Feature: Brooklyn Horror Fest

When you think of movie conventions you don’t necessarily imagine Brooklyn as your first choice of location. However, Brooklyn seems to have become the place to be in New York of late and something is heading to the borough in October that has got Horror fans from around the world booking their tickets to The Big Apple.

October 2016 sees the grand unveiling of the inaugural Brooklyn Horror Film Festival and we’ve been lucky enough to bag an interview with it’s creator – Justin Timms.

_____________________________________________________________

1) This is the first year that Horror Fest has been brought to Brooklyn. Why did you choose Brooklyn for a venue this year?

There were a lot of reasons behind starting the festival here in Brooklyn, however the driving force is simply the people.  The artist and film community here rivals that of any other city. In addition to the artists, Brooklyn has a great audience and programming here presents an awesome opportunity to create an atypical event for an audience that’s always excited for new experiences.

2) Do you show only independent films at the festival, or will ticket holders be treated to some classics too?

We’re mostly going to show new independent films, but we have one or two surprises in store as well.

3) What inspired you to put together Brooklyn Horror Fest?

I’ve been going to film festivals for years and they’re great, but there are a few special ones out there who are doing a bit more on the event side of things that really make the fest a lot more fun in my eyes. We want to bring that kind of experience to Brooklyn.  That and we’re just a bunch or horror fans, and this seemed like a good excuse to nerd out on some rad genre films.

4) Have you always been a fan of horror and what attracted you to it in the first place?

Always. I’m obsessed. Honestly don’t know what attracted me to it. Starting in college I realized the library would let you rent movies for free so I started renting 7-10 a week and without even realizing it my pile of movies started to be filled with more and more horror flicks.

5) When do you start collecting submissions for the festival?

Submissions are open now! We accept short and feature films exclusively through FilmFree – there’s additional info on our site.

6) What criteria need to be met to be in with a chance of being selected? What are you really looking for when selecting for the festival?

We’re looking for the best independent films.  We don’t have a specific set of criteria that we’re looking for, it’s all about finding the films that will put the best possible cohesive program together.

7) Do you accept submissions from outside the US?

Yes, right now we have submissions from 47 different countries which is amazing to me, especially in our first year.

8) What process do you go through to select films for the festival?

Usually we turn the lights off and pop some corn.

9) What impresses you most in an independent horror film?

People that are pushing the genre forward. I think that horror still maintains a stigma in some people’s eyes but it’s my belief that they’re stuck in their old way of thinking and have not watched a lot of the new horror films that are really amazing.

10) What else can people expect from Brooklyn Horror Fest? Any special guests or unexpected events?

You can expect a lot of events and parties. We’re over sitting in the theater for 10 hours and watching films and Q&A’s all day.  We want an engaging social industry event where we can all have a great time and also watch some badass cinema.  We have one or two surprises, keep an eye on our social media and website for announcements.

11) What independent horror film has impressed you the most?

Really tough question so I’ll just narrow it down to last year’s ‘It Follows’ was very impressive.  The concept of the film was so amazing and simple, it’s essentially every horror movie’s plot boiled down into a single idea.

12) Do you feel that independent horror has a chance to break into mainstream cinema?

Absolutely.  I think people need to get over relegating horror to September and October.  There are tons of great films coming out all year long.  Mickey Keating’s ‘Darling’ is fantastic and was just released in theaters and VOD in April.  Baskin was just released last month as well.  I think if we just change the “old way” of thinking about horror and consider these as just films and not horror films it can go a long way.

13) Do you think there is still an appetite for horror now that comic book films have dominated the scene?

Horror films are actually the most financially stable genre. Well maybe Marvel has taken over that title, but horror is still very stable and there’s definitely an audience.

14) What are you looking forward to most about this year’s festival?

Our events.  We’re going to have some fantastic films for sure, but our parties and events are what is going set us apart from other festivals.

15) Is there anything happening/showing at this year’s festival that you are absolutely stoked to have pulled off?

We have some amazing things lined up but I can’t say just yet.  Thank you so much for the interview!

It was great to have an insight into both what Brooklyn Horror Fest has to offer, but also the passion for the genre from someone working in the industry. With such passionate people behind the project, its difficult to imagine this event being anything but spectacular!

More information about the festival can be found on the official website: www.brooklynhorrorfest.com. There you can find out how to buy passes for this years event (you’ll need them to enjoy all of the events that are on offer – or click here to get them) and how to submit a film for selection. Submissions are being accepted now, so if you’re a budding horror director, visit the site to get your flick in quick!

Everyone here at Skatronixxx.com wish Justin and his team the best of luck with the first Brooklyn Horror Fest. May it be the first of many to come! Hope to see you there one day!

Erin Stegeman’s Latest Project A ‘Bates Motel’ Parody

G’day guys! I have something a little special for the Bates Motel fans among us, yesterday I had the pleasure of doing a Q & A with Erin Stegeman, if her name sound familiar that’s because she is the master mind behind OUAT Rock Opera (which by the way is on tour at the moment and selling out fast, so if you’re in the US do yourself a favour and go see it!) and our fearless leader interviewed Erin about OUAT Rock Opera. So as you all know I am a huge fan of Bates Motel and resident Bates blogger for Skatronixxx.com , My latest Q& A with Erin was about a new project she has been working on which is a Bates Motel parody the first episode is Normero’s First Date

As a huge fan of  BM  I absolutely loved it and the cast were awesome and nailed it,  if you pay close attention you will see Erin and her Hubby make an appearance. Head over check it out, you be glad you did!

