This week on the Imperfect Podcast we are talking to actor and comedian Christian Frazier. He’s best known for his work as Henry Weaver on FOX’s Gotham. Having had the opportunity to meet Christian face to face at the MixKnowledgy event in New York, we didn’t want to miss the opportunity to find out more about his acting career.
Christian gives us insights on what it’s like day to day as a working actor. With 21 credits to his name including Gotham, Blue Bloods and Law & Order to name a few. A former military veteran and real estate agent, acting was not his first career. Listen to the full episode to hear his story about how he broke into the industry and landed one of his dream roles.
Today we talk with Jean Francois Rouze. Jean is the co-founder of a video production company and a video game agency. The production company was founded when Jean was only 22 years old. Now they have over 10 years’ experience producing and developing entertainment content for Disney, Marvel, BBC and Porsche. Jean is passionate about video games and movies ever since he was a child.
We will be talking to Jean today about Zombie Office. We were so impressed with the trailer that was made for Kickstarter that we had to find out more. Zombie Office is shot like a movie to be played as an interactive video game. This is the modern day version of the choose your own adventure books we all had as kids.
This episode of the Imperfect Podcast, we interview Juliette Miranda who is host of The Unwritable Rant podcast. The Unwritable Rant features storytelling, celebrity interviews, and bourbon. Lots of bourbon. She was kind enough to give us a quick review of Russell’s Reserve 10 Year bourbon during to kick off the interview. We get into her cast of characters featured in her stories like The Jackass, The Pinball Wizard and The Warden.Juliette is also the author of the book Morning Neurosis. Morning Neurosis is a mostly true story about rock ‘n roll, relationships, and reality.
Juliette is also a smooth operator when it comes to interviews. Her southern charm has been winning over audiences with conversational style of interviewing musicians, actors and authors. This past year Juliette interviewed actors and musicians such as Eric Roberts, Charlie Daniels, Ed Begley Jr. and Don McLean to name a few.
Featured character in the upcoming Snug Comics graphic novel “The Kindred” released in February
Appearing on “The Joey Canyon” show on Comcast/DirecTV in the coming months
Recently released the second best-of interview collection, featuring Eric Roberts, Charlie Daniels & more
Watch the full interview with Author Juliette Miranda
How’s that bourbon you’re having tonight?
First I gotta take a sip. This is a genius bourbon. It truly is. I’m having Russell’s Reserve 10 Year. It’s got this smokey sort of flavor to it with a little bit of vanilla and it’s so smooth. It’s from the Wild Turkey family which is surprising because necessarily associate a really high quality bourbon with Wild Turkey. This stuff, aged 10 years and so awesome!
[bctt tweet=”Writing is a big passion of mine. Hemingway, Fitzgerald those are my idols.” username=”hecklerkaneinc”]
When did you start writing?
I’ve been writing since birth I think. It’s always been a part of my life, whether it’s journaling or telling stories to friends.
What was the inspiration for your book Morning Neurosis?
It’s based on my experiences living in Los Angeles, working in the music industry and the events that let me back to Chicago. I say they’re mostly true stories because I had to change a few of the details to make sure it made sense. For the most part they are all things that have happened to me. It’s kind of like my podcast in book form.
Have you used your book as inspiration for podcasts episodes?
No, not at all. Some of the characters in the book have appeared in other stories on the podcast, but the book stands alone. I wouldn’t want to repeat the stories for people who’ve bought the book or want to buy the book. I like to keep separation there.
I can tell you that hair bands were having a moment. I was doing a little bit of everything. I went out there assuming I was going to be the next big thing on MTV and that never really happened. As a writer I was able to find tons of gigs. Writing rock reviews for magazines. Then I wound up doing publicity for a couple of record labels. I did PA jobs in TV. Whatever I could get my hands on to try.
Ultimately after being there for 7 years, I had been laid off from 7 different jobs. I hit a wall where nothing was working for me. That’s what brought me back to Chicago. I had opportunities out here that I didn’t have in Los Angeles.
Is there a hidden tape you auditioning to be an MTV VJ ?
I do a lot of commercial work here in Chicago. If you’re watching late night TV you can see me in some random late night spots. One day you’ll be watching late night cable at 2am and be like, “I know that chick.”
Where were you born with a pen?
I was actually born in Chicago in the south suburbs. Everyone thinks I’m a southern gal but the closest I’ve come is the south side of the burbs. We spent so much time in the south though. I practically lived in New Orleans for a while. We’re in Nashville a couple months out of every year. It’s a place that I’m very familiar with.
What’s the theme song for the Unwritable Rant podcast?
He’s an independent artist. That one particular song is so New Orleans. It really sets up the vibe for the show. Just kick back and ease into this great conversation.
[bctt tweet=”I would kill for some gumbo right about now.” username=”@hecklerkaneinc”]
Tell us about your latest flambé incident in the kitchen?
I love cooking and I have had success doing it. I’m a good cook but the stories that are the most fun are the ones where things don’t turn out the way you want them to. With that particular story I went in with the best of intentions thinking that I was going to make this New Orleans style flaming Cajun shrimp dish. I was ready. I had my lighter with the pot sizzling in front of me. For whatever reason, those stupid shrimp would not catch on fire. It was one of the most frustrating things I’d ever been through.
I had this lighter in my hand, sloshing Cognac into the dish hoping that something would catch on fire. Finally, my guy had to wedge this thing out of my hands asking me to back away.
[bctt tweet=”I went to a casino and one of my exes was the dealer!” username=”hecklerkaneinc”]
His name was “The Jackass.” He earned that name
Give us a rundown of your cast of characters?
There is ‘The Jackass’ there’s the ‘Pinball Wizard’ and ‘The Warden’ and I have a new character coming up called ‘The Crazy Blonde.’ She was the one who accompanied me in the episode where we did that scavenger hunt with the Pinball Wizard.
How long have you been podcasting?
With 70+ episodes of The Unwritable Rant that puts me at about a year and halfish.
What was the inspiration for launching the Unwritable Rant?
It was two things. For starters I was feeling frustrated as a writer. The way the publishing industry works right now is that it’s incredibly hard. It doesn’t matter that I’ve already released one book. People aren’t reading the same way that they used to. Books aren’t being published the way that they used to. Creatively I was feeling a bit stifled.
My guy and I were sitting on the driveway having some cocktails and we were listening to Bill Burr. He’s my favorite comedian on the planet. His podcast was just so cool. It’s laid back and conversational. I’m thinking I can totally do that. I looked at my guy and said let’s give it a shot. He had some gear that we could use and we went from there.
