Interview With The Cast Of ‘Bellflower’
August 8th, 2011 by Aaron Neuwirth
Bellflower is certainly one of the more unique and original films that I had the chance to see this year. As I described in my review (found HERE), the film is about two guys, a girl, and flamethrowers. Medusa, a muscle car equipped with flamethrowers is a major symbol of the film, but it is also a relationship drama of sorts, as writer/director/star Evan Glodell’s character deals with the journey of tormented love, mixed with some surreal imagery that channels the apocalyptic stakes that this film throws at the viewer. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to interview the entire cast of the film, which is what will follow below. Continue reading ‘Interview With The Cast Of ‘Bellflower’’
They say that things always happen for a reason in life, right? Well I got to tell you, I have had some pretty remarkable events occur in my lifetime and everyone of them seemed to have had a purpose/higher calling in serving as a stepping stone to further my career. And all of them were a result of a certain catalyst or coincidental stimulus in life that I was unaware would happen. So yeah, I truly believe things happen for a reason in my life…especially the good ones…and this past Thursday afternoon was no exception to that rule. It was a day that I will always remember in my budding movie career. It’s the day that I had the pleasure and honor to interview, what may have been one of the most influential, candid and down-to-earth people I have ever met in the industry, writer/director/actor Mr. Marcus Dean Fuller. 
Spartacus: Vengeance is the name of the show. It’s the second full-length season of the highly successful Starz premium television show, Spartacus: Blood and Sand. Need I say anything more? Seriously. This is the moment we have all been waiting for ladies and gentleman. This is the real deal. And today we are here to celebrate everything Spartacus. Hold on tight. Just like the language and gratuitous nudity the cable television show offers, you never quite know what to expect and besides…I like to keep people guessing. So it gives me great pleasure and honor to provide you, our readers, with exclusive roundtable interview coverage and photos recorded/taken with the stars of the hit series, Spartacus. 
In addition to my interview with Adam Green this past Friday at the Gas Lamp Cinemas in San Diego, I also got the chance to sit down and candidly speak with Chillerama directors Adam Rifkin and Tim Sullivan. Never having met these two gents before, I was optimistic that our conversation would be both fruitful and exciting. And thankfully, both results and more were yielded. I know I say this constantly about Mr. Green, but these two gents, Rifkin and Sullivan, are some of the nicest people you will ever meet in Hollywood. You know how when you meet someone for the first time you reserve judgment for a few minutes until you get to know them? First impressions, whether it be body language or whatnot, are really important and can make or break the interview experience. Well I kid you not, these two had me from hello. 
Whenever I get the chance to talk to writer/director Adam Green, I jump at the opportunity to do so. I drop everything I’m doing and I seize the moment. Because for me, talking with Adam Green is more valuable than any education in film that you will ever receive. All one has to do is watch the behind the scenes extras or listen to the commentaries on Hatchet, Hatchet 2 or Frozen to completely understand where I’m coming from. Simply put, you will never find a nicer person in Hollywood who is willing to not only pay attention to you, but also give you priceless advice. And I encourage you that whenever Adam speaks, you listen carefully and take precise notes because this man is a walking book of knowledge to all us aspiring filmmakers. 
I had the good fortune of interviewing Ashley Eckstein during this year’s Comic-Con about her character Ahsoka Tano, who happens to be Anakin Skywalker’s apprentice on Star Wars: The Clone Wars. During our chat we discussed the show’s future, her character’s not-so-rosy future fate, the franchise’s generational shift, and the business she created called Her Universe which sells cool sci-fi clothes to women. She’s also married to Major League Baseball player and two-time World Series Champion, David Eckstein, and they generously support a variety of organizations and causes including, Mid-America Transplant Services, Donate Life and The Ronald McDonald House. Our talk took place at at her booth on the convention floor which was incredibly noisy but I did the best I could to transcribe our loose informal conversation that flowed around customers, the Hulk himself, and the multitude of people. Ashley was very sweet, friendly, and a pleasure to talk to and who was nice enough to take time away from her booming business to chat with me.
