I must say Jack Palance was a drag. We were together in The Silver Chalice (1954). The way he did his work was strange. He was a weird actor and I didn’t like working with him at all.
[on Doris Day] I loved working with her. We used to call her Miss Sparkle Plenty because she was so vivacious.
James Cagney was the most dynamic man who ever appeared on the screen. He should have won five Oscars, he was so fabulous. He stimulated me to such an extent. I must say that I didn’t have to act very much; I just had to react to him because he was so powerful.
[on Alan Ladd] And I worked with Alan Ladd who, along with Gregory Peck, was my favorite leading man. He was a beautiful man, charming and gentle, and I think, of all my leading men, he worked best with me.
[on how she met her husband, Michael O’Shea] He just sat there watching me, and then he walked right up and kissed me.
I was a better actress than I was given credit for. I know that for a fact. But you get stamped . . . categorized as pretty, a beauty, shapely . . . and you’re just stamped for life.
Working with comedians like [Bob Hope] and [Danny Kaye] taught me timing, pace and fine points of acting I never would have learned otherwise.
The blacklisting that took place in Hollywood was slightly different than how you hear of it today. There was a genuine Communist threat in this country and there were Communistic actors, directors, screenwriters and producers in Hollywood trying to grab control of the industry and use it for their own end, which was to spread Communist propaganda throughout the country and the world. The system used to get rid of the Communists was bad. Joseph McCarthy and his methods were a little cruel and drastic. But the Communist danger was there. And it has grown.
[on having to wear the same wardrobe all season on 24 (2001)] I feel like I’m one of The Simpsons
I believe not giving up on doing things.
I was lucky . . . [in Los Angeles] I found what I wanted to do when I was 11.
[on The Girl Next Door (2004)] I don’t ever want to be doing the same sort of thing, I never want to be typecast, because I have way too much to give to be sort of, to always be the hot chick in the movie.
I definitely believe in fate. And I believe what you put in is what you get in return. That’s the way it’s worked for me. As for the big picture–there’s some sort of plan.
[asked about moving from Montreal to Los Angeles at age 17] I just went with my gut feeling and thought that if I care this much about what I’m doing, then maybe there are opportunities elsewhere and I’d be stupid not to give it a try.
[on her performance in a Weezer video] I remember just sort of thinking, “I’m not going to get to do this too, too often”, so I just went crazy and threw alcohol around. I was acting ridiculous and screaming at everybody and throwing a fit.
[about moving back to Montreal] With friends and family in Montreal, it’s always in the back of my mind. I like going back. I miss the nightlife. It’s such a great city. I’ve been a lot of places in the world, and I’m sure I’m biased because I grew up there, but I love it.
I love the fashion world. I love clothes. I love style.
After everything happened, we all got super tight. I can’t deny it. We all just love each other. James Garner and David Spade came on and we fell in love with them too. We’ve just become a family all over again. We don’t want to lose anyone again.
Finally, there was a moment when it just hit me. John [Ritter] wouldn’t want me to sit on my butt for the rest of my life feeling sorry for myself or sorry for him. As cheesy as it sounds, he would have wanted us to go on.
For me, what I really want to come out of it is to show people that I can hold together a movie, be the number one character and play someone who is twenty or twenty-one.
I will always be the way I was a couple years ago before anything happened. And that’s to my parents’ credit, my amazing parents who have been around me my whole life and raised me right. I’m very happy with what has happened so far.
John [Ritter] was the smartest and most amazing comedian I’ve ever worked with. I think more than teaching me about acting or comedy, he taught me about life and the love of people and respect of people.
My whole family actually, but my parents. I had such a normal and amazing childhood. I’ve been so lucky. My parents are cool and normal. They don’t talk about the business and I still have stuff to do at their house.
My screenplay is about the Hulder, a mystical human-like creature with a cow’s tail, famous from Norwegian folklore, who has to go to Earth on a dangerous mission to con an orphan teenage boy in order to save her young brother from dying.
What genres does your screenplay fall under?
