Enjoy if you have a day off, if not, know that no bills will be awaiting you in your mailbox for at least one day!
Monday, October 8, 2012
Happy Columbus Day!
Enjoy if you have a day off, if not, know that no bills will be awaiting you in your mailbox for at least one day!
Sunday, October 7, 2012
VIDEO: Kathryn Erbe on the set of SVU
Published on Oct 7, 2012 by BillieJean0902
Kathryn Erbe does another take of her scene with Mariska Hartigay, Danny Pino, Kelli Giddish, Ice-T and Dann Florek, but first she sends us a smile from the corner of 11th Street and 36th Avenue in Long Island City. What a sweetheart!
THANX, BLANCA!
'Woodstock Film Festival symbolizes town's film growth'
The Woodstock Film Festival has received assistance from many Hollywood players; actor Vincent D'Onofrio, center, who lives part-time in Kingston, is a member of the festival's advisory board. He and actor Ellen Barkin, left, pose recently with festival Executive Director Meira Blaustein.Anthony Puopolo
Woodstock has been many things: an artistic commune; a musical inspiration; a temple for chamber music; a visual feast. The name has been defined, dissected and debated. It's been through various eras, from Byrdcliffe to Maverick to the Cafe Espresso.
Welcome to the newest era in Woodstock: The Era of Cinema Paradiso.
The 13th Woodstock Film Festival opens Wednesday. With it comes about 130 films, 13 world premieres, panels, concerts and parties. The annual event has blossomed from a homespun, intimate gathering to a global phenomenon. You can count on the festival every fall. And now, in its 13th year, it has secured its role as linchpin for a new cultural movement in Woodstock.
IF YOU GO
What: Woodstock Film Festival
When: Oct. 10-14
Where: Woodstock, Kingston, Rhinebeck, Rosendale, Saugerties, Newburgh
Price: Varies; most screenings $10
Call: 679-4265
Visit: woodstockfilmfestival.com
Consider the progression. A filmmaker enters his production into the Woodstock Film Festival. It's accepted. The filmmaker visits Woodstock for the festival, lodging in a mountainside house, traversing the winding streets of the breezy Hudson Valley autumn. He falls in love. A few months later, and the filmmaker is calling the Hudson Valley Film Commission because he wants to shoot his next film here. The relationship furthers.
"Part of the growth of the film production industry in the Hudson Valley," says festival Executive Director Meira Blaustein, "is that the festival brings in people who come for the first time. It's a very important process."This is the pass-it-on philosophy that has bubbled underneath the creative Woodstock world; it's the mantra carried by local legends like Pete Seeger and the late Levon Helm.
It might be why the festival this year is honoring Jonathan Demme. It's easy to see why Demme is receiving this year's Honorary Maverick Award.
He directed "Philadelphia," "The Silence of the Lambs" and "Stop Making Sense," the iconic Talking Heads concert documentary that had film lovers shaking in a dance party at the first Woodstock Film Festival.
But this is Woodstock. Accolades are nothing if they're not backed by spirit.
"He's just a really nice guy," says Blaustein. "He's very giving to filmmakers. Young filmmakers will get a lot out of meeting him because he's a very generous filmmaker."
That's the bottom line. If you're at Woodstock, you're giving back, you're contributing and you're progressing the conversation. In your own way, you're continuing the Era of Cinema Paradiso.
"Going forward there's a lot to look forward to," says Blaustein.
"Not just us, for the film festival, but for the community at large."
The process seems to reap greater rewards each year. Now there's the Kerhonskon-based BCDF Pictures, which has produced "Why Stop Now," "Bachelorette" and "Liberal Arts" just in the last year. BCDF will contribute its newest film, "Rhymes With Banana," to the film festival.
"We arrived at the right moment right in the Valley," says Claude Dal Farra, principal of BCDF Pictures. "We transformed a big farm into a little studio, and we're connecting people in the region."
That begins early, too. The film festival started working years ago with Onteora High School, creating a career day during the festival that brings filmmakers and industry professionals to the school to chat with students.
This year the festival has carved out a Friday morning screening of "Once in a Lullaby," a film about New York City's talented P.S. 22 Chorus, for school-group viewing.
And the Teen Shorts series returns with films by students from, among other places, Florida, California and Woodstock.