Did you have a cocktail on your first episode?
Yeah, I did it on my first podcast just because I thought it would loosen me up a little bit. I was drinking it throughout the episode. I like bourbon and I like talking about it and I liked the way it lent itself to the conversational aspect of the show. If you listen to the shows please don’t listen to the first episode but if you do you’ll hear that it’s kind of rambling and crazy. They develop as they go along. We’re sitting down, having a drink and telling stories. I think it flows really well.
[bctt tweet=”My goal all along is to make it feel familiar.” username=”hecklerkaneinc”]
Who was your first interview?
That was my producer’s idea. He thought it might bring in some new listeners and it might be a cool thing for me. We initially started talking to people who had written books. My first interview was with Gary Wright who sang the song Dream Weaver. He also wrote a book about his relationship with George Harrison of The Beatles. From there we started targeting other authors.
After him came A.E. Hotchner who was Ernest Hemingway’s best friend. That is hands down my favorite interview. Talking with someone who went to Spain with Hemingway, who went to bull fights with him. Who has a book dedicated to him by Hemingway. He’s the man. Then we started expanding. We started talking to musicians and actors and it just became its own entity.
What got you into film?
When I was living in Los Angeles I did a bunch of work in production. I was a PA in a couple of different movie sets. I worked with a couple of different directors as a personal assistant. I’ve always liked the process of making movies and I love the creativity of it. It’s all about storytelling in the end. Movies are just another way to do that.
What are your top 3 movies of all time?
Number 1 would have to be Midnight in Paris, the Woody Allen movie. It’s beautiful, set in the 1920’s and it’s got Ernest Hemingway in it and Fitzgerald. Beyond that I am a huge horror movie fan. I like the weird messed up horror movies, like the 1970’s exploitation style ones. Maybe the original Last House on the Left. Texas Chainsaw Massacre, the original is great. This is going to sound really weird after saying that but I love The Muppet Movie.
If you could interview anyone living or past who would it be and why?
I gotta say that would be Jim Henson. He was such an innovator. He came up with something that is beloved by people. What I love about The Muppets so much is that they’re kinda like regular people. They’re wacky, they’re crazy, they’re snarky and a little mean sometimes. It’s the best combination, with such heart at the same time. Just the legacy that he left behind, I would love to hear his inspiration right from him.
You might also like our interview with Director David Bousquet
What was your experience like interviewing actor Eric Roberts?
It was crazy. Going into interviews where you’re talking to someone you’ve admired, whose work you’ve watched for decades, it’s a little daunting at first. He’s such a nice guy, open and friendly that you can just roll with the conversation. The moment I had to just pause and picky my jaw off the floor is when he did his character from Pope of Greenwich Village. He did this quick impression of him.
It was so incredible to know that I was talking to this guy and he’s telling me his stories. He’s telling me how he created this character. It’s moments like that where all the hard work, all the hours spent prepping for these interviews that just makes it all worthwhile.
What’s the reason for sharing so many of your personal stories with your audience?
It takes a lot of courage to put yourself out there that way. I think it initially started off as therapy for me. My book kind of was. I was trying to work out the details of a really messed up relationship and I did a lot of that through writing the book. Now it’s just fun.
Download How to Make a Living As An Indie Horror Film Maker with Harrison Smith
This week we interview indie horror film maker Harrison Smith. He’s the writer, director, producer of Death House featuring 28 horror icons including Dee Wallace. Death House is being called The Expendables of horror movies.
Where did you get the movie bug?
I started making movies when I was 10 years old. My uncle got me an old silent Super 8 Kodak camera and I started making movies. I did a lot of lawn work when I was a kid, so I saved up my money to get my film cartridges. I edited with scissors and spliced with Scotch tape and drew my lasers in by hand with needles the old fashioned way.
Jaws is the movie that made me want to make movies. Saw that when I was 8 years old in 1975. So I saw it in theaters with my Mom and I fell in love with it. I think Jaws was X-rated for anyone over 30. I’m naturally afraid of the water, it’s kind of a Chief Brody thing. I’ve always been terrified of water. In fact, I have the distinction of being kicked out of Red Cross swimming lessons when I was 10 for choking the instructor for trying to drag me into the water. It has nothing to do with sharks. I know there are no sharks in swimming pools. I think Brody summed it up best in Jaws, “Drowning!”
Have you had any formal training as a film maker?
I had a semester and a half at Penn State but I flunked out because I was too busy partying and messing around with the cheerleader down the hall. After blowing that tuition I came home and said to my mom that I’m going to move to Los Angeles. I bullshitted the secretary for Anthony Perkins at Universal Studios and said I was the editor for the Penn State Collegian doing a spot on Psycho 3 that was coming out.
She started talking to me saying that she also went to Penn State. It’s funny I was thinking about moving out there and she goes, “I’ll tell you what, you get me a Penn State hoodie and I’ll get you in to see Tony Perkins.” DONE!
I flew out at the age of 18 to Los Angeles, by myself. It was the first time I was ever on a cross continental trip and knew nobody. I had no home. My mom had said, “When are you leaving?” and I said Friday and she was asking me on Monday. So I flew out there, got off the plane and put all my stuff in a bus locker. I went over to the black tower and met with Jackie, that was his secretary and then I met with Anthony Perkins.
I showed him my VHS reel and he said, “You’re making movies, but are you looking for a job?” He ended up getting me a job as a paid production assistant on Murder She Wrote. By the way I had a job before I had a home. So I slept in a hotel room that night and got an apartment the next day. I lived out there for almost 2 years and I dated a girl from a soap opera.
Finally it was Howard Kazanjian, from Return of the Jedi and Raiders of the Lost Ark. I used to eat lunch in this once place where he used to come and he asked me who are you? What are you doing?
So I told him my story and he said, “You’re living out here, but all those movies you made back home. How much did you pay to film that scene in the mall?” I said nothing. I remember him telling me, “You aren’t going to find that here.” He said, “Kid, go home. You can shoot all you want there and no one is going to charge you. Everyone out here has a script. Everyone’s a film maker. Nobody’s gonna do you any favors.”
I ended up going home and now here I am. As a filmmaker you don’t really need to be in Los Angeles. As an actor, maybe it’s a different story. But as a film maker you really don’t. With the internet and the digital age you don’t need to be there physically.
What did you do from there? Did you put together a team?
