Entertainment
2 Guns Blu-ray Giveaway
In Universal Home Entertainment’s 2 Guns, when an attempt to take down a drug cartel blows up in their faces, two undercover operatives are forced to go on the run together, though neither knows that the other is a federal agent. Suddenly, everyone on both sides of the law wants them dead, and their only hope is to trust each other. Featuring Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg, we celebrate the Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD release on November 19, by revisiting some of the most memorable buddies in blue.
Axel Foley & Detective Rosewood – Beverly Hills Cop
While Eddy Murphy and Judge Reinhold have made names for themselves in today’s pop culture, it’s easy to argue that Beverly Hills Cop launched their now successful film careers. With Axel as the mouth behind the duo, and Rosewood as the partner getting him out of trouble each time, there match up is as timeless as the film. The 1980s film proves itself to be a classic was slated to make its way to television this fall, as a series featuring Axel’s son, Aaron Foley (played by Brandon T. Jackson). While the pilot wasn’t picked up to series, both critics and fans excitedly welcomed it.
David Starsky & Ken Hutchinson – Starsky & Hutch
Based on the popular 1970s series, Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson hilariously star as two street-smart undercover cops that bust drug deals with the help of their connection with the underworld boss, Huggy Bear. Stiller and Wilson bring the classic back to life and add their own flavor with their comedic talent audiences have come to love them for. And who else is better matched to play the role of Huggy Bear today than the 1970s inspired pimp himself, Snoop Lion (aka Snoop Dog).
Mike Lowrey & Marcus Burnett – Bad Boys
‘Bad Boys,Bad Boys, what’cha gonna do, what’cha gonna do…’ you know the rest. While the film was not based on the addicting early 90’s show about real-life police busting drug deals and ordering donuts – it was the first film that arguably catapulted the then-television stars Martin Lawrence and Will Smith to movie stardom. Proving that they haven’t aged, Lawrence and Smith teamed up again for more action in Bad Boys II in 2003.
Lee & Carter – Rush Hour
What do you get when you cross a very loud-mouthed LAPD detective with a Martial Arts cop visiting on assignment from Hong Kong? You get an odd couple that works perfectly, when it is Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker. Directed by Brett Ratner, the hilarious combo go from battling a drug lord to save a little girl that rivals Chan’s karate skills, to fighting crime in Las Vegas in matching outfits.
Martin Riggs & Roger Murtaugh – Lethal Weapon
Mel Gibson and Danny Glover literally redefined the action genre with their roles as L.A.P.D. detectives Riggs and Murtaugh. While there’s no 5th film in the works currently we still can’t get enough of the banter between the two of them and of course, Gary Busey aka Mr. Joshua.
Terry Hoitz & Allen Gamble – The Other Guys
Mark Wahlberg is tough and Will Farrell is funny, the perfect combination for a memorable buddy cop film, like The Other Guys. They play the underdogs striving to gain respect from their precinct by solving a crime and bringing down a multi-billionaire, played by Steve Coogan.
Det. Alonzo Harris & Jake Hoyt – Training Day
Before he teamed up with Mark Wahlberg in 2 Guns, Denzel Washington played crooked detective Alonzo Harris opposite rookie narcotics cop, Ethan Hawke in the Spike Lee directed project. Known for his roles of the noble and good guy (think Remember the Titans) fans were shocked and impressed to see Denzel Washington do such a good job playing the bad guy.
To enter, just follow us on Twitter (@MANjr) and drop us an email below. Good luck!
Nov 15th
Win an XBOX One From Mountain Dew
With the holidays upon us, one thing is on everyone’s mind – scoring the must-have items of the season. To give fans everywhere a fighting chance to get their hands on this year’s coveted entertainment system, Mountain Dew and Doritos are giving away thousands of Xbox One entertainment systems from November 5 to December 9 via nightly online auctions at Every2Minutes.com.
Instead of skipping out early on Thanksgiving dinner to trek to the store or spending Black Friday elbowing other over eager shoppers in line, Every2Minutes.com offers a convenient and interactive way for consumers to cross the Xbox One off their must-buy list.
Here’s how the auction works:
· Participants collect points on specially-marked DEW and Doritos products
· Collected points are then banked as auction currency at Every2Minutes.com
· Beginning November 5 to December 9, auctions take place every two minutes from 9PM – 2AM ET
· On Black Friday only, an auction will take place every two minutes for 24 hours!
