John Billingsley talks about role in “Trade of Innocents” and reflects on “Star Trek: Enterprise”

John Billingsley is known best for his role of Doctor Phlox on “Star Trek: Enterprise”. He also co-stars in the recent “Trade of Innocents”, playing the sleazy Malcolm Eddery. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with John about his various roles and what has been his most rewarding role.

Mike Gencarelli: Tell us how you got involved with the film “Trade of Innocents”
John Billingsley: It was a pretty standard audition process. The scene I did was one that ended up not making it into the final cut of the film. When we were working on it I had a strange suspicion that the scene might not make it in to the film. After meeting with the directed I heard back about a month later that I had gotten the part.

MG: How did you prepare to play such a sleazy guy, Malcolm Eddery?
JB: I have played more than my share of creeps, child molesters and psychotics through the years. I hate to say it wasn’t an extraordinary stretch for me to play this role. Ultimately anytime you are playing a character that is bent you really aren’t doing anything much other than saying what their particular obsession or interest is. Everyone has an obsessive nature so all you have to do is stretch the envelope a little bit.

MG: The film was shot on location, tell us about your experience?
JB: That was great! I had never been to Bangkok before. It was a fascinating city that has this strange blend of first worldism and third worldism. There were high rise buildings mixed in with small run downhouses. My role gave me quite a bit of down time. I would generally shoot a day then have some time off. I had a chance to explore the entire city. I am a big fan of cities and getting to see how they work. They have a really interesting transportation system there that is also pretty cheap.

MG: How can you reflect looking back on your experience playing Doctor Phlox on “Star Trek: Enterprise” and how it compares to your following work?
JB: My role in “Star Trek” is probably the closest role I have had to myself. He was an even keeled person with a fair amount of philosophical attachment. Except for the rubber head in many respect that role was probably the most comfortable I have ever been. After playing that role for 4 years I wasn’t too bereft when it went off the air.

MG: How was it returning to “True Blood” this season as the Coroner?
JB: Surprising! The role was never particularly dimensional in any way but I did like the paycheck. They were nice people to work for. My character disappeared sometime in the 3rd season so I was pleasantly surprised when they contacted me. I was a little puzzled in a way as they brought me back but didn’t necessarily use me. I have a feeling that there may have been a back story there. I kind of thought my character was going to be the guy behind the Obama killings. When I went in for the first wardrobe fitting they wanted to fit me for camouflage gear. I asked them what it was about and they told me I was going to be involved with a terrorist group later in the year. Somewhere along the line they must have changed their mind. I was a little disappointed. I did get a death scene though.

MG: Looking at your career to date, what would you say has been your most rewarding role?
JB: The most fun/challenging role was probably one that no one ever saw. I did a play called “The Seagull” in Seattle which was great. Movie wise I did a film with Denzel Washington called “Out of Time” which was also great. I liked being on “The Nine” as well. The lady who played my wife on that show is actually my wife. Each thing you do offers its own particular reward. In the end I have to pick “Star Trek” as it lasted the longest. That role changed my life.

 

Related Content

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Film Interviews, Interviews Tagged With: billingsley, enterprise, innocents, john, reflects, role, ...

Barry Sloane talks about joining ABC’s “Revenge”

This month when ABC’s hit show Revenge returns it will be welcoming English actor Barry Sloane as Aiden, “a mystery man from Emily’s (Emily VanCamp) past”. Previously seen by American theater audiences in Broadway’s Jerusalem last summer, Sloane comes from acclaimed turns on British tv shows such as Hollyoaks and Holby City. Along with “Revenge”, Barry talked to Media Mikes about his upcoming film roles in “Penthouse North” and Darren Aronofsky’s “Noah”.

Lauren Damon: So you’re joining into “Revenge” cast which you’ve done before on other established TV shows, how is that?
Barry Sloane:  It’s great, it’s a really cool show and  when the opportunity came up to be a part of it, I was very excited, you know.  It’s got a fantastic cast. Great actors, isn’t it? I knew it was going to be a fun part. From what I was told about the character , it’s going to be a cool character to play and there’s a lot of mystery to the guy, We’ll do some interesting things.

LD: All I’ve read is that he’s a ‘mystery man’ from Emily’s past, but a lot of times her people from the past don’t do so well, is that a concern for you?
BS: (Laughs) Well these things, you know, you come in and I think the main thing is you’re going to be involved in with Emily, Emily VanCamp’s story, so getting to work with her quite closely is going to be great because she’s fantastic and she’s a great girl as well. We’ve had a couple of scenes so far that have gone really well so you kind of come in to these things and you never as an actor, you never kind of say ‘oh I’m going to be here three, four, five years’, you know. You kind of come in and the first thing, you do an arc or something interesting like that. So with these types of shows it’s always interesting because you get as much as the viewers most of the time because you’re kind of getting scripts very close to when you’re filming it. So you never get any  information so when I’m doing this type of show I always enjoy it because I kind of open the script and it’s like ‘Oh, that’s what I’m doing this week!’  It’s always an exciting moment when you get that and especially when we all get around and do the table read and you get to hear it for the first time. So who knows what’s going to happen but I’m excited to get the next script, that’s for sure. (laughs)

LD: The finale of the first season was a crazy, sort of white knuckle episode, are you working on anything that compares?
BS: They set the bar very high.  And that’s why you know, when you’ve got a great following viewing, they’re very passionate about the show, the fans of the show. I think Mike [Kelley]’s got some great ideas to keep everybody hooked and there’s so much more that can be told with the story and what Emily’s going to go through—or Amanda, should I say?— so there’s going to be loads of twists and turns and intrigue and drama, all the things you expect, you know? It’s going to be fun.

LD: “Revenge” has been getting the kind of ratings that “LOST” used to get, are you excited for that level of viewers?
BS: I don’t know that I’m entirely prepared for the level of exposure that will come with the show but I kind of, as with anything, it’s all about the character and the job really. And you know, anything else that comes with it will be fun I’m sure. But it’s only good to have that many viewers if you do a good job, so I intend to do a good job! (laughs)

LD: No pressure, by the way!
BS: No, that’s cool!

LD: Is it different working here than in England?
BS: Well, the weather’s fantastic, and the people are great and there’s an ocean.  The locations I’ve filmed at so far have just been beautiful,  just amazing places. You’re getting to work along a lot of the coastline of  Los Angeles, so it’s…yea, I’ve got no complaints! Let’s put it that way.

LD: Are you allowed to say if you’re kind of more of a bad guy? Or are you in the middle?
BS: Again, the information that’s out, he’s a character that’s linked to when Amanda was becoming Emily so they kind of went through a lot of the same things, they’ve got a history together.  I’m the kind of guy that gets things done in the same sense that she does so I think he’s as perfectly  as dangerous as  she is.

LD: She seems kind of like a revenge sniper, she picks her target and she gets it done…
BS: Yea, she’s quite dark and dangerous, she can hold her own, she could probably take him. But I’m having a good go. (laughs)

LD: I see you’ve got movies coming up as well like “Penthouse North”?
BS: Yea, “Penthouse North is due for release”, I think, November time. Got a screening coming up soon with Michael Keaton and Michelle Monaghan, should be viewing that with them soon. And I’ve just been, prior to this, just before I flew out to LA I’ve just filmed the new Darren Aronosky film, “Noah”.

LD: That’s huge…
BS: Yea, yea, it’s going to be epic. I was working with Russell Crowe, so that was cool. He’s a cool guy.

LD: What’s you role like in that?
BS: I’m playing a poacher who—obviously Noah’s keen on animals and I’m playing a poacher. I’m playing a poacher, he’s trying to kill animals. So you can work out how that’s going to end up! (laughs) It’s a fantastic script, it’s such a good script and with Darren Aronofsky directing and stars like Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connolly, Anthony Hopkins, Ray Winstone, you know, with a cast like that it’s just going to be a huge huge movie and it’s not going to come out til 2014 so I’ve kind of got a few years to wait to watch it. But just to be part of it is really exciting and I hope to work with the guys again.