I really wish I could sound smart and say I did but I really screwed around. I ended up running a movie theater in the local mall, an 8-plex. It was a Loews Theater that become a Sony Theater. One day my old creative writing teacher came to the movies and was like, “What are you doing here?” I said, “I’m the assistant manager here but I got things going.” He wasn’t a jerk about it but you could tell by his attitude that he always hoped I’d be doing more.
Then I started working my ass off to get scripts out and taking advantage of the connections when Loews got bought by Sony Pictures. Making friends with the chairman of Loews Theaters Alan Friedberg and getting my name out there. I realized I didn’t want to run a movie theater.
After I decided I was going to go to college I got married and I got my degree in education and I taught high school for almost 15 years. I got scripts going and out to people and then one day this investor came to me and said, “I wanna make a movie, I have the money. I hear you’re the guy.” Howard Kazanjian was right, the local word spread.
The script called The Fields which was originally titled The Man which was based on a true story of what happened to me as a boy on my grandparents farm. Our house came under attack by these people that came out of the corn field after us. They cut the powerlines, they killed the dog, they smashed the windows in our house.
If you haven’t seen The Fields it’s on Hulu right now. It’s a true story. Cloris Leachman plays my grandmother. Tara Reid plays my mom and it takes place in 1973. This guy put money into it. After we made the film, I said to my wife, I think I really need to try this because if I don’t I’m going to be that guy when I’m 70 going, “I shoulda.”
We shot The Fields in 32 days and in 32 days I only missed 4 days of school. Tara Reid didn’t believe I was a teacher. One night we were out and I said I have to stop by my classroom and get tests run off for tomorrow. She said, “Get the fuck out. You’re not a teacher.” We pulled up to the high school at 2am and I get out and she says, “What are we doing at a school? You’re a producer.” I was like “I’m a teacher.”
She follows me in, goes to the copy room and back to my classroom and she turns to me and she goes, “You’re Batman!” She signed every one of my student’s tests. When I came back the day after one of my students said, “Hey Smith, did Tara Reid really sign our tests? I don’t care if I flunk or not, I’m keeping that test.”
How did the process work in getting The Fields produced?
Everything you want to know about film making you can learn from the movie Jaws. Every screw up, every mess, every catastrophe, every mistake was made on that film. You don’t need to go to film school. Just devour every book and every documentary on the making of that movie and you will learn how to make movies. You need to learn to fly by the seat of your pants and think.
The other thing is, I always modeled myself after John Carpenter and I don’t mean his films. His four best films are Halloween, The Fog, Escape from New York and The Thing. Starman yes, but that’s at a different level. His original four indie films, he used the same crew over and over again. If you notice watching my films, the cast stays the same. I bring them back. The same with my crew. I’ve been with the same crew now for almost seven years. That’s a big deal.
When this guy came to me and said I want to put some money into things, I contacted a few film making friends and they said to me we know these two guys. I didn’t feel like I was up for directing. I wrote the script and I was just learning producing. It’s kind of like what Captain Kirk said in Star Trek II The Wrath of Khan, “This is why you need to know how a starship works. You need to know everything that goes on.”
From taking out the trash to dealing with SAG (Screen Actors Guild) I needed to learn all of that. So I was not up for directing at that point but I had two guys that were recommended to me. I watched their first film and I felt it was very atmospheric and I thought they’d get it and wouldn’t turn The Fields into a slasher horror film.
I made contacts in Philadelphia. Composer John Avarese has scored all six of my films. John is scoring Garlic and Gunpowder as well. You find out who’s a fit and who isn’t and you go from there. The goal is you always treat people right. You stay up front and transparent and you work your ass off. That’s really the secret sauce.
Relationships, work your ass off, get it done and don’t talk about it. We live in a generation where everyone needs to talk about everything. Stop talking and go do it. That’s why when you see these people online saying, “We’re going to review the latest trailer today.” What the hell is that? Reviewing trailers? Let’s judge the whole movie on 30 seconds.
How did you decide to make the jump from teacher to film maker?
When you realize your biological clock is ticking. I was just about 40. After The Fields had wrapped, I had a student who said to me, “So what are you going to do? You said to us this is what you always wanted to do since you were a kid.” I said but life got in the way and I don’t know. Let’s see how The Fields does and he goes, “Yeah, just like my old man says, those who can’t do teach.” I said what do you mean? He said, “Well you stand up here and tell us to follow our dreams and so you had this dream and you’re just going to put it on a shelf?”
Then I really thought about it and I went home to my wife I think I really need to do this. We were in a financial position where we could. When we first got married basically I worked the first two years and she discovered herself. It was kinda like the Mark Twain thing. Give me two years. If I can’t make money at what I love then I’ll go chop wood. So then I’ll go back to education. She allowed it and said go for it and then I landed 6 degrees of hell in six months.
Camp Dread was finally when I decided I’m going to direct this thing and the investor said the same thing. I don’t want anybody else directing it but you. Everyone says it’s a tribute to Friday the 13th. It really isn’t. It’s a tip of the hat to Psycho 2.
How has casting worked for all of your films?
I did the casting for all of them. That’s what I mean, you learn. You can’t text a casting request to an agency. You gotta know how to talk to people. This isn’t Facebook and Snapchat and Instagram. You have to know how to talk to people. To get through a door in an agency, especially to a gatekeeper where they decided if you’re going to talk to an agent or not or if your project is good or not. But you need to learn how to talk to people.
Do you consider yourself an entrepreneurial lone wolf or a team player?
I’m a team player, I’m not an entrepreneur. If I were, I’d probably be like Ed Sanchez or somebody like that. I’m not a business man. One thing I was always good at since a child was getting people together and doing things. In 7th grade I got all the kids in my neighborhood to put together a haunted forest so we could raise money for the ASPCA. I was the class president in high school and that’s a story in itself of what we did to raise money for our prom. If you saw Risky Business and merge that with Wolf of Wall Street you get a good idea.
Forming a team it’s about finding people that saying they’ll do this for you and most of all treating them right. You really need some talented crew along the way. Man, you hate coming to them with low budgets. All this talent and all I can pay you is this and that sucks. No one is holding a gun to their head either. They can say no and some have. Some have a bigger gig and I understand that. No hard feelings, maybe we’ll catch you on the next one.