Young filmmakers attending the festival will get to network with filmmakers and other professionals.
This is the pass-it-on philosophy that has bubbled underneath the creative Woodstock world; it's the mantra carried by local legends like Pete Seeger and the late Levon Helm.
It might be why the festival this year is honoring Jonathan Demme. It's easy to see why Demme is receiving this year's Honorary Maverick Award.
He directed "Philadelphia," "The Silence of the Lambs" and "Stop Making Sense," the iconic Talking Heads concert documentary that had film lovers shaking in a dance party at the first Woodstock Film Festival.
But this is Woodstock. Accolades are nothing if they're not backed by spirit.
"He's just a really nice guy," says Blaustein. "He's very giving to filmmakers. Young filmmakers will get a lot out of meeting him because he's a very generous filmmaker."
That's the bottom line. If you're at Woodstock, you're giving back, you're contributing and you're progressing the conversation. In your own way, you're continuing the Era of Cinema Paradiso.
"Going forward there's a lot to look forward to," says Blaustein.
"Not just us, for the film festival, but for the community at large."
Saturday, October 6, 2012
Thursday, October 4, 2012
'Exclusive: Vincent D'Onofrio Talks Chained, Sinister and More'
DREAD CENTRAL
Ever since his stunning turn as tortured Private "Pyle" in Full Metal Jacket put him on the proverbial map back in 1987, actor Vincent D'Onofrio has managed to continuously turned in a string of memorable performances over the last 25 years.
Whether it's his comedic turns in flicks like Ed Wood, Adventures in Babysitting and Men in Black, or some of his far more serious roles in JFK, Strange Days, The Cell, The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys, Thumbsucker and the aforementioned Full Metal Jacket- Vincent D'Onofrio always delivers with a rare tenacity and fearlessness leaving him one of the most incomparable and unforgettable actors of his generation.
Recently, Dread Central had the opportunity to speak with D'Onofrio about his latest project, Jennifer Lynch's Chained which follows his character Bob, a reclusive serial killer who imprisons a young boy after murdering his mother after a cab ride gone wrong, exploring the themes of nature versus nurture and whether or not human beings are inherently evil.
Check out the highlights from our exclusive interview with the acclaimed actor and hear more from D'Onofrio about his experiences working on Chained, his brief role in the upcoming thriller Sinisterand what appeals to him as a character actor.
Chained is currently out on DVD and Blu-Ray everywhere courtesy of Anchor Bay Films.
Dread Central: Can you discuss what appealed to you about Chained when you were first considering taking on the role of Bob?
Vincent D'Onofrio: The initial appeal was Jennifer- all Jennifer. We had wanted to work together on Boxing Helena but for some reason that I can't even remember now, it didn't work out. So then a friend of mine told me about this script and that I should read it; I loved it and the character but wasn't even sure if Jennifer even wanted me for the role at that point but of course, it worked out in the end.
Dread Central: There's no doubt that your character is a bad guy; but yet, you almost feel sorry for him at moments throughout the movie during certain moments. How did you find the humanity within such a malicious character like this one?
Vincent D'Onofrio: I wanted to find out two things when it came to Bob- how I should approach this role and how did I feel about him as a character, not as a person? As a person, I don't really care what his excuse was because he is a monster- there's no doubt in my mind about that. But as an actor, you can't really think that way; you can't judge your character. In his world, there are justified reasons to kill people or keep a young boy chained up in the house so my approach was to first and foremost find the humanity in him.
This story in Chained lends itself a lot to the behavior of these characters so that gave me so much material to draw from and work with. I had to find Bob's moral compass which seems strange when you're talking about a killer but in this world, even a guy like him has his own set of rules that he lives by.
Dread Central: How was it collaborating with your younger co-star Eamon (Farren) onChained? You guys had such great chemistry- did you stick mostly to the script or did Jennifer let you two improvise at all?
Vincent D'Onofrio: We did improvise just a little on this but for the most part, we stuck to the script. It was fantastic so we didn't really need to do much with it at all. But Eamon is such a great actor; you know, sometimes you meet an actor for the first time on location and sometimes you hit it off, sometimes you don’t. But with Eamon and me, it happened immediately; for such a young actor he has this really fantastic concentration to him that made working with him such a pleasure. I could tell after the first day’s work that he was a very committed actor and I think the two of us got along so well because we recognized each other's commitment to these roles.