LD: Where was that filmed?
BS: We filmed in Iceland.

LD: A lot of things are filming in Iceland recently…
BS: Yea, well it’s because you get twenty-two hours of daylight, it’s just good for filming. When I arrived I was given like a welcome pack with an eye mask and I was like  ‘Hmm, that’s odd, why am I given an eye mask?’ and then having come out the bar late and then I was like ‘Ah, because I won’t be able to sleep!’

LD: And then “Penthouse North” looks to be a heist movie, are you also kind of bad in that one?
BS: In Penthouse North? Yes, I’m quite an unsavory character in that shall we say.  I’m kind of Michael Keaton’s associate so, he plays a guy called Hollander, who’s a very very dangerous man shall we say. And however dangerous I might be, he is a lot more dangerous than that. Again, getting to work with that guy was amazing.

LD: He’s Batman…
BS:  Exactly. Exactly, you know it’s not so bad. Yea,  it was quite funny because I did that with Michael Keaton—so I’d just worked with Batman and then I got a pilot called Gotham, which was strange, so I thought this is becoming very Batman-themed.

LD: How did it go with “Gotham”?
BS: Gotham’s done, yea we made it for ABC, and we didn’t get picked up unfortunately. But it was a fantastic pilot and Francis Lawrence directed and he’s now doing the Hunger Games sequel and it was Michael Green who co-wrote The River and Heroes and Kings. So the script was incredible, so I’m sure Michael is going to get something huge very soon and hopefully I can be a part of that.

LD: And obviously ABC kept you on for “Revenge”.
BS: Yea. Yea, I must have done something right! (laughs)

LD: Do you think you’ll ever get back to theater after your big “Jerusalem” run?
BS: Yea, absolutely. I mean, it’s kind of difficult to top the whole “Jerusalem” experience because  that was just like an epic dream theatre job, you know? …The whole cast was just golden and the whole experience of doing it was wonderful and just the quality of the piece as well. I mean when I get back to the UK that’s the first thing I want to do is maybe work at the Royal Court again or do some theatre when I get back just to get back into it and get the live audience.

LD: Now when you’re in England, are you based in London?
BS: I had been but I moved back to Liverpool to be close to family for a while and then obviously when you do that you end up getting a job in LA (laughs) So we were close to family for about a month and a half.

LD: I’m sure they appreciated it.
BS: Yea! Yea, a month and a half with me is enough for anyone I think they were kind of happy for me to leave (laughs). But yea, so it’s all good and I’m excited for this season on Revenge, it’s going to be fun and hopefully the viewers are going to enjoy it and they’re going to enjoy the character.

Revenge” stars it’s second season on September 30th at its new time slot of Sundays at 9pm on ABC.

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Interviews, TV Interviews Tagged With: abcs, aronofskys, barry, darren, films, joining, ...

Bree Williamson talks about joining the cast of Syfy’s “Haven”

Bree Willamson played the role of Jessica Buchanan on “One Life to Life” for almost 10 years until it ended earlier this year.  She recently joined the cast of Syfy’s “Haven”, playing Dr. Claire Callahan.  Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Bree about the new show and also how it compares to working on Soaps.

Mike Gencarelli: Tell us how you got the role of Dr. Claire Callahan in “Haven” and your inspiration?
Bree Williamson: Well I auditioned like normal. It was just a really fun audition and felt that I really connected. On the soap, I got to play a crazy person and I guess I played her as the kind of therapist that I would want to have. She is smart, quick and tells it how it is. She doesn’t have a filter. She loves her job and is constantly working. She is someone that you can’t have dinner with because everything you say she would be analyzing it and doing her job.

MG: Was your hair color change for the film role, in particularly?
BW: Oh…it was because of the role. When I moved to L.A., I had darkened my hair to brown and for the role they wanted me red. So now it is back to brown/blond, so there ya go. Red hair was really hard to keep so they had to dye my hair like one a week, it was intense. This was one of the best crews I have ever worked with. They were amazing.

MG: Everyone character has their own secrets, what does skeleton’s does Dr. Claire has in her closet?
BW: She is straight forward and then she isn’t…that is all I am going to say [laughs]. This is a really fun show and I am really glad to be a part of it.

MG: How was it joining the show in its established third season?
BW: There really wasn’t any challenges. Everybody was great. My job was easy. Everyone was like business as usual and they had a routine. Working with a cast like Emily (Rose), Eric (Balafour) and Lucas (Bryant), they were all so nice. Working in Nova Scotia was great. Pretty much everyone in the cast is from L.A. and they all work hard and play hard. We would go surfing on the weekend and I got the low-down on all the best restaurants and best places to give your coffee.

MG: How do you feel this differs than your work on “One Life to Live”?
BW: With the Soaps, I was a little bit spoiled. It is a 9-5 job. You always know what to expect. We got to live in NY. You always give up something and get something else. With a Soap Opera, I did audition for other things but was mostly caught up with the Soap. Now not being on the Soap and doing other shows, it is exciting for me. I get to go to places like Nova Scotia. It is not as comfortable but that is the part that I enjoy the most. The hardest part was being apart from my home but at least my son got to come with me. My husband also got to come for a while.

MG: Tell us about your role in the NBC midseason series, “Infamous”?
BW: It is a great show with a really great cast. I play Vivian Bower, this high-class drug addict socialite, who gets murdered in the pilot episode. Meagan Good’s character Johanna she is a police officer, undercover into the Bowers household to solve the mystery of my death. It is a “Revenge” meets “Twin Peaks”. I get to come back in flashbacks so that is really great.

 

Related Content

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Interviews, TV Interviews Tagged With: bree, cast, haven, joining, syfys, talks, ...

Erik Bauersfeld talks about voicing Admiral Akbar and Bib Fortuna in “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi”

Erik Bauersfeld is the voice behind great characters like Admiral Akbar and Bib Fortuna in “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi”. He is uncredited in the film and his iconic roles took only around an hour to record. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Erik about his roles and reflects on their longevity with fans.

Mike Gencarelli: How did you end up providing the voices of Admiral Akbar and Bib Fortuna in “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi”?
Erik Bauersfeld: It was chance…almost a mistake. I worked with Randy Thom at LucasFilm. We have worked together for many, many years now doing radio drama. We were at the Ranch working, when I was simply asked if I wanted to do some voices for “Star Wars”. Now, I knew nothing about “Star Wars” and wasn’t that interested.But I went in to do it anyway and it was just Ben Burtt and some sound people in the room. They asked me to do a voice for Admiral Akbar. I asked for a picture and I said “Well, he’s a fish?” [laughs]. I gave his voice a sound like he has a little bit of water in his mouth. Only took a few minutes really. Then they asked me to do another one for a character named Bib Fortuna, which was in Huttese, which was a completely made up language. I asked for picture again. I gave them a voice and then simply went back to work. About an hour later, they came to me and said George (Lucas) liked both of them and they wanted to use me. I also was asked to do a voice for Yoda. I gave them a voice, George liked it but it went back and forth for months. Frank Oz had ended up doing the part, obviously, so I guess they got what they wanted. So that is the whole story.

MG: How did you come up with the voice Akbar?
EB: I have a simple answer. I have been in radio for over 25 years and I do voices every day. I look at a picture of a character or read a story and I can easily tell what the character is like. It just came to me and that is all.

MG: How was it speaking in Hutt language for Fortuna?
EB: I don’t remember it being difficult. I didn’t really have much to say. I think Ben Burtt said the lines and I just repeated them with my interpretations. I had no idea what that big thing on his neck was though. Someone asked me about that and when I looked at the picture, I said “I think there is an elephant standing behind him”. Of course he has other reasons obviously, but I always found that answer funny.

MG: Can you reflect on the following that Admiral Akbar has acquired with his line “It’s a Trap”?
EB: I am surprised. It is a real surprise to me. They give me so much credit that I feel that I don’t deserve. They even have toys now that you push the plush doll and it comes out with “It’s a Trap”, which is my voice. Of course I never see any money from those.

