Interview with David H. Lawrence XVII

David H. Lawrence XVII has worked on television and film. He is also works in voice talent, network radio host, is an internet entrepreneur, podcaster, demo producer, teacher and author. Movie Mikes got a chance to talk to David is currently starring in NBC’s “Heroes” as the villain Eric Doyle and told us about a bunch of other projects and plans for the future.

Mike Gencarelli: Give us an little insight about the XVII after your name?
David H. Lawrence XVII: If anyone want the complete godawful sheep dog version of this story, send me an email at davidlawrence@gmail.com. Basically when I first started off as an actor, which was about four years ago. I put myself or someone put me up on IMDB and there were several David Lawrence’s that preceded me. So I was the seventeenth David Lawrence. When I had to join the union, SAG, some of those David Lawrence’s were also SAG members and the name David Lawrence was unavailable. I choose XVII and became David H. Lawrence XVII. The problem is IMDB doesn’t let you put roman numeral at the end of your name unless you are Danny Aiello III and then all rules are off. When I put myself, the age popped me over to David H. Lawrence I. So I just can’t catch a break.

Mike Gencarelli: How did you originally get the role on NBC’s “Heroes”
David H. Lawrence XVII: Just another audition, in a series of auditions that month. June of 2008, June 12th to be precise. I had an extra day with the sides so I was to play with it a lot more than another audition. Sometimes you get auditions and its the same day and you have very little time to go over the sides. The issue with not having enough time to review sides is what prompted me to create the app I have for the iPhone called “Rehearsal”. So I can rehearse my lines and my lines and memorize stuff right on my iPhone. It turns out the reason they brought me in was because of a student film I have done a couple of years earlier. That student film by the way, I shot it despite the fact that I got booked for a network television show that much earlier. The show was called “The Clubhouse”. Because I had already committed to the student, I passed on the part. It would have been network part but he couldn’t reschedule the shoot. So fast forward two years later, they see that clip from that film where I am playing a ringmaster. I am all dressed up in stage makeup and what not and they said “Hey if he will do that maybe he will come in for Eric Doyle”.

Mike Gencarelli: Did you enjoy playing the role of the villain, Eric Doyle on “Heroes”?
David H. Lawrence XVII: I did and I continue to, he is not dead yet. Only after the fact how I realized how fun it is to play a villain as suppose to play a good guy. The higher you are on the call sheet the more money you make but in terms of having the good lines. People know me for saying things like “Barbie” and “I just want to be normal”, things like that. The character gave the opportunity to be a villain with a heart. People want to hug me and help me be better so that is kinda nice. Be aware I am only going to disappoint you in the end.

MG: Any cool stories from the set of “Heroes”?
DL: There are hundreds of stories from the set. I spent more of my time working with Hayden Panettiere and with Robert Knepper who played Samuel. Both of them are really amazing actors, in terms of their preparation and attitude, approach and work ethic. I wish I had some horrifying stories to tell you about misbehavior on the set but it just didn’t happen. I have been on a couple of sets in my acting career, probably seven or eight and this one is far and away the most comfortable and amazing and enjoyable. All I can say is that what powers me is bagels and cream cheese. That is about as crazy as I can get.

MG: Your work ranges from comedy to drama, how do you usually prepare for your roles?
DL: I spend a lot of time memorizing my lines and exploring way for the character to interact. It all goes out the window or all comes to play when the cameras start rolling. That is really the time when the magic happens and all the prep work could be thrown out the window if something changes or if the writers come in with a rewrite at the last minute. I was certainly rehearsing how to die in my first episode because I was suppose to die in my first episode and then the writers rewrote the ending after we starting shooting. They decided they didn’t want me to die just yet and they changed it to have Claire hit me over the head with a chair leg. All of the preparation I did on how to die convincingly so far hasn’t had to be called into play. There were all these villains that came out in season three and every single one of them are dead, expect me.

MG: You have done quite a bit a short films? Can you us about anyone’s that stand out? “My Name is Wallace”?
DL: “My Name is Wallace” got into over 100 festivals and won about 40 of them. It was a really nice gentle little film that I loved doing. It was a character I have been doing on radio and on the phone with my buddy Bob Pondillo, who is the director and writer for decades. He started off as a character that was one of the oddest people to ever make a video tape for a dating service. In the movie the character doesn’t quite get what a phone sex service is all about. It’s is an interesting little movie and we are thinking of turning it into a feature. I just finished one called “The New, True, Charlie Wu” and it has been shown all over the country. It has also been in a bunch of festivals. I try to convince people I do shorts for to take the leap and make features. Shorts are weird, you can’t release them in the theaters and you can’t really release them on DVD. You just make them for the love of making films. I have done a lot of that and I really want to concentrate on doing television and studio features. I am actually shooting one right now with Frankie Muniz, Corbin Bernsen, Shelly Long and Diamond Dallas Page from WWE called “Pizza Man”. It is so much fun working with people that you grew up watching on television. Frankie Muniz is half my age but I was watching him as a child actor in “Malcolm in the Middle”. Corbin Bernsen most people know from “Major League” but I know him from “L.A. Law” and Shelly Long from “Troop Beverly Hills” but she is Diane from “Cheers” for me.

MG: You’ve done stand up before, how do you think it differs from movies or TV?
DL: Stand up is something I feel like I have been doing for 30 years on radio. So getting up on stage and doing stand up is no big deal to me, especially when it goes array, when things go bad. I kind of love that because it is a challenge to turn lemons into lemonade. When you can take a crowd who maybe isn’t with you in the beginning and get them with you towards the end, that’s like the best possible situation. It is easy to be a really popular comedian and people will laugh at just about everything you say. It kinda like being a business man and making a horrible mistake but then making it right with the customer, you have that customer for life. I look at my career as a busy and I look at everyone that see a film I am in or a television show I am on or come to a stand up I do as a customer of mine as well as a fan. I do everything I can to make sure that they are completely satisfied and surprised and delighted with what they get. Luckly I have been give that opportunity with some really great projects like “Heroes” and “Lost” and it has been great. I like the idea of being saying, “I had no idea that you were that “David Lawrence”. A lot of people know me from radio or from the world of technology where I worked with AOL, Yahoo and Google for many years and they go “Wait a minute, what are you doing now…What?…Your that guy…Oh my God, Yeah you are”. It always fun to watch that happen.

MG: Tell us out your author work with “10 Quick Steps”?
DL: With “10 Quick Steps”, when you do a talk show on radio, the callers are like records. You can only spend a few minutes with each one. There were certain questions I could answer poorly in 90 seconds or a couple of minutes. So I started to write complete guide on how to do certain things that people were calling in and asking about all the time. Some are “How do you turn cassettes, records, reel to reel into MP3 or CDs?” or “How do you take VHS and make them into DVDs” or “How do you completely backup your computer”. I started writing these guides and at the time, I was on XM satellite radio 24/7. CNET kind of went away in January 2003 and I started writing these in April or May in 2003 and because I was on 24/7 if I mentioned them on the air, they would repeat my shows all the time. They would get sold 24 hours a day. 7 days a week. I would sell them for $20 bucks a piece and you would download them on the computer and there was no shipping or anything. I also did audio version of them.

MG: What do you have planned for the future?
DL: I am appearing at various conventions across the country, I am already booked at Dragon Con, over Labor Day weekend in Atlanta. I am going to be at the Hollywood Show this year. I am booked at the San Diego, Toronto, New York Comic Cons and hopefully they will also book me for Cleveland and Nashville. I grew up in Cleveland and I do a lot of shooting in Nashville. Once you are on “Heroes”, you can easily spend every weekend of your life in some city somewhere meeting fans.

MG: Do you enjoy meeting you fans?
DL: I LOVE…LOVE meeting my fans. I realize they are fans of the show and they very clearly let me know when they are fans of Eric Doyle’s because they know things about him that sometimes I forgotten. It’s like who remembers these things, but the fans do. I am thrilled that fans care that much.

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Interview with Michael Berryman

Berryman is probably best known for his role as Pluto in Wes Craven’s 1977 horror film “The Hills Have Eyes” and the 1985 sequel “The Hills Have Eyes Part II”. He has also made appearances in “Weird Science”(1985), and the Academy Award-winning drama “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (1975). In 2005, he appeared in Rob Zombie’s “The Devil’s Rejects”. MovieMikes asked Michael a few questions about his career and talked about his favorite genres and his passions besides movies and most importantly his love of craft service on a movie set.

