Full of life and clearly in love with her craft, Alice Braga is a very mesmerizing and intelligent woman. When we chatted a few days ago about her upcoming film Kill Me Three Times, it felt more like two girls getting coffee than a formal interview. While we sat and giggled our way through the conversation, Alice talked about her instant chemistry with Luke Hemsworth, her love of stunt work, and the importance of taking on fast-paced action roles as a woman in Hollywood.

Kalyn Corrigan: How did you go about signing onto this film? What was the process like? Did your agent ask you to audition, did the director come and speak with you and say he’s seen your previous work and he loves you? What was that whole process like?

Alice Braga: Laurence Malkin, he was one of the producers, one of the American producers, he’s my agent’s brother, and actually I got attached to the project, it came to me like years ago. I can’t even remember how many, but I think like four years ago maybe? It was a long, long, time ago, and they actually had another director attached to it, and we spoke. I was curious about it, it wasn’t certain, but time went by and when they attached Kriv to direct, they called me and said “Look, we have this director, it’s going to happen”, and they started pulling together a bunch of different actors which was super interesting, and I was already ready, in a way, for the project. So it came through the producer, and then it came together with my desire to work with Kriv, I’ve seen Boxing Day and I loved it, and Red Dog so it was interesting how it came about. I think it was meant to be, in a way, because I was the first one to be attached. Before everyone else.

KC: Before anyone? So what was it that drew you to the script? Was it the director mainly that made you want to do this film?

AB: I mean I was curious about the story when they told me a long, long time ago. The script was super different. Well, not super different, but it had changes, and got better and better and better, but when Kriv got attached, and Simon and everybody pulling together, it just became interesting in the sense of not knowing whether it was going to be a drama or a comedy but a halfway through and Simon’s such a phenomenal actor that it was just interesting to see what he was going to bring, and I think he brings it.

KC: Yeah, definitely. So, since you were the first to be attached, what was it like when Luke Hemsworth came along? Was there instant chemistry? Was it something that grew over the course of filming?

AB: I did a chemistry reading with different actors and Luke was one of them, and actually, funny enough I have the same manager that Luke has. I knew Chris [Hemsworth] before because he was around L.A., and I met him a couple of years before meeting Luke, so I knew of him and all that, but it was great, he’s such a wonderful guy. I remember when reading, he was very honest and truthful in the scene that we were doing and I really liked his work, and right away, there was a connection. On set, we became good friends because he was far away from his family, I was far away from my family, even though his family is in Australia, so it just came up like very natural and I think through mutual respect toward how we were facing the characters, I think Luke was very honest with his feelings in the character and in the moment, very truthful. So it was great, it was wonderful to work with him.

KC: Do you think that had a positive effect on the film?

AB: I think so, definitely, I mean I hope so (laughs). People are starting to see it now, because I’ve only spoken to managers and actors and agents and producers so you never know. It’s nice to have other people’s point of view, but I think so, definitely, yeah.

KC: What was it like filming the action scenes? There’s a lot of crazy stunts. Did you do any of those yourself?

AB: I did almost everything. There’s a stunt girl that did some, like she did the rolling down the hill one and all that because I couldn’t do it, she did a lot actually, but some of them I wanted to do myself, especially because of camera-wise and all that. It’s fun to make, especially. Apart from that, you bring more reality to it. I love those things, like for me, it’s like Disneyland. I’m like, “Let’s do it!” It’s like a kid playing in the playground. So yeah, it was a challenge, physically you need to be ready for it and not hurt yourself, but of course, I know my boundaries. But it was a lot of fun. I hope people can notice it’s me, then it’s worth it to go through it.

KC: Were there any stunts that you wanted to do that the crew was like “no, it’s too dangerous, you can’t!”

AB: Rolling down the hill. (Laughs)

KC: Yeah, you wanted to do that? (Laughs)

AB: I mean, it looked fun. I was like, “Let’s roll!” But they wouldn’t let me do it. I mean, there was a lot of rocks, they would never let me do it, and I would never do it. I’m just saying that to be cool. I’m kidding. (Laughs)

KC: So did you go through a lot of training for your action scenes, or was it just something that you did on your own time?

AB: I always train myself and I’ve done a lot of action films, so it was something that was natural for me. I work out normally and all that, even though in Australia I was a bit lazy, because it was just so beautiful I would go to the beach with wine in my bag and that’s it. But normally, I’m kind of ready for it. I did a couple of action films that kind of like made me be ready for these type of things, but for this one, no, I think it was just something that I threw myself into it.