Dread Central: I wanted to ask because I think you have such an interesting career and I've always enjoyed the unique characters we've seen you portray over the years- what is that you look for when you're considering a project? What keeps your attention?
Vincent D'Onofrio: You know, I just spent the last ten years in the world of television so I kind of feel like I'm starting over again in movies; to be back is really great but the business has really changed so much in that time and even the kinds of films that are being made now are just so different.
What I'm always looking for are great characters; I'm a character actor and I've embraced that. I don't want to take on roles where there's nothing for a character to do- even if it is a really small role, there still has to be some kind of interesting aspect to it for me to want to take it on. But I've always loved fascinating characters- no matter how flawed- so hopefully I'll continue to take on more great characters in the future.
Dread Central: Speaking of minor roles, you recently popped up in Sinister; how was it working on that project?
Vincent D'Onofrio: Oh, that was a really fun thing I did for Ethan! We're really great friends and we share jobs with each other all the time with each other. He called me up and told me about this great horror movie he was involved in and asked if I'd come down for a half-day and do some shooting on a laptop. It was really easy but a lot of fun; I haven't seen the movie yet but I've heard great things about it so far.
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Wednesday, October 3, 2012
''Chained' Star Vincent D' Onofrio Talks Lynch, Kubrick And Playing Thor'
STAR PULSE
When it comes to quality and attention to detail in performance nobody comes to mind quicker then Vincent D’ Onofrio. Having crafted long lasting memorable character work for well over two decades including his arresting debut as Private Leonard 'Gomer Pyle' Lawrence in Stanley Kubrick’s "Full Metal Jacket" and playing an alien with sass in Barry Sonnenfeld’s "Men in Black," D’ Onofrio is showing no signs of stopping. His latest film is no different – a harrowing character study of a demented serial killer who chains one of his male victims and makes him a life long slave entitled "Chained." (On DVD/Blu-ray Oct. 2 from Anchor Bay Home Entertainment) The film is directed by "Surveillance" (a must see!) maestro and daughter of David Jennifer Lynch and is a film that certainly isn’t for the faint of heart. We got the amazing opportunity to chat one-on-one with the iconic D’ Onofrio not only about working with the skilled Lynch on "Chained," but also for a very long (sorry Vincent!) and detailed career interview that includes some of my personal favorites moments - from playing Thor in "Adventures in Babysitting" to his turn as Pooh-Bear in "The Salton Sea." All bow as a master thespian is in the house – welcome the legendary...
Having already played a seriously memorable serial killer in Tarsem Singh’s "The Cell" what made you want to take on the role of Bob in "Chained?"
Vincent D’ Onofrio: You’re right - it is a question. To play these types of characters and why I would do it. I guess the reason is that my first reaction is always not to do it and then you read a script and some are a repeat of what you’ve done already and others aren’t. So when Jennifer sent me this I definitely had never played a part like this or helped to tell a story like this before. That’s why and that makes the decision for you because of this challenge of how you get away with it, what you can bring to the character, what is that guy like - it convinces you to do it.
There’s some sinister stuff that happens to and around the titular chained child Rabbit – what were those scenes like to shoot?
VD: Really good – Jennifer is an amazing director. She’s very hands on and right there with you the whole time. And Eamon (Farren) is a great actor. He’s young and doesn't have a lot of experience, but you would never know it. He’s totally committed and totally there hitting the ball back like a tennis match. The whole art direction, the props, the whole crew was so involved – everyone was connected to it.
You’re very much known as a man who delves into all the details of the characters he plays, so I was curious did you have any input in terms of the look of the house Bob lived in?
VD: Only the bedroom – I had a couple of things about the bedroom and that was it. It was not just me either, Jennifer planned the whole house out and when I arrived it was already being built and was perfect. Then her and I took a walk into the bedroom and talked about the bedroom scenes and how things should be arranged, but nothing big. I didn't alter the set in any way - that’s all Jennifer.
You seemed to have developed a good working relationship with Jennifer Lynch – what about her as a director has been most engaging to you?
