interview

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Reel Talker Podcast: Special Guest Deon Taylor

This is Traffik week here at Reel Talker. The superb thriller hits theaters on 4/20 and it’s one of those must-see movies. I had a chance to interview the writer and director of it, Deon Taylor. If you checked out the interview, you already know that Deon had so much good stuff to share that it was only fitting that he’d come back to do a podcast with me. Luckily enough Deon was gracious enough to give his time.

In this interview, we touch on all sort of stuff, including the film and we even make some NBA Playoff predictions. Make sure to check out the interview with Deon, it’s a lot of fun, and go see Traffik in theaters!

 

 

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Super Troopers 2 Chicago Red Carpet Premiere

Super Troopers 2 is out on 4/20 in theaters nationwide. Prior to the nationwide release, the cast of Super Troopers rolled through Chicago for the premiere of the film. Reel Talker Jim Alexander was there to cover the red carpet festivities.

Here is the full version with me asking silly questions. Please bear (no pun intended) through the audio. It was chaotic in the claustrophobic red carpet.

 

 

‘SUPER TROOPERS 2’ is out now in theaters everywhere

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Interview: Filmmaker Fritz Böhm

The Brothers Grimm would be proud of Fritz Böhm’s Wildling. The fantasy horror film is out now in select theaters in NYC & LA, VOD and Digital HD. I had an opportunity to speak to Fritz about the movie and some of his favorite fantasy films, we also even get to the topic of raking leaves. Listen in to what Fritz has to say.

REAL TALK:

Fritz was a lot of fun to talk to. I expected a semi-heavy German accent, what I heard from him was a better English than mine. Hard to believe Wildling is only his third movie. The creativity and visuals and storytelling are that of a veteran filmmaker.

It was interesting to hear his inspirations for this film and how he valued E.T. as a movie that took the fantasy genre to another level. The mention of how he utilized the creature and went against the stereotypes of the genre.

Fritz seemed to be a huge proponent of Bel Powley. She’s an interesting actress in the way she seems to be quirky on-screen and off. Kinda like Aubrey Plaza. She’s good in the role she plays in this film.

My favorite part of the interview was talking to him about his hobbies outside of the biz. In what might be one of the best answers I’ve ever heard to this question, Fritz said it was doing the simple things such as raking leaves! Now that’s a chore nobody wants to do. Props to him on that. Now if that isn’t a down-to-earth kinda guy, I don’t know who would be.

Wildling is a very imaginative film. Films of this kind are usually kid movies, but this one isn’t. It’s worth a look, even for the sake of its uniqueness.

‘WILDLING’ is out now in select theaters in NYC & LA, VOD and Digital HD

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Interview: Filmmaker Jesper Ganslandt

Beast of Burden is a tension filled crime thriller starring Daniel Radcliffe. The film releases on Blu-ray and DVD on April 3, 2018. Prior to the release I had a chance to speak to the director of the film Jesper Ganslandt. Jesper discusses the making of the film and Radcliffe’s performance among other topics. Listen to the audio of the interview below:

REAL TALK:

I brought up Locke and Phone Booth as movies that seemed comparable to Beast of Burden. It was interesting to hear the comparison and analysis Jesper made about Locke and how he wanted to make his film more aggressive the way he shot it.

Jesper mentioned the incorporation of the European style of filmmaking that he comes from and incorporating it with the American one. My comment on how the film felt like two films split in half, with the first half being a lot more calm and subdued and the second half having a lot more action. American films tend to focus on the quick action and goes by the wayside of slower pace. The blend of styles really works for this film.

Jesper followed that up by commenting on the movie Buried, which he felt that looked over some of the details and didn’t slow down enough. I completely agree with that statement. Buried would have worked even better had it been more detailed and didn’t try to jump to the next twist.

Daniel Radcliffe is one of the most versatile actors out there. This is the second director now, first one being Greg McLean, who spoke glowingly of Daniel’s work. It’s safe to say that all the Harry Potter stuff is behind him at this point. Radcliffe went from a popular child actor to a really great all-around actor.

My favorite question to ask filmmakers and actors is what they do in their free time and the passions they enjoy. I really liked Jesper’s answer, so simple, yet so meaningful. It was his family. His children are his passion and that’s what he invests his time into outside of his work. That’s great.

Beast of Burden is a really slick and intriguing film and Radcliffe is indeed terrific in it.

BEAST OF BURDEN is out on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital on April 3, 2018

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Interview: Filmmaker Susan Walter

Writer and director an all-around filmmaker Susan Walter has had a long career in the entertainment industry, but she finally has a chance to develop her film. She wrote and directed the upcoming film All I Wish, starring the illustrious Sharon Stone. I had the privilege to speak to Susan about the film and a lot more.

REAL TALK:

I really enjoyed speaking to Susan. She was very engaging and present. My favorite part about talking to someone about a project is actually getting to talk to them and bouncing theories and ideas, and that’s what Susan and I were able to do during out conversation.

It was great to hear her share the story of the woman who came up to her after a screening to tell her how much she related to the movie and how she felt she could date at an older age also. I felt comfortable speaking to Susan, she’s one of those uniquely open and relatable individuals.