Will post the links at the bottom of the page, so please head over and give Erin and cast some love.

——————————————————————————————————————————————-

1) Was there any alcohol consumed during the planing of Normero’s First Date?

Hahaha!! No, quite the opposite. I was in the middle of working on another project and took a break to go for a walk. I had been watching season 3 (rather re-watching) in anticipation of the season 4 premiere, which was just a few days away. So, it was fresh in my head. The idea just sort of came. I wrote it later that day, sent it to my producer, Peter Frintrup (who also shot and edited it), and we were on set a few days later. I find that’s how most of my stuff happens.

People did drink on set though. We forgot to replace the liquor in our prop bottles with water and decided to just let it go. I was one of the bar patrons, and towards the end of the shoot we did like 4 takes where we all cheers each other and then take a big swig. I had to take a break after we were done to down some water and potato chips before the next set up.

2) As a huge Bates Motel fan I absolutely loved Romero’s First Date, was it a one-off or will we see more of the Bates family?

Thank you!! I’m glad fans of the show are liking it – that’s who this is for! I’m letting the internet make the decision to continue for us, as they did with OUAA. I love the show, and I certainly have ideas for these characters, but it’s an expensive hobby. If the demand is there, we will absolutely supply!

3) Where did your inspiration come from, and which character do you Identify with, if any?

I’m a bit of a romantic. I get these “couple crushes” on tv characters and my imagination just likes to put them in these ridiculous scenarios. Plus, I’m an emotional blonde and my husband, whose name is Ace Marrero, is an even-keeled Latin man…so…lots of bizarre similarities there.

As much as I wanted Normero to come to fruition I thought, “These two would NEVER be able to just do dinner and a movie like a normal couple. She’ll be wondering if Norman’s killing someone, and he’ll probably show up in his sheriff uniform because Romero lives in that thing.”

4) The Actress and Actor in the parody nailed Norma and Romero right down to their mannerisms, how long did it take them to get it right?

They were rock stars, and I met them both that day on set. Like I said, we had about 3-4 days between concept to shoot, and I don’t think either of them were familiar with the show…maybe Vanessa had seen an episode or two. I sent them a bunch of videos to watch and went over most of the details while we shot. There was so much they did on their own – they both came to set ready to roll. Vanessa had binge-watched the first season and brought that blue dress to wardrobe, which was such a cool addition. Ashwin even did Romero’s underbite in several takes. It didn’t quite make the edit, but it was super freaky how similar he was to Romero. The crew and myself even called them Vera and Nestor on accident a couple of times. Couldn’t have asked for a better pair.

5)  Currently you’re on tour with your OUAT Rock Opera and I have to say the trailer was awesome! (If I lived in the US I would definitely be going). Do you think we might see a Bates Motel Psycho Opera in the future?

That would be excellent! I’m 100% open to that if the demand is there. I do have a sketch in mind for them that involves music.

6) Will we see any other TV shows destined for your parody genius in the future ?

Yes! My YouTube channel (erinstegeman) is currently expanding to include parody content across all kinds of genre shows and pop culture. We have a few sketches in the wings. I have literally watched all of Netflix, HBO, and Amazon…so I’m ready!

——————————————————————————————————————————————-

Check out the hilarious video below:-

Also see some of the pics from Erin visited a very familiar site!

Check out Erin’s personal webpage on erinstegeman.com .Don’t be shy go say hi and follow Erin on Twitter at @erinstegeman and tell her ‘Skatronixxx sent me!’

An Interview With British Actor Cai O’Leary

How about another interview?  I was happy to get to talk to a multi-talented young man recently.  Cai O’Leary has several appearances in TV series under his belt, including Blodau, Deep Cuts and more, along with several short films like Johnny Oneline and a film he wrote, directed, produced and starred in entitled Man Is Beast, which is a Chinese language film.  Let’s get to know a little more about Cai, shall we?

————————————————————————————————————————————–

1)  How did you get into acting?  Did you always want to be an actor?

I was 19 and had just returned from a gap year in Australia where I was coaching rugby at a school.  I had deferred my place at University in the UK where I was due to start a Law Degree, in order to travel.  When I got back I told my father that I would prefer to pursue my childhood dreams of becoming an actor.  Luckily, my father is an artist so he was over the moon with this decision and I have not looked back since.  I think coming from a small quarrying vilage in North Wales, becoming an actor didn’t even seem like an option that was open to me.  I had never even heard of drama school.  Apart from a run in the local drama club (there was only three of us there) there was zero opportunity.  It was only when I was in Australia and I met some actors out there that I realised I could make a living out of it.

2)  Tell us about your latest project…

My latest project Is another short film, which I wrote.  This time it is a love story between a homeless couple on the streets of London.  It follows the story of ‘Ariel’, a transwoman who is used to the hard knocks given to you as a homeless person.  She finds love and this comes in the shape of ‘Paul’, an Irish man.  It is quite different to Man Is Beast, more poetic and I have tried to dig into how society has a way of placing people.  Actually in saying that, I guess it is quite similar to Man Is Beast.  There is a hierarchy in Society whether you are human or an animal.

Other than this I am currently penning my first feature film.  A Chinese language action Thriller which takes place in China and London.  Much more light hearted and easy to watch!

