by Jason Harris
Queen Santanico Pandamonium
Pictures from Super Megafest 2021 Part 1
Queen Santanico Pandamonium
Category Television
Queen Santanico Pandamonium
Lew Temple Talks about ‘The Walking Dead,’ Rob Zombie, and Baseball
By Jason Harris
Lew Temple. photo by Jason Harris
Lew Temple’s time on The Walking Dead has ended, but he’s still proud of the work he did on the series, even though he thinks his character Axel had more to do in the show.
“I was obviously disappointed,” Lew Temple said. “I thought he was going to be serviceable to the group.”
Temple was given the news three weeks in advance that his character was going to die. He was in denial at first, but after some time he had to commit to it, he said.
“My intent is to always serve the story and that was my job. I wanted to do the best job possible.”
Temple did feel “disappointed for Axel,” though. As an actor, he will go on and work, but Axel is gone forever, he said.
The character of Axel will live on in The Walking Dead comic books and in reruns.
Temple did use the comic book character of Axel as a blueprint. Since comic books are one-dimensional, he had to make the character three-dimensional.
“I’m certain that we were able to use some of Robert [Kirkman’s] characteristics of Axel, but also brought some of my own to it as well.”
The producers on the zombie series knew of Temple before he came on in season three since he had been in to see them for the pilot.
“They looked at me for the role of Merle, originally, and then after that they hired Michael Rooker. Then they needed Merle’s brother, Daryl, who at that time was not even named.”
Temple auditioned for Daryl by reading Merle’s lines differently, which he was asked to do by the producers.
“Thankfully, they hired Norman Reedus. So when Axel came around they came to me and we were able to make that work.”
Temple was aware of the popularity of The Walking Dead, but not of the cross-cultural phenomenon it has become.
“I would say it hasn’t hurt me,” Temple said about Hollywood recognizing him from the popular series. “I would say prior to The Walking Dead I had a certain body of work Hollywood was aware of, and I was working prior to The Walking Dead …”
He admits that the series has elevated his visibility, which has helped him. He doesn’t know if his time on the series has defined him, which only “time will tell.”
“I like to do diverse stuff. I’m certainly proud of the work I did on The Walking Dead and to be part of that show. It’s been such an incredible hit.”
Temple has worked with writer and director Rob Zombie on Halloween and The Devil’s Rejects. He has “a really great relationship beyond a working relationship” with Zombie.
“I adore working with him because he knows what he wants and wants what he knows so there’s not a lot of grey area in-between. He is an absolute perfectionist and he does whatever it takes to make the day work, and if that means he needs to provide something on set, he does so.”
He does expect to work with Zombie again because he thinks they work well together. He just doesn’t know when that will happen.
“I think that I bring something to his story that he appreciates. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Lew Temple in a Rob Zombie production yet again.”
Along with acting, Temple is “an incredible baseball fan.” He adores the game and it has been his first passion since he was a little boy. He’s even played it all the way up until the minor leagues with the Seattle Mariners and Houston Astros. When he couldn’t play the game, he worked as a baseball scout for the New York Mets. Now he roots for the Atlanta Braves.
“I would say I’m excited for the Red Sox, but rooting for the [Detroit] Tigers.”
Temple also writes music.
“I think that I am a pretty interesting songwriter. I think that I am able to spin a tune, at least in my head.”
He has a record deal with Universal through the Rob Zombie production, Banjo and Sullivan.
Twisted Sister Frontman and ‘Strangeland’ Star Dee Snider to Appear at Rock & Shock
From performing live around the world with Twisted Sister to writing and starring in the 1998 horror classic Strangeland, musician, radio personality and actor Dee Snider truly embodies the words “rock” and “shock,” which is why it is with great pleasure that we announce Dee Snider will be joining his Holliston cast mates Adam Green, Cori English and Laura Ortiz at Rock & Shock 2013!
After topping the charts with hits like “We’re Not Gonna Take It” and “I Wanna Rock,” Dee Snider took to the big screen – writing, producing and starring in the horror classic Strangeland. In 2001, he voiced characters in both the videogame Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy and Van Helsing’s Curse, a live horror musical. Snider then became a fixture on the then-burgeoning reality TV market, appearing on Gone Country, Kitchen Nightmares, Dead Art, House of Hair, Celebrity Apprentice and eventually his own reality series Growing Up Twisted.