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Mike Gencarelli: “The Hills Have Eyes” was your first major role. Did you have any idea that your were making a film that three decades later still ranks as one of the great horror films of all time?

Michael Berryman: To tell the truth, I didn’t. I was just happy to have another job. When I read the script it was called “Blood Relations,” which was the name of the company. Then it was changed to “The Hills Have Eyes.” And, having talked to Wes (Wes Craven, the writer/director of “The Hills Have Eyes”) about the McBain family and learning that the story was mostly true, I thought “OK, this is not really a monster movie…it’s about two families.” It was hot in the daytime, cold at night. Very physical. A lot of the people in what we called the “White Bread Family”…Dee Wallace….the guy that played Bobby (Robert Houston)….they were a little more citified. Which kind of fit. I mean, everyone on our side, the Hills family, had done Westerns and rough and tumble parts. So it kind of lent itself to a natural selection as far as having the two sides – protagonist and antagonist. No, I had no clue at all that it would be a classic. Wes was just getting going after “Last House on the Left” and, actually, nobody had ever heard of anybody in the cast at all. We all just threw ourselves into it. I wanted to make Pluto as real to life as possible. And we got lucky. It hit. The drive-ins helped. It created some controversy. By today’s standards it’s not very bloody or gory…not a lot of special effects. So I’m very proud that after thirty years it has those other elements to fall back on.

Mike Gencarelli: You appear as a patient in the Oscar winning Best Picture “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.” Any favorite memory from working on the film?”

Michael Berryman: Many. Many. I worked 127 days on that masterpiece. We had two weeks of rehearsal with camera on the major scenes. Blocking and just trying to get a feel for it. And during the two weeks all of the main actors, including myself, had to spend time with the real patients on different wards (note: the film was shot on location at the Oregon State Mental Hospital, which was open and operational at the time). We even went to the criminally insane ward which was on the third floor. And with a guard at the door looking through the window there were moments where we spent a half hour…up to an hour with the patients. One fellow had been committed because he had, unfortunately, burned down a church. We looked at his art work. It was a very strange place with these individuals whose lives weren’t like yours and mine. But it gave us a nice insight into what really goes on. My father having been a prominent brain surgeon (Dr. Sloan Berryman was a very distinguished neurosurgeon)…that helped also because I had been around doctors and nurses my whole life. And then Jack Nicholson…this is what made him. It got him his first Oscar. He was still pretty well known. And having filmed at a real hospital was kind of cool. We were all hoping that Ken Kesey (author of the novel) would drop by but he was pretty dissatisfied with the screenplay (the script, by Bo Goldman and Laurence Hauben, won the Academy Award) because it wasn’t through the eyes of the Chief (in the book, the story unfolds through the eyes of Chief Bromden). But all in all it was very impressive to me. The hand picked crew…everybody now has a legacy behind them and I was just proud to be a part of it. The days I had off I was still on the set watching so I could learn my craft. I wanted to learn as much as I could about the lighting and the blocking…how you do coverage.

Mike Gencarelli: What did you think about the recent remake of “The Hills Have Eyes?” Have you seen it?

Michael Berryman: Yes I have. I was at a sneak premiere at a film festival and then I was at the red carpet event in Los Angeles. It was great to see Dee (Wallace) and Wes (Craven) and everybody. I liked the beginning of the film quite a bit. It had a nice feel to it…a nice atmosphere. But after about 20 minutes it became obvious to me that the movie was losing its dramatic impact…the relationship between the two families as individuals dealing with other members of their own family…I thought it fell apart and it turned into a chase film. I thought it basically turned into a video game. And then the second remake…I have no interest in even watching it. I thought they were pretty weak. And I know they were financially successful but I’m an artist first and, while I always want my projects to do well so I can make subsequent films, all in all I was pretty dissatisfied with the remakes. Of course they’re remaking everything these days and some are better than others. I just didn’t care for these remakes. They could have been better.

MG: Your role in “Weird Science” was a change of pace. At first you seem to be your usual villain but, once you’ve been rebuked, you meekly ask “Can we keep this…between us? I’d hate to lose my teaching job.” Was that line in the script or something you and John Hughes came up with on set?

MB: That was actually something John Hughes (writer/director of “Weird Science”) and I came up with on a whim. I was talking to him on set while they were setting up the shot for my close up and he said, “Hey, Michael, I’m going to end with you. What do you think these guys do when they’re not out terrorizing kids on the weekend? So we kind of kicked it around and we thought it would be kind of neat if he was a school teacher. This was sort of his chance, by proxy…because Kelly’s (LeBrock, who plays Lisa, the “doll” the boys create) character zapped us in…it wasn’t our idea…it gave us an opportunity to mess with these kids, which is kind of neat because most school teachers get a lot of razzing…get a lot of grief from high school kids. That’s how that scene came about. And John was just tremendous…tremendous to work with.

MG: Which do you prefer doing, horror films or more mainstream ones?

MB: I don’t really have a preference, honestly. I like it all. I just finished the last couple scenes for the new “Scooby Doo” movie playing a zombie, but I got to sing and dance. So there’s a mixture of comedy – slash – pseudo horror and making it all work. I don’t have a particular preference but I do have to say in my library growing up as a kid, being a big fan of films, I loved the monster films. I loved the Universal Horror classics. I loved the “Twilight Zone” and “The Outer Limits.” Especially because of their content. They were social commentary about situations that you could hide under the guise of…protagonist – antagonist…situations where your average person has to figure out what choices are most important for them. At an earlier age, of course, I loved Superman. I wanted to have super powers like every other kid. But I really appreciated the misunderstanding of the monsters. Now when you have a monster that pretty much just capitulates, like the one in the Korean film “The Host”. The monster wasn’t one you could have a dialogue with or get a lot of back story. I consider that a monster film in the classic sense. I thought it was a beautiful film, I really liked it. But I don’t have a preference. If somebody waved a magic wand and said you can only do one kind of film…gosh…I’d have to say sci-fi because it embraces all the other elements. But if it’s a good script and its well put together and we have a good crew… as long as there are good craft services catering I’m happy. That’s true. They say an army runs on it’s belly but a production company runs on craft service.

MG: What are your passions besides acting?

MB: My biggest passions? The first one is humanity. I’m huge on the basic theme…if you look at the back of the jacket that I wear all the time. And I wear it for a reason. It’s a Hard Rock Café jacket and the back reads “Love all. Serve all. All is one.” That’s kind of my philosophy of life. That is the most important. And that gives us room for civility to do continued good work. For instance Paul Newman, who I met while I was doing “The Crow,” invited me to get involved with his camp for kids that have their faces and skulls reconstructed and it’s all paid for through his philanthropic organization. I’ve been to his camp a number of times. I also lived at the Wolf Mountain Sanctuary for a number of years. The website is wolfmountainsanctuary.org. There’s also a woman whose been saving the Santa Cruz Island horses off the coast of California. It’s called Sunshine Sanctuary and they work with troubled kids. They let them come up and interact with the horses and they have an opportunity to make a difference. (www.sunshinesanctuary.org) I work with local charities. I’m a reader for blind college students. I’ve volunteered at many drug and alcohol programs through my friends in law enforcement. I think it’s important for the artists in the community to make a difference, especially if you have a recognizable face and/or name. People follow your career and there’s so much more to it than just making a paycheck and telling stories and buying expensive toys. I would love to be a gazillionaire. I would set my family up but I would also take a lot of the money and set it aside. I would be a philanthropist. That would be my ultimate goal. I have horses at home, I’m an avid gardener, I love to cook. I’ll sum it up by saying I can’t live in a world without garlic and chocolate.

MG: Do you enjoy attending conventions and meeting your fans?

