Podcasts

Michelle Danner has been one of Hollywood's most renowned acting teacher/coaches. She's worked with the likes of Michael Pena, Chris Rock, Salma Hayek, James Franco and Henry Cavill. She's also put together a growing list of films from the director's seat. I recently was invited to watch both The Runner and Bad Impulse. Then I had the chance to chat with Michelle Danner about her films and career. She has a rather unique perspective on the actor/director relationship and she shared these insights with me. Now you can eavesdrop on our conversation. Just bang it here to listen to my interview with Michelle Danner

You can check out Bad Impulse at some of these locations:

Michael Starr is no stranger to visitors at Upcomingdiscs. Last year we had a look at his well-crafted Cicada Song and we spoke about that film in an interview available on the site. Michael's latest directorial project has him teaming up with producer Michelle Talbert for a wonderfully nostalgic documentary on "The Origins Of The Chattanooga Racing Circuit. Talbert's journey to find out about her grandfather's racing history has led to a wonderfully nostalgic look at a not so small corner of racing history. It's Called It's In The Blood and it's not surprising that Michael Starr would visit again for another chat. This time he brought along Michelle Talbert. So strap yourself in and bang it here to listen in on my chat with Michael Starr and Michelle Talbert

Bang it here to watch the film or learn more: It's In The Blood and enjoy.

Shout Factory has released one the most underrated classics from the 1980's. Explorers was the perfect coming of age/fantasy/science fiction film. It was directed by the immortal Joe Dante and continues to be one of my favorite films. Some time ago Joe Dante reached out and revealed himself to be a fan of ours at Upcomingdiscs. I was fortunate enough to talk with him and we absolutely included this little gem in our discussion. With the Blu-ray now out and our review coming next week (spoiler alert: I love the film) this is the perfect time to revisit my conversation with Joe Dante. So pick up the disc. Look for the review and bang it here to eavesdrop on my conversation with Joe Dante.

Michael Starr is the director, writer and producer for the new drama feature film Cicada Song. The film stars Lindsey Lantz as Karen, a small town woman who asks the wrong questions and finds herself struggling to survive. It's a powerful film with a limited budget but not a limited imagination. It's an ambitious film, to be sure. The man behind it all is Michael Starr, a fellow musician who just might have hit it out of the park with his first feature film. I had a wonderful time with Michael talking about the film. He provided some nice insights into Cicada Song and the filmmaking process itself. You can listen in on our conversation. Just bang it here to hear my interview with Michael Starr.

After the interview make sure you check out the film.

Lionsgate is going to offer you a nice Florida vacation this Christmas. It's a short one, to be sure. You're going to love spending some time with Bernie The Dolphin 2. Hang out with your old friends from the first film. I got to hang out with an old friend of ours at Upcomingdiscs. I had the chance to talk to Kevin Sorbo about the new film. It sounds like it was a blast. You can check out our chat by banging it here: Kevin Sorbo

You can also check out Kevin Sorbo's website for some nice signed items just in time for Christmas. Check it out here: Kevin Sorbo Website

One of the joys of my life has been some of the people I have met and developed a relationship with over the years in the film industry. I regret that I never had the opportunity to meet some of the actors who are no longer with us. At the top of that list is Boris Karloff. To me, there is absolutely no equal in horror filmdom. Over the years I've had quite a few chances to hang out with Sara Karloff, his daughter. I'm happy to count her a friend. She was very instrumental in getting me some attention for my tribute song Man Created A Man. She has inherited that kind generosity that Boris was so known for. I had the chance to talk with Sara again. Thanks to the Universal release of the great Universal Monsters Collection on Blu-ray, we got together once again to chat about Boris Karloff. This time you get to eavesdrop, and you won't even have to swear out a warrant. Bang it here to listen to my chat with Sara Karloff: Sara Karloff Interview