I really took away some valuable insight and perspective from the movie. I talked to Susan about my personal dating life and how the movie gave me a perspective on it.

It’s great to hear that Susan’s long road in the business finally came to a stop she had been working to achieve. I sure hope she writes and directs many more films. If they are as good as this one, she’s gonna be a household name real fast.

(Apologies for the static noises, was unable to edit them out)

ALL I WISH releases in theaters, VOD and Digital HD on March 30, 2018

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Interview: Director Max Winkler

You probably have heard the last name Winkler before. It was probably Harry Winkler that you’re familiar with, however, a new Winkler has been making waves and that’s Harry’s son, Max. With numerous TV directorial credits, his latest feature film Flower is a fantastic dramatic comedy starring Zoey Deutch. It’s a film that depicts a complex family dynamic seen through the eyes of a rebellious teen girl, played by Deutch. I recently spoke to Max about the film and what prompted him to want to do it.

REAL TALK:

I found it interesting to hear Max compare Erica’s (Deutch) character being based to the ones in Rebel Without a Cause. He also talks about growing up with John Hughes movies and being inspired by them, which is evident in this film. It was surprising to hear that they almost didn’t do the movie due to the difficulty finding an actress to play Erica. Even though Zoey Deutch is a perfect fit, it would have been a shame if this movie hadn’t been made. It was worth nothing also how Max describes the movie being the opposite of a coming of age movie, as to how the characters end up at the end.

Sometimes you get a rare moment of reliability when you speak to someone. I was ecstatic to hear Max talk about going on his food blackouts in Chicago and listing some of the places he’s tried. The first one he mentions is Johnny’s Beef. Not let me tell you about Johnny’s Beef! It’s a local joint in Arlington Heights, IL (there is one more location) that has the best Italian Beef in town, but most definitely the greatest Italian ice you will ever find. I have been pitching this place for years. Have a great success record of converting people to love this place, so you can hear how thrilled I was to hear Max try it. Awesome.

Unfortunately Max was limited on time. I’d like have talked to him more and at least hear his thoughts on the food places in depth. Like a Max and Jim Chicago food review. That be a fun chat.

FLOWER releases is out now and releases in Chicago on March 23

CHICAGO, YOU CAN SEE MAX AND ZOEY IN-PERSON WITH THE FOLLOWING Q&A SCREENINGS:

Date
3/23/2018		 City
Chicago		 Theater
Landmark Century		 Talent
Zoey Deutch, Max Winkler		 Moderator
Joe Swanberg		 Start time
7:35 PM		 Q&A time
9:00 PM
3/23/2018 Chicago Cinemark Evanston 18 Zoey Deutch, Max Winkler Moderator
TBD		 10:15 PM 11:45 PM
3/24/2018 Chicago Landmark Century Zoey Deutch, Max Winkler Moderator
TBD		 5:00 PM 6:40 PM
3/24/2018 Chicago AMC River East Zoey Deutch, Max Winkler Moderator
TBD		 7:00 PM 8:30 PM
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Interview: Actor Logan Lerman

Logan Lerman is one of the finest actors in the industry that many still don’t know about. Most probably know him best from the Percy Jackson films, but he’s had numerous quality films and roles since Percy Jackson. It seems that everything Lerman is featured with is a home run. The latest gem Lerman stars in is The Vanishing of Sidney Hall. I spoke to Logan about the film and what he looks for in a role, he also shares his favorite movies of 2017 and much more. Listen to the audio below:

REAL TALK:

This was the second time I had a chance to speak to Logan. The first time was in Chicago when he was joined by Sarah Gadon during their press junked for Indignation. I found Logan to be one of the more enjoyable people to talk to. He’s quirky, soft spoken, but not quiet. He’s also very humble and low key. It’s as if he doesn’t realize how good of an actor he is. There is this charming shyness about him also. What I particularly enjoyed about him when I spoke to him both times is how forthcoming he is and how he likes to engage the person he’s speaking to. It’s not just Q&A, but he turns it into a conversation, which I greatly appreciate.

So many interesting points Logan shared. I found it very interesting about his decision to take on a role and the factors that go into it. He stressed physical appearance as one of the big ones when he decided if he’s suitable for a role. That’s an interesting point, because it seems he envisions the look of the character and if he’s fitting for it. He’s an actor that’s done a variety of very different roles. I found his role in Sidney Hall to be difficult and so did his director Shawn Christensen, due to him having to play a single character through three different stages in life.

The fun part was when he shared his favorite films of 2017 and really championed about the non-Oscar nominated films that he enjoyed, such as The Florida Project and The Beguiled. Both fine films. I appreciated how in depth he went and how passionate he sounded. Seems to me that Logan is a person that walks to the beat of his drum, which personally I respect a whole lot.

Once again he’s tremendous in his role and credit to him for picking interesting films such as The Vanishing of Sidney Hall. My interaction with Logan has been great. He’s always polite and just a normal relatable guy. You don’t sense any star attitude about him at all. At only 26 he has the world ahead of him and has a real chance to be mentioned among the greats if he continues doing what he’s done.

THE VANISHING OF SIDNEY HALL is out now on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital