© FAKESHEMP.NET
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Podcasts
    • Podcasts
    • Good Movie Monday
    • WTF was that?
  • MEDIA
    • Videos >
      • Photos
  • GLG
  • Blog
  • Interviews
  • About

Joei Fulco

25/6/2013

4 Comments

 
Picture
When I interviewed director Albert Pyun a few weeks ago he mentioned Joei Fulco's name to me and suggested her for a possible article. To be honest I hadn't heard of her before but within a few minutes of investigation I understood why Albert thought so highly of her. In making contact with Joei I was confronted by a girl who's maturity was years beyond her age. Chatting with her is to chat with a smart, determined and intelligent young lady.  
She comes from a family of performers and has been born & bred to entertain. It didn't take long for me to become swept up by Joei. Her starring role in Albert's upcoming Cyborg Nemesis is no doubt the beginning of a long and successful career. In fact I suspect that in a few years from now I will be bragging that I interviewed her. Not only does Joei Fulco sing and act, she also writes and plays her own music. At only 16 years of age she is a star whose path to SUPERstardom is well and truly set... even now as this article is being published, Joei has just left for another European tour. I feel a little bit privileged (and chuffed) to introduce her to you. 

Picture
PictureHot Rod DeVille
You're only 16 and already being cast in feature films. How long have you been acting for?
I have been working on acting for the past two years but this is actually my first professional acting job. I also consider performing a form of acting so I guess you could say I've been acting since the ripe old age of 2! 

You also sing and perform on stage and by the looks of it, your family is right beside you all the way. Are you a showbiz family?
Saying that we are a showbiz family is an enormous understatement! Our lives are completely dedicated to performing. My dad has been in the industry since he was a kid and has spent his life pursuing what he loves to do. My siblings and I were all born with a love for performance. My entire family is involved in music and none of us could picture our lives without it. We love anything that has to do with performing and sharing our love of the arts. Showbiz is our life!!! 

Who or what have been some of your biggest influences?
My dad is definitely one of my biggest influences because he is such a talented man who has done so many amazing things and he has the most incredible work ethic and view on life. I think that he is a truly inspiring person. Another one of my biggest influences is Barbra Streisand because she is so talented and has accomplished so many amazing things in her lifetime. She has accomplished things that no other woman has done and I find it to be truly admirable. 

PictureJoie Fulco as Pearl Prophet in Cyborg Nemesis.
What was your favourite film as a little kid?
This is such a difficult question for me to answer because there are so many movies that I loved as a kid. I was always a huge fan of the Disney movies like Lady and the Tramp, Oliver and Company, Thumbelina, The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, Mighty Joe Young, etc... I also loved movies like Grease, Twister, The Mask, etc...

What about now? Do you have a favourite?
Picking my favorite movie is still a very difficult task for me. I love movies like Stand By Me, The Notebook, Les Miserables, The Shining, and anything scary or with a deep storyline. I do still absolutely love the movies I watched when I was a kid though!

Director Albert Pyun speaks highly of you. How did you cross his radar?
My family and I are always promoting our work online and Albert came across some of it and contacted me about possibly working on the movie and I was more than happy to! Albert is such a wonderful person and I am absolutely honored to be working with him! His faith in me is humbling and I feel so blessed that our paths crossed.

He cast you as a cyborg in his upcoming sci-fi thriller, Cyborg Nemesis. Were you familiar with Albert and his work prior to this?
I, personally, was not familiar with his work prior to him contacting me, but my parents were.


PictureTraining with Kim Couture.
Performers have various methods and approaches to acting. How do you prepare for a role?
When I prepare for a role, I like to read through the script and become familiar with my role and their past/story. Then I find a way to put myself into that character. I focus on the character work at first. With this role I researched some characters from other movies that Albert recommended and tried to find a balance that would suit Pearl. After becoming the character I worked on physically fitting the role and trained constantly!

You have obviously struck a chord with Albert and he has cast you in a new film. What can you tell us about it?
I'm so thrilled that Albert cast me in his new film and I cannot wait to learn more about the Kickboxer project. I still don't know all the details but knowing Albert and Cynthia, I'm sure it will be very exciting!

Your website has several songs on it. Are these all your own songs?
My dad, my brother Jesse, and I all compose our own music. We love writing songs and we are constantly writing and experimenting in different genres of music. All the songs on our website are originals. 

