A Conversation With, Interview, Music

A “Kihn-Versation” with Greg Kihn

I remember it like it was yesterday, as I’m sure any other musician whose ever started a garage band will tell you. The moment where everyone in the band gets together and starts figuring out which songs to learn.

In between the usual shouts for Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones everyone puts in their own two-cents and decisions are made.

Some songs rise to the top because they’re fairly easy to learn. Others fall by the wayside due to their technical ability, or perhaps because no one in their right mind would ever want to hear them played in a club.

Eventually though, songs get whittled down until only a handful remain. These are the classic ones that everyone in the band, regardless of instrument, already knows how to play and is eager to put on the set list.

In my experience there was only one song that was the common denominator in every cover band that I was ever in: “The Break Up Song” by Greg Kihn. I liked to call it “Old Reliable” because it was a staple in my band’s arsenal. A song that we were quickly able to pull out on a whim whenever the ladies came within striking distance of the dance floor. A weapon of mass destruction that was both easy for us to play and yet would only reinforce our rock star status to those of the female persuasion.

“The Breakup Song (They Don’t Write ‘Em)” was the song that first introduced me to Greg Kihn. A song that broke the band into the mainstream and as you’ll discover, as all good songs do, has a true “rock and roll” story behind its origin.

But Greg Kihn’s musical legacy goes much deeper than just a single song. Case in point: after losing control of his master recordings from his days on the Beserkley label in the late 1980’s Greg began the monumental task of getting them all back.

A successful journey that now gives us:

Greg Kihn Band: Best of Beserkley, 1975-1984: a 21-track magnum opus that features 19 remastered original hits drawn from Greg’s eight-of-nine Beserkley Records studio albums. Most of which have been out of print for over twenty-five years.

It’s rare when a project this special comes to fruition. Sure it’s cliché to say but quite honestly: they just don’t make ’em like this any more. Both die-hard and new Greg Kihn fans will definitely want to add this compilation to their music collection.

Never one to just rest on his laurels, Greg continues to be involved in music and writing. Today, Greg Kihn is the San Francisco Bay Area’s #1 FM reigning Radio Morning Man and can be heard on Classic Rock KFOX 102.1 San Francisco and 98.5 San Jose – the fourth largest radio market in America. He’s also a prolific novelist and screen writer who has several projects in various stages of development.

In my interview with Greg he discusses how this “new” album came to be and his plans to re-release every one of the Beserkley albums again in its entirety in true digital format.

Greg also talks about two shows he has coming up: a reunion/record release party in Santa Cruz, CA on May 19th and his annual Kihnfest concert which this year features a true 80’s triple-threat: The Steve Miller Band,  Pat Benatar and The Greg Kihn Band.

Finally we’ll find out about Greg’s current gig and what his greatest rock and roll memory is from the days of Beserkley.

But before our interview begins there was one thing I absolutely had to take care of first:

goJimmygo (gJg): Mr. Kihn, as a guitarist myself and on behalf of everyone who has ever played in a garage band I just want to say: “Thank you so much for The Breakup Song.”

Greg Kihn (GK): <laughs> You’re welcome!

I’ve always loved that guitar riff and every garage band has had that one in their repertoire at some point. In fact, in the movie “The Groomsman” that’s the song they’re rehearsing in the garage when they’re getting their band back together.

gJg: What’s the origin of that song?

GK: It’s a long story but basically goes like this: I was coming home really late from a gig one night with the band in our van. I remember it was raining and they were going to drop me off. But when we pulled up outside of my house I noticed that all of my stuff was piled up out on the front lawn.

The guys in the van were like: “Uh-Oh! Looks like you’re not going home tonight!” <laughs>

So we drove to a Sushi bar and I noticed that there was an older Japanese businessman standing there next to the jukebox. He was completely drunk on Sake and kept playing the song “I Remember You” by Frank Ifield over and over again. Just kept pumping dimes in again and again playing this same song over and over and all the while kept muttering:

“They don’t write ’em like that anymore…”
“They don’t write ’em like that anymore…”

I turned to Steve (Wright) and I said: ” You know Stevie, that’s a song right there! “<laughs>

gJg: That’s incredible how an incident like that sparked the song.

GK: The best things in life are like that. They happen by accident.

gJg: Tell me about this “new” record you’ve just released.

GK: It’s really the end of a long journey and the beginning of a new one.

We’ve been trying to get the master recordings back from the various record companies we’ve dealt with over the years. We were on Beserkley which was a notorious independent record label that answered to no law of God nor man.

The problem was, they had a different distributor almost every year that they were in business so every one of my albums was distributed by a different company. They were all on the same label but it was always something like “Beserkley distributed by Warner Brothers” or “Beserkley distributed by Asylum” or a number of others.

Over the years we lost control of those master recordings and about ten years ago my manager and I began a quest to try to get them all back. We started with the EMI material and just kept expanding, hiring lawyers and beating down doors until eventually, one by one, we got everything back.

Now I have the rights to put out all of my original master recordings myself, a lot of which has been out of print for over 25 years.

So on one side it’s great because people will get to hear this material again and on the other it’s also legacy building because I want my grandchildren to benefit from the stuff I did too. I really want the music to be available to everyone.

gJg: What was it like listening to that material all over again?

GK: Surreal. There’s a lot of really good music in our catalog that I had totally forgotten about. When I started remastering it I was blown out by how fresh it all sounded.

In the old days, around 1976 we didn’t know what we were doing. We just went in and did it. We’d have a recording session on a Saturday and the week before I’d write a song or two and rehearse it with the band. Then we’d go in and basically record it live with minimal overdubs. We were on a shoe string budget doing it after hours and at odd ball times but God it was fun. I remember going in and being so STOKED by just being in a professional recording studio.

They would let us use the old CBS studios in San Francisco. It was the size of a gymnasium. It was huge and our equipment took up just a tiny section of a corner of it.

I remember setting up our gear and thinking: “Wow, we’ve made the big time.” Here we are in the same room where Janis recorded. Simon and Garfunkel. Everyone recorded in this room.

When I listen to it now, putting it all together it really takes me back and makes me realize how special it was. All of the things that we did. We were pioneers and we didn’t even know it.

gJg: What are your plans now that the remastering is complete?

GK: We’ve just released “The Greg Kihn Band’s Best of Beserkley“. It has a few songs from each of the records that were released during that era.

The next goal is to release all of the original albums themselves individually, digitally remastered and in chronological order. It will be so great to have this music available digitally because most of it was only available on vinyl back in the day. There have been “Best Of” collections over the years but never anything done like this and I’m grateful for the opportunity.

gJg: What are your thoughts about your days with Beserkley?

GK: Beserkley was the first independent label of the modern era who took a chance on us. We didn’t have a hit record until our seventh album when “The Breakup Song” cracked the top ten. We never would have gotten the chance to make a second album in today’s world.  So in a lot of ways I’ve been really lucky and it was a very fortuitous event that placed me with Beserkley records.

Oh and by the way, I just started thinking about writing “The Beserkley Story” because this is a story that needs to be told. A story of over indulgence, excess, insanity, sex, drugs and rock and roll. It’s funny and tragic at the same time but the amazing thing was, we pulled it off.

The odds were a million to one that we would do anything but we beat the odds.

gJg: Any thoughts about doing a tour?

GK: I don’t think we’re going to tour for a while. I do my morning radio show every day in San Francisco. I’m not ruling it out but it’s unlikely at this juncture. I do, however, have a couple of big shows coming up in the area.

I’m doing a special Greg Kihn Band Reunion/Record Release Party Show at our old stomping grounds in Santa Cruz, California on May 19th. It will be out on the beach at the Catalyst Club where we used to play all the time back in the 80’s. 

We’re returning there and having as many members of the original band that are still with us perform. Larry Lynch, Steve Wright, Greg Douglass. It’s going to be a reunion of sorts.

We’re going to have the original guys playing on the original songs. It’s going to be pretty cool. Everyone who comes will get a download card for the CD and there will be posters and even a raffle for a signed guitar. It’s going be a very party-like atmosphere.

I haven’t played some of these songs since we recorded them over 25 years ago. So for me, to go back in there and rehearse them with Larry the original drummer and Steve the original bass player was like getting into a time machine!

Then on July 14th we’ll be having my annual “Kihncert”. It’s a mini rock festival that I do every year. This year we have Steve Miller, Pat Benatar and The Greg Kihn Band. A nice little triple bill.

gJg: It’s the 80’s all over again!

GK: You know, as I’m speaking with you I’m currently sitting in a large bathtub filled with the 80’s just soaking in it. It’s like a warm fluid that’s good for the soul.

gJg: Tell me a little about your morning radio show.

GK:  It’s Classic Rock KFOX 102.1 San Francisco and 98.5 San Jose. We’re the fourth largest radio market in America. I get to play great music, talk and do interviews.

gJg: Tell me, how cool is it to be a DJ and be able to spin your own records?

GK: I love it!

It’s “Greg Kihn playing Greg Kihn on the Greg Kihn Show!”  They pay me three times for it. I get paid as the DJ, as the writer of the song and I’m the guy who gets the mechanical royalties because I sang the song!

I don’t know how many professional rock and roll musicians that can actually say that. I may be one of the few in the world. This is now my 16th year in radio. The fact that I’ve been getting up at 4 in the morning all that time just blows my mind.

gJg: You used to be coming home at that time.

GK: Exactly! That was when I used to come home. My whole life is upside down. The nice thing about doing radio though is that I love doing interviews and talking about music. Getting up is tough but I look at it like they pay me to get up and the rest of it is free.

The other nice thing about it is that I don’t have to travel and tour. All of my music friends have to travel all the time but I get to stay home all week and do a lot of writing and hang out with my kids. All I have to do is get up and drive to San Francisco.

gJg: Tell me about the screenplay you’re working on.