Nov 12th
Michael Ian Black Interview
TBS has great new game show out there called “Trust Me, I’m a Game Show Host.” This show takes a fun and new approach to break out of the standard game show mold. The contestants have to contend with a pair of dueling hosts determined to deceive them at every turn.
Comedians D.L. Hughley and Michael Ian Black are the hosts of the show, who are looking to trick the contestants. TBS did a phenomenal job of casting two hilarious hosts. Both of them present the contestant with an odd and highly unlikely fact. One of the statements is true and the other is false. The contestant must decide which fact is correct in order to win money on the show.
Michael Ian Black was kind enough to take some time to chat about the show, lying, and who he would like to see as a contestant on “Trust Me, I’m a Game Show Host.”
Art Eddy: How did you become involved with the show?
Michael Ian Black: Well, I got a call asking if I would be interested in hosting a game show. I was initially like, not really, but when they explained the concept to me, which is that it is as much a comedy show as it is a game show where two contestants try to, well not try to fool anybody, but one of us is telling a lie and one of us is telling the truth and the contestant has to figure out who’s doing what.
What I understood that it was as much about making people laugh as it is about imparting information, then I thought it sounded interesting and when they told me that D.L. was involved, I thought it sounded like a great idea.
AE: Watching the show it seems that you and DL have a really good rapport. It seems like the contestants are, even though they’re playing for money, at ease because they’re having a good time. Did you kind of feel that as well?
MIB: Yeah, there’s a couple reasons for that. One, DL and I really do get along. We didn’t know each other before this, but we’ve become friends working on it and we have a kind of easy rapport I think because we’re both comedians and we know a lot of the same people and we’ve had a lot of the same experiences. So that’s fun, and he’s very fast and very smart and very funny, and he keeps me on my toes.
I think for the contestants, I think they are having a good time. It’s not, you know, the money you can win on the show is a fair amount of money. You can win up to $35,000 but it’s not like, it’s not going to change anybody’s life. It’s not like, “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire”, where if somebody wins a million bucks, that’s life-changing money. For us, it’s more about having fun and winning some money that would be great.
AE: Has anybody every told you if you have any kind of tells when it comes to lying? Have you had to work on anything like that?
MIB: Yeah, in some of the episodes people think they’ve picked up on them, and in particular I think it was a cop who is like, you do this when you’re lying and he was just wrong. It did not give me a lot of confidence in our law enforcement capabilities.
AE: Have you tried to up the ante a little bit by bringing in the people that maybe can detect that kind of stuff, maybe like poker players?
MIB: Oh yeah, we had a poker player on the show. I don’t remember how well he did, but it wasn’t great. It wasn’t great. I think the people who are most confident in their ability to spot tells or learn to snuff out when somebody is lying tend to do the worst.
AE: Have you and D.L. had any kind of rapport as far as how you’re going to go about attacking these people with your questions and information?
MIB: No, because we’re competing against each other, too. You know there’s no money at stake for D.L. and I, but we both want to be picked. We both want to be convincing in whether we are telling the truth or telling a lie. We’re not strategizing against the contestants. If I’m telling the truth I want the contestant to pick me. If I’m lying I want the contestant to pick me, but we also just want everybody to have a good time. Ultimately I do want people to win money. I feel kind of bad when they suck at the show. I want them to walk out of there with something.
AE: Do you feel good about your acting prowess when somebody picks you and you’re completely lying?
MIB: Oh yeah, nothing’s more satisfying. Nothing makes me happier than when I’ve just delivered the biggest lie in the world and they pick me.
AE: How much room do you guys have to improv while you’re taping the show?
MIB: Well, it’s all improvisational. Nothing is planned beyond the reading of the questions and the actual game play. Neither D.L. nor I have a hand in writing the questions. We’re only responsible for being funny. There’s times when, if I have time to really look at the question and think of some jokes I will, but there’s a lot of time where you just don’t and you just have to go by the seat of your pants. I tend to find that the funniest moments just happen off the cuff anyway.
It’s a combination. What you’re seeing on the show is an edited down version of what we shot. We probably shoot 45 minutes to an hour per episode that you end up seeing 22 minutes of, so a lot of snips get lost in the edit room. None of the questions do and not of the important game play aspects do, but a lot of the comedy does, which is nice for us because we can just keep going. It doesn’t matter so if we find something fun to talk about, we talk about it. If makes the cut, that’s great. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t.
AE: Who’s your favorite game show host of all time?
MIB: I’m trying to separate host from shows because my favorite show was “Jokers Wild.”