Since 2012, Snider has appeared on FEARNet’s very first original series Holliston, which chronicles”two down and out aspiring filmmakers struggle with life, career, and the opposite sex as they attempt to make it out of the small New England town they are trapped in and into the big time.” Snider plays the outlandish boss of the show’s main characters. Snider will be meeting fans and signing autographs on Friday, October 18 and Saturday, October 19, 2013 at the DCU Center in Worcester, MA. For a complete list of events, please visit rockandshock.com.
‘The Walking Dead’s’ Scott Wilson Coming to Rock & Shock
He has protected his friends from The Walking Dead, murdered In Cold Blood and fallen victim to Charlize Theron’s Monster, but this October actor Scott Wilson will be safe, sound and signing autographs at the 10th annual Rock & Shock convention in Worcester, MA.
Wilson began his career with back-to-back roles in the 1967 classics In the Heat of the Night, opposite screen legends Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger, and in the film adaptation of Truman Capote’s famed docu-novel In Cold Blood. Since then, Wilson’s incredible acting talents have earned him countless film and television roles as well as a Golden Globe nomination for his role in 1980’s The Ninth Configuration.
Since 2011, Wilson has been winning the hearts of TV audiences as Hershel Greene on the acclaimed AMC series The Walking Dead. Greene is a farmer, veterinarian, father and recovering alcoholic who must fight to protect his fellow survivors after a zombie apocalypse while simultaneously serving as the group’s moral compass. Wilson will also be joined at Rock & Shock by his The Walking Dead co-stars Michael Rooker (Merle Dixon), Lew Temple (Axel) and IronE Singleton (T-Dog)
Please check Rock and Shock’s website here for the other guests appearing during the weekend.
The G&D Show Welcomes The Walking Dead’s ‘Merle’
The G&D Show Welcomes The Walking Dead’s ‘Merle’
by Kristi Petersen Schoonover
Fans of The Walking Dead will get lucky on St. Paddy’s Day when The Ghostman and Demon Hunter Show, co-hosted by NEHW member Nathan Schoonover, will be interviewing Michael Rooker (Merle Dixon) from the popular series. The show will air at 7 p.m. (ET) Sunday, March 17, and conclude just minutes before The Walking Dead’s Episode 314, “Prey,” premieres on AMC.
Rooker has had a long and extensive career in film and television peppered with credits such as Cliffhanger, The Bone Collector, The Dark Half, Jumper, Mallrats, and The 6th Day. Some may also know him as the title role in the controversial 1986 film Henry: Portrait of the Serial Killer or as “The Repo Man” in 2006’s Repo! The Genetic Opera.
In The Walking Dead, Rooker’s Merle, brother to Norman Reedus’ Daryl Dixon, had been left for dead at the end of Season 1, but made a surprising reappearance at the opening of Season 3. There’s been plenty of talking about it ever since, and fans of the show should find this interview—during which they can ask questions via the chat room—a great lead-in to the newest episode.
The Ghostman and Demon Hunter Show has been around since February 2007, and over the years has featured guests such as Elvira, Doug Jones (The Silver Surfer, Hellboy), Butch Patrick (Eddie Munster), Keith Johnson (Ghost Hunters) and many more. The show was also the subject of a two-night special on A&E, Extreme Paranormal, in 2009. Nathan Schoonover and his co-host, Shaun Burris, have appeared on many television shows including Paranormal Challenge and My Ghost Story.
To hear Rooker on Sunday night and ask questions via The G&D chat room tune in at 7 p.m. (ET) by clicking here.
For more information and to listen to the show’s most recent episodes, visit www.ghostanddemon.com.
‘The Best of Both Worlds’ Warps into Theaters
Star Trek: The Next Generation– The Best of Both Worlds Event Transports into Cinemas on April 25
* * * * *
NCM Fathom Events, CBS Home Entertainment and IGN Present a
One-Night Event Featuring the Classic Series’ Third Season Finale and Fourth Season Premiere Remastered into a Feature-Length Presentation
Special Event Will Precede Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 3 and
Star Trek: The Next Generation – The Best of Both Worlds Blu-ray Releases on April 30
“You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile.” Trekkers nationwide will soon heed those commands as NCMFathom Events, CBS Home Entertainment and IGN present Star Trek: The Next Generation – The Best of Both Worlds, which beams into select cinemas on Thursday, April 25 at 7:00 p.m. local time. The fan-favorite two-part episode – The Best of Both Worlds – is comprised of the third season finale and the fourth season premiere, with Part 1 making TV Guide’s list of “TV’s Top 100 Episodes of All Time.” The episodes have been remastered into a feature-length presentation and will be presented on the big screen.