Picture
Which passion comes first? Music or Acting?
I don't think that it's possible for me to put either first being that they are both so close to my heart. If I had a music and acting opportunity, I would find a way to do both! 

Is schooling a factor for you or have you committed your attentions to performing?
My education is very important to me and I had to find a balance between my career and my schooling. Because my life is dedicated to my career and performing I am homeschooled which enables me to be flexible.

Do you have a career goal? Where would you hope to be in 5 years time?
I hope to still be in the business and working. Fame has never been a goal for me. I am interested in always being able to do what I love because, to me, that is the ultimate success. Staying in the game is what it's all about!

I am based in Australia. I often ask my guests if they have any favourite Australian films or actors? Do you?
I am not too familiar with Australian movies, however, I am a huge fan of Hugh Jackman. His performance in Les Miserables left me in tears! (The good kind!) 

What's been a career highlight for you so far?
Being in Cyborg Nemesis is definitely one of the most amazing highlights in my career so far! Also getting to travel the world in Europe and Asia while touring was another highlight because it opened up my understanding of other countries and it gave me so much experience with performing. 

Who are some people you would love to work with?
I would love to work with people like Barbra Streisand, Taylor Lautner, Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Taylor Lautner, Matt Damon, Angelina Jolie, Taylor Lautner, Anthony Hopkins, Drake Bell, Morgan Freeman, did I mention Taylor Lautner? LOL! etc... I would love to work with seasoned people so that I could learn from their work and experiences. 

Do you have any other work on the horizon that we should know about?
At the end of June I will be leaving with my family to go on tour  in Switzerland and Monte Carlo and I can't wait! I am also going to be working on the Kickboxer and possibly Blood Sucking Devil which is beyond exciting! 

What music is on your iPod right now?
This question has so many answers! I don't stick to one kind of music, I listen to a variety of genres! My favorite is country music so there is a lot of country on my iPod! I also listen to Billy Joel, Queen, Drake Bell, Bruno Mars, Barbra Streisand, Whitney Houston, Garth Brooks, David Cassidy, Josh Turner, P!nk, Glee, Al Jolson, Frankie Lymon, and sooooo much more! The list is practically endless!!! 

Joei, thank you so much for taking the time. I'll be keeping tabs on your career and I would love to visit with you again some time to dig a bit deeper into your work.
Thank you, Glenn, for the opportunity. I look forward to hearing from you in the near future!

www.joeifulco.com
Picture
4 Comments

Barbie Wilde

18/6/2013

1 Comment

 
Picture
Picture
Seemingly, Barbie Wilde has done it all. Most notably appearing in Clive Barker's Hellbound: Hellraiser II, she has enjoyed a multifaceted career from her early beginnings in mime, to a successful stint as the host of a TV music program as well as becoming an accomplished author. She has toured the world as part of the renowned music/dance troupe SHOCK and performed alongside the likes of Adam and the Ants, Depeche Mode and Gary Numan. Her talent is unquestionable and last year saw the release of her erotic-horror novel The Venus Complex, which has been praised all over the world. Of course if you're a fan then you already know all of this, however, if you're new to Barbie's work then I am thrilled to present her to you. Like most of my previous guests she has been both gracious & generous with her time and this opportunity to interview her has been an absolute privilege.

Picture
What was your favourite movie as a child?
 The first one that just popped into my mind was the black and white, sci-fi classic The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), starring Michael Rennie and Patricia Neal. It was a scary premise, but Michael Rennie made such a sexy, logical alien, I was hooked. Sci-fi featured heavily when I was young, because my dad was such a big fan.

When I was a kid, I was much more into TV than movies. My favourite TV shows were: The Addams Family, The Avengers, The Man from UNCLE, Honey West and The Prisoner.

At what age did you decide to pursue a showbiz career?
I fell in love with acting when I got a part in my first school play when I was 12. (The play was called The Mighty Germ and I portrayed a sneeze-ridden teacher.) I was involved in drama classes in high school and then I went on to Syracuse University to study as a Drama Major, with a minor in Anthropology.


Who have been some of your early influences?
As an actress: Diana Rigg (Emma Peel), Carolyn Jones (Morticia Addams) and Ava Gardner. Directors that had a big influence on me when I was young were: Alfred Hitchcock, Robert Wise, John Huston.