AE: Nice. So would it be Wink Martindale.
MIB: I can’t say that. Wink Martindale was the host on my favorite game show, but he is not my favorite host. Favorite host? I guess, I mean it’s hard not to go with Bob Barker. I’ll go with Bob Barker, or the other guy that I liked was Peter Marshall. He seemed kind of like a drunk as I’m thinking about it.
AE: You’ll see sometimes different games shows now, will have celebrities come out and play for their charities. Do you guys ever think about doing that and if you did, who would you love to have on the show to see if you can pull some fast ones over on?
MIB: Well, an idea that I had, that I still think is a good idea and they tell me, maybe we will do it at some point is that D.L. and I are actually throughout the season playing for charity where every time we get picked money goes to one of our charities so it raises the stakes for us in terms of wanting to be picked. I still hope we get to do something like that. If we bring on celebrities I’d love to bring on the most pompous celebrities we can find and see how adept they are at figuring out who’s lying and who’s telling the truth. Journalist, politicians, you know, people like that.
AE: Like a Bill O’Reilly type in it?
MIB: Bill O’Reilly would be fantastic. Make him look like a total ass that would be the hope. It would suck if he was great at it.
AE: We all know you from your improv days as well. You’ve been with some amazing troops, “The State” being one, “Stella” being another and it’s definitely helped you, I would say in this show, but has there been anything that you learned from back then that just not apply at all to what you’re doing now? Is there anything new that you’re learning when it comes to improv?
MIB: It’s interesting. All of those skills do come into play with a show like this where you really do need to, the main thing with improvisational comedy is just listening and making sure that you’re not trying to steal the spot light. If you have something to say you say it, but you’re also trying to give other people room to maneuver. I think that’s been one of the nice things about working with D.L.
I think we have a good sense of how to support each other and that is sort of the nature of improvisational comedy. It definitely comes into play. There are things that really don’t. There’s such a strict architecture of game shows that you have to follow because there’s money at stake and that’s sort of the precise opposite of what improvisational comedy is. Being able to combine those two things can be, it’s not tricky, but it just requires a new skill set.
AE: Is it difficult when there is less people you have to improv with?
MIB: No, in a lot of ways it’s easier because it’s just like playing tennis. You just hit the ball back and forth. With more people it actually gets a little more complicated.
“Trust Me, I’m a Game Show Host” airs on TBS Tuesday at 10:30 PM EST.
Nov 12th
Big Apple Film Festival
This past week I got to take in a few films at the Big Apple Film Festival in New York City. For those who don’t know the Big Apple Film Festival was created to help support independent films and filmmakers from the New York City area. It allows audiences to see movies that might not receive national distribution. Hopefully after seeing these films a buzz would be created from these movies that have merit and deserve to have a “national” voice.
I had the privilege to attend an intimate dinner with Howard Goldberg, who directed the film “Jake Squared.” The plot of the film centers around what happens when a director looks to film a new project in order to figure out how he’s screwed up every relationship he’s ever had.
Before the screening Bulleit Bourbon set up a Q&A session at the dinner with Howard. During the dinner Bulleit had a formal whiskey tasting with Stephen Wilson, who is a Master of Whiskey. Wilson showed us the different spirits from the Bulleit line and what to look for in each sip. All varieties had their own flavor and it is was hard to me to pick out a favorite. As always when drinking Bulleit please enjoy responsibly. We also learned that Howard’s favorite drink from that line was Bulleit 10 with a splash of soda.
After the dinner we were able to chat with Howard before we saw his film. I asked him a few things about the film. He not only directed the film, but was also wrote the screenplay. I asked him if he could describe what the process was like for him when he wrote the film, “Jake Squared.”
Howard said, “When I write, it is a different process for each film. I have a plan, but for this film my journey went down many different paths. Sometimes I would end up in a totally different place from where I started. It was kind of like the main character in the film.”
Speaking of the main character, whose name in the film is Jake Klein, was played by Elias Koteas. In the movie Elias plays many varieties of himself at different ages. Koteas did a wonderful job of playing the many different versions of Jake in the film. After we saw the screening of the film, the floor opened up for us audience members. I asked Elias what his first thought was in regards to that role when he finished reading the script.
The soft spoken Koteas said, “I threw the screenplay across the room. I thought at first that taking this role would be insane. I couldn’t believe that this character was so involved. After taking it all in, I reread the script and was excited about the challenge this role would bring.”