GK: There actually are a few of them I’m working on right now but the big one is “45 RPM” which is about the Mafia in the music business. It’s written to be a series, kind of like “The Sopranos with Guitars”.

I also have an adaptation of my first novel “Horror Show” that I’m preparing a script for as well.

gJg: What do you like most about writing?

GK: The part of writing that i find so therapeutic is that you can just let your mind wander and let the creative process take over. I used to only write songs but now I’m writing songs, novels and screenplays. They all use the same muscle in your brain. That creative spark. That’s what I like, coming up with new ideas all the time.

gJg: Just one more question for you.

GK: Fire!

gJg: During your Beserkley years, what is your greatest rock and roll memory?

GK: Wow, there’s been a lot of great ones but I think I would have to say opening for The Stones in the Seattle Kingdome in 1983.

We were like “America’s Opening Band” back in the 80’s. So when Prince got kicked off the Rolling Stones tour Bill Graham called me the night before asking if we could fill in and open for them. I said: “Bill? what time do you want me to be there?”

Bill was always good to me and kept me in mind.  My mother had always told me to thank Bill Graham after every show and one of the reasons I think Bill liked me was because I always did thank him after every gig. <laughs>

So we jumped on a plane and opened the show playing in front of 80,000 people and my heart was pounding. It was a sea of humanity!

Afterwards, I remember walking around backstage with Bill and thanking him for the opportunity. He says: “Shut up, follow me!”. He then proceeds to take me back through level after level of security into the inner sanctum of The Rolling Stones.

So there I am sitting on the couch with Mick and Jerry Hall, who was his wife at the time and Charlie was there. Keith was tuning his guitar and Ronnie was there too. And there was ME in the same room as the Stones!

I was talking to Charlie for about a half hour about under-playing and over-playing and he was telling me: “You’ve got play it like it’s a small club man!”. It was cool.

I remember bumming a cigarette from Jagger. He gives me a pack of Marlboros and says “Here Man, have the whole pack!”. Turns out every guy in the band had requested a carton of cigarettes in their rider at every gig. It was insane. So Mick gave me the pack he was currently working on. I think he had only smoked two of them.

So I took the sacred Jagger cigarettes, smoked one of them and after they went on I took the pack back to my dressing room.

When my band found out that I was hanging with the Stones they were all bummed out and saying “AW, MAN! How come you didn’t come get us?” <laughs>

I said: “I’m sorry guys. I feel bad. But hey, I got Jagger’s cigarettes!” . Everyone was in awe of them. They each pulled one out and smoked them like they were joints. Come to think of it, I think they actually got high off of them. <laughs>

I wound up giving the pack to Gary Phillips, who was my guitar player at the time and the biggest Stones fan.

Turns out, he left the pack on his mantle when we went out and toured with Journey and when he came back two months later they were gone. The guy who was watching his house had smoked them all. He told him: “How could you do that man? Those were the sacred “Jagger Cigarettes!”.  But they were long gone! <laughs>

gJg: Greg it was great talking to you! Congrats on the record and all of your success!

GK: Thanks! It was great talking to you too! Let’s do this again sometime!

Article first published as A “Kihn-Versation” with Greg Kihn on Technorati.

Movie Reviews

Movie Review: The Avengers

I didn’t think it was possible. There, I admit it. I didn’t think it would be possible to put together a movie on Marvel’s “The Avengers”.

How could filmmakers possibly tell the story of an entire team of superheroes being assembled to fight a menace from another world, keep it true to the original comic and get it all done within two hours and thirty minutes without it being terrible?

But they did it. The Avengers is an action packed thrill ride you absolutely must experience.

I was the comic book connoisseur as a child, having made my parents shell out plenty of hard earned money for subscriptions to Spider-Man, Iron-Man and Captain America.

I’ve been there for Thor and The Hulk and have spent plenty of rainy Saturday afternoons in the 80’s catching up with Hawkeye and Black Widow. I know what I’m talking about.

My only regret is that this movie wasn’t made thirty years ago.

The Avengers are a team of super-heroes brought together by Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) who must over come their own personal egos and agendas to defeat the menace of Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and his alien army.

The Avengers stars Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man), Chris Evans (Captain America), Mark Ruffalo  (The Hulk), Chris Hemsworth (Thor) Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow) and Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye).

If you care to read my thoughts on the movie please continue on. I try hard not to divulge anything regarding the plot but will still post a SPOILER ALERT:

What I Liked:

The Assumption: My biggest concern going in was how the characters would be developed. It was the biggest thing I thought might be the demise of the film: not enough time to do everything. These were things that I hated in movies like “The Dark Knight” and “Spiderman 3”. Too much to tell in too little time.

In the case of The Avengers, most everything is assumed. Its assumed you already know about all of the characters and their powers (and if you’ve read the comics or have been following the prior movies from Marvel, you already do know about them). It worked.

The Ride: I am a huge comic book fan from way back. I grew up reading Marvel comics and especially loved it when the heroes teamed up. My favorite part always being when their own egos get in the way and they’d wind up doing battle with each other before taking on the real threat. The Avengers sticks to this premise perfectly.

AC/DC: Maybe it’s just the metal head in me, but when ever Iron Man shows up and they play AC/DC’s “Shoot To Thrill” I get goose bumps. Awesome.

The Hulk: They’ve tried to use the Hulk several times in other movies but failed every time. This Hulk sticks perfectly to the raging monster he was in the comics.

One Liners: There are several good ones through out the movie.

What I didn’t like:

Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury: I’ve gotta be honest and perhaps its because I’ve been inundated with Jackson in the roles of expletive wielding bad-asses over the years (“Pulp Fiction”, “Lakeview Terrace”, “Snakes on A Plane”) but I half expected a few “F” bombs to fly.

Gwyneth Paltrow: Loved her as Pepper Potts (Tony Stark’s love interest in Iron Man) but for some reason it seemed like she just “phoned it in” for this one. Answer the damn phone when it rings Pepper!

I think you get the point. It may be my inner child telling you this but quite honestly this one was a fun ride. 

Oh and one last thing: if you’re a fan of the comics you MUST stay for the credits. Trust me.

Uncategorized

HUFF Blows into Texas: An Interview with Elina Madison
Elina Madison & Johnny D’Agostino in HUFF

Some guys have all the luck. In this case, it’s the people of Dallas, Texas.

Fans of the horror film genre descending upon “The Texas Frightmare Weekend” will be treated to a screening of the Paul Morrell directed film, “HUFF“: a dark, allegorical adaptation of  the story of “The Three Little Pigs”.

“HUFF” stars Charlie O’Connell (“The Bachelor”, “Crossing Jordan”) as Virgil ‘Huff’ Huffington, an abusive stepfather to three teenage girls living in poverty in California.

Huff is on the verge of making a lucrative drug deal that will finally give him the money he needs to escape his miserable life and retire to Mexico in style with his sexy mistress, Laci (Natasha Alam).

But Huff’s plans begin to unravel when his battered wife, Lorelei (Elina Madison), secretly gives the money intended for the drug deal to her daughters and tells them to run away and seek better lives. This series of events triggers a chain of rage-induced asthma attacks, complete with the ‘huffs and puffs’ as Huff attempts to locate the three runaways and recover his money.

“HUFF” is a movie that has something for everyone. There’s action, thrills, suspense, horror, beautiful women and even a “bachelor” for good measure.

“HUFF” also features the talents of Marie Bollinger, Mayra Leal, Clint Howard, Jenna Stone , Elly Stefanko and Johnny D’Agostino.

I had the pleasure of interviewing the amazing Elina Madison, a multi-talented actress, producer and writer whose resume includes films like “Mulholland Drive”, “That Thing You Do”, ” The Corporate Cutthroat Massacre” and the award winning “Barracuda”.

In this interview, Elina discusses her role as Lorelei in “HUFF”. She also talks about what it was like working with such a great ensemble and what she has planned for the future as well.

goJimmygo (gJg): Elina! It’s so great to speak with you!  I’m hearing that this trip to Texas will be the first time you’ll see the completed movie is that right?

Elina Madison (EM): Yes it is and I’m very excited. I can’t wait to see everyone again and to watch it for the first time.

goJimmygo: When will HUFF officially be released?

EM: The actual premiere will be in September. I have to tell you though that I’m really happy with what I’ve seen of it so far. Just from being on the set filming I know that it’s going to be something special.

gJg: What is it that draws you to the horror/suspenseful type of movies?

EM: This might sound a little crazy and completely the opposite of what horror films are all about but they’re actually fun to work on! <laughs>

One of the first films I ever worked on was called “Curse of the Forty-Niner”. It was directed by John Carl Buechler and starred Karen Black, John Phillip Lawn and Vernon Wells. Doing that movie was an amazing experience for me and lit the fire. From then on, I was hooked.

gJg: What’s your favorite horror movie of all time?

EM: If I have to choose the one that scares me the most every single time I watch it I’d have to say “The Exorcist”.  Even when I hear the music I literally get scared. “The Amityville Horror” and “Carrie” are two other films that are really scary as well.

Elina Madison

gJg: How did the role of Lorelei come about for you in “HUFF“?

EM: I went in for the initial audition and they sent me the script. And as crazy and intense as some of the things that are happening in the story, it was just such an easy read. I literally could not put it down.

I immediately knew that I wanted to do this film. I could just tell by reading the script. It was that good.

gJg: Did you have to do anything special to prepare yourself for the role of Lorelei?

EM: Lorelei is just so caught up in her own little world. She’s an alcoholic in denial about her daughters and Huff. Getting into that kind of mindset took some work. I’ve done some crazy characters before but never one this complex.

gJg: What’s the premise of HUFF?