MG: Overall, how long did it take to record the roles?
EB: It took probably about a half an hour the first time. Then I went back and did a few more takes. So it didn’t come to much more than an hour or an hour and a half at most.

MG: Why did you end up getting uncredited for the roles?
EB: When I did the voices or the recordings, the screen credits has already been  made and designed. So I never got any screen credit for voicing Akbar and Fortuna. I didn’t care at the time. I was busy working other projects. What ended up happening was that a whole new generation of fans started collecting autographs for the cast members of “Star Wars”. I got requests for autographs from fathers that were children at the time when they saw it. Now they are sending pictures asking for autographs for their own children. So all these fans found out they didn’t have a character’s voice for “Star Wars” and that was Admiral Akbar, since it wasn’t voiced by Tim Rose. The requests began to reach me and I got flooded with mail asking for my autograph. Now I am working with Coolwater Productions to assist in handling all these requests.

MG: When was the last time you have seen “Return of the Jedi”?
EB: I think the last time I saw it was in theaters. My parents were always suspicious of what I was doing in California, since they were in New York. When they opened “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi” in Forest Hills, Queens, I told them I would take them to the movies to see what I have been doing. Before the movie started, I told them I would nudge them when I came on the screen. So, when Akbar came on the screen, I whispered “Mom, that’s me”. She turned back at me and said back “Shhhhhhhhh”. So that was the ultimate acclaim that I got for doing “Star Wars” [laughs]. But at least they loved the picture. That was probably the last time I saw it. In fact, I don’t even think I have seen all the others ones as well. I was working a lot on my radio drama, which has keep me extremely busy over the years.

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Film Interviews, Interviews Tagged With: admiral, akbar, bauersfeld, bib, erik, fortuna, ...

Tim Rose talks about puppeting Admiral Ackbar in “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi” and working with Jim Henson

Tim Rose is best known for his his work in “Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi” playing Admiral Ackbar, Sy Snootles and Salacious Crumb. Tim has also worked with Jim Henson on projects like “Labyrinth” and “The Dark Crystal”. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Tim on this film work and reflect on his cult fandom with Admiral Ackbar.

Mike Gencarelli: How can you reflect on the fan base behind your role of Admiral Ackbar?
Tim Rose: When you create one of these characters you have to work 14hr days, sacrifice your home life, and get paid very poorly by you Masters. My reward comes at the Conventions when I get to see just how many people, “my silly little playing with dolls” has managed to touch and communicate with.

MG: Was the costume easy to work with during shooting “Return of the Jedi”?
TS: Compared to some of the prosthetic characters that can take up to 5 hours to get into, mine was a doddle, just a simple mask to pull over my head. And when my body temperature got to 100f, just as easy to pull back off again.

MG: Why did you end up not voicing the character? TS: When you are inside the character, the recorded sound of your performance is too muffled. It’s good enough as a guide track to get the sinq right, but not as final performance. I lived in England and the film was edited at ILM. They never would have paid for me to fly all the way out there for 2 hours work in a dubbing studio.

MG: Do you still get asked to say “It’s a Trap” at conventions?
TS: Only, ALL THE TIME!

MG: Besides your own, who is your favorite “Star Wars” character in the saga?
TS: Pre CGI Yoda of course, I learned everything I know from the master. (Frank Oz)

MG: From “Star Wars” to Jim Henson, can you reflect work on such classic films as “Labyrinth” and “The Dark Crystal”?
TS: “Dark Crystal” had a four year pre-production, that had never happened before or since. Four years of getting paid to play in the worlds best toy shop, creating the dreams of Jim Henson. Because he was a performer himself, he insisted that every thing he made be an instrument that a puppeteer could play. Three quarters of what is made today is a torture chamber that a performer has to endure if they wish to get paid.

MG: How does a puppeteer still stand prevalent in a world of CGI efforts?
TS: Animatronics is much more restricted in what it can visualize than CGI. But it can offer ten times the dramatic interaction on set, the ability to create a magic moment on screen that was never in the original script, and do it all at one quarter the cost of CGI. Producers are slowly beginning to realize this.

MG: What would happen if Admiral Ackbar, Sy Snootles and Salacious Crumb where all in a room together?
TS: The Admiral would be having his afternoon nap. Sy would be looking for the nearest exit to get back to where the action is, and Salacious would be trying to stick rolled up napkins up the sleeping Admiral’s nose.

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Film Interviews, Interviews Tagged With: ackbar, admiral, henson, jedi, jim, playing, ...

Johnny Van Zant talks about 25 years with Lynyrd Skynyrd and new album “Last of a Dyin’ Breed”

2012 marks the 25th anniversary of Johnny Van Zant taking over as the leader singer of Lynyrd Skynyrd. I have been a fan of this band since I was old enough to speak. There is something special about this band that just really speaks to it’s fans and they are so multi-generational. I am proof of that having a 4 month only daughter that has been listening to their tunes after only being born for 5 minutes. Johnny and the band are celebrating the release of their latest new album “Last of a Dyin’ Breed” and he took out some time to chat with us about the new album and to reflect on 25 years with the band.

Mike Gencarelli: How can you reflect on how Skynyrd is definitely still relevant today?
Johnny Van Zant: My brother was pulling for the common people when he started this band. He was writing songs like “Alabama”, “Curtis Lowe”, “Tuesday’s Gone” and “Simple Man”. To this day man, we try to keep it to things that we lived or our fans have lived or living through. People can relate to that. We like to think we are pretty down to earth people. When I get home, I take out the garbage and drop my kids off at school. I do the same things as everyone else and that keeps us humble to that fact. I always tell people we are no different from our fans.  That is the way that I have always remembered how Lynyrd Skynyrd has been. We are common people and I feel that it lives through the music.

MG: Like I mentioned I already have my 4 month daughter listening to Skynyrd, can you reflect on being so multi-generational?
JVZ: We call it the Skynyrd Nation, Mike. We are three generations old. I got a great place on stage, so I have this bird’s eye view of the audience. It is very mixed and everyone is out there. Young, old and in-between…and younger. [laughs].

MG:“Last of a Dyin’ Breed” is a really fierce follow-up to 2009’s “Gods and Guns”, which was also a hard year for the band. What did you enjoy most about this album and working again with “Gods and Guns” producer Bob Marlette?
JVZ: Bob is really great. I like him not only as a producer but also a friend. We were introduced to him by John5 from Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie. We wanted to go in the studio and do a few tracks before we signed on for a whole record. But when we went in, everything really clicked. To have Bob back on board for “Last of a Dyin’ Breed” is just really great. We work with him very well. We  also tried to have a lot of fun working on this record. Like you said during the last record, we were going through some hard times, not only personally but as a band. When you lose members of a band, that is actually very personal as well though. There were times during recording “Gods and Guns”, where we asked ourselves if we should hang up our boots and call it a day. But Bob was one of the influences pushing us to get the record done. If Billy (Powell), Ean (Evans) or even my brother were still around, they would be kicking butt and taking names. That is why we are trying to carry this band on. I mean, this is my 25th year with the band now.

MG:The new album charted at #14 on the Billboard Charts, which is the best debut for Skynyrd since “Street Survivors”, can you reflect on that?
JVZ: I am just glad – it’s like Skynyrd was nominated seven times for Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame and it became a joke within the band. We used to say “Do we have to die to get into it”. But when it finally happened, I was just so happy for Ronnie (Van Zant), Gary (Rossington), Allen (Collins), Leon (Wilkeson) and Billy (Powell), the guys that started this band. I was overwhelmed with happiness for them. The thing that it comes back to is that is it great to debut at #14, but for me though it makes me happy that the fans like it. Numbers are great but to know the fans appreciate it what it is all about. We had a great time doing it and thought it was the best thing to biscuits and gravy [laughs]. But when the fans start liking it and to hear folks like you liking it, that is real payoff for me.

