couple years, I had enough material. Showtime approached me to do a special and it premieres Saturday October 9th. It is called “Michael McDonald: Model.Citizen”. There is a period between model and citizen, because I am both. I am really proud of it.

MG: What is the hardest part of doing stand-up compared to sketch?
MM: I always think that stand-up is probably the hardest thing that anyone can do. With sketch comedy you have wigs and professional writers. You can do a second take and do it right. With stand-up comedy, you have one take and that is it.  It is a live performance. You are performing as yourself, there is no funny wigs, costumes,walks or talks. It is just you. Performing in front of a bunch of drunk people in a club is I think the most intimidating thing there is. But also it is very familiar to me because it is like a family reunion.

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Interview with Sam Trammell

Sam Trammell is well known for his role in HBO’s “True Blood” as Sam Merlotte. The blue-collared bar owner who also happens to be a shape shifter. Sam is gearing up for Season Four of “True Blood”, which should start filming early next year.  Movie Mikes caught up with Sam to discuss his role in “True Blood” and what he has planned for the future.

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Mike Gencarelli: Tell us about how you originally got the role of Sam Merlotte?
Sam Trammell: I got the script from my agent. It was going around town and it was Alan Ball’s new show on HBO. It was a hot commodity, everyone wanted to do it. I just went it and met with the casting director.  They taped me and showed it to Alan. They picked me for the final audition to go in front of HBO. There were about three other guys there for my part. I read in front of the president of HBO and all these executives. I found out four hours later I got the part, it was fairly quick turnaround.

MG: What is the best part of playing the character, it seems like it is made just for you?
ST: Thanks man, well I am from Louisiana originally. It is great to be able to play a character who you kind of represent and a guy from where I am from. I love that he is kind of a blue collar dude and that he owns a bar. I never worked in a bar but I always thought it would be fun to work as a bartender. The other part of it is that he is a supernatural creature which is a really cool thing to have under your belt and as a secret. Since I still get to be like a regular guy.

MG: How do you like the direction that your character has taken with being a shape shifter?
ST: The second half of this year was just funniest acting work that I have ever got to do. You see the dark side of him. You get to see a flashback showing him engaged in criminal activity. That was a blast I really enjoyed it.

MG: Where you familiar with the book series, if not have you read since?
ST: I wasn’t before I got on the show. But once I was cast I read the first four books to get a sense of the world and who Sam was. I read ahead basically and as the series goes I will keep reading them. I am just curious to see what Charlaine (Harris) is thinking for these stories.

MG: What has been the hardest part of working on the show?
ST: A few things, the nights are pretty difficult. When you are doing like four nights in a row and shooting all night. What is tough is not getting to sleep during the day. The first couple of nights are not that hard but then it starts to switch your whole rhythm and that is tough. Another thing is that sometimes you will have like a week off. We have a bunch of different story lines, you do not work every day. You have to stay on the character and need to keep you character up.

MG: What can you let us know about Season Four plans?
ST: Honestly, I do not know what is going to happen. I know we are going to follow the book to a certain degree like we have done. I know their are going to be some witches involved in the stories. The writers are figuring it out themselves right now. They are pitching stories and writing the first couple of scripts. Last year was a really big year for us because a lot more people started watching it.

MG: What can you tell us about your upcoming film “Guns, Girls and Gambling”?
ST: Yeah, it stars Christian Slater and Gary Oldman, Dane Cook and also Megan Park from “The Secret Life of an American Teenager”. It sort of a Tarantino-esque hyper reel Western. It sort of involves a bunch of people coming after Christian’s character who has stolen a Native American mask. It is really cool and a lot of fun. I am really excited about it!

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Interview with Kyle Gallner

Kyle Gallner is known for his recent horror roles in “The Haunting in Connecticut”, “Jennifer’s Body” and most recently “A Nightmare on Elm Street” reboot.  Kyle is currently shooting “Red State” which is Kevin Smith next film.  He also has a bunch of indie films hitting the festival through the coming months.  Kyle found time during filming “Red State” to talk with us to discuss his various roles, his love for horror and what he has coming up.

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Mike Gencarelli: Tell me what was it like working on “A Nightmare on Elm Street”?
Kyle Gallner: It was just really cool to work on it because it was a reboot of such an iconic series. It great to see Freddy come back to life and watch people reactions to seeing it was probably the best part about it.

MG: Are you a fan of the original “Nightmare”?
KG: I have never seen the original until we were already filming the movie. But you grow up knowing who Freddy is his, whether you are a fan of the series or not.

MG: Besides acting in it, Are you a fan of the horror genre?
KG: I am actually. I really like horror movies a lot. I like foreign horror movies a little bit more. I think American horror films sometimes glorify death and killing and sometime put too much humor in. In foreign horror movies they seem to take it a little more seriously. I think things are a little more real and brutal.

MG: Any favorite foreign horror films in particular?
KG: I really like “Matryrs”. “The Descent”. “High Tension”. I just saw one that was great called “Thirst”.

MG: Tell us a little about working on “The Haunting in Connecticut”?
KG: That was really cool. It was my first lead role. It was scary for me in the beginning but Virginia (Madsen) was really cool. She took me under her wing and took care of me and made me feel really comfortable and safe.

MG: Your performance in “The Haunting in Connecticut” was pretty intense, how did you prepare for the role of Matt Campbell?
KG: I watched the Discovery Channel documentary a bunch. I read up on it a lot. I read the script a lot and just prepped the best I could.

