SPOILER Magazine April 2022

Almost Dead is a postapocalyptic horrordrama adventure about triumph, growth, and the resiliency of the human spirit. With their cinematic comic book series which depicts vicious and visceral events in a raw yet beautiful way, Galaxy and Brehm have redefined the genre and nearly

invented one of their own.

Infusing the perilous and unexpectedly exciting journey with absolute horror and an attention to detail that’s rooted in and dedicated to realism, the creator and writers have established a nexus point between exhilaration and terror.

Meet your new sidekick gita is a first-of-its-kind hands-free robot that follows you and totes your gear.

OUR TEAM Editor-in-Chief Galaxy Print Editor Art Director Sara Hope Kent Klarks Design and illustration Supervisor Ronald Garcia Design Manager Zerologhy Copy Editor Ethan Brehm

Staff Writers The Greatest Writing Team in Our Universe Ethan Brehm Tom Tormey Matthew Mclachlan Vanessa Bellew Robert Napolitano David Grand Phuong Pham Natalie Reade Moses the “Gamer” Bjoern Kommerell Joshua Amber Social Media Manager Thor the all mighty Advertising Ads@SpoilerMagazine.com Sponsorship Sponsorship@SpoilerMagazine.com Press Please send all press releases to: Press@SpoilerMagazine.com Please send all review material to: Review@SpoilerMagazine.com Subscriptions For all subscription enquiries please contact: Sub@SpoilerMagazine.com Check out our website for details on how to get our DIGITAL EDITION Circulation Do you want this magazine at your local book store, comic book hangout, toy shop, or anywhere else for that matter?

Let us know, we can make it happen. circulation@SpoilerMagazine.com SPOILER Magazine is published by Spoiler Media Magazine Publishing. Nothing in this magazine can be reproduced in whole or in part without the written permission of the publisher. Whilst every effort is made to ensure all information in the magazine is correct, details maybe subject to change. All photographic material is copyright to the relevant owner and appears with their kind permission. Visuals are used in a review context and no copyright infringement is intended. All rights reserved.

SPOILER Magazine is printed in the USA SPOILER Magazine 7095 Hollywood Blvd Hollywood, California 90028 “Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening” - Galaxy

INSIDE OUR y UNIVERSE x a l a

by G Welcome to another amazing issue of SPO!LER!

Gracing our cover this month is the amazing Oscar Isaac as Moon Knight, the mercenaryturned-hero known as the “Fist of Khonshu,” and current star of the newest Disney Plus series of the same name. Part of the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe, Moon Knight is perhaps one of Marvel’s most intriguing projects they’ve ever brought to liveaction fruition. One of the only heroes with no direct connection to a previous entity, the character is the first in Marvel’s preponderance of Bronze Age horror titles to get introduced into the MCU. In support of the new series, we have a trio of features: one exploring the history of the character, another tracing Isaac’s road to the MCU, and another spotlighting Ethan Hawke, who plays the villain Arthur Harrow on the show. Ethan is one of those actors who’s always remained an A-lister from the time he was a young adult in the late ‘80s to today.

For our “In Focus” feature, photographer Bjoern Kommerell discusses working with actress Sofia Boutella from Atomic Blonde and The Mummy. Then, in “How It’s Made,” we’ve shined a light on some recent biographical shows and films—Pam & Tommy, Selena: The Series, and Spencer—and the costumes that contribute to bringing their historical figures to life. In “It Came From the Video Store!” we go in depth on Gene Wilder’s infamous directorial effort, Haunted Honeymoon, before interviewing yet another tape collector.

As always, we’ve brought you a handful of celebrity interviews, including that of Yvonne Chapman from Kung Fu, showrunner Roberto Patino from DMZ, and our good friend Dan Payne, who has an upcoming feature film with Bruce Willis and Michael Rooker called Collective Measures.

Outside of the magazine, we’re still readying for the production of our short film, which serves as a standalone prequel to our upcoming apocalyptic comic book series Almost Dead. Redefining both cross-platform media and the zombie genre as a whole, our film and the comics that it preludes follow a girl who must do everything possible to ensure the survival of herself and her family during her trek through the east coast.

Stay tuned for everything we’re rolling out with in the upcoming months, and plug into both SPO!LER and Comic Con Radio across social media, tell your friends about our magazine, and share your favorite articles with them!

We can’t wait for you to dig into the pages of this issue. We’re constantly trying to curate content for all you amazing fans out there, hitting at all the things you love about this universe! So, stick with us. Exciting things are on the horizon.

Thank you once again for all your undying love and support. We couldn’t do this without you!

Galaxy Galaxy EDITOR-IN-CHIEF @ComicConRadio april 2022|

I7

table of contents

FEATURES

12 introducing moon knight

SPOILER MAGAZINE TABLE OF CONTENTS

36 Roberto Patino 16 oscar isaac

The Road to the MCU

24 ethan hawke

the watch

74 dan payne

The Actor’s Actor

In Focus with Bjoern Kommerell

64 Spotlight on sofia boutella

82 Corina Conti

104 Yvonne Chapman

112 Matthew Kevin Anderson

the base

30 How it’s Made

Bringing Historical Figures to Life Is All in the Stitch

92 Comic Book Review

52 at the movies

122 it came from the video store!

www.spoilermagazine.com | Follow us on Instagram: @SpoilerMedia

March 2020 |

|

11

SPOILER MAGAZINE

12 I

|april 2022

april 2022|

I 13

MARVEL AND DISNEY PLUS CONTINUE THE INCREDIBLE FEAT OF NOT

only expanding the Marvel Cinematic Universe to the television screen, but creating shows that people are actually watching with fervor.

Although, this wasn’t always the case. Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. may have lasted seven seasons on ABC, but due to the loose connection (at best) to the MCU, the audiences for the series and the movies simply weren’t the same. Other shows like the short-lived Daredevil, Luke Cage, and Inhumans just didn’t have the wings underneath them to truly fly.

Now, however, with a full calendar year that saw the releases of four completely new live-action shows (WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki, and Hawkeye)— the first time any television content had canon in the MCU—Marvel is finding success with their more relaxed approach to the TV game.

Releasing each new show on Disney Plus as an ostensible miniseries, the studio has found their formula, typically focusing on a character or characters who have either been ancillary to the marquee supes from the films or are being introduced for the first time. Each of the quartet of one-offs from 2021 starred a familiar face, but with their latest series Moon Knight, Marvel is introducing a new titular character to the MCU on the small screen for the very first time.

14 I

|april 2022

Moon Knight:Marvel;Disney

BY ETHAN BREHM

Starring Oscar Isaac in the title role, Moon Knight follows Marc Spector, a mercenary from Chicago suffering from dissociative identity disorder, as he becomes a conduit for the Egyptian Moon god Khonshu.

His multiple personalities consist of Steven Grant, a British gift-shop employee suffering from blackouts, and Mr. Knight, a private detective.

In the other corner is Ethan Hawke as Arthur Harrow, Moon Knight’s adversary. A cult leader—who the actor has stated is an amalgamation of people such as David Koresh, Fidel Castro, Leo Tolstoy, and even Steve Jobs—Harrow has a strong association with fellow Egyptian god Ammit. Gaspard Ulliel also has a role as master thief Anton Mogart, aka Midnight Man, another enemy of

Moon Knight. May Calamawy, Lucy Thackeray, and F. Murray Abraham also show up in supporting roles. The Umbrella Academy showrunner and head writer, Jeremy Slater, serves those same roles on Moon Knight, which will run for six episodes, each released one week apart.

Like most MCU projects, much of the plot of Moon Knight has been kept under wraps, but we can look to the character’s comic book history to make some guesses. Created by writer Doug Moench and artists Don Perlin and Al Milgrom, the antihero debuted in issue #32 of the horror comic Werewolf by Night in 1975, as he was hired by the criminal organization the Committee to capture the book’s title character Jack Russell. Moon Knight’s lunar theming and silver weapons were born from the book’s lycanthrope protagonist.

At the end of the two-issue arc, however, Moon Knight decides to help Russell instead.

The following year, the character was then given his own solo story in the try-out title Marvel Spotlight, in issues #28 and 29, but this time with the idea to make him more of a superhero, his former association with the Committee retconned.

Throughout the next few years, Moon Knight was featured in issues of Spectacular Spider-Man, and, more

prominently, The Defenders. And by 1978, he was given his own recurring backup story in Hulk! Magazine. In issue #13, Bill Sienkiewicz gave the hero a new look inspired by some of Neal Adams’ DC Comics art, which includes Moon Knight’s signature weapon: crescent-shaped darts. The mood changed as well, leading many to begin drawing comparisons to one of DC’s flagship heroes: Batman.

Both the Hulk backup stories and a one-off in Marvel Preview #21 gave Moon Knight a sort of origins story, introducing his estranged brother, Randall Spector, aka Shadow Knight, who would become Moon Knight’s nemesis.

In 1980, Moench and Sienkiewicz teamed up for Moon Knight’s very first ongoing series. The first issue introduces longtime adversary Bushman, a fellow mercenary who mortally wounds Spector in battle.

However, after Spector dies in front of a statue of Khonshu, he soon comes back to life fully healed. From then on, he commits to protecting the innocent and uses the money he earned as a mercenary to build his identity as Moon Knight.

While at first unclear whether Khonshu is real or just a figment of Spector’s imagination, it’s eventually confirmed in later series that the Moon god is real and the one responsible for bringing Moon Knight back to life when he dies, thus making our hero essentially immortal.

Although, outside of his physical skills, the hero doesn’t possess any other superpowers.

Where most superheroes have alter egos to hide who they really are, Spector’s “secret” identities may not be so intentional. Suffering from dissociative identity disorder—in later comics revealed to be due to Khonshu continuously altering his brain—he occasionally becomes one of several other people, including billionaire Steven Grant and cab driver Jake Lockley.

This solo series brought along with Moon Knight his sidekick Frenchie and lover Marlene Alraune. Issue #3 debuts Midnight Man, an art thief who becomes deformed after a battle with our hero and thus seeks his vengeance. This series ran for 38 issues until 1984.

Marvel never could find a way for Moon Knight to truly take off past its horror niche, with over ten short-lived solo series or limited series since the ‘80s. However, the character has enjoyed his fair share of loyal fans, who are no doubt driven by the unique, almost enigmatic, nature of this hero amongst his contemporaries.

This isn’t the first time Marvel has planned to debut Moon Knight.

Prior to the cancellation of Blade: The Series back in 2006, Spector was supposed to be introduced in the second season, with plans for a spin-off series to follow, which even entered developmental stages as recent as 2008. Likewise, Jame Gunn pitched the idea for a film surrounding Moon Knight, but his busy schedule prevented this from ever coming to fruition.

Even earlier, Toei, the company who gave us the live-action Japanese Spider-Man series in the late ‘70s, wanted to make their own show based on Moon Knight at the time.

They saw the Marvel hero as a modern-day take on the popular Japanese superhero Moonlight Mask from two decades before. Toei even produced concept art for the character, equipped with a belted saber. However, the project ended up becoming a manga series instead, which only lasted from 1979 to 1980.

With this new Disney Plus series, Moon Knight isn’t just getting introduced to the MCU, but to a whole new batch of fans outside the comic book world who previously hadn’t heard of the hero. It’s perhaps Marvel’s most intriguing project in a long time, not just because of the slightly-more esoteric nature of the character, but because up until now the studio has played it relatively safe (other than, you know, launching an entire cinematic universe and changing the way mainstream Hollywood operates today). Think Blade in the ‘90s—the most unlikely hero to get a cinematic debut, let alone before characters like Iron Man, Thor, Spider-Man, and X-Men. While Moon Knight doesn’t necessarily break any new ground conceptually, it’s a fantastic sign for the refreshingly unpredictable direction Marvel is willing to continue to go in.

SPOILER MAGAZINE

16 I

|april 2022

april 2022|

I 17

BY ETHAN BREHM

foot into the Marvel Cinematic Universe—that is, prior to his newest role as the titular hero Moon Knight in the Disney Plus series. In the comic books, Moon Knight is one of Marvel’s more enigmatic and complex characters, beginning as a heel in his debut and turning into a Batman-like hero during solo titles later on (with surprisingly more superpowers than the Caped Crusader). Considering the intriguing and understated nature of the character, the GuatemalanAmerican actor may be the perfect man for the job.

Isaac has had major roles in big franchise films such as the Star Wars sequel trilogy, The Bourne Legacy, and Dune, but he’s also played parts in non-MCU Marvel movies such as Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and X-Men: Apocalypse.

After beginning his career in the late ‘90s, the actor finally had a major breakout in the early part of last decade with a batch of critically and commercially successful projects that saw his rise to becoming the household name he is today. With his debut in the MCU underway, we look back on the road Oscar Isaac took to get here.

18 I

|april 2022

Oscar Isaac:Esquire/The Nativity Story:New Line Cinema/Balibo:Transmission Films/Robin Hood:Universal/Drive:FilmDistrict/Inside Llewyn Davis:CBS Films/(cover image):Oscar Isaac:Empire

IT’S HARD TO REMEMBER THAT OSCAR ISAAC HASN’T YET STEPPED

THE NATIVITY STORY (2006) The actor’s first (co-) starring role comes in a film that tells the events of the birth of Jesus. Although it may not be the best rendition of the 2,000-yearold story, the project featured a noticeable standout with Isaac, who was tracing back to his own Christian roots as he played Saint Joseph.

BALIBO (2009) The first time Oscar Isaac saw any critical recognition was for his role in 2009’s Balibo, an Australian war film that tells the story of the Balibo Five, a group of five journalists who were killed while covering the Indonesian invasion of East Timor. The actor portrays a young José Ramos-Horta, who eventually becomes President of East Timor years later. This earned Isaac some recognition as a serious actor, winning him an Australian Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

DRIVE (2011) It was brief, but Oscar Isaac played a pivotal role in the cult classic Drive, starring Ryan Gosling as a stunt driver who moonlights as a getaway driver. Portraying the criminal husband of Gosling’s pseudo-love interest, the actor meets his demise early on, but through expert filmmaking by Nicolas Winding Refn, his character finds a strange complexity that only few would have been able to pull off.

ROBIN HOOD (2010) Ridley Scott’s 2010 Robin Hood adaptation starring Russell Crowe may have become notorious over the years for its lackluster execution and dull storytelling, but the tentpole project still grossed over $300 million worldwide. Simply put, a lot of people watched it. In the film, Isaac plays King John, an adversary for the King of Thieves. For many, it was their first time ever seeing the actor’s face at all, and in an antagonistic role nonetheless. This set the stage for everything to come, including his most famous projects.

INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS (2013) Leave it to the Coen brothers to give a soon-to-be star the platform he needs to truly take the next step.

In his breakout role, Oscar Isaac plays the titular folk musician struggling to find success in the 1960s. The film proved that the actor could indeed carry a story himself, and do so with the kind of emotion and heart necessary to make us feel like we know this man. It’s one of the things Isaac does so well: personalizing his performances.

april 2022|

I 19

EX MACHINA (2015)

STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS (2015) If Inside Llewyn Davis first made audiences realize that they wanted to sympathize with Oscar Isaac, then the Star Wars sequel trilogy cemented their desire to see him as a hero. While his role in the series increased with each subsequent installment, he first had us rooting for him in Episode VIII as Poe Dameron, a near-amalgamation of Han Solo and some writtenout X-wing pilot, searching for his lost BB-8 droid and finding utility in the way only Star Wars can muster.

20 I

|april 2022

X-MEN: APOCALYPSE (2016) Of course, it was Oscar Isaac’s official Marvel debut that proved he could play either hero or villain with ease.

Unrecognizable beneath layers (and layers) of make-up and CGI, the actor takes on the sinister role of Apocalypse to try and defeat a fledgling X-Men crew. The film itself doesn’t hold a candle to the flame of any of its progenitors, but Isaac’s titular role is easily the most memorable part of it all.

Ex Machina:A24/Star Wars:Disney;Lucasfilm/X-Men Apocalypse:Marvel;Disney

Oscar Isaac plays the murky antagonist in this hard sci-fi slow burn. A masterpiece of modern cinema, the film was acclaimed by both critics and audiences alike for how it toys with our expectations and alters our ideas about sympathy and resentment. The performances all around are brilliant here, including those of Alicia Vikander and Domhnall Gleeson, but it’s Isaac’s turn as the would-becoded villain that keeps us so sure until the end.

SPOILER MAGAZINE

22 I

|april 2022

april 2022|

I 23

SPOILER MAGAZINE

24 I

|april 2022

april 2022|

I 25

WHEN DISCUSSING CHILD ACTORS WHO’VE MADE A SEAMLESS TRANSITION INTO an adult career, few people throw Ethan Hawke’s name into the conversation. Before turning 18, he starred in Joe Dante’s 1985 cult hit, Explorers, alongside River Phoenix.

The film failed at the box office, even though it found success in the rental market and has become beloved over the years. As a result of its infamy at the time, however, the movie’s reputation made Hawke quit acting temporarily.

He spent some time studying acting at Carnegie Mellon University prior to getting a major part in 1989’s Dead Poets Society, which has become one of cinema’s paradigms of the teacher-student drama. The movie was nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars and the actor’s performance earned him recognition across the board, and is still his highest-grossing film to date. Before its release, Hawke was debating returning to college, but saw the film’s warm reception as a sign to pursue his career in the industry.

After that, he found success in the comedy Dads alongside Jack Lemmon and Ted Danson, but it was

26 I

|april 2022

Ethan Hawke:Neil Grabowsky;Montclair Film;Nicolas Genin;Avenue Magazine/(cover image):Ethan Hawke:Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP

BY ETHAN BREHM

1991’s White Fang where he got his first solo lead in the adaptation of the Jack London novel. During this time, Hawke appeared in several other projects such as Mystery Date, Alive, and even had a cameo in Quiz Show. He also had his Broadway debut in 1992 in Chekhov’s The Seagull.

However, it would be the generation-defining Reality Bites in 1994 that would solidify the actor’s place in modern Hollywood. Starring alongside Winona Ryder and Ben Stiller (who also directs), Hawke plays a brooding musician trying to make sense of his failures amidst his newly-waning confidence. The film saw Hawke leap over the possibility of any teen heartthrob pigeonhole

and established credence in him as a serious actor worthy of our attention.

He stepped into the director’s shoes for the first time with the music video for Lisa Loeb’s “Stay (I Missed You),” which was featured in Reality Bites and became the first number-one single by an unsigned artist ever.

Cinephiles everywhere couldn’t wait to see what the actor would do next. Fortunately, they didn’t have to wait long. In his first teamup (of many) with director Richard Linklater—another filmmaker who helped define mid-’90s counterculture—Hawke co-starred with Julie Delpy in 1995’s Before Sunrise, which many consider to be

amongst the top romance films of all time. Where his slacker character in Reality Bites felt more inscrutable, viewers rooted for and fell in love with him and Delpy’s relationship in the European-set drama.

1997’s Gattaca was the actor’s first foray into the sci-fi realm since his 1985 debut. While considered a box-office bomb, the dystopian film has remained relevant over time for its high concept and darker atmosphere—one we hadn’t quite seen Hawke inhabit at that point.

Then, the actor went from one intriguing modern-day adaptation of a literary classic to the next. First, he starred alongside Gwyneth Paltrow and Robert De Niro in Alfonso Cuarón’s Great Expectations, and then he upped the stakes once again in the even-more unprecedented, tech-heavy Hamlet transposition where he plays the title character.

2001 was a huge year for Hawke.

Other than appearing in two Richard Linklater pictures (Waking Life, Tape), he had his feature film directorial debut with Chelsea Walls, starring Kris Kristofferson and Uma Thurman. If that weren’t notable enough, he also starred in arguably his most famous film of all, Training Day. His performance was met

with widespread critical acclaim and garnered the actor his very first Academy Awards nomination (his co-star Denzel Washington won an Oscar for his role in the film).

A few years later, Hawke and Delpy returned for Before Sunset, a sequel to their 1995 classic. This time around, both actors co-wrote the screenplay with Linklater, which was nominated for an Academy Award.

The actor also starred in a loose remake of John Carpenter’s Assault on Precinct 13 in 2005.

Throughout the next few years, Hawke continued to refine himself as he matured. He found more controlled intensity in his next few performances, even though he knew how to rein them in when necessary as well. In 2007, he appeared alongside Philip Seymour Hoffman and Marisa Tomei in Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead, which would

turn out to be legendary filmmaker Sidney Lumet’s final picture. That same year, he was nominated for a Tony Award for his role in The Coast of Utopia on Broadway. And then in 2010, the actor starred in his first horror film, Daybreakers, a unique vampire thriller that sadly flew under the radar, yet has garnered its own fair share of fans over the years.

Later that year, he was a standout in the ensemble cast of the crime drama Brooklyn’s Finest.

In 2012, he leveled up his successful run with Sinister, another horror film, and one that found surprise success, directed by Scott Derrickson and produced by Jason Blum. He then co-wrote and starred in the third Before installment, Before Midnight, which earned him another Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay in 2013 and reaffirmed the trilogy as one of the greatest romance stories ever.

