Interview with Ashley C. Williams

Ashley C. Williams is one of the stars of the horror film “The Human Centipede”. Movie Mikes had a chance to chat with Ashley about working on that film as well as what is has planned next.

Mike Gencarelli: What did you think when you first read the script for “The Human Centipede”?
Ashley C. Williams: I was shocked but I was pretending not to be since I knew that wasn’t what they wanted to see. There wasn’t really script though when I first went in. It was more like a premise, but was also very interesting to me.

MG: At what point did you get to read the script then?
AW: In one of my call backs, I think it was the third. They had a breakdown of each scene and what each scene would consist of. At that point is when I really found out more in detail what the film was going to be about.

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MG: Was it uncomfortable for you staying in that position throughout shooting?
AW: It definitely was uncomfortable for me to be in that position to shoot scenes. It was difficult at first and I wasn’t sure how I was going to have to approach it from an acting perspective. I figured I would just wing it, especially for those insane moments, like anyone would. Overall though, it was exhausting and definitely mentally and physically intense.

MG: What was the longest duration you were in that position?
AW: Actually we were never in that position for longer than five minutes. We would go in shoot a scene and then we were able to get out of it very easily. Whenever they would yell cut they would then throw blankets on us. It wasn’t that difficult in that sense. Althoughafter five minutes our knees would start hurting, our backs would get strained from being pulled forward by Aki. Whenever he would walk Ashylee and my back would be pulled forward. That part was a bit harsh on us.

MG: How was it working with Dieter Laser, was he really as creepy in real life?
AW: On the set we never got to know him because he kept to himself and stood in character the whole time. Until the last day on the set we had a cast party. He was all smiles and wanted to get to know us and we just asking “Who is this man?” He was amazing to work with and gave us so much to feed off of. Even when he wasn’t on the set he would be there behind the camera for us to see to work off. That was great. He was really great to work with.

MG: Tell us about the film, “Empty” which you also star in?
AW: It is about the worldwide gas crisis. It focuses on a couple who come out from a camping trip for a week and find that the roads are deserted and there is this major gas issue. Then from there try have to survive. It resolves around their relationship and how work with each other. It is a thriller/sci-fi/drama. It comes out on DVD, July 26, 2011.

MG: You will also be starring in “Hallow Pointe”, are you excited to be working on this film with such a great genre cast?
AW: I am honored to be working with all of those people. We haven’t started shooting yet and we are currently in pre-production. I am really excited. It is a werewolf film and I have never been a part of that type of film before. It is going to be really fun. I had met Thomas Churchhill at a convention, the director, and we met he said offered me a part of his film. So I am really excited.

MG: What are you currently working on?
AW: I am currently shooting a drama/comedy/coming of age film called “Leaving Circadia”, in which I have a supporting role. We are shooting that right now in New York City. It has a really great cast. Christian Coulson, who played Tom Riddle in “Harry Potter” series. Also Michael Cerveris is in it…he is a Tony award winner. So I am really glad to be apart of it.

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Filed Under: Film Interviews Tagged With: ashley, c, interview, williams, with

Interview with Engelbert Humperdinck

Engelbert Humperdinck is a legend in the international music industry for the last forty plus years, with over 150 million records sold.  He is best known for his hits including “Release Me (And Let Me Love Again)”, “After the Lovin'” and “The Last Waltz” (“The Last Waltz with You”).   Engelbert is currently on a world tour with next up to be at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas.  Movie Mikes had a chance to chat with the legend about his love for music, his tour and his friendship with Elvis.

Mike Gencarelli: Tell us about your latest album “Released”?
Engelbert Humperdinck: I had a great arranger Paul Wilshire, who came from Australia.  We recorded here in Los Angeles.  We had some great tracks on there and some great writers. It was great working with Grammy Award-winning producer Rudy Perez.  The album is really great and there are some great songs on it.  We did a song with James Blunt called “Goodbye My Lover”.  I think that people are really liking this one.  I want to tell you though, right now I have just signed with a new record label in London called Conehead and they have a new project coming out for me.  I do not even know the title of it and it is really under wraps.  But it is something I have never done before in my whole career and it will definitely surprise my record buying public.

MG: How do you feel that your music has changed since the 60’s, if at all?
EH: Music changes, of course it changes.  You have to go with the flow and what is happening in today’s world.  There is some great music in today’s word.  There are some great writers and singers around us, like Adele.  She is writing all of her own stuff, which is unbelievable.  I am hoping that my next album is going to have same the caliber of music that those songs have.

MG: How does it feel to be returning to Las Vegas to perform at the Paris Hotel?
EH: Vegas has been very good to me over the years.  I started working in Las Vegas in 1968.  During that particular time, I had Dean Martin put on the marquee of one of his hotels “Dean Martin Presents: Engelbert Humperdinck”, which is something he never did before for any performer.  He took a shine to me and liked me very much.  I did his show several times.  He even gave me The Golddiggers to take on the road with me.  That only happened in the early days of Las Vegas.  Since then I have played at the Hilton Hotel where Elvis used to play.  I had the good fortune of even using the same suite as him.  It has been an amazing journey for me.  I went from there to MGM and then also Bailey’s.  Now I am at Paris, which is unbelievable.  I hear that all of the cabs in Vegas have my name and billboard on them.  It is really blowing up in Vegas right now, as far as my return. So I am very excited.

MG: You are not only visiting Vegas, you have a world tour planned.  Tell us about the tour and what you have planned?
EH: My upcoming tour is taking me all over the world.  In August, I am going to do a festival in Singapore.  I have been all over the world and that is what I want to do with my life.  I want to go to all the places around the world and sing.  In 1967, I had a hit called “Release Me”, which was number one around the world and it gave me a global audience immediately.  I was able to visit all these lovely countries.  Now I am going back there and spending time around the world and giving my music to the people.

MG: What gets you excited most about going out on stage night after night?
EH: I get the same feeling every night before I walk on stage.  I have been in this business over 40 years now.  I still get excited before I walk on stage.  I am nervous, my hands are cold and I still get butterflies [laughs].  When I walk out there though to the audience and I get the amazing reception from them, it just picks me up charges my batteries and off we go with a great show.

MG: What is your favorite song that make sure to always since at concerts?
EH: Well it has to be my signature tune, the one that started my life “Release Me”.  As you know, it stopped The Beatles from having their 15th number 1 with “Penny Lane”.  That is my big year for me, it all happened in 1967.

MG: Tell us about your friendship with Elvis Presley?
EH: We were good friends.  I had seen his many times.  He told me “I have got all your songs and I have bought all of your albums, as a matter of fact I am going to record some of your songs”.  I told him “In that case Elvis, I am going to record some of yours”.  It was just amazing.  He was a wonderful wonderful man.  By the way, we both had the sideburns but I was the first one with the sideburns [laughs].  I told him “You stole my sideburns” and Elvis says “If it looks good on you…then it looks good on me pal!”.