3)  You wore many hats in Man is Beast:  Actor, Director, Producer and Writer.  Which hat was the hardest to wear, and why?

The producer.  100%.  Mainly because I have no interest whatsoever in becoming a producer.  However, needs must and in the wonderful world of short film you sometimes have to wear more than one hat!  But from now on I am concentrating on my writing and acting only.

4)  If you could be in any existing film playing any character, which would it be?

Jason Bourne.  I love action films and for me the Bourne films are the best.  Obviously Bond is huge as well and has now caught up but for me the earlier Bourne films led the way.

5)  I know that you’re a skilled martial artist.  Could you be the next Chuck Norris?  (On the lighter side – What’s your favorite Chuck Norris joke?  Mine is:  Before he goes to bed every night, the Boogey Man checks under his bed for Chuck Norris.) 

Ha, yes.  No I don’t think I am the next Chuck Norris.  I am more of an actor who happens to have a lot of experience in martial arts.

Quotes… oh there are so many… urm, I think I will have to go with ‘Why are there no Chuck Norris lego’s?  Because no one can take Chuck Norris apart.’

6)  If a film was made about you, what would it be called and who would play you?

Oooh, tough question.  I guess because of my single parent upbringing (my father) and where I grew up, It would be something along the lines of Billy Elliott.  There are a lot of similarities there to my upbringing.  Except I got into acting, definitely can’t dance!

7)  What can we expect from you in the rest of 2016?

Hopefully I can get my Chinese feature film into production.  I also have a couple of projects closer to home on the horizon.  And as a writer look out for my short film ‘Ariel’ which is currently running the festival circuit.

8)  Tell us a fun fact about you, something that our readers might not already know about you…

I am trilingual, I speak the worlds three most influential languages.  English, Mandarin Chinese and… Welsh 🙂

9)  And, last but not least, do you have any advice for young, up and coming actors?

I have a lot of advice actually.  But the main thing for me is don’t wait for things to come to you.  Hopefully they will (it does happen)  but most of the time it doesn’t.  Make films, write, hook up with other filmmakers and be creative.  The film festivals are great but very expensive.  Post your work online, create a buzz – you never know who’s watching!

————————————————————————————————————————————–

For more information about Cai, check out Cai’s IMDB page here. Don’t be shy go say hi, check out Cai on twitter here and tell him ‘Skatronixxx sent me’.

An Interview With American Actress Erin Stegeman

It’s time for another interview on http://www.skatronixx.com , this time we chat with ‘modern day triple threat’, Erin Stegeman. She can act, write and produce films and was previously a stand up comedienne.

Erin is one of our followers on our twitter account and I approached her for an interview after reading her bio. I thought her wide array of talents would be an interesting read for you. After a couple of emails and getting to know Erin an interview was agreed.

Let’s find out some more about another insanely talented and awesome member of our #SkatFamily Erin Stegeman !

———————————————————————————————————————————-

1) Wow you’re certainly a triple threat, can you tell us how you got into acting and film making?

A: Well thank you. I’m so honored to hear that! It’s a weird adjustment to really sink into this idea of multi-tasking because, for a long time, I felt like I was pretty crappy at most of those things. I never studied screenwriting or film directing formally, so most of my training has been on set literally doing it. I’d write and perform plays with the neighbors. I always wanted to do everything back then too, mostly because I was the oldest and I was a ten-year old with a vision! The kids all revolted one day and called me bossy. I believe they’re all in computer science jobs anyway…

So my mom put me in piano, dance, theater – anything to keep me from running around the house and dancing in the living room next to breakable objects. I’m from the Midwest, and I was a class clown for sure, but sort of nerdy and introverted, and I was also a bit of an athlete. I felt really unclear as to what I was – there was a lot of pressure back then (and still today) to be defined by what you do and like. I loved a lot of things – which can appear unfocused and indecisive, especially when it came time to pick a major in college and then pick an area in the entertainment industry to pursue. When I was strictly acting in NYC and LA, I was miserable. Even though I loved performing, there was something missing for me. Being happy was an uphill battle. Then, one day I just decided to start doing more things that I truly enjoyed, whether they were acting-related or not. I started experimenting with Twitter and writing. I quickly fell in love and opportunities began to come easily. I found a comedic voice, but also a reunited love of genre content. Instead of fighting the divide I started blending it all. Now I approach things project to project as opposed to this title of what I do. It’s much more from a place of “how can I best serve this idea?”, which feels more like who I am.

There was this moment though in college – I was presenting a scene for my theater directing class, and I had selected one of the witch sequences from MACBETH. I added a dance routine, the Harry Potter theme song, special effects, modernized it, and made Macbeth a female…I just went all out. To this day one, it’s still of the best moments of my life. When that scene ended, I knew I wanted to direct. I still have the feedback sheet from my professor from that.

2) You are well known from ‘Once Upon A Time: The Rock Opera’, can you tell us how you got involved with the project and how the idea came about? Also are you a fan of the TV show?

Back when the show first aired, a few friends from Facebook started posting the show’s poster on my feed and asked if that was me. I had literally just dyed my hair back to blonde from red after being compared to Emma Stone at every single audition. Life is super ironic and you just have to go with it. I checked out the show and became addicted quickly…it was around season 2, I had just started writing and Youtube was booming. I wanted to do something, so I came up with this idea of these fairytale characters not yet seen on OUAT in a 12 step support group in Storybrooke, led by Emma. It was written, shot, and up in less than a week. We had an amazing response to the video which allowed us to make a few more episodes. I want to be clear – this wasn’t poof and now life is easy! It meant launching social media, networking in the once community, and taking daily actions to stay relevant. But, I loved it, so it was easy to stay motivated.