Tickets for Star Trek: The Next Generation– The Best of Both Worlds are available at presenting theater box offices and online at www.FathomEvents.com. The event will be broadcast to more than 550 select movie theaters across the country through NCM’s exclusive Digital Broadcast Network. For a complete list of theater locations and prices, visit the NCM Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to change).
Fans will enjoy this digitally restored and gloriously remastered presentation in high-definition. The fascinating storyline follows the cybernetic alien race, the Borg, as they abduct and transform Capt. Picard into a half-Borg, half-human called Locutus. Meanwhile, the Enterprise crew must race against time to intercept the nefarious Borg cube before it reaches Earth to enslave humanity.
“Fans have been discussing these historic episodes since they first aired, and we’re excited to present them like never before, newly improved and on the big screen,” said Ken Ross, executive vice president and general manager of CBS Home Entertainment. “This special event will ensure that ‘The Best of Both Worlds’ will remain a classic throughout the 21st Century — and beyond.”
Created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise, Star Trek: The Next Generation premiered 21 years after the debut of the original “Star Trek” series. Featuring one of the most endearing ensemble casts in television history, with seven seasons and 176 episodes, Star Trek: The Next Generation took fans on the remarkable continuing voyages of the Starship Enterprise, set in the 24th century.
“After the success of the first two Star Trek: The Next Generation events, we couldn’t wait to bring additional seasons back to the big screen for fans to enjoy,” said Shelly Maxwell, executive vice president of NCM Fathom Events. “Fans will be absolutely thrilled with the presentation of these ‘Next Generation’ classics.”
Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 3 and The Best of Both Worlds will be released on Blu-ray on April 30.
The man behind the ‘Guy Who Kills People’ talks about what inspired his screenplay
The Man Behind the ‘Guy Who Kills People’ Talks about What Inspired His Screenplay
by Jason Harris
Screenwriter Ryan A. Levin’s script for Some Guy Who Kill Peoplewas inspired by his short film, “The Fifth.” His short film only came about because he had written it for fun and wanted to avoid it becoming just another file on his computer, he said.
“I wanted to see it come to life. I had no aspirations to be a director, and still don’t, but I ended up writing, producing and directing the short film.”
Some Guy Who Kills People
As he traveled around the festival circuit and saw the positive reactions, he started thinking about an everyday guy who happens to be a serial killer and wondered if he could expand the main character’s world. Through brainstorming, he slowly developed his character’s background, family life, friends, and motives for killing. By developing his short into a movie, his character changed and it allowed him to let go of the character from the short film.
“Ultimately, while the short and the feature bear little to no resemblance to each other, there would be no Some Guy Who Kills People without “The Fifth.” Fortunately, our distributor, Anchor Bay, was cool enough to include “The Fifth” on the Some Guy Who Kills People DVD.”
The movie contains bullying, which came about because of “creative need.”
“Ken, the killer in Some Guy Who Kills People, needed a reason to kill his victims. In early drafts, he was just a serial killer who chose victims at random.”
The script shifted to Ken focusing on victims who treated others poorly, and then, ultimately, he began killing people who had done him wrong, Levin said.
“News about childhood bullying and suicides just started popping up on the news as we were in pre-production on this film, so while it was not intentional, I knew I hadn’t gone too far in scripting the often sad ramifications of bullying.”
Levin wrote the screenplay between 2007 and the end of 2009. It took about two and a half years to write the script, but it wasn’t a constant writing effort. There were many breaks “as other things came up” which caused him not to look at the script for six months or more.
“Ultimately, this worked to my benefit, as it allowed me to come to the script with fresh eyes each time.”
The movie stars Kevin Corrigan, Barry Bostwick, and Karen Black.
“It was, and continues to be, surreal,” Levin said about Corrigan, Bostwick, and Black being in the movie. “Kevin was someone we approached immediately for the lead role, and we just crossed our fingers he would find something in the script he liked enough to say ‘yes.’ He knew he would essentially be working for free, not to mention working in LA, away from his family in NYC. I imagine it’s a lot easier to take those few weeks off and live elsewhere when you’re making real money, but he wasn’t getting that from us. ”
Levin never pictured Bostwick and Black in their roles and was shocked that they auditioned for the movie considering “their credits and experience.”
“It was perfectly clear to Jack Perez (the director), Lisa Essary (casting director) and myself that we wanted them, and that if we did indeed land them, our movie was headed in the right direction.”
These actors took their characters and elevated them to levels beyond anything that was on the page, he said.
“They are three fearless actors who gave everything they had to this movie, and I can’t thank them enough.”
He was living in New York City when he decided to wanted to write for television and knew he had to get a production assistant job to be able to do that. These “jobs are actually quite hard to come by, as they are essentially the jobs that get you in the door on a production.”