That same year, he starred in The Purge, which was very successful and has gone on to be a franchise all its own (albeit without Hawke’s involvement). And then in 2014, the actor got his second Oscar nomination for acting with his role in the unprecedented Boyhood, directed by Linklater and filmed over the course of 12 years. Boyhood starred Hawke as the father of the titular boy and was met with a great deal of critical acclaim and nominated for Best Picture.

april 2022|

I 27

28 I

|april 2022

Ethan Hawke:Brigitte Lacombe/Stand By Me:Columbia Pictures/Batman Forever:DC;Warner Bros./ Independence Day:20th Century Studios/The Lord of the Rings:New Line/Doctor Strange:Marvel;Disney

Thus began a trend that saw the actor in a good deal of highly-touted performances, including Good Kill, Maggie’s Plan, Born to Be Blue, In a Valley of Violence, and Maudie. Then he gave what some consider the best performance of his career in Paul Schrader’s 2017 film, First Reformed, for which he received an Independent Spirit Award.

Since that time, the actor has well navigated the projects he’s been involved in. Never shying away from bigger-budget studio films, Hawke has always seemed to prefer the low-budget indies, and he chooses them well. In 2018, he had a pair of highly regarded movies: Juliet, Naked and Blaze, the latter of which was directed by Hawke himself (his third). In recent years, he’s also starred in Stockholm, Adopt a Highway, The Truth, Cut Throat City, Zeroes and Ones, and had the title role in the Nikola Tesla biopic, Tesla.

2022 is gearing up to be the biggest year of the actor’s career.

Along with a role in the highlyanticipated Knives Out 2 and Robert Eggers Viking epic The Northman, Hawke portrays the archnemesis of Moon Knight in the newest Marvel series of the same name. This is the actor’s debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and one of the few times he’s played a villain in his career.

Since his debut in 1985, Ethan Hawke has always managed to make the right career moves.

Never have more than a few years gone by where he didn’t do something of note, let alone something good, or at the very least, interesting. Famously staying out of Los Angeles, the actor has always done things his way, allowing his talent to speak for itself, always dedicated to improving his craft every step of the way.

ETHAN’S MISSED ROLES STAND BY ME (1986) Following his debut in Explorers, Ethan Hawke auditioned for a slightly more famous ‘80s flick: Stand By Me. The young actor tried out for the part of Chris Chambers, which eventually went to his former Explorers co-star, the late River Phoenix.

Back in the ‘90s, Joel Schumacher really wanted Hawke to play Batman in his upcoming film, Batman Forever (a role that eventually went to Val Kilmer). However, the actor was wary about starring in a superhero project, fearing it went against his goals as a young actor. He later admits regretting his decision, implying that it may have led to him accepting the role in Moon Knight, which star Oscar Isaac personally invited him to be a part of.

INDEPENDENCE DAY (1996)

BATMAN FOREVER (1995)

Will Smith’s role in the 1996 summer hit nearly went to Ethan Hawke instead. 20th Century Fox, the studio behind the Independence Day, was adamant about Hawke starring as the lead, fearing that Smith was too unproven, seeing that he’d only been in his titular sitcom and Bad Boys by that point. Ultimately though, director Roland Emmerich went to bat for the Fresh Prince and got his vision made. But according to Hawke, he wasn’t a fan of the script in the first place.

THE LORD OF THE RINGS (2001) One of the more unfounded rumors was that Ethan Hawke and then-wife Uma Thurman were both set to be cast as Faramir and Éowyn, respectively, in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy (Thurman was previously offered the role of Arwen). However, as the story goes, after the actress dropped out to focus on raising the couple’s new baby, Hawke followed suit.

DOCTOR STRANGE (2016) Having teamed up with Scott Derickson in Sinister, the actor was on the short list for the director’s breakout Marvel flick, Doctor Strange. Following frontrunner Joaquin Phoenix dropping out of contention, the studio was close to nabbing Hawke as their Sorcerer Supreme before the role ultimately went to Benedict Cumberbatch.

april 2022|

I 29

30 I

|april 2022

april 2022|

I 31

SPOILER MAGAZINE

32 I

|april 2022

april 2022|

I 33

Selena: The Series:Netflix/Pam & Tommy:Hulu

BY JOSHUA AMBAR

CELEBRITIES AND ICONS FROM OUR PAST ARE MAKING THEIR WAY BACK TO US through a slew of television shows and cinematic hits. Finding the right actor to bring someone to life on screen can be quite the challenge, but the costume designer behind each production has a far greater task. They have to recreate the looks of these real-life people that have stuck with us for years and will be remembered for generations to come.

Adela Cortázar, costume designer for Selena: The Series—which tells the tragic story of the late pop icon— details to Vulture how the costumes behind each biopic are imperative, since it’s the clothing that helps tell the story. She explains that every change and look Selena (played by Christian Serratos) goes through is part of the singer’s growth and inner search. “I think all of these changes were a search for [Selena y

34 I

|april 2022

Los Dino’s’] identity as a band. They matured simultaneously in their music as well as their aesthetic,” says Cortázar.

To fully grasp a time period, a designer’s job is to conduct research and gain insight on how the fashion evolved over time. To better understand the Quintanilla family for the series, Cortázar experimented with the styles of the ‘80s and ‘90s to help create their image.

She had access to photos, videos, performances, and interviews to help her with her research and ultimate goal of showcasing the many stages of Selena’s life.

But just as fashion evolves, so does the fabric. Cortázar reveals that the most difficult part of putting together the costumes from a different era is finding the right fabric to look the part. Materials

such as sequins from the ‘80s have completely changed from what they are currently. In episode 3 of the show, Selena wears a shiny silver suit while she and her band perform in Mexico. Cortázar knew the fabric had to be just right. Luckily, she found the era-appropriate sequins at a discount fabric stand at a San Diego swap meet. “The back of their truck was open, and hidden [there] was something very shiny and abandoned. It was a roll of shiny silver sequined fabric waiting for its debut,” says Cortázar.

Certain texture and color combinations couldn’t be found in vintage, which pushed the designer to have materials printed by hand in Mexico City. This proved to be challenging at times when the pattern would morph into rhombus shapes during printing. However, the

final product was a success, with an intentional homemade look modeled after the imperfections in Selena’s own costumes back in the day.

Of all the outfits she got to make for the show, Kameron Lennox, costume designer for Pam and Tommy, enjoyed designing Pamela Anderson’s iconic red bathing suit from Baywatch—worn by actress Lily James—the most. Lennox tells Variety that nailing this costume was so crucial because it was so specific to Anderson’s persona. “It was important for me to make sure we had the right shade of red; that ‘Baywatch red,’” remembers Lennox.

Baywatch’s bathing suits were all specific to the body of each actor.

For Anderson, it was cut very sexy, emphasizing her legs through high-cuts and accentuating her bust. Through research, Lennox found TYR, the original company who made the outfits. By using the original fabric used in the show, and of course the original “Baywatch red,” Lennox was able to do justice to the bathing suit.

But Lennox didn’t stop at Anderson’s swimsuit. She found herself in an eBay bidding war for a vintage cheetah-print thong in hopes of bringing to life Tommy Lee’s mansion attire, as worn by Sebastian Stan.

Unlike Cortázar and Lennox, costume designer Jacqueline Durran tells the Los Angeles Times that bringing a historical figure to the silver screen isn’t necessarily about recreating their outfits to the tee.

She explains that, for her, getting the character right is all about capturing the aura of that person.

The costumes have to fit the film, and for Princess Diana in last year’s biopic Spencer, Durran was focused on reinterpreting outfits and changing them slightly, because she didn’t want the costumes to be chronologically set in a particular time, place, or moment. “The main thing is we were making a story— our version of Diana. It couldn’t be more different than The Crown or a documentary approach,” says Durran.

The costumes behind this film were all created on an idea of Diana based on her public visuals. The actress who portrays her, Kristen Stewart, was given elements in the costumes to use in her performance of the late princess. As Durran puts it, “[Acting] is an inner journey, and we created the outer one.”

april 2022|

I 35

SPOILER MAGAZINE

36 I

|april 2022

april 2022|

I 37

INTERVIEW BY GALAXY INTRO BY ETHAN BREHM

In just 12 years, writer and showrunner Roberto Patino has compiled a fantastic résumé. With shows that include Prime Suspect, Sons of Anarchy, and Westworld, the producer’s credits have either gotten better with each new project, or his role has gotten more involved. Now, with his latest series, DMZ, based on the DC Comics title of the same name, Roberto has recreated a new vision for television.

Released on HBO Max last month, DMZ is set eight years into a modern-

38 I

|april 2022

day American Civil War. It follows a young woman trying to find her son in the midst of all the chaos. First debuting in print back in 2005 as a DC comic of the same name, the 72-issue source material depicts a vastly different version of the United States than the one we’re currently living in.

In this extensive interview, the showrunner discusses the process of adapting the comic, the social conflicts of our nation during that time, and adjusting the tale to a present day where tensions are at an all-time high in our real world. Roberto also talks about the stars of his ensemble cast before eventually segueing into Do the Right Thing and the impact Spike Lee’s iconic masterpiece had on him as a kid.

Roberto Patino:Shutterstock/DMZ:HBO Max/(cover image):Roberto Patino:Juan Patino Photography

inte inte

erview erview

R O B E R T O

P AT I N O

SPOILER: Everything and anything.

You’re not gonna get in trouble. You know what’s okay and what’s not.

When we get actors on the show, I’m very careful.

ROBERTO PATINO: “I’m not at liberty to tell you.”

SPOILER: What is DMZ all about?

ROBERTO PATINO: DMZ stands for demilitarized zone. And for those of you who don’t know what a demilitarized zone is, it’s basically a plot of land between two warring countries that’s been deemed neutral. In other words, no military allowed in here; you can’t get in, you can’t get out. And so, the show and the comic on which this show is based assumes the second American Civil War between the Free States of America in the west and the United States of America in the east, and lying smack in the middle of those two warring parties is the island of Manhattan.

That is our demilitarized zone. So it’s a land that has been essentially abandoned of people that remain, who either stayed there purposefully or they couldn’t get out. So that’s our world.

SPOILER: That’s pretty cool.

ROBERTO PATINO: Yeah, it takes shades, you can imagine, from Escape from New York, from The Warriors, but we really take that

concept, that dystopic sort of notion, and run in the opposite way, where the show is inherently about our worst-case scenario, right? And I just never really wanted to spin on or ideate on divisiveness. You asked ten different people how we might get the Civil War and you’re gonna get ten different answers, and I’m interested in none of them. So, we just assumed that worst-case scenario, we start in the middle of the war, eight years later, and we tell the story of what happens next, which, you know, in its most macro level, is the story of people from all walks of life, from all creeds, of all colors coming together. It’s a hopeful story, ultimately. And it’s a story about a people essentially reclaiming their identity, reclaiming their land, and sewing a new interwoven fabric of society.

SPOILER: I always squeeze the showrunners because...

ROBERTO PATINO: We can say everything [laughs].

SPOILER: Nowadays, comic books are intermingling with all sorts of genres, it’s not just superheroes and stuff like that. You get a DC Comics thing that’s more of a drama and it has nothing to do with a Caped Crusader or anything like that.

ROBERTO PATINO: This comic is interesting because it’s sort of an amorphous mass. The comic came out in 2005. I remember I was in Boston. I picked it up at Newberry Comics and I was smitten, terrified, and hooked from the first page.

It really presented something which was totally insane: a second American Civil War; the concept of war in our own backyard. I remember reading and being like, what is [writer Brian Wood] thinking? This is crazy! And it felt very much like a genre comic booky hook, you know?

I read every single one of the 72 issues. I came back to it in 2016, and a short ten, eleven years later, boy did that hook take on a whole new meaning. It was just an entirely different time and place then, and even now, six years after that, it’s even more harrowing. The comic is really predicated on a post9/11 world. And it’s also heavily predicated on the idea of our military being interred in the Middle East. I’d just say these days, we have much more sort of immediate internal and personal conditions to contend with when it comes to the concept of a second American Civil War. So the comic, which is based on that time and place, can’t just be faithfully adapted for 2022. It’s a different time and a very different place. So it needed a hefty amount of reinvention while keeping the spirit and the world and the sort of rules of this space.

april 2022|

I 39

R O B E R T O

P AT I N O

SPOILER: 10 years ago you would’ve never expected things to happen like they are today, right? Never, ever, ever.

ROBERTO PATINO: Not at all. I mean, would you?

SPOILER: You think that could happen?

ROBERTO PATINO: I don’t think we’re going to Civil War, in truth.

I think that we, as a community and as a country, are bigger than that. But what was scary was just the steps between where we are now and the premise of potentially landing as something as divisive and ugly as that just getting smaller and smaller, and you could see a clearer and clearer path. So, it’s something that kept me up throughout the development of this and the writing of this. And we really had to kind of look forward. Each one of those moments was a reaffirmation of my angle to make this as hopeful a show as possible: assuming the Civil War, not caring about how we got there, and telling the story of what happens next.

SPOILER: By creating this series, it’s gonna show a lot of people that we are close to this. Or that this is something that can happen if we don’t watch out. So, your series is coming out at the right time. It’s like the perfect drop at the perfect time.

ROBERTO PATINO: It’s a limited series, there’s four episodes. And

40 I

|april 2022

Roberto Patino:Getty Images/DMZ:HBO Max

SPOILER: No, absolutely not. If they would’ve told me this three years ago, I wouldn’t have believed it. But here we are.

ROBERTO PATINO: But it happened.

I remember, and this is a true story, I wrote “THE END” on the first draft of the finale script before I sent it off to HBO Max. And within 30 seconds of writing [those words], I got a ping on my phone about the January 6th storming of the Capitol. Wow. That happened. It was within one minute of typing the letter “D,” and that freaked me out. And I was like, “Shoot, this is getting closer and closer to a real Civil War.”

the good news about shows these days is that you put them out there and they live on the platform. They don’t go away. People can find them at their own pace. We are making a big old splash. HBO Max is giving us a healthy amount of support in their push. And I appreciate your support so much. I don’t like to speculate on how people receive the show. I certainly have a hope for it, that it will get people to question who we are and how we are as a society, and why we’re that way, as well as who we want to be and how we might be able to get there. Beyond the action and adrenaline and the drama and the sexiness and all of that, there are a lot of ideas to consider in this show and every person is gonna internalize them in their own way. So ultimately, my hope is that this show can inspire difficult conversations that we all need to be having.

You hinted at it just now. There’s

a horrible, disgusting, and super tragic war going on right now, that’s plastered on almost every front page and every news channel. And you know, the truth is that there’s been a war going on somewhere in our world every single day since you and I have been alive—since man has stepped on this planet.

My family is from Columbia.

They’ve had their Civil War going on since 1964. That’s pushing 60 years now. So like I said, I’m just not interested in the politics. My show stays away from politics. My show is really about a mother’s love for her son and how that love, that pursuit, really neutralizes politics and gets to the core of true nation-building.

SPOILER: Well, that’s why you went eight years into the events and didn’t start from the beginning, because the beginning would’ve been politics and death and craziness. Eight years

R O B E R T O

P AT I N O

I decided to focus on Zee and stay true to the spirit of her, but basically build her up anew. So, I gave her a first, middle, and last name. Her name is Alma Zorella Ortega. And she slowly embodies this new persona within the DMZ, known as Zee. In a lot of ways, this show is the origins story of my favorite character of the graphic novel. But it’s a super complicated, multilayered world.

We’re telling a very, very simple story within it, which is just this mother’s pursuit for the son whom she lost on evacuation day, the evacuation of Manhattan eight years prior.

in, things are trying to adjust. This is civil war, it’s very intricate.

ROBERTO PATINO: In 2005, this was a far-off concept. This was akin to an alien invasion, or another insane concept in 2005 that we know all too well now, like a pandemic. But the comic book, because it was such a faraway concept, it almost reveled in the idea of a war-torn New York.

It was about that. And you, as the reader, couldn’t peel your eyes away.

You wanted to see more about this world. And the main character of the comics is this photojournalist named Matty Roth, who is, by definition, a passive person receiving this world. He’s essentially a proxy for the reader. And that works for the comic because that’s what you want to do in the comic. You want to know what happened to Central Park, what happened to the Empire State Building; what happened in this belly-up, inside-out Manhattan, and that’s what you get.

That’s what’s fun about the comic on a number of levels that doesn’t really work at all for a television show, beyond the sort of tender quality of the premise hitting a little too close to home. On a character level, you just need a main character that needs something—that wants something, is not gonna stop at anything to get it. And so, I took my favorite character of the graphic novel, who is this fearless Latina medic named Zee. She’s

a background character. She’s so badass. But in the comics, she’s pretty underdeveloped, rather twodimensional.

The other thing that is true about the comics is that it’s fundamentally male. It’s very masculine.

Testosterone drives a lot of the story engines and pursuit for power, pursuit for territory, all of that. And to me, the idea of inverting this premise into something hopeful, it felt right to infuse this world with a feminine energy and, more than that, a sort of maternal superpower.

So, with all of these ideas spinning,

SPOILER: You have such a starstudded cast: Rosario Dawson, Benjamin Bratt, Rey Gallegos, Hoon Lee—who was on another great series called Warrior, which we covered tremendously. You have a great cast.

ROBERTO PATINO: Warrior’s incredible. And Rey Gallegos—I’m not gonna say I found Rey, but I was in the casting session where we cast him on Sons of Anarchy. Basically, he was getting cast as a red shirt—a guy who was just gonna service the episode and probably get killed by the end of it. But he played this guy named Fiasco, and he was so amazing. That guy is a force and we

april 2022|

I 41

R O B E R T O

P AT I N O

ended up keeping him on for, I think over a season and a half, and became part of the Sons of Anarchy mythos.

Benjamin Bratt, this guy is like the definition of charm and swagger. His history, barring things like Blood In, Blood Out, he’s kind of been typified as the exotic other—he’s always been typecast as the boyfriend to the lead, or a pretty one-note mafia boss, or something like that. And same with Rosario to a certain degree. I know she’s taking the Star Wars universe over in a year. But you look at her before Ahsoka Tano, and again, she was always this sort of exoticized secondary character.

And so now, we’re taking these two massive, massive talents, putting them front and center, calling them the leads of our show and inhabiting them with these characters; people you’ve never seen them play. You’ve never seen Ben Bratt this charmingly menacing—and the guy is inherently handsome, so he brings a warmth to the character. But he is really, really terrifying. And yet he’s the kind of guy that you would want to hang out with. You just kind of wanna be in his orbit, but you also wanna have your guard up.

And Rosario, this show really calls for her to go to some pretty, pretty intense emotional places. I feel like these kinds of scenes can easily feel canned or faked, but Rosario digs deep. She is phenomenal, and she really elevates these moments into this place of effortless grace, where it’s just tremendously heavy, but it’s coming off as just so simple and believable.

They’re both really, really powerful performances in the show.

SPOILER: You picked some amazing people. And they all fit in the New York theme. It’s gonna be a hit, I feel it.

ROBERTO PATINO: You take a 10% cross section of Manhattan, and you’re gonna get people literally from every corner of the globe, from every walk of life, of every color, every creed. And that was really the ethos we brought into this show. We really wanted to elevate people of color. We also have Freddy Miyares, who was in When They

42 I

|april 2022

See Us, who is just a force of an actor.

And then we have Hoon Lee, who you mentioned, from Warrior, who is also just dynamic. Have you ever seen him in Banshee?

SPOILER: Oh yeah, absolutely.

ROBERTO PATINO: Oh man, that guy, his character in Banshee is insane. That guy is a total chameleon. We found him by luck through the casting process, but the cast goes on. There’s Sydney Park. There is this incredible actress named Jade Wu, who plays Hoon Lee’s character’s mentor. The list goes on and on. We have Rutina Wesley from Queen Sugar.

And, let me not bury the lead here, my freaking incredible visionary partner and collaborator on this, Miss Ava DuVernay, who also directed episode 1. She is just a force and such a joy to work with. This woman is a boss. She’s just not scared of anything. It doesn’t matter if you have budgetary restraints, if you have limited hours of sunlight in the day, whatever it is, she doesn’t care. She’s not scared of spinning, in the most insane ways, new ideas. It’s so liberating. Some of her ideas are such crazy concepts that, if you think about for more than five seconds, you’re like, “Oh my God! That’s actually a perfect idea! We need to rewrite it and include that.” She’s a one-of-a-kind person.

To call her my partner is just—I pinch myself regularly.