I started exploring making short films and wanted to go in a different direction with the series. I love films like ROCKY HORROR and DEVIL’S CARNIVAL, that are much more of an audience experience, sort of merging movies with convention culture. I wanted to mirror the same, so we decided to go with a rock opera. I had no clue how to write music and even hired another director because I’d never done a feature. As fate and scheduling would have it, I ended up doing both.

3) You even got to perform at Comic-Con what was that like and did you see many famous faces watching your performance?

COMIC-CON WAS AMAZING. Truly a bucket list experience. I don’t think it sunk in for us until we all went back to our rental house afterwards. My cast just sat in the living room together and we kept saying, “one milestone down”. You can’t really beat singing songs you wrote, on a pirate ship, with your best friends, in front of a shit ton of people in cosplay. I owe it all to my friend Brandon, who I met at another con. He invited us to perform and I will never be able thank him enough for that opportunity. I love when I go to other cons and people come up and say, “I saw you perform at Comic-Con!” That’s nerd gold.

4) Your first short film you wrote and directed was ‘Meet The Tweeds’ how did this come about?

Honestly, I was so jealous of my husband and his friends who were making all these horror films and having a lot of success with them, that I sort of invited myself to the party. We both have a lot of connections in the horror space, but I had never written anything. So I saw an opportunity to get a team together and possibly get some exposure. I love sickly dark comedies and satire, which is essentially what it was – this super conservative family who eats children.

The night we shot it, I thought I was going to die. It was so unbelievably difficult for me, and I was miserable. It’s very technical compared to directing theater, and when you have a lean mean team and you’re the weak link – it’s just awful. My husband sliced his arm open on set, we had 3 kid actors, we went way overtime…I thought for certain I would never direct again. Then it went up on Dread Central’s home page on Halloween, and I thought I just need to keep practicing. Maybe it will get better. Honestly it’s still awful, but enjoyable-awful.

5) You have a background in journalism, how did you find this prepared you for your very versatile career?

I was that kid that preferred to do essays instead of multiple choice growing up. Journalism was very natural for me. I had already been blogging on my personal site for about a year when I was offered a couple gigs with LA WEEKLY and THE HOLLYWOOD JOURNAL through friends of friends. The LA WEEKLY stuff was focused on reviewing web series, which absolutely trained me for everything. I interviewed successful creators, saw what they did versus others, started to cultivate relationships at YouTube and at Sundance, and really learned everything behind the scenes of content creating. I was unattached to the job, so networking became fun again. I highly recommend sinking your teeth, however you can, into the world you want to be a part of. I interviewed celebrities that I would NEVER have the courage to approach, but because I had this fancy PRESS badge on, it gave me courage…and contacts for future projects.

6) Is it true you have been in over 50 commercials? If so could you tell us what some of these were for?

I’ve not been in 50 commercials – just a handful, but I have been in over 50 films, shorts, and tv shows. I’m currently the customer in that musical commercial for Amazon Prime. That was one of those incredible coincidences because I filmed that just a couple days before shooting the rock opera. Such a learning experience – I don’t think I ever left the set.

7) What’s this I heard about you winning a ‘Pig Roast Pie Eating Championship’????

My agent made me take that off my resume lol. At my college (Stephens College in Columbia, MO) the theater majors spend one summer in Okoboji, IA, performing at a local theater. It’s a crazy experience – I even wrote a screenplay about it. To break up all the stress, the theater puts on this festival called the OKOBOJI PIG ROAST. You can enter with a team and compete in these ridiculous obstacles. One of my events was pie-eating contest. I’m like a really fast eater. Impressively fast. It’s been a concern to my parents on numerous occasions. I freakin nailed this. You compete with a teammate and mine started to vomit – it was a whole cherry pie, which is the worst kind of pie. So I picked up the slack and won by a landslide. My husband (although not at the time) was on another team and he and his partner didn’t even make it through. I bring that up from time to time. My team won the entire event and I got MVP – also one of my favorite life moments.

8) What can we expect to see from you in the 2016?

The Rock Opera will be doing a screening and convention tour in the spring and early summer (indietix.net). Depending how that goes we may extend into early fall. I’ve partnered with another production company and we’re rebranding my YouTube channel (erinstegeman), so you can expect more sketches and content that expand past OUAT at a higher production value. My company is slated to direct a Sci-fi pilot this year as well, and I’m in pre production on two features – a psychological thriller and a horror fairytale musical. Aiming to start shooting the first in the late fall/winter. I have seriously never been this busy, but I honestly love every second of it. It’s been over ten years in the making to have a year like this, so I’m just gonna drink a lot of green tea and enjoy the ride.

9) Tell our readers one fun fact about yourself that they may not already know?

I love these questions and can never think of anything remotely cool enough. I climbed into the chamber of a volcano on my honeymoon. I’m a certified personal trainer. My aunt dated Brad Pitt. I didn’t get cast in any musicals in college. I see ghosts (seriously).

10) Finally what advice would you have for an upcoming actress?