MG: After this world tour, what do you have planned next?
EH: In between tour dates, I will be doing the album.  Of course it all starts in August, which is when I start recording and I should be finished by the end of September.  It should then be released in early October.

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Filed Under: Music Interviews Tagged With: engelbert, humperdinck, interview

Interview with Allen Haff & Ton Jones

Allen Haff & Ton Jones are the stars of Spike TV’s “Auction Hunters”.  The show is beginning its third season on July 19th with 26 new episodes.  You may not think that buying and digging through storage units is entertaining but these guys are fantastic and make this show one of the best on television.  Movie Mikes had a chance to chat with Allen & Ton about their latest season and their love for what they do.

Mike Gencarelli: How did you guys meet and how did this show become?
Ton Jones: Allen and I were working the auction circuit for years now. Back in the day we were actually competition. We used to go head to head and battle each other out for storage units that we both liked. After beating our heads against each other for so long, we started talking like everyone does in the storage industry. We started finding out what each other likes and I noticed that he was interested in different stuff than I was. We decided that while digging, I came across a bunch of stuff I didn’t not know about that I wanted Allen to try and help me with. So he would help me sell some stuff that I was back stocked on and also vice versa. I would help him get rid of some stuff that he was back stocked on. We both realized we had a vast knowledge of different areas of the auction buying industry. Through years of competition, we decided it was better we worked together and make even more money.

MG: There is a big difference being watching a show and enjoying a show, you guys take a task of storage unit digging and turn it into a hell of an entertaining show, tell us about that process?
TJ: Thank you, well we have a lot of fun. It is easier for us to make a great show due to the team that we work with, they are awesome. But at the same time we each have a blast working together. We make everyday as fun as possible it is not really work when you are doing something that you love. You get to hang out with a buddy, cause trouble, goof off and joke around day in and day out at different locations all around the US. [laughs] And we give each other plenty of crap all the time.
Allen Haff: I can’t believe it, Ton and I have have some nice moments. We had a lot of high fives when the camera weren’t rolling and now they are actually paying us to do this on-camera. Here is the really cool thing…they edit out the really bad moments. So we look like rock stars. The magic of editing is a beautiful thing because I tell you…I buy some really crappy rooms at times. I am trying to say it in the nicest possible way. Ton and I many times have picked some real stinkers. We know now that when we are in the middle of the stinker…we just walk away. In the old days we would have to stick around spend a day unloading the garbage and then spend the next time trying to sell that garbage. Now Ton and I can just turn and burn…and we do. Our whole philosophy is the more money we make the more units we can buy and the better chances we have to hit it big. We do get some big ones but thanks to the magic of editing you do not see all of the bad ones.

MG: How many digs do you have to do to complete to fill a season?
AH: We do hundreds. We wasted some serious tape in the first season because we were trying to please the station since we had cameras there and we thought maybe we should buy some stuff we normally wouldn’t have bought. We threw a lot of money in the garbage can…especially in the first season. The truth is that Ton and I really do not lose money anymore. We got to that point where our strategy and structure of what we do is solid. We got reinforcements we have to come in and sell our stuff and get our money back. We do not lose money…at least not like we used to. For us it is all about buying the hundred rooms…cause when we buy a hundred, our percentage does not lie. We are going to have twenty killer rooms in that hundred. When we first started you’ll have four horrible rooms in a row, and you are thinking about quitting…but it’s worth it for the fifth one if you stick around. Once you have bought enough winners. It is weird, but you can see a winner coming down Main Street. If you know the signs when looking at a storage unit, then it is like playing cards with x-ray glasses on and that is the only way I can describe it. It is not gambling for Ton and I anymore, we know what the cards are.

MG: I read that season three will consist of 26 episodes, compared to the 8 of season one and 9 of season two, tell us about the huge jump?
AH: We are currently finishing up these 26 episodes right now. The idea that we are going to get to travel and go to some places we would normally have to pay to go on vacation…I wanna pinch myself. I can’t believe they are paying us to do it. I think in this season you will see a couple of guys who really know their business in Southern California being thrust into new environments and maybe a few places they should’t have went to. Maybe a few of these places aren’t going to welcome us with open arms. So I would not put the money on the visitors for this one…I will put the money on the home team. These guys know their business and they know their units.  They are going to work together and they are not going to like the outsiders coming in on their turf. I think it is going to be an interesting test. Honestly, if I can just get out of Alaska alive…I will consider that a win [laughs].

MG: I also hear word about a live episode for this season, what can you tell us?
AH: I do not want to disappoint anybody but we work live all the time. I do not know that it will be too much different for us except you might hear a few four letter words from Ton and maybe even from me if I get really excited. I think it will really put the pressure on.  I would really like to choose my live moments, cause let’s face it with the magic of editing…we are now taking that away. There is no safety net. I just hope that it is not a Geraldo Rivera moment. Nine times out of ten, we open up that antique trunk up and guess what is in it…drug paraphilia and as Ton likes to say…
TJ: It’s Christmas porn and George Foreman grills [laughs].
AH: So if that is your idea of live then you have to tune in to see it.  So if we buy the right unit something in there is going to worth our time.

MG: How often do you come across characters like “Chicago Charles” in your work?
AH: That guy looked like Theodore Huxtable, one of my mentors Bill Cosby. He even had the Cosby sweater on. I have never seen a guy talk so much trash. I would have not have picked him to be the real problem at the auction, but man when it came time to buy he was the guy. He was a smart cookie. It is guys like that that make this business really hard. Every single town we go to has a guy like that or worse.

MG: What would you say is one of the coolest items you have found? Weirdest?
TJ: Just imagine that we go through hundreds of storage units a month and anything and everything you can ever imagine that is embarrassing, gross, upsetting, disturbing or funny is in there. It is amazing to go through a lady’s dresser inside the storage unit, you will find reading materials, the Bible…and wow a twelve inch dildo [laughs]. That brings new meaning to the word, her time [laughs]. You go through someone jewelry chest and find their false teeth. Some of these storage units also aren’t 100% sealed. So we will be going through a box and opening something up and out jumps a huge rat in your rat and you near crap yourself cause it just ran down your arm and across the storage unit. We have come across everything. Some units you open up something or move something and you see a leg. You have this moment of sheer panic that there is a body in there and it turns out to be a prosthetic limb. It is insanity. We have so much fun. It is hilarious and disturbing at the same time. Good times.
AH: Ton and I sometimes see things different, which translate pretty well on TV. To speak in your vernacular Mike, I would say that our show is like 50% buddy comedy, 30% horror film, 0% rom-com, and the rest action. Everyday we go into the gladiator pit and battle it out with other guys that think they are best in the business. Just because they don’t have TV shows doesn’t mean that they are aren’t good, because they are good. It is very exciting and you can never relax on our show. When I start to feel comfortable, I disturb myself because I don’t like it. I want to be working hard and always alert.