EM: HUFF is actually a twisted version of the story of “The Three Little Pigs” with Huff being the wolf and the daughters being the three little pigs. Huff also has asthma which goes along with the lines of the story of “huffing and puffing”.

Huff is up to no good making a deal with this drug money that’s not his. My character finally has had enough and realizes that she has to get her children out of there. So she steals the money, gives it to them and tells them to leave. It’s because of that there’s some unbelievable “consequences”.

gJg: As you can tell just from watching the trailer.

EM: Exactly!

gJg: What was it like working with such a cast?

EM: It was a lot of fun. Everyone was great. I remember being at the table read and just thinking to myself,”WOW, this is really going to be good!”

gJg: Did you know Charlie (O’Connell) was from “The Bachelor”?

EM: I actually didn’t. I think it was because when I first met him at the callback he was already in character. Obviously he’s completely opposite of Huff in person but I had no idea he was on that show. <laughs>

gJg: Were there any funny situations or stories you can remember while you were filming?

EM: There were so many of them but the one that comes to mind was after I found out that Charlie was on “The Bachelor”. We had this one really intense scene where I’m laying on my back and he’s up over me. There’s blood everywhere and we were so serious in the scene but I had this crazy thought running through my mind:

“Oh my God, this is my moment with The Bachelor!” <Laughs>

gJg: What was the thing that sparked you getting into acting.

EM: I remember exactly where I was the moment that it happened. I was in my grandmother’s house watching TV with her. I don’t remember exactly what was on but I just remember being so enthralled with it that I turned to her and said: “Grandma, I want to be an actress!” From that moment on I’ve never lost sight of that.

I grew up in Wyoming and there weren’t a lot of opportunities to act there. So I eventually made my way to Los Angeles and just went for it.

gJg: A true success story!

EM: I like to think so.

gJg: What other projects do you have coming up?

EM: I’m shooting a TV show called “Blood Relatives” that will be on the Discovery channel and then I’m signed on to play Dracula’s wife in Dracula that we’re going to be shooting in June. That’s with Creep Creepersin, who I worked with on “The Corporate Cutthroat Massacre”.  That’s going to be fun.

I also have a film coming out this October called “Halloween Party”. It’s a comedy and is really hilarious.

gJg: It was really great to talk with you Elina. I’m really looking forward to “HUFF“!

EM: Thanks. It was great talking to you too!

Article first published as HUFF Blows into Texas: An Interview with Actress Elina Madison on Technorati.

A Conversation With, Interview, Movies and TV

A Conversation With Actress Darcy DeMoss
Actress / Animal Rights Activist Darcy DeMoss

I’ll never forget the day I met Darcy DeMoss.

Ok, let me clarify something. I didn’t actually “meet” her in person. In fact, I’m sure she didn’t even know I existed.

But when the film “Can’t Buy Me Love” was released I felt an instant connection. There was something special about her. Ironically enough, it wasn’t until this very interview that I discovered what that special something was.

But first things first.

“Can’t Buy Me Love” is one of my all-time favorite movies. The fact that I was a senior in high school myself when it was released made the thought of paying $1000 to spend a month with any of the cheerleaders something worth serious consideration.

In “Can’t Buy Me Love” Darcy got to showcase her full acting and dancing potential. She played the role of Patty, a high school student who suddenly finds the nerdy Ronald Miller (Patrick Dempsey) quite attractive after he starts “dating” her friend and head cheerleader Cindy Mancini (Amanda Peterson) . The infamous scene of Patty and Ronald sitting in his car on a date is one of my personal favorites.

But Darcy isn’t just your typical cheerleader. Horror fans all know that she’s a fighter as well.

Darcy gets credit for putting up the best and longest fight scene against the infamous hockey-masked slasher Jason in “Jason Lives: Friday The 13th Part Six”. A fight that unfortunately doesn’t end well.

But in real-life though, Darcy DeMoss’ passion runs deep. She is a multi-talented actress, dancer, photographer and animal rights activist. One look at her website: “Exotic Visuals“ will show you that not only does she have an eye for photography but also for life as well.

She’ll soon be able to add the title of “Author” to her list of achievements as she is currently working on no less than three books of photography based upon her African adventures.

Darcy is also a member of the advisory board of Shambala, an organization led by Tippi Hedren whose mission is to educate the public about exotic animals and to advocate for legislation to protect them.

In this interview with Darcy we’ll discuss her amazing career in dance and film. We’ll talk all about her roles in “Can’t Buy Me Love” and “Friday The 13th”. But more importantly, we’ll discover how a dream she had as a child turned into an epiphany that gave her life new meaning. An amazing woman whose story is yet to be told.

goJimmygo (gJg): Darcy! It’s so great to speak with you!

Darcy Demoss (DD): It’s great to speak with you too!

gJg: Tell me a little about where you grew up and how you first got into acting.

DD: I was born and raised in Hollywood, California. My best friend growing up was Helen Hunt who was working on “Swiss Family Robinson” at the time. I remember going to the set with her all summer long while they were filming.

Helen and I were in acting class and studied dance together as well. It was there that I decided I wanted to become an actress. I did my first commercial when I was 15 for Sony and then started doing a few other little things here and there to get started.

gJg: What was your first film project?

DD: The first real big thing I ever did was a show on cable television called “Aerobicise”. My actual first film role was in a movie called “Hardbodies”.

gJg: Let’s talk a little bit about your role as Patty in “Can’t Buy Me Love”, one of my favorite high school movies.

DD: I was actually 23 when we made that movie.

gJg: You honestly look like you were in high school.

DD: Thank you!

Last year, we had a revival screening of the movie at a local theater here in LA. It was myself, Cortney Gains (Kenneth), Cort McCown (Quint), Gerardo Mejía (Ricky) and Eric Bruskotter (Big John). It was a full house and we did a Q&A afterwards. Seth Green wasn’t able to attend but he sent along a little video where he talked to everyone. It was a really fun evening.

Michael Swerdlick, our writer was also there answering questions that even I didn’t know about. He told the story about how Touchstone came to get it. Originally, it had started out as a little independent film called “Boy Rents Girl”.

Darcy & Amanda Peterson

gJg: What was the audition process like for you?

DD: I recall originally reading for the role of Cindy Mancini. What they like to do is have you read for the main character because there’s more dialogue. I remember standing in a hallway that was crammed full of people reviewing about eight pages of material.

I went in to read and that’s where I met Steve Rash (director), Michael Swerdlick (writer) along with Jere Henshaw and Mark Burg (producers). But instead of doing the four scenes (8 pages) I had studied, they narrowed it down to just two.

Through that, I ended up getting a callback. I think Michael actually called up my agent personally and requested me which was awesome.

I didn’t get Cindy Mancini, but I was offered the role of Patty.

gJg: Was there anything special you had to do to prepare for the role of Patty?

DD: I hadn’t been in high school in a while so before we started filming I went out to Tucson and had them sign me up to be in school again for a few days so I could do a little “research”. <laughs>

What was funny was that here I was, an adult having this intelligent debate with the geography teacher and I have all of these boys saying: “So, you’re the new girl in school?  What are you doing this weekend? <laughs>

So I did go back to school for a few days. We wound up using a lot of the students there as extras which was pretty neat.

gJg: How was the chemistry with the cast?

DD: It was amazing. There was a whole camaraderie with us. We were all newbies and just had a blast. We all laughed together a lot and shared our stories of the day.

I do remember telling the guy I was with at the time: “This is going to be great! I’m going to be able to do method acting and really bond with these girls”. You know, really connect. 

So I go to the table reading and find out that the girls are all 15… I’m 23! They had to be DRIVEN to the readings.

So needless to say, instead of doing pub crawls with the girls it was more like “Hey, anyone want to go the movies?” <laughs>

Amanda (Peterson) and Tina Cyphert (Barbara) actually both worked together on the movie “Annie” with Carol Burnett. So they both knew each other previously.

Darcy & Ami Dolenz

Ami Dolenz (Fran) is amazing and beautiful. She and I still have this incredible bond together. It’s so few and far between when you hear women say: “I love her with all my heart”. But I do and will until the day I die. She’s awesome!

gJg: The scene with you and Patrick Dempsey (Ronald Miller) in the car on a date is one of my favorite scenes from the film.

DD: That was an interesting scene. When we first shot it, I had glitter all over my face and the people at Touchstone didn’t like it . They thought it looked like I was sweating.

Once initial filming was complete we actually had to go back to Arizona and re-shoot it.

gJg: Did you ever think Patrick would go on to have the success he’s had?

DD: I always knew that he’d go far. He was really into method acting. I actually haven’t seen him in many years but ironically, my husband owns an employment agency and I think he staffs him with some of his employees.

gJg: Small world.

DD: When you’re in LA it certainly is.

Although I was once in Bucharest, Romania filming a movie and I’m sitting there waiting in the lobby going over my script when I hear someone across from me say: “Darcy?” 

Now I didn’t know if that person was talking to me so I sort of blew it off.

Suddenly I hear this voice again saying to me: “DeMoss?” Turns out he was a casting director I had auditioned for a long time ago and here we are reuniting in Bucharest, Romania of all places!

gJg: Wow, how about that!

DD: The world just gets smaller and smaller. So be nice to everyone because you never know. <laughs>

gJg: what’s your favorite scene from the movie?

DD: It has to be the African Anteater Ritual!

gJg: I LOVE that scene too!

DD: Being a dancer I just had so much fun doing that scene! Paula Abdul actually worked the choreography for that. What’s funny is that Paula was actually my dance rival in dance class so I had already known her for many years before the movie.

Friday The 13th

gJg: What was it like being a part of a franchise like “Friday The 13th“?

DD: It was a lot of fun. Some directors are unapproachable and some are so accessible and this was my first introduction to the most accessible, coolest director ever. Tom McLoughlin, who both wrote and directed this film, was so awesome!

gJg: Your scene with Jason has to be one of the greatest “kills” ever in a horror movie.