And then there’s also [director] Ernest Dickerson, who was Spike Lee’s cinematographer in his earlier movies Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X—that guy is his own legend. I remember watching Do the Right Thing when I was 9 years old—way too early to be watching the movie. I used to wake up in the middle of the night and watch all the movies I wasn’t allowed to watch, and that was one of them. And that was the first time where I became aware of the camera and how it was moving. It was so intentional. It was its own little character in the movie. I remember watching the credits. It was the first time I actually watched the credits because I wanted to know what the

DMZ:HBO Max

april 2022|

I 43

R O B E R T O

P AT I N O

Roberto Patino:Getty Images/DMZ:HBO Max

insane and rapturing and magnetic characters in the DMZ. I have a very long folder of these characters with very, very thought-out and detailed backstories. And any one of those could make for an apt center of gravity for another tale. But the way I picture it, if it were to be ongoing, it would basically shine a nice big spotlight on another corner of the DMZ and really just building out the world, and having these worlds create their own mini universe, having the narrative threads crisscross at the fringes. We’ll see how this one does. If the appetite’s there, the stories are certainly there as well.

cameraman’s name was. And that was the first time I learned the term “cinematography,” and it was directly tethered to Ernest R. Dickerson. And that guy has now directed some of the best episodes of The Wire—my favorite show of all time—and he’s done plenty of episodes of The Walking Dead. So fast-forward 30 years, and I’m on a Zoom with him, pitching him DMZ, asking him to be my partner on this. And he says yes, if you can imagine my joy, my total mindlessness at that moment of like, “What just happened?” So, to say we have an incredible team is an understatement. But we were all on the same page, man. We were an inclusive cast, an inclusive crew, and we were all very diligent and passionate about the material.

44 I

|april 2022

SPOILER: I know it’s a miniseries, but are you going to have another season?

ROBERTO PATINO: We’ve definitely been dancing around the concept of more stories from the DMZ. The world is so big, it’s so rich. And the way we position it at the end of this four-part limited, you can go in a million different directions. The truth of the matter is that the DMZ is a place that is predicated on either reinvention of self, or reclamation of self. In other words, you can be truly free, outside the confines of what society or the system tells you what’s right or wrong, or you can reinvent who you want to be.

And that could be something that is used for better or worse. So, there’s no shortage of completely

SPOILER: What advice can you give someone who wants to do what you do?

ROBERTO PATINO: I’m realizing more and more that there’s no real such thing as “making it,” there is just continuing to work. My first show was this show called Outlaw.

I have zero background in anything legal. It was an NBC show starring Jimmy Smits about a retired Supreme Court Justice that opens up his own shop and kind of fights for the little man. And it aired for like, seven episodes and got cancelled.

That was by no means anywhere near my dream job, but I parlayed that into a new show at NBC called Prime Suspect, which was awesome.

And on the heels of that, which got canceled too, I got an opportunity to meet at Fox and then at FX. And then they got me to meet with Kurt Sutter, and that’s how I came about Sons of Anarchy. But my point is, you take all these little wins and you really have to capitalize on them. At the end of the day, the only common denominator between anybody who is working is that they have a trove of material.

I was very decided in wanting to write. And so I had a lot of scripts. I’ll tell you how I got my agent: I wrote a script about a small school in my family’s home country of Columbia, that was the center of a battle in their Civil War. It was a Spanishspeaking script, and I used it to apply

R O B E R T O to the Sundance Fellows Lab. I got a finalist interview. I took that and sent it to everyone I know. And then I got a manager off of that, and that manager put me in touch with my agent today. I ultimately didn’t get into the fellowship. But getting that first gig is the hardest step. And then you gotta parlay that into the next gig. And then you gotta parlay that into the next gig. And every single time you have to continually expand, you have to continually grow, because if you’re not growing, you’re sliding backwards. And by growing, I mean, taking on new responsibilities.

I remember on Sons of Anarchy, Kurt Sutter let me cover prep meetings. And the first time I went to cover a prep meeting, I had no clue what I was doing. I was terrified.

I sat there, all these people looking at me, and suddenly they started asking me questions about the script. I knew the script and I started answering the questions, and suddenly, the prep meeting was over.

And that was my first prep meeting.

And then you do it again and again, and you start getting a rhythm for these things. And then after that, you go to the production meeting.

And after that, you cover set. And after that, you get to edit. It’s just these little things where you kind of just learn how to swim by jumping into the ocean and flailing. And in time you figure out how to maximize your efficiency in doing the job.

But at first, my advice would just be to write and write and write and find any sort of resource that you

know that can help you. There’s a bunch of fellowships. I know ABC, Warner Bros., even Netflix has a fellowship. Ava DuVernay’s company has a fellowship. There are these little programs that can be your toe in the door. Then it’s up to you to just hustle and get some sort of representation. I think that would be the first specific goal for anybody: Get a manager and agent that really understand you, and that can plug you into a path of success. But listen, that Outlaw job was 12 years

P AT I N O

ago. And it’s been a very steady upward climb, but I would say that it was a steady sort of broadening of responsibility, ultimately—to the point where I’m suddenly executive producer on Westworld season 2, where we’re spending eight figures per episode. And I felt the same way I felt at my first prep meeting when I walked into the production office for DMZ, where I was like, “Okay, I know this story, I’ve got the scripts. Now we have to create war-torn Manhattan. How do we do that?” And that’s the question everyone asks at those meetings.

They look around, there’s no genius in the room. [But] you just slowly start figuring it out. You really gotta surround yourself with people who are smarter than you. I certainly did on DMZ. But just keep writing and keep opening yourself to more and more responsibility, and keep having the guts to say yes, even though you’re terrified.

SPOILER: And each one of your projects is even better than your last.

ROBERTO PATINO: You just stick around until after the dust settles.

april 2022|

I 45

R O B E R T O

P AT I N O

SPOILER: Was show business something that you always wanted to get into, or did you just fall into it at a certain age?

ROBERTO PATINO: My story is pretty straightforward. I just loved movies. I loved movies in the ‘90s.

I loved thrillers, and by the time I started trying to break in, the thriller was a quickly vanishing product of cinemas, because it was either massive scopes or tiny indie darlings. But what I realized early on in my career was that the thriller hadn’t gone away, it had just migrated to television. And this was when seasons were still 22 episodes and basic cable seasons were 13 episodes. It was a novelty that a seasons might come down to 10 episodes. So, I came in for moviemaking, feature film writing, and I pivoted into television. And

DMZ:HBO Max

I would say there is no greater wisdom I’ve learned than that. If you have a setback, keep at it. I mean, when I got Sons of Anarchy, my agents were telling me not to take the job because I was gonna repeat the baseline [staff writer job] a third time for a third year. But I knew that this show was a welloiled machine. I knew that there was opportunity for growth, and I went in with a very explicit mandate to etch myself into the show, make myself indispensable. I really wanted to hang on for as long as I could. And I did.

I found a very upward-swinging industry that was just exploding with a whole new sense of a canvas for storytelling.

I wrote one script in 2009 called Cut Bank, which made the Black List that year. And I was like, “All right!

Cut Bank! Here we go!” Guess when that movie came out? 2015. It took years to package it up. We ended up getting an incredible cast: John

Malkovich, Billy Bob Thornton, Liam Hemsworth, Teresa Palmer, Oliver Platt, Michael Stuhlbarg, who’s incredible. But it was this amorphous mass for so long before it kind of congealed into something real. And that is indicative of features just taking forever. And TV, suddenly, on the flip side, was something that was skating along. There was an appetite for more, there was an appetite for different kinds of stories.

SPOILER: Are you working on anything else right now?

ROBERTO PATINO: Looking forward, I’ve got Nocterra, which is a project you’re gonna be hearing a lot more about in the future. Which, if you haven’t read the comics, are just amazing. They’re by these incredible writers, Scott Snyder and Tony Daniel. It’s by Image Comics.

And it’s the coolest show in the world. Imagine Mad Max: Fury Road mixed with Jurassic Park, minus the dinosaurs [laughs]. It’s a monster show and it’s about a world where

46 I

|april 2022

april 2022|

I 47

P AT I N O

the sun doesn’t rise and night never stops. And this darkness is sort of this weird energy. If you’re exposed to it for too long, you start morphing into this thing called a “shade,” this monstrous version of yourself. So all organic matter, trees, ants, all the grass, any animal, and humans become these shades. And the whole thing is about these outposts of light, these havens of light of artificial light. And it’s an incredible show that I’m developing right now with James Wan and his company, Atomic Monster, at Netflix.

So that’s another world-building sort of enterprise in a totally different way. You’re using darkness as your everything, so there’s a weird sort of claustrophobia and, yet, expansiveness to the world. That one’s gonna be a lot of fun. We’re still plugging along on that one, but it’s going well so far.

SPOILER: Nocterra just came out with the comic book last March, and within a year, they’re getting picked up to do a series. So how fabulous is that? That’s the thing people have to understand.

You don’t have to come out with stuff and wait a decade to get picked up. You can come out with something and, if it’s good enough and catches someone’s eye, it can get made. So the best thing to do is just go out and do it.

ROBERTO PATINO: Failure is something that you have to recalibrate your perception of. It’s not about failure.

It’s about forward progress. And if you fail, you’ve learned something and that is forward progress. There’s no such thing as backward movement if you’re trying. And the key is to take those lessons and implement them in the right way, and capitalize on them. Build opportunities out of those tiny little openings. But you’re right. Don’t try to make it, just do.

SPOILER: I know DMZ is a DC comic, but it doesn’t always have to be from a major publisher. Creatives can go and find some comics they like from some small publishing houses and they’re fabulous.

48 I

|april 2022

ROBERTO PATINO: Absolutely. The wonderful thing about comics is they bring such an energy, with the images and the really specific storytelling, because you don’t have a lot of real estate in comics. So, what you show and what you tell is important. But the beauty of adapting that is, by nature of adaptation, you’re adding to it, you’re building off of it. And in a case like Scott Snyder and Tony Daniel with Nocterra, they are so cool. They’re like, “Call us whenever. Let’s ideate on something.”

They’re so collaborative, which is what the medium inherently calls for. That was the case with DMZ as well. Each frame is just bursting with energy and with a certain sort of spirit, and it was my job to, even though I largely reinvented it, stay true to that spirit and stay true to that world and stay true to the tendrils of the characters that exist in both the comic and in my show, because they’re amazing.

SPOILER: It’s always great when someone takes a comic and changes it up a bit.

ROBERTO PATINO: Yeah. I’m thrilled to show DMZ to the world. It’s a ginormous world.

We’re telling a very specific story with a very narrow narrative aperture about this resilient and fierce Latina medic breaking into the DMZ to look for her son whom she lost on evacuation day. I’m so excited for people to watch it.

So, tune in. I think the world will be pleasantly surprised with the “having your cake and eating it too” approach to this comic. It’s reinvented, but essentially the same in spirit.

DMZ:HBO Max

R O B E R T O

april 2022|

I 49

SPOILER MAGAZINE

50 I

|april 2022

april 2022|

I 51

SPOILER MAGAZINE

52 I

|april 2022

april 2022|

I 53

atm

strawberry mansion DIRECTED BY: Kentucker Audley & Albert Birney / CAST: Kentucker Audley, Grace Glowicki, Penny Fuller

In fiction, dreams can often be used as a crutch to further a narrative, showing us inside a character’s mind, opening the door to his or her past traumas or insecurities, subconsciousness or otherwise, without a director having to figure out a clever way to convey those same layers in a plausible reality.

Occasionally, however, dreams can be used to genuinely advance the plot, such as in A Nightmare on Elm Street or Inception, where the very idea of the sleep realm is crucial to

54 I

|april 2022

the film’s existence.

Enter Strawberry Mansion, Albert Birney and Kentucker Audley’s ethereal odyssey that not only finds a necessity for dreams, but almost entirely takes place in dreams altogether. The film is set 15 years into the future where the federal government requires civilians to record their own dreams, and then collects taxes on the property owned in those dreams. James Preble (Audley) is an auditor sent to the remote estate of an eccentric elderly

lady, Bella (Penny Fuller), who just so happens to believe that our dreams are being tampered with. She claims that agencies are implanting subliminal advertising to create a hunger for buying certain products in the real world.

As Preble spends hours and hours watching years-worth of old VHS tapes of Bella’s dreams, he begins to fall desperately in love with her younger self (Grace Glowicki). Our protagonist, now awakened inside his own subconscious with the knowledge of Bella’s secret, must face those threatening to take away his mental, and now emotional, freedom.

It’s an abstract premise to say the least, but Audley and Birney operate within the hypothetical realm by knowing which rules to explain and which to leave up to our general acceptance. And so, a concept that’s easily understood at first becomes near-psychedelic by the second act, with the filmmakers

Strawberry Mansion:Music Box Films/ The Card Counter:Focus Features

AT THE MOVIES

Recent Discoveries

the card counter (2021) finding brilliant ways to overlap reality and the surreal to get to their end destination, which may or may not satisfy viewers, depending on how important it is to have logical answers to an imaginary supposition. Like Christopher Nolan with Inception, the directors also cleverly play with the concept of time disproportion between dreamworld and real world.

The dreamscape concept gives

the film still continues to try new things, pushing the bounds of the viewer’s threshold for oddity, always keeping them just within reach of total bemusement. the film justification to play with its comedic voice and take chances with absurdity. Just like Audley’s previous endeavor Sylvio, Strawberry Mansion is candid with the bizarre reality of its universe as it introduces a highconcept premise into a lo-fi world.

Almost the entirety of the nondream portion is set in the singular location of this titular mansion, with the dreamscape itself reminiscent of the intentional slapdash moldings in Dave Made a Maze, informed also by both the hyper-inventive production design of early Tim Burton films and the DIY aesthetic of low-budget public access TV. The deadpan Preble and Young

Bella are almost always in a state of pre-smirk, which assists with the tongue-in-cheek tone, featuring mumblecore leanings of buried, if not implied, jest—like the early moments of a comedy sketch where the actors aren’t necessarily doing anything funny, but still anticipating the results of their intent.

Everyone else in the movie is an exaggerated caricature of some sort, establishing a sense of juxtaposition that’s highlighted even more so as our two straightfaced characters become the only ones entering into the outlandish world of dreams.

Getting a bit lost around the hour mark, dilly-dallying without much plot progression, the film still continues to try new things, pushing the bounds of the viewer’s threshold for oddity, always keeping them just within reach of total bemusement.

Ultimately, Strawberry Mansion makes a lot of sense, surpassing any pretentious pretext that may be hanging around and up for grabs in the beginning moments.

Dealing with the dreamworld’s capabilities to hold both truths and embellishments—and our hunger to find the truth within those embellishments—the story ends on the perennially imperialistic nature of advertisements while also giving us the proper satisfaction regarding the fate of our characters.

b+

In just the opening monologue of Paul Schrader’s latest The Card Counter, you can begin to assemble all the film’s themes: An ex-soldier is trained to cruelly torture inmates while working in Guantanamo Bay and eventually sent to a military prison where he learns the art of counting cards with all his free time. Now, released after eight years, we assume that he’s set to legally wreak havoc on the casino system with all the techniques he’s acquired, thus providing commentary on incarceration.

However, this slow burn, meditative character study grows in a much different way.

The ex-con, who now goes by William Tell (Oscar Isaac), takes under his wing Cirk (Tye Sheridan), the son of his fellow cohort at Gitmo who was dishonorably discharged for the same crimes, thus leading to major substance abuse and PTSD, which he took out on his family and ultimately led to his own suicide. Cirk recognizes William at a casino and attempts to recruit him in a revenge heist on William’s former supervisor, Major John Gordo (Willem Dafoe), who managed to get off clean despite being the one responsible for instructing his men to abuse the inmates.

Married to his old prison habits and having fallen in love with the art of disciplined repetition, William spends his life now as a professional gambler, hopping from casino to casino taking moderate earnings so as to stay under the radar. He’s approached by La Linda (Tiffany Haddish), who represents a group of investors that financially back big-time gamblers. William initially declines her offer, but eventually decides to help Cirk, who’s drowning in debt, by allowing La Linda to increase his winnings for the time being.

Keeping to its lone wolf approach, The Card Counter has all the broodiness you’d want and expect in a casino drama, but Schrader, having helped usher in the neo-noir movement in the ‘80s, uses his expertise to establish an inherent identity that goes beyond stylistic gimmicks. The director doesn’t feel the need to keep things from the audience, even though William keeps some secrets from the

april 2022|

I 55

The Card Counter (2021)

atm

56 I

|april 2022

atm AT THE MOVIES

no exit

DIRECTED BY: Damien Power / CAST: Havana Rose Liu, Danny Ramirez, David Rysdahl As we still try to find ways to recover from being in isolation and rediscover value in human contact, a film comes along to remind us that being trapped in a shack with strangers is far more dangerous than the harshest of natural elements just outside those walls.

Daniel Power’s sophomore feature No Exit centers on Darby (Havana Rose Liu), a young woman who escapes her rehab facility after

finding out her mom is dying in the hospital. On her way there, a blizzard leads to road closures through a mountain pass, forcing her to hold up in a remote visitor’s center, wherein she and four strangers get to know one another.

Early on, Darby discovers a little girl tied up in the back of a van outside. Not wanting to reveal what she knows to the others, our heroine attempts to deduce for herself who the kidnapper is. As our mystery unravels, Darby quickly realizes that she can’t really trust anyone.

Based on the novel by Taylor Adams, No Exit reveals its initial plot twist only 30 minutes in, and continues to go through a wild roller coaster of satisfying turns after that.

Although, the key here isn’t just the twists themselves, but the energetic filmmaking by Power and his editor Andy Canny that keeps us invested, even when the plot occasionally finds a relatively innocuous inertia.

And Simon Raby’s beautiful,

No Exit:Hulu

AT THE MOVIES other characters. But still, there’s a sense of mystery and the plight of the protagonist is nevertheless palpable.

Using voiceover narration, William explicates his knowledge about the different casino games while also revealing a little bit about his past.

The plot and characters are given the chance to continuously grow despite the film’s penchant for keeping its temperament locked needlessly in place.

With loud echoes of Paul Thomas Anderson’s 1996 debut Hard Eight, including similarities in character dynamics and mood, Schrader’s film sets up these three aggressive (or passive aggressive) personalities and lets them loose amongst one another as we sit and watch what happens.

The process is highly intriguing, if not fun, but the end result is a big letdown.

And unlike Hard Eight, it’s Schrader’s hyperfocus on his specifically crafted themes that prevents his story from ever finding an organic flow or resolution.

Despite a great first hour and a half, the third act flatlines entirely, going for the same high-brow poignancy as some of Schrader’s past films than it does actual customer satisfaction.

Building his movie as a character study, the finale doesn’t remotely challenge the protagonist enough or provide him with any moral dilemma.

Instead, William is just gifted his decide-upon outcome.

Though some of the banter feels stilted with contrived moodiness, Isaac’s containment is impressively realistic, almost guided by the spirit of Michael Corleone, or at the very least Al Pacino himself. Similarly, Sheridan proves that he’s one of the more underutilized talents in Hollywood, nailing the ennui of his character as well as his learned incompetence.

Haddish, however, is out of her league, exposing the weaknesses in the dialogue as she delivers the rapport uninspired, all while giving misguided facial expressions, as though the director realized the performance could only be so good.

Schrader also intersperses a series of flashback scenes that don’t quite work, only serving to deplete the mystery he tries so hard to retain otherwise.

Powered by stale ideas, The Card Counter doesn’t try to say a lot, and ends up saying even less. Yet, the film is a product of a seasoned and esteemed filmmaker who does enough with his milieu to make this quasi-slow burn watchable, if not entertaining.

Perhaps the most impressive part of this film is the acting.

Danny Ramirez and David Rysdahl play a pair of antagonists with frightening exactitude, each with his own approach to his wicked role.

off the duct tape that’s covering the girl’s mouth, probably because, in doing so, this would have given our protagonist enough information to render about 15 minutes of the movie’s plot unnecessary.

Perhaps the most impressive part of this film is the acting.

Danny Ramirez and David Rysdahl play a pair of antagonists with frightening exactitude, each with his own approach to his wicked role. Ramirez’s Ash is the brains of the operation, while Rysdahl’s Lars is the squirrelly unpredictable sort capable of making this all crumble to

bits. The unlikely duo strikes an odd, yet effective, dynamic together, but each steal the show separately as well.

Dennis Haysbert also shines as Ed, a former Marine who befriends Darby. The actor grounds the film with his impenetrable warmth and piercing charisma, keeping things level-headed when we’re unsure who to trust—himself included. His wife Sandi is played by another veteran character actor Dale Dickey, whose subtleties always evoke a strange mix of contrasting paranoia and familiarity.

Reminiscent of last year’s Werewolves Within in both tone and whodunit charm—but without any of the comedy—No Exit is a completely serviceable thriller. And fortunately, Power and company don’t lay on the austere and poignant rehab motifs too thick, allowing the fun plot to be the guiding force all the way to the end instead, despite any ineptitudes.

b-

yet utilitarian, cinematography showcases the warm and wellcolored cabin-like setting. Taking stylistic and tonal notes from John Carpenter’s The Thing—snowy isolation and all—the director opts for delivering his tension in bursts rather than maintaining suspense for the long haul.

However, Power and screenwriters Andrew Barrer and Gabriel Ferrari can’t always figure out clever enough ways to get Darby out of the binds she’s been entangled in, and falters when they forget to take the most logical route. For instance, when Darby first finds the young girl, Jay (Mila Harris), in the back of the van, she inexplicably decides not to take

april 2022|

I 57

atm AT THE MOVIES

Fresh:Hulu

fresh

DIRECTED BY: Mimi Cave / CAST: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Sebastian Stan, Jojo T. Gibbs Blending the sycophantic prisoner concept of Paul Thomas Anderson’s Phantom Thread with story beats from Jordan Peele’s Get Out, Fresh isn’t necessarily the genre-bending horror film its title would imply it to be, but Mimi Cave’s feature-length debut maintains a consistent palette all the way through.

