Tag: interviews

Rachel Syme on Michelle Pfeiffer's considered career

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For The New Yorker, Rachel Syme interviewed Michelle Pfeiffer about her life and career which hasn’t followed the same kinds of paths most Hollywood actresses have taken (on purpose):

You’ve given different reasons over the years why you don’t love being interviewed, but the one that stuck with me is that you were always afraid people would “find you out.” That if you told too much, you’d be exposed as a fraud.

Well, that’s typically my fear about my performances, that this will be the performance I will be discovered as the fraud that I have known all along that I am. That really comes from not being classically trained. I didn’t go to Juilliard. I didn’t study a lot. I studied in workshops and things like that, but I didn’t come from the theatre. There was a real snobbery when I started acting. In fact, one of my first jobs was a television show, and I played the blonde bombshell where I had fake breasts and was in hot pants, I didn’t even have a name, she was just called “the bombshell.” I was working with a lot of actors who were all from New York. I just felt really unworthy, and I think that never leaves you.

In terms of my discomfort with doing interviews, I think it’s early on not understanding the difference between things that you say, and the way things look in print, and things coming off in a way that was not your intention. I think you just get really guarded. I just had a hard time even formulating a sentence because I was so guarded.

When people talk about Michelle Pfeiffer and wonder why she wasn’t “bigger” (whatever that’s supposed to mean in any context), I think of Daniel Day-Lewis. Now retired, he was an actor who chose his roles carefully, was notorious for his method acting and that time he went to Italy to become a shoemaker. He won awards and was applauded for his journey. But somehow Michelle Pfeiffer is questioned for being careful and considered and choosing her own paths alongside her career and parenthood. We know what the difference is between them (and it’s interesting that they both starred together in The Age of Innocence and how their careers diverged and converged since then) but the criticism is unfounded.

Oh, and that TV role where she played a blonde bombshell? That was in episode 12 of Delta House, a TV spin-off of National Lampoon’s Animal House. Stream that below.

Delta House - Episode 12 - Hoover and the Bomb (Animal House Spin-off/Sequel)

Ricardo Junqueira's Lisbon lobby photography

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A photo of an old-style tiled lobby in Lisbon.

The Spaces interviewed Ricardo Junqueira, a man with a love for photography and Lisbon’s vibrant lobby areas:

Brazilian photographer Ricardo Junqueira relocated to Lisbon in 2012 and got his start shooting for Airbnb. ‘As tourism bloomed, I had the chance to capture more residential spaces – I photographed around 2000 Lisbon houses’, says Junqueira. ‘The variety I find at people’s homes is so spectacular and impressive – like a [built] “biodiversity manifesto”, so the entryways are like a chapter in this romance.’

[…]

What do you look for in a building or a shot?

I’m interested in diversity, and I am fascinated by the richness of ordinary things. I was born in Brasília, surrounded by great modern architecture, which has influenced how I appreciate architecture. Photographers and architects have something in common – the need to organise things in a limited space. I look at shapes and arrange them in a harmonious way inside the rectangle.

Portuguese tile and Lisbon related: Porto’s Banco de Materiais and its azulejos and a love letter to Lisbon

Jeff Bridges on his experiences as Obadiah Stane in 'Iron Man'

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While falling down a YouTube recommendation rabbit hole, I managed to rediscover one of my favourite Jeff Bridges scenes of all time:

"Tony Stark Was Able To Build This In A Cave! With A Box Of Scraps!" - Iron Man (2008) 4K Ultra

But the experience of playing Obadiah Stane in Iron Man wasn’t plain sailing for Jeff Bridges as he discussed in a Variety interview in 2016:

“I like to be prepared,” Bridges said. “I like to know my lines.”

Bridges discussed the difficulties when filming “Iron Man” back in 2007, when the script was constantly being changed or altered. He detailed several of the setbacks the cast and crew faced after parts of the script were disavowed by Marvel.

“It turned out that many times — 10, 12, 15 times — we would show up for the days work, not knowing what we were gonna shoot,” Bridges said. “All the guys in the studio are sitting there tapping their foot, looking at their watch, and we’re sitting in my trailer trying to figure out my lines.”

However, it was also during this experience that Bridges learned not to take the process so seriously.

“I made a little adjustment in my head,” Bridges explained. “That adjustment was – Jeff, just relax, you are in a $200 million student film, have fun, just relax.”