DD: It certainly was the longest struggle out of any of his victims, which is something I guess you could say I’m very “proud” of. <laughs>

Darcy & Jason

gJg: You definitely weren’t going to go down easy!

DD: You’re right! Most of the time once Jason gets a hold of you you’re pretty much dead right away. I’m only 5’2 but I really did put up quite a fight.

I remember CJ Graham (Jason) originally wanted to go a little easy on me but I just said, “No, let’s have at it and make it look as real as possible.” Now, he’s about 6’4 and a bodybuilder who could’ve squashed me but we really fought and made it look realistic. At least it sure felt real to me!

gJg: How was that scene filmed?

DD: They actually constructed a whole room that was designed to be the bathroom inside of the Winnebago. All of the walls were removable so they could get different angles and shots. They even had an overhead camera as well. I remember it was an entire evening of filming my fight scene with Jason.

gJg: For the actual “kill” scene was that a mask of your face that was constructed?

DD: Yes it was. I have to admit; when we made that mask it was hard for me to stay still in that position for so long because I’m claustrophobic. And I was completely covered. Fortunately though my mouth was open but I still had to keep it that way for a very long time while they made it.

I actually had the mask recreated from photos taken by the special effects company and I bring them along to my convention appearances.

gJg: It’s amazing how much longevity the franchise has had.

DD: I know. It really is. There’s even a book out about the entire Friday the 13th franchise. It has interviews with all of the people who were involved with it. They’ve even released a CD with all of the music from the films too.

gJg: Why do you think the series has been so successful?

DD: You know, it’s really because of all of the fans. The horror genre fans are just so incredibly loyal.

I’m still getting letters from 16 year olds telling me that they’re my biggest fans and asking me to send them a photo…<laughs>

gJg: Speaking of photos, the ones on your website from your trips to Africa are incredible! They are absolutely beautiful!

DD: Thank you! So you’ve seen my website? Fantastic! I’m actually working on three books.

gJg: Really?

DD: Yes. They’re a real labor of love. I’ve been so inspired by my African “interludes” that I’ve decided to write three photography books on Africa. It’s been a long hard road but they’re finally coming to fruition.

gJg: Tell me a little more about them.

DD: The first is going to be called “Kamoflauge”. The second is a photo book of “Animal Eyes and Asses” and the third book will be a photo book with celebrities called “Private Moments”.

gJg: When did you start doing photography professionally?

DD: I was never really into it as a profession at first but I would always have my camera with me when I’d be on location. I loved to get behind the scenes pictures of the set, the actors and other fun photos.

On a recent birthday one of my dearest friends had bought me a camera. My husband then bought me a great lens for it to take on my very first African safari.

I went to Sir Richard Branson’s Game Reserve (an absolutely unbelievable place) and just started taking pictures. I think I had brought somewhere around fifty rolls of film along with me. I just really just wanted to document everything about my experience even though I didn’t really know what I was doing at the time.

When I came home and started developing the pictures my friends were just in awe at how good the photos looked and told me I should do something with them. So I took some of the best ones and walked into my first gallery and the woman there saw them and said, “Let’s give you a show!”

gJg: WOW!

DD: That’s exactly what I said: “WOW!” <laughs>

I couldn’t believe it. So I had my first exhibit and from that experience became a professional. What I got to see from taking those pictures was inspiring. It gave me this whole new vibe on life.

gJg: In what way? 

DD: I had always wanted to go to Africa. It was always my dream. In fact, the very first paper I ever wrote in elementary school was about Africa. It wasn’t until I found that paper again that I said: “Now, it all makes sense!” “The Jungle Book” and all of those films and television shows I loved watching growing up. They were all about animals.

Everything about me just vibrates Africa. When I’m there every sense I have is heightened and so alive. It’s literally the place where everything came to be. It’s where life is what it should still be like everywhere.

gJg: It’s inspiring to see the animals in their natural habitat as opposed to a confined area like a zoo.

DD: I don’t condone zoos or the circus. I think they’re the worst thing ever. I don’t think we were meant to train animals like that. There are books and photographs and the Internet where we can learn so much more about them instead of seeing them in these restricted areas where they can’t move about.

Did you know that there are more tigers in Texas than there are in India? And it’s because they’ve all been poached and killed. They have canned hunts. It’s appalling.

I’m involved with a sanctuary called “Shambala”. It’s a refuge for exotic cats. They’ve even rescued Michael Jackson’s two tigers because no one else wanted them.

Darcy DeMoss & Tippi Hedren

gJg: Tell me more about Shambala.

DD: Shambala (www.shambala.org) is a sanctuary in Acton, California that’s run by Tippi Hedren. Tippi is Melanie Griffith’s mother and starred in the Alfred Hitchcock films “The Birds” and “Marnie”.  It’s pretty spectacular what this woman does with her life. She is my absolute hero. I’m a member of her advisory board.

Tippi is passing bills and is making a world of difference. She has these amazing sunset safaris that you can go to. You can walk around through the property and be told about each cat and how they came to be there. There’s even a chance to have dinner and a Q&A session with Tippi. It’s an entire evening.

She has two huge actual African tents you can stay at. When you spend the night there you can actually hear the cats talking to each other. It’s the coolest thing. It’s a fun, educational place to really learn about the animals.

gJg: It really sounds amazing!

DD: If you can’t afford to go to Africa and if you’re in the area you just have to go to Shambala!

gJg: Tell me a little about your own animals.

DD: I have two Golden Retrievers: Trubble & Duchess. Duchess was a rescue who we found out needed to have her hip replaced shortly after adopting her. Fortunately we were able to do that for her. It went well and now she’s like a new dog.

I also have an African Grey parrot named “Choo-Chi”. She’s a junk food junkie. <laughs>. She’ll eat pasta and pizza.

She can go out of her cage and crawl around and I also have an area set up for her outside. She’s beautiful and a lot of work but I love it.

gJg: What other projects do you have coming up now?DD: I’ll be working on a new movie project,”Bone Garden” this summer. It’s a film by Mike Gutridge. I loved the script and am really excited about it.

For more information on Darcy and Shambala click on the links below (photographs in this article courtesy of Darcy DeMoss):

Darcy DeMoss * Exotic Visuals * Shambala

Article first published as A Conversation With Actress Darcy DeMoss on Technorati.

Interview, Music

Eye Of The Tiger: Still Surviving After Thirty Years

I still remember it like it was yesterday. It was a hot summer night back in 1982 when my neighbors took my brother and me to the movies to see the third installment of the Rocky Balboa franchise. An experience I’ll never forget.

Rocky III may have introduced the world to the fool pitying Mr. T but for me, what was even cooler than seeing Rocky lose and then regain his boxing title to Clubber Lang was hearing that now infamous guitar riff for the first time: “Eye Of The Tiger” by Survivor.

Written by Frankie Sullivan and Jim Peterik the theme from Rocky III is still as popular as ever three decades later. Along with winning a Grammy the song was also nominated for an Academy Award, became the #1 song of 1982, has been used to promote everything from sporting events to coffee and ranks as the #3 best song to work out to according to Men’s Health magazine.

Survivor is currently in the midst of a new tour of the US with Jimi Jamison, the first with the “classic” voice of the band since 2006.

I sat down for a quick Q&A with guitarist Frankie Sullivan to get an update on the tour and his thoughts on the milestone anniversary of one of the biggest songs ever.

goJimmygo (gJg): What’s it like for Survivor being back on tour again with Jimi Jamison?

Frankie Sullivan (FS): This whole experience has been good for everyone. I’m really enjoying it.  It’s a cool thing and it’s good to have Jimi back.

gJg:  How do you guys determine which songs you’ll perform on this tour?

FS:  What we’ve done is prepared a bunch of songs from our entire catalog. That way we’re able to change-up the set list every night on the fly. It’s also cool for the fans too. They’ll get to hear something different.

gJg: What’s your favorite song to play live?

FS: I don’t think I have a favorite one. Whatever makes the fans happy makes me happy. I have a lot of songs that I like but it changes. It depends on the gig. Why bother picking one? I enjoy them all!

gJg: What are your thoughts on this being the 30th anniversary of “Eye of The Tiger”?

FS: You know, I can’t believe it’s been that long. Even today, there are still a lot of cool things going on with it. I’m hearing that Sylvester Stallone wants to go LIVE and take it to Broadway among other things.

We’ve recently received a plaque from Sony in recognition of 2.8 million downloads. I don’t have the updated official number but I know it’s the 8th most downloaded song on the Internet right now.

gJg: What’s the story behind how it was written?

FS: Stallone was looking for songs for his new movie and the president of our record company at the time just happened to be friends with him. He had the Queen song “Another One Bites The Dust” but Stallone wasn’t really happy with it. So he said “Well you know, I have this band.. “

I think Jim and I wrote the music for it in about a half an hour and it took us three days to write the lyrics only because we couldn’t come up with the punch line at first. But we kind of had it down in half an hour. That’s what started it all.

People love the song. They can really identify with it.

gJg: What are your plans after the tour is over?

FS: Ideally, I’d love to stay on and off the road for the next few years. Maybe taking enough of a break in between to record and then go right back at it. We’ve got a lot of new material we’re working on.

We’re just taking it a day at a time.

Article first published as Eye Of The Tiger: Still Surviving After Thirty Years on Technorati.

1980's, Music

Eye Of The Tiger: My Journey With Survivor

This is a repost of a blog I wrote from last December. I will be seeing the band on Sunday with the classic voice for the first time in many years. It will be a surreal moment. If they come to your town, you NEED to see them.

