Housewife in Hollywood - housewifeinhollywood.com

I was outside in the sun doing my Jack LaLanne  leg lifts while listening to “Hound Dog” on my mp3 player when it dawned on me I should find out more about Big Mama Thornton. I know a lot about Elvis and we’ve all heard his take on this classic tune but have you heard Big Mama’s version?

I looked up Big Mama Thornton and found out her real name was Willie Mae Thornton born in 1926 and died in 1984. She was a rhythm & blues singer, songwriter and the first to record the hit song “Hound Dog” in 1952. The song was #1 on the Billboard R&B charts for seven weeks. You might recall the song by Janice Joplin called “Ball & Chain”. Well Big Mama made that a hit first and then Janice did her own thing with it in the late 60’s.

I’ve mentioned before I like to listen when the collective conscious whispers to me. I’m glad I did because it turns out there is a musical performance going on now in Los Angeles starring Blues & Jazz legend Barbara Morrison.

If you’re in the area do like Big Mama would say, “Go on get!”

Get yourself over to a performance. Visit Barbara’s official site for more information. http://barbaramorrison.com/

A Blues Musical
“Howlin’ Blues & Dirty Dogs”
The life and times of “Big Mama Thornton”
Starring Blues & Jazz Legend Barbara Morrison
details Call : 310-462-1439
Where:
The Stella Adler Theatre
6773 Hollywood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA.
When:
January 22, – April 12, 2009

Time:
8PM Thursday, Friday, Saturday,
3PM and 6PM on Sundays

Yesterday, the kiddo had all our meals planned out from her Disney Magic Kitchen Cookbook.

For breakfast we had French toast Tarzan style with bananas baked inside. She gave the concoction one opposable thumb up and I think I’d rather have some HIH waffles instead. The Pizza Planet Cheesy Calzones and the Be Cool Peppermint Parfaits were yummy but by dinner time the book was back in the cabinet and take-out magically appeared on our table.

I still have my favorite cookbook from 1978, Meals of Many Lands. I loved searching for new recipes and thinking that every French kid had fruit & cream for breakfast. I was jealous of the children in Russia for having my favorite dish in the book, Tomato Cucumber Salad. American kids had Oven Fried Chicken, Green Beans & Apple Crisp on the menu which I found quite boring. Guacamole Salad in Mexico and Coffee Tortoni in Italy sounded much more exciting.

Meals of Many Lands from 1978

It’s fun looking at the cookbook now with the cute drawings, and riddles like:

On the hill sits a green house,
In the green house sits a white house,
In the white house sits a red house,
In the red house are a lot of little
black and white men.

I remember finding great joy in cookbooks but it was  even more fun making recipes that my favorite pop culture characters made. I don’t know how many times I drank Milk & Pepsi in honor of Laverne De Fazio on Laverne & Shirley.

Even as a teen I was making Cap’n Crunch and Pixy Stix sandwich’s inspired by the basket case in The Breakfast Club. Speaking of Cap’n Crunch, I was searching for a cool commercial to embed here and found one starring that famous Pirates of the Caribbean pirate Marty, a.k.a. Martin Klebba the accomplished actor. Check it out on his official site by clicking here.

For retro Cap’n Crunch commercials featuring the great voice actor Daws Butler, watch this:

Whatever you do don’t snort Pixy Stix like so many YouTube videos demonstrate. You can have the same effect by viewing this:

Do you still have any childhood cookbooks? Any pop culture inspired recipes you recall making? In the words of Bender, “What about you?”

I’m always fascinated by entrepreneurs. When I came across a video from the Today Show about a business called Celeb 4 A Day, I just had to find out more from the founder Tania Cowher.

Celeb 4 A Day gives the average person the star treatment and offers their own personal paparazzi. I have to admit that I wouldn’t want to be followed every day by the paparazzi but one day would be exciting. Especially if I knew I was being photographed and could play along with each shot, going from the limo to the club in celeb style. Tania and her Celeb 4 A Day team can make this idea into reality. We can experience the excitement of celebrity for one day and get back to our mundane existence the next. Thank goodness for mundane because I wouldn’t want to be caught by the pap’s the next morning while taking out the trash.

