Interviews
A Look At BULL With Writer/Director Paul Andrew Williams
British crime movies focused on revenge are frankly a dime a dozen. So when one comes along that separates itself from the crowd, that’s a film worthy of excitement. BULL, the new film from writer/director Paul Andrew Williams (LONDON TO BRIGHTON) is definitely that. It tells the story of a low-level enforcer, the titular Bull (Neil Maskell, PEAKY BLINDERS), who returns to town to look for his missing son and take revenge on the people, including his wife and her mob boss father (David Haskins, SID AND NANCY), who viciously double-crossed him ten years prior.
Neal McDonough Talks Acting, Cinematic Heroes, & His New Film BOON
Neal McDonough has the sort of resume that most actors would kill for. Working nonstop since the early 90s, he has had memorable roles in more noteworthy projects than can be easily listed. McDonough has been prominently featured in BAND OF BROTHERS, JUSTIFIED, MINORITY REPORT, RAVENOUS, ARROW, and CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER for example. And that impressive list barely scratches the surface of the truly staggering amount of quality work McDonough has turned in for movies, television, and even video games over his 30+ years of acting.
Director Paul Solet On His New Movie CLEAN
Paul Solet is a filmmaker who has been making strides in the movie industry for over a decade. Coming onto the scene with the brutal and unique zombie film GRACE. He went on to solidify his name as a creator to keep eye on with work as one of the main writers on the space exploration series MARS for National Geographic as well as continuing to spearhead his own film projects like the true-crime documentary TREAD, about a fortified bulldozer that wreaks havoc on a small town, and the thriller BULLET HEAD, featuring Antonio Banderas, John Malkovich, and Adrien Brody as three criminals trapped in a warehouse with a seemingly unstoppable guard dog.
FULL-CIRCLE CINEMA: A Word With GOLD COAST LOUNGE Director/Co-Star, Filmmaker Pascal Aka
This particular interview should have happened as early as the top of 2020. Rather, Ghanaian director and actor Pascal Aka wanted to ride out the momentum of the festival circulation for his latest pic, Gold Coast Lounge, and so we held off until further notice, although the omnious factor of the then-forthcoming Coronavirus pandemic was something neither of us could have predicted.
A Love Of The Fury: A Conversation With Director Jesse V. Johnson
Jesse V. Johnson loves cinema. Working in various levels of film productions since the early 1990s, the English-born filmmaker first made his name as a stunt performer working on such high profile projects as the original TOTAL RECALL, STARSHIP TROOPERS, WAR OF THE WORLDS, and dozens more. This led to Johnson being a stunt coordinator, a second unit director, and eventually an accomplished feature director. Staying true to his stunt background, the films Johnson has directed are action-packed affairs such as THE DEBT COLLECTOR, TRIPLE THREAT, and AVENGEMENT (to name just a few) that value practical effects and physical performers more than expensive CGI-laden spectacle.
Talking Through The Night: A Conversation With The Creators Behind THE SPINE OF NIGHT
THE SPINE OF NIGHT is one of the best film surprises of the year. A throwback to the days of feature-length adult animated fare by the likes of Ralph Bakshi; this hyper-violent and deeply meditative fantasy saga is a love letter to classic rotoscope animation and pulp adventure stories that will be cherished by anyone who is open to its strange and macabre sensibilities.
Director Of The Ghostland: A Conversation With Visionary Filmmaker Sion Sono
The trailer for his latest film, PRISONERS OF THE GHOSTLAND, doesn’t use the tag of “A Sion Sono Film” or even a simple “directed by” note to introduce the acclaimed filmmaker to American audiences. It instead goes for the attention-grabbing phrase “[from] the warped mind of Sion Sono.” Marketing and cheeky hyperbole aside, no one working in film today has as unique of a voice as the fifty-nine-year-old Japanese auteur.
A Look At The Period Horror Film THE LAST MATINEE With Director Maxi Contenti
The year is 1993 and it’s a rainy night downtown in the capital city of Uruguay, Montevideo. A struggling movie theater sets up for its last show of the evening, a foreign horror film. The crowd is sparse: a few teenagers, a first date, an old man with nowhere to go, and a child who snuck in to simply see a scary movie. What none of those people or the tiny staff of the theater realize is that a very deranged and dangerous person has chosen this dreary evening to make this movie house their hunting ground. Before the last reel ends people will die in horrible ways for unspeakable reasons, blood will drip from the screen, and those who want to live will have to fight for their very lives.