Any time I can get the budgets up high, I mean Death House was a $1.1 million dollar budget. Camp Dread was $350,000. When you start working with people and they see that you’re working your ass off to stay loyal to them, then they’ll do some things too. My gaffer, Wes Carrier of Carrier Lighting and Sound, I’ve used him since 6 Degrees of Hell. I’m not saying they do it all the time but every once in a while when you get close to that over time a lot of times they say don’t worry about it. How about a couple cases of beer for the boys? You can’t take advantage of that though. They got bills to pay too. It’s that give and take relationship.
What do you do for distribution?
The first couple of films I worked out the distribution deals. Again, I’m not an entrepreneur so that’s really not my thing. With the change of the digital revolution it’s all up for grabs.
Have you had any theatrical releases?
Yes, The Fields had a theatrical release and 6 Degrees of Hell had a limited theatrical release. Camp Dread did not. It was straight home video DVD, streaming, Netflix. The same with Zombie Killers and we’ll see what happens with Death House. Right now the feedback from buyers on Death House is extremely positive. The majority have entertained some type of theatrical release which is what we want. What you have to be careful of in distribution is, a lot of people say they want their movie out on 5,000 screens. Sure, if you have a $50 million dollar marketing campaign.
What caused a lot of damage was Paranormal Activity. Paranormal Activity caused damage because it created this urban legend that you can go out with your Prosumer camera and make a $7k to $15k film and make $450 million on it. You’re not going to. That’s not going to happen and I don’t care anybody that’s listening right now or watching says “Oh yes it will” I’m gonna tell you “Oh no it won’t.”
What people don’t realize is when I was selling The Fields, I went to LA and met with one of the distributors interested in the film and they also had Paranormal Activity first. I asked him how it feels to be the company that last Paranormal Activity now that it made all this money. He goes, “I stand by it. The movie is a piece of shit.
Let me tell you the real story. The media likes to print the movie was made for $15k and now it’s worth $450 million because of the sequels and spin offs. It’s a Hollywood success story. So everyone with their Prosumer camera and Final Cut Pro is out to make the next Paranormal Activity.
What really happened was the movie sat around, Speildberg was going to do something with it then he got side tracked. Paramount had the rights to this movie and figured what the hell, let’s Blair Witch it. So they setup a viral campaign. Remember the demand it thing? They didn’t really say it was true but they didn’t say it wasn’t. That’s just what Blair Witch did. Then they brought all these people into the studio lot at Paramount with night vision. Out of 88 minutes of people sitting with their hands on their face, there were 4 minutes of jump scares. They edit all that into the trailers and the previews and now you have the must see movie of the year. And they sunk $45 to $50 million dollars in marketing into it.
I’m not saying what they did is bad. What I’m saying is the fallout from that is people don’t know that reality story think they are just gonna go shoot some movie and then I’m going to make $450 million dollars. No you’re not.
When can we expect to see Death House?
Pretty soon. It will definitely be 2017. I can’t give you an exact date. Could be March or April.
Is Death House your biggest budget to date?
To date yes.
What was the inspiration behind Death House?
The story came to me through Rick Finklestein and Steven Chase of Entertainment Factory. They came to the screening of Zombie Killers in Los Angeles. They said they had a script by Gunnar Hansen and he wants a rewrite. Long story short, I read Gunnar’s script, I called Gunnar, we ended up talking and met with Gunnar face to face. He was very unhappy. Another writer came in and did a second draft of the script that was basically torture porn.
Gunnar had this story of a bunch of documentary film makers go into the bowels of an abandoned asylum and hilarity ensues. It wasn’t really lighting any fires. Gunnar knew this and he felt that it needed a fresh take but there were several elements of the script he wanted to see remain. I took a stab at it.
While writing the treatment I was in a bar one night where I like to go to write. The preview for Jurassic World came on. It was around the time of the Super Bowl. Suddenly it hit me. Why does it have to be an asylum? Why can’t it be like this prison where the worlds worst criminals are put in. I came up with this idea that two up and coming federal agents are taking a tour of the prison. It breaks down and monsters get out.
If you watch the trailer for Death House it’s very much like Jurassic Park without the dinosaurs. The big thing I want to convey about Death House through this podcast is, it’s less a horror film than it is a science fiction action vibe like Escape From New York. That’s what we were going for. That’s why the effects were very 80’s. All the blood, gore and violence are practical. The visuals we wanted to have an 80s feel to it.
That’s dangerous to do because you have a whole audience out there that don’t even know who these people are. They don’t even know that Friday the 13th, there even was an original 1980s film. They think it was the remake in 2008. The same with Nightmare on Elm Street.
It’s funny we have all this information at our fingertips on the internet yet nobody knows anything.
In a recent Cynema blog I put up an article by Martin Scorcese where I agree with him that there is too much content out there. Movies have lost a little bit of their muster. I think part of the problem is showing too much behind the scenes. We’ve made mini-experts out of people who have no business being mini-experts. The magicians have shown too much behind the stage.
You got guys sitting back saying, “I know how they did that.” My response is always, where’s your movie? Oh that’s right you just sit on your YouTube channel and just talk about them.
This week we talk to Tonya Kay, actress, stunt woman and self proclaimed most dangerous woman in Hollywood. She is crazy and that’s what we love about her. Being a dancer, Tonya brings a lot of physicality to her performances which is unique in and of itself. She is an actress appearing as a series regular in the upcoming Puppet Master: Axis Termination by Full Moon Productions.
As a lead actress she has graced the screen with leading film roles in A Better Place (Cannes), Dark Space and Earthtastrophe on SyFy and The Other Wife on Lifetime Movie Network. The only female nominee, Tonya Kay won Best Villain from the Horror Society 2016 for her lead role in Bastard (20th Century Fox) and draws upon Meisner, Anthony Meindl, Second City and iO West training to shape her fearless instincts.
Adding to Tonya’s diversity she’s been a stunt woman for Pink and a stilt walker in American Horror Story. Tonya also used a whip on stage with Howie Mandel as a contestent on America’s Got Talent. This is guaranteed to be one of the most diverse Imperfect Podcasts to date due to the varied talents Tonya brings to the table.
Watch Puppet Master: Axis Termination starring Tonya Kay
Watch the Live Interview with Actress Tonya Kay
Where are you from originally?
I grew up in farm town in Michigan. Very rural. (a wholesome midwest girl?) My grandpa always said, “When they made you Tonay, they broke the mold.” I like that. I do appreciate nature and I do appreciate all the things that the small gave me and now I live in the city to pursue the things that the small town didn’t give me. I’ve lived in Chicago, I’ve lived in New york, I’ve lived and worked in Los Angeles. I’ve toured the nation.