“I sent resumes to every single show imaginable, super-eager to work for any of them. Through sheer good fortune, I ended up knowing someone who knew someone who got me an interview to be a PA on Scrubs, my favorite show at the time.”
When he got the production assistant job, he thought he had “made it” even though he considers “being a PA sucks.”
“I was on the show, I was writing in my free time, but I just wanted to move up the ladder as quickly as I could. I became the writers’ PA, then writers’ assistant then script coordinator. I knew the show runner would never promote me to a full-time writer because of a policy he had against doing so. But I also knew that if I could prove to him I was a capable writer, I could write an episode. Fortunately, that’s what happened. I wrote one episode in season 5, and was told I could return as script coordinator the following season to write another one.”
He didn’t return to work on the sixth season of Scrubs instead he went out looking for a full-time writing position.
“It took a couple of years of close-calls, of working on web series and pitching ideas, but, ultimately, I got a job on a Disney show called I’m In The Band, which ran for two years, and was far better, funnier and more creative than a lot of shows on network TV, which I’m allowed to say because I didn’t create the show.”
The writing staff for The Simpsons, seasons three through seven, and the playwright/screenwriter Martin McDonagh are writers that have inspired Levin. He loves McDonagh’s film, In Bruges.
“I’ve always been drawn to the darker content – always loved horror films and dark comedies, Fargo and Better Off Dead – and I was blown away by how [McDonagh] took these seemingly morbid stories and injected them with some of the funniest characters, situations and dialogue I’d ever heard. McDonagh’s ability to find the comedy in such dark material through characters with very specific points-of-views and his ability to seamlessly blend such different tones is what I can only dream of being able to accomplish.”
Levin is working on another Disney show and developing several features.
“The features are in various stages – from third drafts to basic outlines – and I keep moving back and forth between them. The great thing is I have several ideas about which I’m very excited; however, I really need to just focus on one of them, see it to completion, and then move on. If I don’t, none of them will ever get completed.”
The Some Guy Who Kills People DVD can be purchased through Amazon, click here.
Life Lessons from Southfork
Life Lessons from Southfork
by Stacey Longo
I’m not ashamed to admit I’ve watched the new Dallas series. In fact, I got a sneak peek of the first seven episodes and wrote a review of the show (read it here!) See, my sister made me watch the old Dallas when I was about nine years old, and she must have made me keep watching it up until I was 18 and it went off the air. Seeing my old friends Bobby, Lucy, Ray, Sue Ellen, and J.R. on the new show made me realize how much I’ve missed them. So many of the life lessons I abide by today came from watching Dallas. For instance …
1. If you’re going to shoot someone, make sure they’re dead when you’re finished.
2. Sure, you can use your pretty face to marry money, but deep down, you’ll always be Digger Barnes’s daughter.
3. That little old lady may look sweet, but you don’t know if she’s bludgeoned her husband to death with a frozen leg of lamb, then cooked it up and served it to the police investigating the crime. (Wait. That might be a life lesson from Alfred Hitchcock.)
4. Don’t sleep with the hired help. That hot ranch hand might turn out to be your uncle.
5. It’s probably not a good idea to start getting drunk at 8 AM. But since I’m not married to J.R. Ewing, who am I to judge?
6. Sometimes, when you think your life has turned to crap, it actually all turns out to be a bad dream.
So take it from me: tune in to the latest antics of J.R., Bobby, and Sue Ellen. You just might learn something useful!
Life lesson number seven: there’s something to be said for keeping up with your eyebrow plucking.
Editor’s Note:
This entry originally appeared on author Stacey Longo’s website.
‘Dallas’ Proves that Southfork Still Sizzles
‘Dallas’ Proves that Southfork Still Sizzles
By Stacey Longo
TNT is bringing Dallas back to viewers June 13. The original series, which enjoyed a 14-year run, still maintains a legion of fans, which may be why TNT decided to bring the residents of Southfork ranch back to television. The new series sets up a rivalry between a new generation of Ewings—J.R.’s son, John Ross (John Henderson) and Bobby’s adopted son, Christopher (Jesse Metcalfe).
Back to embrace the roles that made them household names, Larry Hagman and Patrick Duffy are back as brothers J.R. and Bobby Ewing, still fighting for control of Miss Ellie’s ranch. Other original cast members include Linda Gray as Sue Ellen, J.R.’s ex-wife and now a candidate for governor; Charlene Tilton as Lucy, offering advice to her cousin John Ross; and Ken Kercheval as the still-vindictive Cliff Barnes.