Find out more about Celeb 4 A Day with my Q&A with founder Tania Cowher.

HIH: How did this idea come about?

Tania: Over six years ago I was in photography school in Santa Barbara. On one of my infrequent days off, I happened to be watching one of the celebrity culture shows, I think E.T. or something like that, and had the thought, “I wonder what that’s like?” My next thought was, “Surely, I’m not the only one that wonders.” The idea came to me then to offer personal paparazzi to people. It sat with me until November of 2007 when I tried my hand at designing websites and needed to do one with “no pressure” of succeeding (not for a client, something I could do in my own time). Basically, I paid the $10 for the URL, designed the site, put it up on the web and called my friends to see what they thought. It spread like wildfire and a week later we had our first customer.

HIH: Celeb 4 A Day is offered in Los Angeles and you have more than a few locations. Did they all launch at the same time?

Tania: I am based in Austin, Texas. So naturally we opened Austin first. Then I reached out to some of my friends from school and opened, in order, Los Angeles, San Francisco and finally New York City.

HIH: On your site you have a suggestion for D-List actors to try Celeb 4 A Day, has Kathy Griffin signed up yet?

Tania: Ha, no Kathy hasn’t called me. I wish she would as I think that would be a ton of fun (if at the very least just for us), but since creating the company she has definitely moved beyond D-List in my opinion. She may not need us anymore! However I do think it would be a good idea for people in the industry that want to control their own image/ coverage. The Pope has his own paparazzi, so why not?

HIH: Do couples ever choose to be celebrities for a day together? I could see this as a great wedding or engagement gift.

Tania: We do have couples hire us a lot for many different reasons. We’ve done date nights, surprise birthdays for spouses and even one where our client just found out they were having a boy – so he hired us and took his wife out (she was 8 months pregnant) on a celebratory date with us in tow. We also have done a few actual engagement nights – where our client proposes to his wife-to-be and we are there to memorialize the night and make her feel like the most special person on the planet.

HIH: I noticed on your Today Show spot that a Birthday Girl and her friends were going from club to club. I imagine if I was a celebrity for a day I’d be going from the grocery store, to the gym, and then to my kiddo’s park days. Do you ever have people doing the not so glamorous things like heading into Rite Aid, and Starbucks?

Tania: Because our normal packages run anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours, it doesn’t always put us in a position to get people doing normal things. Most times our events coincide with the client’s special event. We would definitely do that, though, should a client want that kind of attention.

HIH: Is there an age requirement for this? With all the Super Sweet Sixteen style parties that happen I can imagine teenagers would love this type of experience.

Tania: We do a lot of sweet sixteen’s. The great thing about what we do is that it is for anyone that has an event where they want to feel special or one of a kind. We’ve had everything from 6 year old birthdays to a 64 year olds surprise retirement party. I’ve never thought there was an age requirement for feeling special or having fun – so why limit the experience?

HIH: You started the idea of a paparazzi experience and you say you’re “often imitated, never duplicated.” What makes Celeb 4 A Day different compared to the copycats?

Tania: Well, I’d say first and foremost is that we really do care about our clients and want them to be able to have an experience that they’ve never had before and that they will never forget. I started this company truly wanting the everyday person to be able to feel special because I believe in those types of people and we do everything we can to provide that. I always say that it’s those types of people that are paying the tickets for the movies, shows, buying the products advertised on television/ in magazines that ultimately pay the salaries of the real celebs – surely they deserve a little attention and to have some fun too.

Also, I don’t know how other companies do it, but we don’t just show up with cameras for the gig and go home. From the moment you call, we’re there to help make the event as smooth as possible. Whether you need help planning an event (where to go, what restaurant is best, where to shop, arranging other services, etc.) or you just need our services, if our services are included we’re going to make sure that you have the time of your life because ultimately that’s our real job.