MG: How you ever found something that you just had to keep?
AH: Let me just say if it was up to Ton, he would keep every single type of gun. We joke, I never met a storage unit I didn’t like and Ton has never met a gun he doesn’t like…ever. One the agreements we made before the camera ever came around was that we would sell the guns. We did a pretty good job of that for a few years but now we are at a point where if he will not get another chance to buy that gun again, then he keeps it. That doesn’t always make for good TV though. But don’t worry because let me tell you that guy has some arsenal [laughs]. He also knows that if there is something that has my name on it and looks like it belongs in “Happy Days” Al’s diner…then it is going in Al’s diner. He wants me to have those things and I want him to have his things. If we take the love of what we do out and make it all about the money…this is not a very interesting business. It is about stories for us and the history. So we definitely keep some stuff but like I said it doesn’t always make for good TV. Let me just tell you though…our houses are the bomb!

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Filed Under: Interviews, TV Interviews Tagged With: allen, haff, interview, jones, ton

Interview with Beau Bridges

Beau Bridges has grown up working in the business with his late father Lloyd Bridges and his brother Jeff Bridges.  Beau is know for his role of Major General Hank Landry in the “Stargate: SG-1 & Atlantis” TV series.  You may know him as Earl’s dad on “My Name is Earl”.  Beau recently appear on the TV series “Brothers & Sisters” and “Franklin and Bash”.  He is set to appear in two films this year, “Rushlights” with his son Jordan and “The Descendants” with George Clooney”.  Movie Mikes had a chance to chat with Beau about his roles and what he is currently working on.

Mike Gencarelli: Growing up in a family of actors, tell us about joining the US Coast Guard after college and was acting always in your sights?
Beau Bridges: I did join the coast guard when I was 17 and served in the reserves for eight years.  Probably around the age of 18 or 19, I started thinking about going into acting as a career.  I did a couple of little things when I was really young, most for fun with my dad’s friends.  I started doing guest spots on different television shows and I enjoyed it.  My dad always enjoyed his life as an actor and that was pretty obvious to me.  I think the real turning point for I got into play called “The Trial of the Catonsville Nine”, written by Father Daniel Berrigan towards the last few days of the Vietnam War.  He was a war activist and was one of the FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives.  He was a catholic priest and burned drafted files with nine other religions priests and nuns.  I performed that play at Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles.  It was the first piece I did that actually had a social significance attached to it.  I have been doing comedies since and televisions shows.  I realized the importance of what us actors provide, which is really communicating ideas.  That remains the most exciting part of the business for me.  It was for my father and it is for my brother and also my children, who are into it as well.  It is a conduit for ideas that us as humans need to address and think about.  I also appear in shows that are pure entertainment and that belongs as well.  I think the projects I get the most fun out of are communicating some sort of important living idea.

MG: Tell us about your latest role of Nick Brody in “Brothers & Sisters”?
BB: That was a lot of fun.  I joined them as they arrived into their last season.  They have been so successful and worked so well together so it was like jumping onto a running train.  It was like a well-oiled machine.  I got to work with my good friend Sally Field.  I play her husband in “Norma Rae”, which was one of the idea movies about union, in which she of course won the Academy Award for.  To get to work with Sally was great fun.  I really enjoyed.

MG: You also just aired in an episode of “Franklin & Bash”, tell us about that?
BB: Those are wonderful young actors.  I do not know how the show is doing ratings wise but I really do wish them well.  They have something good.  I have watched the episode and it is really good.  I also just appeared on another show called “White Collar” and that was also very fun.

MG: What did you like most about playing Major General Hank Landry in the “Stargate” spin-off series and films?
BB: Again that was a situation where I joined them for their last three seasons.  Richard Dean Anderson was their first General and then he retired.  When I came in their wasn’t really a character that was created.  I was invited to help create that character for the General and I really enjoyed that process, that is something you do not get to do that often.  What I did was that I researched General’s throughout history.  I kind of took a little bit from all of them…George Washington all the way up to Tommy Franks.  I applied them to Hank Landry.  That was a lot of fun and I like working in the sci-fi genre as well.

MG: Tell us about working with Jason Lee, again after “My Name is Earl” in “Columbus Circle”?
BB: I am know sure when it was coming out but it was good fun working with Jason.  I really love him as an actor.  I did play his father in “Earl” quite a bit.  I remember when I came on set for the first time on that movie, I walked right past him and didn’t recognize him.  Since he got a haircut and shave like in “Earl” [laughs].  The role was quite a departure for him comparing to “Earl”.

MG: Tell us about your upcoming film, “The Descendants” with George Clooney?
BB: We did that in O’ahu, Hawaii.  I just saw the film and it was quite good.  George was really amazing in it.  It was some of his best work.  I really enjoyed it very much.   Also because it was done in O’ahu, Hawaii and I have a house there.  So I was in my backyard.

MG: What can you tell us about working with your son, Jordan, in “Rushlights”?
BB: I just got an email from the director/writer of that email.  He says they are planning for it to be out in about a month or two, but I haven’t seen it yet.  I just did my loop lines and sound work, so I did get to see quite a few of the scenes.  It seems to be coming together really well.  It was fun working with Jordan.  He is now also in “Rizzoli and Isles”.  I really do love working with my kids.

MG: Tell us about the play you did with your daughter Emily?
BB: My daughter Emily is 25 and she and I recently wrote a play that we performed in Los Angeles called “Acting: The First Six Lessons”.  It was adapted from a novel of the same name by Richard Boleslavsky.  Samuel French just published us so we are really happy about that.  We are planning next to probably tour it around and are in the process of putting that together now.

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Filed Under: Film Interviews Tagged With: beau, bridges, interview

Interview with Ari Graynor

Ari Graynor is starring along side Colin Hanks in the new film “Lucky”. The film is directed by Gil Cates Jr. and was released July 15th in theaters and on demand. Ari really steals the show playing Lucy, who is such a colorful character. Ari will be co-starring in this fall’s “What Your Number?” with Chris Evans and Anna Farris and also”The Sitter” with Jonah Hill & Sam Rockwell. Movie Mikes had a chance to chat with Ari about her role in “Lucky” as well her upcoming projects.