I love that he called it a $200 million student film which I’m sure riled up some fans. MCU films are more polished these days (I hope) and—SPOILER ALERT—while Obadiah Stane died in that movie, he did make a cameo in Spider-Man: Far from Home which was just the above YouTube clip as a flashback.

Doug Bradley (aka Pinhead) on his idea of Hell and his biggest fears

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DOUG BRADLEY of HELLRAISER: His Vision of Hell, Biggest Fears, the Band GHOST

I watched Hellraiser for the first time a few weeks ago and fell down a very dark and sadistic rabbit hole as I watched the next two sequels (II was very good, III was not). But the common denominator from both films was Doug Bradley aka Pinhead (and, as a brilliant Freudian slip, I initially wrote that as demoninator).

The British actor spoke to Elliott Fullam of Little Punk People about his life, his roles as Pinhead, and what his vision of Hell was. I loved this interview because it cut out all the rubbish you often get with celebrity interviews. The questions were clear and interesting, and so were the answers. No bullshit.

Christopher Reeve on the media and being Superman

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christopher reeve in speechless

While looking for clips of Rear Window (1998) a few years ago, I stumbled upon this 1994 interview with Christopher Reeve. It was one of his last interviews before his tragic horse-riding accident which left him paralysed from the shoulders down.

At the start of the interview, where he was promoting his new film “Speechless”, he remarked how he’d played so many news reporters in his career—and said that Clark Kent was a good reporter (alongside his primary job as Superman).

He then delved into the media, media consumption by the masses, and how the press invaded people’s lives and sold sleazy stories. On tabloid news shows, he said:

“When I see those things, I want to break my TV, I really do […] you can feed all kinds of stuff down to the public’s throat because things will sink to the lowest common denominator. We are not particularly noble as human beings; we like trash, we like gossip, we like snooping around […] but should we cater to it? No culture before ours has ever gone to this length to make a dollar off appealing to people’s print (sic?) interest as much as we do now.”

When asked if he still got spotted by the public for being Superman, he replied: “you know, I go many, many days at a time without hearing anything about it”.

Christopher Reeve and Jimmy Carter talk about Speechless

Interview with Sareta Fontaine

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sareta fontaine

Today’s interviewee is the wonderful Sareta Fontaine. She is a writer and content creator with a creative flair most of us can only dream of having. It was an honour and a pleasure to have Sareta participate so enjoy the interview!

What is your favourite city in the world?

My favourite city in the world is currently Amsterdam. It’s only a 50-minute flight (I hate flying), and everyone is super friendly, super chilled and open-minded. I’d look into having an apartment there if I could. I’d have a little apartment next to the canal, with window boxes full of beautiful flowers. I’d go on weekends with my laptop and write all day like Carrie Bradshaw (Sex and The City)…dreamy!  

What’s the most unusual item you take everywhere you go? 

Probably crumbs. The bottom of my bag is always covered in crumbs from snacks I’ve had ready for my kids. No matter what I do, crumbs will be there. 

Why do you do what you do?

I love to create art, and I love to make people laugh. Whether it’s a video or photography, or something I’ve made with my hands, I love creating! I guess I always enjoyed making things as a child, so a lot of my toys I created myself. I’d make trains and houses out of shoeboxes and mini characters out of Fimo oven-bake clay, and play with those for hours. I suppose I never really grew out of it. I enjoy making things and seeing the finished product. 

When was the last time you told someone you loved them?

Five minutes ago, lol! I just said I love you and goodnight to my boys.

Where do you go to relax?

What is relax please? I don’t even know anymore! I’d probably have a glass of wine and chill on my sofa, along with disco lights and incense. 

69, 280, or 420?

420 for sure. But what does 280 stand for? I’m out of the loop and feel old now. 

How do you say goodbye in your culture?

See you later. Which has always confused me because “later” may mean later on in the day… or week, right? But yeah, my family have always said: “See you later” in a London accent, of course.

Interview with Terrance Pryor

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Terrance Pryor

Today, we have Terrance Pryor as our interviewee. Terrance is a music and gaming writer and radio personality from the East Coast and he answered our not-so-famous round of questions. Enjoy!

What is your favourite city in the world?