KC: Yeah I’ve noticed, looking at your film resume, that there’s a lot of action films and a lot of fast-paced thrillers, so was is it that brings you back, that draws you to this genre?

AB: I love making films no matter what, I come from independent films in Brazil, very indie, small drama films and since I came to the U.S., that door opened, like I did I Am Legend, then I did Predators, then I did Repo Men. There were some type of films that came in my direction and the doors opened for me to work on these types of projects, and I think, especially being a foreigner, those were the types of films that were open for a foreigner, and that was very interesting. I kind of like doing the auditions and getting the parts so I think it was a happy coincidence. I have so much fun and I love them so much, and it’s great, because I got the chance to work with great directors and actors that helped me to learn a lot about acting, but also about these types of projects, so it’s fun.

KC: It’s really cool that you’re willing to take on those roles.

AB: I love it. And it’s so funny because sometimes I get like very strong and powerful women, and I look at myself, and I’m like, I am like 5’2 or 5’3 (laughs), and I’m like really? Me with a gun? Like in Predators I’m a sniper and I remember when we were filming, I was like “Who is gonna believe this? Guys, come on. Look at this rifle. This is not believable.” And everyone, after the film was released, all the fans and everyone were like “Oh my god!” They believed it! I was like “Oh thank god they believed it.” Because I’m just like 5’3, very short, very tiny girl. It was fun, it was great. I love these types of films. I think physically and emotionally it’s always good when you have to change yourself and mutate yourself through a character.

KC: And that’s so great that you’re willing to do that, and the definition of roles for women in Hollywood is growing and expanding in definition. So, how important is it for you to take on these roles that would normally be reserved for a man in the past?

AB: I think it’s great! I think we’re in a moment that there are so many good female characters, and so many chances, especially like for Latins, to do so many different types of roles. I mean of course there’s Latins in films, but now, it’s not necessarily critical for the character to be Latin, it doesn’t need to be said that this person has to be Latin, a Latin person might just take the role. And I think for women, it’s a wonderful moment. I just did a pilot for a series called Queen of the South that is for USA Network, which we’re gonna figured out if it’s going to get picked up, but it’s a female character and she’s Latin and it’s a very strong character that survives through escaping from the drug dealers that try to kill her and all that, and her own journey starts. You can see nowadays how many strong female characters are coming up as heroes through T.V. and through movies, and I think it’s wonderful. There’s so many ways that you can tell a story with a female lead and it’s wonderful. I think we’re in a nice moment. I hope it keeps going.

KC: Definitely, keep it rolling. What more can you tell me about the show, Queen of the South?

AB: Not much, actually. (Laughs) I told you basically all that I could. No, but, it’s based on a book by this Spanish writer Arturo Pérez-Reverte. He’s a really good writer, and it’s a very famous book, it’s been out for a long time. They tried to make a film I think five or six years ago, and it just approved for the series, and that’s it. It’s about this Mexican girl that lives in Mexico and suddenly her life just spins around she goes through a journey of going through the drug dealing, cocaine world.

KC: When can we expect to see this?

AB: I don’t know, I mean, if it gets picked up, I think October, but we’re still not sure. They haven’t started the tests, you know, with pilots it’s like let it float through the universe and pray.

KC: So, I’m very curious, since you worked with Neill Blomkamp before on Elysium, and he attached to direct the new Alien movie, is there any chance that you might make an appearance in this film?

AB: I haven’t talked to him in a long time, so I have no idea. I would love it if I could be attached to it, I would love to work with him again but I don’t know. I don’t know anything, actually. I was filming when I heard that he was attached to it and I was super happy because I think that Neill is such a young, bright talent. I think he’s so unique, and what he brought with District 9, he was so amazing, and having a chance to work with him on Elysium was such an honor because you see a guy that was like, I think 32 on set? But he was so secure and so passionate and so sure of what he wanted that it was inspiring. When I heard that he was doing Alien, I was so happy. One, for him, because I know how much he loves it, and two, for the project because I think he’s gonna bring a lot to it.

KC: Yeah, I think his style is gonna be great for that.

AB: Yes, I hope he hires me. Put it out there. (Laughs) I’m kidding.

KC: Are there any other upcoming projects that you’d like to discuss? I know you have By Way of Helena coming up.

AB: Yes, I did that last year with Liam Hemsworth, funny enough. I am all about the Hemsworth brothers. I love it. Liam is a sweetheart, we did that with Woody [Harrelson] as well. It’s a beautiful story, it’s a period piece so it was wonderful to get the chance to work with both of them, but especially, to do this project. But really, to see Liam in such a different role, I think people are going to be blown away by his performance. He’s a very beautiful, strong ranger and it’s a nice story. Very crazy. And Woody’s amazing.