Early influences as a writer: Arthur Conan Doyle, Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, Ernest Hemingway, Patricia Highsmith, Rod Serling, Arthur C. Clarke and Robert Heinlein.


PictureDrawing Space: Barbie Wilde & Tim Dry
How did you get your start?
I came over to the UK to study acting and got involved with a mime company called SILENTS, at that time the largest mime company in England. We did a few Fringe Theatre gigs and a week-long residency at the Arts Theatre Club, where Marcel Marceau came to see us. (A thrill to any mime artist!) My partner, Tim Dry, and I broke away from the group to form a duo called Drawing in Space, which led to us to meet up with Robert Pereno and LA Richards, who invited us to join their group SHOCK.

PictureSHOCK
And then came the performance troupe SHOCK in the 80s. Can you explain SHOCK to my readers?
SHOCK was a mime-dance-theatre-musical group. The final and most successful version of Shock consisted of myself, Tim Dry and Sean Crawford (mime artists - Tim and I were also actor-singers), Carole Caplin (singer-dancer) and Robert Pereno and LA Richards (dancers, actors, singers). We came together in 1979 and performed a lot in the cabaret circuit, then we got a break supporting a band called Famous Names on their tour around the UK, which brought us to the attention of the pop world. We did a cover of a song called “Angel Face” for our first single for RCA Records (produced by Richard James Burgess and Rusty Egan) and many of the bands at the time came to see us perform our rather unusual and bizarrely sexy show. They even gave us permission to use their songs as backing tracks for our dance-mime numbers.

We eventually started writing our own songs, and released another single called “Dynamo Beat” (Dry, Burgess). Although we supported such bands as Adam and the Ants, Depeche Mode, Naked Lunch, Ultravox and Gary Numan, and toured the UK, Europe and did a residency at the Ritz Club in New York, unfortunately we never had that break-though into the record charts. 

You have hosted a number of interview programs. Has any celebrity made you nervous?
Nervous? No… You have to concentrate on being as professional as possible, so you can’t allow yourself to get star-struck or nervous in front of someone like Cliff Richard, Iggy Pop or Johnny Rotten. After all, most of the time, performers and actors are just really nice people out there promoting their stuff, so most of my interviews went very smoothly.

Picture
Barbie with Cliff Richard, Iggy Pop, B-52s & John Lydon (Johnny Rotten)
PictureGrizzly 2
You also had a role alongside George Clooney and Charlie Sheen in the infamous Grizzly 2. The film was never released. What’s the deal there?
Grizzly 2 was a bit of a disaster. Rumour had it that the director (or was it the 2nd director?) had a nervous breakdown. Then giant mechanical bear kept breaking down and finally the production ran out of money, so the Hungarian government stepped in and seized all the props, including the fake bear!

You can actually see extracts from the movie on Youtube and someone has even done a rough cut of the whole thing, putting in scenes of the bear from the first Grizzly film to flesh it out a bit, as all the bear bits are just a black screen.

Sadly, I never got to meet George Clooney, Laura Dern or Charlie Sheen because they all played “Red Shirts” who got killed off by the bear pretty quickly at the beginning of the film. 



Your catalogue of work is extensive and diverse yet you are, perhaps, most widely recognised for your role as The Female Cenobite in Hellraiser 2. Do you enjoy the fandom this attracts?
I’m very grateful that I managed to be in at least one film that people remember me for. The acting biz is a hard taskmaster and it’s fabulous that people remember my part in an intriguing and mythic horror movie like Hellbound: Hellraiser II.

The first 2 Hellraiser films were ahead of their time in terms of subject and aesthetic. How would you attribute their longevity?
I attribute the lastly impact of the films to Clive Barker, his unique imagination and his creation of mythic creatures like the cenobites, extreme human characters like Frank and Julia, and a heart-rending heroine like Kirsty.
Picture
You have written numerous short stories, some taking place within the Hellraiser universe. Has Clive Barker shared his thoughts about your vision?
I’m not sure that Clive has read my story, “Sister Cilice” (from the Hellbound Hearts anthology), because he’s pretty busy with his new projects and his painting.