MG:I like that the band is continuing to produce new tunes. When I spoke with Rickey Medlocke, he said that “I guess we could sit back and rely on our classic tracks but if we can put out new music and material, it will keep things from getting stale.”
JVZ: It does. That would be the wrong thing and my brother would be coming down and kicking all of our asses. [laughs] He would say “What the hell, go out there and make some new music”. It is refreshing, it really is. We all know what made this band what it is. People have told us “Well why don’t you right another ‘Sweet Home Alabama'”? It has already been done right the first time. We don’t need to do it again.

MG:I got it Johnny, “Sweet Home Alabama 2”?
JVZ: Yeah that’s it! [singing] “Sweet Home Alabama…2”. Yeah, it doesn’t work. [laughs].

MG:Like you said 2012 marks your 25 years with the band, how do you feel that the music has changed throughout the years?
JVZ: I am not sure really. We have always been sticking with things we know about, like I said before, or things that have touched people around us. Lyrically, I don’t think we tried to change at all. I think we have tried to put some new guitar work. But I think that is more progress, you know? Believe me, I was a Lynyrd Skynyrd fan before I was in the band and if I wasn’t a part of Skynyrd and the albums came out and all sounded the same as in the old days. I would be like “Oh, it just sounds like the old stuff”. So we try to take a step forward. Someone people gonna like, some people gonna love it and some people gonna hate it. That’s the way life is.

MG:For me it would be “Simple Man” and those opening cords. What is the one track that when it goes on you completely jam into it?
JVZ: OH GOD! Hell yeah! It has to be “Simple Man”. That is just timeless. It just tells it like it is about being a simple man. The old saying is “If you gain the world, but lose your soul…what do you have?” That is basically what the song is saying: “Forget your lust, for the rich man’s gold. All that you need, is in your soul”. What a great song!

MG:Which tracks from the new album do foresee becoming part of a must play list during touring?
JVZ: Right now, we are playing “Good Teacher”, “Last of a Dyin’ Breed”, “One Day at a Time” and trying to work up “Homegrown”. The problem is [laughs], we love making new music but putting everything in the set [laughs] is one hard chore to do. You don’t want to take away an old classic. You want to be able to play the old songs that people love and cherish. So to put a new one is…you kind of have to sneak them in when you can [laughs].

MG:What do you do to keep it fresh constantly touring all around the world?
JVZ: I enjoy seeing the fans. Each night is a different night. Any member of Lynyrd Skynyrd will tell you the same. Every night is a different situation, a different part of the country or different part of the world. And it thrills me to get out there and play songs for people. There are nights where you may be tired or your voice isn’t up to par though. A friend of mine said they say a particular artist not too long ago and said that their voice wasn’t that good. I asked them if they checked their website to see how many shows they had before that [laughs]. You can tune a piano…but you can’t tune a voice! [laughs].

MG:You think The Van Zants will ever get in the studio again?
JVZ: We got to a point – we did a couple of country albums. The first one which we really worked hard on was “Get Right with the Man”. Then we got to the second one, “My Kind of Country”, which we also put a lot of time into. We finally looked at each other and just said that we were killing ourselves. He is still going with .38 Special and I am with Skynyrd, then you throw in this project into the mix. It has been a few years now…and we are definitely both getting a little antsy now. So let’s see what’s going to happen in the near future.

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Interviews, Music Interviews Tagged With: 25, album, breed, dyin, johnny, lynyrd, ...

Gerald Scarfe talks about working with Pink Floyd on “The Wall” and “Wish You Were Here”

Gerald Scarfe is a satirical political cartoonist and is known best for working with the band Pink Floyd on two of their albums “The Wall” and “Wish You Were Here”. He also created the animation used in the film “Pink Floyd: The Wall” and worked with Roger Water on his new tour of “The Wall”. Media Mikes got the chance to chat with Gerald about his work and reflect on its impact with fans.

Mike Gencarelli: Tell us about your revisiting the wall with your book “The Making of Pink Floyd: The Wall”?
Gerald Scarfe: What I think think the weird thing about going through the diary of one’s life is that first of all you forget things and misplace the dates. It was like unraveling a piece of memory or putting together a jigsaw puzzle. But overall it was a fantastic experience looking back working on this project, which was some 30 years ago. I really didn’t feel at the time that it was going to be anything really exceptionable. I knew that Pink Floyd were extremely well known at the time. I worked with them for about five years to produce this thing. People have asked me in the past and asked if working on “The Wall” changed my life but for me then it was just another a job that I did. They have said “Well it has definitely changed my life”. So I think it really did strike a nerve in the public at that time. The young of those days are the older generation today and they are still fans and write to me. There is a guy who recently contacted me to tell me that his entire left arm is being tattooed with my illustrations. So it is still relevant today.

MG: Tell us about revisiting “The Wall” after almost 30 years ago with Roger Water’s new tour? What was your involvement?
GS: It was a fantastic experience. Now it is back up and running again. Roger contacted me about two years ago and said he was going to do the show again and would need new material. I re-designed some new things like the puppets and some bits of film here and there. I also did various lettering and writing for the program, which was projected on the wall. What has changed from when we originally did it is that things were not computerized. Where we were using three projectors on the wall back then now there are seven or eight projecting. They can literally pin point an individual brick on the wall using the computer. Even when we first did it I thought it felt like a Roman circus and was just so spectacular.

MG: How do you compare going from working on “Wish You were Here” to “The Wall”?
GS: When they first approached me, they were touring at the time and I did little pieces of animation here and there. I wasn’t really sure what was needed or wanted of me at the time. I was known in Britain and parts of America for being a satirical artist, making fun of society and poking fun at politicians. I think that is why Roger (Waters) and Nick (Mason) needed from me at the time. I didn’t quite get that and I started to make them these surreal images of men tumbling through the stratosphere and crashing through the sky. They were all rather surreal. I think what they were expecting from me was probably something a little more actual about the world itself in a more precise way. I actually started the flowers (from “The Wall”), way back then in the early days of “Wish You Were Here”. The flowers have some much work in them. I think in some places there are about 24 drawings per second in them, in order to most very slowly. Each one of those drawings probably takes 1-2 days and there are thousands of them. It was very labor intensive and expensive also. So that is how it all began. Later when we came to do “The Wall”, we cannibalized some of these pieces for “Wish You Were Here” and used them like the flowers and so forth.

MG: Your animation in “The Wall” was used to portray Waters’ political expression throughout the songs, did you consider that when creating them?
GS: It was Nick that approached me first in the very beginning.Then Roger got more and more involved. Roger came forward bit by bit and I ended up dealing with him primarily. I felt a little awkward at first working with Waters since I felt like I was denying Nick, he is still a very good friend and I had dinner with him just recently. Roger is very insistent and precise. Roger said to me and this is true “When you hire an artist, you don’t interfere with what that artist does or try and push him your way. You get what you get”. So Roger was very happy for me to interpret his lyrics since we were on the same page. I was able to visualize the whole thing for him. He has not only given “The Wall” an audio personality but I’ve given it also a visual personality. We met many times and drank a lot of a special brew of Carlsberg beer, which is very strong, and luckily we have the same dark wit. That developed into a strong relationship that we have today.

MG: Where did you draw inspiration from for the marching hammers, The Judge and the “Empty Spaces” sequence?
GS: First of all my experiences of judges are that the ministry of the law is a tricky business and they always make mistakes, so to me the law was an asshole, so that was that [laughs]. The hammers were suppose to be the forces of repression. What can you think of that is more cruel and relentlessly mindless than a hammer as it smashes down. That is the kind of way I think. When it came to “Empty Spaces”, I believe that was a stream of consciousness. I made a film prior to this where I just rolled from one image to another, which is actually how I ended up meeting Nick and Roger, it was called “A Long Draw Out Trip”, which I made for the BBC. That was really everything about America that I could think of at the time. I had Mickey Mouse, Playboy, Black Power, John Wayne and Frank Sinatra, which were all morphing one into the other. I took that idea when I came to “Empty Spaces”. Interestingly enough, “Empty Spaces” starts with the flowers, which began like we said from “Wish You Were Here”. Then I just kept adding to it all the time. The flowers end up making love and then I thought well what happens when people fall in love, sometimes they hate one another. So then the female ends up devouring the male and flies away. It grew and grew and was unraveling. It was much of a journey for me, adding a page a day to this unrolling adventure.