The post [Interview] Alice Braga on Being A Female Action Star & ‘Kill Me Three Times’ appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

I caught up with Simon Pegg a few days ago, and we chatted briefly about his time as an assassin on the set of Kill Me Three Times. In the interview, we discuss what it’s like to play a villain, the legacy and cult following of Shaun of the Dead, and his collaborative process with screenwriter Doug Jung on the upcoming Star Trek 3.

Kalyn Corrigan: How did you go about joining this project? What was the process like?

Simon Pegg: Well, I got the script sent to me and I’d had a really sort of busy year in terms of travel. I’d been all over the world, and I’d spent a long time away from home, and it was the end of the year and I didn’t really want to go away again. Particularly, not to the other side of the world because it just felt like too much and I was planning on sort of just being with my family for the rest of the year. But, I read it, and it was a great script, and it felt like something I really wanted to do, a character that I wanted to play, so I said, “I’d like to do this, but can you shoot me out in two weeks?” Because that was sort of like not saying no, because I didn’t want to say no. And they said okay! So I started talking to Kriv on the phone and email just sort of getting Charlie’s sort of look and stuff, and I went out and did all of my stuff in one specific block, which I am eternally grateful for, because it meant that they had to shoot the beginning and the end of the movie in the same week, but it meant that I could do it. Sometimes when a script comes along, it’s hard to say no if it seems that fun.

KC: I know that you’re usually known for playing sweet and endearing nice guys in your films, so how much fun was it to play the villain?

SP: Oh it was great! I liked the fact that the movie asks you to sort of side with the most evil character, in a way. It’s like Charlie is the audience’s way into Eagle’s Nest and all of the other characters are sort of seen through his eyes. It was an interesting proposition to have the bad guy be the audience’s POV. I just really liked the idea of playing such an amoral bastard. He’s fun, even though he’s horrible.

KC: Yeah, by the end of the film I would definitely say that he’s probably the most morally sound character.

SP: Probably, yeah. (Laughs) At least he has principles. They’re warped and dreadful principles, but at least he sticks to them.

KC: Definitely. So, what was your relationship like with your costars?

SP: Oh we had a great time. It was one of those where we all hit the ground running. We all sort of arrived at the same time, and we were staying at a casino in Perth and all hanging out with each other. I really, immediately bonded with Sullivan Stapleton and Alice and Teresa. It’s fortunate when you get an ensemble group if you all gel because it just makes things a lot easier and a lot happier, you know? I think I’m a big believer in a happy set, meaning better work. And also having Bryan Brown, Bryan, who’s a bit of a legend. Not just an Aussie legend, but F/X, F/X2, Cocktail, to work with an elder statesman was great, and have him be nice, as well. You can kind of forgive older actors for being a bit jaded and sort of a bit unfriendly, but he was so lovely, which was nice. It was fortunate. That’s stage one, always, is “are we going to get on?” I think being away from home, we were all staying in Perth, all staying in the same hotel. Me and Sully and Luke used to go work out together, so you know, bonding. Bonding on the weights machines.

KC: So, in both Kill Me Three Times and Hot Fuzz, you seem pretty sure handed with a gun. So, did you undergo a lot of training, or is this something that you’ve been doing for a long time?

SP: I mean, we don’t really have any access to that kind of fire power at home in the U.K., but obviously when you do a film, even a comedy like Hot Fuzz, you’re trained with a weapon. So, I did a day’s training with a weapon for Kill Me Three Times. I had to look like I knew what I was doing so, with the big range rifle and even the smaller guns you got to look like you know how to use them. So, I had a fun day just firing those off, but if you gave me one now I wouldn’t know what to do with it. (Laughs)

KC: Or so you say.

SP: Yeah. (Laughs)

KC: Looking back at the legacy of Shaun of the Dead, what does it mean to you to have such a strong cult following over the last ten years, and especially the reception in America, which has been extremely positive?

SP: Yeah, it’s lovely. I mean you do each job and you never really know what will come off of each job. You can speculate and have faith in it, but you never really know if it’s gonna be a hit or a miss or what. I think Shaun of the Dead was a handy calling card for us, it was our first movie, so for it to be embraced like it was here has meant for huge opportunities which has been great, so I’ll always have a deep affection for that movie. And I think, what we were talking about, you know in the U.K. we grow up watching a lot of American culture, you know, a lot of American television. The U.K. television buys up American T.V. so, and obviously cinema, we watch a lot of. So, for us, we were speaking a language that I think the American audiences understood. It the zombie movie, which is an American tradition, we just sort of put it through the skewer of the British point of view, and I think that’s why it kind of hit, is because people got it. It didn’t feel foreign to the American audience. It felt familiar. So, to build up a cult following has been handy, to say the least.