VD: She’s just a pleasure to be with and work with. There are a lot of good directors out there and they all have a different way of doing things and I liked her way of doing things. It’s not difficult to bring a character in, not difficult to execute the character in front of her, it’s just a pleasure. She has all the good ideas ring out on the set and whichever one rings the truest is the one we use. It’s an open atmosphere and I like that.
Past Work – "Full Metal Jacket" was a real emotional rollercoaster for your character. What was it like to work on that role and with the legendary Stanley Kubrick so early in your career?
VD: Yeah, it was my first feature. Basically all I can really remember is not wanting to get fired. Because there were people being fired and so I just wanted to do it right. I was still studying method acting at the time, so I was in touch with my teacher about it when I was in England. I would talk to her occasionally about what I was doing and she would just confirm things - that I was on the right track and stuff. It was basically for me just about hanging in there and not getting fired by one of the best directors that we’ve ever had or will ever have, one of the best. It was scary because of that and I hoped that if I just stuck with what I thought I knew best I would be okay...and it turned out alright.
You appeared twice on the New York based TV show "The Equalizer" in two very different roles – what are your memories of working on that show with the late great Edward Woodward?
VD: He was really sweet and I knew his son, not well but a little bit too. Edward was just awesome and really great and I think it’s because of him that I did that show a second time - he was very helpful. I was a full on young method actor at the time and I just finished "Full Metal Jacket" and that hadn’t come out yet and I still had the weight on. I didn’t want to do any films until I took the weight off, so it was during that period when I was losing the weight when I did those two shows. One was when I still had the weight on and one was when I had most of it off and right after that I started doing films again. "The Equalizer" helped me pay my rent and kept my ability to play characters vibrant and ready for when I took all the weight off and felt confident to start doing other parts in films. But it was a really good experience to be on those shows and work with Edward because I think of my show and the ten years I had and how long he did his show. I think of the young actors, and there are a lot of them, that are in movies now that came onto my show and did their characters. We gave them time and allowed them to do these characters unlike themselves. It just made me remember what Edward was like for me as this young actor coming in who was doing this full out character, something they probably weren’t used to doing on TV at the time. How patient he was and how lovely he was as a peer with such a positive attitude.
I loved that you played Dawson aka Thor in "Adventures in Babysitting." Was it cool playing an early version of the comic book character?
VD: Yeah, it was really cool. It’s still one of the only films my kids, the young ones, can see that I’ve done. The others ones are just too either violent or weird for them to watch at a young age. Of course, my twenty year-old daughter she can see anything, but my twelve year-old I still won't let him see certain things that I’ve done. And I have a four year-old, so that’s the only ones that the little ones can see – but it was great.
I somewhat remember hearing a story about your audition for Mystic Pizza from the casting director Jane Jenkins...
VD: What did I do?
Something about how you had bowled her over, had made some interesting choices, something about getting down on one knee...?
VD: I have no idea what I did – I would love to know!
You created one of the most memorable aliens ever in "Men In Black" – how much of that was on the page and how much did you bring to the part?
VD: None of the postures and voice and look was on the page. The look was created by Rick Baker and we sat for hours and hours and hours and he would paint and re-paint and mold and re-mold. And his guys would sculpt and re-sculpt – I was involved in that whole process with Rick at his shop in Los Angeles for the look of the character. Then the posture, the way the character moved and the voices they really didn't know what I was going to do until I showed up. I think everybody was a bit nervous about what I was doing until they saw it in the dailies. But the great thing about Barry Sonnenfeld as a director is he gives his actors complete freedom and doesn’t get in the way of them. So although I think I made him a little nervous, I think in the end he was extremely happy with it. None of that was on the page – I had to be brave enough to bring it all in on my own.
You also played the iconic Orson Welles in Tim Burton’s "Ed Wood" – as an actor with a keen eye for attention to detail what kind of preparation did you do for that role?
VD: I didn't do enough. I think I didn't have enough time to do it and I was doing another part while I was doing that. So I made a short called "Five Minutes, Mr. Welles" and I’m happier with that version of Orson Welles then the one in Tim Burton’s film. Although Tim put a Welles voice in there and made my performance even better then I actually executed it, so I thanked him for that. But I’ve never been happy with my performance in that film and I made myself feel better about the whole Orson Welles trip by making a short on my own just to see that I could actually execute it correctly. To prove it to myself – and I did.