I do appreciate that I did grow up in rural area because I can just sit down at a bonfire, stare at the stars and consider it a good time. I can also be around immense diversity in saturation of culture and art and feel like I’m still a pioneer, I’m still progressive and I’m still making shit happen. I’ve enjoyed that I’ve worked in all three cities so that I have a perspective on the markets and the type of vibe each city offers.
How long were you in New York?
I was in New York for a couple of years and I did Stomp, I did De La Guarda, I did concert dance and I taught dance as well. I worked in mostly experimental theater. New York is where I found out I was good at weird shit.
What are some examples of weird shit you’re doing?
I spin fire, I throw knives, I pole dance, I drum, body percussion and I started out as a tap dancer. As grinder girl, I grind sparks of my metal bikini cod piece. I swallow animal balloons whole.
What jobs have you landed because of grinder girl?
That’s my signature act. That’s landed me all over the world. I’ve done it in Spain, South Africa and the Caribbean. I’m brought in to do it because it’s so weird. I’ve done it in all sorts of music videos, television on Comedy Central. I have done stilts, dance and fire on Glee. On The Voice I just finished a stint doing dance, stilts and drumming. In LA its a small community after you do weird shit, then people know you do weird shit.
I’ve got this reputation where one day I fielded calls from five different agencies that don’t represent me. Everyone in town knows I do weird shit so this agent who doesn’t even represent me is like, “Oh this is weird, get a hold of that Tonya Kay girl.” It’s nice to know that if it’s the exact right gig its going to find you no matter what.
What came first dancing or acting?
When my parents read me bedtime stories, I acted them out on the stage of my bed. I’d say in my soul, acting came first. I started classes for dance first and then my first public performance was in theater, acting, singing, dancing, all together.
Where did you go to college?
I didn’t go to college, I was working before I graduated. I did graduate as valedictorian so I could have gone to any college I wanted but I didn’t want to. I’m very anti-system and I wasn’t into college and higher education. If you want to go to college that’s fine but it wasn’t right for me. You couldn’t convince me that going into debt was going to be good for my artist career. I couldn’t think of a single career that I wanted that I required a college education for and I didn’t want to go into debt.
I remember the time that I realized the whole system was lies. I’ve always been like this. I was in the fifth grade and we were handing in our social studies paper and all of the answers were guys names. I was a fifth grade chick walking up there going, this is lies. My history answers were all male. I said that’s not true, women did stuff. At
that moment I just thought I’m gonna ace this test and get outta here.
I was pressured to go to college. I had an argument with my Vice Principal. She was saying no valedictorian of ours isn’t going to college. She says what are you gonna do with your life? That’s the type of support I got and I said, “Be a tattoo artist.” I’m not a loser I’m an artist.
How was working with Eric Roberts in Paradise Club?
It was great, Eric is cool. He’s a vegetarian and he and his wife Eliza are big on animal rights which we share in common. I’m a vegan so we had a ton to talk about on set. He and his wife were both on set, she was in the movie too. It was fun to work with him, he’s such an old pro. He’s done more movies than I think any actor in Hollywood. (Over 400 listed on IMDB). He doesn’t turn down roles, he likes to work and I do too. I look forward to having 400 credits some day myself.
With over 63 acting credits, what roles have stood out and why?
I would say every single one. This year on Lifetime, a movie called The Other Wife was cool because I learned a lot about myself as an actor. Through that process the director Nick Lyon and I both found out I can do what’s called ‘cry-on-command.’ I’m pretty good at it and now know that. He used that to the extreme.
Every scene, they’d setup then do a rehearsal and get in place. Nick would walk up to me and say very quietly right before saying action, “It’d be good to get a few tears on this one. Action!” I did it for every scene and I learned so much about myself. I call it always on the verge of breakdown but in acting they call it cry on command. I’m really good at it. I’m good at accessing a genuine despair on command. That’s why I really like The Other Wife because I learned a lot about myself as an actor.
What about the horror film Bastard?
I get a lot of villain roles. Everyone says I’m nice off stage but you’re so evil on. Bastard was really cool, it was cool to work with the co-directors who were fresh out of school. This is their first feature every and look at it. It’s beautiful. They were a joy to work with, they had that comradery vibe, nothing was a big deal. The product was great, it got theatrical release, it got released by 20th Century Fox. People saw it, it got great reviews. I won Best Villain for it from The Horror Society. That was cool because I like villains. It’s my favorite. Who would want to be an ingenue when you could be a villain? I can be very cold inside and love it.
I’ve thought a lot about villains. What makes a bad girl/guy different than a villain? The difference is if you’re the bad girl/guy you are that way from the top of the film all the way to the end of the film. As soon as people lay eyes on you they are like that’s the bad guy. If you’re a villain, they don’t know. You win their affection, they engage with you, root for you and even support you. They relate to you and then, flip, you’re a villain. You destroy their world but they’re still in admiration of you because you’ve earned their respect and the relationship before that. That’s why villains are way better than the bad guy/girl.
How was working with Penn Jillette?
Working with Penn Jullette was unlike working with anybody else in the world. He has a loud voice. He has a strong presence and he has big opinions. And he’s a big dude. By the way I can say after we worked together he stopped eating animal products and lost over 100lbs. I’m not saying thanks to me I’m just saying there could be something to it. Working on that show it had a lot of heart. It was called Street Cred on Travel Channel. It took us out to the streets and we went to Boston for example and unbeknownst to the street performers in the square we were watching them.
We were on microphone broadcasting back to our secret lair where we were judging them. We had someone on the ground walking around talking about what they were seeing in person and we were back in the room judging them from different camera angles. In the end, we saw so many street performers and award $10,000 to one of them just by putting it in their hat but they have no clue they are even on the show. It had a lot of heart to it.
America’s Got Talent or The Voice or whatever talent competition show, the heart isn’t there like it was for this show. Because all those people have expectations. They are going to be seen by 11 million people. They’re going to be a star. They have ideas of fame and these people were just street performers, performing for the people in front of them and we gave them $10,000.
Didn’t you whip a rose out of Howie Mandel’s mouth on American’s Got Talent?
I’ve been on Amercan’s Got Talent a few times, Season 1 and Season 8. Howie Mandel was very brave. I got to work with him for five minutes. He did a great job.
What’s the craziest stunt you’ve ever had to perform?