KC: Are you and Edgar Wright working on a new trilogy perhaps?

SP: He’s emailing me today, saying “When can we talk? Can we meet?” And I’m like, “Yeah, but I’ve got a lot of stuff to do.” Uh, absolutely. I don’t know about a trilogy. I mean, Shaun of the Dead, we never knew that it would evolve into three movies, but when we made Hot Fuzz, we realized that we were able to to sort of like do variations on a theme, and then wrap it up quite neatly into a three movie series. The next film that we do won’t have to be banned by any of the rules that the Cornetto films were. They had to be set in the U.K., in a contemporary setting. The ones that follow, whether they are in a group or single, they won’t have to do that. It’s our oyster, kind of. I hope.

KC: With shows like The X-Files and Twin Peaks making a big return to television, do you think that there might be a chance that Spaced might jump on the bandwagon and come back to life?

SP: Yeah, that’s very exciting. Um, I don’t know. I think it would be very hard to get Edgar back to television now. Although, having said that, television is a far more cinematic thing than it used to be. Television series now are more like long form films, and the kind of actors that television attracts, you know, it seems to be where a lot of serious acting is happening. But to get Edgar back into a sitcom would be very difficult. Because, when you watch Spaced, you can see that he was always going to be a film director, and now he’s in the world that he was aiming at. And we couldn’t make Spaced without Edgar. I don’t know if it would be worth doing anyway, because it was about a very specific time in our lives, and we were speaking to a specific generation of people. I’m forty-five now, you know, Tim was like twenty-seven, so I don’t know if I could ever go back. It would have to be something for like, crusty millennials it would have to be as kind of relevant for old people.

KC: Well you don’t look a day over thirty.

SP: Bless your heart.

KC: So, you’re attached to write the upcoming Star Trek 3 film. Congratulations, that’s such an honor.

SP: Yeah, it is, thank you.

KC: So I was wondering, since you and Doug Jung are writing the script together, what’s the collaborative process with him like?

SP: Doug and I met for the first time a few weeks ago in London, and we kind of hit it off, fortunately, he’s a cool guy. We’re also working with a team of Bad Robot, with Lindsey Weber and Bryan Burk, who are friends we both know, and Justin Lin, obviously, who’s directing. It’s not an ideal way to work, to be, sort of like “okay, we need to make this film in four months, write it”. You have to kind of make it backwards. The production wants stuff. They’re like, “So what are we building? What are we designing?” We’re kind of having to come up with ideas and give them to production before we’re even sure that they’re the right ideas. But so far, it’s working out alright. Necessity is the mother of invention, and we’re in a very necessity type situation at the moment. I’m hoping to get to Bad Robot while I’m here and put in a few hours over there, and then Doug will come over to the U.K. next week and we’ll keep plugging away at it.

KC: Yeah, I was going to ask, do you spend a lot of time together? Or is it mainly on the phone, or on Skype?

SP: If I’m writing collaboratively, I want to be in the room with that person, because there’s just no substitute for it. I’ve had, before, when we started, this sort of creative meetings. I was on a conference call to Bad Robot, trying to get in to the conversation and not really being able to because I wasn’t in the room, you know. We will have to do a little bit of long distance stuff, because that’s just the way it is, but hopefully, as much as we can, we’ll be together in the room.

KC: Is it like, you write a couple of pages, and then he writes a couple of pages —

SP: We haven’t gotten that far yet. At the moment we’re fleshing out the outline. We’ve arrived at a story, and started to fill in the sort of detail, but until we get more specific, then we’ll be like, “you write that scene, I’ll write this scene”. It remains to be seen exactly how we’ll do it. It’s a learning process.

KC: So what is your process like Doug like vs. your writing process with Edgar Wright?

SP: Well with Edgar, we usually have a lot more time, for starters. It’s not like the sands of time are running out as they are with Star Trek. They want Star Trek out in 2016 because it’s the fiftieth anniversary, so, we are going into production in the summer no matter what. With Edgar, we’ll sit and talk, we’ll go away for the weekend together and just come up with ideas, and then we’ll sit and maybe just watch movies, just to get ourselves in the mood. And we live, or we did live close, now he lives here, but we usually get into an office together. We’ll put the script onto a big screen, and one of us will type and keep pace, and we swap and alternate, always in the same room, though.