It was a hot summer night almost thirty years ago when my neighbors drug my brother and I to the movies to see the third installment of the Rocky Balboa franchise. Not that we went kicking and screaming mind you. Any opportunity for teenage boys to get out of the house was most welcome. No, it’s just that we would have much preferred to see “Poltergeist” or better still, sneak into see the R-rated “Fast Times At Ridgemont High”. Looking back now though I’m glad we chose to consume large quantities of popcorn and Coke with Sly Stallone instead of Jeff Spicoli.

Rocky III was the film that first introduced me to Mr. T, the mo-hawked muscle man who would go on to pity fools for the remainder of the 1980′s and beyond. But Rocky III also introduced me to something else: something even more powerful than Mr. T’s gold chains or feathered earrings. It was also the film where I first heard the now infamous guitar riff for a song from a band that would change my life: Eye Of The Tiger by Survivor.

Written by Frankie Sullivan and Jim Peterik and sung by Dave Bickler (who would later achieve great fame as the singer on the Real Men Of Genius Bud Lite commercials), the theme from Rocky III is still as popular as ever three decades later. Along with winning a Grammy the song was also nominated for an Academy Award, became the #1 song of 1982, has to date over 2.5 million downloads on iTunes and ranks as the #3 best song to workout to according to Men’s Health magazine.

The band would strike Rocky gold again a few years later when the song “Burning Heart” was released as part of the Rocky IV soundtrack. Although this song didn’t fare quite as well as Tiger, the music from Survivor continues to be both inspirational and motivating to me. As you’ll soon discover, the seed planted with Eye of the Tiger would not only begin my admiration for the band but would ultimately become the spark that would fuel my life and music for years to come.

When I first started playing guitar in 1984 a new Survivor album was already making its way up the charts. Vital Signs was the first album to feature new singer Jimi Jamison on vocals and was the very first record I ever purchased. (Jamison would later go on to sing the infamous theme from the television show Baywatch). Songs like “I Can’t Hold Back“, “High on You” and “The Search is Over” were getting tremendous airplay on both radio and the early days of  MTV (back when they used to play music videos). These were songs with melodies and lyrics that really spoke to me. Words of encouragement in my love less adolescent youth. Songs I wanted to learn how to play.

So while most other aspiring guitarists were locked away in lesson rooms with their guitar teachers learning Van-Halen and Def Leppard solos I was dragging my butt in with a menacing jet black Gibson Explorer asking my teacher to show me how to play “I See You In Everyone“, the final song on the Vital Signs album, note for note.

Now that I think about it I can still recall the puzzled look on my teacher’s face when I brought the album to lesson for the first time. And I can still picture him saying: “What, no RUSH?….No AC/DC?…No Bon Jovi?” and I’d just smile and think to myself, “Nope, even better!” For how could I possibly tell a man who grew up watching artists like The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin that the absolute best concert I ever saw in my life was Survivor and REO Speedwagon in 1985? But it was, and quite frankly still is, true.

By 1986 my longing for a new Survivor record was finally appeased. When Seconds Count was released and immediately consumed me. Songs like “How Much Love” and “Rebel Son” inspired a then seventeen year old boy to reach higher and the ballad “Man Against The World” made me want to track down keyboardist Jim Peterik himself and make him show me how to play its beautiful melody. By this point I think most of my friends knew that my whole Eye of The Tiger/Survivor phase wasn’t just a passing fad. In fact, one of my best memories of graduating high school was the post grad party my parents held where me and a bunch of other musician friends all set up our gear and played half of the Vital Signs record.

It wasn’t long before college came calling and once again Survivor was there with me. This time with 1988′s Too Hot To Sleep. I can’t begin to tell you how many trips across the miles of campus I made with “Didn’t Know it Was Love” and “Desperate Dreams” blaring on my Sony Walkman. Although the band themselves consider this to be their best album the fact that it didn’t achieve big commercial success didn’t bother me one bit. For me, much like them, it’s always been about the music and this one delivered the goods.

Once college life was over the job of real “work” began. While playing my part in the 9-5 crowd over the years I’d keep myself busy in the musical groove by writing and performing in various bands. All the while I’d find myself writing songs that were influenced by the amazing songs from those Survivor records. Unfortunately it would be quite a while before I would hear any new music from the band other than from compilation albums. Unless of course you count that hilarious Starbucks commercial.

Finally in 2006 a brand new album, Reach was released and listening to the first song and title track was a much welcomed slap in the face. The blaring guitars and drums told me that at long last the Tiger was back. I immediately proclaimed, to myself anyway, that this song should be the one they start every show with. This record not only featured guitarist Frankie Sullivan singing lead on few tracks but also contains the song “Fire Makes Steel”, yet another inspirational anthem which, go figure, was almost and should have been included in the film “Rocky Balboa”.

As you can see, I’m a huge fan of this band. I also know that the band has gone through several line-up changes over the years. Different singers, bass players and drummers have come and gone. There’s no need for me to know all the reasons why. I can personally attest to there being drama in every band so line-up changes are not at all that surprising. But it was unfortunate that Jimi Jamison, the voice that became synonymous with Survivor for me had left the group shortly after this record was released. Robin McAuley, most known for his work with McAuley Schenker Group would take over on lead vocals for subsequent tours over the next few years.

Flash forward to 2012: A surprise announcement was made that Jimi Jamison, who had released several well received solo albums since his departure five years ago, would once again be rejoining Survivor for a new album and tour. Having suffered for years listening to robotic voices and synthesized loops in what’s being peddled as “music” these days my prayers for real new music and songwriting from my favorite band is about to come true once again! To say that I’m excited is an understatement.

Ironically enough, it all seems to have come full circle for me. This “new” Survivor is going to happen nearly thirty years to the day since I first heard that guitar riff in the darkened movie theater. The summer night that changed everything for me. And the message of the song couldn’t be more true today:

Just a band and it’s will…to survive.

A Conversation With, Interview, Movies and TV

Beyond Elm Street: A Conversation With Actress Amanda Wyss
Amanda Wyss

In a word: “Amazing”.

That’s the best way to describe Amanda Wyss. Both as an actress and as a person.

Amanda’s deeply involved with Project Happiness, an organization that specializes in emotional resilience-building programs and provides proven techniques to cultivate one’s own authentic happiness. Its mission is to empower children, families and communities to create happier, more meaningful lives.

Amanda is also a very down to Earth person. She’s someone you’d easily want to have a conversation with over a pizza. Especially when you consider her body of work and the characters she’s hung around with.

As an actress, she’s sat behind Jeff Spicoli in history class, listened to music with Captain Jack Sparrow and was even the first person to dream about and have a rendezvous with bad boy Freddy Krueger.

One of the earliest performances I remember Amanda from also happens to be one of my favorite movies: “Fast Times at Ridgemont High”. A film where she plays Lisa, the girlfriend of Brad Hamilton (Judge Reinhold).

Its senior year and Brad is trying to figure out a way to break-up with Lisa but she inevitably beats him to the punch. But why anyone in their right mind would want to dump Amanda Wyss is still a mystery to me.

The film Amanda’s become most synonymous with though is “A Nightmare On Elm Street” where she will forever be remembered as Tina Gray, Freddy Krueger’s first victim. Not only was she Freddy’s first but here’s something that only true horror enthusiasts will know: Amanda Wyss is the very first face you see in the “Nightmare” franchise.

Amanda’s resume includes diverse roles in such films as “Better Off Dead”, “Silverado” and “Powwow Highway”, a film that won the Dramatic Filmmakers Trophy at the Sundance Film Festival and one of Amanda’s personal favorites.

In addition to film, Amanda has also worked extensively in television as well, having guest starred on such shows as “Highlander”,  “Cold Case”, “Dexter” and “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation”. Chances are, you’ve seen her in prime time and may not even have known it.

Amanda has recently gone back to her horror roots, having appeared as the waitress Darlene Atwood in the Brian Pulido directed film, “The Graves”.  She also appears in the film, “Deadly Impact” where she plays Julie Mulligan, a television news reporter covering a terrorist attack.

But one of her greatest moments for me personally was her performance as Tina Vincent, an obsessive “wife” of a serial killer in a multi-part episode of CSI. Maybe it was because she was channeling her inner “Freddy” at the time but one thing’s for sure: in that role, she was nothing short of amazing.

In this interview with Amanda we’ll talk about her role as Lisa in “Fast Times At Ridgemont High”. We’ll also discuss some of her other film projects including the original “A Nightmare On Elm Street”, a film put together on a shoe string budget that became a cult phenomenon (and one which also launched the career of a then unknown Johnny Depp).

Finally, we’ll find out what Amanda likes to do in her spare time and her plans for the future as well.

Amanda preparing to become Tina Vincent

goJimmygo (gJg): I just recently watched you for the first time as “Tina Vincent” on CSI. One of the best roles I’ve ever seen you do. You were amazing! Just the look in your eyes and the way you smiled at Catherine Willows (Marg Helgenberger). That was really intense.

Amanda Wyss (AW): Thank you!

gJg: How do you prepare for a role like that, to play a woman that obsessed?

AW: You know what? I just use my imagination. That’s my technique. I just sort of dive in. Tina Vincent was SO much fun to play because she was so madly in love with that crazy guy (Nate Haskell). It was really fun to do.

gJg: So, how about we begin by first going back to Ridgemont High?

AW: Sure, let’s go!

gJg: You played Lisa, Judge Reinhold’s love interest. How did the audition process go?

AW: I was actually called in for that specific role (as Lisa) and I remember the audition for it was fun and unique. Part of the process for me was having to do an improv with Judge Reinhold. The casting director, Bonnie Timmerman and Amy Heckerling (Director) were both there and it was a lot of fun.

gJg: I’ve heard rumors that Sean Penn was so into the role of Jeff Spicoli that he wanted everyone to call him by that name and even had the name put on his dressing room door. Is there any truth to that?