The craziest stunt I ever had to perform is drowning. It was in a supernaturl thriller and I’m scared of water, I don’t swim. In the shower I don’t get water on my face. In fact I don’t even take a shower, I take bathes. It’s more controllable that way. We shot in Maryland and it wasn’t in the script. I knew I had a death stunt. I don’t remember what it was supposed to be but it wasn’t drowning.
We got there, all the way to Maryland, Washington D.C. and we did the table read and the script was different than the one I had read back in Los Angeles. Now it said you’re going to pulled by the unseen force under water. Pulled! Forecably! Under water! I said I’ll do it but looking back at the playback the terror in my face is true. That was the craziest stunt because I don’t like water.
I think indie film making, in some cases, we’re doing 10 to 13 pages a day. I’ve also been on blockbuster sets where they do half a page a day. When you think of the team work and the ability that needs to come together to accomplish a 12 page day, you feel like, who’s the real film makers here? And we don’t have money! That’s some real film making when you can do that day after day and get it done. It’s like boot camp for film making.
What was the job like as a stunt double for Pink?
It was for a commercial campaign for Cover Girl, she was their Cover Girl. It was pretty easy actually. At the time I looked a lot like Pink. My hair was cut like hers, I’m a lot taller than her but we do some of the same specialties like fire and aerial. That’s why I got it because I looked like her and could do the same specialties. On the day it wasn’t that hard because she does a lot of her own stuff.
It wasn’t an uncontrollable stunt like drowning. They had me doing specialty stuff like fire and breaking glass, kicking glass and standing in for the aerial stuff. It was cool working with her because she took the time to learn my name and some celebrities don’t. She took the time to acknowledge me and say hi to me and talk with me so I got a lot of respect for her.
Tell us about your role as a series regular in Puppet Master on the El Rey Network?
Puppet Master is a franchise by Full Moon Features. You have probably all seen Charles Bands work, Evil Bong & Puppet Master. This is number 11. I was hired on as the villain in a feature length film but because distribution is so interesting these days it is actually going to premiere on the El Rey Network as a mini-series first. Can’t wait to see it on El Rey Network. They feature a lot of grindhouse stuff and they’re interested in entertaining the English speaking Hispanic audience. Puppet Master is a perfect fit for that network. It was a quick shoot for the actors but the animitronics takes months.
It’s going to take months but I think, don’t quote me on this, but February 2017 is a projected idea so it’s still a short amount of time. Puppet Master is Full Moon Features 273rd film. This is a production company that knows how to make their product. They know how much time it’s going to take, who’s going to be working on it, they know the budget and what they’re going to recoup. Charles Band is brilliant. Full Moon Features is brilliant. There is such a cult following for these films.
Do you have aspirations to produce your own films or web series?
I have a television pilot that I’m working on with a development company and we’re going to pitch it. I’ve pitched in the past, TV series ideas. Just the other week I was thinking I should executive produce my own film. It’s time.
How has your diversity including Burlesque dancing helped or hindered your crossover to network television?
It’s both. I’ve worked as a performer exclusively for my income for 26 years. I’ve never had to waitress or do any other jobs. My diversity in performance genres is why. If I just acted it would be so much more difficult to make the money I need to live in LA or New York. I happen to be good at many things which works to my advantage. On the other hand, sometimes it’s a hiccup.
I try to keep things segregated even on my website. If you go to my website, if you’re there for acting hopefully I make it easy on you to look for the acting stuff all in one place. Because burlesque especially and grinding sparks of your metal bikini cod piece, it’s so sensational, once you see it you can’t forget it. You can never unsee that. I kind of keep it away from my acting contacts until it comes up.
Where can people find you online?
I’m on every social media there is and available to interact because I likes my fans and interacting and having genuine connections with people. I think that’s why we do it. In theater its very easy. It’s to go, those are my employers sitting in the seats because they paid for a ticket and that pays my wages. We sometimes forget that when we are on camera. We see our employer as the studio or the network. They’re our buyer but they’re not our consumer. Our consumer is still the audience and the fans and the people that watch us and support us. To me those are the most important people to please and be interactive with and have a positive conversation with. Find me, I will interact with
you.
This week we chat with award winning actor Richard Graff who’s best known for his role as Lucky Luciano in AMC’s Making of the Mob. Rich talks to us about taking a leap of faith into acting, his childhood inspiration John Ritter and what Hollywood is doing wrong.
Rich was born and raised in the heart of New York City and had the acting bug since the day he was born, quite literally. When Rich was born, a producer at the hospital requested Rich as a Gerber baby.
A man of many talent, Rich Graff is an accomplished musician and also attended aviation school in NYC. Talking with him, you can tell he’s a man that follows his passions. Leaving a stable career in law for the risky road of acting. To develop his acting skills, Rich studied with a number of acting teachers including Wynn Handman at his private studio, and with Peter Minor at T. Schreiber studios.
Rich has quickly racked up 26 acting credits since 2010. His first major television role was as a detective on “Law & Order Criminal Intent” in 2011. His breakthrough role on the big screen came as the love interest of Heather Graham in “My Dead Boyfriend” in 2015, directed by Anthony Edwards.
The role of Lucky Luciano conjures up all sorts of connotations but to play the role experience may be all you need. As a native New Yorker, Rich Graff grew up around the mafia right in his own backyard. The success of Making of the Mob New York on AMC fueled a second season taking place in Chicago.
Capitalizing on the success of the show and his passion for creating great content, Rich is producing a film called Amaranth. He is also working on a new television series and more. Keep an eye out for Rich Graff, he’ll be coming to a screen big or small near you!
Watch Making Of The Mob
Actor Richard Graff Interview Highlights
We know you’re a fellow New Yorker, we’re here on Long Island. Where did you grow up?
I was born in Brooklyn but raised in Queens. My parents still live in Howard Beach, they still have a house there. I was first raised in Ridgewood Queens, now i live in the city. I’m in Los Angeles quite a bit for work.
How long have you been acting? Did you ham it up when you were a kid?
It’s a strange story, there was a producer in the lobby of the hospital. As my parents were bringing me out, they offered to put me on the Gerber label. I don’t know where they saw me or who connected us, its a strange story. That’s been my life really. I’ve always been geared toward stories and film. As a child I would go the matinee about 10am and I would leave half blind at about 8:30 pm. I rented every movie that ever existed as a teenager. Just always loved the storytelling part of film & TV.
Any professional acting classes? Did you train professionally or is it all just natural ability?
