Tag: Interviews

In Conversation with the New Addams Family Coming Soon!

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From The New Addams Family, Gomez (played by Glenn Taranto) and Uncle Fester (Michael Roberds) are coming over to Victoria, BC for Island Fantasy Convention (IFCon) this Halloween weekend! Both cannot be any more thrilled. The actors are just as excited for what’s to come because Roberds expects a lot of laughs as they share some of their behind the scenes stories. “The cast of our show [The New Addams Family] is very lucky in that we quickly became good friends and have all stayed in touch over the years,” said Roberds, the actor behind the mask.

The same rule applies for the original Addameses (Lisa Loring and Felix Silla). Who knows, maybe some strange shenanigans will happen outside of the convention. “When we were filming the New Addams Family, Ellie and Mike kidnapped me for my 40th birthday,” Taranto recalled.

“I have to give Ellie Harvey full credit on that,” said Roberds. “She came up with this idea of saying well we’ll go to Victoria. We told a bunch of the cast and crew what’s up. We took him out for a seafood lunch down in Tsawwassen cause he didn’t know the area. It worked pretty well, we got him all the way to the island before he realized what’s going on. That was a great weekend and we all had fun.”

Roberds even considered moving to this garden city. The only thing that really kept him from doing it is the fact that most of the acting gigs took place in Vancouver. Nowadays, that’s a different story but the issue is being able to commute to where the auditions and locations are. He has a friend living on Bowen Island and it was a pain for him to come over and go back; it was really costly. More details will be coming about his work as a Vancouver-based regular when his interview publishes in a few days.

Both this actor and Taranto have plenty of stories to tell when fans of their series visits this garden city too. There’s plenty of creepy and kooky sites to see in the days leading up to All Hallow’s Eve, and they are going to be the spotlight for this show that is trying to emphasize a Halloween theme. For those people coming over more than a weekend stay, there’s more than a few Victorian styled architecture to get inspired by too when touring the sites after the firework filled day. In the next two days there will be full interviews with the two about their work that looks into and beyond the Addams Family world.

Getting Tromatized with Lloyd Kaufman, An Interview

Lloyd Kaufman and his studio are here for making art. He said, “We want to make a film that people will really be impressed with.”

Lloyd Kaufman PosterGetting to talk to Lloyd Kaufman, the cheerleader for Troma Entertainment, is a treat for this journalist. He’s very knowledgeable about the industry and he has more than 40 years of experience in entertaining the masses. One of his long-standing philosophies in life is to share what he knows and not play with the evil conglomerates. His work in the independent B-movie scene is well-respected, and perhaps the best way to summarize his thoughts is in what he said, “We’re all friends of the underground and it’s very important to help develop each other’s well-being.”

That not only in reference to lifestyle changes needed to emotionally succeed but also in how he conducts business at Tromaville, or rather, Troma central. When considering all that he’s experienced in his road to recognition and the fact the Toxic Avenger franchise put Troma Entertainment on the map, people are asking what’s next? The big question is in what’s happening about the big screen treatment that’s been limping along in development. Sadly, Kaufman is not in the loop with every detail. He notes that Steve Pink is a fervent supporter of Troma products and that a script exists. Kaufman knows that the product is in very capable hands and when it does go into production, he will have a cameo in it much like how he appeared in Guardians of Galaxy, directed by James Gunn (also a supporter since Troma was where he got his start).

Kaufman is very happy that a handful of films his company produced do have moguls in Hollywood interested. Just when it will arrive will depend on the ultimate thing that even plagues this business: where’s the money? Until that comes, Troma Movies has a YouTube Channel offering 250 of their films for free and lessons in how to get into the film industry.

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[Victoria, BC] Building Heart in Kaleidoscope Theatre’s 2015 Fundraiser: A Little Shop of Horrors

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By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

Tickets can be bought at the McPherson Theatre Playhouse (3 Centennial Square, Victoria, BC) at the box office or online.

