The Avengers

Reviewed by: 00Dylan

As a comic book fan of many years, it's almost hard to believe that The Avengers actually happened, let alone that it wasn't a train wreck. The slow buildup - Nick Fury in Iron M... read more

American Pie star Thomas Ian Nicholas on new movie Delivering the Goods!

Posted by joecooler2u on Monday, February 25th 2013

Delivering the Goods Trailer!

How did you come about getting your role for Delivering the Goods?

I was a big fan of shooting in New York which I experienced briefly with Nicole Holofcener's 'Please Give' and I really enjoyed Matthew Bonifacio's previous film "LBS" So when I received the script I was very interested. I thought that the story was cute and I really connected with the character of Steve having to put his dream on hold in order to actually get there.

You're married to singer/songwriter DJ Colette. How did you two meet and fall in love? How’s married life? I see she did songs on the soundtracks of Sex and the City and The Devil Wears Prada. What’s it like having a similar interest in a music career with your wife?

Colette and I met on the set of my directorial debut "L.A. DJ" She had a cameo in the movie. We started dating about 2 years later and the rest is history. We've been married for 6 years and have a son that's almost a 1 year and half old. Acting is my main gig, while music is Colette's main career. Music for me is similar to Steve's dream of being a chef in "Delivering the Goods"

Are you a good cook? Did you have to do a lot of research for your role? Who's the cook in your family you or your wife?

I'm a decent cook, but nothing like Steve. I cook a lot of dishes from my wife's Italian cook books and I sometimes combine them with other recipes that I find. My current favorite is a honey dijon encrusted salmon with a honey glaze reduction sauce.

Speaking of when you decide on Movie or TV roles how much does your wife play into you deciding on a role? Do you run parts by her and see what she thinks and whether you should take a role or not? Is your wife a fan of yours?

I've always tried to pick roles that have layers and depth. The story is a big part of that as well. My wife is a fan of my acting but only after we started dating. She had never seen any of my work before she knew me. That's probably one of the many reasons why I married her.

Does it ever hit you when you are being cast for a movie that you started out in large part because of the role your mom played as a casting director? It has to be surreal at times. Is it true that you asked your mom to let you be an actor at an early age? How did that come about? What was it like being a child actor growing up with a mom inside the business?

My mom used to cast background actors for indie films. The first time I was an extra was the introduction of life on the set, which is still my favorite part of the process. That experience at the age of 6 is what inspired my desire to be an actor. My Mom always wanted to reinforce that it was my choice and every couple of weeks she would gage my interest and let me know that I only needed to continue if that's what I wanted to do. She sacrificed a lot as a single parent to help me pursue my career and I'm beyond thankful for that.

Onto the role that made you world famous - Kevin in the American Pie films. I remember the original film being a sort of date movie despite the outrageousness of it. The romance tended to overcome women's ambiance at some of the more out-there aspects. I remember having a date with a woman watching American Pie for one of the first times on DVD (back then) and it's a special memory. Do you hear a lot from fans about how the Pie films influenced their relationships and the importance of the films in their lives?

I certainly get recognized for my performance in American Pie more than any other project in my career. The recognition has happened in crazy far off places as well. I remember traveling with my wife for her gig in Venezuela, we had a layover in Caracas and I got spotted. It's pretty surreal that 90min of someones life can have such an impact but then again I feel the same way about certain films that I've seen too. I may be an actor but I'm still a fan of movies myself.

I saw American Reunion a few months ago and felt compelled to buy it I just loved it that much I had to add it to my Blu-ray collection. That and American Wedding were my two favorite sequels outside of the original no knock on American Pie 2 I just felt the latter two movies had stand-out stories. How was it having the entire gang from the original film back in American Reunion? I happen to love the film but it felt like the perfect wrap-up to the series tying up all loose ends it seems. Is the series done or is it possible for more American Pie sequels in the future?

Getting back together with the whole cast was like a reunion in real life. I wasn't sure what it would be like because I felt so much older and mature. I was married with a kid on the way but as soon we were all in the same room it was like being in high school all over again. in fact it was more like junior high cause all us dudes were joking around, hitting each other in the nuts and laughing our asses off. I don't know if there'll be another one but hey, I never thought we'd do Reunion... so anything is possible.