“Jake Squared” is a very interesting film. The movie also stars Jane Seymour, Mike Vogel, Virginia Madsen, and Jennifer Jason Leigh. The concept of the film is very different from other movies I have seen. To be honest I might not have seen the film if it was not for this invite from Bulleit Bourbon and Howard Goldberg.
This is just case in point of why there are programs like the Big Apple Film Festival. These festivals promote unique and thought-provoking movies and showcase the endless creativity in the writers, actors, and directors. I highly recommend you check out “Jake Squared.” You might even want to sip Goldberg’s drink of choice, the Bulleit 10 with a splash of soda, to feel like the director himself.
Nov 12th
Karl Urban Interview
Karl Urban has had many successful roles in film and on television. Most recently, “Star Trek” fans loved his portrayal of Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy in the J.J. Abrams version of the film. Urban has also been in the second and third installments of Peter Jackson’s “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy playing the role of Éomer. He was in “Xena: Warrior Princess,” “The Chronicles of Riddick,” and the lead in “Judge Dredd.”
Now Karl plays one of the lead roles in the new sci-fi series “Almost Human.” Urban takes up the role of Detective John Kennex, who is a cop that survived one of the most catastrophic attacks ever made against the police department. Waking up from a coma he now has issues with his memory. Still one memory is intact, which is that his partner was killed. Kennex also lost one of his legs and he is now outfitted with a highly sophisticated synthetic appendage. Kennex also has to deal with his new android partner Dorian, played by Michael Ealy.
Karl is very excited for viewers to check out his new series, “Almost Human” on Fox starting November 17th.. Urban and I discussed the show, “Star Trek,”and working with J.J. Abrams.
Art Eddy: You play the role of John Kennex, who is a cop that wakes up from a 17-month coma. John lost his 
partner and one of his legs and now has a synthetic appendage. He is dealing with a lot of mental and physical baggage. What was your approach on how you wanted to play the role of Kennex?
Karl Urban: I had extensive conversations with J.J. Abrams and all the creators involved to get a real understanding of who John Kennex was and the direction we were going in for the show. Beyond that I started me research. I for ridealongs with a bunch of cops for over a week, a couple of weeks actually.
It was really interesting to see what they have to deal with on a day to day basis. That really forms the baseline reality of a lot of elements for my character. I just have such a huge admiration and respect for all of those guys. The first responders, like the brave firefighters in 9/11, those guys who are walking into the face of danger when everyone else is walking in the opposite direction. Kennex is cut from that similar type of cloth.
I also did some research on post dramatic stress and the effects that is has on people. That was heavily featured in the pilot. By and large Kennex deals with it in the pilot and then we move on beyond that. That’s where the show gets really fun and exciting. I cannot wait for an audience to see where we take the show. It is crazy good.
AE: As we have seen in the “Almost Human” trailers your character hates robots. Why is that?
KU: Kennex feels a certain distain for robots because he feels that they are partially responsible for the loss of human life and for the loss of his colleagues. There is quite a bit of resentment. There are opinions out there in the police force that think that Kennex is responsible.
Kennex was on the ground and was let down by one of these androids. His partner died. Kennex got his leg blown off as a result and put in a coma for 17 months. So these issues that he has are kind of well founded. The fun thing is that he comes back to work and the first day he is partnered with an android. That leads to a lot of fun conflict and comedy. By the end of that first day, this android Dorian proves his own worth. (Dorian) engineers a paradigm shift within Kennex. It enables him to move beyond the point that he was in.
AE: Yet it looks like he starts to bond with Dorian, played by Michael Ealy. Dorian is the closest android line to that of humans. Is that why John tolerates Dorian? 
KU: I think John acknowledges the true value of Dorian. Dorian proves himself by saving John’s life and by contributing to solving the issues and the problems they faced in the pilot. John is not stupid. He can see that this DRN model is not like those NX models that John hates. He actually has value and worth.
The fun thing is that when you put these guys together it is exploring their relationship. It is the heart of the show. At times Dorian is the smartest computer on the planet. At other times he is like a six year old child. He is discovering things for the very first time. It is so funny. Dorian has got no concept of boundaries or personal space. I can’t tell you how crazy excited I am for audiences to see what happens to these guys.
AE: I love when I get the pleasure to speak with an actor before the series starts on TV. The reason is that I have the opportunity to ask that actor who the audience should be on the lookout for when the series debuts. For you do you have one character that you think the audience should focus in on due to their performance on set?