Experience Personal Paparazzi with Celeb 4 A Day

If experiencing the Star Treatment or having your own Personal Paparazzi for a day sounds fun, visit celeb4aday.com for more information.

Del Shores is a writer, director, producer, actor, and activist. He’s written, directed, and produced for film, television, and stage performances. Del has won numerous awards and was honored with a star on Palm Springs Walk of Stars in 2004.

He’s one of those people that must have more time stored some place. Even with all his titles and interests, he still finds time to teach acting workshops and offer audition coaching.

Let’s find out more about Del Shores with some Q&A:

HIH: I’ve been an Olivia Newton-John fan ever since I watched the film Grease in 1978. It was an honor playing the role of Sandy on the playground during recess. You’ve worked with Olivia Newton-John  on Sordid Lives the film and Sordid Lives: The Series on the Logo Channel. What is it like working with this iconic actress?

Del: Olivia is her image. Sweet, gracious, beautiful inside and out. She is wonderful to direct, tries anything I ask and we laugh ourselves silly working on the accent. I also directed her in “The Wilde Girls” in Australia and it was a very special time.”

Olivia Newton-John performs against scenes from the hit TV show Sordid Lives: The Series. Complete soundtrack available on CDBABY.COM and soundtrack and individual songs available on iTunes.

HIH: Sordid Lives started off as a play and includes elements from your own life. Tell us a bit about those elements.

Del: Just watch the Ty/Latrelle pre-funeral scene. Not at my grandmother’s funeral, but most of that dialogue ripped right out of my mom’s mouth — and mine. And Ty’s therapy sessions were mine. I did wear Husky jeans and my mom did change the labels.

HIH: “A black comedy about white trash.” I laugh out loud when I read this tagline for Sordid Lives because there is something universally funny about southern white trash. Why do you think the idea of white trash is so entertaining?

Del: I don’t really consider everybody “white trash” in “Sordid Lives”. That was a marketing “bite” that 20th Century Fox coined when they launched the DVD. I think Southerners/Texans are just colorful and the small things become big (like the mink stole situation in the movie) and with conflict, the comedy becomes real and organic in crazy situations.

HIH: Writing, directing, producing, acting, what do you feel the most comfortable doing?

Del: Well, I will always be a storyteller first and foremost. But when I have the most fun is directing my writing in the hands of great actors.

HIH: Your play Daddy’s Dyin’ (Who’s got the Will?) became a film in 1990 starring Beau Bridges. He was also in Sordid Lives. This seems like a common theme for you having the same actors in more than a couple of your productions. Is this a conscious choice or does it happen by circumstance?

Del: It’s a choice. If I connect with an actor, I start writing for them. And if I’m lucky, they’ll agree to work with me again. Most of the time, I’m lucky.

HIH: Your GLAAD Award-Winning play Southern Baptist Sissies is being made into a movie. What are the challenges and benefits to telling a story on stage compared to on a movie screen?

Del: Well, because of the economy there has been a delay in bringing Sissies to the big screen. I love that play and it was a difficult play to adapt to screen. The screenplay feels more like a hybrid of stage and film — and it helps that I made “Mark”, the story teller, a playwright. So in the film, he gets writer’s block, flies to Texas and sits in the church where he grew up and writes. We push into his mind and see what he is writing.

HIH: Being a housewife myself I’m interested in your play Trials and Tribulations of a Trailer Trash Housewife. I’ve read that it’s a tragic tale about abuse but your flair for funny helps keep the audience from getting too down. Will this production be made into a movie anytime soon?

Del: Probably not. But I wouldn’t rule it out. It’s a powerful piece, if I say so myself. The Samuel French playbook  just came out and it will now be done everywhere.

Visit Del Shore’s official website delshores.net for his itinerary, tickets to upcoming events and workshop information. For the Sordid Lives: The Series show schedule visit the Logo Channel online by clicking here.