Adventure/Fantasy (low fantasy)
Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?
Because it is an action-packed story centred on making impossible choices, woven into a layered mystery where nothing is as it seems.
Go to the Daily Film Festival Platform http://www.wildsound.ca and sign up for the free 7 day trial to watch a new and original festival every single day.
SELF-CARE IN SECONDS, 15 seconds Directed by Curtis Johnson The film tells the story of a character’s surprise visit from their future self, bringing a message of hope and redemption.
QUITTING DRUGS, 20min., USA Directed by Ali Imran Ch, Fatima Mughal Bumb Shah is a Pakistani rapper whose traumatic life experiences heavily influence his music. Like many artists, he began using drugs early in his career, hoping that they would fuel his creativity. Before long, he fell into a rabbit hole of addiction-centered depravity, something that was reflected in his music.
BRAISING, 19min., USA Directed by Bryan Ribeiro Conroy –a crestfallen, fast food cook who dreams of becoming a chef– finds community with a peculiar “charity” organization, all while he strives to deepen his connection with his widower father.
FINALE, 10min,. USA Directed by Ryan Park “Finale” tells the story of Antonio, an aspiring actor from Mexico facing the immense challenges of breaking into the industry. On the day of a crucial audition, Antonio receives a devastating call from his sister in Mexico, informing him that their mother has been in a severe accident. Torn between his familial duty and his dreams, Antonio realizes he cannot do anything from afar and decides to proceed with the audition. This pivotal moment forces him to confront an opportunity that could either transform his life or add to his struggles.
THE BRIDES OF DRACULA, 5min,. UK Directed by Alexander Miguel Introducing a new breed of vampires – More alternative, more sensual, more dangerous. Loosely based on the legends of Draculas wives, the good, bad and the evil bride inhabit an old misty graveyard set in the high mountains, waiting for their beloved master to be resurrected once more. Inspired by original costumes and props by Derby-based designer Liam Brandon Murray, this is a unique film showcasing the finest in Wearable Art for the designer’s cinematic debut.
NO WAR, 11min., USA Directed by Steven Wright Clarkson This video is a reaction to my original song “No War” off my “Speak the Truth” EP — it is a post punk psychedelic track — the video carefully uses AI animation — there are many dozens of ai renderings edited together with additional effects
STAGE, 5min,. USA Directed by Angelika Poletaeva, Mark Limansky “The Stage” – follows a young girl’s visit to a theater, where she is enchanted by everything, from the grand entrance to the velvet seats. Her innocent perspective is challenged when she accidentally enters the performers’ dressing rooms and witnesses their raw emotions. This thought-provoking art-house film explores how this experience alters her view of the world.
SOBER the struggle no one else can see, 12min,. Directed by Pauli Janhunen A once-promising boxer is haunted by his past mistakes and battling with alcoholism. His daughter watches from the sidelines – and fears losing him to his demons once again.
Go to the Daily Film Festival Platform http://www.wildsound.ca and sign up for the free 7 day trial to watch a new and original festival every single day.
Alex LeVesque | Mentoring Gang Members with Classic Cars, 10min., USA Directed by John Snyder Alex LeVesque is the founder of the Automotive Mentoring Group (AMG), a nonprofit that works to counter gang violence in the city of Chicago, Illinois. The organization recruits gang members from across the city and teaches them the skills needed to build careers as auto mechanics, thus giving a chance at reform to those who would otherwise likely fall victim to violence in the streets.
Asim Khan “AK” | PARKOUR – Discover the differences between Parkour and Freerunning, 10min, Pakistan Directed by Ali Imran Ch Pakistan native Asim Khan Yousafzai is more than a freerunner: he is a teacher, a fighter, and above all, a survivor. As a child, he lived through the 2005 Kashmir earthquake. Freerunner Asim Khan explains how he rose above limited resources to become a hero.