Daisy Edgar-Jones plays Noa, a young woman tired of the online dating scene. Every guy she meets ends up being a jerk or a weirdo.

58 I

|april 2022

It’s probably why when she meets Steve (Sebastian Stan), she doesn’t mind that he’s not necessarily an instant winner—he’s just better than everyone else she’s met. The pair have a meet-cute that’s almost too cringe-worthy to be worthy of the word “cute.” But compared to the gross-out details that get divulged throughout the rest of the film, this awkwardness winds up being almost forgettable.

Steve has more than a few secrets—one of which becomes revealed rather quickly following the 33-minute pre-title card. And yet, Stan doesn’t play his character’s creepy role as ingratiating or overly charismatic like we would expect. In fact, he’s actually quite uncomfortable and sloppy, but just enough so that he’s not a complete turn off for Noa. As it turns out, this spin on the usual archetype may very well be by design, because—spoiler alert—Steve’s a cannibal who runs his own high-end subscription service

for the ultra-rich.

Early on, Steve never definitively rules out the chance that he’s actually a serial killer. He’s outwardly vulnerable and open with Noa, and so she goes along with him on a special weekend getaway. As it turns out, he’s actually taking her to his mountain resort where he keeps all his victims—other women who he has chained up in separate rooms within his mid-century-inspired estate. Steve keeps these women

Rather than embracing the black comedy that previous efforts found through schlock, such as Maniac or Society or Eating Raoul, Fresh implies its grossness more than anything, relying almost entirely on Stan’s crazy eyes for its source of wryness.

Although, there are enough tendrils to keep us curious, even if only some of them can satisfy.

c+

alive so that, piece by piece, he can remove a bit of flesh here and there, until eventually there’s nothing left of them.

Utilizing a script by Lauryn Kahn, Cave attempts to say something stimulating with her film through aggressively misandrist subtexts, but never keeps her themes delicate enough to provoke any real thought.

Likewise, she draws parallels between the dependency of a committed relationship and whatever it is Steve’s doing with these women. But the director fails to figure out that any relationship is toxic if it’s parasitic— not simply because it’s a relationship to begin with.

Oversimplifying love as a means to

an end only serves to undercut the thoughtful filmmaking elsewhere.

With the help of one of the most interesting cinematographers of the past few years, Pawel Pogorzelski (Midsommar, Nobody), Cave does some fun things with the camera. Taking in every inch of the tasty production design, the director doesn’t play games with the lighting, keeping an all-around warm aesthetic, which only adds to the atmosphere and intensifies the fleshy premise.

Fresh isn’t the kind of film that you would necessarily gravitate towards over the atmospherically— and conceptually—similar Parents, or the aforementioned Get Out. It simply rides too high on the twisted sense of humor crafted by Stan’s charisma and the provocative premise he’s dancing upon, quite literally. However, Cave’s cinematic language is bouncy enough to keep us invested, and the satisfying storyboard takes things to a logical enough conclusion.

Ultimately, Fresh is a horror film for those who want less homage to classic splatterpunk offerings and more psychological thrill. It’s almost too safe in its modern sensibilities.

other notable releases the adam project

b

turning red

c-

atm

i want you back

DIRECTED BY: Jason Orley / CAST: Charlie Day, Jenny Slate, Scott Eastwood There are two scenes in I Want You Back—a rom-com about two recently-dumped strangers who try to help one another get back together with their exes—that actually make you forget that this is strictly a formulaic genre flick.

One involves the female lead in a situation where she almost has a threesome with another couple in order to break them apart, but that’s not what makes this noteworthy.

Cringe turns to laughter as neither woman involved is committed to going all the way—or even a quarter

60 I

|april 2022

of the way—and so, they mutually decide to awkwardly stall as long as possible as the man in the room tries to hide his irritation so as to not make either of them change their mind, as though it hasn’t been changed already. Where a more perverted script might attempt to take this somewhere provocative, the one written by Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger finds comedy in its tameness.

The other notable scene comes towards the end of the movie as the payoff for the entire story’s worth of

hijinks. I won’t give anything away, but it’s worth mentioning that the paint-by-numbers setup all leads to something rewarding at the very least.

Peter (Charlie Day) and Emma (Jenny Slate) don’t know each other, but they work in the same office building. After a chance encounter that finds them both crying in the stairwell following their respective break-ups, they decide to help one another cope with their pain. It turns out Emma’s ex, Noah (Scott Eastwood), has already moved on, as has Peter’s former girlfriend, Anne (Gina Rodriguez). And so, Emma tries to sabotage Anne’s new relationship by seducing her new boyfriend (Manny Jacinto), meanwhile Peter befriends Noah, taking him to nightclubs in hopes that he will become unfaithful.

I Want You Back has its fair share of entertaining bits. However, a lot of those have more to do with the

I Want You Back:Amazon/Dead of Night:Universal Pictures

AT THE MOVIES

forgotten classics

dead of night (1945)

c film’s talented cast rather than the galumphing storyboard. Conflicted about how sad it wants its two main stars to be early on, the movie never quite evens out its rocky narrative. Director Jason Orley gives Day and Slate a longer leash in the beginning when setting up the plot and their characters, and the result shows a lack of confidence in the screenwriting initially. However, once he becomes okay letting go of the servile comedy in favor of the script underneath, the story is truly set free.

What at first seems like a load of conflicting tones ends up working for a film that hangs onto its identity well enough. And as the plot evolves, the picture matures and is able to overcome its early posturing.

Orley’s project takes very few chances with its low-concept premise. But ultimately, the film ends up finding that hook which allows it to almost overcome the stale romcom foundation, albeit still highly predictable in its outcome.

That final scene? Not the winner.

Perhaps a reminder of why good modern-day comedies are indeed dying. But once it concedes to that fact, I Want You Back is able to embrace, even transcend, its own hackneyed genre.

If you view 1945’s anthology horror noir Dead of Night as an enigma, you’re not alone. As Hollywood did their own horror fare in the States, Britain was strongly discouraged from dabbling in the genre during World War II. Considered to be one of the rare British horror films in the 1940s, Dead of Night is almost covert in its execution, small and personal in its scope in a way Hollywood horror wasn’t during that time. Operating with such quickness and grace that almost defy the tension it builds, the film moves about unsuspectingly, as though everyone involved had been sworn to secrecy, allowing this movie to exist with an air of surreptitiousness. There’s just nothing else like it.

Dead of Night wasn’t the first horror anthology, or portmanteau, but in 1945, there hadn’t been one in earnest in over 20 years. It popularized the style and ignited the craze that would eventually pervade TV sets in the late ‘50s and ‘60s with the likes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents and The Twilight Zone, and eventually find its way back to the big screen with a plethora of classics throughout the ‘70s and ‘80s, such as Tales from the Crypt and Creepshow.

Dead of Night features 5 short segments, with the addition of a framing story that connects all of them, following an architect, Walter Craig (Mervyn Johns), who’s

invited to a countryside home to give consultation about upcoming renovations. Upon entering the cottage, Walter discovers that he recognizes everyone inside although he’s never met them. He realizes that he has dreamed of this very moment recurringly, and can now recall the events exactly, but only intermittently like a “flash of lightning; for one brief moment, everything stands out, vivid and startling.”

What’s even more surprising is that most of the strangers he meets actually believe him. As we find out, they’ve each had their own bouts with the supernatural, as we learn through their individual stories which play out as flashbacks.

Among the houseguests, however, there is a psychiatrist, Dr. van Straaten (Frederick Valk), who remains skeptical, attempting to attach logical explanations to

april 2022|

I 61

Dead of Night: Universal Pictures

each of these scenarios, including the one he’s supposedly living in.

Nevertheless, Walter proves again and again that he’s able to predict specific details throughout the day, but still, Dr. van Straaten just accuses the rest of them of planning an elaborate prank in order to fool him.

The shorter flashback segments include a tale about an ominous hearse driver, a haunted attic, a haunted mirror, a haunted golf course, and a ventriloquist whose dummy just might have a mind of its own. There are a couple tales that could have been developed a bit more, such as the Christmas ghost story and the haunted mirror, the latter of which needed perhaps an additional layer of creepiness to really hit home.The final story about the sentient ventriloquist dummy is undoubtedly the marquee vignette, and is rightfully the longest of the segments. While it too could have probably used some refining, the narrative moves with a dynamic, unpredictable storyboard that becomes increasingly refreshing in its elaboration of a jealous ventriloquist

62 I

|april 2022

(Michael Redgrave) who accuses his rival (Hartley Power) of trying to steal his dummy. It’s the one story that ends with an ominous question mark, fitting since it’s also the one told by Dr. van Straaten, who had consulted the police on the case some years prior.

Redgrave does an excellent job portraying the ostensible dual personalities that he’s being accused of. And while we’re basically convinced that his dummy is talking all on his own, it’s the actor’s authentic performance that’s the sole cause of any suspicion otherwise.

Valk is one of the most convincing cast members in his own right, tapping into that expected cliché that most movie therapists had back then, but simultaneously carrying himself with a natural approach where we could easily assume that all movie therapists were actually a derivation of his character (of course, they were not).

As fascinating as these segments are, the audience understands the limitations all too well, based on the fact that most of these victims are

the ones recounting the stories in the present day, and therefore we know none of them will end in doom—that is, all except for the quirky bizarro comedy about a haunted golf course (featuring an early use of live-action/ animation combination), which is told from the point of view of an outsider.

This is also the only tale that feels perfect in both length and scope.

The most intriguing part of Dead of Night is the framing story set in the cottage, which cleverly justifies the variety of tales at hand, and establishes a sense of mystery that pervades the rest of the film, kept in the back of our minds even when another story is put in front of us.

The film has four directors in total.

Basil Dearden tackles the framing story and the first vignette, Alberto Cavalcanti gets both the Christmas and ventriloquist stories, while Charles Crichton and Robert Hamer get one apiece with the golfing tale and the haunted mirror, respectively.

The nature of the A-plot requires for the order of these vignettes to be locked in place, but the decisionmaking behind that order shows care and attention. Across the six stories, Dead of Night is paced extremely well, increasing the intensity and strangeness as the movie progresses, ultimately leaving us with a fabulous climax—something missing in most anthology movies.

Yet, despite four separate storytelling styles across the 103-minute picture, there’s a certain

congruency binding all of them together in a way that the many anthology films since are unable to boast. While different tones come and go throughout the movie, the overall script, written by John Baines and Angus MacPhail, keeps the essence of each story rooted in the same weirdness as the others, all culminating with a totally bizarro finale that’s worth the wait. It also helps that this is one of the few portmanteau horrors shot in black and white, which inadvertently helps establish that sameness.

The part I found most fascinating was the vernacular used, not just by people in the 1940s, but by British people in the 1940s—a sample so often overshadowed by that from Hollywood’s Golden Age when talking about cinema from that decade.

A very early example of a circular narrative (nearly 60 years prior to Pulp Fiction), Dead of Night keeps itself adamantly grounded in the everyday slice-of-life, both in its framing story and the majority of its segments, helping it achieve this unsettling moviegoing experience.

There are long enough stints without anything creepy that we almost forget we’re watching a supernatural horror story at all—that is, until we keep getting reminded of how chilling it can actually be.

april 2022|

I 63

SPOILER MAGAZINE

64 I

|april 2022

april 2022|

I 65

I N

F OCUS

WITH

BJOER N

KOMMEREL L

MOVING TO FRANCE WITH HER FAMILY AT THE AGE OF 10 DURING THE ALGERIAN CIVIL WAR, SOFIA BOUTELLA knows the very meaning of determination. The Algerian-born actress grew up in a house that appreciated the arts and creativity.

At 17, she began training for dance with Blanca Li, where she honed her skills enough to start doing it professionally.

During her early years, Sofia danced on stage with Madonna, in music videos for Rihanna, Usher, and Ne-Yo, and in commercials for Nike. She got her big break while starring in 2012’s StreetDance 2. From there, she decided she wanted to audition for roles that had nothing to do with dance, going outside of her comfort zone and relying on an entirely different set of skills.

When I worked with Sofia, she had just finished a movie called StreetDance 2 with my German buddy Falk Hentschel. Many people don’t know that Sofia was one of the best dancers around and was one of Madonna’s lead dancers.

66 I

|april 2022

Sofia Boutella:Bjoern Kommerell

Now, with a filmography that continues to grow with each year, the actress is a success story for simply going after what inspires you and not being afraid to take chances. Bjoern Kommerell, photographer of the stars, shares with us his own experience working with Sofia...

An interesting side story about our shoot: We were listening to Chris Brown’s music while shooting in downtown. And I didn’t know what Chris Brown looked like. Then, out of a building walks a dude, and he yells, “Sofia!” So these two talk for like, 5 minutes. And then we get into the car to drive to the next location and she goes, “Now you know what he looks like.” I said, “Who?” She said, “Chris Brown! We were just listening to his music!” [laughs]

april 2022|

I 67

I N

F OCUS

WITH

BJOER N

KOMMEREL L

While we were doing photos, she said, “I’m done with dancing.” She was so determined. It was amazing. She said, “I’ve done Nike commercials, I’ve danced with Madonna, I’m done. I want to focus on acting.

No commercials, no TV—I want to do movies.”

68 I

|april 2022

Sofia Boutella:Bjoern Kommerell

The most amazing thing is, after we shot, the first project she did was Kingsman: The Secret Service.

Then every else followed: Star Trek, The Mummy, Atomic Blonde.

I N

F OCUS

WITH

BJOER N

KOMMEREL L

Talk about an inspiring level of determination. She sets her mind to it, and it happens. That’s the secret to manifesting your goals in life.

april 2022|

I 69

70 I

|april 2022

F OCUS

WITH

BJOER N

KOMMEREL L

Sofia Boutella:Bjoern Kommerell

I N

I N

F OCUS

WITH

BJOER N

KOMMEREL L

april 2022|

I 71

72 I

|april 2022

april 2022|

I 73

SPOILER MAGAZINE

74 I

|april 2022

april 2022|

I 75

INTERVIEW BY GALAXY INTRO BY ETHAN BREHM

decade-plus, you’ve undoubtedly come across Dan Payne. The Canadian-born actor has dipped his toes in hit series such as Once Upon a Time, The Flash, Stargate: Atlantis, R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour, but also huge film projects such as Watchmen, Star Trek Beyond, The Cabin in the Woods, and Disney’s Descendants franchise.

Dan continues to live the dream, now starring in the upcoming prison drama Corrective Measures alongside his longtime idols Bruce Willis and Michael Rooker. Read on as we invite him to drop some legendary names.

A dear friend of SPO!LER’s over the years, the former pro athlete is kind enough to catch us up on all he’s been working on, eventually opening up about some of his personal struggles as well, which have allowed him to embark on a journey that’s given him even more appreciation for those around him.

76 I

|april 2022

Dan Payne:David Tenniswood/(cover image):Dan Payne:David Tenniswood

IF YOU’VE WATCHED A GOOD AMOUNT OF TV OVER THE PAST

interview interview SPOILER: Every project you’re on does so well. Do you hand-pick these or are you just lucky?

DAN PAYNE: [laughs] I wish I could say I hand-picked them. I think there’s a pretty big horseshoe lodged in a certain area for me, my friend, but I’m very grateful for it. I’m just really fortunate to work with awesome people. I like to do my part and work as hard as I can, but it really comes down to, as I’ve aged in the industry, I’ve gained more experience. And as I’ve gained more experience in the industry, it’s really become about who I get to work with. I’m really grateful for the teams, people, and individuals that I’ve had the good fortune to work with. I think that’s where a lot of the luck is born.

SPOILER: Your career spans so many different types of genres and mediums, from video games to Disney to holiday movies to all sorts of cool TV shows. Since last time we spoke, what’s been happening with you?

DAN PAYNE: Fortunately, a lot’s been happening. Lately, I feel like I’ve somehow shifted into a little bit more bad guy, villain roles. I don’t know if it’s the salt and pepper in the hair, and suddenly that means you’re a villain, but I’m having a lot of fun with it. It’s a lot of fun to be bad. I did an MOW called Framed By My Husband with a wonderful director, Sam Fichtner—it was his first feature I believe. And he was amazing, his passion and attention to detail. It was just an exquisitely cool experience because I was taking on a pretty nasty character, a serial rapist, super unappealing individual.

And it sort of feels weird to say it, but it was so much fun to do. When you’re under the right tutelage and guidance and you know that you’re telling a story, it is really fun to go dark and have a little bit of a play in that kind of other side of the fence of darkness.

And last year I had one of the coolest experiences of my career to date. I got to work with people who I grew up thinking were the definitions of cool. They defined what cool was and are people that I’ve respected in the industry. I’ve had really cool experiences working with some bigger names in the past, but this was collaborative and a very, for me, big role—a lead in a pretty big feature. Is it name-drop time?

D A N

P AY N E

SPOILER: Name drop, brother.

DAN PAYNE: Right, here goes. So I had the amazing experience to work with Bruce Willis and Michael Rooker [in Corrective Measures]. I didn’t want to jump the gun and say it too early, but I’m pretty dang excited about it, so...

SPOILER: That’s a huge deal! I grew up watching them as well, but you get to work with them!

DAN PAYNE: It’s mind-blowing. Before I was an actor, Bruce Willis was the epitome of cool, the guy that I wanted to be. Just everything I thought was awesome: smartass, badass, funny. And then I got to stand across a camera from him, and work with him on camera.

And then Michael Rooker—what a crazy, amazing, talented guy. And I fell in love with him over the years, but I remember the first episodes of The Walking Dead, I’m like, “That guy’s just insanely amazing.” It goes way back before that, but that’s when I was like, “Wouldn’t be cool to work with him one day?” He’s got all the grit and sass and kickass. And well, that happened, and I got to hang out on set with him and talk to him and hear stories. He’s a heck of a storyteller.

But it doesn’t stop there. Tom Cavanaugh, I got to work with him on The Flash. What an unbelievably generous and kind of individual. He is so supportive and so caring. So when he was on set [of Corrective Measures] and I got to hang out with him, it was just comforting. Because he’s done some amazing stuff. And he has zero ego and he’s just so supportive.

And he’s got a steel trap of a brain. He remembers conversations you had with him two years ago.

And then I got to work with friends. Sean Patrick O’Reilly, who wrote directed and executive produced, he was the greatest collaborator of all. He was so open. Once I knew I was on the show and knew they were looking for a couple other roles, he was very open to me throwing in names.

So I got the good fortune to kinda involve a few friends. I got to work with people I absolutely adore like Dan Cudmore, Matt Kevin Anderson, Vladimir Ruzich. So that was just an unbelievably cool experience to have all these people be on one set for one movie, and to have some fun together.

april 2022|

I 77

D A N

P AY N E

And I have to say thank you to Sean and his wife, Michelle, because they created that environment, and let us all go play in literally a giant playground.

DAN PAYNE: Well, first of all, he still looks like a million bucks. He somehow doesn’t age. I wish I could say I don’t get starstruck, but I know there was some, because he had such a presence when he walked in. I was probably just oddly staring at him.

And I’ve been consciously aware of the fact that in my career, I’ve always wanted to [work with him], and to have it be a reality right then and there solidified it all in that moment. And he was extremely kind and pleasant.

I had a blast. I’m just grateful to have said hello and spend some time with him off and on set.

SPOILER: Does being in that situation make you want to perform even harder, or do you just settle in?

DAN PAYNE: I think I might be a bit more conscious of my prep, but between action and cut—and this might be leftover from my pro athlete days, but when the game is on, you do your thing. I had the good fortune to kind of sink into the character prior to flying to Atlanta to work with Mr. Willis and Mr. Rooker. When you’re feeling out the character in the first few days, and you’re getting that feedback from the director and, and you’re seeing how other actors are interacting, what their thoughts are, that was all already established.

So, I felt really comfortable with the character, and I was just ready to do the work and be very present for them. Just being a thousand percent

78 I

|april 2022

Dan Payne:David Tenniswood

SPOILER: What was it like hanging out with Bruce Willis?

present. I might have been more attentive to detail in my prep than before, because, right or wrong, I felt a little more responsibility to not let Mr. Willis or Mr. Rooker down in some way, like getting called up to the top line on a team, you wanna make sure that you respect the opportunity. But I kind of approach all of it the same way. If I have the good fortune to be in a Hallmark movie or a Disney show, I’m gonna bring everything. I’ve got to give everything I’ve got.

SPOILER: What is your favorite genre to work in?

DAN PAYNE: The first thing that comes to mind is that I want to do more comedy. I enjoy comedy. And I know maybe I don’t look the part, but I enjoy the opportunity to do comedy. I did a couple of shows as an alien in Aliens Ate My Homework and Aliens Stole My Body. Being a

goofy blue alien was pretty freeing, and somewhat intoxicating, because there’s no precedent set for a big goofy blue alien.