As much as I cracked up to you being tied up and tortured by Nikki Ziering in Wedding (What was that experience like?) I felt your role was a bit reserved throughout Wedding outside of that. Did you feel like I did that Reunion was a good resolution for Kevin's character? I loved that line you had in Reunion "Yeah don't mess with the Class of '99 bitch!" I enjoyed how Kevin came full circle to being if not the heart maybe the soul of the series. Kevin's the nice guy you can turn to and rely on as you showed when Finch got arrested in Reunion your character was concerned while Stiffler was cracking up. Reunion felt like coming full circle in a good way. Do you feel satisfied with how Kevin ended up?

I feel very satisfied with the story line that Jon and Hayden wrote for Kevin. We talked about it at length before we started shooting. I know that a lot of fans really wanted to see Kevin and Vicky end up together but Kevin has always represented the "every man" and his story line is once again the most relatable because most people don't end up with their high school sweethearts.

How close are you with the cast of the American Pie series? You all come off as a tight-knit group. I read that Biggs and Scott were crucial to recruiting a lot of the cast members to come back for Reunion as well as being producers of the film. Did the reunion of the cast from the original Pie echo the Reunion of all the characters? Was it as fun as it looked? What's it like working with this cast everyone has come to love?

This was the first time that we shot with the whole cast on location. We did that for a week or so on American Wedding but not everyone was there. So this Reunion was truly like summer camp. When you shoot in the city where you live you sort of do your own thing on the weekends, but when you're on location you hangout with your cast and crew on the weekends. I think that having fun away from set always translates back on film. It's an important part of making any movie and it's especially true with this cast.

Some people might not know this but your band TNB (Thomas Nicholas Band) was actually on the soundtrack to American Reunion. You actually have a music video (My Generation) on your site http://TINBand.com/ with scenes from Reunion in the video. How cool was that for you to marry your singing career with your acting like that? What did it mean to you personally and your band-mates? How important is your music career? Is it something more of a side job or hobby, or is it something you feel could be on equal footing with your acting career?

I've actually been trying to get my music on the soundtrack of every American Pie movie, this is the first time that it worked out, thanks to Jon and Hayden. Through a random set of circumstances I ended up playing a live set at the wrap party and that's how it finally came together. Music is much more than a hobby for my heart, it's a way for me to express my thoughts and feelings. As opposed to acting which is the expression of other peoples writing and where I follow directions. Acting will always be my first love but I do plan on doing both for the rest of my career.

Looking back over your career I see that I saw some of your movies and TV performances long before I knew you as Kevin from American Pie. You actually played a young Tony Danza in Who’s the Boss? and I have to admit you still resembled him at times in Delivering the Goods especially I noticed your profile reminds me of a younger Tony Danza. What was it like being a kid star in films like Radio Flyer or Rookie of the Year? Later on you were in star-studded casts from Party of Five to Rules of Attraction and of course the American Pie films. Looking back what has your TV & Film career meant to your life and what does your future hold?

I'm 32 and I've been acting for 26 years. I've been playing music for 16 years. Entertainment is my life. I think it's safe to say that I'm a little past the point of getting a haircut and getting a real job. Delivering the Goods is a warm hearted comedy while my future acting roles will be taking a turn for the dramatic side. Drama was my forte when I started acting in 1986 and I've decided to finally reopen that door with my upcoming film "the Lost Tree" that I produced and starred in. You'll hopefully be seeing some more projects that I'll be developing, producing and writing in the next few years.

Have you felt typecast at all from your roles in the American Pie series? Has it led to any problems getting roles or has it been more of a help leading to other roles?

The American Pie franchise has opened up a number of doors for my career. I've been very fortunate to avoid being typecast. Playing Abbie Hoffman in 'the Chicago 8' recently was a good example of the diversity I've been able to explore in the roles that I portray. My favorite actors are character leads like Daniel Day Lewis, Gary Oldman and Johnny Depp. I'm doing my best to follow in their footsteps.

I wanted to ask for a moment what led to your role in Halloween Resurrection? What was it like being in a Jamie Lee Curtis Halloween film? Most of your movies are comedies and feel-good roles. As a huge Halloween fan I just had to ask what led Thomas Ian Nicholas to be in a Halloween film and do the Halloween fans approach you about it as we Halloween fans tend to be crazy about actors in the series. Are you a fan of the series and did you like being in a Halloween film?

Around the time of making American Pie 2 was a busy time for me. I remember filming Stealing Sinatra, Halloween Resurrection and Rules of Attraction all in the same year. I thought that it would be cool that my first horror movie was part of the Halloween legacy. I also got the chance to choose between a couple of characters. I could either die 3rd in the film or 3rd to last. I've seen so many horror movies and knowing all the pitfalls I thought it would be so cool to be a semi-recognizable face but die much earlier than the audience expected. My own little inside joke.