Call it a Cup of Joe, java, or plain ol’ coffee there are many ways to ask for a cuppa caffeinated bliss. I fell in love with the taste of coffee when I was just a kid. I believe it started at the Thrifty ice cream counter. My favorite flavor was Java and I’d always get a scoop of Bubble Gum with it. The saying, you are what you eat, is true. Bubble gum and coffee is a combo that describes my personality deliciously.

When other kids wanted hot cocoa after dinner I wanted coffee with milk and sugar. I’ve tried many substitutes from chicory root to Soyfee but they never quite measure up.

So I did some research about coffee in pop culture. Two things I just can’t get enough of.

1. Coffee in Commercials

Just this morning I made the coffee a bit too strong again. Strong is great when you have a primo brand of coffee to start with but if you try to make diner style coffee strong you get “bad taste”. Here’s a retro commercial of a housewife dealing with this very same scenario. Let’s see how she solved her morning coffee catastrophe.

2. Coffee in Music

Emmett Miller’s “You’re the Cream in My Coffee”, The Ink Spots “Java Jive”, Bob Dylan’s “One More Cup of Coffee”, Wendy & Lisa’s  ”Waiting for Coffee”, and The Squeeze’s “Black Coffee in Bed”. We’d need a few pots of coffee to keep us going with the long list of java in music. Let’s take a coffee break. Click here and have a listen to Frank Sinatra sing The Coffee Song.

3. Coffee in Television

Friends gathered at the Central Perk. Alice filled coffee cups at Mel’s Diner. Dr. Frasier Crane met with Daphne and Niles for a caffeinated beverage at Café Nervosa. Even soap operas like the Young & the Restless used a coffee shop to set the scene.

Caffeine in excess is proven to increase irritability. Watch what happens after these guys had too many mochas at the Y&R coffee shop.

4. Coffee in Film

Just like television, movies have used coffee shops as backdrops, coffee cups as props, and even coffee as a central theme. Have you seen Coffee and Cigarettes by Jim Jarmusch? This film is a series of vignettes starring Tom Waits, Iggy Pop, and Bill Murray just to name a few. You can see a few clips in this creative Cinema & Coffee videoart on YouTube:

In 1961 a short film called This is Coffee was made. It’s full to the brim with coffee information.

5. Coffee Table Books

This housewife isn’t fond of dusting her coffee table but she sure loves coffee table books. I have two favorites on display. One is Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street and the other is Studio 54. A little Depp and a little disco is all I need to make dusting more fun.

On my quest to quench my coffee thirst, I found this great site devoted to coffee table books. Click here to do some book browsing. I think I need a few more coffee tables.

Any other pop culture Cups of Joe out there you’d like to share?

As with all of my posts, for the best quality be sure to click on all hyperlinks.

When I think of the St. Patrick’s Day influence on pop culture I think of a cereal, a bar of soap, and a film starring Jennifer Aniston.

Who can forget the movie Leprechaun from 1993? What a difference 16 years makes, especially when it comes to Jennifer Aniston’s career.

Click here to watch the movie trailer.

Then there is that bar of soap that leaves you feeling “Clean as a whistle”. Irish Spring has changed a lot since their retro TV commercials. Visit GetIrishNow.com  and they’ll teach you how to meet a lass, defend her honor and even show you how to get a raise.

Blue diamonds, green clovers… that yummy high fructose corn syrup mixed with Red Dye #40. According to Wikipedia Lucky Charms Cereal has been referenced in pop culture media many times. From the films Leprechaun Back 2 tha Hood, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, to TV Shows like Family Guy, and the Simpsons. There’s even a song entitled Lucky Charms by The Moldy Peaches.

There are so many great movies out there with an Irish theme, some subtle and some blatant as the Blarney Stone.

For the John Wayne enthusiast there’s The Quiet Man with one of my favorite actresses Maureen O’Hara.

Who could forget Far & Away  starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. Remember when they were the paparazzi’s favorite couple? Wow that does seem far and away now doesn’t it?

If you’re a Boondock Saints fan I’m sure you’ll be popping in your DVD to watch Sean Patrick Flanery  and Norman Reedus. Don’t forget to show off your favorite Boondock Saints T from Hot Topic.