KC: Always in the same room?

SP: Yeah, yeah. Because otherwise, if you’re doing stuff on your own, it’ll invariably change, because the collaborative process is compromise and meeting of minds. You might write a scene on your own and then give it to the other one and then they’ll change it, and then they send it back to you, and then you have to change it again, but if you’re in the same room together, that cuts out a lot of leg work.

KC: Has your process changed over the course of time?

SP: It’s evolved, I think. When I look back at Shaun of the Dead, it’s not changed that much, we’re just better at it, I think. We’re just technically better at the whole process.

KC: Yeah, you have it down to a T now.

SP: (Laughs) Yeah, we’ve written a few, so we kind of know how to do it, kind of thing. We’re not feeling our way as much as we did in the first place.

KC: Is there anything you can tell me about Star Trek 3?

SP: God no.

KC: Doesn’t hurt to try.

SP: (Laughs) There’s not much I know about it, to be honest. No, absolutely. And you know, J.J., as a producer of this film and a director of the others, has always instilled in us the importance of protecting the audience from themselves. You know, people kind of, even people who don’t want spoilers will kind of crave knowledge about things because they just want to know something going in. I think the best way to watch any film is to go in blind. In a way, trailers are detrimental to the experience of watching film. Something J.J. gets criticized for is that all he’s doing is trying to protect the experience of the audience, so they go in and they’re genuinely surprised by it. So you’ll hear nothing from me.

KC: So, what about your other upcoming projects? I read that you’re going to be in a film called Man Up.

SP: Yes, Man Up. It’s gonna be at Tribeca Film Festival, it’s out in the U.K. on May 29th. I did that with Lake Bell who is an American actress who does a very convincing British accent in the movie, she plays a Brit in the movie. She’s an amazing actress. That’s coming out.

KC: What’s that about?

SP: It’s an unashamedly traditional romantic comedy. It’s written by a writer called Tess Morris who wrote the script on Spec for Big Talk Productions who made Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, because she likes the production company. It was just a really, really fun romantic comedy that didn’t kind of apologize for what it was. In fact, it embraced what it was and as such is more honest, I think, and more enjoyable than any recent attempts at the genre where they’ve tried to undercut it or be subversive. The fact is, we know the journey of the romantic comedy, it’s the root we go to watch it for, it’s to see how they get to the end. And it was just a really appealing idea and it’s about a woman who accidentally, or purposely deceives a guy into thinking that she’s his blind date, because she is mistaken for his blind date she just thinks, “Oh, fuck it. I’m just gonna go along with it.” So they end up having this crazy night together and then the truth is out, and then, you know, love blossoms.

KC: That’s great. So, what can you tell me about Mission: Impossible 5?

SP: That we finished it.

KC: You did? Wow! (Laughs)

SP: We did, like two weeks ago, we wrapped, and the trailer just broke online, which is really exciting.

KC: It looks fantastic.

SP: Yeah, I think it’s gonna be great, I’m really excited about it. It was a real fun shoot. You know, I’ve played Benji three times now, and it’s really nice to keep coming back to him and seeing how he changes, because he’s gone on his own little journey through the last three movies, from being a schlub in the lab, to being a full on agent, and he’s still the same guy essentially. He’s still the guy who knows how to work the technical stuff, but you know, his experiences have informed his as well, so he’s not the sort of newbie that he was in Ghost Protocol. He’s been out there a little bit. He’s more of a bit more hardened, which is kind of cool to say.

KC: Yeah, a bit more of an action star.

SP: Yeah, he’s not as much of an ingenue, it doesn’t mean that he’s changed in any way.

The post [Interview] Simon Pegg Discusses New Film ‘Kill Me Three Times’ appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

A few days ago, I was lucky enough to sit down and have a talk with Luke Hemsworth about his latest project. In the interview, Luke talks about what it’s like working with Alice Braga, what it’s like to work with firearms, and his love of surfing.

Kalyn Corrigan: How did you come to join this film? Were you approached by the director, or did your agent ask you to audition? What was the process like?

Luke Hemsworth: Uh, both actually. I spoke to Kriv and had a great little Skype chat with Kriv about the project and what we thought about it and kinda fell in love with him. And it didn’t really work for a little while and then I came back to do some chemistry reads with Alice and I’ve never met Alice before, but my brothers both had so it was kind of uh, there was a familiarity there, which was really easy. The chemistry was great, it was very relaxed and it felt right.