KU: I would be remiss if I was to single out anyone in particular. When you watch “Almost Human” it is a wonderful ensemble of eclectic characters, who are genuinely funny and crazy. You will just enjoy spending time with them. I can’t wait for the audience to see where the show goes. Here is a little teaser. In episode two we are in sex bots territory. (Both laugh) This show is going to be very fun. That is all I can say or else I am going to get rapped on the knuckles by the higher ups.
AE: You mentioned that you went around with cops for some perspective for your role. Did you hang out with Michael (Ealy) at all before shooting to build that relationship?
KU: We really hit the ground running. We were thrown into the deep end. It was pretty clear on the first day working with each other that we would really get along. We both like to laugh and we laugh a lot in each other’s company. To me it is not only a great testament to what a great guy Michael is, but also to J.J. Abrams. He is so good of putting groups of people together that work well together.
He has done it on “Alias,” “Lost,” and he has done it with “Star Trek.” He has done it here again on “Almost Human.” This is a fun group of eclectic people with a really fun group of eclectic characters. You enjoy spending time together and that is gold.
AE: How great is it to be back working with Abrams?
KU: I just love that man. I have so much admiration and respect for him. He is hands down one of the most gifted directors, writers, and producers that I ever had the privilege to work with. I cannot wait to see what he does with “Star Wars.” I would be lying to say if I was not envious of that cast who are going into “Star Wars” and having the opportunity to work with a man like J.J. Abrams.
AE: You did a great job of making Dr. “Bones” McCoy your own especially after DeForest Kelly made that role iconic. Are you pleased with how Trekkies responded to your version of Bones?
KU: Yes. I have to say that I was really touched. I certainly really appreciate that fan feedback and that fan response. Doing a film is not like doing theatre where you instantly get feedback on what you did and how it is appreciated.
With both of these films with the people that I meet in the street, or at a convention, or wherever I really feel the appreciation for these movies and for these characters. I can’t want to get back in there and continue the journey. It is always a lot of fun.
AE: I have to say for me that the moment you got on the screen in the first film you nailed it. You had me hooked.
KU: Well I have to say I had really a lot of help there. Not only in J.J., but the tremendous writing from Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman. When they write dialogue like ‘Space is full of disease and danger wrapped in darkness and violence.’ I mean it just clicked. These guys are good and it certainly makes my job a lot easier.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykwxg534yAw
Nov 11th
Unleash The Wolverine
To celebrate The Wolverine November 19th Digital HD release, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment today launched The Wolverine Unleashed Experience – an immersive website experience that allows fans to take a deeper look into Wolverine than ever before. Through this interactive website, fans can delve into the character of the Wolverine by navigating through a layered, three dimensional site that reflects Logan’s inner struggle with his immortality. Log on and uncover hot spots to unlock new content, including special feature sneak peeks and bridges to past films. The content is also compatible across desktop and tablets, and users can embed and share across all social platforms.
The Wolverine Unleashed experience comes hot off the heels of The Wolverine multi-touch experience – released for free November 5 exclusively at the iTunes iBook Store. The Wolverine multi-touch experience adds to the story with original narrative, exclusive behind-the-scenes video, beautiful imagery, and interactive models.
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment is the industry leading worldwide marketing, sales and distribution company for all Fox produced, acquired and third party partner film and television programing. Each year TCFHE expands its award-winning global product portfolio with the introduction of new entertainment content through established and emerging formats including DVD, Blu-ray™ and Digital HD. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment is a subsidiary of 21st Century Fox.
Nov 9th
Shane Meadows Interview
Shane Meadows recently finished a documentary called “The Stone Roses: Made of Stone,” which is being released in the US for two weekends only in early November. Meadows follows the press-shy band, The Stone Roses from the UK, who is known for their smash debut album, “The Stone Roses.”
The band headlined this year’s Coachella Music & Arts Festival. Meadows is a longtime fan of the band and a BAFTA winning director. I was able to catch up with Shane to talk about the band and his experience shooting the documentary.
Art Eddy: Do you remember the first time when you heard The Stone Roses?
Shane Meadows: It was 1989. Everyone in trendy cities got the Roses way before we did in Uttoxeter. But there were a couple of lads who worked in Kwik Save who had really refined tastes, and one of them played me the first album in his house, this mad horrible block of flats. I’d be 16, nearly 17, about to start at Burton-on-Trent tech.
I had this really wank ginger ’tache and a crap hairdo. But that music gave me a sense of identity. The first time I dated a girl who wasn’t a hairdresser, I put “Waterfall” on and she snogged me. All of a sudden I was going out with this girl in tie-dye, and I was this little tramp from nowhere.