Back to Delivering the Goods. The film is easily relatable as a guy struggling to pay his bills & keep a roof over his head and getting passed over for the head chef job despite working his tail off. How much of this have you lived as an actor growing up? The lives of actors and writers tend to go along the same paths of struggle to try to achieve a measure of success. Do you see any similarities between your character Steven and what you've experienced in real life over the years as an actor?

I think anyone with a dream can relate to the struggle that Steve faces in this film. Sometimes you've gotta take the road less traveled or zig zag even though your ego wants to forge forward. But that's the cost of chasing your dream. The real trick is to not forget about your dream while your doing the side gig to get by. I've certainly experienced this with accepting roles that weren't my first choice but I know that there's a bigger picture and sometimes you can't see it. Just like Steve in Delivering the goods.

What are the differences for you in acting in an independent type movie like Delivering the Goods versus something along the lines of American Pie? What's the draw for you in a smaller or bigger movie?

Indie films certainly give me the opportunity to explore more in depth characters or in the case of this film, a slice of life. It's a cute story with a lot of heart and indie films give a story like this a chance to be told. I really love making movies no matter what the budget is. Bringing a character to life is a lot of fun.

You’ve written and directed a movie L.A D.J. How did that come about? What was that experience like and do you see yourself doing more writing and directing?

LADJ was a story that my brother Tim came up with and he invited me to write it with him. It was an amazing learning experience and it changed my life and career. I think that every actor should work on the other side of the camera because it really gives you a greater appreciation of all the work going on around the actors before they even get on set and long after they go home. I will definitely do more writing and directing in the future.

The Italian aspect of Delivering the Goods seemed to be a big part of the movie. Stereotypes of Italians often hit up more on the mobster side of things but when it comes down to it Italians are often known for the wonderful food they brought to this country and world like Pizza, Pastas and the like. You spoke fluid Italian in the movie. How big is it to speak Italian in your life? Did you have to brush up on the language or is that all just natural for you? What are some of your favorite Italian meals?

I had to learn how to speak italian for this role. I got some help from my friend's dad before I arrived in NYC for filming. I also had some major help from my co-star Federico Castelluccio with my italian as well. As far as italian meals? I love ALL italian food. My wife's cousin owns an italian restaurant close to where we live called "Mazzarinos" I always order the pizza or the Pollo Rolatina which is a chicken stuffed with proscuitto, pine nuts, cheese, fresh tomato, topped with roasted red peppers, mushroom sauce.

The opening scene of the film shows Vinnie, the guy your character ends up partnering with as a Deliveryman delivering packages and all the wacky things that happens from a dog attacking a box and ripping it up to one getting soaked by a fire hydrant. Your first scene in the movie you open the door and trip over a box. It reminds me of the scene in Ace Ventura when Jim Carrey is doing hilarious things to the box he delivers in the opening. I'm sure you've gotten banged up boxes delivered to you. Have you ever wondered how those boxes get all beat up?

I think the opening sequence pretty much sums up how it happens.

If you had a choice between being a Chef and a Deliveryman which would you choose and which would you be more suited for?

I would probably choose to be a chef, but I would only want to serve at a very small restaurant. A lot of my best dishes tend to not be as good when I'm cooking for large groups of people.

A lot of your roles seem to be as the nice everyday guy. My personal stance on it is actors tend to do roles that are extensions of themselves to a degree outside of special performances. Jack Nicholson's roles are often as an over-the-top scary kind of guy not far from what people think of him in real life. Your roles are usually the nice guy everyone likes and feels they know and can rely on. How much of yourself is Steve in Delivering the Goods or Kevin in the American Pie films? Which is closer to the real Thomas Ian Nicholas?

There's a bit of myself in every role that I play. It's difficult to explain my process of character development and how I create their backstory to fill in the gaps from what the script tells me about them. Most of the time the directors get involved in this process with me. This was the case with both American Pie and Delivering the Goods. There happens to be a bit more similarities Kevin Myers's backstory with my own. However, the real me is expressed though my music. Most people that know me personally would attest that my onstage performance with my band is more me than any character that I've played.

Wrapping up this interview I just want to say Thank You for the opportunity to interview you. I'm a big fan of yours. What does the future hold for Thomas Ian Nicholas? Any upcoming movies you care to announce? Band tour dates? Anything else you care to say to your fans or plug such as websites etc?