In 2012 your first novel, The Venus Complex, was published. Does writing challenge you as much as performing?
Writing and performing are very different disciplines and they are both challenging, but in different ways. I love doing both!
Picture
What is The Venus Complex about and does it have a particular demographic?
I’ll let my editor on Hellbound Hearts, Paul Kane (the award-winning horror and fantasy author) tell you what the book is about:

After purposefully killing his wife in a car accident, art professor Michael Friday finds his perspective on things has become a little…warped.  Via his personal journal, we’re allowed into his mind to slowly watch the disintegration of it, bearing witness to his unnerving sexual cravings and ideas about killing: intertwined with the paintings he loves so much. As Michael writes, he’s “turning into something dead”; but at the same time he wants to be somebody, not a nobody.

Using his diary to rant against the world in general – including everything from banks to popular culture, from national holidays like Christmas to politics – he reveals more about the big, gaping hole in his own life. But as the novel goes on the first person narrative tensely builds up, displaying his dark dreams and innermost thoughts; his way of filling that void and presenting his grisly “works of art” to the world. As intelligent and cultured as Hannibal, easily as disturbing as American Psycho and infinitely less ‘reassuring’ than Dexter, this is a sexually-charged real life horror story that will definitely stay with you.


Regarding the demographic: anyone who is interested in exploring the sexual mindscape of serial killers and who wants to find out what makes them tick.

What were some of your biggest challenges with writing a novel?
This is no joke: finishing it! Also, I suppose that writing from a male point of view could be considered a challenge, but in the end, you’re just creating another character, so I never looked on it as such.

Do you foresee a return to the screen in the future?
It would be very unlikely, unless the perfect role came along.

This new website celebrates all genres of film, not exclusively horror… do you have a favourite genre?
I love all kinds of movies, but I suppose that Sci-fi is right up there. Anything with an original vision and a lot of imagination gets my attention.


What’s your favourite film?
I couldn’t possibly pick only one film! Blade Runner, Casablanca, The Big Sleep (1946), Psycho (1961), Casino Royale (2006), The Seven Year Itch, Laura, The Haunting (1963).


I am based in Melbourne and ask most of my guests if they have a favourite Aussie film. Do you?
Again, I can’t say just one film: Mad Max II, Gallipoli, Picnic at Hanging Rock, The Last Wave, The Year of Living Dangerously, Moulin Rouge!, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.

What has been a career highlight for you?
Supporting Gary Numan at Wembley, being in Hellraiser and writing The Venus Complex and getting it published.

What’s next for you?
I’ve just finished a short story called “Zulu Zombies” (and I’m not particularly fond of zombies, so it’s a story with a difference!) for the Bestiarum Vocabulum anthology edited by Dean Drinkel, which should be out in August 2013. I’m co-writing a musical drama for stage and screen and I’m thinking about a sequel to The Venus Complex.

I’ve also been working with Eric Gross of The Followers of the Pandorics, co-designing a box dedicated to my cenobite character, Sister Cilice. I’ve written a “further adventures” story to accompany the Cilicium Pandoric, which you can read here:

You have done a lot of interviews and I imagine you’ve answered the same questions hundreds of times. What’s a question you’ve never been asked?
What’s my favorite food and your favorite cocktail?

Would you care to answer it now?
Corn chips and Margaritas!

(You read it here first, folks... lol)

Barbie, thanks you sharing your time. We’ve only scratched the surface and I would love visit with you again for a follow-up.
Thanks for your questions! If your readers would like to know more, then they can go to BarbieWilde.com for news, reviews and interviews!



1 Comment

Albert Pyun & Cynthia Curnan

12/6/2013

2 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
When I started this website several months ago my first mission was to score a Q&A with legendary filmmaker, Albert Pyun. His films have been a staple part of my life and their style & aesthetic are what I model much of my own writing after. Needless to say I was overwhelmed when he agreed to participate. I have never come across a harder working and more generous director than Albert. His work ethos is a testament to his longevity and his passion for cinema becomes more apparent with each film of his you watch. It's fair to say that he receives a decent amount of criticism from detractors, however, the more I've come to know Albert the more admiration I have for his steely acceptance of blows and his ability to focus his energies on work. As much as I have loved his films over the years, my own appreciation has grown substantially... with even some of his lesser work, his passion is clearly stamped all over.