Yecson Preciado | Fighting For Life, 11min., Ecuador Directed by Hernán Salcedo Life has never been easy for boxing trainer Yecson Preciado. Hailing from Santiago de Guayaquil, Ecuador, he grew up in a drug-fueled, murderous environment. Suffering abuse at the hands of his father, he left home at 10, spending two months on the streets. In spite of these traumatic circumstances, he persisted, driven only by his dream of becoming a boxer. Never one to just sit and watch injustice occur around him, Yecson was inspired to start Trinibox, a boxing gym that caters to youth facing homelessness.
STAR CAFE, 9min., USA Directed by Robin Hofmann Small town cafe owner, Ruby, opened the inclusive Star Cafe to support her granddaughter with Down syndrome. When money gets tight and the cafe starts to break down, will they find a way to save the cafe?
Natural Light: The Remarkable Transformation of a School on Detroit’s East Eight Mile, 18min., USA Directed by Richard R. Murray When a new leader arrives at one of Michigan’s worst schools, he seeks help from a unique firm known for solving “impossible” school problems. But the challenges are enormous, the project has no funding, and the effort will confront bureaucracy, skepticism, indifference, profiteering, and even a pandemic.
BLEACH BONE, 15min., USA Directed by John D. Nilles Nine years after murdering his friend in cold blood, Dwain returns to dig up the remains. There, in a bleak field, he reckons with Jay’s ghost and struggles to comprehend his own motives.
LIVE FROM THE GENEVA!, 13min,. USA Directed by Nick Leahy Amidst the hysteria of the Red Scare in 1953 Chicago, a nightclub staff becomes entangled in a political scandal when their star performer’s iconic red-and-gold pocket square becomes the focal point of media chaos.
“Wow! I have competed in over 300 festivals over the last few years. Feedback Under 5 Minute Film Festival was one of the very best. The Feedback is genuine and constructive. Five Stars is not enough. I was super satisfied. One of the best on Filmfreeway. Honestly.”
In a world driven by corporate greed and unethical genetic experimentation, Darien, the pioneering human clone, finds himself obsolete against a superior 2nd Generation Clone, leading to his and his mentor’s targeting. Following his mentor’s death, Darien’s hidden hybrid nature—combining human and vampire DNA—surfaces during a critical confrontation, granting him unexpected survival. Marked as a “Tainted” failure yet possessing newfound powers, Darien faces an ambiguous future, embodying the narrative’s critique of ambition’s perils and the poignant fallout of manipulative sciences.
I was Virtual Production Supervisor on a film in Singapore, when the IMDA (InfoComm Media Development Authority Singapore) announced that they were funding projects in this particular area. My producer, director and director of photography were at the time over in the UK at the National Film and Television School also attending a Virtual Production immersion program aimed at industry professionals to learn about this new way of film making. So excited with this new surge of enthusiasm I asked Jeffrey about joining this content creation initiative and we all got together and created Tainted.
What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
Honestly I got a little teary, when I was looking at the reviews, I am greatly appreciative that the reviewers talk about the whole film in general from stunts, makeup, sound & music to performance and that really shows that the team was really the best – such a dynamic group all around and I have nothing but high praise for everyone involved.
I’ve been doing this since I was 10 years old, inhabiting different people and playing different roles. Thirty years later, there’s still the same sort of excitement I get from it. It’s still fun to inhabit different characters and play different things, so it’s all in that panoply of acting.
I also believe that you are what you have to defend, and if you’re a black man that’s always going to be the bar against which you are judged, whether you want to align yourself with those themes or not. You can think of yourself as a colourless person, but nobody else is gonna.
In fifth grade I was Templeton the Rat in a production of ‘Charlotte’s Web’. I remember I had a friend who worked in a doughnut shop. I’d go in, get a doughnut and sit there with my script, going over the lines and making notes in the margin. I was serious!
(2008 quote) I’m very critical of myself. I’ve yet to see a great performance from this kid. No, it’s not comfortable; I hate watching myself. You don’t like when you hear your voice on your voicemail; imagine having to see yourself 30 feet wide and 30 feet big.
Festival Reviews 