AW: <Laughs>. Honestly, I don’t remember that but I have heard about that rumor several times myself so it could quite possibly be true. Sean’s super talented and was very into his part. I think a lot of the surfer guys were, actually.

I do recall that there was a long rehearsal process and everyone had a chance to improv and prepare their characters. So I don’t think it was a situation where Sean just walked on to the set and said, “OK. Everyone call me Jeff Spicoli!” It was more of a slow process where everyone just became these fun high-school characters.

Fast Times At Ridgemont High

gJg: You looked like you were having such a great time on screen. Like when you’re sitting behind Sean in history class when the pizza comes. You had this look on your face like you were ready to just laugh.

AW: It was a very fun film to do with such talented young actors. Every day was really fun.

gJg: How did Ridgemont High compare to you own real-life high school experience?

AW: You know what’s funny? I actually grew up at the beach so I basically did go to school with all of those types of people. It was definitely my era. You know, we were all surfers. To some extent it was a very comical, slightly exaggerated view of the beach town that I grew up in.

gJg: Do you have a favorite scene from the movie?

AW: I don’t really have a favorite scene in particular. I look at it more as a whole. I adore it and certainly loved making it.

A Nightmare on Elm Street

gJg: Was the role of Tina in “A Nightmare on Elm Street” another that you were just called in for?

AW: Actually, we had all read for the role of Nancy (which eventually would go to Heather Langenkamp) and then for the call backs they split us up into groups.

I remember at the time reading with Heather and just thinking that we both really clicked together. I kind of had the feeling that we were going to get those parts. The best part is we’re actually still best friends from that movie. She’s amazing.

A Nightmare On Elm Street

gJg: Did you have any idea of how big the franchise would become in the horror genre?

AW: Quite honestly I had no idea. I loved the script and Robert Englund is so brilliant. I think it was because at the time I was young and wasn’t really that savvy or aware of all of the elements that make something last like that.

Obviously though, when it was completed and there was such a big reaction to it and after all of the positive initial reviews I was like, “Oh Wow!” But at the time, I had no idea that it would become this iconic, horror classic. I don’t think any of us did. Well, except for maybe Wes (Craven, Director) but he’s one of the smartest people alive. <laughs>

gJg: It was filmed on a low-budget too wasn’t it?

AW: It really was filmed on a super low-budget. It was a classic example of true indie-style, guerrilla film making. It just happened to have this magical group of people working on it whose combined energy gave audiences the sense of wanting to keep coming back for more. And I think that’s sort of the same thing that happened with “Fast Times” as well.

For whatever reason there’s something that happens sometimes when you mix the right combination of people and energy. No one really knows what it is. It’s just a magical mix that makes the movie stand out and last. Those two movies are good examples of that.

gJg: I worked at a drive-in while in high school and must have watched it dozens of times.

AW: You know, people have told me they’ve seen it a lot. I’ve actually seen it more in the last few years because of the reunions at horror conventions. When I watch it now with my distance from it I see it more as a film and not so much as one that I’m in. It really is a scary movie.

gJg: And you’re the centerpiece of it in a way. You’re actually the first person you see in the movie.

AW: I am. I’m actually also the first person to die in the entire franchise. <laughs>

gJg: How did your death scene work? Was that a rotating room?

AW: It was based on an old Fred Astaire movie. The room was built on this large sound stage and was positioned on a rotisserie type contraption. Everything in the room was either nailed down, glued down or taped down. It was made that way so nothing would move and as it turns around it appears as though I’m going up the wall and on to the ceiling.

gJg: Visually, it was very effective!

AM: I actually got vertigo from doing that scene. Everything was nailed down so perfectly that I had no visual cues that I was still on the floor. It was a great experience but it was pretty intense.

gJg: One of the scariest scenes I remember from the movie is when you’re running from him in the alley. He’s behind you and then all of a sudden you run right into him.

AW: That scene was actually filmed out in Venice around three o’clock in the morning. I remember it was freezing and the beach mist was starting to come in. It was pretty creepy. Not so much because we were out there filming a horror movie that’s filmed broken up in parts but just that the overall sense of it was creepy.

Behind The Scenes

gJg: What was it like working with Robert (Englund)?

AW: I absolutely loved working with Robert. He’s so imaginative and so hilarious. He’s also the best story-teller I’ve ever met.

gJg: Were there any funny stories that you remember while filming it?

AW: For me it wasn’t so much funny as much as it was gross. Every single day that I went to the set there was always something gross that I had to do.

It was always something like: Stand in a body bag…Lay in a body bag…Be covered in blood…Be covered in worms…Stand with eels. <laughs>

There was this one scene from the alley that was cut out where I had to pick up a trash can lid and underneath were a bunch of worms and they had to crawl all over my arms. The whole thing reminded me of those wilderness outward bound adventures to see what you’re made of. <laughs>

gJg: What did you think of the remake?

AW: You know, I haven’t seen it. I’ve heard mixed reviews about but haven’t seen it myself.

gJg: What was it like working with Johnny Depp in his first movie?

AW: Johnny was so sweet. We were all so young and had so much fun. I didn’t work with him all that much but he was exactly how you’d picture him to be. Really creative and interesting.

Amanda in Powwow Highway

gJg: I read where one of the movies you’re most proud of is “Powwow Highway“ Tell me a little about that film.

AW: That’s one of my favorite movies. It was a cool group of people and is actually based on a true story. It was a powerful Native American piece and I got to play that crazy Texan.

gJg: What was it like filming in all of those locations?:

AW: The locations were beautiful. We filmed in Montana, Wyoming and Santa Fe, New Mexico. We also filmed it between November and March and I remember FREEZING while we were on location. You know, it’s snowing and 18 degrees and you’re standing outside trying to pretend you’re not cold. <laughs>

gJg: What was it like for you personally as an actress when it won at Sundance?

AW: I’m so proud of that movie. It actually won when it wasn’t really the “scene” for actors to go to festivals and support their projects. For it to win a Jury award at Sundance is sort of a badge of honor for me.

Amanda and crew in "The Graves"

gJg: Let’s talk a little about one of your newest films, “The Graves“. What was it like revisiting the horror realm and filming that movie?

AW: That movie was a really fun film too. I got to play Darlene the waitress.

The Ronalds brothers (Brian and Dean) produced it and are both in the movie as well and Brian Pulido directed it. Brian is an amazing artist and graphic novelist.

We filmed it in this spooky old mining town in Arizona. It was a real fun group of people to work with. It was also fun for me to revisit the horror genre again as an adult.

gJg: Have you ever thought about directing or producing?

AW: I would like to move to the other side of the camera. I’ve actually been shadowing a few people so I’m looking forward to the opportunity of directing.

Amanda Wyss

gJg: What do you like to do when you’re not acting?

AW: I love Yoga and I love to read. I read everything. I also like to go to movies and visit museums.

gJg: What’s your favorite book?

AW: My favorite is “A Prayer for Owen Meany“. I love that book.

gJg: What projects do you have coming up?

AW: I actually have two web series projects we’re about to start work on. One is horror themed and the other is more of a light-hearted comedy. We’re producing them together. I’m going to be in the light-hearted comedy and make some appearances in the horror one as well.

gJg: They sound interesting!

AW: I’m very excited about them. They’re really well written and have really good directors attached to them.

There’s also another project I’m involved with where someone is using my likeness for a graphic novel. It’s about vampires which I absolutely LOVE. They’re my favorite part of the horror genre.

gJg: Are there any people  you’d like to work with or projects you’d like to be a part of in the future?

AW: I’d like to be in a Steven Spielberg project someday because he just has such an epic imagination. Then there’s Joss Whedon (love his projects), George Clooney (both as director and actor), Helen Mirren, Debra Winger… the list goes on!

I would love to be a part of shows like “Walking Dead”, “Fringe”, “American Horror” and “Game Of Thrones”.

And I really adore the independent film world. The cool, interesting creative projects that are done under the radar. There are so many great young filmmakers out there I’d like to work with. People like Adam Green for example.

I’d also like to work with Sean Penn again. He is just amazing and always has a lot of interesting projects.

gJg: You’re amazing too. I’m so glad I got the chance to speak with you!

AW: Thanks! It was my pleasure.

For more on Amanda be sure to check out her Facebook page and follow her on Twitter!

Article first published as Beyond Elm Street:: A Conversation with Actress Amanda Wyss on Technorati.

A Conversation With, Interview, Movies and TV

A Conversation With Actress Michelle Page
Michelle Page

Michelle Page has arrived.

An amazing young actress whose love of the art began at the early age of four following frequent family trips to the theater, Michelle has been honing and perfecting her craft ever since. And her hard work is paying off.

Having made her mark in commercials, television and film, she’s someone who’s performances you’re sure to remember.

Michelle’s already made appearances on shows like “CSI: New York”, “Castle” and “Cold Case” and starred alongside Sandra Bullock and Robert Picardo in films like “Miss Congeniality 2″ and “Sensored” respectively.

Michelle can also add “scream queen” to her resume as evidenced by one of her recent movies, the psychological-thriller “Rogue River” which will be released in the US on June 5th.

Michelle plays the role of Mara, a distraught girl whose father has recently passed away. After saying goodbye to her brother (Chris Coy) she embarks on a journey to the place where the family had spent many camping trips together to scatter her father’s remains.

In her moment of grief and reflection she encounters Jon (Bill Moseley), a seemingly nice-enough gentleman who offers her a ride back into town after her car is towed. Mara decides to take him up on the offer and it’s a decision she will forever regret.

“Rogue River”, directed by Jourdan McClure also features the talents of Lucinda Jenney (“Crazy/Beautiful”) and Michael Cudlitz (“Southland”).