Let’s listen to Van Morrison, who is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter, sing the title song from his album in 1972, Saint Dominic’s Preview.

We could have an entire site devoted to the Irish in pop culture. I end this post with a song by The Pogues. Play it this Tuesday Morning. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

When I was 8 years old I watched Return from Witch Mountain in the movie theater. I remember going home after the show pretending I had telepathic power and wishing my hair was the length of Tia Malone’s.

In the movies Escape to Witch Mountain (1975) and Return from Witch Mountain (1978), Kim Richards  was Tia Malone and Ike Eisenmann  was her brother Tony Malone. Race to Witch Mountain starring Dwayne Johnson came out today and you can spot cameos with Kim Richards as Tina the waitress and Ike Eisenmann as Sheriff Antony.

Kim Richards and Ike Eisenmann were two kids that were all over the small and big screen during the 70’s and 80’s. Both of them were in at least one episode of the TV show Little House on the Prairie. In fact they were all over the boob tube back in the day, from Fantasy Island to CHiPs.

After hearing the news of a remake I decided to take my kiddo to see Race to Witch Mountain. She’s the same age I was when I watched the second movie in this Disney series. She had a blast watching all the action, wondering what would happen next and of course right when we got home from the show she started to practice her telepathic power with our Chihuahua.

I thought the movie was action packed, and I loved the casting they did, including the appearance of Cheech in Stony Creek. It was fun seeing Garry Marshall as an alien expert author. Dwayne Johnson is perfect as the taxi driver turned action hero named Jack Bruno. My kiddo pointed out that the leading lady in the movie was the same actress from Night at the Museum. I responded by telling her she was correct, then I preceded to ask if she knew her real name is Carla Gugino and that she also starred in the film Watchmen. Sometimes a mom needs to show her kid she knows a thing or two.

Annasophia Robb and Alexander Ludwig play the roles of Seth and Sara, the two “alien” teens on a mission to save their planet. Race to Witch Mountain is a fun family film. This housewife gives the movie 4 out of 4 waffles!

Even though I’m a housewife that doesn’t mean I’ve thrown in the dish towel when it comes to fashion. When I’m not wearing my apron I’m out in about with family, friends, and if I’m lucky a night out on the town. This means I need a wardrobe that can take me from looking good casual to desirable dressed up. I came across a new clothing line called Propr Attire started by David Arquette, Ben Harper, and David Bedwell. I love the versatility of the fashions so I wanted to find out more about Propr Attire. Here’s my interview with David Arquette:

HIH: Tell us how Propr Attire started?

David: Propr was started because Ben Harper, David Bedwell, and myself (David Arquette) all of whom share a love for clothing and a desire to be part of a company that made clothes that people will LOVE as well. We each have our own individual style but there are things that cross over between all of us… That’s what we focus on – clothing that people can make their own and feel comfortable in.

HIH: I dig the logo for Propr Attire. Why three owls?

David: The three Propr owls of our logo represent the vision we share on fashion. Owls are such mysterious and brilliant creatures, they have a history steeped in mythology, and they can see what others can’t. Hopefully those are traits that will define us as a company as well.

HIH: I saw some pics from a recent show, Courteney Cox Arquette was wearing Propr Attire and I thought to myself, “Hey I could wear that to my kiddo’s next play date.” Are you going for a more accessible look for the general public?

David: The look and feel of our clothing is geared toward an individuals’ style and people feeling comfortable in our clothing. We use a lot of organic cotton but we never let it compromise our esthetic, it’s our goal is to produce accessible and wearable garments – that a mother can wear to a play date or dinner and feel confident and stylish. We also make the highest quality garments at affordable prices so that wearing Propr fits with your budget and way of life.

Courteney Cox Arquette in Propr Attire

HIH: What do your wives think about this new venture? Do they give you any ideas or feedback for the collections?

David: Our wives have a tremendous say in the clothing we produce. We went through their closets to see what they loved and what they didn’t. We ask them to model our clothes and participate in our fittings as well as listening to them if they have suggestions on what they want in a brand.