MB: Absolutely. I think they’re really cool events. I’ve been splitting it up 50/50 pretty much. Half of the events I go to are film festivals where I do the meet and greet…well, I’m usually out meeting and greeting so I don’t get to see all of the films I would like to. If there were two of me, one would be out at the table (greeting fans) and the other one would be watching every movie being shown. I’ve talked to a couple of people who put the events together and I’ve told them it would be great if they put all of the film submissions in a collectors set so they could be available for the fans. I’ve been to festivals in Indianapolis…Texas…Canada…all over. It’s really exciting to meet people who are just getting their feet wet. The themes and subject matter are usually a lot more varied than what you see from the studios. I really enjoy my fans and I appreciate them very much. And they know that. I also get to meet actors that I’m really keen on…people whose work I’ve watched over the years. I may have never gotten to work with them but it’s nice to meet them…hang out at the hotel and maybe have a drink or a bite to eat. I think the conventions are wonderful. If anyone reading this hasn’t gone to one, I highly recommend it. Get out of the house and go…you’ll have a lot of fun.

MG: What can you tell me about your upcoming role in “Below Zero 3D?” Are you excited to be in 3D?

MB: I’m totally stoked. I just finished up the paperwork. I have a son who’s a serial killer. It’s sort of a “Fargo” esque story where a screenwriter gets locked into a meat locker so he can get into the mood to write his screenplay. It’s a three part story with a couple of nice twists to it. I’ve noticed that 3D is becoming pretty popular and they’re doing it different then before so maybe it will really be fantastic. I like the script a lot. It should be a lot of fun. I’m looking forward to going to Canada and shooting it.

MG: Any other projects you have coming up?

MB: A movie called “Stingy Jack.” We’re hoping the project gets green lit soon. I’ll play the title role. I can’t say too much about it…it’s kind of top secret! But it’s a really, really, really cool script. I’m just very grateful to make new contacts. People who are trying to put together their companies and create a library of good work so we can continue doing what we love to do, and that’s entertain…tell stories. It’s one of the oldest art forms in the world and I’m proud to be a part of it. Thanks to (legendary filmmaker) George Pal who gave me my first role. I’m really excited. I just want to pack my bags, head up to Canada and have a great time doing “Below Zero.”

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Filed Under: Film Interviews Tagged With: alereza, alex, ep, nekrogoblikons, power, talks, ...

Interview with Chuck Williams

Chuck has appeared opposite Bruce Campbell in Don Coscarelli’s “Bubba Ho-Tep” and “The Carbon Copy” with Jonathan Breck. Also “Bryan Loves You” with Tony Todd and George Wendt. Chuck has also performed lead roles in “Groom Lake”, “Soultaker”, “Up Against The Eight Ball”, “Double Blast” with Linda Blair as well as countless other films and television shows, including “The Young and the Restless”. He has worked as an assistant director alongside such Hollywood heavyweights as James Cameron, Rob Cohen, Kathryn Bigelow, John Badham, Penelope Spheeris, Jonathan Kaplan, David Fincher, Jim Kouf and a host of others. MovieMikes talked with Chuck about his fantastic career, which shows no signs of stopping anytime soon.

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Mike Gencarelli: You’ve starred in numerous low-budget horror films, is that your favorite genre?
Chuck Williams: No, not really, I love all kinds of films….especially romantic comedies. It’s just easier for everyone to raise the money to make horror movies and that seems to be the most kinds of films that filmmakers ask me to be in. I remember in the beginning of my career, my mom would ask me “Are you ever going to star in a movie you don’t die in?”…LOL

Mike Gencarelli: Tell me about your involvement with the show “The Girls Next Door”?
Chuck Williams: I was asked to come on the show and produce a horror movie with Bridget Marquardt. She is an amazing, talented woman. She truly loves horror and scary films. So we developed a movie called “The Telling” that she also starred in with her friend Holly Madison. We had a blast and shot a lot of it at the Playboy Mansion thanks to Hugh Hefner. It now is playing on The Movie Channel.

MG: You’ve taken on many roles, actor, producer, writer, directer, what is your favorite job on the set of a movie?
CW: My favorite is always acting. That is why I came out to Hollywood. But I knew if I learned the craft of making films, I would always work. I want to be in this business for a long time like Paul Newman and Clint Eastwood and they both learned how to make movies!

MG: What was like working the film “Bubba Ho-Tep” and with Don Coscarelli and Bruce Campbell?
CW: One of the best experiences in my life. I love Don. He is a great writer and director. Bubba Ho-Tep is one of those films like Spinal Tap or Rocky Horror Picture Show…It will live forever. The fans love that movie and so do I. Bruce is the King….while on set in front of the camera or behind, he never broke character. As he would always say, “Thank you, thank you very much….now lets get something to eat boys.”

MG: What was your craziest experience on a film set?
CW: Working as a assistant director on the cult classic movie “Near Dark” directed by Oscar winner Kathryn Bigelow. Long and cold nights, great cast and for some reason, we kept blowing up things that would knock out the power in the middle of the night of this small little town in Arizona…LOL They were happy to see us leave…I mean, imagine waking up more than once and finding out your not going to have hot coffee in the morning.

MG: If you have all the means necessary, what would be your dream project?
CW: Well, I have always been an independent filmmaker, which I think that keeps the game interesting. But if I had 200 million dollars to make my dream project, I would make a film that makes people laugh!

If you would like to contact Mr. Williams directly, feel free to send him an email at:
chuckwilliamsfanclub@yahoo.com

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Filed Under: Film Interviews Tagged With: alereza, alex, ep, nekrogoblikons, power, talks, ...

Exclusive Interview with Amelia Kinkade

Amelia Kinkade, although known for her more prominent role as the Angela Franklin in the horror series “Night of the Demons” and its sequels. That was only the start of Amelia amazing journey. Besides being a champion level dancer, Amelia has written two pet psychic books and she is a practicing animal communicator. Amelia gives lectures, classes and book discussions have all around the world. Thanks to Neal DeConte, who is creating a figurine of Amelia as Angela from “Night of the Demons” for his company, Horror Idols (revealed this July at Famous Monsters Convention), MovieMikes was able to ask Amelia a few questions about her days as an actress and more importantly her current work which is her true passion. During this interview Amelia realized that “There CAN be a lovely cross-over between the horror lovers and the spiritual animal lovers.”

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Mike Gencarelli: You majored in dance and was featured in films and rock videos? Is dance still apart of your life?
Amelia Kinkade: If I didn’t still dance, I’d be lying on my back in an insane asylum dancing on the walls with crayons between my toes. I am a champion level salsa dancer, I’m proud to say, after many years of humiliation on the ballroom dance-floor. Salsa is a BLAST and I recommend it to all my students no matter how much they think they can’t dance. Dance is an outlet of joy, release, gratitude, and respect for these amazing bodies God gave us, no matter what shape we think we’re in or how critical we may be of ourselves. I trained all my life as a professional ballerina and jazz dancer, quit for many years after my Demon’s days, went into a horrid depression and realized I couldn’t live without the hope and joy that dance brings into my life. I decided to get my groove back on in my early thirties and and one of the reasons I moved to NYC was because I can still dance like a bat out of hell. I needed the best dance studio in America where I can smoke every nineteen year old Broadway star off the map. I found it. Good times! If I had any shame, I’d feel terrible about this. But I taught for years in Hollywood, and I can still ROCK IT.

Mike Gencarelli: You starred as Angela Franklin in the “Night of the Demons” franchise, did you enjoy planning the character?
Amelia Kinkade: Does a bear shit in the woods? Does the Pope eat fish on Friday? I got paid to get possessed and kill everybody. In my early 20’s, I was still doing this on a monthly basis, but not getting paid for it. These movies allowed a rare glimpse of my PMS before I had my monthly dose of Midol.

Mike Gencarelli: Do you have a favorite moment from the set of the films?
Amelia Kinkade: “I was just warming my hands over the fire!”


Mike Gencarelli: How do you feel about the franchise being remade planned for release this Halloween?
Amelia Kinkade: I didn’t know it was! But thanks for telling me! As long as I get my .0000000000002 % maybe I’ll have enough money to buy some cat food for my hilarious funky half-dead ol’ Persian, Doc!