MG: What can you tell us about working on Kevin Smith’s new film “Red State”?
KG: I probably can’t say too much more than what Kevin (Smith) has already said. It kind of loosely based on Fred Phelps from Westboro Baptist Church and what happened in Topeka, Kansas with their debates about Iraq. It kind of touches on how people can be brutal to other people. Kevin choose to prove this point with a religious aspect.  We have been shooting for three weeks already and it has been really great.

MG: Are you excited to get to work with Kevin Smith, especially on his first horror film?
KG: Yeah, I grew up loving “Mallrats” and his other films. It is cool to be able to work with Kevin when he is going in such a new direction. He is shaking things up a bit, which is really exciting. He is a really great director…A REALLY GREAT DIRECTOR.

MG: What other upcoming projects do you have in the works?
KG: I got a movie called “Cherry” which is hitting up some festivals. I just got off this music movie called “Losers Take All”, which is about me and some guys in a punk band in the 80’s. I got another one called “Little Birds”. I got a bunch of indies in the can now. I am sure they will all be hitting the festivals real soon.

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Interview with Jamison Newlander

Jamison Newlander is known best for his role of Alan Frog in “The Lost Boys”.  Jamison and Corey Feldman are back for the return of The Frog brothers in “The Lost Boys: The Thirst”.  Movie Mikes had a chance to talk with Jamison about what was it like returning to the role and what we can expect for the future of “The Lost Boys” franchise.

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Mike Gencarelli: How does it feel to be reprising your roles as Alan Frog in “The Lost Boys: The Thirst”?
Jamison Newlander: It was really great.  Back when the first movie came out, the fans have always wanted a sequel.  Different times we felt like we got close to it, maybe 10-15 years ago but it never happened.  For me this return was really exciting.  “The Tribe” happened first and it was great that they were continuing the franchise.  I was happy to be involved with that but my involved was limited.  It is great to come back and really give some meat to my character.  It feels great fighting side-by-side with (Corey) Feldman and having the Frog brothers back together again.  Having the dynamic that we had back from the first movie for some really key moments for this film is really exciting for me.

MG: Do you feel that your character has grown through the series?
JN: Yeah, definitely.  It is a couple of things though.  It is different for Feldman because his character, Edgar, has a certain arc.  He has been getting better and better at vampire hunting through his life.  With me there was that part of history of my character between the first movie and now.  The other element that we chose to deal with in this movie, which makes reference to the comic book actually, of me turning into a half vampire.  That is a real challenge for me to wrap my mind around.  You think of Alan Frog…you think of this guy that hates vampires.  Now to be struggling with those feeling.  It is self-hated.  It is conflict.  That was some of the main emotions that were going on for Alan during this movie.  I think it was a big change for him.

MG: Any moments during the shoot of “The Lost Boys: The Thirst” that really stood out?
JN: Working with Feldman in some of the scenes that happen towards the end of the film, we really great.  We actually shot it though in the beginning of the shoot.  We really LOOK like the Frog brothers.  When we were in costume and getting ready to go on set, we were together and they were snapping some pictures.  We looked at them and we were just so excited to be back as the Frog brothers.  Probably one of the best moments for me.

MG: “The Lost Boys: The Thirst” is said to be a true follow-up to the first “The Lost Boys” and it has alot of heart, what can you tell us about that?
JN: It is an interesting aspect of the film.  When we shot it, we wanted to make it scary but also bring a new view on what “The Lost Boys” vampire has become.  I am sure that the writers were thinking about this, but for me it was a nice suprise for me how much heart there was in it.  Also, we even referenced Corey Haim’s character in it. Which was really touching I think.

MG: What can you tell us about the reference to Corey Haim’s character in the film?
JN: People are thinking that the stuff was put in for Corey’s character afterwards.  There is kind of an eerie similiarity with what happened with him in the movie compared what happened in real life.  We make reference that his character Sam dies.  The fact is that, that was already in there.  Corey Haim did a press conference saying that he passed on the third film but it looks like he could return for the fourth one.  It wasn’t added after the fact.

MG: After “The Lost Boys”, your career launched but tell us about you switch to theater and directing?
JN: I appreciate asking me that.  I feel that people always dance around that a bit. A lot of people from “The Lost Boys” moved on to their successful careers.  For me it was a tricky time in my life.  I was 16 when we shot the movie and was 17 in 1987 when they released it.  When it came out theatrical it did well but it was on video that it really became a cult classic.  But that point I was 18 and I already made the decision that it was worthwild for me to go to college.  I left LA and moved to NY and studied theater.  I ended up doing theater in NY for like 10 years after that.  I ended up doing smaller theater projects. It was really fulfilling.   I enjoyed it  a lot.  I was dedicated to the craft of acting.  As part of theater, I started writing plays.  I have since moved on to writing screenplays.  I am working on an internet project right now that I am trying to launch.  It is kind of like a web series but more of an user generated content site.  This forced me to get creative about the projects I was going to do.  Projects like “The Lost Boys” just weren’t coming my way.  So there was a bit a gap for me in Hollywood.  It is only a gap though in perspection for me, because I was busting my ass trying to get other projects done.  It is nice to be working again with Warners Brothers again.

MG: Do you think we will see the Frog Brothers return again?
JN: I do not know officially what the plans are.  What I do know is that everyone is really excited about this movie.  This is mostly due to the fans reaction to this film.  I think everyone at Warners Bros is excited.  Feldman was talking about maybe doing another trilogy.  It would go into more about the adventures of the Frog brothers.  I even heard rumors about a possible TV series, though I am not the official word of Warner Bros or the franchise.  “Lost Boys” is uniquely in touch with what the fans are looking for,  it is up the reaction of how this movie does.  Also how the fans want to see the franchise continue.  Either way it is exciting to hear news about seeing more of the Frog brothers.

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