Can you talk about working with the previously mentioned Tarsem Singh on "The Cell" and some of the inspirations behinblackd that serial killer?
VD: There was a lot of talk we had about Carl Stargher. Tarsem and I talked about the characters evolution and all these self-images of him in his own head and we made sense of it all in our heads so that we could be committed to it. Whether it comes across in the film is another story, but so that we could be committed and know what direction we were going in we worked it out in our heads. So I was involved in all that stuff with Tarsem and he’s such an amazing artist. He steals a little from this, he steals a little from that and then creates his own thing. He’s so amazing that way, so what you see in the film as far as my character is a mix of both Tarsem and my visions of why the character would look a certain way and behave a certain way.
"The Salton Sea" - I have to know what inspired your crazed performance as Pooh-Bear?
VD: Just, you know, my head trying to think of things that could make the character more interesting. D.J. Caruso directed it, who is another one of those directors that allows his actors a lot of freedom. I talked to him beforehand and I told him my ideas and he loved them and he let me bring them in and do it. Again, I didn't know it was going to work - you never know. I guess I say this for younger actors out there, you have to be brave and you have to be ready to fail and that’s the only way you can be unqiue. So when a director is confident enough in what they’re doing and they allow their actors to be brave and bring in stuff the more likely it’s going to work out okay.
I think it took people by surprise that you decided to do a TV series like "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" bringing a great character to life so frequently. Was is at all difficult for you being an actor who is all about original work and characters to do a series with detailed work week after week?
VD: Yeah, but I think things are going to change in television. I think with cable and everybody doing a lot less episodes then what we had to do, eventually network television is gonna have to get on board with everybody else. Right now they’re still doing twenty-two, twenty-three episodes a season. That would be the only thing negative about that show because working Dick Wolf was awesome. Dick and Rene Balcer, the original showrunner on that show, the two of them gave me a lot of freedom to create this character and bring it in. All of that was completely positive and we made the show what it was in those first four years and then it kind of rode this wave of what we made it after that until it petered out. So the pro was Dick Wolf and working for him and the negative was the amount of episodes they expect you to do when you’re doing that kind of work is I think absurd. I know that there are actors that are doing television now that are asking for less episodes and that’s why you see a lot of the best actors on cable. It’s just too brutal to schedule – especially if you’re a family man or family woman. If you’re family is as important to you as your career, there’s no way you can do that many episodes a season. But having said that television is so great – it hones your chops as an actor. I’m so much better an actor because of that show then I was before it.
And finally what’s next that D’ Onofrio fans like myself can look forward to?
VD: A lot of the things I have coming up are gonna be pretty cool. "The Tomb" and "Fire With Fire" and of course "Chained." And I did this movie "The Necessary Death of Charlie Countryman" with Shia LaBeouf and I really think that’s gonna be good. I had a really good time with him, he’s an awesome and really dedicated actor and I think it’s gonna be a really good movie. I think they’re all pretty interesting – you never know.
PHOTOS: Vincent D'Onofrio performs at Tales Beyond The Pale' Live Radio Play...
Blanca took these photos of Vincent during the Tales Beyond The Pale Live Play 'Like Father, Like Son' and 'Ram King'...
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THANX,BLANCA!
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THANX,BLANCA!
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Vincent D'Onofrio rehearsing for tonight's performance of 'Like Father, Like Son'
CLAY MCLEOD CHAPMAN
We've been in the bowels of Dixon Place for the last couple days, gearing up for tonight's premiere pairing of Joe Maggio's "Ram King" and my very own "Like Father, Like Son" for Glass Eye Pix's radio play series Tales from Beyond the Pale. It's been a blast putting these shows together with Glenn McQuaid (I Sell the Dead) and Larry Fessenden (The Last Winter). And hell... It's not every day you get to hang out with the likes of Vincent D'Onofrio, hearing him rock your script out.
Beyond tonight's performance, there will be three more nights of radio plays for your listening pleasure by Jeff Buhler, Ashley Thorpe, Simon Barrett, Kim Newman, McQuaid, and Fessenden himself all throughout the month of October. And then...? Well, fingers crossed, the recordings of our plays will make up the second season of Tales ready for listening at your own home!
Hope to see you tonight... 9:30 at Dixon Place!