MG: After you starred in “Night at the Demons III”, why did you stop acting?
AK: I got the calling to work with animals and write my first book. Divine Intelligence took over my life and it was time to allow my destiny to be more important than my history–a lesson I now teach in at least 12 countries all over the world every year. Working as an actress was a mindless cake-walk. Working with tigers in Thailand, elephants, cheetah, sacred White Lions, Great White Sharks, penguins, baboons, jaguars and giraffes in Africa as the human monkeys destroy their environment and exploit them off the face of the planet is not a mindless cake-walk. It’s time to take responsibility for our world and the other living creatures on it that we were put here to protect and champion. If my movie career can help position my work as an animal ambassador, I’ll run naked through the streets. What do you think THAT would do for my reputation? Grin You know that saying, “Good girls go to Heaven. Bad girls go everywhere?” Well, it’s true. But maybe this bad girl can get some GOOD things done in this world. If my fans join hands with me, we’ll have a better chance. The movies were “fun.” Rolling around with tigers and diving with Great White sharks is ecstatic. And even if the animals are in pain, and most are, the work is REWARDING, so I can go to sleep every night knowing I made a difference in the world. I’m not the one wearing the fangs anymore. I’m loving the ones with the real fangs, and it’s a LOT more fun than pretending I have fangs of my own.

MG: When did you first realize that you have the ability to hear and speak to animals?
AK: I wrote a book about this called “Straight From the Horse’s Mouth: How to Talk to Animals and Get Answers”. In my Demon days, when I was 24, I took a workshop that was the seed of what I now teach. When it came time to try to actually “do it,” I was convinced I’d be the only person in the entire room who couldn’t do it. But when we were asked to “tune in” to a dog, I started writing pages and pages of notes, crying hysterically. The teacher asked us is the dog we were trying to connect with had ever had puppies. Suddenly the dam burst between me and the dog and I “became” her for a moment. In the vision, I WAS the dog, like being in a movie clip, in holographic 3D. I could see and touch the nose of my great love through a chain link fence. He was a big black doberman mix who lived next door and I was living in a trailer home that had a huge pine tree in front. The human got divorced and took “me” away from the only dog I ever loved. Then she got “me” fixed so that I couldn’t have puppies. Emotionally, I was heart-broken. The level of grief was over-whelming, but I knew I had to be loyal to my human owner. I looked down and saw the huge incision on my belly and felt the agonizing pain. The pain was devastating, both physically and emotionally. Then inside my mind, I heard the dog say, “I couldn’t be a mother myself, so now I take care of all the neighborhood cats.”The woman who owned the dog burst into tears and confirmed everything I said, from the trailer to the pine tree to the big black dog next door. She kept saying, “Tell her I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!” And she confirmed this huge pitbull mix herded all the neighborhood cats in the most loving way. That was the beginning of a shocking new career that has taken me all the way to Buckingham Palace to read the Queen’s Horses. I didn’t mean to do it. But God needed it done, so She chose to do it through me, and to tell you honestly, I didn’t have much choice in the matter.

MG: Tell me about the books you have written, “Straight From the Horse’s Mouth: How to Talk to Animals and Get Answers” and “The Language of Miracles: A Celebrated Psychic Teaches You to Talk to Animals”?
AK: It’s this mobility of consciousness that I now teach. Psychic ability is a learned skill, an innate part of our brain chemistry that only needs to be developed in order to function automatically like any of our other motor skills. In every workshop I teach all over the world, one of my first questions is, “How many of you think you’re going to be the only person in the room who CAN’T do this?” and almost every hand goes up. Then, I applaud their courage for coming. By the end of the seminar, almost ALL my students are able to download names: Names of the other animals at home, names of the other people at home, names of the neighbors, names of the animals’ medical conditions, names of the humans and animals in the household who have crossed over into Heaven and details that are absolutely impossible to dismiss. And it is often the most skeptical down-trodden students with the least amount of confidence who come out as the most SHINING professional psychics, because they are so humble and their ego doesn’t get in their way. Plus, if they question themselves constantly, they are all the more likely to push for more detail in their information and they get more accurate data. I’ve poured my heart and soul into my books and I’ve made my life an example of giving everything I’ve got to give in order to restore some peace to this planet and some comfort to Her animals—two and four-legged alike.

MG: You are currently on a world tour, how does it make you feel to be able to spread this gift all over the world?
AK: Tired. I’ve been on a world tour for eight years. I’ve got FOUR more world tours this year. That’s why I’ve chosen to start appearing in Horror Movie conventions here in the states. I’m willing to join forces with my horror fans who are also animal lovers and not have to fly all the way to Switzerland to find like-minded animal lovers who want to talk about Quantum Physics, Interspecies Communication, God, Spirit, life, and the future of the planet. My students in Europe share their inmost secrets with me, dance, and laugh, and cry with me. Maybe my horror fans will do that too, and Dorothy won’t have to fly all the way to Oz to get her rocks off.

MG: Are you excited about your return of the horror convention circuit this July at Famous Monsters Convention in Indianapolis?
AK: With bells on, baby.

MG: How do you feel being about becoming a figurine created by the company Horror Idols?
AK: The only thing my figurine can’t do that I’m doing is JUMP FOR JOY, but maybe we’ll work on that for the NEXT action figure/figurine.

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Interview with Steven C. Miller

Steven C. Miller wrote, edited, directed and even had a role in his first horror movie, “Automaton Transfusion”. The film made on a no budget but it looks like $5M dollar film. MovieMikes has the ability to ask Steven a few questions about his career so far. Keep an eye on Steven he will be the taking over the horror genre, no question.

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Mike Gencarelli: What were the main challenges you faced while making “Automaton Transfusion”?
Steven C. Miller: The biggest were obviously Time and Money. We had next to none of both. Its hard to make any movie in 9 days, but it gets even more challenging when you have less that 20k to do it with. We had to be extremely creative but ultimately I think that’s what gave us a unique little film. Other main challenges included– Locations, Make-up FX, and Exhaustion.

Mike Gencarelli: How did you feel when the film was picked up by Dimension Films?
Steven C. Miller: It was a huge honor for me. I felt like Dimension really brought back horror with the release of “Scream” back in the day and nothing thrilled me more, than to be in that library. They did an amazing job on the box art for the film and the overall marketing was fantastic.

Mike Gencarelli: You career started right out of film school, tell us about your road to success?
Well, I by no means think I am a success yet. I still see myself as learning and trying to perfect my craft. Anyway, I came to Hollywood right after film school (sleeping in my car/on friends sofas) and started Editing a few low budget horror films. I finally just got sick of all the crap I was seeing. It wasn’t necessarily the film makers fault, gotta pay the bills, but I always felt like there was no heart in those pictures. I wanted to make something that felt like “Evil Dead”. Something that had heart and showed a love for the genre. I gathered my friends Mark Thalman and William Clevinger and explained to them what I felt like we needed to do. They both agreed and we immediately contacted our film school. The school was on board and we were off to the races. Once “Automaton Transfusion” was finished, the journey of getting it bought seemed long, but eventually it landed at film festivals and ultimately at Dimension. It was an amazing time in my life and I will never forget it.

MG: Are you planning a follow-up to “Automaton”, if so can you tell us about it?
SM: I am. Its been in the works for a while now. Its the movie that ties up any loose ends or questions from the first film and leads into a whole new world for the third. It picks up where our characters were left for a brief moment before being thrust 5 years into the future. I can’t say too much because the script is just too exciting to spoil, but it will mix genres like nothing before. The biggest issue with the movie is the financing. It needs… well.. deserves a bigger budget than the first and that is always about timing. Its not a film I am going to just make for half a million bucks and hope it turns out good. Its something that I consider my Empire Strikes Back and I take it very seriously.

MG: Has horror movies always been your favorite genre? Do you see yourself ever making romantic comedy?
SM: I love all kinds. My favorite is really action. I always felt “Automaton Transfusion” was an action movie with horror elements. I also do love comedy. Horror and Comedy are very similar, its all about the timing. I would definitely do a romantic comedy if it was R rated and felt like something out of the 80s.

MG: Who is your inspiration for wanting to make movies?
SM: My biggest inspiration when I was growing up was Sam Raimi. It was amazing to me that he could be all over the genre map, from “Evil Dead” to “For The Love Of The Game” to “Spider-Man”.

MG: If you had any means necessary, what would be your dream project?
SM: I have a werewolf bank heist film called “Bad Moon Rising”, that if I had the chance, I would make in a instant.