And also, I’m not just trying to pump the Corrective Measures tires, but that was an incredibly fun experience too, for me to play a character who had a really interesting backstory. It’s an unapologetically popcorn, havea-good-time, we’re-not-trying-tosolve-any-issues type of film. So, I had a lot of fun and really enjoyed that as well. I think I’m caught between two worlds. I’d love to do the kind of darker drama and/or comedy, which are both ends of the spectrum.

SPOILER: Did you ever get to try stand-up? I know that was something you wanted to try before the pandemic.

D A N

DAN PAYNE: Yeah, the pandemic did kind of keep the lane narrower than I was hoping to expand it to. But just the fact that I got to work through the pandemic is an unbelievable gift in itself. I have some brilliantly funny friends and I’m writing a comedic script with one of them right now.

And that’s kind of the cathartic outlet for the comedy release as it stands.

I mean, I got to do [Disney’s new live-action] Mighty Ducks, which was brief, but still a lot of fun. And it was a very specific kinda comedy style, and that’s also fun as an artist to try and hit the right vein. And I love that challenge.

SPOILER: You have such a great sense of humor. Is it ever hard to keep the comedic elements out when you’re writing a different genre?

DAN PAYNE: Well, I don’t have the writing chops to not write with a partner. And I think the benefit of that for me is that if something doesn’t call for any levity, then yes, I do always try and put in a little bit of levity. And the beauty of writing with a partner is they can see the forest for the trees and go, “No, not in this one.” And that helps to keep it on track. Especially in the last couple of years, I definitely have wanted to find more outlets for laughter and joy.

In my everyday life, I like to think that I can be funny. I have to give credit to my brother and sister, and my dad. They’re the OGs of that kind

of feedback. We always had good riffs and have good times. But I think there’s been a lack of it in the last couple of years, at least for me. I’m a huge, huge advocate for mental health. I know I’ve got some stuff that I am working on, so laughter is a fantastic medicine. And if I can find it in everyday interaction, awesome, I’m gonna chase it. Maybe sometimes too much—or so says my wife [laughs]. And then also in writing, it’s a nice, cathartic outlet. I’ve written a series that we jokingly call [a Northern version] of Californication.

And it’s a wonderful outlet too, and something that helps me. It exercises that laugh muscle and allows me to have some fun with friends.

SPOILER: Do you have a go-to list of people that you like working with?

DAN PAYNE: A thousand percent.

I’m tending towards producing solely

P AY N E

so that I can act with people and friends that I want to work with. So as I try and venture into this producing game. The selfish element of it is that I want to be able to put together dream teams of all these amazing people, from crew to directors to other producers, cast, everybody.

Again, it’s about who I work with.

Now, I know there’s a huge learning curve there, and I’ve spent 20 years in this industry, and I’m still learning, I know that every single day is a learning opportunity. And I definitely wanna go on that journey as quick, as fast, and as far as possible to try and get to that point where I can be like, “Hey, we have funding for this film and I wanna get so-and-so, and would you be willing to direct?” And create content that I really am excited about doing.

SPOILER: Do you feel that as an actor you’ve had an advantage when it comes to producing?

DAN PAYNE: I do see the advantage you’re talking about. But [the platform that you guys have for your projects], I see as an incredible advantage that I don’t have, like the marketing and the access, potentially, to funding, that’s another humongous piece of that pie of trying to get projects made. I don’t have the same level of access to that. In the 20 years that I’ve been doing this, I’ve always been so consciously aware of how much of a gift it is, how grateful I need to be, because it is such an awesome opportunity that I think the building of relationships and networking has been unbeknownst to

april 2022|

I 79

Dan Payne:David Tenniswood

me—to get to the point where maybe, through friendships and relationships, this could become a reality.

SPOILER: With everything that’s going on these days, do you ever worry about always saying things correctly so as to not offend people?

Is that something you feel you have to think about?

DAN PAYNE: That’s a really good question. I feel I like I have a pretty good radar and I think my compass is fairly grounded in all of those aspects of crossing lines that you shouldn’t.

There’s always the chance. Like even just with Instagram, I post when I feel the desire to post, because my biggest thing is authenticity.

About a year ago, I opened up about struggles that I have with depression. And I started to realize that the biggest road back to health for me is authenticity. And I trip and fall and stumble. Sometimes I people-please and forget about

80 I

|april 2022

myself. And sometimes you have to say the harder things in order for the conversation to start. For people who really matter to you, that conversation will give both of you a new understanding and a growth.

And it might be borne from the fact that you said something a little bit incorrect, but that’s where you’re at.

That’s your starting point—as long as you have no malicious intent and you’re seeking your authentic self. I feel like those things have value. And if I can’t have those conversations or if I fear—I mean, I truly do fear some of the cancel culture. Again, that’s my insecurity. But I don’t want to create negativity ever. So that’s a tough one.

If I’m doing a project, I want to know that the show has integrity and that there’s an authenticity to the message that they’re saying. So, it might have to be a dark and s---ty subject. But if you don’t let a dark and s---ty subject be that, then you’re dishonoring the message. You can

hope that it creates conversations and leads people to the roses and sunshine through that darkness.

But if you don’t call a darkness, a darkness, you’re not doing it justice and it won’t be dealt with in a way that resonates for people to actually deal with it in a real way. You can’t sugar coat. You should always strive to learn, grow, and see the other side of the coin. If you don’t, it can come across as narrow-minded and in some ways can limit your own growth.

SPOILER: Since you opened up about your depression, did you get a lot of feedback from fans? Did you get a lot of support during that time?

DAN PAYNE: Unbelievably so, and the fear prior to opening up and saying it out loud, it was intense for me, but the other side of it was spectacular. The support from my immediate family was unbelievable and then extended family. And then on and on, all right out to fanbase,

D A N it has been phenomenal. And that’s what’s helped me find the strength to do the work and to be my best authentic self I can, and know that I’m allowed to fall down. I’m human, I’m allowed to make mistakes. If my intention is always positive, and if my goals are always to better myself, then those mistakes and those trips along the path are human and are recoverable. And if cancel culture wants to shut something down because I’ve made a mistake, then there’s nothing more I can do if I’m doing my absolute best to live the best that I can. It’s why two years ago, something might have been acceptable, but isn’t now, because we are all growing and evolving. And there are things that are truly needing to come to light because they are fully unacceptable, or they’ve been so ingrained that they need to change.

And I love all of these eye opening movements that happen where there’s shifts and adjustments—and sometimes too far one way, but back the other way at the end of the day, as long as we’re moving forward and things are getting better, that’s the right direction. And I want to be a part of that.

SPOILER: If you had the chance, which Marvel character would you want to be?

DAN PAYNE: It’s pretty simple for me.

I already know the answer. I just want to say it in a way that’s respectful of the unbelievable performance and phenomenal character that was created by this individual, but it’s StarLord. Chris Pratt is a comedic genius.

He can tug at your heartstrings and make you laugh all at the same time.

And that character has the flash, flare, smartass, comedic elements to him that just make it so wellrounded. It would be the joy of joys for me. But I’d have to be Star-Lord’s long-lost brother that he didn’t know he had, because nobody could replace the Star-Lord that is Chris Pratt’s version. It is pitch-perfect.

Exquisite. ...He had a brother, right? Hey, multiverse. You know what? I think Guardians of the Galaxy 4, they go find his brother and voila!

P AY N E

SPOILER: What’s on the horizon?

Anything that fans can be looking forward to or expecting in a near future?

DAN PAYNE: Like I said, I’m writing a couple of projects and I really hope [they can get] greenlit. And in the meantime, I’m looking extremely forward to Corrective Measures coming out in late April, early May. SPOILER: Anything you wanna say to the fans before we head out?

DAN PAYNE: I just want to say, “To all of you who are sticking with me and have stuck with me, thank you so much for anyone who wants to come by and drop by.

The support that I get from fans is definitely the fuel for the days when I don’t find it myself and I am extreme grateful for it. I’m very consciously aware of how important it is.” april 2022|

I 81

SPOILER MAGAZINE

82 I

|april 2022

april 2022|

I 83

inte inte

INTERVIEW BY GALAXY INTRO BY ETHAN BREHM

a judge on the inaugural seasons of American Idol, she was a dance girl for the Los Angeles Lakers. Her story is magnificent, touched upon in HBO Max’s latest series Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty.

Actress Carina Conti was fortunate enough to play the dancer-turnedmusician in her biggest role yet.

Moving to Orlando from Germany early in life, the actress is still no rookie, appearing in over 30 commercials as well as Barney as a kid. Getting the performance bug from her mom, a former actress herself, Carina ended up studying dance and drama, eventually minoring in theater in college at Dartmouth.

Carina debuts in episode 5 of the tenepisode first season of Winning Time.

The actress is kind enough to chat with us about her research process when prepping to play Abdul, what it was like meeting the icon for the first time, and also why she hates mangoes so much.

interview interview SPOILER: You are on a new series called Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, which I love. Why did you want to be on the show? Was it about basketball or was it just something that intrigued you?

CARINA CONTI: I actually didn’t even grow up in a sports family. That’s something that’s been totally new to me and like a beautiful new world that’s opened itself up to me. But I wanted to be on this show so badly because it’s based on a book called Showtime and

84 I

|april 2022

SPOILER: And you play Paula Abdul who was a Laker Girl back then.

CARINA CONTI: That’s how she got her start. And that in and of itself is so inspiring as a story. She was 18, and I think she had just graduated, and she was auditioning with her friends for the Laker Girls, and she didn’t make it.

And so she got back in line, changed her outfit, changed her name, and auditioned again, didn’t make it. She had to audition four times in a single day, and she just kept changing her outfit, changing her name, and then [finally] she made it. And that was the start of her whole career.

SPOILER: Was she a choreographer as well?

CARINA CONTI: Within a year of being a Laker Girl, she became the head choreographer, which is insane because she was one of the youngest girls on the team. She was the shortest girl on the team. I mean she had to audition four times to get in. But she was such a great dancer because she was so passionate about it. And the way that she moved was a little different from what was current at the time, and what was normal for the team. And that’s all a part of the show. Jerry Buss came in, bought the team and redefined what it meant to go to a sporting game. He made a spectacle of it. Part of that was introducing dancers. Part of that was introducing the idea of pizzazz and panache. And Paula was a huge, huge agent of that. And that’s how she became head choreographer. She actually got noticed by the Jacksons, who had courtside seats. They noticed how good the choreography was and asked who the choreographer was.

Corina Conti/(cover image):Corina Conti

Before Paula Adbul was a recording artist and, eventually,

it’s all about the rebirth of the NBA at a point when it was about to go into bankruptcy. It’s a story about rebirth. It’s a story about redefining oneself and it’s a story about ordinary people fighting to do extraordinary things. Based on the time that we’ve all had these past couple years, it filled me with so much inspiration and joy, and I felt like it was a story that deserved to be told.

erview erview

C O R I N A

C O N T I

They got Paula to choreograph Janet Jackson’s music videos. And that’s how she was introduced to the music industry.

SPOILER: How did you research? Did you get to meet Paula during this process?

CARINA CONTI: I did as much research as I possibly could. I YouTube deepdived. And this was all during the audition process. After I got the part, after we finished filming, I was in musical theater class over Zoom with Bob Garrett. And one of the special guests at the end of the class was Paula Abdul. And nobody in the class knew that I had been on this show. Nobody knew that I was playing her. So it was a total coincidence. And Paula told that story of auditioning for the Laker Girls. And I was just sitting there. I hadn’t even said anything. And I was just speechless. Like I could not believe that I was in the right place at the right time. Just happened to run into her. So that story is actually straight from her.

And then at the end I got to introduce myself and be like, “Hey...”

SPOILER: What did she say to you?

CARINA CONTI: Well, she was so funny. She was so sweet. She goes, “Oh my gosh, that’s right! I know who you are.” And so I got a chance to thank her for a lifetime of giving to the arts community, and the opportunity that she gave to me. And she started to cry. I could not have asked for a better meeting with her.

SPOILER: It’s a little different playing someone who’s still alive. Did that make you nervous?

CARINA CONTI: Yeah. It’s definitely a little intimidating in that sense. But how I deal with it is just trust. I trust that the producers knew what they were doing when they picked me. They picked me for a reason. It’s not my job to question that, it’s just my job to do the best that I possibly can. And so, I don’t try to imitate Paula. I have too much respect for her to do that. I do as much research as I can, I figure out what her circumstances are in that scene. And I focus on the ways that she

april 2022|

I 85

C O R I N A

C O N T I

and I overlap. So, the way that she comes to life in a whole different way when she dances, the way that she fights and doesn’t take no for an answer and will do whatever it takes to just get to do what she loves. I understand what that feels like. And so that’s what I focused on when I was playing her.

SPOILER: Have you had a lot of fans reaching out about your new role?

CARINA CONTI: Honestly, mostly just family and friends. It’s been really sweet. It’s been super fulfilling.

People who know me know that I’ve been dancing my whole life, and performing is my reason for living.

It’s the thing that brings me the most joy. It’s the thing that brings me purpose. It’s the way that I love the people around me. And so, this has definitely been an occasion of love.

I have felt very loved and supported by the people around me.

SPOILER: What was it like filming during COVID? CARINA CONTI: They did such a good job making us feel comfortable.

They took all the precautions necessary, and even went above and beyond that. So we had to get tested the day before coming in. I had to get spray tans for this show, because Paula is so tanned. I’m naturally oliveskinned, but I’m not that dark. And so I was getting spray tans every time we were shooting, and I had to get COVID tested before the spray tan, I had to get COVID tested the day before shooting, the day of shooting.

And we’re always wearing shields and masks whenever possible. I definitely felt safe. I feel like I was pretty lucky because it’s obviously easier for a high-budget production than it is for a smaller production.

SPOILER: Are there talks already for season 2?

CARINA CONTI: Honestly, I have no guarantees in all of this. That’s kind of how I treat my career in general.

Nothing is taken for granted or set in stone. I appreciate the process.

The grind is associated with negative things, but I don’t resent it at all.

86 I

|april 2022

What’s so beautiful about this whole setup is that we get to see the stars that we know, the legends that we’ve heard of all our lives, and get to see what they were like in the very beginning before they made it.

We get to see the ordinary people that they were, and how they fought to become the legends that they became.

There’s a joke in the makeup and hair department that we just hope that we get to stick with Paula long enough to experience a wig change.

Because it’s like, everyone is in a wig, but Paula’s wig is heavily stylized. And it’s exactly what her hair looked like in the very early stages of her career before she had her pop star glow-up.

So, the dream for us is just to get to stick with her story long enough to go down that path.

SPOILER: What got you into acting originally?

CARINA CONTI: I’ve been doing musical theater and local theater since I was really little, like six or seven. I started doing commercials when I was eight or nine, and I got to be in Barney as a kid, too. That was cool.

I think my mom was such a big influence in this. I grew up listening to mostly musical theater soundtracks, so much so that I was very out of touch by the time I got to middle school. I didn’t know any popular bands. We didn’t listen to the radio all that much. I didn’t know what was cool. But I was really lucky because my mom was always so loving and encouraging any time that she heard me sing or perform. She just made it feel like a very normal thing that I would express myself, however I wanted.

My mom was an actress in the ‘70s and ‘80s. So, for the premiere, I wore things out of her closet from head to

C O R I N A

C O N T I

Corina Conti

become so much more of what we already are. It’s almost like becoming a superhero, like the traits that are already within us are augmented when the world ends. When it’s in a survival situation, we’re no longer caring about being polite or like tiptoeing around one another. We’re the ultimate versions of ourselves.

And I just think that’s so badass. I just want an excuse to be like that.

toe. She raised me as a single mom.

She raised me on musical theater. I was in dance classes almost every day of the week. I did local musicals and, because we lived in Orlando, I was doing commercials for Disney and Universal and whatever there was. So, it’s always been part of my life. I’m really lucky to have her. I’m a first-generation immigrant, and she always wanted me to get the best education that I possibly could. From the age of 13 to 21, 22, I didn’t act really. I just focused on education.

I went to Dartmouth and then, because I couldn’t find anything lucrative that I wanted to do, I gave in and I moved to LA and I pursued an acting career.

SPOILER: Does she give you a lot of advice?

CARINA CONTI: She has a lot of opinions. A lot of things have changed [since the ‘70s and ‘80s] obviously, but her advice still holds up in a lot of ways in the sense that, you have to stand up for yourself, you have to be your own advocate.

I can’t imagine what it was like to be a woman in this industry 50 years ago. We think it’s hard now. I can’t even imagine the way that they had to bend over backwards to just work.

I’m so grateful for her.

She’s not gonna like that I’m telling this story, but I think it’s the funniest thing: I sent her the trailer when it

first came out in December and I was like, “Mom, look! I’m in the trailer.”

And she goes, “You’re not in it very much.” That was her only feedback.

And I was like, “I’m in it more than Oscar-winner Adrien Brody! Cut me some slack.” She’s really proud. But yeah, she’s a tough cookie. It comes from a place of love.

SPOILER: If you could choose anything, what would the perfect role be for you?

CARINA CONTI: I want to play roles where I can act, sing, and dance. That’s what makes me feel most alive, when I get to do all three.

And because I love film and television, I would love to do a musical on screen. I feel like this is what I’ve been training my whole life for.

SPOILER: Would you work in a superhero show or maybe a horror show?

CARINA CONTI: Yes! Postapocalyptic stories—I don’t know what it is about them, but they have a hold on me. That’s on the very top of my list for things that I would love to play, just because under extreme circumstances, we

SPOILER: It’s crazy to think about what we would be thinking in those situations. What would keep us going?

CARINA CONTI: Yeah. What’s the value in that anymore? I was talking to a friend recently about the value of empaths in a post-apocalyptic situation. And I think that’s the heart of it—that’s a pun. What makes life worth living when all we’re doing is surviving? The answer to that is empathy and love.

SPOILER: Do you have a favorite comic book character?

CARINA CONTI: It’s weird, but I just think that Poison Ivy is so cool.

I’m not saying that because I think I could ever portray her. She’s an incredible redhead. It’s not who I am, but there’s something I find so enigmatic, so enticing about her and the way that she’s powerful in a very feminine way. I also really like Rogue from X-Men. That was my nickname when I was on my hip hop dance team in college, but they didn’t ever give me an explanation. Rogue’s superpower is that she absorbs other people’s powers through

C O R I N A

C O N T I

touch, or she can absorb lifeforce through touch. And that’s a big part of my self-identity. I really think that the parallel between us is empathy.

I can absorb other people’s feelings just by being around them. I can understand what it’s like to be them just by having a conversation...to some extent.

SPOILER: How tall are you? I know Paula is short.

CARINA CONTI: I think Paula is 5’2”. I’m 5’3¾”. I was actually really lucky because a lot of the basketball players are so tall that some of the cast, in order to round out the heights, had to wear these enormous cinder block platform shoes. And so you’ve got these A-list actors lounging around waiting to film with enormous—I’m kidding you not—10-inch platform shoes. It was just the funniest thing. And because my character was supposed to be short, I didn’t have to wear those.

SPOILER: Was the real Magic Johnson at the premiere?

88 I

|april 2022

CARINA CONTI: No, he wasn’t.

Unless he was there and I missed him. I didn’t see him. I was trying not to get my hopes up, but I totally had it in my head that maybe Paula would be there.

SPOILER: Do you believe in ghosts?

CARINA CONTI: See, I wanna say yes, but I feel like I’m being listened to by them. And me saying yes will summon them. So, I almost wanna say no.

SPOILER: Has anything paranormal happened to you in your life?

CARINA CONTI: No. But I think without being religious, I am a spiritual person and I believe that life is connected. And I think that there’s more than we understand, but I don’t know if I would qualify that as ghosts.

SPOILER: Have you ever had a fun food experience while filming?

CARINA CONTI: When I was like 10, I was on set at Universal Studios filming commercials for Chiquita bananas, and they had me sitting, eating a box of mangoes. And I did not like mangoes. I really was a

picky eater as a kid. But, you know, I’d been taught to obey and follow directions and be respectful. And so I didn’t say anything. I just kept eating these mangoes and, you don’t eat just a few mangoes—they do so many takes that you have to eat a lot of mangoes. And so, I’d been eating mangoes for like, I don’t know, 30 minutes. And then we cut that scene and my mom jokes with the director, “She’s doing such a great job. She hates mangos.” And the director was like, “Why didn’t you tell me? I could have given her some strawberries!” And then I ended up throwing up because I had eaten so many mangoes.

SPOILER: And now you don’t like mangos anymore probably, even more than before.

CARINA CONTI: They’ve been ruined for me for the rest of my life. They’re my mortal enemy. Don’t come at me with a mango. I will put you on my blacklist.

Corina Conti

SPOILER: Did you battle other people with your dance team?

CARINA CONTI: Yeah. So, my whole life I’d been doing ballet and contemporary and then I got to college. And for the first time, I was really making my own decisions.

I was like, I wanna do hip hop. So, I joined my college’s competitive hip-hop troop. In ballet, you always have to hold your body really high.