For more info on Like Father, Like Son, click here: http://bit.ly/W8darI
'Actor Vincent D'Onofrio steps into, out of neuroses for 'Chained''
If for no other reason, actor Vincent D'Onofrio agreed to play the antagonist in “Chained” for the opportunity to work with writer/director Jennifer Chambers Lynch.
“Jennifer is a very hands-on director,” D'Onofrio said during a recent interview with Examiner.com. “She is really good at being very close to the set and being very involved in every aspect. There is always a really good vibe on her set. Everything is kept very positive. And everything is kept moving forward. There definitely are not any moments where things are just standing still.”
In “Chained,” which will be available beginning tomorrow on Blu-ray and DVD at rental stores and rental outlets throughout the Valley, Evan Bird plays a boy who is kidnapped, along with his mother (Julia Ormond), by a psychopathic cab driver (Vincent D'Onofrio). His mother is murdered but he is kept as said psychopath's unwilling protégée. Year's later, the now-teenaged boy (Eamon Farren) is pressed to start his own homicidal spree.
Video: Chained (Trailer)
“My character is stuck in some kind of neuroses,” D'Onofrio said. “He is delusional. He is psychotic. He is a narcissist. He has no empathy for other human beings. There is definitely some kind of kink in his way of gratifying himself sexually. It is a long laundry list full of issues that this guy has and he is surviving the only way he can – which is, unfortunately, horrific for everybody else.”
Fortunately for D'Onofrio, he is skilled enough as an actor to not only step into character quite easily but also step out of it – which seems to be an essential component for maintaining one's sanity when faced with a character like the one he portrays in “Chained.” D'Onofrio noted that such smooth transitions were not always the case for him, though.
“When I was younger, I used to carry my characters around with me 24/7,” D'Onofrio explained. “At my age and with the experience that I have had, I can move in and out of character whenever I feel like it and that makes my life much easier and makes my job more fun. I leave my characters at work. I have three kids and a lovely wife so when I am home, I am home.”
Having said that, D'Onofrio appreciated the opportunity to create and play a full-on character – especially seeing as he had not done so during the 10 years he starred on NBC's “Law & Order: Criminal Intent.” He learned from his experience working on “Chained” that he is still capable of trying to execute such an eccentric character and feeling satisfied doing so.
“It is all method acting,” explained D'Onofrio, who also spoke with Examiner.com last year to promote and discuss his role in the crime drama “Kill the Irishman.” “It is what I was trained to do and still train to do. It is all about getting in the zone and being committed to what you are doing.”
Monday, October 1, 2012
'Shock Interview: Chained Director & Star Jennifer Lynch, Vincent D'Onofrio'
SHOCK TILL YOU DROP
Shock Till You Drop recently spoke with Chained director Jennifer Chambers Lynch and the film’s star, Vincent D’Onofrio.
October 01, 2012
Shock Till You Drop recently spoke with Chained director Jennifer Chambers Lynch and the film’s star, Vincent D’Onofrio.
The pair gave us their thoughts on making a character driven horror film, moving away from the "torture porn" style that the film was originally written in, and Lynch fills us in on her upcoming documentary (about the making of Hisss) Despite the Gods.
Chained hits DVD and Blu-ray on Tuesday, October 2nd and tells the story of Bob (D’Onofrio), a cab-driving serial killer who stalks his prey on the city streets alongside his reluctant protégé Tim, who must make a life or death choice between following in Bob's footsteps or breaking free from his captor.
Jennifer Lynch
Shock Till You Drop: Where did the original idea for Chained come from?
Jennifer Lynch: The original idea is from a screenplay written by a gentleman named Damian O’Donnell. His screenplay was optioned by the two producers, Lee Nelson and David Buelow. They sent it to me and I read it. I was riveted, but I was a bit stunned that they had sent it to me. It was written in the style of torture porn. I say that not out of disrespect for Damian, but because of what I am willing to do. Many people are good at making ‘torture porn’ films, but that’s not something that I’m interested in doing. So, one of the first questions I had for the producers was why they thought of me for this? They told me that I am known for doing thrillers with violent undertones and they wanted to see what I would do with the script. I took a pass at the script and removed what I thought to be too much gratuitous violence and took the approach of dealing with the characters and getting in to how the human monster is made. I wanted to get in to how much more terrifying that can be. I’m more terrified when the killer is similar to me. It scares me when I can feel what they have been through, and yet, they are still a monster. That’s what I worked on in my rewrite. It still maintained the same basic ideas as Damian’s script. I kept a tremendous amount of the same nuances but made the film a lot more about the two primary characters.