You know I think we all have something about us that draws attention to us. I’ve been with some great acting teachers Wynn Handmann who’s taught everyone from Red Buttons to Richard Gere. I was at T Schreiber Studios, I went to a lot of studio and professional acting schools. I actually had my graduate law degree before I started acting.
My bachelors degree is in literature and writing and then I went on to my graduate law degree after the fact. I did not even get into acting until about six years ago.
Then you were cast in your first television role as a detective on Law & Order Criminal Intent?
Correct. That was actually before I even had an agent. They brought me in, I was of course nervous as all can be and fortunately I booked the role which was nice. Slowly but surely I was able to gain some confidence, get an agent, get a manager. I was always thinking there’d be a perfect time to leave my 9 to 5 job but there never really was. I had to take a bit of a leap of faith and do it on my own.
At what point do you go from working a 9 to 5 job and doing this on side to saying I’m going to be a full time actor as my career?
There is never going to be a perfect time. There is never going to be a time where you make enough money to say OK, even if I don’t work for a couple of months I’ll have made enough from whatever that was to support myself. There’s never going to be that time. You have to take life in terms of what gives you pleasure rather than just working for your life making money because as we all know you can’t take it with you.
It’s not for everyone. Some people are just interested in accumulating wealth and being defined by how much they are worth. That’s just not for me. It’s not really a dream for me, it’s more of a predisposed vision that I’ve had since I was a young child.
Growing up as a child being a fan of movies, what actors or movies did you get inspired by?
As a young boy, I really liked John Ritter from Three’s Company. His physical comedy, his disposition it made me laugh. It gave me great joy. He’s one of the reasons I went into acting. He’s a great man too. His father was a country singer and a TV personality. His son is a pretty good actor now too.
And you’re a musician as well is that correct?
I grew up playing the piano, the horn, the drums all of that by ear. I started reading music but somehow I knew that I could play it just by playing with it a little bit and finding which notes are the correct notes.
What type of horn do you play?
I played the two valve, the three valve, the trombone…The piano I still play from time to time. You guys are musicians, it’s like anything else. It’s physical memory, its a very fine tuned type of skill to have and its acquired over a long period of time.
Have you used any of your music in films?
No, but my ear for music has allowed me to help with putting music in that I like in certain scenes.
How did the auditions go for Making of the Mob? How did you land the role as Lucky Luciano?
Honestly, I had auditioned for six different roles in the show. I first auditioned for Al Capone. I think I went in for every role except Lucky. The next audition, they said the director loves you, the production company loves you, all you have to do now is paint your hair black, put on some brown contacts, put on a vintage 1920’s suit and then we’ll send the pictures to the executives at AMC and if they like you you’re all set. I’m just glad that I got accepted.
Are there plans for a Making of the Mob Season 3?
There was never really a plan for a second season. I think we created such an enormous fan base that the viewers demanded it so I couldn’t see why they wouldn’t go somewhere else like Las Vegas. They could even move up the dates in New York if they wanted to.
If they go into a 3rd season do you think you’d be a part of it?
I’m the type of person that would rather see something rest well than try to resurrect something and destroy what was layed out already. I think we did a fantastic and to go back and ruin what we already did? If it’s done the right way and the writings good then that’s fine.
I don’t want to be type cast either. Rober De Niro played a lot of tough guy mobster rolls but also played other roles like in the film in the hospital with Robin Williams? Awakenings, one of the best films ever.
How much did you study for the character of Lucky Luciano? How much did you know about Lucky Luciano before landing the role?
The broad strokes we all knew about. In terms of preparing for the role, as you guys know I grew up in Howard Beach. Growing up unbeknownst to me I was best friend with the head of the mafia in the 80s and 90s era. I grew up with Peter Gotti whos John Gotti’s youngest son. Jesse Burke who’s Jimmy Burke’s son.
Jimmy Burke is the real name of Robert Deniro’s character in Goodfellas. In the film his name is Jimmy Conway but his real name is Jimmy Burke. Watch the film Goodfellas and there are people in that film who lived in my neighborhood. I lived around the block from John Gotti. He used to walk around the block and say hello.
How much interaction did you have with Ray Liotta who narrated Making of the Mob?
Ray was not hired until we finished shooting. They didn’t even have Ray attached until they finished shooting. Chazz (Palminteri) I had a lot of interaction with especially from when we did the opening, premiere night. I got a chance to speak with him privately. Really great guy. We were very similar in terms of the way we grew up A Bronx Tale is really how he grew up. I was parking Cadillacs when I was 12 years old for money. It sounds ridiculous, it sounds made up but somehow true.
You recently wrapped on My Dead Boyfriend with Heather Graham. Tell us about the movie?
For some reason it got really bad reviews in The Times and other newspapers but it’s doing really well. That happens a lot with good pictures. Critics will bash it but the public loves it and that’s what’s happening with this film. It’s a great film. It’s retro film, we flashback to the 80s. The costuming is really nice. Heather and John Corbett are fantastic to work with. It’s Anthony Edwards first film. I’m really happy its doing well in spite of the reviews.
You played Mary’s boyfriend, a drummer in the film?
Of course she comes home to find John Corbett dead and as she’s flashing back in his past, she’s int he past and we’re in the same band and I’m drummer. Of course she dumps me. I’d rather be the dumped boyfriend than the dead boyfriend. Heather is beautiful and professional and really fun to work with.
I’m producing a lot of stuff that I’m going to be in. One film is Amaranth, directed by a young talented direct Mark Shoonmaker. It’s an apocalyptic end of the world but bringing together humanity kind of film. We have a great cast but we can’t name anyone just yet. We have a budget in place and will be scouting locations in Mississippi to start filming in 6 months.
Another film I’m excited about is Mr. Chicago. It’s deals with the life of a man who was right hand man of Mayor Daley in the 60s, 70s era of Chicago. You can imagine the murder and money laundering going on at that time. The interesting thing about criminality in Chicago, there’s not a lot of dirty laundry coming out of there. We have a couple of people attached to the picture already like Michael Madsen and Paul Sorvino who loves the script.
Next is a TV show called The Undetected I’ve been working on with the producer for about six years he’s been holding onto this and meeting with investors in New Orleans. There’s also another pilot I’m working on called Dead Exit based on a graphic novel.
If you don’t start creating things on your own you will get left behind.
What tips do you have for indie film makers looking to have their work produced?