AE: What was it about their music that got you hooked?
SM: Because they were taken out of their prime and people had to wait so long for them to come back. Plus a lot of the other music that came out at the time felt like it was part of a scene, but their album; if that came out now it’d still cause a massive stir. And that’s the sign of any great music, any great album. And then you throw in the bravado and swagger with which they carried it all off, and on their own terms, fighting lawsuits against record companies, they were complete one-offs and anyone like that is going to make a mark on a young kid.
AE: Being a fan of the band and filming them did you get nervous or star struck at all? 
SM: Ian said ‘We’re doing this press conference to announce us getting back together and we wanted to document it’, and I started to twig, and I said: ‘Look, if you are thinking about making a film and you let anyone else do it, I will kill myself. So you’re going to have to let me do it.’”
The risk was that I would damage my dream, working so closely with them, or that I would get complacent about their music. But if anything, I’ve fallen in love with them and their music even more. This film is the closest thing to a love letter that I’ve ever made.
AE: I read that in your documentary you did not include the band’s fights on tour. What made you decide to cut that from the film?
SM: So many films have done it, it’s nice to hold something back for once. I just didn’t think it was tasteful. If they were having a discussion, I’d say to my crew, “We’re going to leave them to it.” If someone tried to film me having an argument, I’d probably lose respect for them. My dad taught me to be that way. Don’t sift for shit, it’s not the gentlemanly thing to do.
“This was a celebration and was always meant to be a celebration rather than something that tries to dig too deeply into the past. It hints and it shines a light on some of those things, but it tries to leave that to one side. Obviously there’s the hiccups at Amsterdam, there’s some moments in there. But ultimately it was a fan’s-eye perspective.
I’m a big believer that to get to the core of something, or the core of the emotion, you don’t have to go down that obvious route, and sometimes less is more, and in that case I think it was. It’s not like the film is a glossy, over-the-top fan perspective, waxing lyrical and licking people’s bums. It’s honest.
AE: Do you have any funny behind the scenes stories during filming?
SM: After the tour, John Squire asked me round to his house for dinner, to show him a rough cut of the film. I got lost. His house is in the middle of nowhere, and it was icy. We’re driving up this steep hill, the lanes about a foot wide, I’ve got a real panic on. We’re late and I’m trying to text John, but it won’t go through because it’s so remote. Then the wheels start spinning. And just as we manage to get near the top, a fucking horse appears with a woman on it. So we start sliding back down the hill. The horse starts freaking out, slips, falls on its arse and starts sliding, this half-ton animal coming right at us.
We went backwards into a hedge, the horse went the other way, and we survived. I wound the window down to get some air, and at that moment a Canadian goose flew past the window, did a massive shit. It came through the window and hit me in the arm and the face. I went to John’s covered in shit. That was about my lowest point.
AE: While filming the documentary what was the number one thing that you learned about the band?
SM: There are quite a few who really wouldn’t be out of place in This is England! Fans young and old, rushed to Warrington Parr Hall that day with the hope of seeing the band back together for the first time. Bringing their memorabilia or merchandise, having left work, or home and their families, what stuck us was that what mattered were the lasting memories and the raw feelings the band evoked and the passion of their fans. We could have made a whole film just with the event, characters and feeling of the Warrington Parr Hall gig.
AE: How did the band react to your idea of the documentary and when did they start to forget you were there when you were filming?
SM: I realized I was going to window into that world. I was seeing what you see in the film, when I didn’t have any cameras on and you’re sat there, watching the rehearsal and maybe have a chat about the film.
I could see all that banter going on and I thought it’ll take me ages. When I turn the camera on here, they’ll probably dry up and it’ll probably be a month before we get to that place where they’re comfortable. But it didn’t. They never changed.
You realize that they, as a foursome, when they were at their strongest, when Mani says ‘We were one of the toughest gangs in town,’ they were untouchable. You realize that the bravado in some of those interviews that they gave, ‘We’re the best band in the world and we don’t care who thinks otherwise.’ When you actually strip it back to that room, they were just like us.
AE: Do you have any future projects on the horizon?
SM: I have the option to do “This Is England ’90”, the next installment in the series. I love that cast, it’s become something special and the broadcaster wants it. I’m starting to write now with Jack Thorne. But I’m also trying to raise £10m to make a biopic of Tour De France cyclist, Tommy Simpson who died during the race in 1967. He was the BBC Sports Personality of the year, he was the first Briton who had the chance to win the Tour, but he killed himself with amphetamines. It is like “Raging Bull” with a great flawed hero.