Downton Abbey spent six seasons on television and has amassed 52 episodes. In that relatively short run the series has also managed to collect over 200 award nominations and several Golden Globes along with other prestigious awards. Let's not forget a rather loyal fan-base that has watched each episode with anticipation of the next sharp barb or character revelation. The fans have been vocal and strong enough that a new film franchise has been anticipated to fill the void left by the series. In one of its years it was the number-one binged series in the world. That's a lot of power, and it's little wonder that all of these ingredients are expected to create a little box office gold. But film franchises from television shows rarely go on to such golden heights. There are some notable exceptions, to be sure. But even here, expectations and changing caretakers often lead to both high points and flops. The Star Trek franchise is a perfect example of those kinds of ups and downs. Mission Impossible is an example of shows that have to be completely retooled to hit the high numbers. Where will Downton Abbey fit in this equation? I rather suspect the jury is still out. One thing I can tell you with complete confidence: the film will absolutely entertain fans of the series. There's no retooling to be found here, and you can expect the same kind of drama that you've been mainlining for 52 episodes.

The original series left the Crawley family at the Christmas of 1925. A little over two years have passed, and we rejoin the family in the summer of 1927. The family appears to have come to a point where they have to face the possibility that the aristocracy in Great Britain might be finally coming to an end. There is much conversation about having the family finally give up Downton Abbey and place themselves into somewhat normal British society. The manor doesn't bring in the kind of wealth it once did, and keeping it going will require making some serious cuts and sacrifices. Amid this crises of conundrum, Robert Crawley (Bonneville) is informed that the King and Queen of England have decided to visit the Abbey and spend an evening there. The occasion brings about a flurry of preparations. One of these preparations involves the newly promoted butler. Thomas Barrow might not have the right experience or demeanor to handle such a huge job. Lady Mary (Dockery) decides to reach out to their seasoned but retired former butler, Mr. Carson (Carter). It's actually a quite clever way of giving the show some kind of major story and a great excuse to bring back the familiar character so that fans can get at least one more visit with things very much as they were at Downton Abbey.

Official Secrets is now out in theaters. It tells the story of a British Intelligence analyst Katherine Gun who leaked a memo that showed the U.S. and Britain attempting to get a UN resolution to sanction war in Iraq by leaning on UN members. It's a true story and stars Keira Knightly and Ralph Fiennes. The film was co-written and directed by Gavin Hood. I had a wonderful opportunity to talk with Gavin about the film. There were obviously some special circumstances with a film like this that depicts living people. How did he handle all of that? I found out and now so can you and you won't need an NSA wiretap to do it. Bang it here to listen in on my chat with Gavin Hood.

Visit the film's official site HERE

Deadsight had it's world premier last year at The Snow Canadian Film Festival and now it's finally found it's way on DVD thanks to RLJE Films. The film stars Liv Collins as a police officer thrust into the middle of a world taken over by zombies. She also co-wrote the script for the film. It's a tough job but somebody has to do it. I had the opportunity to spend a few minutes talking with the writer/actress. She gave some insight into the film's production. Now you can listen in on our conversation. Just bang it here to hear me talking with Liv Collins

Patrick Kilpatrick may be one of the biggest stars you don't necessarily know. He's a prolific actor with over 14 project already in various stages of pre-release. His credits go all the way back to Tocix Avenger and include televisions shows like Lois & Clark: The New Adventures Of Superman, Matlock, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine & Voyager, The X-Files CSI & NCIS: New Orleans. His film credits include Minority Report, the under-appreciated Parasomnia, The Presidio and Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins. What is more impressive than his over 150 roles is the life he's led off-screen. The book Dying for a Living: Sins & Confessions of a Hollywood Villain & Libertine Patriot documents the first half of that journey. It's has a unique narrative style and a visceral storytelling that will certainly keep your attention. I got to do more than read the book. I had the opportunity to spend quite a bit of time talking to Patrick. He's just as interesting in person. Now you can share that experience and eavesdrop on our conversation. Bang it here to listen to my chat with Patrick Kilpatrick.

You can visit his home page by banging your cursor here: Patrick Kilpatrick Home Page