And the energy is very up and in. But with hip hop, it’s the opposite. It’s very out and down, which was such a good lesson for me physically, but also emotionally, it was such a good challenge. We competed with other college dance troops. We competed at JOI, which is at Wellesley. We competed at World of Dance in Boston. yeah, I was in the same competition as Les Twins—that was a really cool memory. I got to do my own choreography for competition— that was awesome too. I’m so glad that I went out on a limb with that, because that’s mostly what I do for dance now: jazz, funk, hip hop.

april 2022|

I 89

SPOILER MAGAZINE

92 I

|april 2022

april 2022|

I 93

Ghost Rider, Avengers Forever: Marvel Comics

GHOST RIDER #1 Writer: Benjamin Percy | Artist: Cory Smith | Colorist: VC’s Travis Lanham

what’s is about?

Johnny Blaze has the perfect life: a wife and two kids, a job at an auto repair shop, and a small-town community that supports him…

But Johnny isn’t doing well. He has nightmares of monsters when he sleeps. And he sees bloody visions when he’s awake. This life is beginning to feel like a prison. And there’s a spirit in him that’s begging to break out! Benjamin Percy and Cory Smith are going back to basics with the Spirit of Vengeance in this extra-sized first issue! (from Marvel Comics)

THE GOOD

When I was seven years old, G.I. Joe ran a couple of episodes entitled “There’s No Place Like Springfield”

94 I

|april 2022

in which a Joe by the name of Shipwreck has the perfect life, in the perfect town with a perfect family, but has this aching feeling like something’s amiss. He knows that behind the perfect façade lies a dark secret. The idea that his perfect life isn’t what it seems drives Shipwreck to the point of insanity until, upon the truth’s revelation, he has to choose between the perfect life and the reality. Ghost Rider #1 mirrors the look and feel of those episodes perfectly. I say that in a complimentary way! I saw those episodes when I was a kid, and now as an older, wiser, and betterlooking 43-year-old, reading Ghost Rider brought me back. I’m glad to see Johnny Blaze back in the saddle with the Ghost Rider mantle once again as we celebrate 50 years of the Spirit of Vengeance. If you’re not too familiar with Ghost Rider, this is great introductory issue that’s downright creepy! Classic horror is back and so is Johnny Blaze.

THE BAD

I was actually enjoying the direction Marvel had taken Johnny in the last

few years, going so far as to make him the King of Hell. While Johnny is no longer the King, it does seem like Marvel is ignoring years of character development to start this new series.

I see the rationalization behind it, largely to welcome new readers and give the Ghost Rider book the Bronze Age horror feel it once had. However, I do miss the Blaze of the last few years. The art on this book is dark and gritty versus the shiny, bright, clean lines of the major Marvel books like Avengers. I love the art by Cory Smith, which fits the story perfectly, but I can see why some might be turned off by the retro aesthetic.

This book is written like the ‘70s and drawn like the ‘80s, and I was digging every moment of it.

SCORE

8.5/10

COMIC BOOK REVIEW |

AVENGERS FOREVER #1 Writer: Jason Aaron | Artist: Aaron Kuder, Cam Smith, & Scott Hanna | Colorist: Trina Farrell

THE GOOD

what’s is about?

An all-new series starring the Avengers of the multiverse! It begins with a quest for cosmic vengeance.

Ghost Rider finds himself roaring through the wasteland on a ruined Earth, where the great age of heroes never came to be, where hope is a four-letter word, and where his only ally in the coming battle against the greatest villains any universe has ever seen is the world’s most wanted archaeologist, Tony Stark…the Invincible Ant-Man. Spinning out of the cataclysmic events of Avengers #750 and operating in lockstep with the prime Avengers, the next great Avengers saga begins here, as the Mightiest Heroes of every Earth begin to assemble. (from Marvel Comics)

I’m an absolute sucker for stories that take heroes we know and love and present them in a slightly askew fashion. I’m way behind on my Avengers reading so I was happy to pick up a book that didn’t require me to know much, if anything, regarding what’s going on in the main Marvel 616. This book is written beautifully

by Jason Aaron. Every other page seems to have the potential to be a cliffhanger. I was hooked on the colony of Venomized ants and sold on an army of War Machines.

The art is consistent despite being handled by a team of artists, which is always refreshing. Some books can’t keep a consistent style across the pages, which can be distracting and diminish the writing and hard work of everyone involved—but not here. The color and art are solid from beginning to end.

series for sure. I had to read this book twice (both times were enjoyable) to take them all in, and still likely failed at noticing everything. Something tells me, like the cover of the book full of heroes, that only the most eagle-eyed fans with an encyclopedic knowledge of Marvel lore would be able to identify them all. There’s a whole lot going on in this book, which may be of little consequence to others, but will undoubtedly make jumping onto this series past issue 1 an impossibility. All in all, a really fun book planting the seeds and laying the foundation for a potentially great series to come.

SCORE

8.0/10

THE BAD

There are so many elements presented within the pages of this book that there are about 20 or so plot points introduced capable of carrying this through an ongoing

april 2022|

I 95

Writer: Paul Tobin | Artist: Andy MacDonald | Colorist:DJ Chavis

what’s it about?

Seven years ago, an attempt to weaponize dreams resulted in holes being punched through the world we know and into the world of dreams.

Nightmarish creatures now stalk the land, sprouting from (and killing) anyone unlucky enough to dream.

The only way to save the world is for certain people to have their dreams come true, which is how Risa Harumi finds herself not only fighting monsters, but forced into finding true love. Monsters and modern dating? It feels like a nightmare either way, and the only help Risa has is a friendly-ish monster named Croak and her pre-teen daughter, Machi. Kitchen gunfire claims the life of a refrigerator. A fox woman guiding the way, probably. Machi on a date…maybe? And Risa and Croak at a secret government installation devoted to making her fall in love with the perfect man in order to save the whole world—which would already be pretty dang whacked, but now there’s an actual nightmare on the loose and blood in the halls.

Ain’t love grand? (from AfterShock Comics)

96 I

|april 2022

THE GOOD

This is a solid issue from beginning to end. The genius of this book is that, in a world full of living nightmares and prepubescent dating, literally anything is possible and plausible.

I’m an ‘80s kid at heart. One of the beauties of the Masters of the Universe toy line is that any character, whether it had 20 arms or 14 eyes, fit in with the overall aesthetic of the series. That’s how My Date with Monsters works its magic. Anything can happen in this world and it would make perfect sense.

THE BAD

I wasn’t able to pick up My Date with Monsters #1 through #3 and had to jump headfirst into #4. I was

My Date with Monsters:AfterShock Comics/Justice League vs. The Legion of Super-Heroes: DC Comics

MY DATE WITH MONSTERS #4

immediately hooked. I need to hit up my local comic shop for those first three. I’m looking forward to the fifth issue but I’m a little bummed to find out this is a limited series. Issue 5 is potentially the last. Hopefully Aftershock will pull a Marvel’s Transformers move and extend the series. There’s a lot of potential here. My Date with Monsters has an extremely cinematic feel. I’d be happy to see this IP adapted into a television series somewhere down the line.

Okay, so this is where I talk about the “bad” aspects of the book. Okay, here I go… I got nothing. This was an amazing comic. The humor is dark, slick, and funny, and the art matches the absurdity of the story. Even the final lines of the book had me smiling.

If you haven’t picked up this series, be sure to do so. You’re going to love it.

SCORE

9.5/10

COMIC BOOK REVIEW |

JUSTICE LEAGUE VS. THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #1 Writer: Brian Michael Bendis | Artist: Scott Godlewski | Colorist: Ryan Cody

what’s it about?

One thousand years in the future, a Legion of Super-Heroes comes together to dedicate their lives to recapturing the great age of heroes of the 21st century. When the heroes discover that reality is falling to a great darkness in both times simultaneously, the Justice League and the Legion of Super-Heroes must team up to stop it all. (from DC Comics)

THE GOOD

Another one of my guilty pleasures is “versus” books/movies/etc.

From Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein to Freddy vs. Jason, I love a good crossover event. As soon as this title was announced, I knew I

was picking it up. Scott Godlewski’s art did not disappoint. His work on Adventures of the Super Sons and Justice League definitely prepared him for this book. Each page is beautifully drawn. Both the Justice League and the Legion of SuperHeroes look their best here. Ryan Cody’s color accentuates Godlewski’s art. I know very little about the Gold Lantern and, although this book did little to help me understand his abilities, it was good to see him front and center. There are quite a few disappointing moments, but it’s definitely a beautifully drawn and designed issue.

THE BAD

Can you imagine traveling one thousand years into the past and meeting the very heroes that inspired you? Can you imagine how thrilling that would be?! Well, you’re going to need to keep imagining.

We are only treated to a two-page splash of the Legion and the League interacting. I was looking forward to seeing our time-traveling teen heroes geek out in the presence of their significantly elder counterparts.

Out of the dozens of characters in the book, only Naomi seems the least bit in awe of what’s happening.

Unfortunately, there isn’t much meaningful character interaction to speak of. However, the most disappointing downside of this book is the dialogue. There is a multitude of instances in which a “Darkness Outbreak” occurs and our heroes instantly assume it was due to something they did, but without any explanation to back it up their assumption. As a reader, this is infuriating. I’m not certain how much this poor writing will impact the regular lines of the characters or how much of this will make its way into the Legion series that was greenlit for HBO Max, but I’m hoping the answer is “not much.”

SCORE

6.5/10

Silver Surfer Rebirth:Marvel Comics/ Aquamen:DC Comics

SILVER SURFER REBIRTH #1 Writer: Ron Marz | Artist: Ron Lim & Dan Ho | Colorist: Israel Silva

THE GOOD

what’s is about?

They’re back! No, we don’t mean the guys on the cover… We’re talking about legendary creators Ron Marz and Ron Lim returning to tell a story set during their fan-favorite run of Silver Surfer! Someone has stolen the Reality Gem, an object that allows the user to fulfill any wish no matter the consequences! But whoever has taken it is doing things like bringing back the dead hero Captain Mar-Vell. It’s up to Silver Surfer to team up with the least likely of allies, Thanos, to find the Gem and restore reality to its proper form. (from Marvel Comics)

98 I

|april 2022

This book is so fun! I was in my teens in the ‘90s and was finally picking my own comics at the comic shop.

One of my favorites was Silver Surfer.

This book recaptures an era where the Surfer was at his finest. From the art to the writing, Silver Surfer Rebirth is well-produced. The ‘90s did a lot of damage to the industry and produced quite a number of books that are the still the butt of a many jokes, but there were also a number of gems that came out during this era. The Silver Surfer is one of them. The best part is, if you know nothing about Mar-Vell or the titular character, you will still enjoy this book. It’s the definition of a newreader-friendly series.

THE BAD

Did you happen to catch Mar-Vell on the cover of the book? Well, he’s back… for a few panels and now he’s dead again. I was really excited to see the original Captain Marvel back.

The advertising and cover feature him so prominently that his swift entrance and demise is a bit of a letdown. There are those who take

umbrage with the art, which doesn’t quite have that modern majesty that the Silver Surfer is presented in, but to me, that’s one of the charms of this book. I enjoyed it way more than I thought I would. The ending had me hooked and I’m anxious for issue 2!

SCORE

9.0/10

COMIC BOOK REVIEW |

AQUAMEN #1 Writer: Brandon Thomas & Chuck Brown | Artist: Sami Basri | Colorist: Andriano Lucas

THE GOOD

what’s is about?

When a suicide bomber in Middle America is revealed as an Atlantean sleeper agent seemingly gone rogue, the Aquamen—Arthur Curry and Jackson Hyde—are on the case. But it soon becomes clear that the tragedy was not just a single bad apple, but the beginnings of a much larger and more dangerous chain reaction…and the heart of an explosive Atlantean conspiracy! If Arthur’s not careful, the secrets he’s keeping—from Mera, Tula, Tempest, Atlantis, the surface, and even Jackson—could cause a rift from which the Aquamen might never recover! (from DC Comics)

I’m a bit of a fake when it comes to my admiration of Aquaman. I enjoyed the movie. I enjoyed his animated appearances over the years in shows like Justice League and Young Justice. I even enjoyed Aquaman on Smallville. I tell everyone that I love Aquaman, but this is probably the first Aquaman title I’ve ever picked up. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this issue. The dynamics between the Aquamen, as well as Jackson and Black Manta, were beyond engaging.

I’m absolutely in love with Sami Basri’s art. Every page is rendered beautifully.

THE BAD

There was a time when Orm, Ocean Master, was presented as a legitimate threat to everyone, from Aquaman to the Justice League.

He was an interesting and nuanced character. In this issue, he is almost of no consequence. His threat is rendered moot almost immediately.

It was a little disappointing, but I’m sure we’re not done with Orm yet.

DC needs to get their act together

regarding Arthur’s appearance.

In some books he’s presented in his classic design, in others he’s Jason Mamoa, while others, like here, he’s somewhere in between.

I enjoyed how this issue mentions the confusing nature of having two Aquamen swimming around the DC Universe. Hopefully, that will be addressed within this series as well.

This is a great start.

SCORE

8.0/10

april 2022|

I 99

Writer: Donny Cates | Artist: Ryan Ottley | Colorist: Frank Martin

what’s it about?

As the mystery behind the Hulk’s shocking new status quo deepens, Banner has piloted the Starship Hulk to an alternate Earth—one where Thunderbolt Ross is president, and he has an army of gamma-powered monsters under his command.

Get ready for a surprise-filled, all-out brawl that only the insane minds of Donny Cates and Ryan Ottley can bring you! (from Marvel Comics)

THE GOOD

This issue was a blast! Hulk is one of those overpowered heroes that must be exceedingly difficult to write for, but Donny Cates has placed such an interesting and unique spin on the character that, on the surface doesn’t seem like it should work, but absolutely does.

I was trying to explain the concept of Hulk’s splintered mind and Starship Hulk to a friend. I gave up halfway through and just handed him the book. He was hooked as well. With a character like Hulk, Ottley’s art is stupendous and

100 I

|april 2022

fits in perfectly. Everything feels so large and detailed. I thought this issue made up for issue 3, which doesn’t progress the story all too much. Seeing a Hulk with the clarity of Bruce Banner’s mind is not necessarily a new concept, but engaging nonetheless. It’s only a matter of time before things go even further off the rails and I can’t wait. The final panel reveal is perfect.

THE BAD

I’m not a big fan of the Hulk’s character design throughout this series so far, and it receives critical damage in this issue.

Hopefully, future books will either amend or ditch the suit with haste. The title of this issue made me audibly groan: Smashtronaut.

That’s more of a superficial complaint than an actual critique since it in no way impacts the quality of the book, yet seems like such a silly thing to be tacked onto a critical issue like this. Also, the Marvel Zombies are here… and they’re gone! I’m not a fan of using major antagonists as

Hulk, What If?:Marvel Comics

HULK #4

canon fodder when other characters could have taken their place to the same effect.

Ultimately though, I love where this series is heading. This issue has something for every Marvel fan out there and should definitely be on your pull list.

SCORE

9.0/10

COMIC BOOK REVIEW |

WHAT IF...? MILES MORALES #1 Writer: Cody Ziglar | Artist: Paco Madina | Colorist: Chris Sotomayor

THE GOOD

what’s it about?

Friendly Neighborhood...Captain America! What if…Miles Morales had never been bitten by a genetically enhanced spider and became Spider-Man? What if instead…the U.S. government recruited, trained, and granted him incredible powers with the Super-Soldier Serum?

What makes Miles a hero no matter the circumstances, no matter the reality?! And are there OTHER superheroes the many Miles of the multiverse might have become instead of Spidey?! (from Marvel Comics)

Paco Madina’s art shines throughout this book. Although a Super Solider Serum-fueled Miles looks a bit small for me, the character costumes, designs, and panel arrangements are well done. The greatest part of this issue is being reminded that, despite Steve Rogers not wearing the red, white, and blue, Captain America is a hero no matter who is under the cowl. Miles’ suit is fantastic and I’d love to see it come back in some form. If you’re a fan of Miles Morales, you’re going to absolutely fall in love with this comic as you get to see Miles like you’ve never seen him before.

THE BAD

The What if…? concept is easily one my favorites. It’s like reading company-endorsed fanfiction, which isn’t a bad thing. However, I actually think fanfiction pays a great deal more attention to logic and detail than this book does.

The logic behind this alternative origins story is a hard pill to swallow: After his Uncle Aaron steals the Super Soldier Serum and stashes

it away in his refrigerator, Miles consumes it because he thinks it’s a snack. Likewise, considering the premise of this issue—and seemingly the next one where Miles is Wolverine—features our lead as another superhero, Miles lacks his own distinguishable personality traits. I’ve enjoyed Miles Morales, especially in the last few years where he’s stepped out of Peter Parker’s shadow and become a unique and entertaining hero in his own right.

But here, he loses everything that’s made him unique and is presented as a facsimile of Captain America.

SCORE

7.5/10

april 2022|

I 101

Rogue Sun:Image Comics/Jim Henson’s The Storyteller:Marvel Comics

ROGUE SUN #1 Writer: Ryan Parrott | Artist: Abel | Colorist: Chris O’Halloran

what’s is about?

Yesterday: New Orleans’ greatest hero, Rogue Sun, was murdered.

Today: Rebellious teenager Dylan Siegel discovers that Rogue Sun was his estranged father, Marcus—and that he’s inherited his father’s mantle.

Tasked with protecting our world from the forces of the supernatural— and solving his father’s murder— Dylan will be forced to come to terms with the man he’s spent the majority of his life hating.

From acclaimed writer Ryan Parrott (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Dead Day) and rising star artist Abel (Harley Quinn, Crimes of Passion) comes a supernatural murder mystery that explores the complicated bond between father and son, and cements itself squarely

102 I

|april 2022

in a corner of the Image Comics Superhero Universe! (from Image Comics)

need to add Rogue Sun to my pull list.

THE GOOD

Rogue Sun is an original story, and quite refreshing. I’m writing this review after reading the Miles Morales What if…?, which drastically lacks any meaningful characterization and originality.

Rogue Sun was definitely the kind of comic I was looking for. The only major beef I have with the main character, Dylan, is that he’s not likeable, thus making it a little hard to root for him. I’m sure he’s got a massive chip on his shoulder that’s weighing him down and we’ll see him develop into a character we can root for, but I’m not there yet. Other than some minor character defects in our main protagonist that will be worked out in time, this book is amazing. I highly recommend Rogue Sun to any superhero fan.

SCORE

Wow! What a pleasant surprise! I try to add Image and a number of independent comics to my monthly pickups. I saw this book out of the corner of my eye and figured I’d give it a look. I wasn’t expecting to fall in love with Rogue Sun, but I did.

Image superhero titles are always fun. From the stellar story by Ryan Parrott to the amazing art by Abel, this book entertained through and through. It’s not every day you pick up a superhero comic where the titular character dies three pages in.

Everything about this one worked wonderfully: the characters, the powers, and the family dynamic.

Admittedly, I didn’t think the bullish Dylan would become the lead, but his teen angst and father issues kind of grew on me as the book progressed. The final pages are well done, with the final panel introducing another exciting aspect to an already-exciting story. I’m looking forward to issue 2 and definitely

THE BAD

9.5/10

COMIC BOOK REVIEW |

JIM HENSON’S THE STORYTELLER: SHAPESHIFTERS #1 Writer: Andre R. Frattino | Artist: Sonny Liew & Nori Retherford | Colorist: Kieran Quigley

what’s is about?

Writer Andre R. Frattino (Simon Says: Nazi Hunter) spins a tale about the Celtic myth of the Children of Lir. Dain, a nefarious, power-hungry user and Lir’s brother-in-law, plots to steal the throne from Lir and his family by turning Lir’s children into swans and ascending the throne himself.

Fionna, the oldest, wants only to gain revenge against Dain in order to continue her quest to help her father secure his fierce and fearsome legacy as a renowned warrior. While Fionna attempts to find a way to break the curse, the swan-children are forced to wander near and far for nearly a thousand years. They endure much hardship and sorrow, but face the curse together, finding solace and strength in one another. (from Marvel Comics)

absolutely superb and, despite so much going on, was easy to follow for my son. This book is part of a series of transformative stories that I’m eager to share with my children and my students. The panel work is unique and organically organized.

It contains a powerful lesson about families, legacies, and enjoying our time with each other.

to speak ill of a Jim Henson book, you’ve got the wrong guy! I feel like the ghosts of childhood icons from my youth—Bob Ross, Fred Rogers, Steve Irwin, and Jim Henson—are hovering over my shoulder as I pen this review, ensuring that I don’t write a disparaging word. I love you, Jim Henson!

THE BAD

This is a book for children of all ages. If you are a fan of magic and mythology, you and your loved ones are going to love this book. I may skip future issues (three more are on the way in this series) and wait for the trade to come out. As for any criticisms, if you think I’m going

SCORE

9.0/10

THE GOOD

I don’t pick up a lot of books that I can share with my sixth-grade son.

This one was perfect for us both!