Nov 6th
Comedy Gives Back Gives Us A 24 Hour Comedy Telethon
Comedy Gives Back a 24 hour international digital telethon takes place on Wednesday, November 6th with shows originating from New York City, Los Angeles, London and Sydney, Australia. The whole event will be streamed live to audiences around the world and across all internet-connected devices by way of Dailymotion.com, the leading global video destination.
Comedy Gives Back, now in its second year, is a social benefit enterprise that unites traditional and digital native comics to raise money through donations for a new charity each year with this year’s charity partner being Malaria No More whose goal is to end deaths from malaria.
“We are so inspired by the comedy community who has rallied to help make our vision a reality to create a day of laughter, to raise money and awareness for Malaria No More,” says Zoe Friedman, Co-Founder of Comedy Gives Back. “And with the telethon being distributed digitally, a donation to this worthy cause is simply a click away.”
Comedy Gives Back will feature some of the best comedic talent from around the world including: Maria Bamford, Greg Berhendt, Adam Bloom, Jim Breuer, Ronny Cheing, Dane Cook, Rhys Darby, Dana Gould. Adam Hills, Marc Maron, Rove McManus, Eugene Mirman, Kevin Nealon and Iliza Shlesinger.
Tickets for the live stand-up shows go on sale today www.comedygivesback.com/tickets. The shows will take place at Gotham Comedy Club in New York City at 8PM (ET), opening night of the New York Comedy Festival; The Improv in Los Angeles at 8PM (PT) and 10PM (PT) (Comedy Juice Presents Comedy Gives Back); The Leicester Square Theatre in London at 10:15PM (GMT) and The Comedy Store in Sydney at 7PM on November 7th (AEDT).
In addition to the 12 hours of global stand-up, the remaining 12 hours will consist of live hosted comedy blocks presenting video premieres and highlights from the leading digital comedy brands such as IFC, Earwolf, Cracked.com, Sideshow Network, and more. Confirmed live and taped talent includes Jimmy Kimmel, Kevin Pollak; Scott Aukerman and Comedy Bang Bang; Shira Lazar and What’s Trending. These segments will be streamed live from The What’s Trending Studios in Hollywood.
The Comedy Gives Back live-stream will be made available through Dailymotion’s proprietary video player. Dailymotion will also be the sole distributor of the live stand up shows Video On Demand following the free 24 hour live-stream. VOD content will be available on November 9th.
Oct 30th
American Daredevils Premieres Tonight on History
History presents “American Daredevils,” a new series that allows viewers to ride shotgun with a dying breed of uniquely American heroes. The 16-episode half-hour series premieres tonight at 10PM ET/PT with back-to-back episodes.
From the dirt tracks of America’s heartland to the bright lights of the country’s biggest speedways, “American Daredevils” brings to life the stories of the men who proudly carry the torch lit by Evel Knievel. These daredevils travel the country performing live death-defying acts without the luxuries of rehearsals or second chances. They launch themselves through the air in cars and motorcycles, light themselves on fire, jump off tall buildings and risk their lives in countless crash and burn stunts all for the freedom of making a living while doing what they love. These are the last of the daredevil breed and as their lives unfold, it becomes clear that “the stunt” is only part of their story.
Based in Arizona, Spanky Spangler has been a daredevil his entire working life. It’s all he knows. After surviving 22,000 stunts and setting a number of world records, he has earned the title of the greatest living daredevil. However, he’s now staring down the twilight of his career as his son Bryan (Spanky Jr.) is gearing up to take over the family business. Meanwhile, Texas daredevil Dr. Danger’s quest is a simple one – to gain legitimacy as a professional daredevil and acceptance by his peers. Dismissed for his duct tape and paperclip approach to stunts, Danger has a new plan that he believes will win him the fame and fortune that has eluded him for two decades. Not to be outdone, Washington’s own Mr. Dizzy is setting out to build on his world record-setting reputation by expanding his daredevil business into an empire.
Spanky, Bryan, Danger and Dizzy are just some of the daredevils featured in each episode. Shot on location in ten states, resulting in the destruction of countless cars and pieces of camera equipment, “American Daredevils” is an explosive account of what it takes to live, thrive and survive on the professional daredevil circuit.