Mike Gencarelli: Tell us what you first thought when you saw the script for “Lucky”?
Ari Graynor: It was insane and I didn’t fully understand it. I essentially went back and read it again to make sure my eyes weren’t deceiving me. I thought it was really funny with really unique characters that I have never seen anywhere else before. It was very exciting.

MG: How did you prepare for such the interesting character Lucy?
AG: Gil Cates Jr. & Kent Sublette wrote such a colorful character on the page. So much of her language is already there. I used dreamwork, which is an acting technique where you use your dreams to understand how you and the character are similar. I am not doing it justice, but it is really intense beautiful work. It is a way to really connect to the character. Since Lucy’s behavior is so outlandish, it was a way for me to get close to the emotional undercurrent of her actions.  I was able to tone in to what was going on with my life, so that I could identify with Lucy. I got to wear these different costumes which were super helpful. I started doing this little dance next to the camera before we would roll to get me into her little bouncy energy. Little things like that.

MG: How was it working with Colin Hanks?
AG: We fell in friendship love over our first lunch in North Hollywood. We realized we better like each other since we are going to be in Council Bluffs, Iowa together for the next two months. We pretty much were forced into thinking we are the best people ever [laughs] because we had nothing but time to spend together. He has this natural talent. He is so funny, smart and creative, as a human being. He is just so silly and funny to be around. We had a really great time together.

MG: You worked with Michael Cera on both Youth in Revolt and “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist”, how did that come about?
AG: I think Michael was big help in “Youth in Revolt” happening for me. We became really close on “Nick and Norah” and had an amazing time together. He was very involved in the making of “Youth in Revolt” and was a lot part of me being in the movie was because of him. It is nice to have friends in good places [laughs]. It was kind of going from playing high school friend to me essentially playing his step mom.

MG: How was it working with such a great cast in “What’s Your Number”?
AG: Yeah, we had like a crazy good time. I am from Boston, so it was such a dream come true to be able to shoot in my home town. Anna Faris and I created a really sincerely relationship. She is one of my favorite people on the planet. I played husband and wife with her real husband. So we are like all bonded like a family now. It was such a fun cast. It was a funny fun time.

MG: You work again with Andy Samberg in “Celeste and Jesse Forever, as well as “Nick and Norah”, was that a coincidence?
AG: Yes, I did. It was a joke we started. We only met very briefing during “Nick and Norah” and “What’s Your Number”, so it was finally great to work with him for real this time and get to know him. He is going to blow people away in this movie. He kills it in such a real heartbreaking and funny performance.

MG: Tell us about working with Jonah Hill & Sam Rockwell in “The Sitter”?
AG: It is the bomb of a movie. It is so good and so funny. It has an amazing early 90’s vibe. Jonah is just one of the funniest guys around. Not only is he a professional actor he is like a mini mogul. He understands everything about the film business. I learned so much from him. We had a great time hang out together. Sam played my dad in the film “Conviction” is now playing my drug dealer. It is funny to be reunited with him but under very different terms. We shot the film in NY in the Fall and I felt so lucky that this is my job.

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Filed Under: Film Interviews Tagged With: ari, graynor, interview

Interview with Gil Cates Jr.

Gil Cates Jr. is the director of the film “Lucky”, which stars Colin Hanks and Ari Graynor. The film is set for release on July 15th. Movie Mikes had a chance to chat with Gil about working on the film and what he has planned next.

Mike Gencarelli: How did you come up with the idea for the film with Kent Sublette?
Gil Cates Jr.: Kent Sublette wrote the script. He and I came up with the idea many years ago. Kent is one of my good friends and he is a really talented writer. Kent is currently writing for “Saturday Night Live” and he is just really funny and has a great sense of dark humor. We were sitting around probably 10 years ago talking about movie ideas and he had this one about a serial killer that wins the lottery. I thought that was so interesting and I can actually remember the day we talked about it years back. We really spent the time coming up with the story around that and figuring out what was the best way to tell the story because it could go so many different ways. I had gone off to make my first film and in that time Kent had written the script and that’s how we came up with it. We had storied it out a bit with these characters and all of the different things that could happen.

MG: Did you find it difficult to balance the contents of the film being it’s a romantic comedy and a serial killer film?
GCJr.: It’s not something you normally see however people always liked the idea of a serial killer winning the lottery. The film is such a character driven piece that it’s not your mainstream romantic comedy or something that is an obvious sell, so it was definitely tricky. I think at the end of the day we used the script that Kent wrote. What we tried to do when I was making the film was to keep it a character piece and as real as possible.  No matter how silly a situation got or what happened between the characters, they were meant to be real people who were going through real issues. At the end of the day it is a real love story between two people except that one happens to be a serial killer who won the lottery and the other is a crazy small town girl that is an opportunist looking to move up. She ends up getting more than she bargained for.

MG: How did you end up with such a great cast?
GCJr.: Colin Hanks was the first person that went to when we knew we were going to be able to make the film. Colin is such a likeable person that I thought it would be interesting verses casting someone a little more malicious or who had an edge. Colin is just a naturally likeable guy. Colin and I read with a bunch of different actresses and there were some great people there but Ari Graynor was really right for this role. She was just great and understands comedy so well. The one thing Ari, Colin, Ann-Margaret and Jeffrey Tambor all have in common is they all at one time or another done theater work. Their understanding of the process and appreciation of the story is I think what everyone responded to. For Jeffrey this isn’t a typical role but I think he responded to the story and the role. The script and timing I think also helped with the cast.

MG: What do you think was the biggest challenge while making the film?
GCJr.: The biggest challenge working on the film I think was getting it made. We worked on trying to get the film made for years. We have done other projects while still pushing this one and nothing was more challenging than that! Once we got on the set with the actors just like any other projects there are moments of challenges that arise. But just getting the film made and having everyone on the same page with the type of story and tone was the hardest part.

MG: You shot the movie on actual film. Was there a reason you chose that over digital?
GCJr.: I think the question should be is there a reason anyone chooses digital over film? [Laughs] this is my fifth feature length film and all of those have been shot on 35mm film. I have done some other small things that were not done on film but in my opinion nothing is as great as film. Nothing is as true and rich. A lot of times I think people use digital instead of film because of cost. I haven’t met one person that has said that they could have shot on film but used digital because it was more beautiful. It tends to come down to money. I felt film was the best way to do this picture.

MG: Can you tell us about the planned Phase 4 release schedule for the film?
GC Jr.: Phase 4 Films is releasing the film in Los Angeles and New York on July 15th. It will open in two theaters in each market and the plan is to expand from there into other markets. It will be available on VOD as well. We are going to see how people respond to and then on from there.

MG: It will be available on VOD at launch on July 15th?
GCJr.: Some are. It varies buy provider as some are the day of and some are a few days later.