The one thing that has struck me most about Albert over the past few years is his interaction with his fans. Despite his heavy working schedule he makes the time to keep his audience informed. A day rarely passes without updates on production, sneak-peeks at special FX designs and personal communication with fans... he is outstanding. 


Picture
In organising this article my correspondence with Albert has involved a fair amount of exchanging information via email and he often referred me to Cynthia at Curnan Pictures. After several emails I realised that her name was familiar... and then it dawned upon me. Of course I knew her name because she is regularly credited as writer and/or producer on Albert's films. It became obvious that for almost 20 years Cynthia Curnan has played an integral part in his career and so I thought some recognition was deserved and I invited 'Cyn' to particulate in the article. She accepted and it is my pleasure to include her in this publication. 

Albert Pyun and Cynthia Curnan are two of the hardest working names in the film industry. Working outside of the studio system they fight for independent cinema and are never without a project in the works... often several. For them to give me their time is very humbling and bolsters my admiration of them.


What's the earliest memory you have of watching movies?
Albert Earliest was watching Japanese fantasy and adventure films in the late 50's in Japan.

What was your favourite movie as a kid?
Albert My all time favorite was Dr. No and Bye Bye Birdie - I know those are strange combo.

When did you realise that film was a career worth pursuing?
Albert I'm not sure if I ever saw filmmaking as a career. I still don't actually. I just love making movies. All types. Its just something I've had to do since i was ten years old.

How did you break into the film industry?
Cynthia I think it was a consequence of violating the "Never say never" rule. I was a psychotherapist in a Los Angeles private-practice with clients largely in the industry on both sides of the camera. I heard stories that made me vow to never step into the business myself. Mean/ruthless/inhuman...for starters. 

Fast forward to meeting Albert Pyun (1997) and beginning by assisting him in small ways that grew and grew, essentially out-of-control. Eventually, I was writing and producing and experiencing the misery first hand. That said,  when I am in the creative periods of filmmaking nothing compares in terms of invigoration and exhilaration.


Who are some of your biggest influences?
Albert The two biggest were Sergio Leone and Stanley Kubrick because I saw their films when I was a kid and was just so amazed what movies could be. I loved that both were daring and risk takers.

You hit the ground running with your first feature, The Sword And The Sorcerer, being a success. Can you tell us a bit more about your career prior to making this movie?
Albert I spent four years doing nothing else but trying to get TSATS made, carrying a large clay serpent on my back, surely the laughing stock of Sunset Blvd. Every day I was out pitching. It was great training for the future. It taught me to be fearless and know that every "No" really means "Maybe". And every "maybe" is a firm "yes". I learned that I had a strong resolve and that no matter what you want to achieve in this world, if you apply yourself and never take a day off or let your confidence waiver, you can reach your goals.
Picture
Before that period, I had been working as an commercial film editor in Hawaii. I also did shooting, sound recording, negative cutting and even processing 16 mm film. Frankly, I would do any film work just to be able to stay near film any way I could 24 hours a day 7 days a week and to have it as large a part of my daily life as possible. I wanted to learn as many different jobs as I could in film, from advertising pitches to negative cutting to optical printing to every position on a film set.  I also tried to launch a couple feature films each of which got me a step closer to TSATS as I learned what I needed to learn to be ready for the opportunity.

At the end of The Sword and the Sorcerer a title card appears on the screen which reads "Watch for Talon's next adventure TALES OF THE ANCIENT EMPIRE coming soon". You didn't make this sequel until almost 30 years later. What took you so long to return to this material?
Albert I think I felt I had nothing new to say and it felt like something I've already done. For my next film I did Radioactive Dreams, which takes place in an entirely different universe than TSATS. That's pretty much how I've always gone forward, following my own need to do something new and to take on and explore new worlds, stories, styles and characters

It's known amongst fanboys that your film Cyborg starring Jean-Claude Van Damme was made out of the ashes of an abandoned Masters of the Universe sequel. Can you elaborate on this story?
Albert We had been prepping both Masters of the Universe 2 and Spider-Man productions and when we were 2 weeks away from start of shooting, we got word that Cannon had lost the rights to both. I couldn't stand that all the prep work would be lost, so I quickly pitched an idea for a Sci-Fi film to Cannon as a way for them to recoup their prep costs. They went for it.