In this interview with Michelle, we’ll learn all about this amazing actress and her journey to “Rogue River”. A role that not only required her to turn on the tears but also tested her physical toughness as well. We’ll also discuss what future projects she has planned as well as what she likes to do when she’s not acting.

goJimmygo (gJg): Michelle, it’s so great to speak with you!

Michelle Page (MP): You too!

gJg: “Rogue River” is going to be released in the US on June 5th is that correct?

MP: Yes, June 5th and I’m very excited about it. I’ve just recently watched it again while we were filming the DVD commentary and it was so good to see it again and remember everything about it.

gJg: Were you always a fan of the horror genre?

MP: Actually, I’m one of those people who gets scared really easily by them. But I love acting in them! <laughs>

gJg: What attracted you to the role of Mara in “Rogue River”?

MP: I had a supporting role in a film Kevin Haskin wrote and produced called “Sensored” with Robert Picardo. Kevin co-wrote “Rogue River” along with Ryan Finnerty and thought I’d be great in the role of Mara. He was right. Once I read the script I immediately called him up and said: “YES!”

gJg: What did you like about the script?

MP: I loved how unique and twisted the story was. The role was right up my alley. Of course, I was just thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Kevin and Jo Haskin (Producers) again. I was honored that they wanted me to do this project with them.

gJg: Did you know at the time that Bill (Moseley) was also going to be involved?

MP: I was actually the first person cast so I wasn’t aware. I passed the script along to Adam Targum and Zachery Ty Bryan who produced it and we got the ball rolling.

Shortly there-after Bill, Lucinda (Jenney) Michael (Cudlitz) and Chris (Coy) all came on board. We filmed for about a month in Oregon.

gJg: What was it like working with such amazing actors?

MP: It was fantastic. First, to be working alongside of Bill Moseley was fantastic. I learned so much from him. Lucinda Jenney (Lea) I remembered from “Crazy Beautiful” and absolutely loved her. She and Bill are a couple in real-life and having them together for this film just added a unique dynamic to the project.

Chris Coy (Andrew) is so talented. I just adore him. Then of course there was Michael as the cop. He is such a great actor. We really were blessed with a great cast and crew.

gJg: What was it like working with director Jourdan McClure?

MP: Jourdan was awesome! He’s just a natural. He knew exactly what he wanted and was just so laid back. “Rogue River” is actually Jourdan’s first feature-length film and there’s something so special about that. He was just so passionate and really wanted to make it the best movie it could be. He really put everything into it and it worked.

gJg: The cinematography in this movie is absolutely incredible. The Oregon scenery is breath-taking.

MP: It really is. Brian Hamm was our cinematographer. He also worked with me on “Sensored” as well and is such a genius. It looks creepy and beautiful at the same time.

gJg: One of reasons I loved you in this role was the way you could just turn on the tears. Can you do that on cue?

MP: <laughs> Yeah. It was all real. People always ask me if they’re fake tears. I’m known to be a good crier and in this role you sort of had to be. Mara was just so tortured. It called for it.

Michelle as Mara in "Rogue River"

gJg: Were there any funny stories from the set you can remember?

MP: Yes! We had these wild turkeys roaming around in the woods and every time I would scream and cry the turkeys would respond in unison. <laughs>

So, here you’d have a scene filled with all of this drama and tears and then all of a sudden you’d hear: “Gobble! Gobble! Gobble!” <laughs>

Then there was also the scene where I actually got hit in the head and got a concussion.

gJg: Really?

When we were filming the commentary for the DVD it was hard for me to watch it again. <laughs>.  My heart started racing and I suddenly remembered how badly it hurt.

gJg: What do you like most about the movie?

MP: I really love the scene where Bill and I meet down by the river. It sets the tone of the film really nicely. I love it because Bill’s just so charming and instantly connects with me. I thought it was shot beautifully.

gJg: What projects do you have coming up?

MP: I actually have another horror film project written by Todd Langseth coming into fruition called “Stingy Jack”. Bill is also attached to that project as well as Michael Berryman (“The Hills Have Eyes”). I’m really excited about it.

I also have another film I did called “The Party is Over” with Kathy Baker from “Picket Fences”. That one should be coming out soon.

gJg: What do you like to do when you’re not acting?

MP: I love traveling and photography. I’m also a bit of a book nerd. I really love escaping in books. I’ll read pretty much anything and everything. It’s even gotten to the point where I’ve told myself I have to stop going to Barnes and Noble <laughs>

gJg: Tell me about how you first got into acting.

MP: Growing up, my parents used to take my brother and me to the theater all the time. I think that’s what created this great love of the arts for me.

When I was four I went to one of the top children’s theaters in Fort Worth and sat in the front row to watch “Miracle on 34th Street”. I still remember at that moment telling my Mom that this was what I wanted to do with my life. She told I’d have to wait a few years and then she would put me into classes.

So a few years later I started taking classes at that very same theater and coincidentally, they decided to remake “Miracle on 34th Street” again only this time I was cast as the lead (Susan Walker) and got to perform for over 20,000 people!

gJg: Where did you go from there?

MP: I continued to work for years doing theater in the local area and then started getting into commercials. An agent eventually saw my work when I was 15 and I was off to LA.  I’ve been here ever since and it’s been absolutely great!

gJg: In addition to your movie roles you’ve actually done quite a bit television work as well including a recent episode of “CSI: New York”.

MP: Yes! It originally aired in October. That was a fantastic experience. And what’s interesting about that particular show is that Adam Targum, who produced “Rogue River” also wrote and produced that episode of “CSI: New York”.

I’ve worked with Adam three times now and just adore him. Gary Sinese is another amazing actor. I loved working with him too. He is the nicest guy.

gJg: What do you find are the differences between filming for a movie as opposed to television?

MP: TV works much faster. You’re on a tight schedule. A drama might take eight days of shooting. You have to get everything done and it moves very quickly.

For a film, you have the luxury of having a bit more time to work with the character and develop it. That’s the difference but I love to do both!


If her past work is any indication, the future looks extremely bright for Michelle Page!

Article first published as A Conversation With Actress Michelle Page on Technorati.

Movie Reviews

Movie Review: The Cabin In The Woods

I am a huge fan of 80’s horror movies. Always have been. I still recall the days of getting giddy whenever a new Friday The 13th or Nightmare on Elm Street movie was released.

Horror films sure have come a long way since the days when Jason and Freddy roamed aimlessly around. Truth be told, not many good ones are being released theatrically anymore. Perhaps it’s because the whole concept of horror movies has changed. Every idea has pretty much been used up.

That’s why when films like “Paranormal Activity” come around they are so successful. Its something we haven’t seen before and it makes the whole genre exciting again. At least for me.

Which leads me to “The Cabin In The Woods”. A film that has its own connection to the movies I loved. Heather Langencamp, who played Nancy in the original “A Nightmare on Elm Street” movie, is a production coordinator for this one.

Following a typical formula, a group of students (Kristen Connolly, Fran Kranz, Chris Hemsworth, Jesse Williams and Anna Hutchison) embark on a trip to…(wait for it)… a cabin in the woods to partake in a weekend of merriment.

There’s the tough guy athlete, the promiscuous girl, the smart dude, the stoner and the virgin. I know, we’ve all seen them before in dozens of films but go with me on this one.

When the group stops for gas and directions along the way a creepy attendant warns them that getting there isn’t the problem but coming back is. Something just isn’t right at the cabin and before too long they all, well the one’s who are left anyway, will discover the truth.

Here are my thoughts on “The Cabin In The Woods”. Although I’ll be careful not to give away too much I am still posting a “Spoiler Alert”. So, read on at your own risk:

What I Liked:

1. Kristen Connolly: When I first saw her in the opening scenes it quickly reminded me what I loved most about these types of movies. She has an amazing quality to her that entices you to keep watching.

2. The secret behind the cabin: Without giving anything away, the reason is pretty cool and something we haven’t seen before in horror.

3. The shout out to REO Speedwagon, one of my all time favorite bands. Very cool and very in your face.

4. The use of the “formula”: Although I don’t condone it, it was kind of funny to see the recreational drug use, brief nudity and funny one-liners again from people scared out of their wits. All staples of the 80’s films.

What I didn’t like:

1. The cinematography: It’s dark outside. I get that. But there were many scenes in this movie where I couldn’t tell what was going on. Not because I couldn’t follow the plot but because I couldn’t physically “SEE” it on the screen. It was even hard to discern what types of weapons were being used at times.

2. CGI: The use of this was a bit over the top at times and sort of changed the dynamic from a horror film to more like a comic book.

3. The Use of The “F” Word: Ok, maybe I’m nit-picking here a bit but c’mon, is there really a need to yell at a TV screen and say it a bunch of times in a row? Sometimes I think this is done just to help promote the “R” rating.

Fans of classic horror slasher films and those longing for new take on it will love “The Cabin in The Woods”. If for no better reason than to discover the secret it holds.

A Conversation With, Interview, Movies and TV

A Conversation With Actor Oliver Muirhead
Oliver Muirhead

Oliver Muirhead has a sense of familiarity about him. He’s a person you feel comfortable with when you see him on-screen. It’s almost as if you’ve known him for years and the truth of the matter is, you probably have.

Whether you’ve seen him in the dozens of movies and television shows he’s appeared in or perhaps best remember him as the face of Polaroid film or Tombstone pizza, whenever you see him it’s like seeing a good friend.

Oliver’s resume includes roles as a priest (“LOST”), a waiter (“Kenan and Kel”), and a British Colonel (“Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me”).  He’s even appeared in the Academy Award winning film, “The Social Network”.

In one of his current roles he plays Bernard, the father of a young Anna (Felicity Jones) in the movie “Like Crazy“. A film which, among many other accolades, won two Sundance Film Festival awards and received plenty of its own Oscar buzz .