MG: Do you have any other upcoming projects?
GCJr.: I have a theme comedy called “Drunk Dial” that I think will be the next film I’m going to direct. I also have a few other projects that are in a few different stages of development. I have also been writing and we will see what happens.

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Filed Under: Film Interviews Tagged With: cates, gil, interview, jr

Video Interview: A Conversation with Colin Hanks

In case you didn’t put two and two together Colin Hanks is the son of well-known actor Tom Hanks. Colin is starring in the Gil Cates Jr. directed film “LUCKY” along with Ari Graynor, Ann-Margret and Jeffrey Tambor. The film is being released on July 15th in theaters and VOD.

MovieMikes.com’s own Jon Donahue had a KILLER conversation with Colin Hanks to discuss “LUCKY”, his Tower Records documentary and his upcoming role on Showtime’s “DEXTER”! In case you wanna know…Yes they already knew each other prior to the interview. Enjoy and leave comments!!

Here is the premise for the film:
After Ben (Hanks) wins $36 million in the lottery, Lucy (Graynor) marries him, strictly for the cash. Just as she’s beginning to have genuine feelings for him, however, Lucy discovers that he’s a serial killer whose victims all resemble her. Still, though, there’s no way she’s walking away from those lottery checks, even if it means losing her mind and re-burying all the bodies.

Click here to check out Colin Hanks’ Kickstarter site for his documentary – “All Things Must Pass: The Rise and Fall of Tower Records”

Catch Jon Donahue as ‘MIke Dokich’ in season 2 of TNT’s “Men of a Certain Age”, watch free episodes here: http://www.tnt.tv/series/menofacertainage/

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Filed Under: Commentary, Film Interviews Tagged With: colin, hanks, interview, video

Interview with Shaquille O’Neal

Shaquille O’Neal is joining the the TV show “Inside the NBA” on TNT. Shaq recently retired from the NBA in June due to persistent injury. He is a four-time NBA champion during his 19-year career. Shaq is getting ready to join the show alongside Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson. Movie Mikes had a chance to attend a conference call for the formal announcement of Shaq joining the Turner team and got a chance to get some good Q & A.

Mike Gencarelli: Do you think it will be difficult transitioning to becoming an analyst and being able to criticize players?
Shaquille O’Neal: I don’ think it will be hard. Some people give unfair criticism. Some people give fair criticism. I have the ability and backing to give fair criticism. The only time I have a problem with people giving criticism is when they haven’t walked that walk. I have walked many walks in my 19-year career. I think any criticism I give should be fair.

Q: Are you concerned about fitting in with the already established group on “Inside the NBA”?
A: I’ve always been a people person. The good thing about this show, everyone has their own opinion. Kenny has his opinion from a guard’s point of view, Charles has his opinion from a forward’s point of view and I have my opinion from a center’s point of view. I know it will work out very well.

Q: Do you think that you and Charles Barkley will become the new ‘Kobe and Shaq’ duo of television?
A: I would say yes, Charles is a funny guy. He is a guy that says what’s on his mind. I’m just honored to sit up there with him, Kenny and Ernie. We are going to make it very fun. We are going to make it more exciting for the fans to watch.

Q: Where you concerned right off signing a multi-year agreement with Turner Sports?
A: I’m blessed to have the opportunity to have [other networks] and TNT come after me. But it was a deal I couldn’t resist.  Out of my respect for everybody I didn’t want to make it a ‘this and that’-type of war. I made my decision very quickly and very professionally. I thought TNT and Turner was the place for me and I’m going to have fun doing it.

Q: Kenny Smith gave you the nickname “The Big Analytical”, do you like that one?
A: [laughs] I like that one. Good job, Kenny. That’s pretty good.

Q: Do you still have plans for pursuing your law enforcement career?
A: I still have plans on running for sheriff, but not anytime soon.

Q: Did you ever watch TNT’s “Inside the NBA” during your playing days?
A: I did watch the show. It was one of my favorite shows. As a matter of fact, I watched it after every game. The interaction between Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, and Charles Barkley was very entertaining and very fun, and I’m honored to be able to sit next to those guys.

Q: You think you will ever want to come out of retirement and get out there again?
A: No. One word answer: No.

Q: How did you want to be remembered as a player?
A: I want to be remembered as the most dominant player ever or one of the most dominant players ever. One of my goals was to win numerous amounts of championships and another one of my goals was to pass Wilt Chamberlain in points, because I felt like if I passed him in points then I would be alone by myself as the most dominant player. Because of injury, that didn’t happen. Hopefully, I’ll be touted as the most dominant or one of the most dominant players ever.

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Filed Under: Film Interviews Tagged With: interview, oneal, shaquille

Interview with Femke Wolting

Femke Wolting is co-founder and head of Submarine, an Amsterdam based production studio that develops and produces documentaries and cross media programs for broadcasters and media companies. Femke is one of the producers, along with Bruno Felix, of the recently released “Forget the Film, Watch the Titles!”  Movie Mikes had a chance to chat with Femke about the film and her company.

Mike Gencarelli: How did you come on board the film “Forget the Film, Watch the Titles!”?
Femke Wolting: A couple of years ago I curated a program for the Internatioanal Film Festival Rotterdam about the art of opening titles for movies. People loved to see the most amazing titles from around the world in movie theatre. After that. In 2005 I started with my company Submarinechannel the website Forget the Film watch the Titles, where we collect the best titles from around the world. We also started to make short documentaries about the designers of these titles, such as Karin Fong, Jarson Yu and of cours Kyle Cooper. We got very inspired by the work and personality of Kyle Cooper and started to develop a feature length documentary about opening titles for films.

MG: I find the concept for the documentary fascinating, how did you come up with ideas on what was going to be covered in the film?
FW: The documentary, “The Obsessions of Kyle Cooper” zooms in on the world of title sequence design, taking the viewer on an inspiring journey of discovery peppered with titillating images from the present and the past with the headstrong, distinctive, and somewhat obsessive title creator Kyle Cooper in the lead role. With Cooper as our guide, we explore the history of the modern title sequence. We look back on a selection of legendary and often groundbreaking title sequences from the present and the past.

MG: What I like about the documentary is that it is not limited to just film, you also cover shorts, TV and even video games. Tell us about some of the titles feature in the film?
FW: We will focus on film titles for movies mainly but will show that for some tv series and video games too there are also great titles being made, such as for example True Blood.