MG: I’ve read you saw The Wall back in 1980 at Nassau Coliseum, NY, how do you compare “The Wall” from then to today?
GS: It is difficult really since it was in fact a long time ago and one’s memory has blunted. I remember being very excited. I never worked on theater in this size at all. I remember Roger telling me one night, “You know that you are a rock ‘n roll artist now, right?”. I looked and there were thousands of people applauding my flowers and work. I realized that I was pleasing the audience and that was a terrific feeling for me. Being an artist can be a lonely job. You work alone and don’t see the people who are looking at your pictures generally. So to be in an auditorium like that where they are cheering at your work, it is a really great feeling. Over the years, I have grown used to that feeling having done a lot of opera, theatre and my work with Disney on “Hercules”. It is still a thrill though. I went to Madison Square Garden last year to see the show and I had the same kind of thrill still. The guy who wrote to me and told me about him getting the tattoos on his arm said that he was a Gulf War veteran and told me how much my work has helped him through his difficult periods. It is hard for me to imagine that it actually helps people. I guess the music becomes very personal to some people and it stay with them through their life.

MG: Due to the diminishing role of physical packaging due to digital downloads, what do you see for the role of art playing in the world of music in the future?
GS: Well, I don’t see why animation still cannot be used. In my other job, I am the political cartoonist for the London Sunday Times, where I’ve been for like 45 years, I can see a point where newspapers will be phased out. People will be getting the news online, which is much quicker. I personally am not tremendously computer literate but I have people that help me. All of my work is now electronically sent around the world, once it is scanned in. Going back to music, I don’t see why these images cannot be downloaded with the music. It is exactly the same.

 

Related Content

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Interviews, Misc Interviews Tagged With: animated, band, floyd, gerald, pink, scarfe, ...

Harold Perrineau talks about his role on FX’s “Sons of Anarchy”

Harold Perrineau is currently playing the role of Damon Pope in FX’s “Sons of Anarchy”. He joined the cast of the show this season with it’s all-star cast. Harold is known for his roles in shows like “Oz” and “Lost”. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Harold about his role and what we can expect.

Mike Gencarelli: How did you become involved in this show “Sons of Anarchy”?
Harold Perrineau: I knew they were looking for Damon Pope for a while. Kurt Sutter was tweeting about it and I followed him on Twitter. My wife is always reading it and one day she said, “You know, they still haven’t found Damon Pope, Maybe you should try to send Kurt an e-mail.” And so, I did and sent him an e-mail just to see if I could get a meeting with him and he took the meeting and we sat and talked about it. By the time I got home, he bravely said, “Let’s do it.” And so, there I am.

MG: Can you talk about kind of how you prepared for your role of Damon Pope and how you just go into that mindset?
HP: I had talked to Kurt Sutter a bit about the character. We talked at length a bit about his ideas about Damon Pope, some of the people that Damon Pope reminded him of; one of them being Frank Lucas who was the movie “American Gangster” that Denzel Washington did, was based on his life. And then, I started doing a bunch of research on my own about a different guys who took their sort of street life and then turned them into more legit businesses and that’s kind of how I sort of setup Damon Pope and how he might think or the way he may act in retaliation to things that are very emotional for him like that. So, basically, I just sort of pulledon these different sorts of businessmen and gangsters who I thought had similar kinds of backgrounds.

MG: Listen, so in this show, everyone’s a bad ass, how does it feel coming into this during its fifth season and playing the main baddie?
HP: It was a little daunting I have to say because they are a bunch of dudes who play bad asses. They’re great actors and they do really, really well. And so, I felt in the very beginning it was going to be sort of interesting trying to ingratiate myself into this group of guys while also keeping a bit of distance because I knew that my character is just going to be an adversary and I didn’t want any of my own personal feelings about liking them or any of that stuff to come across with Damon Pope because I think Damon Pope is very focused and serious about what he needs done and wants to do. So, it was a little tricky, but they’re a great cast of people and great actors. And so, they made it really, really easy.

MG: So, what was it about Pope that you liked?
HP: I like the show Sons of Anarchy. I like Kurt Sutter. I like the idea of this guy who’s not just rolling in as some gangster to be tough, but he’s a guy who just lost his child. One of the things that I felt like might be really challenging and kind of fun is to see if the audience members just go like, “Oh, he’s just a terrible guy” or if someone can go, “Hey, if somebody had killed my daughter for a frivolous reason that ‘Tig’ killed his daughter, what would I do” and actually have some empathy for “Pope.” I’m really curious about whether that will ever play out, or if it’s just going to be like, “He’s just a bad dude.” So, for me I thought that was an interesting thing to try to spot and then try to bring to the character.

MG: Have you had a chance to see any of the fan reaction to your character so far either from your existing fans who have followed you to this series or fans of “Sons of Anarchy”
HP: Because of all the social media stuff, yes. Right after the opening episode, the very first episode, I gained a whole lot more Twitter followers and people who were really excited about it, people who were really happy to see me, had seen me do other things before, people who had never seen my work before, people who were really mad at Damon Pope, but super excited about what was going to happen next. And so, pretty immediately I got to experience a lot of the “SOA” fans.

MG: What else can we expect from Pope in the coming episodes?
HP: You can expect a guy who is looking for satisfaction and he will not be denied. He wants some satisfaction for the death of his daughter and he won’t be denied, period.

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Interviews, TV Interviews Tagged With: anarchy, fxs, harold, perrineau, role, sons, ...

Jillycakes’ Jillian Hopke talks about winning Food Network’s “Cupcake Wars”

Jillian Hopke is the owner of the Orlando, FL based Jillycakes. She also was the winner of Season 6, Episode 12 of Food Network’s “Cupcake Wars”. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Jillian about her road to victory and how she got started in the business.

Mike Gencarelli: Tell us how Jillycakes came about?
Jillian Hopke: About 5 years ago I started baking for several of my coworkers, various birthdays and celebrations and each time people were blown away by the cakes and cupcakes. AT that point I was fortunate enough to have a captive audience and I started experimenting with flavors and bringing them to work. While everyone was just happy to have free cake I was able to get them hooked on my product and solicit some free market research in the meantime. When we first started baking for hire many of our clients were, and still are, friends of ours. Up until the moment we were on the show our advertising had been 100% word of mouth. It speaks volumes for your product when you can become so successful just by friends telling friends.

MG: Have you always want to work in this field?
JH: Baking has always been a hobby and a passion for me I never expected or planned to have things get to this magnitude. Growing up we were taught if you do something you should strive to be the best at it. I’m completely self-taught and have been blessed with a natural artistic skill. I can’t express how fortunate I feel that something I love doing has become such a prominent part of my life!

MG: How did you get chosen to compete on “Cupcake Wars”?
JH: I was sent the link to the online casting call by a very good friend of mine Blake. At first I didn’t take him very seriously but, knowing of our years of experience performing for local theme parks, he said “c’mon….we already know you make the best cupcakes PLUS you would make great television”. So I took his advice and wrote from the heart… .I never dreamed they would actually choose us! The very first part of the process was just an essay to submit our application and plead our case. The video audition tape that was requested by our casting agent didn’t come till many months later. All in all it was a casting process spanning nearly two years.

MG: How has winning “Cupcake Wars” affected your company?
JH: Our business has tripled over night. It seems like everywhere we go someone has heard of us so we are now finally becoming a household name. Some clients ordered a cake and brought it out to a local restaurant and their server went nuts when they saw our logo on the box. We also have had to pad our delivery times with a few extra min to accommodate the interviews and photo shoots that happen when we show up to people’s houses…..it’s amazing how many people don’t expect us to show up in person.

MG: How does it feel to be given a chance to come back as an all-star for “Cupcake Wars”?
JH: The response from our fans has been overwhelming. We have fans contacting us from across almost all 50 states as well as 20 countries worldwide. Because Orlando is the tourist capitol of the world we have been able to reach a much broader spectrum of people. We can’t wait to get back on and make our fans proud. Besides….there can’t possibly be a harder secret ingredient than seafood right??!!