I think the biggest hiccup for me was trying to be like everyone else. Be a Kate Winslet type, be a funny girl, lose 20 pounds, be younger….but YOU are a brand new thing, it’s evolutionary. Spend time really getting to know yourself. There’s no rush – I’ve had more success in my 30s than in my 20s. Have a ton of fun. Give up the diet. Self-improvement is a total myth. There’s only self-discovery – which is presenting to the world who you’ve always been. And it is so, so powerful. When you can really tap into that, there’s no stopping you.

———————————————————————————————————————————-

Wow what an interview! I for one wish Erin all the best and am sure the musical will be a huge success. If they are lucky enough to tour the UK I for one will be there supporting them!

Check out Erin’s personal webpage on erinstegeman.com and find out more about the ‘Once Upon A Time: Rock Opera’ including where to buy tickets and tour dates on  on onceuponatimespoof.com

Don’t be shy go say hi and follow ‘Once Upon A Time: Rock Opera’ on Twitter @ouatspoof and Erin’s personal account on Twitter at @erinstegeman and tell her ‘Skatronixxx sent me!’

An Interview With Top British Actress Rachael Holoway

It’s time for another interview on http://www.skatronixxx.com and this one should be interesting!

I was contacted by Rachel to see if I’d be interested in having an interview with her on my site. Rachael is a good friend of long time supporter of the site Johnny Sachon, so this was a no brainer really.

After getting to know Rachael, I found that not only she was an awesome person, but  she also had a secret talent.

No more spoilers from me, let’s find out about actress Rachael Holoway.

———————————————————————————————————————————–

1) How did you get into acting?

My dads an actor so I grew up around the industry and decided when I was about 7 that I was going to be an actress! I started training when I was 11 and the rest is history really.

2) You were in a film called ‘Soulmates’ with friend of skatronixxx.com Johnny Sachon, can you tell a little bit about this film?

I was indeed. Soulmates is a gorgeous film based on as you would imagine…the existence of Soulmates. Johnnys character being a lecturer uses a mathematical equation to prove why he believes in Soulmates to his doubting girlfriend, myself.

It’s such a lovely feel good film that approaches a familiar subject in a fresh and imaginative way.

It was such a fun shoot! It was the second time I’d been cast opposite Johnny so it was such a pleasure to work with him again and the response the film has received has been fantastic!

3) I hear you’re also a black belt in taekwondo, how did you develop an interest in this and could we see you as the female Jason Statham ?

Haha, absolutely! He’s awesome and I’d love to be the seen as the female version of him! A butt kicking actress…that’s me! I love the action genre and my martial arts niche definately pushes me towards highly physical roles which I love!

I’ve always been such a tom boy. My dad and I would watch Bruce Lee films together when I was young and my fascination with martial arts started there.

I really wanted to learn how to fight so I started kickboxing lessons. I did that for a while and then got hooked on taekwondo and yes, I am indeed a blackbelt!

4) You’ve been in top soaps such as Hollyoaks, Emmerdale and Doctors, how do you find acting in soaps vary from that of films?

Soaps are so fast paced. It’s quite incredible actually, the filming schedule is crazy so you move from scene to scene really quickly. Its in no way rushed, you don’t move on until the director is happy…it’s just impressive how fast the whole team infront and behind the camera work together to get the job done in the shortest time possible.

Don’t get me wrong, film shoots can be fast paced too, however the difference is these soaps are on every single day, the schedule is so intense.

On a film shoot, things can be done with a little more room for experimentation with and slightly less of a time constraint.

5) You were in TV series ‘Cloud 9’ as Kelly, could you tell us about this?

Ahh Cloud 9! So this was the first time I worked with Johnny and it was such a fun series to be part of. It was a British Asian daily drama that followed the lives our London based group. It tackled all sorts of issues and was an awesome show to be part of. My character ‘Kelly’ was the girlfriend of Johnnys character ‘Ben’ who had a real roller coaster of a relationship which ended up with them getting engaged in the series finale. I’m so glad to have been part of it.

6) What’s this I hear about you being in an advert for Hewlett Packard ?

Yes! I am a reoccurring character called ‘The App Defender’. She’s a total bad ass who never looses her cool and controls every situation with total ease…even when it involves taking 3 bad guys out at once! I love being her!

7) If you could be in one existing film, what film and character would you choose and why?

This is easy…Lara Croft in Tomb Raider. I love these films and it is just my dream role! She is the ultimate woman with so many skills. Guns, swords, bo work, horse riding, hand to hand combat, motorbikes, all filmed the coolest locations…what more could I possibly want from a role! They’re doing a re make so I’m waiting for my call!

8) What can we expect to see from you in 2016?

Well, I’m going to LA at the end of the month for some really exciting meetings so watch this space!

9) Tell our readers one fun fact about yourself that they may not already know?

I’m learning Mandarin! Very random I know but I love to challenge my brain and what better way to do that then to learn arguably the hardest language in the world! I was in Beijing this time last year and really fell for the country and its people. Such an awesome place to visit…if you haven’t been yet, go!

10) Finally what advice would you have any advice for an upcoming actress or actor?

You will only get out of this life and your career what you put in. Work hard and I mean so hard that you’re  physically and mentally exhausted and I promise you, things will start to happen.  And most importantly…never give up!!!

———————————————————————————————————————————–

Don’t be shy, go say hi! Go follow her on twitter or on facebook  now and tell her ‘Skatronixxx sent you!’

