Archive for Interviews
The Cast of ‘The Hunger Games’ Visits the Mall of America
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This past Friday the Mall of America was the place to be. With Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson in the building promoting The Hunger Games, there were over a thousand people waiting in the rotunda to catch a glimpse of their favorite stars — most of the crowd was comprised of teenage girls, which resulted in the kind of high-pitched-fandom screaming that causes ears to bleed. Despite the damage to my ears, I had a great time being so close to this very talented cast.
Interview With ‘Like Crazy’ Star Anton Yelchin and Director Drake Doremus
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This interview getting posted has been a long time coming. Due to technical difficulties, i.e. pulling the audio content off my older iPhone, the reveal has been delayed until now. While this interview did take place well over a month ago, it still needs to be played so everyone can hear these two talented and kind men speak about their professions. Of course, it’s hard for any movie fan not to recognize Anton Yelchin, star of Fright Night, Terminator: Salvation, and Star Trek. The man is extremely gifted and hopefully has a long and prosperous career ahead of him. Director of Like Crazy Drake Doremus is an up and coming filmmaker that used unconventional but very effective techniques to make Like Crazy personable and unique. Below you can finally hear these long awaited interviews.
The first two interviews below are cut up with only my questions and their answers — each interview cut up is about five minutes. The bottom audio file is the full, uncut interview with fellow journalists asking questions as well. To get the full effect, and to absorb all that was said, check out that one — it runs about 32 minutes.
The second interview was Anton, but I’ll play his first. The man is a student of his craft, and truly loves to act and become the characters he is playing. (3:20 is a treat for Allison and Cadi Deery)
Anton Yelchin:
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Drake has a very personal style of directing. If you’ve seen Like Crazy or any of his films, you know this. His style of storytelling is quite unconventional. In this film he didn’t waste time showing first kisses or many moments an audience would expect — he showcased the subtleties.
But the most interesting thing I learned from this interview was that Like Crazy had no concrete script. Drake and co-writer Ben York Jones simply wrote a layout for the film, plot points they needed to unfold, and let the actors play out the scenes in front of the camera. Like I said, very unconventional. However, this leads to exchanges and characters that feel as real as two people fighting in front of you. The pre-production work to build the chemistry between Yelchin and co-star Felicity Jones is remarkable. Instead of trying to explain, I’ll let Drake do the talking.
Drake Doremus:
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Full Interview:
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The co-stars of M. Night Shyamalan’s The Last Airbender, Nicola Peltz and Jackson Rathbone, were in town to promote the film at the Mall of America yesterday, where they signed autographs, had a Q&A with fans, and even rode some of the roller coasters in Nickelodeon Universe; remember, the film is based on the Nickelodeon animated show Avatar: The Last Airbender. I had the pleasure of sitting down with six other Twin Cities journalists for a round table interview with Nicola and Jackson, where we discussed martial arts training, filming in Greenland, the importance of family, and working with M. Night. Click play and listen to what they had to say below, with more after the break.
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Today I had the privilege of chatting over the phone with Bob Bowdon, the writer, producer and director of a documentary titled The Cartel. The film aims to expose and make accountable America’s failing education system, specifically in New Jersey. I mean, I knew that education in this country was awful, from the various political media exposure I’ve had over the years. But after watching The Cartel, my eyes are now wide open to the unconscionable corruption, threats, intimidation, and millions of dollars wasted at the behest of those in charge of the schools.
Click play to listen to my phone interview with Bob Bowdon below, where we discuss his background, the film-making process and his concerns with the education issue. Then watch the trailer for The Cartel and find out more info. on the film after the jump.
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Through my connections at the Hennepin Theatre Trust, I was lucky enough to grab a beer (actually a few) with filmmaker Rob Perez. Rob has been writing screenplays for years and got his big break back in 2002 with the Josh Hartnett sex-comedy, 40 Days and 40 Nights. Hartnett, a Minnesota native, brought Rob to Minneapolis to give him a taste of the Midwest. Rob then moved to the Twin Cities where he, and Guster front-man Ryan Miller, wrote the screenplay for Perez’ directorial debut film, Nobody.