MG: Do you personally have an all-time favorite opening title?
FW: I love Kyle Coopers film title for Seven because it was such a groundbreaking work , In one fell swoop, Cooper set a new precedent in title design, in terms of both content and creative approach
I also love the classiscs, of course the work of Saul bass for Hitchcock and Martin Scorsese. In Europe the titles of Guan Gatti who works with Pedro Almodavar

MG: Do you feel that titles are ever looked passed and even skipped with some audiences?
FW: I feel that people are more aware of titles then before. Studios use them to promote movies, people like to go to our the internet to watch the newest titles. Filmmakers, musicvideo and commercial directors follow closely what I going on in film titles as source of inspiration and to see new techniques being tried out. And in certain cases the titles even get more critical acclaim then the feature films that follows, this happened for example with the film Watchmen. But of course there are still a lot of people who are not aware that titles are something to look out for..

MG: What would you say is your main goal to have watchers take away when seeing the film?
FW: Officially, the title sequence should introduce the movie’s title, the most important actors, and the director in no more than two or three minutes. A good title sequence however, communicates a lot more than just the credits – offering atmosphere, story, and feeling. It takes viewers right to the heart of where the director wants them to be: breathless and on the edge of their seats. It is the viewer’s first impression of the film and sets the tone for what will follow. As a filmmaker, this is the moment you either grab viewers – or lose them. The title sequence is an essential part of the film. By the same token, the title sequence genre offers more creative freedom and room for visual innovation, than any other in Hollywood. That is why the most commercial blockbusters, particularly superhero movies, often have the most mind-boggling, creatively edgy, and surprising title sequences of all. While the rest of the film industry is increasingly constrained by conservative production values, the title designer enjoys almost total freedom. His position in Hollywood’s film industry is thus unique. So we would like that viewers after watching the film will take a better look at movie titles.

MG: Tell us about the website, Submarine Channel, which has recently launched, watchthetitles.submarinechannel.com?
FW: In order to give these usually unsung jewels the continuing attention they deserve, we’ve launched and continue to frequently update the website watchthetitles.submarinechannel.com. This much-visited favorite of web-surfing film and motion graphic fans has since accrued a collection of over 150 title sequences, including those from “Juno”, “The Pink Panther”, “True Blood”, and “God of War III”, and video interviews with notables like Prologue Film’s Kyle Cooper and Imaginary Forces’ Karin Fong.

MG: What do you have planned upcoming?
FW: We are working on a feature film to be directed by Peter Greenaway (“The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lovers”) about the Russian film director Eisenstein. Also we are producing a feature doc directed by Tommy Pallotta (producer of “Waking Life” and “A Scanner Darkly”), a hybrid live action/animation film about the pirates in Somalia.

Click here to visit the website for “Forget The Film, Watch the Titles!”

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Filed Under: Film Interviews Tagged With: femke, interview, with, wolting

Interview with Richard Morrison

You probably know title designer Richard Morrison’s work for movies such as “Batman”, “Brazil”, “Enemy at the Gates”, and “Sweeney Todd”. Richard is one of the 9 interviewed title designers from the DVD “Forget the Film, Watch the Titles!” Movie Mikes had a chance to ask Richard a few quick questions about his work.

Mike Gencarelli: When you are working on a title design, what is your first process?
Richard Morrison: Scribble and doodle out my first impressions – fast

MG: Do you have a lot of influence from the film’s score when working on a title?
RM: No, because I start with no music.

MG: “Brazil” is one of my favorite films. Tell us about working with Terry Gilliams on this film?
RM: Terry has passion and is very engaging – as do I, so we all jump on the same ride

MG: You worked with Tim Burton on “Batman”, tell us about your collaboration?
RM: In short, it is the same as working with Terry, since we all share the same vision. I will be working with Tim again later this year on “Dark Shadows”.

MG: You have worked on two of my favorite horror films, “Hellraiser” & “Event Horizon”, tell us about working on these?
RM: Horror films, in general, my approach is to show less in visual terms and more in sound because the less you see, can be more disturbing than what you think you can see.

MG: The titles on “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” are just amazing, they blend so well with music, tell us about working on this film and your inspiration?
RM: I decided to set the narrative up as a metaphor for what was going to happen when Johnny Depp arrives back to London after his exile.

MG: I love the end credits of “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World”, tell us about your process for creating them?
RM: In one word RUSH…with lots of late nights on the phone to Universal in LA.

MG: How do you feel working in your field has changed since you started in the late 70’s?
RM: From analog to digital is the same for me because my hard drive is in my head not in machines.

MG: What do you have planned next?
RM: Working on “Day of the Flowers” and then like I said “Dark Shadows” with Tim Burton”.
Click here to visit the website for “Forget The Film, Watch the Titles!”

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Filed Under: Film Interviews Tagged With: interview, morrison, richard, with

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 Lee Thompson Young

Lee Thompson Young is currently co-starring as Barry Frost on “Rizzoli and Isles”.  The show is beginning its second season July 11th.  Lee Took some time to chat with Movie Mikes about the season two and what we can expect from his character.

Mike Smith: What do you like most about playing Barry Frost on “Rizzoli and Isles”?
Lee Thompson Young: I really enjoy portraying his technical and computer knowledge.  It’s really fun to be sitting at a computer and breaking down video footage or researching terrorists’ criminal records.  It give me something fun to play and those scenes have the energy of a mystery being solved.  It’s almost like a Sherlock Holmes moment.  To me those things are the most fun about playing Detective Frost.

MS: What can fans expect from your character this season?  Anything jaw dropping?
LTY: I certainly hope there is some jaw dropping stuff.  We definitely learn more about my character this season.  My father comes to visit us in the office.  I won’t go into detail why but it’s all geared and woven into one of the cases we’re dealing with.  We learn a lot about his family and who he is…his growing up and his relationship with his family.  There’s definitely a lot more history about Detective Frost this season.

MS: What is the most challenging aspect for you working on the show?
LTY: The most challenging thing, and it’s similar on all television shows, is that we’re doing fifteen episodes and the challenge is to come in on episode ten with the same intensity and freshness and excitement that you had in episode one.  Keeping it alive and staying 100% involved in your character over six months.  On a feature you just have that one story and you can perfect each moment and it’s done.  But we do one story every week and a half so just keeping it fresh is a challenge.

MS: You’ve got two very strong actresses (Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander) leading the cast.  How is it working with them?
LTY: What I take away most is the skill that they have and the job they do.  If they’re women or men, it doesn’t really play that much into the experience.  Everyone in the cast is a professional.  Having Angie and Sasha there is like going to a master acting class every day.  They are both very skilled and when I watch them I try to take away things…I notice the choices that they make.  The only major difference in having two girls or two guys in the lead is that sometimes hair and make up takes a little longer (laughs).

MS: How do you prepare for a role?
LTY: I love doing research for my roles.  To me it’s one of the best parts of the job.  For this role I went to Boston and spent about a week with the homicide unit.  They gave me the rundown on how they work and how they live.  It was really eye opening and probably the most valuable investment I’ve made over the past two years.  It’s given me so much fuel to play this character.