Shock: So, in your treatment, you took the focus off of the gratuitous violence and moved toward a more character driven film?
Lynch: Yeah. I also made it less about killing. Many people die, but the treatment that I did focused less on the actual killing and more on the ramifications.
Shock: This seems like a role that Vincent D’Onofrio was born to play. Was the original script written with him in mind?
Lynch: It wasn’t written with Vincent in mind. Once I had done my rewrite, though, I said “You know who could knock this out of the fuckin’ park?” Bless his heart. We sent him the script and he called me less than a day later. I think he and I are of the same school of thought, in that, if something scares us in the right way, we realize that we have something to learn by doing it. That’s what this project was for me and I think that is what playing Bob was for Vincent. He goes above and beyond the call of duty in this. It’s a perfect performance.
 Shock: This time around, did you have creative control to make Chained the film you wanted it to be?
Lynch: I had a lot of control. I will say that, absolutely. I still want to do a director’s cut. Because the film was presold, both domestically, and internationally, I had not just producer’s notes, but distributors’ notes in my cut, as well. I wanted to call the film something else. I also had a few scenes that I wanted in the film that aren’t. Hopefully those scenes will be in the director’s cut. I had a tremendous amount of control, given the situation. I am grateful that I was able to tell the story, as it is. I feel very good about this cut, even though it doesn’t include certain things. I think it’s a very brave interpretation of the film I set out to make and of compromise in all the right ways.
Shock: What did you want the title to be, if not Chained?
Lynch: I wanted to call it Rabbit. I actually shot the film calling it Rabbit. People kept telling me that they didn’t know how to sell a film called Rabbit. I told them that we should sit down and talk about it, because I had some ideas. But, that never happened. Because Damian O’Donnell’s original screenplay was called Chained, I think they felt that they could put it in the horror section and call it horror. They thought that was an easier sell. For me, I don’t think that Chained suits the film. It doesn’t hurt the film, but I thought that calling it Rabbit was a lot creepier.
Shock: I can see that. Changing gears, here, can you tell us a little about Despite the Gods?
Lynch: Yeah. Despite the Gods started out as EPK [Electronic Press Kit] footage. As things started to go steadily more absurd and terrifying during the shoot, Penny Vozniak asked if I would mind if she mic-ed me seven days a week and kept filming. I told her that was fine and thought I would learn a lot by looking at the footage, later. I had no idea what she intended to do with it. I gave her free reign and I think that she did what I was not able to do. She made the film that she set out to make. I think she’s done a beautiful job. Someone pointed out to me that I didn’t go to India to make Hiss, I went to India to make Despite the Gods. The way that Hiss ended up was really traumatic for me, but Despite the Gods is a really beautiful documentary. It’s hard for me to watch, at some points. She couldn’t put everything in there. It’s nine months of footage. I think she made a great film and I’m really proud to have been a part of her career.
Vincent D'Onofrio
Shock Till You Drop: Chained is an intense film. Did that translate to the atmosphere on set?
Vincent D’Onofrio: We didn’t have a lot of time to make the film. On set, everybody was very ‘on’ all the time, from the props department, to the actors, to the camera guys, to the DP. Jennifer is a very present director. She’s right there, hands on and involved in everything that happens on set. We kept everything very positive and kept everything moving forward.
Shock: You and Eamon Farren are excellent together. How did you build that great on screen chemistry?
D’Onofrio: Sometimes it just happens naturally. You meet an actor for the first time on location and sometimes you hit it off, sometimes you don’t. There are instances where it takes a couple weeks to find that rhythm, sometimes it happens immediately. With Eamon and me, it happened immediately. We got along really great. I could tell after the first day’s work that he was a very committed actor that wanted to do the right thing. That’s all you need to be. You just need to be committed to your character and want to tell the story correctly. That should be your whole world while you are making a film. That’s what he was. That’s all you can ask for from another actor. I ask the same thing of myself. I think the two of us got along because we recognized one another’s commitment.