The series, however, focuses on John Ross and Christopher, who both have very different plans for Southfork—John Ross wants to drill for oil, while Christopher dreams of using proceeds from the ranch to fund his alternative energy research. But getting in the way of both men’s ambitions are their fathers.
True to character, Bobby is still struggling to do the right thing in the face of adversity. And J.R. is still as deliciously devious as ever, not caring who he screws over to gain control of Southfork once and for all. One of the highlights of the new series is watching J.R. vow to his brother that he has turned over a new leaf, while backstabbing everyone around him behind the scenes. Larry Hagman is as formidable as ever, showing why J.R. Ewing’s name is known even to those who never watched the original show. Patrick Duffy slips in to the role of Bobby with easy familiarity, and while we are told Pamela Ewing “disappeared” years ago, Brenda Strong fills her shoes as Ann, Bobby’s new, but equally supportive and loyal, wife.
Fans of the original series will delight in seeing familiar faces (not all of whom are mentioned here,) as well as the winks throughout to the original show. (When Bobby’s wife Ann points a gun at J.R., he purrs “Bullets don’t seem to have an effect on me, darlin’.”) Plus, it’s fun to see little John Ross and Christopher all grown up, engaged in their own power struggle.
For those who never watched the original series, the dynamic trio of J.R., Bobby, and Sue Ellen, as well as the love triangle between John Ross, Christopher, and Elena (Jordana Brewster) will hook them quickly. Throw in a wife for Christopher (Rebecca, portrayed by Julie Gonzalo) and a bid for Southfork by Cliff Barnes, and you have a version of Dallas that’s sure to please.
Tune in to TNT tonight from 9-11 p.m. to watch the premiere of Dallas.
Editor’s Note:
To read an article with two of the cast members, click here.
‘Dallas’ Stars Excited for New Series
‘Dallas’ Stars Excited for New Series
By Jason Harris
Dallas stars Jordana Brewster and Julie Gonzalo. Photo by Jason Harris.
Dallas is set to return to television Wednesday night for a new generation to learn about the Ewing clan.
Jordana Brewster (The Fast and the Furious) and Julie Gonzalo (television series Veronica Mars), two of the stars of the new series, recently came to Boston to promote the show.
Gonzalo said they were excited about the new series and shooting at Southfork.
“I don’t think it has set in that it’s such a big deal until now when the shows about to roll out,” Gonzalo said.
The original Dallas debuted in 1978 as a five-part mini-series and ran for fourteen seasons until 1991 on CBS.
Brewster and Gonzalo didn’t watch the original series until they got the job in the new one, they said. They have watched three seasons so far.
“We weren’t born when it came out,” Gonzalo said about the original Dallas.
They weren’t born until the third and fourth seasons came out. Brewster was born in 1980 and Gonzalo in 1981. Another obstacle to watching the show was the fact that they weren’t living in the United States.
“I grew up in a different country until 1990,” Gonzalo said.
Gonzalo and Brewster were living in Argentina and Brazil respectively.
The “beauty of the show” is the fact that you can see where these characters are 30 years later, which “no other show has ever done,” Gonzalo said.
The new show gives people a chance to see how the Ewings’ children turned out, Brewster said.
“Cynthia [Cidre] wrote an amazing script with great, well-crafted characters and many, many twists and turns so it was heavily plotted … ,” Brewster said.
Audiences will see for themselves tomorrow night at 9 p.m. on TNT. The first season has ten episodes. The pilot was shot in April 2011 while the rest of the season was shot between last October and this past February, Brewster said.
The shows’ stars are contracted for six seasons, which is standard for a television contract, Brewster said.
Gonzalo said it’s up to the audience and how it is received if the show continues past the first season. She said that after the season wrapped Patrick Duffy kept saying ‘only 13 more to go.’
Brewster said Duffy has “the Midas touch” when it comes to working on television.
Gonzalo thinks in Duffy’s entire television career he has only been unemployed for two months, one month between The Man from Atlantis and Dallas and another month between Dallas and Step by Step.
When asked about Duffy, Larry Hagman, and Linda Gray, the original stars of Dallas, Gonzalo said Duffy is like their dad, Gray like their mom, and Hagman is like a “funny uncle.”
Hagman, who “has had such a colorful life,” had the best and greatest stories, she said.
“We had a sense of family the minute we all met,” Gonzalo said.
Dallas starts Wednesday night with a two-hour episode airing on TNT at 9 p.m.
Editor’s note:
To read Stacey Longo’s review of the new series, click here.
Jason Harris Promotions 