In my interview with Oliver we’ll discuss his role in “Like Crazy” along with some of his other interesting projects including his stint as a writer and his obsessive hobby as a baker.

gJg: Whenever I would see you on-screen, I’d often say to myself, “I know this man from somewhere.” But I couldn’t figure it out. Then one day it just dawned on me: “I KNOW – he’s the guy who wanted pepperoni and cheese on his Tombstone pizza!

OM: That’s correct. <Laughs>… Among many other advertisements.

gJg: What other commercials were you in?

OM: Well, for a long time I was the face of Polaroid One film. Of course, now film is pretty much obsolete but it was a very nice gig to have.

gJg: I wanted to talk to you a little bit about your role in “Like Crazy”.

OM: It’s a sweet movie and was great fun to do.

gJg: The thing I personally liked most about it (aside from the wonderful performances of course) was the ending.

OM: I think it ends on a very realistic note.

gJg: It’s very much true to life.

OM: My wife actually went to a screening shortly before the movie came out. The audience there was mostly older and their reaction to it was interesting. About 40% of the audience thought the relationship was going to fail and 60% felt it was going to succeed.

What’s really nice is that younger people seem to have resonated with it.

gJg: I think it’s because they can relate to it.

OM: I was asked to describe the movie while standing on the red carpet. It was one of those situations where they wanted an immediate sound bite and the one thing that immediately came to mind was this:

“Love destroyed by modern life.” That pretty much sums it up.

gJg: How did the role of Bernard come about for you?

OM: It was an audition process but one in which the audition itself was improvised.

gJg: I’ve actually read quite a bit about the use of improvisation being used during the filming of this movie.

OM: All of the scenes that I was in were improvised. Obviously, there were some scenes that we needed to use “official” dialogue to be realistic, like the scene with the immigration official and the marriage scene for example. But I’ve actually had a lot of experience with improvisation.

Oliver Muirhead and Alex Kingston

gJg: It came across as very realistic.

OM: It did. In fact Alex (Kingston) and I had a relationship within about three minutes. I’m not sure if it was because we were both mature English actors or the fact that we both grew up about three miles from each other. She grew up in Worcester Park and I grew up in Raynes Park.

gJg: Small world.

OM: Yeah, basically. We both felt a great connection with the roles and were able to establish who our characters were and what they did very quickly. We knew what class we were, we knew what she did, what I did, what music we had listened to. We just “got” it. We completely agreed and after that, it was simple.

gJg: Were there any interesting stories that you remember while filming the movie?

OM: Actually, yes. There’s this one scene where we’re supposed to be playing this board game and we all had sworn that we had played the game before. Of course, none of us had ever played it. We were just lying through our teeth. <laughs>

But Drake (Doremus, Director) said, “Oh good because that’s a game I grew up playing.” So he explained to us how to play the game and it’s one of those games where you have to invent a definition for a word or a phrase. There were quite a few different categories. Some were silly laws and some were silly words.

One of mine was a silly law category that said: “In the State of Tennessee, it is illegal…”

And so I wrote: “For more than forty virgins to be on a tramp steamer”… Which was not at all that funny.

Alex; however, found it so funny that she laughed hysterically for nearly two minutes which, of course made all of us weep with laughter as well. There was nothing Drake could do. He just had to run the film. <laughs>

So we had a lot of fun. The kids were great. I thought they were very well cast. Felicity (Jones) is very pretty and very sweet. It’s nice to have an on-screen daughter who’s as wonderful as my own daughter off-screen.

gJg: Are you more interested in those types of serious roles as opposed to ones in movies like Austin Powers? Which types of roles do you personally like to do more?

OM: I love acting so it doesn’t really bother me what I’m doing. I really enjoyed doing “Like Crazy” though because I could play a character that I knew so well. I’m not playing a spy for example. I’m not playing somebody who’s a long way away from who I am. Not to say that I’m a business man because that’s what Bernard was but I based it on someone I knew really well.

I also had the support of Alex so I didn’t have to worry. It wasn’t about the lines that we had to learn and then try to fit our characters into.

“Like Crazy” was sort of a Cinderella story. It was made for very little money. It went to Sundance. It won Sundance. Then got a lot of Oscar buzz.

Oliver Muirhead as Monsignor

gJg: Let’s talk a little bit about the diversity from some of your other roles. In “LOST” for example, you played a Cardinal. What was that experience like?

OM: It was a lovely experience. I got to play an Australian Cardinal and wound up flying over to Hawaii to film with two actors that I know and like very, very much.

gJg: That worked out well for you!

OM: When you go on location like that you’re pretty much on your own. It can be fun but after the first couple of days sometimes you find that there can be absolutely nothing to do. But these guys both happened to be in my scene and we just had a wonderful time.

gJg: Did you know about the premise of the show?

OM: Yes, everyone was aware of “LOST”. I actually have a lot of friends who did the show. There was this slightly surreal atmosphere with all of the weird back stories going on and no one knew exactly what was going on. I think that mystery really put an interesting quality into how people performed.

In most movies and TV shows you know the beginning, the middle and the end. There is no mystery. But in this case, you weren’t really quite sure what the ultimate outcome was going to be.

Children’s shows

gJg: You’ve had quite a bit of success with children’s shows as well.

OM: Yes. I was fortunate to actually be in a bunch of those types of movies and TV shows when my daughter was growing up. I was very lucky that I did a lot of material that she could watch. I was a mean sculptor in i-Carly and I was also in Kenan & Kel.

This next story might sound as though I’m making it up but I assure you it’s true:

Oliver on Kenan and Kel

It was my daughter’s birthday and we were getting ready to go out for the day when I was offered a job.

Now, that was very nice but unfortunately it also means that we were going to have to cancel the day. Except for the fact that it was for a part on Kenan and Kel, which was her absolute favorite show at the time.

So she came to the taping and they made a great fuss of her. It was marvelous.

On Writing


gJg: I was reading where you’ve written quite a few books too.

OM: Yes. I written under another name, George Mole, in what used to be called “humor”.

gJg: Tell me a bit more about it.

There was a revival of classic British humor books back in the early 80’s. Mostly books of drawings and written text. Myself and my illustrator Steven Appleby, who has become a very well-known cartoonist, worked on several books together.

We also wrote for Punch magazine which at the time was a bit like climbing Mount Everest. It was about as good as it gets. I like to think that writing for Punch was a bit like writing for the New Yorker. It sort of meant that you’ve “arrived” and it was very gratifying.

gJg: Do you still write?

From time to time I still write but I think the Internet has changed the whole dynamic. We’ll have to see where it goes but it was fun.

Bread:

gJg: What else do you like to do when you’re not acting or writing?

OM: I love baking bread. It’s became an obsessive hobby. Unlike my golf game, which I could tell you about and hear you’re snoring in the background. But if we’re sitting down together and I had just baked a loaf of bread you’re more inclined to say something like, “Ooh, can I have some?” <laughs>

People are much more prepared to hear me discuss the technique of baking bread. It’s a magical process. Taking a plant product and basically just adding water to it.

And thanks to a bunch of really smart people you can make brilliant bread at home. At least comparable to what’s marketed in stores. You can rival the best bread out there with just your home oven. It’s not rocket science.

What’s fascinating is that people are willing to talk about bread in a way that they wouldn’t talk about wine. Most people are intimidated by wine but they’ll talk to you freely about bread and tell you exactly what they like about it.

A friend of mine, who had just come back from Ireland once asked me if I could make him some Irish soda bread. I said, “Sure.”

I made it and afterwards he told me that it wasn’t quite right. So I asked him what wasn’t right about it and after he had told me a week or so later I made it for him again and this time he said, “THAT’S IT! That’s exactly it!”  <laughs>

I also know a French baker who has been working in the bakery since he was 14. He would make croissant and it tasted as if he had flown them in from Paris. It wasn’t something like, “Oh these are very good and here we are in America” but rather, “This.. is a French croissant.” He had manipulated the flour in such a way that it was absolutely perfect. I’ve been able to get very close to that and I can make it here in America.

So, it’s a fun hobby. It’s not very expensive and the best part of all, even your mistakes are pretty delicious. <laughs>

gJg: Is there anything else you like to do in your spare time?

OM: I love gardening. In fact, if there was a Gardening Olympics the English team would win. I have a lovely garden here in California where everything grows like a weed and even the weeds look nice. <laughs>

Current projects

gJg: Can you tell me a little bit about your role in “The Sum of 9: The Chosen Ones”?

OM: I get to play a mean headmaster. It’s in the horror genre which is a genre I haven’t done in quite a long time but was excited to do again. The thing I love about horror is that the fans are so unbelievably loyal.

gJg: They really are.

OM: It’s also one of the genres where you can get away with a lot of stuff. You’re allowed to do things because its “horror” that you wouldn’t get away with if it was a drama or a comedy. You have great deal of freedom. I’m looking forward to doing it.

gJg: What other projects do you have coming up?

OM: I’ve just finished playing the lead role in a movie called “Window of Opportunity” which is based on a play about corporate malfeasance. I play Roger Sizemore, the CEO, who strangles someone during a weekend of drinking and debauchery.

It’s a very dramatic movie shot in a very short period of time with a wonderful cast and crew including Phil Proctor who plays Carl Everett, my CFO financial guy.

gJg: Is there a time-table for its release?

OM: Right now it’s in post production so there’s no real-time frame for its release. John Densmore, the drummer from The Doors, is a producer of the film.  I think he’ll also be involved in the music for it as well.

gJg: You’ve really had quite a successful run of projects recently!

OM: The last few years have been great fun. Sometimes you might only do comedies or guest starring roles for a while but this has been a nice run with a little bit of everything. It’s been wonderful.

Article first published as A Conversation With Actor Oliver Muirhead on Technorati.