MG: Tell me about your involvement with the proposed remake of “Motel Hell”?
SM: I was hired by MGM and Craig Perry to be the Director of the remake. There is a really fun script and Craig Perry has some killer ideas. The problem is that It’s at a stand still while MGM figures out there money situation. Its unfortunate that the movie hasn’t just been made. Its a great title and one of my favorite 80s flicks. Hopefully soon!

MG: What other projects do you have in development that you want to talk about?
SM: I’m in post production on my next feature for After Dark Films called “Scream of the Banshee”, which stars Lauren Holly and Lance Hendrickson. Its a fun little monster movie meets “The Ring”. It’s slated for a October theatrical release. I’m also working on a few things with various producers and Writers. I try to throw as many things as I can at the wall because eventually something will stick!

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Interview with Dante Tomaselli

Dante Tomaselli’s first film was a 23-minute short called, “Desecration”, which was expanded to feature length. The film received acclaim for its nightmarish visuals and became a cult horror classic. His second was a sequel titled, “Horror”, The film earned rave reviews in the horror world. Tomaselli third feature, “Satan’s Playground” was released in 2006 and featured an amazing group of cult-horror icons. MovieMikes has the opportunity to talk to Dante about his films and his what is in stop for the future.

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Mike Gencarelli: “Desecration” started off as a short film, how do you feel the film translated into a full length feature?
Dante Tomaselli: Not bad, considering it cost only $150, 000. “Desecration” was my first feature and I was still in my twenties.  It was 1999 and the genre was just finishing that God-awful cycle of “Scream”-like comedic horrors. My film premiered at the Fantafestival in Rome, Italy and then Image Entertainment picked it up for DVD distribution. It got some good notices in the horror world and art-house arena. Then came the Internet. Lots of press there. Lots of review sites popping up all over the place. That was around the time that the Internet was starting to replace newspapers and magazines as immediate media information and I felt I was riding the wave of something….

Mike Gencarelli: What was the biggest challenge making the full length “Desecration”?
Dante Tomaselli: Getting all the elements together…crew…actors…artists…money. Filmmaking is not like photography or painting. You can’t just have your paint brush and easel and display your vision. I needed to build a whole network of people around me. I’ve always been a mixture of shyness and occasional confidence, so socially, it was rough, but the film pokes through and leads the way. I think people around me understood that I meant business. The visions must be extracted. The film itself speaks and commands…and I’m the vessel, really. It was challenging creating my first feature…at the same time it came so naturally. After “Desecration” was released, I was hooked and deeply in love with making low budget movies….Film is a moving painting, a moving sculpture…a doorway to somewhere else…wow…I definitely felt that this was my destiny and I was on a mission. I wanted…needed…to make creative, intimate horror films.

Mike Gencarelli: Tell me about its follow-up “Horror”, what made you want to continue the story?
Dante Tomaselli: Horror was like a sequel to “Desecration”. It was a continuation of the eternally damned boy’s life. I was honing my craft. Even though I switched cinematographers and production designers from “Desecration”, “Horror” still retained my signature look…and sound. It was important for me to illustrate that I had a voice that was my own. I’m trying to construct a nightmare in which we experience the protagonist’s damnation. More than anything I wanted my films to be different, unique. Possibly I could have made a mainstream horror film…possibly…but instead I went the other way and created something crazier, wilder, and even more non-linear than Desecration”. “Horror”. My imagination was unhinged on “Horror”.

MG: You worked with a great cast in “Satan’s Playground” like Felissa Rose (“Sleepaway Camp”), Ellen Sandwiess (“Evil Dead”) and Edwin Neal (“The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”). What was it like working with them?
DT: Exhilarating. Looking back, I might have been a little too caught up in the horror fanboy dream of it all. It might have distracted me a bit from the film itself, sometimes. Ultimately, though I forged some actor director relationships that are enduring. Felissa was fun to work with; she really got into the part and put her heart into it. Ellen Sandweiss is a great friend and had one of the best roles in “The Evil Dead”, one of my favorite films. She was terrific…especially when her character’s baby was stolen. “Satan’s Playground” was her comeback after so many years. And Ed Neal, well, I am about to work with him again on my new film. He’s a really gifted performer, very underrated.

MG: Your films have all seem to involve religion undertones? Why?
DT: Well, I grew up in an Italian American Catholic household so it was unescapable. My older siblings all went to Catholic school and I went to Sunday School…or Catechism. And church. My religious grandmothers both lived in Paterson New Jersey, with all the Blessed Virgin Mary statues on the lawns and everything. A staple of Italian neighborhoods. It was a vibe all around me and I picked up on it. I remember, many times, being in church, on my knees, and chanting the prayers and zoning out and marveling at the architecture of the church and the eeriness of the church organ. I’m not a religious person. Spiritual? Yes. I’m more skeptical of organized religion. It causes wars and divides people. Certain religions thinking they know better than the other….It seems to have happened since the beginning of mankind and never stopped. Also, of course, sometimes the hypocrisy, the perversion of religion can be terrifying. I think organized religion could be the death of us. So yea, I fear it. In the end, though, my films are really about family.

MG: What made you want to get into the movie business? Is horror your favorite genre?
DT: Yes! I’m a lifelong horror film fanatic. Good horror films release serotonin in my brain. Growing up, my room was decorated like a Funhouse. This is something I’ve always wanted to do, for as long as I can remember. My notebook in school was filled with horror movie artwork and the titles of the films in their original font. Movies like…”Halloween”, “The Omen”, “Carrie”, “The Shining”, “Rosemary’s Baby”, “Tourist Trap”, “The Fog”, “Burnt Offerings”, “Let’s Scare Jessica to Death”, “The Sentinel”…When I’m inspired or in…the trance…I close my eyes and the images from the film I want to create are as clear as slides projected in my mind. And the sounds. It’s an all-out sensory take-over, like dreaming while wide awake. It’s been happening since I was really young and it’s like a faucet I can’t turn off. I fantasize for a living.   

MG: Your cousin, Alfred Sole, made “Alice, Sweet Alice”, would you ever consider remaking that film with him?
DT: I will be remaking that film. I have the rights from my cousin and he will work on it as well. It’s inevitable that all notable horror films will be remade so we want to beat others to the punch. It’s coming up.

MG: You are having a documentary made about you by filmmaker, Christopher Garetano, titled “The Horror of Dane Tomaselli”.  What can you tell us about this?
DT: You’d really have to talk to Chris about what he has in store because he’s totally in charge of it. He’ll be shooting the conclusion of the documentary soon, possibly next month.  I’ve seen clips and it’s like an out-of-body experience.  For me, it’s intense, hallucinogenic.

MG: What are your plans for the movie “Torture Chamber”?

DT: I’m ready to start shooting. We’re days away. It’s a horror shocker about a demonically possessed boy who escapes from a mental institution and discovers an old abandoned castle with a secret passageway to a cobwebbed torture chamber. It’s the first serious independent horror film in a while that’s in the vein of “The Exorcist”.

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Interview with Paul Solet

Paul Solet is the director of the recent horror film “Grace”. If you haven’t seen it, where have you been living under a rock?! The movie which started off as a short film tells about a pregnant Madeline (Jordan Ladd) which is involved in a car accident and doctors tell Madeline that her unborn child is dead. Madeline, desperate after trying to have a child for years, decides to carry her baby to term anyway. The child, a girl, initially appears stillborn. After a while, though, she seems to revive, and Madeline names her “Grace”. It soon becomes clear something is wrong with the baby and its cravings.

MovieMikes has a chance to ask Paul some questions about the movie and its journey to the big screen. Keep an eye out for Paul he already made a name for himself and its going to be one of Hollywood’s biggest directors very soon!

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Mike Gencarelli: How did you originally come up with the idea for the short “Grace”?
Paul Solet: The idea for GRACE comes from actual medical science. I had a conversation in which I learned that when a mother loses her unborn child, unless labor is artificially induced, the mother will often actually carry that baby to term. I just find the inherent drama and terror of that idea so remarkably potent. What better way to explore the power of motherhood and love, than through a physical merger with death?

Mike Gencarelli: Besides the “Grace” short, you were featured on “Fangoria’s Blood Drive 2”, How do you feel that making a short differs from feature?
Paul Solet: It’s the same exact thing at a different scale. You still need to tell a story in a compelling way, and the same concerns are always present. Shorts are wonderful. I really miss making them, but I seem to always be writing these days.