HIH: How do you manage your different styles together? Do the three of you have similar fashion ideas?

David: All three of us like blending contemporary clothing with vintage pieces – so when you see our line you’ll notice a focus on detail the way clothing used to be made.

HIH: Both you and Ben have worn some very unique and wild styles to some red carpet events. Will any of those red carpet looks be revisited in the Propr Attire line?

David: For the most part the clothing we produce is accessible to all and not as out there as some of the clothing Ben and I have worn on the red carpet… Although if we are incredibly successful watch out for a couture line that will put the dressed in black crowd to shame.

HIH: What’s the inspiration behind the designs?

David: We take our inspiration from Icons of fashion, Twiggy, Audrey Hepburn, The Beatles, Steve McQueen and vintage styles we find that speak to us.

HIH: Will there be any his and her shirts or sweaters happening?

David: There are some fabrics that cross over to both the men’s and women’s line but they’re not made to be worn together per say, but if that is what you’re into that is just what we want – people making our clothes their own.

HIH: When and where can we start shopping?

David: Propr will be in stores and on the internet starting March 19th 2009. At select Bloomingdales, Kitson, Fred Segal Trends (Santa Monica), Dress (San Francisco), and Satine (On 3rd in Los Angeles). Also check out proprclothing.com  and thanks for supporting a new American clothing line born of LOVE.

This is the first of a new series entitled HIH Director’s Cut, featuring a talented director that’s a cut above the rest. YouTube and MySpace Video are just two places on the internet where talented directors are putting their independent work on display.

Jake Williams is one of these talented directors. He’s a cut above the majority and he’s an all around cool guy. Anyone who proudly states they like music by Ray Charles, The Rolling Stones and Willie Nelson is cool to me. He’s also a screenwriter with unique, funny, and well done work. Like most good director’s he’s a storyteller. Photos of Jake Williams by Randy Conatser.

I asked Jake one question and here it is:

HIH: What are you trying to do as a filmmaker?

Jake: What am I trying to do as a filmmaker?

The main thing I want to do is make entertaining independent film. I use the word entertaining specifically, because often times independent film is dark, moody, pretentious, and completely inaccessible for most viewers. I respect filmmakers from every genre, but I am not in the business of alienating audiences. I want everyone to be entertained and to get away from it all for an hour and a half. Who wants to be depressed on their way home from the multiplex?

I love comedy, I’m not saying I’m funny, but I enjoy smart humor with the occasional pratfall. Again I feel there is comedy out there that goes for the lowest common denominator and is widely accepted because it’s easy. To me comedy should not only make you laugh, but also make you think… just a little. That is what I try to do every time I get behind the camera.

Story is everything, I’ve been lucky enough to teach some screenwriting classes while seeking my Master’s degree and I constantly tell those students that without a story a film is pointless. This mission statement of sorts, is the primary reason my wife and I started Storiented Entertainment. We want to tell narrative stories across mediums. TV, film, internet, it doesn’t matter. To us, all successful media has a strong story at its core.

This may be the longest answer to a question ever, but I’ll end with this. I think filmmaking is on the verge of something huge. Making movies is easier than ever before and while that means there may be more junk out there, there will be opportunities for great stories to be told. We just want to be a part of it.

To find out more about Jake Williams visit his MySpace Film profile http://www.myspace.com/jakeaaronwilliams

The Wolfman’s Brother

Being Liza

My internet travels brought me to a new film called Knuckle Draggers that asks one question, “Have we really evolved?”

“Knuckle Draggers takes a realistic, but comic look at how the behaviors of men and women have evolved very little since the caveman times. When Ethan, the needy nice guy, is dumped by his fiancé, he asks his misogynist older brother Kyle to help him win her back. Kyle tries to teach Ethan how to act like “a real man” and to never put a woman on a pedestal. Repulsed by his brother’s harsh views on how to treat women, Ethan ignores his advice and ventures out into the dating world, where he slowly realizes that everything Kyle says seems to be true.”— Alex Ranarivelo, writer and director of Knuckle Draggers.