Picture
You released an alternative cut of Cyborg in 2011. How did this come about and where can people find it?
Albert My composer and longtime collaborator, Tony Riparetti, was cleaning out his storage room and found a VHS tape of the last telecine of my workprint cut (actually called "Slinger"). Once I saw it I realized I could let people see what I really had in mind before I got removed from the editing. It's available at Curnan Pictures. Its really a collector's item not meant for wide release because the picture is rough, from an editorial work-print and the sound was a very sparse rushed temp mix. It contains Tony's original score, aggressive rock score. True Cyborg fans should see both versions and make up their minds which  movie is better. 

Picture
You also made the 1990 version of Captain America which ultimately ended up as a direct-to-video release. Was the DTV release disappointing for you at the time? 
Albert No, not disappointing at all except for the fact that it wasn't my version of the film. I had emotionally detached from the film when it was recut. Back in the early 90's I was making so many films that once I lost control of a film, I moved on to the next without a glance back. I wasn't in the country when it came out on VHS so, it had no effect on me except I knew it wasn't my version. More pain revolved around my inability to make the movie I had intended due to the budget constraints.
Picture
I love your Captain American. Has it found a new appreciation with the popularity of the newer Marvel adaptations?
Albert  I think it has, as a curiosity item. But what's been really rewarding to me, is the new Marvel version has allowed me to get invitations to screen my Director's Cuts in theaters that were sold out. And the audiences really enjoyed it and could finally see what I was trying to make. That's been a real plus of the new Marvel version.

A couple of years later you made Kickboxer 2, which I think is the best in the series. How confident were you in the project without Jean-Claude returning?
Albert Once I read the script by David Goyer, I knew we would be fine. David wrote a grittier piece that I thought was different for the genre. I was relieved we didn't get Van Damme so we could take the series off into a different tone and setting and I was really thrilled to cast Sasha Mitchell who I thought brought qualities not seen before in a martial arts movie. I actually think if they brought JCVD back now for a follow up to the first Kickboxer, it would be more interesting because Jean-Claude has matured as an actor and person. He can convey more depth now.

Cynthia, I think it's safe to say that you have written some very "macho" films. Have you always had a love of this type of genre?
Cynthia Yes, I have always loved B-movies, revenge or defense violence (not violence just cuz), post apocalypse, sci-fi/ mind-bending themes  with comic relief, because they remind me of my childhood growing up in San Francisco with my brilliant but crazy alcoholic, unpredictably violent, psychic, paranoid, funny mother. She blew through a series of husbands that defy description. Common foes brought us closer together as we conquered harrowing events and grew to require adrenalin packed situations. Writing is how I continue to overcome my childhood predicaments.

Where do your influences and inspirations come from when starting a new script?
Cynthia See above. Add to that Albert Pyun movies and Albert Pyun's always twisted mind. Add to that that he sticks me with pointy bamboo shoots until I get his scripts the way he wants them.

Do you have a particular process when it comes to writing?
Cynthia First step is the same thing most writers do. Make time and protect it. Enter the Angst. 

Are you ever nervous of what Albert will think of your scripts?
Cynthia Terrified and masochistic is more like it. It seems to me that he almost never likes anything I write but eventually, we get there.  I don't take his criticism as personally when I am writing something for him as when I am writing something for myself. I don't let him read the stuff I write for myself anymore. I have other writer friends for that. 


With so many titles to your name and a large cult following, what are 3 of your films you would recommend people start with if they've never seen any?
Albert I guess, The Sword and the Sorcerer, Brainsmasher...A Love Story and Mean Guns. Those three show my sensibilities as a filmmaker vividly. And maybe Postmortem to show my more mainstream filmmaking. And Nemesis and Cyborg which show my "gonzo" insane side - lol. Only the Director's cuts though! My personal favorites include - Down Twisted, Kickboxer 2, Bulletface and Left For Dead. Very happy with those films.

How do you guys find and raise funds for your films?
Cynthia Albert used to invent the next fund raising formulas. He was always ahead of the curve. I wish I could say we have a formula now but they continually change to keep going. One rule is to keep the budgets as low as possible in an unstable economy. Albert finds most of the investors and I find some of them too. Generally, the investors are successful entrepreneurs in other industries that we have known for a long time. 