Showtimes:
OCT 30, 8PM
OCT 31, 8PM
NOV 1, 2PM

Kaleidoscope Theatre‘s Halloween spectacular is not just taking place in the support of bringing youth to the arts. It’s also a major fundraiser for the theatre company to keep their programs running year-round. Artistic Director Roderick Glanville leads this year’s production of Little Shop of Horrors and he recounts his youth as one of simply finding the right place to belong when the academic side of the education system didn’t quite hold his interest very well. Fortune would find him discovering theatre at the suggestion of his teacher and he loved it.

“From that point on, throughout my whole schooling. I was involved in every theatre program, did every single show (all the way through middle school and high school), excelled in all communications and theatre and formed my own,” said Roderick.

Frequent attendees of this autumn-centric show will find familiar names in this production. This director knows that he should not stress them out since they are volunteering their time to put on a Halloween treat for the theatre-loving community of Victoria, BC. He likes to see performers come back and not feel burnt out because of how stressful last year’s event went. The point is to have fun, and it’s shown in The Addams Family Musical and Rocky Horror, which played in the past two years.

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The Man Behind the Cigarette, William B. Davis

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By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

presenting at
SchoolCreative
Institute of the Arts
210 – 112 East 3rd Ave
Vancouver, BC

Sunday, November 15th at 7pm

William B. Davis is not just the Cigarette-Smoking Man (CSM) from FOX TV‘s cult hit, The X-Files (due to return in a mini-series next year). He is a well-respected veteran of the Canadian theatre scene. He directed A Man for All Seasons for United Players of Vancouver and he has plans for new productions. Anyone who has followed his career may recall his work with Sherlock Holmes, Stuff Happens, and The Ecstasy of Rita Joe.

But for those more familiar with his work in X-files, he can’t say too much about what’s to come. The cigarette smoking man is back, for a very enigmatic character, the man behind the veil of smoke is a gentle soul. His life prior to X-Files is written in the aptly named memoir, Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man.

This book looks at his life from his youth to getting the role as the CSM (with some thoughts on the production) to a chapter that deals with life after the series. The book was published in 2011, and its information is still relevant today; It very nicely details how Canadian theatre evolved. Davis’ involvement is huge. He also recaps what X-Files is all about. If fans want a quick way to get up to speed before the new series, this book does the job.

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Brinke Stevens is still a Scream Queen and More! An Interview

This interview with Brinke Stevens shows just how beloved she still is. There’s much more to this talent than meets the eye.

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Brinke Stevens is certainly one classy Dame. In the movie world, she’d be one to kill for; as one of the few Scream Queens from the years of my youth (and is still working today) she’s certainly shown that she has the chops to last in an industry that typically favours youthful fervour. As each decade tends to introduce new talent and types of horror for fans to get fast and furiously rabid about, I’m not always going to fawn over what’s the latest. I’d rather stick to what was impressed upon me at an early age. When video movie rentals became widely accessible, that’s when Stevens work caught my eye. Perhaps moreso in magazine spreads than anything else, but I was like every other horror enthusiast at that time, consuming everything I could find.

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Felix Silla, and The Hollywood Roles “Little People” Happily Enjoyed Playing

Felix Silla worked more as an extra and stunt performer than as a actor. Eventually, the parts where he had speaking roles did slowly trickle in. T

Felix SillaWhen the credits roll at the end of a favourite movie or a much loved television program from the late 60’s to early 80’s, don’t blink otherwise the name Felix Silla may get missed. This stunt performer and actor has been in many productions since finding his way into the scene back in 1963. There were not many folks of his small stature who found regular work in the entertainment industry, and he can be counted as one of the few who stuck it out until his decision in 1995 to retire.

In what he experienced in this business, a lot can be said about how little people were treated. Ever since The Wizard of Oz, treatment of these individuals as extras and bit players in productions were not nice. Good or bad, what he experienced can make for a great memoir that looks at an industry that was constantly changing with the times. Before he became a recognized name, he was a performer for Ringling Bros. When he grew tired of touring, he went to work with a company that did publicity for the circus in Los Angeles in the early 60’s. He recalled that one day, a gentleman from MGM visited the office and said that they’re looking for little people to do some work. He suggested that Silla should go down to see what can happen.

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