KC: Did she join first or did you?

LH: She’d been attached right from the start, I think. Maybe a year or two, they were trying to get the project up and running. Actually, when we met again she said our chemistry felt you know good and a little bit better than the others, so that was nice.

KC: Was that chemistry instant, or was it something that grew over the course of filming?

LH: I think both. I think there’s an instant chemistry. I think there’s always like, like the psychology of dogs. When you meet someone, there’s an initial reaction and then as you get to know them, things change, things deepen, or they go the other way. You can always kind of tell in those first few moments whether or not you’re gonna get along, and we got along, and then we became great friends.

KC: What kind of affect do you think that had on the film?

LH: I think a huge effect. I think it just makes everything so much easier when you spend so much time together waiting and talking and going through things and helping each other with scenes, and it just creates an underlying tone which can otherwise not be there. It definitely helped me.

KC: What was your relationship like with the rest of your costars? I know you worked with Callan Mulvey previously.

LH: Yeah, great, I love Cal. We’re still good friends to this day, we actually went to his, well, I didn’t go, but the rest of my family went to his son’s play recently. I loved the cast, we had a great relationship with Simon, Sullivan I’m still friends with as well. And Bryan Brown, I kind of felt like he was a member of my family, like he was my uncle or something. There was instantly an affinity there, yeah, odd and awesome at the same time. You spend your life looking at these people, emulating them, and all of a sudden you’re talking to them, and performing with them, and it’s a wonderful honor.

KC: I know that for some of your more recent work, you worked in America and in the U.K. so how nice was it to go back to Australia, and work with an Australian director?

LH: Oh, it’s amazing, yeah I love it. There’s a level of ease that comes with working in Australia that can be missed working in other places. Yeah, it’s just, that place, I felt a really kind of close connection to that land. I took my surf board, and I was out on the surf. I spent a lot of time surfing and exploring the countryside.

KC: Do you spend a lot of time surfing?

LH: Yeah, yeah, we always have. Up in the little surfing community, mom and dad still have a place there, and it’s something that’s always been a huge part of my life. I think it’s the one thing that keeps me calm. It makes me a better person, surfing, I think. It’s a great outlet.

KC: Yeah, like kind of cathartic?

LH: It’s very, very cathartic. That one thing, if you find that one thing you can do and think about nothing else, then that’s the key.

KC: Yeah. So I guess it’s a little bit easier to do that in Australia than it would be here?

LH: Yes and no, there’s great surf here, it can be a little bit more fickle. You have to chase it a little bit more and dodge the crowds, but there’s wonderful surf here.

KC: Did you have much experience with guns before this film?

LH: Um, very very little. I did a project with Cal, the Bikie Wars: Brothers in Arms and that was the first time I handled a gun, I think, and it was a big pump action shotgun.

KC: Wow.

LH: Yeah, and the subject matter was very touchy, but I think there’s a part of me who as a kid, who, you know, you love movies and you see those slow-mo action shots with bullets spinning out and we got to do that and that was great. But there’s another part of me that’s kind of really fearful of guns and getting too comfortable with them as well. There’s something about holding a gun that makes you stand differently, you know? When you’ve got a gun in your hand, you stand differently.

KC: Yeah, and you used a pistol more in this one.

LH: Yeah, even so, it’s tucked into your back pocket.

KC: How was that different from using a big shotgun?

LH: I don’t know. I mean, it doesn’t differ that much other than what you’re holding. There’s still a sense of danger, you know it’s a real weapon that can fire real bullets and you’ve got to have the respect and the fear, as well.

KC: Did you do a lot of training?

LH: We do a lot on set, you know. We don’t have to hit cans off of a fence, you know? (Laughs) It’s more about how to hold a gun, and how to point it, so you know. You’re never really pointing it at someone’s face. There’s camera tricks.

KC: Were there any films that you spoke of earlier that you saw when you were a kid that you took notes from?

LH: On how to hold guns? (Laughs)

KC: Yeah, to get that attitude down, for inspiration for your character?

LH: No, I think it just comes from when the gun comes out, there’s something in you that changes. That’s what comes through. There’s no part where I’m practicing in the mirror how cool I look this way. It was more about making it real and believable. He was a character who hadn’t had that much to do with weapons which was a great surprise for the film because he’s the one who gets to kill people.

KC: It’s more of like, a naive take?

LH: Exactly, yeah yeah. He’s kind of thrown into this situation which then snowballs out of control, and also, there’s a great kind of juxtaposition between him being a nice, caring simple guy and then being someone who’s able to kill people.