Thank you for taking the time to ask me such in depth questions. You've really done your research. I hope to continue doing the things that I love, making movies and music. I've got a few upcoming films that will be out in 2013 and 2104. First is "Ten Cent Pistol" with Joe Mantegna and Jena Malone. And then "the Lost Tree" with Lacey Chabert, Scott Grimes, Clare Kramer and Michael Madsen. This is one where I'm producing and acting so I'm very excited about it. There's a teaser trailer on youtube. and then of course there's "Delivering the Goods" which is available on demand and iTunes now.

My band is currently writing for our 5th album. We've got some exciting co-writes involved on this upcoming record, including Caleb Turman of Forever the Sickest Kids. The band and I are planning another tour for the UK in the late spring, the US in the summer and hopefully a return to Germany in the fall. But of course this all depends on getting things confirmed and what comes along the way as far as movies and such.

I'm really active on twitter, instagram and facebook. I run all the sites myself so feel free to follow, like a pic, drop me a line. the easiest way to find me is through my website www.TINband.com which has links to all that stuff. There's also some free downloads, music videos and an up to date news feed. See ya online

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Michael Clarke Duncan Dead at 54

Posted by joecooler2u on Monday, September 3rd 2012

Best known for his roles in films like "The Green Mile" alongside Tom Hanks for which he recieved an Oscar nomination and "The Whole Nine Yards" co-starring with Bruce Willis and Matthew Perry, Michael Clarke Duncan passed away at the age of 54. Having suffered a myocardial infarction on July 13th the actor had been at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles since that time recieving treatments and never fully recoving from the massive heart attack to the gentle giant.

On July 13th his fiancee reality TV personality Rev. Omarosa Manigault, gave him cpr saving his life until paramedics arrived. Michael Duncan Clarke made his start in Hollywood as a bodyguard for Will Smith, Jamie Foxx and others. He had been a bodyguard for Notorious BIG prior to his murder before switching assignments leading him to quit as a bodyguard and pursue acting as a full-time profession.

After co-starring with Bruce Willis in "Armageddon", Willis recommended Michael Clarke Duncan for the role he will be best remembered as gentle giant John Coffey in "The Green Mile" co-starring Tom Hanks. Michael Clarke Duncan went on to co-star with Bruce Willis in other memorable films such as "Breakfast of Champions", "The Whole Nine Yards" and "Sin City".

According to statement released by publicist Joy Fehily “Manigault is grateful for all of your prayers and asks for privacy at this time. Celebrations of his life, both private and public, will be announced at a later date.” In recent times Michael Clarke Duncan had become a vegetarian in order to slim down and get healthier.

Michael Clarke Duncan also starred or co-starred in other films and TV shows such as "Daredevil", "Talledega Nights", "Kung Fu Panda", "School for Scoundrels", "Brother Bear" as well as TV shows to his credit such as "Two and a Half Men" alongside Charlie Sheen, “The Apprentice,” ‘’The Finder,” and “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody.” His earlier credits in TV and films included roles as a bodyguard or bouncer in such roles as “Bulworth,” ‘’A Night at the Roxbury” and “The Players Club.”

We here at Movie-Vault.com would like to extend our deepest sympathies to Omarosa Manigault and Michael Clarke Duncan's friends, family and loved ones. Feel free to discuss this at Movie-Vault's forums.

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Cast Set for Luc Besson’s Malavita

Posted by Julian Boyance on Tuesday, July 24th 2012

(Beverly Hills, Calif.) July 18, 2012 – EuropaCorp and Relativity Media have announced final casting for all of the principal roles in their comedic actioner Malavita directed by Luc Besson (Taken, Transporter). Oscar®-Winner Robert De Niro (Limitless, Meet The Parents) will be joined by Oscar®-Nominee Michelle Pfeiffer (Dark Shadows, People Like Us), Oscar®-Winner Tommy Lee Jones (No Country For Old Men, Men in Black), Dianna Agron (Glee, I Am Number Four) and John D’Leo (The Wrestler, Wanderlust) in the film set to go into production this summer. Malavita is the story of the Manzonis, a notorious mafia family who gets relocated to Normandy, France under the witness protection program. While they do their best to fit in, old habits die hard and they soon find themselves handling things the “family” way.The script is adapted by Besson from the book Badfellas by author Tonino Benacquista. Pre-production will begin in July with filming set for August at La Cité du Cinéma, where the brand new Studios de Paris are located. Additional shooting will take place in Normandy, France and New York. The film will bow in 2013 with Relativity handling US distribution as well as working with its foreign output partners on the film’s release in the UK, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Spain, Greece, Thailand and CIS. EuropaCorp will take on distribution in France and handle international sales.