MG: How can people get a taste of your work?
JH: Orders can be placed online through our website or by emailing us at [email protected]. All orders include free delivery and come conveniently to you whether you live here or are just visiting one of our many resorts and hotels. Due to our current volume of orders a 5 day minimum lead time is advised to be sure we can accommodate the request.

MG: Do you only deliver in Orlando FL?
JH: Right now everything is local delivery but we have been experimenting successfully with some shipping options for our products so you may see Jillycakes available all across America sometime soon. We also can travel to other central Florida locations upon special request.

MG: What does Jillycakes have planned next?
JH: We would like to start by increasing our community outreach and are working on concepts and plans for a retail location to open next year. We also have plans to offer a new type of in home party for all ages with cupcake baking demos and decorating tips. The main goal right now is just continuing to change the way people think about cake to make memorable experiences for them rather than ho hum forgettable celebrations.

 

Related Content

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Interviews, TV Interviews Tagged With: cupcake, food, hopke, jillian, jillycakes, networks, ...

WWE Superstar Chris Jericho talks about working with band Fozzy

Fozzy is the hard rock/heavy metal band fronted by WWE superstar Chris Jericho recently released its 5th studio album via Century Media records titled “Sin and Bones”. Media Mikes had a chance to talk with Chris recently about the album and his appearance on the popular ABC television show “Dancing with the Stars”.

Adam Lawton: Can you give us some background info on the new album?
Chris Jericho: After the “Chasing the Grail” album we decided that our approach is a little bit different from the norm. We use really heavy riffs combined with melodic hook filled choruses. Maybe if Journey and Metallica had a bastard child it would sound like Fozzy. We really honed in on that with the last record and when it came time to do “Sin and Bones” we knew that was the direction we wanted to go in. We wanted to make this record like our “Black” album. That Metallica album has a certain tone and feel. Even though the songs on that album are all very diverse they still fit together. We put a lot of time in to the sequencing of the record.

AL: What type of creative process does the band take?
CJ: We do things a little bit backwards. I will generally write the lyrics first. From there I will give them to Rich Ward and he will right the music and the melodies based on the lyrics I give him. A lot of times it’s the other way around. Doing things this way on the last three records has worked out really well. A lot of my lyrics are based on song titles. If I see or phrase or something I find interesting I will put a note of that into my phone. When it comes time to write I will look through those notes and sort of work backwards from the title. Maybe we will experiment with the traditional way of song writing on the next record.

AL: Did the band do a lot of pre-production for the record?
CJ: We took our time. We started working on this album back in November. We did a tour of Europe and brought a recording rig along with us. We just started recording ideas and riffs while we were on the road. When it came time to go into the studio we knew we didn’t want to have to rush. The label actually gave us a deadline of May 2012 but we had already been working on the album since November so we had a good start on things.

AL: What do you think has posed a bigger challenge wrestling, playing music or “Dancing with the Stars”?
CJ: They have all posed challenges. When I was a kid I wanted to be in a rock band. I have been playing music since I was 12 and then I started wrestling at 19. I was always being told that I wouldn’t be able to do those things for various reasons. I learned very early on that you have to eliminate negative people from your world and that if you really want to do something you have to make it happen. As a result of that I have never been afraid to try anything. Especially something that is creative. When “Dancing with the Stars” came up the 3rd time I decided to try it. The first couple times they asked me to be on the show I was busy with “WrestleMania” and the other time I was doing a Fozzy tour. That show was probably the biggest challenge. Music and wrestling I had been doing for a majority of my life. I had never danced before. The first time I danced was in front of 25 million people. There ended up being a lot of similarities between the three. You have to feel the music and be on top of the beat and like in wrestling you have to remember the choreography while being light on your feet. Once I got that first performance under my belt I got addicted to it. When I got eliminated from the show I had withdraws almost. I didn’t know what to do with myself. I was glad that I could prove to myself that I was able to do that.

AL: Do you ever find critiques are quick to write the band off due to your wrestling background?
CJ: They have in the past but we just keep coming back. People have been hearing about the band for years but until they really listen to the music do they understand what they have been missing. I think we have had to work a little harder to get past that but in 2010 I started to really notice a shift. People still knew me from wrestling but they started to pay more attention to the band and not what I have been associated with in the past. When I go see Iron Maiden I don’t say “there’s the airline pilot’s band”. Those are two separate things. You just have to prove to people that you are real and passionate. This is part of who I am and it is never going to go away.

AL: What made Fozzy abandon the idea of having alter-ego’s and go in a different direction?
CJ: We were originally signed as a cover band by Megaforce Records. They were really into what we were doing so we decided to come up with alter-ego’s to make what we were doing a little different as just playing covers was a bit boring. After playing together for awhile we realized we liked what we were doing and we had some good chemistry. We decided to take it to the next step and start playing our own tunes. I compare our band a lot to Pantera. There were two version of that band. When they first came out they were a glam-metal band with big hair and makeup. It makes no since that they changed everything about themselves and turned in to the band we all love. Fozzy was pretty similar. There were two versions of the band under one name. Our original name as a cover band was Fozzy Osbourne so we shortened it and now we are on version 2 of the band.

AL: What are the bands plans for the rest of the year?
CJ: After the “Uproar Tour” ends we have a short tour of the states in October and then we head over to Europe. From there we will be heading to Australia as part of the Sound Wave Festival with Metallica. Those dates were all booked prior to the album release so we will be plugging some holes here and there with other dates as well.

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Interviews, Music Interviews Tagged With: band, chris, fozzy, jericho, superstar, talks, ...

Attika 7’s Rusty Coones talks about music and appearing in “Sons of Anarchy”

Rusty Coones is the guitarist and founding member of the band Attika 7. Media Mikes had a chance to talk with Rusty recently about the band’s formation and his upcoming appearance on season 5 of Sons of Anarchy.

Adam Lawton: Can you tell us what made you want to form the band?
Rusty Coones: It was not planned at all. In 1999 I caught a Federal case for conspiracy to distribute a listed chemical. But before all of that I had played guitar since I was around the age of 9 and took lessons into my teens where I learned to read and write music. I had songs structures in my head and even though I wasn’t playing in bands I still loved music. When I went into prison I spent a lot of time in solitary confinement. When you’re inside you spend a lot of time getting in your own head. The first few years I was in there I read a lot of books and wrote a lot for my website freerusty.com. I had a lot of follows worldwide and though it’s not currently active the site is still up. I was in the metropolitan detention center in Los Angeles about 2 years before I received my sentence. I was then sent to a prison Oregon. While there I was working out with weights 5 days a week. Right by where the weights were was a music room. If you signed up for that program you had to actively participate with a group. I would walk past that room everyday and I just became really inspired. I ended up going in and began playing with a band that was already there. They played mostly blues, rock. The first day I was there I asked if I could bring in a song I had written. They were very receptive to that. We got to go in that room twice a week and each time I would bring new songs. Most of the songs at that time had that blues, rock sound. A couple months later there was a riot in the yard resulting in a bunch of us being sent to other prisons. I ended up at a prison in Texas. When you’re shipped to a new place you have to spend a certain amount of time in confinement before you can go in to the yard. 3 days after being released in to the yard I was playing a concert in front of 1,800 inmates. It was all songs I had written. That material was all blues, rock. During this time I started experimenting with drop tunings. When you’re playing in that dropped key there are some real sweet spots on the fret board. I wrote 32 songs while I was there. I still have all of my notes. When I got out it was my goal to assemble the best band of musicians I could to start a band with. There have been a few different lineups of the band since I started. Evan Seinfeld and I joined up about a year ago when I was looking for a fill in singer. Evan became hooked on the songs and he and I started working together. We re-worked some songs and wrote new material which is what makes up “Blood of my Enemies”.