Filmmaker Xavier Gens on directing the hit TV series GANGS OF LONDON
GANGS OF LONDON, the hit television series from Sky and AMC+, has been rightfully praised for setting a new high watermark for cinematic-style action and mayhem on the small screen. The bulk of that praise has gone to the series creator, writer/director Gareth Evans (THE RAID). This tale of the violent power struggle that occurs when one of the heads of the London underworld is mysteriously gunned down was not solely shepherded through production by Evans though. He shared directing duties equally on the series with two other men, one of those two was French filmmaker Xavier Gens (COLD SKIN).
‘THE WAY OF THE PAPER TIGERS’ – Video Interview with Writer Director Bao Tran w/ Producer Al’n Duong
Early June had presented me with the opportunity to sit down and interview Bao Tran, the Director and Writer behind the breakout action hit comedy ‘THE PAPER TIGERS.’ The time difference thankfully didn’t sully any of the content with Bao and his Producer Al’n Duong, providing a candid and enjoyable conversation – illustrating the story behind this incredible project. The perils of interviewing a duo (a phenomena I had experienced at certain junctures during my journalistic pursuits at Australian IRONMAN bodybuilding and fitness magazine) can present a rather unique dynamic, which results in a two contrasting personalities; thus requiring said journalist to adapt and change the line of enquiry. This was certainly not the case with Bao or Al’n. Both were incredibly receptive and accommodating, despite the immense traction and high praise that this film has garnered these creative talents were very humble and open. Both Bao and Al’n had engaged in a hectic media schedule that very day, yet the demands of a Press Junket didn’t deter them from taking time out of their schedule to sit down and talk with this Australian film critic. A range of topics were covered, from story and narrative, to casting and scripting; much of the topics that fascinated me when I first viewed this excellent new movie. Perhaps most intriguingly, was some of the challenges in constructing the film – not presented by the internal stakeholders themselves, but rather that of some studio politics who had made demands that didn’t align with Bao’s vision; but also were antiquated by today’s standards. Regardless, both men continued to walk the path they had forged, refusing to compromise the very ideals that are so intrinsic to the heart and soul of the movie itself. Bao’s integrity and commitment to his original vision, is clearly what makes this movie so special; he has adopted a deliberate old school sense of nostalgia in the construction and thematic elements – but by the same token, he has achieved this with a very modern, and contemporary flavour. As a preface, I will say that my over enthusiasm was too evident and though I cringe at my excitement; it did make for a great contrasting element as you can see my exuberance, whilst both Bao and Al’n were so calm and composed by comparison. To some this footage may seem incredibly raw (lack of proper lightning) and unfiltered, but like the Way of the Tiger, this very delivery was ferociously fun.
Director Andrew Thomas Hunt talks chainsaws, fight scenes, & his new film SPARE PARTS
Andrew Thomas Hunt has played a large part in the growing number of interesting, strange, macabre, or just plain fun genre films that have been hitting the international film scene from Canada for the better part of the past decade. He is one of the founding members of “Raven Banner”, a Canadian film group that produces and releases genre films of all types, both theatrically and to home mediums. Some of the films they have sent out into the world include TURBO KID, WOLFMAN’S GOT NARDS, DEATHGASM, and (most recently) PG: PYSCHO GOREMAN.
“ENTER THE AUSTRALIAN: THE MAN WHO TRAINED THE MORTAL KOMBATANTS” – A Word With Martial Arts Instructor Nino Pilla
With over 44 years experience, the name Nino Pilla is synonymous with the more progressive styles of martial arts. Highly regarded by many as one of the world’s top authorities on Bruce Lee’s Jeet Kune Do (JKD, being one of the forerunners to Modern Mixed Martial Arts), his experience has garnered him equal praise and reverence. His high level skill and incomparable knowledge had made him highly sought after, regularly featuring in Silvio Morelli’s famed BLITZ publications where his step by step methodologies were demonstrated the gritty yet refined style of JKD.
Filmmaker George Gallo talks about his new film “Vanquish” starring Morgan Freeman & Ruby Rose
Writer turned director George Gallo has had a long and active career in Hollywood spanning 35 years. In that time, he has written the script for the classic comedy MIDNIGHT RUN starring Robert DeNiro and had a hand in creating the characters of the wildly successful BAD BOYS franchise which helped launch the film career of mega-star Will Smith. He has also directed and written for actors such as Nicolas Cage, Bruce Willis, Luke Wilson, and Tommy Lee Jones in various comedies during that time as well.
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