An Interview with Severed Illusions

So for my latest music interview I managed to grab some time with a local band I’m friends with called Severed Illusions. They have recently finished recording a 4 track EP so seemed like the perfect time to catch up with the band to see what they have planned next. So that’s enough from me lets get to hearing what the band have to say.

——————————————————————————————————————————–

1) How did the band form?

Kyle – We were writing some heavy rap metal at Carlos’s house with myself and Hopper (former vocalist) we liked what we were coming up with and decided to get some more musicians involved. We were doing a cover of a Slayer song and decided to get Ant in on Drum duties. The first line up consisted of Carlos, Hopper and myself splitting vocal duties, I also played guitar while Ant was on drums.

Carlos – We then added Andy and Ollie who were brothers as guitarists and Kyle then moved to bass and Vocals as Hopper eventually left the band. Eventually Andy and Ollie left the band and Kyle asked Dan if he would interested in joining the band on guitar and he agreed straight away.

2) How would you describe your musical style?

Hardcore thrash metal

3) You have just finished recording you EP what is the title of the EP and when will it be released?

The EP will be called Agree to disagree, which is also the title of one of the songs from the EP. It will be released on the 22^nd of April and we will be having a launch party at the White Swan in Trowbridge on the same date.

4) Who would you say is the biggest influence for the sound of the band?

Soulfly, Hatbreed, Lamb of God, Slipknot, Suicide silence, Avenged sevenfold and Whitechapel

5) If a film was made of your lives who would you want to play you and what would it be called?

Carlos – Tom Hardy

Ant – Gary Oldman

Kyle – Brandon Lee (If he was alive)

Dan – Taylor Swift (This was a band decision)

It would be called Illusions Severed.

6) If there was a cover band created of your band who would you have in the line up dead or alive?

Carlos – Jamie Jaster (Hatebreed)

Kyle – Ryan Martinie (Mudvayne)

Dan – Andy James (Sacred Mothertounge)

Ant – Joey Jordinson (Ex-Slipknot Scar the Martyr)

7) What gigs do you have lined up?

March 11^th White Swan with vice squad and the blunders

19^th at the 12 bells on a 5 band line up

16^th of April at the old bell Warminster with Black forge

EP launch on the 22^nd April at the white swan

Rock diabetes gig in October 11^th at the civic hall.

8) What can we expect to see from you in 2016?

A music video trying to get some more gigs further a field to go along with the EP launch.

9) Tell are readers one fun fact about yourselves that we may not know?

We have no secrets we like to have fun and drink beers and make some noise.

10) Finally what advice would you have for upcoming musicians?

As long as you enjoy what your doing don’t worry about what everyone else thinks as long as you have a few people enjoying what your doing who cares.

——————————————————————————————————————————–

You can check out Severed Illusions at the following sites.

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/SeveredIllusions

Instagram

@Severedillusionsofficial

Twitter

@Severedofficial

An Interview With T.ELI-$HA

Howdy! Today I interviewed a young up an coming rapper from Perth, Western Australia. T.ELI-$HA a 16 year old Zimbabwean/Australian who is focused on telling stories about life and spreading a positive message through his music, as well as expressing himself as an artis and is produced by Fugitive Beats. His song “Being Real” is on the Australian digital radio station Tripplej Unearthed and can also be found on Soundcloud.

Get on it… 2 thumbs up

——————————————————————————————————————————————-

T.ELI- $HA’s Interview 

1) Where are you from?

I was born in Harare Zimbabwe, where I lived till I was 8. I know live in Perth, Western Australia.

2) When did you start rapping? 

Started rapping around the age of 8 but it was just to my favourite rappers back then nothing serious, around 9-10 is when i started writing music and expressing myself.

3) What made you decide to go into the music industry?

Music I feel is just my natural calling ever since a young age, I knew it would be my destiny to speak to the masses using music and rap. From wanting to be President to being a rock-star and at the age of 10 I finally decided that rap was my calling after being inspired by a couple of artists.

4) If you could compare yourself to an already established artists, who would that be and why?

I think its hard to compare me because I don’t like placing myself into just one sub genre of hip-hop music, I like to focus on telling stories so I guess you could compare me to J.Cole and Kendrick in that way. I also want my music to make people feel good so I’ll leave the comparing to my fans and or haters.

5) What message do you hope you’re listeners will take away from your songs?

I just try spread positivity in all my music, I just really want people to feel good about being themselves. Using music I hope to tell stories about my past, things I have seen and been through and hopefully make the world aware that life isn’t just about ourselves.

6) Who are your Influences?

I have so many! Lil Wayne  is probably the person that inspired me to rap back in the days of Cater IV and such projects, but Drake is the rapper I wanted to resemble when it came to flow etc…. Now having grown up my biggest influences are J. Cole, Kendrick, 2Pac, Asap Rocky, 50 cent, Jay-Z , Hopsin etc….

7) What do you hope to accomplish throughout your career?

I just hope to be able to inspire at least one person. That would mean the world to me, obviously I would like to be able to continue making music till my time on this earth is out…. So yeah hopefully  I can impact people in this world who need it in a positive way, Make people aware of problems and show them the world is a much bigger then them and I, also that I have a long and fruitful career.

8) Do you have any projects in the works ie up coming gigs? 