AL: What was your song writing process like being allowed only limited resources for short periods of time?
RC: 90% of the songs that I write the riffs and music are done first. From there is usually when I start on the lyrics. As soon as they let me out in to the yard I would go grab a little box guitar and start working on my riffs. Once I got them dialed in and they were in my head I would go back to my cell and write line by line the verses, choruses and such. Every song that I wrote was never given a title. The songs named themselves by the time they were done. The first few lines of a song are always the most difficult for me. Once I have those, stuff just starts flowing.

AL: I assume a lot of the material was written about the situations you were encountering each day?
RC: Some of the songs for instance “Serial Killer” was written in the words of a serial killer. I of course am not a serial killer. I was in my cell and went really deep in to my imagination so I could get to a dark enough place to allow me to write like that. It was kind of like when an actor gets in to character before performing a role. I was around a few people in prison that were possessed pretty heavy so it wasn’t too hard to come up with this type of material. Some of the other songs are about being on the inside and what you have to do to adapt.

AL: How have the recent lineup changes helped the band progress?
RC: The band is a little different now. Tony Campos is a great bassist as is Scott our new bassist. Scott has more of a Geezer Butler from Black Sabbath style where Tony is a serious metal player that is very precise. I think that with the way the songs are now Scott learned to play the songs the way Tony played them. Scott didn’t get to put a lot of his flavor in yet but, I can see this is going to be a lot of fun. Scott loves to run around and play riffs. I love that type of feeling. Scotts playing is bringing a really cool flavor to the band. We want this band to be timeless and we aren’t trying to be trendy. Evan is melodic in his approach which I think only adds to that timeless feel we are looking for. We are not trying to sound like anyone or anything else. Whether that’s good or not that’s the way things ended up. These songs were written in a vacuum. At the time I didn’t have any music to listen to. I just had to draw from what was in my head. I had all these little pieces floating around of things I liked. I developed my own style from that.

AL: Can you tell us anything about your upcoming appearance on “Sons of Anarchy?
RC: I have already shot 2 episodes and in the coming weeks I will be shooting some more. I am really excited to be a part of the show. I play a character by the name of Quinn who is the president of the Nomads motorcycle club. There have been talks of this character since season 1 but this will be the first time he comes out of the shadows. It’s going to be really interesting.

AL: How did you first get involved with the show?
RC: Kurt Sutter is a very smart guy. When he started the show he really immersed himself in the outlaw biker culture. He learned everything he could learn. When he was looking to learn he wanted to learn from the best so he came to us. (Coones is the founder of the Orange County Chapter of the Hells Angels.)Kurt’s research paid off and he has a lot of really good people around him. The show is a dramatic television show. There has to be some dramatic elements to keep people watching. If anyone tuning in is saying certain things are “bullshit” it’s TV! It’s supposed to be entertaining. You don’t turn on the television to watch actual everyday realism. Yes the show has some realistic elements but there’s entertainment factors combined into that. I am honored to be a part of the show.

AL: Were there any aspects of the shoots so far that have been difficult?
RC: This show has been the most professional production that I have ever been a part of. There are stunt people and fight choreographers that cross every t and dot every i. Everything is very organized. Things like the fighting and such were second nature. (Laughs)

AL: What other projects do you have in the works?
RC: Attika 7 is waiting for the last few things to be completed for our U.S tour. The band is also doing a West Coast tour that will be announced in the near future. I have some television things in works as well however I can’t really say anything just yet about that. Things should be quite interesting.

 

Related Content

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Interviews, Music Interviews Tagged With: 7s, anarchy, appearing, attika, coones, music, ...

Emily Rose talks about season three of Syfy’s “Haven”

Emily Rose is known best for playing the role of Audrey Parker in Syfy’s “Haven”. The show starts its third season on September 21st and is pack with a vengeance. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Emily about this season and what we can expect from her role.

Mike Gencarelli: What do you enjoy most about playing such a strong female character like Audrey?
Emily Rose: I think one of the things that is the coolest gift that the writers have given me is this wonderful Pandora’s box that Audrey has existed before herself. This season is so fun and I get to play these different people. Audrey is very tenacious and courageous. In this season we get to see a lot of her frailty. But we also get to see these other sides of her that are not her. To me, that is the most exciting part. Sometimes you can be on shows for a long time and you get to the point where you look for the next challenge. This show is a gift since we have the ability to create a whole new character and be allowed to have that within the storyline. It has been a real treat to me and also to the fans.

MG: Are we going to see more of Lucy Ripley this season?
ER: That and more sir. That and more. Yes.

MG: Due to this season being amped, what was your most challenging aspect for you?
ER: We have a really great show runner this season, Matt McGuinness. From the very beginning he helped streamline our writers and focus them. He has been great at talking to the network and discovering what we can do to amp it up. I think one of the great additions to the show this year is the whole other storyline. Usually we have a “trouble” of the week and then its mythology. But now we have a whole new ball in the air, so to speak, to deal with in a long form crime. With all those things in play, this amps up the urgency for the season. We also feel like our audience is sophisticated enough to handle all of that. I think it is really great trying to see it unfold. That was definitely a big factor in this season.

MG: This show was spawned from Stephen King’s novella “The Colorado King” but has really developed its own wings, can you reflect?
ER: I remember when we first started, everyone was asking about that. I read the book too when I got the job. I wondered where this would go. Stephen King set up the seams to our where our world exists. What I like about that novel is that it ends unresolved. It addresses what happens to a town that isn’t given closure. In that world is where Haven can exist. It has been great to have Stephen King’s permission and blessing to open the possibilities to take this show even further.

MG: Going into the third season, what were you looking forward to accomplishing most that you weren’t able to do the first two?
ER: I always say, but it is really true, I feel like the first season was like when you walk into a party and want people to really like you. You are really funny and quirky. You have some issues but they’re not a big deal and you can laugh about it. With the second season now, we are all good friends and could things get a little heavier. But now this season, here are able to reveal our deep issues. The first season is all about creating a likeable character, for fans to like and invest their hour each week with. I think the thing I was looking forward to most is go darker with Audrey and have people still stick around with that. As they told us more about the season, the part that I was just ecstatic about doing was playing the other characters and creating different people. That to me is an actor’s dream. You can go to bed being happy with that.

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Interviews, TV Interviews Tagged With: emily, haven, rose, season, syfys, talks, ...

Eric Balfour talks about season three of Syfy’s “Haven”

Eric Balfour plays the role of Duke in Syfy’s “Haven”. The show begins its amped up season three on September 21st. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Eric about what wee can expect from this season and his character.

Mike Gencarelli: Tell us about your relationship this season with Nathan?
Eric Balfour: I like to think of Nathan and my character’s relationship as sort of like when Harry met Sally. We’re sort of in the second act of “When Harry Met Sally” when I think they’ve probably slept together at this point but it was a little awkward and they’re going to have to now realize how much they actually mean to each other. No, I think the show obviously has this really exciting element of the troubles and every week you have these, you know, fantastic scares and mysteries. But, at the core of this show, it really is about this love story and this triangle between these three characters and about the different relationships that Emily’s character, Audrey, has to these two men. And they sort of represent different components of her own personality, if it’s okay for me to say that.

MG: What can we expect from season three?
EB: I think what the writers even told us at the beginning of the season and what was most exciting for me and I think is going to be incredibly exciting for the viewers who turn in this – tune in this year is that this love triangle is really going to just be like a rubber band. It is going to expand and contract and move and grow and cause riffs and strifes and it really is dynamic this season. I think that’s what’s going to be ultimately I just think the most exciting part for the fans of this show because we really do get to take the audience on a ride this year with the love story that goes on between these characters. As friends, as lovers and it’s my favorite part of the show this season.

MG: Can you reflect on the world that has been created for this show?
EB: My favorite part is that episode that really take you out of your everyday life. I think what we’ve created here in Haven is this sort of strange macabre, quirky world and it exists in its own reality in a way. Those are my favorite episodes when we really dive into that world and that reality where Haven is a town that although it’s not completely different from the world we know, it is unequivocally not the world that we know. And that’s my favorite part when we live in that reality.