Looking ahead, Relativity will release the edge-of-your seat thriller House at the End of the Street (in theatres September 21, 2012) and the hilarious comedy 21 and Over (in theatres March 15, 2013). Relativity is currently in post-production on Scott Cooper’s gritty dramatic thriller currently-titled Out of the Furnace and is production on the film adaptation of Nicholas Sparks’ best-selling Safe Haven (in theatres February 8, 2013).

EuropaCorp is currently in production on Taken 2 which it will distribute in France and with its partners in Germany, Scandinavia and Russia. Fox will handle the distribution of the film in the US and throughout its international distribution organization. The company is also in production on Mobius directed by Éric Rochant and starring Oscar®-Winner Jean DuJardin, Cécile De France and Tim Roth.

Courtesy: Allied-THA

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Nolan's Dark Knight Rises to Infamy

Posted by rorydean on Friday, July 20th 2012

No one could have predicted the tragic events that unfolded only hours ago like a dream, the nightmare all too real in this world as any Christopher Nolan could have made up. In the cool early morning of weeks end, not long after the midnight release of one of the most anticipated films in recent memory, a troubled man let loose his animosity with all the devastating details of a Hollywood movie no one would have imagined.

What started as a time of celebration and excitement with the release of Nolan’s final installment in his three picture deal with Warner Bros. took a tragic twist of fate today, Friday July 20th, 2012 at 12:30am in a packed movie theater in Aurora Colorado when a man wearing a gas mask entered the theater, set off a smoke bomb and opened fire. The details are still being pieced together but 12 people have been reported dead and many others injured, the story flooding traditional news outlets and social networks in an avalanche. Headlines have been hijacked by the rush to figure it out, not knowing what to say, scattered sentiments filled with uncertainty, anger and sadness. Celebrities have responded, Hollywood has gone on record and even President Obama has offered heartfelt condolences. It doesn’t seem real, it shouldn’t be. Christopher Nolan’s troubled franchise comes to an end with The Dark Knight Rises, already in the record books for many accomplishments, now forever marred by art imitating life a little too close for all our sake.

It's impossible to distance the tragic events surrounding Christopher Nolan’s second film, The Dark Knight in 2008 when co-star Heath Ledger died with today's tragedy. There is no way to know how much of a role Ledger's death factored into the films incredible success - earning over $1 billion dollars in world-wide box office receipts, or how it might have contributed to praise, condemnation and criticism. Nolan's first film, Batman Begins was released to much interest and curiosity in 2005 and went on to establish a lasting connection with audiences, consistently earning high marks by review aggregators Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic. People have embraced Nolan’s efforts to humanize the iconic anti-hero, to revisit his past in order to inform a more rewarding and substantive future. Within Nolan’s most respected choices are his use of universal themes of personal triumph and development, showing characters coming to terms with loss and the impossibilities of right and wrong in the name of justice. Nolan’sGotham City is frightening familiar, driven close to home in many ways, purposeful commentary that he could not know would become if not a mirror held up to show us our own troubled injustices then a reminder how life and art are intimately linked.

In the wake of last night’s shooting, Warner Bros. has taken an active approach in down playing commercial concerns for more human ones, delaying the release of box office receipts and canceling press junkets, the Paris premiere and other events. It’s hard to know what is going to happen moving forward. The final film has been packaged with the second-widest release in history behind “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse” with early figures already estimating that the film and the franchise will be the biggest commercial success in movie history. For now it's too soon to celebrate anything, we just have to get through the days ahead.

Sources:

http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2012/07/20/dark-knight-faces-another-tragedy/

http://www.eonline.com/news/331829/dark-knight-rises-tragedy-president-obama-celebs-react-to-colorado-shooting

http://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2012/07/dark_knight_rises_tragedy_is_t.html

http://wgna.com/mass-shooting-at-dark-night-premiere-in-colorado/

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The Avengers

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American Pie star Thomas Ian Nicholas on new movie Delivering the Goods!

Michael Clarke Duncan Dead at 54

Cast Set for Luc Besson’s Malavita

Nolan's Dark Knight Rises to Infamy