I’ve got a lot of really deep and personal music that I am working on too so keep a look out for that, I will try to release new music every month so follow my Soundcloud and my twitter.

9) Is there any advice you’d like to give to young aspring rappers like yourself? 

I wish you all successful and bright futures, just keep working hard and make music that is imporant to you and is real to you and I guarantee someone out there will be listening. Don’t be afraid to reach out especially Australian singers, producers and other rappers.

——————————————————————————————————————————————-

Links:

Soundcloud: http://soundcloud.com/t_eli-sha_c

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/T_ELISHA _C

Shortcut to Fame? Just bypass Character Building

Hello and welcome to my first blog entry.  For my ramblings this month I’ve decided to reflect on the music industry and the recent dominance of televised talent shows. I’ll resist the urge to simply write them off as glorified karaoke: after all, they entertain millions of people each week. However, what concerns me is the effect on the next generation of budding musicians and how, for many, their aspirations have changed from ‘(long term) success’ to ‘(short lived) fame’.

“When the blue pill of instant fame is offered, it’s hard to decline in favour of the red pill of reality.”

When I first picked up a guitar twenty years ago, TV shows like the X Factor didn’t exist. My first interest was to learn my instrument and join a band. After that, I worked hard to develop my craft and work with other people to write songs. I learned to perform by playing gigs – tons of them – many of which were to practically empty rooms. Days spent in practice rooms. Hours crammed into a van travelling the length of the country. Ninety-five percent of the time it led to disappointment or an anticlimax, leaving me to question whether it was all worth it. But for those five percent of amazing gigs, it really was.

I achieved some success with my female-fronted rock band, Signed In Crimson: we signed with a label, released an album, made several music videos and toured the UK. We never quite made it to the top, but if we did I am certain we would have been ready. As a band, we were a battle-hardy, gig ready group of workhorses.

“You come out of the other end as someone with something to say, and knowing exactly how to say it.”

I doubt the majority of young, aspiring musicians (particularly singers) see the above route as an ideal one. Why go through all that hard work and pain when you can take one audition and play your first gig on live TV in front of millions? When the blue pill of instant fame is offered, it’s hard to decline in favour of the red pill of reality. Let’s forget about the hundreds of thousands who never make it through the audition process. We can even disregard those lucky enough to make it onto the live shows. Just focus on the ‘winners’ and see if you can name more than a few who go on to have repeated success with multiple album sales, tours, etc.

By taking a shortcut to fame, these young musicians are bypassing the most important aspect of the ‘journey’ we hear quoted so often in their VTs. The weeks/months/years spent working the local and national circuit is crucial to building character: it enables you to develop your craft and personality. You come out of the other end as someone with something to say, and knowing exactly how to say it.

If you’re interested in music, immerse yourself in it. If it leads to fame and fortune, that should only ever be seen as an unexpected bonus, never the ultimate goal.

An Interview With Former Wrestler ‘The Patriot’ Del Wilkes

It’s time for another interview on http://www.skatronixxx.com ! This one really excited me, this is someone who I grew up watching on tv, when I was younger, so when I offered him the chance of an interview and he said yes, I literally fell off my sofa.

As you know I started a Wrestling & UFC section on the site and reached out to various wrestlers, who I remembered seeing on tv when I was younger. As I thought an interview with someone who’s graced the squared circle would be an awesome launch pad for the section. Plus it would give todays younger fans a chance to learn more about the legends of the golden era of wrestling aka the 1990’s.

Del agreed to an interview and I’ve gotten to know him, and would say he is an awesome guy, who shoots straight from the hip and is not afraid to mince his words. He actually reminds me of myself in a lot of ways.

But that’s enough spoilers from me, let’s find out about the man behind the mask!

—————————————————————————————————————————————

1) How did you get into wrestling?

After college football and two attempts in the NFL,  I decided to give pro-wrestling a shot. A buddy of mine that had graduated from The Citadel went with me to a wrestling school in my hometown of Columbia, S.C. We paid our $1,500 and embarked on our career’s as wrestlers.

2) You are more widely known to wrestling fans as ‘The Patriot’ how did this idea come about?

The Patriot idea came from Joe Pedicino and Bill Edie. They were booking talent for the GWF, which was an upstart company that was on ESPN Monday-Friday at 4p.m. The U.S. Military had gone to war with Iraq, and they thought a patriotic character in wrestling could really get over with the fans, thus the birth of The Patriot.

3) Is it true you were trained by wrestling legends Verne Gagne and Fabulous Moolah? If so what was it like training under such stars and do you have any interesting stories?

Moolah’s school was where I was trained. The school was really geared for women wrestlers, but at least I was able to learn the basics of wrestling. Didn’t actually train under Verne Gagne, but he gave me my first big break in the business by bringing me to the AWA and putting me on ESPN as The Trooper.

4) I remember you watching you on TV when I was young as part of the tag team ‘Stars and Stripes’ in WCW, what was it like being in a tag team with Buff ‘The Stuff’ Bagwell?

I had known Bagwell since our GWF days when he worked as The Handsome Stranger. Marcus is a great guy,and our time in WCW together as Stars and Stripes was very rewarding. On two occasions we were WCW tag team champions. After the arrival of Hulk Hogan in WCW,the focus of the company was now all about Hogan and his buddies. I felt like Marcus and I were just not in the plans, so I left the company and went back to All Japan Pro Wrestling Co.