 Shock: As an actor, do you enjoy taking on these dark roles?
D’Onofrio: I do. I don’t like doing only dark roles, but I like parts that are a challenge. The role of Bob was definitely a challenge. How to tell the story correctly without the character overwhelming the story is tough. It’s challenging to figure out how to play parts like this that are extreme. You don’t want it to come off as cartoony. You want to be as realistic as you possibly can and than can be tough at times. I think I like a challenge, as most actors do.
Shock: Jennifer said that after she completed her pass of the script, you were the first person that came to mind for the part. Did you have any reservations about accepting the role?
D’Onofrio: No. I learned from a friend that she was interested in me. I asked him to get me the script, because I love her. As soon as I read I got in touch with her saying that if she would have me I would do it.
Shock: The script was originally written more in the style of torture porn. If it hadn’t been re-written as a more character driven film, would you still have taken the part?
D’Onofrio: I doubt it. I didn’t know that. But, if it was that before I wouldn’t have done it. I like horror a lot, but I don’t like torture horror. It’s not my taste. I know it’s very popular, but I like horror that has more of a story to it.
Shock: Was any of your performance done off the cuff or did you stick with the script as it was written?
D’Onofrio: I think we mainly stuck to the script and did it word for word. There were maybe a couple of times where things are improvised a little bit. There’s a scene where we are playing cards with driver’s licenses that was improvised a little. But, I’m not sure if what is actually in the film is what was scripted or if it is what was improvised. That’s the only scene I can remember that we improvised a lot of. I really only remember sticking to the script, other than that.
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'Sinister' Premiere in Hollywood tonight with Vincent D'Onofrio and other cast members...
MADE IN HOLLYWOOD
Sinister premieres at the ArcLight Hollywood tonight! The stars (Ethan Hawke, Vincent D'Onofrio, Juliet Rylance, James Ransone, Michael Hall D'Addario, Clare Foley & other cast members) and filmmakers are all scheduled to start walking the red carpet at 6:30 p.m. If you're planning on attending to spot celebrities as they arrive, I highly recommend arriving early.
The premiere is at the ArcLight Hollywood located at 6360 West Sunset Boulevard and directions can be found here. For any additional information, please call the ArcLight Hollywoodat (323) 464-1478.
Sinister premieres at the ArcLight Hollywood tonight! The stars (Ethan Hawke, Vincent D'Onofrio, Juliet Rylance, James Ransone, Michael Hall D'Addario, Clare Foley & other cast members) and filmmakers are all scheduled to start walking the red carpet at 6:30 p.m. If you're planning on attending to spot celebrities as they arrive, I highly recommend arriving early.
The premiere is at the ArcLight Hollywood located at 6360 West Sunset Boulevard and directions can be found here. For any additional information, please call the ArcLight Hollywoodat (323) 464-1478.
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Vincent D'Onofrio in 'Like Father Like Son' Live Radio Play October 2nd...
10/2: Tales from Beyond the Pale!
Glass Eye Pix, the fiercely independent film company behind STAKE LAND, THE INNKEEPERS and I SELL THE DEAD, in association with Clay McLeod Chapman’s FEAR-MONGERS: FIRESIDE CHATS ABOUT HORROR FILMS, is taking its successful audio dramas TALES FROM BEYOND THE PALE out of the studio and onto the stage.
Journey beyond the pale the first four Tuesdays in October as Fessenden and Co. present a double-bill of original genre stories featuring live foley and sound effects by a team of audio artisans, performed by the very special voice talents of Sean Young, Michael Cerveris, Vincent D'Onofrio, James LeGros, Mark Margolis and many more!
My radio play "LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON," featuring Larry Fessenden and Vincent D'Onofrio, will be performed on October 2nd, alongisde Joe Maggio's "The Ram King."
Tuesday, Oct 2nd at 9:30 PM (doors open at 9 PM)
at Dixon Place
161A Chrystie Street (btn Rivington and Delancey)
Tickets: $10
For reservations, call: (212) 219-0736
at Dixon Place
161A Chrystie Street (btn Rivington and Delancey)
Tickets: $10
For reservations, call: (212) 219-0736
For more info on Tales, visit: http://talesfrombeyondthepale.com/
Friday, September 28, 2012
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