Mike Gencarelli: What was your involvement with Eli Roth and Adam Green while working on “Grace”?
Paul Solet: Adam produced the film, and was a very hands on presence. He and his partner Cory Neal were on set quietly putting out fires before I even knew they existed so we could just focus on the creative. Green has been through this type of run and gun low budget filmmaking four times now, so he understands in his blood what the challenges are, and it’s such a huge value having a producer that is also a director. Not to mention, if you need to drop a shot, Adam can just run a splinter unit and snag it and the day still gets made, and you know it’s going to be good. Eli didn’t work on GRACE, but he’s always an inspiration and an influence for me creatively.

MG: What was the biggest challenge in bringing it to the big screen?
PS: Time. We had 192 scenes to shoot in 17 short days. So, learning to embrace and exploit our limitations was key. It reinforced our allegiance to story and character over spectacle. The films that I love hold to that discipline, no matter how broad their available canvas. I think we’ve been faithful to that principle, with GRACE. I think there’s a tendency for younger filmmakers to become anxious to get something in front of a camera before it’s ready. I see development time as a filmmaker’s principle luxury, so I waited to find a home for the project until the script was as tight as I could get it and I had story boarded and shotlisted the entire project. I didn’t want there to be any questions I couldn’t answer truthfully when asked.

MG: The characters in your film are very intense and well written, how do you feel about the cast you worked with?
PS: I couldn’t have been happier with our cast. My Canadian casting director, Carmen Kotyk really brought in the best talent up there, and of course, Jordan is always wonderful. You always wish you had more time to rehearse, and more takes to shoot, but these guys have such chops they really can work within the confines of a schedule like this and still deliver something really breathtaking.

MG: After playing all over the world in theaters and festivals, anything you would have done differently?
PS: Not a thing. It’s been such wonderful ride for me. I got to got to Korea, and Scotland, and France and Spain, and hang out with some of the best filmmakers of our generation. I’m so immensely grateful for the film’s success and the support we’ve gotten from fans and critics. It’s really been magical.

MG: With one feature film you have made such a name for yourself in this business, how do you feel about that? Any pressure?
PS: There’s always some pressure, but I’ve been writing screenplays very seriously for almost ten years at this point, and making shorts and studying the craft of filmmaking since I was a kid, so it’s not like this happens overnight. I’m a real believer in hard work, and I have no intention of slacking. I’ll keep breaking my ass to give you the best I can give, and however it’s received is up to the universe.

MG: I am sure your fans want to know, what is your planned follow-up project?

PS: We haven’t announced yet, so I can’t say, but it’s going to be fucking terrifying.


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Interview with Lloyd Kaufman

Whether or not he would accept the fame (or blame) for these raunchy, mainstream blockbusters, there can be no doubt that what Lloyd Kaufman has achieved is enormous. In 30 years, Kaufman and partner Michael Herz, has built Troma Studios up from a young company struggling to find its voice in a field crowded with competitors to legendary status as a lone survivor, a bastion of true independence, and the world’s greatest concentration of camp. Among Troma Entertainment’s library of over 1,000 movies are the early performances of such stars as Kevin Costner, Billy Bob Thornton, Samuel L. Jackson, Robert DeNiro, Dennis Hopper, Dustin Hoffman, Fergie (Black Eyed Peas) and countless others! As a filmmaker, Lloyd Kaufman has accumulated a remarkable list of credits, as well as a more extraordinary list of debits to loan sharks and pawn shops across New York.

MovieMikes had the pleasure of talking with Lloyd and asked him questions about Toxie, Troma’s career and what’s to come!

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Mike Gencarelli: Looking back on the production of “The Toxic Avenger”, is there anything would you have done differently?
Lloyd Kaufman: Wow, that is a good question. (Long pause) No I think we did everything that we wanted to originally.  Well I regret doing number 2 and 3.  I got pushed to make them R-Rated, I regret that.  Besides that I think that the original “Toxic Avenger” turned out the way I wanted it to.

Mike Gencarelli: How do you feel about the success of “The Toxic Avenger Musical”? Will we be seeing Troma returning to stage again?
Lloyd Kaufman: It’s been great the fans have really reached out and made “The Toxic Avenger Musical” a real success.  The play was put together by a group of real great people.  The music by Bon Jovi was really great and people really seemed to like it.  It ran for year off-Broadway and it wouldn’t have done that if I was the only person to like it.  There are talks that it might be heading to Broadway in 2011, Bon Jovi and all.  Some producers showed interest and who knows it could happen.

Mike Gencarelli: When you started Troma, when did you stop and say, “This is actually happening” once you hit success.
Lloyd Kaufman: It was actually “Squeeze Play”, when it opened in small theater in Virginia back in ’79.  No other theater would play it due to mix of spoof comedy and raunchy sex.  When it opened, I looked out in the theater and I was really surprised people actually showed up. This was before anything viral, there was no internet sites or online advertising.  This was good old fashion word of mouth.  That was the point I think was realized people might like what we have.

MG: Of all the films you worked on what was the hardest to make during the production? Favorite?
LK: I have to say it was probably “Troma’s War”.  It has a mix of transformations and high tech special effects.  It was not an easy film to make and definitely one of the hardest productions I  have done.  “Poultrygeist” actually tied “Troma’s War” since it has everything above plus more like signing and dancing. “Poultrygeist” is one of my favorite films I have done, it really looks great for a film that cost less than $500,000 dollars.

MG: How do you feel about “Mother’s Day” being remade by Darren Bousman?  Any other Troma remake in the works?
LK: Well I haven’t seen the film but I know it is being done by a group of real talented people.  “Mother’s Day” was actually made my Charlie Kaufman but Troma helped release it and due to that it grew into this amazing film that people love.  As you might know “The Toxic Avenger” was announced officially this week and that is very exciting, there are already rumors going around that Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz are interested in being a part of the film.  My role on the remakes will be executive producer., besides that they will probably use me for press like they did with the Toxie musical.  My expertise is not in mainstream film making, I am leaving the remake in their hands. The people involved are very talent and one of them has even won an Oscar for their work.

MG: I was on the set of Terror Firmer as an extra and it looked like you were really having fun.  Are you still able to enjoy what you do?
LK: I remember you, that was a hard film to make.  The crew was really difficult to work with and I think we still made a great film.  Yes, I am able to enjoy making films even more since 1999 because we have a really amazing crew that gives there all and really wants to see a good film made. It is really important when your crew work really hard for you because with out them the production could be next to impossible especially when you are working on a low budget.

MG: We’ve seen you at various conventions, do you enjoy meeting you fans?  What is your craziest fan encounter?
LK: I love meeting my fans, I think that is extremely lucky to have the fan base that we have. Troma is a brand name and our fans are the reason why we are around.  Fans go to our website and purchase our home videos at our website for years. They want theses films get made and they support them.  When I meet my fans they are sometimes under the influence of booze or copious types of drugs.  They sometimes based on that display certain behaviors due to the effects of the booze or drugs.  We actually met a girl one time with Troma tattoos all over her body.  She has Toxie, Nuke’em High all over her body.  She even had one where I can’t say.  Since meeting her we started a tattoos section on Troma’s website to showcase these people’s tattoos.

MG: You have written a bunch of books on film making, have you ever considered writing about about Troma’s history and how you have built this company over the last 30 year or so?
LK: Well I did actually do a book “All I Need to Know about Filmmaking I Learned from the Toxic Avenger”, which was about some of the history of Troma up to “Tromeo and Juliet” in 1996.  So would I do an update to today’s history, No, not unless a publisher wants me to. Troma’s film has had major impacts on many people. Today’s directors like Eli Roth, Quentin Tarantino and Kevin Smith have all said that Troma has inspired them over the years. Roth and Tarantino have said that they have each seen “The Toxic Avenger” over 200 times. There is a lot of history and it only keeps growing.

MG: Tell me about the upcoming Tromadance and it’s return to NJ?
LK: We are in our 11th year and we are returning to NJ in Asbury Park.  Trey Parker, Matt Stone and I went to Sundance 12 years ago.  We saw how terrible they treated independent cinemas and how it was a complete disregard.  After that we said we should do an independent festival where you do you have to pay to submit your films. You do not have to pay to see them and there is no VIP section of the event.  Everyone is treated the same and everyone is allowed to participate.  Over the last 12 years, Sundance has improved its position on independent films which was much deserved. This year’s Tromadance returns to NJ and takes place April 16th and 17th.