Oct 22nd
WWE Superstar Mark Henry Interview
Whether you are a fan of the WWE, the Olympics, or the “World’s Strongest Man” contest you definitely know the name Mark Henry. Before he joined the WWE in 1996 he competed in the Olympics twice. He was recently inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame in 2012 with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jack LaLanne.
Henry made his presence known at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, where he competed in weightlifting in the super-heavyweight division. Fast forward three years and Mark won a gold, silver and bronze medal at the Pan American Games. In 2002 he won the “World’s Strongest Man” competition at the Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic.
In 2011 he won the title of World Heavyweight Championship at Night of Champions for the WWE. Henry has accomplished so much in his career and he is still going strong. I sat down to chat with Mark about the WWE, the Olympics, and weightlifting.
Art Eddy: It is a real pleasure to chat with you. To see all of the tremendous things that you have accomplished such as being a two time Olympian, the “World’s Strongest Man,” to now a WWE Superstar. When you do have time to sit back and reflect, are you amazed at the things you have accomplished?
Mark Henry: I have sacrificed and worked so hard that it is hard for me to be surprised because I expect it out of myself. I put the work in. It was not like it was happenstance.
AE: Out everything you have done does one stand out more than others?
MH: The first Olympics nobody expected me to do the numbers that I did. Nobody expected me to go to Barcelona and come in tenth place after only training for a year and a half of my life. I have some special gifts. I got introduced to the right sport and is set me up for the rest of my life.
AE: For the Olympics I know that an athlete has to be very disciplined to train year round. Was there ever a moment in your Olympic career that you thought about giving up?
MH: Oh, about three or four times. I tried to quit and I was going to go back to play football. The weights just kept on calling me back. It fulfilled me in a way that nothing else ever did until I started wrestling.
AE: Speaking of wrestling, you have a great stage presence. How long did it take you to be comfortable in front a large crowd? 
MH: The performance in front of a crowd was never a problem. I was never shy. I was always kind of wide open. Trying to be the life of the party type of guy. The thing that was hard was that I was in an anaerobic sport, which was powerlifting, weightlifting, and strong man competition. You have a lot of exertion and then you have a lot of time to rest.
In wrestling it is an aerobic sport as well as a strength sport. You have to for 20 to 25 minutes be able to sustain a level of energy. You have to train your lungs to be able to handle that kind of work load with talking at the same time, with trying to be entertaining and not just being a body out there moving. People think that wrestling is an easy road and just do a reality show and it will happen. That is not the truth.
This sport and this industry is one of the most complicated because you do a full live feature film every week. To be able to sustain the kind of energy that it takes to do that is a miracle in itself. Not to mention the physical toll it takes on your body.
AE: I am going to guess that becoming the World Heavyweight Champion is it, but for you do have one moment in your WWE career that is by far your most favorite?
MH: That is definitely the pinnacle. I am sitting in my office and I look up at the wall and I see this title inside this glass enclosure. In 136 years now there has only been 31 people that to hold that title. To be one of those 31 men says a lot. I was ECW champion and barring injury I think I would have had more titles. I am proud of the work that I put in. I value very much of what is staring me in the face right now.
AE: Which wrestler gets you going the most in the ring?
MH: Me and The Undertaker was pretty energy packed. Right now in my career the battles that I had with Randy Orton, The Undertaker, and The Big Show I had all the longest sagas with. All three of those people are going to be in the Hall of Fame. So I am in good company.
AE: How long did it take you to perfect the World’s Strongest Slam?
MH: I started doing the World’s Strongest Slam in 2003. By 2005 it was pretty concrete. Before than there was no such thing as the World’s Strongest Slam. To be able to add something to an industry where it is commonplace for people remembering Jake “The Snake” Roberts for doing the DDT. I felt like I added something.
During the Sexual Chocolate years I was doing the Chocolate Mousse, where I ran and jumped through the ropes to the floor. A lot of people looked at that and asked what is the name for that? There was really no name for that because it was a Mark Henry original. It was the Chocolate Mousse. People called it the Skid Mark. I was able to say that I added something.
AE: You were inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame in 2012 with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jack LaLanne. Tell me about that experience?
MH: It was a great experience. People started pointing out to me saying that I have been a National and World Champion in three different sports. To be the best in the world in power lifting and strong man and one of the best in Olympic weightlifting has never been done before. They were like if anyone belongs it is you. I took a lot of pride in the fact that my peers looked at me like this small town boy, Mark Henry from Silsbee, Texas being worthy of being the greatest athletes that ever lived. That is just special.
Oct 21st