When I see the name “Jim Henson,” I know I’m in for an imaginative tale full of whimsical characters fit for the whole family. The artwork is

april 2022|

I 103

SPOILER MAGAZINE SPOILER MAGAZINE

104 I

|april 2022

april 2022|

I 105

inte inte INTERVIEW BY GALAXY INTRO BY ETHAN BREHM

Yvonne Chapman was pursuing a career in finance. A stressful class led her to follow her passion for acting. And now, she’s on one of the coolest shows on television: Kung Fu. An adaptation of the popular ‘70s series of the same name, starring David Carradine, the CW’s Kung Fu follows a Chinese American woman in the present day who journeys to China for three years to learn martial arts. Upon returning to her home of San Francisco, she now must use her skills to protect her community from crime and corruption.

Yvonne plays Zhilan, an archenemy of our hero, Nicky (played by Olivia Liang). From season 1 to season 2, Zhilan gets promoted to series regular and we finally get to dive into her character a lot more. The actress is quickly making a name for herself in this industry. With roles on Family Law and Street Legal prior to this, Yvonne is now becoming a fan favorite on Kung Fu and has even gotten to do some voice work as Kyoshi on the upcoming live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender series.

She chats with Galaxy about her show, which just entered its second season, how she got started acting, and how big of a scaredy cat she is.

106 I

|april 2022

Yvonne Chapman:Richie Lubaton/(cover image):Yvonne Chapman:Richie Lubaton

Just over seven years ago,

erview erview SPOILER: You are in a series that came out during the pandemic, and is now in season 2, and it’s all about Kung Fu. So how is your experience on the show?

YVONNE CHAPMAN: Honestly, it’s been incredible. I know that we probably sound like broken records, me and the cast, but filming this thing in pandemic with all the craziness going around, it’s just been truly a blessing to be surrounded by people who genuinely care about each other.

We’re friends, we’re close, and it’s just been a really, really incredible time. So, we’re really fortunate to have such a close-knit group. And we’re excited for everyone to see season two.

SPOILER: Do you feel that the show didn’t get the oomph that it should have gotten because it started during the pandemic?

YVONNE CHAPMAN: Well, first of all, thank you for watching the show. The fans have been amazing.

I mean, I personally don’t feel that I’ve gone without that experience.

The fans have been incredible in the response to the show. And I think just in the first season in particular, just getting used to COVID protocols and just trying

Y V O N N E

to figure out like how we’re gonna film this thing with everything else going on—thankfully the studio has been incredible in keeping us safe and keeping us going. I think that was the number-one priority. But when it came out and we saw the response that we got, everyone seemed to be having a great time with it. I personally couldn’t have been more grateful for the fans’ response and how gracious and how great they’ve been in their response to the show. And in season 2, the fans that were in season 1 have really carried along with us. So we’ll see. TBD I guess [laughs].

SPOILER: For those who haven’t watched, what’s the premise of the series?

YVONNE CHAPMAN: In season 1, we follow a young woman, Nikki Shen, who goes through a bit of a quarter-life crisis in her hometown of San Francisco, which leads her to travel to China, where she is taken in by this wonderful monastery of kickass women, who she learns incredible skills from. She takes that kung fu skill back to San Francisco and helps her community, persevering through kung fu and fighting, and

C H A P M A N

understanding the ways of the monastery. And as people watch season 2, there’s a bit of a different arc for my character Zhilan. But season 1, I am the big, bad villain of the show. And so, Nikki also has to use those skills to fight me. And it’s a really fun, cat-and-mouse ride.

We’re carrying that into season 2 a little bit, with different dynamics at play.

SPOILER: Why are you two at each other’s neck?

YVONNE CHAPMAN: Zhilan and Nikki fight a lot. We’re at each other’s neck because there’s this really interesting ancient bloodline that we share. And it’s about warriors and guardians of these mystical weapons that wield a power called Biange. And we’re both after this. I’m going after this because I feel like it could destroy someone who I’ve had a vendetta against for a very, very long time.

So, I’m going after this power.

Nikki’s trying to stop me, and these weapons are scattered all over the world. Once you gather them all in their entirety, they evoke this power. So that’s what you see in season 1. In season 2, the mystery of the bloodlines of the wars and guardians who protect these weapons continues on and we get to go even deeper into that story.

SPOILER: It’s such a cool story.

Are you finding that people are confusing this Kung Fu with the David Carradine series from the ‘70s?

YVONNE CHAPMAN: What I really love about our show is that, yeah, it has the same name, but it is a complete reimagining of the old series. But it doesn’t lose the overall underlying tone of the excitement, and of course the amazing action. It stays true to the spirit of the show, however, we do stand on our own two feet apart from the original series. So again, the spirit is kind of carried through

april 2022|

I 107

Y V O N N E

C H A P M A N

from the original, but it is a complete reimagining with a female lead. I really am proud of our show for being its own in that way.

SPOILER: Are you sometimes amazed by this opportunity you’ve had?

YVONNE CHAPMAN: Yeah, I gotta pinch myself sometimes. I mean, it’s just been a joy, honestly. I know I’m probably sounding cheesy and whatever, but screw it [laughs]. I’m very fortunate to be on this show.

SPOILER: What made you get into acting?

YVONNE CHAPMAN: I really loved acting from a young age. There was just something about playing makebelieve that [I loved]. I continued on in school, but I was so, so shy as a child that I just kind of did it in secret, like in my room, whenever I could. And I never really had the courage to just say that that’s what I wanted to do. I would go secretly try out for my school plays and do them on the side. And I just kind of shoved that idea to the back of my head because I always just thought I probably couldn’t do it. I had this misconception in my head. I thought that because I was such an introvert and shy that I didn’t have what it took to be an actor, which I know

108 I

|april 2022

Yvonne Chapman:Richie Lubaton

SPOILER: Do you have a martial arts background or is this this new to you?

YVONNE CHAPMAN: It was very new to me. I do practice Muai Thai, so I had a bit of that going in. I was very, very, very green in season 1.

I remember it being a really steep learning curve for me, because I’ve never done stunt work like that before—not to this level of choreography anyway. But I can’t say enough about our world class stunt team. They’re incredible martial artists, teachers, mentors, guides.

They really got me up to speed very quickly. And this season, I definitely felt the difference from all their training from the first season. It’s been challenging, but really fun for me. I really enjoy it.

is completely untrue now because actors come in all different kinds of personalities, right? But for whatever reason I didn’t really see myself on TV growing up, and secondly, I just thought that these people are really extroverted, and I don’t have that, so I probably couldn’t do it. And it wasn’t something that was readily accepted as a career path in my family, and understandably so, so I actually went the route of finance.

I got my BComm in Calgary where I was born and raised. And then, I just remember I was doing this really challenging financial course, kind of in the thick of it—it was one that required studying for months on end, evenings, weekends. It took up my whole life. And I just wanted a stress relief. I wanted something for myself. So I took an acting class and fell in love with it all over again.

And then, for whatever reason, something snapped. I was like, I love

my work in finance, but I really, really love this more. And I just decided to take a leave of absence, packed my car, drove to Vancouver, and here I am seven years later.

SPOILER: Wow, in just seven years you’re already on this amazing show.

YVONNE CHAPMAN: I do have to just take some moments and say, “Wow.” I have no disillusionment about how fortunate I am to be doing something for a living that I absolutely love. It’s been incredible and I just hope it keeps going. Even if I wasn’t on this show or had the opportunities that I had, I’m just really happy that I gave it a shot. You know, when people ask me that, I’m like, “I’m just happy that I at least tried for myself.” That that’s all you can do in this life, you know?

SPOILER: And you’re working with such a diverse cast as well.

Y V O N N E

C H A P M A N

YVONNE CHAPMAN: Hey, I try to be. I think having a positive attitude is everything. I mean, look, I’m pretty chill, I have to admit. I’m pretty easy going, and having that kind of approach to things helps with a lot of other things. Again, I’m just really fortunate to be doing what I’m doing and I don’t forget that, on a day-to-day basis, I’m really just grateful to be able to do the work that I’m doing.

YVONNE CHAPMAN: I’m lucky that I have a lot of friends and family of the same kind of diverse makeup. It just feels like life. And it’d be great to keep seeing more of real life on television; more of that diversity.

I think the really beautiful thing about being in media is that we have the opportunity to be in people’s homes, people who maybe don’t get exposure to those kind of groups in their day-to-day lives. So if they don’t get exposure to it in day-to-day life, they can at least see us on TV and build some kind of connection that way. With the world being as it is, it’s the least we can do, try to connect with each other on a different level, and try to understand each other more. And I think the media has the power to do that.

SPOILER: Do you think you’re inspiring future Yvonne Chapmans?

Do you think this is opening the door for others as well?

YVONNE CHAPMAN: I mean, I certainly hope so. We’re not the solution, but I hope we’re part of this solution. I think we are. We need more storytellers, whether it be in acting, producing, writing, directing. We just need more people of a different background. The proof is in the research, right? Like when you bring people of different backgrounds in a room together, everything becomes more rich, no

matter what industry it’s in. And especially if we, the medium of television, we’re one that prides ourselves on being empathetic and creative and innovative, well, you can’t do that in a homogenous environment. So I hope that it’s inspiring more people, not just of my similar background, but of any background to take the chance and go into the arts because we need storytelling. If the pandemic has showed us anything—I know subscriptions to Netflix and streaming services went way up—it’s the arts that really got us through it and helped us stay connected. So I hope we don’t forget that lesson.

SPOILER: I always see you on Instagram, always smiling, always having fun. Is that you most of the time?

SPOILER: When you heard that you were gonna be promoted to a series regular, was it planned or was it a big surprise?

YVONNE CHAPMAN: Oh, it was a big surprise. I mean, I came in season 1 thinking that this was gonna be a one-season character.

So for me, when I got that phone call and just having the experience that I had with the cast and the crew in season 1, I was like, “Of course I’m gonna come back if they’ll have me!” It’s such a great work environment. It was a shock for me, but a really, really great one.

I’m just happy that they wanted me back.

SPOILER: Do you like playing the antagonist? Would you like to take on a hero role in another project?

YVONNE CHAPMAN: I love playing the bad guy. It’s been a ride. Thanks to the creators, Christina Kim and Bob Berns, they really wrote Zhilan as something very special for me.

They gave her a lot of different colors, so it’s been great.

april 2022|

I 109

C H A P M A N

SPOILER: What’s the interview circuit been like for you so far? Especially with these shows, you have to do a lot of them.

YVONNE CHAPMAN: It’s been a great time. I’m always appreciative when people take the time to chat, because we do the show, we film it kind of on its own, and then it comes out and the whole point of it is to be able to share it with as many people as we can. It’s one thing where it feels like our own when we’re filming, but it’s a whole other thing and such a joy when we actually get to share it with people. That’s when the payoff comes out. So I’ve had a blast, honestly, doing all the interviews.

It’s been fun! Just like people are when they’re interested in stuff, I’m down to talk about it. It’s great to be able to share this outside of just the cast and the crew.

will definitely not be disappointed.

It looks phenomenal from what I’ve seen from all the departments. I was fortunate enough to be Avatar Kyoshi over there. That was a really great experience as well.

SPOILER: Have you gotten the convention experience yet? Or do you have plans to go to one?

YVONNE CHAPMAN: Yeah, actually we’re going to WonderCon this month.

It’s gonna be fun because, for the last two years, those were put on hold, right? So I think we would’ve gotten opportunities to go last year, but unfortunately we just couldn’t because keeping people safe is the priority. So this year, now that things have opened up and things are getting back to normal, it’ll be really fun to see people in person.

Olivia [Liang] will be there, Jon [Prasida], Tony [Chung], Shannon [Dang], and Eddie [Liu] are gonna be there. So it’s nice that we get to do it together. I think that’s gonna be the cherry on top.

SPOILER: If you had a choice right now, what kind of show or movie would you be in?

YVONNE CHAPMAN: I love everything sci-fi. I love reading science fiction.

There’s one in particular—I don’t know if they’re making it into a show—but I just find the world fascinating. It’s the Red Rising series. That book is really, really rich. I’ve been gripped by [the entire series] ever since I started reading it. And if that were ever made into something, I think that would be a fascinating world. I don’t even have words for it. I just love that kind of world.

SPOILER: What other projects do you have going on right now?

YVONNE CHAPMAN: Well, they just wrapped my guest spot over on Avatar: The Last Airbender. That was really, really fun. I think they’re still filming right now, but I can’t wait for that to come out. I don’t know when it is coming out, but I can say personally that the the fans of the original series

110 I

|april 2022

SPOILER: Marvel or DC? YVONNE CHAPMAN: Oh, why are you making me choose? Okay. If I had a choice, I’d probably do Marvel.

There’s a lot that I love of both worlds.

I think Marvel is just the one that kind of resonates with me a little bit more.

I hope either one takes me at some point, that’d be great.

SPOILER: Would you ever wanna work in a superhero series or movie?

YVONNE CHAPMAN: Yeah, absolutely.

That’s a dream.

SPOILER: Do you believe in the paranormal?

YVONNE CHAPMAN: No. Although sometimes, because I’m a huge scaredy cat. Like, I jump at everything. People get such a kick out of scaring me because, I don’t know why, I’m just so susceptible to it. So I say no, but you would think that I do.

Yvonne Chapman:Richie Lubaton

Y V O N N E

april 2022|

I 111

SPOILER MAGAZINE

112 I

|april 2022

april 2022|

I 113

inte inte

INTERVIEW BY GALAXY INTRO BY ETHAN BREHM

WHEN MATTHEW KEVIN ANDERSON TOOK OVER THE REINS

as host of MTV Select, Canada’s version of TRL, he never thought that two decades later he’d still be going strong. With the upcoming prison thriller Corrective Measures, which also stars Bruce Willis, and medical drama Skymed on the horizon, the actor also looks back fondly on his time with the interactive show and discusses the state of music videos today.

Appearing in projects such as Trick ‘r Treat, Tomorrowland, and The Flash, Matthew takes the time to make suggestions for those wanting to pursue a career in this industry. He chats with us about everything from Hallmark movie fandom to excessive doggie slobber, before diving into his latest string of roles, which include those on Resident Alien, Turner & Hooch, and the anthology series Two Sentence Horror Stories.

What he does for a living is never lost on him as he reflects on his years in this industry and what makes it so special and rewarding, especially considering all the work put in when the cameras are turned off and the red carpets are rolled up.

114 I

|april 2022

Matthew Kevin Anderson:Richie Lubaton/(cover image):Matthew Kevin Anderson:Richie Lubaton

erview erview

M AT T H E W

SPOILER: Were you born and raised in Canada?

MATTHEW KEVIN ANDERSON: Born and raised in Vancouver, man.

It’s a great city to grow up in. An amazing city. It gets a little rainy.

Everyone complains about that, but you can’t beat this city in the summer. It’s probably one of the best places in the world.

SPOILER: MTV has seen so many iterations over the years.

MATTHEW KEVIN ANDERSON: It’s so weird how it’s changed, right?

Like music videos, they still exist obviously, but that was such a big thing, watching music videos on television and all the culture around music videos. And then all of a sudden it just kind of went away.

SPOILER: You worked for MTV Canada. How was that experience?

Is it different from MTV America?

MATTHEW KEVIN ANDERSON: We had a studio show based off of TRL with Carson Daly. It was called Select and we had a live studio audience every day, and we had all kinds of bands and performers coming through the studio and it was honestly one of the best jobs. I look back on that time very fondly. It was a really great start to my career. I just had so much fun. Every night, we would go to concerts. All the bands that were coming through Vancouver, they’d come on the show and then we would go see them play live. My first interview was Destiny’s Child.

We went in and interviewed them before their show at the arena. I’m a huge music fan, so I got to meet people that I really admire.

SPOILER: Well, back then, we didn’t have a television stuck in our pocket. That was the only way to see what’s cool, meet celebrities. It gave a different edge and a different side of everything.

It put celebrities in a different perspective; it made celebrities look like celebrities. I just think a lot of things have changed these days.

MATTHEW KEVIN ANDERSON: Oh. A hundred percent. And not necessarily for the worst, changing it and evolving. But [back then], you had the MuchMusics and the MTVs. MuchMusic was like the Canadian version of MTV and it was a culture point, and it no longer exists. So, it’s an interesting time.

SPOILER: Were you widely recognized in Canada because of that show?

MATTHEW KEVIN ANDERSON:

K E V I N

A N D E R S O N

Yeah. It was a lot of fun. It was the first job that I got out of film school. So it was such an awesome beginning to my career. And then having hosting in my back pocket was nice. Like, I’ve always been an actor, but I also host and I just enjoy that aspect of the industry.

You meet a lot of really interesting people. You’re constantly learning about new people and meeting new people in a different way. I really enjoyed it.

SPOILER: How did the pandemic affect things for you?

MATTHEW KEVIN ANDERSON: It’s been challenging for everybody, but I have to say, I’m lucky. My family’s all healthy, everybody I know is healthy and still doing okay.

And somehow the film industry got deemed, like, an essential service.

There was that initial three-month shutdown and then everything kind of came back. So I’m very blessed in that regard that I’ve been very busy with work the entire time, after the shutdown. I used the time for a lot of personal growth. For me, luckily, without sounding like a total privileged a--hole, I’ve had a pretty good COVID experience, to be honest.

And it’s exciting that conventions are coming back. Because I know that’s a really important thing for a lot of people, to get together with like-minded people and be with your friends and be with fellow fans and celebrate the shows and the movies and the comics that you enjoy. I think the social aspect is what has been really challenging for a lot of people. And I think it’s really exciting that all that stuff is starting to come back.

SPOILER: Oh yeah, absolutely.

The conventions are a way for people to go out and get to see the celebrities they like and they get to see cool things happening and buy stuff that they like. It’s a cool scene. And these days, you don’t

april 2022|

I 115

M AT T H E W

K E V I N

have to go to San Diego, you can go to a convention near you. It’s all the same. San Diego just gets some bigger sponsors and brands.

MATTHEW KEVIN ANDERSON: San Diego’s like the Super Bowl.

There’s all kinds of conventions. I’ve been to conventions all over the world and had amazing experiences everywhere. But San Diego and DragonCon are like the Super Bowls of the convention circuit. You know what I mean? I have the best time at conventions.

SPOILER: Are you focusing on writing and producing a lot right now as well?

MATTHEW KEVIN ANDERSON: It’s all sorta moving forward at the same time. Writing is something that I sort of pivoted into, during COVID actually. A friend of mine was up here in quarantine because she was working on The Flash, and she was stuck in quarantine for like the second time and was kinda losing her mind. So, we decided we would sit down and start writing some pitches. And we sent those out to some producers that we know, and we sold the script very quickly. So all of a sudden, we were writing a script and I started pitching other producers. So that was the other positive that happened. COVID created the space for people to start being more creative, and it just gave people space to do other things that they might not have been doing before. But I’ve always sort of been a producer, creating my own projects just to always stay busy.

And I think the more you know about every aspect of the business, the better you are as an actor. You just understand how things work. You respect the writing on the page more because you’ve sat down and you’ve actually written a script. And you’ve argued about how to say a joke or how to write a joke a certain way. So, you [now] wanna respect that for the person who wrote that, if you’re an actor. If you’ve done editing, if you’ve done directing, you just start to understand all these different

116 I

|april 2022

A N D E R S O N

M AT T H E W

K E V I N

A N D E R S O N

Matthew Kevin Anderson: Richie Lubaton

streaming platform. I believe it’s one of Tubi’s first original films. I’m really excited.

elements that all come into making a film or a television production, and it just makes you a better actor and you respect everybody else’s job and how it all comes together.

I think everybody looks at the red carpet and they think, “Oh, making movies is all glitz and glamor.” But it’s really, really challenging work for everybody involved from front to back. It’s long days, long hours. And there’s a lot of people who put in a lot of really, really hard work to make it. A lot of people just see the end product.

SPOILER: You have a few projects coming out. Which ones are you most excited for?

MATTHEW KEVIN ANDERSON: It came out on Netflix: Two Sentence Horror Stories. It’s so much fun.

They’re half-hour episodes, all kind of one-offs, they all have their own story. I just find the stories to be so unique and they’re all dealing with really intense social issues. My episode [deals with] ageism and how people take advantage of the

elderly. So, they deal with really serious social issues, but in such an interesting, fun way. It’s a horror genre. They’re on season 3 now.

The people working on the show are just amazing. I had an awesome experience and I think the episode turned out great. It ended up premiering the season.

And coming up April 29th, we have the release of a movie called Corrective Measures, starring Bruce Willis. The cast is really great. It’s about a super villain prison. If you can imagine like an Arkham Asylum, it sort of takes place in that space and it’s so much fun. We had a blast shooting it. It was a great crew of people, really great actors, really great team putting it together.

Everyone gave 150%.

SPOILER: How was it working with Bruce Willis and Michael Rooker?

MATTHEW KEVIN ANDERSON: With big stars like that, you just kinda give them their space to do their thing. You kind of read the room if they’re chatting. And if they want to chat with you and hang out, then that’s cool. And some people have that energy, but when you’re a lead on a show, you have a lot of weight on your shoulders. And sometimes people just wanna rest, like I do that on set as well. I kind of keep my own space when I’m not acting. When I was young, I was always running around and saying hi to everybody.