Your newest film is Cyborg Nemesis. The title might suggest a connection between two of your most popular movies. Is this a crossover movie?
Albert Yeah, it has elements of type of story and action from both though set really in outer space. I have a new action star that I'm very high on - JOEI FULCO. You should interview her. She's only 16 but already more dangerous and skilled than many I've worked with. If she can stay dedicated and focus, she could be a big star.
Picture
Screen grab of ZED VFX shot for Cyborg Nemesis: The Dark Rift
Tell us a bit about Cyborg Nemesis.
Albert It has my favorite sort of Sci-Fi...where there's a mystery at its heart. An advanced government on Earth, gets a distress signal from one of their research stations (The Dark Rift) in deep space. A team of military Marines and investigators are sent to the Dark Rift to find out what's happened. The distress signal had a message within the warned that the scientists on the Dark Rift had created something terrible and dangerous...a new Pearl Prophet Cyborg (JOEI FULCO). 

So its a cat-and-mouse hunt as the Marines and investigators try to find and capture Pearl Prophet. I quickly becomes a deadly hunt. And in the end Pearl allows herself to be captured and taken to Earth. Once there we learn why she was created.

You work almost exclusively in genre filmmaking  Why are genre films important to you?
Albert I guess I grew up on them and they generally offer more freedom to express. And I love building the worlds in my own vision. And I find it allows me to make films that are more allegorical and surreal.

What's your favourite film of all time?
Albert All time? Wow...that's tough. Best movie experience ever was going to see 2001:A Space Odyssey in Cinerama. That blew my 14 year old mind. I have favorites for different stages of my filmmaking life...Fistful of Dollars, Bye Bye Birdie and Dr. No when I was catching the moviemaking bug. Clockwork Orange, O' Lucky Man, Day For Night and Brewster McCloud for when I was seeing movies as art & literature for the first time. Finally, El Topo, The Passenger, Head and Taxi Driver, Streets of Fire for the possibilities of exploring ideas and narrative via stylization.

Do you have a guilty pleasure movie you'd be willing to admit you love?
Albert My favorite guilty pleasures are "Jesus Christ Superstar" and "Grease". Love them, saw each a dozen times in a row when they came out.

Have you been disappointed with any of your films?
Albert I've been disappointed with each film that was butchered and released in that form. No disappointment with a film that I made that went out without changes.

Picture
What's been your high point?
Cynthia One high point felt like the highest because it followed one of the lowest points.  Our production went  bust in Hawaii on 9/11 but we kept at it for a couple more years and lost everything.  Back in the mainland, in California, we sat in a Caprice Classic - same model used in NYPD Blue as an unmarked police car.  The car was parked in Sycamore Canyon Park on the Pacific Coast Highway, near Malibu.  We needed a fast, cheap movie idea with tremendous hook.

As I gazed through the windshield at the gorgeous sycamore trees, Albert envisioned an end-of-world scenario unfolding in front of a police car dash-cam mounted inside the car.  Albert told me and I went to stay with my girlfriend in Topanga Canyon to write the script.

I drew on an earlier experience from Topanga Canyon. Storms caused both sides of the canyon to close to traffic coming in or out. The cell service was out and I had to sleep in the car. Little did I know at the time that my all-too-real nightmares of wild animals and aliens would serve the story I would write for Albert.

We shot the movie in one night on an isolated mountain road. Since it was police car footage, the film could not have any cuts.  It took us 5 takes to get the whole movie. If we missed it on that 5th take, we had to clear out with our money spent and no movie.  The 5th take worked, the name of the movie was INFECTION aka INVASION. I think it was the lowest budget movie Lionsgate ever released.  This is my high point because no matter how low we go, we can always come back. 

Which film are you most proud of?
Albert Again, I'm proud of different films for different reasons. The Sword and the Sorcerer because it vindicated my vision of the genre could be commercially successful. Down Twisted for being able to take on a different genre and get a lot of nice cinema on screen for very little money, Captain America for proving I could finish a film no matter that the budget vanished, Deceit to prove to myself I could design and shoot a film in 3 days, Invasion aka Infection to prove i could shoot an entire film in one unedited shot. So each has a place in my heart because they represented different expressions of my creativity (such that it is).