This new film includes actors Ross McCall, Amie Barsky, Omar Gooding, Daniele Nicolete, Brandon Olive, Jennifer Alden, Justin Baldoni, Serah D’ Laine, and Paul J. Alessi.

Paul J. Alessi plays the role of Kyle and he’s also the producer of Knuckle Draggers. This native New Yorker  is an accomplished actor with a passion for acting and producing.

Paul J. Alessi Photo by Nicholas Ng – © 2008 Aperture Photography

Here’s my interview with Paul  J. Alessi.

HIH: You were discovered while working construction. What was that like going from the construction site to being in front of a camera?

PAUL: It was really amazing and a bit surreal to see the difference in jobs and life styles.

HIH: Any fun or memorable moments you’d like to share from your experiences on the set of Boondock Saints II?

PAUL: To see my good friend Troy Duffy in his moment of glory to finally be making BDII. After shooting the first scene with Sean Patrick Flanery and Norman Reedus he said I have been waiting for this for 10 years and you don’t know how happy and excited I am.

That was a very gratifying and inspiring moment for me. He fought long and hard for what he wanted and it paid off.

HIH: Knuckle Draggers takes a realistic, but comic look at how the behaviors of men and women have evolved very little since caveman times. How evolved are you?

PAUL: Let’s just say I feel men and women will always have a different perspective on relationships. I don’t think one way of thinking is necessarily better than the other, just different. But if you ask people I know I guess they would say “not very”.

HIH: I read you love challenges and that’s why you love acting and sports. Were there any challenges for you while producing and acting in the new film Knuckle Draggers?

PAUL: Yes this was definately challenging because this was my first film that I was the sole producer along with having a lead acting role. In my past projects I have done one or the other not both. There are many challenges in making a film in general, but indie films can be especially challenging because there is minimal money. Deciding on what is most important and how to make the best of the budget is very challenging. The jobs of ten people now become the job of one.

HIH: What are your interests other than acting and producing?

PAUL: I attend film festivals and go to the movies as much as I can. I enjoy going to the gym when I can, playing and watching hockey and spending time with my family in NY.

HIH: You have played a wide range of characters. In 1995, you played the role of an AIDS victim in the award winning video Waterfalls by TLC.   Do the tough emotional parts take a toll on you?

PAUL: Yes I actually prefer playing a character that has “guts” and emotions. I like finding the character and those moments of truth and letting the emotions play out. Yes it can take a toll on you but some people say that it can also be very therapeutic.

HIH: Recently the media discussed the incident involving Christian Bale working on the set with a crew member. Do you think it has any effect on the way cast and crew work together? Has anything changed in the industry?

PAUL: No and I don’t think anything has changed. Shit happens. From what I have heard I can understand both sides but the truth be told I wasn’t there and can’t really know how or what went down to make an honest comment.

HIH: When I was in Army Boot Camp many moons ago, I realized how different men and women can be when thinking about the world. Besides doing very little evolving since caveman times how does this difference in thinking come into play in the movie Knuckle Draggers?

PAUL: It doesn’t, it’s based on that exact topic.

HIH: So what do you think about the field training tips your character Kyle, gives his brother Ethan in the film? Have you used any of those tips in real life?

PAUL: Some of Kyle’s training tips are pretty funny. Well I think almost everybody has at least felt like using Kyle’s training tips and most guys I am sure did actually try at some point or another. I won’t say I didn’t. There is a lot of validly in what Kyle says and I wouldn’t disagree with him. But bottom line is it depends on the two people in the relationship, some women get it, and some don’t.

HIH: I noticed that you’re working with Traci Lords in a film set for a 2010 release called Au Pair, Kansas. What else are you up to these days?

PAUL: Wow I can write all day about this but to keep it short I am basically finding good projects and funding so I can keep making films. Meanwhile I am promoting the ones I have finished.

To learn more about Paul J. Alessi click here for his IMDb profile and visit his official site http://www.pauljalessi.com