But once you start realizing that it’s all about saving your energy for on camera, you really like resting and recharging your batteries when you’re off camera.

They’re really gracious people.

Michael Rooker’s wild, he’s got a lot of energy and he’s really cool. And Bruce Willis is kind of chill. Really great people. And it was just an awesome experience.

SPOILER: You were in a movie called Fixing Up Christmas and a few other holiday movies. What’s it like working on projects like that?

MATTHEW KEVIN ANDERSON: I’ve retired from doing Christmas movies. And a lot of that is because of the market in Vancouver. So Hallmark, I don’t know why they

SPOILER: Who do you play?

MATTHEW KEVIN ANDERSON: I’m on the security guard team that runs the prison. I don’t really know who’s good and who’s bad. I can’t talk too much about it.

It’s coming out on Tubi, Fox’s

april 2022|

I 117

K E V I N

A N D E R S O N

chose Vancouver, but they’ve chosen Vancouver and make, I don’t know, anywhere from 70 to 100 movies like that in Vancouver every year. It just makes up a very large portion of the working market in Vancouver. So you end up doing these movies. I have to tell you, aside from wearing a jacket and a turtleneck in the middle of summer, which can be a little sweaty, they’re so much fun to work on. Vancouver’s a big city, but it’s really a small town, and especially the film community here, it’s even smaller. So, you’re just hanging out with friends, having a good time.

All of the women who are the leads on these shows are the kindest, sweetest people. I’ve worked with Lacey Chabert multiple times. She is honestly one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. And you just have a lot of fun, and you have a lotta laughs.

It’s like, if you came up in New York, everybody used to work on soaps, right? They would be working in theater, and then a lot of them, their first jobs were on soaps. Or now, it’s like, Law & Order or whatever it is. It’s been running forever. It’s like, if you’re an actor in New York and you haven’t been on Law & Order, you’re not an actor. It’s so great because it gives a lot of people in the industry their first jobs. And they get their first credits, and they get on set for the first time and they start to learn and figure out how everything works.

It’s awesome.

I forget that so many people watch these movies and every year, even though I haven’t done one in a while, everyone starts sending me photos like, “We’re watching your Christmas movies!” Because everyone downloads all the Hallmark Christmas movies and they watch them all month long. It’s so wild. I think they have their own convention too. Like, I think they have Hallmark conventions, and you can go and bake cookies and meet all the stars of the Hallmark movies.

SPOILER: Really? Are you serious?

MATTHEW KEVIN ANDERSON: Oh, I’m

118 I

|april 2022

dead serious. A hundred percent. I’m very grateful. It’s great to have Hallmark in Vancouver creating so much work in this market. The fans are very loyal and they’re just lovely people and I’m very grateful. It’s awesome to have them here.

I love fandoms. You look at baseball fans, football fans, you look at Hallmark fans, sci-fi fans, comic book fans—it’s just a group of likeminded people getting together and enjoying what they love together in a social setting, and then be able to talk about it.

And I just love it. I’ve been to a lot of conventions and I’ve just seen how they bring people together. I’m so happy that conventions are coming back because I think it’s actually really important for a lot of people. I think it’s really a special place for people to get together.

I always used to say that I liked to go on a trip to Mexico, and a lot of people save up their money and they go on a trip to San Diego for Comic Con. That’s like the big trip for the year, you know?

It’s awesome. And I think it’s important.

And I’m really glad they’re coming back.

SPOILER: What was it like being on Resident Alien?

MATTHEW KEVIN ANDERSON: I was really excited to work on that show because I know Alan Tudyk, but I didn’t actually get to work with him on the show unfortunately. But that show’s hilarious. I think Alan is, honestly, one of the funniest actors out there and he’s doing amazing things with that part. I mean, he’s playing an alien who’s pretending to be a human being and he just does such a great job and it’s such a fun show. It’s just a great group of people.

SPOILER: Did you work a lot with Hooch on Turner & Hooch? That dog slobbers a lot.

MATTHEW KEVIN ANDERSON: The dog slobbers like, you have no idea. I’ve never seen so much slobber come out of a dog in my life. They had towels.

There were people constantly coming

Matthew Kevin Anderson: Richie Lubaton

M AT T H E W

april 2022|

I 119

K E V I N

over and trying to manage the dog slobber. Also, there’s five of those dogs. They’re all ready to go at any time. And then there’s animatronic dogs too. They have robot versions of the dogs. It was so wild.

Again, an amazing group of people. We had so much fun on that show. Josh [Peck], the lead, is just the sweetest guy. And it was a trip working with dogs and having to act with a dog. And Josh was in every scene with that dog and he was so good and patient. That’s what they say with independent films: Never use dogs or babies, because it takes up so much time and it’s so much work. But that’s why they had five dogs. If the dog didn’t want to do what it had to do, they would switch it out and bring in another dog. And the dogs were treated like kings.

It was amazing. It was a really cool experience.

SPOILER: What breed were they?

MATTHEW KEVIN ANDERSON: French Mastiff. They’re massive dogs and they have huge jowls. And because, when a dog’s on set, you’re acting and a dog wrangler is right behind you looking at the dog and getting the dog to sit and stay. And it’s just constant treats. So he’s just salivating.

I remember the original movie with Tom Hanks, the slobber was big part of it. He was always shaking and slobbering all over the place. And so it’s part of the show. But I’m sad it got canceled because it was really fun and it’s was such a good group of people. I wanted that show to go for a long time.

SPOILER: What projects do you currently have in the pipeline?

MATTHEW KEVIN ANDERSON: I am looking into doing some directing.

I’ve directed a couple music videos and some short films and I want to explore that space a little bit more.

I’ve also got a couple shows coming out. One called Skymed coming out on Paramount Plus. That’s gonna be later in the year. And another show called Ellen—it’s a cool throwback ‘80s action TV show. It’s so dope.

120 I

|april 2022

A N D E R S O N

And then I’m writing scripts and hopefully directing a feature this year.

SPOILER: What advice can you give someone who wants to be an actor?

MATTHEW KEVIN ANDERSON: Obviously I’m an actor, and I’ve listened to a lot of advice, but this is the classic one: If you can do anything else, do it. Acting is a very, very tough, challenging business.

And if there’s anything else that you kind of want to do, you should go and do that because, to be an actor, you have to want it 1000%. It’s a challenging business to navigate.

But I also find that to be a hair on the negative side, and I think people should follow their dreams.

There’s a video of Bryan Cranston talking—you can find it on YouTube—I think it’s behind the scenes of an awards show and someone asks him, “What advice would you give to a young actor?” And he says, “When I changed my point of view about auditions, and I realized that auditioning is just me presenting my interpretation of what this audition is, it was no longer about winning the audition or booking the job.” If you let go of booking the job and trying to get the actual audition, and you just present your version of what that material is, you go, “Hey

guys, this is how I think this could be cool. This is how it’s interesting to me. You can take it or leave it, have a nice day,” that completely shifts the way you are interacting with the business essentially. And it puts you in a place of power. There’s always gonna be auditions. There’s always gonna be hundreds and thousands of auditions. So go in, do your thing, and walk away. And if they like it, cool. And if they don’t, they don’t. But don’t try to book the job. Just go in and present your ideas and that’s it.

SPOILER: Is there anything you wanna share with the fans before you go?

MATTHEW KEVIN ANDERSON: If you can donate, donate some money to Ukraine right now. Things are really crazy over there. I have some people that are very close to me who are struggling with a lot of stuff going on over there. And if you can find some time to commit to helping people over there right now, I think that would be really great. We live in a very challenging time right now. Lead with kindness and love and joy and be good to one another. And I think hopefully we can get out of all this and make the world a better place.

Matthew Kevin Anderson: Richie Lubaton

M AT T H E W

april 2022|

I 121

SPOILER MAGAZINE

122 I

|april 2022

april 2022|

I 123

BY ETHAN BREHM

1986 horror-chiller Haunted Honeymoon, “It’s black and white in color.” And he’s absolutely correct. Despite its impressive cast, the film was a critical and commercial failure, yet it’s how the writer-director establishes his atmosphere that makes it worthy of conversation. Utilizing the work of cinematographer Fred Schuler and iconic production designer (and co-writer) Terence Marsh, Wilder achieved exactly what he wanted to achieve. Concerning himself less with being grounded in the naturalistic, he focused more on recalling the moods of 1930s horror classics and that idealized mise en scène that has long been romanticized about over the years.

The cobweb-infested haunted house supplies the setting for something more similar to a live-action ScoobyDoo than a Young Frankenstein, the end result being one of the best examples of spooky ambiance in cinema. The movie only falters when it tries to actually tell a story.

124 I

|april 2022

Haunted Honeymoon/Julia Marchese

gene wilder once said of his infamous

Wilder also stars as Larry Abbott, a radio show voice actor who has been suffering from panic attacks following his recent engagement.

Alongside Wilder is Gilda Radner, his wife in real life, in her final film role prior to her 1989 death. Here she plays Larry’s fiancée and fellow voice actor, Vickie Pearle. Together, they travel to Larry’s childhood home—a castle-like mansion where they plan on having their wedding.

However, Larry’s relatives have other things in mind. Under the pretense of “scaring him to death” to rid him of his panic attacks, a mysterious somebody plans on killing him after finding out that he’s the sole heir of his wealthy aunt’s fortune. His Aunt Kate (Dom DeLuise in drag) is a perennial person-ofinterest for an audience trying to

deduce who the real killer is, due to the fact that the actor plays the role with such unflinching deadpan and because of a story point which informs us of a crossdressing cousin who’s been known to do “Aunt Kate impressions.” Wilder is expectedly effective and kooky, as always, in his flat role, and Radner is at one of her most well-utilized (unfortunately) of her entire brief film career.

Almost all of the movie’s issues are found within its plot, which balances two stories at once (and even a third, as we come to find out), never finding its own reality.

With essentially an hour-long first act that’s spoken in esoteric riddles, Haunted Honeymoon plays it much too close to the vest hoping to maximize the wow factor of its eventual (anti)climactic reveal. Once

collector spotlight JULIA MARCHESE

that reveal arrives, it finally gives the film a hook, but one that also undermines everything good it does beforehand. As a director, Wilder has trouble letting go of any exposition for this labyrinthine story, precluding the audience to better understand what’s going on, but still somehow managing to keep his macabre tone steady.

Perhaps the highlight of the entire movie is the fascinating sequence at the beginning, which shows us behind the scenes of the production of an old-timey radio suspense drama, equipped with voiceovers, foley artists, and pet food sponsors.

It’s lively, kinetic, and very much how the rest of the film would have gone if it were storyboarded better.

In Haunted Honeymoon, nothing is as it seems, but even the baseline premise is confusing. Unclear of the question they’re supposed to be asking in the first place, the audience will undoubtedly have an even harder time figuring out how to answer it. With obvious sprinkles of Mel Brooks, Gene Wilder’s movie offers some truly funny moments (such as a sequence featuring a pair of tame Keystone Kops) and is a visual treat for anyone wanting to get into the spooky spirit, but as a coherent story, there’s not a lot there.

There may be nobody better to talk about her love of cinema than Julia Marchese, whose documentary Out of Print made me miss going to the movies even more during the pandemic, but still brought me some catharsis in knowing that there are people out there who appreciate film as much as I do and will do anything to preserve it.

Physical media doesn’t just exist in our own homes, but is the heartbeat of these theaters that still use projector systems that require actual, tangible movie reels. Like any good documentary, Out of Print is also guaranteed to sway some contrarians to the side of preserving media and appreciating cinema as a valid artform—one we’ve taken for granted simply because of its accessibility and entertainment value.

A physical media purist in her own right, Julia also has an eclectic VHS collection that boasts around a thousand tapes in full color coordination.

She’s kind enough to share with us some of her most cherished VHS memories, as well as fill us in on her upcoming film project based on Stephen King’s I Know What You Need short story.

ETHAN: How did you get started collecting VHS? Did it begin when you were young, or did it resurge after a hiatus? If so, what got you into collecting again?

JULIA MARCHESE: My first VHS was Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Before the release of the film, I was in a flower shop with my mother when a man who worked for Disney came in and was trying to sell Roger Rabbit dolls to the shop. The

shop owner wasn’t really into it, so he turned and showed the doll to me and said, “What do you think, little girl? You think this guy is gonna be a big hit?” I looked at Roger Rabbit, then up at him, and said flatly, “No.” Everyone laughed, and he sadly didn’t make a sale that day. (Sorry, Mister!) Of course, when I saw the film I absolutely loved it, so it was a bit of an inside joke to get me the video cassette for Christmas. I still have that same tape and it plays perfectly—one of the things I love about the format.

My first job was at a video store in Las Vegas called Video Tyme, and I remember acquiring a few tapes there, but I really started collecting more in college, and honestly it was bittersweet because the majority of my collection comes from video store closings and me being able to take advantage of that and buy tons of tapes for a dollar each.

Watching video stores being shuttered, especially momand-pop ones, is so sad to me since I have such fond personal memories. But also, those closures allowed me to acquire the tapes I own now. So at least I feel like the tapes have gone

april 2022|

I 125

ETHAN: What are your favorite genres to collect? What do you look out for the most?

JULIA MARCHESE: I enjoy the random hunt more than looking for specific tapes. Going to a thrift store, antique mall, or flea market and just pawing through the tapes that are there gives me great pleasure. You never know what you’re going to find! I don’t go with any expectations, and just see what I happen across.

ETHAN: Do you have any favorite tapes in your collection?

JULIA MARCHESE: The question every tapehead longs to answer!

The tapes I have foisted upon people the most in my life (whether they liked it or not): my copy of Pet Sematary that I watched a disturbing amount in junior high; my Twin Peaks VHS box set, which I watched obsessively in high school; The Brady Bunch Variety Hour collection

(peak TV, in my honest opinion).

However, my three very favorites are films I believe should ONLY be watched on bootleg VHS. It is the absolute correct format to watch and share these movies: Heavy Metal Parking Lot, The Opening of Misty Beethoven, and the Star Wars Holiday Special.

ETHAN: Any rare tapes?

JULIA MARCHESE: A copy of Let It Be and the OG, untouched-by-Monsieur [George] Lucas Star Wars box set.

ETHAN: Recent discoveries?

JULIA MARCHESE: I just bought it recently, and I am thrilled to be able to say I have a copy on VHS of a film that I am in! I have a cameo in Michael Varrati’s segment “All Sales Fatal” from the anthology Christmas horror film Deathcember, which was released on video cassette! Very exciting to add that to my collection, and I’m glad that new films are choosing to release on that format!

ETHAN: Favorite box art?

JULIA MARCHESE: Oooh! Good question! Fade to Black’s box art is iconic, and the movie is super rad too—made specifically for movie buffs like us. I’m a big Tapeheads fan and I think its VHS cover is very cool—a movie that doesn’t get the love it deserves. I love Fright Night’s cover art, not only because I love the film so much, but also because I clearly remember it terrifying me as a kid in the video store. I’ve always loved the cover of To Live and Die in L.A., which I didn’t see until a few years ago, but remember seeing the box at the store too. I can’t say it’s my favorite VHS box cover art, but no one forgets the cover of Ghoulies.

ETHAN: Favorite movie about VHS? JULIA MARCHESE: Well, I’m kinda biased, but I have to give my shoutout to the documentary Rewind This!, which is a great film and one I was honored to be interviewed for (although my collection in the film was still under progress and still quite wee). My video collection is color-coordinated, which I am

126 I

|april 2022

Julia Marchese

to a good home with much love. I will never forget, there was a video store in La Cañada I happened into one evening to ask if they had any video tapes for sale. The owner, whose name was Hamlet, looked at me kind of strangely, and said, “Well, I guess everything is for sale.” And I said, “What? Everything? How much?” He shrugged and said “$2 a tape?” And I was able to just browse through the store, take anything off the shelf I wanted, and buy it. It was ShangriLa. When he saw how excited I was, he invited me to come back the next day and look through his back room, which was chock-a-block floor to ceiling, full of thousands of tapes. It was heaven. God bless you, Hamlet, wherever you are.

very proud of (and apparently was a hit when they screened the film in Japan!). It does mean that every time I get a new tape that I have to shift everything to make room for the new one, but it’s so gorgeous looking and I can find every tape by color!

ETHAN: Weirdest find or the most so-bad-it’s-good?

JULIA MARCHESE: I have a movie called Leave ‘Em Laughing from 1981 that stars Mickey Rooney as a clown with terminal cancer—it sits on my shelf and taunts me. I can’t bear to watch it, it sounds like the saddest thing ever, and yet I know one day the tape’s call will win and I will watch the film. I’m sure it’s wonderful.

ETHAN: Do you have any movies with an absurd amount of duplicates?

JULIA MARCHESE: Ha, no, I leave the Jerry Maguire-style collecting to those mad geniuses at Everything Is Terrible. All hail!

ETHAN: Which tape are you still on the lookout for—your holy grail?

JULIA MARCHESE: I actually JUST acquired my holy grail! I realized at some point, after all of my years of VHS searching, that I had never found a copy of The Legend of Billie Jean in the wild, so then I began to actively look for it. I couldn’t find one anywhere! I ended up meeting [star

of the movie] Helen Slater at a film festival and I told her my saga about looking for the tape, and she said she might have one at home that she would happily give to me! She went back home and searched, and sadly couldn’t find her VHS, but she did send me a signed copy of the film on DVD, which was so sweet. One of my best friends then secretly found the VHS online and bought it for me as a birthday present. So I now proudly have it on my shelf! Holy grail acquired!

ETHAN: If you could have a VHS version of a modern movie, which one would it be?

JULIA MARCHESE: I think it would be fun to watch the new It adaptations on VHS. I have my double-tape copy of the 1990 miniseries that is very well loved!

ETHAN: Why do you like physical media? What’s the biggest benefit over streaming, if any?

JULIA MARCHESE: I like being able to hold a film in my hand. To look at the art, read the box cover, rewind the tape, hear the sound of it rewinding.

Something I talk a lot about in my documentary, Out of Print, is that every time society switches to a new format, films are lost. Not everything was transferred from 35mm film to VHS, from VHS to DVD, from DVD to Blu-ray—every time that happens, films fall through the cracks and are lost. That is so heartbreaking to me, especially knowing as a filmmaker how much work goes into making a april 2022|

I 127

short story by my favorite author to life! To be able to film in the exact locations from the story—including the dorm Stephen King lived in at the University of Maine—was a dream come true. I am such a King nerd and this has been so much fun for me! It should be playing at film festivals in the future, when the edit is complete. And part of the “Dollar Baby” contract from Stephen King is that you have to send a copy of the film to King himself to watch; he wants to see what people do with his work. So the endgame of the film is knowing that The King Himself will watch it. Mind blowing!

ETHAN: Do you think VHS will make a comeback in the way vinyl has?

JULIA MARCHESE: I think it already has! Especially in the horror genre, lots of independent films are doing a run of VHS when they release the movie, which I think is great. I love my VHS copies of House of the Devil and Almost Human.

ETHAN: Do you think physical media will ever truly die?

JULIA MARCHESE: I think there will always be people who prefer to hold an object in their hand when using it.

To have their own personal copy of the film in their collection. Libraries aren’t going anywhere. I think we’re

128 I

|april 2022

good there.

ETHAN: Any tips for new collectors?

Also, where are some good places to strike gold?

JULIA MARCHESE: There are different types of collectors, and I’m just a random, when-I-comeacross-em kinda collector, I don’t search for specific titles. Thrift stores and antique stores are my favorite.

Amoeba has a huge selection of VHS. Cinefile sells movies as well and they deserve all of your support.

Check out the thrift stores in your area and see what you come across.

ETHAN: I know you’re currently doing post-production on your film I Know What You Need, based on the Stephen King story. How are things coming along? Can we expect to see the finished product soon?

JULIA MARCHESE: We are in postproduction right now, which is a lengthy process, but it’s getting there! I am so very excited to be bringing my version of my favorite

ETHAN: Any other future projects in the pipeline?

JULIA MARCHESE: I have two podcasts, JodoWOWsky, all about the works of the filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky, and Horror Movie Survival Guide, which takes a deepdive into a different horror movie each week to discuss how to survive the film.

My co-host for HMSG, Teri Gamble, and I are also about to start a show with the George A. Romero Foundation called Horror X, which will be interviews with fantastagorical women in the horror genre. I will also be releasing a single this year, which is a cover of Wang Chung’s “To Live and Die in L.A.” with Shannon Hurley. So lots of exciting projects in the works!

Thanks for asking! Viva VHS!

Julia Marchese

movie and how you would assume it would always be available to watch.

Streaming has narrowed the range of titles down even more. And technology will continue to advance, losing films along the way.

Think of a fantastic video store— like Cinefile here in LA—they are just this incredible library of film. And while it’s awe-inspiring to go and browse through their store and see the wonders that lie within, the most important thing is talking to the other customers and clerks about films. Getting recommendations from people with totally different tastes than yours. Trying something new.

april 2022|

I 131

california

Washingtong

new york

utah

Illinois

texas

florida

april 2022|

I 133

SPOILER MAGAZINE

134 I

|april 2022

april 2022|

I 135