KC: So how did you prepare for this character?

LH: I mean, I prepared the same way I always prepare. It comes back to me, and how truthful I can be in the moment and I don’t ever go to the lengths of going to be a mechanic. Well, actually, I’ve been a mechanic, my first job was in a gas station changing tires and pumping gas. It was one of the last places, where we lived, that actually had people that would pump your gas for you and it was a small town, it wasn’t the beach but it was little town, everyone knew each other, the guys who were coming in, you knew, the motorcycle, not to touch, so you use those things. I used those feelings. But it’s more about being kind of present and focused at the time. There’s definitely work that goes into it but this was so close to my life and experience that it was kind of easy.

KC: Those are great skills to have.

LH: Yeah, yeah. And I think it’s part of being an actor, the more life skills you have, the better and easier it is to cross those boundaries.

KC: So, if you say that you’re going for a more truthful performance, then would you say that acting to you is more about stripping away than adding on?

LH: Yes, well, both. I’d say both. You add on and add on and add on, and then let it all fall away, and then hopefully there’s something left which is what’s…well, I don’t want to say right. I don’t think there’s ever a “right”, there’s good choices and bad choices but yeah, hopefully what comes through is me, there are parts of that that are so inherently me, and those are the bits that are confronting, crossing lines and boundaries. You know, am I capable of shooting someone? What would I be like if something like this happened? Those are questions that you don’t get to ask, which is the attractive part. You get to do things and say things that you never thought you would.

KC: Yeah, but perhaps you see a little bit of yourself in these characters?

LH: I think you have to, yeah. You don’t ever look at it from the third person point of view. You’ve gotta be in there, bringing you, otherwise you’re just copying something I guess.

KC: It’s not as authentic?

LH: Yeah, I guess sometimes. (Laughs)

KC: So, you were saying that you grew up in a little town in Australia. So what was that like?

LH: Amazing. We started out our childhood in a very remote Northern territory, which is right up at the top of Australia. In an aboriginal territory where we were one of two white families, and I mean, it’s great. Chris and I have had the experience of racism and living with people who are very poor, very little services, very little infrastructure out there, so it gives you kind of a unique view.

KC: Would you say that it helps keep you grounded?

LH: Yeah, sure. You know what? Yeah. I think we’re all pretty grounded. I don’t think we ever change, I mean, the nature of your relationship kind of changes, but we keep each other pretty grounded. I mean, we do normal things as well. Like I said, surfing is such a love of ours, surfing and motorcycles.

KC: Is that something that you do with your brothers?

LH: Yeah, yeah. We always have. We’ve always done a lot of surfing, dad and the boys.

KC: What was it like growing up in a house full of actors? Was it something that you inspired them, or they inspired you, because neither of your parents acted, right?

LH: No. And we’re still growing up now. I don’t think there was ever a point where I’m like ‘Wow, it’s so weird to be growing up in a family full of actors.’ It was just something that we did, and it was something that….it’s always Chris and me. It was a normal childhood, it was normal happy, playful childhood that’s the only way I can kind of describe it. It wasn’t a place where we were out of our minds performing at home or anything like that, we were just kids playing, a lot of the time.

KC: Okay, so really quick, let’s discuss your upcoming projects. You have Infini?

LH: Yeah!

KC: What’s this film about?

LH: This is about a rescue team. We’re an elite rescue squad that go to a distant mining station to rescue a soldier and all hell breaks loose on that mining station, and it’s so cool.

KC: That sounds really exciting.

LH: It’s epic. Shane Abbess who directed Gabriel, he directed that and he’s a madman. He’s one of the best, craziest ways of working and he kind of changed me in a lot of ways, I think, that film,

KC: How so?

LH: It just made me question the way I was going about things and a much deeper involvement than in before projects.

KC: Do you have a release date set yet? Or, when can we expect to see this?

LH: Yeah, it’s like May 6th, I think? It’s all dropping on May 6th. That, and I’m doing Westworld as well, which is HBO’s new show. It’s based on the old Yul Brynner film by Michael Chrichton and it’s about cowboys who are robots. It’s a theme park and you can go and pay your money to draw weapons on robots, and the robots start to awaken. It’s awesome.

KC: I look forward to both of those.

The post [Interview] Luke Hemsworth Talks ‘Kill Me Three Times’ appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

This new miniseries reads at a brisk pace which kept this reader’s attention throughout the whole issue. Childhood stars always seem to go only two ways: really good or really bad. Then, there’s one Richie Reese, whom has become addicted to being a celebrity. His only way to satisfy his gratification now is to become a celebrity assassin. Naturally. After his first big live-TV kill, this once famous actor-come-killer is now in huge demand again.