My best city in the whole world is New York City. There’s always something to do at any given time. For live shows, I always love attending Irving Plaza and Gramercy Theatre. Mercury Lounge is a great intimate spot as well. 

What’s the most unusual item you take everywhere you go?

It’s not really unusual, but I always have a pen with me. It started out as an accident, but I never bothered to take it out of my pocket. I’ll never know if Publishers Clearing House will accost me on the street with a million-dollar check or if I have to sign an autograph because something thinks I’m Jaleel White.

Why do you do what you do?

I love supporting music. I started out as a radio personality because I wanted to play music from local bands. I always went to local shows with a request form for some music. It basically grew from there. It’s always a great feeling to hear new music from a rising artist.

When was the last time you told someone you loved them?

I honestly don’t know. I probably should get better at doing this.

Where do you go to relax?

I don’t really go anywhere physically for relaxation. My idea of relaxing is just watching Twitch, listening to music, or playing video games. Sleeping is great, too. Lately, I’ve been falling asleep with spectator mode running in Unreal Tournament 2004. Best $3 I ever spent.

69, 280, or 420?

I was going to pick either 69 or 420, but 280 stood out to me. No one ever gives this number any love on social media. It’s never “280, blaze it” or no one ever says “Nice” when 280 gets mentioned. I never see 280 trending on Twitter. I’m choosing 280 because I believe in it. 280 can do the thing!

How do you say goodbye in your culture?

I actually don’t say goodbye. I tend to just exit the spot without saying anything. Irish goodbye. I’ll say something on social media after I leave, though.

An interview with "Sampira"

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Scream mask

Another day, another great interview with my Twitter friend, Sampira.

What is your favourite city in the world?

I’d have to say Berlin, so far. The people were mad friendly and the architecture is stunning. There’s some parts of the city that are understandably heavy, but it seems to be a city that is thoughtful and apologetic about its history. I don’t know what it’s like to live there, but from a tourism standpoint, they don’t seem to hide it or sweep it under the rug. Every museum is like, it happened, it never should have, and it won’t again if we can help it. 

What’s the most unusual item you take everywhere you go?

I take crystals to really important days, depending on what I feel I need on the day. That’s always good as an ice breaker, if they don’t think I’m the Blair Witch. I guess that’s the most unusual thing. 

Why do you do what you do?

I’ve loved horror since I was a kid. I remember being about 7 and watching Scream for the first time and just… It was like time stopped. I was scared but I felt it in my whole body, but I couldn’t look away. I still think that’s a dope mask too. One of the best. And it kind of started there and exploded. I’d watched all the Nightmare on Elm Street and Halloween films by the time I was 10. I’d never experienced anything like it. I was just hooked.

Then when you start trying to make it yourself, you really understand the mastery, and it gives you a deeper love for it. And then I looked around Britain and was like… We don’t back horror like America does. Like there are directors that really back and advocate for horror and see it as the pride of their body of work. They love it so much. I don’t think it’s because there’s not people that want to do it, I think it’s because there’s not visible people here that are like “Yeah, that’s my shit” loudly, y’know? They don’t say it with their whole chest.  

And then when I figured out I was gonna make a go of it and commit to my love, I noticed there wasn’t a lot of people like me in it (mixed race, lesbian, etc) and there weren’t those stories. So it became even clearer and I couldn’t escape it. And my friends too. Any representation of colour I’d seen in horror, was of people my colour, so there was even less representation for people darker than me, which was so crazy to me. So, that was it. And that’s what I’m committed too. Just making dope shit with my mates, and if we scare people, we scare people. If we don’t, we sure had fun! 

When was the last time you told someone you loved them?

I tell my dad and step mum a lot. You just never know. And my dog. He’s probably sick of hearing it, tbh!

Where do you go to relax?

I drive at night a lot. Go swimming. Watch a good film, but the soundtrack has to be on point. 

69, 280, or 420?

280. 280 sounds good. Like an old horror film’s kill count.

How do you say goodbye in your culture?

I’m a hugger, I think. Everything ends with a hug. 

An interview with Dan Clarke

arkotype

I’ve been a huge fan of Dan Clarke’s work for years so it’s been a pleasure to have him join Cultrface for this interview.

What is favourite city in the world?

Tokyo – I went in my early 20’s and I’ll definitely be going back with my wife at some point. It feels like a different World in every way and I can’t wait to see it again.