MG: Tell me about some of your future project? I hear “Toxie 5” is in the works?
LK: Yeah, right now I am in the process of writing the script slowly of “Toxie 5”. Very slowly.  I am not sure where we want to go with it.  I am planning on following the last film so it will focus on the Toxie’s twins but I am not sure the exact path I am looking to take just yet.  I am also doing another film that is sort-of like “Terror Firmer”, in the sense that the director is on a production and it is out of control.  It will be a lot more sub-due and not a crazy as “Terror Firmer”, it will be a lot more serious and less cornball comedy. It is hard for the future because the big studios have control of most of the distribution.  For us getting a film released in not easy but with the help of you Troma fans we have been able to survive and will continue to survive.  We have been more famous than ever most recently and the future is bright for Troma.

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Interview with Troy Duffy

Troy Duffy is the director of “The Boondock Saints” and “The Boondock Saints II: All Saint’s Day”. Both films proved that making movies is not easy but once you have fans behind you anything is possible. Troy has become a major Hollywood player and he is going to make more great films down the line, as he is only getting started. MovieMikes has the opportunity to talks to Troy and discuss “Boondock” and the future.

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Mike Gencarelli: How did you come up with the idea originally to make the film “The Boondock Saints”?
Troy Duffy: My brother and I were living in a real shit hole in California. The story came from a natural concern from crime. I think everyone that watches the news and sees something truly disgusting, a kid getting killed or home invasion where they kill the family. People get that gut reaction that whoever did that deserves to die, even if they do not talk about it, there is that one second when they think it and feels it. I think that is the kind of fantasy that “Boondock” was playing on.

Mike Gencarelli: Your brother and you wrote the scripts on both films?
Troy Duffy: I wrote the script on the first movie and the second one. Taylor (Duffy) worked on the story on the second one and I bounced stuff off of him.

Mike Gencarelli: I remember seeing “The Boondock Saints” as a Blockbuster Exclusive on VHS tape, How did you feel when the film was finally given a proper release?
Troy Duffy: It was actually kind of depressing, when you do an independent film like that you want it to go theatrical. Because of the Columbine incident we were blacklisted from US screens. So when it went to video, it was like a real blow. We were forced to do a video deal, and thank God for Blockbuster. They gave us a much better video deal than normally, they thought it was hard that the film was blacklisted. They also thought that the film was a lot bigger than that and they gave us the title Blockbuster Exclusive. They put a lot of copies per store and that was great.

MG: What were some of challenges you faced in order to bring the sequel to life?
TD: Some of the challenges we faced were that it was for a fan base now. First one we made we didn’t have a fan base. The second one we knew who we were making it for. It was a big responsibility, you have millions of people counting on you to make a great sequel. It was a bit of pressure and also we had the same amount of money to make this one as the first one. It was a much bigger story. In terms of hard work and stretching a dollars, it was pretty daunting but we got it done.

MG: Well you have honestly done your job, the way the fans have reacted to “Boondocks II” is amazing.
TD: The way fans have embraced it, tells me that we did a good job. Sequels themselves almost always suck. We happened to make one of the good ones.

MG: What was it like to reunite with the cast for “All Saints Day”? Did everyone seem to pick up right where they left off 10 years ago?
TD: It was like not a day has passed man, these guys were ready to go from the second they showed up. The funny thing was reporters and friends of mine were like “How did you get Sean (Patrick Flanery), Norman (Reedus) and Billy (Connolly) back?” I was like they never went anywhere. These guys were there the whole time, calling me every couple of months asking “Where do we stand” or “How’s the deal coming”. They waited for those ten years in order to be able to do it. As soon as we got the deal done, they were like “Great! Send me a plane ticket” and it was like a family reunion after that.

MG: “Boondock II” grossed over $10M and only in 524 theaters at its widest release, How do you feel about the films success?
TD: We were in an extremely small amount of theaters and the movie was allowed to platform. It started out in only 67 theaters. Based on the fan base showing up and the amount of money it was making on its own, then platformed out into more and more theaters every week until it was in 524. It is up to I think actually $11M right now, and that is a really remarkable thing. Most theatricals run where the company puts a lot of advertisement and money behind the film and puts in a minimum of 2,000 theaters to start. They go from there and often these movies do not perform that well. “Boondocks” didn’t get any of those luxuries. It got a bare bones release at best and for it to perform like that is out of the box.

MG: Tell me about “The Prayer” used in the films? What made you choose that specific one?
TD: The prayer was made up by me and my father. My dad has a real knowledge of the Bible. I gave him the prayer I wrote. He added to it and took some excerpts from the Bible that he knew. We ended up with this long 36 line prayer that was thrown together from the two of us. I edited it to what it is now and I always thought it was something I would come back to and fix later on more. The brothers (Sean Patrick Flanery and Norman Reedus) said “You can’t change a word of it”. The fan base has really picked up on that prayer and have it memorized and it has seemed to hit home with them.

MG: Besides making films, what else are your passionate for?
TD: I play my guitar every now and then, I am a biker. I ride my motorcycle quite a bit, I’ve got a big old hog. I am also a bit of a wood worker. I got a wood shop in my garage. I made little things for me and my family, like furniture.

MG: What can we expect from the upcoming comic book series of “Boondocks”?
TD: J.B. Love is co-writing them but I am extremely serious about being involved with them. Some people have like a vanity thing and they say you can use my name, I am not doing that. When I looked at the comics, they look really good and I have never been a comic book guy. I think that me not being a comic book guy, actually helps out. It gives a different perspective. But I saw them today and they are going to be really cool.

MG: Now that the pressure is gone to make an amazing sequel, the obvious question, “The Boondock Saints 3”?
TD: Yes, I will make “Boondocks 3”, and it won’t take me another ten years. I would like to get a couple of other films under my belt first. For two reasons: I like to do a movie that is not “The Boondock Saints” that I have written and also part threes are very rarely done well. It is usually the kiss of death, look what happened to “The Godfather Part III”. It is definitely something I am thinking about.

MG: What are some of these other projects you would like to work on?
TD: There are two, the first is a buddy comedy that takes place in the 1500’s that I have written, called “The Good King”. The other one is a serial killer thriller called “The Blood Spoon Council”.

MG: You have developed a heck of a loyal fan base over the years, anything you want to say to the fans?
TD: Thanks a million! I can’t hardly think of a writer/director that is more beholding to his fan base that me. I am standing on a porch in Los Angeles and “Boondocks” has bought me this house. There was a point when my reputation was mud in this town. “Boondock Saints” has put a roof over my head and food in my mouth for a long time. I will keep making good movies and they will keep coming as far as I am concerned.

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Interview with Louis Leterrier

Thanks to Warner Brothers, MovieMikes was recently able to talk with the director of the “Clash of the Titans” remake, Louis Leterrier. The interview is featured on Moviehole.net, courtesy of Clint Morris. In the interview, Louis tells us about his love for movies, Greek mythology and what he has lined up to direct next. Louis Leterrier’s career has only just begun but with the recent success of “Clash of the Titans”, we can expect to be seeing a lot more of him.

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Mike Gencarelli: You worked with kung fu choreography in your films, “Unleashed” and “The Transporter 1 & 2”, is that a difficult task?
Louis Leterrier: Yes, it’s difficult. I find it difficult when you always have to reinvent it in each movie. You have to define the fighting based on the genre period for the movie. I am trying as much as I can to do adventure films, not action, so that the story doesn’t stop when the action begins. It’s hard to tell a story when two guys are punching each other in the face. That is why my movies are more escapist films than anything else. They are about guys trying to get out of a situation, instead of punching the lights out of each other.