MG: Any memorable moments from shooting?
EB: My most memorable moment was there is an episode where a woman is trapped in a car that is sinking under water and it was a huge stunt. And it was the first time where our

show felt really big and we have the car over this cliff, in the ocean waves crashing on it, paramedics and stunt guys and cranes. And that to me was probably the most memorable moment was this. I felt like we were making a movie. It was really cool.

MG: Tell us about “Haven” working side-by-side with social media?
EB: I think the coolest thing about what we’re trying to do with Twitter, the online interactions and storylines is really to enhance the experience of the show for everybody. It’s not necessarily something that nobody else is doing at this point. But we’re really trying to do it in the unique way that makes it exciting for the viewers and makes it exciting for the fans to feel like they get a little bit extra and a little bit more than just from watching the episodes on television. And then hopefully, also enhance the experience of watching the episodes.

 

Related Content

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Interviews, TV Interviews Tagged With: balfour, eric, haven, season, syfys, talks, ...

WWE Superstar Adam “Edge” Copeland talks about his role on Syfy’s “Haven”

WWE Superstar Adam “Edge” Copeland recently retired from wrestling and is the youngest person to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. Adam was a guest star on Syfy’s “Haven” during its second season and became a regular throughout season three. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Adam about working on “Haven” and his transition from wrestling.

Mike Gencarelli: Tell us about becoming a regular in season three of “Haven”?
Adam Copeland: I always use the term “happy accident”. I was told I had to retire from WWE about a year and half ago now. I guess Syfy had decided to use one of the WWE wrestlers from “Smackdown” for their show “Haven”. I think there was some trepidation since there is still that misconception that wrestlers just yell and scream in their underwear. Thankfully one of the writers showed a clip of my retirement speech and t hat in essence was my audition video. I got the call if I would be interested and I said “Of course”. I flew up for what would be just one episode initially. But after seeing my speech, they took two different characters and merged them into one. After the first episode, they decided to write him in more and that become four episodes in the first season and now seven episodes into this season.

MG: What do you enjoy most about working on the show?
AC: Everyone was just so friendly shooting in Nova Scotia. Especially coming off of the road and doing 250 shows a year. I thought this would be nice pace for me. That is one of the things I enjoyed the most was sleeping in the same bed every night…but still working. That is something that is very foreign to me. It was nice to have a script and be able to study the lines. I just liked really being able to prepare for the role. It has really been the best of both worlds for me personally.

MG: Just from the first two episodes of season three, the show seems amped from last season, can you reflect?
AC: I don’t know if angrier is the right term, but things are put up with more of urgency this season. Things really come to a head and a lot of questions get answered. I feel that it is a little darker and aggressive and I like that. One of the things I like and even going back to last year, I am fan of this show and I really proud to be a part of it. It is not just a pay-day job for me. This is really cool for me. I also like that it is still shot on film and it still looks so good.

MG: Tell us about your dynamic with your fellow characters on the show?
AC: My character has a completely different relationship with each character. With Duke, they really don’t like each other but they are a lot alike. With Nathan, that is Dwight’s partner and he looks after him. With Audrey, he looks at her like a little sister. Then Vince and Dave, they are like these grandfatherly/uncle types. They are all awesome to work with. Vince and Dave are just awesome, their facial terms are just so subtle but effective. One of the things that people don’t realize is that in the U.S. is that Dave (played by John Dunsworth), he is like a national icon in Canada. He is in this show called “Trailer Park Boys”, which is so awesome. He and I went out one day and there is not a person walking down the street that didn’t stop him. I am sort of used to that with my prior career. I get stopped occasionally but no joke; he gets stopped by everyone in Canada. I’m like “Hey I used to do that little wrestling thing, anyone remember that?” [laughs].

MG: Your character Dwight has a lot of mystery behind him; can we expect any reveals of his background?
AC: It delves a little more into all of our pasts. It tells us a little bit of how everything is intertwined. It was touched on before but we get a few more layers into it. You find that there is definitely some cool things going on. I had a lot of cool scenes with Vince and Dave this season, which is great. Last season, I spent it primarily with Lucas (Bryant) and Eric (Balfour). But yeah, it gets deeper into who Dwight is and his involvement. Also from a fan perspective, when I found out where it was going this season I was really excited.

MG: What has been your biggest challenge transitioning from wrestling to dramatic series?
AC: Since I was told I had to retire from wrestling, I think it was easier for me to transition. I couldn’t do it anymore and this other thing came up and I figured I could give it a shot. That has made it fun for me and not given me any pressure. This has felt not like it is not a job and thankfully neither did WWE. So it is kind of cool that for my entire adult life that I haven’t worked. I have just been involved on these really cool projects. The biggest transition was pulling back my mannerism and face movements. In wrestling, you have to translate things to 80,000 people away…all the way to the back row. You do that with bigger face expression and more physical theatrics. With “Haven”, I had to realize that this camera can pick up my nose hairs. I had to pull back my facial expressions otherwise I told myself they are going to look completely insane [laughs]. But that was still fun working on that. I also got to work with like three or four different directors, including Jason Priestly. So it was great to get the different feedback and see how each person works.

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Interviews, TV Interviews Tagged With: adam, copeland, edge, haven, role, superstar, ...

Zheng Liu talks about film debut “Blood Money”

Zheng Liu made his film debut in the action/thriller “Blood Money”. The film also co-stars rap superstar Pitbull and martial arts legend Gordon Liu. Zheng is already being compared to be the next Bruce Lee. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Zheng about his film, doing his own stunts and what he has planned next

Mike Gencarelli: How is it already being compared to be the next Bruce Lee?
Zheng Liu: I say this to people. Of course no-one can be Bruce Lee, It is crazy to say this. I don’t really like hearing it at all. It is embarrassing with me. I think what they are saying is that maybe I could be in films that go international like what Bruce Lee did. But Jackie Chan and Jet Li do this already. I hope people can see me not like someone else.

MG: Tell us about your experience filming “Blood Money”?
ZL: I always watched action and kung fu films and believed I could do what they do, but never thinking I would go into a film myself. When Greg the Director visited us in China, I did not know what he was here for. He filmed many students but said they were not what he wanted. Then they asked me to show him what I could do. Straight after that he asked me to go in the film. I was not sure about leaving Shaolin and going to another country away from my family, so I thought hard about it for nearly half a year. I decided to do it and my Master agreed to let me try this which would be a good way to maybe show Shaolin to the world through films. The

hardest part was actually saying the words in English as I was still learning. The other part was controlling my kicks and punches because I was making contact with the other fighters. Many people got hurt and it was hard physically doing all the stunts. But awesome also!

MG: What was your most difficult stunt in the film?
ZL: Breaking the steel bar over my head is difficult but I have done it many times before. It takes great concentration and power from within. Maybe the hardest stunt was when I did a running somersault over a motorbike that was coming at me at maybe 50mph. That was quite hard as any misjudgment and I slam into the motorbike.

MG: “Blood Money” was your film debut, what did take away from working on the project?
ZL: I think finding my true love of acting. I am very new to this and still have many things to learn, but it is very exciting to think that we can create all these real action stunts and spectacular fighting and show them to people around the world. Also show what Shaolin means to us all.

MG: How was it working with martial arts legend Gordon Liu?
ZL: I remember when our Director Greg showed me a picture of Gordon Liu and said to me that he would be in Blood Money. I said that he must have the wrong actor because this man is a very very big star in China. He would not go in a film with us. But he did. He is so nice and knows everything about acting and martial arts. When he sucks the air out of the flame, it is awesome. I have never seen this. He showed all of us many things when we were together. I have to thank him a lot.

MG: After “Blood Money”, what do you have planned next?
ZL: We have many films ready to make and our next film is probably in New York around winter time.Gregory has told me about this story and it sounds very strong. Not just action but when Chinese culture meets America culture in real life. We have many big stunts and fighting and action planned for this. It will look very real with real street gangs. A very scary but interesting story. I hope you see this next year. If we work hard maybe we can make many movies and help show Shaolin to the world

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Film Interviews, Interviews Tagged With: blood, debut, film, liu, money, talks, ...
« sdf
Previous
Page 42 of 55
Next
Next Page »