What’s the most unusual item you take everywhere you go?

I tend to have a Nintendo DS Lite in my bag most of the time – Probably not that unusual in the grand scheme of things.

Why do you do what you do?

I’ve never known anything different — I try my best to make the things that I would want or like had someone else made them.

When was the last time you told someone you loved them?

I tell my wife and dog on most days.

Where do you go to relax?

A dog walk or a run is usually where I find that I do most of my thinking – I think it’s really important to dedicating time in a week to having some personal time.

69, 280, or 420?

280 — I like the symmetry of it.

How do you say goodbye in your culture?

In a bit.

  • MOJ-web-001_1400
  • SPEC SMB3 pins
  • Pokémon poster
  • SUPER MARIO WORLD
  • OTR-04

(images courtesy of Arkotype)

An interview with Corbet Rutzer

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Corbet Rutzer

I have been a big fan of Corbet Rutzer’s content for a number of years. I mean, look at this for a description:

I am a fearless communication ninja, social media maestro, brand expert and curation specialist with a chronic food and music habit.

Taken from crutzer.me

That speaks to me on so many levels. His work has featured for brands such as Thrillist and FRANK151 and he had a brief stint teaching Online Presence and Social Media at Vancouver Film School and Vancouver Community College. Corbet is for the kids.

Today, the content polymath took some time out of his day to answer our specially *patented questions.

(*They’re not patented.)

What is favourite city in the world?

NYC

What’s the most unusual item you take everywhere you go?

A worry stone.

Why do you do what you do?

For the love!

When was the last time you told someone you loved them?

This morning.

Where do you go to relax?

Outside.

69, 280, or 420?

420!

How do you say goodbye in your culture?

Later!

An interview with "Theo Huxtable"

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An interview with "Theo Huxtable"

I interviewed the other Theo Huxtable so enjoy!

What is your favourite city in the world?

That’s actually a hard question to answer. It have to be New Orleans & Chicago.

What’s the most unusual item you take everywhere you go?

Fortune cookie fortunes that I keep in my wallet.

Why do you do what you do?

To entertain myself & enrich the life of others.

When was the last time you told someone you loved them?

The other day. It was the 14th of February actually but nah quite often.

Where do you go to relax?

To the beach or art museums places that help inspire my creativity. 

69, 280, or 420?

69? I assume what this is :) but I’m just gonna say takashi. 280, I love that Benz especially if its a black or blue 280. 420 not actually my holiday.

How do you say goodbye in your culture?

Aight !!!!

An interview with Simon from Power In Discussion

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Simon - Power In Discussion

It’s a pleasure to have Simon take part in our Black History Month festivities. Besides being a good friend of mine, Simon is also a speech-language therapist and founder of Power In Discussion, an organisation creating positive discussion in the context of mental health and well-being, identity, and experiences faced by Black communities in Britain and Black LGBTQ+ representation.

What is your favourite city in the world?

Las Vegas.

What’s the most unusual item you take everywhere you go?

Almond oil.

Why do you do what you do?

Currently, I’m working on Power In Discussion, a platform which recognises the importance of having conversations both on and offline. I do it because I love communicating and I recognise the value in sharing our stories.

When was the last time you told someone you loved them?

At the weekend.

Where do you go to relax?

The bath.

69, 280, or 420?

280.

How do you say goodbye in your culture?

A’right, we goh see…later!

An interview with Shanarà Phillips

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shanara-phillips

Her love of visual storytelling has taken her around the world and she recently had her video, He’s Not Like That, featured at the BAFTAs as a finalist. We interviewed her for Black History Month.

What is your favourite city in the world?

To not be biased and say my own, I would say Oslo. I recently went there for a little weekend trip to visit one of my best friends and I wish I could have stayed longer. Such a beautiful city, friendly people and the food is great. Plus the flights are really cheap!

What’s the most unusual item you take everywhere you go?

There’s nothing usual that I take with me, although I’ve weirdly had a few people ask me before why I carry moisturiser with me all the time… I mean who wants ashy skin? Especially when you already have eczema.

Why do you do what you do?

I do what I currently do because I’m passionate about film and TV. So I currently have a full-time job as a logger for a production company and we’re working on a series about Formula 1 racing which will be on Netflix. I also do the odd videography/editing freelance job. It’s all to help pay the bills and fund my filmmaking hobby so that eventually I can start producing my own work for film/tv.