5) Later in your career you wrestled in the WWF (now WWE) where when you debuted you were immediately put into a feud with Bret Hart. What was it like being inserted into such a high profile feud upon your arrival?

My entering the WWF couldn’t have been better timing. Bret Hart was now the top heel in the company and was on this anti American campaign, and along comes The Patriot. It fit like a glove. Really enjoyed working with Bret, he is a legend and a true pro in every sense of the word. Great angle between the two of us with some awesome matches that the fans really got behind.

6) You retired from wrestling when you suffered a broken collarbone, how did you find it transitioning from life on the road to a more 9 to 5 lifestyle.

My career actually ended because of a very serious tricep and knee injury. As a result of these devastating injuries, I was unable to continue to wrestle. It was very tough to have my career come to a sudden halt.

7) Do you watch any wrestling shows these days, if so what ones and which wrestler impresses you the most?

I watch some of the current product, but do not like what I see. I very much respect the men and women that are performing today, but not what they are asked to do. They cant even do a heart felt promo. It is all scripted for them and that’s a shame.

8) What can we expect to see from you in the 2016?

The year 2016 is off to a great start. My daughter just gave birth to my first grandchild. A beautiful baby girl born on Feb. 20th. Her name is Abigail, and I am so proud to be her granddaddy. I have a wonderful wife, Cathy, that helps with my bookings and website, which by the way is www.DelThePatriotWilkes.com. Fans can purchase my documentary there along with pictures, mask,shirts and cards. They can also track my appearances at the website.

9) Tell our readers one fun fact about yourself that they may not already know?

Fun fact about me is that I love following politics, history, current events and I am scared to death of roaches, lizards and rodents.

10) Finally what advice would you have for an upcoming wrestler?

My advice for upcoming wrestlers is to take care of and protect your body, it is your money maker!! Treat it well. Also take your career seriously, it is not about the party. Being a pro-wrestler is an honor therefore honor the business.

The Patriot, Del Wilkes.

—————————————————————————————————————————————

There we are readers, Del Wilkes aka The Patriot. Don’t be shy, go say hi and tell him ‘Skatronixxx sent me’. He’s on twitter as http://www.twitter.com/delwilkes .

An Interview With The Newest Member Of Skatronixxx.Com ValiantAngel25

Due to the recent expansion of http://www.skatronixxx.com we had several vacancies for additional people to join our ‘Merry Band Of Misfits’, one of these was for a GAMES REVIEWER.

Matt was recommended to me by our resident vlogger Aly aka The Little Librarian, so I decided to give him a shot. I was impressed by not only his writing style but also gaming knowledge and I am pleased to have added Matt to the team.

Let’s  find out more about him below!

——————————————————————————————————————————————-

1) How did you get into writing, and what can we expect to see from you on http://www.skatronixxx.com ?

I’ve been writing for quite some time. In 8th grade, my teacher gave us an assignment to write creatively and use as much description and detail as possible. When I submitted mine for review, she raved at my use of narrative and greatly encouraged my continued writing. Since then, I achieved my degree in Medieval European History and occasionally write a short story or poem when the mood strikes.

2) Do you have any interests or hidden talents outside of blogging? For example are you a secret jewel thief or ninja samurai warrior?

My hobbies include playing Raven Guard on the tabletop in games of Warhammer 40,000, writing stories, running my bi-weekly Pathfinder game for my hopeless players to enjoy, and experiencing a wide variety of video games in their numberless genres!

3) What’s your top 3 fandoms? For example mine are Doctor Who, Ghostbusters and anything to do with Captain America (he’s like me but American!) Language!!!

Fandoms have a unique trait; men and women from all walks of life can join a fandom and share similar interests when he or she could not have done so anywhere else. To this end, I adore the Warhammer 40,000, the tabletop roleplaying, and many video game fandoms (I really don’t think I could choose one).

4) What’s the most famous celeb you have met? For example I’ve met Jason Momoa, Danny Glover, Lou Ferrigno and Ernie Hudson. How about you?​​

Unfortunately, I haven’t met any famous celebrities. I would, however, like to change this.

5) If a film was made of your life, who would play you and what would the film called?

No one wants a film made about my life. We would call it ‘Boring Nerd Decides to Write.’ Alternatively, if we did make a movie about my life, I would demand that Vin Diesel star as me just so I could meet him.

6) Ghostbusters remake, will it surprise us or disappoint us?

I am cautiously optimistic about the Ghostbusters remake. Though I do not hold the same passion for the first movie that others do, I still greatly enjoyed it and would like to see this remake succeed.

7) What’s better Star Trek or Star Wars?

Star Wars. Sorry my Trekky friends.

8) Who’s your favourite Doctor Who and why?

I actually don’t watch Doctor Who.

9) Have you got any goals for 2016?

My goals for 2016 involve finishing the book I’m writing, finding a better job, and getting more involved in the writing community through the wonderful Skatronixxx.com!

10) Finally it’s time for the ultimate question! If you had to pick one and you couldn’t have the other ever again, what would you pick, bacon, cheese or time travel?

Time travel. Bacon and cheese compliment my pallet incredibly well, but to have the incredible ability to traverse through time and see how the world existed in the past and how it can progress into the future utterly astounds me. Such a vast power could give one man or woman the unique honor of actually watching history unfold.

——————————————————————————————————————————————-

So here we are, our games reviewer @valiantangel25 welcome to the gang Matt !