Writer Fabrice Sapolsky uses the set-up effectively to get this tale off to great start. His self-narration is quite funny, still thinking in terms of movie-making when he takes out a target. As silly as this may sound, this tale is definitely for mature readers. All the excesses associated with Hollywood (fast cars, artificial looking women, sunshiny pool sides, etc.) are on display throughout the book.

Veteran artist Ariel Olivetti showcases his skills to portray the regular absurdity in Richie’s running around town. I’ve been a fan of Olivetti’s style and enjoyed his superhero work before. It’s great to see he can draw conventional scenery as beautifully as any other of his previous surroundings and circumstances.

Sapolsky and Olivetti have crafted something very distinctive in this first segment of the five-issue story. Absurd ideas like a former child celebrity-turned hit man offer lots of areas to explore. I hope they keep it clever and don’t go for the cheap laughs or sight gags that seem the easy way to go for a story like this. Let’s hope they keep shooting for the stars as “One-Hit Wonder” continues to dazzle us.

3.5/5 Skulls

Reviewed by – Your Friendly Neighborhood Brady

The post Review: ‘One-Hit Wonder’ #1 appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Lars Olafssen is a painter looking to get back his glory days. Seems he’s hit a creative slump, coupled with the death of his father who committed suicide after Lars’ mother was accidentally killed with a lawnmower. His agent Ronny persuades Lars to take up a teaching stint at an art school located in Koda Lake. Lars accepts the job, but upon his arrival has to take on baggage in the form of Eddie, a hulking mute of a man whose last relative has died. Said relative left the art school a generous amount of money on the condition that Eddie be taken care of by the school. Lars reluctantly agrees, and eventually begins to take a liking to Eddie. Unfortunately, Eddie has a bit of a problem with sleepwalking. Eddie also has a bigger problem while sleepwalking: he ends up killing and eating things, eventually working his way up to people. To complicate matters, Lars’ creativity begins to flourish out of witnessing Eddie’s habit. What’s a guy got to do?

Judging from the synopsis, you can tell that the film is one of those screwball comedies, but never really goes all-out and devolves into outright silliness. That’s a good thing, since I don’t think the film would be as endearing as it is. Thure Lindhardt, who plays Lars, is the straight man in his performance with a touch of morbidity. Much of it comes from being Eddie’s enabler, while the rest comes from Lars’ penchant for using said morbidity as his inspiration for art. In spite of this, Lars comes off as a lovable loser type. Lindhardt’s deadpan delivery elicited more than a few chuckles, in conjunction with the film’s narrative that great art can only be achieved through suffering and pain.

The other half of the Lars/Eddie duo is Dylan Scott Smith, who I have to give huge props for the physical acting. Keep in mind that Eddie never utters a word. This leaves Smith taking the Frankenstein’s monster approach with Eddie: using body language to tell the story. Smith is able to paint a stark contrast between the awake Eddie and the sleepwalking Eddie (no pun intended): while awake, Eddie is a gentle giant of a man; while asleep, Eddie is decidedly brutal. Together, Smith and Lindhardt provide an endearing couple who despite the obvious sinister side of things, are quite lovable. As for the other major players, the lovely Georgina Reilly as Lars’ co-worker Lesley is quite likeable, although her role is pretty much your typical love interest for Lars, which plot-wise really doesn’t pan out.

Any negatives towards the film would have to be it’s predictability: bad characters are met with grisly ends, the victim list for Eddie is therefore predictable in of itself, and the ending is once again something you’ll see coming. There’s also the idea of liking a character like Lars that doesn’t quite sit right. He is, after all, a manipulative man who is using the havoc wreaked by Eddie as his source of inspiration, despite Eddie doing away with the other unlikeable characters with the targets painted on their backs. Still, I guess you can count that as his flaws as a character, even if those flaws end up having people getting munched.

Eddie: The Sleepwalking Cannibal can best be thought of as a counterpart to Fido (which, incidentally, is also a Canadian film). While Eddie leans on the black comedy more than Fido, there’s still that endearing character who just so happens to enjoy eating and killing folks. Coupled with the wonderful performance by Thure Lindhardt and the satirical look at the “suffering artist”, Eddie deserves to be seen at least once by horror fans, even if the predictability of the plot does take away some of the fun.

The post [BD Review] ‘Eddie’ Mixes Cannibalistic Fun with Black Humour appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.