When was the last time you told someone you loved them?

I can’t remember and that’s terrible.

Where do you go to relax?

The only place I have to relax is my room really. I came back home last year and my room was still the same way I left it at 18 and so as I’m almost 23 now I decided it needed a makeover to match the woman I am now. So I’ve been slowly turning it into my own relaxing sanctuary where I can just edit and write, or watch crap on YouTube.

69, 280, or 420?

420, always.

How do you say goodbye in your culture?

Unfortunately, I don’t know Vincentian Creole, but my family have this habit of mostly saying ‘in a bit’.

He's Not Like That | Vlogstar Challenge Grand Final Entry

Interview: CoolFilmArt

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One of my favourite accounts on Twitter has to be @CoolFilmArt. It’s a treasure trove of, well, cool film art with incredible posters from all over the world. We spoke to Robyn, one of the curators of the account about its origins and some of her favourite film posters.

So, how did the @CoolFilmArt account come about?

My pal Jim helps run @CoolBoxArt and I basically ripped the idea off two years ago but for film posters, I also made a list on Letterboxd back in 2013 and thought wow that would be a cool Twitter account. My main basis for choosing a film to watch is 99% what the poster looks like so I thought other people would enjoy them as much as I do. There’s other poster accounts out there but I think we cater to a pretty niche market, like if you were to upturn a stone in between the woodlice you would find our kind of posters, haha.

How do you “curate” the film art you post?

Mostly I find stuff on Google, I like to look for Hollywood posters from other countries (Japan posters are always wild), VHSCollector is a big source for me, loads of hi-res scans of VHS box art! Tumblr also has a good community of poster enthusiasts. If I post fan posters I always try and link back to the original artist, some of them are so good though that you can’t tell if it’s official or not!

Do you have any personal favourites?

My favourite poster ever is this one from a film I haven’t even seen, I’m also a sucker for anything remotely cyberpunk like this. My main aesthetic is pinks/purples/blue colour schemes.

Do you have any ambitions to branch out to other channels like Facebook or with a blog?

I already run a film blog @bimbomoviebash and there are no plans to expand CoolFilmArt out. It was always meant to be this very simple idea of just posting posters, I kind of hate it when you follow an account for one thing and they start bringing all their personal stuff into it so I try and keep that to a minimum. Just posters posters posters!

Would you say creative film posters are a dying breed now?

Back in the 80s film rentals and sales were driven so hard by the poster, like you could take a video off the shelf and it would be the poster that swung it. In the day and age of the internet you can’t disguise a shitty film with flashy artwork anymore so there’s really no need for it. It’s definitely a dying art, which is a shame. I can’t stomach a lot of posters now, the trend of just putting absolutely everything on the poster sucks, like Force Awakens, however if something looks interesting now (like that neon green Thor Ragnarok poster) it definitely stands out. I think artistic posters are making a bit of a comeback now because all these kids who grew up in the 80s are making their own films now, but sadly it’s just not important anymore.

What are some of your favourite films?

This question makes me sweat. Robocop is my favourite film ever but I have a very varied taste. My favourite Disney movie is Robin Hood, my favourite horror is Slumber Party Massacre II.

Favourite director?

Paul Verhoeven. No one rivals his eye for flashy gaudiness or his bite. People are only just starting to GET Showgirls. What a legacy.

Favourite actor/actress?

Jeff Goldblum, I could watch him for hours. Tony Leung, Traci Lords, Divine, Linnea Quigley, Denzel, Jill Schoelen like, the list is never-ending!

Are there any film posters you hate and if so, why?

I’ve never met a Christopher Nolan poster that I’ve liked.

What kind of influence do you think film and film art have on culture in modern times?

I think we’re living in both the worst and best time for movies at the moment. Some days it feels like we’re in a never-ending chasm of superhero reboots that are never ever going to stop, and they all look the same and they swallow up and coming directors into this cycle and then don’t give them the creative freedom to do anything that was the reason they hired them. On the other hand you have stuff like Get Out that swept us all up in a way you wouldn’t think could ever happen anymore, it’s like we all forgot our cynicism and were able to come together to enjoy this truly great movie and things like that make me think we’re going to be okay.