MS: How was your experience working on the film “The Hills Have Eyes II?”
LTY: That was great.  That was great!  We shot it in Morocco, which was a mind blowing experience.  I loved Morocco…I was surprised at how much I loved it….because I thought it was just in the desert, no big deal.  But the rocks..the mountains, the sky at night…everything was very beautiful.  But it was a tough shoot.  A hundred degrees plus temperatures in the day time…running around all day in a full National Guard Army uniform.  A lot of long hours doing very intense stuff…running, screaming, getting shot…shooting people.  But because it was so intense I think it was a very strong bonding experience with the cast.  But we had a lot of laughs.  We worked hard and we played hard and we had a good time.

MS: Do you have a preference between television and film?
LTY: I think that there are pros and cons to each medium.  But what it ultimately boils down to me is the quality of the story that I’m going to be involved in, be it t.v. or film.  With TV the schedule sometimes pushes you to move a little faster and you might not get as much time as you’d like to get a moment right.  But you also have a lot of time to develop the character over a series of episodes.  On a movie you sometimes can’t reach the same level of depth but…you know the script five months in advance…you can study each moment and spend the time to get it just the way you want it.  When it’s done it’s done and you can put it to rest.  Both mediums have their benefits.

MS: Besides the new season what other projects do you have coming up?
LTY: We shoot the show for six months and a lot of the time stuff that comes up in the middle of the year I’m not available for.  I don’t have anything lined up right now but I’ll try and have something lined up by the end of the season.  I’ll get with my representation and try to see what’s going on and hopefully there will be some things that come out of that.

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Filed Under: Film Interviews Tagged With: interview, lee, thompson, young

Interview with Alfred Rubin Thompson

Alfred Rubin Thompson started out his entertainment career as Hip-Hop artist “The Icon”. During this time an offer came his way which led his career into a new direction that has proved very successful for Alfred. Movie Mikes had a chance to catch up with Alfred to talk about his career and some of his upcoming projects.

Adam Lawton: Can you tell us what made you want to start acting?
Alfred Rubin Thompson: I grew up in Hollis, Queens during the same time as Russell Simmons and Run DMC, who were very much into business. I had started out in music first. After a few years of being in the entertainment business, I was in church one Sunday and was asked to play the voice of God in a play. That same day I was asked by another woman to play the same role in her play which was being put on at the Macauley Theater. I kind of took that as my sign to move into the direction of acting. During the second play, I was approached to try out for a commercial. From there I got my first feature film on BET, “Winner Takes All” and it has just taken off since.

AL: Can you tell us about the film “Decisions”?
ART: “Decisions” was released this Spring in select theaters across the country. I play the character of Oakland Nate, who is a crooked music producer. We shot the movie last year and this is the last film to feature Corey Haim. “Decisions” is about four guys who are trying to figure out a way to get out of their normal everyday lives. During the characters search they get caught up in a bank robbery which leads to some other problems for them. The thought behind the movie is to encourage proper decision making in your life. Often time one decision will impact other upcoming decisions later on in life. I had a great time working on the film. I think audiences are really going to enjoy it.

AL: Can you tell us what it was like working with Corey Haim?
ART: Corey was just a good guy. He was very outgoing and giving. He worked very hard on every scene to make sure the director had what they needed. We all were very shocked and sad when he passed away. It would have been great to see him in more projects as he got older. His work as a child actor was phenomenal. Corey was a really great guy and we all miss him.

AL: Can you tell us what it was like working with Will Farrell on Steve Carrell’s last episode of “The Office”?
ART: Oh my goodness! That was one of the most fun and extreme episodes. It’s one of those episodes where even if I wasn’t in it I would still sit back and just laugh. Working with Will was just hilarious. He’s such a comedic genius and his timing is perfect. Will is great person at heart and if you need him for something he’s there. Working on “The Office” in general was just great! NBC welcomed me with open arms. I thank God for that opportunity. That episode is going to go down as one of the best in history for NBC.

AL: Has there been any talk of your character being on the show again?
ART: There might be a possibility of my character coming back to kind of stir up something’s with the company. We will see. There have been talks about it but right now NBC is really focusing on the transition between Will Farrell’s character and some others that they are going to be bringing in. I think once they get that area of the show set you will see my character more.

AL: From your work in music, acting and voice over. Do you have a preference for one over the other?
ART: I enjoy all the talented crafts of the arts. You get to bring something different for each one. Acting allows me to convey emotion through movement, dialogue and facial expressions. Voice over work allows me to use just my voice to act out what the character is saying or doing. Music allows me to expression myself emotionally and let people know what I am thinking about different issues. I really enjoy the art of entertainment as a whole.

AL: Can you tell us about one of your other upcoming projects “Hemmingway and Gellhorn”?
ART: That is a project being done by HBO, who doesn’t do anything small! (Laughs) The project stars Nicole Kidman and Clive Owen and is based on Earnest Hemmingway’s memoirs from between 1936-1946. Getting to work with such a great group of actors and actress is really a pleasure. Most of my scenes in the film are with Clive Owen, as I play the character of Skinner. Clive is a witty and clever guy and it was great! HBO really believes in their projects as well as you as an actor. We just completed shooting the other day and I think the project is slated for release sometime in 2012. It’s a very interesting story that I think people will enjoy.

AL: Do you have any other upcoming projects?
ART: I was shooting a project the other day for Nickelodeon, which I can’t say too much about but I do have another shoot with them next month as well. I am up for a few more films which I hope will keep me busy throughout the summer which is really great.

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Filed Under: Film Interviews Tagged With: alfred, interview, rubin, thompson, with

Interview with LaMonte Edwards

LaMonte Edwards is the writer/director of the new film “King of Paper Chasin’”. The film is currently airing on The Movie Channel and is available to purchase in stores and rent on Redbox and Netflix. Movie Mikes had a chance to chat with LaMonte about the movie and he has planned next.

Mike Gencarelli: Can you tell us about your new film “King of Paper Chasin’”?
LaMonte Edwards: “King of Paper Chasin’” is about a character named Carter Blanche, who is like an American nightmare.  He is the guy who will do pretty much whatever he needs to do to make money, in the vein of Tony Soprano.  He takes advantage of all different aspects of capitalism, some legal and some illegal, to make money.  He is the lead character and that is basically the core of the story.

MG: What inspired the idea for the film?
LE: Actually I did the film with a gentlemen by the name of Dwayne “D.L.” Clark, who actually had the idea based on some of his own life experiences.  He called me up one day and said he had this idea for a movie.  He wanted to take a look at the script and make it more of an entertaining vehicle.  We sat down and he had some great ideas and I just ran with it.