You have directed a lot of big time actors. Do you find them more difficult to work with than unknowns?
Albert It varies. I find there's not much difference because unknowns can be just as much trouble as big time actors. I try to only work with actors now that I feel are willing to commit and dedicate themselves. As an example, when you work with big time actors, they tend to know they have to get into shape and care for their skin and hair to look fit and good onscreen. Most unknowns don't understand that aspect of prep especially with my films. They tend to be lazier about it. Most big time actors have no issues cutting or coloring their hair but unknowns sometime balk at doing it. Big Time actors want to look good and to help the director make the best film possible so they assist in little ways throughout. Unknowns tend to be focus on their work only. Which makes sense since they don't have the experience yet to know how to help.
PictureCynthia & Sasha Mitchell
Who has been your favourite actor to work with?
Albert My favorite? I've enjoyed all of them I think. Each is unique and like i said, I'm careful in casting to make sure the actor's personality matches the shoot. I have actors I'm looking forward to working with at some point but haven't been able to yet - Yancy Butler I like a lot, Dolph Lundgren - maybe, Patsy Kensit I thought was remarkable, Dina Meyer - we almost did something together. i admire these actors a lot and respect their talent.

Cynthia My favorite actor to work with is hands down Sasha Mitchell

Being based in Australia, I ask most of my guests if they have a favourite Australian film. Do you?
Cynthia I love Australian movies:  "Walkabout", "Mad Max" (all of them), "My Brilliant Career", "Galipoli", "Picnic at Hanging Rock", "Breaker Morant", "The Last Wave", "The Year of Living Dangerously" and "Quiet Earth" starring Bruno Lawrence (Albert tried to get him for one of his films but he was sick. He died way too young). Those are just the old movies. 

Australia offers some great tax breaks and loads of independent American films are made here. Have you guys ever considered making a film down this way?
Cynthia Yes, we have long wanted to shoot there. We need a support person on the ground to help us. We cannot get those things going from here. Once we get there, we hit the ground running. At our budget levels, we cannot take time to meet and learn. That has to be all done before we arrive. If you know anyone, hook us up. 

What's one piece of advice you could give to wannabe directors?
Albert Be tough and resilient. Work hard everyday, all the time, don't slack off ever. Go into it knowing you have to enjoy the journey as much as the destination. Be fearless. Make the movies you want to make.

What's next for you?
Albert I'm finishing up CYBORG NEMESIS: The DARK RIFT, right now, then I'm going to make three films in a row - THE KICKBOXER with Sasha Mitchell, Michael Dudikoff and Joei Fulco; then BLOOD SUCKING DEVIL, both in South Africa. Then i'll finish the year (and maybe my career) with Anomaly with Kevin Sorbo and Clare Kramer.

I have ROAD TO HELL coming out this summer with Michael Pare' and Clare Kramer. Reaction to it has been one of the best of my career. After that, I may teach.

Albert & Cynthia, thank you for your time and making my childhood so damn awesome! I hope to host a few Pyun/Curnan screenings in the near future to spread the love! 
Cynthia We hope you do too! If you have contacts with Australian genre fests, ask them to bring Albert and his films. We must get to Australia!


Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
2 Comments

    Featured Guests

    All
    Albert Pyun & Cynthia Curnan
    Astron-6
    Barbie Wilde
    Brian Trenchard-Smith
    Charleyene Woodard
    Chuck Parello
    Dane Millerd
    Everett Deroche
    Fred Dekker
    Heath Davis
    Jeff Burr
    Jim Wynorski
    Joei Fulco
    Joseph Sims-Dennett
    Josh Whittall
    Kimble Rendall
    Lee Gambin
    Lulu Mcclatchy
    Mary Harron
    Matthew Holmes
    Max Landis
    Michael Mann
    Mick Garris
    Patrick Kennelly
    Rob Zombie
    Shane Ryan
    Soska Sisters
    S.S. Wilson
    Stuart Simpson

    Archives

    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    July 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    April 2019
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2015
    January 2015
    October 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    November 2013
    September 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013

    RSS Feed

© 2018 FakeShemp.Net    All rights reserved.  FakeShemp.Net Illustrations by MJ Barros. 
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Podcasts
    • Podcasts
    • Good Movie Monday
    • WTF was that?
  • MEDIA
    • Videos >
      • Photos
  • GLG
  • Blog
  • Interviews
  • About