You have to find people who are going to do it the right way. There a lot of colleges out there, kids looking for talented people people to create a piece. Find actors that are willing to take very little money or no money to create something great, submit it to some festivals. That’s how it’s done these days. A lot of things that are produced take way too much money and make
very little money. I don’t know how it keeps going on.
The thing that Hollywood is doing incorrectly is thinking that they are going to make a lot of money if a large name is attached and it’s not happening. It hasn’t been happening for the last 10 years. Im not waiting for them to wake up about it anymore. I’m just going to do my thing and make some great movies.
That’s the one thing you can do is create great content and someone will buy it from you.
Michael Price is an Emmy Award winning writer and producer. Michael is best known for his work on The Simpsons where he joined the team in 2002 and is also a co-executive producer. Curious who Michael’s favorite Simpsons character to write for is? Understanding what it’s like to write and produce an animated series was a great learning experience for us.
We discuss how Michael landed his sweet gig at the Simpsons, growing up in New Jersey and his favorite childhood cartoons. Following up on his success with The Simpsons, Michael was tapped for the wildly popular Lego Star Wars animated TV Series. Installments include The Yoda Chronicles, The Empire Strikes Out and Droid Tales. Striking a chord with fans young and old, Michael has proven he has is one of the great comedic writers of our time.
Michael Price Writer for F is For Family Starring Bill Burr on Netflix
Michael partnered with comedic mainstay Bill Burr for his latest project F is For Family. Together they created the animated series, available now on Netflix. Finding a home on Netflix makes sense with its built in audience of Bill Burr fans from his exclusive stand-up specials.
Watching F is for Family is a reminder of a simpler yet more complicated time. The show takes place in 1973 and is beaming with its roots in classic comedy. F is For Family also stars Justin Long as the 14 year old stoner misguided son. Laura Dern stars as the lovely house wife who’s appearance of happiness to the world is merely a cover-up for her unfulfilled dreams.
Look out for Season 2 of F is Family coming to Netflix soon!
Crowdfunding a western. Not words you’ll hear often these days but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some film makers up to the task. Gunhand the movie Screenwriter / Director Rey Agaoglu and Producer David van der Meijde from the Netherlands have teamed up with Executive Producers Brandon Waites & Erman Baradi from the United States to tackle Rey’s vision for a gritty western called Gunhand!
This week on the Imperfect Podcast we got to sit down with Rey and Erman to discuss the inspiration and the hurdles of making a modern day western. Gunhand the movie has caught the attention of the indie film community, including us for two reasons. Westerns are a unique film niche that requires a gripping story coupled with beautiful locations to deliver its message and submerge the audience into the story.
About Gunhand The Movie
Inspired traditional Westerns, Gunhand is an independent feature film with a modern twist. They’ve been fine tuning the script for the past three years and over time we have built up enough footage for the teasers that have been winning audiences on IndieGoGo. Indie films are no stranger to crowdfunding. You can show your support for Gunhand by visiting www.gunhandthemovie.com. With some amazing perks like having your name and picture on a “WANTED” poster in the movie you’ll want to be part of the action. Gunhand the movie is slated 2017.
Preview: Gunhand The Movie Interview
https://youtu.be/3D9scwbRoqo
Interview with Gunhand Film Makers Rey Agaoglu & Erman Baradi
Did you make a donation? Have a question for Erman or Rey? Leave us a note in the comments and let us know what you think of Gunhand and if you’d like to see more interviews like this. Don’t forget to join the conversation with us on Twitter and use the hashtag #SupportIndieFilm.
This week on the Imperfect Podcast we talk with Josh Zeman & Rachel Mills who developed the docu-series The Killing Season on A&E. The show is produced by Academy Award-winning director Alex Gibney. The Killing Season delves into the terrifying connections between five unsolved serial killer cases.
The series hopes to raise awareness and provide potential closure to the victims families for crimes unsolved. The first two episodes investigate the infamous Gilgo Beach Murders right here in our own backyard by the Long Island Serial Killer aka LISK. If you have details relating to any of the cases we recommend you visit Websleuths.com.
Preview: Inside The Killing Season with Josh Zeman & Rachel Mills
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPJFrixX2yI
The Killing Season Bonus Footage
Josh Zeman of The Killing Season on A&E
Joshua Zeman has been at the forefront of the true crime genre for the past decade. His critically acclaimed horror documentary CROPSEY, a critic’s pick with The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and Roger Ebert, was called “one of the year’s best documentaries” and “one of the scariest films of the year” in 2011. Off the success of CROPSEY, Zeman created KILLER LEGENDS for NBC Universal, an anthology series that examines true crimes that have inspired our scariest urban legends. Premiering as both the #1 downloaded documentary and horror film on iTunes in July of 2014, KILLER LEGENDS has since become one of the most watched true crime documentaries on both Netflix and Hulu.
As a narrative writer, Zeman received a MacDowell Colony Fellowship as well as the 2013 San Francisco Film Society Screenwriting Award for his screenplay, Collider. As a producer/co-producer, some of Zeman’s past credits include THE STATION AGENT (Audience Award and Screenwriting Award, Sundance Film Festival), MYSTERIOUS SKIN (Venice Film Festival, nominated for IFP Gotham Award), THE HAWK IS DYING (Sundance Film Festival, Directors Fortnight, Cannes) and AGAINST THE CURRENT (Sundance Film Festival). Zeman was also the recipient of the Sundance Creative Producing Fellowship.
Rachel Mills of The Killing Season on A&E
Rachel Mills began her career in filmmaking at the much-lauded Edit Center, in New York City. As Director of The Edit Center, Mills selected and shepherded such documentary and narrative films as: WINTER’S BONE, GREGORY CREWDSON: BRIEF ENCOUNTERS, and GARBAGE DREAMS. In 2010, Mills moved into producing with A MATTER OF TASTE, a feature documentary profiling famed chef Paul Liebrandt, which premiered on HBO. TASTE won a James Beard Award and also garnered an Emmy nomination.
In 2013, Mills partnered with award-winning filmmaker Joshua Zeman to produce and co-star in KILLER LEGENDS, a documentary investigating true crimes that have inspired our scariest urban legends. Most recently, Mills produced MAVIS!, a documentary on gospel/soul music legend and civil rights icon Mavis Staples and her family singing group, the Staple Singers. The film received critical acclaim after its SXSW premiere in 2015, being named “one of the best music documentaries of this decade” by Paste Magazine. HBO picked up the film soon after and in February of 2015, MAVIS! had its broadcast premiere.