There are a total of five people in my life that when the opportunity arises that I can talk to them openly and candidly I don’t even bat an eye or think one second about it. I literally drop everything I am doing and feverishly indulge. You see, when it comes to these five people, this inquiring mind has a lot to learn from them so I fine-tune my questions and I listen sternly. Thankfully, actress Emily Kaye is one of these people I am referring to. You want to know the other four, don’t you? Really? Alright. You practically forced it out of me anyway. They are Rob Zombie, Adam Green, Jesse Dayton and Danielle Harris. Are you happy now? So the real reason, once again, that we are gathered here today is to shine that bright proverbial spotlight on an actress people will be seeing a lot of very soon. 
Easily one of the most anticipated films due out this summer is none other than Cowboys & Aliens, starring Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford. Also appearing in this awesome marriage of old west and sci-fi is none other than Brendan Wayne. Wayne, who is quickly tallying the westerns on his resume’, spoke candidly about his work on the film in addition to his other projects, life outside of movies and the history of acting in his family, including grandfather John Wayne. Unfortunately, a thunderstorm on my end wreaked havoc during the first few seconds of the interview, so you’ll notice an abrupt beginning. Nevertheless, Brendan saved the day dishing out his experiences on the upcoming blockbuster and other interesting avenues. 
I have spoken with a handful of celebrities over the past few years, but none have been as cadid or relaxed as that of my discussion with Don Jeanes. If you don’t recognize the name, let me fill you in. The guy’s got a fairly lengthy resume’ that includes stage work, television and now the big screen. This summer, you’ll see Jeanes in the role of historic astronaut and first man on the moon, Neil Armstrong, in Transformers: Dark of the Moon. During our half hour conversation, we covered topics ranging from from his early days as a struggling actor to working under Michael Bay, and somehow He-Man even got involved. 
In my third go-round with covering mixed martial arts events this past January, I had the opportunity to see Norwalk, Ohio-native James Pfeiffer take the octagon in a match that went the distance with Pfeiffer exiting as the victor. In the grapple-heavy match, both fighters wore each other down, surpassing the limits of exhaustion for the common man. Pfeiffer, however, with an appetite for winning and a physique that makes women swoon over the 22-year old, was the one raising his arms after the 3-round decision. In March, Pfeiffer once again took it to his counterpart in what would be the most teeth-clenching, adrenaline-inducing match I’ve yet to watch.
Why So Blu may not be a sports site, but we do love our MMA, or mixed martial arts for those unfamiliar. We’ve covered three events and have interviewed several fighters in a matter of months. A first for us, however, is interviewing a professional fighter one-on-one. Meet Micah Bender. This Pennsylvania native already has 14 fights to his credit with another on the horizon in the near future. 
Closing out our Tron: Legacy coverage (at least until my Blu-ray review), I’m happy to include an interview with Academy Award winner Eric Barba who served as the Visual Effects Supervisor for all the 1,565 shots completed at Digital Domain and six other companies across two continents. 
Why So Blu’s complete Tron: Legacy coverage continues with an interview with Steve Preeg who served as the Head of Animation for Tron: Legacy. You may not be familiar with his name, but you are familiar with his work, as he previously created digital characters for movies including “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers,” “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” and “King Kong.” 
Today I had the chance to talk with the director of Tron: Legacy and was able to ask a bunch of questions that definitely fall into major spoiler territory. If you haven’t seen Tron: Legacy, you might want to watch it before reading this interview! Mr. Kosinski was kind enough to answer questions for three hours and his answers helped clear a lot of plot points that I wasn’t clear on. He also talks about what changes he made to the movie for its Blu-ray release! Read on Programs! 
I had the privilege of talking to Glen Keane when Beauty and the Beast was released on Blu-ray and last week I got another chance to talk to him about Tangled. Mr. Keane is not only a legendary Disney animator, but he was also the original director of Tangled before becoming the Executive Producer and Supervising Animator for the film. 