Mike Gencarelli: Can you explain about the story behind your directorial credit on “The Transporter” between its U.S. and European release?
Louis Leterrier: It’s funny, Corey (Yuen) deserves all the credit. Corey was supposed to direct the film but his manager booked him on two projects at the same time. Poor guy was in China doing a movie, and we were unable to push back to the start of the movie. So we were prepping the movie and I wasn’t talking to Corey during that time because he speaks Chinese and I speak English and French. I was told to prep the movie as it was my own. I was prepping the movie on my own, casting the actors, finding locations, and costumes. Except for the fights, I do not know much about martial arts. As a kid I would watch Bruce Lee movies but I can’t say I was a fan of the genre. I was very afraid of doing a kind of “white-guy martial arts” film, like Steven Seagal or Jean Claude Van Damme film. I also was involved on the rewrites with (Robert Mark) Kamen and Luc (Besson). Corey eventually showed up three weeks before we started shooting the movie, he was exhausted out of his mind. I gave him a crash course on “The Transporter” and he was falling asleep, poor guy. I told Corey it was very important for him to work on the choreography. The day prior to the shoot, he came to my room and said “I am sorry I cannot direct this movie”. I asked him “What should we do?” Corey passed the torch to me and I called “Action” and “Cut” on that first shot and until the end of the movie, I was the director. He signed the movie in America because I was a complete unknown at the time, which was fine by me. I signed the movie in France, Germany and Japan. Frankly you are not watching “The Transporter” for the great dialogue and the amazing performances; it’s more for the choreography. That is why it is more Corey than me, he deserves all the credit.

Mike Gencarelli: Do you consider yourself lucky to have that opportunity present itself?
Louis Leterrier: I consider myself the luckiest director ever. I became a director by chance. I am trying to stay in the party until someone realizes and kicks me out of the room. I am trying very hard.

MG: After the disappointing adaption of Ang Lee’s “Hulk” in 2003, did you feel any pressure when approached to direct the reboot of 2008’s “The Incredible Hulk”?
LL: With “Hulk” or “Clash”, either reboot or remakes, they are very tough. I grew up watching these movies. Before being a filmmaker, I am a moviegoer and a movie fanatic. I watch at least three movies a day. I admire Ang Lee. I admire his work and I admire his movie. When they called me and asked if I would want to do this, I said “You would destroy my career before it has even started”. Once I spoke with them and I realized it came from the right place; we decided that it wasn’t that we were trying to erase the first film; it would be another way of telling the story. Instead of doing a sequel, we decided to do something that would not offend Ang Lee’s “Hulk”. Finding Edward Norton is how I kept the cerebral part of the Hulk alive, the Pathos of the Hulk alive.

MG: What was the most challenging aspect while creating the new “Clash of the Titans”?
LL: It was remaking something that was loved by so many. I never wanted to make it better. In an ideal world I wish people wouldn’t compare the two but it is impossible. That was the biggest challenge. It was the project though that you couldn’t refuse. I have always been a big fan of Greek mythology and I always hoped to make a movie about it for most of my life. I had to do it, but I had to do it with respect to the original film. My first thing was to call Ray Harryhausen and I wanted to include him in the process.

MG: Do you know if Ray Harryhausen has had the opportunity to see the film yet?
LL: I do not think he has seen it; it’s hard to get a blessing from the original creator. We tried to meet up a few times and it never worked out. We talked a lot. We had two 2-hour conversations. I would ask him “If you had to redo “Clash of the Titans”, what would you do that you weren’t able to do 28 years ago?” That was the kind of information I was trying to get from him.

MG: Before “Clash of the Titans” is even released, Warner Brothers has announced a green light for an additional two sequels making a trilogy out of the series, how you feel?
LL: It’s not really about a sequel; there is enough material to do two sequels or two prequels. It’s Greek Mythology; you just open the books and keep going. As I was reading Greek Mythology, I realized there are many directions to take the films. The studios aren’t dumb. They want to know that if the movie is successful, as a director they want to know where it can go. They asked me to write out the overall plot with the writers. We came up with this really cool, but very mythological idea. Perseus is sort of like the Jesus Christ of Greek mythology, everything circles around him. We got really excited that if the movie is by any chance a success during the first weekend; I would absolutely love to step back into it starting that following Monday and explore all of the possibilities. Even if it is not me directing, let’s keep it going anyway. I would love to see more Greek mythology movies.

MG: Can you give us a sneak into what you have planned for the possible follow-ups to “Clash of the Titans”?
LL: If you know Greek Mythology, imagine the story of Perseus in the center and the Universe is enormous. You’ve got twelve gods, you have Titans, you have heroes. You open the pages of Greek mythology, you find endless opportunities. You’ve got great human stories with heart. You’ve got tremendous creatures. It’s frightening. It’s erotic. It’s everything great storytelling has and needs.

MG: What is your dream project, if you were given any means necessary?
LL: I like to explore new worlds. “The Avengers” would be a dream project of mine. There are so many comic books I grew up reading that I would love to do. I would have loved to do a “Tintin” movie I grew up watching and reading “Tintin”. Ideally, as a moviegoer, I like to create new universes, a new mythology or designs. The things that we see in comic books that haven’t been made. That is the kind of stuff that really gets me excited.

MG: You seemed to have mastered the action adventure film genre, what’s next for you to conquer?
LL: I don’t think I mastered it, but I feel pretty confident. One thing I haven’t had is the possibility to do a very human story; something that doesn’t have a car chase, fighting or monsters. I am actually a funny guy (laughs), I would love to do a comedy. I do not think I am ready for drama, I am shy about my feelings, I am not sure I would be able to express other people’s feelings. I think I would maybe down the line. Hitchcock said “When in Switzerland, use chocolate”. In your life, use the stuff that you feel comfortable with. Right now in my life, I am 36; I want to tell stories about superheroes and monsters. When I am 55, I may want to tell something completely different, more dramatic.

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Interview with Dave Barclay

You might not know Dave Barclay by name but you most differently know his work. Some of the films that Dave has worked on includes: “The Empire Strikes Back”, “Return of the Jedi”, “Cats and Dogs”, “Who Framed Roger Rabbit”, “The Dark Crystal”, “Fraggle Rock”, “Little Shop of Horrors”, “Where the Wild Things Are”, “Jim Henson’s Labyrinth”, “The Adventures of Baron Munchausen” and many many more. From puppeting Jabba the Hut to creating and developing the Mr. Wiskers in “Cats & Dogs”. He has done everything.

Thanks to Derek Maki at Coolwaters Productions, we were able to get Dave to answer a few questions about his astounding career.

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Mike Gencarelli: You’ve done puppeteering on almost two dozen movies? What was your most challenging role?

Dave Barclay: The most challenging was the recently filmed ‘Cats and Dogs: Revenge of Kitty Galore’ as I had built the most sophisticated and complex life size animatronic cat face ever built, which used 76 miniature cables and computer controlled servo motors – this is for the new ‘Mr Tinkles’.

Mike Gencarelli: How do you feel about CGI taking over Hollywood, are you scared that one day there will be no puppets used and everything will be CGI?
Dave Barclay: I have been actively involved in CG for 15 years now. My proprietary outabody system, originally designed for performing animatronics also controls real time CG characters. So I’m puppeteering the CG invasion too.

MG: What is it like to have been involved with the original “Star Wars” trilogy? Best moment on the set of “Jedi”?

DB: I was a huge fan of the first star wars move (ep 4) so getting a chance to work on Empire and Jedi was a dream come true. It launched my animatronic career, which I’m still enjoying to this day. Best moment on the set was when Richard Marquand (director) told George how fabulous the Jabba performance was.


MG: How do you feel about the sequel to “The Dark Crystal” finally might be getting made under the titled “The Power of the Dark Crystal”? Do you think there is still a demand for a sequel

DB: As first British puppet maker on Dark Crystal it has a very special place in my heart. Working with Jim and Frank was phenomenal. It has truly become a cult classic and I think everyone who worked on it are very proud to have been part of it. Brian Froud’s world is fabulous, so I’d love to see that remarkable vision brought to the screen using today’s technology.

MG: You’ve worked with the late Jim Henson, what was it like working with him?

DB: Jim was a gentleman, a visionary and a brilliant puppeteer. As a second generation puppeteer myself, I was so inspired to see Jim continually pushing the envelope in puppetry and animatronc performance. It was a great honor to work with him, and he was a great teacher. Quiet, gentle but incredibly focused. I had just turned 20 when I joined the Dark Crystal and a couple of years later I mentioned I would like to puppeteer Sprocket the Dog for the european versions of Fraggle Rock. Jim gave me the job. That’s the way he was. He is sorely missed.

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