MG: Can you describe the experience of working on your first full length film?
LE: It was very interesting.  I was able to surround myself with good talent and natured people.  The movie has some pretty dark subject matter.  The beauty of that is your able to balance it with some really great people on set.  We had to shoot it relatively fast because we had a very limited budget.  We shot it in 28 days and maybe in that time we took 4 days off.  It was brutal.  He had a lot of locations and characters also.  The good things is my cameraman and I have been friends since pre-school.  We created like a family-aspect on the set which made it easier to do a film like that in such a short period of time.

MG: In your opinion what was harder: writing , producing or directing?
LE: I would say that producing is the hardest.  The thing with producing, especially independent films, is you are really trying to make impossible things happen.  You are dealing with all the talent and trying to get them to perform on your schedule.  So that is definitely the toughest part.

MG: Can you tell us when and where people can see the film?
LE: The movie is currently on DVD.  It is in Walmart in stores and it is also online.  It is currently also in Redbox as of May 31st.  It is going to screen on The Movie Channel (TMC) July 1st at 8pm, which is a Friday.  There will be subsequent screenings all through the month on TMC and Showtime after that.

MG: Can you tell us about any other upcoming projects?
LE: I am working on my next project titled “Melvin the Magnificent”.  It is a fantasy drama.  It is currently shopping right now.  We trying to get a cast involved.  So that is next and we are actively doing it right now.

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Filed Under: Film Interviews Tagged With: edwards, interview, lamonte, with

Interview with Matt Taylor & Jim Beller

June 2005. On the island of Martha’s Vineyard I meet Jim Beller at JAWSFest. As a fellow “Jaws” fan I have been well aware of the man they call Jimmy Jaws for the better part of a decade. But we hadn’t met face to face until that summer. During our conversation Jim tells me an idea he has. A coffee table book consisting of behind the scene photos telling the story of the making of our favorite film. “Good idea,” I say.

June 2007. Back on the Vineyard and moments after I propose to my future wife in a room filled with “Jaws” fans, I am introduced to Matt Taylor, who Jim has told me will be writing the coffee table book.

April 2011. I am as giddy as a school boy as I am given the first look at the new book, “Jaws: Memories From Martha’s Vineyard.” Did I mention that I thought it was a good idea?

Over this past 4th of July weekend I had the unique opportunity to shadow book author Matt Taylor and conceptualist Jim Beller on Martha’s Vineyard as they met with film fans and discussed their new project. During some rare down time in their whirlwind schedule, as fans gathered for a screening of the film, they took a few moments to sit down with MovieMikes and talk about the book.

Mike Smith: Why “Jaws?”
Jim Beller: Why not “Jaws?” (laughs)

MS: What is it about that film that, 36 years later, you and I and all of the people standing in line behind us still love it?
JB: I think it’s because it’s a movie that still holds up today and will still hold up 20 or 30 years from now. People will always have that fear of not knowing what’s under them when they’re swimming in the ocean. It’s a movie that has everything: great directing, great acting…editing, score, art direction, great writing…it’s a film that has everything. It’s a comedy, it’s a drama, it’s a horror movie, it’s a thriller. It’s a movie that will go on and on. Like (“Jaws” production designer) Joe Alves says, it’s like “The Wizard of Oz.” Years from now other generations are going to watch it and love it.

MS: Matt, you spent three years traveling across Martha’s Vineyard and discovering stories that even serious “Jaws” fans had not heard. Was it an easy task tracking down people?
Matt Taylor: It was an easy task tracking down the people I knew. Islanders are very set in their ways. They may not do things the same way that off-Islanders would. Often times it was very difficult to lock them down for a time to talk or to show up. They might say “yes” to something then keep you waiting for five months. It was either very easy or extremely difficult.

MS: Did the fact that you yourself are an Islander…you’re family has lived here for 15 generations…did that give you an advantage that another author might not have had?
MT: I think so. I didn’t think Hershel West was even going to answer the door. So I dropped my grandfather’s name and after about 20 seconds I heard him undoing the latch. (NOTE: Mr. West played Quint’s first mate early in the film) It helped that I could drop the name of a family member that they were familiar with. Lynn and Susan Murphy have been friends with various family members from way, way back. Susan told me that as soon as Lynn realized who my relatives were he really opened up. So yes, it definitely worked to my advantage.

MS: Is the book your first writing project?
MT: Actually I’ve written a lot. I’ve had three screenplays read by major studios, though nothing yet has seen the light of day. But the book is the first thing that’s been published.

MS: Jim, what is your rarest “Jaws” item?
JB: I have a “Bruce” tooth. It’s not really rare but it’s up there as far as collectibles go. I really have two very rare items. The first is a standee that stood in theatre lobbies in 1975. For years I had no idea it even existed…I had never seen one. But then I saw a photo of another fans collection and I was like, “what is THAT…where did you get THAT?” (I should note here Jim was talking about MY collection and finally did track down the standee in question). The other item is a hard back copy of the novel, “Jaws,” which spent the summer of 1974 on board the U.S.S. Loreno, which was the name of one of the sea sleds that carried the sharks used by the crew during filming. The crew member that had it would have everyone that came aboard sign it. There are probably close to 75 autographs in it, including Bob Mattey, who created “Bruce.”

MS: Matt, what are you working on now?
MT: I have a film that I have to go back and finish. I shot it in 2007 and was assembling a rough cut when I decided to drop everything and concentrate on the book full tilt. I put it on the back burner but now I’m going to go back and finish it up. It’s a documentary on the history of agriculture on Martha’s Vineyard.

MS: I know that the book was a roller coaster ride for you both, with lots of ups and downs. Now that you’ve climbed that last hill it should be all fun on the way down. What do you hope for next?
MT: Money.
JB: [Laughs]
JB: For me it’s knowing that I can finally talk with fellow fans about stuff I’ve known for years but couldn’t talk about because of the book. It’s great to finally have this book out…with over 1,000 never-before-seen photos and probably as many unheard stories…that “Jaws” fans will be completely blown away by. It will be great to talk with fellow “Jaws” fans about their favorite new stories. [Laughs] And money.

MS: Any chance you two will collaborate on another project?
JB: We’ve talked about a couple things. There are still many photos…and stories…that the fans haven’t seen or heard.
MT: I had to cut about 50 pages out of the book. Two months before we turned it over to the publisher it was 50 pages longer. I had to trim a lot of it and find a way to rearrange the photos after all of the cuts had been made. There are still completely edited stories and photos that were once part of the book that we didn’t use because we had to get it down to 300 pages. And they were great stories!

 

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